| Rio POV |
Last Xenolite. Should be simple, right? Just a quick stroll through the ash-strewn wasteland, avoid the mutated plants, dodge any Pokémon that want to chew my face off, grab the glowing rock, and go home.
…Famous last words.
I spot it wedged between two jagged boulders, humming ominously. Of course, it's guarded. By a horde of Pokémon that look like they skipped breakfast and decided my face was dessert.
[+ Quest Progress: 56 / 57 ]
I crack my knuckles. "All right, kids, lesson one: if you want snacks, you gotta earn them."
One aura burst later, a dozen teeth are reconsidering their life choices. I snatch the Xenolite, ready to head back, take a nice dip int he hot springs back at our little makeshift base.
[Quest: Missing Lead 50% COMPLETE]
Maybe even destroy a tub or two of Vanillite ice-cream while I'm at it.
[Quest updated: Missing Lead]
Objective:
Find Brendan and whoever supplied him with the Xenolith.
God I love this region, most of the liveable areas in this world have some kind of semi active volcano around, but Hoenn has Groudon himself to warm our water.
"You damn rodent!"
Even in the apocalypse people still hate rats huh?
"Stop ignoring me or ill turn your pink fur into a coat!"
Okay that was definitely aimed at me...
I turn around, and immediately freeze.
"…No. No way."
Two familiar silhouettes stagger into view. Jessie and James. Again.
"Oh great," I mutter. "Round two of 'please don't get obliterated by a pink aura-wielding Lucario.'"
"Pink?!" James squeaks, voice cracking like a violin.
"Yes, me. The one you just lost to," I reply, holding up the Xenolite like a trophy.
Wobbuffet pops out. I almost sigh in relief, but no. It looks angrier than last time, like someone insulted its whole family tree.
[Boss Battle: Team Rocket, Part II]Objective: Send opponents blasting off again. Optional: No mercy.
I roll my shoulders. "Okay, kiddos. Let's see if we can make this quick and… mostly painless."
I don't even bother with preambles. Wobbuffet tries its usual counter, Jessie yells, James whines, and somehow Meowth gets caught in the fight too.
So that's how I got here. Sitting casually on top of Nue's head as I stare down at the four idiots holding a bow so low that the top of their heads is touching the ground.
"Right, so, run that by me one more time?"
"What can't you understand? I've said it as clea-"
A glare from Jesse is quick to shut James up.
"Excuse him, he hit his head too hard when you used him as a nun chuck."
Meowth pipes up, rubbing the lump tower on his head. "We're sayin' we weren't after ya! Not this time, at least!"
"Uh-huh," I say, deadpan, still lounging on Nue like it's a recliner. "Because showing up in the middle of nowhere right as I grab the last apparently very valuable dimensional rock is a total coincidence?"
Jessie forces a smile so wide it looks painful. "Pure serendipity! We were… uh… sightseeing."
"Yeah!" James chimes in nervously. "The ash fields are lovely this time of year."
Nue growls low enough to make the ground vibrate. All three flinch; even Wobbuffet takes half a step back.
"Sightseeing, huh?" I let the silence hang, watching them sweat. "You expect me to believe you just happened to run into me after last time?"
"We got orders!" Meowth blurts, tail lashing. "Higher ups have been houndin' our asses for those rocks!"
Jessie whirls and smacks him upside the head. "Idiot!"
I arch a brow. "Go on."
They exchange nervous glances, clearly debating whether it's worse to anger me or whoever's signing their checks.
"I only need one of your three able to speak for me to find out what your goal is..."
Jessie stiffens. James swallows audibly. Meowth's ears flatten so hard they might as well vanish.
"Y-you wouldn't…" James starts.
"Try me." I let a flicker of aura leak out, enough to make the air ripple like heat off a forge. Nue rumbles behind me for emphasis.
Meowth cracks first—of course he does. "Okay, okay! We were told to bring the Xenolites to Slateport! Drop point near the old shipyard!"
Jessie hisses. "Meowth!"
"What?! He was gonna de-spine me!"
I tilt my head. "Smart kitty." Then, to Jessie and James: "See? Cooperation isn't so hard."
Jessie glares but doesn't speak. James tries a weak smile. "So… we can go now?"
I step closer, crouch so my glowing eyes are level with theirs. "You can run. And if you're lucky, you'll make it past Route 119 before I decide to stretch my legs."
They don't need telling twice. Within seconds it's a cloud of dust, two human-shaped blurs, a screaming Meowth, and a Wobbuffet trailing like an oversized blue balloon.
[Quest Updated: Missing Lead]New Objective: Investigate Slateport Shipyard.
I slip the Xenolite into my system blessed inventory, feeling the area around me calm down as the last of the radio-overreactive rocks gets banished to the shadow realm or whatever. Fortunately they count as quest items, otherwise I would have had to haul a bag full of markers informing everything in the region about my location.
"At least I'm done with that now..."
Last piece of the puzzle… And now another damn puzzle waiting in Slateport.
"…Hot springs first," I mutter.
(To be continued)
You ever go all around collecting all 207 collectibles on a map just for your reward to be a red baseball cap your character can wear?
MC: Don't you DARE give me trash after all I've been through! Do you know how much genocide, how many war crimes I've committed to get all that stuff?!
I didn't mention it to protect you from any legal troubles, you just had to ruin it didn't you?