On The Run

The strong winds of the sea blew a fluctuating and frustrating spray of fine mist into Tina's squinting gaze as she stood precariously atop the large, spiked shell of her current transportation, which took the form of a Lapras who'd so kindly taken her aboard in a bid to leave the mainland and her troubles behind, if ever so briefly. As much as she hated water and the effect it had on her otherwise pristine coat of fur, the Fennekin had bigger concerns weighing on her mind; most noteably the sinister forces that had been hunting her ever since escaping their clutches in Shadowhue Forest. She'd been a fool to think that their resounding defeat at the paws of an Absol named Deimos would deter them. Though after reporting their activities to the authorities, she couldn't imagine any reason for them to continue hounding her so; beyond a desire for revenge.

She'd certainly done her best to earn their ire after the colorful language she'd assaulted them with prior to their collective loss, but even Tina hadn't expected the lot to track her all the way back to her home. She'd only sought to bring closure to her parents, as they had rightfully been worried about her. And yet, not soon after assuring that their only daughter hadn't died, they'd sprung a surprise attack on her family and the sweet little Sandshrew she'd invited along for the journey. Of course, they'd been hopelessly unsuccessful in their endeavor, in large part thanks to Jinn and Brahne's skillful teamwork, but the incident had only sparked greater concern for her safety.

It had taken considerable effort to convince the Delphox and Lopunny to let her leave again. They'd demanded she stay where they could protect her around the clock. And to be fair, she'd considered it. The thought of not having to worry about where or when the next encounter might occur was a small comfort, but there also remained the possibility that her foes might return in greater force; enough that they might overwhelm even her parents. And that potential danger she simply couldn't bring herself to unleash upon her family. So after days of discussions, many of which devolved into outright arguments, she took a stand and no longer requested her departure. She demanded it. And took it, despite their resistance. And only then did they finally back down and focus on ensuring her safety by other means. Namely, weighing her down with supplies for the journey.

Where she planned to go even Tina hadn't fully decided, but she knew for certain she couldn't stay still. She had to keep moving. To cross as much land as possible in the hopes they'd eventually give up the chase. So keep moving she did. For so long now that she'd used up nearly all of the food her parents had given her. It had served her well, though, getting her all the way to the shore of the sea, where she'd heard tale of an island beyond the horizon. There was no going back in her mind, so the Fennekin tracked down a local ferryman named Loopah, who'd been carrying folks to the island for some time. She bartered her way aboard his shell with what little she had left, leaving her with an empty satchel on her back, and nothing around her but endless sea.

To be honest, it was rather disconcerting. It wasn't exactly a smooth ride she was getting, as every wave the Lapras plowed through made the surface beneath her feel jostle in such a way that it churned her stomach with thoughts of slipping off and being left behind in the middle of nowhere. The four-legged Pokemon was left quivering unsteadily, frozen to the spot for much of the journey while her fur developed a slick, wet shean after nearly half-an-hour travelling at what she could only see as a worryingly high rate of speed. The further away from the mainland they got, the rougher the sea became, and she was having no small amount of trouble staying upright.

It didn't help her nerves any when a particularly large deformation on the water suddenly sent her airborne for the briefest moment. With a startled gasp the Fennekin lunged for the nearest spike protruding from the Lapras' shell, clinging to it with her forelegs as she trembled in fright. Her thumping heart had practically jumped into her throat before she forced it back down and called out to Loopah with considerable tension in her voice.

"Oh, please tell me we're almost there!" she whined, "I can't take much more of this! Don't you have a slower speed? W-what's the hurry, anyway!?"

Over the wind and crashing waves, he might not have heard her, if not for the shrill tone in her voice. Luckily he felt the vibration quite clearly in his shell, turning his head slightly to peer back at the Fennekin and the few other, small Pokemon that had also hitched a ride.

"Aaah, nutin' to fear, little lass. We'll be upon the isle shortly. If'n I go any slower though, we'll be out 'ere all day. An' besides , 'der be many more folk lookin' for a lift. An' this ol' Lapras gots mouth t'feed. So's the more trips I make, th'better!" he explained loudly, with a hearty chuckle and a jovial disposition. "Just 'ang on tight, and y'won't 'ave to go fer a swim. Water's pretty cold this time'o year. Freeze yah t'the bone in a hearbeat, it would."

"L-l-lovely..." Tina shivered in part from the cold wind and Loopah's unwarranted commentary on the state of the water zipping by around her. She really didn't want to find out just how accurate that claim was, so she held fast to the Lapras' shell as she stared uneasily at the white, frothing waves being kicked up by the large Pokemon's paddle-like fins.

Rainfront Town was, by many accounts, the crown jewel of the coasts. Its weather was mild and fine throughout most of the year, rarely approaching temperatures that could offend anyone's tolerance. Its attractions were many, including the luxurious Steamrise Inn, which offered hospitality none in the province could match, and vast stretches of neat, sandy beaches. Past the town proper, and beyond the coasts, there lay countless miles of ocean with no known limits of width nor depth, and even the sea itself held such treasures as the Coral Forest at its bottom. The entire region was a beauty to behold and to experience, and it did not take much to convince Clovis to return to it.

The coasts had grown on the Piplup as a sort of favorite vacation spot over the years, and when he heard for the first time about there being a significantly sized and exotic island in the sea that he could hire another Pokémon to take him to, he immediately took this as an excuse to head to the coasts again. The tropical idyll of relaxing on the beach with a pile of exotic berries and a drink with a tiny umbrella in it was certainly one that sounded appealing.

And, just as the idyll had been dreamed, it was shattered before he had even arrived.

The ride over to this island was quite a bit less pleasant than Clovis had anticipated. Loopah, the Lapras responsible for ferrying Clovis and a few other Pokémon to this island, did not seem to have much concern for the comfort of his passengers, hitting numerous waves at great speed over the course of the journey. With bump after bump occurring in the water, Clovis could feel his little body be shifted in all manner of directions, practically being thrown about on the open sea. So much for relaxing.

None of this moving sat well with the Piplup, who, while by no means afraid of water, still held some concerns about the prospect of falling off of his mount. Indeed, falling off did seem to be a legitimate possibility at one point, as the Lapras crested an especially large wave, sending the rears of most passengers into the air for a split second, and Clovis, along with some others, scrambling for somewhere on the Lapras's shell to find a grip.

"Oh, please tell me we're almost there!" Came a shrill, pleading shout from another passenger. "I can't take much more of this! Don't you have a slower speed?"

Someone else had become quite fed up with the trip, it seemed, and they were quite vocal about it, what with the way that they practically demanded that the Lapras slow down. Though perhaps a bit bothered by the sudden shouting, Clovis found that he agreed with the upset Pokémon, a Fennekin, more than he disagreed, but he wasn't really the type to vocalize his grievances when he was capable of bearing the trouble.

...and if Loopah's dialect-intensive words were anything to go by, the dreadful trip would be over soon!

The moment land came into view, Clovis broke his silence. "Here it is!" He declared, staring at the Ancient Island's coast, where pretty white sand met water. With hardly a minute or two left before arrival, Clovis adjusted the fit of his string-tie joy ribbon and slung his bag around his shoulder, eagerly anticipating the transition from an unsettling ride to an enjoyable day on a cool beach.

Luckily Tina felt their impending arrival before it was announced, but the Fennekin still nearly jumped out of her skin when one of the other passengers, a Piplup, suddenly called out behind her. She would've spun around in a heartbeat to face him, but she opted to wait until the Lapras's marked deceleration reached a speed that she was more comfortable with. Only then did she let go of the shell spike she'd developed a death grip with.

Finally her ride was no longer threatening to bounce her into the endless sea around her, and she could actually stand upright on all-fours without fear of stumbling. However, even as Loopah made his approach of the looming island ahead, his shell bobbed and wobbled with every sweep of his fins. And though the water-type she cast a wary glance towards had already announced it, their ride happily confirmed their trip had reached its end.

"Right you are, little birdie. First stop, last stop, Ancient Island, dead ahead," he called out to the Pokemon riding on his back.

The Lapras was still travelling at a fair clip, but it was slow enough for Tina to sneak a glimpse past Loopah's thick neck. Though they were still a mile out, it looked enormous, and surprisingly intimidating as it only grew larger as they drifted closer. Why did it remind her so much of Shadowhue? So dark and foreboding, that one couldn't see past the foliage that bordered the shore. Maybe it was the tall trees. Most of them were bare in preparation for the coming spring, which only left the gloomy evergreens to colour the landscape.

Their drop-off point left a lot to be desired too. Even less that a few hundred meters out and closing, the wooden dock jutting from the pier looked old and rotten. Only a run-down shack offered any hint of civilization on the otherwise wild island. Needless to say, Ancient Island didn't look inviting at all. The Fennekin was almost beginning to regret her decision to travel here, but she wasn't going to give up just yet.

This was the furthest she'd ever traveled. There was a whole body of water between her and her pursuers now. She had to be safe here. Right? At least for a little while. If she dared not to venture into the wilderness where dangerous Pokemon lurked, she might be able to settle in for few days. Maybe a week or more. Wait it out until those that had been hunting her gave up and lost interest. How long could they even keep it up? Heck, maybe they'd already called it quits..? She could just... go back now, and not have to step foot on that rickety dock...

Even as she was trying to convince herself to turn back, the Lapras expertly bobbed closer to the drop-off point, calling out in a voice that made her flinch, "'Ere we are.. Safe 'n sound on th'Island. Now git off me back, y'freeloaders. Hah! I'm jus'kiddin'. But no'really. Dis is the end of th'line. Everybody off!"

As if to encourage his passengers, the Lapras swayed side to side, which was about all the motivation the Fennekin needed as she slid one way, then the other, on quivering legs, before leaping off the heaving shell and onto the dock in a panic. Almost immediately one of her feet broke through a half-rotten board and she jumped again, spinning around sharply and stumbling back onto her rump. Now that she was on solid ground--if it could be called that--Tina tried to regain some of her confidence as she watched the few other Pokemon dismount after her.

Some of them must have been regulars, as they casually traversed the creaking dock and and moved on their way, but the question was out on whether the Piplup was familiar to the region. As he was disembarking the Lapras gave one final heaving sway to expedite his unboarding, with a hearty chuckle.

"You 'Mon's best be careful now, yeah? Dis Island ain't for tourists. See you 'round. Hah. Maybe! Haha!" Despite his friendly demeanor, Loopah's parting words hardly sounded encouraging as he pushed away from the dock and began to swim away. He had just one piece of advice as he floated off back the way he came, "By d'way, if you see one'a dem big ones, y'best runna' way!"

Tina tensed at that remark. "B-big ones? What's he talking about?" she stammered to herself, feeling that sense of regret swelling larger in her mind. "Oooh.. this was a mistake... This was a huge mistake! Why am I even--h-hey! Wait! Come back! I-I-I changed my mind!"

Although she called after the Lapras, he was far beyond her reach by now, and picking up speed. Even if he could've heard her, he probably wouldn't have cared enough to turn around. He certainly hadn't minded relieving her of everything she had to make this trip. And there was no way she could afford the return fee, now. She was essentially marooned. On an island apparently teeming with dangerous and deadly Pokemon.

With a heavy sigh, she plopped down again at the end dock, watching Loopah sail away as she muttered to herself, "Great... Way to go, Tina... You're as good as dead, now. If they don't kill me, this bloody island will!"

Little birdie. Not a very respectful title, was it? Considering the fact that Clovis had paid for this trip, and that the ride itself was none-too-pleasant, he expected at least a little bit of respect from Loopah. An agitated look crossed the little birdie's face as the Lapras approached the island, all the while poking fun at the clients on his back. Freeloaders? Come on! This passage had cost a pretty penny. Joking as the Lapras may have been, Clovis could not help but feel as though Loopah's words were needlessly mean-spirited, given the questionable quality of the services that he had rendered.

When Loopah reached the island's, erm, rustic docks, he bid all of his passengers off of his back, rather aggressively, at that. Despite being bothered by the tone of the Lapras's request and the way in which he almost seemed to be trying to shake everyone off of him, Clovis was more than willing to oblige Loopah, if only because the Piplup had grown tired being around him.

Onto the dock did everyone go, accompanied by the collective sound of several sickly-looking boards creaking under the weight of Pokémon stepping on them. With a soft grunt, Clovis leapt from the back of the Lapras and onto the dock with everyone else. Though his feet struck the wooden ground just fine, a bit of force remained from the fall, causing the Piplup to stumble forwards slightly as he landed, only saved from falling down by the support of one of his flippers. Hardly a graceful landing, but at least he hadn't managed to break through any of the boards.

"You 'Mon's best be careful now, yeah?" Came Loopah's rowdy voice. "Dis Island ain't for tourists. See you 'round. Hah. Maybe! Haha!"

Certainly an, um, troublesome announcement. Clovis himself had come for tourism above all else, but he couldn't imagine why the Lapras would want to scare him away from this place now that he had already arrived.

"By d'way, if you see one'a dem big ones, y'best runna' way!"

"Pardon?"

When next Clovis looked, Loopah was gone.

"H-hey! Wait! Come back! I-I-I changed my mind!" Came the futile cry of a Fennekin.

As Loopah drew further and further from the island, most of his former passengers began moving in separate ways to go about their own business, and so Clovis examined the beach for, well, business of his own that he could find. There was sand, for one. Plenty of that, and water too. Just like the beaches at Rainfront, he supposed. In the way of facilities, there was a... plain wooden shack. Not the good type of shack that sold food and drinks, it was just a shack. How cruel...

Finishing his examination, Clovis found that everyone he had made the trip with had disappeared, save for one. The Fennekin, who had previously been so vocal, remained on the dock, muttering to herself.

"Great... Way to go, Tina... You're as good as dead, now. If they don't kill me, this bloody island will!"

Clovis was not a master eavesdropper, but the Fennekin's voice did have something of a distinct quality to it. He had caught a few of her words, mostly the "bloody island" part, and it sounded as if the Fennekin was rather distraught. A minute into this vacation, and already Pokémon around Clovis regretted coming. Quite the condemning first impression to have of the place.

For the time being, Clovis found himself a nice little post to lean on, on the opposite end of the dock from the Fennekin. Looking out at the tropical wilderness, Clovis could not help but wonder if he had simply been placed at the wrong part of the island, and if there was anything of interest to be found through the woods, or on the other end of the beach. The Piplup rubbed his birdie chin, attempting to give the impression that he was deep in thought.

Yep. He wasn't coming back. And no, Tina didn't need to sit there at the end of the dock with her tail curled around her feet for another five minutes to come to that realization. It just took that long for the terror-induced panic to fade into numbness. Only then was she able to relax her tense muscles and give up the futile hope of that boorish Lapras returning for her.

With a small, resigned sigh, the Fennekin stood on all-fours and turned around to make her way carefully across the rickety dock. As she did so, however, she realized one of the other passengers who'd arrived with her hadn't wandered off into the foreboding forest yet. Unfortunately it was also a water-type, the same one who'd announced their arrival, and Tina couldn't help but see him as a dangerous foe with a major advantage should he turn hostile.

Now that she was essentially stranded here--unless she really wanted to risk swimming back--Tina had to assume anyone could turn hostile. Not just because of the islands inherent dangers, but those that might also still be following her. In fact... the Piplup's lingering presence was somewhat suspicious now that she thought about it. Didn't it live here like all the others? Or... was it following her? The Fennekin shook her head sharply then, trying to dislodge that paranoid theory before it could take root, but... it was too coincidental that it just so happened to be her opposite type match.

Stumbling a few boards from shore, Tina froze and tensed in frustration. Stop it, Tina, you're being ridiculous, something that cute and chubby can't possibly be an assassin! she mentally berated herself, over and over until she could at least convince herself to confirm her suspicions before freaking out and attacking some random 'Mon for looking at her wrong. When she was finally able to do that, her demeanor improved considerably, but there was still no hiding the fear. Luckily she had a legitimate excuse.

As she approached the Piplup from behind, she noticed he was apparently deep in thought. Perhaps he too was having second thoughts about coming here. Or maybe he's thinking of the best way to kill me... Whatever he was thinking, Tina refused to enter that forest on her own. So the fox came to a stop beside the musing little penguin and sat down, staring at the forest alongside him. She remained quiet, pondering how to break the silence in a way that didn't show just how desperate and scared she really was.

"S-so uhm.." she croaked at first, raising a paw as she cleared her throat to continue, "Are... you from around here? Me, I'm just... visiting? Hah.. never.. been here before, actually. Um..." Tina paused and leaned toward the Piplup, a cupped paw to her mouth as she whispered, "Is it supposed to look this intimidating?"

Maybe things weren't all that bad. The shack could be home to someone or something interesting, and there was still plenty of land on the island that Clovis hadn't seen-- land that could be better than this part of it. Not that there was anything wrong with a sandy beach connected to the ocean, but Clovis preferred to see if he could get his bearings relative to some sort of civilization before he began to relax. Leaning on the post, he just stood and thought. Where to go? What to do? When to leave? How to leave? He certainly wasn't desperate enough to try and swim away, not yet. Hopefully someone else on the island could help him figure everything out. He'd find some natives, catch up with the rest of the passengers, or, Arceus-forbid, meet Loopah again at some point.

As the Piplup continued to lean in place, he heard the other remaining passenger approach from behind, her footsteps triggering harsh noises from the creaky boards of the dock. Probably that Fennekin that had been saying something a bit earlier. Clovis remained still and waited for her to pass him, not turning around until he heard her begin to speak.

"S-so uhm.." Clovis blinked, watching the Fennekin begin to address him. "Are... you from around here? Me, I'm just... visiting? Hah.. never.. been here before, actually. Um..." The Fennekin then began to speak in a hushed tone, leaning closer to Clovis so that her words would better reach his ears. "Is it supposed to look this intimidating?"

"Ahh..." A little sound escaped Clovis's beak. Is it supposed to look like this? It's not like I was promised a tropical resort, but... That the Fennekin was also unfamiliar with the island was probably bad if Clovis wanted to learn anything about the place, but at least he wouldn't have to be embarrassed for his own ignorance. Well, assuming that he was willing to confess to being clueless. Clovis considered himself to be decently well-traveled, but this place in particular escaped his knowledge. Perhaps he could play up a bit of confidence, even if he didn't know anything about the area? The Fennekin certainly didn't seem confident.

"Well, I-I'm visiting in a sense, myself." The Piplup darted his eyes around a bit, thinking up what he would say next. "I'm from Grassveil, but I came here for..." Tourism. But he didn't want to seem like a tourist, no, that wasn't very respectable. "...exploration. Yes." He'd ignore that question about the place being intimidating. It wasn't as if he had an answer, himself.

The little blue penguin's initial response wasn't very encouraging. Not just because it wasn't actually a word, but because it said more than a single word ever could've, even before the Piplup inevitably confessed he wasn't an inhabitant of the island. Tina didn't know whether to be grateful or worried about that. Being a visitor like her meant he wasn't likely to be aggressive, but on the other paw, him being here gave further fuel to the suspicion that he was only present because of her. It certainly didn't help when he claimed to be from Grassveil, and visibly searched for a valid excuse to be on this island.

Just the idea of coming here for something as adventurous as exploration sent chills up her spine, right now. When every encounter with new Pokemon she didn't know was a potentially life-threatening scenario, it was difficult not to be terrified to her core. The Fennekin did eventually manage to reign in her terror, but the fear was still evident in her disbelief as she carefully chose her words.

"Ex... exploration? Why would anyone want to explore this place...?" she muttered to herself, shuddering in obvious discomfort as her gaze darted left and right in search of a means to press the Piplup for information without making it look like an interrogation. "So, you're from Grassveil? Does... does that mean you're with the guild?"

As she inquired, Tina decided to stand and make her way ashore, tentatively. The soft, mossy sand underfoot was unpleasant, but she soldiered on for a few steps, sniffing the ground as she walked and finding the aroma of sea water, algae and fish to be downright nauseating. She had to do something though. Keep moving, distracting herself with smells and sights. Anything to keep her outward composure. The Fennekin didn't dare take her eyes off the small penguin, though, spying him through her peripherals.

Once she found a suitably dry spot close-by, the fire-type turned back to the Piplup and sat down with a friendly, forced smile. "My name's Tina," she offered, raising a paw in proper greeting, before awkwardly using it to rub her neck in embarrassment as she led into her intended query, "You uhm... w-wouldn't mind if I stuck around for a while, would you? Y--you know, just until we get off the island? I just figure, well... safety in numbers, right? And, well... given what that Lapras said..."

Yeah, there was no hiding her concern. Not even a little. Even if she'd been able to manage a less quivering, and more confident tone, her body language spoke volumes. Especially her tail, which had puffed up with stress somewhere between climbing aboard that rude sailor 'Mon and arriving at Terror Island.

Okay, that little exploration line seemed to have worried her. Hm. It sounded cool in his head. Explorers were all the rage nowadays, what with the exploration guilds. Explorer's badge, this, explorer's bag that. Everybody was into exploring, but it hadn't really impressed in this case. Strange, but she did ask him if he was part of the guild, often associated with the exploration scene. He wasn't, nor did he carry their bag or badge. Not even a lowly grey one. He knew a few guildmembers, and they were a wonderfully varied bunch of 'mons with their own personalities, but he himself was just an unaffiliated lad, albeit a bold and dandy one.

When the Fennekin asked whether Clovis was with the guild, he could only answer honestly. "Oh no, I'm not. I'm independent. Nothing against the guild or anything, it's just a bit mainstream nowadays, you know?" The Fennekin began to head ashore, and Clovis followed, his feet meeting sand as he stepped off the rickety dock and onto land. While the Fennekin appeared nervous, occasionally glancing at Clovis with her dancing eyeballs, Clovis himself was a bit more calm, clearly out of place but with significantly less worry. He gave the Fennekin the occasional glance to see what she was up to, but otherwise kept his gaze focused on the places in front of him.

Walking more, the Piplup and Fennekin reached a dry spot where the fox saw fit to stop and take a seat. While it was clear that her expression attempted to convey friendliness, its actual effect was a bit more awkward than perhaps had been intended. Clovis kept his face fairly straight, if a bit distant, as if attempting to give off an air of professionalism. The Fennekin introduced herself as Tina, and briefly gave some greeting gesture with her paw before withdrawing it, and moving into her query. Tina suggested, between bits of stuttering, that the two of them ought to stick together while they were on the island. Tina was obviously scared of something here, like perhaps the 'big ones' that Loopah had mentioned earlier... gulp. Clovis suddenly found himself awash in anticipation of something. Tina's fears could very well be legitimate, considering how little was known about the island.

"I... aha, no problem, Tina." Clovis perked up a bit as he got past the shaky beginning to his response, getting some movement going in his body to lift his spirits. He couldn't just leave poor Tina there in an unfamiliar locale, all scared and alone... and while he wouldn't admit it, he was just as lost as she was, and probably just as in need of company. Whether it be some attempt at heroics or simple self-preservation, Clovis felt that sticking by Tina would be his best move. "I'm Clovis, nice to meet you." The team was together now, and with their combined efforts, they would work to investigate the island, or find something better to do, or to find a way to leave. Oh joy.

Though Tina found herself breathing a heavy sigh of relief when the Piplup agreed to her offer, it didn't come without certain nagging concerns that lingered in her mind. On one paw, a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders with the knowledge that she didn't have to explore this island all by herself, but on the other, she might very well be setting off on this trek with her would-be assassin. And so far, Clovis hadn't done much to alleviate her paranoia. In fact, his lack of association with any formal agency was just another worrying nail in the Fennekin's metaphorical coffin.

There was a benefit to having him by her side, though. If she let the water-type lead, she could always keep him in sight and minimize the chances of a possible surprise attack. Unless he had reinforcements hiding in the forest... No! No! Stop it, Tina, stop being so paranoid! the little fox mentally berated herself, coming across as either crazy or maybe just jumpy as she shook her head sharply to break up the train a thought, then sprang to her feet abruptly.

"Nice! Hah... yeah, nice. Y-you know what would be nicer, though? Not being here! So... we should get moving, right?" Even as she was suggesting it however, Tina was looking up to the sky and frowning worriedly.

It had taken her most of the morning today to track down her ride, and the trip only took a fraction of that time, but it seemed that the sun had already migrated past noon. That gave the pair of Pokemon only a handful of hours before dusk to find a settlement of some kind. Any kind. Barring the safety of civilization, they'd have to camp for the night, and that was a prospect the quivering Fennekin wasn't looking forward to. Even now, the small, scraggly trails leading into the island from the shore, seemed to vanish after just a couple feet, into a dark, inky blackness.

Tina didn't dare try to look up instead, or the height of even the shoreline trees would've given her vertigo. They were at a crossroad between daylight and darkness, and despite her ability to harness elemental fire to light her way, the Fennekin struggled to take another step towards that menacing veil of unknown danger. Instead she procrastinated, looking to Clovis for a decision one way or the other.

"I'm... I'm sure we could find the main port before dark, don't you? I mean... h-how big could this island be...?" she trailed off, gaze returning to the murky darkness beyond the sun-bathed shore.

Lumin carried out 5 launched of one Ancient Island :

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Well, Tina wasn't wrong. Being anywhere but where they were sounded quite appealing. With the sun in the sky on that lovely afternoon and progressing westward with worrying speed, it'd be wise for them to get a move on through the island in search of another port, somewhere with a bed, or anything else that wasn't just sand and trees. Where they had come from-- a seemingly abandoned beach with a rickety dock and a little shack-- just wouldn't cut it.

The forest in front of them was as dark as any dungeon Clovis had seen. The darkness alone was foreboding enough, but even worse, he had no idea what to expect walking in. In Pecha Forest, Shadowhue, and even Cattail Marsh, there was at least some element of familiarity to the dungeons as they were relatively close to civilization and reasonably well-explored. Here, on the Ancient Island, he was isolated, and knew next to nothing. Fear of Pokémon that he knew to look out for was one thing. Fear of some unknown "big ones" was another.

Coincidentally, the darkness in front of him also equated to progress. Outside of that little shack, the prospect of waiting for someone to arrive at the docks again, and the unending blue ocean, there wasn't much to be found behind him. With the Fennekin offering some (rather unconvincing) words of encouragement, there was really only one option. To move forwards into the unknown with darkness at his front and the sounds of the waves and Wingull at his back. "Right you are, Tina. We've just gotta keep our heads up." Certainly some optimism couldn't hurt; whether it was justified or not wasn't really relevant.

Clovis took the first few steps into the forest, blinking and batting his eyes as he adjusted to the darkness. His gaze darted from left to right, up and down, but he never looked back, except to look at his companion. Walking along what might be considered a trail, assuming one had a loose enough definition of the word, the Piplup was tense with anticipation. Perhaps, he thought, talking with Tina could ease his mind? "So where are you from, Tina? I don't believe you ever told me." As he walked, and he talked, he produced one little orb from his bag. "Don't mind me, now. This orb ought to help us find one or two things that could come in handy." Throwing it to the ground off the path, Clovis waiting for his trawl orb to help illuminate something for him to take.

(Energy: 12, using trawl orb)

vonSteakhand carried out 10 launched of one Ancient Island :

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