//------------------------------// // Chapter 7: Found // Story: New World, New Bonds // by Rhino //------------------------------// The Froakie quickly backs away from the encroaching swarm, seeing only a wall of danger he wouldn't even want to deal with as a human alongside Geyser. The Beedrill all continue to buzz, about three or four of them flying right at Ryan while the others head for everyone else. His legs tense, pupils going to pinpricks as he sees the coming right at him. His skin turns grey before he suddenly darts forward, smashing into one out of panic. The Beedrill he hits flies back, hitting the ground and not getting back up. The other three look at it for a second before starting to fire simultaneous Poison Stings. Unsure what else to do against the barrage, Ryan relies on instinct as he uses another Quick Attack, this one to dodge around before hitting another one. This next Beedrill also goes down, and the two remaining quickly start to use Focus Energy. Croaking in alarm, the frog tries to think of how to get to them in the air in time. Bracing himself, he jumps, smacking one in the head with Pound. He succeeds in hitting, but not taking it down; now with him in close quarters, it starts a Fury Attack right on him. Unable to dodge in th air, Ryan takes the brunt of the hits, thudding into the ground afterwards. "Ow..." Still on his back, he puffs out his cheeks, skin turning back blue as he launches a Bubble attack at them both, glad it doesn't involve moving much. The one he had already weakened goes down quickly, but the second just taps its needles together and begins to fly at him. It gets hit before it can do anything, Liu having kept through the air and struck him with a powerful kick. He lands next to Ryan, holding his paws up in a defensive pose. The hit is enough, and it goes down immediately. However, this just attracts more Beedrill over to them; three more fly in, already powered up from Focus Energy. "Oh great..." Ryan works back to his feet, disheartened, but not panicked anymore. Meanwhile, less than twenty feet away, three Ghost-types are struggling in their own way. Thanks to Harold being a bigger target, Anya having a type advantage, and Casey having immunity to their poison, more of the Beedrill have chosen to swarm around them to try and even the odds. Harold finds himself taking most hits, which doesn't help due to his weakness as is, and he can only retaliate through Feint Attack and the occasional Wood Hammer. Anya seems to be conflicted about something, looking between her teammates and the swarm. Casey, just trying to swipe at as many as he can, looks back at her. "Anya, come on! We need fire!" Swallowing, she nods, drawing in a breath before aiming at the swarm and unleashing a surprisingly powerful Flamethrower, given her size. This gets several of the creatures down and out, but only infuriates the rest; several turn and start launching Poison Stings at her, or flying in close to fight. Yelping, she uses a quick Minimize, shrinking herself slightly as she dodges away. Sure enough, they miss, flying right into another Wood Hammer attack. Harold chuckles tiredly. "This will be a challenge, it seems." "No kidding... why did it have to be a swarm?" Anya pops back to her normal size, unleashing a Fire Spin around them, though making sure to keep it away from Harold. "Because that's how they travel," Casey replies, staying away from the attack as well. "I'm not really surpri-" He gets cut off by the shiny Beedrill flying in... and right past him, heading for the Trevenant instead. Harold can barely react before he gets a faceful of point blank Poison Sting. "Harold!" Anya shouts out, sending a reflexive Confuse Ray at the shiny. The Beedrill manages to avoid it, but barely, and is properly shooed off. A now-bruised and angry Harold turns after it, light starting to gather in his mouth. "I humbly request the two of you keep them off me for a moment." Casey nods, going after the nearby Beedrill immediately with an Aerial Ace. "On it." The Litwick nods as well, multiple Will-O-Wisps shooting out of her flame and hovering around them like sentinels. The Beedrill unlucky enough to be close by soon are targeted by the flames, screeching and swiping at themselves as they start to burn, while the others hover a distance away. The shiny one, watching his friends go down like flies, lets out a growl and starts flying back in, only to be suddenly sniped by Harold's Solar Beam. Midnight, sitting off to the side, watches all of this with a mixed sense of awe and fear. When the big wasp gets hit, she lets out a cheer, grinning like a fool. "That was amazing!" Harold chuckles and bows to her before resuming fighting the other ones. The shiny has yet to be defeated, but for now, it retreats back a distance. However, its hit did too much damage; the other Beedrill continue attacking the Trevenant, and he starts slumping, attacks coming out far slower. Seeing this, Anya looks to the sword who continues to battle. "Casey... we need to end this quickly!" She lets loose another Flamethrower. Looking at all the Beedrill still up, as well as the obviously tougher shiny, the Honedge sighs. "I don't think that's likely!" Harold slowly turns around, seeing the shiny start to come in, and chuckles weakly. Looking up, his eyes meet with the Beedrill's and flash. For a second, neither of them move. And then one more Beedrill hits him in the back with Twinneedle, and he collapses. There's silence for a split moment after he falls, as though in respect. Then, a resounding clang fills the air. The offending Pokémon falls to the ground, an ebony hoof resting on its head. The mare it belongs to glares at the shiny wasp in silent fury, a frying pan gripped tightly between her teeth. The green wasp barely even gets to look back at her before its hovering falters, and with a fading buzz, it falls to the ground. Midnight blinks blankly at this, her confusion evident and the pan blocking her speech slightly. "...the huck?" "Destiny Bond." Casey floats over quickly. "If the user gets knocked out within a certain time limit, whoever they use it on gets knocked out with them." He looks behind them; most of the Beedrill are gone, but at least ten or so remain on their side, five more with Ryan and Liu. "Frog! Kid! Bring them over here!" Hearing this, Ryan Quick Attacks over, hoping his speed will keep him from getting hit. The jackal glances over at the sword before dashing over, keeping a eye out for any attacks. He skids to a stop in front of them, looking at the enemies around them. "What do we do, Mister Casey?" "You get behind me and help lure them in close. No ranged attacks." The sword chuckles, tassel glowing for a moment. "I learned a new move, and I need to use it before time's up." "Yes, sir." He scoots back into the group, where he finally sees Harold. Both he and the mare crouch down, trying to see if they can help. She has a few words to say, though. "How do you plan to do that, exactly? Say that their moms are fat and ugly?" "That's how I start fights, not get out of them." He watches the Beedrill start flying in, and quickly, he floats up to meet them. His tassel flashes brightly, and he swings himself. "Retaliate!" He hits one Beedrill, knocking it all the way back into the forest. The air from the slash itself hits all the other Beedrill, doing enough damage to send almost all of them right down to the ground. Those that stay conscious quickly see how outnumbered they are, and turning away, they fly back into the forest. Midnight watches them flee, stunned for a brief moment. "...well. That works, I guess." She glances down at Harold, her brow furrowing slightly. "...but what about him? Will he be alright?" She presses her head against his chest, her ear flicking. Casey sighs, coughing rather than replying. He drops to the ground, staying balanced on his point, but not floating anymore. "Casey!" Anya floats to his side, holding him up. He looks at her. "I'm fine, Anya..." His tassel goes limp. "Just... tired." Moving over to the haunted tree's side with the other two, Ryan pokes him. "Harold? You still with us?" A low groan comes from the tree, but he doesn't move or speak otherwise. The mare quickly stands, glancing from one to the other and back, concerned. "...we need to get out of this forest. Get them back to camp to rest." She turns to Ryan, hopeful. "Any ideas how we can do that?" Not getting any particularly revolutionary ideas, the Froakie rubs the back of his head before grabbing one of Harold's branches and trying to pull him. Surprisingly, he doesn't drag too slowly. Smiling, he keeps pulling, Anya doing something similar as she floats over, holding Casey by his ribbon. "...oh." Midnight follows along, frying pan beneath her wing, as Liu tries to also help the Honedge along. "I guess bark isn't exactly heavy, huh?" Casey sighs, being dragged along as well. "I feel the need to remind you that I am not unconscious." "If you can't float, you're being carried. End of discussion." The candle huffs at him. "...could at least..." Those are the last words out of Casey before he trails off, his eye drooping closed. Her voice is soft. "Go ahead and rest... I'll keep you safe." He doesn't respond, his eye shutting completely as he obeys. Morning comes, the dawn awakening the camp of unusual travelers after their rather intense fight just before sleep. Movement is sluggish, but strong. Anya yawns, raising her hands up as she starts to float. Turning to Casey, who she had slept next to, she shakes his hilt lightly. "Casey?" He groans in response and turns over, having slept on his flat side rather than leaning against a wall. "Time to wake up..." She shakes him once more, even tapping his blade. Another groan. "Fine... I'm getting up..." Despite what he says, he makes no movement. Turning to a classic, Anya pokes him once more. "If you don't get up, you won't get breakfast..." A rock clatters across his blade, the mare's voice coming soon after. "The sooner we get up and pack this stuff away, the sooner we can leave to find your teammates. So get up, sleepy." "Both of you have made a dangerous enemy for life and will regret your decisions in due time." He wiggles around, finally floating up. "Until then, good morning." "Good morning." The candle hugs his hilt gently. "Glad to see you have as good of recovery as a normal Pokémon." "I'm glad too." He hugs back. "What did I miss?" "Just the rest of us going to sleep, nothing important." He rolls his eye. "I meant this morning. Assuming you’ve been awake longer than me." "Only for a few seconds." She shrugs. "Nothing, then. Got it." He looks around. "Where's everyone else?" "Harold's over there." She points to the tree. "And the other three are in the tent." He looks over at the Trevenant. While definitely not still asleep, Harold has planted his roots and gone dormant, presumably to rest in the sun while waiting. "Got it." He floats over to the tent and pokes his upper body inside. The two that are awake look down at the one still sleeping, sitting on either side of him. Midnight glances up at the entrance and smiles softly. "Morning. Are we still 'enemies', or will breakfast change your mind about that?" The Riolu looks up at them, mildly confused by her wording. "We'll see," he says mysteriously. "Frog still asleep?" "It seems that way." She glances down at Ryan, frowning slightly. "I guess he was more exhausted than we thought... Liu, please don't poke him." He quickly withdraws his paw, embarrassed. "And he didn't even have a weakness," Casey grumbles. "Well, wake him up. We need to go soon." The jackal looks at him for a few moments, then turns to the sword, hopeful. "Does anyone on your team know Wake-Up Slap?" "No." "Oh..." Fortunately for the frog, it appears the slap is not needed as he stirs. His large eyes open, looking around him. "...it's a little odd to wake up to three people standing over me." "Is it?" Liu looks to the sword, confused. "I don't think I've had that happen, before..." "It's more common for trainers who actually have a team," Casey remarks to the frog, ignoring Liu's comment. "Ah... that probably explains it." He sits up, looking at all of them. "So... first order of business, today?" "We move out." With that, the sword floats out of the tent. "...I guess he really wants to bring his team back together." Midnight looks to the other two, as if expecting a response, before facehoofing, groaning quietly. "Right... one-way communication..." Ryan pats her hoof reassuringly, giving her a smile. "He's not the only one. Besides, I can find ways to talk." "Mister Ryan?" The Riolu speaks up, gently poking his shoulder. "I think we only brought that pad. No feather." "...body language it is." The Froakie sighs, patting Midnight's hoof once more. "Thanks kid, probably saved me a lot of digging in the packs with that." "You're welcome!" He grins, then steps outside, leaving the two of them alone. Once the flap closes, the mare gingerly picks up the frog, hugging him to her chest. "We might see your friend, soon... are you excited?" He nods, smiling widely as he feels his small form embraced. "You have no idea. He might even hug you." "I'm glad you're happy." She nuzzles his head, giggling brightly. "I hope you'll find time to spend with me, after." Her wing curls inward, tickling his nose with a feather. He squirms against her, chuckling as he tries to get away from her feathers. "Definitely." She puts him back down, smiling and patting the ground with a hoof. "Would you like to help me put this stuff up?" He nods, hopping around and beginning to stow things. A short time after noon, the group finally reaches their destination. The falls require no introduction, announcing themselves with the powerful roars and hisses of their falling flows, visible for even far away. Both ponies and Pokémon can be seen, the ponies acting like tourists, while the Pokémon are mostly Water-types who seem to have taken a shine to the place, lounging, diving, swimming, and above all, living in the falls. Casey, almost unconsciously, moves closer to Anya. "Picking out a specific Blastoise here is gonna be along the lines of finding a needle in..." He trails off. "A haystack?" Harold offers. "No, it won't be that bad... more like finding a needle in a handful of hay." He pauses. "Except the hay is spread across an entire vacation spot." Ryan's eyes are peeled as he scours the waters. "He'd be bigger than most... I could probably tell the moment I see him. Plus, he answers to his name. We can at least work with that..." Liu raises a paw. "What if he can't hear you where he is?" "Well, I wasn't exactly going to go around shouting it like looking for a lost dog." He hops forward a step. "Maybe... we could ask around for any Blastoise locations?" "They are difficult to miss," Harold adds thoughtfully. "We should split up. Mister Ryan, you are a Water-type; perhaps you search the water, and the rest of us split up to search on land and ask around." "Hmm... I'm alright with that idea." He nods. "I wonder if I can swim any better now that I'm a Water-type." Midnight looks up, spreading her wings. "I could take to the skies... but I wouldn't know what I'm looking for." "A big blue turtle with a brown shell and pipelike cannons coming from his shoulders," Casey replies bluntly. "...somehow these things don't surprise me anymore." She shakes her head and takes off, leaving the Pokémon and their supplies on the ground. Looking at the likely not water-proof bags, Ryan lets his gaze go back to them, then to the water. "I guess we'll meet up in a bit if we find anything?" "I believe so." Harold nods. "I will return here in one hour, or if I locate Mister Geyser. You will likely be able to spot me, so consider this our meeting spot." "Good luck, Ryan!" Anya waves a hand, eyeing the water herself, though with a different emotion. "Thanks you guys!" With that said, the Froakie leaps into the water. He immediately notices a difference from when he swam as a human. It's like he could feel a connection the the water, easily flitting around in it instead of forcing his way through. With a small, he goes just under the surface and starts to search. Unfortunately, after an unknown amount of time of swimming, dipping his head up to take a breath, them peering down into the water to search, Ryan has nothing to show for his efforts. He sighs, a few bubbles escaping his mouth as he looks down, seeing many things, but not what he wants to. However, something unusual still catches his eye. A small purple-pinkish shape, but not one you would normally see in those colors, on the bottom of the lake. He swims down towards it, curious. As he gets closer to the small Pokémon, he starts to hear muttering. The words are indistinguishable, but the voice is most definitely feminine. He swims closer still, floating near the shape, which he now recognizes as a Mudkip. "Hello?" She yelps, covering her head with her arms. "I'm sorry! I don't have any food!" He jerks back at her sudden outburst. "Woah, woah, easy! I didn't say anything about food..." She slowly peeks open an eye, clearly confused. "You're not... um... who are you?" "Ryan." He swims down a little to rest on the bottom with her. "Who are you? Are you okay?" She squirms in place, bowing her head slightly. "It's... it's nothing." She shyly smiles. "My name's Mindy... did your trainer give you your name, too?" He shakes his head before tilting it a little. "No... my mom gave it to me. I didn't exactly have a trainer... probably would be pretty weird if I did, considering I am... well, was... one." She blinks blankly at him. "...you're one of those humans who got changed?" Ryan nods and smiles. "Yeah, I actually came here searching for my partner Pokémon. I'm worried about him, even if he can take care of himself." "Oh?" The Mudkip drifts a bit closer. "Maybe I could help? I know this place really well..." "Really?" He looks to her, surprised before he smiles happily. "That'd be great! Thank you! He's a Blastoise, so any of them you've seen would be helpful." "You'll have to be more specific." She nervously laughs. "I've seen at least fifteen of them..." "Oh dear... I didn't think there would be that many..." He stops, thinking. "I could call for him, but he might be sleeping... Gah, I don't know beyond just finding all of them and hoping we get lucky." She considers him a moment before slowly nodding. "There's a couple places they tend to hang out." She points behind the frog. "A cave behind the waterfall..." She tilts her arm up diagonally. "...and a bank at the top of the falls. Does that help?" Nodding, he replies. "Yes, it helps enormously. Thank you very much." Looking upward, his gaze goes towards the falls. "But how would I get up-" he cuts himself off as he sees the shimmering surface, on hand going to his throat as a few things click in place. His eyes dart to her, then to himself before he finally speaks. "Huh... didn't even notice I was breathing underwater... I probably should have guessed I could do that." She gives him a strange look, backing up a step. "I... thought you were used to it, considering..." "Not really... This is the first big body of water I've been in since we got to this world." He takes a few breaths of water. "Huh... cool." Mindy doesn't react to this, at first due to how stunned she is, but then because of a loud splash. Yelping once more, she jumps toward a small ravine, soon disappearing from sight. "Hey wait, come back!" Ryan swims after her, concerned. He quickly gets outsped by a large Lanturn, swimming past him and after the Mudkip, a disconcerting grin on its face. A grim frown forms on the Froakie's face. "I don't like where that is going..." He swims faster after the two. Fortunately, Mindy ducks into a narrow crevice, just barely wriggling in before the electric Pokémon can get to her. The Lanturn growls. "You have to come out sooner or later!" "Hey! What's going on?" Ryan catches up, swimming behind the Lanturn. The Lanturn turns to him and shakes its head. "None of your business, Froakie." "Please, I'm sorry!" She whimpers, the rock causing her voice to echo slightly. "I don't have any food! I-I gave you everything yesterday!" The distress in her voice causes Ryan to narrow his eyes, his voice still calm. "Leave her alone." "Excuse me?" The Lanturn chuckles. "As I said, this is none of your business. Get out of here, kid." "No." Using Quick Attack, he darts around the partial Electric-type, bracing himself in front of the Mudkip's hiding place with his skin grey once more. "I won't let you hurt her." Lanturn blinks, then rolls his eyes before a Spark shoots from his antenna, hitting the frog directly. Crossing his arms in front of himself, the Froakie definitely feels the hit, but it lacks the... searing pain he expected from something super effective. Peeking a bit, he looks down at himself, seeing his grey coloring. "That should have knocked me out... unless... Protean?" Rather than be confused as well, the Lanturn just swims in closer and unleashes another Spark. "I can do this all day, kid." There's a small whimper from behind Ryan. "Please... you don't have to do this..." "Shut up, Mindy," the Lanturn growls, not letting up. "Ryan..." She gently touches his back. "It... it doesn't concern you... you don't have to hurt yourself for me..." Bubbles spill from both the Froakie's mouth and his species' scarf of frubbles, floating upward as he cries out, feeling the attacks go all throughout him. He pants as a momentary respite comes. "Maybe not... but you don't deserve to feel this either..." "So noble." The Lanturn's tone is practically dripping with sarcasm. Another Spark shoots out, this time followed by him tackling the frog against the wall. "Gah!" Ryan's eyes roll back a bit, his body going limp, but still floating in front of the hole the Mudkip is hiding in. "No!" She darts out of hiding, holding him gently. "Please! Stop hurting him!" The part Electric-type narrows his eyes. "And why would I?" "Because you have bigger problems," a deep voice says from behind him. Sighing, the Lanturn turns. "What do you-" He immediately freezes. A prime specimen of a Blastoise floats directly in front of the Lanturn, dwarfing the fish half his size. Though his cannons are stowed for the moment, his narrowed eyes suggest this might not be the case for long. A few scars can be seen on his skin itself, but his shell appears untouched. He speaks once more. "Leave, or lose. Choose wisely." The Lanturn hesitates for all of half a second before vanishing, a cloud of bubbles in his place. Huffing a jet of water from his nostrils, the turtle's face softens as he looks at the two first-evolutions. "I heard the commotion. Are you alright, little one?" "...I've been better..." She sighs, looking up to him and smiling nervously. "Of course... I've been much worse..." "Good... I can't stand bullies." He looks over to the Froakie. "Your friend seems to have taken a bit of a beating... doesn't look like he'll be out for long, though." "Yeah..." She blinks, then looks up to him, hopeful. "Could you... help me get him to the surface? He might panic if he woke up down here..." Giving only a short strange look at this, the turtle Pokémon rotates until he is horizontal. "Rest on my shell. We'll surface and even head to the shore or anywhere else if you want." She swims over and sits on his back, holding the frog in place. "That'd be very helpful. Thank you." "You're welcome." The Blastoise rises, water rushing around them before they break the surface. The brown shell acts like an island for the two first evolutions. As soon as the air replaced the water that had been around him, Ryan's form stirs slightly, a small groan coming from him. Mindy gently pokes him, rolling him onto his side. "You're okay now... right?" Their ride stays where it is, letting the two talk for now as the frog groans again, letting out a small cough. "A bit sore, definitely not energetic... other than that I feel strangely okay considering the beating I was getting." "Well... you're white..." She prods him arm. "...does that have anything to do with it?" "I don't think so..." Moving his mouth a bit, Ryan releases a small Bubble attack from his mouth into the air, his normal blue returning. "That settles that... looks like I have the Protean ability." Shaking his head, he sits up. "What happened anyway?" "Well... he zapped you several times... Gai saved us... and then he took us to the surface..." She pats his shell, smiling warmly. "Thank you for that, again... sorry you have to bail me out so much..." The big Pokémon chuckles. "It's my pleasure. I know you don't try to get in trouble." Confused who she is talking to, and about, Ryan looks down, seeing the shell they are on. His eyes widen, his body springing into a sitting position as he looks toward the turtle's head. "Geyser?" Blue ears flick as the final evolution turns towards him. "Hmm? How do you know my name? Did Mindy tell you?" A brilliant smile appearing on his face, the frog jumps, despite his soreness, and hugs the big blue head. "It is you! I can't believe I found you! It's me, Ryan!" Taken aback by all this, Geyser blinks. "That... is quite the claim." Blinking himself, Ryan quickly responds, "When you were a Squirtle, your first scar came from a nasty fight with a Skarmory, just before you had your first big shell growth." A big smile soon grows on the Blastoise's face as well, nuzzling his trainer. "It is you... Hah! What a coincidence!" He leans against the small form as best he can. “It’s good to be reunited with you.” The two say no more for the moment, embracing their closest companion with wide smiles on their faces, the hug saying what words are incapable of. "Wow." Mindy smiles from her spot, shaking her head. "That was fortunate, wasn't it?" "You have no idea..." Ryan laughs again as he squeezes Geyser. The turtle, for his part, can only nuzzle as he swims. "I had heard from others around here about humans transforming. Seeing how I would be hard pressed to find you, I thought to stay here, doing what I could until you found me." He chuckles. "And here you are, a Froakie no less. It makes me proud to see you as a fellow Water-type." "After traveling so long with you, I'm not sure I could have been any other type." Letting go, Ryan eases back onto the shell, looking at Mindy. "Hey... thanks." She blinks, holding up her arms in surprise. "What are you thanking me for? I didn't do anything..." "If I didn't meet you, I wouldn't have been able to find Geyser nearly as fast." He smiles at her. "So... thanks." "...um... no problem?" She sheepishly smiles, unsure how to feel about being thanked. Hoping he isn't pressing, Ryan continues as Geyser starts to swim vaguely towards shore, his small tail trailing behind them in the water. "Hey... how long has that bully been after you? Any idea why he was doing that?" "...I... it's nothing... really..." She turns away from him. "T-Thanks for being concerned, though." "I try to help when I hear anything going on, but as you saw, sometimes he gets to her still," Geyser comments. "That's not right..." The frog huffs, but tries to look on the bright side. "But at least he's gone now." "...I suppose." She sighs, pointing to a tree in the distance. "Can you drop me off near there?" The Blastoise nods, making a beeline for it at a steady pace. Ryan, though, looks to her in slight surprise, his mouth turning downward. "Oh... are you leaving?" "No, I just..." Mindy grimaces briefly, then shakes her head. "I figured it'd be best to-" Her voice catches in her throat, and she dashes behind the frog, trying to hide herself. He looks towards where she had been facing, seeing only a lone Buneary hopping along the beach without a care in the world. Looking behind himself at her, he asks, "Umm... are you sure you're okay?" "Perfectly fine!" The panicked tone of her voice contradicts her words, as well as the trembling of her body against his. Slowly, he softly places his hand on her head. "Easy... no one is going to hurt you." Looking up, he takes another glance at the tree, noticing something. "This is actually where my friends and I are meeting up. Harold looks like he's taking a nap again." "Nothing wrong with a good nap." Geyser starts to reach the shallows. "Glad to see you weren't just on your own this whole time." Sure enough, Harold's eye is closed and his roots are planted in the ground. However, hearing the sound of something getting closer, he opens his eye to see the three Water-types, and he chuckles. "Welcome back, Mister Ryan. I see you found your friends." "Found one, made another." He fondly pats the shell beneath him as Geyser walks onto shore. "This is Geyser," he leans slightly so Mindy can be a little more clearly seen, "and this is Mindy." The Trevenant uproots himself and walks over, bowing as much as a tree can. "A pleasure to meet you both." She simply stares in awe, her body tensing as if she's getting ready to flee. Again, Ryan puts his hand on her head. "It's okay. He's a good guy." Geyser, meanwhile, nods at the tree. "Good to meet you. Thank you for helping keep my trainer safe." Harold nods again. "It was no trouble. Though I would say the others had more of a hand in that than I did." The Mudkip's head tilts to one side. "...trainer?" Ryan looks to her. "Yeah, Geyser was my Pokémon partner. He was actually my only Pokémon." Thinking a moment, he looks down at the Blastoise. "Though I guess now, we're just best friends, huh?" Geyser chuckles and nods. "But... aren't you..." She frowns slowly backing away from him. "N-Never mind..." Harold, meanwhile, simply watches the exchange passively. "Trainers with only one Pokémon are not very common. It is very difficult, but I suppose that only strengthened your bond." Geyser’s head turns, watching the two smaller Pokémon as Ryan looks to the Mudkip with confusion. "Mindy? You don't have to tell me what's wrong, but I don't like seeing you all spooked like this. Let me help." He takes a step towards her. She takes a step back in response. When he tries this again, she does the same once more. "I'm fine. Really." Silent for a moment, he crouches down on his stomach in a submissive posture. "You're not... but I guess you aren't comfortable anymore. Be careful though, you're a step away from falling off the shell." Just as he says this, something comes from the treeline and strikes her in the chest. "Eep!" She falls backwards, landing not in the water but on the shore, the air driven from her lungs from the impact. Ryan immediately jumps to her side, concerned, looking over her to see if she is bleeding or anything. Meanwhile, Geyser stands up to his full height, scanning the area before seeing an Omanyte and Kabuto with rocks held, looking guilty from the stray projectile in their game. They scamper away quickly. She slowly sits up, groaning quietly and looking at the item now on her lap. "...is this a Hard Stone?" "Is that really important? Did you land badly? Anything hurt excessively?" Ryan looks at her anxiously, feeling a bit of deja-vu from when Midnight hurt her hoof, only he doesn't know what is hurt. "I'm fine." She sighs, putting the item off to the side and standing back up. "I've had worse... thanks for your concern, though." He nods, not knowing that Geyser now watches with a thoughtful gaze. "I take care of my friends." Mindy lowers her gaze, whispering to herself. "...friends... right..." "Ryan!" There's the flapping of wings, and then the ebony mare is there beside them, scooping up the frog and gingerly holding him. "What happened? Why do you look like toast?" "I look like toast?" He repeats, looking down at the splotches of black on his skin. "Oh... umm... nothing you need to worry about." "Here, let me just..." She reaches back, feeling around a bit before frowning. "...right, not wearing my bags..." He croaks, getting her attention before pointing downward to the bags surrounded by the three Pokémon all looking up at them. "Ah, thanks!" She brings him over, reaching inside and pulling out a cloth. As she starts to rub it over his cheeks, she remarks, "How you got dirty like this is beyond me... but at least you're safe." Geyser chuckles as the frog is cleaned up. "Found yourself a second mother in this world?" Ryan closes his eyes slightly, enjoying the feeling. "In some respects... in others I'm something cute she likes to pamper. I was also her medic at one point." She finishes up, inspecting him a moment before turning to Harold, concerned. "Is he hurt, in any way?" "From what I can see, nothing that some rest will not take care of," the tree replies. "Good." She glances over to the turtle, smiling warmly. "Hi. Are you Ryan's friend?" He smiles and nods, offering a hand to her. "I am Geyser. It is a pleasure to meet you." Midnight offers a hoof in return. "Nice to meet you... sorry, but I don't think Casey or Harold ever mentioned what your name is." Looking to the tree as he shakes her hoof, the Blastoise asks. "There is a language barrier?" "Ponies do not understand most Pokémon," Harold explains. "Ghost-types can communicate in a different way, hence why myself and Master Casey can speak with them. I believe Psychic-types could do it as well." He turns to the mare. "This is Mister Geyser. The Mudkip is Miss Mindy." "Mudkip?" She looks over her shoulder, spotting the purple Pokémon trying to pose as a rock. "...you mean her?" "Yes, the shy one." The Trevenant chuckles. "Do not be afraid, Miss Mindy. She is a friend." Ryan beckons her closer as well. "...right..." She slowly moves forward, but stops a couple yards away. "...what should I say, if she can't understand me?" "Just smile and wave or something." He wiggles out of Midnight's grasp, hopping over to Mindy's side to give her support. "She's very nice." She shuffles her little feet for a moment before looking up at her, smiling weakly. "Hello... nice to meet you?" The mare looks down at her, an eyebrow raised. She moves closer to the tree, whispering next to the lone eye she can see. "...something eating at her? She looks like she got kicked in the gut..." "She just seems shy," Harold replies quietly. "Though perhaps we missed something..." "Maybe..." She pulls away, giving a warm smile of her own to the uniquely-colored Pokémon. "So, Mindy, was it? Are all Mudkips such an interesting shade of violet?" "Not all," Harold intervenes with a chuckle. "Most are blue. In fact, barely a fraction of the Mudkip population is this color. All Pokémon have some sort of rare 'shiny' variation." "Yeah..." The Mudkip in question sighs, turning away. "...rare..." Ryan looks to her once more, again knowing something is wrong, but bringing it up never seems to help right now. He simply moves a little closer, putting his head in her line of sight and giving her a smile. "I believe Master Casey should be back soon with Miss Anya," the Trevenant adds, changing the subject. "Mister Liu should return soon as well. I suggest we wait here for them." "More friends?" Geyser chuckles. "How big of a group did you find while I was gone?" Ryan just laughs sheepishly. "Stuff just happens." A glance goes back to his new troubled friend. She notices, and waves a hand at him. "Yes. Stuff does. Sometimes, you can't help but go along with it."