FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

A day later, the trio stopped by Rand's house to check on him and his family. To their surprise, they found two Pinchers speaking to the elder ranger. It seemed the organization had dissolved but still existed in very small parts. They sensed that they were very afraid.

"We beg of you! Please help us!" the male Pincher pleaded.

"You might think we have a lot of nerve asking a ranger for help after all we've done, but... please! You have to help us!" the female Pincher added.

"Forget the past," Rand responded. "Saving the life of your leader, Blue Eyes, is the most important thing right now."

"Exactly," Hastings agreed. "Leave it to us."

"Th-thank you so much!" they said gratefully.

"Hurry, Rand, and save Blue Eyes... Eh? Why if it isn't Ben and Summer! What brings you here?" he asked them. The Pinchers looked at who came in and jumped with fright upon seeing a latias and latios in front of them.

"Oh no! Pl-please forgive us!" they begged timidly, confusing the two Eon pokémon.

"Your habit of wanting to run at the sight of a ranger hasn't changed one bit, I see," Rand mused.

"T-they're... rangers now?!"

"Now, now. We need you to stay calm. You have nothing to hide, right?" Hastings asked them. They took a very deep breath.

"Oh yeah. Now that you mention it, that's right. This morning a bunch of us former Pinchers were diving in the Undersea Cavern, looking for treasure..."

"Treasure?" Rand wondered, to which the female Pincher was quick to correct her partner.

"Uh, no, we mean pokémon as beautiful as treasures," she hastily replied.

"Yeah, that's it! We were observing pokémon as beautiful as treasures," the male Pincher agreed.

"So you observe pokémon then?" the professor questioned.

"Th-that's right. That's our new hobby." He took a moment to steel himself again, then continued. "While we were focusing on observing, we lost sight of our leader at some point..."

"We split up and somehow managed to find her, but... she was trapped between some rocks deep in a cave!" his partner wailed. "The current there is too strong, and we can't reach her in order to help!" Both of them then turned to face the Eon pokémon pleadingly.

"And so you amazingly talented and adorable rangers! You are younger, so we have high expectations for you! Could you please save our leader somehow?"

"Hey! Show a little respect!" Rand demanded, frowning at the likely unintentional remark. The Pinchers hastily apologized to the ranger.

"Rand, let's just leave this to Ben and Summer," Hastings whispered. Rand agreed somewhat reluctantly.

"In order to save our leader, we have to move heavy rocks and get through a very fast current," the male Pincher explained. "With our abilities alone, there wasn't a thing we could do."

"Also, our leader's air tank is less than half-full!" the female Pincher added. This fact sent a great sense of urgency through everyone present.

"Why didn't you say that earlier?!" Hastings cried. "That's enough explanation! There's no time to lose! Ben! Summer! It's an emergency! Head out to the Eastern Sea and rescue Blue Eyes! We'll send Murph after you on the Union." The dragons nodded and flew out, immediately heading for the location as soon as possible. Once there, they put on their goggles and dived into the ocean. They used their psychic powers to create a breathable environment for themselves. Before the duo could go further, they received an alert from their Stylers.

"Picking up a metal object from the Undersea Cavern," the Styler said. "It is highly probable that is from a Pincher's Z.Z. Flyer. There is also a signal from a deep area that was not accessible earlier."

"Blue Eyes must be in there," Ben said to Summer. "We better hurry."

"The tidal currents are chaotic," the Styler continued. "This is not a natural flow. Proceed with caution."

"I hope they didn't disturb any pokémon with their exploring," Summer worried. "It doesn't seem like they would, though, with everything that's happened." They swam into the cavern and made their way to the hot air vents. A Pincher floated near the vents, worry evident on his face.

"Where are those two who went to ask the pokémon rangers for help?" he muttered. "I told them they shouldn't go, because there's no way the rangers would help!"

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Ben said, startling the Pincher so much that he lost his grip on his Z.Z. Flyer and his rebreather. He took one glance at the Eon duo and panicked even more. The poor Pincher struggled to regain control of his items, but the adrenaline rush he experienced made him unstable, and he fainted, having failed to get his bearings fast enough. "Oh no!" Thinking quickly, Ben constructed a blue psychic bubble around him, filtering the water out of it and ensuring the man could still breathe. He sent it to the surface, knowing Murph and the others would see to his safety.

"Maybe we should try not to use telepathy on anyone else in this situation," Summer suggested. "They're nervous wrecks as it is." The latios nodded as they continued further into the cavern. Another Pincher, accompanied by two kingdra, floated before them on his Z.Z. Flyer. He looked around before spotting them, and in a fit of panic, he commanded the kingdra to attack them. He was surprised, however, when they backed away instead of lunging at them.

"...Huh?" At this point he took his time to think about the oddly dressed latias and latios in front of him. "What's with the gear?" Once he noticed the stylers, he became alarmed. "Wait a minute... you're not here to take us out?" He received a nod from the dragons in reply. "Oh no! I jumped the gun! I'm sorry! Our leader is farther in, but there's an enraged pokémon going wild in there. I couldn't even get close," the Pincher lamented. All of a sudden a loud cry rang out that seemed to vibrate the entire cavern and made everyone flinch. "P-please save her!" Panicking, he flew past them and headed for the surface.

"I don't blame him. That sounded pretty bad," Ben admitted, feeling a little nervous. "But we must press on."

"Blue Eyes could die if we get cold feet now," Summer said. They captured a lanturn, then descended into the darkest part of the cavern, being sure to avoid any red lights they saw. Suddenly the entire cavern rumbled once more, though there was no cry accompanying it this time.

"Danger! Danger!" their Stylers alerted. "There is an unnatural disruption in the flow of the tide!" They sensed a large presence shoot past them, and despite the light they had, they were unable to determine what it was. "That pokémon is extraordinarily agitated." Ben and Summer held claws as they proceeded. Before long, another Pincher had flown out of where they had to go. Upon seeing the Eon duo, he began to panic, but Summer trapped him in a psychic bubble before he could take off.

"Relax. We're not here to arrest you," Summer reassured as carefully as she could. "We have come to save Blue Eyes."

"Really?" The Pincher calmed down almost immediately upon hearing that. "I owe you a sincere apology. Please save our leader! There's only a little bit of air left in her tank. Somehow, somehow... save her!" he pleaded. He flew up to the surface, ashamed that he could do no more for Blue Eyes. With increased urgency, the Eon duo pushed through the cavern's unusual currents and arrived in an even darker part of the cavern. They could barely make out the sound of someone, most likely Blue Eyes, struggling to breathe what little air they had left.

"It... it's getting harder to breathe," they heard Blue Eyes strain to say, regret evident in her weakened voice. "This might be the end. Thought I would repay some of the bad deeds I've done, but..." She paused to take another pained breath before continuing sadly. "Looks like it's just too late..." Ben and Summer, accompanied by their lanturn friend, flew into the ex-Pincher's line of sight and nearly gasped when they saw her. She was trapped under a rock and had a few cuts along her body, including a small gash on her left cheek. She gazed at them through dulling, half-lidded eyes and chuckled weakly. "Now I'm seeing a mirage of an oddly dressed latias and latios. This really must be the end for Blue Eyes."

"Blue Eyes, hang in there!" Summer cried. The telepathy didn't seem to draw out a reaction from the drowning ex-Pincher. Both of them moved closer to her.

"We're not illusions," Ben said.

"You know, for a mirage... you seem pretty substantial," she stated. She made one more gasp for air before passing out briefly.

"Perhaps you can create a safe veil around her," the Styler suggested. Both Eon pokémon immediately moved closer and held their paws to her face. She immediately shot up in surprise as they used their psychic abilities.

"What are you doing, mirages?! Stop...! A-Air!" Blue Eyes gasped in shock, then gasped again when she realized the action had not caused her to drown. "I-I can... breathe!" Relieved, they backed away as her vision cleared up. "You two aren't mirages? You're the real deal? I haven't gone into shock?"

"As clear as day, Blue Eyes," Summer replied. This time the telepathy startled her, but she was quick to recover.

"That voice... but how? More importantly, you two came all this way to... save me?"

"We're rangers. It's what we do," Ben said proudly. Both Eon pokémon lifted the rock off of her, allowing her and her vehicle to move again. It was then that they noticed a rather curious object next to her, one that looked a lot like the Rainbow Grail. Blue Eyes explained that it was the treasure she and the other Pinchers found.

"My followers did everything they could, including swallowing their pride and going to the rangers, to help me? ...I'm glad I have such loyal people on my side." As soon as she floated upright on her Z.Z. Flyer, the Eon pokémon nuzzled her, glad they were able to save her life once more. She petted them in heartfelt gratitude. "They did nothing wrong," she continued. "The only one who can't fly straight, then... it's me, Blue Eyes."

"Please return to the surface," the rangers' Stylers announced. "The risk of trouble is far too great."

"That's enough talking. Let's get out of here." As Blue Eyes flew, Ben, Summer, and their lanturn trailed after her. She came to a stop at some point. "This isn't a natural tide flow, is it?"

"I'm afraid not," Ben replied. "There's-" He was interrupted by yet another loud cry. The source seemed to be distant this time.

"What was that?! I don't know why, but it's so angry that it's shaking up the flow of the water."

"I'd rather not find out," Summer said. "We'd better move as quickly as possible." Before long, they ascended into the brighter part of the cavern, and they released their lanturn friend. Another cry echoed throughout the Undersea Cavern, sounding slightly closer this time.

"No matter how good you are, calming that thing might be too much for you," Blue Eyes said, "especially in the middle of the ocean!"

"Then we'll have to get above the water," Ben responded. "At least then we'll have a chance."

"Until then, we'll just watch the water flow," Summer added. The trio quickly exited the Undersea Cavern and saw the sun and the Union just above the surface.

"Just a little further!" Blue Eyes exclaimed. This time the cry of the agitated pokémon sounded closer than any other encounter, causing the water to vibrate. They quickly headed to the surface and boarded the Union. Among the people waiting were the Pinchers they encountered, Murph, and Pichu. "It's coming! Everyone! Grab on to something!" Ben and Summer were the only ones who didn't have to do that thanks to their levitation. The boat shook with the water, and everyone looked toward the mast in confusion. Suddenly, a lugia burst out of the water and roared, scattering water everywhere and knocking nearly everyone off their feet.

"Ready, Ben?" Summer charged up her Styler's capture disc and cloaked it in red light. Ben nodded and followed suit, covering his disc in blue light. Pichu pointed his ukulele at Lugia and played it while firing a Thundershock at it. The attack did not seem to faze the Diving pokémon, who retaliated with one flap of its wings, sending Pichu a few feet away. The Eon pokémon fired their discs at it. Lugia put up its wings, expecting an attack, and the rangers took the opportunity to loop their discs around it twelve times. Upon realizing there was no attack coming its way, it put down its wings and opened its mouth, gathering energy.

"Look out, everyone!" Blue Eyes warned. It closed its mouth for a moment before opening it back up and flapping its wings to unleash its signature Aeroblast attack. What appeared instead was a small flash of light that temporarily blinded everyone, much to Lugia's surprise.

Ben and Summer took advantage of the confusion to encircle Lugia, calming it more and more with each loop. Before they could complete one more loop, however, Lugia swung both its wings forward. This sent a large wave of wind toward everyone on the Union and caused the ship to rock uncontrollably as a storm began to form. It surrounded itself with a barrier, deciding to let the storm do the work.

"What do we do?" one of the Pinchers questioned in a fit of worry. She, along with everyone else, struggled to stand on the now-unstable ship.

"We calm down first, then try to keep the ship stable," Blue Eyes commanded, slightly anxious herself. Her followers scrambled to follow her order as best as they could.

"This looks bad," Murph said, getting her attention. "Lugia's put up some sort of barrier around itself, one that's keeping Ben and Summer from getting close." She noticed that the rangers were currently flying around it, most likely attempting to find some way to get through.

"Judging from what should have been an Aeroblast attack," she analyzed, "they somehow managed to reduce its power. The shield it put up will block anything they throw at it... Unless..." Blue Eyes boarded her Z.Z. Flyer and turned it on.

"L-Leader! What are you doing?" one of her subordinates cried. "It's too dangerous!"

"Has she lost it?" Murph and Pichu wondered.

"Just follow my lead!" she ordered. The rangers stopped flying, wondering what the ex-Pincher had in mind. She flew close to the shielded Lugia and stuck out her left hand. In an instant, everyone saw a small purple beam shoot out of her hand and make contact with Lugia.

"A Control Gauntlet!" Ben exclaimed.

"Why do you still have one? Do all of you have one?" Summer wondered anxiously, glaring at the device.

"We only use them to calm pokémon, not enslave them. Regrettably, there are still people who use them for their intended purposes... those scoundrel," Blue Eyes said to the latias, muttering the last part. "The ones we have were modified to keep aggressive pokémon at bay. Maybe we can use them to break through." The other ex-Pinchers caught on to their leader's plan and followed suit, aiming their gauntlets at her target. Their efforts were rewarded by a small crack in the shield, and eventually, its collapse. "Now's your chance, rangers!"

"Right!" They looped their capture discs around the exposed and drained Lugia once more and withdrew them the moment the sky began to clear. It now hovered before everyone steadily, having been becalmed by their efforts. It smiled at the two rangers before diving back into the sea. The rangers and ex-Pinchers landed on the Union once more, a little shaken from the ordeal but overall relieved it had come to an end.

"Is Lugia okay now? Is it still angry?" Murph wondered.

"Managing to calm down Lugia like that... You two are amazing," Blue Eyes complimented. "Still, I would never have thought you two were really legendary pokémon. It's incredible." Her followers shared in her sentiments, praising them for their skills and new form.

"Blue Eyes, you might be selling yourself short here. Your idea helped save everyone too."

"Thanks... Lugia was probably trying to protect this treasure..." She pulled out what looked to be the Rainbow Grail from a compartment in her vehicle and set it down on the floor, already lamenting removing the item in the first place.

"Hmm... I suspect it might be something else..."

"At any rate, this happened because of us. We're really sorry, leader!" one of the ex-Pinchers apologized.

"We're very, very sorry leader!" another added. Their leader appeared flustered.

"Wh-what are you apologizing for? Knock it off. I don't know what you're talking about." Blue Eyes then turned to Murph. "M-Murph... We're really tired. Can you get the ship to a port? Please hurry," she requested, feeling guilty about the whole experience.

"No problem." The pokémon rested on the wooden floor as Murph took the wheel of the ship and drove it to Tilt Village's port.

---

"...So you see," Blue Eyes confessed to Rand and Professor Hastings, "it's my fault for being dazzled by this treasure. My followers, who were just trying to save me, are not to blame at all."

"L-leader?"

"I'm the only one who deserves punishment. My followers all had a change of heart long ago, so please just let them go," she pleaded. The other ex-Pinchers looked incredibly shocked by this.

"Hmm... What a strange story," Hastings said casually. "Don't you agree, Rand?"

"It is strange," the ranger replied. "Compared to the story we first heard from these two, it's really different."

"We're sorry leader!" the two Pinchers that accompanied Rand and Hastings shouted. "We told Rand everything!" Now it was her turn to look shocked.

"So, your followers, who had received a tip about a treasure in the Undersea Cavern, unknown to their leader, went diving in the ocean to get that treasure," he explained.

"That's wrong!" she denied. Rand smiled at her as he continued.

"But there was a violent ocean current there, and a pokémon they'd never seen was going wild. But one of them got drawn into the current, so not having any other choice, they contacted their leader."

"..." Blue Eyes was silent this time as she looked away.

"Even though you were mad at the selfish acts of your followers, you went there... and saved them." One of the Pinchers stepped forward and admitted to being the one Blue Eyes saved. "Then Lugia showed up. You let your followers flee first, but you were caught under a falling rock."

"How dare you make up a story like that..." she denied again, not showing as much conviction this time.

"Leader! You don't need to cover for us anymore!" all the Pinchers declared at the same time, willing to accept the consequences of their actions.

"I see. So that's what happened," Murph stated. "By the way, Rand... Did you use pro-wrestling moves to get those two to talk?" The latias and latios rolled their eyes at the ridiculous imagery.

"No, Rand was very nice!" one of them replied, smiling.

"Rand said that if we didn't tell the truth," the other added, "our leader would probably try to cover for us and take all the blame herself..."

"I'm surprised. Things happened just like he said they would." Hastings nodded.

"Rand is very good at understanding people. That's why he's so well-liked by the people of Oblivia. There's more to a ranger's work than just capturing pokémon." Rand smiled at the professor's praise. "At any rate, this time Rand's caring, Blue Eyes's leadership, and Ben and Summer's actions saved everyone. Mission Clear, everyone!" Ben and Summer did a few celebratory laps around the Union before returning to everyone.

"I still can't get over how incredible and cute you two look right now," one of the ex-Pinchers gushed.

"But... as long as this treasure's here, Lugia might return to retrieve it," Blue Eyes said worriedly as she glanced at the oversized cup.

"I already told you that's not going to happen," Murph replied.

"That's called the Rainbow Grail," Rand stated. "It appears in an old legend in Oblivia, and this is..."

"So it's an amazing treasure, then!" an ex-Pincher excitedly interrupted him.

"...A replica of it. It's fake."

"Fake?!" Blue Eyes cried.

"It's a prop for the Rainbow Festival," Murph explained. "It's made of paiper-maché."

"P-paiper-maché?!"

"From the looks of things," Hastings said, examining the false grail, "it was made decades ago. Maybe it didn't turn out right and was thrown away in the ocean. Or perhaps... someone dropped it in the ocean by mistake."

"Now that you mention it," one of the ex-Pinchers piped up, "there were other things like bottles, cans, and broken Z.Z. Flyers in that cave."

"Well I... I've accidentally thrown bottles from my Z.Z. Flyer," another admitted shamefully.

"I've thrown cans..."

"The strong tidal flows must have taken garbage from all over and deposited it in that cave," Rand reasoned.

"Maybe Lugia was angry at those who polluted the ocean," Blue Eyes added, "and that's why it was in such a rage..."

"That seems to be the best way to look at it," Hastings said. "Lugia doesn't care about that paiper-maché grail, but it was trying to protect the ocean. From time to time, pokémon teach us important lessons. To put it another way, you're right."

"Thanks, well... On that note... you..."

"Yikes! M-Me?" the targeted ex-Pincher wondered.

"I heard you sent pokémon after the rangers," she said, frowning at him. "Are you still manipulating pokémon?"

"No, that's not it. Those kingdra... They've taken a liking to me and won't leave my side."

"That happens sometimes," the professor said, a little amused by this news. "Take good care of them!"

"Hey everyone! Let's take a cruise on the Union to celebrate the recovery of the fake Rainbow Grail!" Murph suggested. "We can watch Oblivia's sunset and take it easy."

"Can we come?" Blue Eyes requested.

"Of course! You too... uh, professor? Where did Ben and Summer go?" Everyone looked around, confused as to where the Eon pokémon went.

"I don't know... but knowing them, it's probably best we don't look for them," Rand said. He looked at the sky and smiled. If one were to look closely, they would see two shimmers in the air zoom by.