Chapter 16: Fogbound Bonds.
Thick mist blanketed the entire floor, painting the world in shades of white. White grass, pale leafless trees, and the omnipresent fog made it nearly impossible to see more than a few feet ahead.
Drake exhaled, the breath from his imp body barely visible in the dense haze. "Pidgeotto, Staravia, scout ahead. See if you can find an area where this fog breaks."
The two birds chirped in acknowledgment before spreading their wings and vanishing into the mist above.
Drake and Monferno continued forward, every step cautious. The silence was suffocating—until the ground began to tremble.
THUMP. THUMP. THUMP.
Heavy footsteps approached through the fog.
Drake raised his broadsword, readying himself. What emerged were all-too-familiar shapes—large, pig-faced creatures wielding uprooted trees like clubs.
"Orcs," he muttered. "Then that means imps might be hiding nearby."
He glanced at Monferno. "I'll handle the orcs. You cover my back—watch for hidden enemies."
Drake charged ahead. One orc swung its massive tree-trunk weapon, but Drake met it with a powerful slash that cleaved both the weapon and the orc in half.
Pain bloomed across his shoulder—another orc had landed a glancing blow.
"Cheap shot," Drake growled, activating [Sprint] and [Lunge]. His body shot forward like a missile, sword spinning with brutal force. The remaining two orcs were shredded in seconds.
Before he could breathe, three smaller figures leapt from the tall grass behind him—imps.
But Monferno was faster. With a fiery roar, he met them mid-leap, fists glowing. [Close Combat] struck like a meteor, reducing the ambushers to bloodied pulp.
DING! DING! DING! DING! DING! DING!
A barrage of system chimes echoed in Drake's mind. Before he could check, a burst of wind and fighting cries came from above. Three blurred shapes crashed down all around them.
"What the—?" Drake started, then glanced up as Pidgeotto and Staravia swooped down, circling him proudly.
Drake raised a brow. "Is that your handiwork? Did you find a clear area?"
The birds nodded at the first question but drooped at the second.
He chuckled. "No worries. Looks like the sky's swarming with hostiles, so I'll leave aerial combat to you two."
Both birds perked up and shot back into the sky.
Drake turned to Monferno. "No enemies nearby. What do you say we try our luck again? Let's summon a new companion."
Monferno grinned and nodded enthusiastically.
"System, use my remaining Pokémon lottery ticket."
[UNDERSTOOD. INITIATING LOTTERY.]
The familiar wheel appeared, spinning rapidly. As it slowed, it landed on a single, shimmering rainbow-colored section.
[CONGRATULATIONS. YOU HAVE RECEIVED A SPECIAL REWARD: 2 COMPLETELY RANDOM POKÉMON. CHECK INVENTORY FOR DETAILS.]
Drake blinked. "Wait… two? But I only had one ticket. What's going on? Am I secretly lucky or cursed? I swear, this system needs a Luck stat…"
He retrieved two Poké Balls from his inventory and tossed them high.
Twin bursts of light illuminated the fog.
One Pokémon immediately bounded around excitedly, inspecting its new surroundings with energetic curiosity. The other stayed frozen for a moment before darting forward and hiding behind Drake's neck, clinging to his shoulder.
Drake stared at the two for a long moment, stunned. "These two? If they reach their final forms… I hope the dungeon's ready."
He turned his gaze to the bipedal, blue dragon-like creature. "So you're a Gible."
The small dragon looked up with wide eyes, mouth stretching into a toothy grin.
Drake chuckled, but Monferno stepped forward and lightly bonked Gible on the head, muttering in Pokémon-speak while gesturing dramatically—clearly laying down the law as the team's big brother.
Meanwhile, the shy Pokémon hiding behind Drake peeked out. Drake smiled gently.
"It's okay, Ralts. You're part of our family now."
Ralts hesitated, then nodded slowly and clung tighter to his shoulder.
[POKÉMON IDENTIFIED:GIBLE (Lv. 1) – Moves: Draco Meteor, Dig, Dragon BreathRALTS (Lv. 1) – Moves: Psychic, Calm Mind, Hypnosis]
Drake let out a low whistle. "Draco Meteor and Psychic… these kids are stacked."
Gible suddenly lunged at Ralts, fangs bared in a playful—but terrifying—manner.
Ralts squeaked and ducked behind Drake's head.
"Hey!" Drake snapped, but Monferno was already airborne, delivering a clean [Brick Break] to Gible's skull.
THUNK.
Gible groaned, face-first in the grass, a cartoonish bump forming on his head. Monferno continued lecturing, and Gible sulkily nodded.
"Come on, Ralts, it's safe now," Drake said, patting his head. "Everyone's your big brother here."
As if on cue, Pidgeotto and Staravia returned and landed nearby.
Gible immediately bounded over, eyes sparkling at the sight of the majestic birds. He chirped at them enthusiastically.
Drake gently scratched their heads. "Ralts, come meet your big bros."
Ralts peeked out and gave a shy nod. The two birds chirped kindly and Pidgeotto even extended a wing, inviting Ralts to hop on.
Ralts blushed but smiled—tiny connections forming among this unlikely family.
Drake turned serious. "Ralts, do you think you can use [Psychic] to help us find the staircase?"
Ralts nodded, stepping forward. She raised her hand, and a gentle pink aura began to expand from her body. A wave of psychic energy swept outward in all directions before vanishing into the fog.
A moment later, Ralts turned and pointed confidently.
Drake grinned and offered his shoulder. "Excellent work. Lead the way."
Together, Drake and his team—now five strong—disappeared into the white mist, new bonds forged under the eerie silence of the fog-covered floor.