In a world full of floating islands, sky pirates, exiled magicians, and Pokémon, peace is difficult to maintain.
Shaymin, kind Pokémon who'd guided travelers once man learned how to fly, were hunted to extinction for their Gracideas: magical flowers...
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Two years later, August awoke in the middle of the night. Cold sweat dampened her forehead as blood roared in her ears. She tensed in her hammock and scanned the darkened berth. Her crewmates—both men and Pokémon—were piled in their beds, snoring loudly and grumbling in their sleep.
She wasn't one to doubt her instincts.
The 18 year-old tiptoed through the cramped room, holding Risk to her chest to save it from brushing anything. She held her breath as others stirred in their sleep and inwardly cursed them for startling her. All her senses heightened; she noticed the slightest movements and detected the faintest murmurs.
As she crept to the deck, she heard the wood creak. She pressed herself against the wall and peeked around the corner.
A gigantic Pokémon she'd never seen before sat in the center. Ze was several feet tall with a long, slender neck and a broad body. Wide, leaf-like wings shuddered against the frosty, midnight breeze; the creature reminded her of a palm tree. The most shocking feature of zir all were the three long, jagged claw marks scarring zir face.
A spy, she realized.
She smirked. If she caught the spy singlehandedly, Calico and Wes would let her skip all her chores. She hoped she'd pick who the burdens went to; without a doubt, August would pass them off to Martim. They'd butted heads everyday since he joined the crew two years ago.
August crawled on her knees along the gunwale, hiding in its shadows. She stopped once she reached the crates (otherwise known as card game tables to slackers) pushed to the side of the deck. Her plan was as simple as always: she'd wait for the spy to return to zir Pokémon and attack zir once zir back was turned.
When resting, she noticed the lack of watchmen. No one manned the helm nor perched in the Murkrow's nest. She frowned, wondering how the spy knew the crew would be absent.
Speaking of Giratina, a man akin to a Conkeldurr approached. The kohl lining his onyx eyes matched his ebony-colored outfit. A wild beard adorned his jaw, distracting one's focus from his gigantic fang-shaped earrings. He was Hiran Patel, the Dragon-type magician-captain of the Savage Hydreigon.
August learned just how deadly the Savage Hydreigon was in the past year. The Zoroark's Deceit clashed with them on three separate occasions, claiming the lives of at least a dozen pirates each time. She'd made sure to never cross paths with Patel as anyone who dueled him never lived to tell the tale. It took both Calico and Wes to keep him at bay.
Her hair stood on end as Patel positioned himself just meters away from her. He plucked one of the fruits dangling from the Pokémon's neck and peeled its husk. Rather than biting it, he handed it off to someone obscured by the Pokémon's leafy wings. Impatience got the best of August as she leaned forwards to see the other only to give a choked gasp.
