Chapter 7: Brave Olivine

Liko and Jin, attacked by a mysterious trio at the academy, were eventually saved with the help of a man who used a Charizard. Despite unexpected events, like Liko's pendant emitting a mysterious light, they managed to escape danger.

Now, the two are riding on Jin's Salamence, following the silver-haired man on his Charizard. They trusted his words that he would lead them to a safe place.

"…Jin, is this really okay?"

"Following that man, you mean?"

"…Yeah."

Jin felt an instinctive trust towards him. However, for Liko, Jin was the only clear ally. It was natural for her to feel uneasy about the Charizard user who hadn't revealed their destination or purpose.

"…Yeah. We should at least ask where we're headed. Salamence, move up beside Charizard."

"Salamence!"

Sensing Liko's anxiety, Jin gave Salamence an order. Salamence sped up slightly and moved alongside Charizard.

"Hm? What's up?"

"Could you at least tell us where we're headed?"

"Oh, sorry about that. I forgot to mention it. You'll see soon."

"...…"

Though he responded, he wasn't very informative. It wasn't evasive, just his natural attitude. Jin sensed this and wanted a clearer answer for Liko's sake. As he was about to ask further questions, they noticed something.

"Whoa! What's that…?"

"Eh? What is that!?"

Ahead of them was a massive airship, causing Jin and Liko to exclaim in surprise.

"That's our ship, the Brave Olivine!"

A safe place likely meant that airship. Unless the trio had flying Pokémon or flying machines, they could consider it a secure spot.

"We're back. Deploying wing deck."

The man issued a command through his Rotom Phone, presumably to his companions aboard the airship. The wings of the Brave Olivine folded, creating a battle field-like platform.

"We're here!"

Charizard landed on the battle field. Salamence followed suit, allowing Jin and Liko to dismount.

"Thank you."

"Good job, Salamence."

(Depending on the situation, you might be needed again soon. I'm counting on you.)

"Welcome back."

"That took quite a while."

A woman with pink hair and a large man appeared from inside the ship, with a Rockruff at their feet, presumably their Pokémon. The silver-haired man and the large man exchanged a fist bump and then shook hands, likely their way of greeting.

"You're Liko, right?"

"Y-yes."

"And you must be Liko's friend?"

"Yes. I'm Jin."

"Um, how do you know about me, and who exactly are you all?"

Hearing Liko's question, the woman put her hand to her forehead.

"Don't tell me… you didn't explain anything to these kids, did you!?"

"Oh, I didn't? My bad."

Liko and Jin nodded simultaneously. Indeed, they hadn't been told anything about the group's purpose or destination.

"How did you even bring them here?"

"Friede!"

The silver-haired man, Friede, was being scolded by the two. It seemed this wasn't the first time he'd failed to explain things properly.

(So, his name is Friede…)

"Fuecoco!"

"Pawmi, Pawmi!"

Two more Pokémon emerged from the ship. One of them seemed happy to see Friede's Charizard.

"Fuecoco! And even Pawmi!"

"You know them, Liko?"

"Yes, they're Pokémon from the Paldea region."

"I see."

The Paldea region was Liko's birthplace. Jin had never been to Paldea, so it was natural he didn't recognize the Pokémon from there.

"Um, why are Pokémon from the Paldea region here?"

"Oh, those guys? They started living here while we were traveling. They're not the only ones. Look."

Various Pokémon from different regions, including Noctowl, Snorunt, and Shuckle, could be seen on the airship.

(So, if these Pokémon started living here while they were traveling, that means they've been to Johto, Hoenn, Paldea, and now Kanto. Who are these people?)

"Sorry for the late introduction. I'm Mollie."

"And I'm Murdock. That one there is my partner, Rockruff."

While Jin and Liko were introducing themselves, Rockruff and Sprigatito seemed to have become friends and were playing together. Fuecoco and Pawmi joined in, and they were all playing happily.

"Look at that, they're already getting along so well."

(They're all so cute... No, focus!)

"Um, excuse me!"

Liko tried to ask for more details about the situation, but suddenly, an alarm started ringing from Friede's Rotom Phone.

"Sorry, excuse me for a moment. One... two... three... could it be those guys from before? I'm heading to the control room. We're setting sail!"

The alarm was clearly a warning signal. Given the words "three," "those guys," and "pursuing," there was only one possible conclusion.

"Are the three from before chasing us?"

"Yeah, probably. Noctowl! Keep watch around us! They haven't given up yet."

"Friede, who are 'they'? What happened at the school?"

"I'll explain later. Murdock, check below! Mollie, take care of the Pokémon and these two!"

Friede gave orders to Murdock and Mollie in quick succession. Judging by his decisiveness and command skills in an emergency, Jin was certain he was the captain of the ship.

"There's a storm forming on our course. Orla's panicking."

"We'll handle it. Let's go, Charizard."

After Friede finished giving instructions, everyone began to carry out their roles.

"Hmm... Looks like we didn't get any answers."

"Ugh... I want to know what's happening..."

"You two! How long are you going to stay there? Come on, hurry up!"

For now, there was nothing more Jin and Liko could do. They wanted to get information, but reluctantly decided to follow the instructions.

---

Mollie led them to the observation room, but suddenly, the lights on the airship went out.

"A blackout!?"

"At a time like this..."

They were out of luck. Pursued by a mysterious group, they boarded the airship thinking they were safe, only to be attacked again and then plunged into darkness due to a power outage.

(I feel like something else is going to happen.)

During his travels in the Hoenn region, Jin had encountered numerous incidents and disasters. Whether it was battling a Pokémon thief at a Pokémon Center, nearly sinking in a storm on a ship, or being attacked by a horde of Pokémons while lost and starving in a forest, every time he thought things couldn't get worse, something always did. This was a principle he had learned from his travels.

(I'll keep quiet so I don't worry her.)

Depending on the crew's efforts, there might still be a chance to escape smoothly. Jin hoped for this outcome for Liko's sake, who was already filled with anxiety.

"Hoot! Hoot! Hoot!"

However, that hope was dashed by the cries of Noctowl, who was on the lookout.

(...Well... it was a short-lived and foolish hope.)

Jin couldn't help but think there might be a mischievous god enjoying testing travelers like him and Liko. This wasn't meant as a criticism of Arceus, which he clarified for the sake of his honor.

"They're finally here!"

Mollie used a telescope to check the rear of the ship, where Noctowl's warning was directed. She saw Amethio and his crew on Corviknight and Skarmory heading towards them.

"Those guys, they're the Explorers!"

Jin knew about the nefarious Team Magma and Aqua in Hoenn and the Team Rocket in Kanto, but he had never heard of the Explorers.

"The Explorers... Liko, do you know them?"

"No, I've never heard of them."

(If Liko doesn't know them either, they're probably not from Paldea... or they might be a secret organization unknown to the public.)

"They're taking another risk... but there's no other choice. Orla, it's up to you now."

While Jin was contemplating the Explorers, the ship's course of action seemed to have been decided. Mollie spoke on the phone, and the ship's speed increased significantly, changing direction sharply to the right.

"...At this rate, we're heading straight into a thundercloud."

"What!?"

Liko was shocked by Jin's muttering. She knew nothing about airships, but she understood that thunderclouds were something to be avoided at all costs.

"Wh-why are we heading into a thundercloud!?"

"It's probably to shake off our pursuers. If we don't do anything, they'll catch up to us for sure."

"But..."

"We can't change course now. We just have to brace ourselves."

"How can you stay so calm!?"

Jin accepted the current situation as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Liko couldn't understand his attitude.

"Liko, remember this. When you're traveling, getting caught in disasters like this happens all the time. But if you do your best, you can get through most things. Right now, the best thing we can do is trust the people on this ship. So, let's believe we'll make it through safely and wait."

"You're pretty gutsy."

"I can't compare to you guys."

Jin and Mollie laughed together, leaving Liko feeling left out.

(These people on the ship are bold, but so is Jin...)

After a while, the ship entered the thundercloud. Lightning spread across the windows of the observation room, and rain splattered heavily against the glass. Liko watched the outside with anxiety. Suddenly, she noticed three flying Pokémon and their trainers attacking from the rear of the ship.

"Uh... they're coming!"

(They used the airship as a shield against the wind to get closer? They're persistent.)

"Damn! Friede, the Explorers are on the wing deck! ...No good, the power's out. We have no choice. You guys stay here!"

"What are you going to do?"

"Manually retract it."

"Wait."

Mollie said as she tried to open the door and go outside, but Jin grabbed her arm to stop her.

"What? I'm in a hurry!"

"It's too late."

The Explorers were already here. They had been attacking the barrier repeatedly, and it would break after a few more hits. If Mollie tried to manually move the huge wing deck now, the barrier would break and they would be overrun.

"Damn! Then what do we do?"

With a bang, the barrier broke, and the three Explorers invaded the wing deck.

"They're in..."

"Damn it... what now?"

"Like I said before, we have to do our best. At this point, the only option is to fight back."

Jin took out a Poké Ball from his pocket and stepped outside.

"Hey, wait... you!"

"Mollie, please take care of the Pokémons and Liko. I'll handle them."

"Are you sure you'll be okay?"

"Piece of cake."

It wasn't just bravado.

Jin had seen two of the three attackers in battle at the academy. He hadn't fully gauged the strength of Amethio, the leader, but he was confident that Amethio favored one-on-one battles and would take the bait if challenged. As for the other two, Zirc and Onia, he had already battled Zirc and had a good sense of his abilities. He didn't have much information on Onia, but if her skills were on par with Zirc's, Jin was confident he could handle her as well.

"But..."

"Liko."

"..."

"Trust me. I'll handle it."

Jin's reassuring smile left Liko speechless, and she could only watch in silence as he descended to the wing deck.

(Jin... wait a second! This situation... being chased because of the pendant... Jin protecting me in such a dire situation... Am I... am I the heroine of a story!?)

"Liko, you have a really strange look on your face. Are you okay?"

It seemed that Liko's emotions showed more on her face than she realized.

//End

Liko's line, "Am I the heroine of a story!?" is one of my favorites.

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