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Tap… tap…
Light footsteps echoed through the cabin.
Allen lifted his gaze from the map to see Trevor stepping in, still in high spirits.
"All done?" Allen asked.
"Yup! Piece of cake," Trevor replied, all energy and cheer again now that the battle was over.
Allen only gave a small nod he wasn't surprised.
They had been partners long before joining Dark Star; in fact, Trevor was the one who brought him into the organization.
They knew each other's battle habits well.
Sure, in Dark Star, they were small fish compared to the real monsters in the ranks, but out in the wider world, they could hold their own against just about anyone.
A wild Gyarados like the one earlier? Hardly a challenge.
"How much longer till we reach the island?" Trevor asked, rubbing his damp hair with a white towel.
"At this speed, two more days," Allen answered, holding the old yellowed map up toward the cabin light.
Outside, the small white speedboat swayed on the storm-tossed sea. It looked as if any moment a wave might swallow it whole, yet it kept pressing on, its lights a tiny, stubborn star in the dark ocean.
Life at sea was monotonous, sunrise, sunset, and two days passed quickly.
"Allen… this normal?" Trevor asked, glancing at the thick gray fog surrounding the boat.
"Not at all," Allen said evenly. "But the compass is still working. We're on course. We'll be there soon."
His words were calm, but his eyes betrayed a flicker of unease. The fog had first appeared the night before, but now it was far denser.
Even the sun was reduced to a faint yellow glow behind the haze.
This wasn't in any of the information he'd gathered. And Allen wasn't the type to like surprises he planned for everything, every variable. This was new, and he didn't like it.
Meanwhile, Trevor's curiosity was undimmed. Even with visibility cut to almost nothing, he was scanning the surroundings eagerly.
"Allen! Look!" Trevor suddenly called out.
Allen followed his pointing finger and froze.
A faint, violet flame was drifting in the fog.
It swayed gently, as if it might go out at any second. Then, as though it had sensed the presence of living humans, it began to curve through the mist toward them.
A chill seeped into Allen's bones, raising goosebumps on his skin.
He shot Trevor a look only to find him grinning with excitement.
'This guy's insane' Allen thought.
Cold sweat prickled his forehead as he reached into his pocket, pulling out a Poké Ball with a trembling hand.
"Snorunt, on guard!"
With a flash of red light, a small white figure landed on the deck. Its black, egg-shaped body was wrapped in a yellow cloak-like shell, with three orange diamond patterns on its back.
Tiny round hands rested in front of it, and its inverted mouth revealed sharp white teeth beneath emotionless blue eyes.
"Snorunt!"
"Careful with that flame ahead!" Allen called, urgency in his voice.
"Snorunt?" The Ice-type tilted its head curiously.
"That's no ordinary flame it's a Will-O-Wisp!"
The Pokémon's eyes lit with amusement at its trainer's nerves. It patted its chest twice as if to say Leave it to me.
The violet flame slowed, as though taking notice of Snorunt.
"Snorunt!" the little Pokémon called out.
The flame spun twice in midair before the fog around it shifted, revealing the Pokémon behind it to be a Drifblim.
Its purple, balloon-like body glowed faintly, red eyes bright in the gloom. A yellow X-shaped mark sat on its face, and from its base hung a red, flower-like growth the source of the ghostly flame.
"It's a Drifblim!" Trevor shouted, clearly thrilled.
Allen's shoulders eased slightly. It was still unsettling, but at least it wasn't some unknown horror.
He noticed Snorunt was communicating with the Ghost-type. Despite being pure Ice, it seemed comfortable engaging with Drifblim.
'Looks like I'm getting it a [Dawn Stone] after all' Allen thought.
He'd been debating between evolving Snorunt into Glalie or the faster, Ghost/Ice-type Froslass. Seeing this display of Ghost-type affinity sealed his decision.
"Snorunt!"
The little Pokémon turned back toward him, chirping in its ethereal voice.
"You're saying this Drifblim hasn't eaten in a long time, and you want me to help?"
"Snorunt!"
Allen studied the Drifblim more closely. Now that he looked, it did seem a little shrunken compared to others its body less full, its surface slightly deflated.
He rubbed the stubble on his chin. "Ghost-types usually feed on negative emotions and life energy… I don't have any Ghost-type Poké Puffs prepared."
Then his eyes fell on Trevor's backpack sitting on the deck.
"…Got it."
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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