Strange Cat, Strange Tree #19

Inspecting the Pal Sphere I had just used to capture a pal, I felt a strange mix of excitement and curiosity. The sphere felt warm in my hand, its surface smooth and sleek. With a firm toss, I sent it spinning to the ground. The sphere split open with a sharp click, and from it emerged a tall, bipedal creature, floating effortlessly in the air.

It was a mesmerizing mix between a bat and a feline, its form both graceful and menacing. The creature resembled a black cat with a pristine white torso. Its purple and yellow, cape-like wings seemed to end in delicate, ribbon-like tendrils, giving it an almost regal appearance.

Vito materialized beside me, his gaze fixed on the creature. "It looks like that one cartoon cat," he said, scratching his head. "Though I can't recall its name."

I laughed, shaking my head. "Are you talking about Tom?"

Vito snapped his fingers. "That's the one! The cat that keeps running after a mouse."

I shook my head again, smiling at the absurdity. "Well, now we know why it's called Tombat." A sudden realization hit me, and I paused. "I've had doubts, but now I'm pretty sure we're in the world of a game that someone from my world created."

Vito shrugged nonchalantly. "Is that really important right now?"

"No," I admitted, trailing off as I turned my attention back to the Tombat. It hovered silently, its eyes glowing with an eerie intelligence.

"I just wonder what it was doing lurking so close to the base. I've never seen one of its kind around here before," I murmured, still pondering the Tombat's presence.

As if sensing my curiosity and understanding my meaning, the Tombat let out a strange meow, swaying its body from side to side. It then let out another meow and started moving north. Vito, appearing intrigued, commented, "I think it wants us to follow it."

I nodded, feeling a mix of curiosity and caution, and followed behind it. The Tombat led us to the edge of the Grassy Behemoth Hill, an elevated area rising over a stream that branched out of the sea beyond the island. The hill's terrain was rugged, with patches of grass and wildflowers growing sporadically. The stream below shimmered in the moonlight, creating a serene yet mysterious atmosphere.

The Tombat stopped there and pointed with one of its three-clawed paws at the top of the ravine on the other side of the stream. There, a tall peak jutted into the night sky, crowned with a solitary, leafless tree.

Despite its barren appearance, the tree had strange, reflective objects stuck to its branches, catching and reflecting the moonlight and making them easily noticeable even from this distance.

I turned back to the Tombat, my curiosity piqued. "Were you trying to find a way to get up there?" I asked.

The Tombat nodded enthusiastically, letting out a hoarse meow. Its eyes gleamed with a sense of purpose and urgency.

I sighed, glancing around to assess the situation. "We might as well take a look since we're already out here," I said, although the prospect of crossing the stream and scaling the tall hill in the dead of night didn't thrill me.

The terrain was unforgiving, and the stream, though narrow, looked deceptively deep in places. The hill itself was steep, with jagged rocks and loose soil that made the climb hazardous.

"I don't fancy a swim or trying to scale such a tall hill this late at night," I muttered, my practical side taking over. The risk of slipping and getting injured was too high in the darkness, and I didn't want to face that alone or with Vito's intangible presence as my only companion.

Vito, ever the pragmatist, chimed in, "It looks like it's connected to the open area near the tower."

I nodded, considering his suggestion. "Yeah, I think so too. We'll take the safer route."

I called the Tombat back to its Sphere, watching as it vanished in a flash of light. The Sphere felt reassuringly solid in my hand as I tucked it away. Then, I started moving west, towards the open area near the tower, where the terrain would be easier to navigate.

...

As the tree finally came into sight, I walked toward it, letting out a sigh of relief. The trip had taken almost four hours, and it hadn't been without its dangers.

I had run into many nocturnal Pals along the way, most of which were content to leave me be, and I was even happier to give them a wide berth, avoiding them completely. However, one creature in particular, a Depresso as the Paldex called it, seemed intent on obstructing my path.

The Depresso was a strange cat creature the size of a child, reminiscent of a Cattiva, but with blue and purple fur. Its frown and slumped shoulders gave it a perpetually depressed look.

Despite its appearance, it had been fiercer than I anticipated. With slashing claws and a mournful wail that seemed to pierce the soul, it had attacked me with an unexpected ferocity.

Yet, even with its surprising strength and agility, I managed to beat and capture it without expending much effort. The encounter left me with a broken shield and a newfound respect for the seemingly melancholic creatures of this world.

Reaching the tree at last, I noticed three peculiar objects attached to its leafless branches. They stood out starkly against the barren, twisted limbs.

The first was a strange hexagonal apple with snowflake markings in each hexagon. Its surface shimmered under the moonlight, with an ethereal frostiness.

The second object was a jagged, pineapple-like fruit with thick, jagged protrusions all over, making it resemble a hedgehog. It had a rough, almost menacing exterior, that made it look more like a weapon than something edible.

Finally, there was a blue bottle gourd with wave-like drawings etched on its surface.

Vito appeared beneath the tree, his arms crossed as he inspected the fruits from different angles. "What the hell are these things?" he wondered aloud.

I shrugged. "I've no idea, but I know someone who might..." Retrieving a Pal Sphere, I summoned Tombat. The Pal looked around, confused for a moment, as if expecting to find a foe.

However, its confusion quickly turned to excitement as it spotted the tree. With a jovial air, it floated toward the tree and plucked the hexagonal apple before bringing it to me, presenting it with an air of expectation.

I looked at the fruit, then at Tombat. "Is this what you were after?" I asked.

Tombat nodded enthusiastically, its eyes wide with anticipation. After a moment's hesitation, I nodded back. "Alright, it's yours then..."

Without ceremony and with no hesitation, Tombat tossed the fruit into its mouth, chewing and swallowing it in an instant. It paused for a moment, looking down at its three-clawed paws, then let out a strange sound—a mixture between a laugh and a meow.

Dramatically, it raised its paw and pointed it at a nearby tree. To my astonishment, an icy barrier materialized around the tree, encasing it in a frosty prison.

Tombat began to laugh again at the sight, its body and tail swaying from one side to another seemingly drunk on its newfound power.

Vito, watching from a safe distance, chuckled. "Well, that's something. Didn't expect that from our little friend here."

I stared at the ice-covered tree, my mind racing with possibilities. "It looks like this fruit has some serious power," I said, turning back to Tombat, who was still celebrating his show of force.

"Seems like it," Vito agreed. "But what about the other fruits? Think they have different powers too?"

I glanced at the remaining fruits on the tree, curiosity piqued. "There's only one way to find out." I reached up and plucked the two other fruits—a jagged, pineapple-like one and the blue bottle gourd—and approached Tombat, who was still basking in its newfound icy abilities.

"Tombat," I called, holding out the fruits. It snapped out of its revelry, looking at me as if expecting a command. I offered the two fruits. However, it merely glanced at them before shaking its head, clearly uninterested.

"Maybe the fruit it picked was compatible with it, while the others might not be," Vito guessed.

"That makes sense," I replied. "Elena might know more about this. The sun's starting to rise, so we might as well go back and ask her..."

I called Tombat back into its sphere, its form dissolving into a beam of light. Just as I prepared to head back, a strange sound reached my ears—a series of clucking noises, growing louder by the second.

I turned around to see three colorful, parrot-like creatures the size of chickens clambering up the hill. Their feathers shimmered in the early morning light, a riot of reds, greens, and yellows.

They looked at the now completely barren tree, then at the fruits in my hands, and let out a series of angry clucks before charging at me.

...

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