Avalaran Sea
Somewhere out in the ocean was a gargantuan trench that split across the surface, the sounds of the falls roaring down into the depths of the planet. Haylee pulled a switch to extract sails on the sides of the Ace Sailor. "It's not an adventure without sailing dangerous natural phenomena. Hang tight, guys, we're going in!"
Haylee studied the treasure map on Tressa's phone, which depicted at which point to fall down the falls. The ship curved vertically upon crossing the edge, Haylee holding the helm tightly and using the side sails to maneuver along the surface of the falls. She followed the directions as indicated by the map, and it seemed there was a current along the surface to help her. "Nature sure is weird, but I love it!" Haylee cheered.
"Heh, I like your helmsman!" Tressa cheered, she and the crewmen hanging onto the rigging. She had to speak loudly over the falls. "After this is done, is it alright if I borrow her?!"
"I'm kind of borrowing her from another crew!" August replied with an ecstatic smile. "There's only so far the chain of command will stack!"
"Same with me!" Yuzu yelled, clinging the rigging with hands and feet to avoid flinging about. "If there's one thing Captain's good at, it's borrowing people!"
"I'm great at a lot of things, Yuzu, you seen me!"
"More questionable things than not!"
The wild ride continued for several minutes before the ship steered into a watery tunnel. It looped upside-down and back to right-side-up. The voyage became calmer as they sailed out of the tunnel, into a more vast region: an ocean beneath them and a ceiling of ocean above them, with swirling columns of water interconnecting either. "Yep, it's the Under Sea all right!" Tressa said. "There's so much sunken treasure, I can smell it!"
"I don't see those Gourmet Corp. guys anywhere nearby." Haylee said. "Better stay alert. We still have a while until we arrive."
"We could always hope they took a wrong turn somewhere and ended up falling into the abyss." Augustus joked.
"That would be problematic." Tressa replied. "Who's going to pay me back now?"
"We'll beat it out of the rest of them~"
"Heh heh! …" Tressa looked over to Gourmerry on Tama's back; the ninja was currently barfing over the railing. "That's a crazy story you told me… Does the rest of the universe know about that Firstborn?"
"Hopefully, not. They're still trying to wrap their heads around all these other Newborn randomly popping up. We would have way more people coming after us if they knew who Gourmerry was."
"You must trust me an awful lot~" Tressa said with a teasing smile. "A Firstborn would make a hefty amount of profit."
"Oh, I didn't know you were a black market dealer~" August smirked.
"Not even close, buddy. I'm an honest to goodness merchant."
"That's what they all say~"
"Well, I am!" she yelled in a flustered way. "All I want to do in life is explore the world and find, buy, and sell treasures in a perfectly legal way. And even I know the Firstborn are too important to just casually sell. It would be like selling a weapon of mass destruction."
"Is that how you think of the Firstborn?" Yuzu asked.
"W-Well, I mean… I do my share of research, and I recall hearing the Firstborn were common targets for villains, to do… evil villain things."
"You know she ain't wrong." August said. "Even Gourmerry was almost used to bring mass destruction, right as she was born. It's like a rite of passage or something."
Yuzu released a somber sigh, looking to the Firstborn in question. Tama was sitting against the wall, trying to soothe her tummy with Gourmerry in her arms. "I guess that's why the other Firstborn sacrificed their power. I wonder… if these New Firstborn could do the same."
Haylee steered the ship around maelstroms and waterfalls that would pour down from random parts of the ceiling. Staying loyal to the map's direction, the crew came within sight of a long, rocky island. It was somewhat rectangular in shape and had several gardens of natural produce segmented along it. There was a narrow cove entrance into the island, so Haylee carefully steered the ship in. "ROOOOAAAAR!" The Gyarados emerged from the entrance and blasted its Hyper Beam.
"Fork SHIELD!" Augustus leapt on the keel and crossed his Haki arms, struggling to block the beam. He managed to endure until the beam faded. Tressa blasted some air gusts to spin the serpent around, leaving Haylee to bombard it with cannonballs. The serpent fell over on the surface, unconscious.
"You okay, Captain?" Tressa asked.
"Yeah, just… a little sore." Augustus stretched and rubbed his arms. "Heh, if Gyarados were a god or something, that Hyper Beam would've been a lot deadlier."
"Tehe, so you can only be beaten by a god, is that it?"
"Either that or a real cute lady~"
"Ugh, cringe!" Tressa chortled.
"Okay, playboy," Haylee remarked, "you guys should probably get off here. I'll have to park the ship somewhere secret in case he wakes up. Just send a call when you want me to get you."
"But if you guys are hunters, why not just cook and eat it?" Tressa asked.
"Eating Pokémon is taboo." August replied. "In fact, I wouldn't put it past Gourmet Corp. to do that. Kinda worried for this guy now."
The crew dropped down to the Gyarados' body, and from there swam along the surface to the cove's coast. Augustus carried Tama and Gourmerry, and once they made land, they watched as Haylee sailed away. "Sniff, sniff." Yuzu whiffed. "I smell a ton of salty flavors! And look at this!" Yuzu ran up to a jagged rock. Behind it was a cabbage bushel, which seemed to be longing to open. Yuzu carefully poked it open with a knife—a fountain of salt came spurting out.
"Yeesh, that much salt can't be healthy!" August said.
"Salt in cabbage can help balance your immune system and can serve as a colon cleanser." Yuzu smiled, picking the cabbage off the ground. "Tama, you should try some. You were pretty sick on the boat."
Tama took the cabbage and smiled as she took a bite. "Mmmm! O-Tama feels much better now! O-Merry must taste, too!" She passed the veggie back to the spirit.
"Gourmerry!" She was joyous as she bit the produce.
"Ha ha!" August laughed. "Hey, is that another one?" He approached another cabbage on the ground—a Shy Guy in camo clothes sprung up and shot a slingshot, hitting August's eye before the captain swung a fist and KO'ed him. "Agh, you dick! I guess they brought grunts with them. Let's find those jerks and make 'em pay!"
"Now you're talking my language!" Tressa fist-palmed.
"She's really blending in well." Yuzu commented. "Either way, I've certainly got a craving. Let's go!" (Play "Treasure Trove Cove" from Banjo-Kazooie!)
Menu 3: Salad Bar Cove
Recipe: Create a salad blend using the ingredients on the island!
The crew proceeded up a rugged hill up to an opening within the cliff, but were ambushed by Crabbies from behind rocks. The crab Pokémon snapped their claws, but Tama bashed them unconscious easily. They entered the gap into the first segment of the salad bar, which contained a vast garden of asparagus. "Tama, better climb on me." Augustus suggested, realizing the asparagus stretched as tall as the older teens. "Tressa, hold Yuzu's hand, she's pretty small, too."
"I won't get lost in a silly asparagus field!" Yuzu flushed.
"Watch out!" A White Asparagus emerged from a pond hidden in the veggies. It was much smaller than the Great White Asparagus, so it was probably a Good White Asparagus. Augustus pressed his right fingers together, hardening his arm as his Haki shaped like a knife. He sliced the asparagus beast in two and killed it.
"Ooo, shiny!" Tressa bent down and collected a purple, coin-size gem off the ground. "Oh, there's another one!" She picked up a yellow gem.
"You've got some greedy fingers." August remarked. "How do you even spot them through all this?"
"I use a specialized Observation Haki that lets me detect dropped change."
"That sounds like a very limited Haki…" Yuzu replied confusedly.
"Leave no change wasted, that's my motto!"
They crossed toward the left side of the garden, finding what seemed to be an ancient freezer door. "Three Tomato Doubloons are required to enter the cold storage."
"This place makes no frickin' sense." August remarked.
"I guess my 'limited Haki' will come into use here." Tressa inferred. They explored the asparagus garden in search of said doubloons. Tressa spotted one within a taller bushel of asparagus, but four Spy Guys popped out from around them and fired slingshots. Tressa punched two away with air gusts while August chucked his Gobstopper, bouncing between the other two and KOing them. The crew found a large pond with two White Asparaguses, but while Augustus dealt with them, Tressa collected the Tomato Coin in the pond.
The last tomato was in a corner, tied to a string, but the string would yank it into a hole when they got near. Yuzu simply tossed a knife while the string was out and cut it. "Hey! I've had that string since kindergarten! You'll pay for-!" A Shy Guy jumped out to get revenge, but a swift punch was all it took.
With the three tomatoes collected, they paid the freezer door and were granted entry. Inside was a smaller garden of Snow-White Asparaguses; they weren't sentient, just snow-colored stalks in a chilling cave. Yuzu took a bite of one and perked up in delight, feeling a tickly chill in her heart. "Let's take these!" Yuzu suggested, getting a portable freezer from her Infi-Cube and stuffing the stalks in. "These get me excited for winter!"
After leaving the freezer, the crew found some steps to the upper-right corner, leading them out of the garden. They had to cross a chasm using a series of opening/closing treasure chests mounted on stone spires, but the chests had angry eyes and sharp teeth. The group jumped these Lockups while they were closed, but Tressa sensed money inside some of them and jumped in while their mouths were open. She used her bending to leap out and land on the chests just as they closed. Once past the chests, the crew entered the next segment, filled with piles of salted, brownish-gold bananas. A trio of gold Lockups, smaller than the previous, were chomping bananas in their mouths. Upon spotting the hunters, the Lockups frantically bounced away.
"Tama, you want a turn with this?" August asked.
"Hai!" Tama conjured Shadow Clones and had them split up, but each one took a dango from the real Tama. One of the Tamas crept up on a chest hiding in a corner, using Cloak Jutsu to hide whenever the chest looked over. Once at the chest, she tossed the dango inside, and the chest became infatuated with her. Another chest was hopping around a series of pillars, trying to stay away from the real Tama. Since one clone had finished, Tama dispelled it and made another one to help her lure the chest out, allowing her to ambush and feed it a dango. The last chest had retreated inside a hollow pillar, sealing the entrance. The 3rd Tama jumped up some banana piles, each one ascending higher, until she could overlook the gap at the top of the pillar. She used her staff's glider to glide into the pillar, land on the chest, and feed it the dango.
Now that Tama made friends with the Little Lockups, she helped guide them over to a giant Lockup whose mouth was hanging wide open and blocking a cavern. Tama asked the chests to jump into the giant one, and the Big Lockup snapped its mouth shut and chewed the small chests to pieces. The crew could climb over the closed chest and enter the cavern. It was rather green inside and was raining from the ceiling, the ground lush with wet grass. There were several large cucumbers standing around, some roughly Yuzu's height, but the one that caught their attention was a bigger cucumber bouncing around the cave on its bottom. "Well, that pickle's sure in a good mood." Tressa said.
"I think it's a Spring Cucumber!" Yuzu observed. "Check out those swirly lines around it. You can only cut the inner areas between the springs, but catching and pinning it down is tricky."
"O-Tama wishes to ride it!" The child excitedly chased after the cucumber as it was bouncing near a large, pink flower with a thick trunk with large leaves around it.
"VENUSAUR!" A Mega Venusaur emerged from beneath that flower, tossing Razor Leaves that Tama hastily evaded.
"A Venusaur?!" August questioned, yanking Tama back with the Licorope.
"You know, this guy can actually help!" Yuzu smirked, running up to the Spring Cucumber and jumping to grab it. She steered the bouncing vegetable and attracted the Venusaur's attention, tricking it into shooting Razor Leaves. The leaves cleanly sliced the cucumber, so by the time it was fully diced, only the thin spring was left to bounce around. Augustus then leapt to slam the Venusaur's head with Mallet, the beast thrusting him off. It caught August in a Vine Whip and tried to swing him around, but he cut the vine with Knife and flung to the ground. The Venusaur charged him, but August pushed against it with Haki hands. He hauled and swung the beast against the wall, followed by one more strong punch to the stomach to KO the Pokémon.
"At least he made that a lot easier." Yuzu said as she gathered the cucumber pieces into the cube.
"Yeah, but this Venusaur was in a Mega form." Augustus noticed. "And he's not changing back. …Wasn't that just like…"
The crew exited the tunnel, having to balance across a thin, stone walkway over the sea. Four Snifits poked up from the other side, the gun-mouthed Shy Guys spitting bullets. Tressa used air gusts to blow the bullets off course, keeping this up until they were across the path, and Augustus KO'ed the Snifits with a Gobstopper combo. The crew entered a tight, snaky trench path that seemed to grow hotter the further in. The passage let out in an area where the air was burning orange, a result of the numerous peppers growing around.
"I think we'll have to take a bite of this." Yuzu suggested, pulling out a Snow-White Asparagus. They each bit into the frosty veggie and could feel a relaxing chill throughout their bodies.
"Hoo! I'm definitely stalking up on these this summer!" Tressa beamed. The crew maneuvered carefully around the fiery peppers. Ring-a-ding! The ring of a bell caught their attention, and they noticed a Bell Pepper hanging above the path. It seemed to sense the intruders and was shaking fire at them, so Tressa blew the flames away with airbending. They approached a long pit where they would have to jump large pepper branches. The branches were on fire and had static bells underneath them. Tressa blew air against the bells to ring them, causing them to shake the fire off the peppers. The crew could then jump across them safely.
They were led to the entrance of a wide, steeple-like tower. It was rather cool and vacant of flames, and the huge Bell Pepper at the top was still. "You think ringing that thing is a good idea?" Augustus asked.
"We'll never know unless we try." Tressa shrugged.
"Alright, but the rest of you should wait outside, just in case." With that, August and Tressa journeyed alone up the steeple stairs, with the hunter having to pull open hidden platforms with the Licorope in order to advance.
"Speaking of bells, have you heard about this church that installed a golden, jewel-encrusted bell into their tower?" Tressa asked. "They thought it would make their church seem a lot more fancy. Sadly, the bell was stolen by thieves who would try to sell it. Wanna guess how much they made off the bell?"
"A million gems?"
"Nothing! It was absolutely worthless! Because all the gems were inside the bell, it was unable to ring, making it virtually useless as a bell."
"Couldn't they have picked the jewels off?"
"Well, the moral is that just because a product looks good, doesn't mean it IS good, no matter how shiny you try to make it. But I guess the gems themselves would've sold for some good cash."
They were now directly underneath the gaping bell at the top floor. There was a surge of fire above the edge of the tower, forming into a sun with an angry face. The Angry Sun swooped down as the duo jumped apart, and Tressa spun a whirlwind to catch the mass of flame. "Tressa, put it up in that bell!" August directed. Tressa whirled the sun up against the bell's handle, while the hunter climbed some stairs onto a platform near the bell's side. August lay a strong, focused Armament punch against the bell, causing it to sway to and fro with the sun banging against the insides. "Let's go!" Sensing danger, August grabbed Tressa and rushed down the tower. ("Ooo, shinies!" Tressa snagged some gems on the way.)
The donging of the bell echoed across the island as masses of light seemed to fly out of it. By the time August and Tressa regrouped with the others, a couple of those lights landed near them. "Phew, now it really feels like summer!" Tressa said.
"That must be a Summer Bell Pepper." Yuzu figured, carefully collecting some peppers into the cube. "This will certainly add some spice to the salad!"
Past the tower, the crew trekked down some stairs to a lake of a dark-orange, gooey substance which reeked of salad dressing. There was a tree growing large, boat-shaped peppers nearby, so August cut one down as it landed flat against the surface. The crew rode in the boat using Tressa's bending to move and steer. Blob monsters with big mouths emerged from the dressing to chomp the rowers, but the Blarggs were solid enough for August to hit with his Gobstopper as it would bounce back. The Blarggs were dizzied by the attacks and would retreat under the dressing. The group noticed a small shore with an oddly placed cannon aiming out at the sea. (Play "Fluff Festival" from Mario Sunshine!)
They curiously decided to investigate this cannon… and it seemed to be aiming out at three small ships sailing in a circle. Those ships had giant dandelions growing on them. One of the flags on a ship was monochrome while the others were white. …Augustus fired the cannon at the ship as it was passing, destroying it in one hit. Doing so uncovered a Kittentia in a pirate's hat, sailing on a raft. The mast of the ship actually served as the raft's mast. Kittentia made a salute as the raft sailed into the air, going up into the oceanic ceiling.
With that concluded, the crew returned on course. Their pepper boat began flowing along a river of dressing with only a few large fruit chunks to maneuver around. (Play "Nipper Battle" from Banjo-Kazooie!)
"My, you children are terribly annoying!" a French accent shouted. The crew jumped to attention and faced up at the left cliff. There was a large, wide mouse with sunglasses and a thin mustache, wearing a white chef's uniform.
"That voice! You sound like the guy that attacked my ship!" Tressa accused.
"So, he's actually just a fatty rat!" August remarked.
"The Rat-Rat Fruit, Mouser Model gives me an unlimited supply of bombs! 'ow about a taste?!" Skinner reached under his outfit and chucked purple bombs down at the boat. Tressa used one hand to blow the bombs away and the other to keep their boat moving.
"Man, this guy is a serious prick!" Tressa shouted. Skinner followed along the cliffside and kept throwing bombs. To make matters worse, Fly Guys were flying over with propellers and shooting fireballs at the crew, but Augustus could knock them down with the Gobstopper.
"Oi, I'm hungry…" Skinner seemed to become exhausted and pulled out a slice of pizza to eat. August seized the distracted moment to chuck his Gobstopper straight at Skinner's nose, landing a direct hit. "OW! Grrrrr!" Skinner ran ahead to where the river sailed through a grouping of fruit rocks. He jumped along and around the chunks, throwing bombs at them from various angles. However, Tressa could direct the bombs into the fruit and destroy them, giving their boat more room to sail and Skinner less footholds. However, a Victreebel Pokémon floated out from behind a rock: Skinner chucked some bombs into its vacuum mouth, allowing the Plant-type to spit them at the crew from other angles.
Tressa blew against one of the bombs to stop its momentum, then passed it to Augustus. With swift timing, he tossed the bomb into the Victreebel's mouth just as it was inhaling. The bomb's fuse burned out at that point and burst inside the Pokémon. Furthermore, Skinner had become exhausted again, so August chucked a Gobstopper and knocked him into the river. A group of Fly Guys flew down to fish the Devil Fruit user out of the dressing, setting him back on the cliffside. Skinner fumed in anger and hurried ahead to a stone arch crossing over the river. Beyond that arch appeared to be a large tree with colorful autumn leaves.
Skinner began tossing multiple bombs in rampant, fountain-like fashions, so Tressa used bursts of air to shield her friends from each round. "Guys, behind us!" Yuzu yelled. The eyes of a large Blargg were peeping at them from the river, and the beast began to rise out with a gaping mouth. Tama tossed two dango into its throat, and the Blargg reactively closed its mouth with a delighted expression.
"Beastie, wouldst thou stop that evil man?" Tama requested. The Blargg nodded and submerged beneath the ooze.
"'ow about a taste of my Bomb Falls?!" Skinner began running left and right along the arch, dropping bombs repeatedly like a waterfall. He was unsuspecting as the Blargg's eyes emerged from the opposite side, and it was only when the beast, "ROOOAAAAR!" that Skinner jumped to attention. "WAAAAH!" He ran off the arch just before the Blargg's mouth compressed, its oozy body leaving the arch mostly unscathed. The beast submerged to allow the Marzipans to pass under the arch, where they could set foot on a shore. They chased Skinner toward the tree of autumn leaves. (End song.)
August tossed a Gobstopper to trip Skinner, allowing Tressa to run up and grab him by the collar. "Alright, you dirty rat, you owe me 6,000 for that map, plus extra for everything else you ruined! And if you don't have the cash, you could always work it off. If you start now, you'll probably be finished by next year's Cooking Fest!"
"Cooking Fests happen every four years, Dame! Not that it matters because this one will be the last! I will pay you nothing!"
"What does that mean? Are you planning to sabotage the festival yourselves?" Augustus asked.
"You'll just 'ave to… wait, what do you mean by 'ourselves'?" Skinner inquired. "You seem to be implying that someone else was plotting something."
Yuzu bit her lip nervously. "Don't change the subject! Where's that other guy we saw you with?"
"You looking for me, sweetheart?" a gruff voice spoke. The man in question stepped out from behind the tree, bouncing a black ball in his gloved hand. "I should've known you'd screw up, Skinner. You had two chances to bomb those brats and you blew 'em."
"Like your Pokémon did any better, Mask!"
"So, he's the Pokémon Trainer." Augustus deduced, stepping closer to the thuggish man. "Hang on…" He noticed a light-red symbol on Mask's black shirt, partly covered by the red vest. "Isn't that the Team Rocket symbol?!"
"Team Rocket Elite Officer, Iron Mask." He introduced himself proudly. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance."
"That explains the Mega Venusaur I saw back there. I remember back in New Galaxia, you guys worked with The Thirteen and sent Mega Pokémon to attack us. And somehow, those Mega Pokémon were permanent."
"Team Rocket does business with Gourmet Corp., and I decided to transfer to them for a special project. Speaking of which…" His masked gaze was drawn to the creature on Tama's back. "That's a rather interesting creature there. It wouldn't happen to be… the Food Firstborn, would it?"
"What makes you think it is?"
"Because of the report the Clown Trio sent. They were there when that creature was 'born' and it looks the part. I would also wager you guys are on some sort of important quest with this creature."
"Or maybe we're just casual hunters wanting to join in the festivities."
"Yeah, well it's time for a new festivity." Iron Mask raised the Darkball he was bouncing. "You guys get to be the new prey for my pet." He tossed the ball as it popped open, the darkness flowing out and taking shape. They were expecting some sort of Pokémon, but what appeared was a hideous, misshapen demon oozing with darkness. Its face was zombielike, red soulless eyes over a hissing, gaping red mouth with human teeth, and four talon-like feet.
"WHOA!" Tressa leapt back in fright. "What kind of Pokémon is that?!"
"It ain't one I've ever seen!" August stated.
"They call this beast Redeye, and we found it in some ancient ruins." Mask replied. "I thought it would make a nice meal, but after seeing it, I kind of lost my appetite. It can still make a meal out of you though!"
"Enjoy yourselves, kiddies!" Skinner got up and bolted away.
"Darn it! Get back he-" Tressa tried to chase.
"Rawru!" The demon stretched an arm in attempt to smash Tressa, but Yuzu yanked her back in time.
"I'll leave them to you, Redeye." Iron Mask walked away. "I'm going to regroup the Pokémon I've sent out. I have a feeling I'll be eating some of them tonight…"
"I've already prepared the pans!" Skinner cheered, jogging after him.
"O-Yuzu, what dost thou maketh of beastie's taste?" Tama asked.
"This thing looks sickening in every way." Yuzu answered. "In fact… it almost looks miserable."
"Then I say we put it out of its misery." Augustus decided.
"Rawru!!" The beast grunted another weak roar and raised one of its claws. (Play "Decisive Battle II" from Octopath Traveler!)
Boss fight: Redeye
Augustus slashed Redeye's claw with a Knife technique, prompting it to pull back. Redeye unleashed a scream that sounded like "Awru!" but although it sounded weird and weak, it vibrated the air enough to stun the group. It swiped an arm and knocked them over. Afterwards, Redeye stomped up and focused its glare on Augustus, its eyes flashing. "August'n!" Tama jumped in the way of the attack and was suddenly petrified, her colorful form becoming gray stone.
"Tama!" Yuzu panicked.
"Aiii!" the real Tama screamed. "I am thankful to hath clones!"
"We're gonna need some extra help!" With that, Yuzu cranked the dial of her wristband and jolted into Yuzunite. "Have a piece of me now, Bad Breath!" she declared as she whipped out two soup pans. Redeye swiped its claw once more, Augustus countering with Knife. It unleashed another vibrating roar, but Yuzunite took the front this time and positioned her pans to catch the sounds. Yuzunite withstood the force and stomped closer, bouncing the vibrations back against Redeye as the beast became stunned. "And by the way, you roar like a pansy!"
Augustus rushed up and struck the demon with a flurry of Fork attacks, but he retreated once Redeye recovered. Redeye began to bellow, so Yuzunite raised her pans—the beast ceased and snatched her in its claw, bellowing at her directly to vibrate the chef. Redeye then discarded her, and it seemed the vibration shook Yuzu back to her day self. Redeye then attempted to petrify Yuzu, but Tama sent another clone to take the effect.
Tama bit her lip nervously; she was unable to dispel her petrified clones and she couldn't make any more. She wished she could do something more to help. Would a dango even work on this… "Oh?" Tama noticed a pair of blobby eyes peering up over a nearby ledge: the eyes of a Blargg. She hurried over to the ledge and pulled off a dango.
"Hey, Bright Eyes, take me for a spin!" Tressa punched Redeye with an air gust and grabbed its attention. The beast tried to smash her as Tressa dodged sideways with grace, then she quickly tossed a gem to her right. Redeye became distracted by the shiny object, but this allowed Tressa to unleash a shockwave of wind to knock Redeye off all its feet. Augustus quickly followed up by leaping above and slamming Mallet onto its shadowy head. The beast jumped to recovery and tried to flash its eyes, but August tossed the Gobstopper at one eye to stop its attack.
"Hyah!" Tama jumped onto one of the talons as Redeye raised it. She then quickly leapt and bashed its head with her staff, then leapt off and ran. Redeye hissed and tried to smash her, Tama dodging as the beast began pursuing.
"Tama, what're you doing?!" Yuzu shouted.
"O-Tama canst be braven without clones!" Tama dodged her way up to the ledge and leapt into the salad dressing. Redeye peered over the ledge--a Blargg sprouted up and CHOMPED the demon in its gaping mouth, Tama on its head. The Blargg was sickened by the taste and spat the beast out, but it lay weakened and drenched in the dressing. Augustus ran to lay a flurry of Forks against Redeye's head, Dark Chi spurting from its form. The beast weakly roared to recovery as August backed away. It decided to crawl to the shore and guzzle dressing into its mouth, afterwards returning to spit globs of it at the crew. Yuzu jolted back to Yuzunite and used her pans to catch the dressing, spinning and chucking it back into Redeye's eyes.
Partially blinded by the ooze, Redeye pranced forward and rampantly swiped its arms. Augustus countered with quick Knife attacks, bringing the beast down after all four limbs were struck. The captain slammed its head with Mallet, grounding it as the dressing splashed off from the shockwave. "Guys, let it use its Eye-Thingy Attack!" Yuzunite requested, rapidly wiping a saucer pan with a cloth.
"Its 'Eye-Thing Attack,' if you say so!" Augustus remarked. He watched as the demon pushed itself up, leaping to multiple sides of the captain until it was able to grab August in its claws. It tried to bellow at Augustus, but Tressa punched a gust that twisted its head, giving August enough time to pull his arms free. He used Mallet against the arm and broke free.
"I'm ready!" Yuzu declared.
"Come on, Bright Eyes, don't be shy!" Tressa clapped tauntingly. The demon snatched her in its other talon and smacked Augustus away, preparing to flash its Evil Eye. But just as it did, Yuzunite held her shining clean pan in the way, reflecting Redeye's gaze right back into him. The beast's face was petrified, plopping to the ground.
"Time for a classic STONE FIST!" Augustus hardened his fist and dealt a firm punch. The face shattered as the demon's body collapsed, dispersing into darkness. (End song.)
"Hah…I think that's it." Tressa said hopefully.
"Those guys could be back any minute." Augustus said. He held up his communicator. "Haylee, can you bring the ship around to the east side of the island? Or whatever compass direction it is—the right side."
"Heh, I get ya, Captain. We making another hasty retreat?"
"Yeah, essentially." He hung up. "But before we do, what is this tree, anyway?" He returned attention to the autumn tree.
"Check out those leaves!" Yuzu pointed. "They're not actual leaves, they're tortilla chips. They usually go great with salad." She climbed up and picked one off, biting it. "Mmm…a hint of spice to it, like the flickering remnants of its life." She began to pick and place several leaves into the Infi-Cube. "I bet different colored ones have different tastes—AAAH!" A bomb was thrown at the tree as Yuzu fell off.
"Man, that monster was not worth the effort!" Iron Mask growled, standing beside Skinner. "Whatever. Since it wasn't a Pokémon, there was no telling if I could control it. Now then, I'll be taking that Firstborn." He raised another Darkball.
"Thou shalt never hath O-Merry!" Tama declared, standing firmly with Gourmerry hidden from his view.
"We'll see about that! That Redeye was a cakewalk compared to THIS baby!" Mask tossed the ball as it popped open, freeing a dark-purple winged creature with a dolphin-like tail and spiked head with red eyes.
"Not another one!" Tressa exclaimed.
"Wait, that's a Lugia!" Yuzu recognized it from Yuzunite's Pokémon Cards. "They call it the Hurricane Spirit!"
"Well, that presents a problem or two." Augustus said simply. "Looks like Operation Hasty Retreat is happening right on schedule. YOLO!" He grabbed Tama and dashed away. Tressa and Yuzu jumped in shock at his action and followed.
"But I didn't get my money back!" Tressa yelled.
"Put it on their tab!!"
"Lugia, use Whirlwind!" Iron Mask ordered. A powerful, dark gust was blown at the crew, Tressa intercepting with her own bending. Though she was able to defend the others, she was blown off her feet. Augustus grabbed her hand and kept her running.
"Monster-san, help O-Tama and nakama!" Tama tossed a dango into the salad dressing as they leapt off the cliff, the Blargg sprouting up to catch them. It wobbled across the surface as fast as possible, but Lugia caught up with whipping speed. It slashed its wings and cut the air rapidly, Augustus whipping his arms in defense. When the attack concluded, Tressa and Yuzu shot wind and arrows respectively, but the spirit dove through their attacks. Augustus dealt a Haki punch, his arm nearly rupturing upon impact to the spirit. He used his other hand to throw the Gob-Spinner at Lugia's stomach, giving it a light cramp.
"We're at the edge!" Augustus exclaimed once the Blargg brought them to a stone wall, separating the dressing from the sea. "Thank you, Monster!" The Blargg sprung up with enough force to send them over the wall, splashing in the waves.
"That's a hasty move if I ever saw one!" Haylee spotted the group from afar, quickly steering over as the crew struggled to swim. Tressa had to help pull the weakened Augustus while Yuzu carried Tama and Gourmerry. "IS THAT A-?!" Haylee panicked at seeing the Dark Lugia. She reflexively blasted cannons at the Pokémon, knocking it dizzy. She then pulled a lever to lower a fishnet and catch her friends, dropping them on the deck like fish. "Okay, what the hell is Lugia doing down here?!"
"Less talky, more get-us-the-hell-outta-here-sy!" August demanded. Haylee returned to the wheel and whipped the ship around. Tressa poured airbending into the sails to give them as much speed as possible. Lugia blew wind against the sea to make a humongous wave wash over the ship.
"Not on my watch!" Haylee steered the ship back and into the wave, riding along the inside. She surfed out of the waves' side and continued on course with greater momentum. Lugia dove in for a headbutt, but August aimed a cannon back to strike it head-on! "There's a Knock-Up Stream through this tunnel! We can use it to escape!"
As they sailed into the tunnel in question, Lugia used its bending to whirl the insides, spinning the tunnel like a horizontal cyclone. Haylee's grip was firm on the wheel, keeping the ship balanced and forward. Lugia began to whip vertical strips of wind, so Haylee allowed the current to steer them leftward in evasion. Lugia began slicing from the left, so Haylee thrusted the wheel in a way that made the ship leap off the cyclone's side. It curved flat and landed against the bottom portion. "There it is! Get ready!"
"Good, 'cause my arms are getting tired!" Tressa yelled.
The water was rising into a lump in the chamber ahead. Lugia flew ahead and attempted to blow the ship back, but Tressa mustered the strength to redirect the wind. Augustus aimed a cannon and fired, but Lugia blew the cannonball back toward them. That ball fell short and splashed in the sea, while Augustus quickly fired another to blast Lugia's stomach. "Here we GOOOOO!" Haylee steered them onto the lump just as a terrific gush of water blasted them up through the oceanic ceiling, which itself contracted to allow the pressure through.
"WHOOOOOAAAA!"
The sea up top popped open as the Marzipans came flying out on their ship. They crashed onto the surface with a forceful, bumpy landing, all except Haylee falling over. "WE DID IIIIIT!" O-Tama cheered. "…Oooog!" She then barfed over the railing.
"Gourmerry!"
"And hey, the ocean really washed that dressing off." Augustus smiled. "But where's the Lugia?"
"Hopefully it got stuck down there." Haylee said. "Let's go before it comes back! Hurry and call the others to pick us up!"
"On it!"
"This one is definitely for the journals…" Tressa replied, clutching her stomach. "Please tell me there's a bathroom on this thing."
Ace Hunter
Tressa helped to wrap Augustus's arms in bandages. "Hah…that shadow beast thingy was nothin', but I wasn't expecting to fight no Legendary Pokémon."
"Makes me wish we brought Haruka with us." Haylee said. "But I guess mildly broken arms aren't the worst injury for a superhuman. Barely slowed Sheila down any."
"NOOOOO!" Child Nel leapt and gripped Augustus's chest. "Nel was lucky that other ripe girl not take Aughsucks, she no want non-ripe girl as rival!"
"Non…ripe girl?" Tressa questioned.
"It's her way of complimenting people."
"I see…" Tressa curiously turned to the other crewmen, seeing Rallo and Maggie chasing Suika's melon around. "I can't tell if this is a pirate crew or a daycare."
"You don't hate kids, do ya?"
"'Course not! I think it's pretty adorable!"
"Yeah, these little tykes are my life and soul~"
"Okay, guys! The Seasonal Salad is ready!"
Yuzu entered with a bowl in hand, containing a colorful mix of the Snow-White Asparagus, Spring Cucumbers, and Summer Peppers. The scents of the three foods created a mixed cloud that dropped tiny snow and rain, with a few bursts of sun in some places. In her other hand was a plate with a pile of Autumn Chips, from purple to orange to yellow, and Tama held a small cup of salad dressing from the river. "Well, Gourmerry, you may have the honors." said the captain.
With a smile, Gourmerry climbed up to a table where the food was placed. Augustus used a fork to stick a mixture of the produce together and feed the first bite to her. Her expression delighted, she was then fed a dressing-dipped Autumn Chip, and the process repeated as she cycled the seasons over and over. A mixture of sweet cold, wetness, spicy heat, and flavored crunchiness became a party on her little tongue. "Gourmerryyyy!"
"And there's another meal for the menu!" Augustus declared, writing "Seasonal Salad" in the slot.
"We're really thankful for your help, Tressa." Yuzu said. "We're sorry if this disrupted your business."
"Are you kidding? This was amazing! I'm really glad I came with you guys! You mind if I stick around a little longer?"
"NO!!" Nel screamed.
"Well, Nel approves, so you can~" Augustus smirked.
"Nel not say that!"
"When you ask a 'Do you mind' question, 'no' means 'yes.'" Stewie informed her.
"But that no make sense!!"
"Still… I can't help but think about that ugly creature." Tressa said. "There was just… something unusual about it, even for a monster."
"Yeah, there was." August replied. "I can't say what, but… it definitely ain't something to cook or eat."
"Pfft, is that just the first thing that crosses your mind?" Tressa cocked a brow at the captain.
"Maybe it is~." He returned the expression. "But if you're really up for it, feel free to stick around. Besides, flying you back to your home might not be safe if Gourmet Corp. follows us. We'd best leave the planet for now."
"Fair enough. My parents live in Rippletide, so they can watch the ship while I'm gone."
"In the meantime, why don't I give you a tour of my ship?" The captain cracked a flirting smirk. "Fancy a look at my time machine?"
"You have a time machine?!" Tressa screamed.
"And he's stealing my credit again." Stewie sighed.
"Captain has too many girlfriends." Rallo shook his head.
…
Iron Mask and Skinner rode the back of Dark Lugia out of the Under Sea, watching as the Marzipans' flagship took off into space. "That creature was a Firstborn, you say?" Skinner asked. "I wonder if the Boss would find that appetizing…"
"Then our top priority should be to seize that thing at all costs." Mask stated. "We're going to need more help for this job. Time for those Brotherhood transfers to pull their weight…"