Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: The Phantasmagoria

Special Episode: The World Stops For No One

Part Three: Where No One Goes

"Heave ho! Where's that 'explorer grit' I always hear about? Push!" a mousy voice barked.

"How about you start heavin' instead of barkin' out orders, laddie!" a gravelly voice retorted.

"Urgh! This 'mon is way heavier than he looks!" a scratchy voice chimed in.

Larvitar supervised Gabite and Lairon's efforts from a distance as the pair pushed the snoring body of Flareon into an open wooden barrel. Twitching paws and orange fur drenched in liquor stuck out from the barrel's top as the Fire-type was stuffed tight within. Gabite carefully placed the lid of the barrel back on before sending it rolling away with a kick.

Lairon caught his breath. "And that furball said I was tubby!" he remarked.

Larvitar clapped his nub-like paws together and chortled loudly. "Did ye see the way Flareon went down? Like a sack of 'tatoes! When the others find 'im, they'll think he got rightly pissed and fell asleep in a barrel!" He exploded with more laughter.

"Hey! Cut the laughing before others hear!" Gabite hissed. "And explain just what the heck you made us do!"

"Didn't I already tell ye? You're explorers! And you're goin' to take me with ye!"

"Uh, take you where exactly?"

"To Rumblecrag Volcano, of course," Larvitar said plainly, rolling his eyes at the wide-eyed stares he was getting. "Pick up those faces, explorers! And stay here while I prep for our big escape!" He ran to the door without another word, but the bulk of Lairon blocking his way bounced him backward.

"Hey, hey, where's the fire, lad?" Lairon questioned. "Ye need to slow down and tell us what's really goin' on here!"

Larvitar scoffed as he hopped upon a barrel and then smirked widely. He withdrew a short cutlass from a scabbard on his side and thrusted it high. "The three of us will reach the fabled Dyna Meteorites of Rumblecrag Volcano before the Mariner can get her greedy paws on it! And if she dares to stop us? We'll trounce her and her entire crew if needs be!"

Lairon and Gabite exchanged another look of bewilderment as the Steel-type stepped forward. "Uh, puttin' aside this plan of yours, why exactly do you want to go with us, lad?" he asked. "And why are ye turnin' against your own captain? Back there it seemed you were second in command to my eyes."

Larvitar lowered his blade, scowling. "The cuts and bruises all across me body - signs of the Mariner, they are. Been a part of her crew for many years as her number two, I 'ave. I've bled many times in battle for her and hoped she could see me as worthy of runnin' me own ship. But with her in charge, no 'mon can be considered equal to that dame… And I could be so much more than some errand boy!"

"Ah, so you're feelin' hung out to dry, eh? Too cooped up here to really stretch your wings."

Larvitar flailed his cutlass in a frenzy as the barrel he was on wobbled. "Me heart yearns for somethin' new! Darin', reckless adventure! Boundless freedom! An identity to carve out as me own! To go where no one goes! Only an explorer could give me that life!" His act of bravado crumbled away as he dropped to his small knees, sword clattering to the floor. "Please! Take me with you! I can't bear to stand another day here in this terrible, terrible crew!"

"I hate to break the news to you, lad, but we're not explorers in a sense," Lairon said. "We came out here lookin' for a dame." He tossed his head in the direction of Gabite, who was just now recovering from her shock. "This lass' mother, in fact. We don't have time for excitin' adventures when she's still out there."

Gabite blinked, mouth agape. "Oh, Arceus! My mom! The Mariner said she would've gone to Rumblecrag Volcano to take those meteor thingies from her!"

"Your mom was an explorer, right? Do ye really think she would've gone there to take those meteorites?" Lairon questioned.

"No. My mom always had that 'sense of justice' thing a lot of explorers seem to have. If she went there, she went there to destroy or hide whatever it is the Mariner wants." A smile graced her features. "Despite everything, I know she's a good enough Pokemon to do that."

"Aha!" Larvitar leaped down from the barrel. "The Garchomp - your mother, you say? Once she found out the Mariner's plans to use the power of the meteorites, she attacked! Faster than a Vikivolt, she torched many of our ships with those purple flames of hers, and then she made her escape! To Rumblecrag Volcano, I imagine - and the boss lady wants her revenge badly."

Gabite frowned. "But I just don't get it. Why would my mom work with a crew of pirates to explore the volcano? Unless…"

Lairon leaned in closer. "Unless, lass?"

She gasped. "My dad… My dad disappeared in Rumblecrag Volcano when I was really young. My mom searched that volcano from top to bottom, but couldn't find him. I thought she gave up, but I guess not."

A pit formed in Gabite's stomach. It all made so much sense now. The long nights her mother stayed cooped up in her room, ever so distant from her. Her mother never managed to get over her father like she thought she did. In a way, she felt relieved to know that. Still, anger rose in her chest like a heated pot of water ready to boil over.

'There's so much I have to tell you- scream at you even, mom. And I'm willing to bet you have something else to say, too.'

Lairon rubbed his chin with a paw. "Well, now this is gettin' mighty interestin'! Seems like that volcano has quite a few secrets it's hidin'."

"A missin' mother, father, and dangerous meteorites are plenty enough reason to head there ourselves!" Larvitar added as he crossed his arms. "Now quit the jabberin' and agree with me already!"

"Slow your roll there, lad!" Lairon countered. "Ye might claim to want to escape from the Mariner's clutches, but if there's one thing I know it's that ye pirate lot love some trickery. How can we trust ye not to stab us in the back later?"

"The Flareon I knocked unconscious - those chains I helped ye out of - is that not enough proof for you, metal face?" Larvitar said through gritted teeth.

Lairon squinted his eyes at him. "Aye, but a 'mon can play a long game."

"Hey, no fighting!" Gabite stepped between them before glancing down at Larvitar. "Look, you helped us, and we're thankful for that. All this crazy stuff about my mom and the Mariner, are you sure that going to Rumblecrag Volcano is what we should do?"

Larvitar smirked. "I'm a 'mon who's sure of many things! That is one of 'em!"

Lairon grumbled and rolled his eyes.

Gabite sighed. "... We're going, then. If my mom's there, then I have to go there as well. Larvitar, you-"

"YES! YES! YES!" Larvitar exclaimed as he jumped up and down. He sped off toward the door and threw it open, offering only a few parting words. "Stay here! I promise I 'ave a plan to escape!" He dashed through the open door before it slammed closed, leaving behind a baffled pair.

"I hope ye know what you're doin', lass," Lairon said. "That bite-sized 'mon might be too much trouble for us. And if the Mariner finds out…"

"He's… different," Gabite replied. "But I think we can trust him. If we got any chance of getting off this ship and away from the Mariner, he's the only one."

Lairon hummed to this. "Well, if ye could place your trust in him, then I think I could, too."

She smiled. "Thanks, Lairon."

"Not yet, I will, but maybe," he said with a turn of his head.

She stifled a snort. "I just hope he has a good enough plan…"

"Wha- are you crazy?!" Gabite whispered harshly.

"Jumpin' off a movin' ship, lad? That was the best ye could come up with?" Lairon added.

Larvitar shushed their concerns with a paw over his mouth. "Shhh! Be quiet, ye scallywags! Not supposed to be here, remember?"

Gabite huffed in indignation as she scoured their surroundings. As promised, Larvitar returned with a plan of escape, carefully escorting them to the upper decks of the ship during the night. They were currently within the confines of a supply closet. The smell of sulfur from gunpowder and the metal from stains of blood on the floor made her nose twitch. Pressing her ears to the groaning wood of the walls, she could hear more pirates milling about.

"Listen here and listen well," Larvitar continued. "In a few minutes, all these scurvy dogs patrollin' around will call it a night and rest. The coxswain at the helm will keep the ships movin' but with no other crew around. That's when we come out, and that's when we'll make a darin' jump into the Alomomola Sea like thrill-seekin' swashbucklers!"

Lairon stared at Larvitar with a blank look. "... Was this really the best ye could come up with, lad? Shouldn't we escape on one of them smaller boats attached to some ships? Tenders, they call 'em?"

Larvitar shook his head. "The Mariner has all of them destroyed on each ship she takes over so there are no deserters."

"Gotta agree with Lairon - this sounds really dumb," Gabite said. "Can you think of something a little less suicidal? Like, maybe we could overpower the Pokemon by the steering wheel and steal the ship?"

Larvitar withdrew his tiny cutlass and waggled it at them. "Madness! Sounds like lily-livered cowardice, but the only way we'll get out of here is slippin' away into the briney deep - nary a trace of us! We will do this!"

"Okay, okay, but what do we do once we're in the ocean. What now? We're now in the middle of the freaking ocean!"

"And I'd sink to the bottom of it with my mass!" Lairon added glumly.

"Not so, scallywags. The Mariner is havin' her ships remain close to the shores of the mainland. I believe she's tryin' to find a river stream that can lead her to the bay near Rumblecrag Volcano. We can swim to the shores easily if we jump!" He threw Lairon a look. "And metal face here can walk to the shore just fine!"

Lairon grumbled again.

"And if we somehow manage to make it to the shoreline, how are we gonna reach the volcano faster than her ships can?" Gabite questioned.

Larvitar sheathed his sword before opening a flap on his shoulder straps. He unfurled a bundle of crinkly parchment that had strange markings on them. "With these maps of the surroundin' region I stole from the Mariner's tent earlier, of course!"

"You what?!" Gabite yelled before promptly bringing her voice down an octave. "Are you sure no one saw you? If the Mariner knows they're gone, she'll-"

Larvitar alleviated her concerns with a wave of his paw. "That Wailord of hers was the only soul there - hah!" He waved the maps. "With this, we'll know every secret path to the Dyna Meteorites!" He smirked at the attentive looks he was getting. "See! I'm no scamp! A good explorer prepares for everythin'!"

Lairon turned to Gabite. "What do ye say, lass? Seems like it's the only way out of this pirate's nest."

Gabite sighed. "I mean, I guess we can-"

"Hooray!" Larvitar cheered. "Now ye bellyachers stay quiet and follow me lead!" He turned and ran to the doorway.

"W-we're going to do this right now?" Gabite asked incredulously as she scrambled after him.

"Wait up!" Lairon called from behind. "Ye two are too fast for a 'mon of my size!" he huffed.

The dark interior of the ship was now devoid of Pokemon beside them. Larvitar led Gabite and Lairon up the staircase that connected to the ship's deck. The frigid wind that bit at Gabite's scaly hide was a welcome feeling after being trapped in the musky, humid interior. The deck appeared all but abandoned; it was an eerie feeling for her that stuck out to her as wrong.

'I really hope Lairon wasn't right about this Larvitar…'

The trio crouched low and snuck along the starboard side of the ship. Tumultuous waves of salty seawater battered the ship's wooden hull and sprayed water on their shuffling feet.

"These waves are really tall," Gabite muttered. "I've only swam, uh, a few times before. I don't know if I can do this…"

Lairon hip-checked her. "Ease up, lass! We're by your side here! Take a few breaths and calm yourself."

Gabite did as instructed, inhaling and exhaling out her fears. Larvitar raised an eye at this and smiled cheerfully. "Don't ye worry. The Sharpedos in the water only come out in the day," he mentioned.

Gabite fixed him with a sharp glare. "Just keep moving."

Larvitar withdrew a spyglass from his shoulder straps and leaned over the sides of the swaying ship. He peered into the instrument's small hole and exclaimed: "See that landmass in the distance? We'll land there and make it to Rumblecrag Volcano on foot!"

"Oh. Will you now?"

The trio immediately seized up at the familiar, feminine voice behind them. The sound of her claw-ridden paws striking the wooden deck hit their ears as they turned. Liepard, along with a multitude of sword-gripping Pokemon. Gabite scowled at the smug smirk on the feline's muzzle, who strutted forward.

"Mreow~ - it appears I was right to trust my intuition," Liepard purred out. "I could pick apart a Pokemon's truest intentions with a single look in my old life. Still haven't lost that ability, it seems." She circled them but kept her distance. Her predatory gaze fell upon Larvitar and lingered momentarily. "I expected Garchomp's daughter to make a delightfully bold, yet foolish attempt at an escape - but you, Larvitar? My most devoted little ingrate? Truly, my heart is wounded."

Larvitar snorted. "I'm no longer your pet, Mariner! From now on, I'm an explorer! And if any of these Nomel Berry-sucking eejits here realized how twisted ye are, they'd form a mutiny and toss ye overboard!"

Liepard's pompous look twitched with the slightest of irritation. The pirates around her began to enclose the trio, forcing them to move backward toward the bow of the vessel. "You think I didn't know you stole these old, out-of-date maps? You must have forgotten all my Psychic-type ingrates keeping watch, didn't you?"

Gabite and Lairon's angry stares snapped to Larvitar, who wore a sheepish look.

"You want to run? You wish to desert my crew and steal my treasure?!" Liepard hissed. "If your daring plan of escape was to jump from this ship, then I will allow it." She walked forward nonchalantly, bringing her ring of pirates closer. "And since I'm such a nice and fair lady, I'll give you a head start before my ships begin firing upon you."

Gabite's back hit the far end of the ship's bow. In front of her was the slowly encroaching Mariner and her pirates, and behind her was the dark, murky sea. There was only one choice to make at this point. A glance at Larvitar and Lairon beside her revealed them thinking much the same.

"ARE YOU DEAF?!" Liepard suddenly roared. "SWIM! SWIM, YOU COWARDS!"

"C'mon, you two!" Gabite turned and jumped off the deck of the ship, plunging into the ocean. Larvitar and Lairon wasted no time in following her, Lairon taking a few more moments to clamber the ship's side and tumble into the water.

Everything was dark.

Water flooded into Gabite's ears, drowning out the calls for her name. She tried to keep her head above the thrashing waves crashing into her body. All of her energy was put into swimming toward the hazy-looking shoreline in the distance. A small, green mass desperately fighting back against the current beside her was the only indication Larvitar was still with her.

It was cold - so cold.

Her muscles screamed at her. But she pushed forward despite everything. Even when her vision darkened, the beach was too close to stop now. She could feel the grains of sand graze her feet as they met solid ground. Receding waves pulled her back into the sea. A green paw grabbed onto her and kept her steady amid the surge.

She was here. Finally here.

Her feet stomped on the sands of the beach, water spilling off her scales as she dragged Larvitar onto the shore. She then promptly collapsed as sleep took her over.

"Hey! Heeeey! Boss lady, wake up!"

Gabite cracked her eyes open but immediately shielded them with a talon from the blinding rays of the sun striking her face. She wetted her dry lips and pushed her body up, wriggling any sand stuck to her scales. When her vision readjusted, she saw the smiling face of Larvitar extremely close to hers.

"You're alive, boss lady! Was swearin' to the great Kyogre I wouldn't be stuck with metal face here."

'Ugh, this wasn't all just a bad dream...' Gabite mumbled in her mind.

"Metal…" she uttered. "Lairon. Where is he?"

"Over here, lass," a weakened but familiar gravelly voice said from behind her. Lairon tilted his head, water leaking from gaps in his armor. "Takin' a stroll out on the sea floor… Somethin' I'd never do again - that's for sure."

Larvitar bellowed with laughter. "But we indeed escaped from the clutches of the Mariner!" He brandished his cutlass and jabbed at the air. "Like true explorers, we bested our captors, conquered the stormy seas, and made it to our destination!"

Gabite rolled her eyes and swiped the blade away from him with her talons.

"H-hey!" Larvitar tried to jump and retrieve the cutlass as she raised it higher each time. "Treason, this is! Give it back!"

"You said no one saw you enter her tent to take those maps," she said. "Tell the truth and I'll give you your little sword back. This isn't some long con, right?"

"That's the truth, boss lady! I swear on me life! Those Psychic-types help keep the Mariner's tent dry when Wailord dives into the ocean, so there must be some sort of way they saw me with their powers! Ye 'ave to believe me!" he begged, dropping to his knees again.

Gabite looked down at the quivering Pokemon before letting the cutlass drop to the sand. "Fine. I believe- OOF!" She was cut off as Larvitar launched into her chest and squeezed her into a tight hug.

"I owe ye for savin' me life from that dastardly Mariner, boss lady! Thank ye!"

Gabite pulled him off her. "Why do you keep me 'boss lady' now?"

"Because you're the boss now, of course!" Larvitar saluted her, causing a dust of blush to form on her cheeks. "Where should we head first, boss lady?"

"Well, isn't this lad the obedient sort," Lairon said as he trudged into view. "You learn tricks too back there?"

Gabite watched Larvitar glare at Lairon and try to grab his cutlass before putting herself in between them. "Hey! What did I say about the fighting? Larvitar, you still got the maps with you?"

Larvitar nodded and pulled out the sheets of soaking-wet parchment for her to see. "Not even any water damage. Good as new, I'd say!"

She took the scraps of parchment from him, shaking them dry before rolling them out onto a nearby outcropping of bleached rock. "Let's see here…" Her talon hovered briefly before stabbing the parchment detailing a long stretch of coastline.

"We're here - the Sandygast Shoals. And Rumblecrag Volcano is… pretty dang far from here, it seems."

Lairon stared up at the reddish mountain range in the distance. "Aye. But I bet we could reach it within a day." He shot Larvitar a look. "If these maps of yours can get us there faster than the Mariner's ships."

"Of course they will, iron belly!" Larvitar argued.

Gabite crumpled the maps and slapped them against Larvitar's chest. "Good. Because you're our navigator now. Tell us where to go."

"Uh, well…" Larvitar scanned their vicinity before pointing out an opening in a rocky bluff. "Into there, boss lady! There's a tunnel system that connects to the caves beneath the volcano."

Gabite stretched her weary limbs. "Let's get a move on, then. " The sight of Rumblecrag Volcano in the distance caught her eye. Her talons shook involuntarily.

'Mom… Are you really there? Do you really think there's something about dad you missed here?'

"Lass! Are ye comin' with?" Lairon yelled.

"Coming!" she yelled back.

The sun was particularly harsh on this day.

Gabite took the hot weather in stride, finding the sunlight rejuvenating after yesterday's ordeal. She trekked up the hills of the bluff, a tired and panting Lairon trying to keep up behind her.

"Huff… How much… Huff… further to this cave?" Lairon asked through long pants.

"Not that far," Gabite responded. "Geez, I thought living on a mountain would make you more fit. Must be all that iron, huh?"

"Yuck it up, lass. But all this bulk of mine translates to raw strength!" Lairon ended with a proud stomp.

Gabite's attention wandered to Larvitar as the small Pokemon leaped over rocks and swung from one tree branch to another. She somewhat admired the boundless energy the Rock-type had, finding it preferable to the crotchety, callous dragons from her village. Could she consider him a friend and trust him like she did Lairon yet?

'He did free us from the Mariner, even if it was a really dumb idea. Wait. Back on the ship, what he was babbling about - something about meteorites?'

"Hey, Larvitar," Gabite spoke up. "So these Dyna meteor thingies in the volcano, what are they?"

Larvitar swung from the vines of a tree and landed beside the dragoness. "Aliens!"

"Aliens? Really?"

"Sort of! The Mariner said a Pokemon from space burned up in the atmosphere and turned into the meteorites that crashed into the volcano."

"So… remains of some dead Pokemon. Why does she want them so bad?"

"Oh these meteorites aren't just rocks and bones; the locals of the volcano say they give ye a great power akin to the strength of a giant if ye slumber in one. They avoid 'em like the plague, though."

"Slumber in one?" Gabite swung around to look at Lairon. "You see the volcano's locals every now and then with that whole performance thing, so have you ever heard about this?"

Lairon shook his head. "Never spoken one of 'em before - only seen 'em. But the Mariner showin' up at the volcano is not good news for those lads."

"Which is why we need to stop her from reaching the Dyna Crystals!" Larvitar exclaimed. "That dreadful dame and the villainous Tyrantrum!"

Gabite stopped in her tracks. "Tyrantrum… that Tyantrum? The same one who broke out of that Council prison?"

Larvitar nodded. "For years the Mariner and Tyrantrum 'ave been locked in a fierce rivalry for control of the Alomomola Sea. Ah, ye should've seen the countless battles I was in against that drake's crew!"

"Two pirate legends proved to actually exist. Hah! I would've never believed it back home," Lairon said.

"So the Mariner and Tyrantrum both want these Dyna Meteorites," Gabite concluded. "But… Either of them can't have it. If the meteorites are really this powerful, then imagine all the destruction that could happen to the Mountain Region."

"Exactly!" Larvitar said with a wayward slash of his cutlass. "We're explorers! We'll defeat them both!"

"You're really overestimating our skills here," Gabite remarked. "I only left my village a day ago."

"Ah, but surely ye 'ave ventured throughout many Mystery Dungeons, boss lady!"

Gabite blushed again as she tapped her talons together. "Uh, I've been through…" one," she quietly croaked out.

"Hahahaha! Not a problem, boss lady. I've never been in one meself!" He took a deep breath. "But without the Mariner controllin' me life anymore, I can do anythin'! Me heart burns for true adventure! And I 'ave so much to say and experience of the greater world!"

"Could you experience it a bit quieter, lad?" Lairon grumbled.

Gabite giggled. "Ease up, Lairon. He clearly hasn't been out much since the Mariner took him in. Let him enjoy himself."

"Oh I shall," Larvitar proclaimed. "I 'ave so much to say and so many tales I wish to retell!"

"Tales from an ex-pirate? That sounds like something up my alley," she said, tantalized by the thought.

"Ye really don't want that, lass…" Lairon warned.

"Shush, lead belly!" Larvitar quipped. "Now, where to begin…"

The beaming sun was replaced by the tall ceiling of the bluff's cavern. They descended deeper into the darkness, Gabite lighting the way with small spurts of her Dragon Breath. Larvitar's rapid-fire voice bounced across the walls.

"The time the Mariner and Tyrantrum went to battle over the treasure of Isle Typhoon! Ye should 'ave seen the way I swung from the masts - ship to ship! I was nigh unstoppable! Too agile and too dangerous with my cutlass! Tyrantrum and his goons were lucky I was in battle for a mere thirty seconds that time!"

Their long trek through the cave yielded the reward of a returning sun as they were now high up in the bluffs. Though the monotony of the cave was long behind them, Larvitar's voice still filled the air.

"-And I told Flareon to fix the riggin' up on the Murkrow's nest, but here's the thing! I came back a few hours later and somehow that ball of fur was tangled up in the ropes! Hahahaha - could ye imagine that? Then, another time I told him to tell the Dhelmise to stop anchoring themselves so we could raise the sails; the poor lad had the wrong choice of words with 'em, and when I come back they're stranglin' him! Hahahaha!"

Swathes of trees and foliage surrounded Gabite and Lairon as they moved forward in a slouched manner - contrasted by Larvitar's lightning-fast movements as he zipped across trees and fallen timber around them.

"And I feel so alive now that I'm not some cog in the Mariner's machine! I bet I could evolve twice with how much I've held back from the world! We should go through every Mystery Dungeon we come across; I could take a hundred dungeon 'mons if they threatened ye, boss lady!"

Gabite tried to focus her concentration on the scrunched-up map held by her shaking eyes. Her ears tried to tune out the non-stop barrage of words as she marched up the cliffside in a daze. Lairon faired no better; his movements were sluggish, his body low to the ground.

'Just how long can he go on,' Gabite groaned in her mind. 'He's gotta run out of breath at some point, right?'

"And another thing!" Larvitar uttered. "Why don't we get some proper gear like real explorers? I could use an upgrade for me-"

There was a flash of bright light followed by a shimmering noise and a loud 'thud' of something hitting the ground. Gabite and Lairon continued trudging forward before they noticed Larvitar was now silent, stopping in place.

"Ye finally got it out of your system, lad?" Lairon asked. He waited expectantly for an answer that never came. "Lad?

Gabite and Lairon turned to see Larvitar gone and an entirely different Pokemon lying on its side on the ground. It was spiky - encased in a thick grayish-blue shell with dark markings. Its two wide eyes were directed at the pair as Gabite approached cautiously and knelt down to take a closer look. She noticed Larvitar's cutlass and shoulder straps dropped next to the pupa-like Pokemon.

"Is this Pokemon… Larvitar?" she wondered. "His stuff's here and it looks like he-"

"Evolved," Lairon finished for her, cracking a wide grin before letting out a loud guffaw. "Oh - great Terrakion's horns - it looks like the lil' firebrand was right! He did have enough energy to evolve into a Pupitar. Hohoho!"

"Pupitar, huh. Well, can he move at least?"

Pupitar responded by rocking his body back-and-forth, but remained locked in place.

"He's not goin' anywhere anytime soon, lass. Ye know about Metapod and Kakuna evolvin' into Butterfree and Beedrill, correct? Our chatty ex-pirate here is goin' through the same sort of process." He sighed, jabbing Pupitar slightly, which made the Rock-type wiggle in anger. "Nature sure is amazin' - ain't it, laddie?"

Gabite clenched her teeth. "Ugh! We can't just sit around and wait for him to evolve again!" She swiped up Larvitar's belongings and placed them into her saddlebag. "We'll have to carry him or… something."

"Lass?"

Pupitar attempted to speak through his lack of mouth, but his words were far too mumbled to be understood.

Gabite leaned in. "Huh? What are you trying to say?"

"Lass, ye might wanna take a gander at the sea!" Lairon yelled.

Gabite followed his stare. "Why? What's- Oh no…"

Liepard braced herself as Wailord swam to breach through to the surface. Her bed and its mountain of cushiony pillows encasing her in comfort collapsed or tilted backward; glittering baubles and trinkets clattered to the floor as her many self-portraits mounted on dressers were now slanted.

"One of these days I must consider having these ingrates use their powers to keep everything perfectly still…" she mused to herself, swatting a pillow off her head.

The pink forcefield of energy enclosed over her tent flickered before fading away. The flaps of the entrance were thrown open as a sopping-wet Espeon entered. Liepard narrowed her eyes at the Pokemon, who began to shake herself dry.

"Outside," Liepard hissed.

Espeon quickly rectified her mistake and sprinted outside. A second later, she returned with dryer fur and a throat she cleared with a paw. "Er, Marine- uhm, captain? A question, if I may?"

"Since you've caught me in a good mood, you may."

"Why'd you let Larvitar desert and run off with those two prisoners?" Espeon winced at the scowl Liepard was giving her. "Um, you have the best judgment; I was only wondering…"

With a lazy stretch, Liepard leaped off her luxurious bed and kneaded a small patch of Wailord's skin scarred by multiple cuts. Espeon looked at it with worry, which made Liepard scoff. "Don't worry - he doesn't feel a thing," she said, taking in Espeon's slightly trembling form. "You're the newest Psychic-type I've rescued from that mangy crew you were in, hmm? Weren't they called… Ah, its name left me, but it doesn't matter anyway."

Espeon nodded. "I was, and I'm really, really thankful you brought me into your crew. I hope I can pull my weight around here."

"First off, lose the lost little girl act and speak more boldly; you're a pirate now - act like it! Secondly, your job is to keep this tent secure and watched around the clock. Third, and more importantly, you keep me dry," Liepard finished plainly.

"U-understood. I'll try to remember all of that, captain."

"I'm not a captain. I'm the Mariner; a scourge upon the seas and a notable woman of action. If you see another ingrate call me 'captain', punish them for me."

"Got it."

"As to answer your question - why did I let those three escape? It's quite simple." Liepard bared her sharp incisors and let out a velvety laugh that sent chills down Espeon's spine. "I enjoy the thrill of a good hunt. Something to really sink my claws into. And that Gabite…" She paused to lick her chops. "Vanquishing a daughter and that dreadful mother of hers right as they reunite is too good to pass up. Larvitar and that other pudgy Pokemon are a nice bonus."

"But Larvitar has the maps of shortcuts to Rumblecrag Volcano, doesn't he? Couldn't they make it there before we do?"

Liepard shook her head "Larvitar is a simpleton. I discarded those maps for a reason; they only led to dead ends or traps. The Dyna Meteorites and its powers are mine to claim - not that Garchomp's - and certainly not Tyrantrum." She approached Espeon and leaned in close and smiled. "Believe me, my newest ingrate, everything in life is a hunt. I have long searched, and hunted for my true calling, only to see it in the form of drawn claws. But the next hunt is forever when you're still hungry, and I am starved…"

The flaps of the tent burst open as a panting Medicham ran in.

"Mariner! We've spotted the deserter Larvitar and the two prisoners atop the cliffs near Rumblecrag Volcano!" he exclaimed.

Liepard's smile turned sinister. "And speaking of hunts…" She strutted past Espeon and pushed her head into a tattered buccaneer hat resting on a hook. "Both of you man the cannons on Wailord, but don't fire until you hear my shout," she commanded before walking out of the tent.

Her careful almost dainty steps devolved into a feral-like prowl as pirates hurried to their positions. Scores of Electrode bounced across the battle prepped Wailord and positioned themself near manned cannons. Like a sea being split in two, Liepard pushed past every Pokemon in her path with zero resistance, only sparing a single glance at the nearby bluffs that served only to fuel her voracious appetite for a good hunt.

"The Mariner always gets her prey," she said aloud.

She eyed a particular cannon and made her way to it. On the way, she snatched a net full of restless Dreepy trying to free themselves from their imprisonment. She dragged the bag of small dragons behind her and tittered to herself. "You poor babies miss your momma?" she asked sweetly.

The Dreepy chirped in agreement, pressing up against the net again in hopes of escape.

"Well think of me as your momma for a while, because momma needs your help right now!"

Reaching her desired cannon, she propped it up and slashed the net containing the Dreepy. Before they could flee, she dumped all of them into the cannon and slammed it down. Fire licked the edges of her jaw and opened, snarling maw as she swiveled the cannon over so it faced the rocky bluff. She wasted no time in biting the fuse with her Fire Fang.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

One whistling explosion after another cracked the skies as Dreepy shot out of the cannon and zoomed across the ocean like missiles. Liepard cackled loudly watching each Dreepy rocket toward their target. She pounded Wailord's skin with her paws.

"YES! YES! MAKE YOUR MOMMA PROUD, MY LITTLE INGRATES!"

Gabite did not need binoculars to see the multiple supersonic Dreepy flying toward them.

"DREEPY! Find some cover and duck!" she cried out, yanking Pupitar off the ground and running to a nearby alcove.

Lairon was slow to realize. "Huh? Dreewhat?" He cocked his head at the whistling blurs in the distance and only scrambled to where Gabite was once the whistling grew louder. "What are these wee green things?!" he shouted along the way.

The heat-seeking Dreepy zipped and recalculated their flight with a keen sense of detection. They slammed into the rocks the pair were hiding behind with zero hesitation, producing mini explosions wherever they landed. Gabite shielded her face and gripped Pupitar against her chest as the attack went on and on.

When the whistling and explosions finally ceased, a cloud of dust settled on the debris-stricken cliffside. Gabite cracked an eye open to survey the scarred land of fainted Dreepy. "Was… that all she had?"

Lairon shook off the bits of rock off his back. "This is the Mariner, lass" He stared out at the stationary Wailord in the ocean. "Whenever there's one attack, one is sure to-" his eyes widened, "-follow..."

Circular shadows by the dozens blanketed the sky, blocking out the sun. White and red with fuming angular eyes, the Electrode plummeted down onto the cliffs, crackling with electricity and primed to explode.

"HIT THE DECK!" Lairon shouted.

Gabite and Lairon ran back into the alcove just before the first Electrode touched the ground. With her eyes squeezed shut, Gabite could feel the vibrations in her bones and the shockwaves that followed. A discordant noise wracked her ears amid the constant explosions that forced her to open her eyes and witness the bluff collapsing into chunks of orangish rock around her.

"LASS!"

The floor beneath Gabite spiderwebbed into various cracks and splinters before giving way. All she could do was scream as she and Lairon tumbled into a pitch-black trench.

"I am sick and tired of waking up and feeling like a Tauros ran me over," Gabite bemoaned, scraping dust off her scales. "That Mariner lady is nuts. Did you see how many Dreepy and Electrodes she shot at us?"

"Too many to count," Lairon coughed out. "I'm willin' to bet that entire cliffside's been blown to smithereens!" He groaned as he stood up, staring up at the pit they descended from. "We fell a ways down, it seems. At least we've got some distance from that Wailord and the rest of her ships."

"Yeah, for now. Unless she thinks we got buried completely. And-" She paused, noticing she was not holding Pupitar anymore and gasping. "Larvitar! Where is he? Did we lose him?" She ran around the rubble-filled antechamber in search of the Rock-type.

Lairon walked over to a corner of the room and brushed aside a layer of dust coating a shaking Pupitar. "Sadly no, lass."

Gabite rushed over and sighed in relief. "Good. We're all in one piece - that's good, uh. But…" She glanced around. "How are we gonna get him out of here? 'Cause I'm not carrying him the entire way," she quickly added.

"And I'm not eager to do the same, lass."

An awkward silence settled as the two of them stared at Pupitar, who blinked expectantly in return.

"Wait. I've got an idea," Gabite said, opening her saddlebag. She pulled out a bundle of rope and looked at him expectantly. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

Lairon sighed.

A grinding noise clashed with the sounds of crackling torches on the rocky wall as wet earth and rock were parted by the spikes of Pupitar. Rope was tied to his middle section and was connected to Lairon's chest as the Steel-type dragged him along with a merry expression. Gabite took the lead as she checked and sifted through various maps.

"We went down a path looked promising but nope - It goes nowhere! Just like the other five we went through. We circled back and went even further down but still nothing! There's no exit to this place anywhere! And there's so many different paths and- Uggghh." She groaned, wanting to tear up the parchment. "Are these even the right maps? I'm seriously going to scream if Larvitar picked the wrong ones."

"This is amazin'!" Lairon exclaimed. "I can finally hear myself think without the wee lad in my ear!" He glanced back to see Pupitar glare at him angrily and mutter something inaudible. "Oh, take it on the chin, why don't ye? Perhaps I should sing ye a sea shanty to pass the time?"

Pupitar adopted a thoughtful expression.

"Can you guys stop messing around back there? We're kinda lost here," Gabite said, trying to ease her frayed nerves with deep breaths.

"Look at the torches on the wall, lass. That means there's been Pokemon down here. Follow them and we'll find a way out."

"The torches…" Gabite looked up from her maps. "The torches! Lairon, you're a genius! C'mon!" She scattered the maps to the floor with a flick of her talons and booked it down a pathway littered with torches.

"Hey! I'm pullin' a mon back here!" Lairon grunted as he picked up the pace and ran after her; Pupitar dragged behind and was given a bumpy ride.

The row of torches on the wall that guided Lairon eventually stopped, leaving him in total darkness as he sprinted forward. Seeing a glimpse of blue scales ahead, he had seconds to skid to a halt to avoid crashing into a motionless Gabite. Pupitar was lobbed a great distance away from the momentum and ended up lodged into a stalagmite. His unamused expression flicked to the reunited pair.

"Why do ye insist on runnin' off without explainin' a thing, lass? Do ye take pleasure in makin' me sweat?" Lairon accused.

Gabite did not respond as she slowly raised her arms. "... Do you feel that?"

"Feel what?"

"The heat. I can. It's like a Torkoal sauna in here."

"Here's hopin' there's one! I need proper rest right now…"

Gabite rolled her eyes before pointing at a nearby wall. A splintered vein of rock occasionally pulsated a fiery red color. "Look! That's magma! We could be near one of the volcano's vents right now! We have to be close!" Her heart suddenly lurched in her chest.

'I could be close to mom right now… She's here - she has to be, right? And both of us could stop the Mariner, keep the Dyna Meteorites hidden, and then we could finally talk for once.'

With a new resolve, Gabite wordlessly ran down the narrow cavern.

Lairon sighed heavily to himself. "I could be back home fillin' my belly and sharin' a laugh with the lads and gals…" He gave a tug on the rope, jostling Pupitar off the stalagmite. "C'mon. We've got one restless drake to go after."

Pupitar mumbled something in response.

'Am I close? Please tell me I'm close.'

Gabite could see a red glow in the distance. Her breaths felt strained as the heat in the cave increased a few degrees the closer she got to it. Looking down at her feet, certain spots of obsidian-colored stone were too hot to step on. Steam rose from pockets of exposed terrain that emitted a bubbling sound.

'There's no doubt now…'

Pieces of rock tumbled off a ledge as Gabite overlooked it. She gazed up to see rivers of sizzling lava cascade down shafts and flow into a large pool below her. The noise of shuffling footsteps behind alerted her to Lairon as he stepped cautiously near the ridge and peered at what lay beyond.

"There's a feelin' in my gut as a Steel-type to get as far away from this furnace as possible," he murmured.

"Guess you'll have to suck it up, then," she said with a playful wink. "Easy part's done, I guess. Now we just need to find a way up."

Lairon tilted his head. "... Do ye hear that? It sounds like Pokemon flappin' their lips!"

She scoured the cavern until her eyes landed on something directly below their position. Her heart sank as she got a good look at them. Two Krokorok were dressed in tattered black clothing and conversing with one another. They wore eyepatches with symbols of outstretched jaws and bared teeth on them. "P-pirates! Two of them down there! Dang - how did the Mariner get here before us?"

"Shh - they're sayin' somethin', lass. Listen."

Gabite heeded his advice, quieting down and waiting for the two Krokorok to speak again.

"... and any chance we'll see Miss Kitty Cat and her misfit crew again? I'd love to take a bite out of one of those losers," she could hear one say.

"Last time we spotted them, her ships were at port in Baroness Bay," the other said. "As long as her crew doesn't rear their ugly heads here, we should be out of this dump soon and ready to pay her a visit, heh."

Gabite's eyes widened. "They're not with the Mariner!" she whispered to Lairon. "They're part of some other crew. But why here of all places?" She heard the loud thumps of massive footsteps beneath her. Peeking down, her mouth hung wide open at what she saw.

The two Krokorok sidestepped and allowed a monstrous-looking Tyrantrum to pass. "The boss graces us with his presence!" one of them exclaimed. "That, uh, shiny crystal or meteorite is all ready for you to hibernate in."

Not a word nor a single glance was spared by the Tyrantrum as it stomped past the two Ground-types. It went further down the narrow hallway before vanishing from sight.

Gabite gritted her teeth. "Tyrantrum's crew - now it makes sense. He and the Mariner are after the Dyna Meteorites, but he made it here first."

"What did they mean by 'hibernate'?" Lairon wondered. "Is the big guy gonna cocoon up in that meteorite like our good friend Larvitar here?"

Gabite winced as troublesome thoughts invaded her mind. 'If they said the meteorite is ready for Tyrantrum, then did mom fail to stop him? Was she ever here in the first place? If she's still searching for dad then she would be here. But all I have for proof is the Mariner saying she would go here…'

Once again, she felt lost - without direction. She knew it was a foolish thought, however.

'What am I even thinking? We've gotta stop Tyrantrum and the Mariner and protect the Mountain Region. But can me and Lairon do that all by ourselves?'

"Hmm, I hear somethin' hissin' louder than an Ekans," Lairon said, glancing around.

Gabite snapped out of her thoughts. "Huh?" She looked over at Lairon in confusion before she saw something even more worrying. "Ah!" she yelped. "Larvitar - don't!"

The hissing noise Pupitar released grew louder in volume as he trembled in place, fierce and hate-filled eyes directed at the Krokorok twins. In a split second his body launched at impossible speeds toward his target, the rope attached to his form yanking Lairon off the ledge with him.

"HEY- WOAH!" Lairon wailed.

Pupitar smashed into a Krokorok before it even noticed, toppling it in an instant. Lairon groaned in pain on the floor beside the unconscious Ground-type before swiftly standing up. He sized up the remaining Krokorok, who snapped his jaws at these newly arrived foes.

"Intruders! Part of Miss Whisker's crew, I'm guessin'? Took ya long enough! Now stay still while I gnaw on your bon- URK!"

The body of Pupitar smacked Krokorok's face with immense force, smashing the Ground-type into a nearby wall. Lairon swung his body around again as Pupitar rolled over beside him.

"I won't lie!" Lairon began. "Swingin' ye around like that was good fun. I know ye probably have a history with Tyrantrum's crew, but now is not the time for pickin' fights, lad!"

Gabite jumped down from the ridge. "You guys okay?"

"Aye. But wherever there's goons, more are sure to follow."

Before Gabite could reply, a series of voices could be heard beyond one of the twisting pathways splintering off.

"Intruders!"

"Protect the captain!"

Scores of Pokemon in garb similar to the Krokorok sprinted toward the trio, who stood their ground. A Croconaw, Trapinch, Carnivine, and two Drednaw encircled them. They all opened their maws full of razor-sharp teeth and slammed them shut in sync. They slowly encroached, ready for attack.

Purplish energy built up in Gabite's talons. "Get out of our way, or we'll force you to!"

"These lot aren't willin' to listen to reason, lass!" Lairon said. His tail 'whapped' the ground in a threatening display. "But we'll send them flyin' back to their ship!"

Pupitar hissed and rocked back and forth in response.

The Carnivine lunged at Gabite's face. She swatted it away with a Dragon Claw and stomped the head of Trapinch into the ground as it got close. Lairon whipped his body around, snapping the rope and careening Pupitar into the belly of Croconaw.

"Watch out for these two shelled beasts, lass!"

Gabite turned but it was too late as twin jets of highly pressurized water slammed into her. She cried out in pain and dropped to one knee. Hastily opening her saddlebag, she took out a Luminous Orb and smashed it on the ground, producing a flash of white light that blinded everyone in the room. She ran to a safe location before the light receded and tended to her injuries with the consumption of an Oran Berry in one bite.

Hollering and frantic footsteps came from the halls as more pirates emerged to replace those who had fallen. Gabite and Lairon, forced to retreat backward, now literally had their backs against the cave's walls. The dragoness turned to whisper to her friend.

"Psst! I got a few Stun Seeds for these creeps. We can stun 'em and make a run for it."

"And flee from battle?" Lairon shook his head. "We've gotta take down these scurvy-ridden seadogs before ever thinkin' of goin' after Tyrantrum!"

Neither of them expected to see a yellowish Wonder Orb rolling between the feet of their enemies.

Gabite blinked. "That's a… Foe Hold Orb?"

There was an unseeable attack and the orb suddenly shattered. A shockwave of electricity exploded from the broken vessel and locked the pirates in place.

"Now, Charizard!" a new voice shouted.

A sweeping layer of flames engufled the paralyzed pirates. They fell one by one - twitching as smoke wafted off their bodies. Leathery orange wings fanned the smoke away as a Charizard landed on the ground with a loud thud. "Man, torching 'mons is starting to get boring," it commented in a baritone voice.

Gabite's head snapped to the sound of insect-like wings buzzing above. A Scyther fluttered to the ground beside Charizard. "I've surveyed the area. The rest of Tyrantrum's Pokemon have surely fled to his side at the sight of us," it said.

Her heart thumped in her chest. 'No. It can't be…' She looked at the final Pokemon wedged between Scyther and Charizard.

A Shiny Lucario wearing a cocky grin tossed a Wonder Orb up and caught it with one paw. "Looks like we arrived in the nick of time." He deposited the orb into a yellow saddlebag and tightened a paw, revealing a metal ring with a Mega Stone encrusted into it latched around his arm. "Nice to meetcha, fellow explorers! Name's Jackson - maybe you've heard of us…" He gestured to the Pokemon beside him.

Gabite could not help letting out a squeal. "Y-you're… you're-"

Jackson jabbed a paw at himself and smiled. "Team Moonlight - at your service!"

Three Pokemon - three dreams to go where no one goes. To cross paths, is it fate? Is it destiny? There exists a simpler explanation…

Want to discuss anything related to The Phantasmagoria with the author himself? If so, send a friend request to my Discord below!

Discord: z2h2z

Final Special Episode Part: Motherhood