Gilding towards a large island isn't meant to be hard and really it wasn't but it turns out I misjudged the distance.
When I realized this I was partly dismayed until I noticed I would just undershoot the big island but it turns out it's got a collection of smaller islands surrounding it which should just be within reach.
Changing targets to the other islands was simple since they were in the same direction.
I would say my landing was full of grace and splendour, and I can say that as no one but Himiko witnessed as I landed hard and quickly face-planted into the grass of the island.
The hardest part of the whole manoeuvre though was that upon landing my parachute got tangled in nearly everything within reach, tree branches, rocks, me, water and more tree branches.
After a while of untangling all of that mess, I folded it as much as I could to compress it before placing the parachute and pack into my backpack.
Backpack-inception.
Now with that dealt with my next objective is to get to the island I can see in the distance, While I feel I could just swim the distance that's my non-Pokémon world mind thinking, it is highly likely a water Pokémon would take offence to me swimming through their territory.
One thing I do notice is that On the shore of the island within my line of sight seems to be a non-derelict building, so there's a chance of someone seeing me parachute here.
But knowing my luck which revolves around the highest of highs and lowest of lows, it's not likely.
I look around the island and notice it's abandoned by any Pokémon, it's main features are a pair of trees and a boulder in the middle.
I sigh as I realize I'll have to make a rescue signal, to do this I take some of the tree branches using the climbing tools, once I have a decent amount I use small twigs to form a bundle and have Himiko ignite a spark causing embers to form from it.
Throwing the bundle into the campfire and blowing gently on it to cause the embers to grow into a fire.
Now the current time is around 4 pm by the sun's position so the smoke is somewhat visible in the sky, so people should be able to see it.
Since there's nothing else to do I take a seat against the Boulder and lean back to rest while keeping an eye on the fire to make sure it doesn't go out.
Himiko is uninterested in fire-watching so she floats around the island maybe in boredom, maybe with a purpose, I have no idea but whatever interests her is fine with me.
[Oh, what's this red worm?]
Hearing her speak I turn my head to look at where she is to find she's inspecting the ground of the Boulder to my left, Looking where she is makes me notice something that I missed due to it being hidden in tallish grass and partly wedged under the boulder.
It looks like a red piece of string, and Himiko thinks it's a worm which means food, so she bites on it and tugs to pull it from the rock it's hiding under.
It's partly funny that as she tugs to remove the 'worm' it just keeps extending like a clown's hanky, after a while she pulls out the full length of the 'worm' but as she does so the remaining amount is released all at once sending her flying into a tree shaking it.
I see a green apple drop from the tree but I just ignore it since Himiko looks annoyed at the 'worm' since she bit into it and it didn't taste like a worm.
"yeah Himiko, I don't think it's food, let me have a look at it" I hold my hand out to allow her to float over to me and hand it to me.
Once it's in my hand I confirm that yes it seems to be some kind of string, so with nothing else to do while waiting and fire-watching, I start forming it into knots for the enjoyment of Himiko who gets a front-row seat.
After a while making knots got boring so I just balled the whole string, but at some point, I got an instinctive response like when I found an item.
[Item: Destiny Knot
Effect: If the holder becomes infatuated, the Pokémon the holder is in love with becomes infatuated as well. Also, any Eggs produced by the holder will inherit 5 IVs from their parents instead of 3.
Sell Price: $5000]
Oh well, that's interesting, I wasn't expecting it but that's something to sell at least, yeah the item is good for breeding but this isn't the games where you can just walk a lot to have an egg spawn in the daycare, then run around to hatch it, so it's useless to me.
I tuck the item away in my backpack and continue watching the fire, at some point, I notice that it needs more fuel so I go towards one of the trees to get more wood.
I stand in front of the tree and raise my climbing gear to clip a branch but as I do so my face gets covered in what seems to be purple energy, I get spooked at it and back away from the jump scare.
Himiko looks confused as I take my steps back in shock, but it passes as she quickly notices something off which I quickly realize as well is that at the base of the tree I was about to prune sits a small green apple with a pair of green leaves. . .
I have some guesses about what happened but some of them are confirmed when I hear from the apple [Don't hurt the trees, they've done nothing wrong to you.]
No longer spooked I speak looking at the apple, "Ah, so we're not alone, let me guess this is your home, well sorry for the intrusion we were kind of stranded here not of our own free will."
The Apple speaks this time I notice how those green leaves aren't leaves but the Pokémon's eyes with small pin prick iris, [Still doesn't mean you can just harm the trees for no reason, you already hurt them enough, any more and it could leave lasting damage, which I won't allow.]
Seeing that this little protector will bar me from the trees I do notice something I could use instead. "how about the tall grass then, could I use that for my signal fire so I can call for a rescue?"
The small apple turns to the side looking at the tree they're protecting before speaking with a direct tone, [as long as the trees are not harmed anymore, you can use the grass, it is getting a bit wild anyway.]
Taking the apple Pokémon into account I turn to the tall grass and start harvesting some bushels from the large patch on the island, after collecting enough to keep the fire lasting for a long time and fuelling the flame I return to resting against the rock, While I was doing all of this Himiko was ecstatic and started having a conversation with the apple Pokémon.
From some light eavesdropping, I got some critical details, the Pokémon is a Female Applin who has spent her whole life living on this island, she likes to sleep in the sunlight and likes plants, When Himiko asked about if she has any family the response was a quick no with a lot of hidden meanings.
I don't ask and Himiko seems to realise it's a touchy subject so she asks other things, I mainly tune it out since this is the first time Himiko has talked with a non-hostile Pokémon outside of her own kind who they segregated so she must be having a fun time, but one answer from the Applin makes me sit up in shock.
Now the question itself isn't really shock-inducing but the answer is, Himiko asked how old the Applin is and with a voice of complete certainty responds with [39 years, 3 months and 12 days].
Both me and Himiko are looking at the Applin with astonishment both for different reasons, for Himiko it's because the number is so big and since she lived in a cave all her life knowing your exact age is a novel concept to her. While for me one thought is running through my mind.
'If she's telling the truth, how the hell isn't she insane, I know humans go insane from solitary confinement in hours but she just blurts out it's been years, Pokémon must be made of stronger stuff.'
I look towards her and then the tree behind her, at that I realise how she's stayed sane, she's using the tree's wellbeing as a maternal anchor that must be why she's adamant about protecting them.
When my gaze returns to the fire I notice something in the corner of my eye as Himiko starts to talk to her again, I see as Himiko talks to her the Applin is sometimes looking towards her trees and me while responding to Himiko's questions, She even gets in some of her own against the bundle of energy that is Himiko.
Of course, Himiko answers to the best she can with bundles of energy and after a flurry of questions between the two. I notice the Applin start to move.
She waddles her way towards me and stands between me and the fire, She stares deep into my eyes with her little black dot eyes and speaks with some conviction.
[Take me with you when you leave.]
Both me and Himiko are stunned at her words but she just continues since I don't speak.
[I can't stand this island anymore, it's been nearly 40 years of this island, I watched each tree on this island grow from a seed dropped from the sky but I can tell their approaching the end of their lifespans due to disease and I can't do anything else for them. Once they wither and no longer produce fruit, I will starve so I need to go.]
Hearing her reasons, I can understand the need to go each of us knows she doesn't want to leave the trees behind but she can't take them with her, at this I have an interesting thought.
"Sure, but for this as a question do you just want to leave the island or would you like to travel with me and Himiko? Also if you did join us I won't force you to fight if you don't want to, I don't mind just exploring the world with you."
Hearing my agreement most of the tension I feel from her fades but when I mention the question of if she's joining me and Himiko she seems to think about it for a moment before shrugging and speaking.
[Why not, I'll get to see more of the world with you two won't I? Also what's this about not battling, I'll have you know scrapping is the cornerstone of being a healthy Pokémon.]
Hearing her ranting about me being considerate to Pokémon emotions was not what I was expecting but regardless I took out a pokéball from my backpack and placed it on the ground in front of her.
She doesn't recognise it but she approaches it and gives it some sniffs, in one of those sniffs she presses the capture button and in a flash of red light is sent into the ball, it wobbles for a moment before a rush of information about her floods my mind, mainly because I'm focusing on her.
With the information, I just smile and release her from her ball back onto the island.
[That's it? I thought it would be more awkward or difficult.] I shrug and respond. "yeah human tech is convenient like that, speaking of convenience I don't like just referring to my Pokémon by their species so let's give you a nickname."
I hear her ask what a nickname is but before I respond Himiko starts to explain saving me having to, while Himiko explains I do run some possible names in my head but none of them seem to sit right with me.
Maybe some input from her would help, maybe if I checked her info.
[(__)
Species: Applin (Shiny)
Level: 24
Gender: ♀
Type: Grass, Dragon.
Ability: Gluttony
Nature: Sassy(Sp. Def+, Speed-)
Moves: Withdraw, Astonish, Recycle.]
It doesn't really help while I feel exasperated at learning I caught another shiny but then I grasp for my last straw as I might as well ask of right now.
"Well I could give you a generic Nickname but I feel it wouldn't suit you, also depending on either of your three evolution paths it could feel really weird to call you something which doesn't suit you."
At my words, She pauses and responds with a question. [Three? Shouldn't there only be two, Flapple and some fat form the Flapple mock for being slow.]
I look at her and tilt my head before using my finger to draw in the dirt in front of her.
"well you actually have 3, each of them as a focus over the other, Flapple is the strongest physical attack of the three with speed because of its flight.
Appletun has more durability than Flapple with access to an ability which reduces your line's weakness to the ice type.
The One you don't know is the Dipplin line, in comparison to the other two it focuses on physical defence but its main draw is that it has access to an ability and moves that make the air sticky for others in the Dipplin's presence making it so they can't dodge as well.
Lastly, the one that can evolve from the Dipplin line is called Hydrapple, it comes with the Dippplin's Sticky traits ability as well as multiple unique moves, but strength-wise it's like the Dipplin took a step towards what the Appletun line was doing and the mix made the combination the best special attacker of the lot."
I lay them out in a triangle diagram placing the Hydrapple in-between the Dipplin and Appletun names.
Hearing and watching me lay them out she thinks for a bit before deciding by simply standing on the option she wants.
Obviously, she's a Dragon and dragons embody Authority so she wants the three stage Hydrapple form which is the most powerful.
With the information I know I get an idea of her final form and it reminds me of a certain legend from Greek mythology where the Hydra originates.
"I have the perfect name for you, Eris, I'll explain later since it seems it's time to go."
As I say this I see a shadow flapping its wings above me descending towards the island.