Chapter Text
The Pal Trainer Chapter 1: All My Pals are Here
Drew kicked his legs below him as he stared out over the vast landscape in front of him.
To his left was the wondrous view of the Astral Mountains, the icy peaks cutting into the blue skyline. To his right was one of the snaking river valley forests that made up a big chunk of the central islands.
Peaceful. It was peaceful for once. No raids on his base, no strange meteors falling from the skies… no random merchants bugging him to sell his rare treasures… nothing. It was as if the world itself knew that something world-changing was about to happen.
It might have something to do with the giant whale that was floating overhead and grumbling at anything that moved within a few miles of the house.
“GAAARRRUuuuummm….” Rumbled overhead, and Drew shivered. He looked up and saw the massive black and golden eye staring back at him expectantly. The ancient whale blinked back at him slowly.
He ignored Panthalus for now as he looked out over the place he had somehow come to call home.
It felt like a lifetime ago that he washed up ashore, being pecked in the face by a chikipi. Since then, he had been through so much.
Hearing a rhythmic bleat coming from behind him, he turned to see his first pal rolling down the hill to greet him. He had only just returned from his fight with-
“GAAARRRUuuuummm….”
His eye twitched.
As Wiggles, his Lamball, made it to him, he smiled and patted the small creature on the head. Getting a bright smile from his little pillow, he brushed off the spattering of foliage that was stuck to his wool. “Hey, little buddy.”
Like clockwork, the entire base came out of seemingly nowhere and swarmed the two of them.
“Woah, haha, easy! I’m-woa, oof!” He yelped as he was bowled over.
Atop and surrounding him was what felt like half of Palapagos all vying for his attention. Under his left arm was Chilly, the Foxsparks Cryst that had decided to leave her normal napping spot next to the fridge to demand headpats. On his right was Jumpy the Tyrantriss who was currently fighting with Light, a Dynamoff, for his other arm. Curled up around all of them was Tsunami, his pacifist Jormuntide that somehow thought she was a lap pal despite being larger than his house before he started renovations.
And then the rest converged, and he couldn’t help but laugh at the crowd of cheeps, squeaks, roars, barks, and cries. Surrounding him were his friends, his pals, and he loved every single one of them.
He took a second to set his bag down in a safe spot before deciding to give his friends the attention they wanted.
He always felt like this was the reason he was different, the reason he was so strong. Unlike all the other people scattered about the islands, he formed a bond of companionship with his pals that couldn’t be denied. He loved them, and they loved him back.
Over the time he had been here, every challenge that presented itself fell under him. Each tower boss brought low by the strength of his pals and the resolve to not fail each other that they had. The Syndicate spent their time exploiting, enslaving, and abusing their pals. The Free Pal Alliance had their hearts in the right place but… their leader was a murderous megalomaniac and their members ended up selling pals that trusted them…
… and don’t even get me started on the PDIF… ugh.
“GAAARRRUuuuummm….”
Closing his eyes, he felt the happy pile of his friends begin to scatter one by one. They could sense it, all of them. Something he felt in his gut too that he refused to acknowledge.
Finally being able to see clear sky again past the scales of his Jormuntide, he glanced toward the World Tree in the distance.
This adventure would be different, and for the first time in a while he felt fear. He remembered this feeling. It was the feeling of those first days, the fear of wandering through a world of strange creatures where practically everything seemed capable of killing him. The fear of not knowing exactly where he would go to find food and shelter.
The fear of the unknown.
He shook it off, clutching his hands around his bag. He felt the five spheres inside. This was his main team, his combat team, the ones he had the closest bond with. Whatever came, they would be ready for it. They needed to be, all of them.
“GAAARRRUuuuummm….”
Glancing up to the impatient whale, he still couldn't believe that he caught Panthalus. That fight to prove himself to the last of the mighty pal species was one of the most terrifying points in his life, but in the end, it was just a test. Drew could tell that the massive creature actually liked him even as it sent apocalyptic tsunamis in his direction.
He was sure Solaris still held a grudge from being soaked to the bone from those cyclones too.
Sighing, he stood up and began to make his way inside his house. Heading straight for the armory, he chose his weapons.
Mechanical bow, palmetal katana, grappling gun, megaboost gun, and enough frag and pal recovery grenades to level his entire base and raise his pals from certain death. Nodding to himself, he made his way back outside.
“GAAARRRUuuuummm….”
“Yeah, yeah. I’m coming… Uppity little-”
“GAAARRRUuuuummm….” Pantalus actually managed to convey its deadpan through the slowest blink it could.
Right. Not so little.
“-decently sized thing, aren't you?” he said, joking with a smile. Oddly enough, the massive whale crinkled its eyes at him and its massive mouth curved upward.
He stood below the ungodly large creature for a few seconds before he sighed and looked over to Light. “Mind giving me a lift, buddy?”
With a hoot and two talons gently clutching around his arms, he was up and away. He watched as Light returned to the power generator down below, growing smaller and smaller.
Then, with a shift, they were off. Panthalus turned toward the World Tree, and one way or another this would end.
Alright, calamity. Give me your best shot, because here we come!