[IC] The Meteoric Rise and Fall of Team Ruin {Chapatrap & Raddum}

[Chapatrap]

Starring...

Prologue - Glacefloe Town

The giant schooner Ice Lass overshadowed the village, even under the cloak of wintry darkness. It's masts reached higher into the sky than any building for miles and in the moonlight, it cast an eerie shadow that stretched long over the small coastal village. It had sat quietly in the docks for three days, waiting for the cold chill to leave the air and for the ice to shrink back into the ocean. The deck was bare and any signs of the crew had long gone below decks. Few Pokemon wanted to be caught in the cold of the open air and some had made their way to the warm beds or hammocks they slept in. The majority, however, had braved the slushy streets of Glacefloe and trekked into the villages only drinking establishment, The Flaffy's Wool.

The Flaffy's Wool was founded shortly after the town of Glacefloe was by Draak, a Mareep who had grown in age with the town. He was now an ancient Amphardos who spent most of his time staring blankly into space and cleaning glasses with a dirty dishrag from behind the counter. The Flaffy's Wool, despite it's cracked stone floors and sticky wooden tables, had a warm atmosphere that was a welcoming change to the cold winds and snow flurries that plagued the residents of Glacefloe six months a year. Lanterns and candles were placed on every table and wall, leaving no corner dark. A large stone fireplace held a merry, cracking fire that warmed the room. Waitresses weaved around tables, ignoring the occasional catcall yet taking the banter in their stride.

In the scrum of sea-hardened sailors and drunken locals, one Pokemon stood out. A scrawny Monferno sat quietly at one of the few empty tables, engrossed by a candle. A blue neckerchief hung loosely from his neck and on it was pinned a rusted Explorers badge. If one looked closely, you would see the words TEAM RUNE - NORMAL RANK engraved behind the rust. His tail flicked around slowly under the stool and his eyes occasionally made contact with the Mawile who stood behind the bar. He didn't partake in the loud banter with the sailors or the locals but instead sipped on a sickly sweet cup of berry juice and played with the candle. By playing, what he was really doing was snuffing it out and then immediately relighting it with a quick Ember. His gaze was occasionally drawn towards the Mawile waitress, the female he had been watching from afar for several months. It wasn't the average drinks, the loud patrons or even the warmth that kept him coming back - it was the Mawile with the pretty eyes who smiled when she saw him and made him blush just thinking about her.

"Pontus? Is that you?" came a voice. Pontus the Monferno was torn away from staring at the Mawile and looked up to see a Ninjask flittering next to his table. 'Yeah?' he asked, curious as to why anyone would approach him. Most local Pokemon disliked him for some reason and it was rare for sailors to ever get involved with the locals. 'It's me, Scarab! Remember? From the Slowking Guild?' said the Ninjask excitedly, landing on the table and folding his wings. Pontus frowned slightly before a light bulb switched on. 'Oh yeah, Shitty Scarab the Nincada!' he grinned, happy that he remembered.

'Er, yeah, I just go by Scarab now' replied the Ninjask, slightly taken aback. [/colour=Beige]Would you like a drink?'[/colour] Pontus shook his head, motioning towards his own drink and swung his chair backwards, leaning precariously on two legs. 'What are you doing out here, Scarab?' asked Pontus suddenly. 'I could ask you the same thing! I'm out here on Federation business, my team and I' answered Scarab. 'You?' 'Oh, you know. Federation placed me and Froad out here a few months ago to look after the town. We've been exploring, protecting the locals from attack, finding treasure, you know, explorer stuff' lied Pontus, shrugging like it was no big deal. In reality, they had been doing none of these things. Team Rune had spent most of the last 8 months loitering around the town and receiving a monthly payment from the Federation for it.

''Froad's here too? Awesome! Are you guys still in Team Rune?'' inquired Scarab. 'Yeah, Team Rui-er, Rune is still chugging along. Still just us two, though. Nobody wants to join us for some reason' replied Pontus, as if genuinely confused by the notion. 'How about you? You still in a team with those Caterpie?' 'Nah, I packed that up years ago. I did a bit of solo work for a while and after I evolved, I joined up with Doctor Gems and his team, Rhinestone' answered the Ninjask. Pontus' eyes almost popped out of his head as he heard this.

Shitty Scarab, the bug type who crawled around underground during the Guild days, had teamed up with one of the most famous explorers to come out of Slowking's Guild. Team Rhinestone were widely acclaimed for their discovery of the Underwater Temple in the Southern Colony. Led by the Sableye Dr. Gems, the group was notoriously tough and more importantly, wealthy. Pontus composed himself before answering.'Oh, Team Rhinestone? I heard those guys were good or something' he replied, waving his hand nonchalantly. '...Dr. Gems isn't here, is he?' 'Nope' laughed Scarab. 'He doesn't like taverns. The light hurts his eyes, he says. He's resting in his cabin. My other partner, Rook, is up getting the drinks, though'.

The pairs eyes were drawn up to a tall Bisharp who stood at the bar silently with a pair of drinks on either claw. He was scanning the crowd, searching for Scarab. Several sailors noticed his presence and shouted words of greeting to him. He answered them with a stony face and a glare. Pontus gasped slightly as he realised he was in the presence of a celebrity. 'Hey! Rook! Over here!' shouted Scarab, flying up in the air to catch the attention of his partner. The Bisharp nodded when he noticed the Ninjask and in a flash, was seated across from Pontus. His armour (or skin) was shining even in the dull candlelight. He stared at the Monferno curiously while sipping on a 'Pecha Pelvic-Thrust' and glanced at Scarav. 'Oh, Rook, this is Pontus, a guy I went to Guild with. He's stationed here by the Federation too!' smiled the Ninjask.

The Bisharp's eyes narrowed as he looked the Monferno up and down. Pontus suddenly felt very uncomfortable. 'So, er, what rank is Team Rhinestone?' asked Pontus, desperate to end the stare. 'Gold' replied Rook immediately. He had a sharp voice that cut into Pontus' ears. 'Oh...right. Team Rune are gold too' lied the Monferno, his fingers running over the normal badge on his chest. The explorers across the table looked at each other in confusion and leaned in to see the rusted badge pinned to his neckerchief. 'You sure about that, Pontus? That looks like a normal badge to me'.

'It's a rusted silver badge' lied the Monferno again. 'Postage up here is terrible. We're still waiting for the Gold Badges to get in'. Team Rhinestone sat backwards slowly, not entirely convinced. 'Your badge says 'Team Rune'. That name rings a bell, you know...' said Rook finally. 'Oh, you probably heard of how we took down the Treasure Town Tripper?' said Pontus proudly, puffing out his chest. 'No...Where you the team who burned down Tiny Woods?' asked Rook, raising an eyebrow. Shit. He's got me there..'Er, no, I don't think so...Er, nope, wasn't us!' replied Pontus, shifting uncomfortably in his chair and chuckling nervously. There was a tense moment as Rook kept his gaze for several moments before shrugging and nodding. 'Must of been someone else then...' he said finally. The Monferno breathed a silent sigh of relief.

'What brings you to Glacefloe then, lads?' asked Pontus, desperately trying to steer the conversation away from the misfortunes of Team Rune. 'We're on business with the Federation. Seeing as you're stationed here, I'd imagine you know why?' smiled Scarab. 'Pffft, of course we do. Thing is, postage up here is extremely poor, so we haven't received official word yet' fibbed Pontus. 'Oh, well, the Federation is planning an expedition into this region and we're scouting it out. The first wave, you might say' said Scarab. 'Oh, really?' said Pontus, pretending to be engrossed in the dregs at the bottom of his cup. 'Yeah - they think there might be treasure up here connected to the Underwater Temple and they want us to check out any leads' said Scarab, his voice lowering. Pontus put down his cup slowly when he heard this and a vague expression filled his face. 'I'm sure you'll be getting the official report soon enough. Although, Team Rune wasn't mentioned in our report. We didn't even know you'd be here, to be honest'.

'WHAT?!' shouted Pontus suddenly, slamming the cup onto the table. His chair fell forward with a THUNK!. The shout was drowned out by the crowd but it still had an effect on Scarab, who jumped in surprise. Pontus composed himself but seethed with anger. Not mentioned in the official report! Those bastards know we're here and are trying to keep us in the dark!. 'Sorry, lads, just hit my toe off of the table!' he fake laughed, pretending to rub his foot under the table but silently cursing the Federation. 'Yeah....we're setting out in a few days. We're actually meeting with Gala, the Tirtouga, tonight. I'm sure he'll be expecting you and Froad to meet him too' said the Ninjask, recovering from the shock of Pontus' sudden outburst. 'You guys know this area better than anyone, right? I'm sure you'll have maps and stuff'

'Yeah, yeah' said Pontus, no longer listening but rubbing his temples. 'Where the hell is Froad?' he spoke out loud. He finally looked up to see a bemused Rook and a confused Scarab looking back at him. 'I'm going to go find Froad and I'll be back here ASAP. We'll want to meet Gala the Tirtouga with you two guys. Remember, don't move from this table! I'll be back in one moment!' he said quickly. 'Oh, okay. Goodb-' Scarab barely began speaking before Pontus rushed past his table and quickly weaved in between tables to kick open the door and jump outside into the darkness of Glacefloe town. When he was sure no one was looking, the Monferno tore down the street, yowling at the top of his lungs.

'FROAD? WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU? THOSE FUCKERS ARE TRYING TO SHAFT US, FROAD! THEY'RE TRYING TO SHAFT US!'

[Todd Howard]

Glacefloe Town ~ Team Rune's Base 'Dear Mum & Dad... Here's another one of those silly letters you keep wanting me to send. I'm glad you are both concerned, but writing materials become more of a pain to find around here by the day. Plus; I'm a full-grown adult for Arceus' sake. I don't need you looking over my shoulder still. Able to care for myself. But if I ended with this you wouldn't be satisfied, I know that. So... It's cold here. Like, really cold. I feel like somebody went and shot me in the rear with Ice Beam, you know? That being said, I think I'm starting to get used to it. Though I really wish I had more than this hat to wear, as some clothing would be really helpful. I doubt I'll manage to find anything around here, though. Giving the place is pretty poor. I guess that means I'll just have to stay active, eh? Speaking of being active, I've managed to lose a few pounds! A few Pokemon have told me I'm a real lady killer, but Pontus has told me otherwise. He's a bit of a pain in arse, with his bullcrap and lack of knowledge, but I think he at least knows about some things. Pretty good out in the field, too... I'm sure if he was here, he'd insist on writing something, but sadly he's out at the moment. For better, or worse, heh. The food isn't as good here, at least compared to the servings of deliciousness you served to me at home, Mum. Servings are a bit smaller here, cut me back on eating a little, but it's more so just burned a hole in my pocket.'

A Politoed sat by a small, dying fire inside the run-down building that was the base of Team Rune. He stared down at the parchment in front of him, thinking of what to write next. Slowly, he lifted his head and glanced around at his home; The easiest thing he found to compare it to being swiss cheese. Their home was full of holes, in the walls, floors, and the roof. Signs of attempted repair laid here and there, but everything eventually broke again due to their lack of experience. Snow and rain occasionally found it's way inside, along with the cold air that made it somewhat difficult to sleep. They had adapted for the most part, but it was still a pain. The Politoed sighed, glancing down at the fire. He noticed that it was on it's last legs, and figured he'd have to leave before too long, as he'd freeze if he stayed. After a moment of silence, his eyes widened as he thought about what to write. A small smile crossed his face as he continued.

'How about some good news, huh? I met this lass the other day, and I think she's interested in-' *Crack*

The Politoed paused, his eyes shooting upwards. "Bloody 'ell, what is it now?" He croaked, glaring at the ceiling. The silence was awkward as he waited for something to happen, only to be met with nothing. Sighing in relief, he looked back down at the letter he was writing. "Damn, this shoddy buildin' has gone n' ruined me train of thought. Guess I'll jus' have t' finish it later." He stood, picking up the small letter and walking over to his make-shift bed of straw. He carefully buried the letter, not wanting Pontus to find it. As that monkey found a way to tease him for just about anything. "Ought t' not find ya there, eh?" He nodded to himself, shivering from the cold. As he glanced back to the fire, he simply saw ashes. Marking his time to leave, he figured. "Guess I'll follow in Pontus' tracks and head fer' the Flaaffy's Wool. Gettin' kind'a hungry, anyways." He cringed at the floor creaking as he walked, not wanting to fall in, but figured it'd happen to him eventually once he stepped in the wrong spot. Slowly his steps managed to get him to the door, in which he quickly opened and stepped out of, not wanting to leave it open for long as it might just fall off. Closing the door behind him, he began making his way away from the shoddy building. Though he soon stopped, skeptical about what had caused that sound he heard earlier. It was possibly just the roof finally giving in, or it was possibly another problem. One big... Red... Stupid problem. Turning his head, Froad spotted what he expected; A Talonflame atop his roof. It stared at him somewhat blankly. "Damn it, you! How many times do I haft'a tell ya?! Nesting up there is gonna cave in my roof!" He swung a fist angrily, having had to deal with this bird before. It always seemed to come back, no matter how many times he and Pontus told it to piss off. "Get your arse down here before I Bubble Beam ya down!" "Okay..." Froad, simply continuing to glare, watched as the Talonflame took into the air, before slowly flying away. "Stay gone this time!" He yelled, before turning and deciding to continue along towards the Flaaffy's Wool. He grumbled to himself about that damned bird, but didn't even get ten steps in before he heard another noise from the building behind him. "I swear, it's like anyday that roof is going to-" Looking back once more, Froad's eyes widened as the roof caved in entirely. His jaw dropped as he stared at the destruction, unable to form words. "Aah... B-But... Why?" Was all he managed, as his neighbor, a Stoutland named Heltroph, came barging out of his front door to look at the sight. "Holy shit! It finally caved in!" He yelled, laughing loudly at it. Heltroph was old, somewhat crazy, and kind of a dick. Froad and Pontus had been putting up with it since they first got here, and he was a normal part of their lives nowadays. Froad didn't even care about Heltroph as of now, though. The base was finally falling apart for real, and Froad was in a panic about it. What belongings they had were in there! "Ah, shite! I've gotta find Pontus, an' quick!" He said to himself, bolting from home, strait down the street, screaming for Pontus. "BLOODY HELL, PONTUS! WHERE ARE YA?! THE ROOF FINALLY COLLAPSED! COLLAPSED!!!"

[Chapatrap]

In the mean streets of Glacefloe, yo

Pontus' heart was pounding in his chest as he skidded around a corner, expertly catching himself before slipping. Months spent in the icy streets had honed his ability to run on ice, to the point that he could run full pelt without slipping and falling on his arse. "FROAD!" he screamed, his voice echoing down the empty street. It was dark, the only light a single street lamp. All the homes and shop fronts lay cloaked in darkness. Already, icicles had formed on window sills and a thin sheet of ice covered door steps.

As the snow swirled around him, Pontus slowed his run to a jog. He stopped at the lamp post and leaned on it. In the light, he could see a stream of steamy breath dispersing from his mouth and nose. "Arceus...." he panted, leaning on his knees. "Where are you, Froad?"

His partner could be anywhere - talking up girls by the dock, stealing frozen Oran from gardens, smashing the ice of the stagnant pond in their small backyard or even (though Pontus thought it unlikely) training somewhere. He needed to be quick finding Froad or else he'd - sorry, THEY'D - miss his chance with Gala. The Monferno began a trot down the icy road once again, this time without screaming his partners name. I'll check the base, he thought. With a new destination in my mind, he turned left and began slipping across the icy flags on the soles of his feet. He pulled the neckerchief across his mouth and cupped the flaming tip of his tail in his hands for warmth.

He jumped as a shout echoed down the street, muffled slightly by the swirling snow. "BLOODY HELL, PONTUS! WHERE ARE YA? THE-" came the shout, although Pontus failed to hear how it finished as he slid suddenly on a patch of ice, catching himself just in time. It didn't matter, though. He'd recognise that voice anywhere. It was Froad. He began to sprint down the street, eager to find his friend. "Froad!" he called as he ran. "Come here! It's important!"

The two met at the street corner, almost smashing into each other. Pontus pulled the scarf down and clutched his friend by the shoulder. He looked the same as he always did. Green, fat and a dazed look on his face. What else was there to say? He was Froad the Politoed, Pontus' oldest partner and best friend.

"What the fuck have you been doing, you green sack of shit? I've been looking all over for you" snarled Pontus, lifting a hand to lash out before taking a deep breath and calming his self. "Bu-but...house..." murmured Froad, looking more dazed than usual. "We can go home later. I've got some big news, mate. Now come on, we're going to Flaafy's Wool!" said Pontus, grabbing his friend by the arm. "I met an old friend. Remember Shitty Scarab? He's in Team Rhinestone! Yeah, I know, I'm surprised too! Basically, he's here with Dr. Gems and Rook meeting Gala, the Federation officer. They're going out on some big expedition to the wastes and I've signed us up!" said Pontus, speaking a million words a minute and dragging his friend along the icy street. Froad groaned in reply, rubbing his scalp and only half willingly being dragged along by Pontus.

"Hurry up, Froad! This shits big! We're going to be explorers. Proper explorers. This Gala fellow won't know what hit him when he meets us!" grinned Pontus, lifting the scarf above his mouth again to protect from the torrential snow.

[Todd Howard]

Not having much of an chance to inform Pontus of what was happening back home, both due to Pontus not shutting his face and the fact Froad himself was out of breath, the Politoed slowly calmed down and processed everything as he was dragged along towards the Flaaffy's Wool. The cold wasn't as bothersome as he began thinking about the new opportunity presented to them. If Team Rhinestone was involved, there obviously was something going on around this frozen-over hell. Something big, possibly. Something big that could bring them wealth, even.

'Jus' thinkin' about the feast I could buy... Heheheh.' Froad thought to himself, his long tongue hanging out a little at the thought. Though he was quickly interrupted from his happy little dream as they approached the door to the Flaaffy's Wool. Pontus pushed the door open and entered the pub, but didn't release Froad. Causing him to bump his head against the wall of the building before pulling himself out of Pontus' grasp.

"Dumbarse..." Froad groaned, making his way inside.

Thankfully, it was a bit warmer inside the building. Much more so compared to their home, at least. Froad considered getting something to eat, though kept focused on current events as Pontus signaled for him to follow. Froad stumbled after his partner, noticing that Pontus wasn't lying; Ol' Shitty Scarab was at one of the tables with Rook, and their leader, Dr. Gems, seemed to not be around. Froad did however notice that with the two members of Rhinestone there was another individual; A large Tirtouga, at least large compared to any of the species he'd seen before. As the duo approached, Froad couldn't help put pick up a small part of their conversation.

"So The Federation really thinks there's something out there?" Scarab questioned curiously.

"Of course! Why the hell would they send you out here if they didn't believe these frozen wastes held something of value?" The Tirtouga replied, fins slamming down on the table. As the duo approached, the Tirtouga turned his attention to them, seeming to cheer up slightly as he pushed his mug towards them. "Perfect timing. I was in need of more Pechaberry Juice." He said casually, eyes narrowing as a shallow expression appeared on Pontus' face.

"Eh... We're not waiters." Froad commented, calmly patting Pontus on the back so he didn't blow up at them for the comment.

"Eh?" The Tirtouga looked confused. "Then who're ya?"

Rook silently glared at the two, Froad nervously blinking in response as Scarab answered; "Uh, Gala? That's Team Rune. Y'know, the team that was stationed here to look after the town? I thought you were expecting them..."

Gala stared at the two for a moment, noticing their rather... Lazy appearance. He thought about the name; Rune... Rune... It seemed familiar, on the tip of his tongue.

"Ruin." Gala said, coming to a realization. "Hoh, hoh! Team Ruin! The team that couldn't find their way out of a Wonder Bag!" Gala's laughter was loud, as he shook his head in disbelief that the two poor sods were actually here. "What the hell do you two want?"

"We want in on the expedition." Pontus replied.

Gala's laughter pierced the pub once again. "Pwahahah! What makes you think we'd need or even WANT you putting your dirty hands into this job?"

"Uh, Gala... They know the area a lot better than we do. The information they've gathered since coming here would be extremely helpful." Scarab commented, though Gala seemed eager to disprove any usefulness Team Rune had as he replied; "Maps?! Hoh! These idiots don't have a single map! In fact, they've hardly left this two-pint village since they got here!"

"What?!" Scarab looked towards the duo, blinking. "Is that true? Froad? Pontus?!"

"Well, lads-"

"Because we haven't gotten a single fucking assignment since we got here!" Pontus yelled, hands slamming down on the table as he interrupted Froad. "We've been sitting around, freezing our asses off without a single job! And now The Federation is leaving us in the dark about this?! Why?!"

"I'll tell you why," Gala replied, his smug tone matching his expression. "Because you're the ones who burned down Tiny Woods. YOU'RE the ones who nearly blew up Mt. Bristle."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

Gala pulled himself closer to Pontus, becoming a little more quiet as he continued. "You caused more trouble for The Federation than you were worth. They didn't want to carry the burden of your failures anymore, so they decided to remove you from the picture by placing you as far away as possible."

"So yer' tellin' me that the reason we were put'n Glacefloe is..." Froad's round eyes widened at the thought. No, they couldn't have...

"That's right! The Federation placed you in Glacefloe and retired Team Rune soon afterwards, so you wouldn't deliver your own little brand of destruction anymore."

"..." Froad simply stared, unsure of what to say. They were retired? No wonder they had never seen any job offers come their way, besides the fact they didn't actually have a mailbox. At least one that'd been standing. This explained so much, but even though the facts were all there, Froad himself did not want to believe it.

Retired... But they were capable! It wasn't like they were some old cods, they were in their prime! Just because of a few accidents, they weren't supplied with jobs anymore? It made sense, but it still pissed Froad off. And if Froad was pissed off, it was obvious who else would be.

He slowly glanced over to Pontus.

[Chapatrap]

"Re-retired?" murmured Pontus, a vague expression filling his face.

It all made sense, when he thought about it. They hadn't received word from the Federation since they'd arrived, bar the monthly bags of 'welfare'. He'd always just assumed that every team got that when they were on standby. But no, every month they'd been receiving a pension. A pension! Team Ruin was only eight years old! He bit his lip before speaking again.

"So for the last eight months...Team Rune has been retired...For eight months...And no one told us...for eight months?" he asked in a shaky voice. He was trying very hard to keep himself calm but the flickering fire on his tail gave him away. "Nope! Now, if you'll please 'scuse me, I've business to discuss with a group of real explorers. Why don't you two scurry home and do a crossword or something?" said Gala, a large, smug grin filling his face. Pontus looked at each Pokemon around the table. Scarab looked disappointed, almost sympathetic. Rook had an amused look on his face, as if he'd known all along. Froad had an unfamiliar look of anger on his face, the sacs on the side of his face ballooning. But Gala! Oh Arceus, the smile on that Water-Types face really ground his gears! He just wanted to rip his shell off and smash it to pieces in front of everyone.

"You piece of shit" snarled Pontus, baring his teeth. "Froad has fucked up a few times, sure, but we're good explorers. We took down the Treasure Town Tripper and-" "Oh, you're still spinning that old story, then! Don't flatter yourself, Pontus! That was the only notable thing your team has ever done. And it was eight years ago! After that, it was stumbling from one disaster to the next. You were both an embarrassment to the entire Federation!" barked Gala, chortling slightly.

Pontus, for the first time in a long time, was speechless. His mouth was the perfect shape of an O as he glanced at his partner. "The cheek of it!" gaped Froad, his cheek sacs brimming with anger. "Pontus...Froad...Is all of this true?" asked Scarab with a pang of disappointment in his voice. "No! Well, yeah but no but...Shut the fuck up, Scarab!" snapped Pontus.

Pontus turned back to Gala. He pointed a finger in the bemused turtles face before continuing. "You listen here, you Areceus-damned shithead. Team Rui-RUNE! is, as of today, not retired. And we're going on this bloody expedition if it kills us!" said the Monferno furiously.

"No, boys. You're not goin' on this expedition" replied Gala calmly. "You're going to walk out of this door before you embarrass yourselves further, go home and never think about exploring ever ag-" The Tirtougas condescension was cut off by Pontus' wildly swinging fist as he launched a vicious Mach Punch at him. As it connected with his scaly head, Gala flew backwards onto the floor, skidding under a table on the back of his shell.

The entire pub went quiet as Pontus stood panting with anger, privately surprised he'd even done such a thing. "You bastard! Assaulting a federation officer! I'll have you arrested for this!" spluttered Gala, one fin covering his bloody face and the other pointing at him accusingly. Pontus' tail burned brighter he prepared another Mach Punch. Before he could even register what had happened, Rook tackled him to the ground and held a claw to his exposed neck. Froad fell back in surprise, unsure whether or not to step in.

The entire establishment went quiet as patrons craned their necks to see the ensuing fight. The Bisharp's claw was cold and sharp on his neck as he dared Pontus to make another move. The Monferno didn't move an inch. "Wots goin' on?" asked a Wartotle sailor finally. He didn't receive an answer.

"Come on, Pontus. Les' get outta 'ere" muttered Froad, placing a paw on the chest of Rook and gently pushing him off his friend. The Bisharp stood at full height but never took his eyes off of Pontus. The Monferno sniffed as he took Froad's paw and was pulled to his feet. He was acutely aware everyone in the pub had watched the whole thing and felt embarrassed. Gala pulled himself out from under the table and was lifted over to his chair by several concerned patrons, all the time murmuring that he was all right and holding a fin to his face.

Team Ruin left the Flaafy's Wool with their eyes fixated to the ground. Before he swung the door closed, Pontus took one last glance behind him. The patrons had crowded around Gala, offering their sympathy and trying to cheer the "poor victim" up. But his beloved Mawile still stood behind the counter and offered him a sad smile. He felt a pang of guilt in his chest.

There was another relationship down the drain.

---

It was snowing again.

Neither member of Team Rune felt talkative on the walk home. They walked in silence, gazing at the icy ground and engrossed in their own thoughts. What did the future hold for them? Could they become explorers again? Would Gala mark them as criminals? Would Pontus get away with punching a Federation officer in the face? Doubtful, seeing as an entire bar had witnessed the whole thing.

Pontus fingered the rusty Normal badge around his neck for several moments before snapping it off and throwing it as far as he could into the snow drift. He could feel tears springing to his eyes but he didn't want Froad to know, so he pulled his scarf as far as it would go.

"Lissen, lad...It's not all that bad, y'know" said Froad finally. "I punched a Federation officer in the face. It literally couldn't be any worse" snapped Pontus, his voice muffled from behind his scarf. He immediately regretted his tone. Froad was only trying to cheer him up. As they turned the corner, Pontus sighed audibly. "Sorry, mate. I fucked everything up for us" said Pontus, feeling defeated. Froad grunted in reply.

A single lamp-post stood on the opposite side of the road, the only light for miles. Most other lamps in the town didn't work. Unlike other lamps they had passed by, this one had a Pokemon stood under it. It was rare to see anybody out and about this late at night, especially with weather like this. It was dark but when Pontus squinted, it almost looked the Pokemon had...clothes?

The Pokemon noticed their presence and perked up. He darted across the road and stood in their path. Pontus groaned. The last thing he needed now was some dumbass asking for money. "Excuse me? Did either of you two gentlemen drop this?" asked the Pokemon, holding up a rusty piece of metal. His accent was refined, not something you heard that often in this part of the world. "Whas'at?" asked Froad, sounding quite unlike his usual self.

"I believe it's a...Normal Rank exploration badge?" replied the Pokemon, taking a closer look at it with his dark eyes. Pontus' ears perked up and his curiosity got the better of him. "Lemme see that a minute" said Pontus, snatching the badge out of its hands. He held the badge close to the light of his tail and traced his finger over the rust.

-Team Rune
-Normal Rank
-Pontus

"Well, Arceus H. Ketchum...Where'd you find this?" asked Pontus, looking up. But the Pokemon was gone. "Oi, where'd he go..." said Froad, swinging his head around in confusion. "Must of took off..." shrugged Pontus, still engrossed in the badge. Maybe this was a sign. Maybe he should hold onto it. He clipped the badge back onto his scarf. "Sod him, Froad. I got my badge back and that's all that matters"

They rest of the walk home was continued uneventfully. It was a familiar walk and neither felt like talking about the nights events. Froad groaned loudly as Pontus opened the gate to their base. "Oh, what's wrong, Froad? Bad evening?" said Pontus sarcastically.

But then he caught a glimpse of their base. Or at least, what remained of it. Pontus fell to his knees as he approached the doorstep and opened his mouth to say something.

But no words came out.

[Todd Howard]

"Right, the base." Froad commented, coughing awkwardly into his paw. "It kind'a fell apart before I left to find and tell ya. I don't even see the mailbox anymore, the snow must'a buried it."

"How-" Pontus paused for a moment, turning his head to stare at Froad. "How did you forget to tell me about this? All of our shit's buried under rubble!" Pontus shouted, standing and approaching the rubble before tossing small bits and pieces aside trying to find what few possessions they had. He began humming a little song to himself, trying to push through this hopeless situation they were now in.

Froad rolled his eyes, approaching Pontus and helping him dig through the remains of their home. "Not much of a chance, what with ya jabberin' on about the expedition and what-not." The Politoed explained, snickering. "Look at the bright side; It didn't cave in on top of our 'eads. If it had, we might not have got to punch that Gala bastard in his ugly mug, roight?"

A small grin creeping onto his face, Pontus nodded. "I guess. We're still screwed, though." He replied with blunt honesty, sighing.

"Wotever. We've been through worse than this, we'll be fine." Froad retorted, a moment of silence overtaking the two as they focused on digging. It took them a fair fifteen minutes of tossing rubble, but they managed to uncover a small, dusty chest. The chest they stored basically everything in, since they didn't have that much to begin with. A small amount of excitement was shared between the two as they opened it up, glancing inside at their belongings.

"Thankfully the chest didn't get damaged with all that junk fallin' down." Froad said with relief, reaching into the chest and pulling out their Wonder Bag. Which also had Froad's normal-rank exploration badge on it. He opened up the bag and peered inside, smiling. "My berry stash is still in 'ere~" Froad chimed, pulling back somewhat as Pontus glared at him. "You had a stash of food hidden in our Wonder Bag? When were you planning on letting me know that we had food?" He questioned, Froad laughing nervously in response. "W-Well, it was for emergencies like this! Now at least we won't starve, yeah?"

"Right..." Pontus replied skeptically, looking back into the chest. He brightened up a little as he pulled out a scroll and a small piece of paper. "Cor, Froad! I almost forgot we had these!" He said, continuing as Froad glanced over. "It's our graduation scroll from Slowking's Guild! And the first job we took back when we first became an Exploration Team! Remember that Slacking construction worker that was having trouble with those Digletts?"

"Oi, I do! I'd make 'em pop out of their holes with Water Gun and you'd kick their little punk arses!" Froad replied, the thoughts of their current situation somewhat fading in the cold wind as he laughed. "Their mums' got awfully mad about it, though. Still can't believe y'said Nigglet right to that gal's face!"

"She was askin' for it..." Pontus shrugged it off, snickering. "Is there anything else in the box?"

Froad peeked into the chest and reached in, pulling out a small pouch. Glancing inside, it contained a small amount of money. "Looks like this is all the Poké we have. Not enough to get us anywhere to sleep t'night..."

"Great. We're gonna be sleeping outside." Pontus complained, sighing.

Froad thought about the predicament, paw scratching his head as he glanced about. "Maybe not, Pontus. There's always someone we can ask for help, remember?"

"Who?" Pontus questioned, "There's nobody around willing to help us after that shit! We look like a couple of thugs-" Pontus paused, going silent for a moment. He stared at Froad, then behind him towards a small house. Pontus could feel himself flaming inside as he glared at Froad. "Fuck. No."

"Ya don't have much of a choice, lad. We either ask 'em for help, or we freeze out here." Froad replied, watching as Pontus pondered about what he wanted to do. Freeze his ass off, or deal with that guy?

After a moment of silence, Pontus shoved everything in his hands into Froad's possession. "Put that shit in the Wonder Bag and let's go." He said, tone emitting defeat.

--------------------------------------------------

The duo quickly made their way to the small house, though slowed as they approached the door. Their neighbor, a Stoutland named Heltroph, was the town loon. Most of what came out of his mouth was yelled at the top of his lungs, and the stories he told were too over the top to be true. At least Team Rune thought so. They usually avoided the guy, but hey, times were rough. And he wasn't exactly *hateful*.

They stood at the door, Pontus nudging Froad with a strait face. "I ain't knockin'." He stated bluntly. Froad sighed, and slowly raised a paw to the door. Before quickly knocking.

The two cringed as they heard something breaking and a howl from within the house, the duo assuming they startled the old bastard.

"SON OF A BITCH! THOSE WERE MY GLALIE ICE'D CUSTOM PLATES!"

"Oh no." Pontus muttered.

The door swung open, the old Stoutland staring at the two with his old, grumpy face. "Pontus! Froad! How're ya?" Heltroph seemed to not be angry towards them about the plates. Froad pondered what happened inside, but simply decided to leave it alone.

"Well, uh... Good. Kind of." Froad replied, gesturing to their base.

"HOLY SHIT! It finally fell to pieces! I've been waiting for that to happen for months!" Heltroph replied, laughing loudly.

"Uh, yeah... Well, y'see, we don't really have anywhere to sleep. We were hoping we could rest here for the night so we can figure out what we're going to do tomorrow."

"Of course, lads! Get in the damn house, it's freezing out here!" Heltroph went deeper inside the house, Froad and Pontus following.

"Gonna be a long night..." Pontus sighed.

"Just try an' endure it, pal. We'll figure somethin' out tomorrow." Froad tried to assure his partner. Though Froad had his own doubts. Things looked bad. Really bad. They needed a way to get ahead of everyone else on this expedition, otherwise they'd end up with nothing. And giving what happened, Pontus might get taken in for assaulting a Federation officer. Froad wouldn't just let that happen though, his buddy wasn't going anywhere. Even if he had to end up fighting against the whole damn Federation!

The two inside, preparing to settle down.

"OH MY GOD!" Heltroph shouted, startling them both.

"What?!" Pontus yelled, irritated by the sudden shout.

"Watch out for the ice shards on the floor." Heltroph finished, leaving Pontus to look down and notice the sharp pieces of what was Heltroph's Glalie Custom Plates.

"Watch yer' step." Froad commented, chuckling.

"Shuddap."

[Chapatrap]

"Go ahead to the kitchen, boys, I've to collect up these pieces" sighed Heltroph, carefully brushing the icy shards up with his paw.

Heltroph had lived in Glacefloe longer than anyone. He'd watched the town grow from a tiny fort into a thriving little trading town yet insisted on living on the edge of town in an ancient stone cottage, built long before even he'd arrived there. As Pontus and Froad stepped inside, they saw how small it truly was. They were stood in a tiny, damp hallway, with a door leading off to the side and an open doorway ahead of them. Behind old, cheap paintings and an empty bookshelf (which had presumably held Heltrophs 'Glalie Ice'd Custom Plates' just moments before) the flowery wallpaper peeled, revealing the plaster behind. The floor was bare concrete and sent a chill up Pontus' spine as tip-toed around the icy shards that littered the floor.

The front door groaned shut behind them as Team Rune stepped straight ahead into Heltrophs' kitchen, which took up almost 2/3rds of the entire building.

It seemed the concept of a "kitchen" had been lost on the old Stoutland, as his own served as a dining room, a storeroom, a living room, a bedroom and a larder. Berry skins, cupboard, chests, bookshelves, rugs, treasures of every description, trinkets and paintings lined the walls and covered almost every available surface. The only light and heat source in the entire house came from a lit fireplace, stained black with ash yet crackling merrily. The corners were dark and probably held more of Heltrophs treasures. A pot filled with a thick broth bubbled over it and filled the room with an inviting smell.

Pontus glanced at Froad, an eyebrow raised. "Wonder what he keeps in all these chests. Maybe I was wrong about 'im, y'know" murmured the Monferno. He could barely contain his curiosity with all these closed chests and treasures sitting around. Where had Heltroph gotten them all? Pokemon around Glacefloe often waved him off as an old has-been, who screamed obscenities and told exaggerated stories of his youth. Team Rune had generally agreed with that consensus but now, Pontus wasn't so sure. Maybe all those stories weren't just stories...

"Careful, these things hurt like a BITCH" cackled Heltroph, hurrying past the explorers with a collection of shards held in a handkerchief. He dived into a pile of chests and dug around in them, the pile of shards hanging precariously from his mouth.

"Maybe y'were wrong about him" said Froad snarkily, dropping the Wonder Bag beside the doorway.

"Sit down, boys, there's room by the fire" yapped Heltroph, closing the chest and bounding over to the fire. He seemed excited to have visitors. The Stoutland hoarder had made a path through all the junk that led to the grimy window on the back wall and back around to the fire. Pontus and Froad picked there way through all the crap and hopped onto a rug by the fire. Heltroph placed the bag of shards beside the fire and got to work on the broth that was cooking in the pot.

"HOLY SHIT! You're very quiet!" boomed the Stoutland, looking up from the pot. The reality of the situation had come crashing down on Team Ruin and they both stared glumly into the fire. "Yeah, we've 'ad a busy evening" grunted Froad. Pontus hugged his knees and didn't reply, his jaw clenching slightly. "What happened?" asked Heltroph curiously, stirring the broth in the pot with a adle.

"There was...a fight. With a Fed. Our boss, I suppose. I punched him. Turns out we've been put into an early retirement and left out of an expedition out here. And then our house fell down. I think we're probably going to be sent back home or lose our pension or something" replied Pontus finally, sighing deeply. Heltroph burst out laughing.

"OH MY GOD! RETIRED! I just thought you were two just shit!" cackled Heltroph. The Stoutland's laugh was deep and came straight from his stomach. The 'retired' explorers didn't return his laugh and stared at the ground in embarrassment. Pontus was silently seething at the audacity of this old coot but kept his mouth shut. After Heltroph had finished laughing at their misfortune, he wiped the tear from his eye.

"Woooo, did you say an expedition? Into the wastes?" asked the Stoutland, his head turning. Froad nodded. Pontus stared into the fire, lost in thought. He just wanted this night to end so he could face his punishment in the morning. "That reminds me of an expedition I went on years ago" began Heltroph. Froad groaned. One of Heltrophs infamous stories from his exploring days.

"This was a bit before I retired. Voluntarily, I might add" he began, giving a toothy grin. "Back when I was a Herdier, I was out there in the White Forest. The great Explorer, Saltire, was sponsoring an expedition into the wastelands outside of Glacefloe and said that anyone who found the treasure would get a huge cut out of it. This was back before the Federation was SHIT. Back before they'd take it all off of you! Anyway, I was in White Forest. It was snowing - it always is, out there - and it was cold. So cold. Colder than any winter I've spent out here since. I'd been crunching through the snow and I was doing well. I think I was further than any other Explorer had gone at the time. I hadn't seen anyone else for a few days, I'd gotten cut off from the main group. It was so quiet. Sound gets swallowed up by the snow, you know" said Heltroph, his voice growing soft. Froad and Pontus were hanging on to every word carefully.

"But then, HOLY SHIT!" barked Heltroph suddenly, throwing the ladle from the pot into the air and making the pair jump in surprise. "A GIANT ICE MONSTER FLEW STRAIGHT OVER MY HEAD, SCREECHING! CAWWWWWK! CAWWK! SCREEEEEEEE! A BEAM OF SHITTING ICE WAS COMING OUT OF ITS MOUTH, FREEZING TREES AND PLANTS WHERE THEY STOOD! I jumped outta the way just in time. It was taunting me, daring me to attack. But the beast hadn't heard of Heltroph, the GREATEST Normal-type explorer to ever set foot in White Forest! I wasn't about to back down from a challenge, NOT THIS TIME! I grabbed onto the birds leg and WOOSH! HOLY SHIT! I was flying above the trees, holding onto this giant birds leg! It was trying to shake me off but HELTROPH WASN'T HAVING NONE OF THAT SHIT!" roared the Stoutland, globs of spittle hitting Froad and Pontus in the face. They were too enthralled to care. "I roared at it, 'I'M NOT HAVING THIS SHIT, FIGHT ME ON THE GROUND LIKE A REAL POKEMON' and used Bite on its leg. I wasn't letting go, oh no-siree! It was screaming again! CAWWWWK! CAWWWK!" screeched Heltroph, jumping to his feet and mimicking the flying Ice Monster.

Pontus and Froad hadn't replied at all, drool forming at the edges of their mouths and their eyes glassed over. They were still listening intently but the pure awesome-sauce of this story blowing their minds.

"That SON OF A BITCH eventually landed in a clearing in the forest. I knew I'd almost beaten it. It's ARCEUS-DAMMNED LEG WAS BROKEN AND IT WAS LIMPING on the ground. We had our final showdown in that clearing. We fought for hours in that FUCKING clearing. EXPLORER VS BEAST, CIVILISATION AGAINST BARBARITY, POKEMON VS DIGIMON. There was ice everywhere, I was steaming, panting and throwing everything I could at it! Eventually though, I overcame it, my jaws were around its blue throat and I was ready to take the final blow when it begged for forgiveness. It screeched, promising all the riches in the world, TREASURE BEYOND MY WILDEST DREAMS, if only I'd let it go!"

Heltroph was panting now. Just remembering such a fight had him on edge and he was practically screaming into the hypnotised faces of Pontus and Froad. He grinned to himself before continuing. He rarely got to told stories like this. "So I shouted into its face, 'WHAT TREASURE? TELL ME!' and it did" said Heltroph, a smug smile on his face.

"Wot 'appened then, Mr. Heltroph?" whispered a starry eyed Froad

"I'll tell you, my boy! That SON OF A BITCH was tricking me! As soon as I let my guard down, he froze me in a block of ice!"

"No!" gasped Pontus.

"YES!" boomed Heltroph.

"No!" gasped Froad.

"YES!" screeched Heltroph.

"It got me! Luckily, I used Rest just as the ice overcame my head and stayed alive until some Pokemon of an Ice tribe found me 24 days later. BUT ONLY JUST! During the weeks in that block of ice, I started to go a little bit crazy. I'm okay now, I'm just a little scarred!" laughed the Pokemon who had been doing bird-monster impressions for the last 10 minutes.

"The ice all melted away quite easily but I was so cold, the Ice Tribals took me back to their village in the White Forest. There, they nursed me back to health and looked after me for two weeks. They showed me all kinds of recipes, tips on surviving in the Icy Wastes, their history and so much more. When I told them I'd been attacked by a flying Ice monster, they told me I was lucky to be alive! Such a creature lived on top of Mt. Glace or as we call it, Mt. DeBlanc, and was preyed on Pokemon it believed were not supposed to be there. I wasn't allowed near the mountain, they said it was a sacred place and dangerous for Pokemon from "across the great water". I think a monastery was built inside it or some kind of religious thing, I dunno, I didn't want to annoy them. Anyway, soon it was time for me to go. The Ice Tribe gifted me two plates from the mountain temple, saying they were special items and escorted me back to Glacefloe. I promised I'd be back to meet them some day and return the favour but during the summer, the Federation signed a treaty with the Ice Tribes outside Glacefloe and all explorers were banned from leaving the town or going near the Ice Tribes. They didn't want criminals meddling with them, I suppose. I do miss them. And now my Glalie Ice'd Custom Plates, made especially for me, are broken, I have nothing to remember them by" sighed Heltroph, falling heavily beside the fire. Just telling such an epic tale had exhausted him.

The old Stoutland's voice was strained from talking for so long and he took a sip of water from his bowl. Team Rune were both silent, absorbing Heltrophs epic story.

---

"Were they worth much?" asked Pontus, breaking the silence. Froad nudged him, warning him to shut his mouth. "OH NO! They were worth a bit because the merchant said he liked the footprint ruins around the edges and he'd take them off my hands for some shitty amount. I wouldn't sell them anyway, though, they had too much value to me. He said there were thousands of Custom Plates like this one floating around, they're not worth much but he really wanted to take them. I didn't tell him where I got them either" shrugged Stoutland, slowly pulling himself to his feet and fetching the ladle to test the broth.

"Yeah, a shame. Sorry they broke or whatever" yawned Pontus, stretching his arms. "Can I see 'em a minute?" asked Froad, reaching for the bag of shards. Heltroph nodded, a grimace forming at his mouth. Froad opened up the bag and carefully pulled out a shard. It was pointed and cold, yet clear as glass. But it wasn't glass. It felt far too slippery to be glass. Something had been carved into that certain shard and the Politoed squinted at it, holding it closer to his eye.

Something clicked in his mind.

" 'Old on, these ain't footprint ruins" frowned Froad. "You what?" replied Pontus, sitting up to look at it. Froad took out another shard and examined the symbol etched into it. "These aren't footprint ruins. I read 'em, remember? These definitely aren't footprint ruins. I can't even recognise 'em." said Froad, taking out more shards and examining the ones that had symbols etched into them. Pontus shrugged. He could barely read Unknown, the normal script, let alone ancient Footprint Ruins.

"So what? The merchant lied, they do it all the time" yawned Pontus again, stretching his arms wide.

Froad's brow was furrowed as he thought. Something wasn't right. Why were tribes on the other side of the world writing in footprint ruins, the ancient language of the Federation? Why were they making "custom plates", usually collected by nerds in the Federation? And why was the merchant so insistent on taking them off of Heltroph if they weren't worth much?

Holy shit. It all made sense.

" I think these plates are worth more than t'merchant said they were. This ain't footprint ruins, this looks like some language I can't recognise. This is treasure from the Wastes" said Froad, his hands shaking as he dropped the shards back into the bag. "It's bloody broke, innit? What's a bag of shards worth to anyone?" dismissed Pontus, getting himself comfortable beside the fire.

Froad's palm slapped his forehead. How could Pontus be so short-sighted sometimes? "Nah, ye dense eejit. If this was made in t'wastes and is worth something, it means there's more of 'em out there, also worth something! Heltroph mentioned a bloody temple! I bet there's more treasure in there! And there's a fuckin' expedition headin' out there in a few weeks, out to find treasure to make some fat-fuckin'-cabbage!" replied Froad, his voice shaking from excitement.

The change of expression on Pontus' face was faster than a Gallade on coke. He slowly sat up and smiled widely.

"You big, green genius" croaked the Monferno, feeling his heart beginning to pound.

"HOLY SHIT, YOU'RE RIGHT!" shouted Heltroph suddenly, making the explorers (and the ladle in his paw) jump again. "We're in shit with the Federation anyway. We could just go and-""Take t'treasure before they get to it!" finished Froad, practically bouncing with excitement.

"How could we get away with it, though? I'm sure Gala and Team Rhinestone are going to come knocking around 'ere tomorrow, looking for us. We can't prepare an expedition in a few hours!" said Pontus, dampening the mood slightly. "YES, YOU CAN!" barked Heltroph. "I have loads of shit around here you can take! I'm not using it!". Before giving the explorers a chance to speak, he'd already bounded off into piles of chests and began collecting useful items. Pontus grinned at Froad.

"Maybe things won't be so bad, mate" he said, slapping his partner on the back. "We'll get going in a few hours, before those idiots come banging the door down". "I can keep them busy for you!" shouted Heltroph from the other side of the room, digging inside a chest. He seemed to be struggling to pull something out of the chest, so Pontus jumped up and began to assist him.

A smile pulled at Froads lips. Earlier, things had seemed bad. Really bad. Like, prison-bad. But now, a ray of hope was throwing it's rope in their direction and they were going to grab it with both hands. Sure, they might piss off the Federation, they might end up in prison or they might even end up dead. But what did they have to lose? For months, they'd lived in freezing squalor, hoping they Federation hadn't forgotten about them and living off whatever meager Poke they were sent. But now was there chance to actually do something with their lives and not fuck up. When they got the plates - or whatever goddamned treasure they could find out there - they would sell it all, raise enough money to clear their names and retire comfortably somewhere.

Because there wasn't anything left in Glacefloe worth trying to salvage anymore. They'd wasted far too much time pretending to be famous explorers. Now was the time to be actually become famous explorers.

--END OF PROLOGUE--