LOG 2: The Mission

Atop the gentle seas of blue, I couldn't hold myself but to make a wild dash to the stern. Although, typically, it's the deck that has all the amenities, the stern of S.S. Stravinsky would be less crowded. Me and my Pokemon, including an egg given by one of my friends, just staring out to vast waters.

It was somewhere near lunch. I wasn't quite paying attention to the time actually when I bought myself a packet of fish food at the ship's counter. I just learned it was legal to feed fish, or if that does not arouses one's interest, fishing is permitted. I may have experienced it once or twice, and I'd say, it was a rather tedious experience. My patience would be drained in half an hour without a single fish biting the bait!

Seeing different water Pokemon jump and scamper around with their cute little nibbles was the only thing that riveted me. I wasn't fond of watching theaters and the pool was in its brimal temperature for me to lay at least a foot.

If I've got myself cloyed from watching them, I had my Pokemon to groom. Unova's catastrophe, whereas some would consider it to be minimal compared to their so-called legends, had cancelled my opportunity to brush the fur of my Pokemon. I had also not choice but to let the little juniors touch Gardevoir's hair. Who wouldn't touch a shiny blue, rare, Pokemon variant for the first time? Plus, Absol's fur must be cut immediately. It's getting out of hand! Sooner or later, she'd be a rolling fluff of furball

I had plans on contacting my friends in the Unova region but that seemed impossible due to the lack of signal here. Hopefully, by docking at Wagner City, I'd be able to express my glee. Those four must be wondering if I've ever arrived at the archipelago already.

At quarter to twelve, if I got that correct, I went back to my small cabin. It was only the size of a studio in hotel terms. But, it is complete with everything I need. It was time to receive the details of my mission wherein I'm fully hoping it wouldn't cost my life.

"Good day, Colonel. How's your journey?" said Madam Boss, enjoying that new twisty chair of hers. "Good enough?"

We talked through the old and classic holographic technique. Doors locked, me at my bed, listening to some music at the radio. It was worth piquing my interest though. There was something in that, what do people call it? Ah, orchestra, that sounded elegant. But I wasn't sure which instrument was responsible since all of them were blended harmoniously.

"Well, I've been at worse ones before," I said timidly, reminded of what happened on my way to Unova a year ago.

Madam Boss chuckled slightly. An image of a Pokemon flashed right at her screen.

[It is a Pokémon that has a femininely anthropomorphic figure with musical bar-style streaks in its hair, quarter notes (crotchets) (♩) for its arms and hands and pupil-less eyes resembling whole notes (semibreves). It has a jewel on its forehead and a black headpiece that seems to be shaped like a treble clef which doubles as an attached microphone such as one often used by singers.]

Don't know what that meant. That all came from my Pokedex anyway when I searched for it.

"Wasn't I told something about alternate forms of the three legendary Pokemon?"

"Yes, you will be getting them too. Your duty there is to acquire Meloetta and harness its song."

"Harness? What do you mean, Madam Boss?"

"Acquire the mythical Pokemon and bring it to the Island on the far west coast of the archipelago. That Pokemon is known for her musicality, finesse, and style. She disappeared, however, if you've read the folklore I sent in your email."

"Wait, you sent one?"

Madam Boss lifted a brow.

"Yes, yes. I remember! Yes, folklore and stuff like that. She did disappear. Sorry, I forgot."

"You will also be needing the Reveal Glass."

"Reveal Glass? Ooh, I heard about that. Look at it and it'll reflect your deepest desires!"

"And it can also bring those desires into fulfillment."

"Conquest?"

"Yes."

"So, let me get this straight. I need Meloetta, find it somewhere in the archipelago, and I also need to get the reveal glass?"

"Yes. This mission you're doing was archived by the way. Now made active."

I froze. I didn't like what she meant by archived. Archive missions, or cold missions, slash cases, are those voyages, journeys, schemes, and stratagems of our organization that went into failure or something terrible happened that made the leaders/leader come up with a decision to cease it entirely. Leaders can choose whether to keep it permanent or make it active once more. In this, Madam Boss did the latter. If it wasn't and it were deemed permanent, it would be called a Dead Case.

"What does that mean? I'm not the first agent to set foot at the archipelago?"

"No. Dozens were before you. Team Rocket made expeditions in sought for the reveal glass but were unable to succeed." She paused for quite some time. "They ended up wounded, some never came back, others were arrested."

"And you believe I'll be able to complete this task?"

"Yes. I know it doesn't appear clear to you because you think it's just some digging session with a shovel until that jewelry comes up out of nowhere. The glass was shattered."

"Oh no... You want me to find the shards don't you? Stick it up with tape and go to this island to continue?"

"It was broken on purpose by the authorities so that they no 'evil' being would use the glass for their sake. Concentrate on step one and that is to find the shards or where they were hidden by these 'authorities'."

"I'm up against another evil organization, am I?"

"No. There are no organizations there. It's dully peaceful in Arid."

I saluted. "Alright, Madam Boss! I'll try to do step one, then you can give me more details about step two. Hopefully, I won't end up like my comrades."

"Good luck, colonel. I have faith in you."

"One second, Madam Iris!"

She turned up her screen once more. "Is er... I mean, did anyone from Team Rocket who has a hire rank than me had been to the Archipelago?"

"Yes."

"Did they--"

"Yes."

"And you're sending someone with a lower rank to--"

"Yes. Although, those with higher ranks, to be honest, sucked."

I gulped.

"My son was still in charge back then when he promoted officials randomly. That's why the expeditions ended up a failure. But this time, under my lead, you will lead the newly reopened."

"It's like a crusade! Alright, thanks!"

Once the call was declined I covered myself with the feather pillow. I was even more frightened than ever before--shivering endlessly.