Pokémon Legends Legacy: A Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Adventure

[BlackHairedPsycho]

Summary: The Legendary Pokemon are disappearing, but that's not a problem for our main characters! (yet)Team Disaster is new in town, and as the name may apply, things have started to get out of hand. Join Rio, Scales, Pana, and Blue as they try to uncover the secrets of the world, try not to break what they find, fail miserably at that second part, and get into all kinds of trouble.

1: Base Cleaning

Rio thought buying his first real home would be fun. Moving in with the only family he knew sounded great on paper. Free from their masters, free to live however they wished with the slight threat of a possible surprise attack. After their first real great paying job, he was under the impression that it would be smooth sailing from here.

He didn’t take the real estate industry into consideration.

When they walked into the property owner’s office and requested the place they wanted the conniving Persian insisted, no, demanded, they go search for another, more expensive piece of land. Rio should’ve stopped it there. He could feel their intentions. Their salesmon’s Aura was the closest thing he’d ever seen to pure greed and the houses they were being shown didn’t would’ve been impossible to defend. They were gonna need to guard it!

Still, the Persian persisted. Rio tried to keep a lid on his annoyance, but he could feel his friends were close to snapping too. He was honestly amazed Scales hadn’t stormed off yet.

The next place was a large structure just outside of the city. At least they were getting closer to the place they decided on. It was stone, the walls looked to be as thin as possible, it was a single room, and it was double what they were willing to spend. The Persian made it sound much better.

“This granite home was made to have a great amount of airflow, so the walls are understandably thin.” Rio counted that as the twenty-fifth lie that came out of the Persian’s mouth. The Aura never lied. “It is very close to town, so that’s why it’s so expensive.” Twenty-sixth. They were just hoping to sell a cheap house at a stupidly high interest to trick a gullible new homeowner. “How about it?”

“No,” Team Disaster said in unison.

“Just let us buy the treehouse!” Rio shouted in frustration.

“Why do you want that dump?” she asked. “It’s so-”

Pana cut her off this time. “That’s none of your business. Sell us the treehouse. Now.”

The menace in her voice could have made a Tauros think twice about charging. The Persian had considerably less nerve. In seconds, they started padding back to her office to officially buy their base.

…
​

“Arceus almighty that took forever.”

Team Disaster walked up the forest trail to their newly purchased base. The Riolu, Rio, had his face buried in his paws as they walked. He had quite a lot of fur for a Riolu. The blue and black fur was thick, and the silver mane of fluff covering his neck stood out quite a bit. His black-tipped tail waved as he walked with his friends.

“Why didn’t we stop her sooner?” Scales asked. The Hakamo-o was the tallest of their group, having at least a head over both his teammates. His gold and silver scales sparkled in the sunlight, clanking loudly as he moved. The massive scale embedded in his forehead was cracked towards the top, the result of a training accident.

“I just didn’t want to be rude,” Pana excused herslef. The Pancham was probably the most normal looking out of the three. Her species' natural smile was replaced by a frown she had had since Rio had met her. She was also a little shorter than what was normal for a Pancham, but he had learned to never bring up her height. Not that it was very noticeable.

The only things they had were their treasure bag filled with their camping and exploring supplies, their bronze rank team badges hanging from their necks, and the keys to their new place.

“She was full of shit,” Rio said. “Trying to put us in deep debt. Her Aura was really obvious about it.”

“You didn’t think to mention that?” Pana glared at Rio.

“I didn’t want to be rude,” Rio said mockingly. The glare she gave him wasn’t as bad as the one she gave the Persian, but it was a close second. She was about to respond when Rio felt the hostile Auras.

“Hostiles ahead,” Rio said. “Don’t be obvious about fighting.”

Rio’s Aura sense wasn’t very precise, but he could at least sense multiple volatile Auras. He felt six in total. Some were either floating in the air or standing on something tall. He hoped it was a tree and not their-

Their new base had squatters. Because of course it did. No wonder it was so cheap. When they walked into their newly purchased clearing, a small field surrounded by tall trees, they saw their new base. The largest and thickest tree stood in the center, with a door built-in. When Rio looked up he could see the moderately sized treehouse, made of faded wood, sitting in its branches.

The place was also crawling with bandits.

Rio knew three were in the treehouse. One of them felt stronger than the others. His Aura sense couldn’t differentiate size or type yet, so he had no idea what was leading these guys. The Pokemon on the ground were normal types. Two Meowth, one was purple and looked really smug, a Zigzagoon, a Glameow, and a Patrat all looked up at the new homeowners. Their Aura shifted from hostile to ‘If you come one step closer we’ll eviscerate you’ like it was nothing. Rio stopped, and his team stopped with him.

“Hello,” Rio said calmly. “I think you’re in our base.”

To Rio’s surprise, they didn’t attack. Their Aura told him they were close enough to the edge that he thought any sudden move would get them into a fight, but they looked completely casual.

“We’ve been here longer,” the purple Meowth said.

“That might be true, but we own it now. Could you leave?”

It was at this that one of the figures in the treehouse came down. It was a heavily scarred Zangoose, at least double the Riolu’s height. He towered over every Pokemon in the area. Healed scars ran up his arms, and legs, and a long one went over one eye. The trio watched as he slowly approached. His Aura was completely calm. No, that wasn’t quite right. He was just underestimating them. He was a smug prick of a bandit. Probably had a bounty on his head too.

“Piss off,” the Zangoose said. “Small fry explorers like you won’t be taking me in.”

“We just want our house,” Scales had jumped in now. “Leave and we won’t have trouble.”

At this, the Zangoose laughed. His followers joined him. It was a deep laugh, the mocking undertones obvious. He was even close to tears. Rio was gonna enjoy what he was about to do.

“You kids are funny!” the Zangoose gasped. “Tell you what, I’ll let you go with your items- Hey, weren’t there three of you?”

The last two Auras left the treehouse then. It wasn’t their choice, of course, but they flew out anyways. The two Aipom were unconscious before they hit the ground. Pana did her job well. The signal was loud and clear.

Staff, Rio thought. A glowing blue bone as tall as him flashed into existence. He caught it in his left paw as Scales punched the Zangoose in the stomach. To his credit, the winded Pokemon didn’t go down. Rio walked past the two. This was routine for Team Disaster at this point. They didn’t even have to discuss their roles. Pana took out any fringe combatants, Scales took the biggest mon, and Rio cleared out the rest.

The regular Meowth slashed at him first. He blocked it with his staff, batted his paw out of the way and drove a Force Palm into his stomach. The Meowth went flying back a few feet, landing on his back unmoving. Rio twirled his staff in his paw as he waited for the bandits to process what he just did.

“Next?”

They all decided to take Rio up on his offer. The Zigzagoon reached him first, and Rio didn’t even give him time to attack. With a quick flick of his staff, he tripped the Zigzagoon. Rio dogged the next few slashes from the other Meowth easily, kind of disappointed in the lack of effort he was putting in. Another quick Force Palm and the other Meowth was down.

The now recovered Zigzagoon had gotten up at this point and leaped at Rio’s back. He ducked, jumping as soon as the Zigzagoon's belly was over his head. He heard the wind leave the small Pokemon’s lungs as his Headbutt landed.

The Glameow and Patrat had the best idea out of all the bandits. They decided to come up with a plan of attack while Rio slaughtered their group. The Patrat got behind him as he dealt with the Zigzagoon, while the Glameow rushed at his front. Rio sidestepped both of them, letting them crash into each other. As soon as they landed on their asses he bashed the both of them over the head with his staff, knocking them out. The exchange only lasted a few seconds.

He looked away from his victims to see if Scales needed any help, but the Hakamo-o seemed to be having even less fun than Rio did. The Zangoose just kept slashing at the dragon's scales, his claws bouncing off every time. Rio felt his Aura change from smug to absolute terror as the pathetic display went on.

“Who the hell are you?” he yelled in frustration, never letting up his useless assault. “Are you really Bronze?”

Scales didn’t even bother to answer. He just stepped in closer and drove his fist up into the Zangoose’s gut. The Sky Uppercut sent the bandit leader a few feet into the air before he crashed back down into the dirt. He groaned in pain, still conscious.

“Going easy on him?” Pana asked, landing next to Rio. He didn’t even sense her that time. That thought scared him for a split second, but he was glad for her.

“Nah,” Scales responded, walking over to the gasping Zangoose. “Just punched at a weird angle.”

“Better be glad the Masters didn’t see that,” Rio said. “You would’ve been punching trees all week. Help me gather these bastards, would ya?”

“Gimme a sec,” Scales responded. He clocked the Zangoose in the face, knocking him out. Rio grabbed the large coil of rope from his bag and started grabbing the bandits.

“It’s a good thing they’ll never find out about it!” Scales said cheerfully, casually dragging the Zangoose over. Pana had already brought the Aipom over, and Rio sat their victims in a circle with the Zangoose sitting in the middle. He quickly wrapped the rope around the bandits and tied a tight knot.

“Think they have a bounty?” Rio asked.

“This close to the city?” Pana shot back. “Maybe they were banking on the fact no one would look for them so close?”

“Might as well check,” Scales said, grabbing one end of the tight bundle. “Mind helping me with this Rio?”

Rio wordlessly grabbed the other end of the package. “We’ll get food while we’re at it. Can you start cleaning, Pana?”

“Try and get me some bamboo,” she asked, taking the bag from Rio. “Big cities should have some, right?”

“I only promise to try.” With that, the two hefted their potential bounty and headed into town.

 

[BlackHairedPsycho]

2. Property

Rio and Scales had been inside Wonder City twice so far. For most, the novelty would have died down after the real estate issue. Maybe the fact that they grew up so isolated, so far from other Pokemon, helped them keep a strong sense of wonder.

Its structure was like a ring, split into three sections. Residential for the outer, the market for the middle, and the centerpiece of the city, the Wanders Explorer Guild. Since the entire city was built around the massive tower every single road had a path that led to it.

The two of them got some stares with their load, but the badges kept people from asking questions. They knew where the two were going. It wouldn’t make sense for them to be going anywhere else.

The guild branch building, the tower, loomed over every other hut, tent, and house. It was painted silver and gold, the colors of the Wander’s guild. They were the only guild in the area, and training wasn’t necessary to register. Worked out great for Team Disaster.

The guild hall was packed with teams. Rio was glad his Aura sense was still relatively weak, or he might have been overwhelmed. Teams of Pokemon laughed, planned, and split treasure in the brightly painted room. The large request board took up the back wall. Everything from fetch quests to bounties littered the board. A desk stood in front of the wall and a Prinplup sat there.

When they dragged their bundle in, all eyes wandered towards the pair. Rio mostly felt surprise coming from every Pokemon in the room, followed closely by disbelief. Was it that surprising for two young Pokemon to bring in an entire bundle of bandits by themselves? When Rio phrased it like that, he could see where they were coming from.

“Delivery!” Rio and Scales said at the same time.

…
​

Blue couldn’t believe it.

The Bidoof stared at the bundle the excessively fluffy Riolu and Hakamo-o brought in. They were the bandits he was about to report. The bandits that stole from him. The bandits that took his treasure. The bandits he had no chance against. The bandits he was about to tip the guild off to, dragged in by one unevolved and one mid-evolution Pokemon no older than he was. They walked over to Blue, as if waiting for something.

“You were saying something?” the Prinplup manning the front desk asked. “You had a tip for us?” He snapped out of his pondering, realizing that they were simply getting in line.

“It’s not important anymore,” Blue said, backing out of line. He never took his eyes off the duo, or the bandits he was about to tell the guild about. He simply watched and listened, trying to find out who these guys were. The duo walked forward, easily dragging their bundle across the smooth stone floor.

“We found them squatting in our new place,” the incredibly fluffy Riolu said. Blue couldn’t get over the amount of fur on him. Blue knew he had to be a hybrid, there was no other explanation! A normal Riolu was not that fluffy. “From the way they were acting we thought they might have a bounty.”

The Prinplup clerk ducked under his desk and pulled out a stack of faded wanted posters. The scarred Zangoose was on top, a four-star bounty for twenty-thousand gold for the entire bunch. The Riolu and Hakamo-o stared at the poster, mouths agape. Blue couldn’t blame them. That was a lot of money, especially if you didn’t know the bounty.

“‘Scarface’ Scratches and accomplices, four-stars,” the Prinplup said. “Team name and badges?”

“Team Disaster,” they said in unison, both handing over their badges. Blue didn’t see the badges at first. He was distracted by the bound bandits, but the most unbelievable thing he’d seen about this Team Disaster was their rank. They were bronze.

They were new at this, and they manage to bring in a four-star bandit and his entire gang? There had to be a trick, or maybe they’re just taking credit for the real team? Did they have a veteran working with them?

“Congratulations!” the Prinplup said. “Your team rank has risen to silver! Your new badges will be delivered to your base of operations, so we’ll need to know where that is.”

Blue already knew the address, so he left to scope it out. No one was home, after all. Unless the person who actually beat them was already there, in which case he’d ask. If no one was there, he’d break in and take what was his.

As Blue left, he thought he saw the Riolu’s eyes flicker towards him. He shook it off quickly. Why would a fully-fledged explorer pay attention to someone like Blue? It was ridiculous.

…​

Blue stood on his back legs and checked the treehouse door. Locked. It made sense. This was a bandit hideout up until a few minutes ago. The team, or at least some of them, were out, so keeping others out would be a great idea. Blue wasn’t very stealthy, nor did he have the dexterity to break in without it being obvious that he gnawed his way inside. The price of being quadrupedal. His only choice was to knock, hope someone was home, and for them to not realize the value of his treasure.

Blue lightly pounded on the hardened wood with his paw, barely resisting the instinctual urge to bite into it. That would’ve been rude. He put all four of his feet down and waited. It didn’t take long.

A Pancham covered in hay stood in the doorway. She seemed annoyed with his sudden intrusion, but that quickly turned to surprise. She looked about as old as her presumed teammate, but that made his theory of some kind of super explorer helping them even more unlikely. Blue’s first thought was how cute she looked. He immediately shook that off as she spoke.

“Can I help you?” she asked. A perfectly reasonable question.

“Is this the base of Team Disaster?” Blue asked, already knowing the answer to the question.

“Arceus almighty, what did they do?” she asked, slapping her face.

“Excuse me?”

“We just moved in, and we haven't done much, so how much shit did my two idiot teammates get into turning in those squatters?”

Blue was surprised. It was almost like she expected something to go wrong. He guessed it was the same reason their team name was Disaster.


“No! I saw them take the bandits in, so I thought to see if I could get my property back.”

“This place is ours.”

“No, not the house! They stole something from me a while back, and I wanted to see if it’s here.”

“And you didn’t ask Rio or Scales because?”

Blue almost couldn’t believe those were the duo’s names. Rio the Riolu and Scales the Hakamo-o. What kind of parent names their kid after their species and most obvious traits like that? The Pancham must have noticed his disbelief as she continued.

“You didn’t even ask for their names?”

“Well-” he started, but the Pancham continued.

“You were hoping no one was home, weren't you? Break in, take what you want, and hopefully never even see the homeowners? Did I get all that?”

She did, but Blue wouldn’t tell her that. Judging by the hostile tone of her voice confirming that wouldn’t be good for his health.

“Anyway,” he continued. “It’s a small stone, diamond-shaped, gray, has a circle pattern in the middle. Have you seen it?”

She thought about it for a minute and waved him inside as she backed in. Blue followed her, caution never leaving his side.

The only thing in the narrow trunk of the tree was an old, rickety ladder. It stood in the middle of two openings, one going down into what Blue assumed was a basement, and one going up into the treehouse.

“What’s your name?” the Pancham asked, grabbing the ladder.

“Blue,” he answered.

“I’m Pana. If you help me sort through downstairs, you can have your treasure back.”

With that, Pana started to climb down. Blue hesitated. He was about to go down into a former bandits den with an admittedly pretty and highly dangerous Pokemon. That caution he brought with him? He was just dragging its lifeless corpse around.

Blue really wanted his treasure back though. He needed it. His mother would kill him if he found out it was stolen. That reminded him that he should go visit her later. It would be a long trip.

Blue stood on his back legs, put his front legs through the very old wooden bars, and slowly started to descend. The rotting ladder held his weight as they went into the depths of the tree.

The small hit Blue first. Something was rotting in the large pile of trash below. All he could do was stare at the litter that cluttered the floor. Used orbs, rotting berries, stat-boosting items, even some used TM‘s. Everything was filthy. Blue couldn’t see the floor, and when he finally stepped down into the room the squish he heard and felt sent shivers down his spine. Was this how the bandits lived?

“If it’s still in the base,” Pana continued, holding her nose. “it’s probably somewhere in here. If you find it first you can go. If I find it first you help us clean to the end.”

Blue was close to gagging, but this was his best chance.

“Sure,” was all he could say without losing his lunch.

“Great! I’ll get some bags.” Blue turned to look at her, but she was already gone. He hadn’t even heard her go back up! Maybe she took them down, one by one? Could any Pokemon be that good?

Blue shook the question out of his head. He decided to ask later. Right now, a job needed doing. But he really didn’t want to do it.

 

[BlackHairedPsycho]

3. One Mon's Trash

"Scales?" Rio asked, getting his friend's attention.

"What's up?" Scales responded.

"I think we got too much food."

The Riolu and Hakamo-o carried enough food to feed several large families. Berries, seeds, feral Pokemon meat, they even found the bamboo Pana wanted. Both their arms were loaded, and they were even using their tails to haul their bounty to their base. The walk wasn't hard, but it was long and starting to wear on the Riolu.

"What makes you say that?"

"The fact that this much could comfortably feed an orphanage for a week."

"Then we'll be fed for a week."

"You know, just because we don't live with the Masters anymore doesn't mean we should pig out all the time."

"Then think of it as a party tonight! We just got our base!"

"Fine. But I'll let you tell Pana how much this cost us."

"Do you think we could keep that to ourselves?"

"We both know she'll ask to see the money and I'm telling her how much that gang was worth."

Scales sighed in resignation, and they continued to walk. Rio wasn't sure why he didn't step in. Maybe it was the elation at the fact they finally had a base entirely to their own? The fact the masters wouldn't find them too easily? That he enjoyed seeing Scales realize his ideas weren't thought out, especially when it came to team decisions? Or maybe he was just hungry too and he didn't notice the edible mountain they purchased after too long. Either way, every shopkeeper made it clear there were no refunds.

Rio noticed two Auras before the smell. One was Pana, he spent enough time around her and Scales to instantly recognize them, and the other one was new. He thought he recognized it, but was really new. This was strange since they were new in town and barely talked to anyone yet.

Then the smell hit him, and he almost puked up what little he did eat. Scales wasn't much better, almost dropping their precious meat and bamboo. It was rancid!

"What the hell is that?" Scales shouted.

"I think the bandits didn't care much for cleaning," Rio answered.

The duo continued on, and sure enough, trash piled at the base of the tree. Pana had been busy, and she had a helper.

"How much trash can a few Pokemon make?" the curious Bidoof with a blue bandana from earlier said, dragging a large bag out with his mouth. Rio hoped for his sake it didn't break while he was carrying it.

"I wouldn't talk with your mouth full," Pana suggested. "You don't want to swallow any of that."

The two walked over, getting both Pokemon's attention. Pana noticed the long bamboo stalks they carried and her expression visibly brightened. Her Aura shifted from near-constant annoyance to joy.

"You found some!" she exclaimed, dropping her trash bag and rushing over. Before either of them could react she had grabbed every stalk of bamboo out of the bags and their grips. Rio barely noticed. The Masters would have been proud of that display. Her appetite was obviously unaffected by the rancid smell. "It's been so long!"

"Might want to save them," Rio said. "They're not cheap."

"How much did those squatters fetch for?" Pana asked, taking a bite.

"Twenty-thousand."

"Seriously? And how much did the food cost you?"

"I'll let Scales tell you about that."

Rio turned to their guest and pointed towards the treehouse. He didn't want to be around the soon to be livid Pancham. For someone so stealthy she could yell. The Bidoof got the hint and the two of them went inside. Thankfully the trash was left outside.

"You don't want to be near that mess," Rio said, closing the door behind him. "We met at the guild hall, right?"

"You noticed me?" he asked, wide-eyed.

"With an Aura projecting that much curiosity it would've been hard not to."

"Are you reading it right now?"

"I can't really turn it off."

The Bidoof looked uncomfortable, and his Aura confirmed the feeling. They were silent for a bit, and the predicted shouting hadn't started yet, so Rio continued the conversation.

"So, what's your name?"

"It's Blue. You're Rio, right?"

"Yep."

Another uncomfortable silence, then Blue asked a question.

"How did the three of you beat an entire bandit gang?"

"That? Well, we got the drop on them first, and then we beat on them until they were out."

"That's it?"

"We did have type advantage."

Blue's stare bore into Rio. He didn't have to sense Aura to pick up on the massive amounts of skepticism contained in the look. He was kind of impressed anyone could be THAT skeptical.

"Alright," Blue said, dropping the subject. "Another question."

"Shoot."

"Have you seen-"

"YOU SPENT TEN THOUSAND ON FOOD?"

Rio was expecting it, but Pana's screech of rage followed by the sudden spike of her angry Aura instantly got his attention. He sensed it burning with fury outside, while Scales's Aura cowered under its rage.

"WHY DID YOU THINK SPENDING THAT MUCH WAS OK? THAT MUCH COULD'VE BOUGHT US ITEMS! FURNITURE! THINGS THAT WON'T SPOIL!"

"Well-"

"AND WHY DIDN'T RIO STOP YOU?"

It was then that Rio realized something. He was just as responsible for spending that much money, and she would verbally rip him a new one. A light teasing was one thing, but this might cost him an ear. Or she might get straight to ripping off both of their tails slowly as she berated them. That was equally likely.

"Ten thousand?" Rio turned back to Blue, wide-eyed at their incompetent money managing. "Seriously?"

"There's a reason our name's Team Disaster," he answered. "I'm gonna go help downstairs to lessen her rage. You're welcome to join me."

With that, Rio retreated into the basement. The smell still got him close to gagging, but it was better than the torment he was trying to escape. Blue followed him down, his curiosity still strong.

"What'd you even get?"

"Berries, seeds, bamboo, feral meat."

"There's your problem. Bamboo is rare and feral meat is dangerous to get! Of course it was so expensive, especially since you seemed to get so much!"

"In hindsight, I probably should've been the one to one to handle the money."

With that, Rio got to work. He grabbed one of the many needed bags and began to scoop up trash. They worked in silence until Blue asked his next question.

"Could you tell me if you see something?" he asked.

"What is it?" Rio asked, noticing a glint in the muck and trash.

"It's a small, grey rock." Rio picked up the glowing object. "It's diamond-shaped, and has a circle pattern on the front."

"You didn't mention the glow."

Rio stared at the stone he held. It matched Blue's description, minus the white light radiating from it. The symbol he talked about was a circle surrounded by an incomplete circle, small sections missing from opposite sides. He held it out to Blue, whose eyes widened.

"That's it! That's my stone!"

"So why didn't you mention the fact that it glows? I feel like that would've been more obvious."

Blue walked over to him and examined his prized prism. Rio was surprised he looked at it so intently, it wasn't a particularly strong light, but it should still at least hurt to look at.

"What are you talking about? It's not glowing."

"Yes, it is."

"No, it's not. Is the smell getting to you?"

Horrendous smells aside, Rio felt fine. It was strange that only he could see the light coming off that stone, but as long as it wasn't anything life-threatening he wasn't gonna worry about it. Life was too short.

"Here," Rio held the stone out to Blue. After a second of hesitation, he grabbed it with his teeth and gently dropped it between his neck and bandana. It would've been unnoticeable, if not for the light that still came from it.

"Thanks," Blue said, and Rio could tell he meant it. His curiosity was shattered by obvious relief. "This is-"

The surge of anger directed at Rio cut any moment he was sharing with the Bidoof off. He just managed to sidestep Pana's Arm Thrust, aimed right at his gut.

"I'm cleaning!" Rio shouted. He hadn't even felt her come in! If she wasn't so pissed he'd be gasping for air on the filthy floor.

"You better," she shot back, suddenly calm. "Now he doesn't have any reason to help!" She gestured to Blue, whose relief was replaced by so much confusion. Rio couldn't blame him, of course.

"A deal's a deal," she said to Blue. "Thanks for the help."

Rio could feel hesitation coming from Blue. He hadn't moved to leave yet.

"Actually," he started "I wouldn't mind staying to help if you offer dinner. As you know by now food is a little expensive here."

"Done," Rio and Pana said at the same time. Any help would be a godsend with that much trash.

"It better be good," Blue said, getting back to work.

 

[BlackHairedPsycho]

4. The Newest Disaster

When Blue asked for a meal, he was expecting something more substantial. It didn't have to be fancy, he just expected something grander than roasted berries on a stick.

He watched as Rio stuck their expensive ingredients on dry sticks, and stood them by the fire. They surrounded the moderately sized blaze, vegetarian on one side, and meat on the other. At least he knew to separate them. Judging by the pile of sticks next to him, he was gonna make a lot. Scales' suggestion for a celebration feast must have appealed to the Riolu.

The moon shone down on the clearing as their food cooked. Scales drooled next to him, just getting back from dragging all the trash away. His punishment for buying so much. Pana just watched as she munched on her bamboo. Blue just sat there, waiting for his hosts to give the go-ahead.

"You're free to take one," Rio said to Blue. "We've got plenty."

Scales immediately jumped on that offer, grabbing a meaty skewer. Blue wondered if he had sensed his intentions. Sensing emotions was a vague power. Did it include intentions? Physical feelings? Did he have to interpret? Could he sense the source of his emotions?

"Take one, and you can ask all the questions you want," Rio said, grabbing a meat-and-berry-laden skewer. Blue really wasn't comfortable with how easily this team could read him, but food was food. He grabbed a skewer in his mouth and walked away from the fire, biting into one of the skewered berries. The heat really brought out its flavor.

"So," Blue began, deciding to avoid the subject of Rio's senses for the time being. "Why move to Wonder City?"

"It was far away from home, mostly," Scales answered, already grabbing another skewer. Arceus Almighty, he could eat!

"And the other part?"

"Dungeons," Rio chimed in, eating at a slower rate. "A lot have popped up around here, right?"

"New ones being discovered every day." Blue bit into another berry, savoring the hot and juicy fruit. "And no one knows why."

"Any theories?" Pana asked, grabbing her own skewer.

"I have my own," Blue said, happy to share. It wasn't often he had an attentive audience to hear him talk, especially when there was almost nothing to go on. "But they're more educated guesses."

"Let's hear em," Rio said.

"This has happened before," Blue eagerly started. "Usually before some kind of horrific disaster."

"Like that Stone Plague?" Pana asked.

"Exactly."

"Wasn't that a century ago?" Scales asked, grabbing a third skewer.

"I don't think the end of the world keeps to a strict schedule," Rio said, grabbing another skewer for himself.

"Dungeons have been popping up all over," Blue continued. "It's been going on for a few years now, the longest time this phenomenon has lasted in recorded history. The only reason this city exists is because of the record number of Dungeons."

"You think another catastrophe's coming?" Rio asked.

"I hope not," Blue answered, gnawing on his bare skewer. He hadn't even noticed he finished it. "From what I've read, it could range from a natural disaster so bad to could wipe out a continent to the collapse of an important law of reality."

"Don't humans usually come and fix those?" Pana asked, handing him another skewer. He took it and continued.

"I've never taken stock in those parts of the stories myself, but if a law of the universe can break then I guess anything's possible."

"Then, is there any consistency?' Pana continued. "Any connecting factor?"

Blue thought about that for a moment. There were a lot of theories to the cause of the dungeons, but there was one he thought was strange,

"The Legendaries," he proposed. "Nobody's seen them since the Dungeons started popping up. Usually you hear some stories, like Latias visiting some random town, or the Tapu's visiting their people, but no one's seen them in years. It's like they vanished."

That changed the mood. Blue caught the three exchanging glances, but not for more than a second. Another question, but he wouldn't get the chance to ask it.

"How well do you know the area?" Rio asked.

"Pretty well. I find new Dungeons, tell the guild, and then they pay me."

"You don't go in?"

"Alone?" Blue let out a harsh laugh. "Nobody wants a weight around their neck if they're drowning. I'm a liability at best."

"You never tried?"

"I did, once. It was the only reason I lost my stone. Never again." Getting robbed had taught him his lesson. He just wasn't meant to be an explorer. He knew that now.

"Why not?"

Blue looked up at Rio, who was grabbing another skewer. He just kept staring at Blue, as if he could see something he couldn't. Which he guessed he could, judging by that light he was talking about.

"Why not what?"

"Why never again?"

Blue felt the answer to that was pretty obvious. He was weak, useless, dead weight. He couldn't even report the bastards who mugged him before three random Pokemon move in and do it for him! Blue felt like he was less than nothing.

"I'm just no good at it," he said, swallowing what he really wanted to say.

"No one starts out good."

"That's rich coming from you."

"You think we just popped out of the womb, instantly kicking ass?"

"Pretty sure I was hatched," Scales jumped in.

"Not important! We didn't start out strong."

"Then how did you get there?" Blue was finally getting an answer to why he was here in the first place! How were they so strong?

"We had help. Do you want some?"

"What do you mean?"

"Wanna join Team Disaster?"

Blue's eyes widened at that. Rio just invited him onto this team like it was nothing! This team, the one that destroyed an entire bandit gang!

He stared at Rio, waiting for a punchline, but none came. He just ate his third skewer while Blue processed the offer.

"I'm not screwing with you," Rio continued. "And I don't think anyone here would say no, right?"

"I'm fine with it," Scales said, eating his fifth skewer.

"He helped us with the base," Pana added. "If you weren't gonna invite him I was. Plus we obviously need extra eyes on you idiots."

"Seriously?" Blue asked, not even trying to hide his disbelief. "Just like that? Why?"

"Why not?" Rio shot back.

"Why not? I'm a liability at best! I can't add anything!"

"You know the area well, you seem to have more info on the world than we do, and I know someone like you didn't tell the guild about every Dungeon you found."

Rio was right about that one. There was a part of him that wanted to go in himself and pry out their secrets, but he had accepted that as an impossibility. Until now, apparently.

"Even if you didn't have anything," Rio continued. "we'd still be happy to have you. You in?"

Blue looked around the fire. They were all staring at him, waiting for his response. It was then that he knew they were serious. They'd accept him. He could feel tears welling behind his eyes.

"Of course!" Blue accepted. This was quite literally the best thing to happen to him in years. He had a team! "Thank you!"

"Then welcome to this mess we call a team," Pana said, grinning at him. "What do you guys wanna do tomorrow? Another job, or one of those unknown Dungeons?"

"We're good on money right now," Rio said. "And a Dungeon is the best place to see what Blue can do."

"We'd have more if two idiots had a sliver of self-control," Pana added

"What's done is done."

Blue's utter joy was replaced by confusion in a matter of seconds.

"Wait," he asked. "What do you mean?"

"Well, we need to see what you can do," Rio explained. "You're picking the Dungeon, and you'll be leading us through."

"Just like that?" Blue looked around at his new team, now all nodding. The confusion was quickly turning to terror.

"That's how we learned. Or we could just spend all day sparing. Your choice."

Remembering the bandit gang, Blue opted for the Dungeon. He had one he wanted to check out for ages. Still, he couldn't help but think this would be a disaster. At least it would be on-brand.

"I'll try not to disappoint."

 

[BlackHairedPsycho]

5. The Bidoof's Test

Blue woke up excited, terrified, and with a slight stomach ache. He ate too many berries and sticks last night. It was a celebration, so who could blame him? He was finally a part of a team! He could go into dungeons and not get immediately annihilated! He could follow his dream!

He looked outside the small window of his tiny shack and noticed the sun was high in the sky. How long had he been asleep? Would they be mad he slept in so late? They really didn't agree on a time, Rio just said to come back to the base with a Dungeon to go to. He had to hurry!

Clutching his marked map in his teeth, he rushed out of his small excuse for a home and rushed back to the treehouse, hoping his new friends wouldn't be too pissed.

He ran as fast as his stubby legs could take him. Unfortunately, Bidoof were not known for their speed so it was still at a slower pace than he would've liked. The contents of his stomach started to revolt from the constant shaking, but Blue powered through. He had to make it.

When Blue did reach the treehouse, he noticed that no one was outside yet. The remains of their dinner weren't even cleaned up. The firepit Rio dug out still had the charred remains of sticks, and the skewers still littered the area. A waste of good wood, in Blue's opinion.

He quickly ran up to the door and lightly shoved it, enough to make an audible sound. He waited, and waited, and shoved the door again. With no answer, Blue's mind raced. Had they changed their mind and left without him? Was he off the team because he overslept? Had he lost his chance at living his dream?

Just as Blue was about to completely lose his cool, the door opened. Scales yawned as he stared at the Bidoof.

"Well, you're early," the Hakamo-o said, waving him in.

"It's almost noon," Blue said as he put the map down. They slept in even later than he did? He expected early risers out of fighters of their caliber, but he wasn't complaining.

"Seriously?" Scales asked, taking a peek outside. After verifying the position of the sun, he ducked back into the treehouse. "Huh. So that's what waking up on your own feels like."

Blue took a loom around the formally empty room. Pots of water and the remaining food from last night sat in next to the ladder. The treasure bag Rio carried was packed with food and seeds, ready for an expedition.

"Are Rio and Pana up yet?" Blue asked after a while.

"Nope," Scales answered. "I just woke up, and they usually wake me."

"So, should we wait?"

"Fuck no. We gotta see what you can do! WAKE UP!"

The shout shook the tree and Blue to their very core. He heard Scales's species could get loud but he hadn't expected it, especially since he just said he just woke up. He stared at the Hakamo-o, who shrugged.

"I take shit from them constantly, so any payback is good payback."

After a few seconds, Blue heard two small groans coming from up the ladder. After a little time, Pana jumped down to the floor below. She looked fine, minus her tired eyes.

"Was that really necessary?" she asked Scales.

"Next time, remember I'm not a Grimer." Scales shot back.

"Next time don't drop ten thousand on food!"

"It's too early for this," Rio's voice came from above. "Shut up!"

He slowly climbed down, the scowl on his face far removed from his calm demeanor from yesterday. There was also the fact that his fur was matted and unkempt. It stuck out at odd angles, some even standing up. Blue could tell where he slept based on how flat the fur was on that side. Half of that silver mane of his was completely flat. It was clear Rio wasn't a morning Pokemon.

What really bothered Blue was the large, nasty scar along the side of his uncovered neck. Fur didn't grow around it, only raw pink flesh. That silver fur of his covered it normally, but the massive injury was on full display due to his messy sleeping.

"It's almost noon," Blue repeated, forcing himself to look away. Rio and Pana seemed to wake up at this. They stared at the Bidoof, then back at each other.

"Seriously?" Rio asked. Blue just nodded as the Riolu literally shook himself awake. His silver mane fell back into place at that, covering the enormous scar. He still looked like he lost a wrestling match with a Lickitung, but at least he couldn't stare at the pink spot. "Well, let's get going then."

"You don't want to wake up first?" Blue asked. He seemed drowsy at best, but Rio waved off his concerns.

"I'll wake up on the way," He reassured the Bidoof. "Speaking of, where are we going?"

…

Rio wasn't sure what he was expecting when he let Blue choose the Dungeon. Last night, he sensed excitement and fear in equal measures from the Bidoof. Based on this Rio thought he'd choose a relatively easy Dungeon or an extremely interesting one.

Based on its entrance, Blue opted for the interesting. The cave entrance looked like a giant mouth, with the sharp stalactites on top acting as teeth. It wasn't large, but it wasn't small either. Blue had hidden it for later, with trees in the way to hide the entrance. Their bases were out of sight, but if one looked you could see the bite marks the Bidoof made to get them into position. It wasn't obviously hidden, but you wouldn't see it if you didn't know what you were looking for.

"I haven't gone far in," Blue said. "But it's definitely a Dungeon. No idea what ferals are in there."

"Let's find out then," Rio said. "Lead the way."

"You were serious about that?" Rio could feel Blue's fear starting to overwhelm his curiosity. That wouldn't be good in a Dungeon. "I'm not sure this is a great idea, especially since it's my first Dungeon."

"We're right behind you," Rio assured him. "And you gotta start somewhere."

Scales and Pana nodded in agreement. Blue took a deep breath, and Rio felt the fear shrink a little. His control over his emotions surprised the Riolu. It wasn't easy to suppress strong emotions like that. He would know.

"Let's go before I lose my nerve," Blue said, walking into the mouth-cave. The rest of Team Disaster followed closely behind.

It looked like a normal cave for at least a little. Damp, dripping puddles of water, stalactites on the ceiling and floor. The cave seemed to stretch longer than it should've, which made sense since it was a Dungeon. When Rio felt the residents' Aura pop into existence he knew they entered the Dungeon proper. He turned around to see the cave entrance disappear as if it never existed. That always interested him.

Their enemies weren't in the room they appeared in, much to Blue's obvious relief. It looked like the rest of the cave did, with three branching paths in front of them. The stone Blue kept in his bandana glowed in the darkness of the cave, but that didn't seem to be much of an issue for anyone. Rio really wanted to ask Blue what exactly that thing was, but he didn't need any more distractions.

"Which way?" Scales asked, looking around.

Rio watched as Blue looked at each way to go. He seemed calm on the outside, but Rio could feel his Aura, like a serpent coiling around the Bidoof's body, just writhing. He was very nervous, to say the least.

"Middle," Blue said suddenly, taking the lead. Without question, the rest of Team Disaster followed.

Rio walked right behind Blue, with Pana right behind him and Scales leading up the rear. The path sloped downwards for a bit but evened out not long after. The Auras Rio felt vanished as they entered the next floor.

Rio wasn't quite sure how Dungeons worked, no one did, but he had noticed some things. When a Pokemon entered a Dungeon, all access to the outside world was suddenly cut off. For any sensory Pokemon, it was like everything just vanishes behind them. This phenomenon continues the deeper a Pokemon goes into the Dungeon. After some undefined point, be it going down or up, the phenomenon repeats itself, and whatever was left behind just vanishes while ones appear. This repeats until you reach the end, and get out.

The new Auras were much closer now, and one was approaching fast.

"Something's coming," Rio warned. He felt Blue's Aura shudder in fear.

"Are you gonna help me?" he asked the group behind him.

"If you need it," Rio assured him. "Now look alive."

The next room they entered was small. While it looked like everything else in here, the feral Pokemon that flew on the other side was a change of pace. The Zubat hovered, mouth agape and screeching. It was safe to say this one was feral.

"All yours," Pana encouraged Blue. The Bidoof glanced back at his team, which was his first mistake. Rio remembered his first lesson from the Masters. Always be aware of your opponent. Never lose track. He then remembered the painful practice that followed to reinforce that lesson. He rubbed at his neck, feeling for the scar that lied under the mess of silver fur.

The Zubat dove at Blue, taking clear advantage of his lapse in focus. The Bidoof turned just in time to see its fangs plunge into his head.

"OW!" Blue yelled, trying to shake the bat Pokemon off. He ran around in circles shaking, trying to fling the bat off, and it worked after a few tries. The Zubat went flying off of Blue, but it quickly regained its balance in the air. The bite marks seemed to pulse as the Bidoof tried to calm down, now glaring at the Zubat.

A few tense seconds passed, then Blue jumped up at the Zubat. It was its turn to be caught off guard by the sudden Headbutt slamming into it. The Zubat fell to the ground, twitching. It wasn't enough for a knockout, but he did stun it.

Instead of finishing it, Blue stared at his enemy as it recovered. It was clear the Bidoof needed some prodding. Another place for improvement.

"Finish it!" Scales shouted. Blue's eyes flickered away for a second and went back to the Zubat. Rio was glad he learned his lesson about keeping an eye on the enemy.

Blue ran forward and Tackled the Zubat. It flew backward a few feet and lied still. Knockout. Blue sighed in relief and turned back to the team.

"Horrible, right?" he asked.

"Terrible," Pana said casually.

"Very bad," Scales confirmed.

"Can't argue with that," Rio added. He felt Blue's absolute despair in his Aura.

"I understand if you don't want me anymore-" Blue started.

"The point of this exploration," Rio cut him off, trying to curb that negative line of thinking. "Is to figure out your strengths and weaknesses. We're not gonna kick you out over this."

He could still feel Blue's shame, but it was masked by focus yet again. Another strength.

"Sorry," Blue continued. "Let's keep going."

…

The rest of the Dungeon was uneventful to Rio. They found some small trinkets, like berries and coins, and Blue struggled with enemies, but it was basically smooth sailing, minus Blue's struggles.

What really surprised Rio was how little he had to jump in. Sure, Blue made some serious mistakes at first, but he showed that he learned from them. He never lost focus on an enemy, and he now capitalized on every stun. The damage he did was almost nothing, so it was probably a good thing this did seem to be a low-level Dungeon. They had only seen Zubats and the occasional Diglett.

Blue's constant fights brought another problem of his to the light. He painted as he walked, trying to power through his exhaustion. His stamina was pitiful. Every move the Bidoof used seemed to take so much out of him. New moves and stamina would be a priority.

Rio knew when they had reached the end of the Dungeon. As they entered the last room he could suddenly feel Auras coming from the outside, meaning there was an exit nearby. The contents of the room gave off that vibe as well, but another confirmation was nice.

The only thing in the large room they walked into was a small, silvery chest with gold handlebars sitting in the middle. There were no other visible paths. It just sat there, ripe for the taking. Blue was eyeing it, looking at everything but the chest. The Bidoof walked slowly towards the chest, eyes glued to the floor. His focused Aura startled the Riolu.

"What are you doing?" Rio asked.

"Checking for traps," Blue answered without looking up. "I need to know if the chest is safe before I take it. You don't check?"

"We just get Scales to do it," Pana explained. "He's usually too tanky to be hurt by them."

"Usually," Scales snorted in response.

"Where'd you learn how to do that?"

Blue was right next to the box now, carefully checking the surrounding ground.

"I read about it," he answered. "There are faint patterns or buttons. Like this one on the back."

Rio quickly walked over, and his teammates weren't far behind. He could see what the Bidoof was talking about, a faded circle surrounded by squares of various sizes. He'd actually seen them on other chests before, but he thought they were decorative.

"If we touch this we might set off a trap," Blue explained. "I don't know what kind, but I'd rather not risk it. Might lose the treasure, and the box looks pretty valuable too."

Rio noticed Pana's aura shift from mild interest to extreme greed, but her face hid it well.

"How do we move it then?" she asked, casually. Her Aura told Rio she was desperate to know, but Blue didn't need to know that.

"I think we'll be fine as long as no one actually touches the symbol," Blue said. "It shouldn't be a problem when we're out. Unfortunately, I don't have thumbs, or anything resembling thumbs."

"I got it," Scales said, stepping forward. He grabbed the box by one handle and lifted it. The click that followed stopped him in his tracks. It was double-trapped. Because of course it was.

An Aura appeared behind the wall they were staring at. eclipsing Rio's teammates. It was all he could focus on. He couldn't call it hostile, but it definitely wasn't happy. Before he could warn his teammates the wall fell away, and a Sableye stepped into the room.

He looked to be about Pana's height, and he already wore her frown. His light-purple body stood straight up, and his gemstone eyes were tinted pink. The gem that grew out of his chest was diamond-shaped. He didn't look intimidating, but that Aura told Rio to be careful.

"Congratulations," he said in a flat, deadpan voice. "You are the first team to have descended into this Dungeon. I am impressed by your skills."

He didn't seem very impressed as he stepped to the side, revealing a stone staircase leading upwards and out of the Dungeon.

"This is my home," the Sableye continued in the same deadpan voice. "So I would appreciate it if you could keep this place a secret and not come back. The treasure box and its contents should be a satisfactory exchange for that."

As Rio struggled to process the overwhelming Aura he was sensing, he realized something. All he could tell about the Aura was that it was overwhelming. He couldn't tell if he was lying, he couldn't sense any emotional shifts, hell he couldn't even tell where the Sableye came from! There was probably more to the Dungeon. He'd never felt anything like this. This was new, a challenge he'd never seen, and a tough one at that!

That got Rio very excited, but Blue responded before he could.

"Who are you?" the Bidoof asked. "You don't look like a normal Sableye."

"Rude," the Sableye responded. "The same is true for your Riolu friend, is it not?"

That drew Rio's attention away from the Aura, for a moment at least.

"You're a hybrid?" Blue asked. Rio didn't know what the Bidoof was implying, but he let the conversation continue. He'd ask later.

"No," the Sableye answered. "I will not give you my name, but you may leave with that box unharmed. Please, get out."

With that, a hole opened under the Sableye and he fell through. Rio went to peer down, but the hole closed back up before he could take a look. The overwhelming Aura the Sableye produced was gone. He turned back to his friends, who shared the same emotion for once. Curiosity.

"He's hiding something big," Scales said. Everyone nodded in agreement as they walked up the staircase and out of the Dungeon.

 

[BlackHairedPsycho]

6. What's in the Box

Normally, Rio would enjoy spending a day by the river. The sun shone brightly in the sky, not a cloud in sight, the clean water shimmering with sunlight. The Riolu sat under a large tree next to the riverbank. It reminded him of his last home, with the Masters and his teammates.

There were only two things keeping him from fully enjoying this wonderful day.

"AGAIN!" Scales shouted at Blue. He glanced to his side, watching the Bidoof suck in as much water as he could. Rio counted five gulps before he stopped, large cheeks bulging.

"FIRE!" Scales ordered. Blue spat the stream of water at a tree on the opposite bank with as much force as he could. The stream barely cleared the twenty foot gap between the riverbeds. An improvement from his last few attempts, but Rio could feel Blue's frustration building.

It had been a day since the Dungeon, and they got a few things done. Blue was officially registered as the newest member of Team Disaster, they all got their shiny new silver rank badges, and they had started Blue's training in earnest. After talking for a bit, it was decided that a new move would probably be the best thing to start with.

"Can someone please explain how this helps me learn Water Gun?" He was surprised Blue waited so long to ask, but it was a good question.

"It's getting your body used to the move," Rio explained. "Do it enough and you should pick it up early."

"And you're sure this'll work? I'm not sure it's physically possible for me to learn a water move yet."

Staff, Rio thought. His staff flashed into existence. He held the bone staff up, watching it glow in the shade.

"It worked for me," Rio explained. "Bone Rush is a Lucario move, but I was able to pick it up. Had to spin a stick around for weeks. Why not you and Water Gun?"

"I guess that makes sense. Any luck with that thing?"

Rio scowled as he turned back to look at the stupid treasure chest. It wouldn't be hard to break the lock off, but the problem was Pana. She was dead set on pawning it for as much as it was worth. He debated 'accidentally' dropping the box on a large rock. She wasn't around, searching for a Pokemon who could open the stupid thing, and they were the only sentient Pokemon around right now. The real prize is what's on the inside, not the box itself!

"You think she'd buy that I dropped it?" Rio asked.

"I've known her for three days and I can confidently say absolutely not," Blue said before taking another drink.

"What he said," Scales said. "I'd just wait."

"But treasure!" Rio shouted, his frustration getting the better of him.

"Is it worth pissing Pana off?"

Rio thought about that. The last time Pana got really mad he had to hide in a Dungeon for a week. It was part of the reason his Aura sense had gotten as strong as it had, else she would've maimed him more than he already was. On the other hand, mysterious treasure given to them by a mysterious off-color Sableye hiding mysterious secrets. It was a hard choice. Maybe he could be more subtle about it?

Rio glanced back at his staff, glowing dimly in his paw. Summoning it was automatic now, as easy as flicking his tail. Could he also get it to curl?

The Riolu held his staff in both paws and shut his eyes. He focused on how he used Bone Rush, with just a thought, a spark of Aura. He was never good at perceiving his own, but he could summon it in limited ways. He tried to focus on it, perceive the tiny spark of himself that went into the staff's creation.

As soon as he felt it Rio latched onto the feeling, refusing to let go. Shrink, he ordered. He felt the staff do just that. When he opened his eyes, the bone had halved it's length and thickness. It worked! He glared at the lock again, his idea coming to fruition. He held the bone up to the lock and ordered it to shrink again.

It was much easier to do this time, shrinking it until it was small enough to fit inside the lock. He grinned as he implemented the next step.

Grow.

Unfortunately, it did its job too well. A loud snap cracked through the calm day as Rio broke the lock open from the inside. Rio let the thicker staff fade as he stared at the broken lock, on the verge of panic. He only meant for it to be slightly pushed open, letting it be a small break, not shatter its damned insides!

Scales and Blue turned back at the crack, only to see Rio quickly flip the top back on. He looked at the lock, and it was obvious that it was broken. Instead of a keyhole, there was just a perfect circle. If you looked into the lock itself you'd see the shape of the bone's end. It was too obvious to hide. Scales started laughing, as Blue stared wide-eyed at what the Riolu did. And then Blue launched his practice at Rio. The Riolu spluttered as the weak spray of water shot him in the neck. Right where his scar was.

"You actually broke it!" Scales wheezed between laughs. "You dumbass!"

"Shut it," Rio growled as he shook the water off. The jagged line of pink flesh seemed to burn against his blue and silver fur. He could see Blue staring, and he could feel the questions bubbling from the Bidoof. He didn't feel like answering them, so the Riolu decided to focus on his more immediate and life-threatening problem.

"No one tell her, and maybe she won't notice?" Rio suggested.

"Oh, she's gonna notice," Scales snickered. "But I won't say what happened."

It was then that he noticed Pana's aura. Judging by the annoyance she felt, her search didn't go well. Or she had overheard them. Either way, yelling would definitely be involved. Rio just managed to press the chest to his stomach before the Pancham came in sight.

"Fucking robbery!" she yelled. Those rates are completely ridiculous! Half of the profits for one box! In your dreams assholes!"

"Didn't go well then?" Rio asked, still hugging the box.

"It'd be cheaper to break the thing open at this point," Pana conceded. "And I know you already did. That snap was really loud."

"You mad?" Rio didn't know why he bothered asking, he already knew the answer. Her annoyance was directed at him, after all.

"Of course I am! You could've cost us thousands! Let me see it!"

Rio handed the chest to Pana. As she examined it, the Riolu could feel her rage fade a bit. It was clear she was expecting the lock to be completely gone instead of bent violently.

"How did you even do this?" she asked, still glaring.

"I was experimenting," Rio explained, resummoning his staff. He proceeded to play with the size a bit, demonstrating his new control. Pana didn't seem as amused as he was.

"At least we could probably still sell it. Have you checked inside yet?"

"No, I-"

Rio felt the shift in her Aura a little too late that time. Her paw slammed into his chest, launching him back into the large tree behind him. Rio had just enough sense to brace for the impact as the rough bark bit into him.

"OW!" Rio yelled, quickly picking himself up. "You said it was cheaper!"

"After you already broke it," Pana explained. "Seriously, how hard is it to wait? The thing wasn't going anywhere."

"Extremely," Rio stomped back to her and snatched the chest away. "I'm opening it now."

"Sure," Pana said, "just don't break the rest of it." Rio considered snapping the top off out of spite, but he figured that wouldn't be good for his long term health. He walked over the river's edge, where Scales and Blue waited. Rio could feel their excitement as he flicked the lid open to reveal four strange bracelets.

They seemed to have been carved from some sort of white stone. Each had a flat side, presumably the top, and diamond-shaped indents built-in. There were two strange details that caught Rio's attention. One was that they were all different sizes, each seemingly fitted for every Pokemon there. The largest seemed to fit Scales's forearm perfectly, and the smallest would fit around one of the Bidoof's legs easily.

The other thing was that they were faintly glowing. A white light pulsed from each of the bracelets, drawing Rio in. It resembled the light coming from Blue's stone, but weaker.

"What are they?" Scales asked, taking the biggest one.

"Why are they glowing?" Rio asked, taking the one that looked like it would fit him.

"Did you hit your head?" Pana asked. "What glow?"

Rio half expected that. For some reason, his teammates couldn't see whatever this glow was. He glanced at Blue who shook his head as he examined the last free bracelet.

"Still no light," he said. "Are you sure you're OK?"

Rio slipped on his own bracelet. It fit perfectly around his arm, and it was surprisingly comfortable despite being made of stone. It felt right to have it around his arm, to stare at its beautiful, yet pitiful light, to focus on the far away hunger building-

"RIO!"

The shout snapped the Riolu back to reality. The distant hunger fled as quickly as it came as he turned back to his teammates. They all stared at him, and their Aura's conveyed confusion and worry. He noticed they all had their bracelets on now.

"I'm fine," he reassured them. "Just a little tired. I've been playing with that box since yesterday."

He noticed Pana and Scale's Aura was skeptical, but not much else. They wouldn't call him out for it. The problem was Blue. He was more aware.

He told the Bidoof about the light his stone exuded, and the fact that the slots on the ring looked to fit it perfectly definitely hadn't escaped him. He didn't want to look crazy, seeing a light where none existed, and he definitely didn't want the Bidoof to bring it up. Luckily, held his tongue.

"So, anyone know what these are?" Rio asked, changing the subject before the Bidoof changed his mind. Everyone shook their heads.

"Should we go to the guild? See if anyone over there knows?"

"I wouldn't," Blue said. "If it's really valuable someone's going to try to take them from us."

"Their funeral, but fair. What do you suggest?" Rio asked.

The Bidoof grinned widely. "My favorite place in the city. Let's go!"

"After another hour of Water Gun training." He could feel the Bidoof's intention, and Rio wasn't letting him get off that easy.

The Bidoof sighed and went back to drink.

 

[BlackHairedPsycho]

7. The Second Most Threatening Library Visit

"'Welcome to the Wonder City Library and Archives. No food, no water, ABSOLUTELY NO FIRE.'"

Blue listened as Rio read the sign out loud. The stone building was half as tall as the tower that stood in front of it, but it went down deep. Two marble pillars flanked the massive entrance to the largest reserve of knowledge on this side of the Water Continent.

"There a story behind that?" Rio asked. The Riolu looked better than he had this morning. Maybe he really was just tired, but considering the potential connection between his stone and the bracelets Blue doubted it.

"Mr. Thesus won't talk about it," Blue answered. He'd asked before, but the Noctowl threatened to ban him if he kept asking.

"Well, let's try not to start any fires," Pana glared at Scales and Rio when she said that.

"One time!" They said in unison. Blue, for once, decided he didn't want to know as they walked into the building.

Thesus, the old graying Noctowl, perched in front of the staircases leading above and below. Relatively invaluable books lined the walls. Blue had poured over every book in the room and had just wormed his way into the interesting stuff downstairs. The Noctowl's permanent scowl lessened a bit at the sight of Blue.

"Hi Mr. Thesus," Blue said.

"You're back then?" he said. "And you've brought more little gremlins to damage my books?"

The Noctowl took in Team Disaster like he did everyone, with a scowl. The giant Bird glared down at the group, his graying feathers making him look like a malevolent ghost. Blue knew it was mostly an act, made people think twice before stealing, or Arceus forbid, damaging a book. His eyes seemed to linger on Rio for a bit, and Blue thought he knew why. His thick fur really stood out up close.

"We'll be gentle," Rio said. "No fire at all."

That got Rio another hard glare. He started to grin, and it quickly turned into a frown. The frown then turned into a look of absolute horror and fear.

"This might sound weird, but has a Stufull come in here today?" Rio asked, taking a step back. Scales and Pana's eyes widened at those words.

"No young mon, a Stufull hasn't come in," the Noctowl answered, unphased. "However the Bewear-"

A loud boom echoed from downstairs. It drew all eyes to the staircase as another came from below. Rio started to slowly back up after the third. As soon as the white ears were visible Rio took off. He cracked the stone floor as he sprained out of the library and into parts unknown. Blue's confusion was evident, and what happened next made it worse.

The Bewear was massive, with her head almost scraping the roof. She towered over everyone as she stomped away from the archives, holding an old book. She grinned at the group. Scales and Pana stared at her in disbelief.

"Griza?" Pana asked. "Y-you're here. You evolved?"

"Nice to see you two again," Griza said in a soft voice. "The Masters weren't very happy that you left. Was that Rio?"

"Why?"

"I'd like to see my boyfriend."

It was clear to Blue that he didn't want to see her. He wondered why, but that didn't seem to be the issue. All Blue knew was that Rio looked terrified, they all did, and that meant he probably should be too.

"Just missed him?" Blue squeaked out.

"Thanks, little guy," she told Blue. "I'll go catch up."

Griza handed the books she held to the Noctowl, who gently grabbed them with his talons. It was rare to see the old bird so speechless. She calmly walked towards the entrance, noticing the cracks Rio made. She grinned at the sight.

"He knows I love a good chase. So sweet."

The cracks she put in the floor made Rio's look like footprints in the sand. The stone splintered as she zoomed out of the library to pursue the Riolu. She ran right through the low arch, barreling right through it. When Blue looked back the head-shaped hole in the entrance seemed to be smoking.

"Is he gonna be OK?" Blue asked.

"Probably," Scales said, shrugging.

"Go make sure we can find him when she gives up," Pana said. "The last time he made so many fake trails Mom couldn't find him for a week."

Scales set off without argument. When Blue was finally able to turn his gaze back to the Noctowl, it was obvious he was slightly grumpier than usual. The scowl had hardened yet again, and Blue knew they were in for an earful.

"Well, the guild won't be happy about that," Thesus said. "But knowing that neat freak of a branch leader, someone will come by and fix it. No books were harmed."

Blue sighed in relief. It looked like he wasn't in a shouting mood!

"BUT THEY COULD HAVE BEEN!"

Or maybe he was and was just doing that to lure them into a false sense of security. That was also an option.

"Does the first team you join have to be that destructive?" he screeched at Blue, having noticed the badges. "What's the name?"

"Team Disaster," Blue whispered, but the Noctowl heard it.

"TEAM DISASTER? YOU JOIN A TEAM WITH THAT NAME?"

"It's mostly a joke…" Pana started, but Thesus cut her off.

"MOSTLY!" the bird squawked. "WHY MOSTLY?"

"ALRIGHT I GET IT!" Pana snapped. Blue stepped back a bit, and Thesus seemed to calm himself after his squawking fit. Pana took a deep breath and calmly continued. "Can we go in now?"

"Break anything and they'll never find your body," the Noctowl said, holding up the book Griza left. "And put this back. Blue should know where it goes."

Pana snatched it out of the old bird's talons, while Blue regretted bringing them here. It took months for Thesus to warm up to the Bidoof, and now that may have gone down the drain.

He offered an apologetic look to the old bird as he walked by. He scowled back, but it softened after a few seconds. Maybe he wasn't as in trouble as he thought.

Or maybe he felt sorry for Blue, which wasn't much better.

He and Pana walked down the stairs in silence, the persistent Luminous orbs replacing torchlight. Those must have been expensive. Pana seemed interested in the yellow orbs, but she didn't ask, still clearly seething. The tension in the air was tangible.

"So," Blue tentatively started. "Griza?"

"Rio's old girlfriend," she explained. "He tried to break it off, but she didn't take it well."

"She didn't seem to take it at all."

"Yep, but I'll let Rio talk more about that. If he survives."

The bottom of the stairs came quickly after that, giving way to Blue's favorite room in the entire city. Rows, tables, shelves, filled with stories of the past, predictions of the future, and myths of the present filled the large room. And that's not including the countless scientific explanations of the various near-miss disasters that plagued the world and the information of various rare items.

"Where does this go?" Pana asked, holding the book to the Bidoof's eye line.

"'Aegis Cave: A Team Charm Treasure Hunt?'" Blue read out loud. "This is a children's book! Why would she read this?"

"Not sure I care. What she reads isn't my business. Now, what exactly are we looking for?"

Blue walked over to the large bookshelf on the back wall labeled 'Dungeon Treasures.' It was one of the few sections Blue hadn't even started yet. Now he had a perfect excuse. He carefully picked a book on the bottom shelf out with his teeth and dragged it away carefully.

Damaging it might earn him a talon to the face if the guild didn't kill him first. He laid the book down and pushed it open with his foot.

"How fast can you read?" Blue asked her as he started flipping through 'Dungeon Prizes and You'. He quickly concluded it was a basic guide to treasure boxes and moved it to the side.

"I'm not fast," Pana admitted. Blue frowned as he picked the next book and started speed reading. It would take even longer now that he had to do all the reading.

"Focus on finding books then," Blue ordered. He was in his element now, and picking out books himself would be inefficient due to his lacking speed. "If Rio and Scales come back, have them do the same. And don't talk, it'll slow me down. That book Mr. Thesus told you about goes somewhere around here."

"That's a personality shift…" Pana said. Blue didn't respond, too focused on his third book in about as many minutes. She sighed and got to work.

 

[BlackHairedPsycho]

8. Wanton Destruction Leads to Discovery

It was a relatively peaceful day in the Wonder City markets. Pokemon sold goods and browsed, the smell of food stands and candy wafted through the air, Dungeon items that made ridiculous claims like maps that track the changes and adjust accordingly or an orb that takes you straight to the end were being sold to gullible tourists, like any other day.

That was before Rio started running for his life.

To his credit, the Riolu did try to avoid the Pokemon's livelihood, vaulting over carts and going around Pokemon when he could, but that wasn't his primary concern. If he had to slow down even for a second whatever was in his way wasn't gonna be there for long.

The blue and black blur crashed into an orbs display, much to the dismay of the Alakazam merchant. He set half of them off, some flashing with a bright light, some turning others into apples, and one even managed to intensify the heat of an already hot day, among other effects. By the time Rio had left, half the orbs were smashed and used. The psychic's quick thinking saved the rest of his wares, making them float before they hit the ground. He sighed as the first blur sped off.

It was unfortunate that the second blur cared even less about her surroundings.

Griza barreled through what was left of the Alakazams wares, smashing the rest of his potential profits. As the psychic looked away from his crushed dreams he noticed the mass destruction the pink and black blur caused.

Enormous, deep pawprints were printed in the paved stone road, carts and stands were in splinters in her wake, food and candy all over both patron and merchant, all more confused than angry. The thunderous stomps echoed through the streets as they sprinted off, sure to cause even more destruction.

…

SHITSHSHITSHITSHIT-

Rio could feel Griza gaining. This was insane, the last time he saw her she could barely follow him at a full sprint! Usually she'd just outlast him if she kept track, now she could actually catch up? Her Aura told him she was barely trying! Scales didn't get that much of a boost when he evolved! Maybe because it was a mid-evolution? He wasn't fully grown yet? Now he could see why it was such a sore spot for Pana.

Rio needed to lose her. Now!

He glanced around, actually taking in his surroundings. He seemed to be in the residential area now. Empty, presumably locked, houses surrounded him as he skidded to a stop. Quickly summoning two staffs he spun one in his paw and flung it at a door. The blue bone broke the door open, making it look like he barged in. He threw the other bone at another house on the opposite side for the same effect.

Rio felt Griza's smothering Aura coming closer. He was running out of time.

The Riolu quickly ran to another house close by, out of immediate sight. He quickly summoned another Bone Rush and ordered it to get smaller than the keyhole. It did so quickly and he stuffed one end in with no hesitation.

He could hear her stomps now.

Grow. Rio ordered. The staff expanded rapidly, just like it did earlier that day. The keyhole quickly broke open, and the Riolu, thankful he figured out how to do that, opened the door and rushed inside. As soon as he silently closed the door, Rio could feel Griza's Aura come to a stop. Just in time.

He could feel her smothering infatuation on top of the budding confusion and frustration. Why couldn't she just take a hint?

"You need new tricks honey!" she shouted. "You've done this before!"

He knew, and that's what he counted on. He felt the Bewear stomp away on his imaginary trail. The smothering Aura followed, and Rio took a quiet breath. She had left. The Riolu was about to do the same when he noticed how strange the house felt. He could feel Aura, but it seemed muffled. It kind of felt like a Dungeon entrance.

He walked further inside, noting the newish wood floor and furniture. There seemed to be a basement entrance, a trapdoor, so he opened it and stuck his head through. He instantly felt the Auras below. He popped his head back out and felt nothing. In. Auras. Out. Nothing. This was a Dungeon entrance. Had it been built without them knowing it was there? Had it just formed? Was that possible?

Curiosity thoroughly peaked and still a little afraid of Griza figuring out his trick and circling back, Rio jumped in. The Dungeon was unlike anything he'd ever seen. It was entirely made of wooden boards, creaking under his slight weight. The crystals embedded in the walls didn't really go with the theming, but the pink light they gave off was appreciated.

"What the hell?" Rio wanted to look more, but he could feel Pokemon approaching. The Riolu summoned his staff as he prepared to fight whatever came through that entrance. He wasn't sure what he was expecting, but it definitely wasn't Geodude. The two sentient rocks floated in, glaring at the Riolu. They lunged at him, and Rio batted them away easily as he walked forward.

The enemies that lived in this strange dungeon were closer to the ones Blue fought the other day in strength. He bashed his way through the strange Dungeon easily, wondering how something like this formed. He'd never heard of a Dungeon forming under any populated town or city, and he definitely didn't know that a cellar door could lead to it. Could it have always been here? Where did it go?

It was when he overheard others that he knew he wasn't the first to go in.

"It's under the city now," A voice said. It was gravely and muffled. "The Knight won't be happy."

"How far has it spread?" Another, less gravely voice hummed musically. "Is the queen safe?"

"For now, but the spread of this Dungeon will continue until it has her. We'll need to move again."

"That will destroy the area and the Pokemon that make it their home! The queen will never approve!"

"And the Knight?"

"He has fewer qualms, sure, but she will not be happy when she finds out!"

Rio casually walked in to see a Carbink and Graveler aggressively arguing. They stood in front of the door leading into the next part of the Dungeon, and the now only way out. He cleared his throat, surprising the two. He had questions, and they were going to answer them.

"Hi," Rio greeted. "Couldn't help but overhear you. What do you mean by 'spreading?'"

Rio felt the hostility burst out of Graveler as he attacked. His Rollout was fast but the Riolu was faster, easily jumping out of the way. Bone Rush in hand Rio rushed forward as the Graveler's move wore off. He bashed his staff in the living boulder's side, sending him flying across the small room and into a wall. The wood cracked on his impact and some gems came loose. The Graveler's hostility seemed to strengthen after he got up, but he felt only confusion from the Carbink. Rio didn't dare look back, focusing on the enemy before him.

"I don't want to fight," Rio said, slightly lying. He hadn't had a good fight in ages. "I just want to know what you meant by spreading and moving."

"It's none of your business, kid," The Graveler shot back, wheezing from Rio's counterattack.

"Considering you mentioned destroying the city I'm living in, I'm feeling like it's my business."

"Sacrifices."

"For what? Your queen?"

"Stop!" The Carbink shouted. "Sult, his arm!"

Rio guessed he was talking about the bracelet but he never took his eyes off the Graveler. The boulder Pokemon's eyes widened and Rio felt his aggression lessen just a little. Rio lowered his staff in response.

"You know what this is?" He asked the Carbink, holding his arm out. "It's been driving me crazy."

"The Z-Ring? Yes, finding out how to use it is a part of the test." The Graveler's aggression had completely faded at this point, so Rio felt comfortable enough to let his staff fade away.

"And what am I being tested for, exactly?"

"Competence. Friends of the queen must be able to solve a simple ancient technique."

Rio was a little annoyed at that, but he held his tongue. The ancient technique part sounded interesting, and he knew the rest of his team would think so too.

"Can I get a hint then?" Rio asked, hopeful.

"You just did," The Carbink answered. "Now, we must be going. I wouldn't worry about the town, the queen won't want to displace that many Pokemon."

"And this Dungeon?"

"If you pass the test, all will be revealed. I'll ask that you not reveal this place's presence. Let's go, Sult."

With that, the Carbink floated away, and the Graveler stomped after him. He shot the Riolu one final glare, and Rio shot back with a toothy grin. Soon they were out of sight, and Rio couldn't sense their Aura anymore. They either went further in or found a way out. He still had questions, and he desperately wanted to tell this queen he didn't agree to any sort of test, but an ancient technique sounded like a lead for a nice adventure. Maybe that Noctowl would know more about these Z-Rings…

The Riolu went to pick up the glowing crystals that popped out of the wall. They still shimmered, but not as brightly as the ones in the wall. Who knows, if they were worth something maybe Pana wouldn't be as pissed as he was about the box.

Slapping himself for forgetting the treasure bag, Rio went on. The Dungeon Pokemon weren't particularly powerful, so the Riolu let his mind wander. His thoughts went back to Griza and why she was here. She had managed to evolve, to Pana's jealousy he was sure, either with the help of an evolution spring or in a battle. Knowing the Masters and the fact there was no spring back home, it was probably the latter. It was how Scales did it, after all.

But why was she here? They were careful leaving the island, leaving no hints as to where they'd go. Maybe it was a coincidence? Maybe they just interrupted her research and her obsession with him took over? Blue did mention that the library was the biggest in the area. Then what was she looking into?

The Riolu was so lost in his thoughts he didn't notice when the wood changed to stone. When he finally did notice that he was walking on bricks instead of planks he sped up. A change like this meant he was getting closer to the end.

He came to a large stone door, studded with crystals. He could feel Auras from the other side, and they were familiar. An exit! He thought he could feel Pana, apparently incredibly bored, and Blue focused on something to an extreme level. Did he circle back to-

Rio pressed both his paws against the door, dug his heels into the stone ground, and pushed. Unfortunately, the doors were much lighter than he expected, and doors quickly swing open. They crashed into the library walls, causing a loud thud to ring out. Rio winced at the potential damage as he stepped into the room.

Pana seemed surprised, as did her Aura, but Blue didn't even look up from his nest of knowledge. His fortress of reading material almost completely covered the Bidoof, but he didn't seem to care. His Aura was pure, unwavering focus. He'd actually never seen such focus in anyone, especially not himself. Rio was kind of jealous.

The Riolu stepped into the room to check what damage he wrought. The doors seemed to miss the bookshelves that flanked either side, so that was a relief. Sure, some tomes fell to the ground, but they didn't look too banged up. He was sure that Noctowl would literally kill him if any books were damaged. The walls seemed to be another story, with cracks spreading from where the doors slammed into the wall.

"Rio?" Pana asked as he assessed the damage he wrought. "Where-"

The flash of red hot anger rocketing down the stairs drew the Riolu's attention. The Noctowl librarian, Thesus, flapped angrily at him, murder in his eyes.

"WHAT. DID. YOU. DO." the Noctowl hissed. If words could kill, those would have erased Rio from existence.

"I opened a door," Rio answered, pointing behind him. At this point the door closed itself, revealing not a single book was squashed between the stone. There were no gemstones on this side of the door. "Sorry about the wall."

The Noctowl seemed to calm down a bit after that, curiosity taking over.

"And where did you find this door?" he asked. "In fact, where did you even come from?"

"The door."

"You know what I meant, young mon." An edge came back into the old bird's voice.

"I know, I know. But can we wait until Scales gets back? I don't sense him, and he'll want to hear this."

"Fine. We can start on your punishment for the damage to the library in the meantime. Start by picking up and organizing these books to my exact order or Arceus help me there will be hell to pay. If there is a single damaged spine I will eviscerate you."

Rio sighed and went to appease the old bird.

 

[BlackHairedPsycho]

9. Please Don't Break the Ancient Relics

It has been documented that Humans and Pokemon shared some kind of relationship. Some records lament the loss of their partners, some express relief that they are gone, and they all vary. What happened to them is unknown, and their strange technologies used to augment Pokemon are lost to time.

Blue was fascinated by this. The relationship between humans and Pokemon had been heavily debated for years, and he had seen both sides of the coin. The topic fascinated him, and reading about potential benefits for both sides was absorbing. He was so engrossed he didn't even hear Rio coming back, despite the damage he wrought.

The most notable would be what we now refer to as an Awakening. Humans had a way to trigger a temporary evolution in certain Pokemon, but the secret has been lost to time. In current times these species have developed ways to access these forms, be it through training or a special item, like an emera or awakening seed.

The thought of these bracelets being some kind of looplet crossed the Bidoof's mind, but they were built very differently from what he had seen of the rare item.

There are many rumors of other powers in this vein. Some say they could make Pokemon grow to enormous sizes, while others say they could pool on each other's power to perform devastating attacks.

The common through-like is the use of special stones. Some were round, some were like stars, and some were even diamond-shaped. I believe the shapes are-

Blue paused when he read diamond-shaped. Still completely oblivious to the librarian's rage, he glanced at the bracelet around his front leg. Diamond-shaped grooves dotted the strange stone. In fact, he'd seen that exact shape before. He kept it in his bandana!

"I FOUND SOME-" he started, just now noticing what was going on. The new door was the first thing that got his attention, taking up quite a bit of wall. Then he noticed the cracks that branched from the door. Then there were the faintly glowing gems Pana looked like she was drooling over. Then he noticed Rio, who sprinted away a few hours ago, was organizing books under the glare of his mentor. They had all turned to look at him, confused at his outburst.

"Did I miss something?" he asked, confusion winning against elation.

"Found a door," Rio said casually. "Waiting for Scales. Made a mess."

"Now keep cleaning it," Thesus hissed. Rio didn't even argue as he picked up more old tomes. Blue couldn't lame him, the seething anger in the Noctowl's voice seemed to echo through the room. It must have been worse for a guy who could sense emotion.

"And you said there were more of these gems inside, right?" Pana asked Rio. This was the most animated he'd seen the Pancham, eyes wide and a grin playing on her lips. She looked good, better than the resting frown at least. "A lot more?"

"We aren't strip-mining the mysterious Dungeon," Rio said, placing another book.

"Dungeon?" Blue asked, climbing out of his small book fortress. "You came out of a Dungeon?"

"I'm waiting for Scales before I explain. It's kind of- oh there he is."

Blue could hear the Hakamo-o's scales jingling as he walked down the stairs. He looked tired, which made sense considering what he was trying to keep track of.

"Think Griza left town," he said. "The guild might have sent someone after them. Lotsa broken shit. Maybe Rio can come back-"

"That was mostly Griza," Rio defended himself. Sales turned to see him, startled. "I think. May have broken some orbs."

"Then you really pissed off an Alakazam."

Pana sighed as she asked her question. "What else did you break?"

"A few doors, a lock, should be about it."

"And did anyone get a good look at you?"

"Probably not."

"Alright," Pana sighed. "Hopefully they won't be able to pin it on us this time."

"This time?" Blue asked.

"Later Blue," Rio said. "What did you find?"

Blue was still hung up on the fact this was apparently not the first time his new team had brought havoc onto the community, but his find did at least push that little fact out of the way. For now.

"There's a good chance these are human in origin!" Blue said excitedly. "You know, ancient beings that worked with Pokemon? The race that some of the world saviors supposedly belonged to?"
"We're familiar," Rio said, scratching at his neck. "What do they do?"

"No idea, but I might have a way to find out!" Without another word, Blue fished out the strange diamond-shaped stone out of his bandana, grabbing it in his teeth. He held up his front leg and tried to place it in one of the slots. It slid right off, missing one of the slots. Blue cursed his lack of arms once again.

"Help?" he asked shyly.

Without another word, Thesus flapped over and picked the stone up with a talon. He took the opportunity to examine the bracelet closely.

"This won't destroy my library, correct?" he asked Blue.

"Probably not," Blue answered. "Hopefully."

Thesus glared at the Bidoof, and Blue returned his stare. The Noctowl knew there was no way he'd risk the books in here, so he slid the stone in the bracelet. It fit perfectly, and predictably, nothing happened.

"I believe these were made for each other," Blue explained, getting louder as he got more excited. "My stone has something to do with this!"

Blue looked away to gauge his audience's reaction. He looked to have the full attention of everyone in the room. Pana had looked away from the pink gems, Scales had sat down next to her to listen, and Rio squinted at the Bidoof's bracelet, looking back at his own. Was-was he drooling?

"We're missing something," Blue continued, deciding to ask about it later. "but if we can figure out what we've made, we'll make a huge discovery!"

"About that," Rio interrupted. "I think they're called Z-Rings."

Blue paused at that, turning to look at the Riolu. He sounded so confident when Thesus, repositioned himself to do the same. Pana and Scales turned to glance at him as well. Rio returned their gazes, frowning.

"And how would you know that young mon?" the Noctowl asked, now glaring. Rio gestured at the new door in response.

"It's a part of the test, apparently," Rio said. Blue was about to ask him what exactly he meant when Pana did it for him.

"Test?" Pana jumped in. "What test?"

Rio then told the group about his mini-adventure in the strange Dungeon, his encounter with the sentient rocks, and what he heard from their conversation.

"...and the door led back here," the Riolu finished. "What do you think?"

"I've never heard of a Dungeon forming anywhere near such a dense population," Blue said. "Much less under a city!"

"It's unheard of," Thesus said. "And you said it was growing?"

"That's what the Graveler said," Rio confirmed. "Sounded like this wasn't the first time."

"And you're sure that's everything?" Blue asked, already thinking.

"That's it. You got any ideas?"

The rest of his team turned to look at him, and Blue's short-lived confidence withered. He had nothing. He just heard about this!

"W-well I, um-" Blue started.

"There are a few Pokemon referred to as a queen naturally," Thesus said, saving Blue from the embarrassment. "I have suspicions about who is proctoring."

Blue sighed, silently thanking Thesus. The rest of the team shifted their gases to the Noctowl, who had gone silent.

"And those are?" Pana asked.

"While I do support the distribution of free knowledge," he started, glaring at Rio in particular. "it doesn't excuse the damages done today."

A chill ran down Blue's spine.

"Destruction of both public and private property, unabashed chaos caused, and the near-miss damage of my precious books. I could bring these all to the guild and have your badges revoked."

Blue was close to panic at this point. He'd just gotten onto a powerful team, and now his mentor was planning to destroy it? He could, Rio had just admitted to it and the guild would take the librarians word over the scruffy Riolu. Would his dream be that short-lived? He turned to see Pana and Scale's eyes widen, but not Rio's. He seemed far too calm.

"Unless?" the Riolu asked, obviously sensing something more.

"Unless," Thesus continued. "You bring me something. I have a job for you."

Blue sighed in relief, and the rest of his team followed.

"Do this right and I will claim ignorance of your actions, young mon."

"Rio."

"Rio, then."

"What are we looking for?"

Thesus flapped over to the other side of the room, picking an old scroll after some deliberation. He flapped back over and laid it down on a table. Blue stepped forward to get a closer look and the rest of the team followed.

"Unfurl it," the Noctowl ordered. "Carefully."

Pana did so, revealing an old map of the area. So old in fact the city wasn't even labeled.

"This area has always been a hotspot for Dungeons." Thesus continued. "It's only been recently that that has intensified. Wonder City itself was built to capitalize on that fact, making it a relatively new settlement."

He pecked at a spot down the river, looking to be a few days away. "I was once an explorer, and I discovered a strange Dungeon here. I gleaned as much as possible, but with your strange bracelets it might be possible to discover more, and delve deeper."

"Why would these help?" Pana asked, looking at her own bracelet.

"It was unlike anything I'd ever seen, only heard about in ancient stories. I believe it may be human in origin."

Blue could feel his excitement returning. Human relics? Things no other Pokemon had ever seen? Incredible! But something was bothering him.

"This sounds incredible," Blue added. "Why haven't you told anyone? Published your findings?"

"I wanted to discover all I could before other exploration teams came and disturbed it further. I tried many things before you came along, and now I'd like to try again."

He turned to face the rest of the team once again. "I'm trusting you with this for two reasons. You may hold the keys to delve further in, and because this may concern this test of yours. If successful, I will tell you more about my suspicions."

He glared at Rio when he said his next line. "Please don't break any ancient treasures you find. Bring them back here so I may study them. Do this, and I will forget you did here today."

Blue turned to the rest of his team, who were glancing at each other. They nodded in unison and then turned to Blue. He was surprised to be involved in a decision like this, but he nodded his agreement. He should be safe, right? Even if he was dead weight.

"We'll do it," Rio said. "And for what it's worth, I'm really sorry about wrecking the place."

"Do this and it will be like nothing happened. Do you have a map? I'll be able to mark it down. Now, go prepare you three. It will be a few days' walk down the river. Bring a more recent map back here so I may mark it. I'll tell Blue how to find the Dungeon."

"I guess I'll start by getting some food-" Scales started.

"Oh no you're not!" Pana cut him off. "You're coming with me, and we're getting new items. Rio, grab that map and pack some leftovers!"

Rio nodded. "Meet back here in about an hour?"

They all nodded and set off to do their tasks. "Please don't break anything this time," Pana asked her teammates.

"I haven't broken shit!" Scales said, defending himself. Soon their voices faded as they walked up the stairs to complete their preparations.

"Now then," Thesus said, getting Blue's attention back. "We need to talk." The old bird looked worried all of a sudden. Based on what happened earlier, Blue couldn't blame him.

"I'm worried about you."

That wasn't what Blue expected to hear. He blinked, uncomprehending for a minute. Thesus sighed and continued.

"How long have you known those three?"

"A few days," Blue answered instantly.

"And why would you join a team that you just met? A team that destructive?"

"They invited me."

"And you accepted? You were not forced?"

"Why would I be? I'm dead weight."

"I disagree, but for the sake of argument, let's assume that. Why would you accept?"

Blue thought this was a stupid question. It was pretty obvious, but it would have been rude not to answer.

"They gave me a chance," Blue said. "I'm not letting it go to waste."

"And what if their intentions are less than stellar?"

"If they were going to do anything to me they would've done it the day we met. I was completely at their mercy for the past two days and they've been nothing but accepting. I trust them."

"Yes, but, Team Disaster! There is a story behind that!"

"There's also a story behind the fire incident but you don't like bringing that up!" Blue spat, instantly regretting it. Thesus was just looking out for him. Snapping at one of the only people in this town that cared about his well-being wasn't a good thing to do.

"I'll be careful," Blue reassured his mentor. "I promise."

The Noctowl sighed. "At least do that much. And if you can, don't let them break anything!"

"I only promise to try."

 

[BlackHairedPsycho]

10. Walking Disasters

"So, this isn't the first time you guys did something like this?"

Rio glanced at Blue as the team walked downstream. The sun shone through the treeline, glinting off the clear water. The Bidoof had been more quiet than usual as the trip, and Rio could feel some hesitation in his Aura. Something was bothering him.

"Breaking stuff?" Scales asked. "Nope. That happens a lot around us."

"Is that the real reason you guys moved out here?"

Rio winced at that. He found himself reflecting on their first job, tracking down a thief. The Frogadier had been plaguing that small town for months, taking anything that wasn't nailed down. They were so desperate they decided to trust a brand team that was passing through.

They took it of course. For all the frogs sneaking he couldn't hide his Aura, and the three of them cornered him easily. The only problem was that they had cornered him in the middle of town, and he didn't go down without a fight.

After all was said and done they had put a sizable hole in the side of the town hall, and somehow started a fire next to it, nearly burning the rest of town hall down. They didn't get paid because of that, but it did go to their team rank.

"It may have been a part of it…" Rio said. "But what happened at the library wasn't even close to the worst."

"Arceus Almighty, the ship," Pana groaned, burying her face in her palm.

"That one wasn't us!" Rio defended.

"We didn't make it better. In fact, Scales made the hole bigger!"

"Hey," Scales said, jumping in. "I only made it a little bigger."

"And then you SPLIT THE THING IN HALF!"

"It was already sinking!"

Rio could feel Blue's horror grow, but it was soon overshadowed by pure curiosity.

"How?" the Bidoof asked, turning to the dragon.

"I dunno, just put my hand through it and we were swimming." Scales said casually. "Had to lug everyone to shore, then we ran like hell."

"But you said that wasn't your fault?"

"Captain didn't think so," Rio said. "Said we had to pay him back every cent the ship was worth."

"So you just ran?"

"After Pana knocked him out."

"YOU DID WHAT?" Blue turned to Pana, who was surprised by his sudden outburst. She stumbled back a few steps, her usually calm demeanor shattered by the Bidoof. Rio was impressed, it took a lot for that to happen. "I thought you were the rational one!"

"We're not made of money," Pana explained, quickly regaining her composure. "That was... easier."

"Assault was easier?"

"Justified assault, yes."

"After you helped break his ship?"

"Look, we'll probably never meet him again," Rio said, coming to his teammates' rescue. "Just stay away from Port Topaz."

"You seriously got banned from a major port city?" Blue said, dismay obvious in his voice and Aura.

"Not exactly banned, and they never got our names…"

"But-"

"Oh look, the sun's going down!" Rio said, pointing at the sky, desperate to change the subject. The sun was indeed setting, and they had just reached a grassy clearing. Perfect to set up camp for the night. "I'll get some firewood! Wanna come with Pana?"

"Uh, sure-"

"Great!"

With that, he tossed the bag of supplies to Scales, who caught it without looking, grabbed Pana's arm, and dragged her into the forest before the rest of the team could argue.

…

Blue watched as Scales dug out the fire pit. The Hakamo-o used his claws to rip into the earth, tearing chunks out of the earth. He just threw what he was done with behind him, Not caring what was there.

Unfortunately, Blue was there. He had moved, of course, but by then he had already taken several clawfulls of dirt right in the face. Scales turned towards him as he finished, grinning. Blue only stated back, dirt still clear. The dragons smiled faded.

"Sorry," he said. Blue shook it off as he sat down to wait for the others to get back.

A thought crossed the Bidoof's mind. The other two liked to keep at least some things to themselves, Pana especially. Scales seemed to be much more forthcoming with information. Maybe he could get some more of their history out of him?

"It's fine," Blue told the dragon. "I'm used to it."

"Alright, cool."

"Yup." They were silent for a bit, and Scales didn't seem too uncomfortable. It was now or never. Or, more realistically, weeks later when he mustered up the nerve to ask again.

"So, how long have you known them?"

"Hm? Oh, Pana and Rio? They're family! My brother and sister!"

Blue blinked at that. Once, twice, three times. He could see several problems with that statement right off the bat.

"How?" Blue asked after a bit, still confused.

"Adoption."

Blue felt stupid for not even considering. It was common enough. "Oh, I see. That makes more sense."

"Yeah. Mom and Dad took me and Pana in, and then Rio washed up a few years later."

"Washed up?"

The grin growing on Scales's face vanished at that. "I'll let Rio tell you about that. He gets a little touchy about it."

"Does it have something to do with that scar?"

Scales winced at that. "Can't hide anything from you, huh? When did you even see that?"

"Before the Dungeon. His fur was sticking up."

"Don't bring it up." He said, voice cracking a bit. "It wasn't pretty…"

A connection had already formed in Blue's mind. Rio's strange appearance, his adoption, the injury, the only thing missing was the area he came from. The Bidoof hoped it wasn't what he thought.

That he was thrown away.

Blue pushed the thought aside. The odds of him coming from that island were astronomical! Besides, hybrids were thrown away as soon as they showed signs of another species over there! Rio seemed to be too old for that, based on what Scales told him. Hybrids usually get those out of the gate or during early infancy. Still, it was probably for the best that they never visit the Isle of Evolution. He didn't care how many bandits Rio could take out, an entire cult gunning for him would be too much.

"Alright," Blue continued out loud. "Sorry if I crossed a line…"

"Don't worry about it!" The Hakamo-o's grin returned full force. "Probably should get to know us better anyway. What about yours?"

"My what?"

"Your family?"

"Oh!" Blue said, surprised he'd even ask.

"What?"

"Nothing, nothing. No one's ever cared to ask. Kind of a weird feeling."

"Seriously? Weird."

This was the first time since he moved out here that anyone showed the slightest interest in Blue's life. Not even Mr. Thesus had shown that much. It was a weird feeling, someone asking him a personal question. Not unpleasant, just strange.

"Well, I have a mother and four siblings back in Redwood."

"Where's that?"

"A little north of here, further inland. This stone-" He held out his front leg, stone still shoved inside the bracelet. "It's a family heirloom. Mom gave it to me for luck."

"Cool. Did she know about what it might be?"

"Probably not. She would have told me if that was the case."

"You gonna tell her?"

"As soon as I see her!" Blue was grinning now. "I finally have something to show after two years!"

"Nice! Hey, what do you think we'll find in there?"

"It could be anything. We have such little information on humans, and the ones who supposedly turned into Pokemon seemed to be young themselves. Not to mention the stories are old. They've definitely twisted over the years."

"Cool, cool. Any human dishes?"

Blue wasn't quite sure he heard that right. "I'm sorry?"

The grin on the dragon's face grew even wider."You know, human foods! I've heard they made the best stuff to eat!"

"I mean, maybe?" Blue could see the saliva gathering around his large jaws. The Bidoof was surprised to see him care so much about something that mundane. "Seems unlikely. I don't think anything like that would last for that long."

"We'll see about that!"

"I guess we will…"

…​

"Why the hell did you drag me away?"

Rio and Pana stuck true to their word, gathering firewood, and even finding some Chesto berries. That would help whoever was keeping watch. They held their bundles under their arms as they trudged back to the campsite.

"How much do we tell Blue?" Rio asked.

"About?"

"Everything."

Rio could feel it. Every time they talked about the collateral damage they were involved in, Blue's Aura wrapped around him, his discomfort obvious. He didn't want to make their new friend uncomfortable, but he also didn't want to hide potential life-threatening issues.

"I mean, we're behind most of those," Pana said, turning to face Rio. "Shouldn't be able to trace it back to us. And most were accidents by you two."

"You're not completely innocent yourself."

"Oh really? Name one time I fucked up as bad as you did today."

Rio squinted his eyes at that. "That babysitting job?"

"Those brats were trouble and you know it!"

"Whatever," Rio took in a deep breath before finishing his thought. "We need to warn him about the Masters."

Pana's eyes widened at that. Her Aura started to shift rapidly. Rio could feel her fear, her shame, and her determination all at once. It was the same as his own.

"Mom and dad won't find us," she said after a while.

"For now," Rio clarified. "You know they're probably already looking. And with Griza finding us…"

"You think she'll tell on us? Tell on you?"

"Maybe! She's still obsessed with me! You saw her today!"

"Yeah, she's as crazy as ever, but it looks like she was doing her own thing. She's probably not even in contact with them. How could she be?"

"We've been leaving a trail. If those do get traced back to us, we're found."

"They won't, Rio," Pana said, more trying to reassure herself than him. "They can't."

Rio wasn't as confident. That boat thing especially wouldn't just disappear. It was how they got to the mainland, after all.

"We need to at least warn him," the Riolu continued after a while. "I don't want him to get caught up in this."

"Would they really take him with us?"

Rio was amazed she even asked that question. They both knew the answer!

"Of course they would!" He shouted. Pana grimaced and looked away, knowing he was right. They've done worse things with less time, and it wasn't like anything could hold them accountable.

"Can we at least wait until this is over? We probably shouldn't distract him."

Rio nodded in agreement, still determined to be honest with Blue about the risks of working with Team Disaster, no matter how outlandish or unlikely they might be.

 

[BlackHairedPsycho]

11. Metal Makes Mon Mad

Blue looked at the map for the millionth time, more annoyed than ever. The rushing rapids of the waterfall bore into the Bidoof's head as he tried to focus on his surroundings. The water crashed down into the lake far below, shredding his concentration. Blue hoped the entrance wasn't down there. The climb wouldn't be fun.

"You're sure it's here?" Pana asked for the millionth time. She looked around the river mouth, to see no sign on a dungeon entrance. Scales was stomping around, trying to find some kind of hidden door, and Rio had been standing near the edge with his eyes closed.

"That's what Mr. Thesus said!" Blue shouted back, unable to hold his frustration back. After a long few days trek, they finally get to the spot marked on the map, the spot Mr. Thesus told them about, only to find nothing. It was maddening! If they messed this up, Blue's dream would be dead. He couldn't let that happen. He wouldn't.

"Nothing on this side," Scales said, ceasing his stomping. "What are we looking for?"

"Metal," Blue said. "Anything metal. A clang, some rust, anything!"

Blue looked back to Rio, who was now crouching near the edge. The Bidoof watched as he stuck his head over the cliff, staring into the lake below. It made Blue nervous, but the others didn't seem phased.

"Do you think he's screwing with us?" Pana asked.

"No," Blue answered immediately. "He's always serious. If he intended to turn you in without a chance, he would have just done it."

Rio took a step back from the cliff, summoning his Bone Rush. He twirled it around absently, clearly thinking about something.

"Then what the hell!" Pana growled, as the Riolu stabbed his bone into the soft dirt. He tested it, pulling it towards him. The bone remained firmly rooted as the Riolu nodded his approval.

"Hey Rio?" Blue asked. "What are-"

Without warning, Rio grabbed one end of his staff, and took a step over the cliff. The Riolu plummeted, staff in hand.

"RIO!" Blue shouted running over to where he jumped. He didn't notice that the staff was still rooted in the ground at first, too distracted by his new friend and teammates apparent suicide attempt. The staff had gone limp at the top, stretching to follow its master over the abyss. Blue stared at the makeshift anchor as the rest of his team rushed over to see.

"What?" Rio shouted over the waterfall. Blue carefully peered over to see Rio just fine, dangling by his makeshift rope bone.

"When did you learn how to do that?" Pana asked, just as confused as Blue was.

"Just now! Cool, right!"

"Why didn't you warn us?" Blue asked, still in shock.

"Got excited," he answered. "Feels like Scales thought it was funny though."

Blue turned back around to see the Hakamo-o sniggering, his scales clanking together as he tried to shut up. Unfortunately, Pana heard him too. Without warning she slammed her paw right in his stomach. The dragon crumpled, wheezing in agony.

"It was…" Scales wheezed in pain. That only made the Pancham more angry. She punched him again, this time in the back of the head. The dragon didn't seem as hurt by the second blow, head only slightly bobbing.

Blue turned his gaze back to Rio, who was now swinging by his makeshift bone-rope. He watched as the Riolu hit the wall, and heard the clang of metal ring out around them.

"Found it!"

The bone shrunk back in on itself, pulling Rio back from his reckless experiment. His grin didn't let up as he pulled himself back from the brink, clearly excited.

Pana stomped forward, her glare looking like it could kill. Rio's grin grew even wider as she got closer, her annoyance obvious to everyone.

"I'll kill you later." Pana growled. "Let's go."

"Question," Blue asked. Pana and Rio turned to him immediately. "I'm not sure you've noticed, but I'm lacking some necessary features for a climb." He sat down and waved his front legs, showing his lack of thumbs. "What do I do?"

Without another word Rio summoned another Bone Rush, this one much shorter than his usual length. The middle went limp, like a rope. He grinned at Blue, and the Bidoof gulped in response. He didn't like where this was going.

…​

Blue learned something new today. A Hakamo-o's scales, in addition to being loud, are very uncomfortable to be tied to. Especially while it's climbing down a cliff.

He did his best not to look down, but the Bidoof's curiosity got the better of him. He took one peak, and instantly regretted it. The drop would be long, into the usually beautiful water below. From Blue's current perspective it looked like a refreshing way to die.

He decided to pay attention to something else, like the only thing keeping the Bidoof from falling to his very messy death. Rio's Bone Rush felt like any other rope, but he could apparently change that. The move bound him tightly to Scales as he climbed down the cliff, making handholds in the rock with his strong claws as he went. He glanced up to see Pana making use of them, not far behind.

He looked to the side to see Rio, grappling down with his new bone rope trick, stomping the wall as he extended his lifeline. Blue had never seen any move used in so many ways, which made his lack of moves look even less impressive. Why they decided to put up with him, Blue had no idea.

"Hey," Scales said, getting Blue's attention. "Could you stop moving. Feels weird."

"Oh, sorry," Blue said

"Did you find a way in yet?" Pana shouted over the waterfall.

"Just wall," Rio shouted back. "Wait, something's different,"

Rio stopped where he stood. Once, twice. The Riolu crouched, and jumped far off the cliffside, thankfully still clutching his rope bone. He swung back, and Blue took notice that his bottom paws, his feet, were now glowing light blue. The Riolu slammed back into the cliff face, and his feet exploded on contact.

Granted, it was a relatively small explosion, but it still made the surface Rio landed on give out, and he fell into a perfect hole in the cliffside, the sound of striking metal rigging out. The disguised piece of metal gave away under the Riolu, and he dropped, bone rope still trailing behind him. It went taunt after a bit, stopping his fall.

"I think I found it!" he shouted. Blue was still trying to get over the fact that his new friend just casually exploded.

"We're not supposed to break anything!" Pana shouted back. "And you're not supposed to use that move!"

"Look we needed a way in and now we got one. Are you complaining?"

Pana grumbled, but said nothing further as Rio let his rope extend a bit more, descending into what he assumed was the Dungeon entrance. Scales snickered as he made his way over, making Blue suspect that this wasn't the first time he'd done something like this.

Fortunately the hole was just big enough for Scales and Blue to fit in. Blue noted the remains of a metal ladder, some bars missing and rusted, but Scales just used his claws to make holes in the comparably weak metal. Rio's rope, the one he used to climb down, disappeared after a bit. The rest of the climb went without any more explosions, much to Blue's relief.

The room they dropped into was old. The off-white floor was tiled and cracked. A large rusted door on the other side of the room seemed to lead further in. Strange black tendrils were snapped, electricity crackling at the ends. Some of the tiles were stained, or burned. Blue couldn't exactly tell. Shattered glass was sprinkled all around the floor, but Blue barely noticed that. What was really getting his attention was the rainbow sludge.

The multicolored ooze glowed and pulsed. The Bidoof's first thought was that maybe it was an Island Grimer, but they didn't live this far inland. The lack of eyes also helped disprove that suspicion. Still, the light it gave off was unsettling to say the least.

It was too bad Rio decided to crouch down and poke it.

Thankfully, the Riolu had enough sense not to use his bare paws. He used his Bone Rush to poke at the sludge. It didn't seem to react.

"Get the hell away from that!" Pana shouted, landing last. "You don't know what it'll do!"

"It has Aura?" Rio said back. "But it's not exactly alive…"

Without another word Pana stomped over, grabbed Rio by one of the weird tassels hanging from his head, and pulled him back over to Blue and Scales. "OW! Hey, let go!"

"Stop for a second at least!" Pana yelled. "This shit could kill you!"

"Well I'm not dead yet!"

That earned Rio a swift knock on the head. He clutched the new bruise in pain as Pana continued to speak.

"Let's keep it that way, huh?"

Rio glared at her, but said nothing in response.

"Um," Blue said, speaking up for the first time since they got inside. "Could you let me go now?"

The Bone Rush remained around Blue and Scales through that entire exchange, and now the Hakamo-o's scales were digging in even further. It was starting to get painful.

"Shit, sorry," Rio said, quickly walking over and touching the makeshift rope. It blinked out of existence instantly, and Blue dropped unceremoniously to the floor, landing on his side. Thankfully, he managed to avoid any glass shards or rainbow goop. Scales, for his part, scratched where the Bidoof had been tied to him, seemingly unbothered by the ordeal.

Now that he was free, Blue could fully appreciate their surroundings. This was a human lab, a place where the missing species created wonders a Pokemon could only dream of. What secrets could lie in here? What could they find that Mr. Thesus couldn't? What-

"Blue!"

The Bidoof snapped out of his musings at Pana's yell. The rest of the team had gathered by the large, old door on the other side of the room. He wasn't sure how it was possible, but the Pancham looked more annoyed than usual. "Come on! The Dungeon's through here!"

Blue rushed over, kicking himself for getting distracted. He wouldn't be a burden, not here! Scales had his claws on the door, and Rio had another Bone Rush ready, lighting up the dark room with a soft blue light.

"Everybody ready?" Scales asked casually. They all nodded at once as Scales shoved the doors open, letting them slam into the wall. Blue cringed at the damage, and Pana gave him a glare as Team Disaster started on their first real expedition.

…​

The slam shook the fluid of the thing's pod, rousing it from it's long sleep. The fleeing moment of consciousness faded soon after, but the abomination had one thought before falling into its slumber once more.

I'm not tired anymore...

 

[BlackHairedPsycho]

12. Science Class Goes Horribly Wrong

Blue had never seen a Dungeon quite like this. He doubted any of them had. A Dungeon like this, born from the remnants of a long lost species, was rare, if not unheard of! The faded white tile floor they walked on even felt old, chemical burns and all. The walls were made of cracked windows that looked upon nothing, and some of them even glowed different colors. Human creations, maybe? Had the Dungeon replicated them, taking influence from the place it formed? Were they working properly?

"This is insane," Rio whispered, holding his glowing Bone Rush up to guide them. The Bidoof couldn't have said it better himself.

Rio stood at the front of the party, with Pana right behind him. Blue followed the Pancham, while Scales headed up the rear, walking down the path ahead of them. It wasn't long before they entered the first room of the Dungeon.

As soon as Rio entered, they heard a click. A second later he was gone. Pana cursed as she looked down, and Blue couldn't blame her. The warp trap was well hidden, but now that they were aware of it Blue could see the purple gem buried in the floor.

"Where did Rio go?" Scales asked, looking back at the path.

"Warp trap," Pana grumbled, and shrugged. "Oh well, lets go."

"Huh?" Blue said, surprised at the shift in her tone. "Shouldn't we wait for him? In case he comes back?"

"He sure as hell won't do that. He'll probably keep going alone. Better chance of seeing him if we don't stop."

Blue was about to raise another point, but the Porygon hiding behind the corner decided to make his move as the Bidoof opened his mouth. The magenta Psybeam it fired nailed Pana in the back of her head.

Blue, having done this hundreds of times on the trip, spit at the Porygon in surprise. He felt a slight tug in his stomach, and a thin stream of water flew out, splashing the offending Pokemon. The Bidoof couldn't believe it. He'd just used Water Gun!

Blue's elation was short lived as it looked like the Porygon barely noticed his attack. It started to float over, but Blue noticed something else was different. Pana was gone. He realized he had not even seen her flinch at the attack.

Then he saw her, appearing right behind her attacker and slamming her palm into its back. The Porygon crumpled from the super effective Arm Thrust, and Pana walked back as if nothing happened.

"Nice job!" Scales said from behind. He patted the Bidoof's back with his heavy claws, making Blue stumble a bit. He was still trying to process what just happened. "You picked that up really fast!"

"Yeah," Pana said, walking back. "It took a while for Rio and his bones."

"A-are you ok?" Blue asked her, rightfully thinking that a hit like that should have at least stung a fighting type.

"Fine?" Pana asked, eyes raised. "Why?"

"You just took a Psybeam to the back of the head! You're a fighting type!"

"And dark," Pana added. Blue knew something was wrong with that statement as soon as she said it.

"Pancham don't get a dark typing until they evolve, right?"

Pana paused. She frowned at that, and that frown turned into a snarl. If looks could kill, the glare that followed would have annihilated the Bidoof where he stood. Blue gulped and took a step back, apparently touching a sore subject. It was all he could do to stop himself from shaking. As quickly as her evident anger appeared, it vanished. Her calm demeanor was back, if not a little more sour.

"I'm weird," she whispered after a short silence. "Let's go."

She stomped forward, and disappeared into the dim Dungeon. Blue sighed in relief and sat down for a bit, glad that he wouldn't be eviscerated on the spot.

"I wouldn't bring up evolving around her," Scales said. "It's a sore spot."

Blue turned his head to see the Hakamo-o, now frowning.. It didn't last for long, as a grin crept up his face. "You did a Water Gun!"

The attempt to change the subject was obvious, but Blue didn't want to step on any more toes. He decided to do some research when they went back to town. Plus, he couldn't help but feel a small inking of pride at his accomplishment, even if it was a pitiful attempt. "I did, didn't I? Too bad it was so weak…"

"It'll get better!" Scales assured. "Just gotta use it more and-"

"COME ON!" Pana shouted from across the room. Both Pokemon flinched at the anger in her voice, and they went to join her without another word.

…​

The involuntary teleport was nauseating Rio. He dropped to his knees, just resisting the urge to puke his fruity breakfast onto the lab floor. He groaned and forced himself to his feet.

"Warp trap, huh?"

His Aura sense told him he was alone, no ferals, no team either. Rio shrugged, and walked off into the Dungeon, now carefully watching where he stepped. The lack of ferals didn't last long, as he was soon attacked by a Trubbish, smelly sludge spewing from its mouth.

Rio, seeing a chance to test something, made a quick Bone Rush and pointed it at the feral.

Long, he thought, focusing on the staff and what he wanted to do. Before the Trubbish could even attack, the staff shot forward quickly, smashing it in the face and sending it flying down the hall. Rio retraced his bone, noting the horrid smell coating the end and letting the bone fade away.

"Nice," Rio said to himself. He grinned, and walked down the hall and past the unconscious Trubbish, twitching in its sleep.

He took out the other dungeonmon in a similar matter, thinking of it as target practice. Porygon? Staff. Voltorb? Right in the face. Magnemite? He felt a little bad for nailing it right in the eye.

Rio was having fun with his new attack, but then he felt it. Something was nagging at him, pecking at the back of his head. No, that wasn't quite right. Something was pulling at him, trying to guide him to whatever it was.

As the Riolu walked on, the pull got stronger. He let it guide him for a time, not even feeling for his teammates Auras. He had to find it. There was no other option. It was his, it had to be.

The feeling led him to a door. It was old, rusted, and had a strange blue symbol on it. Looked like a Unown with lines all through it. Rio didn't care much about it, all he knew was that it was in his way.

He tried the door handle, but it was rusted shut. Annoyed, Rio focused some of his Aura into his palm, and slammed it against the door. A small blue explosion sent the offending barrier flying off its hinges and crashing against the wall.

Normally, Rio would have at least paused at the sight of the odd machine. Its rusted metal base hummed, the bottom sprouting strange black tendrils. It stood on three metal legs, all as rusted and dirty as the base itself. The top looked to be around the same, with its rounded, dented, rusted head. Cracked glass that connected the two, and held one of the most beautiful things the Riolu had ever seen.

It looked like Blue's stone, only instead of being a whitish-gray, it was a graying black. Another symbol sat on its surface, what looked to be a toothy, smiling face. The dark glow it gave off captivated the Riolu. He had to have it. He needed it. He hungered for it.

Rio stomped forward, Bone Rush in hand, and swung at the glass. It shattered instantly, and the stone stayed where it was. Floating. Appetizing. Calling to him. It wanted him, and he wanted it.

Without a second thought Rio snatched the stone out of the air, and felt nothing. He blinked, coming out of his trance and looked at the stone. It still radiated the dark light, but nothing stood out to him anymore. It was just a pretty rock.

Rio scratched at his neck as he examined the thing. Why did he think it was so special? Then he looked at his wrist, noting the grooves in the side looked like they would fit his new rock. The Riolu slid the stone in, and sure enough, it fit perfectly.

He could feel the drool gathering as he looked at his new accessories, the glow coming from the stone very dim now. When the cold spit hit his bare fur, he snapped out of his latest trance.

"...Huh…" Without another word, Rio went to find his team, shoving the experience to the back of his mind. For now.

…​

The abomination opened its eyes, seeing clearly for the first time. It was as if a fog had just lifted. What? What was fog?

What was...it? Still very groggy, it shifted what it thought was called a body through the amber sludge it was suspended in. Its three... fingers-yes that was the word-has strange bulbs on the end, and something was sticking to what it was sure was its arm. It identified its short fur as white.

It flicked what it thought was a tail, purple apparently, around, tapping the barrier that kept it imprisoned. It thought it was called glass…

How it knew these things, it had no idea.

Awake… I'm awake?

It tried to move, and found it hard in the sludge. It tried again, and managed to twitch a finger. Progress. It tried its tail next, and it swung against the glass. It wasn't enough to break it, much to the thing's dismay. It realized it hated this tube. This, prison, it thought the word was. It wanted out.

Then he felt them, the new minds…

…​

Blue looked up at the door that stood in the trio's way. It was the end of the Dungeon as far as the Bidoof could tell, and the end of the path seemed clear of traps. This door was in much better shape than what they found before. It was an immaculate steel, with clear symbols on its face. It towered over the trio, and whatever laid on the other side tore any fear Blue may have had in half, his curiosity stronger.

It was too bad it was locked.

"Why don't I just break it down?" Scales asked for the millionth time.

"If you do that we get our badges taken away!" Pana shouted back. "Arceus!"

"And," Blue added. "We should strive to preserve these ruins. It's one of the few clues we have when it comes to humans."

Scales sighed. "Sure. Whatever. Can you make those squiggles out?"

Blue got closer, examining the symbols on the door's smooth face. It was a human language… Unovan, by the looks of it. Blue was by no means fluent, but he picked up a few words.

"Open… Stone… Danger…" was all he could make out.

"You can read this?" Pana asked. Blue flinched at her sudden outburst, and he turned to the Pancham, still a little freaked out by her earlier burst of rage.

"...A little," he said after a small pause. "Mr. Thesus taught me a few human languages. It was necessary to read some of the books. I just started Unovan."

She grinned at that. "'Doesn't add anything to the team' my ass! That's really useful!"

"You think?" Blue asked shyly, desperately trying to hide the grin growing on his face. "It's useless for Dungeons though…"

"This disagrees!" Pana gestured at the door. "But we can talk about that later. What was that about a stone?"

Blue shook the praise from his mind, and got back to the problem at hand. "It looks like we need a stone to open it?"

"And those pictures?"

Blue was just getting to those. There seemed to be one diagram. One seemed to be what humans were described to look like, tall, lanky, bipedal. It had its arms crossed and on its forearm looked like their bracelets!

"Our bracelets!" Blue said out loud. "Maybe?"

Blue quickly stood up on his hind legs, wobbling as he did his best to copy the picture. He crossed his front legs, and something happened. His stone flashed! Brightly! It was so surprising the Bidoof fell over onto the old tiled floor. He groaned as he blinked the light away.

A clawed hand shot in front of his still recovering eyes. Scales. Blue took the Hakamo'o's hand and he helped him roll over back onto four legs. He gazed at the door, and noted absolutely nothing had changed.

"What was that?" Pana asked, jumping in the Bidoof's line of sight.

"I don't know!" he answered honestly. "I just tried something, and it didn't work… Maybe it's the wrong stone? A different key?"

"Key?" Scales asked. "Didn't that old grump say we could open it?"

"He said maybe," Blue corrected his new friend. "It looks like we have half a key at best..."

Pana groaned. "Is he gonna hold that against us? That isn't our fault at least."

"Maybe he won't?" Blue honestly wasn't sure either. This entire situation was weird, and the stakes were high. His dream would end right here if they were wrong. They couldn't risk it. They had to find the key. There was no other choice.

He was about to tell the other as much when the team suddenly completed itself. Rio, having finally found them, walked up, twirling his Bone Rush like nothing happened. Blue was ashamed to admit that in his excitement and slight nervous breakdown he had completely forgotten about the Riolu.

"You're alright!" Blue said, walking over to Rio. He grinned at the Bidoof and stopped twirling his staff.

"'Course I am," he said simply. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Whatever," Pana interrupted. "You're not dead. Good. did you find anything while you were gone?"

"Yeah, I-" Rio looked at the door, and Blue watched his eyes glazed over. He lifted his arms into the cross, the new black stone clearly visible in his own bracelet. It lit up the same as Blue's did, and the Riolu didn't stop there. He put his arms forward, crouched, and threw them up in the air, doing a silent roar. A black glow flashed across the bracelet, but nothing else.

A click echoed through the room, and the door swung open. Blue would normally be excited, but he was way too freaked out by what just happened.

"Nice dance," Scales said, patting Rio on the back. He stumbled forward, his eyes going back to normal at the contact. He looked around, then at the door.

"...Thanks," Rio said, scratching at his fluffy neck. Blue noticed the slight pause, and his subdued nature.

"Are you ok?" Pana asked, picking up on it too.

"Fine!" Rio said, a little too fast. "Let's see what we've got!" Rio rushed into the final room of the Dungeon before any more questions could be asked. Blue watched him go, more curious about what just happened than worried. He'd have to ask later, the door was open and it's secrets were about to be laid bare.

Blue ran in after Rio, and it was like nothing the Bidoof had ever seen.

The walls of the room were lined with paper. Books, loose sheets and binders filled the walls and littered the floor. By Blue's best guess this room alone had more than the entire library's collection. The few tables inside held more books, along with glassware filled with strange glowing liquids. Rio had stopped between them, staring at something in the center of the room. Blue tore his attention away from the vast reservoir of knowledge to look at what his friend was staring at, and gasped.

"What the fuck…" Was all he could say as they looked at the large cat floating in the amber goop.

…​

Confusion, fear, fascination.

The small brown mammal that stared at him was practically radiating these thoughts. Was that directed at it? It was almost overwhelming. The other mammal was not helping, with its utter fascination also obvious.

One- no, two more entered. Why couldn't it feel the other at first? It was as if the small black and white one was foggy. Did this small one carry the fog? Was it here to put it back to sleep? No, there were differences. The one the blue one carried was much closer to-

The abomination didn't even notice it at first. It was very faint, but it could feel the same energy that diminished it for so long. They were here to put it back to sleep! They wouldn't succeed.

It wouldn't let them succeed.

…​

"What the hell is that?" Pana asked.

Rio was so fascinated by the sight of the thing he couldn't respond. He'd never felt an Aura like it.

He realized that wasn't quite true. He had felt something close. That Sableye gave off a similar feeling. The difference was it wasn't as overwhelming. He could actually feel the shifts. Right now it felt afraid.

When Rio felt that fear turn to rage, he knew they were in for a fight.

"GET DOWN!" he screamed, summoning a Bone Rush.

They watched as the strange cat's eyes glowed a bright purple, and witnessed the glass that separated it from them explode in a violet light.

 

[BlackHairedPsycho]

13. Why They're Called Team Disaster

Rio jumped back, swinging his staff as he did. He managed to block most of the glass rocketing towards him, but some still made it through his improvised defense. What got through grazed his skin, but one small piece logged itself in his thigh. The Riolu grimaced as he fell back.

The adrenaline dulled the pain as he got a better look at his new enemy. It floated towards him, towering over even Scales. Its white fur was still wet from the nap it seemed to be taking, and its purple tail flicked what goop remained on it off. Its eyes burned with purple light, its anger pulsing off of it in waves. The Riolu had never felt such an engaged Aura.

Rio pointed his Bone Rush at the towering figure, focusing on the staff for a bit.

Long, he thought, and the bone responded. It quickly extended, spearing the cat in its purple stomach and sending it flying back. Before it hit the ground it started to float again, its glare and Aura even more angry.

A second later his staff flew out of his paw and towards his opponent. It floated in front of the towering figure for a moment, and was tossed away with a flick of its thoughts. In response, Rio made another one, which was taken just as quickly.

Then he saw Pana appear, sensing an opportunity. The creature did too, but it was too late as her flying Sucker Punch smashed it in the face. The thing stumbled, black blood coming from the slits Rio assumed was its nose.

He watched as his sister started glowing purple and was lifted into the air. It didn't hold her for long, as the light seemed to seep into her. She landed on her feet, now glaring at the apparent psychic. The creatures glowing eyes widened as Pana leapt to attack. Rio felt one of the tables fly over his head and zip towards the two.

Pana crashed into the floating piece of furniture, smashing it to pieces. Rio cracked the ground as he leapt at the cat, but unexpectedly crashed into what felt like a brick wall. He finally noticed the transparent Barrier the thing put up. Soon he was glowing, and thrown backwards into a wall, slightly cushioned by the books that remained.

He slid down the wall slowly, vision blurry, but still awake. He summoned another Bone Rush and shot it at the thing once again. It dinged off the Barrier and the abomination didn't even bother to rip it out of his hands that time. Just has Rio hoped.

He focused on the staff, and did his easiest alteration yet.

Burst.

The Bone Rush flashed once, and exploded.

…​

The sudden boom roused Blue from his involuntary sleep. He felt himself bleeding, but couldn't see anything. And something reeked! It smelled like day old berry juice and dirt. And what was that jingling?

Scales?

"You up?" he heard the dragon ask. He felt something touch his paw, a berry by the looks of it. He maneuvered it the best he could, eventually managing to pop it in his mouth. The sweet juices of the Oran berry immediately made him feel better as the Hakamo-o let him go. When he saw what was left of the lab he wanted to cry.

The books were in total disarray, some completely destroyed in the battle taking place. Some shredded, some some torn in half, and some were blown to bits, along with a part of the wall and floor. Rio crouched, standing in front of a scorch mark and bits of fluttering paper, glaring at the creature he just blew up. The transparent bubble that separated the two was severely cracked, but it wasn't even looking at him.

Pana was its primary concern, pelting her with debris, vials of goop and enough knowledge to put several teachers out of business. It was all the Pancham could do to dodge each object. Rio had stood up now, glaring at the monster.

The Bidoof watched as Scales ran at the creature, claws glowing purple. He slashed at the barrier, cracking it even further. The abomination glared at him, and suddenly he was floating. He had never seen anyone use Psychic before, so this was mesmerizing.

With its focus changing the debris that was keeping Pana away dropped. She didn't waste time, becoming a black blur as she crashed into the cracked Barrier once again. It splintered further, but still held.

Rio rushed in, jumped off Scales's head, and slammed his glowing palm into the creatures protected face. His palm erupted into a blue explosion, finally shattering the barrier. Blue was stunned. He didn't even have time to react. Could he even help?

The strange Pokemon raised both of its hands in the air, and another Barrier quickly solidified around it, this one smaller. The rest of his team wasted no time in attacking the new forcefield.

Then the abomination pushed his arms out, and the Barrier followed. It expanded, slamming into its attackers and sending them flying back. Rio landed right next to Blue, making him jump. He groaned in pain, but was still awake. Thank Arceus.

The creature turned its attention back to Pana, slinging more of the most educational debris on the planet at her. Pana was able to keep dodging, but she had notably slowed down. Scales didn't seem as hurt as he flung himself back at the creature, burying his glowing claws in the Barrier and making small cracks. It didn't even look at him, completely focused on the Pancham. She needed help.

Blue felt another tug at his stomach, and water gathering in his cheeks. Not expecting to do much damage, but hoping for a distraction he fired his Water Gun at the mutant. Compared to his previous attempt this was a cannon shot, the half-foot wide stream of water barreled at the monster, slipping past its barrier and slamming into its chest. The Bidoof had no time to contemplate how he did that, or why it had slipped past the forcefield, because it looked like the creature barely felt it. He did succeed in getting its attention, at least for a bit.

Without warning the Bidoof was lifted into the air, flipped over, and slammed down. His vision went white for a bit, but when it cleared enough for him to see Rio standing in front of him, clutching something. The cold embrace of unconsciousness followed.

…​

Rio wasn't sure why he grabbed Blue's treasure. When it landed next to him, he just snatched it. The Riolu stared at the creature that had attacked him, his friends, his family, and seemed to be doing its best to kill them. Pana was slowing down, Scales wasn't making any progress, and Blue had just done his best.

He glanced down at the stone he clutched, wondering what to do. The Barrier was the issue, and getting through that would take too long. It could just remake it after too, and they'd be back to square one.

He realized they needed one attack, one strong enough to break the bubble and the psychic all at once.

As that thought crossed his mind, his body acted on its own. The Riolu inserted Blue's stone into his own bracelet without even realizing what he was doing, still watching the battle taking place. He was so lost in the fight he didn't even notice as he crossed his arms and his borrowed stone lit up.

Power flowed through Rio as his entire body flashed with a bright light. It was all so clear to him all of a sudden. All he had to do was put his arms down, thrust them forward, drag them down to the floor, put one back up, then cross his lower arm over his stomach and his higher over his forehead and-

The power exploded within Rio, and the light coming off of him brightened even further. He had never felt so full of energy. It felt like he could run for miles!

So he did.

The creature turned his attention back to the Riolu just as he charged at it. There was no time to prepare as the blue and black blur barreled into his enemies Barrier, obliterating what was left of it and slamming into its creator. He felt something break in the monster's body as he barreled into it.

The wall behind them crumbled under the force of the super tackle, barreling through the layers of books, rock and metal that stood in Rio's way. He couldn't stop even if he wanted to. He could only hear the crumbling rocks, and the creatures groans of agony as he went.

Then, the resistance just stopped. Rio felt the boundless energy leave him as he plummeted. He just managed to glimpse the blue sky as he and his opponent fell into the lake below.

The cold shock of falling into the lake made the Riolu let go of his hopefully beaten opponent. He turned his head towards it, only to see it shoot out of the lake and into the sky, its Aura scared once again. Rio couldn't call that a win, but it wasn't a loss either.

That was his last thought as that boundless energy left him, and he fell unconscious.

 

[BlackHairedPsycho]

14. Fame and Fever

Blue woke up from his second forced nap slower than his first. The Bidoof rolled over on his side, and opened his bleary eyes.

The sight would have made him cry if he didn't have such a headache.

The room was completely destroyed. The books, the notes, everything was scattered and shredded, obliterated by the intense battle that took place. Even the counters and all the chemicals they held had cracked open and spilled onto what was left of one of the best preserved human ruins to date.

The biggest thing was the giant hole in the back wall. The crumbling stone and metal that was once a wall pained the Bidoof to look at. It took up most of the middle, far above his or Rio's height.

That raised another question. Where was Rio? In fact, where was anyone? The room was devoid of life. Blue took a step forward, and almost tripped over the small craters in the floor. They looked a lot like footprints.

Blue walked into the hole in the wall, very cautious about meeting what caused it. After a little walking he heard his teammates' voices.

"Shit!" he heard Scales yell.

"That idiot!" Pana shouted. He could see them now, overlooking the other side of the hole. The sky was visible, and the cold wind pelted at his face. He walked up to them, still woozy.

"What happened?" He asked his teammates. They turned to him, surprise and relief obvious on their faces.

"Least you're alright…" Pana said. Scales looked surprised to see him. His usual calm face was gone, replaced by a small grimace.

"Rio," was all he said. Blue walked closer to the edge, only to see the lake far below. He could see Rio there. Alone, no strange Pokemon around. His eyes were closed, and he was sinking fast.

Blue didn't ask why they hadn't gone to help him. He didn't think about how far down the water was to guess his chance of surviving a jump from this height. He didn't even think about his still throbbing head.

The Bidoof just jumped into the lake below.

The shock of the cold water hit him, but his species was built for rivers and lakes. This was nothing. If his head wasn't killing him, Blue might have even said it was easy.

The Riolu stood out, then again slowly descending in the middle of a lake would make anyone obvious. Blue bit down on Rio's arm, letting some of his air escape, and started to swim back up. He wished he thought to take a breath before diving in!

The dizzy Bidoof breached the surface soon enough, the Riolu with him. Blue's now very unfocused thoughts turned to why Rio was so fluffy. Hair was coming off in his mouth! The fact that he was losing consciousness again probably wasn't helping.

He managed to get them to shore, the soft grass felt great to lie down on.

So he did. The bliss of sleep followed.

...​

The crackling of fire wormed its way into Blue's dreamless sleep. His eyes blinked open, taking in the warm fire. He groaned, sitting up and feeling the headache that still plagued him. The chilly afternoon at least felt cool, and the slight splashing of the lake behind them sounded nice.

"M-morning..." he heard a voice say beside him. He turned to see Rio, now mostly dry and shivering in the cool air. He sat close to the fire, trying desperately to warm himself. He sniffed deeply.

"...It's almost night..." was all the Bidoof could say.

"How do you know?" Rio asked. "You've been asleep."

Blue stared at the Riolu in disbelief. "I've been out for a day?"

Rio laughed, then coughed. "Kidding! It's been like an hour."

Blue sighed in relief. "Please don't do that."

"No promises." There was a brief silence before Rio spoke again. "Thanks."

"For what?"

"You kinda saved my life."

Blue suddenly remembered what happened in full. He had dove in, huh? He looked back at the waterfall, noting the large hole in its cliff face. It was about halfway down, making Blue's jump all the more reckless. The Bidoof wouldn't have believed it if he didn't remember doing it.

He didn't regret it though.

"...You're welcome," he said. "Where did everyone else go?"

"Pana dragged Scales back to see if they could salvage anything," Rio started. Blue groaned at the reminder of so much lost information. Those books could have contained anything! Information on human society, their advancements, maybe something that would have cleared the relationship between them and Pokemon! But those were probably all gone, along with whatever made that hole...

"Wait," Blue said, now thinking again. "What made that hole?"

Rio raised his right paw, the one with the stone bracelet around it. "Sorry."

Blue stared at Rio in disbelief, and Rio shrugged. "I don't know what else to say. Got caught up in the fight, tried something, and put a hole through that Dungeon."

"What?" Blue asked, incredulous. "Alone? How?"

Rio popped one of the stones out of his bracelet, and held it out to Blue. It was his stone. His treasure!

"Borrowed this," Rio said. "Popped out after you went down."

Blue quickly snatched it out of the Riolu's paw. He never wanted to lose it again. He vowed to never let it out of his sight. As he calmed down, he processed what his new friend had just said.

"Wait, THIS-" Blue said, dropping the stone in front of him. "did THAT?" The Bidoof looked towards the collateral damage Rio had allegedly caused with his treasure.

"No," Rio said. "I did that. That thing helped."

"..How?"

"...Not sure. I just did a thing, felt real good, and then I tackled a large cat through a wall."

"THAT WAS A TACKLE?"

"No. I think it was Headbutt? I think I tried to use Headbutt."

Blue stared down at his stone, in disbelief. What the hell was this thing exactly? Why did Dad of all people have it? How exactly had Rio done this?

Could he learn to do it too?

He decided these were questions for later. There was one thing still bothering him more than anything.

"What the hell was that thing?" Rio asked for him.

"I don't know," Blue answered. "I don't know if anyone knows. Those books probably could have told us..."

"...Sorry."

Rio looked away, sniffing. Blue winced. Had he said something wrong?

"Then again, whatever you did probably saved our lives," the Bidoof continued as Rio rocked his head back and took a deep breath.. "Can't really find out if we're dead, ri-"

"AAAAAAACHOOOOOOO!" Rio sneezed. His entire body flashed a light blue, and exploded. The small boom made Blue jump back as the ground around Rio blew away with the fire he was sitting near. Blue stared at the Riolu, shocked.

"Ah, dammit," was all Rio said as he stared at the fire.

"Did-did you just explode?" Blue asked.

"Hm? Oh yeah, that happens sometimes."

"...Why?"

"Never got a straight answer for that. Masters said I lack control."

"So what were you doing in that fight?"

"Smaller scale of that. They didn't like it when I used that either."

"Ok, but-"

Blue's next question was interrupted by Pana's arrival. She was just there suddenly, holding the bag and a few surviving books. She looked at Rio, then at what remained of the fire. The Pancham groaned as she put the stuff down.

"Please don't tell me you're sneezing," she said.

"Ok," Rio said back. "You might be in for a surprise later."

Pana sighed, handing her haul to Blue. "All the books we could salvage. Scales is hauling some bigger stuff back right now."

Blue took one and opened it. The paper was old, but the writing was still legible. Still, he couldn't quite make it out. It was the same language as the door, Unovan. He couldn't make out much, but the word "Danger" appeared more than once. It was something.

"Think this'll make that grump happy?" Pana asked Blue. "We still in trouble?"

"The books are legible at least..." Blue started, flipping through another one. "Still can't read most of it. We'll have to wait and see."

"And how mad will he be about Rio's little accident?"

The reminder made Blue groan. So much had been lost. If Blue was this sad about it, Mr. Thesus would be...

Well, angry would have fallen short of describing it. Livid would have been closer, but incomprehendingly furious was the best bet.

"We should avoid bringing it up," was all Blue had to say.

"Good plan," Pana responded. "...Thanks."

"It's the only thing I can contribute so-"

"Not that. Well, thanks for that too, but not what I meant."

Blue turned to her, and saw her usually stiff frown soften a bit. "You saved Rio's life. Scales sucks at swimming, and I didn't have any strength left after that fight. Thank you."

Blue was surprised at being acknowledged, thanked even, twice in a few minutes! It was strange, but nice. Even if it was coming from a group of walking disasters. He gave Pana a slight smile.

"Anytime."

"But please be more careful next time. We don't need another Rio."

"The hell is that-" Rio started, before being interrupted by another explosive sneeze. "supposed to mean?"

Pana's frown returned as she glared at the Riolu and pointed at the large hole once again. "We don't need another reckless idiot."

"This 'reckless idiot' saved your ass from a giant cat!"

"And almost got himself killed in the process. Again."

They bickered like that for a while, and Blue couldn't help but smile a little wider. They were so different from his own family, from anyone he'd ever known.

And he'd never felt more comfortable.

...​

Scales got back a little later, dragging something metal with him. He told the team it looked important, but it was just too rusted and broken to find any use. Still, they decided it was better to take it. Someone might know more.

They took the rest of the night off, making camp by the lakeside. Rio fell asleep right by the newly made fire to dry out more. Pana slept by him in case another one of his explosive sneezes put it out.

He and Scales talked about his use of Water Gun, and when Blue tried it again he got the same result he did when he used it in the Dungeon. It got stronger all of a sudden.

"That's great!" the dragon exclaimed. "Why are you so hung up on it?"

"I don't know how it happened," Blue answered honestly. "I just want to understand."

"I don't know. Maybe something just clicked?"

"Maybe..." That answer didn't satisfy Blue much, but it was something. They both went to sleep after that. The Bidoof was already used to Scales's loud snores from their trek over.

Their trip back was thankfully uneventful. No mutants, no bandits, and Rio's sneeze explosions were small. They talked about the stones as they walked, but nothing much came from it. Rio tried to use the other one he found, but beside a bright flash at the beginning, nothing happened. He offered to do it with Blue's stone, but Pana shouted him down.

"WE DON'T NEED ANOTHER GIANT HOLE!"

Still, Blue wanted to try it. But later. When his best chance of figuring out what exactly happened wasn't constantly exploding.

It was nice to get back into the city after so long. The market was just as busy as ever. The snips of conversation the Bidoof caught were mostly gibberish, but it was a distraction from Rio's, now calmer, sneezes.

"So I punched him."

"That Alakazam sold me a shotty orb! It was already cracked!"

"Did you hear about the waterfall?"

"And he didn't use protection, so now-"

Wait what was that third one?

"Yeah, front page on the newspaper, right?"

Blue turned to his team. Rio seemed distracted, and Scales was being Scales, but Pana caught the same thing he did. Spotting a stand selling newspapers, Pana quickly walked over and snatched one without paying. The dosing Delibird didn't even notice the blatant theft. Blue was about to at least ask her to pay when she started reading out loud.

"'Giant Hole in Waterfall Cliffside has Guild Stumped! Days ago, Team Keymasters of the Wanderers guild discovered a massive hole in the falls a few days downstream. While unsure of what caused it, the guild had an anonymous tip that another team belonging to the guild went to the area, a Team Disaster. There was a Dungeon in the area, and nothing has been heard of the team in question since.'"

Blue was stunned. They had made front page news without even reporting anything! This was great! Pana seemed less pleased. In fact, when he looked back at Rio and Scales, they both looked nervous. This is what bothers them? After everything?

"Are you guys alright?" Blue asked.

"Fine, fine," Pana said waving the question off. "How far do you think this spread already?"

"Well, it was published today, so probably not farther than the town."

Pana sighed in relief. "Good, good. Well, let's drop these off!"

"Wait, why is it good?"

"It probably doesn't matter to you," Rio coughed. "We might get a surprise visit soon. You'll probably be fine."

For once, Blue wasn't sure he wanted to know. He dropped it for now, and went to see his mentor and finally complete this request.

 

[Navar]

Heya Psycho, Navar here. Decided to finally stop being a lazy person and review your first seven chapters in a row. Crazy, I know, but I’m a crazy person, so it all evens out. Now, the most important thing I need to say is that I’m a lousy critic. I cannot critique stuff to save my life, so my reviews tend to be super positive, including me screaming at all the cool stuff. With that out of the way, here I go(This is gonna take so long, help me).

Chapter 1​

Alright. What an amazing opening chapter. The characters were the highest point of this chapter, they work really well with one another. As a side note, Rio is fluffy, and I want to pet him even if I blow up afterwards. Scales seems like my second favorite, for now, adorable and a badass, a pretty good combination! Pana is very furtive,, and I love how she is an action girl, pretty good idea and execution there!

As for the world, I’m a fan of how you handled aura sense, Rio not knowing how to use it properly is good for that sweet character development that I’m a fan of. Also, “Master”? Okay, I’m invested in this Pokémon. I also really enjoy the house they’re in, treehouses are cool and I screamed at the scream for a moment, haha.

Now, the battle scene was nice, they all seem to be skilled when it comes to physical combat, but they’re also smart, meaning they can plan out stuff in the middle of the action. Good, love those types of characters. The villains were simple goons, but I think that was effective in showing how your main characters act in those few words.

I’m finishing this first review by saying I liked the chapter enough for me to keep reading, and that’s a sign of a job well-done, Psycho. I’m going to read the next one now, but I think you did a pretty good job with the introduction to your setting. Let’s see how this will turn out.

Chapter 2​

Damn. I swear this chapter felt longer. Not that it’s a problem, again, I liked it. So in this one we’re introduced to Blue, a Bidoof and the other member according to that picture you commissioned. Anyway, he’s asking the real questions and I love him already. But seriously, Rio is so abnormally fluffy? Haha.

Character building! Team Disaster has a setup for some pretty fun interactions in the future, and Pana knows how her teammates are and it’s honestly funny that she assumes they’re gonna get in trouble.

Another point I liked was how Blue reacted to them beating the crap out of the goons. They’re young, and it makes sense for them to be weak, at least at first glance. But appearances can be deceiving, and they proved that in the previous chapter. Nice work on this one, I especially liked the description of the town they’re in, felt immersive and I could imagine it even with no pictures to use as a reference. Well, time to go to the next chapter. Keep it up.

Chapter 3​

Oh God, why did they buy that much food? It’s gonna spoil. Uh, Scales is a glutton, holy shit. Other than that, I think that interaction was funny enough, made me giggle for a bit, so good work with that part. Now they’re going to the base, and Blue continues to be adorable, despite asking so many questions. I suppose this is the chapter with exposition, not that I mind.

Oh, interesting bit there with them running away from their masters, I wonder what that means? It’s a nice mystery, and since I’m very fond of mysteries, this caught my attention(I also assume that’s your intention lol). Those must be some powerful Pokémon to train them to the point they can take down a bandit group, and I’m curious to see how that plot point will develop. Speaking of plot points…

So only Rio can see the glow, does that mean that item is aura-based? Or is it the Fightinium-Z? Since Rio is a fighting-type, but in that case, Pana would be able to see it too? Oh man, this is super interesting to theorize, I’m gonna have fun reading this story, I can tell! By the way, loved the little comment on Rio not being able to turn his aura sense off, that was a nice touch.

With that said, I had some difficulties knowing who was speaking at the beginning of the chapter. Like I said before, I’m a terrible critic, but this part kinda irked me a bit. Despite this criticism, I liked this chapter, I’ll be reading the next one now.

Chapter 4​

Blue is exactly how I act in social situations, confused and curious, good for him, I love the lil guy. Anyway, this chapter was sweet, I love me some bonding moments, this had plenty of it. And like you said, Scales is a glutton, I can relate, love me some foods. I can also say I chuckled at “Arceus almighty” for no specific reason, I just found that to be funny.

Now! I said the previous chapter had expositions, but this one complemented that pretty well, now we know that the Legends are gone, and judging by Team Disaster’s reaction, they’re related to them, it explains how they’re so powerful despite being young, I also enjoyed the little nod to Super, so this means your story takes place after all the PMD games? That’s pretty cool.

Aaaaand of course, Rio just invites the dude they just met to join the team, I found that to be natural and organic, it was pretty obvious they were going to invite him, but even if I knew that, I liked how that was handled.

This part I’m about to comment struck me in the heart, because I swear I gulped when I read that. That part being them saying that they had to train a lot to get where they are, and the reason this stood out for me is that I feel the same way with my own writing. Needless to say, this was my favorite part of the entire chapter. Kinda funny how a little comment can have such a powerful meaning for me, I’m stunned, but happy. Going for chapter 5 now.

Chapter 5​

So this is the first dungeon exploration we see. That actually reminds me, I don’t know what type of team they are, rescue? Explorers? Just some dudes getting missions? Or maybe I just missed something all, oh well.

First things first, Rio has a scar beneath all that fluff? Looks like we’re buddies then, my Riolu also has a scar, except his is pretty… visible. Mine is fluffy but not like Rio. Scales sounds like Loudred from Explorers, waking up the rest of the cast. Not sure if intentional or not, but I enjoyed this scene, the pacing was fine to me, and it got me excited for the next and also the main part of this chapter.

Anyway, Blue chose an easy Dungeon, as suspected, he’s new in this thing and it makes sense for him to choose such a low level for his test. Needless to say, he’s a fast learner, while Bidoof may be weak in combat, he’s a quick thinker, and like Rio said, that’s a strength, and something they need to work out, good, the dynamic here is pretty interesting, we have this veteran team and the recruit that’s the underdog. I usually like underdogs, and this is no exception, I am excited to see where this goes.

I am also interested in how dungeons work here. They close off when you get in? That… makes sense, actually, so good idea you had. Also, they have ferals, and based on the previous chapter, Pokémon eat feral meat, cool. I have that in my fic as well, so that’s another thing we have in common.

And to top it all off, Blue knows how to deal with traps, another point for him, I’m thinking he’s gonna be the brains of the team, hopefully I’m right. Alright, I’ll be heading to the next chapter, this one was also pretty good.

Chapter 6​

Training episode, Blue is trying to learn Water Gun, and hm, interesting choice of letting them learn moves they couldn’t do unless evolved, it’s the type of canon divergent thing I really enjoy, adds to the world, at least for me. Anyway, they seem to be training with Blue for quite a while, I hope this works out for them, also, nice to see that they have the new badges, they’re a very good team.

Rio’s aura abilities are impressive for someone so young, being able to shape the aura bone… To be honest, I’m not surprised, it seems to be a common thing to shape Bone Rush into things. Regardless, he broke it. He broke the fucking box. I can’t believe Rio broke Hermit, this is so sad, Meloetta, play Despacito.

Memes aside, Rio’s still the only one that can see the glow from the items, so I’ll say again that it’s an aura thing, also, it makes him hungry? Oh God oh fuck don’t give those to Scales, the food will run out! Hm, they all have matching bracelets now, it’s a Z-Move thing, right? I can’t remember the name right now, but I think it’s either that or the Mega Bracelet. It makes them feel like more of a team, I liked it.

Hm, this chapter had less stuff than the other ones, so I don’t have that many things to talk about, but even having less, I liked this one as well. Hopefully, the next chapter will be good as well. I’ll be heading to it right now, again, this story is pretty fun to read.

Chapter 7​

Hm, this was also a calm chapter. I kinda like this pacing, slow-burn is not my thing, but I admit it can be well done. In your case, it’s well done enough that I can read a lot of your chapters, consider it a compliment.

Now, back to the chapter. Rio had a girlfriend? It’s nice to know more about his past. I was gonna ask how the fuck thar Bewear knew he was there, but I assume she’s that creepy stalker girlfriend that’s so common in fiction and simply followed the entire team there.

Another nice moment: The title! This title is amazing and I kept laughing at how it fit so well with the content of the chapter, nice. And yet another nice moment: the Noctowl. I love Noctowl, I really do, and I never thought they were creepy, but somehow you managed to pull it off, this birb is both creepy and hilarious, loved those scenes.

More interactions with Pana and Blue. It was fun to read, especially that comment about Aegis Cave. As someone that lost hours on that thing, I hate that puzzle, I swear to God. It’s so poorly designed… But enough rambling. So the Pokémon world is just chill with world-ending disasters? With the amount that happens, yeah, it makes sense lol.

As usual, a good chapter to read, I can’t see much of the overarching plot, but it’s not really a problem, getting to know the characters before they get thrown into the chaos is fun so far. Going to the next one now, I’m impressed.

Chapter 8​

Alright, I think this one is my favorite chapter of the story so far. It has everything, good descriptions, good pacing, fun moments, character building. You covered everything in such an amazing way that I’ll need to explain in depth, so here I go.

The descriptions for the Dungeon were neat, I loved how they changed the setting, and even the enemy mon were interesting, obviously there’s some shady stuff going on, but I think they were characterized in a good way, both were only there for a short moment, but left their marks.

The pacing was good. Starting with the chase, I loved to see RIo’s inner thoughts on the whole ordeal, a nice way of showing how he acts, again, actions speak more than words, but this time it was a good amount of both, very well done. And the ending also had me invested, so the dungeon ended in the library? I’ll admit, I wasn’t expecting that.

As for the funny moments, the whole chase sequence got a chuckle out of me. I’m all for these kinds of things, so reading that cracked me up.

Finally, character building. The plot is kicking in, so it seems, and Dungeons are spreading to the city. This is a good plot point, and I’m curious to see how the characters will react to all the madness that's gonna happen. Again, this is my favorite chapter, keep up the good work and you’ll do great! Time to read the next one!

Chapter 9​

Another good chapter. Theorizing on the Z-Rings was a good thing, and Blue continues to be an adorable bean. Hm, alright, so they have a job to do, this is shaping up to be another interesting dungeon exploration(I still have no clue what type of team they are, though, but at this point I don’t really mind it anymore).

The birb is angry, I mean, he got a new door, that’s… cool? Well, he seems like a dick, but not without a reason. I guess there’s a reason the team has that name, which makes me wonder how many times they blew stuff up, oh dear. Also, that Bewear didn’t find Rio, right? I bet she’s still running around the city to find him, maybe she’ll do it in the next chapter.

I think the strongest points here are the theorizing bits, I love to see lore, so it was a treat for me. I think I got a bit curious when I read that there used to be humans, it reminded me of that theory of PMD being a post-apocalypse version of the mainline games, and that’s… fine, I suppose. I mean, I’m also theorizing that you’re using that, maybe I’m wrong? I can’t tell for no, but this hooked me even more in the story, good work with that.

Another good chapter. Theorizing on the Z-Rings was a good thing, and Blue continues to be an adorable bean. Hm, alright, so they have a job to do, this is shaping up to be another interesting dungeon exploration(I still have no clue what type of team they are, though, but at this point I don’t really mind it anymore).

The birb is angry, I mean, he got a new door, that’s… cool? Well, he seems like a dick, but not without a reason. I guess there’s a reason the team has that name, which makes me wonder how many times they blew stuff up, oh dear. Also, that Bewear didn’t find Rio, right? I bet she’s still running around the city to find him, maybe she’ll do it in the next chapter.

I think the strongest points here are the theorizing bits, I love to see lore, so it was a treat for me. I think I got a bit curious when I read that there used to be humans, it reminded me of that theory of PMD being a post-apocalypse version of the mainline games, and that’s… fine, I suppose. I mean, I’m also theorizing that you’re using that, maybe I’m wrong? I can’t tell for no, but this hooked me even more in the story, good work with that.

Chapter 10​

Another interesting one. Knowing about the team’s past is something I was hoping to read for a while, and despite only revealing a few things, I’m satisfied, for now, at least.

First things first, hm, that island thing is kinda sus, I’m like 80% sure Rio is from there. But then I noted something. Blue said that it was weird that Rio was named after, well, his species. Now this made me think… Did his parents name him like that because of him being a hybrid or something? Or maybe he just named himself after that because that’s what his species is. Come to think of it, Pana also sounds like Pancham, and maybe they all named themselves using that method, since they’re adopted siblings.

Apart from that, Blue and Scales shared a bonding moment, I think it was sweet. Short, but effective in showing how they grew closer together. They feel like friends now, which is good. I don’t know exactly for how long Blue’s on the team, but I assume it’s like, at least a week? I dunno. Anyway, this scene was good, I appreciate that you took the time to show a different interaction. Also, siblings! I love siblings, adopted or not, you got even more points because of that.

And now a scene with Rio and Pana, they’re on the run from their family, oh boy, I can’t wait to see how this is gonna go back to bite them. I’m invested. Only three more chapters to go!

Chapter 11​

Back to the action after a lot of character building. It didn’t disappoint. I mean, it didn’t have any fights, but I could still feel the action on this thing, you know? I also think this was short, although that may be just me, I have the tendency to read stuff really fast when I get excited.

Anyway, I said it before, but I’m pretty happy with how you’re handling the aura bone, making a rope it’s such a clever idea, I shall use it for scientific purposes! Hm, they’re on the mission the Noctowl gave them, okay, this is gonna be fun. I think this will be a good opportunity to see how they fight together, considering that the only other fight scene was in the first chapter. I’m looking forward to reading this mission.

I don’t have much to say about this chapter, sorry for that, but I really am enjoying this story. I think you’re doing a good job handling all those characters with such different personalities.

Chapter 12​

I changed my mind. This is my favorite chapter, again, it has everything that I really like, and it even has a cherry on top!

Allow me to explain myself. The small conflict between Blue and Pana felt reasonable, I mean, it’s not like they told him much about themselves anyway, he couldn’t know, but hey! At least he can use Water Gun now, a weak one, but one nonetheless. It’s character development and I’m all here for it, very nice work you have here.

The cherry I mentioned earlier was Rio’s alone moment, where he found another stone, and I swear, that scene gave me chills! I loved every bit of it, those types of scenes are favorites of mine, and I screamed “YEEEEEES” at the top of my lungs when reading that, kudos to you, Psycho, for making me feel so invested in such a simple scene.

And now comes the creepy thing, what the fuck is that “abomination”? I’m very curious, I said that I thought the plot took a while to kick in, but oh boy, I’m impressed. The pacing seems so good here that I’m clapping my hands internally. Only one chapter left, let’s see how this one goes.

Chapter 13​

This one is actually easier for me, since I read it before because you asked for it. Now that I know the context I can say this chapter looks pretty good for me, the fighting is nice, the characters are good and so is the pacing.

I think I got more curious about the beast thing than I should, since I was wondering the entire time what Pokémon it was, but considering that hybrids are a thing, maybe it’s one? I really don’t know, but it’s yet another theory I made, that’s gonna be super wrong.

This chapter also marks a good point in the story, as Rio succumbs to the stone. Now I love me some berserk moments, and this one is not an exception at all, it was well done, and didn’t detract from the plot. Quite the opposite, really. It was kinda clear Rio was gonna do something related to it when I read the previous chapter, so I’m glad I got it right this time, it’s so rare that my theories are correct, I get impressed when I do it.

Anyway, this was my review, I hope you enjoyed it. I only had like one nitpick, but it’s not even that big of a nitpick. I do think your story is good, it can be better, as all stories can. I’m excited to read more about your world and characters, so let me say this: you got yourself a reader, so congratulations! You get to hear me ramble about how Rio is a good boy who deserves hugs(even if I’m probably dying after), but well, I’m gonna finish this here, good night!

 

[Flyg0n]

Had my eye on this story for a bit, finally for around to a review! I'm typing on my phone, so apologies for any typos.

First off, this was a very fun chapter! The beginning was a very simple yet engaging start. This new team is looking for a home, but the real estate industry is a hassle. I found it amusing yet relatable.

I also liked the colorful characters! Rio comes off as the calm, pretty confident leader type. Pana appears to be that silent feisty one. And Scales is the bruiser.

Even though there didn't seem to be any overarching goals or plot established yet, I felt engaged enough with the characters to want to read more.

Also, did I mention Fluffy riolu is cute?? I'm all here for fluffy pokemon!

There were a few teensy typo stuff and prose thiggs I noted, but everything is pretty easy fix!

He didn’t take the real estate industry into consideration.

This line kills me. I love it so much! It packs a punch, it feel comedic yet relatable and plays so much relevance to the setup. Never get rid of it is high on my list of favs.

When they walked into the property owner’s place of business and requested the place they wanted they insisted, no, DEMANDED, they go search for another, more expensive piece of land.

So you seem to be saying 'they', team disaster, walks into the property owners place of business. Then you use they again, and his time to refer to the property owner. This was a little confusing for me.
Perhaps:
"When they walked into the property owners office and requested the place they wanted, the conniving Persian DEMANDED they go in search for another more expensive pice of land."
It doesn't have to be exactly like this but if you can find a way to rephrase to make pronoun use clear it would help.

She was also a little shorter than what was normal for a Pancham, but he had learned to never bring up her height. Not that it was very noticeable.

I liked this description, but I think it would have more impact if you moved the part about it not being noticeable. Either delete or shift it to after you mention her height.
"She was also a little shorter than what was normal for a pancham, not that it was veey noticeable. Regardless, he'd learned not to bring up her height."

Rio’s Aura sense wasn’t very precise, but he could at least sense multiple volatile Auras. He felt six in total. Some were either floating in the air or standing on something tall. He hoped it was a tree and not their-

So this is pretty cool to incorporate Rios aura sense. I think you could add more impact by showing us what this sense looks like for Rio. Do auras have colors? Or perhaps shapes or frequencies that show us their nature? Perhaps a volatile aura appears jagged or a specific color. I would love to see you add a touch of description here. It would add extra weight to your prose.

When Rio looked up he could see the moderately sized treehouse, made of brown wood, sitting in its branches.

Personally, I don't think describing the wood as brown is necessary. Most wood is brown by default. You could try substituting with another detail though! Is the tree house rundown? Clean? Maybe there's evidence of bandits, like claw marks or paint or whatnot.

Staff, Rio thought.

TR eats italics. I'm not sure if maybe this was lost in the transfer or not but I would italicize 'staff'

A glowing blue bone at tall as him flashed into existence.

I think you meant "as tall as him"

This war routine for Team Disaster at this point.

This was routine for team disaster.


Small details aside, I found myself really enjoying this scrappy little squad! Despite being supposedly bronze rank they seem very competent and strong. It makes me really curious to see more of them and see where they all came from. I do hope we'll get to see things like individual backstories.
You also make reference to things like 'masters' which made me really curious!

Keep up the good work! I'll surely read more sometime.

 

[Pen]

Hey, welcome to the forum. I hope you enjoy your time here!

I read the first two chapters--you've got a fun, snappy story here. I tend not to be the biggest fan of stories that take a more cartoonish approach, but I thought you pulled off the tone really well by leaning into absurdity and humor. You've got a strong sense of comedic timing and do a good job leaving the physical humor to the imagination. The battle scene read smoothly to me, and even though you didn't go into two much detail, I could picture a lot of the prat falls.

It's nice to open with a more experienced rescue team with their own dynamic. I don't have the fullest set of their personalities yet, but I can see that Rio is a bit long-suffering and Panda is short-tempered. It's interesting that they're bronze rank and yet so advanced. Are ranks universal from place to place? I feel like what would usually be expected is a high-ranked team in a small town without much competition to go into the big city and find out that they're not as good as they thought, but here we have the opposite. Perhaps the guild infrastructure they worked with before didn't have the authority to raise their ranking? It makes a fun set-piece, though.

Probably my favorite part was the opening. Real estate trouble makes for an amusing contrast with the standard PMD world, where that kind of thing isn't usually emphasized. I wonder if you plan to stick to this focus on all the mundane realities of trying to make it as an adventurer. It was interesting to me that the guild is right at the center of town, in the kind of place you'd expect something like a town hall to be. That coupled with the fact that their first reaction to squatters is the assumption that they have to kick them out themselves makes me wonder how much law and law enforcement this city even has. Can you basically get away with anything if you're strong?

Blue's timidity makes for a nice foil to these more headstrong adventurers. I wonder what he wants from the big city!

Here are some line-by-line reactions, plus a few grammar and phrasing things I noticed.

Spoiler: Line-by-lines

Rio thought buying his first real home would be fun. Moving in with the only family he knew sounded great on paper. Free from their masters, free to live however they wished with the slight threat of a possible surprise attack. After their first real great paying job, he was under the impression that it would be smooth sailing from here.

He didn’t take the real estate industry into consideration.

This opening was a great attention-catcher! I do not expect the real estate industry to frontline PMD fic, so I was instantly intrigued.

no, DEMANDED,

All caps can be a bit distracting in writing, and I don't think it's necessary here to convey your emphasis.

and the houses they were being shown didn’t would’ve been impossible to defend. They were gonna need to defend!

Defend is the kind of verb that needs to take an object. You can defend a house, or defend it, but you can't just defend in the abstract.

Rio tried to keep a lid on his annoyance, but he could feel his friends were close to snapping too. He was honestly amazed Scales hadn’t snapped and stormed off yet.

You repeat "snap" here. Maybe make the last line just, "He was honestly amazed Scales hadn't already to stormed off" to avoid that repetition.

“This granite home was made to have a great amount of airflow, so the walls are understandably thin.” Rio counted that as the twenty-fifth lie that came out of the Persian’s mouth. The Aura never lied. “It is very close to town, so that’s why it’s so expensive.” Twenty-sixth. They were just hoping to sell a cheap house at a stupidly high interest to trick a gullible new homeowner. “How about it?”

So fun how he's counting the lies here.

I think you may want, "Aura never lied" instead of "the Aura."

The menace in her voice could have made a Tauros think twice about charging. The Persian had considerably less nerve. In seconds, they started padding back to her office to officially buy their base.

The quick turn-about here was amusing!

At a glance he looked normal for his species, but upon closer inspection you’d find that he had quite a lot of fur for a Riolu.

Later it seems like his fluffiness is pronounced enough to be noticed at a glance. In general, phrases like "upon closer inspection you'd find" add a lot of verbiage and make the writing less snappy. Here I think you could convey the same informtion by saying, "He had quite a lot of fur for a riolu."

“I just didn’t want to be rude,” Pana excused.

Excused is another verb that needs to take an object. You could say that Pana excused herself.

“Hostiles ahead,” Rio said. “Don’t be obvious about fighting.”

I wasn't sure what don't be obvious about fighting meant here? Like, don't be obviously hostile?

The last two Auras left the treehouse then. It wasn’t their choice, of course, but they flew out anyways. The two Aipom were unconscious before they hit the ground.

I like how you're having fun with the narration in this battle.

This war routine for Team Disaster at this point.

* was

The regular Meowth slashed at him first. He blocked it with his staff, batted his paw out of the way and drove a Force Palm into his stomach. The Meowth went flying back a few feet, landing on his back unmoving. Rio twirled his staff in his paw as he waited for the bandits to process what he just did.

“Next?”

They all decided to take Rio up on his offer.

Real nice timing on this battle. That last phrase, leaving their rush to our imagination, is very effective.

He ducked, jumping as soon as his belly was over his head. He heard the wind leave the small Pokemon’s lungs as his Headbutt landed.

I like how you're using senses other than sight to depict this battle.

The double 'his' is a bit confusing. Perhaps, "He ducked, jumping as soon as the zigzagoon's belly passed over his head."

The Patrat got behind him while he dealt with the Zangoose while the Glameow rushed at his front.

The double 'while' here reads a bit funny. Maybe, "The Patrat got behind him as he dealt with the Zangoose, while the Glameow rushed at his front." (you need a comma before 'while')

2. Property

Maybe the fact that they grew up so isolated, so far from other Pokemon, helped with their still strong sense of wonder.

I think you're missing a word or to in this sentence. Sounds like you mean, "Maybe the fact that they grew up so isolated, so far from other Pokemon, helped them keep a strong sense of wonder."

“Delivery!” Rio and Scales said at the same time.

Cute!

Blue couldn’t believe it.

The Bidoof stared at the bundle the excessively fluffy Riolu and Hakamo-o brought in. They were the bandits he was about to report. The bandits that stole from him. The bandits that took his treasure. The bandits he had no chance against. The bandits he was about to tip the guild off to, dragged in by one unevolved and one mid-evolution Pokemon no older than he was.

The repetition here of bandits was nice--gave a sense of bidoof's rising astonishment and disbelief.

They walked over to him as if waiting for something.

Walked over to who? I got a bit lost on this sentence.

Blue lightly pounded on the hardened wood with his paw, barely resisting the instinctual urge to bite into it. That would’ve been rude.

Aw, beaver wants to gnaw.

I

was almost like she expected something to go wrong.

* It

“You were hoping no one was home, weren't you? Break in, take what you want, and hopefully never even see the homeowners? Did I get all that?”

She did, but Blue wouldn’t tell her that. Judging by the hostile tone of her voice confirming that wouldn’t be good for his health.

This reaction felt a bit over the top and unrealistic to me. Is that really your first assumption when someone knocks on your door? There are a lot of valid reasons someone might not approach two explorers wrangling a dangerous bandit.

She did, but Blue wouldn’t tell her that. Judging by the hostile tone of her voice confirming that wouldn’t be good for his health.
“Anyway,” he continued. “It’s a small stone, diamond-shaped, gray, has a circle pattern in the middle. Have you seen it?”

Missing line break here!

Blue followed her, caution never leaving his side.
...
Blue hesitated. He was about to go down into a former bandits den with an admittedly pretty and highly dangerous Pokemon. He reevaluated bringing his caution into the tree, he obviously bit its head off when he decided to follow her in the first place and has been dragging its corpse around for comfort.

This metaphor got a little tangled up for me here. I had to scroll back up and reread that line about his caution to follow what you were referencing here.

Maybe something like, "Blue hesitated. He was about to go down into a former bandits den with an admittedly pretty and highly dangerous Pokemon. That caution at his side? It was clearly just a corpse he'd been dragging around for his own comfort."

 

[BlackHairedPsycho]

15. It Wasn't a Total Loss, So Here's My Old Junk

When they got back to the library, someone was talking to Thesus.

Rio noticed that the Noctowl looked panicked, but his visitor looked more curious than anything: a Medicham, and she looked to be about as old as the bird. She wore a badge around her neck, with a black body and gold wings with a bright blue gemstone right in the middle.

Rio noticed Blue's surprise at the sight of her. There was a bit of fear mixed in as well…

"Calm down," the Medicham said.

"I sent them to their deaths!" Thesus squawked. "Children, Jain!"

"You couldn't have known," Jain said calmly. "That Dungeon was easy when we went in."

"That was thirty years ago! Dungeons are always changing! I should've known."

Jain glanced back at Team Disaster, who were quietly watching the scene unfold. The sight of the team obviously surprised her before she turned back to her friend.

"What did you say they were?" she asked the apparently grieving Noctowl.

"A Bidoof, a Pancham, a Hakamo-o, and a Riolu," he said.

"Like them?" She pointed at the team, still staring at the sight. Thesus looked up, and his Aura instantly shifted from shame and panic to relief. The Noctowl sighed, his scowl returning shortly after.

"Good to see you all," the Noctowl coughed, trying to save face. "This is Jain, the Guildmaster of the local branch."

"Good to meet you," she said, smiling at the team. Rio waved, as did Scales and Pana. Blue looked starstruck, but did his best salute to their superior.

"Polite, aren't you?" the Medicham asked. "Tell me, you were the Bidoof that reported a record number of Dungeons last year, correct?"

Rio could sense his new friend's shock at his work being recognized. "Y-yes!" he stammered.

"Keep up the good work then. I'll expect great things from you."

"O-of course! Thank you!"

She smiled at him, and looked back at Rio. Her eyes seemed to linger on the Riolu, staring into him. Her Aura radiated surprise, and the curiosity that was already there seemed to skyrocket.

Without warning, Rio sneezed again. A small explosion followed, startling the old bird on his perch. The Medicham blinked, but otherwise didn't react.

"Sorry," Rio sniffed. "Got a cold."

"OUT!" Thesus squawked. "This library needs no more damage!"

"Calm down Thesus," Jain said. "That was not his fault."

"But-"

"I will take him to our healer in the tower," Jain interrupted. "You stay here and entertain your still breathing guests. Ask them about what happened in the Dungeon. Why there is a large hole in it. Important questions."

"Wait-" Pana tried to say, but Rio waved her off.

"He already doesn't like me, and the sneezing got old real fast," Rio told his team. "I'll be fine."

"Excellent. Let's go then." With that the Medicham walked past the group, grabbing Rio and taking him with her. He didn't resist, now curious about her intentions.

…

Blue watched Rio go, being led away by the most influential Pokemon in town. Guildmaster Jain helped establish the town itself, a well known explorer in her youth, one who had led so many expeditions.

And she knew who he was! Amazing! Strange even. He'd not even done anything very remarkable, just reporting some dungeons. It was a lot though...

"Blue!" Thesus squawked. Blue snapped out of his musings, looking back at the Noctowl. His scowl was back.

The group followed him down into the bottom wing of the library once again, this time much cleaner than how Rio left it. He noticed the cracks that the Riolu left were gone. In fact, the ones upstairs were gone too.

"Please," Thesus continued, "Could you explain what exactly happened?"

He glanced back at Pana and Scales, who nodded. Pana gave him a slight glare, reminding him to not tell the whole truth. It felt wrong, but it was the best course of action. This wouldn't hurt the Noctowl… right?

So Blue told his mentor. About how they got in, what they found, how they opened the door, and what was waiting inside…

"It destroyed the place," Blue said, slightly twisting the truth. "We managed to drive it off before it killed us, and these were all we could salvage."

Pana and Scales moved forward, placing the strange machine and books on the table. Thesus examined the machine closely.

"Fascinating," he said after a while. "I've never seen such a complex device. I will translate the books later. Now, what did this Pokemon look like?"

"It was tall," Scales spoke up. "White and purple. Looked like some kinda cat Pokemon."

The owl was silent for a bit, thinking. Blue knew the look well.

"I want to confirm my suspicions before telling you, but I may know what you saw. Allow me a few days of research and to look over these books. They may hold a clue."

Pana sighed. "Fine. And what about these?" She held up her own Z-ring. "Anything about that at least?"

"Yes, but I am unable to give specifics."

"Oh come on!" Pana shouted, throwing her hands in the air. "We had a deal!"

"From what Blue told me, you all managed to complete the test. At the very least

your explosive friend did. You should expect a message at some point in the future."

"Why can't you tell us anything?" Blue asked.

"A Carbink asked me not to." Blue's eyes widened at the Noctowl's words, remembering Rio's story. "Through those doors no less." Blue glanced back at the large doors that stood inside the bottom floor, still a jarring sight after spending so much time down here.

"So?" Scales asked.

Pana sighed. "The one who told Rio about the rings."

"Oh yeah."

"Anyway," the Noctowl continued. "He asked me to pass on the information about a message. According to him, you will know it when you see it."

"Fine," Pana growled. "Then at least keep us posted on whatever that thing was."

"I will, as long as my library is undamaged by your teammates."

Pana's scowl deepened, but she remained silent. There was nothing more to be said. Without another word she turned and walked up the stairs.

"Thanks," Scales said, following his sister. Blue nodded to his mentor and turned to follow.

"Just a moment, Blue," Thesus asked. "I have something for you."

The Bidoof heard the unintentional rhyme and turned around. Thesus had flapped over to a bookcase in the corner, taking one out of its slot. Strange, Blue was sure he read every book on this floor.

The Noctowl flew back towards the Bidoof, book clutched in his talons. He laid it down and opened it to the middle. A small green disk sat in a hollowed-out bundle of blank pages. Blue was amazed. It was a TM, and an unused one at that!

"I found this in that same Dungeon thirty years ago but had no use for it. You should be able to learn it."

"What move is it?" Blue asked, examining the relic. This was a very generous gift. Why would he bother giving it to someone like Blue?

"Grass Knot. It is your reward for fulfilling my request, and yours alone. Do you know how to use it?"

"Just put it on my head, right?" Blue couldn't hide the grin growing on his face. His entire body was buzzing with excitement. He was desperate to learn more moves, and Grass Knot would be useful in taking down larger enemies. It might even pair well with Water Gun. Blue's mind lit up at the possibilities. He could be less of a burden...

"Correct. Are you ready?"

Blue nodded, watching as the Noctowl picked the disc up with one talon. "Keep still."

The Bidoof struggled to do so, but managed after a minute. The Noctowl gently placed the disc on his head. It seemed so trivial all of a sudden. It was like he knew how to use it since birth. Grass Knot was now as easy as breathing.

Blue snapped out of his trance. The disk clattered to the ground, its green sheen now gone. The now gray disk was empty, its reserve of knowledge drained.

"I don't think I have to tell you to not try it here," Thesus said. Blue snapped to attention.

The Bidoof quickly nodded. "Of course Mr. Thesus! Thank you!"

The Noctowl nodded. "Of course. You earned it."

Blue disagreed, but didn't feel like having that conversation again. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

"Come back in tomorrow. We'll decipher these books together and work on your Unovan."

Blue nodded, and ran after his team, excited to show them what he could now do. He didn't notice the Noctowl's frown, or what he whispered under his breath.

"Be safe."

…

"Well, the cold should clear up in a few days. Eat plenty of sitrus berries and stay out of the water. Oh and-"

Rio's next sneeze almost caught the Audino off guard. Luckily she backed up just in time as his Aura erupted from his body, destroying the chair he sat in. Rio calmly fell to the ground, barely phased by what just happened. The Audino treating him seemed less calm.

The healers wing of the guild tower looked nice blues and whites of the painted walls held some basic hygiene and grooming tips for all kinds of Pokemon. 'Get between your scales!' 'Don't be a Grimer!' 'DON'T USE EKANS OIL, IT MAKES THE BURNING WORSE.' 'Wash your fur often!'

There were six comfortable chairs to go along with the beds, but Rio had destroyed three in his time there. The Medicham, Jain, sat in one, suppressing a grin. Rio didn't need to sense Aura to know the Audino was getting sick of it.

"AND," she continued. "there's that exploding issue."

"That just happens," Rio assured the healer. "Should stop with the cold."

"May I ask what causes it?"

"Masters said I lack control."

"Masters?"

Rio waved the question off. "Thanks. Sorry about the furniture."

"I'll send someone to replace it later," Guildmaster Jain said, still grinning. "Thank you Trucy."

"Of course Guildmaster. And you-" she pointed at Rio. "Take it easy. No jobs or Dungeons until that clears up."

"What?" Rio said, his annoyance evident.

"You are way too dangerous to be around right now," Trucy continued. "I'll inform the job officer that you are not to take any jobs until that clears up."

"But-"

Jain suddenly sat up and clapped. "Listen to the medic, young mon. She's right."

Rio was about to protest further when the Medicham waved him over. "I do have something for you, for a job well done."

That caught the Riolu's attention. He waved the Audino a quick goodbye and followed her to the top floor, the Guildmaster's quarters. It was large, taking up the entire story. Treasures from her many adventures lined every wall, and the floor was littered with random trinkets. Her desk sat at the end of the room, right behind a large window overlooking the town. It was quite the view.

A clay pot sat on the desk, filled with multicolored gummis. The sweet smell of the candy captivated Rio as he sat down.

"Please, take some," Jain said, sitting down behind the deck. "I made them myself. Not as good as the Dungeon ones, but-"

He snatched the jar as soon as she gave him the go-ahead, grabbing a handful of the small candies and popping them into his mouth. They were sweet, just the way he liked them. The Medicham's eyes widened at that. Why? She had just given him the OK.

"You like all of them?" she asked.

"Why wouldn't I?" Rio asked back, mouth still full. She didn't answer immediately, and Rio felt her curiosity strengthen.

"Nevermind. Now, do you know why I went to visit Thesus today?"

"We just got back, so…"

"He called me to take a look at the Dungeon you found. The one underneath town."

Rio had nearly forgotten about that place. In his defense, it had been a long few days. Jain went on after a brief pause.

"Excellent work on your end, and you should be rewarded for your part."

"Can I have the rest of these?" Rio asked, pointing at the pot of gummis.

"...Is that all you want?"

"Could I get some for my friends too?"

"...You know what? Sure. Take them all." The Medicham's eyes flashed Blue, and more jars floated from under her desk, these with lids. Rio flinched at the display of Psychic, reminded of that giant cat creature. They assembled themselves on the desk, stacking on top of eachother. Soon, Rio's vision of his boss was completely cut off by the quantity of candy he asked for.

"I should have an extra bag for all of these," Jain said from behind the candy. "But before you go, I have another job for you. After you recover, of course."

Rio couldn't tear his eyes away from his prize, but he had enough sense to respond. "What you got?"

"I'd like you to lead an expedition into that Dungeon. You found it, so you should explore it fully first. If you succeed you will be rewarded-"

"Sounds like fun," Rio cut her off. "I'm game."

She smiled. "I thought you might say that. I'll explain more when you recover. Let me find that bag…"

A large bag floated next to the Riolu, making him flinch once again. He cursed under his breath, his recent fight still fresh on his mind. The Guildmaster noticed this time.

"Are you alright?"

"Probably," Rio answered, grabbing the sack out of the air. "Just gotta recover…"

He started shoving the candy into the bag without another word. The Riolu only paused to sneeze (and explode). When all was said and done the now full bag was bigger than Rio himself. He hoisted the unwieldy bag with both arms, and stumbled towards the door.

"I look forward to your work," Jain said as Rio stumbled out the door. He grunted something back, and took his leave.

The explosive sneeze that followed the Riolu's exit, along with the smashing of pots that accompanied it, made her judgment waiver just a bit.

 

[BlackHairedPsycho]

16. A Stressful Rest

Blue was the first to spot Rio. His huge bag made him stand out among the crowded tower lobby. The Bidoof had just sat down himself, about to tell his team about what just happened.

“Hey!” Blue yelled, waving one of his front legs, almost knocking over his cup of berry juice. Even he was surprised by his sudden outburst, but he couldn’t help it. He just got two new moves in as many weeks!

Rio turned to them and started walking over. He could hear the jingle of broken shards in the bag, and Blue felt his grin turned sour.
“Please don’t tell me that’s important,” Pana said after taking a swig of her own berry juice.

“Just be careful eating it,” Rio snapped, laying the bag next to his own chair. They all turned to him, noticing his sour mood.

“What’s up?” Scales asked. Rio explained his diagnosis and their future expedition into the library Dungeon. Blue’s eyes widened at that second piece of news.

“We’re going on a guild-sponsored expedition?” he asked, excitement and fear both bubbling in his stomach. “You’re leading it? That’s great!”

“But they won’t let me until I-” Rio sneezed again, blowing up the chair beneath him and rocking the table. He fell to the floor, unphased by the sudden drop or the stares from the other teams. “-stop doing that.”

“That doesn’t seem too unreasonable…” Blue started.

“But it’s annoying. I’m fine!” he insisted, before sneezing again. Scales was able to keep the table from blowing away by laying on it.

“...I have to disagree.”

“Food’s up!"

A Watchhog walked towards them, the food Scales ordered in his full paws. The smell of cooked meat was jarring, but he’s been in around it long enough to get used to it. He placed it on the table to reveal a large spread of various foods. Melted cheese on grilled meat, various fresh berries were drizzled in sauce, pieces of bamboo littered the side, and there was even a birch log with berries for Blue.

“When the hell did you order this?” Pana asked her brother.

“When I went to get drinks,” Scales said, grabbing a piece of meat. “Haven’t eaten since this morning.”

“And how much did it cost?”

Scales said nothing, tossing his food into his gluttonous maw. The Watchog handed Pana a small slip of paper, the receipt.
“The chair cost is included. No refunds,” he said, and walked away. Pana almost spit out her drink as she read the apparently outrageous price. The Pancham turned to Scales, murder in her eyes.

“I am going to skin you alive,” she growled. Scales withered under her glare, but still chewed his meal. Rio grabbed a piece of meat himself and ate it, nodding.

“Least it’s good,” he said, reaching for a berry. Pana sighed, and reached for a bamboo spear. Her glare was still very prominent as she munched.
Blue grabbed the log and bit into it, not expecting it to be so sweet. He was very glad Scales hadn’t forgotten him when ordering. Blue continued to bring Rio up to speed and told his team of the new move. Pana’s glare turned to a malicious smile.

“After this, let’s get some practice in,” Blue noticed Rio’s widening eyes as they both glanced at Scales, too absorbed in his meal to pick up on her ominous tone.

…​

After their large lunch Blue and his team went back to the base. Pana, after some hesitation, bought a huge basket of sitrus berries and made Rio eat one on the spot. His constant sniffling seemed to lessen after that, but that could have been Blue’s imagination.

The base was just as they left it, fire pit and all. Once inside, Rio unzipped his new bag. The Bidoof hand never seen so many gummis. The loose pieces of candy, the ones that broke in the bag, spilled onto the wood floor as most of the team stared in shock. Rio grabbed a handful and popped them in his mouth, not caring about the colors. They all stared at him.

“What?” Rio said, grabbing a still in-tact jar. “They’re for everyone.”

“You don’t care about the color?” Blue asked, now curious.

“Should I?”

“Normally Pokemon don’t really like gummis that don’t match their type,” Blue eyed a black one, debating a test.

“Huh,” Scales said, grabbing a light pink one. Blue could only watch the dragon wretch as he consumed the fairy gummi, just managing to turn away from the others as he spat it out. The Bidoof was relieved he didn’t have to test it himself.

“Arceus,” he continued. “That was the worst thing I've ever eaten…”

“They’re a lot smaller too,” Pana noted, picking up the black one Blue was eyeing. She popped it in her mouth, nodding at the flavor.

“Jain said they’re homemade,” Rio said, sliding the jar he held to Blue. ‘Normal’ was written on the side, and Blue wasted no time prying it open with his teeth. Sure enough, the jar was filled to the brim with white gummis. He took one, savoring the sweet taste, and put the lid back on.

Rio cleaned up the rest of his spoils, putting the loose ones in the bag and laying out the unbroken jars. Ten survived his sneezes, all clearly labeled by type.

“Alright,” Pana said after a few more gummis. “Blue, you wanted to show us something?”

The Bidoof felt nerves sprout over his excitement. He talked a big game, but what if he failed? What if it was the worst Grass Knot ever seen? What if it was so underwhelming they laughed him off the team? Would they do that?

The sudden paw on his back snapped Blue from his panicked thoughts. He turned to see Rio with a slight smile on his face. “You alright?”

“Y-yeah,” Blue’s nerves faded just a bit. “I’m just a little nervous…”

“You’re fine. Just show us.” He backed up towards the house.

Blue looked around at his team. They all stood, waiting. It was the most patience he had seen out of Rio in the three weeks he’d known him. The Riolu was right. He had this. It would be easy.

The Bidoof closed his eyes, and focused on his stomach. That TM made him more aware of the sea of energy in his gut. It was where the water for his Water Gun came from, and now he could use it in other ways.

With another tug at his stomach he felt the energy flow into his front legs and into the ground. Long, powerful blades of grass sprouted at his feet and tied themselves together with a strong knot. He did it. He did it!

“WOOOOO-” Blue started, trying to jump in celebration.

Unfortunately, he forgot where the grass grew, and flipped himself over as a result. His only comfort was that the dirt was softer than the tile he slammed into earlier that week. The Bidoof was dazed but it was nothing compared to the embarrassment he felt.

Rio walked over to him, doing his best to hide his laughter, and ripped apart the Grass Knot trapping him. Blue rolled over to look at Rio.

“Well,” Rio said, sniggering. “It worked!”. When he glanced at Scales, the Hakamo-o was doing the same. Blue groaned at his partial success.

“What did I even do wrong?” he asked. “That was what I was supposed to do!”

Pana came over to him and snatched some of the grass, tugging at it. “It is strong…”

Rio had managed to calm himself down enough to speak properly. “Did you direct it?”

“Yeah,” Blue said. “Into the ground!”

“But did you have a target in mind?”

“I-” Blue thought about that for a bit, and slapped himself. It made sense! The energy would just pool around the source, himself, and do the move there. Stupid!

“Let’s try that again,” Pana said, snapping Blue out of his self-loathing trance. She walked over to him and whispered something in his ear. “Try it on Scales.”

Blue wasn't sure he was comfortable with that. He’d been nothing but nice to him so far. And then he noticed he was still laughing, oblivious to what was going on around him. Between that and a burning need to redeem himself, what happened next was nigh impossible to stop.

He stared at his laughing teammate and focused on his stomach yet again. This time he felt the energy travel to where he was staring at and saw his attack wrap around Scales’s large claws. He didn’t seem to notice.

“Scales!” Pana yelled. “Get over here!”

The dragon immediately stopped, fear seemingly wiping any humor that may have remained on his face. He tried to take a step, and fell flat on his face. This time both Rio and Pana started laughing. For someone so grumpy, Blue thought her laugh was quite nice. And infectious. The Bidoof found himself laughing with the rest of his team as Scales ripped the grass from his claws.

“Ok Ok,” the dragon said, even chuckling himself. “That was pretty good.”

Blue stopped laughing first, followed by Pana and Rio. He caught Rio’s slight cough, and the Bidoof couldn't help but wince a bit.

“So,” Scales asked, picking himself up. “vacation?”

“You wish,” Pana said. “Rio can’t go in Dungeons, but we can.”

Scales groaned as the Pancham continued. “As for Rio, take it easy. I don’t want any holes in the yard.”

“No promises,” Rio said, sniffling. “Actually, I have an idea.” He turned to Blue, another wide grin on his face. “We could practice together! I could even teach you that dance!”

His eyes widened. “But, wouldn’t I just slow you down? And shouldn’t you be resting?”

“I don’t really care, and I’m not good at sitting still. You up for it?”

He considered the offer. This was an opportunity to find out what exactly his father gave him, and how to use it. Plus Blue knew he needed a lot of practice if he was gonna keep up with his teammates, even if it was impossible to catch up. Then again, he really wanted to see into more Dungeons! The experience would be good for him, and his curiosity on how they worked needed to be sated. Still, he knew what was probably the best option. At least for now.

“Well, if you don’t mind…” Blue said, looking away.

“Great!” With that, Rio grabbed Blue’s front leg and started dragging him away. “Let’s get started!”

Before any fighter protest could be voiced, Rio dragged Blue into the surrounding forest. Pana and Scales watched them go waving as his ‘rest’ started.

 

[BlackHairedPsycho]

17. Broken Ribs Aren't Fun

Pain…

It was hard for the abomination to breathe. Broken ribs will do that to anyone. And it still didn't know how it knew what those specific bones were. Every breath felt like it was sucking in fire. It couldn't even bring itself to open its eyes. The only comfort was that its shelter was cool against its short fur. All it could do was stare at the ceiling of its cave, writing in pain.

It went over what caused this to happen. That blue Pokemon broke his Barrier with ease, and then broke him. Still, it was glad it was free. They would not capture it. Not today, not ever.

Then it felt it. Another mind. Had they tracked it down already? No. This one was new, and the stomps that accompanied it were too heavy to be the ones in the cave. They were getting louder. Closer. Stronger.

It knew it had to prepare for another battle, but the pain was too much. Every little movement was a microcosm of agony. It used the last of its strength to even get here. Still, it would rather die than go back in the tube. It never wanted to sleep again.

What was coming? It would have to be among the most terrifying, abominable, ominous, bone-chilling creatures this world had to offer. As the pain shot through its chest again it wished for the millionth time its bones were cold.

It craned its head towards the cave entrance, to see the face of its doom. The stomping grew stronger, and stronger, until it saw her.

The black and pink Pokemon that stood before it was not what the psychic was expecting. In fact, she looked downright cuddly. The only problem was that she was also taller than he was standing up, and it considered itself very tall. A little intimidating to say the least.

"Oh!" she shouted, seeing the strange Pokemon for the first time. "I'm sorry. I was looking-" She stopped, now noticing the strange figures pained face and black blood around its dazed head.

"Are you alright?"

"Uh-" was all it could communicate before losing the last of its strength, and falling unconscious.

…​

The strange Pokemon gasped awake, and immediately regretted it. It was as if its chest was on fire once again, but it also felt the opposite. When it looked at its chest, it saw a large chunk of ice. How? Why?

"Oh you're awake!"

The creature wasn't sure how it had forgotten his surprise visitor. It must have been more dazed than it originally realized.

The pink and black bear sat next to it, some food laid out before her. With some thought the name of her species came to it. A Bewear. She smiled at it. The Pokemon was of no threat. In fact, she seemed to be helping.

"I've got a few oran berries, she said, holding a blue fruit out to it. "It'll help."

Searching it's fragmented mind, the white and purple Pokemon found these claims substantiated. She was not lying based on her passive thoughts, the berry looked like what was described, and if she wanted it dead she could have just done it herself. It would not have taken much time, her species was known for casually snapping trees like twigs. And for the millionth time it found itself asking why it had that information.

Deciding to focus on recovery, the psychic concentrated on the berry, willing it to come over. Its Psychic was perfect. The berry was coated in a purple light as it floated over to the injured user.

"A psychic?" the Bewear asked. "That's amazing! Never seen one like you though."

It didn't respond, mouth full of the healing berry. It also didn't know what exactly to say. This was the first living being that hadn't tried to immediately harm it, so alienating her seemed like a bad idea. There was also the fact she could literally snap it in half over her knee, so keeping on her good side was the best course of action.

The healing effects of the berry dulled the agony in his chest just a little more. Breathing came easier, and speaking with it.

"I-," it paused, getting used to its still burning chest. "I thank you."

That was the first time it heard its own voice. It was scratchy, raw, as if almost never used. No, it was never used, it knew that for certain.

"No problem. I know broken ribs when I see em."

It sensed a story behind that response, but feared the answer and chose to let the topic drop. Thankfully she didn't elaborate with her next question.

"So, what's your name?"

Ah, an excellent question. And something it finally did not have an answer for. That thought was relieving. Not knowing where its apparent knowledge came from was somewhat upsetting.

"I do not know," it answered. "May I have another berry?"

"You don't know, or you don't have?"

It took a moment to think of an answer. It didn't even know if its species had a name, much less something to call itself.

"I have no name," it answered, floating another oran berry over without asking. It felt annoyance flash in her mind, but the Bewear said nothing.

"No species name either?"

"None."

"Well, back home the orphans, those who don't have parents, name themselves."

"I know of the concept of orphans. You do not have to explain."

She glared at him for a bit before continuing. The annoyance was a little stronger.

"Usually they take the most obvious feature and run with it, or just shorten the species name. My boyfriend and his family did that." Her voice seemed to squeak when she mentioned the boyfriend.

"Wait, a family?" it asked, confused. "But by the definition of orphan means they have no family."

"Adoption is a thing too."

"Ah, the act of taking another's child and raising it as their own. My mistake."

The Bewear glanced at it after the strange response, and continued. "So, if you want a name… what about White?"

"Ah, for my white fur? I do not think I like that."

"Then, Purp?"

"I like that less. Much less."

"Then, what about your type? How about Psych?"

The creature thought about that for a bit, contemplating. With no better ideas it seemed to be the best thing to refer to itself for the moment.

"Very well. I am Psych."

"It's good to meet you!" She grinned and thrust her paw in its face. It took a second for Psych to notice there was no hostile intent in the action. The sudden glow in its eyes faded as it took her paw in greeting. "I'm Griza! What happened to you?"

Psych felt its hand go to the recently cracked ribs. Disregarding some mild annoyance she treated it with care. That warranted at least some trust.

"I awoke after a long sleep and fought against what I assumed were my captors. They did this to me, but I managed to escape."

"That's terrible!"

"Yes. I believe one drowned, but the others may yet come for me."

She was silent for a bit after. Psych wondered why. It sensed she was thinking about something, but he could not dive deeper. The pain was still taking a large part of its concentration.

"Tell you what," Griza said after a while. "I'll stay with you!"

That surprised Psych. "Excuse me?"

"In case your attackers come back! We can fight them together!"

"But you must have other plans, correct? In any case, I would prefer to never see them again. I do not think I like fighting."

"Well that's perfect! I was heading to a port town! I just found out where I need to go, and know a safe place on the way!"

That was worth consideration. She seemed like a good ally, and knew how to treat wounds. Psych looked at the ice sitting on its chest, just now wondering where exactly she got it. She seemed to care, so her getting hurt because of it would be unacceptable.

"Thank you, but-"

Her glare came back, silencing it immediately.

"You can't move, you're being hunted, and you already lost to them." she growled, leaning in closer with every word. Soon her nose made contact with its snout. "As soon as you're better, I'm taking you to a safe place off the continent."

Her tone left no room for argument. Psych simply nodded, and her glare faded. She sat next to it, grabbing more food from the pile and holding it out.

"Eat," she said. "You need your strength."

Psych had no further argument, floating the various bits of fruit into its mouth. It knew arguing would be futile. As it munched on the generous meal, it wondered how this boyfriend of Griza's dealt with her.