Re-entering the Deepsea Metro

The rest of the week saw me getting more accustomed to life in Inkopolis Square. I acquired new garments as per the request of Angela, practiced my skills with my Octobrush, and even being asked by Lumiose to work at this dubious business by the name of Grizzco Industries. I had to turn down the offer, however; reading the manual of the company, I could see that their main objective was to collect golden eggs from the Salmonids by invading their territory. This went against my previous protocols; the Octarians and I were only allowed to receive power eggs from the fish. Furthermore, would it not be treacherous to harm the Salmonids when we granted them our technology? Therefore, I stayed away from the harmful corporation. Discounting than that somewhat small issue, the following days played out quite smoothly.

On the 7th night, when I was preparing to curl up in the box that Angela made me sleep in, I saw a familiar figure standing outside of the window. With my way illuminated by the light of both Angela and Lumiose, I made my way over to the window to find none other than Lumiose wearing a black jacket and yellow pants. I made sure that my roommates were still asleep before exiting the house, where I said to my sudden visitor, "Roenaldo?! What is your reason for being here? For that matter, how did you find me?" Roenaldo smoothed his bandana and smiled proudly as he answered, "I decided to come visit Inkopolis Square the other day to see what was going on when I saw you walking around in the streets. Using my deductive reasoning and tracking skills, I figured out where you sleep. So, I came over tonight to meet you in secret." I raised an eyebrow and responded, "Deductive reasoning? I would classify this as more along the lines of stalking." Roenaldo waved a hand dismissively and retorted, "So what if I'm stalking? That's what detectives do, right? Anyhow, let's not get off track. You said that you wanted to have a final showdown, right? Well, I was thinking that the perfect place to have it would be in the Deepsea Metro. You know how to get down there, right?" I shook my head and answered, "While I do know a way to get to the Deepsea Metro, I have been told that only authorized personnel can enter the nearby train station." Roenaldo gave me a knowing grin as he said, "Who said that's the only way in? I know an alternate pathway. Meet me in the park to the west of here in the morning and I'll tell you all about it." I nodded in acknowledgement, replying, "Understood." Roenaldo gave me a thumbs up before stating, "Great. I'll see you then." With that, Roenaldo walked off into the night. As he went, I heard the thud of foot meeting rock followed by a subdued curse. Chuckling silently with amusement, I reentered Lumiose and Angela's house and positioned myself for sleep, my mind excited for the events to come.

I awoke early to the sound of Angela moaning loudly. I looked up at her position on an elevated bed, where she was sleepily saying, "No…get away from me…stupid lizards…" I rubbed my tired eyes and yawned. Was Angela experiencing a bad dream of some sort? Well, at the very least, her ramblings allowed me to get a head start on the day. I silently traversed to the squid's bathroom to wash up before equipping my Octobrush and travelling to the rendezvous point.

Although it was true that I arrived rather quickly, I was still disappointed by how long it was taking for Roenaldo to appear. I estimate it was an hour before he finally approached me. "For cripes sake," I said while sitting on a bench, "Is it possible for you to move any slower? Birds were starting to roost near me, and some of them even tried to snag a piece of me away to eat!" Roenaldo laughed with slight embarrassment and said, "Sorry, I overslept." I shook my head in disappointment. Here I was waking up early and waiting patiently while this Inkling was slumbering peacefully. I sighed before stating, "What information do you have concerning this alternate pathway you have been speaking of?" Roenaldo pointed to the northeast and said, "The way to the Deepsea Metro is right over there. Come on, follow me!" Roenaldo marched confidently forward, leaving me to come after him. After a quick trip, we ended up in front of a green building with circular pools of liquid scattered across the field behind it. "Here we are," said Roenaldo, "There should be a pipe somewhere around here. Let me snoop around." As the squid searched the area, I took a closer look at the large structure. Reading the big, white letters at the top, I observed that we were at a place called the "Inkopolis Wastewater Treatment Plant". "Roenaldo," I inquired as I looked to the right, "Is there a reason as to why we are here? This hardly seems related to—" My jaw became agape with shock when I saw what Roenaldo discovered: a rusty, red tube. "Roenaldo," I said tersely, "Please do not tell me we are doing what I think we are doing." Roenaldo waved a hand dismissively and stated, "Calm down, it's safe! When I was looking around Kamabo for you and the captain, I ended up travelling through this pipe. Trust me, it's completely empty!" To emphasize his point, he tapped the cylinder with a nearby stick, producing a hollow clink sound. Still, I felt uneasy. "Even so," I retorted, "How do you know that this is completely safe? It could be possible that this pipe fills with sewage intermittently." Roenaldo threw his hands up and returned, "Come on, do you think I don't know my paths? I moved up and down this pipe, to the surface and back! Besides, you're the one who wanted to challenge me first, right? Well, now's your chance to make that happen!" I looked at the passageway with queasy uncertainty. While I fancied myself as a clean individual, I knew that sacrifices such as these had to be made in order for goals to be achieved. "Okay," I said somewhat quietly, "I will go." Roenaldo clenched his fist proudly and said, "That's the spirit! Well then, let's dive!" Roenaldo morphed into his squid form and plunged mantle-first into the pipe. I walked over and gulped nervously before doing the same.

Simply put, the trip was unpleasant, yet quick. The smooth walls of the decommissioned sewage pipe allowed our moist bodies to slip and slide our way to the other side, which was, to my horror, a toilet. "My god," I said, barely keeping my stomach contents within me, "What even possessed you to jump into this fixture in the first place?!" Roenaldo answered, "Look, I was desperate! Besides, this bathroom is closed for maintenance, anyway." He ran his hands along the sides of the toilet, stating, "See? Completely dry." I gave a disgusted look towards my associate before noticing a lone sink to the right of us. I promptly made use of it, covering my body in soap and water in an attempt to rid myself of the foul smell. Roenaldo, however, appeared to have no intent to do the same; this would explain his questionable stench on the helicopter a week ago. "Come now," I said with annoyance, "Cleanse your hands at the very least!" Roenaldo sighed and answered, "Fine…" The Inkling the traversed over to the sink, barely moisturized his hands, and walked to the bathroom door, stating, "Anyway, we're here now. To the station!" As the squid exited the room, I held my hand to my face. Was this the state of Roenaldo's hygiene? It was a wonder that he did not drop dead to a parasite of some sort yet. Nevertheless, I followed behind the squid onto one hallway of the underground area.

After some navigating, the two of us ended up at the central train station. Using the CQ-80 device that he acquired through unknown means, Roenaldo called over the Kamabo-issued train, which arrived in a matter of minutes. Stepping inside, I noticed Cuttlefish of all people sitting on one of the train's seats, talking at a predatory tunicate that was suctioned onto his leg. "Cuttlefish?" I asked, "What are you still doing here? Do you not have a home on the surface?" He answered, "I do, but I figured that I would stay down here for a while. I've grown to like these peculiar fellows!" At that moment, C.Q. Cumber came flopping over, saying, "Good to see you here, applicant 10,008. Or should I say Basstian Brine. You see, I got word that Kamabo Co's main base of operations has experienced a catastrophic accident. For that reason, any people associated with the company have been relieved of their titles. With that being said, there is nothing stopping me from transporting you to the stations located in this area for other purposes. In fact…" He turned to my travel mate and said in Inklish, "I believe that you wanted me to ride you and your friend to a certain station, yes?" Roenaldo nodded and answered, "For sure. You said that the place is completely empty, right?" C.Q. Cumber replied, "Indeed. We initially meant it to be another testing room, but we abandoned it for location purposes. However, you two may use it for your personal purposes." Roenaldo smiled before pulling out his CQ-80 device and saying, "Perfect! Okay, Basstian, we're heading over there right now! With the press of a button, the train was zoomed over to its location. The conductor stayed behind as Roenaldo and I exited through the train doors.

"Welcome, you two," said C.Q. Cumber through the speakers, "To the Blank Canvas station…actually, that is not the true name of this area. It is in fact nameless…anyway, stay where you are, please. I am sending a package." After a short delay, two bags, one yellow and one purple, were ejected out of a nearby chute. I opened the purple sack to find a genuine set of Null Armor. Roenaldo glanced at me and asked, "Do you like it? I reasoned with C.Q. Cumber to get the full suit. Put it on, you're going to need it." I proceeded to don the gear, finding to my satisfaction that there were buckles on the helmet to prevent it from bouncing off my afro. I suppose that Roenaldo had been feeling considerate when he ordered this armor. I finished my preparation and looked over at Roenaldo before widening my eyes in an amused shock. His getup was absolutely ridiculous; he was wearing a black bicycle helmet with two fishing rods on either side, a yellow, black sleeved jacket with fishing lures hanging off the waist, and thick pants and boots, which were the only normal aspects of his attire. "Roenaldo," I said with a laugh, "Are you attempting to catch something for lunch? Because I assure you, there are no fish to catch around here." Roenaldo gave me a look and retorted, "Shut your mouth! Agent 1 says that this armor makes me look attractive." He reached inside his bag as he continued, "Anyway, we both have our weapons, right?" I brandished my Octobrush as Roenaldo pulled out that large Roller of his. "Of course," I said, "But I must ask, what is that weapon you have there? It looks like a Dynamo Roller, but it is different." Roenaldo propped himself up against his tool proudly as he said, "I like to call this one the Dynamic Hero. Sheldon built the base design a while ago, but he recently remodeled it to have a different look and set. I never got a chance to fully show it off when we first met, so I guess now's my chance. I decided that you and I should both have full armor sets; now you won't be as easy for me to crush!" I crossed my arms and responded "Are you certain that you will not be the one getting destroyed? Do not forget that I can also be a formidable foe." Roenaldo smiled and said, "We'll have to see on the battlefield, won't we?" His expression then turned more professional as he said, "In all seriousness, I know that you were the one that asked for this rematch, but I'm just as, of not more interested in this fight as you are. Ever since our initial fight got cut short, I have been trying to find you so I could set things straight. Now that we're both finally here, I have one thing to ask you…" He held out a hand for me to shake, saying, "Don't hold anything back." I accepted his gesture as I answered, "I was not planning on doing so. I am determined to see who is the better cephalopod between the two of us." Roenaldo nodded solemnly and stated, "Good. So, are you ready?" I nodded and answered, "Certainly." With that, us two exited through the turnstile and Super Jumped towards a large, isolated platform.

As Roenaldo and I stood on circular ground, C.Q. Cumber said, "I'm hearing from your mentor that he wants to watch this battle. Do I have your consent to broadcast this match on the train's television?" Roenaldo responded, "Of course! This is too important to miss." The sea cucumber replied, "Very well. If there are no further preparations, then I will put on that music you requested me to play. I wish you both the best of luck." After that message was mentioned, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the one and only Calamari Inkantation was beginning to play throughout the room. "Aw yeah," said Roenaldo as he tapped his foot to the beat, "This is it!" He gripped his Dynamic Hero as he continued, "Well, Basstian, the stage is set. Are you ready to finish what we started?" I held my Octobrush at the ready and answered, "Completely and fully. As they say in your language, 頑張って, Agent 3." Roenaldo smiled and responded, "Okay, viel Glück to you too, Agent 8." We stared each other in the eyes with unbridled determination. This was the moment. This was when old grudges would be put to rest. I, for one, could not wait to begin.