[PKMN OPEN] Into the Great Open Blue: Take Off (IC)

The iron vessel that father and son had embarked on was docking on the port of Liverte. On its very prow, the Infernape hugged the high rail, somewhat sick from the meal he'd had, as his son, a Chimchar lively as a wild flame, stood on the foil of the ship. Together, they watched the workers on the port helping to prepare it for the ship's arrival.

"Dad," Jonathan, the teenage Chimchar, said, "tell me again about those woods!"

"Again, Jon?" Isaac complained, but he wasn't mad. "I've told you the tale a hundred times now."

"One more time!" the little one pleaded genuinely.

"How about you let Daniel tell you the story? I wouldn't like to rob him of the pleasure, anyway."

Little Jonathan already knew very well who Daniel was, from the story he'd been told. An honest and noble woodworker, who also had kids of his own. Friends for him to play with, once they visited Daniel's home. Getting to see a new city, and the prospect of meeting Daniel and his family and making friends out of them made him so excited.

The Chimchar jumped further ahead onto the foil and stood on it with perfect balance like an acrobat.

"Look at me, dad!"

"Don't go there," Isaac cautioned him gently, "the fish below are looking for a meal!"

"AH!" Jonathan exclaimed and dropped into hugging the foil, for fear of falling down. He peeked to the side, looking for the hungry fish, but he couldn't find any. "Where are they?" he asked.

"They're hiding now," his father said, glancing down in the dirty, murky waters of Liverte's port. If there were fish on this kind of water, little Jonathan would probably make a meal out of them before they could.

The bell tolled and the passengers begun to disembark. Once father and son were on the port, they realized they had no idea where to go. They knew the name of Daniel's shop - Darcy's Woodworks - but Liverte was quite a huge city.

"There's a blimp," Jon shouted to his dad, pointing at the sky. It was a blimp with the face of a Pikachu formally dressed with a pipe. He had a smug, toothy half-smile and looked very much like a proper pirate in a suit. "Who's that?"

"That's the Trade Prince Ignacio," Isaac said between his teeth, without much enthusiasm. The Trade Prince ruled this city, as he owned the overwhelming percentage of businesses and land on the island of Liverte; Isaac had heard someone on the ship say that that Pikachu owned more than seventy per cent of very much anything that was on the city, and that sailor continued to say that his ownership extended to the citizens of the city as well. And a Trade Prince is never a benevolent ruler; the common men and women could never live in harmony with a monster born from crony capitalism above their heads.

When Isaac pointed out the face of Ignacio on the propaganda blimp, though, the grim facts of reality escaped Jonathan. The little Chimchar was thrilled to be there and it showed on his face; he had already found something else to soak up his attention.

"A lighthouse," the child said, "we should go there, dad! To the top, see all around the city."

"Afterwards," Isaac said, "we will."

Jon ran out of the docking area impatiently, looking around the street. This face of the city was a poor one; the houses were made half wooden, half from stone. That would be where the dock workers were living, mostly.

"Stay close to me, Jon," his father chided him. "Let's go."

They chose a random direction and begun walking, both having a happy and carefree step to them that made them look so much alike. The air of this city was different than what Jon had experienced so far in the clean, fresh Carajol sea, where they were coming from. The stench of the port was foul, and there was a saltiness in the humid air.

"How're we gonna find it?" Jonathan asked.

They asked some workers near the dock and they said they did not know where Darcy's Woodworks were, nor what they were exactly.

They had some luck soon with another resident they asked as they were passing outside his house. They pointed them to near the docks, in one of the poorer neighborhoods of the city, and in about half an hour, after asking around the busy but almost helpful citizens, they found it.

The shop itself was modest in appearance, though it appeared to have been newly renovated. A small sign hung out by the door, a fresh paint job depicting the silhouette of a Diggersby, with the name of the establishment below:

Darcy's Woodworks

"This is it," Isaac said, smiling. That was the seal he had seen on the letters he had received from Daniel.

"This is the woodworks?" Jon asked, a bit disappointed. "I thought it was going to be bigger."

"Mind your manners inside," the Infernape said in a slightly severe tone.

"A'ight, I will," the Chimchar promised. They walked in and another bell tolled.

The inside of the shop was small, but crammed with all manner of things, all neatly organized and labelled. Various pieces of furniture lined the walls, from shelves, to dressers, to chairs, desks, and other items. On another side, there were empty picture frames, small figurines and sculptures, knick-knacks and other souvenirs. Some shelves had small toys and games for children, and even some chess boards for the more mature game players. Jon already jumped into the game section and stared at the toys he found most fascinating, usually the airships and Pokemon figurines that belonged to notorious pirates of the old times.

Isaac glanced at the heavier items, the furniture; some of them had the distinct color of the Wyron wood. A desk, crafted brilliantly with that silver and brown material, and a comfortable chair for bipedal Pokemon with leather handles. They all looked wonderful, and pricey as well, but Isaac would bet they were worth their weight in gold. He made a note to buy something to honor the wood and the craftsmanship put into it.

At the back end of the store, behind the counter, stood two workers; a Drilbur, looking young and youthful in age, and beside her, a Hitmontop working at the bench on the wall, facing away from the door. The Drilbur greeted the pair with a friendly smile and wave as they entered.

"Welcome to Darcy's Woodworks," she greeted cheerfully. "Can I help you find anything today?"

"Yes," the Infernape said, "I'm Isaac Sawyer. I here to see Mr. Darcy himself." Then he noticed the Hitmontop, who had his back turned to him and working on something. "Ah!" he exclaimed, "Mr. Miller! Glad to see you again! Jon! Come here."

The little Chimchar made a few leaps from the toy section and landed next to his father. He looked up at the Hitmontop who'd just turned around. The woodworker's face broke into a wide grin upon seeing who it was. "Well look who it is!" he said joyfully. He turned around, poking his head through the door behind the counter. "Mr. Darcy, you've got a visitor here for you!"

"Coming," a voice called back. A few footsteps were heard, before a Scrafty stepped out from the door, giving a hearty laugh once he saw who was there. "Aha! Welcome, friend!" He stepped out from behind the counter, reaching his hand out for a shake. He looked down at the Chimchar standing beside Isaac. "This your boy, then?"

Isaac placed his palm on Jon's head. "He is," he said proudly.

"I'm not a boy, I'm a man," Jon yelled playfully and flexed his arms. "Wrooaarr!"

His father laughed, "he's half-wild still," he commented, "but at least he doesn't bite now. How are you, my friend?"

The two grabbed hands and pulled close, patting each other on the back quickly. Jon stepped forward on his own and raised his hand high at the Scrafty - because he was very short - for him to shake it. "Hello, sir!"

Daniel took the boy's hand and shook it firmly, smiling widely. "Pleasure to meet you, lad," he said, turning back to Isaac. "I've been doing splendidly, due in no small part to your assistance." He looked around the shop, crossing his arms, as if proud of what he had. "It don't look like much, but it's a start, and it's gettin' better all the while." He began to head back towards the counter, waving for Isaac to follow. "You must have traveled quite a ways, why don't you come inside?"

Isaac nodded. He was more tired than he looked. "Three weeks by sea," he said, "that's how look it took us to get here from Modistra... I don't recommend the trip. If you ever go somewhere far, fly there." He and Jon followed Daniel Darcy towards the back.

"Well, feel free to kick up your feet and relax a while," Daniel replied. "You're always welcome here." He led them to the back of the shop, past the work area and machinery towards another door, which lead to a living area for the family. It was a simple room, a fireplace in the back with six chairs arranged in a semi-circle, a small, low coffee table in the middle. "Have a seat."

Isaac took his seat against the window, so he could look at the garden outside, and his son sat on the floor, next to him.

Suddenly, Darcy turned towards a staircase, bringing a hand to his mouth as he called out. "Nicholas, come downstairs, there's someone here to see you."

"Alright..." a voice called back, sounding a bit less than enthusiastic. Soon enough, down the stairs walked a young boy, a Scraggy, joining next to his father with a slightly confused expression. He looked at the Infernape, studying him for a moment before looking back to Daniel. "Is that the explorer guy?" he asked bluntly.

"That it is, son," Daniel answered. "Nicholas, this is Isaac and his son, Jon."

Nicholas gave a small wave, seeming a bit apprehensive. Jon waved back, hoping he and the Scraggy would get to play together. "Hello..." the Scraggy said simply. "Can I go back upstairs?" He said quietly.

"Oh, come now," Daniel said, patting the boy's head. "Why don't you stay a bit and chat? Make some friends." Nicholas gave his father a pleading look, one that said 'Do I have to?' Daniel returned with a stern, authoritative glare, causing the Scraggy to sigh, tentatively taking a seat with his father.

"My wife has Thomas and Richard out for a walk," Daniel commented. "She'll be back any minute, I'm sure."

Isaac looked very carefully at Nicholas, yet also discreetly. His look was genuine, kind and welcoming. "Hi," he said, then to Daniel, "he looks strong. Have you taught him how to fight?"

"Fighting?" Daniel said with shocked. "Goodness, no! I'd be ashamed if my son had to resort to violence to solve his problems." Nicholas simply fidgeted in his seat, glancing down at his feet.

"Oh," Isaac let out, surprised, but he said nothing more. He glanced at the Scraggy knowingly. Jon, too, had noticed. That kid knew how to fight already, and he'd probably learned on his own, without his father's knowledge. He could even part of a bunch of the mean kids he saw in the neighborhood around Darcy's shop, Isaac thought.

Nicholas looked up at Isaac, a bit bothered by the fact that the Infernape was looking at him. What was he doing? He squirmed lightly in his seat, silently wishing he could go back upstairs.

Isaac sensed that the kid may not want to talk, so he asked the father instead. "Does he go to school?"

"He does," Daniel replied with a smile. "I'd like for him to take over the business when he's old enough, but ultimately it's up to him to decide what he wants. Even still, he'll be an educated lad." He looked down at Jon, seeing how the boy resembled his father. Even though he was the same age as Nicholas, Daniel could sense that he wasn't as... mature? He thought it rude to ask about that, though, returning Isaac's query. "What about your boy, Jon?"

"I don't go to school," Jon stated defiantly. His head could barely be seen from the top of the coffee table.

"I'm teaching him all he should know of in his age," Isaac quickly added, to avoid confusion. "You see, fate was so that when Jon was born, he was taken into a community of half-wild Pokemon and was raised there, away from civilization. I wasn't aware that he existed until four years ago," his tone had grown a bit wistful and the wise ones would see his pain through his smile. "I could tell you the full story, sometime," he said, ruffling his hair and looking to the side.

Jon, sensing that his father was sad, jumped on him and hugged him from the neck, wrapping his legs around his chest. "Don't worry, dad." Isaac laughed and put one arm around the Chimchar.

"Little guy," he murmured, scratching Jon's head.

As Daniel was about to speak, the shop bell rang, as a feminine voice called out.

"Daniel, we're home!" A moment later, and a Fraxure walked into the room, another younger Scraggy at her side and a small Axew infant in her arms. "And I see we have guests!" she said with a smile, nodding and bowing slightly towards the Infernape. "You must be Isaac."

"Daddy!" the other Scraggy shouted, rushing at Daniel and latching onto his leg. Daniel laughed and scooped up the child in his arms, looking towards Isaac again. "Isaac, I'd like for you to meet my wife, Sophia, and my two other sons. This is Thomas," he said, rubbing the Scraggy's head lightly, before gesturing to the baby in Sophia's arms. "And that's Richard."

"Pleasure to meet you, finally," Sophia said. "Daniel told me how you helped him. We all appreciate it, truly."

Isaac got up from his chair to greet the Fraxure openly; the Chimchar shifted from his neck so now he stood on his shoulder. "It was nothing," the Infernape said humbly, "I couldn't have done it without Daniel and his team." That was partly a lie; he could've found the place by himself, but he couldn't have done it in time for the bet. With the boat the woodworkers made in less than an hour, they probably saved themselves a day of travelling on foot.

He and Jon looked back at Daniel with his other Scraggy son, Thomas, who was a bit younger than the eldest son, Nicholas.

"Hey!" Jon shouted at the kid, leaving his father's shoulder to leap in front of him. "Thomas! Let's go play outside!"

"Can I go out and play, dad?" Thomas asked, with Daniel giving a nod.

"Sure you can. Nicholas, why don't you go out there with them?"

Nicholas gave a small sigh, as Thomas practically grabbed the poor Chimchar and rushed out to the back yard excitedly, with Nicholas following slowly behind them.

"So then," Sophia said, cradling Richard in her arms as she sat next to Daniel. Isaac sat as well. "My husband told me what you gave up for him. What was it... 500 doubloons?"

The Infernape raised his hands with a concerned expression, "oh no, don't look at it like that. I don't want you to feel indebted."

"Even still, I feel as if I have to repay you, somehow," Daniel added. "The Wyron wood is a godsend for the shop, and I don't know if I could have found it without your help."

Isaac smiled amiably and waved his hand. "I liked that pendant in the souvenir section," he mentioned. He'd seen the price, it wasn't anything important, but that was the reason he wanted it. "I could put a picture of my family there."

"Consider it yours, then," Daniel said with a smile. "It's the least I could do."

"So what brings you to Liverte, then?" Sophia asked.

"Business," Isaac commented, obviously not very content, "I must convene with a few colleagues of mine. We are looking for sponsors for an expedition we are planning to make in Tundara. You might have heard of it in the news. Our goal is to find the Frozen Breach that will lead us through the North Pole to the other side of the planet. Problem is... there is no evidence that such Breach exists, and the World Leaders are all doubtful that such an expedition would be a good thing for either of them..."

Isaac did not specify, as he would then be presuming, but he was quite assured that the World Leaders were all in bed with the Government, the organization that united all nations of the One Faith in Arceus and protected them with a single army, the Aeronauts, also known as Marines. And the Government would not want to expand the borders of the Known World before it had conquered all of it.

"But there is one leader that seemed favorable of it in his letters: Emperor Cyrus of Exathor," Isaac spoke fondly, "I will discuss with my team whether we should visit Exathor next and request his assistance."

"Well, if you need a sled or some snow-shoes, you know who to talk to," Daniel said with a chuckle. "You're a busy man, I'll give you that."

Isaac laughed with Daniel, "you know how it is with having a job that you were made for. You're always busy, because you like it."

"Too true, friend," Daniel replied.

"Speaking of which, Daniel, I walked by Marlet street with the boys today," Sophia said, gently tapping Daniel on the arm. "The houses there look pretty damaged, but I'm sure once the area is off of lockdown, you could lend a hand with reconstruction. You know, get your name out there. You'd be doing a good deed as well."

"Ah, right," Daniel said with a nod. "Nasty piece of work, that."

"What happened?" Isaac asked, intrigued.

Daniel seemed surprised that Isaac didn't know. Then again, the event was recent, and Isaac, being a traveller, might not have heard of it. "Well, are you familiar with Old Liverte?"

"Old Liverte, of course," Isaac said, arching his eyebrows. A hundred years ago, the island where Liverte was built on was struck by a tidal wave coming from Carajol sea to the east. The city was demolished and many people lost their lives. But those who were left sought to re-build their city on top of the old one. Over the years, constructions rose above the original level of the half-destroyed and abandoned buildings. That area became known as Old Liverte, and was buried completely underneath the new city. All entrances had been sealed for many decades now, long before Isaac, Daniel or Sophia were born, and the less educated citizens of New Liverte had forgotten that the post-tidal wave ruins served as the foundation for the ground they were standing upon and the houses they lived in.

Isaac had learned of this story as a young lad among many other stories from his own father, a respectable, adventurous transporter in Otawa who loved to tell tales of the far away places he had transported goods to. Old Liverte was somewhere he would have liked to explore as a kid. Daniel making mention of Old Liverte was particularly fascinating. "A city sealed underneath a city," Isaac commented, "I've heard about it, hard to forget."

"Indeed," Daniel added. "I'd love to see it for myself, but, well, it's been closed off."

"Just recently, the ground over in Marlet street gave way," Sophia began. "It collapsed and cracked in several places. Nobody was severely hurt, but the damage done to the property has forced the city to close it off until it can be fixed." The Fraxure shook her head slightly as she spoke. "Rumors are spreading that the foundations of Liverte may not be as strong as they used to be."


Meanwhile, outside, in the small garden, Jon and Thomas were having fun, with Nicholas sitting a small distance away. Jon and Thomas were playing on a small playground that Daniel and company had built in the garden. The two boys were sitting on a seesaw, happily distracting themselves as Nicholas simply looked at them, bored. He idly picked at a flower, plucking the petals away in an attempt to entertain himself. He didn't much feel like playing kid games with his brother and this new person.

"I thought he was my age?" Nicholas thought to himself. "Seesaws are for babies." He wasn't too keen on Jon at this point, thinking himself much more mature than the Chimchar.

Jon grabbed a stick from the ground nearby and stood on his seat on the seesaw. "I'm a pirate!" he roared, raising the stick high in the air. "Look, I got a sword! Pick up a sword, too."

Thomas picked up a stick too, hitting it against Jon's and pretending to sword fight. "Arrr!" the Scraggy cried, swiping at the Chimchar diligently. Nicholas gave a tut at this, still sitting from afar.

"Come on!" Jon shouted at Nicholas, "you too! I can take you both," he boasted. He may have seemed immature at that moment, but he was being serious. He held his stick expertly, and it looked very much like an extension of his arm.

"No thanks," Nicholas said plainly.

Scraggy and Chimchar continued to swing at each other, until Jon roared, putting all of his strength in a downwards blow that broke the stick of his opponent. The Chimchar swung his own stick to his other hand and pointed its edge at Thomas, letting out a shout that sounded like a ha.

Thomas gasped, his stick broken as he tossed the pieces to the ground. "Oh yeah? Well I'll use my fists!" The Scraggy playfully leaped at Jon, pushing them both to the ground. The children began to wrestle.

Nicholas was watching from afar, rolling his eyes as they started to 'fight.' He hurried over and forcibly separated the two from contact. "Cut it out, if you guys get hurt, mom's going to get real angry!"

"Sorry, Nick..." Thomas said, his head hanging low.

"I was winning," Jon said to both Scraggies, as if it was an important accomplishment.

Their ears caught something coming from the living room, where the adults were. They were speaking of Old Liverte. Jon ran to the window and hid beneath it; Thomas followed right after him. They were both intrigued.

"What are you doing?" Nick asked his brother.

"Shh!" Thomas whispered, peering into the window. "I wanna hear what they're saying!"

Jon had been told of Old Liverte by his father recently. It was one of the stories Isaac used to entertain him during their three-week journey through Carajol.

The adults were talking about Marlet Street, how part of it had collapsed, as the foundations Old Liverte offered were slowly crumbling.

"Huh," Jon whispered to his new-found partner, "I bet we can get to the underground now!"

"As if," Nick said scornfully. "The place is surrounded by police. You couldn't get in there in a million years." The Scraggy crossed his arms, as if confident that Jon couldn't do it. "I mean, I know how to get in there, but I'm not going to tell you."

Thomas looked at his brother, wide-eyed. "You know how to get in there?" he asked curiously.

"Yup," Nick said proudly. "Me and my friends were going to go there today, actually." He spoke of his friends differently, making the distinction that Jon was not his friend.

The Chimchar narrowed his eyes at Nick. "You won't tell us?" he asked, "why not?"

"Because I don't want to," Nick said curtly. "You're not cool enough to hang out with me and my friends."

Jon gritted his teeth, his face beet red. "You'll take that back sometime."

Thomas got between them so they wouldn't start fighting. He turned to Nicholas, his expression pleading. "Please Nick, can we go? I'll... um..." The younger Scraggy struggled to think of something he could do for Nick, when an idea hit him. "If you take us, I'll do your homework for a week!"

"You can't even do your own homework," Nick said with a laugh.

"I can too!" Thomas replied angrily, before once again begging with his brother. "Can you please take us? I wanna see the old city!"

Nick smirked. He partially enjoyed lording over Thomas with his maturity. "No. You can stay here and have fun with him," Nick said, referring to Jon. With that, he went back inside, leaving Thomas and Jon alone in the garden.

Jon's eyes didn't leave Nick until he was out of sight. Then, he said to Thomas with a determined expression: "we'll go to Old Liverte, it's not like they can stop us."

"But we'll get in trouble if we get caught..." Thomas said, crestfallen.

"It'll be fine," Jon assured him, "nothing's gonna happen to us! Come on, let's go find us two swords for tonight!" By swords, he meant the sturdy pine sticks that could be found in the garden.




Night came quickly. The woodworkers and Darcy family were working till late at night this day, so the family dinner with the guests could not happen. Isaac had been given fruit for dinner. He and Jon were at the garden, as they'd requested they sleep on a tree. Jon disliked to sleep indoors and Isaac slept with him outside to keep him company.

Once they'd eaten their fruit, Isaac said to his son, "don't go out of the garden. You might get lost in the city, and you won't know how to get back."

That daunted Jon. Looking into the honest blue eyes of his father made him feel like he would betray him if he just went to Old Liverte now, like he was planning. "Yeah," he said sadly and jumped onto the pine tree in Mr. Darcy's garden, climbing onto a branch and hugging it. His father lay down on the roots of the tree and very soon, he was heavily asleep. Jon could tell by the rhythm of his breath. And he also knew he could sneak away while he was sleeping.

From up there, he could see the street. Even if he wanted to sleep, he couldn't; the street lamps were still on. It had to be very dark, like in a jungle, for him to sleep comfortably.

As Isaac slept, Jon heard a rustling in the grass behind him. Looking down, he saw Thomas the Scraggy looking up at him in the tree.

"Nick left for Old Liverte," he whispered. "Come on, let's go and we can follow him!"

"I can't," Jon said, his small face visibly upset in the light of the lamps. "My father said not to go out..."

"But you said you wanted to go," Thomas said quietly. "Nick was talking to his friend before he left, talking about how there's treasure down there! Doesn't that sound fun?"

Jon scratched his big head with both hands, looking down, immensely troubled. He couldn't resist the challenge, plus he now wanted to prove Nick and his friends wrong. He would beat them to the treasure. It won't be so dangerous, Jon thought to himself. He jumped down from the branch.

"Let's go," he said to Thomas, handing him the stick he'd use as a sword. "Don't lose it." Together with their swords, they jumped the fence of the yard. "Which way?"

Thomas looked around, before catching sight of Nick as he turned and headed down an alley way. "This way," he said. "We'll follow him to Marlet Street."

The pair wandered the streets of Liverte, the dim light from the streetlamps giving them vision.




Nick kept an eye out for any policemen patrolling the streets. He had been out here enough to know where they liked to keep watch, and he knew how to avoid them. The police had a low presence in his neighborhood, but it still helped to know their movements and habits. The teenager walked through the alleys, stepping over trash bags and scaring away stray wilds looking for food. Eventually, he came to an intersection of alleys, where his friends were waiting for him; a Sableye and a Murkrow.

"Where's the others?" Nick asked.

"'Ey, Nick, what's up?" The Murkrow greeted. "Peter's parents caught him and wouldn't let him go, and Markus chickened out," he answered.

"Hehe, we don't need'em anyways," the Sableye added. "We can get in there and have fun without 'em!"

"Their loss," Nick said. Suddenly, the group was interrupted by another young child, a Meditite, approaching the group cautiously from the end of the street.

Jon and Thomas showed up moments later, hiding from Nick in the corner. From here they saw what happened next.

"I-I heard you were going to Old Liverte..." the Meditite child asked. "I know we're not r-really friends or anything, b-but..."

"No, you can't come with us," the Sableye jeered, jumping in front of the boy and getting in his face. "So bug off, squirt, before I call your mommy on you!"

"Eep!" the Meditite cried, stepping back from the Sableye. "P-please, Skyler?" he asked again. "I want to see the c-city... and I heard there was treasure down there..."

"Who told you that?" the Murkrow suddenly demanded, flying up and flapping his wings in the child's face. "Are you spying on us, huh?!"

"N-no!" the Meditite said defensively. "I'd n-never spy on you, Lucas! I j-just overheard you guys talking one day, and I th-thought..."

"Just get out of here, now," Nick said, joining beside his friends. He smacked his fists together menacingly, causing the Meditite to tremble in place. "This is for the Skull gang only! Get lost!"

The Meditite, now thoroughly threatened, ran away from the group, a sad look in his eyes as he left.

"Good, got rid of the brat," Skyler the Sableye said. "Now we can get around to business. Where do you think we'd find treasure down there?"

Jon grimaced as if he'd tasted fruit gone bad. He always had a strong dislike for 'mon who would bully other 'mon. "Tsk," he said to Thomas, "that's not right."

"Come on, guys," Nick stated to his two friends. He peered out of the alleyway; just outside was Marlet street, cordoned off by the city guard and restricted to the populace. The area was blocked by a red tape that warned of danger. There were few policemen here, surprisingly, standing around idly in front of the sunken street. A long, thin crack extended down the middle of the road, the houses on that block visibly tilted inward towards it.

Nick waited for the right moment, when the police had their backs turned, before the group suddenly dashed out quickly towards the street, slipping past them undetected.

Jon had taken Thomas up the rooftops, where he felt more comfortable in. The Scraggy and the Chimchar leaped from one roof to the other, landing into one of the houses that were leaning inwards to the crack. They both saw the Skull gang vanish inside the crack silently; the policemen were almost sleeping on their feet, so they did not notice the lightfoot shadows jumping into the forbidden zone.

The crack smelled sweetly. Too sweetly. Something fishy was going on. Jon and Thomas soon discovered what it was: the walls of a wine cellar of a nearby store had collapsed and the barrels had broken and spilled the aged drink everywhere. The Chimchar splashed through it no problem, after he took a whiff of the finger he'd plunged in the wine, to make sure it wasn't dangerous. Fine wine, his father would say.

There was no other way to go in the cracked road but inside the wine cellar. The Skull gang had disappeared inside a hole on the floor of the cellar; Jon could hear their feet splashing somewhere down there. He glanced at Thomas next to him. This must have been the way. "You ready?"

"Mhm!" Thomas happily replied.

Jon leaped first, extending his arms in a free-fall while holding his stick; the hole wasn't so narrow so he could stir himself around, light as a feather as he was. He used to sky dive like this from the highest rocks in Guntama forest into its lakes; it was one of his favorite feelings in the world. But down here, it was dark, and he couldn't see the earth approaching him. His instincts told him when the ground was near, so he landed softly and rolled. It wasn't such a huge distance, but it sure felt like it.

Thomas arrived shortly after. The two of them splashed quietly into the wine that was spilled around. His stick tumbled to the side and he went to pick it up.

The Skull gang must've gone on ahead, as they could not be heard down there.

There was light coming from ahead.

'Ahead' was a wonder like none of the two boys had seen before in their lives. Wooden houses, worn by time and moisture, dirty with mud and dust, built into the walls of a tunnel with a low ceiling. They were illuminated by a fire coming from the corner. The air was thick here and reeking of rot, but that wouldn't stop the kids. Not even close.

Jon's eyes swept through the houses with the broken windows and fungus growing on their rotten wooden walls. Those houses were more than a hundred years old, but they were standing their ground. There was one sign at the end of the street, which had fallen over, half buried in mud. It read, Marlet Street. This was the old Marlet Street.

"This is it," Jon said, all choked up from excitement. He ran to the houses and peered inside. The rooms had almost been destroyed, but household things like a vase or a cauldron were still on the shelves. "This is awesome! I love this place."

He held his stick with both hands, pretending it was a weapon. "We're pirates now! Looking for treasure!"

"Arr!" Thomas said, joining beside his friend as they began their exploration. "Come on, let's find some treasure!"

The pair set off, down into the streets of Old Liverte. Somehow, despite it's age, the old streetlights of this place - the ones that hadn't blown out over the years - were still lit. The two boys didn't think too much on that, naive as they were. With those lamps, it was luminous enough for them to continue onwards. All around them in the tunnels, the remnants of a time long-past stood tall and lonely, as if waiting to be inhabited again, yet left abandoned here in the underground. Some of the structures were destroyed beyond repair, of course, and the sight of them grew increasingly as they approached the eastern part of the town, without really having any knowledge of where they were headed or in what direction.

Thomas and Jon continued to search the area, looking through windows as they traversed the rotting streets. A photo in a broken frame here, a toy there, dust and cobwebs choking every corner. Nothing that could be called 'treasure' though. The boys were getting impatient.

"Where's the treasure, man?" Jon whispered to his partner worriedly, as if the treasure would be going away soon and they had to hurry.

"I don't know," Thomas said with a shrug, scratching his head. "If I were a treasure in a secret city, where would I be?"

They came upon a park, grey in the damp light of the lamps. The tunnels were wide here, allowing for room to breathe in the park. There was a swingset and a seesaw between two trees, one trunk fallen and both of them withered. Water dripped from the ceiling into a small pool amidst the park, soaked by the sand-covered ground. The dismal sight upset Jon, somehow. He started to realize that this place wasn't just a new location that would yield a fun experience and treasure - it was the place that had been hit by a tidal wave, where hundreds of people had lost their lives.

"There's only dust and rot down here, let's get out," Jon said, somewhat disappointed.

"But we haven't found anything..." Thomas replied. "I haven't even seen Nick yet. Maybe if we find him, we can find something cool."

Thomas motioned for Jon to follow him. He began taking note of where they were going, hoping they wouldn't get too lost the further down they went. They took a turn down another street, leading into a tunnel that went deeper into the city.

At the end of that tunnel, there was another cave, much like the one they got in earlier, at the park, but larger. They heard voices now echoing in Old Liverte - those were coming from the Skull gang. Jon and Thomas glanced at each other and made themselves quiet instinctively. Once inside this cave, they jumped on a barrel next to a wall, and from that on a roof of a low house. Jon could now hear the sea, and he could see it too.

Lighting was plenty here, so they could see it all. This was the old port of Liverte, buried and half destroyed, but still standing. The sea had sneaked into the street level; between houses, waves licked the sandy roads. Not only that, but vessels that had crashed into the city during the tidal wave were still there. Some were docked in between the houses closer to the water. A hundred years ago, masts were a common thing, as the vessels were primarily seafaring. Among the rows of the streets that led to the drowned port, a ship with torn red sails and a Crossbone Morty flag, the flag depicting a Marowak skull-and-crossbones.

"Look!" Jon pointed at the flag, "it's a pirate ship!"

That was where the Skull gang had gathered. The ship had crashed on the sandy shore of the street between two houses; it was leaning slightly, with its belly open, like a wounded beast. Nick and the others had just gone inside it. Almost as soon as they did, Thomas and Jon could hear the group cheering.

"Take a look at all of this gold!" Lucas the Murkrow said, flapping his wings excitedly as the Skull gang explored the inside of the ship. "I can't believe we actually found it!"

"You're welcome," Skyler said arrogantly. The Sableye had her arms crossed as she gave off a tut. "Lucky for you I decided to do some digging around and find out about the treasure in the first place."

"Oh yeah, we're lucky all right," Nick said triumphantly. Skyler had read about this ship, the Dirty Deed, in the library. Having heard about the legend of the treasure associated with it, and doing some more research, she eventually came to out the ship's final resting place.

Nick waved his hands, motioning for the group to get to work. "Come on, let's find something to carry this in. We can take some now and come back later."

The Skull gang quickly found empty bags scattered across the inside of the ship. In moments, they each filled their bags and began to head out back to the deck. On top of the roof, Jon and Thomas held their breath.

"How much gold do you think this is?" Skyler asked.

"It's more than you youngins' need, that's for sure, hohoho!"

The Skull gang stopped in their tracks. Towering before them, his menacing shadow covering them all, was a Garbodor. He bore a devious grin and laughed a wicked laugh, showing off his sharpened teeth. Beside him slithered a Seviper, the snake eyeing the teenagers with malice in his eyes, baring his fangs. These two weren't kids, they were fully grown and dangerous looking adults.

"Well well well..." the Seviper said, flicking his tongue at the group. "Looks like someone is trying to make off with our treasure. Why don't you kids just put that down and go home? It's awfully late..."

"Wh-who are you?" Nick asked, keeping a firm grasp on his bag of treasure. He dared not show any fear, not outwardly. Inside, he was terrified beyond belief, but he held his ground. "We found it first!"

"Aww, how sweet," the Seviper taunted. "He wants to be brave."

"Ohohoho!" the Garbodor laughed again. "That's a great joke there, lad. Now, enough funny games," he said, his voice suddenly growing intense. "Drop the treasure, an' we won't have to hurt ya!"

From behind the Garbodor, a motley crew of nasty looking 'mon appeared from the shadows on the deck, each of them twitchy and itching to fight. "This here ship belongs to me now, Captain Amadeus!" The Garbodor gave another hearty laugh, his crew laughing with him, before he slammed his foot to the ground. The rest of his lackeys fell silent immediately. "And Captain Amadeus ain't above smacking around some kiddies, if they've earned it!"

"Crap," Jon whispered to his partner, watching the scene from the rooftop. "We should do something!" he urged.

The Skull Gang froze. As confident as they were, they had heard stories of Amadeus; he was one of the most notorious pirate captains in Liverte, with a reputation for his cruelty and sick sense of humor. They were not well-liked, but like other pirate crews, they were allowed to dock and lurk in Liverte, as they were the Trade Prince's lackeys. And it was no secret that pirates like Captain Amadeus struck deals with Ignacio; they would do the dirty business that the police of Liverte could not do.

There was no way the three of them would be able to take on Amadeus and his weathered crew.

"What should we do?" Thomas asked, staring down at the scene below as it unfolded. "Those are pirates! Real pirates! They'll lop our heads off if we try to do anything!"

Jon squinted, scanning the area on the deck of Dirty Deed; a dozen pirates, Captain Amadeus and his first mate, the Seviper, there were no dark types among them... while the Skull gang was exclusively made from dark-types. "I've an idea," Jon whispered back, "see those lights?" he pointed at the four intact and functional lamps of the street in front of them, which must've been lit by the pirates when they got down there. These were lighting the entire area. "Put them out! Let's go!" The Chimchar and the Scraggy leaped from the rooftop.

"Now then, the gold, drop it," Amadeus said in a threatening tone. He took one step forward, his heavy feet shaking the deck of the ship. The Skull Gang sunk backward, before a street light suddenly blew out.

"What the?" The Garbodor said, before a second went out. Then a third. Finally, the last street light went dead, with Amadeus growling angrily in the darkness.

"Raaah! Who turned out the lights?!" he shouted. The Skull Gang seized their opportunity, each of them being able to see well in the darkness. They grabbed their loot and ran off the ship as fast as they could, not even turning back to look at the pirates.

Suddenly, one of the pirates, a Torkoal, began to spray fire from his mouth, illuminating the area and nearly burning Amadeus in the face.

"Watch your breath, mongrel!" the Garbodor rebuked, before seeing that his quarry had escaped, the teens running off the docks into the streets. He roared furiously, pointing his clawed hand at the gang. "Get those kids! Now!"

"R-run!" Nick stated, as the group sprinted away as fast as they could go.

"I am running!" Skyler stated through heavy breaths.

"Run faster!" Nick said again. They turned down an alley, frantically navigating through the streets of old Liverte to get back to the exit. The port area was dark thanks to Jon and Thomas, but the rest of the city's lamps had been lit, so the pirates could find them any moment. After several minutes of running, the group paused for breath, seeing as they were far enough away to take a breather.

"You... think... we... lost them?" Lucas said in-between breaths.

"I'd rather... not stick around... to find out," Nick replied. "The exit is close... let's get going before they find us."

"Thomas, c'mon," Jon's voice was heard around the corner, "this way!"

Just as they turned, Jon bumped right into Nick. The Chimchar cursed, having fallen down. He picked up his wooden stick and jumped up, offering Nick a hand.

Nick looked at Jon with shock, before seeing Thomas running right behind him. "What the- how did you get here?!" Nick demanded, looking at Jon angrily. "I told you guys not to follow us!"

"Yeah, well, you're not my daddy, so you can't tell me what to do," Jon said, but at the same moment, he turned and started running. "Where's the exit?!"

"It's right over there," Nick said, pointing down the alley. "Just stay close and-"

"Gotcha!" a voice said, as a pair of hands reached out from the ground and grabbed the Scraggy by the feet. Phasing through the floor was a Banette, his zipper mouth shining brightly in the light of the lamps. "They're over here, boss!"

As soon as the Banette cried, from around the corner fat Amadeus came waddling, chuckling to himself as he slowly made his way towards them. The Skull gang was blocked in the alley, surrounded by pirates on all sides with no method of escape. The stood petrified with fear, uncertain of what fate lied in store for them.

"You know, I was going to let ya off easy," Amadeus said with a grin. "But now you've gone and tried my patience. Now you're gonna learn why I'm the most feared pirate in Liverte!"

"Now now, Amadeus," the Seviper said, slinking up beside him. "Remember our deal with Ignacio? No killing the citizens..."

"Ohoho, I ain't gonna kill 'em," Amadeus said with a hearty laugh. "I'm gonna teach 'em to respect their elders!"

They were surrounded from both sides of the alley. Jon bared his teeth, his head pumping with rage. The fire on his rear end was blazing. Nobody was going to get hurt unless he had a say in it. He raised his wooden stick sideways in front of him, holding it from the middle like a battle staff. "We'll see who'll be teaching whom about respect!"

Amadeus howled at the Chimchar, looking down at Jon with amusement. "Ohh, little monkey's got a stick! Look out, men!" He laughed again, before a Croconaw pirate stepped forward in front of the Chimchar, and in front of Nick stood a Sandslash, the two pirates drawing rapiers and pointing them forward. "My men've got swords."

Jon didn't seem daunted. "I think I'll just stick to my stick," he retorted. He attacked first in a very obvious attempt to smack the Croconaw on the head. The water type swung his own sword that would cut right through the stick, but the Chimchar changed the direction of his blow. Small as he was, the Croconaw's sword missed, and the stick came sideways and cracked the pirate's ribs. It happened so fast, the stick struck like lightning, and the pirates did not realize what happened until after the Croconaw started howling. He'd fallen over and Jon jumped on his back, smashing his stick on the back of the Croconaw's head with a roar and knocking him unconscious.

The Sandslash swung her sword at Nick, the Scraggy narrowly avoiding the slash and retaliating with a Sand Attack. With the ground-type momentarily blinded, Nick jumped up and smacked the sword out of her hand, swinging at her legs immediately after with a Low Kick, slamming her down and knocking the wind from her lungs.

Just then, Nick and Jon's brief moment of victory was interrupted, the Chimchar dropping his stick as he was lifted into the air by a pair of metal fingers closing around the back of his neck, the Banette shoving Nick back away. "Ohoho! These runts got some fight in 'em! My crew's gonna remember what you did to them," Amadeus said, nodding towards the unconscious Croconaw and Sandslash. He smirked as he brought Jon close to his face, his rancid breath causing the Chimchar to gag slightly. "Think you're tough with that little stick of yours, boy?"

Jon squinted, gritting his teeth and holding his breath. The stench was horrible. Just being close to the Garbodor was unbearable. He tried punching the fat man's face, but his arms were not even nearly long enough and he ended up making a fool of himself. The other pirates let out a gust of laughter that rocked Old Liverte. "Ngh!" he let out and gasped fire, but the embers merely licked the Garbodor and dissipated.

Amadeus wiped his face from the embers, the fire barely even fazing him. "Take their gold, boys, while I figure out what to do with 'em." The pirates did as commanded, roughly seizing the bags of gold away from the Skull Gang. Thomas stood close to Nick, the older Scraggy holding his brother tightly as the Seviper slithered up and circled the group.

"And just who are you, anyways?" the Seviper inquired slyly. "Kids like you shouldn't be exploring the underground. It isn't safe."

"None of your business!" Skyler shot back, eyeing the Seviper daringly. The Seviper simply flicked his tongue at the Sableye, causing her to recoil slightly in fear.

"Oh, but it is my business," the Seviper replied. "It's my job to study all the ins and outs of Liverte... this is our turf, after all, and it's my duty to keep an eye on things. So..." he glared at the group, paralyzing them with fear. "Who are you?"

Jon had given up his struggle, meanwhile. He closed his mouth in frustration, but then he realized it might be better if he opened it again and spoke up. "I'm Jon Sawyer, son of Isaac Sawyer, the Frivolous Explorer!"

"The Frivolous Explorer?" Amadeus said incredulously. "Hah! You must be pullin' my leg, boy!" The rest of the pirates laughed at the boy... except for the Seviper.

"It wouldn't be outlandish for that to be true," the Seviper stated simply. "I heard that Isaac himself was coming to Liverte. Maybe his son decided to do a little exploring of his own. He shares the same species as Isaac, too."

"That's right!" Jon shouted at Captain Amadeus, "my father's in town. Better run back to mommy!"

Suddenly, Jon found himself smacked across the face by the Garbodor's hand, Amadeus shooting him an angry glare. "You watch your mouth, you little pipsqueak! Don't you talk about my momma, you hear?!"

"Concentrate, Amadeus," the Seviper said, before turning back to the other children. "So then, are you friends of Jon, here? Any special ties to the explorer?" The Seviper saw that Nick was holding onto Thomas, seeing the two Scraggys with their faces full of fear. "You two must be related," he said with a smirk. "And who might you two be?"

They stood silent for a moment, before realizing they'd be hurt if they didn't answer. "N-Nicholas," Nick said finally. "Nicholas and Thomas..."

"Oh, the Darcy kids," the Seviper said, as if deducing some great mystery. "I've heard all about your father and his little business. He would make a fine 'business partner' in the future, I'm sure..."

"My dad wouldn't work for no filthy pirates!" Nick spat back, merely causing the Seviper to grin.

"I'm sure we could make him see our way of thinking," he said evilly. "Your father wouldn't want to know what you kids were doing down here..." Suddenly, the Seviper brought his head close to Nick's, the Scraggy feeling the snake's cold breath on his face.

"Now, you listen here, boy," the Seviper said, his tone growing serious. "I know everything that goes on in this little city. You make one mention, one little slip of what happened here tonight, and I'll make sure losing the business will be the least of your father's worries."

Nick and Thomas glanced at each other worriedly, before the Seviper resumed his interrogation of both Lucas and Skyler. Once he determined all of their identities, he smiled to himself, content in the knowledge he procured. Once the pirates had secured all of the gold, the Seviper gave a sharp whistle, signalling for them to leave. Amadeus threw Jon to the ground, back with the others. "We'll be taking our treasure now. And remember..." the Seviper added, his red eyes piercing through the group. "I'm always watching."

With that, the pirates turned and left, taking the treasure and the boat out of Old Liverte, leaving the young 'mon free to leave. The kids glanced at each other, staying still, unable to believe they got out of it alive.

Finally, Nick turned to Jon, looking at him sternly. "I told you not to follow us!"

Thomas suddenly spoke up, still trembling from the ordeal. "D-don't yell at Jon... I made him come with me... it was my fault..."

Nick looked at Thomas with shock, holding the boy's shoulders firmly. "You could have been killed, Thomas! What were you thinking?"

"Dude, I think we all would have been killed," Lucas stated, the Murkrow dusting his feathers off and sighing in relief. "It's a miracle they didn't just slaughter us right then and there."

"I'm going home," Jon muttered, slouching skeptically towards the hole, his face all moody. In his mind, this was a defeat. He couldn't have done anything to that pirate, because he was small and young. Rigid determination overcame him. I'm going to evolve, some day, and lake pirates like him won't stand a chance against me, he thought.

After finding a ladder, they got up to New Liverte quietly. The Skull Gang dispersed quickly, without much to say. They were too afraid to speak. Thomas and Nick stayed close to one another, Nick holding an arm around his younger brother to comfort him. They were all more than a little rattled.

"So... where'd you learn that?" Nick asked Jon.

"What?" Jon asked, confused at first, until he realized Nick was probably asking about the stick. "The jungle," he said, then clarified, "Guntama jungle in Antara. Mon fight with sticks there." He glanced at Nick's hands. "I saw what you did. She didn't stand a chance!"

"Eh, I've gotten in a few fights..." Nick admitted, almost seeming ashamed of that fact. "Father doesn't want me to... but you gotta learn how to fight, right? You certainly know a thing or two. The Croconaw ate the dirt."

Jon, who was sad over his helplessness up until now, busted a wide smile that showed all of his teeth. "Oh yeah! But I've brought down bigger mon. I want to beat that Garbodor. I will."

Nick gave a small laugh, only partially sharing in Jon's confidence. Quite frankly, after tonight, he hoped he would never have to see that ugly pirate ever again. He wrapped an arm around his brother's shoulder protectively at the thought of Amadeus. "Listen... I'm... I'm sorry for... well, tonight. It's my fault... I shouldn't have bragged about it. We shouldn't have gone there in the first place... I put us all in danger, and I'm sorry...."

The Chimchar glanced at the two Scraggies, his blue eyes staying for a bit on Nicholas. He didn't think a rebellious boy like him would ever apologize. But the truth was, they were all in fault. Jon didn't know if he could keep it a secret that he went out of the garden, despite his father cautioning him not to. The other two Scraggies did not know, but Jon had a hunch his father would already know that they had sneaked out, so eventually he would be forced to confess.

"Hey man, you couldn't've known these pirates already found the place. We all thought we were goin' for a stroll," the Chimchar said. He never thought it'd be dangerous.

"It's okay, Nick," Thomas added, holding his brother tightly. "We're safe now. I'm the one who followed you..."

Nick eyed Thomas, for a moment, giving him an acknowledging nod. He then turned to Jon. Perhaps he had misjudged the Chimchar; Thomas certainly seemed to like him. The walked the rest of the way in relative silence, before finally making it back to the Woodworks.

Jon jumped over the fence to Darcy's garden on his toes, very quietly. He jumped high and grabbed himself from a branch. Sleep wouldn't come; he felt like training till the morning. No adult was going to beat him. Hugging the branch, eyes still wide open, he looked down. Isaac lay upon the grass, with a hand on his chest and a thick root as his pillow. The rhythm of his breath had changed. Perhaps he had already felt his absence...

Meanwhile, Nick and Thomas snuck in the front window. They had always entered and exited like this on nights when they weren't supposed to be out. Once inside, the two gave one last hug, before retiring to their separate rooms, quietly tip-toeing through the house.

Nick looked out his bedroom window, seeing the moon beginning to fall. It would nearly be morning soon, and he doubted he'd get much sleep tonight, considering his parents woke them early for chores. He quickly hopped onto his bed, closing his eyes to try and get as much rest as he could before the sun rose.

No Leaf Clover
17/6/1066 AP​

The Shellder on the desk kept ringing non-stop. The Trade Prince averted his gaze from the city's night lights below his office at the top floor. He'd told Semele he did not wish to be disturbed at this hour.

The Pikachu jumped from his expensive dragonskin relaxation chair onto his desk in the middle of a clean room with cool, modern decor. He picked the Shellder phone with his small hands, pried it open and brought it to his ear. "Yeah?!" he shouted.

"Hi, sir, sorry to disturb you, but you seem to have persistent visitors." His secretary spoke from the other end of the line.

The Pikachu, frustrated, raised one hand near his face and shut his eyes, trying to cool off his nerves. "What did I say, Semele, just half an hour ago?" he said, barely managing to keep his voice steady.

"I know, sir, no visitors, no disturbances, nothing at all," the secretary said quickly, realizing the dangerous tone of the Trade Prince. Suddenly, another voice was heard arguing with Semele, and the shell on the other end was audibly yanked from her hands.

"Oy! Ignacio! You're not gonna let your favorite captain upstairs to see ya?" The booming voice of Amadeus came from the other end.

The Pikachu threw the phone on the desk, gritted his teeth and grabbed his head with both hands. His mouth formed the word fuck! and he tossed his arms in the air and looked out the window. But not for long. He put the phone back in his ear and hummed in a mellow tone: "Amadeus! How nice to hear you again, how are you? Come on right up, actually. Semele!" He yelled, "let him up!"

And with that he hit the button to end the call and sent the conch flying across the room. He cussed silently multiple times again. That brute again! I thought I was done with him for the month!

No sooner had he said that then the elevator could be heard coming up, and before long the large Garbodor had arrived, his deep laugh echoing throughout the Pikachu's office. Barnabus slithered beside him, looking as collected and calm as ever, as Amadeus looked around the room in awe. No matter how many times he'd been here, the pirate was always impressed with Ignacio's trappings.

"Ohoho! How ya doin', Ignacio?" Amadeus greeted with a wide grin. He walked right up to a large table in the center, adorned with a bowl of fruit and snacks, grabbing a large watmel berry and biting into it loudly. "Nice place ya' got here. Could use a good private stage, preferably with some pole dancers," he added, chuckling lowly to himself, yet still much louder than most folk.

The Trade Prince was now sitting on his chair behind his desk. "The pole dancers belong to another place and time, but I'll consider it," Ignacio snickered. He lit a fat, black cigar with a spark and offered one to the Garbodor. The Garbodor had to take that offer, because as Ignacio had said himself, he does not like sharing, so when he does share, they have to be accepted.

Amadeus gave a toothy smirk, eagerly grabbing the cigar and waiting for Ignacio to light it with his finger. He drew in a large breath, exhaling a large cloud of smoke, much blacker and thicker than the puffs of smoke from Ignacio. "So, what's up, doc?"

"Port license deals with petty and over-ambitious merchants, dealing with police brutality complaints from insignificant hopeless peasants," he said with a smirk as he stared at the Garbodor. He let out a puff of smoke. "The usual stuff, you know," he commented in his sharp tone.

"Strictly business," Amadeus commented. "Don't waste any time, do ya?"

I think I'm wasting my time right now, the Trade Prince thought, but he said instead, "what brings you here at this hour?"

"Aww, you really got nothin' to say?" Amadeus said almost whimsically. Barnabus simply stood off to the side, rolling his eyes. "No surprise rewards for your favorite captain, eh? Nothin' at all?"

Ignacio let his usual charming business persona drop just for a moment to stare at the Garbodor with his mouth half open and his brows furrowed, incredulous. He was stingy with his gifts to World Leaders - and a lowly pirate - a pirate - had barged into his office, expecting a reward of some sort. He shook his head in confusion, as if shaking himself back to reality. "What, what reward are you talking about?" he said quickly, gesturing questioningly with his hand.

Amadeus laughed again, the large pokémon looking over at Ignacio with a grin. "Come on, no sense in hiding things from your old pal Amadeus!" He crossed his arms, before raising an eyebrow at Ignacio. "You got me a present, didn't ya?"

The Pikachu turned to Barnabus and showed him his captain with his hand. "What is he talking about?" he demanded to know. He was getting impatient with these imbeciles bothering him at this hour.

Barnabus sighed, obviously as annoyed with Amadeus as Ignacio was. "We were doing our business in Liverte, as usual. We found a large ship being constructed, I assume a project of yours, judging by the scale and secrecy of it. Amadeus seems to think it was being built for him, but I told him not to get his hopes up."

The Trade Prince's interest was piqued. "Tell me more," he commanded. "What exactly did you see?"

Barnabus raised an eyebrow, confused as to how Ignacio wasn't already aware. "You mean it's not yours?" Barnabus mused. Such a large project would certainly have been under the ownership of the Trade Prince, as least, Barnabus thought as much. "In the fishing village just shy of Liverte, hidden in a small cove there. We'd snuck in, in pursuit of suspicious characters, and we saw it; a large, ornate ship, being built in secret. Looks like it's being built for both defense and luxury, as a merchant ship." Barnabus eyed Ignacio with a narrow gaze. "I assumed it belonged to you."

Ignacio's temper was rising. The shipyards all belonged to him, as well as the materials to build ships with. Ships sold well, so the Trade Prince of Liverte had to make sure he and only he could craft and sell ships. And someone was messing with his business, it seemed. He tried to appear calm. He took out the cigar from his mouth and looked to the side. "And who was making that ship?" he asked in an almost sweet tone. Poison hid behind his voice.

"I do believe I saw the Darcy's child going in there," Barnabus said, flicking his tongue in a sinister manner. "I had thought you commissioned the Woodworks."

The Pikachu tapped his fingers on his desk and simply gave a fake smile. Then he laid back on his chair, exhaled and pushed the hair from his eyes. "I see, very well," he said carefully. "No, I did not commission them. They are doing this behind my back. Amadeus..." the Pikachu said in a friendly manner, always smiling, but his black eyes were deeply etched with something evil. "I do have a reward for you, for bringing me this valuable information." He took the cigar out of his mouth and battered it into the ashtray. "You do know about the limit I have set to the protection money you pirates may require from the peasants of this city?"

He joined his hands in front of his face and leaned forward on his desk so they couldn't see his mouth. "Next time you visit Darcy's Woodworks, demand ten times your regular fee. The next time... add another ten times. And the next time... and the next time. And if they don't comply, just remember that this time, the rules about violence, family sanctuary and destruction of property do not apply to you. Nobody will mind if you are..." he furrowed his brows smartly and nodded quickly as he said, "a bit harsh."

Amadeus brought his hands together at the mention of violence and destruction. "Oy... so you want us to send a message, ey?" He giggled lowly, an evil laugh of ill-intent. "That can most certainly be arranged."

With that, the two were dismissed. As Amadeus and Barnabus sat in the elevator on the way down, the Garbodor turned to his First Mate, raising an eyebrow. "So... I'm not getting a new boat?"

Barnabus have an irritated sigh, closing his eyes and shaking his head. "No, you're not getting a new boat...."


The relative quiet of the Woodworks soon became broken, the front door slamming open. Two burly looking 'mon, a Vigoroth and a Pignite, strode in, each wearing a crooked smile. Daniel turned from the counter, glancing at the two warily; he knew who they were, as they had been here numerous times before. Pirates under Amadeus' command, here to collect their monthly 'protection money.' The Pignite went to examine the wares, with the Vigoroth approaching the front counter.

"It's your favorite time of the month, Mr. Darcy!' The Vigoroth said sarcastically, striding up to the counter and staring the Scrafty down.

"Ah, yes, that time when I'm legally robbed," Daniel said disdainfully, motioning for his assistant to go towards the back.

"Aw, don't look at it like that," The Vigoroth said with a chuckle, leaning his elbow on the counter. "We told ya, it's protection money."

"I am no fool," Daniel spat back. His assistant returned as he spoke, carrying a briefcase of money for the two pirates. "I see your little racket scheme for what it is. Just take your money and go."

The Vigoroth grinned, taking the briefcase and opening it up. Ten doubloons, as they normally received every month. The Vigoroth gave a tut at the count, raising an eyebrow at the Scrafty. "You're missing a few."

"What?" Daniel said angrily. "That's ten doubloons! That's what you get every month! No more, no less!"

"The fee just went up," the Vigoroth explained. "Times are tough, you know? Boss is askin' for fifty silver on top of this."

"Fifty silver?" Daniel retorted. A relatively small amount compared to ten doubloons, but the principle offended him. "You're going to haggle me over pocket change?"

"If it's pocket change, then it should be no problem, right?" the Vigoroth replied. "Or do I have to get the message across more clearly?" He turned back towards his Pignite partner, the fire-type snapping his fingers and holding a small flame up in his hand, as if ready to begin burning the place down right there.

"Thieves," Daniel accused, before reaching towards a small chest under the counter. He counted out the fifty silver berries, before angrily slapping them on the counter. "There! Take your money and leave!"

"A pleasure doing business with you," the Vigoroth said with a smile, tipping an imaginary hat and bowing slightly. With that, he whistled for his partner, signalling the time for them to leave. He closed the briefcase with the extra fifty silver, before walking out and whistling merrily to himself as the two left. Daniel simply eyed them with scorn, silently wishing an ill fate to fall on them, before sighing. Miller walked into the room slowly, seeing the two pirates just before they left.

"It's pocket change, like you said," Miller spoke softly, trying to help alleviate the Scrafty's mood. "They just got a bit cocky."

"Yes, but still," Daniel replied. "The fact that they think they can come in here and extort money from me because they're pirates? And to ask for more than what we agreed? Brutes. The whole lot of 'em. Bullies and brutes."

"Easy there," Miller said, placing a hand gently on the Scrafty's shoulder. "It's nothing we can't handle."

"You're right," Daniel said with a sigh, calming down slightly. "Sorry."

"It's fine," Miller replied with a smile. "Hey, you mind helping me out with this project in the back? Take your mind off things."

"Of course," Daniel said, following Miler to the back of the store. The Hitmontop was right; fifty silver or no, it was nothing they couldn't handle.


The cold wind blew across the hull of Amadeus' vessel. Above deck, slightly shivering in the cold, sat a Linoone, the pirate leaning over the railing with a shellder phone next to him.

"Ey, boss. Yeah, they ain't payin'," the Linoone said. The voice on the other end spoke, with the Linoone paying close attention. "... no sir, they told us to leave. I think you finally started to bleed them dry. They ain't payin'."

The voice on the other end replied, causing the Linoone the raise an eyebrow. "... no money? Well, what else we take? We can take their merchandise, or..." the voice interrupted again, before the Linoone could reply. "... yeah, I know about the kid. What about 'em?" There was silence from the normal type, before his eyes went wide.

"For real?" he said, shocked. "Just like that? ... no, I'm not arguin' with ya, just sayin'. ... oh no, it's a great plan, it's just... oh, wow." The Linoone listened to the voice on the other end, nodding every now and then, before finally smirking. "Yes sir. I'll get the boys right on it."

With that, the Linoone hung up the phone, placing it to the side before calling out below deck. "Ey, Amadeus! Boss's got a job for us!"


Thomas Darcy was walking home alone that night. He had been visiting a friend, studying for their exams the next day. His brother Nicholas had warned him about walking Liverte at night, but Thomas was close enough to home to attempt it anyways. The young Scraggy had made this trip several times before, returning unharmed every time.

Thomas turned a corner, very near to the workshop, and his bed, yawning lightly at the thought of sleep. It was getting late, and he had stayed past his intended time. As he walked, he heard a rustling behind him. Before he could even turn to investigate, a hooded figure jumped down from the roof, startling the teenager and causing him to fall over.

"Going somewhere?" the figure asked. Thomas couldn't see them clearly, but he could definitely see the sword the figure was sporting. A scabbard like that could only belong to a pirate. He turned to run, only to find another set of hooded figures behind him as well. The Scraggy trembled on the ground, gripped by terror. He looked around, seeing no police or citizens in sight.

"P-please... I'm just going home..." Thomas pleaded, stuttering. "I-I don't have any money..."

"Oh, we're not after money," the hooded figure said with a laugh. He reached into his cloak, brandishing a rope. Even from the shadow on his hood, Thomas could feel the eyes behind them staring him down with malice.


The next morning, bright and early, the Darcy family began to awake. Daniel sat at the kitchen table, sipping his morning coffee and reading the newspaper. "Boys, it's morning, up and at 'em!" he called upstairs.

"Morning, honey," Daniel's wife said, the Fraxure behind him moving to his side and kissing him lightly on the cheek. "Up already?"

"I couldn't sleep..." Daniel remarked, giving a light sigh.

"I see..." Sophia replied. She knew why; he was too worried over their finances. The past few month, the pirates had been steadily adding more and more costs to their 'protection funds.' This past month, they couldn't even afford to pay them the entire amount, so high had its price risen. Daniel wouldn't show or admit as such, but inside, he was afraid of the retribution the pirates would give to them once they came back.

Sophia placed a hand on Daniel's shoulder. "We'll pull through this, just wait and see," she said, trying to cheer him up. Daniel gave a weak smile, patting her hand with his.

"Thanks, Sophia..." he said. Suddenly, Nicholas came running downstairs in a panic, completely out of breath. Daniel turned to his son questioningly. "Nick, where's Thomas?"

Nick couldn't look his father in the eye, keeping his gaze fixed on the floor, as if in shock. Finally, he took a deep breath, exhaling loudly and looking up, his eyes filed with dread.

"Thomas is gone...."

All was silent at night in the streets. Save for the infrequent pedestrians returning to their homes, or those without homes shuffling in the alleys for shelter, the city lay still. The moon cast its white light across the near-empty roads. The guards patrolled the streets at this hour, their heavy footsteps echoing through the air, casting shadows as they walked.

From up on the rooftops, Nicholas could see everything in this district. Might have even considered it beautiful, were he here for the sight-seeing. But he had a job to do. He didn't particularly care for the sights either way. He had lived here his whole life; there wasn't much of anything in Liverte that he hadn't seen before. He quietly slipped towards the edge of the roof, deftly climbing over and silently falling to the ground. He hugged the corner, making sure the patrols were clear so he could cross. When the shadows passed, he made his move, quickly dashing to the next alley unseen.

He kept close to the shadows. Even amongst the alleys, safe from the guards, the danger persisted from the lawless, the downtrodden, the drug addicts, and the petty thieves. Perhaps they might have been willing customers, but that was not his call. The Scrafty continued swiftly through the winding pathway; luckily, there didn't appear to be any trouble.

Soon enough, Nicholas spotted a small beam of light piercing the alleyway. It was faint, but surrounded by the darkness, it shined like a great flame. As he got closer, the light became framed by the door it emanated from. Inside was a small tavern, and beside the door stood a hooded figure.

"Right on time," the figure said, removing its hood to reveal the lithe face of a Servine. She looked over the Scrafty with a coy smile.

"Let's just get this over with," Nicholas replied, crossing his arms impatiently. The Servine rolled her eyes, her grin not leaving her face as she led the Scrafty into the small bar. Inside, gentle music was playing; a slow, relaxing tune to ease the aching joint and spirits of the patrons after a long day. The Servine took a seat at a nearby table, with Nicholas standing at attention behind her. It was a quiet night, though in this part of town and at this hour, such was to be expected. Nicholas kept a watchful eye over what few patrons there were, making sure they kept to their drinks.

"Can I get you anything?" a voice spoke up, as an Audino waitress slowly walked towards the table. She appeared older, small wrinkles beginning to form along the contours of her face, though she kept an amiable smile towards the two.

"Just two Mago Ales," the Servine replied. the Audino jotted it down, before walking away to retrieve the order. Nicholas looked down towards the grass-type, a look of uncertainty in his eyes.

"You sure these guys can be trusted?" he asked. His tone bore no uncertainty. Nobody could truly be 'trusted' in this business. Rather, it seemed he was making sure she herself was aware of the danger. A pointless question, to be sure; no matter if she did trust them, she was far too laid back to give any serious thought to the concern.

Before the Servine could answer, another group approached their table from the back, a small Poochyena, along with an imposing Poliwrath escort. The grass snake looked up at Nicholas, still bearing her devious smirk. "Looks like we're about to find out."

"I thought I said to come alone," the Poochyena said angrily. He hopped up on the seat, sitting on his haunches, the Poliwrath crossing his arms as he stood behind the smaller 'mon. He nodded his head towards Nicholas. "Who's this?"

"A bodyguard," the Servine replied matter-of-factly. "I don't see anything wrong with him coming along, seeing as you have a guardian of your own."

The Poochyena growled, before shaking his head. "Whatever. Just give it to me."

"No," the Servine said, staring the Poochyena dead in the eyes. "Payment first."

The dark type rolled his eyes in annoyance, motioning to the Poliwrath behind him. The larger water type reached for the pack strapped across his back, pulling out a small pouch of coins for the Servine and placing them on the table. The Servine followed suit, reaching into her black cloak and producing a small, wooden box, sliding it on the table towards the Poochyena.

Nicholas took hold of the coins, weighing them in his hand and peering into the bag before nodding his approval at the Servine. The Poliwrath, likewise, took the box, examining the contents and giving the Poochyena a favorable nod.

"The boss says he's going to need double next week," the Poochyena stated, turning from the Poliwrath towards the Servine. The latter's smile faded slightly at the mention.

"That's going to be difficult and you know it," she replied, trying to hide the irritation in her voice. "Finding the materials for this product is hard enough as it is."

"Hey, it ain't me givin' the order," the Poochyena said.

"Well, you can tell the boss that she's-"

"That's enough! Don't move!"

The group turned abruptly to the door, staring an angry Kadabra in the face, metal spoon pointed at them. "None of you move. You're under arrest for possession and distribution of illegal substances!"

The Poochyena jerked his head to the Servine with a scowl. "You led them right to us!"

"Me? They probably smelled your rancid breath and followed you here!"

"Both of you, shut up!" the Kadabra barked, a duo of Solosis coming in behind him. "Make this easy on yourselves and come along quietly."

The Servine grinned to herself, putting her hands up, silently reaching into her pockets with her vines. In one swift motion, she grabbed a small pouch from her cloak, throwing it the ground forcefully and causing the contents to explode in a bright flash. Smoke covered the room, and Nicholas felt himself grabbed by the arm from behind.

"Come on! This way!"

The Servine made a mad dash for the back window, Nicholas nearly falling over from being dragged. He eventually gained his footing, dashing forwards after her as they vaulted out the window into the alleys.

The once peaceful quiet of the street was now turned to chaos. Inside the tavern the patrons began to cry out, the Kadabra barking orders at his men as they began to spread out in search of the Scrafty and Servine.

"How did they find us out, Selena?" Nicholas asked the Servine frantically. She grabbed his arm again and ran down the alleys.

"Beats me," Selena said, almost whimsically. How she could remain jovial in such duress was beyond Nicholas' comprehension. However, she moved swiftly and urgently down the winding paths, effortlessly avoiding the trash and debris scattered throughout. "No time to worry about it now. Let's just get out of here!"

Selena relinquished her hold on Nicholas' arm, the two of them sprinting full speed down the path, trying to find a way to the rooftops to escape their pursuers.

A moment of running, and the pair was stopped, their progress impeded by a dead end.

"Come on, this way," Selena said, beginning to go back the way they came. "There's another path just-"

"Stop right there!"

"Shit…"

Selena swore under her breath. Behind them the authorities managed to catch up, cornering them in the dead end of the alley. The Kadabra held his metal spoon up in attack.

"Possession of illegal substances, intent to distribute, and resisting arrest," he rattled off, annoyed. "Come along with us, now, before I have to get violent."

Nicholas readied himself for a fight, but Selena stood still, her worried expression quickly changing into one of mischief.

"What are you planning?" Nicholas whispered.

"Cover your eyes," Selena answered.

Before Nicholas could object, the Servine grabbed a small vial from her robe, throwing it into the group of guards. "Here, catch!"

The glass vial shattered on impact with the ground, exploding in a brilliant flash of light and sound, dazing the guards and causing them to fall over from the sudden blindness. Nicholas barely brought his arms up to cover his face, and before he knew it, Selena had already thrown her vines to the top of the roof, holding an arm out to the Scrafty.

Nicholas grabbed her small hand, Selena lifting them both up speedily to the rooftops. With the guards incapacitated and a good head start, they wasted no time, making a mad dash away from the scene, leaving their pursuers in the dust.


Selena hopped across another building, traveling the roofs with Nicholas in tow. She panted slightly, but otherwise kept going. Nicholas was running just behind her, though the Servine was moving much faster than he was.

"Slow down!" he called out to her. Selena only turned slightly with a grin.

"Oh come on," Selena teased. "What's the matter? Can't keep up?"

Nicholas chuckled slightly, pausing for a moment to catch his breath. "What if I can't?" he said with a small smile. "You trying to ditch me already?"

"Oh, trust me," Selena said, giggling lightly. "If I were trying to ditch you, I'd be long gone by now and you'd be back in the alley with the guards."

Nicholas laughed, finally catching up to the Servine. "Fair enough," he said. "Where are we going, anyway?"

"My place," the Servine answered, returning to her trek with Nicholas following. Despite having a close-call with the authorities, Selena seemed as chipper as ever, racing across the rooftops with Nicholas, daring him to beat her. Try as he might, the Scrafty couldn't keep up with the serpentine woman, Selena using her agility and her vines to quickly climb her way across the roofs.

A moment later, they were looking up at a large clock tower. It was in extreme disrepair, apparently abandoned many years prior. The clock face at the top had ceased movement, and it cast an ominous shadow over the rest of the city. Most of the entrances had been barred up, but Selena had found her own way in. She slung a vine up to an open window higher up, again holding her hand out to Nicholas to carry him up.

The two ascended up the wall, reaching the window and clumsily rolling inside. A long, spiral staircase traveled both upwards and downwards from where they stood. Selena began climbing up, motioning for Nicholas to follow.

Reaching the top of the stairs, there stood an old, wooden door. Selena quietly opened it, the two of them stepping inside and shutting the door behind them.

Nicholas took a look around the room. Large and circular in design, it appeared to be a room that was once for tourists and visitors. A small window at the edge gave view to the rest of the city, and the walls were made of simple cobblestone. However, the room had been repurposed for living by Selena. Various desks, shelves, tables, and chairs had all been haphazardly arranged around the place, each one littered with books, tomes, alchemy ingredients, and other knick-knacks that the Servine had adopted over the years.

"Home sweet home," she said, walking over to a chair that had been placed near the window. She reclined back into it, kicking her legs out and leaning the chair backwards as she stared out the window at the night sky. "Beautiful view, isn't it?"

"I suppose," Nicholas replied, uninterested. He took a chair and placed it next to hers, sitting at the window, leaning forwards with his head resting on his hand. "That was too close for comfort," he stated simply, referring to their run-in with the cops.

"Here, I got something to make you feel better," she said, reaching into her robe and pulling out a bottle of Mago Ale.

"Where'd you get that from?" Nicholas asked with a smirk.

"Swiped it from the bar as we left," Selena replied with a smile and wink. "I wasn't leaving without my drinks." She popped off the cork, taking a long swig and letting out a heavy sigh of contentment. She handed the bottle to Nicholas, the Scrafty taking an investigative whiff of the drink. It smelled sweet, almost like a fine wine, though he imagined it to be much stronger than that. He took a swig himself, wiping his mouth afterwards and giving the bottle back.

"So, I guess we lie low for a while, huh?" Nicholas asked. "The marines are probably on to us now. Would do us some good to keep quiet for a bit."

"Are you kidding?" Selena asked with a laugh. "Lying low? Where's your sense of adventure?"

Nicholas couldn't help but chuckle at her enthusiasm, giving her an almost disbelieving glance. "Hey, not that this isn't fun or anything, but I kind of prefer to be outside of a jail cell." Selena grinned, taking another sip from her bottle before handing it back to the Scrafty, who in turn took a swig of his own. "Money's no good if you're locked up."

"Oh, but that's half the fun," Selena began whimsically. "The sense of impending danger, the thrill of the chase, the… interesting characters you meet." She flashed a wink at the Scrafty, who couldn't help but blush at the gesture.

"As interesting as those cops?" Nicholas teased. "If they caught us, I doubt it'd be much fun."

"You know what your problem is?" Selena said jovially. "You worry too much."

"And your problem is you don't worry at all," he quipped back, smiling lightly. Maybe she was right. Perhaps he did worry too much. Then again, he was only in this business for the money. He wasn't here as some kind of way to 'fight the system' or rebel. He was here because it was a good way to make money, and make it quickly. Not just for himself, but for his family. If things got too dangerous and something happened to him… he didn't want to think about what would happen to them.

"Well, you need to lighten up a bit, have some fun." Selena said, looking over at Nicholas with a devious grin. "Just relax."

"I can't relax," he said sarcastically. "I know you're just having fun here, but I've got my own reasons for doing this. I'd rather not get caught, you know?"

"I understand," Selena said, nodding. She looked over at the Scrafty with a knowing glance, sly and teasing, but also… respectful. She stood up and stretched her body out, loosening her aching muscles before walking forward to lean over out the window. "I can get a bit careless at times," she said lightly. She turned to Nicholas again, almost pouting. "You have to have your money to help your family..." she said, almost deflated.

Nicholas shrugged, taking another drink from the ale and handing it back to Selena. She took another sip, before looking back out the window. "One day, we should ditch this town." She turned back to Nicholas, an excited look in her eyes. "Me and you! We get enough money and just… leave!"

Nicholas chuckled at her suggestion, walking up from his seat to join her by the window. "And just where would we go?"

"Anywhere we want," she replied, gesturing with her arm over the expanse of Liverte. "Nobody to worry about, no responsibilities to anyone, just making our own rules."

"It sounds nice," Nicholas said, grimacing. "But you know I can't leave. Not now, anyways."

"Yeah, I know…" Selena replied, sighing heavily. She leaned to the side, resting her head on Nicholas' shoulder. "You have to stay here and be the provider. How noble of you," she said, almost teasing, though she knew that Nick held this matter in high esteem.

"Hey, I'm just doing what I gotta do," Nick replied.

"Nothing wrong with providing for your family," Selena said knowingly, humming whimsically to herself. "Some ladies like a man who can provide, even though they might not admit it."

"Oh yeah?" Nick said with a smirk, looking down at the Servine. "What about you?"

"Oh please," she retorted, huffing playfully. "I can't sit by and let someone else have all the fun, can I?"

"Does that mean I can't provide for you too?" Nick asked in jest. Selena simply giggled to herself, before moving her head off of his shoulder. She circled around in front of him, placing a hand gently on his chest and looking in his eyes, the Scrafty returning the glance.

"There is something you can 'provide' for me," she said with a wink. Before he could respond, Selena reached her head forward, grabbing Nick's lips in a quick kiss, before drawing back and chuckling lightly.

"And just what can I 'provide' for you?" Nick said suggestively, wrapping his hands around her waist.

"I think you know," Selena replied slyly.

There's A Fight, But Not Really, But A Stowaway, But Not For Long!​