Phase 26: Offers

Colin didn't go much farther on that road after that. There was no point in him going to the airport for now, seeing as he couldn't afford a ticket. He simply walked to the T-junction, saw farms north and south, and turned around.

"I should go and buy food." He told his Comrades. "More tuna?"

Everyone seemed agreeable to it. Shiro and Meek were half-cat, after all, Raiki and Fireheart were both full-cats, Rall was a bear and Warc was a duck. All of them liked fish.

Colin bought a straw hat for shade, a backpack each for himself and Rall, and spent the rest of his money on tuna.

"Edward and Katrin's done so much for me." Colin explained to his Comrades. "Including feeding you guys. The least I can do is give them some food in return."

A call came in from Katrin just then.

"Hey, Colin…" Katrin said. "Are you coming by the farm any time soon?"

"I was just about to head back." Colin replied. "Why?"

"That's good." Katrin said. "Something weird's going on here, and I think you're the answer to it."

"Want anything from the shops here?" Colin asked. "Some tuna? We've been eating your food stores recently, and I think we should pay you back or something."

"Forget it. Just get here as fast as you can." Katrin said, and ended the call.

***

Colin was puzzled as he returned to the farm and saw Edward and Katrin both watching a jumping bubblesaur with amazement.

"I don't believe it. He was jumping as soon as he saw you on the road." Katrin told Colin.

Colin looked at the bubblesaur that sneezed all over him. "What's the matter?"

"Bubblesaur was acting weird. Like he was in a bad mood or feeling sad or something." Edward said. "We couldn't figure it out. He kept wanting to come here, to the gate. So we followed him here and he kept looking up and down the road, as if waiting for someone."

"And once you came in sight, he started getting excited." Katrin added. "Colin, I think he likes you."

"Very funny." Colin grimaced. "He just wants to sneeze all over me again."

"Bubba!" Bubblesaur beamed at him. "Bub-bub-bubba!"

"Yip?" Shiro questioned.

"Bubbaba!"

"Yip? Yip?!"

"Bubb. Bubba."

Shiro blinked, and turned to Colin. "Yip?"

"I'm rather confused about this myself." Colin admitted.

"It's simple, I think." Edward sighed. "Colin, Bubblesaur wants to go with you."

***

Colin stepped back. "Uh… Farmer Edward… I'm not so sure about this. Raiki's already… I mean… Bubblesaur sneezed all over me, and… uh…"

"Bubba!" Bubblesaur jumped at Colin and hugged his leg. "Bubba!"

Katrin laughed. "With all the Rainducks around, we don't really need him much any more. What do you think, Ed?"

Edward nodded. "I think he should go with Colin."

"Bubba!" Bubblesaur jumped up and down. "Bubbaba!"

"Yip?" Shiro scratched his ear.

"I'm not sure about this either." Colin said to Shiro.

"Well, come in for now and take a break. Tell us about the Tournament and May's rescue. How did it go?" Edward invited them in.

Colin told them about it as they went about inspecting the farm. They stopped by the little orchard and sent the Rainducks for more water before continuing. They visited each of the small gardens, the old fields and the new fields. Colin helped them loosen the soil in the biggest of the old fields so that they could put more fertilizer.

"So Scarlet's really a good person." Katrin said. "Or at least, she isn't a kidnapper."

"Right." Colin said. Then, he thought about telling them about Lynn and asking them who that girl might be. And it was a girl, he was sure. A girl who could afford to fly on planes.

{If you are who I think you are… we will meet. That's a promise.}

Colin frowned. For some reason, he didn't think it would be a good idea to tell Katrin about it.

Just as he was thinking that, someone called Katrin. She took the call. "Michi? Are you here yet?"

"Yes. I have arrived." Michi replied.

Katrin nodded to Edward and Colin. "Michi's at the gate."

Colin saw what it was about at once. Michi was carrying two of those Transfer Plates.

"Uh… guys… are you sure about this?" Colin winced. "I mean… Bubblesaur?"

"He won't be happy here any more." Edward said. "Just take him along. He might come in useful. There's not much he can do here."

"Bubba!" Bubblesaur beamed.

"Put your feet down here." Michi told Edward. "Bubblesaur's too."

"Um…" Colin said, but Edward and Bubblesaur did it without hesitating.

Michi processed it, keyed in something into the other plate and passed it to Colin. "Your turn."

Colin took a deep breath. "Shiro…?"

Shiro sighed. "Yip." He said, in resignation.

"Okay." Colin said, and stepped on the plate.

The plate vanished, and Bubblesaur was officially given to Colin as his Comrade.

***

"This doesn't look too bad." Colin mentioned to Shiro as they scanned Bubblesaur.

Bubba

Abilities:

HP: 61/61

MP: 49/49

Str: 13

Sta: 24

Spd: 15

Int: 19

Wis: 15

Wit: 22

Total: 108

Traits:

Saurus Skin

Water Essence

Independent

Protective

"For some reason,I seem to get all the Independent types…" Colin shook his head. Then, he blinked. "Wait a minute… this says his name is… 'Bubba'?"

"Yeah. But I keep forgetting that." Edward said.

"Bubba…" Colin frowned.

"Bubba." Bubba echoed, and grinned at him.

High stamina and wit… good intelligence… Bubba was a long range water attacker. "What's 'Saurus Skin'?"

"It's a defensive trait. It will reduce the damage he takes from sharp, blunt and water attacks." Michi explained. "Add his water essence in, and Warc's Bubble Stream would likely do little more than tickle him."

A long-range attacker that had high defense. Bubba was a tank. A rather weak one, right now, but a good bit of training could fix that.

His techniques were a mess.

"You didn't train his water attacks?" Michi looked at Edward over her glasses.

"I was using him to water plants." Edward explained. "That's why I never trained his stronger water attacks."

Michi shook her head. "That's a waste. Colin, the first thing you need to do with Bubba here is to train those."

"I know." Colin nodded. "Raiki's electric attacks too."

"You've got a lot of training to do." Michi said. "You might want to visit the Gym."

Colin shook his head. "I know what the Gym does to Comrades, Michi. Satrox told me. They'll lose some of their intelligence, wisdom and wit. I've got a better idea."

"Really?" Michi wondered. "You'd bring them to train in the forests?"

"Or…" Colin turned to Edward and Katrin. "What would you two say to another round tomorrow night?"

"Farm wars?" Edward grinned.

"Farm wars." Katrin nodded and high-fived Colin.

***

When Satrox arrived at the farm two hours later, he found Colin working hard clearing the second new field.

"You seem desperate for money." Satrox observed. "You can do missions from the Training Center, you know."

"I know." Colin agreed. "But I'm helping Ed and Kat with farmwork tonight so that tomorrow night, we can go for another round of Farm Wars."

"I see…" Satrox said, thinking. "Colin… do you want to join the Justice Knights?"

"Join the… huh?!" Colin blinked. "I thought I needed to be Green Badge for that."

Satrox gave him a flat look and pointed.

"You ARE at Green Badge."

***

Satrox was right. Colin hadn't realized it, but Bubba was his seventh Comrade.

And between all seven of his Comrades, there were definitely more than 100 levels already.

Colin had reached Green Badge without even knowing it.

"Have you used the Home Base function yet?" Satrox asked.

"What's that?" Colin questioned.

"Basically, when your badge goes to Green, you're able to use it to designate a Home Base – a place where your Comrades can rest and recover." Satrox explained.

"Rest and recover…?"

"Sick Comrades can get well, and tired Comrades regain their HP and MP. You can send them to the base or back from it by calling them with your Watch."

{That sounds familiar… Farmer Edward did that before…}

Satrox continued. "That way, you won't have to bring around your entire group of Comrades everywhere you go. You can just bring one or two and call the rest if and when you need them."

"But wait," Colin frowned. "Won't Comrades get their HP and MP back by resting in the field?"

"It's slow. At low levels, it's fine, but at higher levels, that could take a very, very long time." Satrox told him.

"Oh."

"So…?" Satrox waited.

"So… what?" Colin blinked.

"How about it, Green Badge?" Satrox nudged him. "Want to join the Justice Knights?"

***

{Join the Justice Knights…}

"Forget it. I'm a Traveler." Colin said straight off.

"The J-Knights have lots of Travelers." Satrox said simply.

Oh. "But look at the mess I almost made!"

"That one of the reasons I think you'll do well." Satrox coughed. "You managed to avert it because you investigated further. And you do have a natural sense of fairness."

"But…" Colin shook his head. "I'm totally inexperienced."

"So go Travel and learn." Satrox suggested. "The J-Knights can offer missions, and you have somewhere to report cases to or call for help. Besides, you could use the support. If you're going to go around to find lost peoples' brothers and rescue girls, you're going to need help."

"And what's the catch?" Colin demanded.

"Well…" Satrox thought about that. "Some places won't welcome you any more. You won't be able to deal with pirates or thieves – all they'll trade with you are shots."

Colin frowned. "Is that all?"

Satrox sighed. "Well, the bad guys tend to attack you the moment they find out you're a Justice Knight. It's basically choosing a side between trying to do what's right and choosing to do what's wrong."

"And if I decide not to join?" Colin asked.

"Then I'm wasting my time with you." Satrox said simply. "And one day, we'll probably be enemies, because all Travelers need to achieve the highest rank in an Order for the Gatekeeper to entrust you with the Key."

"Huh?" Colin blinked. "What Gatekeeper? What key are you talking about?"

"Didn't you know?" Satrox blinked. "The Journey. The whole point of Traveling."

"Uh… no." Colin admitted.

Satrox scratched his head. "Well… let me put it in simple terms. If you want to reach the final goal of Travelers at the end of the journey, you need the key from the Gatekeeper. The Gatekeeper will require you to be of the highest rank in any Order… whether it's a good one or a bad one. The Justice Knights are one of the good Orders."

Colin realized it then. "The Journey… all this Traveling… there's a final goal?!"

"Journeys always lead to a Destination." Satrox said. "Otherwise, it's just called Wandering."

{And to reach that goal… I need to join an Order… any Order… good or bad… Justice Knights means I join the good side and fight the bad.}

Colin turned to Shiro. "What do you think?"

Shiro scratched his ear and turned to Raiki. "Yip?"

Raiki shrugged.

Shiro thought about it some more, frowning at the floor.

Still, he hesitated.

Colin turned to Satrox. "There's your answer."

"Huh?" Satrox blinked.

"My answer is 'not now'." Colin said. "Maybe one day, maybe tomorrow night, but not right now. I'm going to focus on Traveling and raising Comrades. Justice and Knights and all that can wait until I'm strong enough to handle those. I'm not ready for that yet."

"I see." Satrox sighed. "Well, call me if you have a case to report or if you need help."

Colin's watch twitched. Satrox's contact was added to it.

"And you can call me too." Colin replied politely. "Thanks for all your help, Satrox. I really learnt a lot."

"You're welcome, Colin. Do us a favor – even if you don't join the Justice Knights in the end, join a good Order. I'd hate to have to chase you down and fight you."

"So would I." Colin said, eyeing his black Lynxmouse. "I'll see you around."

"You too." Satrox said, and left the farm.