CHAPTER 256 - Reunion

It was tomorrow now.

I was musing over my strategy for Crasher Wake before heading out to the Ranger Outpost over breakfast. A groan escaped my mouth when I bit into some buttered toast and crumbs got all over my laptop, and I bent down to blow them away. Princess was still sleeping, having claimed my bed for herself like she liked to do while Angel took in the sunlight through the window as usual.

Like I'd noticed and told myself before, the key lesson in Wake's Gym was this: how would a trainer approach battling in an arena that was so disadvantageous it might as well have been unfair? It was a pivotal lesson in any trainer's career and it fell onto Wake to instill those teachings. Well, unless you were a water type specialist, I mused to myself. While the islands were larger than in my battle with Barry, they were too spaced out for Honey to simply jump between them, and even though Angel could always improve at swimming, there was no way he'd be fast enough to cross safely. There were two ways to fight back against such a tactic. Either adapt to it, or bypass it entirely. I was planning on doing a mix of both, with a focus on the former.

While Wake's makeshift ocean would always be filled by Rain Dance, making evaporating it impossible unless your Pokemon were way stronger than the 7th badge level, there were still ways to counter the water. Right now, I was thinking of lava. Again.

A silly concept, unless you stopped to think about it for more than five minutes. Wake could just cool it down with water! Well, yes, but cooled-down lava formed solid rock, and solid rock would extend the range of the islands we had. Add in a little bit of platform-building with Ancient Power because we would need an ample supply of rock to create lava anyway, and I had a skeleton of a plan. Hell, we could even create islands from scratch if we were ambitious enough. I was still studying up on Wake's Pokemon's moves, but that part would come naturally. Ideally, I was thinking of signing up for the Gym in a week's time to leave my Pokemon ample time to settle into the strategy and just better themselves in general.

That alone wasn't it, however. I still needed a way to take down Wake's Pokemon when they were below the water. Honey's Thunder and Princess' Moonblast would be powerful enough to handle that. Moonblast's gravity would pull any Pokemon upward while Thunder would just travel through the water. Sweetheart and Buddy could move under the water already. Sunshine and Angel were the problem. Turtonator could always use something like Dragon Pulse or Focus Blast, but aiming at something underwater was a lot harder than in the air, especially when the water molecules would weaken and slow our ranged attacks. What I'd noticed during our swimming lessons was that his explosions kind of worked like a depth charge— okay, that was maybe an exaggeration, but anytime he exploded, Buddy had been stunned for a few moments by the force of the impact even when he'd been standing far away.

So that was the tactic I decided we would use if he was ever dragged into the water, but we could also use his exploding Scale Shot to force a Pokemon to surface, or at least that was the theory. We still needed to tweak the timing of the explosions, but with how many scales we could send, dodging would be incredibly difficult.

For Angel, things were a little more complicated and a lot more fluid, but my working strategy combined Ingrain and Solar Blade— the exploding variants, of course. His range of fifty feet was already a lot, but it could easily be extended with Ingrain. The nutrients from the soil would allow his vines to grow longer and would allow him greater maneuverability, especially since we'd been training those two specific things in the first place. He'd be able to fumble around the water with his vines and use exploding Solar Blades to either hit or stun any Pokemon in the water. After they were stunned, he'd be able to grab them or hit them with something like Power Whip. I'd also need to use Sunny Day, either with him or Sunshine to at least weaken the Rain Dance.

With all of these plans in place— and it was a lot of plans to juggle— Buddy would lose some of his prominence in the battle, but he was still desperately needed as an anchor I could fall back on. Water Absorb would be key here. With him out, I'd be locking Crasher Wake out of all of his best attacks. Ice Beam would also be able to freeze any Pokemon using hydrokinesis to move. Even though Wake had a few tactics to counter freezes, it would still buy time and slow down the battle's tempo, allowing me to think on the fly, because as every trainer knew, no plan survived contact with the enemy.

I sighed, letting out a satisfied groan as I stretched in my chair. My breakfast was done, so it was time to go to the Ranger Headquarters on route 212. I figured I might as well have used the opportunity to get my first bit of scouting done too. I exited the Pokemon Center with one crutch in hand and my phone in the other, reveling in all of the talk about Abel in the news. Still, even though the news filled my heart with joy, I wouldn't be satisfied until he was at least in a prison cell.

After telling Denzel, Mira, Cece and Chase I was going on patrol, I pocketed my phone, released Princess, and set up her saddle. There was almost no disturbance when she took off (after grabbing a cube of earth with Ancient Power for whatever reason). No woosh of the air, no dust or dirt, and even the sudden lift upward felt smooth. The warm, spring air felt good on my face, but it turned colder and colder the higher we got. Suddenly, the wind shifted and began to blow at my back, speeding up Princess even more. Every day she flew, she was better than she'd been previously. Pastoria's widespread, suburbian design became less and less dense until roads led into dirt paths, and dirt paths led into nature.

The swampy part of route 212 wasn't really a route. There was no path to follow, because building anything in a swamp was a logistical and expensive task that Pastoria wasn't inclined to do, and maintaining it would be even more expensive than that. Part of the reason this swamp was considered one of the most dangerous places in Sinnoh was because there was no pre-determined path. It was like walking off-route, but for days. Anything could jump at you from the water, and there was a lot of water to hide under. Just like in Eterna Forest, going through this place without a Psychic was basically suicide.

I had to admit, it was very appealing to look at at first glance. From high above, the first thing you'd notice was the vast expanse of colorful flowers and lush greenery. Lilypads, reeds and other aquatic plants covered most of the waters. The swamp was a mosaic of vibrant multicolored hues. Intricate waterways interlinked ponds and lakes with each other. Occasionally I'd spot some shifts in the water, but I saw or sensed no Pokemon. We were too high up for that.

From the one time I'd flown over the Great Marsh and the way Cecilia had described it, there were plenty of dry spots to be in, and the water was navigable enough to walk through. Route 212's lakes were deep enough to drown in. One step in the wrong place, and you'd fall into the depths. I was high up, but upon closer look, the bodies of water here were a lot murkier than they were in the Safari Zone. They were so murky that no sunlight would ever shine through, which meant the water was denser and harder to move in.

Harder to escape from, too.

It was impossible to overstate how vast the swamp was too. It went on and on in every direction.

"If you spot anything strange, let me know," I told Princess. She offered me a nod back, having already been focused on looking out for a base. We weren't expecting to find it here, but looking wouldn't hurt. Chase would come in and scout this afternoon, but he'd go further than the swamp. Dividing the route into zones was smarter than doubling up and wasting time.

An hour of scouting done, and all we'd spotted were a few trainers huddling to the only patches of dry land in the marsh and the occasional wild Pokemon. One time, a group of three had even been getting attacked by an Arbok, and I had Princess swoop in to save the day. A Psychic and a couple of Air Slashes were enough to send the poison type slithering away and back into the murky waters. The group of trainers thankfully weren't wounded, and they might have won against Arbok with all of their Pokemon combined, but I hadn't wanted to take that risk. Evidently, they realized that this route was too much for them and turned back right away. If I'd been them, I never would have gone here anyway, with all the poachers running about, but trainers were known to ignore warnings. Route 212 might have been deserted, but some would always try to brave the dangers anyway.

Kind of like me, I thought as Princess doubled back. The Ranger outpost wasn't in the middle of the swamp, or it would defeat the entire point. Instead, it was near the marsh's entrance, where dirt turned into wet mud. I felt a twinge of nostalgia at the sight of the gated community. It was large enough to be a small town and surrounded by an electric fence, with a Pokemon Center, Mart, and a few buildings strewn throughout, including the Ranger Station, which was the largest one and topped by an army-green roof. Just like Mount Coronet's and Eterna Forest's. Here, Rangers patrolled the surroundings. There were signs of wear and tear on the fence, meaning they'd been attacked multiple times recently. No landing pads? I guess I'll just land at the Center's entrance.

There weren't many trainers here, I noticed when Princess landed. Even in the Pokemon Center, there were only two people in the lobby. It made sense, and I had expected it, but it was still depressing to look at. I released Sunshine, who blinked when he realized where he was. The sight of him made the few people walking out and about stare, but we ignored them.

"Yeah, we're here," I said, patting him on the arm as a sign of reassurance. "You're still okay, right? Are you sure you want to do this alone?"

Princess expressed the same worried feelings, but Sunshine nodded. Gone was his anxiety about meeting Mudsdale. He was ready, and grew readier by the minute. I offered him a gentle smile, and my hand slipped away from his arm. To be honest, even I had been nervous about meeting Mudsdale because I feared he would judge me for trying to 'replace' Kamaile, or something of the sort, so I couldn't help but feel some amount of relief. At the same time, I wanted to be there for Sunshine if he needed me, but this was his decision, so I would respect it.

"Let's go, then."

Princess hovered over me while Sunshine walked briskly by my side. The fairy type had sculpted her cube-shaped piece of earth into a full-fledged miniature Mudsdale during our flight. She levitated it into Sunshine's hand, and the fire type clumsily held onto it, dipping his head in thanks for the gift.

"So that's what you were making! Woah, there's a lot of detail on there." I leaned forward to squint at the statue. "How'd you know what a Mudsdale looks like anyway?"

Togekiss answered by saying that she'd seen the Pokemon in one of her cartoons she liked to sing along to.

"Huh. Guess I'd fallen asleep."

She nodded, noting that I'd been studying hard for my written flying exam that night. Still, from one look at the species, she'd managed to recreate a Mudsdale perfectly. We entered the brightly-lit Ranger station and I accosted the receptionist with a wave. She turned toward me as if she hadn't been expecting a trainer in here, but then she cleared her throat and quickly got into work mode.

"Welcome to Route 212's Ranger Station. What can I do for you today?" She asked.

I pointed back at Sunshine with a thumb. "Turtonator's trainer passed away in Mount Coronet before I caught him, but three of his Pokemon survived. His name was Kamaile Nalanie, and the Pokemon we're looking for is Mudsdale. He's supposed to be in this station?"

The receptionist's eyes drifted down to the statue Sunshine carried. "Right. We do have a Mudsdale here— just for procedure's sake, could I have your trainer ID?"

I slid the card down the counter and waited for her to type away at her computer. I assumed that since these two were probably the only Mudsdale and Turtonator in the region and that the story had spread through every Ranger station by now, she was confident enough not to demand more verification.

She continued, "We'll verify this with Mudsdale and then set up a meeting… in the yard. It should only take around five minutes— our psychics are busy with something else, at the moment."

"Sure," I agreed. "And it's okay if Sunshine's alone, right?"

The Ranger took a split-second longer to answer, since she hadn't known Turtonator's name. "He looks fine to go, yes," she said after staring into the dragon's eyes.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

I grabbed my ID back and shuffled to the uncomfortable plastic seats. People really took the Pokemon Centers' couches for granted. I theorized with Sunshine about Shell Smash to pass the time for ideas on how to get started on the move, but we came up empty. He didn't know how to channel a broken shell into power and speed, and we were stumped because every instance of Shell Smash was different for every Pokemon capable of using the move due to the different body types—

"Turtonator? Mudsdale is ready for you," the receptionist called out.

Sunshine froze, then turned to me. His mouth trembled, and he asked if I could accompany him outside, his bravado from earlier all but gone. I agreed and hoisted myself on my crutches, and Princess graciously accepted her entry back into her Pokeball. We silently walked through a labyrinth of slick halls and beige walls with chipped paint that seemed to stretch on and on the closer we got to the yard.

It wasn't an impressive one. Shrubs grew everywhere from the rich soil, and it was walled off by high, wooden fences. A tree sat in its corner, and under it, Mudsdale stood. He was a lot taller than I'd expected. Slightly north of eight feet, which meant he was absolutely massive. His brown skin had the texture of leather and his dark hair was so packed together it looked like a helmet. Mudsdale shifted under the tree, first looking at me— but only for an instant— then at Sunshine, with relief radiating out of him like water out of a showerhead. I dipped my head and silently slipped back into the building, closing the door behind me

—

He truly hadn't changed, in the end.

Mudsdale stood as strong and tall as he had always been. His body was steady, with no unnecessary movement. Not even his hair swayed in the wind. It was far too heavy for that. Turtonator was silent as he approached his old friend, and he noticed a certain tiredness in his eyes that hadn't been there before, and he knew it was not from a lack of sleep. Turtonator took a final step and stared up at Mudsdale, but his words died in his throat.

Mudsdale spoke first, I missed you.

The dragon's eyes widened. A year ago, these weren't words he would ever have expected from Mudsdale, but times were different now. Kamaile was gone, and they'd been separated for what felt like a lifetime.

I missed you too, old friend, Turtonator finally said. He gently grabbed Mudsdale by the neck and let out a relieved sigh.

You didn't hug before, Mudsdale said with a sprinkle of amusement.

Turtonator snorted. You didn't say things like 'I missed you' before as well, so I suppose we've both changed in that regard. How have you been?

Mudsdale lay down under the shade, and the earth itself shook when he did. I've been working for the Rangers for the past few months, he said. They took me in without a fuss and helped me struggle through my grief. Yet, the hole in my heart is not filled.

Turtonator nodded. It never will be, but it gets a little easier every day, he said.

Mudsdale paused, then neighed with a gruff. I thought you were dead, Turtonator.

The fire type blinked for two reasons. One, even though he still referred to himself as Turtonator, being called that felt odd to his ears. Two, he had not expected this topic to come up so soon. Unfortunately, Mudsdale had never been one to beat around the bush.

I wanted to contact you, I just… I just didn't deem myself worthy, Turtonator muttered. I failed Kamaile. I failed you all. Oranguru, Mandibuzz, Drampa, too. They're all dead because of my failures.

Mudsdale shook his head, baring his flat teeth. You don't get to bear the responsibility alone, Turtonator, he said in a commanding tone. We all failed them, but the ones that are at fault are that Team Galactic gang.

Rage swelled inside of the dragon type when he imagined Saturn's face, and was only soothed when he imagined every inch of his body burning. Slowly. Hours spent with a foot on his chest, making it hard, but not impossible to breathe to inflict as much pain as possible while he cooked alive for as much time as he could manage.

I do bear it, Turtonator said. And I will until I kill Saturn.

Mudsdale's eyes narrowed. You want revenge.

It was a statement, not a question. As if the ground type had expected it and was just confirming it for himself.

I do, Turtonator nodded, sitting down in the grass. I want to see his miserable little face slowly cook to a crisp. And I think you should join me in my endeavor.

Mudsdale sighed, and his stare seemed so much heavier. In an instant, he looked far older than he had seconds earlier. Imperfections in his hair, small scars on his body, chips in his hooves.

I am not looking for revenge.

The statement reverberated in Turtonator's head for what felt like hours. How? How did Mudsdale want to sit still while the person who killed so many of their loved ones roamed free?

I can tell that you're confused, Mudsdale continued. I simply do not have the energy for it, Turtonator. You've still got the spark in you. The drive that made us strive to improve in our heyday. That made us train and practice every waking hour so we could collect badges, he stopped, smiled sadly and stared into the distance at nothing in particular. I'm tired, Turtonator. It's peaceful here, outside of when poachers are involved. They don't even make me patrol. I simply help the newcomers train. The rhythm is enjoyable. Every day blends together… it feels nice.

Turtonator gritted his teeth and restrained a roar. You can't live like this.

Can I not give up?

No! You cannot, Turtonator said. He opened his mouth, then closed it, considering his next words. I think that you should want retribution, but I will agree to let that go, as much as it pains me, he slowly spoke. But you can't live your life in a daze. That is how you lose yourself.

It helps with the pain.

Turtonator flexed, then restrained the heat leaking out of his body. So many months with children had helped him learn to compose himself.

What about Lurantis? He asked. Is she the same? The fire type asked through calming breaths.

We've kept in contact. The psychics write letters we dictate, and the humans send them, Mudsdale said. She's in a better state than I am. She's thrown herself into Ranger work and has adopted a child from the forest.

Turtonator's anger vanished, as if it had never been there in the first place. That's just like her, he whispered. Just like her…

And just like that, the tension faded. Even when she wasn't there Lurantis was the glue that held them together.

Do you not want to meet her again? Turtonator asked. Grace— the girl who caught me— she is planning on going to see her soon after we're done in Pastoria. She could bring you.

Mudsdale hesitated. Perhaps. I will have to think about it… I think seeing her would hurt me more than you'd know. Old memories would resurface… I already cannot get a full night's sleep.

Think about it, then, the dragon nodded. You wouldn't have to fight if you didn't want to. The girl is as soft-hearted as they come, so long as you're on her good side. I gave her those burns, and she has never looked at me wrongly in spite of them.

Mudsdale frowned at that 'good side' bit of the sentence, but opted to ignore it.

Grace is her name, then? I'm surprised you settled with a new trainer, given your old disposition.

Bah! She's an annoying brat, but also frustratingly loveable, Turtonator groaned. She caught me while I was full of pain and rage in Mount Coronet. Her child made this for you.

The dragon showed Mudsdale his own statue, and the horse's eyes widened in surprise.

Such excellent craftsmanship… but she is too young to have a child, or at least that's how I understand human maturity.

Turtonator snorted. The one who made this is a Togekiss. One of her many adoptive children, he explained. It wasn't a human.

She adopts… Pokemon?

Strange, isn't it? She's even treating a three-hundred-year-old Jellicent as her son too, believe it or not, Turtonator let more fondness than he'd wanted slip. Deep down, I think she thinks of me as her son too, which is just a preposterous notion. She also has a gift for understanding Pokemon, which makes her far less irritating to work with. Hah! I couldn't imagine having stayed this long if we hadn't been able to negotiate. There was no way I'd let one of her friends' psychics translate my words. She wouldn't have gotten that out of me—

You love her, Mudsdale said.

Turtonator's eye twitched. I— he said defensively—

It is okay, the ground type cut in. I know you haven't moved on. No one as driven by revenge as you would have, he said. You are allowed to love others, Turtonator. Don't stay stuck in this damned grief-ridden hole like I. Lurantis has been trying to move on as well.

I want you to try, Turtonator said. Try to fill the hole with something else. You loved traveling, Mudsdale. You aren't built to stay in one place for so long. Is there truly nothing you want? Search within yourself.

I want— he stopped himself. I can't.

You were going to say something—

Let it go, he said harshly. After a sigh, he spoke again. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to raise my voice, it's just… hard. Hard to find motivation for anything. What I want is for things to go back to the way they were. You, me, Kamaile and the others. Traveling together again.

Mudsdale…

I know it is nothing but a child's dream, he sighed. It doesn't matter, in the end. The world is not a just place. Sometimes, bad people win, good people die, and the wheels of time keep churning, with or without you.

I've told you I won't let them get away with it, Turtonator gruffed. Puffs of smoke billowed out of his nose. I will kill him, Mudsdale. I swear to you.

Small embers lit up in Mudsdale's eyes. Good. Now, tell me about your new adventures. I want to know who the human and Pokemon who have changed you so are.

Turtonator settled into his seat with a fond smile. I suppose I should start… let's start in Hearthome, he said, not wanting to get too close to Kamaile's murder. You see, the original plan after she got me out of the mountain was to kill her…

—

I yawned, stretching in the lobby's chairs. Arceus, my back and butt hurt so much after staying seated here all morning and afternoon. I'd gone to grab lunch too, of course, but when considering stretching my legs, I had to account for the pain in my ankle. I'd been stupid and forgotten to grab my painkillers with me before coming here, and I was pretty sure the one I had taken this morning had completely run out. The sky was a dull orange outside, signaling that the sun would be setting soon. There was no news from Chase's patrol, and Mira had been busy vetting some new friend Maeve made with Gardevoir, but she'd need me to make sure she wasn't Zoroark. Zoey Miranda was her name.

If I'd been trying to not stand out in a crowd as Zoroark, I wouldn't have morphed into a six-foot-two girl, but we still could never be too safe. My phone was at fifteen percent at this point and I wanted to keep battery for the flight back, so all I could do was wait. What I did do was visualize some of my old battles to see if I could catch any mistakes I hadn't yet. Every single one appeared clear as day to me, even my first Gym Battle against Roark. Arceus, that one had been embarrassing—

Steps. And those steps were unmistakable. Sunshine proved me right when he walked into the lobby, eliciting confused stares from the Rangers starting their night shifts. He looked lighter than he had been coming in, and I would have had to be blind to miss the joy sliding off of him. Bright, excited, and most of all, satisfied. A nice gradient that I wish I'd see more of on him.

I shot up without my crutches and bit my lip with a wince. "Ow… how'd it go?" I bent down to grab my crutches. "Was it everything you hoped for?"

Sunshine nodded with a terribly cute smile, and he told me to follow. I did, although I was slower than I'd been earlier. He didn't mind one bit, and was content to slow down to my pace. The dragon waited for me to open the massive doors to the yard (he was probably scared he'd destroy them on accident), and I saw Mudsdale again, sitting with his replica. His focus switched from Princess' statue to me, and I hobbled down the steps. What should I say?

Well, introductions couldn't hurt.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Mudsdale. My name is Grace Pastel. I've been Sunshine's new trainer."

The ground type's eyes bulged at the name 'Sunshine', and then he laughed— a weird sound to be coming out of a horse. Sunshine, for his part, rolled his eyes and waited for the laughing fit to finish. Mudsdale spoke, but his words were still gibberish to me. Luckily, we had someone to translate.

He said it was nice to meet me, and that he'd never expected Turtonator to take on a nickname.

"Oh, I bartered with him over it for almost two months," I said with a sly smirk. "He was a real sweetheart about it, though. Never complained once about it after he agreed."

Mudsdale said something that Sunshine refused to translate, but he clearly felt embarrassed about it.

"I hope you guys had fun catching up. I'll gladly take Sunshine here again while we're here," I continued. "Things might get busy soon, but I'll try to come every day. The rest of the team can train in one of the arenas here— and maybe you can come to watch Sunshine train too."

Mudsdale dipped his head in appreciation, but then Sunshine spoke up. He said that Mudsdale was considering joining us temporarily when we left Pastoria so he could go meet Lurantis as well. It had taken hours of prodding and convincing, but he'd finally agreed. The ground type wouldn't fight, nor would he train. He'd just be a traveling companion for a while.

"Are you kidding?" I beamed. "This is great news! I mean, I had the idea, but I didn't want to force anything." I stopped and gently patted Sunshine on the arm. "This'll be great for you three."

Relief flooded every inch of Mudsdale's body, and Sunshine said that 'he'd told him so'. What had they been talking about, I wondered?

"I'll have to talk to the Rangers about it, though," I muttered.

Sunshine explained that Mudsdale didn't do much around here, save for training new recruits or taking the occasional mud bath (I was pretty sure that was meant to be banter), so convincing Rangers wouldn't be that difficult, especially when they used to belong to the same team.

"And hey, worst-case scenario I can just use some subtle threats," I huffed with a shrug. "Like knowing Cynthia, or something. Wouldn't be the only time I plan on doing that anyway," I said, thinking of the UPAN. "The Rangers will get the message."

Mudsdale eyed Sunshine, who snorted and introduced me again, for some reason.

"I see your little plots," I squinted at the dragon. "Oh! And Mudsdale—"

I closed my mouth. 'Mudsdale can tell me old stories about you' had been what I'd wanted to say, but maybe that was too insensitive? It was best to let those things come naturally.

"—I guess I should introduce the rest of the team. We should see how you mesh with them before we actually start traveling. Oh, and you'll love Buddy—"

One of the Rangers called out for Mudsdale behind us. He needed to go help train two new ground types that had been under his care. Sunshine's face twisted in annoyance, but Mudsdale calmly stood up. He didn't do much here, so I knew he couldn't have loved the job, but maybe he still felt compelled to do his duty?

"We'll be back tomorrow," I said.

The ground type nodded and disappeared in a flash of red. I turned back to Sunshine, who glared at the Ranger's back.

"Did you have fun?" I asked.

His anger disappeared. Instead, he asked me to stop treating him like a damned child.