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~~Kalemkol Island - Chapter 1: Preparations~~~
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"Bamelin!"
Rein laughed, as his Buizel slammed into his back, the nimble pokemon quickly dashing towards his neck. "Haha... calm down, Taucher! We still have to check in, and it's gonna be a long trip."
The Buizel spun around his master's neck, overeager. "Bam! Bam BAM bamelin!"
"Haha, I'm excited too." Rein picked up his hyperactive pokemon, holding him still for a bit. "Seeing a whole new island chain... hrm?"
Rein paused, glancing behind him. "Soldat? Something wrong?"
The Nidoking's eyes shifted for a moment. "Do." He grunted. Rein followed his gaze.
"Oh, that's just - hey, Marcus!"
And the Nidoking relaxed, returning to his at-ease stance. The other boy rushed forward.
"Rein! Wow, I haven't seen you in forever! You're going to Kalemkol Island too?"
"Yeah - I was really lucky to get an invite, even though I only have five badges."
"Lucky! I wish I could go." Marcus glanced aside. "Wonder if you'll find any new pokemon?"
"Eh, I doubt it. Kalemkol's already been explored for a month now. I'm just glad to go!"
"Maschok!"
Rein smiled, nodding at his Machoke. "Sorry, Tenko. I have to check in my pokemon to get on the ship. Doing three at a time - and with Affe helping out at the bike store - I figured you, Berg, and Sumpf were my best bets at first. It's only for a few hours."
"Schok." The Machoke sighed, as Rein shook his head.
"Sorry, pal." Rein turned back to Marcus. "You're here to see people off?"
"Yeah - my brother's on the ship. Hey, uh..." Marcus scratched the back of his head. "Why... why does your machoke go 'maschok'? And your Buizel go... bam something?"
"Huh? Oh, right, this is your first time away from Kanto, huh?"
"Well, my second, but the first time meeting any pokemon."
"Heh, pokemon in all four regions have different cries. Most of my pokemon are from Sinnoh since... well, since I was born there - Tenko hatched in Sinnoh and I guess picked up the style. If Taucher was from Kanto he'd go 'Buizel', which you're probably more used to, huh?"
"Oh. That's a little confusing."
"Eh, you get used to it. I was really weirded out when I heard a Machoke actually say 'machoke' for the first time, heh."
The pair were interrupted by an official walking towards them. The man nodded. "Rein Shojo? Please step forward, and prepare the three pokemon you are checking in first. Here are the required forms to fill out."
Rein nodded. "Alright. Sorry, Tenko, Berg, Sumpf, but in you go!" Returning his pokemon, he glanced at the forms. "Machoke... Torterra... Croagunk. Man, there's a lot of information to put here!"
Marcus smiled. "I'm gonna go say goodbye to my brother. See ya, Rein!"
"Alright, bye!" Rein sat down, filling in names and numbers. "Man... it's like school all over again."
"Bam?"
"Heh, it's okay, Taucher." He said stoically, before turning his head. "You okay, Soldat?"
"I am healthy, commander."
"Aw, you know that's not what I meant." Rein smiled - he'd actually for a moment in there forgotten that his Nidoking could talk. "Thanks for keeping an eye out, though. You know, you can relax if you want."
"I am at ease, commander."
"Heh, alright, alright." Rein nodded, returning to the forms. "Now we - oh oops!"
He jumped to his feet. "That's right! I was supposed to pick up Affe an hour ago, not in an hour! Augh, I hope he doesn't mind my being late too much!"
And, with great energy, Rein took off running. Soldat shifted his weight, following behind, his overly long tail swaying back and forth behind him.
Rein was fairly quick and had a lot of energy - but Soldat refused to check his pace, keeping up with the boy fairly easily.
"Bam?!"
Soldat glanced at the Buizel for a moment. "Make sure we don't lose him. You're faster than I am."
"Right!" The Buizel stated in pokemon, before dashing forward to catch up to Rein. The boy began cutting corners in his eager desire to arrive at his destination.
"BAM!"
The shocked sound of the Buizel caused Soldat to increase his pace - spinning around the final corner in a hurry.
He tensed. There, lying on the ground was Rein - he wasn't moving. And standing next to him was a fairly large machoke - one who's belt buckle had what looked like mountains engraved thereon rather than the typical 'p'. Taucher had halted at the entrance of the narrow passage between buildings, also tense.
"Geun." The Machoke shook his head. "Quite the party today, huh?"
Soldat, swiftly, analyzed the situation before responding - Rein was bleeding, but only lightly and was still breathing. Just unconscious. And in the machoke's grip... oh.
"Taucher." Soldat shifted his weight, retaining his combat pose. "Go find an official - a police officer."
"B-bam?" Taucher stepped backwards, turning to Soldat, whos face was impassive.
"Now. Go!"
And the Buizel took off running. The Machoke clamped his fists together. "Heheh... so what, ya think y'can take me yerself?"
Soldat took a few steps forward, remaining far out of range. "Thievery is illegal in Sinnoh."
The Machoke rolled his eyes. "Cry me a river. So if'n I give the kid back his wallet now, you'll let me go, blah blah?"
Soldat leaned backwards, then stomped the ground. The machoke tensed for a moment, then recoiled as the ground beneath him burst into energy. Dirt and small stones flew upwards from the ground, nearly knocking the machoke to his back.
"No."
The Machoke's eyes turned slightly red. "You stupid - GEUN!" He shouted, rearing backwards. "NYUKMON!" His voice became a roar, as he launched forward, ice crystals glistening from his hand.
Soldat watched impassively as the machoke lunged forward. He swayed to the left as the icy fist swung past his head, opening his mouth as he did so. The machoke turned his head in time to have it smashed into by the beam of ice eminating from the Nidoking's mouth, sending him to the ground - and sliding into a wall.
"Geunyukmon?" Soldat raised an eyebrow. "You're far from Johto, Machoke. Your trainer could be ejected from Sinnoh for this."
"I... urgh..." The machoke got to his feet - he was a bit staggered by Soldat's special attacks. "Don't put me in yer place - I ain't got no collar." His hand began glowing with ice once more. "Hold still!"
Soldat's face was impassive as always, but had Rein been conscious he would've recognized that look as a smile.
The Machoke's eyes bugged out as he felt rather than saw the Nidoking move forward - pre-empting his ice punch with a megahorn to the chest.
"Geun." The Machoke sank to one knee, rasping - frantically trying to get air into his lungs. The assault had winded him - his fighting nature helped him resist the bulk of the bug attack, but his wounds from Soldat's previous assaults had taken their toll.
"In Sinnoh, we do not accept theives. For harming my trainer, I am authorized to deliver punishment."
The machoke wanted to give a witty retort - truly he did. It was not, however, the lack of air in his lungs which prevented him from doing - his silence was not caused by the pain spinning through his body.
No, his silence was caused by the Nidoking hoisting him bodily in the air, and much to the machoke's astonishment, shoving the machoke's head into his mouth.
Frantically - reflexively - he reached for the Nidoking's head with both muscular arms, to push himself out. Soldat shifted his weight, removing one arm from the Machoke's shoulders - redirecting the machoke's right arm into Soldat's awaiting maw. He pushed, giving a slurp, and the entire arm slipped into his throat, as did the remainder of the machoke's head - bringing him to the shoulders.
Soldat paused, again almost smiling. This machoke had been extremely predictable thus far, thus he knew what to wait for. And sure enough, there it was - the machoke reared back for a frantic swing at the nidoking's head.
In doing so, he had to torque his body - moving his shoulders. Soldat expertly shifted his head as well, grabbing the machoke's sides and giving a fierce tug - the shoulders sank into his mouth with a pop. He gave a swift slurp, pinning the machoke's other arm to his side.
The machoke started flailing his feet, but it was all but over at this point - without the use of his powerful arms, all the machoke could do is bulge the Nidoking's throat as he was pulled inwards. Soldat took his time then - slowly slurping until his mouth reached the machoke's belt.
The machoke found his voice then, and Soldat could hazily hear what sounded like pleading. Still, the Nidoking had no plans of stopping - he released the machoke, not needing to keep a firm grip any longer. Reaching up with one, he grasped the machoke between his legs, speeding his descent into the Nidoking's throat. The Nidoking's overly long tail swished back and forth behind him in pleasure as, with one last slurp, the Machoke's legs slipped into his mouth. Leaning his head back, he gave the final swallow, trapping the machoke in his stomach.
"S-Soldat! I couldn't find any - " Taucher froze as he reentered the alleyway, his vision focused on the enormous bulges in the Nidoking's stomach - bulges of a creature inside struggling violently.
Soldat licked his lips. "I am aware, Taucher." His voice was stoic as ever. "The majority of the police are at the boat, thus this area is underwatched at the moment."
"Wha..." Taucher's voice was hesitant. "Who... what's... uh, where's... where's the machoke?" He finally said, disbelief tempering his normal hyperactivity.
In response, Soldat shifted his mouth - almost like chewing. Finally, with a loud "Ptooie!", a black speedo was spat out of his mouth, metallic belt still attached. The belt caused it to clank to the cobblestones slightly loudly.
Taucher stared at it for a moment, then stared at the still-present but slowing its struggles bulge in Soldat's stomach. "You... you ate him? Whole? But how - "
Soldat crossed his arms behind his back, shifting his feet shoulder-length apart as he returned to his at-rest stance, despite his stomach still warbling. "Search his wrestling pants, Rein's wallet should be therein. Now we need to wait until he wakes up on his own."
"O-okay." Taucher slowly moved towards the wrestling pants, still watching Soldat - who retained his stoic look.
The Buizel was just glad the militant Nidoking was on his side.
