...
CRASH!
The waves were absolutely PUMPING on the shore, hitting like a bunch of hyped-up Snorlaxes.
Natsu stood on the beach, looking like he'd just seen a Jigglypuff trying to rap, totally speechless as he stared at the forest. The sea breeze was blasting him from behind, all salty and in-your-face.
Meloetta was just chillin' in front of Natsu, head bowed, hands all prim and proper. She looked like she was waiting for a scolding, or maybe just really regretting that last slice of pizza.
Natsu let out a soft sigh, then busted out a grin. "Damn it," he muttered under his breath.
Meloetta, still rocking that "oopsie" vibe with her head down, felt a gentle touch from above. Slowly, she peeped up.
"Yo, this is totally my mess, okay? You've got zero to do with it. Even if you hadn't shown up, I'd still be stuck here. If anything, I dragged YOU into this hot garbage."
"Melomelo~~" Meloetta was shaking her hands like she was trying to shoo away a pesky Combee.
Hearing Natsu wasn't about to drop the blame hammer on her, she patted her chest like, "Whew! Crisis averted!"
"So, like, where in the blazes are we?"
He scanned the place. All he could see was a jungle of green ahead and endless ocean all around. It was like this island was the last slice of cake at the party.
"Melo."
'Island of Storm.'
But Meloetta was dead certain. Like, "I know my Pokémon geography, bro" certain.
"Island of Storm? Is this where Thundurus is? Is that the Thundurus stone tablet?" Natsu rapid-fired questions like a machine gun.
Meloetta gave a nod. Yep.
Natsu pursed his lips. He was clearly thinking, "Well, this just got interesting."
If this was Landorus's turf, that'd be cool. Easy peasy.
The Cloud Bros and the "Earth Cat"
Among the three cloud bros protecting the Unova Region's wild side, Landorus, repping abundance, was the chill one. The most reasonable. He was basically the Bob Ross of legendary Pokémon.
Thundurus and Tornadus? Nah, those two were just straight-up wild and crazy, like a couple of Mankeys on an energy drink binge.
Natsu felt like the Landorus, Thundurus, and Tornadus squad was kinda like the Rayquaza, Groudon, and Kyogre crew from Hoenn. Not power-wise, obviously, but in how they bounced off each other.
Thundurus and Tornadus go all chaotic, causing a ruckus, and then Landorus rolls up when they get too out of control, like, "Alright, settle down, you two! Time out!"
Landorus also had this sweet gig where he could absorb wind and thunder energy, making the soil super fertile. Talk about a green thumb!
And get this: out of the three cloud homies, only Landorus's base stats hit a sweet 600 points. The other two are just chillin' at 580. Kinda makes you wonder, right?
Natsu couldn't help but rub his forehead. "Seriously, why isn't this the 'earth cat's' spot? What the hell?"
"Mero?"
'Earth cat?'
Meloetta blinked her big blue eyes, giving Natsu this weird look. Her Spidey-sense was tingling, telling her that Natsu's "earth cat" was totally Landorus.
Meloetta couldn't help but let out a little chuckle, picturing Landorus in his Therian Forme. She probably thought it was adorable.
"Melomelo~~"
'It really was like that.'
"So, how do we bail outta here?" Natsu asked again, clearly over the island vibes.
"Melo~~"
Meloetta raised a dainty hand and pointed to a hill in the middle of the island that wasn't too massive. "Great," Natsu thought, seeing the distance.
On the hilltop, there was another stone tablet, a carbon copy of the one they'd seen before.
"So, that's our target, then."
Lucky for them, the island didn't seem too huge, and the hill wasn't a marathon away.
"Melo~~"
But Meloetta's face wasn't exactly radiating sunshine and rainbows. She looked less than stoked.
Thunderstruck and Hunter's Clues
BOOM!!
Suddenly, thunder roared, followed by a massive blue and white lightning bolt that ripped through the dim sky. It was like the sky was having a bad day.
"Melo!"
Meloetta instantly shivered, practically diving into Natsu's arm like a scared little Scorbunny. She huddled close, trembling like a Joltik in a hurricane.
"Afraid of lightning, huh?"
Natsu scooped her up, then clapped his hands over Meloetta's ears, creating a Psychic barrier. Think of it as a personal soundproof booth.
Meloetta only heard a much, much fainter rumble of thunder until it totally fizzled out.
She slowly lifted her head, staring blankly at Natsu with eyes that sparkled like fresh-caught Stardust.
Natsu's mouth was smiling; Meloetta could only see his lips move but heard squat.
But Meloetta seemed to totally get what Natsu was saying.
'Don't be afraid.'
Eevee and Vulpix, chilling on Natsu's left and right shoulders, also made their best comforting faces, like they were trying to be the most adorable support squad ever.
"Melo-"
Meloetta rolled her eyes, a tiny smile playing on her lips.
The emerald blue jewel on her forehead flickered, and a wave of energy surrounded her ears. Then, she gave Natsu a nod. Like, "I got this."
Seeing her little power-up, Natsu released his palms.
And sure enough, Meloetta wasn't nearly as spooked when the thunder rumbled again. She was basically a pro at this point.
Mainly, Meloetta hadn't adjusted to the sudden change. Earlier, in the forest, she was living her best life, enjoying the vibes and his Pokémon. So, her hearing was cranked to eleven. The sudden thunder had just given her a jump scare.
Much better now. She was basically saying, "Bring it on, sky!"
"Melo~~"
Meloetta snuggled against Natsu's chest, totally copying Eevee to show some love.
"Eevv?" Eevee looked at her, totally surprised.
When did Meloetta start pulling her moves? Was Eevee's cuteness contagious?
Natsu was a bit curious too. He probably thought, "Well, that's new."
Soon, Meloetta spilled the beans.
She'd been vibing at a concert in Opelucid City. After leaving, she got totally hooked by the sweet sounds of Eevee and Vulpix. So, she basically stalked them all the way from the cafe to the Thundurus stone tablet. What a groupie!
Natsu was definitely surprised.
Meloetta's a total music freak and a sucker for good sounds. If there's a killer beat, she's gonna be drawn to it like a magnet.
Natsu looked up at the thundering sky.
"It seems Thundurus is in a bad mood, huh? Bloody hell."
"Melo~~" Meloetta hesitated, then finally gave a nod. "Yeah, definitely needs a chill pill."
"Can you hit it up? I reckon your singing should totally calm it down," Natsu asked again. He was clearly banking on Meloetta's musical magic.
"Melo." But Meloetta shook her head, no hesitation whatsoever.
She also immediately gave Natsu a live performance of her beautiful and super melodious blend of happy and calming songs. It was like a spa day for your ears.
BOOM!!
But suddenly, a freakin' thunderstorm decided to crash Meloetta's concert. Talk about rude!
With that "demonstration," Natsu finally got it.
It wasn't that Meloetta's voice was useless to Thundurus; it was just that her voice was getting totally drowned out by the constant thunder. Like trying to listen to a whisper in a rock concert.
Plus, not knowing where Thundurus was hiding meant Meloetta's singing couldn't even pinpoint the big guy. It was like trying to find a needle in a haystack, but the haystack was full of lightning.
"Alright, I get it." Natsu adjusted his hat. "Anyway, we gotta get close to that stone tablet, right? Even if Thundurus shows up, at least there'll be a chance to approach it."
"Melo."
Meloetta nodded, then immediately got comfy in Natsu's arms. She crossed her legs and started humming songs like she was on vacation.
It was super relaxing. Like, "I'm just gonna chill here and let you do the heavy lifting" relaxing.
Eevee and Vulpix were still perched on Natsu's shoulders, quietly listening to Meloetta's sweet tunes.
If it weren't for the annoying thunder that kept crashing the party, Meloetta's voice was probably the most beautiful they had ever heard. Seriously, move over, Beyoncé.
"Monf!"
Monferno, who was basically acting as their scout, hanging from a tree and walking ahead, was still listening to Meloetta's singing. But his eyes were still on high alert, scanning every bush. He quickly zipped through the undergrowth and came back to Natsu.
With something in his hand.
It was cloth. Like, "Is this a fashion statement?" cloth.
"Is this... a hunter's clothes?" Natsu squinted his eyes. He probably figured it wasn't the latest runway collection.
"So, it's highly likely Mr. S and the others were sucked in here. And their deaths aren't entirely certain yet?"
...
(End of chapter)