Pokémon Crossing: Fly Me to the Moon

Sailing for Tomorrow's Dreams!

With a triumphant leap in the air, Tank held out his arms as he landed on the yellow brick roads. He turned around and waved to his friends, bouncing on his feet as he watched them run out from the grass.

The boys strolled down the streets, stopping at an empty bench and sitting down before each pulling out their phones. Benedict and Kidd sent fanfiction to each other, looking up at each other and blushing slightly before putting their phones away. Tank sat in the middle, crossing his ankles as he sent Professor Nook a few texts. Once they went through with a single ding, he tucked the phone in his pants pocket.

Kidd yawned as he nudged Tank with his elbow. "Can we finally go get some coffee?" he asked.

Tank raised an eyebrow, "Kidd, we just had some tea. Do you already need more caffeine?!"

"I'm not going to Juniper Island without at least one cup of coffee in me," Kidd scoffed as he stood up, brushing some dust off his boots.

Benedict shrugged his shoulders as he suggested, "I don't mind grabbin' a drink. An' besides, do we gotta be at Juniper by any time today or?"

"Well, Croque didn't tell us what time we had to deliver it," Tank explained, stopping to think for a second. "But we should do it today! That way I don't have to lug it around much longer, I could have more room to catch some Pokémon, and I wouldn't get frisked by Rustboro police. Alright, let's get those drinks!"

"That's what I've been waiting to hear," Kidd sighed in relief, adjusting his scarf before putting his hooves in his pockets.

The boys walked away from the bench, wandering down Shakedown Street as they looked around at all the buildings. Storefront windows displayed a variety of stock, ranging from colorful clothing to Pokémon merchandise to fresh baked goods. One sign stood out- a black and white bullseye circle with a winking Farfetch'd in the middle. The sign read, "Cutting Loose Coffee: Now Cyanide-Free and Not Free Trade!"

Kidd nodded to himself before leading the way inside. A small bell rang above the doorway, as the boys got in line. The pleasant smell of roasting beans and baked goods wafted in the air, joined by hints of cinnamon and oak wood.

Minutes passed as the line grew shorter, the boys relieved to see only one animal in front of them.

Don stood at the counter, pulling out a generous stack of bills as he ordered, "One black eye with the Blue Mountain roast for me." He turned around, gently smiling before facing the barista again. "And their drinks are on me." He stepped aside, hastily recounting his bills.

"Oh, thank you sir!" Tank said as he bowed to him, before turning around and pointing at the menu. "In that case, let's see, I'd like one large iced matcha latte, please."

"Cafe au lait, large, for me," Kidd said as he put his hooves in his pockets.

"An' a large marble mocha with whipped cream, oh an' can y'all put chocolate powder on the whipped cream?" Benedict asked.

The barista, a brown dog with freckles across her nose, quickly typed on the cash register before saying, "Twelve-hundred Poké Dollars."

Don handed her a small stack of bills, nonchalantly handing her a small note with his phone number on it. He watched as she tucked the paper into her work apron before getting started on their drinks.

"How rude of me, I forgot to introduce myself to you boys," Don said, with an ulterior gleam in his eyes as he bowed to them. "Don Hawkwind."

Tank bowed back before placing a hoof on his chest. "Nice to meet you, sir! I'm Tank Pepper," he introduced himself before looking back to his friends. "And these guys are Benedict Sussex and Kidd Chavignol. Oh, this is for you!" He took his backpack off and set it down, pulling out the briefcase and holding it out to him.

So that's what happened to the damn case. Don took it into his wings, carefully popping it open. He squinted ever so slightly, confused by its emptiness. On one hand, he had a feeling the boys stole whatever was inside. But on the other hand, he had just met them, they seemed like alright kids, and why would anyone return an empty case rather than good spirits? "Thank you, boys," he said.

"Order for Don Hawkwind!" The barista called out, placing a cardboard tray on the counter.

Don walked over to the counter, picking up the tray of drinks. "Thank you, Bea," he nodded before whispering to her. "You're still free tonight, right?"

"Yes, Don, I'm still free after my shift," Bea said, hesitating before grabbing another cup and writing a name on the side.

"Good, good," Don carried the drinks over to an empty table, setting them down before pulling out the chairs. "Care to join me?"

The boys glanced at each other, whispering before joining him at the table. They each grabbed their drinks, hesitatingly sipping. While the drinks tasted alright, there was tension heavy in the air.

"You believe in karma, right?" Don explained as he held the cup between his wings. "Do good things, expect good things to return along the lines, right? In a way it's a never ending cycle, exactly like the science of mutualistic symbiosis." He traced a finger over the rim of his cup, another gleam in his dark eyes.

"Take a Mantyke and a Remoraid; without the Remoraid, a Mantyke cannot evolve into a Mantine. But without a reliable Mantine to latch on, the Remoraid cannot feed and grow, thus delaying any evolution into Octillery. But which came first in evolution? Pay no heed. Everyone in this society is someone's Mantyke or a Remoraid, and with those interchangeable roles, we're all a society of Octillery and Mantine."

Kidd looked over before glancing back at Don. "So, what does this have to do with our drinks?"

"Excellent question, young man," Don stopped to sip from his beverage, carefully setting it down on the table. "When you returned Hawkwind property to me, that meant I owe you something back. After all, you saved an employee of mine from trekking out to the Rusturf Tunnel." He softly smiled again. "And besides, good Pokémon trainers look out after each other." Without thinking too much of it, he reached up to unconsciously touch the stone on his chain.

Benedict perked up in his spot, his eyes bright in curiosity. "What kinda Pokémon do y'all have?" he asked.

Damn kid, prying into me like that. "Imported from other regions," he bluntly said, hastily finishing his coffee before setting the cup down. He looked down at his watch- great, another meeting in a few minutes. "Look, I've got to get back to work. Don't get into any trouble, alright?" He waved them off, glancing behind his shoulder before rushing out of the coffeeshop.

Kidd raised an eyebrow before sipping from his drink. He set it down and asked, "Are animals around here always that busy?"

Tank assured him with a confident wave, "It's nothing to worry about, dude. Besides, guys like him have a million things to do!"

Benedict and Kidd side-eyed each other, hastily finishing off their drinks.

With a carefree skip in his step, Tank led the way out. The boys walked through the city, taking quick shortcuts before stepping back out into the wilderness of Route 104. Stray leaves flew about in the morning wind, joined by flower petals and light dust.

Dark canopies of foliage blocked out rays of sun, joined by the faint sounds of chirping wild Pokémon. Bushes and trees rustled by the minute
"Are you sure we're going the right way?" Kidd asked as he clutched his messenger bag. "It wasn't even this dark when we came here the first time..."

"We'll be fine," Benedict dismissed him. "And 'sides, if any of us knows how to get outta here, it's Tank. Right?"

He looked to his left, then his right. "...Kidd, do y'all know where Tank went?"

Kidd shrugged his shoulders, his face still flat in disinterest. "Why?"

Benedict facepalmed, "Do y'all not see him anywhere?!"

"I'm sure we'll find him somewhere," Kidd deadpanned. "It's so easy to find him in the woods we've only been through twice."

Meanwhile, in another part of the woods...

Tank glanced around at the trees, keeping his head high as he marched across the grassy path. Jagged green leaves fell from the sky, swaying in the air before falling atop the trail. Minutes passed before he stopped in his tracks, looking over at a rather peculiar sight.

Right under the clearing was a wide patch of damp brown soil, thick clumps of grass dotted across the surface. Forest canopy leaves parted to reveal a boulder in the middle, generously coated by a thick layer of deep teal moss. A thin ring of mushrooms surrounded the ground, their bright red and yellow caps standing out.

"Kino?"

Tank turned around in his spot. A wild Shroomish stood before him, looking up with curious eyes.

The Shroomish chirped as it threw its body forward, spewing a cloud of orange and yellow powder through the air.

Tank's eyes went wide as he jumped to the right, narrowly dodging the powder as he rolled into a shrub. He kneeled on the ground, carefully parting the branches and watching as Shroomish erratically hopped around the boulder. Hmm, what's a good way to distract it....wait, fight fire with fire! Tank looked to his left and spotted a peculiar item- a red mushroom with yellow dots on the cap! He plucked it from the ground, readied his aim, and chucked the mushroom next to the mossy rock.

Seconds passed as Shroomish waddled over to the mushroom, stopping to slowly nibble on the cap.

Tank pulled out a Poké Ball and threw it through the air, smacking against the wild Shroomish and absorbing it inside. The ball fell on the ground, rotating three times before clicking with a small ding.

"Alright!" Tank thought to himself as he stepped out of the bushes, carefully tiptoeing towards the boulder. He kneeled down to pick up the Poké Ball, spinning in his spot before placing it in his backpack.

A loud rustling noise caught his attention.

Benedict and Kidd popped out behind one of the trees, their clothes covered in dirt and twigs poking out of their hair.

"Oh, hey guys!" Tank cheerfully waved. "Guess what? I caught a Shroomish! You wanna see him?"

"Nah, not right now, but y'all can show 'im when we get outta here," Benedict said. "Well I'm glad I found ya, 'cause it's been a long day!"

Kidd sighed in exasperation, "It's only been a few minutes, how is that a long day?"

"Well it's a long day when y'all spent the whole time freakin' out over a little mud," Benedict rolled his eyes.

Tank facepalmed before leading the way. "Knock it off, guys," he waved off, keeping his focus on a dark red path. Moss and pebbles lined the beaten trail, blending in with the soil.

Minutes passed as the boys crawled through a series of shrubs, silent as they parted the branches. Sunlight peered through the foliage, growing brighter with each step.

The boys crawled out of the bushes, picking leaves and twigs out of their hair and clothes as they took a good look at their surroundings. A clear cloudless sky welcomed them back, warm sunbeams glowing across the scenic route as thin grass lightly waved in the breeze. They strolled down the dirt path, spirits high with each step until a strange sound stopped them in their tracks.

"Think we should check it out?" Tank asked.

Kidd shook his head, "Probably just a wild Pokémon. Besides, don't we have a package to deliver?"

"Hmm...yeah, good idea," Tank said before leading the way to the source of commotion. "Oh, come on!"

Cousteau stood in front of his boat, rolling up his sleeves before smacking a pair of hands away from him.

A purple bear towered over him, yelling as she pulled her arms back, "Come ON old man, if I don't get to Slateport City I'm totally gonna be fired!"

"I don't have to take you anywhere, missy," Cousteau shook his head as he pointed up at her. "And I'm no old man either, I just turned forty-nine!"

"And I'm no missy!" She shouted back. "The name's Megan Biscotti, now let me on your boat!"

Tank stepped forward as he pointed to himself, "No, we're getting on this boat, not you!"

"Wh-what?!" Megan gasped in surprise. "You're not even in Pastel! What would you even want over in Slateport?!"

"Slateport?!" Tank yelled back. "We're going to Dewford!"

Benedict jumped in between them both, shouting as he held out one of his Poké Balls. "Y'all, I've got this!" He pointed up at Megan's face. "Let's battle, one-on-one. If I win, my friends an' I are gettin' on the boat!"

"And if I win," Megan flashed a smug smile as she whipped out her own Love Ball. "The boat ride's all mine."

"It's a deal," Benedict nodded as he gripped his Poké Ball tighter.

Megan clicked her heels together before holding the ball up with both paws. "For everything that's Pastel! Marill, we're gonna ROLL!" The Love Ball gleamed under the morning light, opening up in a snap. A pink and white light zigzagged out of the ball, hitting the ground and forming into a Marill.

Marill chirped as she frantically bounced in her spot, occasionally stopping to shadowbox the air.

"Well y'all are gettin' stopped 'fore you can even roll!" Benedict stepped backwards as he threw his Poké Ball high in the sky, reaching up to catch it. "Ralts, let's go!"

Ralts threw himself out of the ball, carefully bobbing back and forth in his spot like a buoy on the coast.

Megan flipped her bangs before pointing at her face, winking like an idol in the spotlight. "Marill, Defense Curl and Rollout!"

Marill tucked in her arms and legs, tightly curling into a ball as she pressed her ears against her body. She barreled against the ground, picking up speed with each continuous roll.

Ralts leaped into the air, gracefully backflipping before hovering in his spot.

Benedict thought quickly; hey wait, Marill won't steamroll him if his rolling stops in its tracks! "Ralts! Use Confusion all 'cross the field!"

"Raru!" Ralts chirped as he held out his arms. His horns and hands glowed bubblegum pink as he fired an array of glowing purple rings.

Marill erratically rolled across the field, darting around like a lucky pachinko ball. She barreled through several hoops, a white streak of energy trailing behind her as she sharply turned behind Ralts. The hoops dissolved into twinkling white dust, cascading onto the battleground.

"Disarmin' Voice, now!" Benedict shouted as he pointed ahead.

Ralts jumped to the right, cupping his hands around his mouth. He screamed from the top of his lungs, shooting an array of pink and white soundwaves. The soundwaves vibrated as they pushed Marill across the ground, torpedoing her into the air.

Megan stepped forward to catch Marill, stumbling in her spot before regaining her balance. Marill hopped down from her trainer's grip, glaring as she shadow boxed the air.

"Bubble Beam!" Megan shouted as she snapped her fingers and pointed ahead.

Marill glared as she opened her mouth, shooting a ray of translucent blue bubbles. The bubbles zigzagged through the air, several of them pounding the ground and exploding upon contact. Thin water drops sprayed through the air, splattering against the soil with a light splash.

Benedict thought quickly; if Ralts stays on the ground too long, he'll be slipping flat on his own face! "Flip in the air an' use Magical Leaf!"

Ralts backflipped into the air, his arms glowing grassy green as he held them out in front of him. He landed back on the ground, crying out as he fired an array of technicolor leaves. The leaves sliced through each bubble, popping them into thin splashes before barraging Marill like bullets from a turret.

Marill yelped as she fell with a heavy thud, the earth rumbling before she passed out from exhaustion.

Megan returned Marill to her Poké Ball, before angrily stomping her foot against the ground. "There, you happy you got your boat ride?" She barked out, huffing as she glared with the fury of a thousand suns.

Benedict kneeled down to pick up Ralts, holding him in his arms as he said, "Well course I am," he chuckled. "Can't get my next gym badge without y'all takin up my spot on the boat."

"Yeah, yeah, you and your Pokémon League or whatever," Megan waved him off. "But us Pastel members are more free, y'know." She flipped him off before storming off onto a secluded route.

The boys looked at each other in confusion. Free from what, exactly?

Cousteau lit up a cigarette before taking a long slow drag, blowing a huge grey cloud above him. "You boys ready?" he asked.

"Ew, éteins cette cigarette," Kidd whispered, recoiling from the harsh stench of tobacco and smoke.

"Um, Kidd, I don't think he's gonna give y'all one," Benedict pointed out.

Tank joined in, "Yeah, I know that everyone in Lumiose smokes like a chimney, but-"

"I said he should put it out," Kidd cut him off, harshly whispering.

Cousteau took several quick drags before putting out the cigarette on his sleeve, stuffing the extinguished end in his shirt pocket. "I wouldn't start any time soon," he said as he walked onto the boat. "No, seriously, don't."

While the boys each grabbed a seat on deck, Cousteau yanked his anchor out of the water and placed it in the storage compartment. He sat in front of the console, turned on the black switch, and inserted a key into the keyhole. The boat rumbled in its spot as the motors sputtered and whirred.

"Anchors aweigh!" Cousteau hollered as he grabbed a hold of the lever, pushing it ahead with full force.

Peeko cawed as she flew off her owner's shoulder, taking off into the skies in carefree bliss.

The boat torpedoed across the ocean water, heavy waves splashing against the bow as thick white spume splattered across the surface. A smack of Tentacool popped their heads out of the water, floating in their spot as the ocean waves drenched them.

Benedict stood up and wrapped his wings around the bow's rails, letting his hair carelessly flow in the wind. He hummed to himself, "Cherry ice cream, smile, I suppose it's very nice. With a step to your left and-"

"Is cherry ice cream that good, dude?" Tank asked before chuckling to himself.

"Maybe, yeah" Benedict looked away, furiously blushing as warm winds blew into his face. "An' thanks for cuttin' me off."

"Hmph," Kidd snorted as he stood up next, flashing a devious smile. "I have a better sailing song." He cleared his throat before holding out one of his arms and singing, "Toi, viens avec moi, et pends-toi à mon bras, je me sens si seul."

Tank clapped a few times and laughed again, "I don't know what any of it means, but I got an even better song!" He struck a pose before bursting into song. "Aaaaaa! Watashi no koi waaaa, minami nooooo, kaze ni notte hasiru waaaaaa!"

Benedict covered his beak as he laughed them off. "Y'all are both bein' ridiculous!"

Kidd and Tank stopped to look at him for a few seconds, quiet before both bursting into laughter at the same time.

The heat of the sun beat down on the ocean surface, as distant islands formed on the horizon's edge. The boys looked at each other, thinking to themselves, "Juniper Island's gonna be great!"