Salsa Loses Her Cool (Placeholder)

    The entrance to the Kakura Caverns stood like a great, gaping maw, a giant monster ready to eat any hapless pokemon alive. At least, that’s how it seemed now; with all the pokemon tense and all the guards posted at its entrances, Salsa had to remind herself that it was once actually a comfortable home for many pokemon. Probably dark and cramped too...ah, if only being a giant wheel could still accommodate that.

    She rolled up to the entrance, her partners, Bossa and Eddy in tow. It was fortuitous, she figured, that Eddy could join them--”Your mom’d kill me if I didn’t look after you!” he’d said--since Bou was off hunting that strange creature the guilds had warned about. Just as well, actually, since Salsa had no idea what that bunnelby’d do when facing down an actual witch. Not a situation she wanted on her metaphorical hands.

    Talking with the guards was simple enough, and they were granted access to the caverns once they explained they were with the guilds. However, that wouldn’t be enough for this mission. They were hunting for totems and a traitor witch, in a poison-choked cave system to boot, so the newly-evolved whirlipede needed to make sure everyone was on the level.

    “So,” Salsa said, turning perpendicular to the honchkrow and delphox so as to face them. “We’re here to get those totems back, but also capture Madeline. Since Holly said Madeline could shapeshift, we should be extra careful; she might try to trick us by turning into one of us if we get separated.”

    “Yeah, you mentioned it last night. Sounds like one tricky fox” Bossa said, the smoke from his cigarette curling about his neck like a scarf.

    “Well it shouldn’t be a problem,” Salsa said. “If we’re unsure, we can just use the code phrases we came up with last night. You guys remember?” Her companions both nodded. “Right, let’s just go over ‘em together one more time to be safe.”

    “Yeah, good idea,” Eddy said. He put his paw to his chin, looking upwards. “Lessee, mine was…’Fire-Crash-Five’, yeah?”

    “Right,” Bossa said, “Me, I got ‘Eye-Kill-Fool’.”

    “And I’m ‘Blue-Red-Milk,” Salsa finished. Good, it seemed everyone had it straight from last night. There was little time to waste though...from the faint, acrid smell drifting from the cave entrance, the gas was already starting to drift higher. This would have to be quick; she would be fine with the poison, of course, but Bossa and Eddy were another matter entirely. If the poison gas surrounded them…

    “So, you ready to roll?” Bossa said. Salsa had to roll her eyes.

    “Har har. You know, you shouldn’t quit your day job.”

    “Well alright, pays better than my last night job.”

    “You two are real characters,” Eddy said. “Anyway, c’mon, let’s go! Lead the way, squirt!”

    At least Eddy was energetic, unlike when they found him half dead in Ywaru. Salsa nodded, or tried to, forgetting that was a motion this form wouldn’t allow. Gathering her aplomb, she focused on the mission at hand, ignoring the eyes upon her strange trio. As they stepped--or in Salsa’s case, rolled--into the cavernous maw, the whirlipede spoke up with a serious tone. “Remember, Madeline could try to strike us at any time, so it’s imperative, crucial, and really important that we absolutely positively do NOT split up!”

    It wasn’t long until they split up. The winding caves had a lot more forks in them than they’d anticipated, and the poison gas wasn’t getting any better. But it also, strangely, was not getting worse, at least not as fast as Salsa predicted. Which had to mean…

    “Aha!” As she rolled around the bend of a tight corridor into a cramped cave, her suspicions were confirmed: there, sitting upon an intricate pedestal of lacquered wood was a totem, standing like a last guardian in defiance of overwhelming odds.

    “Well, that explains why this place isn’t a purple haze of death yet,” she muttered to herself as she rolled closer to take a better look. It glowed slightly with magical energy, almost like a miniature lighthouse amidst the poison fog. No wonder Madeline had swiped the rest, but at least she hadn’t found this one. Salsa figured it best to leave it alone for now--not like she could carry it with her new form--and rolled back towards the tunnel entrance to search for the others. She turned right into a tall, bipedal figure, and she instinctively started, preparing a poison sting--

    “Whoa whoa whoa!” Eddy said, putting his paws up disarmingly. “Easy, Salsa, it’s just me!”

    The whirlipede blinked, and relaxed a bit. “Oh, phew, you scared the crap outta me! Anyway, glad you’re here; I found one of the totems. Madeline must have left it behind on accident or dropped it or something when she was fleeing.”

    “Figures,” the delphox said, pushing up the brim of his hat nonchalantly. “Thieves always get sloppy when they’re in a hurry. In any case, that’s good news; we should hurry and get back to the surface with it.”

    “Right!” Eddy turned away and began to walk, but the whirlipede stood still. It was a second before he realized it and looked over his shoulder.

    “Hey, you comin’? It ain’t safe down here y’know.”

    “I know, just gotta be sure; could you tell me your code phrase?”

    “Huh? Oh, right!” Grinning, he turned back around to face Salsa. “Fire-Crash-Five. Easy!”

    Salsa seemed satisfied. “Oh thank goodness, I’m glad that worked out so well, Madeline.”

    “Wait, what--” He barely had time to react before a spinning ball of bug slammed into his face. Crying out, Eddy stumbled back, the delphox--no--the shifting form of a delphox clutching her face with a scowl. “Why you little--how’d you know!?” Madeline made to step back farther, but sharp Spikes digging into her feet quickly dissuaded her from that.

    Salsa, however, was far from backing down, determination in her eyes and pride in her voice. “Simple, you used the wrong code phrase. C’mon, did you really think we’d just say ‘em out loud knowing there’s a shape shifting witch around? We decided on different ones last night in private.”

    She had to admit, seeing the surprise and frustration on the witch’s face was a real charge. “Don’t beat yourself up too bad, though,” she continued, “You’ll have plenty of time to do that in Guild captivity. Bossa! Eddy!” Her voice reverberated throughout the cavernous halls, and it wasn’t long before the sound of rushing footsteps and beating wings announced her team’s arrival.

    The banette turned swiftly. Behind her, a delphox with a flaming wand leveled at her face, and a honchkrow amassing a ball of dark energy just waiting to be thrown. “We got you now, Madeline!” Eddy said “Now hand over the totems; you could say this is a ‘stick-up’!”

    While Bossa groaned and buried his face in his wing, Madeline took another look around and sighed, raising her claws in defeat. “Feh, I didn’t think I’d be the one getting a shakedown this morning. Fine, I’ll admit you’re not bad.”

    “You’re damn right!” Salsa said. “We’re Mobster Rollers, and don’t you forget it...huh?” The witch was smiling--she had something up her sleeve. But before Salsa could move, dark energy amassed in Madeline’s claw.

    “But ‘not bad’ isn’t enough to be memorable, kid!” With a smooth motion, she shot off the night daze, a fraction of a second before the mystical fire and dark pulse struck her. As she doubled over, the shadowy pulse flew over Salsa, barely missing her shell. Was it sloppy aim?

    And then they heard the crack, echoing through the small cavern like a gunshot. They all turned their gaze to where the attack veered off, and only Salsa could manage even a whisper.

    “N-no…”

    There, before them, lay the remnants of the totem, cracked clean in two. Their faint glow began to ebb, before winking out finally as they stared in stunned silence. The world seemed to stand still for a second as a knot twisted itself in Salsa’s stomach, and then a deafening, rushing roar of wind snapped them back to reality.

    It wasn’t long before it was upon them; with a blasting pressure, the purple gas began flooding in. Salsa quickly spun around to see both of her companions hunched over, hacking and wheezing, while the banette--no, the carnivine now--pulled herself up with a devilish grin.

    “You--what the hell did you do!?”

    “What’s it look like?” Madeline cackled weakly. “Surely the great ‘Mobster Rollers’ can see for themselves. This is what happens when you get cocky, kid.” Eddy and Bossa made to retort and summon attacks of their own, but another wheezing fit left their moves sputtering out and their bodies slumping to the ground, allowing the now-levitating witch to float over them with some effort. “Better luck next time. See ya!”

    “Wait, stop!” The witch was floating away, but…”Eddy! Bossa!” She wheeled towards them, screeching to a halt in front of their writhing forms. “Shit! C’mon, guys, it’s gonna be alright, talk to me!” Could she carry them out? No, she still wasn’t big enough, and if the gas filled the entire tunnel--!

    Bossa hacked and wheezed, wisps of smoke rising pitifully from his beak like a dying flame. “The…ack...the totems…” His wing splayed out in the direction they’d come. “She’s…” His voice trailed off with a wheeze, but he pointed with all of his strength. Yes, that was right, Madeline must still have the totems, which meant they still had a chance!

    But that chance was fleeing as quickly as Madeline. “Right, just hang on guys, please!” There was no time to think. Spinning so fast her horns cut lines in the stone floor, she launched herself forward. She couldn’t see Madeline, but there was only one way. But if she got far enough that she could safely transform back into a ghost, that was it.

    “Madeline!” Her voice, shrill and panicked, echoed about the cavern. A taunting laugh answered her. “Stop, dammit! Get the hell back here, pendejo!”

    The temporary carnivine was barely in view, floating over a small cleft  “Mm...well, I was considering it, but since you didn’t ask nicely...” She took a second to turn back when on the other side, sticking out an oversized tongue. “I think not! You kids should learn some manners!”

    Fire burned in Salsa’s racing heart, her whole body shaking as the witch laughed and continued her retreat. There was too much distance! “I swear to--I’m not…” She summoned up an extra boost of speed, barrelling towards the cleft. “Gonna let…” Every ounce of her being urged her forward, forgetting her surroundings as she leapt over the crack. “Them die!”

    She was going fast, faster than expected, but she didn’t care. As she leapt, she saw her target, so close. In range. Salsa only had one shot. The entire world seemed to slow down as she made her attack, aiming her large, glowing horns in a decisive megahorn...Wait…

    She didn’t have much time to contemplate it before the move connected; Salsa landed upon Madeline with a large crash, the witch crying out in pain and gasping for air. It took her a second to realize the ceiling was lower and that she was pressing down on the faux-carnivine not with a curled body but a hefty hoof. But contemplating such things was not a luxury the scolipede could presently afford. “Hand over the totems!”

    Madeline spat, her eyes burning with defiant anger. “Ngh...why should I listen to a brat like--argh!”

    “Do you wanna fuckin’ die!?” Salsa screamed, her voice straining as she pressed her hoof down on Madeline harder. She could barely believe her trembling words, but she didn’t have time to appalled by herself. “Just gimme the fuckin’ totems, NOW!”

    “Ow ow ow, alright, sheesh!” With a wave of a leaf, the totems appeared, scattered before Salsa. Kicking Madeline away unceremoniously, she leaned down, awkwardly trying to grasp one in the claws upon her neck. It took one, two, three tries, but when she did she clung to it for dear life.

    “I’ve got it, I’m coming!” she cried out, taking another leap across the rocky gap. She landed with a loud thud and raced off, her hooves clacking against the cavern floor. C’mon c’mon c’mon c’mon! Don’t fuckin’ die on me! Eddy and Bossa lay where she left them, writhing and wheezing much weaker than before. Throat tight and eyes hot, she forced herself past them towards the pedestal. This was it. This had to work. If it didn’t, then--!

    “NnnaaAAAARRGH!” Salsa slammed the totem down upon the pedestal with the sharp clack of wood against wood, and then everything was silent for a second. Her heart stopped, her breath caught, her eyes strained. Milliseconds stretched on to eternity until finally, a loud woosh cut the silence. Just as suddenly as it appeared, the purple gas vanished as if being sucked out by a powerful vacuum, and the air was clean once more.

    “I…” Salsa panted. She turned towards Eddy and Bossa once more, fear still gripping her heart...a fear that began to fade as she saw them breathe and rouse themselves. Salsa collapsed to her knees, tears streaming down her face as she towered over the two. “Eddy! Bossa!” She wanted to say more, but her voice was choked with sobs and laughs.

    As hot as the jungle air was, its breeze felt strangely cool, perhaps because there was even a breeze to begin with. Salsa stared out of the mouth of the upper cavern, not even bothering to look back at Madeline’s dejected form being lead away by Holly, Darius, and Garic. She didn’t even turn as Gemma walked up beside her.

    “Oh, Salsa!” she said with a cheeriness that one wondered could even be possible after the last few days. “I didn’t get the chance before, but I wanted to thank your team for recovering the totems, and also congratulate you on your evolution! You sure have grown over these few days.”

    “Heh...thanks…” Salsa said with a small chuckle. “Well, I had to get bigger eventually. Not so used to looking down instead of up.” She paused as she stared off into oblivion some more. “Eddy and Bossa, how are they?”

    “We’ve got our medics tending to them,” the lucario said. “You’ll be happy to know that they’re doing just fine! Edogawa is rather winded and is going to need some bedrest for awhile, but they’ll both make a full recovery. Why, Bossa Nova was even cracking jokes--he should be up and about rather soon!”

    “Yeah, sounds about right.” The scolipede breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m glad.”

    Gemma gave a comforting smile, laying a paw on Salsa’s back. “We heard what you did--” Salsa averted her gaze, and Gemma continued. “Oh, no no, I did not mean that in a bad way! It was a stressful situation, so please don’t beat yourself up. I meant that it is was a good thing you acted so quickly. If you hadn’t, your teammates may have been hurt much worse, or...well, in any case, you did well.”

    Salsa craned her neck back to face her. “Oh, no, I get it, heh. Thank you, really. I appreciate it.” It lifted a bit of the weight off of her, knowing that at least one of the guild leaders approved, or at least didn’t condemn her actions. But as she turned her gaze back towards outside the cavern, staring out into the corrupted jungle, the memories of what she said crept back in her mind. And she had to wonder, if she got so panicked over a relatively ‘weak’ witch…

    How was she going to handle Gilgamarsh?