Ch. 6: Resistance

Chief stood frozen, struck dumb as his mind fought to cope with the information he had just received. He was trapped. Stuck in a world separate from his own, by a power that he couldn't identify, for a purpose that was never made clear. A hundred conflicting emotions welled up within him, all screaming that he take action. But for once in his life, Chief was clueless as to what that was. His ingrained response, to simply identify the next objective and do his best to complete it, failed him. There was no objective. He was lost, in every sense of the word.

"…Chief?" The quiet, tentative question came from Felix, as the Totodile fixed him with an expression of worry that seemed to emulate the turmoil Chief himself felt. "Chief… I'm sorry." He said, his sincerity making itself clear in his low tone.

Chief didn't respond. He felt defeated, that if only he had done something, fought harder, that he would still be in his world. He did his best to quell such thoughts, but the sense of helplessness remained. Eventually, he did the only thing he could, turning to Whiscash and asking, "Are you sure that it has to be this way? That there is no way for me to get home?"

Whiscash too, seemed to share in Chief's grief as he answered sadly, "I'm afraid not. You were brought here for a reason human, to fulfill a destiny that only the one who summoned you knows the full extent of. Without them, the only person who could know for sure why you are here… is you."

Chief looked down, burying the urge to shout in frustration. He didn't know why he was here! He didn't want to be here! He wanted to be where he was needed, back home, protecting Humanity, like he had for as long as he could remember. "I don't know." Chief muttered despondently. "I have no idea why I was brought here."

"Actually, I think I have an idea." Both Chief and Whiscash turned to Felix, who shrunk slightly beneath their focused gazes. "Um, well, I was the first one to find Chief, right? I ran into him in Tiny Woods. That… That can't be a coincidence, can it?"

Whiscash brought a feeler down to rub his chin in thought. "That does seem a bit strange. What were you doing in Tiny Woods, Felix?"

Felix looked down, sighing forlornly. "I was… trying to clear my head. I was mad, and I went to Tiny Woods so I could think. I've never gone there before, but today I just… it seemed like a good idea." Lifting his gaze he looked to Chief with a sharp intensity. "Chief, I don't think me finding you was just a coincidence. I think it was meant to be. Just look at what happened, if we hadn't met, Caterpie would have been Pidgeotto's meal!"

Chief furrowed his brow, uncertain. "Even if that's true, then why?" He asked. "Why send me to you? Just to rescue Caterpie?"

"No Chief, don't you get it?" Felix said excitedly. "This is just the beginning. You and me, Chief, we make a great team. We could become a Rescue Team! What better purpose for you to have been brought here than to save people? It's all I've ever wanted to do…" Felix trailed off, before fixing Chief with an earnest look. Holding a claw out to Chief, he finished, "So what do you say? Partners?

Chief digested this information for a moment, considering that what Felix said may very well explain why he was brought here. Casting a look over to Whiscash, he found the fish to be nodding pensively, seemingly swayed by Felix's argument. Is that really why I'm here? Chief thought. To save these people, to become some sort of hero? Chief mentally bristled at the thought. Despite what everyone in the UNSC seemed to think of him, Chief didn't see himself as a hero. He recognized his ability, yes, but as far as he was concerned he was just a soldier. He did his duty, his responsibility to the UNSC, fighting because it was all he knew how to do, and saving others because it was his responsibility as a soldier. But this… It was entirely different. He held no obligation to these people. They weren't his own allies, Hell, he'd been attacked by them as often as talked to them.

But one thought remained, a memory, almost long forgotten. You have been called upon to serve. The symmetry of his current predicament and his original initiation into the SPARTAN program were clear. But just as he was forced to accept his new life as a Spartan back on Reach, so too would he have to accept the mission given to him here. If that meant that whatever it was that brought him here wanted him to assist Felix in creating a Rescue Team, then so be it.

So, resolved to his fate, Chief nodded firmly, reaching out a blade to meet Felix's claw. Felix took it, and gave it a solid shake. Whiscash watched the two with a smile, before clearing his throat and gaining their attention. "I am quite glad to see you have found your purpose here, human." He explained. "I would be honored to institute you as the newest Rescue Team of Pokémon Square." Felix grinned excitedly, and Chief gave an appreciative nod. "Of course, I just need your team name." Felix's grin faltered, and Chief cocked his head in confusion.

Turning to Chief, Felix scratched the back of his neck embarrassedly. "I, uhh, I kinda don't know what to call our team. Any ideas?"

Chef skeptically raised a brow. "I thought you had been dreaming of this for years?" He said.

Felix groaned, putting his face in his claws and moaning, "Yeah, but I never thought about what to call it! I always thought that, I don't know, my partner would choose it!"

Chief rolled his eyes. "All right, fine. How about Blue Team?" Chief was somewhat loath to give this team the name of his old squad, but it was short, practical, and familiar. To Chief's dismay however, Felix simply responded with a deadpan expression.

"…Blue Team. Really." He said, unmoved. "You can't think of anything better than that?"

Chief frowned. "It's a perfectly viable name. It's simple, easy to remember, and-"

"And boring!" Felix snapped. "I mean, even if that wasn't a totally lame name, it makes no sense! Of the two of us, only I'm blue; you're green! Come on, can't you think of anything more creative?"

Chief sighed in exasperation, but decided put some thought to it. Alright, so I'm being put on a team, to fulfill some duty, which is unnecessarily vague, to save people from a threat that no one knows precisely the origin of. The answer came to him, bringing a small smile to his face. Fitting, and a bit of a final "up yours" to Spark.

"Reclaimer." Chief said with finality.

Felix cocked his head curiously, but after a moment, grinned. "That's perfect! It sounds totally cool!"

Seeing that the two were satisfied with their choice, Whiscash smiled. "An excellent name. I hereby dub you Rescue Team Reclaimer, and formally swear you into the Rescue Team Corps. Congratulations." Felix and Chief both thanked the elder, and he nodded graciously, before continuing, "Your gear should arrive at Pelipper Post Office by tomorrow morning. That is, unless you have a base already."

Felix nodded excitedly. "We can use my dad's old base! It's just outside of town."

Whiscash returned the nod, saying, "I know of it. Very well, I'll make the arrangements, and have it delivered tomorrow morning." Felix thanked the elder again, before he, along with Chief, bid him farewell. Whiscash returned the gesture, before slipping back into the pool and out of sight. Motioning for Chief to follow him, Felix turned and began walking back into town.

As Chief and Felix once again entered the Town Square, Felix continued to chatter excitedly. "I can't believe it!" He said, exuberant. "I mean, this is literally a dream come true, Chief! I've been waiting for this day since I first hatched, I swear! Finally I can become a real rescuer!"

Chief, still reflecting on the news delivered to him, found himself cracking a small smile at his partner's delight. "I'm glad you're excited." He said earnestly.

Suddenly realizing that Chief was there next to him, Felix started slightly. "Oh, uh, yeah. Thanks, Chief." Felix blushed in embarrassment as he added, "And don't worry Chief, I promise we'll find out who brought you here and why. If whatever Pokémon brought you here needed you to go from one end of the world to another, then you can guarantee I'll be with you every step of the way!"

Chief looked down at Felix, regarding the Totodile curiously. However, he said nothing, simply returning his gaze forward as the two proceeded out of town. He's already willing to do that for me? Chief thought with confusion. I get that I'm helping him follow a dream, but such dedication… it's odd, to say the least. Chief was much more used to soldiers following him out of a desire to increase their odds of survival, rather than an actual desire to assist him. Looking down to Felix, Chief felt a small grin forming on his face as he regarded his new companion. Whatever the reason, you won't hear me complaining.

Within minutes, the two had reached the abandoned base, and Chief regarded it with a new outlook. So this will be our base. Chief thought. It could do with a few additions, but it's definitely far from unusable. Looking from the base to Felix, he saw his partner was observing the building with a sense of reverence.

Turning to Chief, Felix fixed him with an apologetic look. "Well, I guess I'll be heading home now. Um, I don't know if my parents would be okay with you staying over." He explained, keeping his gaze firmly on Chief's feet, afraid of his reaction. "There's a bed in the base, so I was wondering if you'd have a problem with-"

"It's fine." Chief said, raising a blade to silence him. "I understand. Go home, and I'll see you tomorrow. Get here bright and early, understand?"

Felix grinned, snapping a claw up into a crisp salute. "Yes Sir!" He said, turning and heading down a path, opposite the one leading into town. He took a moment to look back over his shoulder and shouted, "I'll see you tomorrow!" before he continued home, growing smaller and smaller as he approached the horizon.

Chief watched him leave, before facing the base and walking inside. As he entered the structure, he took a moment to observe the room within. It was circular, in keeping with the shape of its exterior, and to Chief's surprise sported a very natural appearance. The floor was covered in a soft bed of grass, and on the other side of the room a small pond curved along the opposite wall. Against the back wall, a large grate had been formed, feeding the pond into the larger one outside. In the water but connected to the grassy floor was a large stone slab, patterned like a turtle shell and clearly meant to act as a bed. On the grass, two small ponds formed on the left and right side of the room, near its center. The left was in the shape of a crescent moon, while the right was more oblong in shape, and sported a small waterfall. All throughout the room, small shrubs and plants were flourishing in the aquatic setting, and overall Chief compared it to a Zen garden, minus the sand.

His analysis complete, Chief approached the bed and knelt down. He took a breath, and for the first time since arriving in this world, allowed himself to rest. All at once, the fatigue and tension from the last few hours hit him full force. The doubts, the worries, the pain from his injuries all converged upon him, and he accepted them gladly. He began the arduous task of recovery, mentally sorting each lingering thought and setting it aside. His fear at his new form was removed with a promise to practice with his new body later. His horror at being on a different world, separated from the UNSC and surrounded by unfamiliar places and species was appeased by the knowledge that come Hell or high water, he would find a way back home.

Eventually, the only pain sapping Chief's strength was that from his injuries, and even that had dulled slightly as time had passed. Clambering to his feet, Chief leaned over the water to take in his reflection. He quickly skimmed over his new, alien features in favor of inspecting the wound on his chest. To his surprise, it had healed a great deal in the short time since he had escaped the Mystery Dungeon. The bleeding had long since been staunched, and the cracked and torn exoskeleton was already showing signs of knitting itself back together. Not resenting this strange turn in the slightest, Chief stepped back from the pool and lowered himself down onto the bed. Pokémon must heal at a faster rate than humans. Chief mused. Sitting down and resting his blades on his knees, Chief sighed wearily and allowed his eyes to droop shut.

Felix crept into the den as quietly as possible, silently praying that he could spontaneously become a Ghost Type, if it would allow him to avoid this confrontation. Unfortunately for him, his talents in stealth were less than adequate, and a small misstep sent a rock clattering through the cave. Crap! Felix thought, cursing with each sound the accursed stone made.

"Honey? Is that you?" A sudden voice caused Felix to groan aloud, as a large shape stepped out from one of the branching pathways. At first glance, it was very similar to Felix himself, but much larger. The Feraligatr locked its scarlet eyes on Felix, its gaze shifting from one of curiosity to one of joy. "Oh, Felix!" She said, striding forward and wrapping the Totodile up in her massive embrace. "I was so worried! I'd been looking for you all day, I even sent your father out to find you!"

Felix squirmed in his mother's grasp, groaning, "Aw, c'mon Mom! I'm fine, leggo!"

His mother complied, slowly lowering him to the floor, and looking him over with a critical eye. As she noticed the many bruises and scratches that swathed the Totodile's form, her enormous maw dropped open in shock. "Oh my goodness!" She exclaimed, reaching for him again. "My poor baby! What happened to you?"

Dodging away from his mother's reach, Felix growled, "It's nothing, Mom. I'm fine! Really! I just, I kinda got into a little fight, okay? It's nothing."

"A fight?" Felix's mother said incredulously. "You call that nothing? Look at you! You're a mess! Was it that Ekans boy? Did he beat you up again?"

Felix gave an exasperated moan. "Mom, I haven't talked to Ekans in years."

His mother tutted softly. "And I'm so thankful for that. It seemed like every day I would have to go find a Pecha Berry after you got into fights with him."

Felix huffed indignantly. "Hey, poisoned or not, I always came out the winner in our fights!"

His mother gently laid a claw on his head, smiling warmly. "I know. Your father may have been proud of you, but I was beside myself! I never want to see my baby hurt." She trailed a claw down his cheek, causing Felix to smile in return despite himself. Her expression growing stern, Felix's mother continued, "So if you weren't in a fight, then what happened?"

Felix looked away, searching for an excuse. "I, well, I never said I didn't-"

"He was in a Mystery Dungeon." Both Felix and his mother turned to find another Feraligatr tromping his way into the cave. Felix flinched as his mother's jaw dropped, and she turned her shocked gaze from the Feraligatr to Felix. The new Feraligatr, drawing up to the two and looking down at Felix with a firm gaze. Felix slowly brought his head up to meet it, but said nothing in return. Instead, the Feraligatr continued, "You entered a Mystery Dungeon, fought your way to the end, defeated an insane Pidgeotto, and almost died in the process." The Feraligatr lapsed into silence, as Felix did his best to keep from quivering under his scrutinizing gaze. Suddenly, the Feraligatr lunged forward, and Felix felt himself wrapped in a hug, as the Feraligatr squeezed him in a crushing grip. "Son, I am so proud of you!"

"What!?" Felix and his mother said, staring dumbfounded at the exuberant father. Felix's mother stepped forward. "Ford, you can't be serious!" She exclaimed, admonishing her mate. "He went into a Mystery Dungeon? He could have died!"

"But he didn't, Farrah." Ford said, setting Felix down and tousling his head fins. "He went in, he kicked some tail, and he saved Caterpie!"

Farrah blinked confusedly. "Caterpie?" Turning to Felix, she added, "You mean you actually rescued someone!?"

Felix grinned excitedly. "Yeah! Caterpie fell down a fissure, and Butterfree couldn't get past the feral Pokémon to help him, so me and Chief-"

"Actually," Ford cut him off, saying, "I'd like to hear more about this "Chief" person. Butterfree was pretty vague in who he was. All she could tell me was that he's a Scyther."

Farrah too regarded Felix curiously. "What does he mean? Who is Chief?"

Felix looked from his mother to his father, struggling to come up with a viable explanation. Oh yeah, I met this Scyther who it turns out is actually a human, and we formed a Rescue Team together! I know we just met, but it's his destiny! Yeah sure, that'll go over well. Deciding to simply downplay the specifics of his and Chief's meeting, he began, "I found a Pokémon, unconscious in Tiny Woods. I woke him up, and I think he may have lost his memory. He couldn't remember where he was or how he got there, but he said his name was Master Chief, and asked me to take him to see Whiscash Elder."

Ford stroked his chin thoughtfully. "That seems suspicious." He said. "But how did that lead to him helping you rescue Caterpie?"

Unnerved by his father's suspicion of Chief's motives, he continued carefully, "Well, Butterfree showed up then, crying about how Caterpie fell into a fissure." Felix took a moment to regard his parents' attentive looks, and decided to omit Chief's reluctance in joining him in the first place. "We went in after him, but when we followed him in, we found out that the fissure actually led to a Mystery Dungeon."

Again Ford interjected, scowling. "Another one?" He growled. "And out in Tiny Woods too? Damn, we'll need to warn the rest of the town about that, or more kids will be winding up in that Dungeon pretty soon." Shaking his head, Ford refocused his attention on Felix, gesturing for him to continue.

"Right." Felix said, nodding, "So Chief and I fought our way through the Dungeon. You should have seen us, dad! We fought a couple Pidgey, and I fought a Sunkern, and we even fought a crazy Pidgeotto! He sounded just a day or two away from feral, and tried to eat Caterpie! But Chief and I, we went in there, and we beat him good! First he was all 'Rawr!' and we were like 'Hiyah!' and-"

"Alright baby, I think we get it." Farrah said, smiling at her son's enthusiasm. Felix gave a small, embarrassed chuckle, relaxing from the fighting stance he had taken. Farrah rested a claw on her son's shoulder and continued, "Your father and I are very proud that you were able to save Caterpie, but you could have been seriously hurt! What if something had happened to you?"

Felix huffed, frowning sternly. "I couldn't just do nothing! Besides, Chief was with me, it wasn't like I was alone. In fact, we made an amazing team!"

Farrah's expression softened at that, and Ford smiled proudly. Farrah's frown failed to disappear however, as she asked, "But what happened after you saved Caterpie? Where's Chief now?"

Felix sighed, as the conversation moved into territory he knew his parents would be less than pleased with. "Well, he needed to go see Whiscash Elder, so I took him into town. Then we kinda… formedaRescueTeamtogether!" Felix muttered quickly, wincing as both his parents' massive jaws dropped open in surprise.

"A… A Rescue Team?" Farrah stuttered, while Ford continued to work his jaw wordlessly. "Honey, that's… quite a big step. Are you sure that it was the right decision? I know you've been wanting to form a Team, Felix. But to create one with someone you just met…"

Felix looked away, again fighting to put together a feasible answer, knowing full well that saying 'it was destiny' was most likely going to result in dubious expressions.

So, steeling himself, he answered, "I formed a team with him because I saw him fight. He was incredible, guys! He was cutting through those other Pokémon like they were nothing! I've been waiting for someone strong enough to become part of a Rescue Team with me, and now I've finally found one!"

Ford finally recovered from his shock enough to ask, "And he just accepted it, just like that?"

Felix shook his head. "Well, no. Not at first, at least. He still wanted to meet with Whiscash elder. But after he did… Well, he said that he was here to stay." Felix lied. "He formed a Rescue Team with me then, so I led him to your old base and-"

Ford perked up in interest. "What, that old run-down thing?" Ford put a claw to his chin in thought. "Hmm, that's not a bad idea. It's close to town, and I'm sure with a little attention it'll be comfortable enough."

Farrah looked to Ford with surprise. "Wait a minute! Ford, Darling, you can't be encouraging this! He's just a child! Our child! And we know nothing about this Chief person…"

Ford chuckled in response. "Relax, Honey. You know that I wasn't any older than he was when I joined my own team. Besides, if this Chief was willing to go into a Mystery Dungeon to help Felix save Caterpie, he can't be all bad." Throwing an arm over his mate's shoulder, he added, "Tell you what. Tomorrow, Felix can take me to meet this Chief, and I'll be able to judge him for myself." Looking to Felix, he added, "Does that sound fair to everyone?"

Felix nodded rapidly. "Sure!" He chirped. Farrah hesitated, before finally nodding as well.

Ford grinned. "It's settled then. Felix, tomorrow, you'll take me to meet Chief, and I'll judge whether he's up to being a part of a Rescue Team with you." Walking over to his son, he plucked him from the ground and continued, "For now though, you need to get some sleep. Trust me, I know how much those Dungeons can take out of you."

Felix was about to argue, before his jaw opened and he released a massive yawn. Embarrassed he muttered an affirmative, and allowed his father to carry him to bed.

Chief stirred, his eyes shooting open as he leapt to his feet. All around him was a swirling vortex of constantly shifting colors, one that tugged at the corners of his mind, yet remained out of his reach. I know this place. Chief thought sluggishly. But from where?

Suddenly, a new figure appeared before him, faintly flickering in and out of existence. Chief focused on it, but was unable to make it out, its indistinct form remaining just beyond the reach of his vision. A voice, barely audible, began speaking. Chief did his best to make it out, but its words were muted, and Chief's mind began to grow fuzzy from the attempt.

"Who are you?" He demanded, shouting out to the figure and struggling through the haze within his mind. "Where am I?"

The figure didn't respond, and instead its already indistinct form began to waver, slowly fading altogether. "Wait! Stop!" Chief called, reaching out towards it with one of his blades. "Don't go!"

The figure gave no inclination that it had heard him, instead disappearing altogether, but not before Chief heard one word, screaming at him in an all too familiar voice.

"CHIEF!"

Chief's eyes snapped open, and he stumbled to his feet, his eyes wild and his chest heaving. Staggering over to the pond's edge, he plunged his head into the cold water. Pulling back, he panted heavily, a single word upon his lips.

"Cortana."