Trial One: Saving Floaroma Town

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Our young adventurers were just nearing the town of Floarama town. It was not how Drake and Hikari remembered it. The lush lands that were covered in gorgeous flowers and soft green grass was no longer there. No, what was there instead was a barren wasteland, or at least that was how they saw it.

Hikari gasped. "Oh, oh no...it is so beautiful in our time. How could this happen?" She said unhappily.

"The ground here is poisoned." kuro stated softly. He did not know how, but it was. "It has not grown any kind of plant for as long as I can remember."

"We can fix this how?" Drake said then, if no one knew the problem they couldn't find the answer. It was that simple to him.

"I might suggest that you ponder the reasons as to why, before you think on fixing it." Snake said, following his train of thought.

"Investigation work..." Drake said, he didn't mind it. It was research that he despised. All those books. Dusty, smelly, boring books.

"You sound thrilled," Miyuki commented.

"Well we are here to help them," Yuui pointed out. "If Drake doesn't want to ask around to find out why or how this has happened then surely we can do so."

"I'm not sure to what level we are allowed to interfere," Megumi said. "But I don't believe research would be overstepping."

"But isn't this something you two do often in hunting?" Jihae asked.

"Investigation work with people. Yes." Drake said and he didn't mind that at all. But... "Where the people at?" He couldn't see a whole lot of anything.

"They are bound to be somewhere. But also, who would want to live here?" Kuro said, he most certainly would not.

Snake slid from his horses back and just grinned. "They're around." He said, he knew there was still people. You just had to find them.

"This village contains only women," Jihae told Drake. "Because they cannot grow anything they must trade. They may have gone to a market or to meet traders on the road." Though there were not very many people living here at the moment.

"There is a small temple here," Yuui said. "We might find someone there. Those are almost always attended."

"Who's temple is it?" Hikari asked of them, she knew her brother would avoid it. He wasn't religious. He only respected very few gods.

Drake made a scoffing sound and slid from his horse also. To give her a rest that she needed. He looked over to see if there was water nearby, but when there wasn't, he took his water skin over to Jiro. "you thirsty buddy?"

"Shaymin," Yuui informed them.

"Oh those little things are adorable," Megumi said. They were so cute. But then, this was a weird little place to have a temple devoted to them.

The only water nearby was a lake just outside of where the buildings were. But the lake was rancid, poisonous and oozing. It was not fit for anything: drinking, washing, or bathing.

Jiro looked up at Drake and nodded his head. He was glad for the offered water. It was so much work to walk that far and not be able to just drink from nearby sources. But he had known it would be the case. He'd been the one to tell them.

Jihae looked at Jiro and then up at Drake. "Drake," he said. "It occurs to me that the people of this town might not take well to the sight of your absol. They are, after all, warnings of coming disasters and I don't know that the women here would take such a sight all that well."

"Well that's megumi and I volunteering to go to the temple." Hikari said with a grin, she slipped from her horse. Kuro took the reigns, for both her and megumi's after he helped his girl down.

"So what? He's mine and I'm not putting him inside some crappy bit of paper." Drake said then, because he wasn't feeling that. He used his hand to capture the water for Jiro to drink.

"Maybe Megumi can glamour him to look less like an absol and more like a Persian?" Snake offered then, just for the sake of the people.

Megumi left her horse with Kurogane and Yuui and walked with Hikari to the temple. "I don't know how anyone can stand to live here," she commented. The air was stale and oppressive. It couldn't be pleasant to remain here for longer than even an hour or so.

"I'm not saying that," Jihae said to the defensive Drake. "I'm just worried for his safety. It'll make our job here a lot harder if the people see him and reject us for it. Or you." Since really, as their future emperor, he might be fine. But Drake? No. He considered Snake's suggestion but the cat spoke up before then.

"Oh how I look is bad, right?" Jiro asked Drake. "It's okay." He changed then, from a cat to a boy. A young teen with white hair and red eyes. There was a black gem on his forehead and he was fully dressed in clothing of black and white coloring.

"I couldn't, it smells." Hikari said, lifting the sleeve of her outfit to her face so that she could try and filter the smell out. She was close to being sick, but she was very much trying to not. But she opened the door to the temple, which of course smelled a whole lot better. "Oh gods, thank you."

"Oh, see? No issue." Drake said then, because he hadn't meant to get defensive. He was just not going to force Jiro into anything. "You're a cute boy, hey! Now you can hug me back." He said and held his arms out to Jiro.

"You adopt the cutest ones, don't you?" Kuro said then with a little hmmm sound at Yuui. But he didn't seem all that unhappy about it in all fairness.

Megumi also breathed a sigh of relief to enter the temple where the air was fresher. The little statue of Shaymin on the altar was purifying the air in the temple. It wasn't strong enough to purify the entire town though. Only a real Shaymin could do that.

"Oh it smells so much nicer in here," Megumi said, relieved, and was quick to close the door so the putrid scent outside wouldn't follow them into the temple.

"I can!" Jiro said happily and hugged Drake. He was pleased that he could pretend to be human so as not to scare off any humans they needed helped from.

"Hm...That works," Jihae said. He couldn't protest that. Though he was actually pretty surprised. It was rare that a fiend could take human form. He didn't think that Absols, as a rule, had such an ability. "You're a lot stronger than you look," he commented.

"Oh, no," Jiro said and shook his head. "All my family can do this. Well, on my dad's side."

Yuui just smiled at Kuro. "Of course," he said. Obviously he'd just love on the cute ones. Though, he wasn't trying to adopt anyone or get attached. He wanted to help and guide them. But it was hard to do that and now actually feel something at the same time.

"I can actually breathe." Hikari said happily. Because wow. That was bad out there. "Hello?" She called out then, hoping someone would come out.

There was a rustling sound and then a group of people arrived. It was not many. "The leader of the town is trading." someone squeaked, sounding scared.

Drake just laughed and hugged Jiro tightly. He didn't often hug guys. But Jiro seemed so much younger than him. He couldn't really be mean and all Jiro wanted was affection. Nothing wrong with that.

"Hmm," kuro said as he looked at Yuui. "You're thinking of things you do not wish to think of again." He pointed out.

"Hello," Megumi greeted with a charming smile. Fairies were always charming. "I'm Megumi, Priestess of Dialga and this is Hikari, his Chosen. We're here to help your town, if you'd be so willing as to tell us what's happened here. My father was not very forthcoming with the details that were reported to him."

Jiro purred. He was happy to be hugged. It wasn't strange to him. This was his Master. He would get affection from his Master. That's how it worked, if your Master was so inclined to be affectionate.

"Oh stop, you," Yuui said with a laugh and started poking Kuro's arm. Poke poke poke.

"Two fiends poison the land," one of the women said, the child who had spoken before clutched at her skirts.

"And the water. How can you help us?" another said.

Hikari raised her hands, bringing fresh and clean water into any surface that would hold it. "I'm pretty sure that Megumi can purify what you have already, but for now... You must be so thirsty." She said, but it was too late. Loud gasps and cries happened as people lunged for the water.

"So cute." Drake said then and wondered what the girls had found out. "What can we do while we wait jihae?"

Kuro laughed but then looked ridiculously grumpy. As that was what was expected of him. "You hate how well I read you, hm? My little scripture."

Megumi nearly jumped in surprise when the women rushed Hikari for the fresh water. "Oh you poor things," she said, entirely put out that her father had ignored this problem for so long. "I would be more than happy to purify your water for you. But would you happen to know which two fiends are bothering this land?"

Jihae looked thoughtful for a moment. He closed his eyes and listened to something they wouldn't be able to hear. "Most of the women of this village seem to be in that temple. I don't think, with how the air is here, that we'll find anyone but those trading outside of it. I am not overly sensitive to poison but I can't imagine it would hurt for us to take a look at the lake and see if there aren't any clues there as to what's causing this."

"It is just a little annoying," Yuui said cheerfully. Even he felt rather uncomfortable breathing in the poisoned air. Normally air was his friend but not this. It was far too tainted.

"No, priestess. We don't have those kind of books here to teach us those things," The woman replied, between sips. It had clearly been so long for them all, their lips dried and cracked.

"There's a lot of poison type fiends, though not so much in these days. They evolved, or were found later on." Drake said, which would make his life a lot easier. Plus he might be able to spot tracks, or some kind of clue that would tell him more.

"I am not sorry." Kuro said, but he was used to bad smells. Death, being one of them. so this one was mildly ick, but not enough to make him want to throw up. Yet.

"Thank you for telling us what you can," Megumi said with a smile. She wanted to appear completely optimistic for them. "I suppose we'll have to rely on your brother's expertise here," she said to Hikari.

"So let's investigate then," Jihae said and walked with Drake towards the lake.

Jiro followed along after them. He looked around curiously. But he had no hints to give them right now.

No fiend was going to emerge from the lake or poisoned ground. They'd have to be drawn out.

Yuui was also used to the scent of death. But he didn't like it. He didn't like what it reminded him of, where his mind went when he smelled such things. Still, he was to a point, at ease. As always. And he looked it too.

Hikari nodded, "luckily for us, there's a lot more fiends in our time, than there is here. So it should make it quite easy for him to figure out which ones are capable of such destruction on a large scale." She said, but then she went over to the nearest and largest looking pot, they usually had them here for donations to the deity the temple represented. She filled it with water. "If you need more, we'll just be outside fixing this. So if it's not enough, just send someone to get me." She said, feeling really sorry for the villagers.

Drake looked around, "I mean...I am thinking I am going to have to go with the bug type of fiend with this..." He said, because you know...he couldn't imagine much else could live in this enviroment. "So likely, drapion, scolipede, vileplume and muk. They can live in all sorts of environments, you see. So the armoured two would be really good here, vileplume would survive fine too and muk is muk. He can live in hell and survive."

"You can help Megumi purify this water, yes? I am sure the people of this village are incredibly thirsty... It will be faster if you work together." Kuro said as he looked over at Jihae and Drake. "Whatever is causing this, will not make your life easy with that. I will protect you both, of course."

"I hope the boys have found more than we have," Megumi said quietly as she left the temple with Hikari. She wasn't very happy to. The poisoned air made her feel a little ill.  She joined her sister, Kurogane and Yuui,  and Snake.  "Anything?" she asked.

"Narrowing it down to four suspects is helpful," Jihae said as he scanned the area for signs of any sort of fiend that might have been around.  "Do you think it is only one fiend? Or could there be more than one?"

"Probably not," Yuui commented. "Purification is not something Mew blesses her priests with. It's not a really a psychic gift, after all. But that doesn't mean that I can't use my own gifts to clear the air a little faster of the poison that's in it, bring in fresh air..." That he could do.

"They're working on figuring out who did it," Snake said, he was just there. Cool as a cucumber. Smell, what smell? Even as Kuro was starting to turn green, he didn't seem to notice. "Though other than the dead land and dirty water, I don't know what the issue is."

"I might actually be sick," Hikari said then, because damn. How could he just not notice that? Serious it stank so bad. Like gagworthy bad. "Drake will figure it out, he's really good at this. We'll be okay."

"Please bring fresh air in, it's starting to hit the back of my throat. I can taste the poison." Kuro said, which was not very good really. No no.

"On this scale? It's definitely two or more. I can't tell you exactly how many." Drake said, he wasn't that good. He was not psychic. "Can you feel any presences? Fiend wise? Other than the horses and Jiro."

"Poison in the air is usually an indicator that something foul is happening here," Megumi said to Snake. "Besides, Dialga wouldn't have set this place as a trial if it didn't have a serious problem."

Miyuki said nothing. She didn't seem bothered either. She flickered in place for a moment, like a glitch. A ghost. She wasn't even breathing in the air.

Yuui watched the kids. "Yes, I think you're right. There's no sense in anyone getting sick so early in our journey, hm?" He was still a locked Master but he was one nonetheless. He didn't know that but he did know that he held exceptional magical ability when it came to his element. So the moving of fresh air into the town while taking out the poisoned air was something he could do. And he did it. But there was the complicated matter of continuing to do so because poison was still being put into the air. "I can keep this up for only so long. Megumi, if you could purify the lake, that would be a massive help."

"Of course," Megumi said and headed for the lake. "I'll be as quick as I can." Though she would be incredibly tired afterwards. But once she reached the lake, she began the process of purifying it.

Jihae closed his eyes. It was easier to concentrate when he didn't have sight distracting him. It was easy to separate the humans from the fiends. At first he sensed something only vaguely. But once his sister began to purify the lake, he sensed it a lot more clearly. "I can sense one for sure," he said to Drake as he opened his eyes. "But that doesn't mean there aren't more. This one here, for example, I cannot sense," he said and gestured to Jiro.

"There's poison in the air, hm?" Snake said then to everyone. He flicked his tongue out quickly, much like a snake would. "Ah yes, I taste that now. How rude."

Kuro just looked at Snake for a moment, his eyes narrowed. Then he looked over at Yuui and Megumi. He needed to keep an eye on them. He looked at Hikari. "Help me protect them."

"Of course." Hikari said, but she didn't think water would do all that much against them. But she could use her time abilities to do something, surely.

"Well, drapion is immune to psychic, maybe that's why?" Drake said, but he didn't get to think about it for much longer, as the ground started to shake near them. The bugs had buried themselves under ground. Which suddenly made a lot of sense to Drake. "Move." He said to Jiro and Jihae then, but it was the former that he grabbed and dragged off as the ground started to crumble beneath them

Miyuki didn't know if Snake was playing or if he was a fiend that just looked like a man, like Jiro did. But no, if he was a Master then he couldn't be a fiend. It didn't work that way. "Hm..." But when the ground began to shake, her attention was on that.

Jihae didn't need to be pulled away like Jiro did. He was raised a warrior even if he was a prince. He reacted like one as well, getting out of the way of the emerging fiends.

Megumi nearly fell into the water she was purifying but she kept her balance in the end and just sat down. She looked up at the massive bugs that towered over Drake and Jihae.

Yuui whistled. "Look how big they are," he said, sounding almost impressed.

"Oh my." Snake said then, thinking that was unlikely to be a fun thing. "I mean, we should probably deal with that right?" He said then to the others.

"I should have probably warned you that they are giants..." Drake called out to Jihae with a bit of a grin, "Yuui, go for the scolipede!" He yelled then as he dodged as a limb that lashed out at him.

Kuro ran at the Drapion then, as Snake used his zebrastrka to shock the thing and hopefully paralyse it, he pulled his sword from behind it's sheath and slashed at the bug. Which did not do a lot. Armoured beasts. He would have to find the weak spot.

"You think?" Miyuki asked. Circular blades were her weapon of choice and she flung them at the Drapion in places she hoped would be weaker to such things.

"Okey dokey!" Yuui said, not in the least bit fazed. He left Mokona with Megumi and took off towards the scolipede. Yuui was incredibly light on his feet. It was like gravity didn't affect him at all. He used the wind to form razor like blades out of the air that struck the scolidepe and knocked it right over with a rather large tremor of the ground.