(ACE) The SHIPWRECK Team

Her feet kept tapping as she contemplated his answer, but after a moment, Bell had an idea that she spoke aloud. "All the other places were quiet. She didn't want to be here, where other Pokemon could be." Her brow furrowed as her gaze followed the darting shapes that could be seen moving throughout the coral before she jumped off her perch to ask, "Did she leave us out here? Is she coming back?"

The intense look she was giving Thorn confused him, and the stunned Gyarados made a comical sight. It hadn't even crossed his mind that Saferi might have sent them away for good.  "Uh... I don't think so? She gave us a meet up place, and she didn't actually tell us to leave. And she, uh, seems like the kind of Pokemon that would tell someone if she didn't want them there." Or at least that was the vibes he had gotten from her. "And we still haven't explored the ship. Kinda doubt she would want to be alone for that part."

"Shut up and hunt. I'll look over here."

His hardened gaze watched her intensely before he left the scene with a sharp turn. Stupid bitch. If he didn't know any better he would think she was trying to get rid of him. Instead of chasing him out she was playing some shitty, poorly made plan to annoy him into leaving. And it was working. I could find better prey elsewhere. With a heavy grunt he swam a little faster. But then she would win. And they couldn't have that, now could they? Whatever.

The bulky dual type kept moving until he was in deeper water. The jutting stones and mussel covered rocks reminded him so much of home. The taste of the sand was off the pull of the water and little sprigs of plants held a sort of nostalgia for a home long lost. Suddenly Sanngetall felt his cold blood turn icy. A shadow passed overhead, darkening the water for only a heartbeat as it moved along. It was enough to push the large seahorse against the shadow of the boulders and hide his figure within that beat. The bird?! Was it back to claim another life?! Rage festered beneath his scales. While he had little remorse for their lost friend he was not about to be made a fool of a second time, third even.

Fighting the distortion of the water the Dragalge peered through the surface at the would-be predator. It circled back around, moving lower but not bombing the water as he searched for a meal. The figure was a familiar one; a Pelipper, big and plump with a sagging bill. They haunted the beaches were he grew up, and as he watched the bird flying overhead he realized another was not too far off as well. It was impossible to tell if they were diseased from his position but Sannge knew they were not at fault for their loss. They arent strong enough to lift a Floatzel. The anger started to fade and his muscles relaxed. They were just here to eat like any other Pokemon.

But while they were no threat to him a good hunt would not be found here any longer with lingering shadows. He watched for a few more movements as another Pelipper joined them and the caws of Wingull could be heard. At home the abundant birds were enough to scare any shallow water Pokemon off, and while the idea of taking one out for a feast was tantalizing the haunting memory was enough to take his appetite away. Moving out of the shadows Sanngetall sighed. So much for a mind clearing hunt.

Bell's heart drummed with panic. Never before had thoughts of abandonment and loneliness plagued never. Never had that been a worry to her, but for some reason it seemed possible here. Searching Thorn's gaze for answeres she was surprised to find none of the panic that was making her heart race. "Uh... I don't think so? She gave us a meet up place, and she didn't actually tell us to leave. And she, uh, seems like the kind of Pokemon that would tell someone if she didn't want them there." He didn't think so? Was she just being overdramaitc. There was a humorous tone to his voice, like he thought she was being silly. Was she? Was it just a  silly passing thought?

"And we still haven't explored the ship. Kinda doubt she would want to be alone for that part." Bell pulled her eyes away from his and let them drift as she thought.  Yeah, yeah we havent! That was important to Saferi too, wasn't it? "There's no way she would leave us out of that!" She bellowed, shaking the fears away as she realized that. Even if she and Mr. Sanngetall were at the ship right now there was no way they would explore it without them. Bell forced a smile to keep the bad feelings away. She had had a rough day, she resolved, and silly thoughts were bound to pop up.

With a deep breath the Poliwag nodded to herself. This was her time to have fun, her trip with Mr. Thorn. She wasn't sure what they could do together but-- "Excuse me lass," a new voice popped by from behind her, and Bell quickly turned to see a round shape moving through the corals. The Qwilfish popped out but kept the safe distance from the two Pokemon. "Is this fella bothering you?"


Saferi was sly as she swam. Moving across the dip she swam casually forward before arcing back around, careful not to disturb the sand. Sanngetall's struggle was still fresh in her mind, and a tactic to dealing with shellfish had to be devised. Well, maybe for another creature that wasn't used to them at this point. The Shellder was buried too deep for her to see which direction it was facing, or where its tongue was hanging out. She tasted for it but could not pinpoint its breathe. Whatever. In the end it really didn't matter.

Patiently she waited for the pull of the tide. In and out it moved, and once she was in rhythm with the timing the eel took in a deep breath. Spouting forth a harsh Water Pulse straight downward she blew sand throughout the water in storm of miniature currents. The purple shell of her prey almost shimmered between the grains, tightly clamped closed as it was thrust upward. With another Water Pulse she continued the current and pushed it even higher toward the surface. Instinct told her to grab it now, but practice told her otherwise.

The defensive creature kept floating upward until the edge of its shell touched the air. If a shell could quiver, it did. Pushing water back it propelled itself back down toward the seabed, and the instant it touched the sand Saferi knew it was her chance. Obscured by sand the Bivavle didn't even notice her as it quickly unfurled its tongue and began to dig. Racing in with a Hidden Power she blasted the exposed tender body before the creature could react. Stunned and in pain it could not close fully before the ferocious eel could grab hold with a Crunch and pull until she heard it crack.

A dark trail of blood and ooze wafted out of her meal as she dropped it. Hunger began to eat at her but she hesitated still. At one point she was a Pokemon like this; a clam, a pearl maker that lived in the sand. Was it right to eat her own kind? Saferi had never felt bogged by these thoughts before when she hunted the Shellder that lived here, and as she started to feed she forced them away. The meat was fresh and tender, and she was no longer a helpless prey being.

Now that the question had been spoken, the thought didn't want to go away. Thorn had been fully convinced that Saferi hadn't wanted them to completely leave yet, but now Bell's doubt made a quiet voice in the corner of his mind bring up his fear of people leaving. Despite this, he kept a smile on his face, and Bell seemed to believe his words. Her cheerful mood bounced back as she bellowed, "There's no way she would leave us out of that!" She spoke forcefully, as if trying to make the universe bend to her will.

Either they had been seen, or their conversation had attracted attention. He noticed the movement as Bell collected herself, but a Qwilfish appeared before he could give any warning. "Excuse me lass," The small prickly fish directed his attention towards Bell. "Is this fella bothering you?" Now that question threw him, and he wasn't sure if he should have felt offended or not. The other Pokemon was keeping a distance, but they didn't seem aggressive.

Hoping that maybe the other Pokemon was just curious, Thorn gave the Qwilfish a smile. He wasn't going to speak for Bell, but he did want to greet the stranger. "Hey, nice to meet you! We're just checking the coral out."

The water distorted the caw of the birds but they were unmistakable. It was like a whole flock had just awoken for the day to start their own search for food and they were unlucky enough to have chosen the same hunting grounds. What a crock of Pontya shit. Weaving his way through the tidepools Sanngetall notice a sharp drop in lingering prey scents. They must have noticed as well, or perhaps they were just aware of the time when the birds came by. One smell his brush his palate with harsh familiarity, and within a few turns he came across a successful eel. His snout wrinkled with a humor and irritation. Got a problem with an audience? Was that her plan all along; have him move away so she could hunt in private? The seahorse grunted, making his presnce known as he pushed the thought away for more importance matters.

"Hey." He said brusquely, voice firm with importance. "We gotta move." Angling his head to the surface he shot a glance at the circling pelicans and gulls. Had they caught scent of their catches? No way, its too soon. Could they see the remnants through the surface? He huffed, turning his head so fast his crest caused the water to skim. "No sense wasting energy when these damn birds will just cause a scene." Whether they scared off what was here or fought them for their food it wasn't worth the hassle. Turning from Saferi Sanngetall started to swim from whence they came. At least it wasn't a total bust. They did both get something, and it was a distraction no matter how they sliced it.

Bell blinked at the new Pokemon. She had never seen a fish quite like him; round like her with the same sort of tail, but with small spikes rather than feet. It was kinda cute, so much so she didn't realize what he had asked at first. Oh. With a hard blink she pushed her awe away and answered with a smile. "Who, Mr. Thorn? He wouldn't bother nobody!" Turning her smile to the Gyarados she looked for any hostility of hear, anything that would tell her to get away, but saw none of it and didn't feel the end to dart to his safety. Instead he spoke with the same kindness. "Hey, nice to meet you! We're just checking the coral out."

For a few seconds the Qwilfish seemed unsure, watching them both carefully as though it was a ruse, but then he nodded with a soft but hearty chuckle. "Ah ah good to hear, good to hear!" The portly fish moved a little closer as he continued. "Alway's nice to see a new face 'round these parts. Especially kids, olways a blessing." Bell found herself chuckling along with the new fish. He spoke a little oddly but in a fun way, and swam with a little extra wiggle. Could she swim like that? "It is real lovely out here. Coral can be delicate but its really flourished recently."

With each little motion it made Bell felt a rising desire to do the same. Falling so her belly faced downward she flicked her tail side to side and tried her best to mimic the spiky fellow. Angling himself to look at Thorn the Qwilfish quieted his voice for Bell's sake but kept the same kind tone. "Sorry 'bout that- didn't mean to cast assumptions. Can't be too careful with all the knew fangs movin' in these days, yeah know."


Finally her foul mood seemed to lift. Forgetting any hesitations she had about her prey Saferi gobbled the soft flesh feverishly. The unruly feeling in her gut faded as it was filled and her mind was eased. The bites quickly vanished, leaving her with two halves of the broken mollusc and a thinning cloud of blood. Scrapping her fangs against the insides of the shell for the last scraps of flesh Saferi acknowledged the circling birds with an annoyed flick of her tail. Even within the blind sensation of a hunter at work she could not ignore their presence.

Running her fangs along the inner side of the shell the Huntail enjoyed the grinding feeling and that of making the scavengers wait. All worthwhile meat was gone now but sharpening her fangs was a lovely post-meal activity and helped settle the ease into her bones. With each pass she sensed the birds getting closer, and right when she thought her fun was coming to an end it slammed to an abrupt halt. The shadow of a familiar figure solidified through the debris she had stirred up and  greeted her with a flat, "Hey." Without stopped her rythmic scrapes she eyed up and muttered the same. "Hey."

The passing idea that he had come to apologies occurred to her and was enough to make her eyes glisten with good humor. Over my dead body. It came as no surprise to her that his actual announcement was cut and dry. "We gotta move." That was it? Saferi grunted, rolling her eyes as she batted the remains of the shell away. "Oh yeah? What gave you that idea." While her jeer was no different than before it was fueled from a different place, and even his salty reaction did not seem bitter like before. "No sense wasting energy when these damn birds will just cause a scene."

With a soft chuckle the eel flicked her tail and swam past him. "Yeah yeah. We were just leaving anyway." The birds were a nuisance but not enough to make her want to stop quite yet. But while she could go for another Shellder there was no need to over hunt her own home. She could always come back later when she wasn't being watched and that was enough to keep her moving. "Guess we are heading back early then." She said airily as the water started to deepen. Without even turning her head back she could hear the splashes and frenzy of diving sea birds. To get such a reaction from the sparing scraps she left spoke poorly of any further hunting right then, and the eel sped up as they traveled further into the bay.

Bell looked over towards him for assurance, and he tried to give her a reassuring smile before the Qwilfish answered. Thankfully, her vote of confidence seemed to help the stranger make up his mind. "Ah ah good to hear, good to hear!" The Gyarados felt the small bit of tension in the back of his mind ease at the Qwilfish's laughter, and he couldn't help but laugh a little as well. The Qwilfish approached them slowly as he explained, "Alway's nice to see a new face 'round these parts. Especially kids, olways a blessing." Thorn noticed that Bell was trying to mimic the Qwilfish's swimming motion, and tried to contain his amusement. "It is real lovely out here. Coral can be delicate but its really flourished recently." Once the Qwilfish was closer, he quieted his voice to say, "Sorry 'bout that- didn't mean to cast assumptions. Can't be too careful with all the knew fangs movin' in these days, yeah know."

"Yeah, I can understand that," Thorn responded in a similar tone. He couldn't fault someone being concerned about strangers. Especially strangers that looked like him. "I'm... used to it." Still keeping an eye on Bell, he asked, "Name's Thorn, got something you want us to call you?" He'd let Bell decide if she wanted to drop her own name to the new fish.

As Bell mimicked the other fish's swimming style she could feel muscles along her sides working that she had never felt before. It was the oddest feeling, and even as they started to burn she was too curious and enthralled to want to stop. It was so odd in fact she missed half of what the others were saying. "Eyy, I get some of that. Though I doubt its nearly as bad as you have." The Qwilfish said as she brought her attention back to it. With a puff Bell pushed herself back into her normal swimming posture and moved closer to Thorn. A lightheadness filled her skull for a few moments from the exertion but a smile remained plastered on her face.  

"Name's Thorn, got something you want us to call you?" Thorn introduced himself politely, and upon realizing this creature was friend and not foe Bell immediately jumped to do the same. "Oh, oh and I'm Bell!" For a second the Qwilfish's eyes widened, taken aback by the burst, but he quickly recovered to another hearty chuckle. "Good to meet ya both." He nodded, pausing as he continued to laugh. "Goodness, its been a while. Names Monty, its nice to meet the two of you."

Bell beamed, "Does that mean you live out here in the coral?" The question came out so fast that she could hardly breathe before the next. "Do you know the other Pokémon around here?"
Monty blinked, taking a second to process both questions.
"Hold on, hold on lass, one question at a time." Giving himself a second to breathe the puffer waggled his tail. "I do live around these parts, yes, but most other Pokémon only visit. A reef is a social place after all, a community center." Letting his eyes drift across the reef the Qwilfish spoke to Bell but turned his attention to Thorn. "Why don't I show the two of you around?"

It was quiet, a peacefulness filling what remained of the morning. Sanngetall didn't really say anything as they left the area. It was nice, and the eel relished the silence for several hundred feet, but at some point she could not ignore the anomaly. Her entire insight into the seahorse's behavior was captive, but between offhanded mentions and particular incidents she could see him having a ball with the unwanted scavengers. Numbers wouldn't be an issue, but rather a time or interest factor. And, at the very least, they could even be considered additional food sources.

With a gruff snort Saferi primed her voice to speak. "Didn't want to play with the birds?" She asked curiously, half expecting some sarcastic snark and half expecting continued silence. Her own inquiry did peak her thoughts though, and she recalled the little bit of the birds she managed to catch. "They did look rather scrawny." Scavengers would have a hard time with this disease. Though completely capable of fishing Wingull in particular were notorious scavengers. Must be hard when your prey gets up again.

The stranger took Thorn's words in stride, and when Bell suddenly stopped playing to announce her name, he greeted them with a laugh. "Good to meet ya both. Goodness, its been a while. Names Monty, its nice to meet the two of you." Monty's easy manner invited Thorn to join in the good natured laughter as well. It was easy to let one's guard down around such a jovial personality.

Instantly, Bell asked, "Does that mean you live out here in the coral?" The question was followed by another with almost no break. "Do you know the other Pokémon around here?"

Poor Monty had to take a moment to process the questions. "Hold on, hold on lass, one question at a time." He took a breath to focus, and then answered, "I do live around these parts, yes, but most other Pokémon only visit. A reef is a social place after all, a community center." That caught Thorn's attention. It had never clicked that that's how reefs functioned for ocean dwelling Pokemon. "Why don't I show the two of you around?"

Thorn glanced towards Bell to judge her feelings. It hadn't felt like a lot of time had passed since they had separated from Saferi and Sanngetall, and he didn't think they'd be ready to meet back up yet. "Uh, what say you, Bell?"

"Didn't want to play with the birds?" Saferi's voice interrupted his silent monologue. "Har," was his only response. She knew as well as he did the irritation that came with hunting around seabirds, and that the reward for catching one was little for the effort. Not to mention the feathers. Legends, he had no fangs or claws to deal with the feathers. When he did not respond again Saferi made her own response. "They did look rather scrawny." Scrawny? "Did you plan on making a meal of them?' He grunted sarcastically. They wouldn't have left if she did.

Pushing all thoughts of the birds away the seahorse continued onward. He let any annoyance from the interrupted hunt fade away and felt his muscle relax once more. Slowing his pace he fell in line with Saferi and drifted slightly further back in a respectful gesture. They did hunt, as they had planned, and it was neither of their faults that it had ended so soon. Though he did not smile, not that it would have been noticeable, Sanngetall did feel the ease creep all the way into his snout. Alright. He thought moments before realizing where they were.

The waters had cleared considerably now and were nearly clean, but the faint taint around the ship was still palpable even at their distance. Tilting his head to the side the Dragalge dared to look at the rust bucket, and squinted at his own handiwork. There was a lot left to do, he realized. When he looked away from the cruise liner he noticed a dark shape missing from his periphery; Saferi had stopped moving. "What?" Was all he bothered to say, but the word was not harsh. Curiosity started to seep into his soft bones. She hadn't even looked at it on their last pass.

Bell's brown eyes sparkled. "A social gathering spot?" She paraphrased, feeling the excitement pass through her again from head to toe. Did that mean other Pokemon collected here to play and have fun? That meant those swimming shadows really were other Pokemon, and they weren't just looking for an easy meal. They were safe to approach. It was safe to explore. Throwing her face to Thorn Bell beamed with glee and hoped he caught her drift. "Uh, what say you, Bell?" He asked her politely, as though double checking that she wanted to go with a stranger into an unknown place. With a vigorous nod the Poliwag squealed, "A tour, a tour!"

That was all the confirmation Monty needed. "Alrighty then. The train's leaving the station! First stop; the sweetest seagrass you ever did taste." His little wriggle turned to an even paced swim and Bell followed without hesitation. At this point the sun had risen high enough to cast long beams of light within the water, and as they traveled the different corals and other plants truly came to life. The array was a true rainbow, making it hard to focus on any one plant, but as they passed a small purple forest Monty made sure to take notice of it. "On yer right you can see some purple sea whips. This colony almost died out but we nursed it back to a healthy state." Staring in awe Bell made sure not to bump or harm the soft corals as she swam by.

Inside.. in some way, this felt nostalgic. Somewhat like when Viggy and Dahlia first showed her the the ship, or when Thorn hyped her up for the shimmering kelp beds. Maybe it was like resting in the caves with Aqua, or when they went exploring in the town, minus the chase from Cheshire. Her small world had expanded exponentially in the last few days, exposing the child to so many things and faces she had never seen before. A massive smile spread cheek to cheek along her face as a fast school of Remoraid darted past them, chittering quickly about a fresh patch of kelp nearby. This trumped all those other adventures. It reminded her so much of home, of being with all her siblings and neighbors back in their pond while being completely different. "Isn't this place amazing Mr. Thorn?" She asked airily, eyes bright and spirit lifted. Bell knew it was only a tour, but in a way, she hoped it never had to end.


"Har," the seahorse choked out and Saferi managed an amused snicker. He didn't seem as salty as he was earlier even though she was still poking fun. Maybe the small meal had finally gotten him to settle down. "Did you plan on making a meal of them?' He snarked back after a pause. Saferi raised a brow before gaining a crooked smile. "Oh please. Those things are mostly feathers. Its not worth the effort unless you have some way to make something of them." Her own trinkets brushed against her chest, drawing her attention to them. She didn't make any of them, nor did she have a way to make one without any deft fingers. Feathers wouldn't last well in water anyway. The eel sighed, pushed such whimsical thoughts away. That wasn't who she was.

... Slowing her pace Saferi felt another sigh push out of her gills. She didn't need to cock her head to know she was in front of the ship (though at a distance), but she did so anyway. It called to her, the place she had carved out and claimed as her home. The place she had fought hard to reclaim, and could taste that she had done so. For two days now she had not slept within her own den and being so close brought the yearning to a T. But that's not where she was going, where she would end up sleeping tonight. She was supposed to be meeting up with other Pokemon who were.. playing or something.

...This isn't who I am.

With her golden gaze fixed on the distant ship Saferi didn't even realize she had come to a halt until a nagging voice came to her softly. "What?" Silence persisted for several long moments. She knew this place like the sides of her tail. The coral reef was usually teeming with Pokemon, but it was not an ideal hunting ground by nature. Part of her wanted to see Bell, to know the child had perked back up after their loss, but the logical side of her brain knew that safe environment would do that even without proof. "I'm going home." She breathed, and a weight seemed to lift from her spine.

Bell couldn't say yes fast enough. She all but shook her entire body as she nodded and squealed, "A tour, a tour!" Her excitement carried over to him, and it made Thorn almost as interested in taking Monty up on his offer.

The Qwilfish didn't take long to change his pace to an even swim, and Thorn followed behind at a leisurely pace. "Alrighty then. The train's leaving the station! First stop; the sweetest seagrass you ever did taste." The words "sweet" and "seagrass" were not words would have ever expected to be in the same sentence, but he was curious as to what Monty meant. With the morning sunlight fully reaching the coral, the colors grew even more vivid, and the rainbows made it difficult to fully focus on any one thing. "On yer right you can see some purple sea whips. This colony almost died out but we nursed it back to a healthy state." Monty's voice drew Thorn to look at the purple coral specifically, and he tried to store that information for later.

As they kept going, Bell dreamily looked towards him and asked, "Isn't this place amazing Mr. Thorn?" She looked so happy and content that he truly wished she could always stay like this. The horrors they had suffered over the last few days seemed so far away, and with the realization that there were other friendly Pokemon out in the sea, he dared to hope that maybe things would be okay.

"It sure is, kid," He answered with a smile. The tour had only just begun, and he was ready to see more.

((Leaving Post))

When Sanngetall realized Saferi was still frozen in place he made himself completely turn around and approached her. He felt no hostility coming from the eel, no fear or need to be cautious in such close proximity, but yet he could not ignore the sensation that something was amiss. She was not acting normal, and for someone like them that was cause for concern. Catching the faintest glimmer from the side of her golden eyes he could see they were distant, looking at more than just the ship in the harbor. It was clearly more than being lost in thought, and then she uttered something he was not expecting.

"I'm going home."

"What?" He dared to repeat the word though this time it was much firmer. "Need to grab something, forget your coin purse?" Snorting out the words he could see they were not resonating with her the way he had expected. There wasn't even a flicker from his poor joke. Wrinkling his snout the seahorse grunted before trying again. "Now wouldn't it just crush that lil squirt you've taken a shine to to know you explored without her."

The normal taste of the water was starting to return. It had been so long since Saferi tasted the pure, salty, natural tang of the ocean in this part of the harbor. Had they truly purged the ship of Phione? Did that mean any remaining 'mons had scattered and left this place in peace? Peace. What a gift that would be. "What?" As that irritating voice reminded her that things were different than they were a few days before the eel had to push such wishful thinking aside. "Need to grab something, forget your coin purse?" "Hilarious." She sighed quietly, having not paid attention to the joke. If the Phione were gone was anything really stopping her from returning home?

"Now wouldn't it just crush that lil squirt you've taken a shine to to know you explored without her?" Saferi's hardened expression fell as she knew his jest was based in truth. "Yes," she spoke earnestly, the visual of Bell's sorrowful eyes clear in her mind, "it would." From the second they met she recalled the child's desire to explore. Though dampened now Saferi knew it was still a very real want and would not be easily forgotten. "That's why I sent them to that reef. It isn't for creatures like us, but it'll give her something new to explore."

Saferi swam a little closer to the ship. Every inch she moved made her feel lighter, the stress melting from her movements. She couldn't resist the call of her den much longer. "Then she'll have a place to go when we don't show up." The word 'we' felt out of place on her tongue but fit naturally in her statement. Even now as her solidarity fought to regain control she was not about to leave the seahorse behind a second time.

"Yes, it would." Though she spoke on her error Saferi seemed no closer to moving. Lazily drifting to her other side the Dragalge tried to decipher was she was thinking. Protect the brat, make this an even more personal matter, explore the ship without needing a massive entrance? Nothing quite fit the whimsical starry look to her eyes. She wanted something, and he knew it had to be more simple than that. She wanted to go home.. quiet, maybe? No need to impress or lead, or tear up her home anymore. Food was as simple as her own needs in a territory she had mapped. Her old life and den before all this. A chance to sleep in her own nest. Boy, was that a feel. "So you just want this over with? Nothing slowing you down?" She realized she was just delaying the inevitable, right? The second Bell found out she'd start the waterworks all over again. Plus she couldn't ditch him that easily.

But Saferi was not put off by it. "That's why I sent them to that reef. It isn't for creatures like us, but it'll give her something new to explore." With a heavy shrug Sanngetall tossed his head back and tried to imagine the reef he had avoided. His stomach hopped at the thought of all the food that was probably hanging around there, and while full it felt empty knowing he wouldn't get to try any of that juicy fish. "How touching. I bet she'll tell us aaaallllll about it." He could already hear her incessant babble about every little piece of coral and plankton she passed. What he wouldn't give to make a meal of her vocal cords.

A fin pulled down across his eyes, but again Saferi didn't seem to notice or care as she continued her own lost thoughts. "Then she'll have a place to go when we don't show up." Immediately his attention snapped back, and he moved to stay in line with her side. "Pardon?" He huffed, feeling tension build in his shoulders. "You don't want to show up.. and what, do tell me, is preventing them from looking for us?" An awkward laugh coughed its way out. Was she serious? Did she really think they could just disappear in a known place? A known place they were all going to head back to? "Specifically at the ship that you're dead set on returning to, because, I don't know, its the most obvious place to check first when we're missing?"

"Pardon?"

Had she said something funny? With her body moving on instinct toward her home Saferi had to speak up to make sure her voice carried back to the slow seahorse. "We aren't going back." She reiterated. "They will find an empty meeting point and that's the end of it." It felt strange to think their last departure would be last time she'd see the pair of freshwater Pokemon, but Saferi knew it was logically safer for them. "You don't want to show up.. and what, do tell me, is preventing them from looking for us?" The dual type barked back at her as though she hadn't given it any thought. "Specifically at the ship that you're dead set on returning to, because, I don't know, its the most obvious place to check first when we're missing?"

With a flick of her netted tail Saferi breathed easy as she spoke. "Thorn," she started, grateful for the Gyarados and the bond he had with the kid. "He's smart; he knows nothing in these waters can withstand us." They were a pair of predators, and not cowardly ones at that. Alone Saferi was a terror in these waters, as a duo they were unstoppable. "If we aren't at the rock he'll know its by choice and not that something happened." How long would he wait at the stone? She had not left a time, as hunting is an art, and expected to be done first, but he did not seem like the impatient type. "I don't know what he'll make up but he wouldn't let Bell come to the ship if he even slightly doubted its safety. Without me, or us, I feel there is reasonable doubt- he wouldn't approach."

A sigh came from her massive jaw, and at least the stress was gone. Saferi did not smile, but a calm melted across her face as she picked up speed and made her way home. "Are you coming or not?" Even though she was avoiding a pair, for the first time in her life the eel hoped to keep some company and welcomed him to her home.


Bell's eyes widened at each and every sight they passed. Monty showed them all sorts of corals and plants she never knew existed. Many of them were edible and she even got a chance to taste them! Sweety, tangy, spicy, the flavors were unbelievable. In a way they reminded her of berries even though the texture was off, and the Poliwag wondered when she last had a nice ripe berry. For that matter, had any of these water-bound Pokemon ever had one?

It made her wonder what Saferi did with plants, or if she had ever come to this place. She knew its location but had headed in the opposite direction. Was this like the caves to her, a place to map out and only return to when needed? Or was it simply not interesting as it only offered plant matter that the child had never seen her eat. Such thoughts were curious, but as Monty pointed out another land formation in the coral that she could swim through they were quickly forgotten.

Every so often the child would look back at Thorn, grateful that he was here with her on their mini exploration. He looked happy again, and the feeling was infectious in her own smile. They needed this, really they did, and as they made their way through the coral reef Bell wondered how she would ever get herself to leave.

"Thorn. He's smart; he knows nothing in these waters can withstand us." A small snort bubble out from his snout. Was that a compliment? "If we aren't at the rock he'll know its by choice and not that something happened." Sannge nodded, letting his head lull from one side to the other has he found a hole to prod at. "Yes, but what if he thinks the hunt is running long and he should come find us?" Maybe, for whatever reason, he  would think they took down some big game to share with him and were having trouble bringing it back to the stone structure. "I don't know what he'll make up but he wouldn't let Bell come to the ship if he even slightly doubted its safety. Without me, or us, I feel there is reasonable doubt- he wouldn't approach."

He paused and tried to picture himself as Gyarados, something he had never done before. To say it didn't go well was an understatement, as all he could think of was chomping everything with his massive head. Eh, the guy's soft. Probably take the kid out to sea. Or, to another river system. The Gyarados had the luxury of moving on land, even if only for a short distance, and could find a new way inland for the brat.

"Are you coming or not?" Saferi's voice called out to him and Sannge realized he had fallen far behind the speeding eel. To him, it mattered not what the others did. His only interest apart from this eel was food, so he had his bases covered. A crooked smile wrinkled its way across his snout, the closest he could get to a sincere grin. "After you, my liege." He pandered, recalling their initial re-meeting as he once again chased after her.