Pokémon PMD: Flowerbeds

[SnapDragon]

A human turned Dewott named Oswald wakes up in a world full of talking pokemon with no memories of how he got there. He soon finds himself at the center of a power struggle between opposing forces that seek to use him for their own personal gain. Completely unaware of the true nature of his role in this conflict, Oswald takes it in stride.

A Pokemon Mystery Dungeon fic.


Cover art by Domingize.
Beta read by Bonehead, Dust_Scout, and Timelocke.
​

Flowerbeds is my first foray into long form fanfiction, and I've been chipping away at it since the start of 2021. There have been various edits over time, and they certainly aren't complete yet, but this fic as it presented here is the proper experience.

As a romance, my focus was to establish and develop the characters as well as I could, while more or less figuring things out as I go. The result is a very slow burn, with added elements of a magical adventure/post-war/conspiracy narrative. At the same time, Flowerbeds incorporates a lot of the classic PMD tropes with my own flair and sense of character added in. I also have a habit of sneaking in some smaller details about the world at every given opportunity to keep things fresh.

Here are some things to know before going in:

Spoiler: Rating Information

Flowerbeds is rated T, as according to standard fanfiction site standards, meaning you should expect: blood, violence, death, some hefty bodily injuries, and mild swearing. As well as some occasional horror-esque moments. Later on there are some notable instances of abuse, heavy subject matter, and homophobia, which I will give proper warning for before they show up. And, since this is a romance, expect some suggestive content, though nothing explicit.

This fic is now up to date on this site, so expect monthly updates. Feel free to give your input or tell me what you think of what you read. I'm open to any sort of criticism or discussion as long as it's in good spirit. I expect Flowerbeds to be around 70 - 80chapters by the time it's done.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story. I hope you enjoy!

Art by Kitsu_19.​

 

[SnapDragon]

Prologue - Day 0: A Seed is Planted ​

Within a dark room, far from any semblance of civilization, the dim light of the moon shone upon a glossy, jet black orb. The orb lay suspended, hovering above an ornate copper altar faintly glimmering in the moonlight. Aside from the distant sounds of waves, the room was completely, and utterly, silent.


Suddenly, a tall figure emerged from the shadows, barely illuminated by the light beaming through the hole in the ceiling. The tentacles on his head swayed in anticipation as the unsightly creature hovered closer to the orb. His beak curved into a smirk as he grew closer to the orb, but his eyes betrayed his confidence. He had been here before—many times before. And yet, the result had always been the same.


The orb never glowed, it never showed him what he wanted to see, and it certainly had nothing to say even after all of this time. He would have been frustrated; however, this outcome was to be expected. This tall pokemon—this Malamar—knew that it was only a matter of time. The Malamar extended his arms to cradle the orb, stopping inches from actually touching it. The orb was so enchanting, so invigorating despite its simple outward appearance. It gave off no light, not even reflecting the glow from the ceiling.


It was as black as coal; the Malamar had never experienced anything like it. No mind that he peered into gave him any insight into what it was or what it did. But that didn't matter because he knew. The power this orb held, the power completely at his disposal...it was enough to make him laugh.


"Ha-ha-ha!" A smooth, deep fit of laughter glided off of the stone walls.


The Malamar rubbed the orb with his tentacles and his smirk widened. "Come now," he said enticingly. "Show it to me. Show me that my efforts are not in vain." He laughed again, but it was bittersweet. He had confidence that his plan would come to fruition, yet a part of him deep down thought otherwise. He hadn't thought of a plan B; he refused to. Everything he worked for, and everything he planned for the future depended on the orb activating and showing him what he wanted to see.


"So you're here, Lark?" said a voice behind him. "Talking to the orb again? I should've known."


The Malamar's tentacles went stiff and he immediately dropped the orb before spinning around to face the intruder.


Emerging from the shadows halfway through the ground was a small imp creature with gems for eyes. A faint scraping sound followed their ascent, followed by the clink and clank of gem-like stones. Many of which clattered to the floor. On their neck was a spiraling, diamond necklace that swayed with every motion the pokemon made.


The psychic squid's panic quickly subsided and his beak shifted into a scowl. It was Crane—a Sableye compatriot the Malamar knew too well for his liking. He hated how the creature moved, slinking about and leaving his waste behind with every step, producing noises that frequently infuriated the Malamar. He hated looking at Crane, and how he looked back with those greasy, oily gemstones for eyes. He hated that he couldn't read the imp's thoughts and decipher his true allegiance. He hated how familiar the imp liked to be with him. But most of all, he hated the fact that he couldn't have possibly gotten as far as he had without the disgusting little gremlin.


He hated that he had to trust him.


"The next time you do that I'll pry those gems right out of your eye sockets," Larkspur threatened.


Crane scoffed, "I'd like to see you try. Those noodles you call arms couldn't pull apart a Wurmple." The Sableye pulled himself out of the ground and stood on two feet. His eyes glittered as he stared at the orb behind Larkspur. "Tell me Lark," he started. "Do you actually have any idea what you'll do if that orb of yours doesn't work?"


Larkspur's scowl only deepened. Damn this Sableye! Who does he think he is questioning me? Larkspur glared at him, the tentacles on his head writhing uncomfortably. "I would appreciate it if you would refer to me by my full name, imp," the Malamar growled. "And for your information-" Larkspur hovered and spun back around to face the orb, "-I do have a backup plan. Though I undoubtedly won't need it."


The Sableye crossed his arms. His comically large toothy grin only growing to match his complacent tone. "Oh? And what would that be?" Crane queried.


Killing you would be a fantastic start, Larkspur thought. Pushing that thought away for now, he sighed. "I suppose I will have no choice but to take matters into my own tentacles." Larkspur's trademark smirk returned to his beak as he stared longingly into the orb. He swore he could see himself staring back at him...perhaps his mind was playing tricks on him.


"I'm sure you will, Lark," Crane muttered mockingly.


Larkspur was about to turn on the imp once again, this time fully ready to give him the lashing he deserved, but then…


The room suddenly grew much darker. The moonlight shining from above was snuffed out. A cloud perhaps? Larkspur felt uneasy, anticipating the darkness to enshroud both him and his compatriot. However...the darkness didn't truly take hold. Larkspur looked down to the orb in his arms and his eyes widened.


Wisps of lights flowed from the now bright white object. Luminous tendrils leaked from the orb's glossy surface, coating the Malamar in an ethereal glow.


Crane was speechless, and his normally smug demeanor collapsed. The imp instinctually cowered back into the ground, his eyes shimmering with dread.


Larkspur laughed. And then he laughed more. He laughed hysterically until his eyes were plagued with tears. Ecstatic, the Malamar raised his arms into the air. Finally! His plan was in motion! Larkspur chuckled to himself as he lowered his face until it was directly in front of the orb. He felt as though he might go blind from the light, but he couldn't look away.

​

"Oh yes," The Malamar whispered. "The time has come. Soon, we will meet. And when we do,"—Larkspur laughed once again—"I will attain what is rightfully mine…


"Human."

---

Welcome to PMD: Flowerbeds!​

---

Chapter art by @/AmpTheNOISe on Twitter

 

[SnapDragon]

Chapter 1 - Day 1, Part 1: Rough Start ​

It was hard for Dahlia to deny the pleasant feeling she felt as she soared through the sky that day.

The sun warmed her feathers and the slight breeze kept her afloat. Summer was coming to an end, and the leaves of the trees were fading to pleasant oranges and warm brown again. With Autumn being her favorite season, Dahlia was comfortable for once. Everything about her situation just seemed to click together. She had a stable job at the castle guild, taking simple daily tasks to keep her team fed and to keep herself occupied as the days carried on.

Speaking of, Dahlia looked down at the duo of pokemon between the treeline. The Murkrow could barely hear the conversation of the Houndoom and Monferno as they walked below her. Dahlia could've easily flown ahead and left these pokemon at any moment, but she didn't. She's enjoyed their company for the past few years now, and she wouldn't give them up for anything.

Even if they were a bit loud sometimes.

Her strong and dependable leader, Holly the Houndoom, led the charge. The fire type's deathly serious glare was fresh in her mind, alongside the many, many scars that littered the hound's body. She was definitely the strongest of the three of them, that much was obvious. So much so that she frequently scared their clients with her threatening appearance. But that wasn't important. Right now, Holly was marching forward with her snout in the air, ignoring the pokemon walking close beside her.

It was another fire type—a Monferno named Pink. Unlike Holly, Pink was talking her throat out, going off about her last date at the cafe or some jerk that had the gall to tell her that she was more a shade of red or something like that. Dahlia couldn't really hear her all that well, but judging by the way Pink was shadowing-boxing the air she figured that something had set her off. Nothing new there.

Both were quite strong by Dahlia's own metric. Meanwhile, Dahlia herself was hardly a fighter. While not completely helpless, she worked best as the lookout or the messenger. It helped that she was also keen to pick up a lot of incriminating information. Not that there was anything wrong with that! She was just that kind of Murkrow! Same as every other bird pokemon in Kebia, really!

They weren't the most esteemed team in the guild, Dahlia figured, but they were getting there. Someday, they might even get that promotion...

The Murkrow tore her eyes away from her teammates and looked ahead of her. It was about midday when the three of them were headed for a cave not far from Kebia town. What cave? She didn't know. Nor did she necessarily care. She did know that they were searching for a Persian with a round, ugly face. Apparently, the cat just stole a few knickknacks. Dahlia was confident that Pink would punch his lights out and take back what he stole. They would get paid, and the cat would spend a week or two in the castle dungeon.

Nothing new. Nothing crazy. Same old, same old.

Dahlia looked down at her teammates again as they raised their voices. Now Pink and Holly were arguing about something. Pink was throwing her arms up in the air, more than likely just complaining, while Holly didn't appear the least bit interested in humoring her. Her eyes were set straight ahead, almost as if she wasn't hearing the Monferno screaming in her ear. Dahlia wasn't envious in the slightest. In fact, she wasn't really interested in hearing it right now. She left the two of them unattended and flew closer to their destination.

Not too far up ahead was a field of flowers, past the treeline and out of sight from the two land-locked pokemon. The pinks of the tulips and the reds of the roses were a nice contrast to the dull oranges and browns of the trees. Distant mountains pierced the skyline with their white tips surrounded by big, fluffy clouds. The field itself was situated on a cliff overlooking Kebia town to the east. The sun was high in the sky, illuminating Castle Kebia and its stone ramparts in a bright shimmer. Dahlia tilted her head to keep the sun out of her eyes.

This field in particular was what the locals called "Fairy Fields." Mostly because it was never officially given a name. When Dahlia flew closer, she could see the town of Watmel in the distance. She had been there once or twice for a mission similar to this one and it was a nice experience for the crow. But it wasn't much more than a home for flowers and Flabébé, hence why she couldn't stay for long. She needed drama. Excitement.

And not the kind Pink was engrossed in. Bar fights weren't juicy enough.

As Dahlia flew, she scanned the flowers for anything of interest. There were, in fact, flowers. And more flowers. It was about what she was expecting: nothing. Sighing, she turned, ready to meet back up with Pink and Holly and end her short scout ahead.

Before that however, she noticed something amiss. A hint of blue amongst the pinks and reds. She hovered in place and squinted her eyes. Is it a water type? she wondered. What would a water type be doing here?

Well, she certainly wouldn't let something this exciting go! Let alone wait for the others. Curious as always, the Murkrow flew closer to the blue pokemon.

---

Oo-oO​

I had no idea where I was or where I was last, but I can say for certain that it was DEFINITELY not here.

I didn't remember falling asleep outside, especially in the middle of a field. The sky was blue. At least that was normal. But...why did I feel so strange? I searched my memories for anything and nothing came up. I couldn't even remember my name.

No, wait, scratch that, I did remember my name. Oswald. My name is Oswald.

Well at least I'm not completely hopeless, I thought, audibly groaning. My body ached and my head hurt like hell. Did I drink too much or something? Do I even drink?

This is too much. The ground was relaxing to lie in at least. And I wasn't in any immediate danger as far as I could tell either, so that was good.

My next course of action was to close my eyes. Maybe I'm dreaming. If I wake up, I'll probably end up back at home.

...Wherever home is.

My mind raced with more questions as I tried to ignore the pain coursing through my body. I waited for some time, and eventually, the aching slowly subsided. But the headache only seemed to be getting worse. Once again I groaned, and opened my eyes.

This is getting me nowhere. If I'm not dreaming then I'm just wasting time sitting here. I sat up slowly. The aches never truly went away and I swore I heard a few pops coming from my sore limbs.

Jeez, did I age a decade or something?

…

...How old am I even? Ugh.

Right after I sat up I heard a sound to my right. Not far from me was some kind of black bird. It had a long, yellow beak and lethargic, red eyes, as well as a red piece of cloth wrapped around one of their legs. I recognized this bird from somewhere...a pokemon...a Murkrow. I blinked. Why is it so close?

"Yo."

And now it's talking. Great.

It, or she I suppose, kept talking. "You okay?" she asked, her beak clicking together in between each word. "What's a water type like you doing in Fairy Fields?"

Fairy Fields? Is that where I am? Why was I passed out in a place called Fairy Fields?

…

And why is this Murkrow talking? This isn't right. Pokemon don't talk, right?

I gave the pokemon a look of disbelief and rubbed the back of my head, only to stop once I realized just how...strange it felt. The way my hand functioned and how the skin almost seemed to drag along with my movements was not normal. I didn't remember much, but I was sure that skin wasn't supposed to be this plush.

I looked at my hand as I brought it back down to the front of my face and my eyes widened. My hand was covered in black fur and I had less digits than I should have. In fact, my whole body was covered in fur. My arms were a light blue and my pelvis was covered in a darker blue...skirt or something. Both of my hips held an odd looking shell each.

What the? Am I losing my mind or...no it can't be…

"Everything alright there, guy? You look worried."

I had almost forgotten I was in the company of another pokemon.

Another.

That didn't sound right. I'm a human. Or at least I was. Am I a pokemon now? I think I remember this one too. It's a... Dewott. But why?

"Hello?" the Murkrow crooned, tilting her head in concern. The soft clicking of the Murkrow's beak caused me to nearly jump out of my skin. I should really stop spacing out and say something.

"H-hey, what's up?" I said in a voice that wasn't my own. Even my mouth and voice weren't right.

The Murkrow sighed. "Well, at least you can talk. I'll go ahead and ask again: are you alright? What are you doing here? You're not a feral from what I can tell."

I stared at the bird for a few seconds, pondering what to say. Do I say that I'm human? What if she hates humans? Is this a trap? Could she...help me?

I scratched one of my arms, sending a shock up my spine. These new...claws were sharper than I was expecting. And now with the added pain of nearly cutting myself, I basically had confirmation that this was all real. I didn't like the implications of that.

So now, I had to come to terms with the fact that I was in a place I've never been to before and I had a whole new body to boot. Just the thought of that was enough to make the fur on the back of my neck stand up. And my anxiety only got worse because that was a feeling I've never experienced either.

I was freaking out. Bad. But I needed to act normal. If I didn't, things could go horribly wrong really fast. I needed to...figure things out.

Okay…start by talking...go from there...

"Um," I mumbled, "I'm fine. A little sore, but I can deal with it." I looked around me for a second. I was surrounded by flowers and nothing but flowers. "As for why I'm here…" I shrugged. "...No idea. I just woke up."

Was being honest the best course of action here? I had no idea. It wasn't like I had a good cover story anyways.

A frown appeared on the Murkrow's beak. "You don't know?" she said questioningly. "Are you saying that you just woke up here with no idea of how you got here?"

I nodded.

"Hm." The Murkrow hopped closer. "Do you have a name?"

I nodded again. Slower this time. "...Oswald."

She raised an eyebrow. "Oswald. Strange name. Never heard of it, or any name like it. Hm." The Murkrow turned her head away in thought. "And I know a lot of names…"

Crap. Way to go Oswald. Less than five minutes in and you're already screwing this up. Next thing I know I'll be carted off to some dungeon and tortured to learn my secrets. Great. I really should have come up with a fake name.

After a few seconds of thinking, the Murkrow shook her head and turned back to me. "Must be foreign. Whatever. It's probably not important. Anyways," she tipped her...hat...with a wing, "I'm Dahlia. Renowned scout and designated flying type of Team Phlox at Castle Kebia."

"Nice to meet you, Dahlia," I muttered, holding up a...paw. This is really happening, huh?

She nodded wordlessly before looking around the area we were in. I looked around as well. Fairy Fields was a very apt title for the place. The pastel pinks of the flowers definitely gave off that sort of "fairy" vibe. Looking down, I noticed that I was actually lying in the flowers themselves. Almost like I was dropped here.

Is that why I feel so awful? Did I piss somebody off?

The Murkrow beside me looked back at me before speaking. "So, Oswald, where are you headed next?" she wondered.

I considered the question for a bit because I admittedly had no idea what to do. I could've just gone with the flow, nothing wrong with that. Dahlia seemed hospitable at least. And she mentioned a castle too so this place wasn't just fields.

Civilization existed. Cool. I thought about visiting the castle and starting from there. Might be a good place to find a lead.

As I sat there in my thoughts, though, I noticed a face emerge from the flowers behind Dahlia.

When they peaked through, the roundness of the grey cat's face was the first thing I noticed. And what an ugly face it was. The peculiar Persian looked surprised, and almost horrified. They were also looking directly at me. I pointed at the creature. "Um, is he with you?"

Dahlia shot me a strange look before turning around to face the Persian. I couldn't see her face, but the fact that she suddenly became tense told me everything I needed to know. The Persian never took their eyes off of me.

"Nope. Not with me," Dahlia stated. "But I was looking for him." She chuckled sadistically. "Keep back, Oswald. This could get ugl-"

Dahlia didn't get to finish before the Persian suddenly spun around and ran in the other direction. "Oh no you don't!" yelled Dahlia. She lifted off the ground and sped after the cat quicker than I could follow.

I didn't understand what was happening. I was still getting used to the idea of being not a human and then that happened. I briefly considered following Dahlia's advice and staying put, but then I remembered the look on that Persian's face. It bothered me. They hadn't even said anything, but the way they focused on me was unsettling. Did they know something about me? Why was Dahlia looking for them?

I shakily stood up, wobbling to my feet as I tried to get to grips with how short I was. I needed answers and following that Persian seemed like a good start. So, I started towards the direction where the Persian and Dahlia fled to and nearly tripped. This body I was controlling somehow hit an uncanny valley where it felt vaguely similar to my last body but also drastically different in more ways than I could comprehend. My arms were really short. My legs were also short. I was short. Not only that, but I felt something drag behind me as I tried to walk. I looked back and saw that I had a tail shaped like a paddle.

Everything was wrong.

Eventually, I managed to move my legs in a pattern one could reasonably recognize as running. My tail lazily dragged across the dirt as I went, inciting me to grimace with every step. My limbs still ached as well, but I persevered.

It wasn't difficult to keep track of Dahlia and the Persian what with the sound of two pokemon fighting being the only notable sounds I could hear at that moment. Eventually, I caught up with them in a clearing of the flowers.

Dahlia was swooping down and pecking the Persian as the cat tried its hardest to swipe the Murkrow out of the sky. Apparently, they stopped trying to escape. Dahlia hit the cat with a wing, causing them to tumble backwards and yowl loudly. They stood back up and gathered dark energy in their mouth before sending a black, spiraling aura through the air in an attempt to hit Dahlia. The Murkrow narrowly dodged the dark pulse, flying back around and once again hitting the Persian with a wing.

All the while, I stood there watching the two pokemon battle, unsure if I should have intervened. I wasn't sure if I could intervene. I was a water type, I figured, but how did that work?

Do I just...think about expelling water and it happens? I followed the Persian and Dahlia with my eyes as they fought and concentrated on hitting the gray feline with a water attack.

Water gun...water gun...water gun...WATER GUN!

I opened my mouth. Nothing happened. I tried a few more times. Still nothing. All it did was make my headache worse. My frustrations distracted me so much that I didn't notice that the Persian finally saw me. They gave up on fighting Dahlia and rushed towards me, a look of desperation in their eyes.

My stomach dropped. Guess this is it, I thought. I'm already dead. Don't even know what's going on and I'm already dead. I closed my eyes and covered my face with my arms. I only hoped it would be over quickly…

…

...except...I never felt pain. Instead, I heard a loud thwack and the deafening yowl of a familiar sounding cat pokemon.

I slowly opened my eyes. The first thing I saw was a red monkey—looking pokemon with a red piece of cloth around their tail and a bag hanging from their shoulder. They looked content with themselves.

The second thing I noticed was what the Monferno was looking at. The Persian was spread out on the grass not too far away. I could see scorch marks on its flat face from where I was standing.

I immediately put two and two together. But now I was even more confused. Before I had any time to think however, the Monferno started talking. "Got you, you ugly creep!" she declared in a clearly feminine sounding voice. "You're making this too easy! I thought I'd have to explore a dungeon today!"

She then turned to look at me with an intense gaze. I was even more afraid than before now. "And who are you supposed to be, bluey?" she asked threateningly.

I stuttered and took a step back. "U-um-"

"Pink!" A voice rang out from behind the Monferno. The Murkrow from before flew closer and hovered above her. "Did you get him?" Dahlia asked.

"Yeah, I got 'em," the Monferno responded. The monkey pokemon then pointed a digit at me. "Don't know who this is though. The report didn't mention a Dewott." The Monferno cracked her knuckles and smirked at me on the last word.

I took another step back.

Dahlia shook her head while she hovered above. "That's what I thought, but I found him in the fields. We were looking for the Persian in a cave, remember? Oswald here isn't related as far as I can tell."

The Monferno turned around and looked up at Dahlia. "Well then what's the ugly bastard doing in the fields? Rindo Cave is like another couple miles from here!"

"Pink! Where are y-oh." A rough sounding voice called out shortly after. "There you are." Another pokemon then appeared from the flowers near the Monferno. A very threatening looking Houndoom with a piece of red cloth around one foreleg. "What's the deal, Pink?" the Houndoom asked. "I stop to rest for a second and you go off without me. Next time you do that I'm docking your pay."

Pink—the Monferno I assumed—scoffed and waved away her threat. "Whatever. I got the outlaw. Crumpled under my flaming fist as easily as I thought he would." Pink stretched her arms behind her head and yawned. "Pretty easy today, huh?" she asked no one in particular.

"Wait. The Persian?" the Houndoom questioned. "That really him?" She pointed her snout at the Persian lying on their side not too far away. "What's he doing here?"

Dahlia flew past Pink and landed on top of the Houndoom's left horn. The right horn was missing about half of its usual length, I noticed. Her face was covered in scars.

"No idea," answered Dahlia. "But yeah, that's him. Made sure of it."

The Houndoom then turned to face me. Her blood red eyes pierced my very soul. "And who's this? Another outlaw?" The Houndoom eyed me up and down before approaching me slowly. I felt genuine fear as she got closer and closer, causing me to backpedal before I tripped on my own feet, landing on my back. I shook in horror. This pokemon is gonna kill me!

"U-u-uh," was all I managed to croak out.

"Not an outlaw," Dahlia abruptly squawked, leaning down to make eye contact with the Houndoom. "Just a pokemon I found here. A little skittish, though. That's probably you causing that at the moment, Holly."

"You know him?" wondered Holly, meeting Dahlia's gaze.

"Enough to know that these two are unrelated." Dahlia pointed at the Persian with a wing. "He said he doesn't remember how he got here."

The Houndoom knelt down and sniffed me. It took everything in me not to scream.

"Give him some room to breathe, Holly," Pink called sarcastically. "Can't you see you're scaring him?"

The Houndoom stared into my eyes. At this point, I was thoroughly convinced that I was dead right then and there. Thankfully, the Houndoom then snorted and lifted her head back up after a few moments.

Holly cocked her head towards where the Persian was lying. "You know him, Dewott?"

I was afraid to answer. I mean, I definitely didn't know him, but did he know me? From what I could tell, he wasn't supposed to be here...and neither was I. Saying no would probably be the best course of action regardless. I shook my head frantically. "N-no! I d-don't. I-"

"Eugh..."

Every pokemon here including me turned to face the sound coming from the previously unconscious Persian. The cat slowly began to sit up, taking in their surroundings momentarily before finally seeing all of us. Their eyes became incredibly wide. Without a moment's hesitation, the Persian frantically stood on all fours and ran in the opposite direction.

"Don't run! It'll only hurt more!" Holly the Houndoom yelled, dashing forward. Holly pounced and caught the Persian by the scruff of its neck before Dahlia had the chance to realize that she was still attached to the Houndoom's horn. The Persian wailed as its neck fur glowed a fiery red. Holly's fangs gripped the cat's neck and ignited, sending it back into unconsciousness. Holly dropped the Persian triumphantly and licked her lips.

My body trembled in fear. That could be me if I screw this up...crap...

Holly and Pink exchanged glances. "Pfft. Guess he wasn't completely out cold," Pink said, crossing her arms. "Not my fault."

"Now as I was saying," Holly started, "what's your deal, Dewo-"

"I don't know!" I yelled. "I have no idea who that guy is! I have no idea who you are! I have no idea who I am! I don't even know what's going on! Just don't kill me please!"

Smooth.

The trembling only got worse. Seeing that Houndoom roast that Persian really broke something in me. If I wasn't careful, I could've very easily ended up like him.

"Whoa, okay," Dahlia interrupted. She flew up to me until she was on the ground in front of me. She hopped up to me slowly and looked me in the eyes. "Calm down. None of us are going to hurt you." She shot a glance at the Houndoom behind her.

Holly only frowned in response.

"You said you don't know who you are," Dahlia asked softly. "Is it amnesia do you think?"

Lowering my head, I couldn't deny the truth right in front of me. I remembered my name and the fact that I was a human once, but that's it. I looked into Dahlia's eyes, trying to find any source of solace. I couldn't tell if she was lying, she looked genuine enough. That was all I really wanted.

This Murkrow has done nothing but try and help me this whole time. Maybe I can trust her...

I nodded.

"Hm. Okay." The Murkrow rubbed her chin with a wing. "The only thing I can think of is to bring you back to base and see what Anemone has to say," Dahlia muttered. She contemplated something for a few seconds before Pink spoke up.

"Wait. We're bringing him with us?" Pink said in disbelief.

I'm going with them?

"If we don't, then he'll just be left out here all on his own," The Murkrow answered.

Oh yeah. Forgot.

The Monferno raised an eyebrow. "Dahlia. Really, come on."

"I'm serious, Pink," Dahlia replied firmly. She didn't sound concerned as much as she sounded annoyed. Almost as if she was trying to convince the two of them to prove a point.

Pink glanced at Holly. Neither of them seemed all too thrilled with the idea. Holly the Houndoom stared at me for a few more seconds, filling my heart with fear all over again.

Eventually, she spoke. "As long as he doesn't cause any trouble then I'm fine with it."

The Monferno's eyes grew wide and she looked back and forth at Holly and I. She groaned, "Ugh. Whatever. The sooner we leave, the better."

Pink promptly picked up the unconscious Persian with ease and slung them over her shoulder. She and Holly turned back the way they came and started to walk away.

Dahlia sighed. "Sorry about them. They both have their issues, but they're nice pokemon, believe me." Dahlia then flapped her wings and swiftly landed on top of my head. Her talons held on firmly, but not in a way that hurt.

I let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Dahlia. I was worried there for a second."

She shifted slightly atop my head. "No problem, friend. Now get a move on. Kebia's not far."

I didn't question it anymore. This was what I had to deal with now.

Guess I'll just have to figure things out as I go…

 

[SnapDragon]

Chapter 2 - Day 1, Part 2: The Queen ​

"Do you need a refresher on some things?"

I was so busy marinating in my daydreams that I didn't hear Dahlia's question at first. She was still perched on my head as I walked quite the distance behind Holly, Pink, and the Persian they were still lugging around. The flower fields weren't that far behind us as we walked down to the base of a hill.

Dahlia hadn't said much since we started the trip, and I had almost forgotten she was there. Because honestly, I was more focused on how I was going to introduce myself to this 'Anemone' character. Who was she? Will she be able to help me? Can she at least get me settled in somewhere?

"Hello?" Dahlia said. "Still there?"

I had a lot to think about, so when the Murkrow spoke up again, I panicked and nearly tripped on my own feet. Thankfully, Dahlia didn't react to me spacing out so hard.

"Oh, u-um," I stuttered, "yeah sure. I can't remember anything specific besides my name." I kept walking as we talked, careful to make sure that Pink and Holly were still in my sight. They didn't bother looking back to make sure I was actually there at any point during the walk. I pointed at the two of them. "You mentioned you're on a team with them? What kind of team? What do you guys do besides kidnap pokemon?"

"Know what a 'rescue team' is?" Dahlia asked, probably rolling her eyes.

"No," I said.

"Know about Kebia's castle guild?"

"No."

"...Do you know what a mystery dungeon is?"

"N-no. Should I?"

I could feel Dahlia shift uncomfortably atop my head. "Oh Arceus," she uttered. "I don't even know where to begin." She sounded exasperated.

It can't be that different here compared to where I originate from, right?

Dahlia fluffed her feathers. "Alright I'll start with this: there's a lot you should know, but I can't be your guide. And I'm not getting paid for this, so I'll keep it brief.

"Me, Pink, and Holly are on a team, that's correct. We're also not the only team like us around. A 'rescue team' is a subset of pokemon that work together to make our communities safer while keeping the peace. There are also explorers that follow the same team structure but focus on finding treasure and scouting the land. The team I'm on is neither of these but works under the same conditions.

"We're bounty hunters. We hunt down criminals and turn them in for profit, but we also explore and do other jobs from time to time. Am I making sense so far?"

"I guess so," I acknowledged with a shrug of my shoulders. "Pokemon band together to solve problems and earn a living. I can wrap my head around that. Is 'rescue team' a catch-all term then? Or is 'explorers' better?" It wasn't like it mattered much, but I needed to make sure I wouldn't offend anybody somehow.

"Sort of," Dahlia affirmed slowly. "Every team around here works at the same location: Kebia castle." I could barely see the wing she was pointing at the large spires in the distance. "That's where pokemon submit their requests for help and where all of the teams in the guild live. It's also where we're headed right now. I should mention that it's pretty loose in terms of what you can actually do. My team can take any job, as long as we turn in our report later. You can even scrub the floors if you want."

I lowered my head to nod, nearly forgetting that Dahlia was still on my head. She flapped her wings, startling me. For a long while after I walked forward with my neck so straight that I was worried it would grow stiff.

"Who's in charge?" I inquired. "I mean, you get paid, right? Was it that Anemone person you keep mentioning?" I had plenty of questions I wanted to ask, and I needed to figure out more about my sudden arrival out of nowhere. Finding out who to talk to first would be best, I surmised.

She was silent for a moment. "...We do have a few pokemon in charge, actually," Dahlia told me. "But we don't really take orders from them. Their main goal is just to keep things organized. Anemone is one of them, yeah. She does all of the paperwork and basically runs the castle on her own. She gets final say in what gets built and who gets to live in the town, but I wouldn't really call her a 'leader' exactly."

I frowned. "She sounds like one. I might not remember much, but I think I know what a 'leader' is."

"Well she's not the only one." Dahlia made a clicking sound with her beak. "There's Marigold, too. She's the town bard and entertainer. Pokemon usually talk to her if they want the latest gossip. Everybody knows her and she's good at remembering names. If you need advice on what to do she'll probably know. Heck, that's how we got the job to catch that Persian.

"There's also Calluna. She and her ghosts act as Kebia's security in many ways. They stay out of sight and make sure nothing goes wrong. That's pretty much their main function, but they also work as the castle staff and own all of the businesses in town. Calluna is apparently supposed to be a solid business 'mon. I wouldn't really know, though. I never see her around.

"Those three meet up regularly to discuss the guild and the town. So really, all three of them are in charge."

Ah, now I was starting to get a decent idea of what to expect from Kebia. A castle town under the guidance of three matriarchs. A solid structure, I guess. But was there not any...royalty? It was a castle, and castles are usually all prim and proper. Is Kebia not that kind of place?

Either way, that's where I needed to go. Thankfully, Dahlia and her team were leading me there anyway. But there was one more thing that Dahlia mentioned that was bothering me...

"What's a mystery dungeon?" I asked.

"Nothing you need to worry about, Oswald," Dahlia assured me sternly. "If you're lucky you won't have to deal with one anytime soon." She suddenly lifted herself off of my head and landed in front of me further up the path. "We're almost there." Dahlia tilted her head in the direction that I was still walking towards. "You can ask another pokemon some more questions when we get there. Not me though."

I sighed. "Well, thanks anyway. Every bit counts."

She tipped her hat at me before lifting herself off of the ground and flying off, quickly catching up to the other two pokemon further up the path.

Now alone, I contemplated my situation for a bit. It was a lot easier because my headache had since mostly subsided. I was starting to get worried that I would have to deal with it when we got to Kebia. For a brief moment, I considered asking Dahlia if she could do anything to help. Though I ultimately decided to not bother her anymore at the moment. My new limb sticking out behind me was hurting too, but I tried to ignore that. I didn't even want to acknowledge it.

I still felt disoriented. None of this seemed real, even though I knew that it was. What I really needed now was to just catch my bearings once I got settled in Kebia. With nothing else to do but walk and think, I began to mentally write out a to-do list.

I needed to find out why I'm here. And more importantly, find out who I even am. With how I am now, I had no money nor a place to stay. I was hoping that I would be able to solve both of those issues when I got to Kebia.

I also needed to learn how to use my abilities as a Dewott. For some reason...I had a vague idea of how pokemon work. I don't know how I knew, but I did.

Pokemon fight, and I have no idea how to do a basic water gun. Maybe I could solve that issue at Kebia as well? I had no idea. It didn't help that considering all of this left me with a pang of dread in my stomach. Or maybe I was just hungry. Putting that on the list too.

It didn't take long before the forest path I was walking down opened up.

Now, I was in a meadow. The green grass was expansive and surprisingly well-kept. Not a weed or trampled blade of grass in sight.

Holly and Pink were still at each other's sides as they waded through the grass not too far ahead of me. Meanwhile, Dahlia cast a shadow down from above. Trying to look up only ended up with me staring at the sun and ending up with spots in my vision.

Further up ahead I could see the very first signs of civilization I had seen since I woke up: log cabins of varying sizes and shapes. As I ventured closer, I noticed they were all very well kept and constructed with care as well. They appeared to be made of the same wood as the trees that surrounded the open field I was in.

I also saw other pokemon amongst the cabins. A Simisage tended to their garden, a satisfied grin on their face. A Feraligator and their children lounged by a pond nearby, happily splashing about in the water. A Tauros trotted past me as they carted a carriage out of the village. There were a few smaller pokemon, presumably children, running about playing a game of some sort.

All the while, the light wind caused windchimes to collide with one another, creating a very melodic tune. It was hard to understate just how peaceful it all was. As a way to calm myself, I stopped in my tracks for a moment to take in the atmosphere. My shoulders relaxed as I let out a sigh.

If the rest of the world is like this then maybe I have nothing to worry about, I thought. I'd imagine that if I didn't have my own hangups, I might've even liked to live here. Though that thought only brought up thoughts of home and what it was like, leading to my mood souring immediately.

Is there anybody waiting for me back home? Can I...even go back? What if I...can't…?

The sinking feeling in my stomach returned. I might've broken down on the spot had Dahlia not landed a few feet in front of me again.

"What's up?" she asked.

"Ah! N-nothing," I answered, nearly jumping out of my fur. "Just uh...thinking about my own mortality or whatever." To distract from what I just said, I swung my arm in front of me from left to right in a sweeping motion, signaling to all of the cabins and pokemon around me. "Is this what Kebia is like? We haven't gotten to the castle yet…"

Dahlia shook her head. "Nope. That's further ahead." She raised a wing. "Well, technically, it is. These houses are on the outskirts of town, and they still count as a part of Kebia."

I nodded, smiling sheepishly. "Alright, I understand. This place must be pretty big then?"

"Yeah, it is. Don't wait around for too long." Before I had the chance to argue, Dahlia flew off again.

Geez. Are we really in that much of a hurry?

Oh well, I thought ruefully. I doubt those three will have to deal with me for much longer. Good for them, I guess.

After that, I got right back to walking. I even picked up the pace so I wouldn't get left behind. None of the pokemon I passed by seemed to pay me any mind, thankfully. Some saw me and gave me a friendly smile, to which I would awkwardly wave back. There was something so...weird about being accepted into this alien world without even trying.

Eventually, I caught up to Holly and Pink just as they were walking beneath a large wooden sign marking the entrance into Kebia proper. The overhanging sign was labeled in a language I didn't recognize...or, at least I think it was a language. The text consisted of footprints of varying shapes and sizes; none of which made any sense to me. Am I gonna have to learn how to read that?

I mentally added "learn how to read footprints" to my list.

As I entered the town, I was immediately struck by how busy it was. The buildings here lined the edges of the wide dirt path and were larger—more ornate. There were even more pokemon here than on the outskirts. Some were walking the street, going from place to place, while others manned booths, selling an assortment of items.

Trying my best to avoid running into any pokemon, I took a few peeks at some of the shops on the street. It was pretty much what I would've expected from a bazaar like this. Most booths seemed to be selling food, but then I would catch a glimpse of something more unique. Like a glass orb with some sort of substance flowing through it. Or a booth selling nothing but multicolor discs.

Or a booth selling...meat. Okay, not even gonna try and understand that right now.

Stuffing the thought that pokemon eat one another in the back of my mind, I looked down the path. Within the center of town was a large fountain, its centerpiece being a sizable statue of a bipedal pokemon. It was gigantic, or at least it was gigantic to me. The pokemon it was depicting stood proudly with one bladed arm on its hip and the other pointing towards the sky ahead of it. Its cape flowed behind it, frozen in time.

And then there were the eyes. Strong and determined, with no trace of maliciousness or ill-intent. There was a sense of innocence to the pokemon depicted, and I recognized the pokemon as a Gallade. But not as one I've ever seen. The statue emanated a strength I could feel even from the distance I was at. No scratches or blemishes either. Whoever this pokemon was, I could only imagine how respected they must've been to deserve such a flattering depiction.

Far behind the statue was the castle. It was even more grandiose than I could've possibly expected. While the statue might've made me feel small, this castle made me feel microscopic! Actually excited to get inside, I walked faster, dodging as many pokemon as I could.

But then I realized relatively quickly that I still hadn't gotten grips with this new body of mine yet.

I tripped on some loose stone, and fell forward. But I never reached the ground, as my landing was softened when I fell face first into a furry pokemon about my size and knocked them down. The two of us tumbled over with me on top and the other pokemon falling back onto the stone, eliciting a high pitched squealing sound from them. My cheeks red with embarrassment, I was about to stand up and apologize...

But then the softness of the pokemon's fur gave me pause and I looked into their eyes. Clearly just as flustered, they looked back. Their eyes were a striking crimson—kind and good-hearted, staring back at me with an idle look of harmlessness. Even when given an apt opportunity to exhibit some amount of anger or frustration, the pokemon below me didn't give off any signs that they were upset. They simply stared back at me, unmoving.

They hesitated to move and so did I.

Eventually I realized that I was making things awkward and crawled off of the furry pokemon, my face flushing a bright red. "I'm really sorry about that. U-um," I stammered. I reached down and grabbed hold of the pokemon's paw. "Here, let me help."

The pokemon loosely grabbed onto my hand before slowly setting themself upright, saying nothing in the process. Now that the pokemon stood at their full height in front of me I got a good look at them. A simple creature with a sleek frame, a tan lower half and a blueish upper half encompassing its head and back, and two pointy ears.

A Quilava.

"I wasn't watching where I was going and tripped," I said, continuing from where I left off. "You're not hurt, are you? You must've hit the ground pretty hard." I softened my voice to come off as pleasant as possible. I wasn't sure if it worked since their expression didn't change, maintaining the same look of bewilderment. Their body didn't even catch fire like how Quilava bodies usually would.

"I-I'm fine, thank you," the Quilava responded softly. I could barely hear it, but I was sure now that this Quilava was a male. He stared back at me, clearly not knowing where to go with this conversation after what happened.

"Are you sure you're not mad at me?" I asked, scratching the back of my head. "I could help you with something or…"

"N-no," he muttered in a voice close to a whisper. "You're fine." He looked to the left and right. "U-uh...I need to...get going. Bye." The Quilava walked past me while actively avoiding my gaze.

"Alright, see you around..." My voice trailed off as I waved at the Quilava walking away. Now that was...something. Hope I didn't make the poor guy uncomfortable…

I shrugged it off and continued back towards the castle the same as before, now slightly less excited.

The entrance of the castle was incredibly extravagant. The path was layered with a mosaic of stone tiles and its sides held leaf hedges cut to represent various pokemon. There were even some Scyther busy carving the hedges closer to the entrance. Flowerbeds consisting of sunflowers and lilies painted the castle entrance in a wash of color. Bluebonnets and roses too.

Despite the neatness of the castle entrance, there were pokemon all over the place. Most were coming and going, walking past me, but there were a bunch of them sitting on the grass enjoying each other's company and even playing games.

Seeing all of this caused me to feel out of place. The castle itself was intimidating, but seeing so many carefree souls hanging around while I'm just showing up with no memories didn't sit right with me. I needed to catch up. This discussion I was gonna have with Anemone needed to work out or I might not get another chance.

At the entrance of the castle, in front of the towering doors leading inside, were the three pokemon that led me here. Dahlia was perched on Holly's horn as the Houndoom conversed with a Pangoro holding the unconscious Persian over his shoulder. Pink was just standing off to the side, silent with her arms crossed. The Pangoro was saying something to them as I approached.

"So you got the Persian," the Pangoro said in a manly, gravelly voice. "Fast as always. Wouldn't expect any different from you, Holly." He winked. Holly glared back. "Anyways," he continued, "if that's all, I'll take him to the cells and you can go relax for a while."

Holly then turned around and looked me directly in the eyes. She frowned and I could've sworn I could detect some irritation in her gaze. Almost as if she was annoyed that I was still here. I froze up, naturally, not sure what to do besides remain still. That Houndoom was scary, man.

"Yes," Holly added, "there was also this Dewott. He was around when we found the cat." Now Pink, Dahlia, and the Pangoro had their gazes on me, causing me to shrink back a bit. "Apparently, he lost his memory and Dahlia thinks that he should talk to Anemone. What do you think, Crocus?"

Crocus the Pangoro looked me up and down with a scowl. I didn't appreciate Holly making it seem like me and that Persian were related somehow, but I kept quiet. "You think this guy's a criminal too, Holly?" Crocus asked her, looking away from me. "I know a wimp when I see one and this Dewott is a wimp through and through. Perfect for a thief."

Well that's not fair. I haven't said anything yet! Or had even the chance to prove myself! I could have some hidden talent for all they know! And I am not a thief! I know that for a fact!

"Nah, I don't think so," Dahlia abruptly added. "The thief part, I mean. He could be a wimp for all I know. Haven't seen him fight yet."

"I could beat his ass easily," Pink said, cracking her knuckles. I winced at the sound.

Holly rolled her eyes, turning to face Crocus. "Could you take him off our hands? It's not our job to take care of things like this."

The Pangoro glanced at me for a few seconds before answering. "It's not my job, either. I'll get somebody to take him up to Anemone. Hey Lilac!"

Crocus called out to somebody behind me. I turned around just in time to see a Gothitelle, Espeon, Beheeyem, and Hattrem—all of which seemed to be wearing a piece of teal cloth on their person—that were laying in the grass nearby perking up at the sound of Crocus' voice. In particular, the Hattrem amongst them said a few words to their friends before hobbling over.

Hattrem is an...odd pokemon to put it lightly. Its abnormally petite body coupled with its natural hat-head much like a Murkrow was strange enough on its own, but what really bothered me was the fact that it walked on its braids like they were legs. Stranger pokemon existed for sure, but at the moment I balked at the absurdity of it all.

The strange pokemon stopped in front of Crocus. "Need me for something?" she asked with a squeaky voice.

"I do." Crocus pointed at me. "This Dewott needs to see Anemone. Can you be a doll and escort him while I turn this outlaw in?" He tilted his head to indicate that he was talking about the Persian over his shoulder.

"Sure, I can do that." Lilac the Hattrem nodded. Then she turned to me with a warm smile as her eyes glinted in the sun. I was surprised to find how pleasant that was to see. No other pokemon I met so far regarded me with anything more than mild disinterest, except for maybe Dahlia. It made me more relaxed to know that I wouldn't have to worry so much about not dying during every conversation I would have here.

"That's great," Holly stated, her voice managing to be monotone but still coming across as sarcastic. "Thanks, Crocus. Mission accomplished," she said to her teammates. "Let's go get some food."

Holly walked past me, not even bothering to look me in the eyes. Dahlia, still perched on Holly's horn, tiled her hat at me as she left. Pink, meanwhile, got so close to my face I could feel her breath. "See you around, bluey," she sneered.

I watched the three of them leave, wondering how I even got to this point.

Then I turned back around and Lilac was right next to me.

I nearly jumped out of my skin, causing the Hattrem to giggle at my antics. "Got a name?" she pondered in a cheery tone.

"O-oh," I stammered. "Yeah. It's Oswald."

"Oswald." Lilac laughed. "What a weird name! I like it." She waved her little arms around in a dramatic fashion. "How unique! How strange! Where are you from?"

Honestly, I wasn't expecting to be asked that yet. I obviously couldn't say that I'm from another world. I doubt anybody would believe that at face value. Amnesia isn't a good answer because then they'd just think I'm lying outright. I didn't know enough about this place to make up an effective lie either so my best option was just to keep my situation vague for now, even if Lilac seemed friendly.

"Not here that's for sure," I answered. "I'd rather not talk about it though. I wanna...move on from that." I looked away towards the distance to communicate that I was enraptured by some deep thoughts and lowered my voice to make myself seem more mysterious. Miraculously, it seemed to work.

Lilac nodded and swung in place. "I understand. We get pokemon like you all of the time. Kebia is a place for new beginnings after all."

Crocus cleared his throat. Both Lilac and I turned our gazes to see the Pangoro holding the large castle doors open with one arm. He's definitely strong, I thought. Best not to get on his bad side.

Lilac motioned for me to follow and the two of us stepped into the castle foyer.

The first thing I noticed when I walked in was the fact that there were no fewer pokemon in the castle entry hall than the outside garden. It was almost like the path I had been walking since I entered the town never ended. Except now there were carpets decorated with intricate designs, a set of stairs on both sides of the room leading up into a hallway extending left and right with a gated off balcony facing the entrance, a corridor at the bottom of each set of stairs, and a ceiling that seemed to never end.

A variety of pokemon conversed amongst themselves, filling up nearly every corner of the foyer. Towards the far end, just under the balcony, was a Leavanny and a Simipour behind a long desk almost as tall as me. There were no notable decorations on the walls aside from the occasional torch or glass window.

Again, nothing I was seeing was what I had been expecting. It was more like walking into a crowded inn with a high ceiling than an intricately designed castle. Even the carpets I had seen were torn and dirty. The place seemed well kept from a glance at least. It was notably stuffier inside than it was outside.

It was almost like the pokemon here found a castle, built a town around it, then ran their businesses and organizations without realizing the significance of it…

I was nudged out of my thoughts by Lilac just in time to see Crocus disappear down one of the ground floor corridors. "Let's get a move on, Oswald," she told me. "Anemone's office is in the upper sections of the castle."

I balked. "Geez. How many steps will that take?"

"Not many." Lilac giggled. "We can take the elevator. It won't take long."

Elevator? They have those here? Well that's good. I sighed in relief. All this walking was making me tired. This body I was in wasn't out of shape, I don't think. In fact, I'd go as far as to say I'm in better shape now than I ever have in my life. Not that I'd know, of course, but I was still breaking a sweat.

Or...at least I think I was sweating. Do water type pokemon have a reason to sweat? Was it...something else...or…?

I don't know. I was going to have to get a second opinion on this.

Lilac wasted no time walking up the steps of the foyers right hand staircase. I followed closely behind her, careful not to interrupt a conversation between a Smeargle and Prinplup on the bottom steps.

Lilac was quick for someone walking with her hair. Guess I have no excuse. This body isn't even that different from my last one. I'm just shorter. Notably, I could still vaguely remember what humans were like. Bipedal, tall(er), no fur so they wear clothes-

Clothes. I hadn't even thought about that. Every single pokemon I had seen so far had been naked. Or...mostly naked. I fell on top of that Quilava and neither of us were wearing anything. I was already cringing just thinking about it, but having to crawl up these steps on all fours only made me feel worse.

I was gonna need to get used to all of this if I'm going to accomplish anything of note here.

At the top of the stairs, Lilac waited for me before walking a short distance down the corridor and stopped in front of a metal scissor gate. It was the elevator, I was sure, but I was still curious about something…

"This elevator is pretty small," I remarked, scratching the back of my head. "What about bigger pokemon like Aggron and Onix? Do they just not get to use the elevator?"

The Hattrem snickered. "What a silly question!" She waved her arm and a clicking sound played from the elevator door before it slid open. "There are more elevators for different sized pokemon. But Onix," she scoffed, "I've never met a civil Onix. I'm sure there are some out there, though. Besides," she stepped into the elevator, "Anemone wouldn't allow it."

I stepped in after her. The door closed on its own, a grating screech sounding out in the process. "Why wouldn't she allow it?" I asked somewhat jokingly. "Is she afraid the castle can't maintain something so massive?"

A lever adjacent to the door turned on its own. Turning until it pointed to some engraving I couldn't understand. There were other words there as well, separated and spaced out on a copper plate shaped as a half circle. Must be how they select the floors they want to go to. That's interesting, I wonder how it works…

Lilac scoffed. "I don't blame her. This place is really old. Plus, it's not built with an Onix in mind." Once the elevator began its ascent, I stumbled briefly, my short legs nearly failing me as I struggled to keep steady during the first few seconds of the ride.

The Hattrem next to me didn't seem bothered by it. She did laugh at me, however. "You'll get used to it."

I managed to straighten myself out after a few moments, and the rest of the ride was smooth. Lilac and I remained silent, the two of us watching the wall behind the elevator gate move. To keep myself distracted, I let my mind wander. I had heard a decent amount about this Anemone figure up to this point, but I don't even know what kind of pokemon she was. I didn't know if she was going to be understanding of my situation or if she'd just kick me out onto the street. This could go really poorly if I wasn't careful.

"Are you nervous?" Lilac suddenly asked.

"Hm? Oh. Uh...nah, I've...got it under control..." I lied.

"Well, don't be." She chuckled, clearly not believing me. "Anemone's very easy to talk to. By that I mean...it won't really matter what you say, she'll get everything out of you regardless."

Wait, what? Every ounce of confidence in me was sapped out as the elevator then slowly came to a stop. "What do you mean by that?" I asked worriedly.

"You'll know soon enough."

Lilac didn't hesitate to leave the elevator and me behind after the gate opened. Meanwhile, Lilac's comments made me hesitate. What the hell did she mean? I was worried that Anemone would know something I wouldn't and arrest me. Or worse!

"What's the holdup, Oswald?"

...Okay, there really is no turning back now. I must've passed out because I walked right into the house of someone who could hurt me. Yeah, that was the plan, but I probably should have thought this through more.

How I was even supposed to know what to expect is beyond me, and being on my own probably isn't a good idea so...oh, whatever.

"Nothing, I'm coming!" I called back, stepping out of the elevator and into the hallway. Much like the foyer, the ceilings were high and sunshine flowed in through windows high above. Unlike the foyer, however, there weren't pokemon all over the place. The carpet beneath my feet was more well-kept than before, extending from one end of the hall to the other. There still weren't any decorations on the wall. Not a single painting in sight.

The room was a dead end, too. Both ends of the hallway led to nothing. The only notable feature of the room were the large double doors about halfway in. It was completely silent when I walked up to Lilac watching me.

My paws were trembling. Alright...time to talk to the lady in charge. Really hope she doesn't end up being a crazy person or...something.

"Good luck," Lilac told me with a smile. "I'll be out here when you're done."

With a wave of her arm, the doors screeched open inward. I nodded to her as I walked through the entrance, saying nothing in return.

The room I was now in was enormous, to put it lightly. Much like the rest of the castle I had seen so far, there was a long, intricately designed carpet extending from the entrance of the room to the far end. Stained glass windows were set evenly on the walls to the left and right of me. Big and grand, too. My attention was driven to the design of the windows; I was curious what they depicted.

Each one I could see depicted a different legendary pokemon. One window portrayed the powerful visage of Palkia, controller of space as it was known. Another was crafted to represent Reshiram in all of its blazing glory.

The doors behind me slammed shut, and the noise made me jump. I tore my eyes away from the now shut doors and looked to the back end of the spacious room. The back wall was also home to another stained glass window—which was larger than every other one in the room. The glass portrayed a heavenly figure, quadruped, basked in bright light, and surrounded by countless limbs sprouting from its back.

Arceus.

​

Below the window was a throne. Crimson cushions with a gold foundation. It was fit for a king, sure, but...it was empty. This room did seem to be a throne room of sorts. Golden chandeliers hung from the ceiling even though they seemed as though they hadn't been maintained for years.

The room was just so...barren. What kind of castle was this? I know I probably already asked that before, but I was genuinely confused. My muffled footsteps echoed faintly off of the walls as I walked further in. There was no one else in the room except for me.

Me and the Gardevoir sitting behind a desk situated in front of the throne.

The Gardevoir didn't seem to notice me as I approached. They seemed preoccupied with their work, writing something down, keeping their eyes set on their papers. As I got closer, I began to take notice of just how sloppy the desk was compared to the rest of the room. It was plain wood and looked as though it fit better in a school classroom than the throne room of a castle. Papers were stacked on the desk that extended up twice my height. Near the desk itself were more papers and books, thrown about without much care.

And then there was the pokemon behind the desk themself: presumably Anemone. Maybe I was wrong? I didn't know who else it could've been. But really...was this it? I was honestly expecting a bit more from someone so important. This castle had to be the most impressive piece of construction around and the pokemon in charge was using the throne room like an office. No security from what I could see, and no line for visits. Why was I so nervous again?

"Well I'm so sorry to disappoint you."

I was really jumpy, apparently. Hearing Anemone's voice so suddenly nearly made my heart leap out of my chest. The Gardevoir behind the desk wrote for a few more seconds before lifting her head to look directly at me. Her eyes were an imposing red and the whites of her eyes were bloodshot, like she hadn't slept in days.

"I haven't," she suddenly remarked. "But that's not important right now. Hello, Oswald."

I flinched. There was no way they could've known I was coming. Dahlia couldn't have told anyone ahead of time, right? There was no time. Unless...this was a set-up! Oh goddammit! How could I have been so stupid? Of course coming to the most significant landmark around would get me into trouble! Now I was gonna get sent to the dungeon and have experiments done on me and-

"Would you calm down? This isn't a set-up, Oswald. You're overreacting."

Wait...huh?

"...Hold on," I said. "I wasn't- you're Anemone, right? How do you know my name?"

The Gardevoir tapped her left temple. "I can read minds," she smiled. "That's your security. I always make sure to read the minds of every new guild member so I don't hire any criminals. So naturally, I already know about your little predicament and that you're actually human."

Oh. Well, there goes that.

"Indeed."

And here I was thinking that I was going to need to approach this conversation with some semblance of tact and consideration. I wasn't planning on starting with the human bit, but here we are.

"Yep," Anemone affirmed. She stood up from her seat, pushing the chair back behind her. Stepping around the desk, she slid over to the other side until she was standing in front of both me and the desk. She towered over me, and I had to take a few steps back so that I wasn't having to look directly up at her. How imposing.

She sighed and lifted herself up onto the desk, sitting with her legs dangling off the side. "This better?" she mused.

I frowned. "Are you going to be doing this the whole time?"

"Yes, I'm sorry. Reading minds has been an involuntary skill I've had since I was a child. I unconsciously read the minds of every living creature with a brain within a certain radius." She waved her arm horizontally in front of her. "That's why my office is here in this throne room far away from anyone else. It's also why I don't have any guards. I value the silence I can get."

Anemone shook her head. "But that's neither here nor there. We're getting off topic. In fact, let's just start over. Hello, I'm Anemone. I'm one of the primary organizers of Kebia castle and Kebia as a whole. And you are?"

I raised an eyebrow at that. A bit silly since I already knew who she was, but I indulged in it anyway. I wanted a proper introduction, so here it was.

Anemone smiled and nodded.

I may as well just stop thinking at this point.

She kept smiling.

"Hello," I started, holding up my hand awkwardly. "I'm Oswald. I'm a human. I'm...also a Dewott somehow and...I don't know why...and I really need some help. Can you help me...please?"

The Gardevoir looked away and tapped the desk in thought. "Hm...I'm not entirely sure if I can…"

"Wha- are you serious?" I said in disbelief. "Why not?"

She tapped the desk again. "This whole situation is awkward for both of us, Oswald. You made the right choice in coming here, definitely. There's not a single other place on the continent with as many resources at its disposal. But I'm also a very busy pokemon. I don't have the time to research humans and their complicated history." She rubbed her chin, looking at anything but me. "I have no idea how you got here or why you just showed up out of nowhere."

"W-wait," I stammered. "You said you read minds? That means memories too...are you saying you couldn't see any memories of me before I woke up?"

She looked back at me with a frown. "No, I couldn't. Your memories...it's like they were never there. There's a wall preventing me from seeing anything before you woke up in that flower field. Which is strange. You know what pokemon are, what a throne room is, how an elevator works," -she turned around and pointed at the window above the throne- "even some newcomers here don't recognize that pokemon as Arceus."

She turned back to me. "This is just as confusing for me as it is for you."

"So...what do I do?" I asked. "I don't even know where to start..."

"I'll tell you this much, Oswald; there aren't any humans here. They're all gone. They've been gone for a long, long time. How you're even here boggles my mind. And that's an achievement." Anemone lowered herself off of the desk. "I'll tell you this, though: I have a lot on my plate right now, but I'll look into it as much as I can. I can't guarantee results, but I'm going to try.

"Your situation really intrigues me, Oswald. I'll do whatever it takes to solve this puzzle you've given me."

And there was relief. The heavy weight on my shoulders was lifted off and I could finally breathe. It was so refreshing to hear that I nearly burst into tears right then and there. "You...really mean that, Anemone?"

She smiled warmly, "I do."

Something still bothered me, however. "But...wait," I said. "What will I do? I don't even have a place to sleep tonight. It's not like I know the area all that well either."

Anemone crossed her arms and shot me a look of contemplation. "I suppose...there isn't much of anything you can do. I would prefer it if you stayed here so I can keep an eye on you. Hm…"

She began pacing in front of me. Standing there in suspense, I fiddled with the scallops on my hips. I hadn't had the time to consider how they were still staying on. It made no sense to me, even as I tugged on one of them lightly; they stuck firm. Only when I put more force into my tugging did it begin to peel off. A sharp ripping sound rang out with each inch of separation until I was able to yank it free.

I looked at the scallop in my hand. It had a rough texture, and looking closer, I noticed tiny hooks protruding from the shell. I turned it around in my hand with some resistance, almost as if it was stuck to my hand somewhat. I planted the scallop back on my hip and, to my surprise, it latched on just like before. I ripped it off again, then stuck it back on. Off. On. Off. On.

So weird...

"Oswald." Anemone's piercing glare shot a shiver up my spine.

"O-oh. Sorry…" Just gonna...put that back on.

Anemone sighed. "I don't know what to do with you, so I'll just do with you what I do with every loner that shows up here with nowhere else to go."

"What's that?" I asked.

"Oswald, from this day forward, you're an honorary member of the Kebia Castle Guild. Congratulations."

It took me a moment to take in what she had just said. "Really? Just like that?"

"Yep." She nodded. "I need time to figure this out. In the meantime, may as well make yourself useful, eh?"

I didn't know how to feel, or what to say. I suppose it was a good thing that I had a place to stay and a job now. But wasn't guild work dangerous? Didn't Dahlia mention rescues and bounty hunting and dungeons? Judging by how that Persian nearly got the jump on me, I could safely assume that I would be dead in a ditch within a week. Hell, I don't even know how to spit water yet! And I still have to figure out how I got here!

"You'll be fine. I'll handle everything related to how you got here."

Oops. Forgot about the mind reading.

"In any case, I'm not giving you a choice. Whatever your deal is, it has to be important in the grand scheme of things. You need my help, and I can't help you if you're out and about with no sense of direction."

She leaned down, arms crossed, furrowed brow, and with an intense stare told me, "and I know you don't have any sense of direction. You can't lie to me, human."

Damn.

"Now with that out of the way," she straightened back up, "I need to get back to work. I'll make sure you get a room in the castle and someone to guide you." She pointed towards the entrance of the room. "When you leave, Lilac will still be there. She'll know what to do. Stick with her until she says otherwise.

"Now get moving, I have a lot of work to do." She rubbed her temples as she turned around to face her desk. "Ugh...I need a break."

Not one to argue after a conversation such as the one that just transpired, I followed Anemone's orders and started walking to the entrance of the throne room. I didn't get far before Anemone called out to me, though. "Oswald! One more thing!"

I stopped and turned around to face her. She walked on the carpet in my direction with both grace and haste. She stopped a decent distance away from me and looked down at me with a serious expression. "I can't control what you'll say to other pokemon. And even if I'm certain that you're good at keeping secrets, I'm not a soothsayer. So listen closely because this is important: keep the fact that you're human to yourself and me. Do you understand?"

I blinked. "Um...sure, I guess. I'm not entirely sure why it matters. Didn't you say that humans haven't been around for a while? Can I not tell anyone?"

Anemone's expression soured as she leaned down lower to better meet my gaze. "Oswald, That wasn't a suggestion. Do not, under any circumstances, tell any other pokemon about your humanity. Do you understand?"

"Y-yes, ma'am." I gulped, my whole body shaking. Geez, Anemone was scary when she wanted to be.

She stood up again, keeping her piercing eyes trained on me. "Good. Now get out of my office. You're giving me a headache."

"R-right." I nodded and scurried for the door.

---

Mid Chapter art by shannadreamgoddess on Discord

 

[SnapDragon]

Chapter 3 - Day 1, Part 3: A Proposal ​

The throne room doors opened on their own before I even got close. After I hurried outside, I caught sight of Lilac leaning up against the opposite wall.

She smiled at me as I approached, halting her hair-twirling. "You're back!" Lilac exclaimed. "I'm assuming everything went well?"

"...Yeah," I muttered in response. "Everything went fine."

"Great! Did she tell you what we're doing next?"

"No. Did she tell you?"

Lilac threw her arms into the air, her body swinging forward and back with the motion. "Yes, she did! Telepathy is a wonderful thing, isn't it? We're going on a tour! I'm gonna show you the best that this castle has to offer! We'll get to see where you sign up for jobs, where you get to eat, and even your very own room! Lucky you!" Lilac's smile only seemed to get bigger, and more overtly friendly, with each word. Sure, she was bubbly before, but now she seemed to just radiate positivity.

It made me uneasy.

"Um-"

"Now let's get going, buddy! We're wasting daylight!" Lilac floated down the hall, smacking the elevator button before flipping and landing on her braids. "Come on!" she called out to me.

I scampered after her, pulling myself into the elevator just before the gate shut on us. The lever turned and landed on a phrase that I didn't recognize but was most definitely not the bottom floor. Just as I found a foothold on the elevator's carpet floor, the lift lurched and I nearly lost my balance. Soon after, the device began to descend.

Lilac and I didn't speak for a few moments. Maybe it was just my anxiety getting the better of me, but I couldn't help but notice how tense Lilac suddenly was. She watched the wall move past the steel gate apprehensively. Eventually, the Hattrem exhaled and muttered the word "okay" under her breath.

"What?" I asked, barely hearing her.

She looked back at me, her chippy persona gone and replaced with a neutral expression. Pointing up, she said, "We're out of her range."

"Huh?"

"Anemone," she clarified. "She shouldn't be able to hear us anymore. You can relax now."

It took me a few seconds to understand what she meant. I didn't think I was on edge before, but after hearing Lilac saying that, I realized that I had been holding in a pretty heavy sigh. Knowing that I was further away from the mind reader made me feel safer. Now I could actually think without my brain being invaded.

Lilac grinned slightly. "Her range is pretty big. We should be out of it by now, though. I should know. I've had a lot of time to test it. Anyways, I hope I didn't creep you out with that bit."

I raised an eyebrow. "That was a bit? Why were you doing a bit?"

"I have to appear all bubbly in Anemone's range," Lilac replied. "It's how I keep her out."

"That works? You're telling me this now?"

She shook her head. "No, it won't work for you. Only me and the other psychics in the guild can do it. That's why we stick together." She winked at me.

"Okay, but why are you trying to keep her out?"

The gate of the elevator opened shortly after the ride came to a stop. Lilac hopped outside then turned around to face me, a sly grin on her face. "Let's just say that some of us here value our secrets. You get what I mean, Oswald?"

In a way I did. Having Anemone probe my mind and discover the only secret I had didn't sit well with me. Of course, it all worked out in the end, but I can only imagine how sour some pokemon must've felt after having their privacy be encroached upon without any say in the matter. A leader with a power like that...it's a miracle the pokemon here are as optimistic as they are. They don't fear her as far as I could tell, but…

...Wait...don't they? I know I do. I'm not alone in this, right?

I pushed that thought to the back of mind for now and grinned back at Lilac. "Yeah, I do."

"Awesome."

Lilac turned back around and started walking away on her braids. I followed behind her, taking her silence as a signal to go with her.

Lilac then showed me around the floor we ended up on. She explained to me that this floor was one of the few that housed the many teams that worked in the castle. She showed me the lounge, where pokemon sat about on cushioned chairs and were able to read the news on a bulletin board nearby. Surmising that I would need to come back here a lot, I noted its location.

Next she showed me the dorms. There were communal dorms where loners and lower-level teams slept together in large rooms, while Staff and higher-level teams got their own rooms.

To my surprise, I got my own room, too. Being a human had some benefits I suppose. The rooms didn't have keyholes on them, instead they opened with the paw prints of their respective owners. How this worked for pokemon without hands or limbs I didn't know, but Lilac got me assigned to my room and told me to contact the pokemon at the front desk if I found someone to live with.

Inside the room itself was one small silk bed, multiple straw beds on the floor, a dresser, desk, and even a window. The room reminded me of a hotel room (The image of what that would look like in the world I came from flashed in my mind) but much smaller. I doubted they had room service here either, what with the fewer amenities.

"It's not that extravagant, I know," Lilac said. "But it's yours, so that amounts to something, yeah?"

I tested the bed, jumping onto the soft and comfortable covers before laying down. "Good enough for me. I can live with this just fine." I rested my eyes for a moment, just taking in the bed's alluring, plushy feel.

"Oh, something else I just remembered," Lilac started, "Anemone told me to tell you that you have to room with at least one other pokemon and form a team by tomorrow. Otherwise we'd be wasting space."

My eyes shot open. What? Did Lilac interpret those orders incorrectly? Make a team by tomorrow? I just got here. "What happens if I don't make a team on time?" I asked after sitting up, exasperated.

"Well, you can't lose the room, apparently. Anemone made that clear. So I imagine that you'd be assigned one." The Hattrem shrugged. "I don't understand all of this special treatment you're getting. Good for you, though!"

I don't get a choice then, I thought while getting off the bed. I don't know why I expected anything different. But seriously? One day? Where am I going to find someone willing to join up with someone like me on such short notice? I don't want to end up with someone I'll hate…

I looked at the Hattrem. "Hey Lilac-"

She interrupted me. "Already on a team, sorry."

That made me flinch. "Really? What team?"

"Team Snow In Summer. The others were by the entrance earlier."

"That's an...interesting name." Really rolls off the tongue.

Lilac shrugged again. "Not my idea. Anyways, take note of where this is because I'm dropping you off at the cafeteria at the end of this tour. You can come back here on your own."

I did take note of where my room was, tracing my path all the way back to the elevator. When we got there, I memorized the word on the lever corresponding to the floor I was living on.

"This elevator is pretty convenient," I stated aloud. "Why don't more people use it?"

"Because it's Anemone's personal elevator," Lilac replied. "It's the only one that connects to her office. We're still using it because she gave me permission to use it for this tour."

Did she? Oh. Guess I'll need to take the public elevator, or stairs, like everyone else. How disappointing.

We returned to the ground floor.

"You see the front desk down there?" Lilac pointed towards the desk at the entrance manned by a Leavanny and Simipour. "Lace and Ipo will accept your finished jobs and get you your rewards. They'll also take your complaints." She smirked. "Within reason, of course."

Whatever Lilac was implying caused me to grimace. "Alright?" I remembered Team Phlox and how they just handed over that Persian without even going inside. "Why didn't Dahlia's team claim their reward for that Persian?" I wondered.

"They'll probably come pick it up later. Bounty jobs require a lot of paperwork. Plus, he's not going anywhere anytime soon."

That made sense, I suppose. Why couldn't they stick around for longer, though? I could really use the extra guidance.

The Hattrem showed me around the rest of the bottom floor. In particular, she showed me the courtyard, an outside area where a variety of pokemon were testing their skills, firing off attacks, and sparring. Lilac told me that there were trainers that would be willing to coach me for free there. I would just need to find one. Looking across the field, I saw a Samurott training with a Wartortle amongst the crowd. I took a mental note to seek them out later.

On our way out, Lilac stopped me. "Your tail," she said flatly.

"My tail?"

"Yes, your tail. It's dragging on the ground. Does that not bother you?"

I looked behind me. Sure enough, my paddle-like tail was angled downward, barely touching the ground. It still hurt somewhat, probably due to the fact that it's been dragging behind me this whole time. I don't think anyone could've blamed me for not being used to having a tail. Not like I could control it or anything. Except…

I made a conscious effort to make it move just then, and it did. Not much, though. I shook my behind to make it move more, swaying my hips left and right. It did move more, but very limply, almost like it wasn't listening to what I was telling it to do.

Ugh, this is stupid. I'm not even moving the tail itself! How do you even…?

"Who are you courting, Oswald? The Smeargle or the Mawile?"

I looked up and behind me. Two pokemon were staring back at me strangely. The Mawile seemed almost disgusted while the Smeargle's face flushed a bright red. My own face flushed as I realized what I had been doing this whole time and I looked away.

Well, that's embarrassing.

Lilac laughed at me. "Not used to having a big tail, huh? Did you just evolve?"

More like no tail. I went along with the evolving excuse. It wasn't like I had one planned anyways. "Y-yeah actually," I replied, still blushing. "I didn't use it much before, so…I don't...really know how to...use...it." I cringed at my own words. There's no way she'll believe that!

"Okay. Makes sense."

...She is really understanding. Too understanding. She's practically crafting my lies for me!

Lilac must have been able to tell how much I was depending on Anemone's elevator because she spent the rest of the time we were on the ground floor showing me the other elevators and where the stairs were.

Both were packed. The elevators had so many pokemon waiting for them that they spilled out into the halls. I was thankful that I could at least use the stairs. One Electrode I saw looked absolutely miserable. I wonder how he uses the pawprint scanners...

The final stop of the tour was the cafeteria. Much like the throne room, this place was huge. Judging by the sheer number of tables in the room, I'd imagine the cafeteria could fit as many as 500 pokemon, or maybe more. On one end of the room, a Heatmor and Simisear prepared and served plates of food. At the back of the room was an empty stage.

Lilac stopped at the entrance and pointed towards the pokemon handing out meals. "The kitchen staff prepare three meals a day, every day," she said. "They don't do snacking or anything like that, so if you want something else you'll have to go into town. That'll cost money."

"I don't have any money," I deadpanned.

"I know. Thankfully, you haven't missed dinner."

"Thankfully" is right. I'm starving. Sunlight shined through the cafeteria windows and bathed the room in a calming orange glow. A stray Natu flew past the rafters, casting a shadow on the floor below. It's a good thing I managed to find this place when I did, I thought. The sun is going down soon. I don't wanna know what would've happened if I was still in the meadow at this point.

My Hattrem guide turned back to me. "Well, this is the end of the tour. It was nice meeting you, Oswald. But I need to get going."

"It was nice meeting you too, Lilac." I grinned politely. "You were a really big help. I definitely would've gotten lost if you hadn't been there to show me around." I scratched the back of my head and my grin turned sheepish. "But uh...you sure you can't stick around for dinner?"

"No, sorry," Lilac shook her head. "I had plans with friends in town today. I'm already late too, so...I hope you're fine with that."

I nodded. "I can figure things out from here." It was nice having Lilac around, but I wasn't going to pry. Getting a random team member seemed daunting, but if they're anything like Lilac or Dahlia then I was sure there was nothing to worry about. Granted, I would've preferred to stick with someone I could trust. If I was being honest...there was something so intimidating about being in this castle alone. I was hoping I could have someone to guide me around for a little longer.

"Great!" she exclaimed. "Oh, and one more thing…"

My body lurched forward. I was eye level with Lilac and a few inches from her face within an instant. Her eyes took on a serious gleam and she lowered her voice. "You're not as slick as you think you are, Oswald. You think you can just show up and get special treatment without anyone noticing, huh? You show up out of nowhere and get Anemone's blessing? What's the deal with that? Who even are you?"

"W-what-"

"I've got my eye on you, Oswald. I don't know what your deal is but when the time comes, if you're not on our side, then I won't hesitate. Understand?"

I was too horrified to say anything but, "Y-yes, ma'am."

What the hell!?

I was suddenly pushed back to my original position. Meanwhile, Lilac's demeanor quickly flashed back to her regular smiling facade. "Great!" she said, her voice several octaves higher. "I'll see you around!"

And then she just...walked away. I was still processing what just happened long after she was gone. I was so certain that Lilac was at least willing to help me, but considering the whole "bit" thing I guess I should've expected this. There's more to this place than I could've possibly known.

Still, I haven't even been here for a day. Expecting everyone to be agreeable at face value was pretty naive of me. Lilac's words bothered me, however. I had no idea what was going on or a whole lot about where I was. I didn't want to pick a side in any of these pokemon's squabbles.

But...what if I have to choose? Who should I be wary of? Anemone? Lilac? Somebody else?

Whatever. I didn't want a part in...whatever this was. I just wanted to figure out why I was here and go home. That's it.

I sighed and turned to go see what kind of food was available.

"Oof!"

I didn't get far before somebody collided with me and sent me falling backwards awkwardly onto my tail.

Yow! That hurt! Second time today, I thought, shaking my head and starting to stand back up. I should pay more attention to where I'm going before I-

My eyes widened at the pokemon on the ground in front of me. A tan underbelly, blue back, and two pointy ears. It was a Quilava! Not only that, but it was the same Quilava as before. I could tell because the way his fur curved and matted in some places was familiar.

What is he doing here? Is he part of the guild?

"Ugh," the Quilava groaned as he rose. "I-I'm really sorry. I've been really clumsy today…"

His brilliant red eyes set on me and we made eye contact. "Oh," he muttered, his ears drooping slightly. "It's you."

I finished standing up and dusted myself off. "It is," I said with a chuckle. "Funny how we keep meeting like this."

The Quilava smiled shyly and stood up onto two feet as well. Then he looked away, rubbing his arm. "Y-yeah, I guess. Heh…"

I had a good feeling about this Quilava. Maybe I shouldn't be judging pokemon on their outward appearance because of what just happened, but I found his shyness endearing. Plus, I need to form a team. Was it too early to say that he might be able to help me with that? Either way, I wanted to get to know him better.

"Say," I started, "how about I make it up to you and get your food for you. Assuming that's why you're here."

He grimaced and shook his head. "N-no it's fine. You don't have to do that." He rubbed his arm faster.

"No, I insist. What would you like? Maybe we like the same things."

The Quilava didn't seem to know what to do. I wasn't trying to make him uncomfortable, but it seemed like I didn't do a very good job. He looked left and right as if looking for a way out, and after a few more seconds, he made up his mind. "I like...pecha berries," he mumbled while still rubbing his arm.

"Pecha berries." I nodded. "Got it." I pointed at a table nearby. "I'll be right back. Wait for me there."

While wordlessly avoiding my eyes, he nodded slightly and walked slowly over to the table I pointed out.

I had no idea what a pecha berry was. My mind wasn't doing me any favors in unearthing distant memories of the berries here so I was just hoping that I'd get lucky and find the right ones. So, I stood in line to get the food. It didn't take long for me to get to the front of the line and come face-to-face with a Simisear with a white piece of cloth around his arm. A Heatmor stood nearby cooking something over a grill. He had on a white piece of cloth as well.

"Hey, new face," the Simisear beamed. "Always nice to see new pokemon join our happy family. Got a name, Dewott?"

"Oswald," I said absentmindedly, eyeing the selection of food on the table.

"Oswald...Oswald," he parroted. "Oh yeah. I'm remembering that one. Way too unique to forget." He spun the spoon in his hand and grinned wide. "Well, Oswald? See anything you want?"

I didn't. I made it a point to avoid looking at the meat up for grabs, lest I vomit, and eyed the rest of the selection. Various vegetables that weren't very appetizing to look at, multicolored fruits that I didn't care for, and some berries were what I had to work with. I mostly eyed the berries because that's what I was looking for, but I couldn't tell if any were of the pecha variety. I could ask, but then I'd look like an idiot if they were right in front of me.

Maybe I should just get something random and say they didn't have it. At least then it's not my fault. Ugh, what a pain. Why did I have to be thrown into a world so different from my own?

"Helloooo, you there Oswald?" The Simisear tapped his spoon on the table.

"Hm? Oh yeah, um," I pondered for a moment. "Just give me some berries. Any will work."

Yeah, hopefully.

The Simisear scooped up some berries and tossed them onto the plate I was holding with incredible precision. "Enjoy! See you around, Oswald!"

I nodded and left the line, a plate of berries in my hands. The Quilava was thankfully still there when I hurried back to him. In fact, he seemed to be staring off into space as I approached.

"I'm back with some berries!" I called as I sat down. The Quilava flinched, probably not expecting me to appear so suddenly. "They didn't have any pecha berries, though. Sorry."

The fire type frowned in disappointment for a moment, then he looked at the plate and just seemed confused. "W-what're you...there are...pecha berries...on the plate," he murmured slowly.

"O-oh...haha...I didn't notice…good for you, huh?" I chuckled awkwardly.

Damn it! Now I look like an even bigger idiot!

The Quilava raised an eyebrow but said nothing and took a berry from the plate. Being hungry myself, I took a berry from the plate as well, biting into a blueish berry twice the size of my hand. It was sweet and its juices flowed deliciously down my throat. I loved it. So much so that I didn't stop eating it until it was all gone, berry juice coating my lips. When I was done I looked up to find the Quilava staring at me strangely, his berry half eaten.

...I must look like a slob. What a terrible first impression. And I still don't even know his name...oh right!

"I didn't catch your name," I said, wiping the berry juice off of my mouth with an arm.

"F-Fenn," the Quilava mumbled quietly.

"Fenn! What a good name! A great name, even! I'm Oswald. Nice to meet you." I extended a paw across the table until it was a short distance from his face.

Fenn looked between my hand and me, unmoving. I held it there for a few seconds before I retracted my arm and brought it back to scratch the back of my head. I laughed awkwardly. Guess they don't do handshakes here? Geez, this is going horribly!

"Anyways," I continued, clearing my throat, "do you work at the castle here?

Fenn took a small bite of the berry he was eating. "Y-yes," he whispered, avoiding eye contact.

I nodded. "And...what do you do?"

"I...clean the floors...occasionally." Fenn took another bite of his berry, staring at something other than me.

"Oh...that's...cool."

He's really not making this easy for me, is he? I hated having to be one to carry the conversation like this, but Fenn was making it harder than it had to be. I wasn't trying to make the conversation awkward.

I cleared my throat again. "Well, I came into town earlier and joined the guild. I just got back from a tour of the castle. How long have you been here?"

Fenn finished his berry and grabbed another from the plate. "A few months," he said quietly before nibbling on his new berry some.

I nodded yet again and grabbed another berry myself. This one was round and red with a long winding stem. The flavor of the berry was noticeably spicier than the last one I ate. I didn't hate it, but it definitely didn't taste as good.

"So you're like a janitor?" I asked between bites. "How'd you end up with that job?" That probably sounded a bit more condescending than intended.

The Quilava looked at me for a second as if he were gauging whether or not I was serious. Then he just as quickly looked away. "N-not...good at guild work," he mumbled.

"Really?" I pondered. "I'm sure you can't be that bad. Maybe you just need a team to help. If you were good at it—which I'm sure you are—would you want to do jobs for the guild?"

Fenn winced. "I...do want to help pokemon. Helping pokemon is...nice." He was rubbing his arm so much that my brain stopped acknowledging it.

I smiled. I'm actually getting somewhere now! This is good. "If I'm being honest," I started, "I'm probably not great at guild work either. But I'm like you. I wanna help pokemon too."

That's not a complete lie. Guild work seemed pretty fulfilling from what I knew so far, but my main goal was entirely my own. Based on what Anemone told me, I had no other option anyways, so I may as well help others while I was here.

I added, "The problem is that I don't have a team and Anemone is gonna set me up with one unless I can find some team members in a day."

Fenn looked up. That seemed to get his attention. "Why?" he asked.

Anemone's threat flashed in my mind. Being discreet about my humanity was something I'd have to keep in mind for as long as I was around, even with potential team members. I didn't want to keep Fenn in the dark and lie, but I had to, at least for now. I just hoped it wouldn't come back to haunt me later...

"I don't know actually," I stated. "I get my own room regardless. Maybe she likes my whiskers?" I twirled the white bristles on my cheeks in my fingers for a moment to drive home the point. Cause, I mean, come on. They were some good whiskers.

Fenn looked back down at his paws. "Your own room..." he mumbled quietly.

I took another bite of my berry before continuing. "Do you have a room of your own, Fenn?"

"No…"

Here we go.

"Do you want one?"

His eyes shot up and stared into mine. "What?" he asked in confusion.

"Yeah, I mean, I have a lot of extra space. You could come join up with me and share the room."

Fenn looked stunned, his mouth open slightly. "Y-you're asking me to...join your team...right?"

I nodded. "I think it could work out. We're probably both on the same level. Plus, I'm sure it'll be more fun than cleaning floors."

The Quilava sitting across from me stared down at the berry in his paws in thought. Not once did his expression change from that same look of bewilderment. Eventually, he spoke up and looked back at me.

"Could you…could you give me some time to think about it?" Fenn asked slowly.

"S-sure," I stuttered. I wasn't happy with having to wait. I only had one day after all. It wasn't like I was going to force it, though. I wanted Fenn to like me! Getting upset with him was not a good start. "We can meet up again tomorrow if you'd like. Here at the same time tomorrow?"

That should be enough time. If not then I guess I'd just get a rando instead. Wasn't exactly looking forward to that.

"O-okay," Fenn said quietly. Then he lifted himself off of his seat. "I should...get going. Bye, Oswald." The slight smile on his face was reassuring at least.

"See you tomorrow, Fenn." I hoped my smile gave off that same reassurance.

The Quilava walked away, exiting the cafeteria and leaving me alone at the table.

I let out the breath I was holding in. That went...surprisingly well all things considered. I wasn't expecting to run into Fenn here, literally.

His situation seemed particularly convenient for me. I'm not really sure I would be able to approach any pokemon here and get them to agree to anything. Fenn seemed shy, but if he gave me a chance, I think we could work well as a team. Granted, I can't use any moves and I haven't seen him use any himself. But I had the time to figure everything out. That is implying he does come around to the idea. If not, then I suppose I'd have to go with the punches.

Maybe Team Phlox will let me join their team...or maybe I could ask Lilac again. Or...not, no. I think I actually want to avoid her now.

Okay...I should really stop thinking about this. I wasn't going to get the answers to my problems all at once. The most I could do was just live as a pokemon for now. Anemone would get back to me when she learned something new.

Except...should I even trust her? Should I trust anybody here? What about Fenn? Can I trust him?

Ugh. There I go again, asking questions I have no answers to.

Thoroughly exhausted and my plate empty, I left the cafeteria in search of my room.

If uh...I could find it again that is.

 

[Spiteful Murkrow]

Heya, I saw that you had a TR version of Flowerbeds now, so I figured that I'd do a pilot of how I more normally put together reviews there with where I left off in your story to see if you like the experience of my more typical forum reviews or not.

Anyhow, it's been a while, let's pick up with a chapter that will arrive here properly in about 3-ish months at this rate:

Chapter 15

Spoiler

Lavender is such a nice looking plant.

I could see why Fenn liked it so much; there was a lot to love. That kind of color just pops in a way that looks really appealing. I mean, just looking at the flowerpot on the windowsill now was giving me a decent idea of how much it tied the room together. That's what Or at least, I would've said that if the flowers had actually grown yet. A small stem was all that was sticking out of the dirt, and I could barely even see it from where I was laying.

At first I thought that Oswald's memories of lavender flowers got lazored, but he clearly remembers it given that he recognizes what it's supposed to look like from the sprout.

Flowers in general were just something I enjoyed seeing in person. Maybe I was a gardener in my past life because if I didn't already have to deal with so much then I might've considered finding a way to own more of them. Kebia Castle in particular seemed to use them as decorations quite a bit. The gardens, in the hallways, in the light fixtures—whatever. They were everywhere, despite the castle being devoid of anything else noteworthy in terms of aesthetics.

I mean, yeah. This setting in general seems to have a thing for plant-themed names for people and places, so it figures it'd also carry over to their choices of interior decor.

There was a flower field just around the corner, after all. I wouldn't be surprised if the merchants in town sold them. Maybe...we could go into town and pick up some pretty ones on our way back from work today.

Okay, that was all well and good, but why was I saying all of this? I don't know, I guess I was just trying to distract myself from the fact that, when I woke up, Fenn was asleep with his head resting on my chest and his lower body curled up on my side. I nearly jumped back when I saw him, but thankfully, I restrained myself.

So just how deep a shade of red was Oswald's face under all that fur right then? Since he sure has been getting flustered whenever his future bf Fenn gets all intimate with him.

I wasn't upset as much as I was just surprised. I mean, I already had one of the best nights of sleep since I arrived in Pamtre last night thanks to the soft covers of the bed. And Fenn...he was really warm. Like, really warm. He was like a heated blanket that made it twice as hard to be mad.

I mean, yeah. That would be an advantage of cuddling with a Fire-type, just saying.

Honestly, my biggest problem might've been the fact that I felt embarrassed to be so close to him. Not that I didn't like him, it was just the fact that being this close would give off the wrong impression. Humans don't sleep this close together unless they were involved in some way.

Oh, don't worry, Oswald. I'm pretty sure you're well on your way to fixing that. >:V

Pokemon though…? Fenn did respect my boundaries already. If anything, I get too close for comfort more than he does, what with the ear scratching and...whatever. I digress.

I didn't really mind that Fenn was using me like a pillow. After spending all that time working on that house and coming across "the greatest psychic ever," I think a well-deserved rest was warranted. So, I just resigned myself to accept it, lay back, and try to sleep in a bit more.

We can be embarrassed about this when we're both awake...

"Cosmo is awake! The day calls for him!"

Oswald: "Oh my god, why is he here right now?!"

Fenn: "Because we brought him along out of an attic at the end of last chapter?" ^^;
Oswald: "... Right, that was a thing." >.<

Which is now, apparently.

"Ngh..." Fenn groaned on top of me, gradually blinking his eyes open, "...give me five more min-"

The Quilava froze once he realized that he wasn't lying on the bedsheets, but me instead. His eyes went wide as he met my gaze.

I stared at him blankly. "...Good morning, Fenn."

Fenn's face flushed a shade of red so bright I was worried that he was about to spit fire. He stood up quickly and fell onto his back. "I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY!"

Amazing. And that blush must've been something fierce for it to be visible through fur (yeah, yeah, I know about anime expressions, but still).

I sat up to see Fenn rolling around on the bed, covering his face. I let out a kindhearted smile. "Don't be embarrassed, Fenn," I said. "It's fine, I don't mind."

"Nooo," Fenn mumbled into his paws, "y-you trusted me to share the bed with you and I abused that trust. I-I don't know what came over me….I'm so sorry…"

Well, otter fur feels soft and there is a part of you that's not-so-subtly crushing on Oswald, so...

"I already said it's fine—I haven't slept that well in a while. You're really warm, you know?"

Fenn buried his head into the bedsheets and screamed.

I mean, I should probably feel sorry for Fenn all but dying of embarrassment there, but this is great.

Cosmo: "Cosmo can chime in too if you two want!" ^^
Oswald + Fenn: "Pls no."

"What's going on?" Cosmo asked rather innocently. "Did Cosmo miss something?"

I chuckled. "It's nothing, Cosmo. Fenn is just being overly dramatic."

Fenn yelled, "I am not!" into the bedsheets, his voice muffled.

Oh, well. Speak of the devil there.

Though I do wonder if Cosmo should've been more explicitly described floating up into the scene or something. Like I get that he's there in the room, but he initially read as more distant and on his way out.

I rubbed Fenn's shoulder and turned to the Solosis. "Well, Cosmo, are you ready for your first day on Team Lavender?"

"Cosmo is always ready!" he beamed. "Cosmo is ready to...do things!"

"Heh, I bet you are, buddy." I shook Fenn's shoulder lightly. "You gonna be okay?" I spoke gently.

Fenn: "Obviously not, no."

He rose from the sheets and faced me, his eyes avoiding mine, his cheeks still rosy. "Y-yeah," Fenn whispered. "G-got flustered, that's all." Fenn sighed breathlessly. "Back to work today…"

Well, he took that better than I thought. Outwardly, anyways. It'll be interesting to see if the morning embarrassment sticks with Fenn later on in the chapter.

Work, as in dungeon work, I thought. Not looking forward to that. I fail to see the rationale behind exploring dungeons at all if carpentry pays twice as much. Not to mention the physical and, in my case, mental trauma that comes with dungeon diving. It's not a stretch for me to believe that my motivation has been thoroughly drained by now.

Oswald: "(Not least of all because that means that Fenn might make one of those worrisome comments about the ferals making 'funny noises' when they die again.)"

Unfortunately, I had no real choice, and I doubt Anemone wanted to hear that I hadn't been staying useful. It was an obligation for me at that point, but yesterday proved that it didn't have to be. What I should've done is tell Fenn outright that I didn't want to do this anymore and instead spend the rest of my pokemon life lying around all day, doing nothing. After all, my only stipulation was to not die.

Bold of you to think that the plot would let you get away with that, Oswald, especially since Larkspur is still a thing and plotting out there.

But...I wanted to figure things out. What if the solution to all of my problems was with the mystery dungeons, or what if staying put and doing nothing was what they wanted. I didn't know. What I did know, though?

I looked over at the Solosis kid on the other side of the room. He was bouncing in a circle in the air, going on about how excited he was to be on the team. I still didn't know how to feel about him yet, but I was glad that he was safe now.

Oswald: "Er... is it really a good idea to bring a little kid like him along into a Mystery Dungeon?" .-.
Cosmo: "Never fear! Cosmo is the world's greatest psychic! A little Mystery Dungeon is nothing to him!" ^.^
Oswald: "... You know what? I'm just not going to question it and take the third party member."

Then I looked at my close friend and roommate, Fenn. The Quilava had gotten over his embarrassment and was looking at me with a warm smile and soft eyes. He was waiting for me to say something, most likely for me to tell him that we should head out to the bulletin board.

So, after putting some thought into it, I might've be a complete moron that was missing something important right in my face or something, but I did care about those closest to me. I'd endure a deadly dungeon run to make them happy. It was Cosmo's first mission after all; don't wanna let him down. With that thought in mind, I hopped off the bed.

"Let's head out," I announced.

Fenn nodded wordlessly and hopped off the bed as well. I followed his lead and snatched the bag off the nightstand.

"Onward!" Cosmo shouted, jiggling with determination.

Whelp, at least their first mission as a team of three will probably not be a total disaster?

[ ]

"What does this say?"

"Uh...Noivern clipped their wings and can't escape?"

"...Not even close. It's...a Tropius. And it's a bounty mission…"

Oh. That's embarrassing.

Part of me wonders if there should be some description leading in where Team Lavender is at the moment in Kebia Castle. Even if it was something as simple as "Five minutes later, we were all in front of the mission board and I was staring up at listings Fenn pointed out."

Fenn: "... Seriously, how on earth do you manage to read that out of the listing?"

Fenn decided to quiz me on my reading skills after we got to the bulletin board. Naturally, I hadn't gotten any better so I failed horribly. How can a Tropius even be an outlaw? That doesn't make any damn sense!

No, just about anything can be an Outlaw even in the games, Oswald. And Tropius does have the benefit of being very mobile to get in and out of raids. Though I didn't think that Outlaws were going to become a part of the plot again, wonder if this one was also sicced after Oswald like that one A-Persian.

"Haha! Oswald can't read!"

And now the talking bubble is making fun of me.

Ah yes, let's check in on Oswald's face right now:

"H-hey, Cosmo, what does this say?" Fenn held up a piece of paper for the Solosis to read.

"Ooh! Ooh! It says, 'find lost X-Ray Specs in Kelpsy Fields.' Cosmo is the greatest reader!"

What? How come Cosmo knows how to read and I don't? He doesn't even have feet!

Because he's native to this world and you're not?

Though I kinda wonder if it might have been called for to drop in a little bit of description where Oswald gives a lulzier face at Cosmo to break up the dialogue a bit more.

"Very good! Great job, Cosmo!" Fenn said, shooting me the smuggest grin imaginable.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," I deadpanned, "the dumb Dewott can't read. Can we stop with the bullying now?"

Fenn giggled. "O-okay, I'm sorry," he apologized facetiously. "Just...couldn't resist."

Fenn: "Come on, Oswald, it's just a bit of good-natured ribbing."

Oswald: "Yeah, and it's not funny anymore, so can we move on now?"

"Hm," I grumbled. "What did I do to deserve such torment?" This isn't even payback for what happened earlier. This is unwarranted, blatant oppression!

Somebody's being a bit dramatic there. >:V

"That was fun!" Cosmo beamed. "Where are we going next?"

I looked at the Solosis incredulously. "...We're not done here yet. We haven't picked a mission."

"Oh! A mission for what?"

I blinked. "Um…" I exchanged glances with Fenn. "We're explorers, Cosmo. We help pokemon by going through mystery dungeons and such. So like with that X-Ray Specs mission that told us to find an item someone lost."

Cosmo: "So... we're going to go and catch that Outlaw, right? It should be nothing the great Cosmo can't-"

Oswald: "Cosmo, no."

"Oh, cool! Cosmo hasn't been in a mystery dungeon before! Cosmo loves to explore, though! He's great at finding things."

Fenn and I looked at each other again and the look on his face told me that we were thinking the same thing.

We had accepted not just some random pokemon onto our team, but a literal child that had never been in a mystery dungeon in his life. We didn't even test to see if he knew any useful moves or any moves at all. Does he even know what he's in for?

Fenn: "Yeaaaaah... when you put it like that, uh... that's more than a little messed-up, huh?"

"Hey, Cosmo," I started, "do you know what being on an exploration team means? Like, are you aware of the risks?"

Cosmo froze in midair and looked between Fenn and I. He was silent for a moment. "...Cosmo...gets to find treasure!" he said loudly and proudly.

Whoops.

Oswald: "I suppose that's a 'no' there. Maybe even a 'hell no'." -_-;

I got careless and now I might've put a little kid in danger. I acknowledge the fact that I said that Cosmo will probably be fine because I suck just as much as he does, but there's a difference between sending a useless moron like me into a deadly dungeon versus sending a child who doesn't know what he's in for into the same dungeon.

I motioned for Fenn and I to huddle together and discuss this covertly. We crouched down behind one of the bean bags in the lounge room.

"What do we do?" I asked Fenn in a loud whisper. "Would it be irresponsible of us to take Cosmo with us? I don't think we're the right kind of pokemon to teach him."

Oswald: "(Also, Cosmo can't hear us doing this right now, can he?)" ^^;

Fenn grit his teeth and looked away. "U-uh...I'm...suuuure it'll be fine," he whispered slowly. "Besides," he let out a weak smile, "I...still bring you along a-and you can barely fight. Eheh…" he laughed awkwardly.

Ouch. I mean, he's not wrong, but ouch.

"Jeez, Fenn! What did I do to deserve all this verbal abuse?"

The Quilava twirled his bandana in his paw. "Heh...I-I don't know. I guess I'm just feeling mean today..."

I sighed and crossed my arms. "Regardless, you have to agree that this isn't the same thing. Cosmo is just a kid. If he gets hurt, it's our responsibility."

I mean, wouldn't that be true even if Cosmo was a grown adult depending on what attitudes of command responsibility are at the Kebia Guild? ^^;

"H-hey! It can't always be our fault! Kids join the guild all the time! He has to learn how to do it eventually!"

"And if he does get hurt?"

Fenn bit his lip. "...We can pick an easy mission," he mumbled quickly.

[ ]

"Really?" I raised an eyebrow. "You're fine with that?"

Fenn nodded.

Might be worth throwing in some sort of reaction or inner thought from Oswald, especially if he genuinely wasn't expecting this response from Fenn.

"Alright." I stood up. "Guess we can't just leave him here. May as well show him the ropes."

Fenn seemed relieved. Though, in retrospect, I wasn't entirely sure why.

Huh. Wonder if we'll find out what that's about whenever the perspective shifts to Fenn's end of things.

The two of us walked back to the bulletin board to find Cosmo in the same place as before, trembling slightly. "Is...is Cosmo in trouble?" he asked shakily.

"No, everything's fine, Cosmo," I told him. "Me and Fenn were just discussing something." I peered at the Quilava only for Fenn to avoid my gaze. "We still have to pick a job, though. Anything stick out to you?"

Cosmo's attitude improved considerably out of nowhere. A piece of paper floated up from the floor and into my paws. "X-Ray Specs! Cosmo wants to try them on!"

Oswald: "Um... not that I can exactly read the listing, but what was the difficulty rating for that job again?" ^^;

I stared down at the parchment. This must be the same job he read out a few minutes ago. "Hey, Fenn-"

"Already on it."

Fenn reached into the bag around my shoulder and pulled out the dungeon guide, flipping to the section with Kelpsy Fields. He read it out. "K-Kelpsy Fields is an enigmatic dungeon of ten floors. The primary wildlife includes psychic types of varying challenge ratings. There are no specific entrances. E-easy to get lost the first time through. Proposed average difficulty: 'D' plus."

Fenn: "Pbbt, I could do this in my sleep! Only a total amateur would struggle with-!"
- Fenn looks back at his teammates -
Fenn: "Oh. Right."

Oswald: "Seriously, Fenn? I thought that you were going to lay off me here!" >.<

"'D' plus? Average?" I scoffed. "You're telling me we've been working off a letter grade system this whole time? And it's averaged? With our luck, we'll run into the strongest pokemon there. How is a dungeon full of psychic types a rank as low as 'D' anyways?"

Closing the book, Fenn shrugged. "Not sure...but I think we can handle it."

"I know you can handle it, Fenn. You're not at a disadvantage this time. I'm more worried about-" I tilted my head in Cosmo's direction, "-that one. This dungeon doesn't sound as easy as you think it is."

Oswald: "Look, I'm just saying. Maybe it's better to err on the side of caution with this one. Isn't there anything easier than this on the mission board?"
Cosmo: "Cosmo wants to catch the Tropius Outlaw-!" ^.^
Oswald: "Which is obviously not that mission." >_>;

Cosmo didn't associate the meaning with the action and stared at me out of the corner of my eye, confused.

"I-it's only one item, how hard could it be?" Fenn said nervously.

"Did the job posting mention which floor it's on?" I asked, handing the piece of paper to the Quilava.

He scanned it for a moment beforing simply answering with "no."

Yeeeeeeah, that sounds like a recipe for problems given that the listing very specifically mentioned that the Mystery Dungeon was easy for first-timers to get lost in.

Then difficulty isn't the issue. Ten floors means a lot of ground has to be covered to avoid missing such a small object. All the while, the dungeon will probably try to screw with me again, which is a given.

I absentmindedly peeled one of my scalchops off my hip then put it back just as quickly. "I'm not...opposed to the idea. Just...hesitant. Finding it is gonna be a hassle, so if we're really going through with this job then we should stock up on the necessary gear."

Small typo there. And inb4 the reward for this mission is the equivalent of like five bucks so there's no budget for stocking up on gear.

"Yep," Fenn agreed. "Th-there were some things that I wanted to get at Kecleon's now that we have a decent amount of money."

The Solosis sheepishly floated closer to the two of us. "So...we get to go to the store next?" he wondered, picking up on Fenn and I's conversation.

I replied, turning to the Solosis, "yes, we need to get the appropriate equipment to make sure this mission goes well. We'll head there next."

[ ]

"...After breakfast."

"Yes, after breakfast. Thank you, Fenn."

"Yay! Food!"

Feels like you missed an opportunity to drop in a funny little moment like having Oswald / Fenn's stomachs growl before the angle of breakfast came up or something like that.

Now in the cafeteria, Cosmo wasted no time letting us know how thrilled he was to be there. "Cosmo is hungry! Yay, food! Food food food!"

"You sure are excited. What kind of berries do you like, Cosmo?" I asked, sitting down at our regular spot.

One has to wonder how a Solosis even eats. What does having your food slide through a gelatinous bubble do to the taste? How much of his body is his stomach? Really makes you think.

Oswald: "... On second thought, I think that I don't want to think too hard about that since I don't know if I want to see food digesting inside of that bubble."

"Cosmo does not eat mortal food! Cosmo...devours the souls of his enemies! No pokemon can escape his psychic awesomeness!" Cosmo's eyes burned with an immense power!

I nodded frivolously. "Oh yeah, I eat the souls of my enemies all the time. Great flavor. Wouldn't you agree, Fenn?"

The Quilava blinked as he looked between Cosmo and I. Knowing Fenn, it'll probably take him a minute. His eyes rested on me. "S-souls?" he wondered aloud.

Fenn: "O-Oswald, he is just joking around, right?"

"Yeah," I responded, sarcasm dripping from my lips. "Souls. You remember that Kabutops soul we ate that one time? Mmm...scrumptious."

Fenn stared at me vacantly for a few more seconds before the corner of his lips curled into a smile. Now he gets it.

"I...I do actually," Fenn uttered. "I-it was really good...that one was really sweet, wasn't it?"

I swear, if Cosmo isn't joking about eating souls, the horrified reaction from these two is going to be priceless.

"Mmmmm, don't remind me! Dang! I could go for some souls right now! I wonder if they've got any on the menu today?"

[ ]

"Grebes always cooks up a good soul!" Fenn chimed in. "They're done just well enough every time! So good!"

"I KNOW! It's unreal how precise he is! A true master chef! Mwah~"

[ ]

"I-I could eat so many souls right now…ohhh, I wanna eat till I pass out…"

"Haha, you better watch your soul diet, Fenn! Don't wanna lose that lean form of yours, now do ya? Haha!" I winked.

This section of dialogue tripped me up at first since the earlier parts weren't obviously between Oswald and Fenn at first glance, that and it probably makes sense to describe a bit of the two's reactions and the like to sell the sense that they're joking around with each other a bit more.

Fenn...blushed…and lost his cool. "L-lean?" he stammered. "U-um…"

[ ]

I realized I might have taken this joke a bit too far. "W-wait, Fenn...what I meant was...um…"

Huh, I didn't realize that 'lean' would potentially be offensive to Pokémon, but it does make sense if they have a more animalistic framing, since 'lean' isn't that far away from 'runty' or 'weak' in terms of connotations.

Meanwhile, Cosmo looked on, completely nonplussed. "Cosmo...also likes Lum berries," he said.

"R-right," I blurted out. "I'll go get the food. Be right back!" I stood up from the table, doing my best to avoid eye contact and the burning sensation in my cheeks.

Fenn kept his head down, fidgeting with his paws uncomfortably.

Oswald: "F-For the record, you're totally not lean at all! You're, uh... girthy and well-fed!" ^^;
Fenn: "Oswald, seriously. Stop talking." >///<

Cosmo had no idea what just happened, but he shrugged it off. The adults were being weird like always! Food was on its way! Hooray!

The following meal was eaten in silence. I'll admit, it was entirely my fault.

But come on, Fenn is quite lean. That wasn't even me being flirtatious, it's true! I swear I'm not trying to make our relationship more awkward than it already is!

Oh well. We'll get over it eventually. We always do.

Oh, I didn't realize that the 'lean' part was supposed to be awkward in the flirty sense. It might have made sense to explicitly note in the earlier description about some sort of comparison between Fenn's blushing and him being flustered during more intimate moments like the morning or after that one ear scritch a few days ago.

Afterwards, the three of us went to Kecleon's.

Cosmo was ecstatic about all of the knick-knacks and rare items. He zoomed around the shop while Fenn and I talked to the shopkeep.

"This is so cool!" Cosmo exclaimed excitedly. "Is that a-" he gasped, "-a warp wand? Cosmo wants one!"

Cosmo:

Oswald: "Okay, on second thought, maybe it wasn't a good idea to bring a little, excitable kid along with us to do shopping." >_>;

"A-ah, please don't touch anything, young Solosis!" the shopkeep cried. "Those aren't toys!"

I waved him off. "It's fine, Kecleon. Cosmo is well behaved, he won't break anything."

"Ooh! A One-Shot Orb!"

Whelp, I can already tell that Team Lavender are going to be very, very broke by the time they leave this shop. :V

[ ]

"Could you keep an eye on him, please?" The Kecleon sighed. "I knew I should've kept that sign up…"

"Oh, sure," I chuckled and looked over at the Quilava peeking out from behind me. "Fenn, could you look after Cosmo?"

"Hm? U-uh, I guess. H-hey, Cosmo, let's calm...no, put that down!" Fenn left me with the Kecleon to discuss what needed to be bought.

Might be worth dropping in some sort of paragraph of Oswald and Kecleon looking back to see Cosmo going full

over that One-Shot Orb or whatever and then getting nervous about what he's going to do.

"Sooooooo…" I careened my head back around to face the pokemon behind the counter.

He looked at me indignantly. "What is it you need?"

"A lot of things, actually. We've got a mission in Kelpsy Fields today."

"Kelpsy Fields…" he repeated thoughtfully, stroking his chin. "An odd one, that's for sure. Gave me trouble last time I was there. Best be on your toes."

Oswald:

Fenn: "Oswald, just hurry this up before Cosmo breaks something! We don't have that much money to spare!" >_>;

I nodded. "I can imagine. Speaking of, we're supposed to find a pair of X-Ray Specs? You wouldn't happen to have any I could look at in person, would you?"

Considering that I had never seen such an item, I wanted to know what we were looking for.

"Ah. Of course. Give me a moment." The shop owner fiddled with one of the display cases and picked out a pair of purple specs modeled after the features of a Venonat. He brought it back to the counter for me to look at. "Quite the intriguing artifact, don't you think? I doubt you'll have trouble recognizing it in the dungeon."

Huh. They really do look like that as of PMD DX. Noted then.

Oswald: "... Wait, why do they even call these 'X-Ray Specs'? I thought that was a Luxray thing, not a Venonat one."

There was another reason why I wanted to see the X-Ray Specs: I wanted to know if we could skip the job entirely by getting the required item through...other means. Not stealing, mind you; I wanted to see how much they'd be worth. Primarily because, well, the job listing only mentioned that we had to return the thing, it didn't say we had to get it from Kelpsy Fields.

"Yes...definitely...hmm. Just Curious, how much do these go for?"

"Eight thousand."

Nevermind.

Oh, I see that we're going with DX pricing here. And... yeah, I suppose that would explain why someone bothered to put up a listing for those things.

I briefly considered the prospect of swiping the specs while the chameleon wasn't looking, but ultimately surmised that that wouldn't be the greatest idea. He probably had some sort of security system installed. No way of getting out of this one.

Yeah, you're talking with said security system. Since there's a reason why nobody robs Kecleon in PMD settings, Oswald. >:V

"What else did you need?" The Kecleon wondered.

I tapped my fingers on the counter. "I was hoping you could help me with that, what with you being so experienced and familiar with the place."

"Ha!" he chuckled. "I've been there once, my good 'mon. I wouldn't call myself 'experienced,' but I understand what you mean. Have you considered investing in weapons?"

"Weapons?"

Wait, they have those in this setting?

He waved me over. "Follow me."

The two of us walked to the other side of the shop, where Fenn and Cosmo were currently bickering.

"What about this one?" Cosmo suggested.

"N-no, we don't need a mobile orb," Fenn chided. "We need to save our money for more useful equipment."

Oswald: "So, when you're talking 'weapons' here... uh... are we talking firearms, or...?" ^^;
Kecleon: "Fire-what, now?"
Oswald: "Nevermind, I'll just wait for you to show me."

The Solosis pouted. "But I wanna go through walls."

"No means no, Cosmo."

"Gentle-mon!" Kecleon approached Fenn from behind, catching him by surprise and causing his back to spark momentarily. "If you would be so kind as to make some room. Your acquaintance needs to survey the weapon selection."

Oswald: "... Wait, are these Orbs the weapons you're talking about, or...?" .-.

Fenn frantically stepped out of the way, nearly knocking down a display case to the floor. Thankfully, he caught it just in time.

"Careful!" the chameleon yelled. "You break it, you buy it!"

I frankly will be shocked if they manage to get out of this store without breaking something.

His ears drooped. Fenn ashamedly dragged himself to my side. Cosmo continued to bounce throughout the shop, keeping to himself. [ ]

"Now," the Kecleon started, "I trust that you, a Dewott, have some experience with deadly instruments?"

"...You could say that." I was about to reach for my scalchop, but I stopped myself.

Key in hand, the shop owner unlatched the glass case. He pulled out an iron spike and...a rock. He held them up. "How good is your throwing arm, Dewott?"

Wait, is this the display case that Fenn almost knocked over, or a different one? Since this mention of a 'glass case' kinda came very abruptly.

Oswald: "... A rock and an iron spike. Seriously? This is what you meant by 'weapons'?"

I stared at him with a vacant expression. "What?"

"Your throwing arm. How good is it?"

My eyes drifted to the stone in his hand. I blinked slowly. "That's a rock," I stated.

"A Gravelerock."

Oswald: "Gee, why don't you just sell me an apple to throw at this rate?" >_>;

I blinked a second time. "You're selling me a rock."

"Wh...yes. I am selling you a rock. A rock for throwing."

[ ]

"Kecleon, I don't know what kind of trick you're trying to pull, but I'm not buying a damn rock."

I snerked at this bit. Though it might be funnier to also throw in a bit where Oswald gets a bit

in his reactions or internal thoughts before speaking up again.

He sighed and placed the objects back in the container before pulling out another spike—this one pink and white. "This is a Corsola Twig," he said. "Strong and very sharp. Plucked from the back of a healthy Corsola. I recommend it for a bipedal pokemon like yourself."

Oh, so Pokémon regularly go full Monster Hunter on the ferals they kill off in this story, huh?

"...I fail to see how this is better than a metal stick and a rock."

"Like I said, they are quite sharp. Even the hardiest dragon type with their scales as impenetrable as steel cannot stand a chance."

[ ]

"What about actual steel types?"

"Yes. More or less."

[ ]

"How much are they?"

"Eighty poké a piece."

Some more suggestions for stuff to interleave with this dialogue here. Especially if there's more antics going on with Fenn and Cosmo in the background.

Jeez. That's steep. How much money do we have again? I glanced at Fenn for his opinion.

He shrugged. Fenn didn't have anything to say.

Well, alright then. Wouldn't hurt to take some backup just in case. And...if I'm being honest, I don't know if I trust myself with my scalchops. I just don't think I'm all that good at using them. Maybe I could do better with these twigs? "I'll take five."

Whelp, that's 400 Poké that those three are never going to see again. ^^;

Kecleon nodded. "A wise choice. I use them often myself. You won't be disappointed."

"Right." Suddenly, I felt a tugging on my thigh. I looked down to see Fenn peering up at me, his expression one of anguish. "Hm? What's up, Fenn? You look anxious."

The Quilava shot a glance at the Kecleon and motioned for me to get closer.

I kneeled down to his level. "Yeah?"

"C-could you ask him about Reviver Seeds?" Fenn whispered in a voice that was barely audible.

"Reviver Seeds? Uh, sure." I stood up and faced the Kecleon. "Do you have any 'Reviver Seeds?'"

Oswald: "(Wait, Fenn, why are you being this quie-? Oh my god, Cosmo ate one of the ones on display, didn't he?)"

The eyes of the reptile lit up after I asked my question. "Reviver Seeds!" he exclaimed. "You're in luck—a new shipment just came in! Come, this way!"

Kecleon led us to the other side of the shop. More glass cases lined the wall, displaying many seeds of various types, all of which seemed very distinct and mystical.

But then, Kecleon, unlocking the case that held the seed I was asking for, pulled out the blandest one of them all.

The little doodad was small enough to fit between Kecleon's fingertips; it was unremarkable. He held it up for me to see. "Have you ever seen a Reviver Seed in person, Dewott?" Kecleon asked.

Dewott: "I mean, now I have, I guess?" ^^;
Kecleon: "Right, I suppose I should give a tutorial, then..."

I squinted in an attempt to better see the item. "I've definitely seen a seed before and, boy, is that a seed," I said impassively. "What's so special about it?"

"Oh! You've not even heard of them before?"

Didn't Anemone mention these at some point? What did she say about them? "...I might have. What do they do?"

Kecleon: "I'm sorry, but did you say that you worked in the guild? How on earth have you not died yet?" o_ó;
Oswald: "I'm... honestly not fully sure myself sometimes."

He twiddled the small object in his fingers, its bland surface lightly gleaming from the light of nearby lamps. "Reviver Seeds are very rare and powerful oddities. I would wager that they are the most valuable commodity for any dungeon diver. They are both my most sought after product, and incredibly scarce."

I raised an eyebrow. "It looks pretty plain to me. I don't get it."

Kecleon smirked. "It looks so unassuming because we are not within a dungeon at the moment. If we were, you would see just how incredible it truly is."

Oswald: "... Okay, you know what? I'm just going to go and find a handbook to look this stuff up-" >_>;
Fenn: "You're illiterate, Oswald."
Oswald: "... Right, I remembered that." ._.;

"...You still haven't answered my question. What does it do?"

The chameleon paused, his smirk widening to a full knowing smile. "My good Dewott, what can't it do?"

"What?"

[ ]

"Broken bones…any known or unknown disease...a permanent disfigurement...all can be healed thanks to this one seed…"

[ ]

"Not even death is incurable when one possesses a Reviver Seed."

Oh, so Reviver Seeds straight up rez the 'mon that it's used on... assuming that it's done in a Mystery Dungeon, anyways. Though that suddenly makes me really

about what the future holds for Team Lavender given that the plot technically has a lot of leeway to really, really mess up the party without derailing the story.

I glared at the shop keeper in suspicion. "You're joking, right?" I didn't believe any of it. "Is this an elaborate ruse to get me to buy worthless, stale seed?"

"Not a ruse," he told me. "A Reviver Seed's main purpose is to bring one back to the plains of consciousness in the event that the holder loses it." He narrowed his eyes. "Even if that means reversing death itself."

[ ]

"You're...no. That's ridiculous," I stated. "Death is death; a seed of all things can't change that."

"It is the truth. Though I suppose the only way to know is to see it for yourself."

Oswald: "I'm... gonna take a really hard pass on trying that out, thanks."

Though wait, why is Oswald not asking Fenn to verify whether or not Kecleon's full of crap here? Since Fenn is the 'mon with dungeoneering experience.

I scowled. What kind of nonsense…?

I was about to tell this scam artist off some more—maybe leave right then and there because it's obvious we were being hoodwinked, but then I felt a tugging on my thigh again. I looked down and met eyes with Fenn.

His expression was dead serious; his resolve was apparent. Fenn believed every word. That, or he already knew all of this. One thing is for certain: he nodded very slowly as if to tell me that Kecleon was correct.

But if Kecleon is correct, then that means…

Oswald: "I'm sorry, but what the actual hell?! Seeds that bring people back to life?! I just- How?!"

"How do they work? The Reviver Seeds, I mean." I wasn't willing to accept whatever this guy had to say just yet. I wanted to hear how plausible his explanation was.

"Well," Kecleon began, "the true reason is still up for debate, but the most common theory I've heard is that, when a pokemon dies, their spirit leaves their body." He held up the tiny object. "The Reviver Seed acts as a sort of conduit to allow the spirit a safe passage back as well as a protective shield. Once the power is released, the seed returns to a plain state."

... Oh so we are going to see party members die at some point in this story. Lovely.

"So...the seed is more like a vessel for...whatever power it's holding?" I asked.

Kecleon nodded. "Yes, I believe so."

"But how does it...fix the previous injuries?"

The Kecleon stroked his chin in thought. "I'm not entirely sure how, but I had once heard the explanation that when a body and a spirit connect, the body returns to its initial form of the current age." He shrugged. "Or something of that nature. Like I said, I don't quite know. Reviver Seeds are an enigma."

TL/DR:

"How are they even made? Don't tell me you just find them lying around."

"Ha," he chuckled lightly. "You are well within your right to be suspicious. Not many know of the creation process of relics such as these." He cleared his throat. "To put it simply, they can be grown, and found, in mystery dungeons and only in mystery dungeons."

"...What?"

I mean, they did need some way of being balanced in-story so that way people didn't just casually use these to rez every little kid that slipped and fell off the parapets of Kebia Castle...

"Yes, indeed, Reviver Seeds are so rare because the task of acquiring them is laborious and very frustrating. It is all luck, really. I have never found one when I actively search for them. And don't get me started on how irritating growing them can be. Expecting the dungeon to cooperate can be quite painful."

That's...okay, I need to get my facts straight. With all I've seen so far, magical seeds capable of reversing death isn't that egregious of a concept. The fact that they existed was odd, but I wasn't in any sort of position to dispute something as stupid as this.

No, you should be a lot more worried about this, Oswald. Especially given that these things are regularly stocked. Implying that on-the-job-deaths are higher than what's officially reported in and around the Kebia Guild.

And now to ask the question I need the actual answer for.

"How much are they?"

Grimacing, Kecleon looked us over a couple times. "Prices fluctuate often," he told us, "but normally they range from 20,000 poké to 50,000 poké depending on available stock."

Holy shit.

Oswald: "Wait just a damn minute, no they're not. They're worth between 220 and 800 Poké depending on what game you buy them in-"

Kecleon: "Kiddo, this isn't a game. This is real life in Pamtre. And you'll be really hard pressed to find anyone who will beat a price of 20,000 Poké for one."

I heard something hit the floor just then. Looking down, Fenn was staring at the Kecleon with eyes wide, mouth agape. He had dropped the writing utensil he had been holding.

I turned my head back to the shopkeep. "Um...nevermind," I mumbled. "We don't have that kind of money."

Kecleon nodded understandably. "Very few do. Will there be anything else?"

"Uh-"

Cue Cosmo breaking something from Kecleon's inventory in 3... 2...

I was interrupted by my thigh being tugged on once more. Fenn was trying to get my attention. He held a small piece of paper covered in scribbles in front of my face. "What's this?" I asked him.

"G-grocery list," the Quilava said quietly.

"Grocery list? Oh, right!" I handed the paper to the Kecleon. "Here."

Oswald: "... Wait, why didn't we just give this to Kecleon right away and then get Cosmo out of his shop?" >_>;

He scanned it for a few moments. "Ah, yes, of course. Let me-"

There was a crashing sound behind us. We all swung our heads to see Cosmo floating above a toppled rack of trinkets. "Cosmo didn't do it!" the Solosis yelled, clearly guilty.

I could feel Kecleon tearing me apart with his eyes. We had forgotten to watch Cosmo.

"Uh...we'll pick that up."

I mean, at least Cosmo didn't break anything? Maybe?

The trip to Kelpsy Fields took us the better part of three hours. It wasn't far, no, it was just hard to find.

Heading to the east this time, the land here was flat and consisted of more pokemon-made roads and structures. Fenn explained to me that most large settlements on this continent occupied the eastern side since that's where the most of the trading happened. The pleasant climate was also a factor, but even that was variable.

I'm surprised that they covered that much ground in just three hours by walking. Unless if they're already in the east and they're getting views from a bluff or something.

Kebia had been moderately cool the whole time I had been here. I didn't mind much; I prefer the cold over the heat any day. To the east, however, the temperature was warmer and the skies were clearer. That said, the atmosphere was generally more melancholic out here in the wild, what with the warm winds and the light browns adorning the tall grass in the meadows we walked through. The sky was clear and a bright blue.

There were a lot of meadows. And fields. Fields, fields, and the occasional town or outpost. Not much to talk about.

I take it that the setting has lost quite a bit of its novelty already for Oswald there, since I admittedly wasn't expecting him to just "meh" the presence of fields and towns all around.

The scenery that is. The three of us talked quite a bit, actually.

"S-so, why did you buy those spikes, Oswald?" Fenn wondered as we continued our journey. "Don't you already have weapons of your own?"

"Hmm…" I pondered Fenn's question. "I suppose so, but I am sort of worried that I'd lose them. Plus, I wanna try these out. Maybe I'm better at throwing than slicing? It's not like I'm a pro with my scalchops anyways."

I mean, it's not exactly financialy sustainable long-term, but given that he almost lost one of his scalchops once...

Fenn: "Wait, but I thought that those grew back canonically if they got lost or broken."

Oswald: "Yeah, but I have no idea how long that would take if I had to grow new ones, so..."

I wasn't being completely disingenuous. Learning how to use my scalchops was exciting and something I was genuinely interested in figuring out. But...I didn't know anymore. Not after Swift and everything with Anemone. What was the point? At least with these spikes, I would be on common ground with anybody else who would use them. I wasn't an expert, but I also wasn't expected to be one. The scalchops were a different story.

"...But your scalchops will grow back, won't they?"

I flinched. "They what?"

Oh, so we really are bringing that up in the story.

Oswald: "... Great, now I feel stupid." >.<

"Y-you know," Fenn said, "they'll grow back if you lose them. I never understood how it works, but I read somewhere that the bodies of pokemon with natural tools have a way of knowing if they get lo-"

[ ]

"Fenn?"

"H-huh?"

[ ]

"Please be quiet."

"O-oh. Okay…"

It might be worth showing more of Oswald's reaction / thought process here, especially if he's getting increasingly embarrassed or annoyed in live-time. Though now I wonder if Oswald can strategically set aside his scalchop for a few days at a time to just keep growing replacements and pull an Infinite Scalchop Works or something like that.

I didn't wanna hear anymore of that. Even if it meant being rude like I just was, knowing that the blades on my hips were a part of me made me physically ill. I had to stop him.

Oh my god. Why didn't I make this connection before? My body produces weapons. How does that work? Do they form under the skin and pop out when they're done? Blegh. Ugh. Just thinking about that makes me nauseous. Now I'm definitely not using my scalchops after knowing that.

Watch as he gets forced to do that in not even a chapter after this. Though I can already hear Oswald dry heaving in live time.

I rubbed my temples and tried to get my mind off the disgusting images in my head. I looked ahead at the Solosis jauntily bouncing in midair.

I can think about Cosmo, that'll get my mind off of it.

That's... not something that's necessarily an upgrade depending on whatever happened to those berries Cosmo ate earlier in the day. ^^;

The little guy led the way so that Fenn and I could keep an eye on him. He'd caused quite a bit of trouble for us so far, though not as much as I would've expected. Cosmo was shockingly obedient for a kid his age; listened to the two of us without question. It may not have seemed like it at first, but he was very conscious of what was going on around him. He shuts up when we're having a conversation that doesn't involve him, listens when we do, and doesn't complain often.

You would think that such a young kid would go on and on about being tired or hungry, but no, Cosmo doesn't do any of that. Almost to a fault if I was being honest. When I asked him how he was doing, only then did he say that he was really tired and needed to rest. Makes me wonder how he got that way…

I'm... not sure if I want to know, but I'm sure that the story is going to tell us at some point and it's going to be really, really

to hear.

Fenn had actually been the one to suggest that Cosmo lead the way. Imagine my shock when I found out that Fenn worked surprisingly well with the kid. I was worried that he might be timid like he always was and have a hard time keeping Cosmo under control, but no, Fenn slipped right into the role of "surrogate dad."

Does that make me the other dad? I hope not. Like I said, I'm not much of a role model.

"...Are we there yet?" Fenn tiredly asked. "This shouldn't...be taking this long."

[ ]

"That's the thing," I replied, map in my paws, "we should already be there. We already passed by all of the landmarks..."

"I haven't seen any fog...have you?"

I shook my head. "Not even a little."

Oh, well that's ominous. I wonder if they already entered the Mystery Dungeon somehow.

Fenn sighed and eyed the psychic bubble pokemon in front of us. "Y-you think he'll be able to handle it?" Fenn asked me softly. "I-I know it's kinda too late to ask...but...I have my d-doubts."

Yeah, no kidding. I shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't know, why don't you ask him?"

Fenn shot me a glare out of the corner of his eye. "You already know what his response would be, Oswald. He's not great at telling us how he's feeling."

No, Cosmo's really great at that, it's just that he's kinda delusional about his competence and abilities. ^^;

"We've only known him for a day, Fenn."

"...Still."

I didn't disagree with the sentiment. I was the one worried earlier and I didn't stop us from going through with this. I didn't understand why Fenn was so concerned all of a sudden either. Up until today, I would've assumed he had no reason to care. Maybe I was just feeling bitter, I don't know. Either way, I felt like humoring myself for a bit.

Oswald: "... Also, why on earth did you wait until now to bring this up of all times?" >.<

I called out to the Solosis. "Hey, Cosmo! Think you can handle this dungeon?"

"Of course!" he shouted. "Cosmo is the greatest psychic type in the whole world! Evil-doers don't stand a chance! Cosmo is amazing! Absol-utely so! Haha!"

Fenn snickered beside me.

"Don't encourage him," I glowered, cutting him off. "That one wasn't even structured like a joke."

Fenn stammered. "D-wh...puns are funny!"

"Puns are not funny."

Fenn:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNHooTszyW4

"Seriously, Oswald? What on earth is wrong with you? They're hilarious!"

The Quilava pursed his lips. "Oh, what would you know? You haven't got a single funny bone in your body!"

I acted surprised at that comment. "Excuse me? I absolutely have a funny bone! But what about you? All you've got is funny bones! You practically have a funny skeleton!"

[ ]

"Hehe! I sure do!" Fenn stuck his tongue out at me.

I smiled. Haha! This is fun! I like it when we get all playful like this.

inb4 something comes to ruin the moment in 3... 2...

"Ha! Yeah, I-"

My eyes had just drifted back to the fields in front of us. Within the span of our non serious conversation, we had walked through a pasture of tall grass. The grass was pulled back and we were now in a patch of significantly shorter grass.

I froze. Fenn froze. The happy-go-lucky mood was sucked right out of the air and all that was left was an icy cold feeling of dread.

My heart dropped.

Yeah, I had a feeling there.

Not far ahead of us, perfectly placed in the middle of the clearing, was the source of our dread:

A pure white marble staircase. Topped with a deep, dark portal...

Okay, so there's a lot of lines on the AO3 version of this story that are basically an ellipses and nothing else which I'm not fully sure need to exist, since the scene works fine with them stripped out and only minimal alterations. (The "Topped with [...]" line can further be left alone, but I thought it was neater attached to the marble staircase line).

Meh, food for thought, at least.

Alright, and got to the end of this. Altogether, I think it's a pretty good chapter, with the character dynamics being the main star of the show to keep things going. Oswald and Fenn get to grow a bit closer, we get to see a bit more of Cosmo and how he ticks, and get some worldbuilding through the team jaunt to the Kecleon Shop that seems to have some ominous foreshadowing of where this story might go in the future.

I did notice a bit of a recurring issue with sections that seemed like they'd benefit from slowing down a bit more to show more of either the surroundings, how things played out, or the inner workings of the characters. There were also a few spots where the verb tenses of the narration felt a bit inconsistent, which in most cases should be all-or-nothing for present or past tense.

But in the end, I don't think those quibbles got in the way of things too much @SnapDragon . This story still has a charm to it and I'm reminded why people always seem to say nice things about it.

Dunno whether or not you found this review’s format to your liking, but I had a good time with this chapter, and am hoping to get a bit deeper into your story later this year.

 

[SnapDragon]

Chapter 4 - Day 2, Part 1: A Cry for Help ​

Fenn had mixed feelings about his job.

On one hand, cleaning the floors of Kebia Castle was monotonous and unfulfilling; no pokemon here respected his work. He would spend hours scrubbing the floors of one level, only for that floor to be just as dirty the next day. It was like he was invisible to the rest of the guild's population.

It wasn't all bad, though. Cleaning paid well. Or at least, well enough for someone who rarely left the castle and didn't have much to spend on. Unlike yesterday that is, when Fenn felt like treating himself to a pecha smoothie at the cafe in town.

He was unsure if that was one of the best or one of the worst decisions he had ever made.

The Dewott he had met was strange. Fenn had bumped into pokemon before and the outcome was never anything more than an apology or a mean look. But Fenn somehow managed to run into Oswald twice in one day at two separate locations. That was weird enough on its own, but then the Dewott went and said that he wanted Fenn to join his team? And he already had a place of his own?

Fenn was envious. He was convinced that he'd never move out of the staff dorms, but this Dewott shows up out of nowhere and gets a room to himself? What was up with that?

Although, admittedly, Fenn not having a room and a team to call his own was his own fault. With the way he was now, there was no way he could form a team. Anemone realized this and was convinced that he'd be a liability. So, she directed him to Calluna and then he became a janitor.

Fenn played Oswald's proposal in his head as he cleaned the steps of the east end stairs. It was just as frustrating then as it always was. He'd finish one end of the stairs, then a pokemon would show up, track dirt, and ruin his progress. That gave him more time to think, though; he was stuck in his own head, going over scenarios of what would happen if he said yes or no to joining that Dewott's team.

He wanted to say yes. Forming a team and being a proper part of the guild was why he came to the castle two months ago, after all. Exploring dungeons, finding treasure, being recognized for his work...it all sounded appealing. It was what...his grandfather would've wanted. But if he saw Fenn now…

He didn't want to think about that. The shame was already overwhelming, and what was worse was that he had no way to fix it at this point. Because fixing it would mean having to confront Anemone again...and talking to other pokemon and...

I can't, Fenn thought. I'm not cut out for guild work. Anemone said so herself.

"Just go home, Fenrir," she had told him. "If you can't even look your own parents in the eyes and say no, then you can't be an explorer."

Fenn cried a lot that day. Not because her words hurt, but because he knew she was right.

I don't even know Oswald anyway, Fenn thought. Just because we ran into each other twice in one day doesn't mean we're familiar enough to form a team.

Fenn shook his head. He was just going to have to turn Oswald down. As much as he wanted to join his team, Fenn was convinced that nothing good would come of it. Not even the privacy that came with staying in a separate room.

It took Fenn an hour to finish this particular staircase. By the end of it, the steps were completely clean. He stood there holding the mop and examining his work from the top step. He was about to leave for his next cleaning spot when he spotted a pokemon staring at him from the bottom of the stairs. A water pokemon with long tied up bright blue hair, a long fish-like tail, and a snout topped off with a round pink nose.

It was a Primarina. Marigold, to be precise.

"Hey Fenn!" she called, waving a fin in the air.

"M-Marigold?" Fenn greeted while stepping down the stairs and dropping his mop. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you, Fenn!" she exclaimed, throwing her fins up in the air and shooting him a wide grin.

Fenn was perplexed. Marigold was always friendly when they shared the few words they did when they spoke to each other. She even made the extra effort to remember his name. But then again, she did that with everyone. So for Marigold to go out of her way to find him piqued his curiosity.

"Me? What for?"

"Well, I haven't seen you for a while for one thing," she said. "I always liked the way you speak and how little you have to say. Really makes you stand out to me, ironically." She shook her head. "But that's not what I'm here to tell you. I was doing my normal morning rounds, you know, getting breakfast, talking to the regulars, doing vocal practices, and checking the board for any news I missed..."

Marigold paused for effect. Fenn kept silent, listening intently.

"...When I noticed a job posting that stuck out to me." She inched closer to Fenn, lowering herself closer to his eye level. "A job asking for you in particular, from a certain 'family of Typhlosion.'"

Fenn's stomach dropped. No, it can't be…

"Are...are you sure you didn't r-read it wrong?" Fenn mumbled.

"I know what I saw, Fenn," she said in a whisper. "And believe me, I know I'm getting old, but my eyes are still sharp." Her eyes narrowed. "You should probably go see it for yourself."

Fenn didn't need to hear anymore. He did need to go see for himself.

"Th-thanks, Marigold! I'll see you around!" he shouted halfway down the hall.

"You too!" she shouted back. "Come and see me sometime! Oh! And I'll clean up here, don't worry!"

Fenn sped through the halls of the castle at speeds he didn't think he was capable of. Onlookers might've assumed he was using Quick Attack—and he almost was—but using moves in the castle was against the rules.

He weaved out of the way of other pokemon on his way down two flights of stairs until he found himself on the floor where most pokemon lived. The lounge area, a sizable room meant to give pokemon a place to relax and converse, housed one of the many bulletin boards throughout the castle. Fenn rushed up to it, panting and wheezing, not caring who saw him.

He frantically scanned the board, heart beating fast in his chest. And for each second he didn't find the listing, his heartbeat quickened.

And then he saw it. A few sparks popped out of the heat vents on his head.

On the upper right corner of the bulletin board was a job listing. Written on this job listing was what Fenn hoped not to see. He had hoped, against all odds, that Marigold was lying to him, that she really did read it wrong. But Fenn knew now that that wasn't the case.

Job: Rescue Clary (Cyndaquil) from Figy Forest. She got lost and can't find her way back

Reward: 100 poké

Requested by: Family of Typhlosion from Nanab Town

Special Demands: This Job Listing is Intended for Fenn/Fenrir of Nanab Town​

Fenn read the job listing again. And again. And again. His sister came home? Since when? He couldn't believe that any of it was real, but he knew in his heart that it couldn't be anything but.

His sister being reckless, his parents being as cheap as always, and even his full name on display for everyone to see. All of it rang true of what he was all too familiar with when it came to his family.

How could they? he seethed. How could they not respect my time? How could they be so reckless? How could they...how could they…

Fenn's frustration promptly turned into misery. The Quilava couldn't blame his parents for being who they were. For all they knew, Fenn was an accomplished explorer with two months of experience. Not a janitor. A chilling cold shook his spine as he realized that he had managed to dig himself into a hole with no way out.

He couldn't just give up and tell his parents the truth! They'd practically disown him! And he couldn't even ignore the job either. Clary was in danger and there was no one that could do the job but him. If another team does do the job then his parents would want to know why he wasn't there.

The Quilava didn't know what to do. This whole situation made him feel like he was trapped in a cage he set himself, and he was on the verge of tears from the stress. He sighed shakily. I don't have any good options. I...need to get help, and fast.

The cold, icy feeling only persisted as Fenn conceded. Someone else would need to save Clary. Not him. I'm...I just...what kind of warrior even am I…?

A painful swallow followed his decision, and the Quilava rushed out of the room en route to the front desk. They'll know what to do. They'll assign another team with the job and I'll hide in the dorms until this all boils over. I won't have to worry. I won't have to confront anyone about anyth-

"Oof! Ah!"

Fenn crashed into something, or someone on his way to the stairs. Falling onto his back in a daze, he let out a groan as he sat back up. He was about to apologize and keep going when he saw who he ran into.

For the third time, it was Oswald.

---

Oo-oO​

"I really hope this doesn't become a recurring issue between us, Fenn."

I rubbed the back of my aching head and stared back at the wide eyed Quilava in front of me. Needless to say, I wasn't planning on seeing Fenn until later in the day, after enough time had passed for him to make up his mind. To be honest, I was fully expecting to be turned down. I mean, I would've turned me down.

After I left the cafeteria yesterday I got lost in the castle halls for two hours trying to find my room. Anemone was not wrong in her assumptions of me: I have a terrible sense of direction. At least I got to look around for a while; this castle was a really nice place. And thankfully, I found the room and managed to get to bed without any other issues.

That problem was solved, but what about what I had planned to do today? My main goal was just to wait until dinner. After breakfast I sat in my room for a bit then got bored. So then I decided to explore, and familiarize myself with my new home a bit more.

I didn't get far. Sometime later, I ran into Fenn. Literally. Again.

Unlike the other two times, however, Fenn seemed to actually be in a rush to get somewhere. He didn't respond to my remark at first. In fact, he seemed speechless. Sounds escaped his mouth but no words formed.

"What's going on, Fenn?" I asked, standing up. "You look really...um...distressed."

Fenn stood up quickly, his eyes darting around as his body shook. "O-Oswald, listen...um..." He paused, frantically peering down at the paper in his paws. "There's s-someplace I need to be. I'll...be back later." Before I had the chance to argue, he rushed past me, sped down the stairs-

-and tripped.

"Ahh- ahhh!" Fenn yelled as he tumbled down the last few steps, landing upside down against the wall. The Quilava groaned in pain before sliding off the wall and landing on his side.

Yowch! That looked like it hurt. I rushed down the stairs after him. "Fenn! Are you alri- WHOA!"

I tripped too. Careening forward, I fell on my shoulder and rolled on the ground until I landed a few inches from Fenn's face. I held my shoulder and sucked air in through my teeth. It hurt, but it was nothing substantial...I think. Regardless, I opened my eyes to see Fenn looking right back at me, most likely in just as much pain.

"Ow, uh...you alright, Fenn?"

Fenn stared at me in silence for a few seconds before slowly rising to his feet. "Y...yeah," he whispered, holding his back and gritting his teeth. "Just...just a little dazed, that's all."

"That's good," I smiled while rising up to my feet as well. "Now, can you please tell me...why you're in such a hurry."

Fenn looked away from me and rubbed his shoulder. "I..." He grimaced. "It's...it's nothing you need to worry about."

I scoffed, still clutching my shoulder as well. "I'm sorry, Fenn, but I kinda doubt that. Can't you just tell me?"

He was silent again, looking at anything but me. Eventually, Fenn looked down at a crumpled piece of paper in his paw. Miraculously, it hadn't flown out of his paw when he fell; he was clutching it pretty hard.

That paper must be the reason, I thought. Whatever it says must've upset him. I just...really wish I could actually read...

Fenn then sighed heavily after a bit. "M-my sister," he muttered. "She's in trouble...and...I don't know what to do…"

Oh, that's it. It's personal. "What kind of trouble?"

Fenn turned to look at me. There was a shred of hopelessness in his eyes, like he was pleading with me to help him. "She's...trapped in a mystery dungeon," he said quietly, "and I...can't...ngh." He shook his head and rubbed his arm faster.

I frowned. At this point, I still didn't know what a mystery dungeon was. Dahlia didn't even bother telling me, so I had no frame of reference for a situation like this. But it sounded serious.

"We should get help, Fenn. Come on." I moved to the other set of steps on the staircase.

"Wait!" Fenn cried. He stopped me by grabbing my arm. "I-it's not that s-simple. I...I...I just..." He shook his head frantically. "P-please...it's none of your business. Just let it go…"

None of my business? What? I had no idea what was going on. What I did know was that Fenn was saying his sister was in trouble, he can't save her…but he also can't ask for help? And I couldn't help for some reason?

I'm not a heroic person. Or at least, I'm pretty sure I'm not. I think I would've done a bit more for myself if I was. And I mean, it wasn't like I could even defend myself. And even if I could, I had only known Fenn for a day. No, less than that.

But...I wanted to help him. Not just because I need him for later, but because I felt...compelled to. I wanted to know what his deal was. I wanted to prove that I could help. And...yeah, He deserved to be helped.

He's kept up with my nonsense so far, so that's worth something!

I decided: I was going to help Fenn save his sister, whether he wanted me to or not.

"Fenn," I said with a determined look in my eyes. The fire type looked at me and stopped rubbing his arm. "Let me help you. Let's save your sister together." A slight smile formed on my lips.

The Quilava's eyes widened. "Help…me?" He shook his head, a couple sparks popping out of his forehead. "O-Oswald...I know I said that I would consider the whole team thing, but-"

"This has nothing to do with that. You can decline me later if you want. You deserve the help, that's all. So let me."

There was a short period of silence as he looked me in the eyes. His expression didn't change from pure bewilderment. To prove my point, I kept my eyes trained on his, trying my best to communicate that I was being completely serious.

In all honesty, I had my doubts. Many, many doubts. But...Fenn needed me, and I needed to make myself useful.

"I don't...okay..." he whispered after some time. "She's trapped in Figy Forest."

"Figy Forest, got it...how far is that from here?"

"About an hour's walk...near Nanab Town."

"Great! Let's hurry!"

Fenn nodded and led the way down the stairs.

We made it outside the castle and out of the town square in less than a few minutes. Fenn was in a rush, zigzagging past other pokemon without much care.

He's pretty impatient, I thought. I can see why we've run into each other so much. I struggled to keep up, mostly on account that I walked on two legs and Fenn ran on four. I didn't mind that Fenn led the way since I had no idea where Figy Forest was, but I wished he would slow down some.

Thankfully, Fenn waited for me at the outskirts of town, around where the houses started. I stopped to catch my breath, bending over and panting harshly.

"S-sorry, Oswald," Fenn apologized. "I-I was really worried and...we can walk from here."

"Oh no, don't slow down on my account," I wheezed. "Just...okay yeah, let's slow down."

Fenn pointed to the trees behind him. "This way." He turned and walked toward them, slower this time. I followed suit, still moderately fatigued.

Fenn and I walked through the forest in silence. Neither of us had much to say despite our circumstances. Unfortunate because I felt as though I should have had a lot of questions. Every time I would turn to face Fenn, his eyes would be set forward, unwavering.

I'm sure I'll figure out what his deal is eventually.

The forest we were in was the same one that I traversed with Team Phlox yesterday. Hardwood trees towered over me and made me feel intensely small. Not a new feeling, I realized; I must have been around them a lot as a human.

The thick cover of leaves above cast the dirt path in shadow, and the sun shone through gaps in the foliage, giving way to occasional spots of light on the ground. I peered up at the sky, squinting when the warm rays met my face. Another familiar feeling—was my old life that much different? I mulled over it as I walked.

Why are my memories so...scattered? It made no sense to me how I could remember both humans and pokemon but not my own face. Or my hair. Or my eye color. Or what clothes I used to wear.

I looked down at my (now) paws. Only three fingers, no thumb. I could see images of hands in my mind. So dexterous. So flexible. Are any of them mine?

I frowned deeply and let my arms fall to my sides. The more I thought about my human side, the more my stomach sank. I had to stop; there were more important things to think about right now. Like what would happen when Fenn finds his sister and goes back to the castle. That was implying all of this would go well at all. I didn't want to be there if it turned out his sister wasn't alive. Or if we couldn't get through this "mystery" dungeon and end up getting killed somehow.

Wait...isn't it a forest? Why…

You know what, whatever.

I resigned myself to stop thinking and started counting trees as we passed them.

After a long and uneventful walk, Fenn and I left the confines of the forest path and ended up in an open, grassy plain. The wind swept through the unkempt grass and weeds ahead of us. Miles and miles of green, with the occasional lavender and sunflower sprinkled about. In the distance, I could see structures not too dissimilar to the houses outside of Kebia banked by more trees. Even farther in the distance, mountains kissed the clouds in the sky.

"We're almost there," Fenn said suddenly. "Figy forest is just behind- oh!"

My gaze was torn away from the houses in the distance and fell back on Fenn. "What is it?" I asked.

"N-nothing," Fenn uttered. "It's just...Lavender started growing here."

I looked over at the patch of purple flowers atop long green stems a bit farther into the grass. Fenn hopped over to them and took a few stems into his paws, giving it a long, thoughtful sniff. "Ah…my neighbors grew them when I was a kid. I always loved the color and…their smell." He leaned down to sniff them once more, and there was a slight glow of happiness or even...longing in his eyes. "...They left, though." He frowned and the glow disappeared. "I haven't seen any since..."

Fenn stared down at the plants for a few more moments before he noticed me staring, after which he quickly composed himself. "S-sorry," he stuttered. "I got c-carried away. We should get going."

I smiled at his antics. "It's fine, Fenn. Maybe on our way back you can pick some and bring them back to the castle."

He smiled in return, but I could see that the longing in his eyes was only stronger now. "Yeah..." he trailed off quietly. He walked on towards the houses in the distance, avoiding eye contact again.

The lavender went back to swaying in the wind, as if nothing happened.

I sighed and followed Fenn, a breeze hitting my fur. We didn't say anything else until we were at the entrance of Nanab Town.

Nanab Town was much like Kebia's outskirts. It was mostly a congregation of wood cabins, but there was the occasional larger building. Most likely bars or shops. There were some pokemon about, though not many. This might've been a pretty lofty assumption on my part, but I presumed that the purpose of Nanab Town was to give home to some of the older pokemon that didn't need to work as much. It was separated from Kebia, but not too far. At the very least, it was definitely quiet enough to match that description.

"This is where you used to live, Fenn?" I asked. "It's very...quiet." Just like Fenn, actually.

"Heh." Fenn laughed. "Yeah...yeah I guess." He rubbed his arm and avoided my eyes. "Can we go to Figy Forest now? I-I don't want to be here long."

I raised an eyebrow at that. Now that I think about it, Fenn seems really uncomfortable. Maybe I should ask him what's wrong.

However,Fenn didn't give me the time to ask. He padded though the outer edge of town even slower than before, keeping an eye on his surroundings and darting his eyes at every sign of movement. I thought we were supposed to be in a hurry, I thought. Why are we sneaking around? Hm.

Naturally, I matched Fenn's pace and followed him. Maybe he knew something I didn't? Either way, it took longer than I would've liked, but we made it to the other side of town and faced a tree line.

There was something...off about the trees in front of me. They were uniform, creating a literal wall of bark and branches in the first row with gaps filled in by trees in the second row. The gaps I could see were pitch black, and I couldn't see inside at all.

The trees extended for miles to both my left and right, but it did end. Rather abruptly, actually. Imagining what the rest of this group of trees looked like from above, it was most likely like a box of trees. A dungeon…?

"Is this Figy Forest?" I wondered, frowning. "Why does it look so strange?"

Fenn gave me an odd look, as though he didn't understand what I was saying. "Yes. It's a mystery dungeon."

Yes, but what is it? "Have you been inside before, Fenn? What's it like?"

Fenn turned back to the forest and paused, deep in thought. There was something about the look in his eyes that concerned me. "...A few times," he said. "I wandered in once or twice when I was younger, kinda like how Clary probably did. It can be s-scary...but it's not so bad. There are worse dungeons, I think."

There are more of these places? What the hell?

"Then I guess...let's head in," I breathed.

Fenn pointed a paw to his left. "This way."

"This way to what?" I asked, genuinely confused.

"The entrance."

"We can just walk between these trees here. We're small enough."

Fenn shook his head. "Not with this one. You'll get kicked out."

I was puzzled. Kicked out? What the…

Nevertheless, I followed Fenn further down the bank of trees. Soon I found myself in front of an even stranger sight.

Like the cracked hole of a pristine vase, the wall of trees bent and contorted into a sort of archway acting as the forest entrance. The trunks twisted upon one another far above my head and gave passage. I couldn't see inside—it was pitch black, but I could hear strange noises coming from within. The chirping and clicking of bugs and birds could be heard, as well as...creaking and...moaning? Staring into the forest entrance...I couldn't see anything...but I could...feel the forest almost beckoning me into its loving arms...

And the abyss stares back…

Saying I was unnerved would be an understatement.

Next to the entrance was a sign. I couldn't read it.

Fenn said nothing. He simply walked into the darkness, resolute and ready for whatever this place had in store for him.

I, however, was not ready, so I stopped him. "Wait, Fenn!" I exclaimed, causing him to turn to me. "Are you sure it's safe?"

He didn't share my concern. "...I said I've been through here before. We'll be fine."

Fine? This is fine?

I was about to say more, and potentially hold off on going in for a bit longer, but Fenn turned back to the entrance before I could. He slipped into it, half of his body obscured by the darkness.

I felt like I was going insane, but I didn't have the time to think about that. Fenn was nearly all of the way in when I realized that I didn't want to be left alone out here. I followed him, grabbing hold of the darkness in front of me as if it were tangible.

It was. But it also wasn't. My entire body felt like it was being stretched and contorted. I screamed, yet I couldn't hear my own voice.

Everything went black. I was now thoroughly within Figy Forest.

 

[SnapDragon]

Chapter 5 - Day 2, Part 2: Lavender ​

Figy Forest: 1st Floor

"Ugh…"

The first thing I noticed was that I was on the ground, hugging the dirt. The second thing I noticed was Fenn standing on all fours in front of my face. He looked concerned. Or maybe he was confused? I wasn't sure.

My recent memories replayed in my head. I ran through it all with gritted teeth. We...left Kebia...ended up in Nanab...then entered Figy Forest. That last one felt especially distant, like it was a dream.

And as it turned out, that assessment was a lot more accurate than I thought.

"Are you...okay?" Fenn asked slowly.

I was definitely not okay; in fact, I felt awful. I made an effort to stand and nearly fell back onto the dirt, before Fenn caught and supported me. Incredibly disorientated, I didn't say anything. I just shot Fenn a thankful but pained look before taking in my surroundings.

And what I saw made my jaw drop.

That darkness we entered before...it had to have been a portal to another world. That was the only explanation I could think of. Figy 'Forest,' if you could even call it one, bent the laws of nature and shifted the laws of physics in seemingly every way possible. Much like the entrance, the trees twisted unnaturally into themselves. They coiled around each other to create walls, their branches sharp like thorns and their roots connected. I couldn't tell where any of them started or ended.

And those were just the trees actually within the dirt itself. Far above, broken branches, trunks, and roots hung in the sky. Wood lazily drifted in the air with no clear destination or direction. It was as if they were separated from the rest of the forest and had nowhere else to go. The universe didn't know where those trees were even supposed to be.

Fenn and I were in a clearing, surrounded by the wall of trees on every side. Above us was a dark, purple sky, acting as a ceiling to the madness. Clouds coiled around a white light, though it wasn't any moon I recognized. It looked like an all-seeing eye, staring down at us. Some of the clouds joined together to form an amalgamation of dark shapes, while others ended abruptly in a way that didn't make any sense.

I looked down, and the ground wasn't much different. The blades of the grass knotted together to create unwieldy abstract art. Meanwhile, the dirt was segmented into tiles. I saw swirls and squares and other shapes that had no place being in nature.

"What...what is this?" I whispered hoarsely. The air was cool and the wind brushed my fur lightly, but there was something about the wind that made me shiver, and occasionally I felt the wind passing right through me. From my whiskers, to my skin, to my muscles, to my bones, and even to the organs within—I could feel it all.

"I-it's always been like this," Fenn spoke quietly. "I've heard most other dungeons are similar. I don't know wh-"

It was all too…overwhelming. "Blegh…"

I couldn't hold it in any longer. All of it rushed into me at once and I vomited my breakfast into the dirt.

Fenn was at my side quickly and stroked my back while I sat down. "Have you n-never been in a mystery dungeon before, Oswald?" Fenn asked. "I-I remember having the same reaction the first time I came here..."

My simple answer was "No." Even if I couldn't remember what my past life was like, I knew for a fact that I had never seen anything like this. I had never felt anything like it either.

I stood up again with little trouble this time. The bile on my tongue made me wince, and I spit the rest of it out the best I could. I didn't want to be here anymore. "...Let's just get this over with," I said rigidly.

Fenn nodded. "It's only five floors. We should be able to find Clary...q-quickly."

I recoiled. "Floors?"

"Y-yeah. Knowing how these places work, Clary should be on the last floor. The staircase changes its location every time I come here, b-but the forest isn't that big and dad always told me to get to the last floor if I get stuck."

STAIRCASES?! I can accept everything else going on here, but STAIRCASES? This is still a forest, right?

Fenn's quills sparked out of his lower back slightly. "We should get moving. I-if we're lucky we won't have to deal with any ferals."

The word 'ferals' worried me, but it confirmed a thought I had earlier. Not every pokemon in this world was civil. I considered that when I saw that the pokemon in Kebia ate meat, and I wondered if eating other pokemon was humane...or whatever word a pokemon would use. I hoped that I wouldn't find the answer to that in this mystery dungeon.

The Quilava led the way again. I followed behind him quietly, occasionally fiddling with the scallops on my hips. It hadn't really occurred to me up to this point, but apparently they were weapons? Could I use them to fight? Are they like...swords?

As we walked, I peeled one off and swung it around in the air, causing a faint whooshing sound to follow. It was honestly...kind of fun. I envisioned myself as a skilled samurai, capable of cutting down anybody in my path. Slice! Cleave! The woven grass at my feet stood no chance!

I didn't really notice it at the time, but Fenn was probably looking back and watching as I was swinging the scallop around like an idiot. No doubt, I looked really stupid. He never said anything about it, though.

Eventually, he led me through a path in the trees to a corridor of sorts. The trees continued to form solid walls that I couldn't hope to squeeze through. When the corridor ended, the trees fanned into a clearing at a ninety degree angle on both my left and my right. The clearing in front of us was exceptionally similar to the one from before.

The only real difference was the solid white marble staircase smack dab in the center. It ascended a few steps before being topped off with a swirling black portal resting stationary in the air.

I acknowledge the fact that I shouldn't be surprised at this point, but my jaw hit the floor for the second time today.

Fenn sighed in relief. "...Okay, good. We got lucky."

I put my scallop back on my hip before saying, "Fenn, I have a question."

He turned to me. "Hm? W-what is it?"

"How do we get out of this place?"

The Quilava looked at me in confusion for a second before remembering my 'circumstances.' "W-we either get to the end and the dungeon lets us out, we get knocked unconscious and we get kicked out, or we use an Escape Orb." He smiled lightly. "Mystery dungeons are weird like that."

...Got it. I have no idea what an 'Escape Orb' is, but I doubt that matters right now.

We walked up to the staircase and stared up at the portal. It was much like the darkness at the start of the dungeon. A shiver went down my spine as it made noises I couldn't understand and it beckoned me with its eerie presence.

Fenn noticed. "D-do you...want to hold my paw so we don't get separated?"

That comment made me freeze up. "What?" I said.

The fire type rubbed the back of his head and giggled sheepishly. "...In retrospect, we should've done that at the start. W-we were lucky that this floor was so small and I found you so fast. it's...really easy to get separated in dungeons."

I frowned. Luck sure is a big factor in this journey so far, huh? I sighed and held out my arm, trying my best to ignore the awkwardness of it all. Fenn understood the gesture and took his paw in mine.

It was soft. I wouldn't have minded holding on for a while.

Without saying anything else, he led me up the stairs and into the portal. I closed my eyes, fully expecting a repeat of last time. And I was right; everything went black immediately. That was floor one.

Figy Forest: 2nd Floor

My vision returned to me soon after we stepped through the portal. Like the first time, we ended up in another clearing. The staircase was gone; Fenn and I simply materialized onto the next floor with no clear way back. This room was smaller than the last one, and I could see more than one path leading out.

Fenn let go of my paw, much to my displeasure. "S-see?" He smiled awkwardly. "It's not so bad."

Looking up, the sky was the same: purple with the familiar swirling dark clouds. Somehow, we were in the same forest. I...didn't really understand how that worked, but whatever. I walked to the center of the room to get a better look down the two paths available to us. I couldn't see far down either.

"Which way?" I asked.

"I-it doesn't really matter," Fenn said. "Either the staircase is down one of these paths or it isn't. There's no way to tell unless we look."

Well, that's annoying. How could a forest possibly be this random? This dungeon trek could take less than ten minutes if we're quick or hours if we're unlucky. I considered which path for a moment before choosing the right hand path.

"That one." I pointed with my right paw—my dominant paw.

Fenn nodded wordlessly and led the way. I followed.

Now, we were in another clearing—this one larger than the last. Walking farther in, I looked all around me, and quickly noticed that there was no path in the trees aside from the one we just came out of. Just more dirt and grass. "...Dead end," Fenn voiced. "We'll have to head back."

Mildly disappointed, I turned back to the path we just came down. I stopped when I saw something sparkle in my periphery. Unsure of what to expect, I asked Fenn if he saw it. "Hey, Fenn, what's that?"

Fenn followed my eyes and saw the sparkle as well. "Oh!" he exclaimed softly. "G-good eye." He padded up to the sparkle and picked up a small item.

"What is it?" I wondered, peering over his shoulder.

"A...seed," he said.

"A seed?"

Fenn held the item in his paw and brought it up to my face. It was a small, oval shaped doodad, colored green, white, and yellow. "I-it's a Heal Seed." Fenn narrowed his eyes. "...I think. I've never actually seen them in person. Apparently, they're able to cure any status ailment."

"Wait, really?" I said. "That sounds helpful."

The Quilava shrugged. "Not...really. We probably won't get the chance to use it here. D-doesn't sell for that much either."

Sell, huh? And we just found it on the ground randomly? "How did it even get here?" I asked.

After shrugging a second time, Fenn said, "No idea. Items like this tend to show up in mystery dungeons at random." He held out his paw. "H-here...you wanna hold it?"

"Sure, I guess?" I took it out of his paw and rolled the tiny thing in my fingers. It was smooth, though its layers jutted out like scales. What an interesting little object. Fenn led the way back down the path while I twirled the seed in one paw and caressed the scallop on my hip with the other.

Wandering down the left hand path was uneventful until we made it halfway through. The fur on the back of my neck stood on end as I heard chittering all around me. I would turn to see what it was and be met with nothing but trees. Then I would hear the same sound behind me, turn around, and nothing would be there. And then there was a rustling in the leaves further ahead that caused me to jump.

"Looks like we'll have to deal with some ferals after all," Fenn stated more confidently than usual.

"You seem awfully calm about this, Fenn," I said.

He shot me an irritated look, as if he were telling me to be quiet with his eyes.

Alright, nevermind then. I didn't say much else as we tip-toed into the next chamber.

Once again, we were in yet another clearing. However, this time the sky was obscured by thousands of winding, prickly vines. The wall of trees might've been as tall as before, but their trunks were twice as long now. They curved above, casting an oppressive swath of shadow on us and the dirt. I could barely see the purple sky behind it.

Then, a branch suddenly moved. A figure sped through the overgrowth faster than I could follow. I backed up into Fenn, and he circled around me as he scanned the area.

"Fenn..." I whined quietly.

"Shh!"

That shut me up. I stood in place frantically searching for movement. One moment, I would catch something flying through the trees just out of sight. And in another, the creature would break a branch above me, sending it landing to my feet. Fenn didn't seem the least bit fazed, unlike me.

I froze in my spot, trying to find solace in Fenn's calm demeanor. He turned slowly, peering at the trees around us until his eyes rested on mine. From the way they shined, I wouldn't have thought this was the same timid Quilava I met just a day before.

Then his eyes widened. "BEHIND YOU!" he yelled.

I barely had time to react before something larger than me rammed into my back, sending me careening into the grass. I rolled onto my back, and the wind was sucked out of my lungs. Standing above me was a hellish creature. Piercing, blood red eyes. Harsh, angular and green chitinous skin. And two sharp, deadly blades for arms.

Both of which were currently falling like guillotines down on my prone body.

Yep, looks like I'm dead. My body locked up and I closed my ears in fear of what would come next. But instead of feeling pain, I heard a loud thud on both sides of my skull. I cracked open one eye to see my own blurry reflection. The scythes stabbed into the ground on both sides of my head, and it was so close that I could swear that my whiskers were shorter now.

The scythes were forcibly lifted from the dirt. The Scyther, with its eyes deranged and bloodshot, roared a shrill sound as it brought its scythes up to slice once again. This time it wouldn't miss. I was still too stunned to move.

"HEY!" A voice called out from somewhere nearby. The Scyther darted its head to its source-

"GYAAAAAHH!"

The feral's head was engulfed in flames.

It let out an ungodly screech and rolled off of me, trying its best to put out the flames in the dirt.

It nearly did, but then the flames assaulted it for a second time.

The Scyther squirmed more, its efforts more urgent, its screams louder. Its scythes swung wildly in the air. The flames did not falter, however.

Soon after, the fire engulfed it a third time. This time, the feral did not stand back up. Its wailing and flailing slowed until it finally stopped. As I sat up to view the carnage, the fearsome creature from before was now a mere charred corpse. Any semblance that it was once a fearsome bug of prey was gone.

It was dead.

"Good god..." I whispered.

"O-Oswald!" Fenn called as he approached. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah. I'm...fine. Um-"

"What was that about!"

My eyes snapped to him in confusion. "What-"

"You didn't fight back!" He threw his arms up in the air. "Th-that Scyther almost killed you and you just...layed there!"

I lifted myself off the ground before dusting myself off. "...Well, I'm sorry Fenn. It caught me off guard. What did you expect me to do?"

"Hit it with water!" he exclaimed. His eyes widened in disbelief and frustration. The fire on his back was at full ignition. "Even a newborn knows not to just SIT THERE and get skewered!" His eyes narrowed and his arms fell to his side. "First, you say you're clueless about mystery dungeons, th-then you enter one like it's your first time, and now THIS? Y-you shouldn't be causing problems like this!"

I opened my mouth as if to say something and then closed it just as fast. Fenn's angry expression gnawed at me in a way that I knew I deserved, and yet I didn't want to argue with him. If I soured our relationship like this then what was the point of trying?

But I can't tell him why! Anemone will kill me!

Fenn's gaze bored into me. I looked away, biting my lip. I had to tell him something because he deserved that much.

I'll just...tell him a half truth. My amnesia is fair game, I think. I just won't tell him about my humanity. Okay…

"...Fenn, I have something to tell you."

He crossed his arms and glared at me but kept silent to listen, his fire dimming slightly.

"You're...ha...not gonna believe this, but..." I twirled the seed in my paw idly. "I actually...just woke up yesterday."

Fenn raised an eyebrow, the flames on his head rising higher. "What?"

"I woke up in a flowerfield outside Kebia yesterday," I explained. "I couldn't remember anything besides my name. Team Phlox found me and brought me back to the castle. Anemone...took pity on me and gave me a job and my own room."

That's two lies. Hopefully they don't come back to haunt me later.

The Quilava stared into my eyes for what felt like hours. Though eventually, his expression gradually softened. "You...you're not lying." His voice returned to its normal soft tone. The fire slowly smoldered to tiny embers.

I internally sighed in relief. "No, I'm not."

"And...y-you can really only remember your name?" he asked.

"...Yes."

No. I hate lying.

Fenn let his arms fall to his sides before looking down at the dirt in thought. After a moment, he looked back at me, the previous confidence and shining calmness replaced with understanding and sympathy. "Th-that does explain a lot...okay. I believe you." The fire was gone.

I sighed again, this time outwardly. "Thank you, Fenn."

He smiled warmly and turned to the path on the opposite side of the room. "Stay behind me...I can get us both through this easily."

I nodded and followed behind him. The next staircase was one room over. There was another path behind it, but Fenn ignored it.

I took his paw in mine and we stepped into the portal once again.

Figy Forest: 5th Floor

The next two floors passed by without much hassle. We came across a few more unassuming bug types along the way, all of which Fenn burned to a crisp in an instant. One Swadloon was even asleep in the middle of the path we were walking down.

Fenn didn't hesitate. We ended up having to step around its limp and charred corpse.

Eventually, we found ourselves on the fifth floor. We materialized into a dark and foreboding chamber much like the one we fought the Scyther in. I didn't even stumble this time; I was starting to get used to this whole mystery dungeon thing.

Unlike the second floor, though, the air was completely different.

There was no wind. Instead, there was a distant humming. The trees around us creaked and groaned, and I could hear that moaning that came from the dark portals on top of the staircases. It was louder here, as if whatever was making the sound was with us somewhere deep in the overgrowth.

My nose picked up the smell of something foul. It was so strong that it was giving me a headache.

In the center of the chamber was a small creature. Smaller than both Fenn and I. It was a pokemon curled up in a ball, it's back the same blue as Fenn's and its underside the same tan color as well.

"Clary!" Fenn dashed to the little Cyndaquil's side. He shook her shoulders with a paw. "Clary, we're here to rescue you!"

She fidgeted in her unconsciousness. "Ngh...five more minutes." Her voice was squeaky and quiet, showing her age. She wasn't even aware that she was stuck at the bottom of a deadly forest dungeon, was she?

Fenn sighed. "Well, at least she's not hurt," he said. "We might have to carry her ba-"

A loud creaking interrupted Fenn. He spun on his heels and guarded Clary while I rushed to her other, unguarded side. Tremors shook the surrounding foliage. Stray branches fell from above and some trees shifted in place. I kept my eyes peeled, but I couldn't see any unusual movement. Despite this, Fenn and I must've shared the same thought: we weren't alone here.

This continued for a while, and Clary hardly stirred. Eventually, Fenn got impatient. His back ignited into a blazing inferno. He threw intense orbs of flame into the surrounding trees, causing them to catch fire and burst into a red hot display of scorching flames. They all seemed to burn, but none fell.

However, when Fenn sent a stray fire orb into an unassuming tree, something strange happened.

Fenn missed. The tree had dodged the attack.

It skittered across the dirt on its roots, sprouting two large arms from its trunk. The center of its trunk split and fractured, revealing a ghostly black interior. An intense singular red eye appeared on its face.

It was clear to me at this point that this was no tree, it was a pokemon.

The forest itself was attacking us.

"Oswald, protect Clary!" Fenn immediately sprung into action, hurling burst after burst of flame at the Trevenant. The ghastly plant would dodge each one, even swatting some away with a fist as it approached.

Fenn kept on his toes, never staying in one spot long. He tried to shake up his tactics after a bit. He would hurl a flame burst at where he would expect the Trevenant would be, but the feral would change his course at the last moment each time. Fenn tried setting the surrounding grass on fire, and the Tree would jump over it.

Meanwhile, I stood in awe at the display. Fenn was relentless, but the Trevenant was incredibly agile. The feral was losing ground, however. It stepped in the flames and panicked at one point, and Fenn managed to hit it. The flame ignited on the ghost tree's exterior. And Fenn, surprised that he landed a hit and fully expecting the thing to stop, halted in his assault.

The Trevenant took the opportunity to punch Fenn and send him flying.

"FENN!" I shouted.

The tree then turned to me. I barely had time to jump out of the way when the tree's fist punched the ground I was just standing on, flinging stray dirt into the air.

I caught my bearings and stood as fast as I could, fully expecting another strike. The only issue was that the Trevenant wasn't anywhere near me.

Rather, it was standing directly over a still unconscious Clary.

It lifted a fist to strike.

"NO!" I instinctively threw the seed I was holding at the feral, and it burst on the thing's bark. The flames on its shoulder were snuffed out and a green aura encased the tree.

The Trevenant stopped mid swing, thoroughly confused-

-And then it caught fire.

It screamed. Soon after, another burst of flame caught its bark. And then one more for good measure. It didn't stop screaming even as a steady stream of fire incinerated it. It flailed hopelessly for a few moments, practically morphing into a living bonfire in front of my very eyes.

Eventually, it stopped; the Trevenant was dead. Now only burnt wood remained.

Fenn looked down at the thing with a harsh expression, his quills white with heat.

I coughed. The smoke was encasing the arena and was making it hard to breathe. Fenn's attention snapped to me and he rushed over, his flames quickly dying out. "Come on!" he yelled over the sounds of crackling flame. "I'll grab Clary! Let's get out of here!"

He rushed to the little Cyndaquil and picked her up before throwing her onto his back. I followed behind him to a clearing in the wall of trees, trying not to inhale any of the surrounding soot. We dashed through the exit and into a screen of darkness.

My vision went dark once again. We had managed to escape Figy Forest.

---

My senses returned to me shortly after. The sun steadily falling over the horizon was the first thing I saw when we materialized in front of the forest entrance. The sky was back to its normal bluish hue, and the clouds were white and fluffy again.

I let out a sigh of relief.

From behind, I heard the familiar creaking and moaning that would protrude from the darkness. I turned to it, its eyeless gaze beckoning me once more, even stronger than before. I swore...I might've heard...a voice…?

No. I quickly shook my head and padded over to Fenn as he was placing Clary on the ground. The further I get from this place, the better.

Fenn watched me as I approached, a friendly smile on his face. "G-good thing we made it out when we did, huh?" he asked. I opened my mouth to respond before Fenn's now conscious sister woke from her slumber.

"H-huh? What happened? Where am I?" She lifted her face up to look at me then Fenn. Her confusion turned to happiness. "Fenn! What are you doing here?"

"Saving YOU, Clary," responded Fenn, his voice stern but suppressed. "Didn't dad tell you to stay away from Figy Forest? You could've gotten hurt!"

"I...I thought it would be fun," she whimpered. "But it was all weird! And I got lost and couldn't find my way out! Then...then," she sniffled, "I got hungry and took a nap."

Hungry, I thought. I sure am hungry now that I think about it. When did that happen?

"Clary…why are you even…?"

"Dad...dad always said you would go there all the time! Why do you get to have all the fun?"

Wait, what? Didn't he say…?

When I turned to look at Fenn, his eyes went wide as he looked away. "...Let's...just get you home, Clary. Mom and dad will know what to do with you…"

"O...okay, Fenn," she sniffled.

Fenn met my eyes right then. There was a...pleading nature to them that I couldn't decipher. He seemed as though he wanted to say something, but instead he lowered his head and led the way to our next destination.

What is your deal, Fenn?

The Quilava was silent for the rest of the walk. Clary wasn't. It was as though she hadn't just been at the brink of tears just a moment ago.

"Are you Fenn's friend?" she asked me, her tone much more jolly than before.

"Uh...yes...you could say that," I responded slowly.

She grinned. "I bet you get to go on so many cool adventures!" Then she groaned. "School is so boring...all you ever do is study. I wanna be just like Fenn when I grow up!"

I noticed Fenn physically flinch, but he didn't turn from the road in front of him.

I stared at him with an eyebrow raised as I spoke. "...Yeah, you keep working towards that goal. You'll get there before you know it."

"Yay!" she cheered. "My classmates are gonna be so jealous…!"

Soon enough, the three of us stopped in front of a modest wooden cabin not too different from every other cabin in Nanab town. There were carpentry tools laid about and stray planks of wood all over the lawn. The cabin looked new in some places, like it was just recently renovated. Fenn sighed next to me. "W-would it kill him to invest in some sturdier material...?" he whispered under his breath.

Clary didn't wait to burst into the cabin. "Mom! Dad! I'm home." Other voices bellowed from inside.

Fenn didn't follow her immediately; he just kept his wistful gaze on the open door.

I nudged his elbow to get his attention, causing him to jump.

"Huh? What?" He looked at me and then the house. "Oh...right. Guess we should...head inside?" Fenn smiled awkwardly.

I frowned and led the way in. He followed despondently.

The cabin's interior was just as unassuming as its exterior. It was mostly empty aside from the lone table and a few chairs. I noted that there was a lack of any knick knacks or decorations that would've given the place any character. Maybe that was just a cultural thing? Like with the castle?

But anyway, Clary was nearby, hugging a Typhlosion that was busy kissing the child's forehead.

"Oh! I'm so glad you're okay!" the Typhlosion cried. "Warn me before you go on anymore adventures, okay?"

"I know, mommy," Clary said in a slightly annoyed tone. "It wasn't that fun anyways…"

"Fenrir!" A booming, masculine voice called from the other side of the room. Both I, and presumably Fenn from the looks of it, nearly jumped out of our skin. "You came back! And you got the job done! Good work, son!" A tall and burly Typhlosion stomped over to Fenn and hugged him.

Fenn looked uncomfortable being in his embrace.

"Y-yep! Just...doing my job, dad." Fenn sounded out of breath after being lifted into a hug by a pokemon three times his size. The Quilava retrained a cough as his dad lowered him to the ground. Then, the Typhlosion turned to me.

"And you must be his fellow guild mate!" I braced myself for the grappling that was bound to come, but, to my surprise, the big Typhlosion went for the cordial handshake instead. "It overjoys me to see my young warrior find his place in the world!"

Warrior, huh? I tried to catch Fenn's eye, but he was too busy staring at the floorboards, looking absolutely miserable.

"And a reward for a job well done!" Fenn's mom said. "A hundred poké, just as promised!" She bent down to Fenn's eye level and handed him a small sack. She then whispered into his ear loud enough for me to hear, "don't tell your father this, but I threw in a little extra." She winked and kissed him on the cheek before standing back up.

"Th-thanks mom," Fenn laughed awkwardly. "Just doing my best! Heheheh…"

"As you should," Fenn's dad said proudly. "I wouldn't expect any different! Now, for a job well done, you should join us for dinner, Fenrir!"

"NO!" Fenn blurted out.

His parents looked confused.

"I-I mean...we can't," he added. "We have to get back to the castle and report our work." He looked at me, and that pleading expression from before was present on his face again. "Isn't that right...Oswald?"

I stared at him for a few moments, just trying to understand what was going on here. His awkward smile wavered with each passing second. So, I looked at his parents, to see what they were thinking. His dad's face held a stern expression, as though he was expecting my words to impress him somehow. His mom...seemed almost worried. I could see how Fenn and her were related; they shared the same longing in their eyes. Clary didn't seem to care, what with her being too busy engorging on some berries at the table.

Quite the family.

"...Yeah," I eventually said. "We've gotta turn in the job and then I have some things to take care of back in Kebia. Sorry we can't stick around."

Fenn seemed to loosen up finally. Meanwhile, his dad seemed ready to burn the whole house to the ground. His back ignited for a moment, lighting up nearly the entire cabin with its bright light, before dying down. "Ah...I see," he said. "That is a shame." He turned to Fenn. "You should come visit sometime! You can bring your friend...what was it?"

"Oswald," I said, my paw resting on one of my scallops.

"Oswald! It is wonderful to finally meet you!"

Finally?

"O-okay, we should be going. Come on, Oswald!" Fenn grabbed my paw and led me to the door. I looked back on our way out and caught Fenn's dad's eyes again. Any and all harshness was gone. Now all that remained…was pride.

Once outside, Fenn let go of my paw and stumbled onto the lawn. He breathed heavily, stroking his arm frantically.

I crossed my arms and frowned. "Fenrir?"

"Don't call me that!" Fenn spun around, still panting heavily. His eyes were red and puffy, as if he could start crying at any moment. "Please...just don't."

"I'm…sorry," I said. "Can you explain what's going on, or should I just let it go? Cause I will if you want me to. Really, I will."

Fenn's breathing eventually slowed. His eyes drifted down, slowly changing from a look of fear and anger to just sadness. "N-no…I'll tell you."

He gestured for me to follow. "B-but...not here. I don't want anybody else to hear this."

I nodded and did what he said.

Soon, we found ourselves back in the grassy plains outside of Nanab. Fenn stared up at the setting sun then looked back at me. He sighed, rubbed his arm shakily. "I...I haven't...been telling you the whole truth so far."

Shocking. But you know what? I'm not one to talk.

I listened intently. At least one of us was being honest.

"Th-the truth is...I came to Kebia to join the guild as an explorer. My parents think I actually am. I got in...b-but Anemone told me that I couldn't do guild work because I...I would be a liability or something like that. She said that I couldn't be an explorer as I was, but...I didn't have to go home." I could see tears starting to form at the corner of his eyes. "S-s-so...Calluna gave me that janitor job and...here we are!" He threw up his arms and smiled sadly. "Now you know." His arms fell to his sides and his smile vanished.

I knew that that wasn't the full story. The way his dad talked to him, how nervous he was at his house, how...efficient...he was in Figy Forest...there's more going on here than he was letting on.

But that's none of my business. Not yet at least. If Fenn wanted to tell me the rest at any point, he would. For now, I needed to cheer him up.

"Well, I think Anemone is wrong," I said after some time.

"...What?"

"Fenn, I don't know if you noticed, but you're amazing! You burned those ferals in that forest like a pro. A liability? What does Anemone know? You're not even close to being a liability, especially compared to me."

I held out a paw. "So bear with me while I ask you again: let's form a team." I grinned wide. "Let's prove Anemone wrong."

He stared at my paw, wide eyed. "E-even...even after everything I said. You…"

"Yes," I said confidently. "Let's do it. Together."

He seemed ready to cry, but instead wiped his eyes with an arm. He looked me straight in the eye and smiled warmly. "Okay," Fenn whispered. "Let's do it." He took my paw in his and shook it.

I could already tell this partnership was going to go well.

On our way back to the castle, I stopped at a familiar spot. "Oh! Hey Fenn! I almost forgot!" I leaped through the grass until I was in front of the patch of lavender from before. "Let's take a few back with us. I'm sure we can find a place for them back in my room."

Fenn padded up to my side before running his paws over the flower's petals. He picked a few and brought them up to his snout to sniff. His eyes then lit up. For the first time today, Fenn seemed genuinely happy.

---

We made it back to Kebia Castle just as the sun was starting to set. Crocus was at the front doors again, acting as the guard. He nodded at us and opened the doors to let us in.

Fenn and I managed to show up just as the work day was winding down. Only a couple other teams were ahead of us in line. Nobody took a spot behind us while we waited so after a few minutes, we were first in line.

"Last ones of the day," sighed the Simipour behind the counter, a white piece of cloth around one of his arms. "Well, explorers, how did it...wait." He squinted at me. "Are you the Dewott Lace was talking about earlier? Hey Lace!" A Leavanny, presumably Lace, turned her attention to the Simipour. She had a similar looking white piece of cloth wrapped around her neck.

"What is it?" she asked.

The Simipour pointed at me. "Is this the guy you were looking for?"

The Leavanny looked at me and her eyes lit up. "Oh yes, I believe so." She leaned over the counter, a large grin on her face. "I saw him leave earlier today, and when I sent someone to find him, they couldn't. I'm assuming you found someone...what was it? Oscar?"

"Oswald. And yes." I extended an arm towards Fenn. "Me and Fenn want to start a team. I smiled at him and he smiled back.

"Splendid!" The Leavanny slapped her leaf appendages together. "We'll get you set up right away. Ipo?" She looked over at the Simipour, Ipo.

Ipo jolted to attention. "You'll need a name," he said. "A team name. Preferably something short and easy to remember."

A team name...I hadn't considered that, but it made sense. Lilac and Dahlia both had names for their teams, why would we be any different? I wanted Fenn's opinion first, though. "Hey, Fenn, got any ideas for names?"

"N-names?" Fenn looked down at the floor in thought. "I don't know...I-I've never thought about it before. I have no idea."

I studied Fenn's face for a few moments. Admittedly, I had no idea either. There weren't any phrases that I could think of that described us accurately. Not having memories before yesterday didn't help either.

As I stared at Fenn in thought, something caught my eye: the flowers in his paws. He clutched them tenderly, as if they meant a lot to him. I then remembered our discussion before entering Figy Forest. Fenn said he loves lavender. What if…

"What about...Lavender?" I suggested.

Fenn's eyes shot up to mine. "L-lavender?" he repeated. "I...I guess. I-I mean I like it. I like it a lot, actually." He held the purple flowers in his paws to his chest. "As long as you're okay with it...sure."

I nodded and turned to look at the duo behind the counter. "Team Lavender."

"Kinda girly, but okay- ow!"

Lace whacked the Simipour upside the head. "Oh shut up! I think it's a wonderful name! Now, would you kindly get these two set up?"

Ipo grumbled something under his breath while rubbing his head and writing something down. "There. All set," he said after a few moments. He handed the papers to Lace.

"Splendid!" Lace exclaimed. "If you two would follow me to your chambers, I can get your Quilava friend here set up as a resident."

"A-actually," Fenn interrupted. "There's one more thing."

"Oh?"

Fenn lifted a paw to his ear and pulled a folded piece of paper out from behind it, unfolding it in the process. I was surprised to see the paper untouched and still intact. "Oswald and I actually finished a job earlier." He handed the unfolded paper to the Leavanny.

She scanned the parchment in delight. "Oh, how wonderful! Not even an adventurer for a day and you're already saving pokemon. Good for you!"

Fenn beamed with pride.

"And I assume you have the reward with you?" I held up the sack. Fenn let me carry it after we picked the lavender. "Wonderful! Then I suppose this is as good a time as any to tell you about the guild tax!"

"The what?" I questioned.

"Thirty percent," Ipo said, watching from behind the counter, sounding bored.

"Th...thirty percent?" I questioned in shock. "That's...that's ridiculous!"

"Yes, I'm sorry to say that is the case," Lace added. "It is a guild policy. Just one of the reasons why you must turn in the jobs you complete." The Leavanny clapped her leaves together. "Thankfully, thirty percent of a hundred is thirty. Not much in the grand scheme of things. Best hand over the money now why we're all here."

I grimaced but didn't argue. I handed the sack to Fenn since I still wasn't familiar with the currency of this place. He fished out a few gold coins from the bag and handed the coins to Lace. She took them and dropped them onto the counter. "Let us be on our way. Ipo, please clean up, will you."

Ipo groaned. "This job never gets any easier…"

---

Lace took us back to the room I was assigned. She got Fenn set up as an active resident by scanning his paw and Lace entered in a code somehow and...something else. I don't know; I wasn't paying much attention.

When she was done, Lace let us be. "Good luck!" she called. "I hope to see you soon!"

Fenn and I entered our room and set our belongings aside. Fenn set the sack of money on the desk and the flowers on the windowsill.

"Man, I'm hungry," I said, leaning against the door. "Are you hungry, Fenn?"

"Y-yeah, a little," Fenn laughed. "The cafeteria should be doing dinner by now. We can get something there."

And so we did.

Fenn picked out a plate of pecha berries. I got a plate of those sweet blue berries I liked so much. We sat down at the same table that we ate at the last time we met here and got to talking a bit. "Thirty percent," I said aloud while we ate. "What a ruthless steal. We earned that money!"

"It's no big deal," Fenn uttered. "I-I had to pay the same tax for my janitor duties. Everyone here has to pay it." He took a bite out of a juicy pecha.

"I heard your mom say she threw in a little extra. How much was it?"

Fenn gulped as he finished his berry. "Fifty poké, I think."

"Is that a lot?"

"...No."

Figures.

"D-don't worry about it," Fenn quipped. "I've got some extra funds at my old sleeping spot. We can go get it after this."

"How much?"

"Um...two thousand or so."

"Is that a lot?"

Fenn shrugged. "It depends."

Hm.

We both finished our dinner and left the cafeteria. Afterwards, we stopped by Fenn's old room. Beds of varying shapes and sizes lined this huge open area, most of which seemed more appropriate for camping than a castle. The whole room read more as a mass infirmary than a normal sleeping space. Fenn's old bed was sandwiched between two other beds that looked significantly worse for wear.

Fenn had to live here for two months. Poor guy…

After that, we made our final stop back at our current room. Fenn added together the money in both sacks, bringing our combined total to…something close to two thousand, still.

I looked at the single bed lined up against the wall and remembered how soft and comfortable sleeping in that bed felt.

I didn't deserve it. Fenn did, however. He deserved it more than anyone else here. I even noticed him staring at it so he must've wanted it.

"You can have the bed, Fenn," I said. "I'll sleep on the straw beds on the floor."

He looked at me in surprise. "N-no, I can't do that to you, Oswald. It was your room first, don't let me take it from you."

I shook my head. "No, I insist. I'll be fine."

"Oswald please...it's okay." He pulled a straw bed to his feet and fell down into it. "I'll sleep on the floor."

I picked up a straw bed and fell onto it as well. "I'm telling you right now: I refuse to sleep on that bed. You'll just have to take it for yourself, Fenn."

"W-well, then I guess we're both sleeping on the floor because I also refuse to sleep on that bed."

"Fine! If that's how you're going to be then I guess neither of us will get the bed!"

"Fine with me!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

And that was that. Somehow, Fenn and I ended up in a situation where there was a perfectly good bed available but neither of us wanted to use it.

How did I get to this point?

How did I manage to actually win that shy Quilava I met on the first day over in the end?

How did I end up being a Dewott in the first place?

I didn't know the answers to any of these questions, but they kept me awake in thought as I fell asleep for the night. Maybe tomorrow I would get some answers.

Or maybe not. I didn't know. Guess I'd just have to wait and find out…

…

…

...this straw bed was making me itch. I wish I was sleeping on that other bed...

---

Mid-chapter art by Wayfarer on Discord.

 

[SnapDragon]

Chapter 6 - Day 3: New Faces ​

Just as the first glimmer of sunlight touched the soils of Kebia, a black bird soared around the castle spires, and touched down on a roof overlooking the town below. The Murkrow perched on the tiled roof and squinted at the rising sun. It was early—so early that Dahlia's other team members were still asleep. This was normal. The eager Murkrow tended to wake up before most other pokemon in Kebia due to her preference for having access to the news of the previous day first thing in the morning.

This was common. In other words, sunrise was when the other birds in Kebia would meet and exchange gossip. And Dahlia refused to miss out on that.

Dahlia preened her feathers while she waited for her informant—a Taillow that shared her interests. A bird so unassuming that other pokemon had a habit of saying what they usually wouldn't when he was around. He had bigger than normal ears for his species, the Taillow had told Dahlia once.

She liked him enough, so she just took his word for it.

Tap.

Suddenly, a soft, hollow tap sounded out nearby. Dahlia lifted her head out of her feathers and rested her eyes on the one she had been waiting for.

"Yo."

"Yo, yourself," Dahlia greeted. "What's up, Stork?"

The Tailow shrugged. "Nothing much," he said. "Lobel apparently found himself a mate. Oh, and Mazus evolved, I think. Other than that, it's been pretty quiet around here lately." Stork rummaged through his plumage and pulled out a shiny object before placing it on the roof between them with his beak. "Got you something."

The Murkrow stepped over to the object and examined the bright blue gem as it sparkled in the sunlight. Dahlia's eyes lit up at the sight and she made a clicking sound with her beak. "It's gorgeous!" she exclaimed in delight. "Stork, you shouldn't have! How did you get it?"

Stork puffed up his chest feathers in pride. "Oh, you know," he crooned. "Found it on the ground somewhere."

Dahlia looked back at him and narrowed her eyes in suspicion. She knew that was a lie. She knew Stork too well to not be skeptical in this instance. "Where did you really find it?" she asked dubiously.

After clearing his throat and looking away, Stork muttered, "I, uh...stole it off some female's windowsill in town." He clicked his beak. "She won't miss it anyways. Not even worth that much." He brought his eyes back to her. "But I know how much you like shiny things, so...just take it and don't think about it too much, yeah?"

Dahlia picked up the gem with her beak and stuffed it into her feathers. "Mm, I'll think I'll do just that," she purred.

"So, what about you, Dolls? Anything interesting going on with you?"

"You could say that," Dahlia smiled. "Typical bounty work for one thing; picked up some pretty easy criminals for some quick cash. There's been an influx of that sort of company lately."

"Yeah, I heard about that," Stork chirped. "Apparently, a bunch of low level crooks have been coming out of hiding lately. No one knows why, and they all just seemed to show up in the last couple of days. Weird, huh?"

Dahlia had a thought. Couple of days. That was when we found that Dewott. Oswald. I wonder what he's up to...

"It is weird, yes," Dahlia said while stroking her chin with a wing. "Speaking of weird, my team found a stowaway on one of our jobs a couple days ago."

"Oh?" the Taillow crooned curiously. "Do tell."

"A Dewott. Sleeping in the middle of the field. No idea how he got there." Dahlia narrowed her eyes and lowered her voice. "And that's not even the strange part..."

Stork leaned in closer. "I'm listening…"

"Not only did he not know how he got there...but the guy couldn't remember anything. At all!" She fluffed her feathers.

"That is weird." Stork balked. Something seemed to come to him just then. "You don't think...all of these criminals...that Dewott...maybe they're connected?"

Dahlia froze for a moment. In truth, she had considered the idea before. Those two distinct occurrences happening simultaneously isn't something that should be ignored. She was definitely curious. And Oswald, as innocuous as he was, did seem very peculiar...

"I don't know." The Murkrow shrugged. "Maybe one of those criminals beat him up so bad that he forgot everything." She narrowed her eyes once again. "Except his name. And...he wasn't really hurt when we found him. Hm..." Dahlia idly carved into the bricks under her as she pondered.

Stork shrugged. "I don't know either. Guess we'll just have to keep our eyes open."

"Yeah. I guess we will."

Stork fluffed his feathers, ready to take off. "Well, I should be going. It was nice seeing you, Dolls."

"You too, Stork," Dahlia cheeped, a warm smile curving onto her beak.

Just as Stork was about to fly away, however, he stopped himself mid-takeoff. "Oh! Right! I almost forgot!" He excitedly turned back to Dahlia. "Marigold has her performance in a few days. You gonna be there?"

"Mmm...Maybe. I'll have to see how busy we are. Work comes first."

"Yeah, I can understand that," he chirped. "See you around."

"See you."

And then he was gone. Dahlia was left with her thoughts and her new gem, and she didn't move for some time. No matter what she did her mind would always return back to the previous conversation.

In particular, she kept thinking back to that Dewott. She couldn't get him out of her mind. What was his deal? Was there a connection between those criminals and him?

Something about it just annoyed Dahlia. She had the chance to engage with the first genuinely interesting event in so long and she let it slip out of her wings! How could she be so stupid!

Dahlia watched the sun slowly rise to its full glory. She heard noises from below and looked down; the first teams of the day were leaving the castle for work. There was no doubt in her mind that Holly and Pink were busy getting ready for the day at this point.

She was just going to have to put her thoughts on that Dewott away for now, unfortunately. She had work to do. With a sigh, the Murkrow lifted off of the roof and flew into an open castle window. The time for gossiping was over.

---

Oo-oO​

The sun shining through the window woke me up that morning. I was still somewhat tired, and sore from essentially sleeping on the floor. The blinding daylight wasn't going to let me sleep in any more, though.

I sat up and groaned, stroking my aching neck. Even after spending so many hours shifting in my sleep to find the prime sleeping position, it wasn't enough to keep me from hurting like hell after waking up. This wouldn't have happened if I slept on the cozy covers of an actual bed, I thought, shooting a glance at the cushioned sleeping space on the other end of the room.

My eyes soon drifted to Fenn, who was still asleep. The sun hadn't hit him yet; he was still curled in a ball, snoring softly. He seemed perfectly comfortable. Unlike me.

Yeah...yeah, no. If I have to be miserable, then so do you, badger boy.

"Fenn," I said, shaking his shoulder with a paw. "Fenn, wake up."

His eyes fluttered open. "Huh? What?" He was still half asleep when squinted eyes rested on me. "I-is it morning already?"

"Yes, it's morning," I responded groggily. "First day on the job, let's go."

He blinked away the grogginess from his eyes as he moved to sit up. "Oh...right," he yawned. "We're...we're a rescue team now." Fenn rubbed his face with an arm. "Forgot."

"Yeah. We should go get a job from the bulletin board, ri...riiii-"

I stopped to yawn. "-ah! Right?"

Fenn yawned back. "Y...yeah, I think so."

"Great," I said, restraining another yawn. "Let's get out of here before we start yawning non-stop."

I could hear Fenn chuckle to himself behind me as I walked over to the door. Stepping out of the doorway, my foot hit something. I looked down and noticed a basket full of berries with two pieces of purple cloth tied to the basket's handle. A note was sitting at the top of the pile.

"Hm? What is it?" Fenn asked from behind me.

"Someone left us a basket of stuff." Still incapable of reading, I took the note from the basket and handed it to Fenn. "Here."

Fenn took it from my paw and read it. "I-it says here…'I forgot to give you your complimentary gift basket. On the handle, you'll find two scarves. They will act as your team...signifiers. Please wear them with care. Good luck with your work! Signed, Lace. P.S. - I recommend you find yourself someone to teach you how guild jobs work and how to travel through dungeons effectively. You can never be too safe!'"

Fenn flipped the note front and back. "That's it."

"Nice." Grinning, I untied one of the scarves and held it out in front of me. It was plain and devoid of any designs. Felt cheap too. Guess this is their way of saving money.

Thinking back on it, most pokemon I had seen during my time at Kebia castle wore some sort of cloth somewhere on their person. All of team Phlox wore red pieces of cloth in different ways. Lace, Ipo, and the cafeteria workers all wore white scarves. Lilac, even, wore a teal piece of cloth around her torso.

The only significant pokemon I noticed that didn't wear a piece of clothing was Fenn. I was curious about that, so I decided to ask him about it. "Hey, Fenn, did you not already have one of these before?"

Fenn shook his head as he fashioned the purple scarf around his neck. "No. They never gave me one."

I frowned. So they never considered him a member of the guild to begin with. I seethed internally. I am going to have a few choice words for Anemone the next time I see her…

I tied the scarf around my neck. "Are you ready to get breakfast?" I asked Fenn.

"S-sure."

---

I left the gift basket in our room and the two of us headed for the cafeteria shortly after. No words were really spoken during the entire trip, though when we got to the hall leading to our destination, we heard a voice.

"FENN!" a scratchy, angry sounding pokemon called out from behind. "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!"

Fenn and I spun around to face them, my tail going stiff at the sudden interruption. I had to take a step back at the sight of a grey ghost that was wading toward us, halfway through the floor. His brow was furrowed and his zipper mouth was twisted into a scowl. He did not look happy.

He stopped in front of us, body in full view, hovering in the air. "You weren't at the briefing today. Where WERE you?" The Banette shifted in the air until he was almost touching Fenn's face with his own. His body ascended in the air over Fenn with each word.

Fenn gritted his teeth uncomfortably. "O-oh, I'm sorry mister Aster," Fenn whimpered. "I-I forgot to t-tell you that I...um…"

"I had to fill in for you, you layabout!" the Banette fumed. "Do this again and I'll dock your pay!"

Fenn shivered in fear. "I-I...I'm…"

I crossed my arms. "Who're you supposed to be?"

The Banette slowly turned to me, his expression turning more sour. His mouth didn't move with his words, but he still talked. "Aster," he said, floating up to me. "Right hand 'mon of Calluna, your superior." He looked me up and down, his scowl deepening. "And who are YOU?"

"Oswald," I told him with a neutral expression. "Fenn's teammate."

Aster looked at me, then at Fenn, then back to me, and finally Fenn again. "I see." His eyes narrowed on Fenn, causing The Quilava to tremble. "And you didn't think to tell me…"

He floated to the ground, put his ghostly hands on his hips, and shook his head. "You're lucky I'm not in charge of you anymore. You could've done well with some punishment." Suddenly, Aster clapped his mitts together. "Oh well! Not much I can do now!"

His zipper mouth contorted into a big smile. "I wish you luck, Fenn!" He faced me. "And you, Oswald. It was nice meeting you!"

Somehow, his smile grew even larger. "I'm sure we'll be seeing each other again very soon…FAREWELL!" Aster bellowed, falling through the ground itself like it wasn't even there.

"..."

"..."

"Well that was...something," I said after a few seconds of staring at the ground in silence.

"A-Aster is...very eccentric," Fenn added.

I nodded to myself, my eyes still locked on where Aster had disappeared. "Sounds about right."

---

"So, how much do you actually know about this whole 'guild work' thing?"

"...Not much."

I took a bite out of the berry I was eating. This one was purple at the top, tan at the bottom, and shaped like an acorn. It tasted vaguely like vanilla, and for some reason, I felt more awake after I started eating it.

"Damn," I remarked between bites. "Guess we'll have to find a mentor after all and do a job tomorrow instead." I was really hoping Fenn knew what he was doing. I mean, he seemed competent in Figy Forest, but I was assuming there was more to exploring mystery dungeons than fighting through them. There's probably a ton of oddities like that heal seed in this world too. Who knows what else I could discover while I'm here?

"Guess so," Fenn agreed. "There should be plenty of experts around. We just...have to find them." Fenn nibbled on his pecha berry, lost in thought. "Y-you know, I was thinking about it: maybe there's someone in Pamtre that can help you with your memory issue. A psychic type, maybe?"

"Pamtre? Where's that?"

Fenn spat his berry out onto the table.

"Oswald...you're not serious!" Fenn looked absolutely stunned.

I peeled some stray bits of berry out of my fur. "I am. Where is this 'Pamtre' you're talking about?"

"Oswald...we're in it!" He threw up his arms and waved them all around. "Kebia is in Pamtre! Nanab is in Pamtre! Everyone you've ever met is living on Pamtre RIGHT NOW!"

I recoiled. "Is that what this world is called?" Why am I hearing about this just now?

Fenn rubbed his temples. "Arceus...you weren't kidding…"

I sighed. "Either way, it doesn't matter. Anemone already told me that there's nothing there. If she couldn't find anything, then I doubt anybody else could."

The Quilava's ears drooped. "Oh," he said quietly. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize...it was that bad."

Shooting him a small but reassuring smile, I said, "Don't be sorry, Fenn. I'll figure it out eventually."

I hope.

We had both agreed that the easiest way to find someone to mentor us would just be to ask around after we finished breakfast. If that didn't work, then we would ask the pokemon at the front desk to point one out to us.

On our way out, we noticed a crowd of pokemon outside of the cafeteria. Mostly younger pokemon it seemed; there were so many that I couldn't tell what they were so excited about. We approached and I got the attention of a Porygon2 at the back.

"Excuse me," I started. "What's going on here?"

The Porygon2 spun its feet, floating in midair. "Neo the Fencer is in town," the Porygon2 stated in a digitized sounding voice. Their beak didn't open to signify that they actually spoke.

"NEO THE FENCER!" Fenn exclaimed. I looked to him to see his eyes sparking and his mouth open wide in glee.

"Who's that?" I wondered.

"Only the most acclaimed adventurer in all of Kebia," the Porygon2 added. "It's not every day that he just shows up out of the blue like this."

Fenn nudged my arm. "Oswald! We have to see him! We have to!" He was practically jumping up and down in excitement.

I raised an eyebrow. I didn't really care for "the most acclaimed adventurer in all of Kebia," but Fenn sure did. So while I didn't see any reason to waste any time with this, I didn't see any harm in seeing someone so accomplished in person.

But then I started wondering, what if he taught Fenn and I how to explore dungeons and become a better team. Now that could be interesting. A world renowned explorer...we'd be pros in no time! I was actually starting to get excited now.

"Alright, Fenn. Let's go see Neo."

The Quilava grinned super wide and pushed his way into the crowd. I followed to the best of my abilities.

Fenn was fidgeting in place when I caught up to him at the front of the crowd. I followed his eyes to the center of the attention of so many.

It was a bipedal, blue jackal pokemon. He was covered in bright white ribbons and cloaked in fancy attire. He spun an ethereal bone in his paws, throwing it up in the air and catching it with style. He stepped about his stage, letting the cries of every screaming pokemon praise him for theatrics. His eyes were closed, nodding along to their approval. The best word I could use to describe this Lucario would be "smug."

Very, very smug.

"Neo the Fencer, how do you do it?" a voice yelled from the crowd.

"'How do I do it,' you wonder?" the Lucario said in a pompous tone. "Well, it's simple! I'm glad you asked." He tossed his bone into the air. "The evildoers! They cannot possibly comprehend-"

He caught it and struck a pose.

"-the AU-raaaa~"

And then the crowd cheered, Fenn included.

Neo bowed complacently, like he had done something spectacular.

I frowned, crossing my arms. This guy's act didn't have me convinced for a second. If he was so good, then I wanted to see it for myself—not just a performance.

"Hey, Fenn," I said, getting the Quilava's attention. "What do you think about getting that guy to mentor us?"

"N-Neo the Fencer?" Fenn stammered. "B-but there's no way he'd-"

"Hey, Neo!" I yelled, attempting to get the Lucario's attention. His ear twitched. I knew he heard me. "What do you say to mentoring a couple of rookies, huh?"

"MENTOR?" Neo laughed. He looked at Fenn and I, even more smug than before. "Maybe when you get done with those Rattatas and slay a LEGENDARY! HA!"

The rest of the crowd laughed with him. Fenn, embarrassed, shrunk behind me, but I didn't even blush. I just crossed my arms and scowled as hard as possible at the so-called "Fencer."

What an asshole, I thought.

It didn't take long after that for the crowd to disperse and for the Fencer to leave. Pokemon would occasionally snicker at Fenn and I as they left. All the while, Fenn was absolutely miserable.

"Not him, then?" I asked Fenn sarcastically. He avoided my gaze.

"I hear you are looking for a mentor."

Fenn and I turned our attention to the approaching Porygon2. The very same one from before. "I believe I can help you with that," they said.

I raised an eyebrow, eying the normal type with confusion. What was this guy doing approaching all of a sudden. "Who are you?" I asked.

The Porygon2 bobbed in the air slightly. "Cycla. I work with Anemone." Cycla tilted to the left. "Well...we all work for Anemone here. But I'm closer to her than most." Cycla's feet spun asymmetrically. "Are you a new team?"

"...Yes?" I nodded. "Fenn and I" -I motioned to Fenn- "were looking for someone to show us how to do guild work."

Cycla made a variety of beeping noises. "So you are!" The Porygon2 bobbed back and forth. "I can find someone for you!"

"Y-you can?" Fenn wondered timidly. "Like who?"

"Me!" Cycla spun their feet. "I can show you the ropes! How does that sound?"

I considered it for a moment. Cycla was the first pokemon we had asked so far besides Neo. They seemed...reputable? Probably more trustworthy than the majority of other pokemon here? I was fine with it, but I wanted Fenn's input first.

"What do you think, Fenn?" I asked him.

Fenn pondered the question for a moment. "I...maybe?" He shrugged. "I-I don't really mind it…"

I nodded. May as well, since they're offering. "Okay, sure." I faced the Porygon2. "Show us the ropes, Cycla."

Cycla spun their feet in excitement. Various high-pitched beeps and doots blared from their body. "Mentor mode! Engage!" Cycla's voice became deeper and more uniform. "Let's get to it then!" they exclaimed, their voice back to "normal."

"We will learn together how to traverse dungeons!" they said. "Read maps! Use items! Battle like true dungeoneers! And learn which jobs to pick!" Cycla bobbed wildly in the air.

Battle, I suddenly thought. I still need to learn how to do that. And I'm not sure a Porygon2 can teach me how to shoot a water gun. I still have that Samurott I planned to visit the other day...I should focus on my moves instead. If I don't, I probably won't survive another mission. Fenn can do all of the other stuff, at least for now. He's already plenty strong.

"Actually, Fenn, do you mind if I go learn how to fight somewhere else? I'm sure only one of us has to learn all of this."

"W-what?" Fenn fretted. "B-but what about learning this stuff together? O-Oswald..."

"The Dewott is right," Cycla chimed in. "Learning to fight is important; I can only do so much." They hovered down to Fenn's eye level. "Do not worry, my young friend. I am very thorough and easy to work with." Cycla winked. It was the first time I had seen the Porygon2 close one of it's eyes since I first met them.

Fenn looked at me, pleading with me with his eyes. In an attempt to calm him down some, I leaned forward and scratched the back of his right ear. The action seemed to knock him out of his funk, and make him blink, but it did do the job. His shoulders became less tense and he became visibly more calm.

"Don't worry, Fenn," I told him. "You know I need to learn how to fight. Now's a good time to do that. You'll be fine."

Fenn stared at me for a few moments before sighing sadly. "Fine…d-dinner at sunset?"

"Dinner at sunset. See you then."

I waved at the morose Quilava and the strange Porygon2 as they left me to head someplace else. I fiddled with my scallops as I stood there for a while, taking in the fact that this was the first time since yesterday morning that I was on my own.

Got a lot of time to work with here—best make it count. Next stop: the training grounds…

…

...implying I can find it again, that is...

---

I did find it. Much sooner than I was expecting, too. Kebia Castle was a difficult place to learn, but well worth the hassle.

I stared out into the courtyard, eagerly toying with one of my scallops now, almost unconsciously wanting to get it out and start swinging. Duos and trios of pokemon of many types sparred in the midday sun. I scanned the grounds for signs of the Samurott I saw a couple days ago, and I caught sight of something blue, but it would always turn out to be something else. I took so long staring out into the courtyard that I began to consider just finding a different water type trainer. There were quite a few to choose from. A Floatzel. A Swampert. A Quagsire. A-

Suddenly, the ground in front of me got darker. A large shadow obfuscated my vision and stretched across the grass in front of me.

I looked up. A bearded, grinning visage met my eyes.

Backing up and turning around, I realized that the source of the shadow was none other than a Samurott. He towered over me, even on all fours. The water type gave me a toothy smile through his mustache.

"Hello," the Samurott greeted with a masculine and aged voice. "Are you here to train?"

"Um...yes, I suppose so." I rubbed the back of my head. "Believe it or not, I was actually looking for you," I laughed sheepishly.

"What a surprise!" He let out a jovial laugh. "I was looking for you as well!"

I flinched at that. "You were?"

"Of course!" he bellowed. "It is not everyday that a member of my line enters Kebia Castle! I've been wanting to meet the Dewott newcomer since I first heard the whispers of your coming!"

Whispers? Does that mean harmless gossip or...something else? I don't like it either way.

"I wanted to test your mettle!" the Samurott beamed. "See how your skills hold up to mine!"

I frowned. "Well, I'm sorry to tell you, but I'm not much of a challenge. I still need to learn the basics."

"The basics!" He grinned. "Of course! Perhaps you might surprise me?"

"...Doubt it."

"Oh, but first, I must get your name," the mature Samurott said.

"It's Oswald."

"Oswald!" he repeated loudly. "I've never heard of such a name! How peculiar."

Yeah, tell me about it.

"I am Allium!" he declared. "Former leader of Team Lantana and veteran of the Psychic Wars! It is wonderful to finally meet you!"

"Good to meet you, too," I said, pushing aside the Psychic Wars comment for now.

"Indeed! Are you ready to train?"

I really wasn't, but I came here for a reason. Maybe he could help me use those scallop things and actually have a chance in a fight. "About as ready as I'll ever be."

Allium led me to an unoccupied patch of grass and faced me. I followed, trying not to seem too nervous.

"Okay! Show me what you've got!"

I exchanged glances with Allium and my own paws. "Alright, um...what do I do?"

He blinked before quickly composing himself. "A simple tackle will suffice for now!"

A Tackle? Can't I just...ugh. Nevermind. I clenched my paws and stared Allium down. "Alright," I said, siking myself up for the attack. I lowered my stance, narrowed my eyes, and dashed. My toes hit the dirt and kicked up grass. I rapidly approached the Samurott; bracing myself for impact, I closed my eyes. I launched myself into the pokemon expecting to hit Allium's large figure-

-and hit the dirt with a thud. I missed. Or, rather, Allium dodged at the last moment.

He laughed heartily. "AHAHAHA! I haven't seen such a pitiful tackle in years!"

I rubbed my forehead as I sat up. "I don't know what you were expecting," I groaned.

"A display more impressive than my newly hatched children! AHAHAHA!"

My face flushed in embarrassment. I should've known nothing good would come of this. "Okay, I get it, I suck. Sorry I'm such a disappointment."

Allium stopped laughing, but he still wore a dumb smile on his face. "Oh, Oswald! I'm not disappointed, I'm elated!"

I blinked. "You what?"

"I haven't laughed that much in years!" he cheered. "You are really something special, aren't you?"

"...I'm not sure being terrible counts as being 'special,' but alright I guess."

"It has been so long since I have taught a pokemon so inexperienced," he beamed. "Come. We have much to work on."

And so we did. For the next two or so hours, Allium instructed me on how to effectively tackle. I got the hang of it, eventually. After Allium told me to keep my eyes open as I did the move, my accuracy improved. He would still dodge and I would fall face-first into the grass, but I was getting better at it.

We stopped after some time. Allium left and came back with some of those blue berries I really liked. He said it counted as my lunch; so, I ate them all greedily.

Once we were done with "lunch," the Samurott opted to teach me the technique that I've been looking forward to learning: Water Gun.

"Although knowing how to defend yourself in close quarters is important," he explained, "a powerful water user knows when to stay at range. Show me what you know."

"Okay…" I attempted to do my "think and it'll happen" tactic again for the move. I imagined pelting Allium with a stream of high pressure water, a cascade of liquid spewing from my throat and making him stagger back. My mouth opened wide in an 'O' shape.

"HO!"

…

...Nothing happened.

Allium looked at me, perplexed. "I...see. You...do not know how to use the Water Gun technique…"

My face got red again; I felt stupid for even trying. "I don't, no."

The Samurott grinned wide. "Not to worry, Oswald! You will be a Water Gun expert in no time!"

Allium then began his lecture. "The key to a powerful water attack are your instincts," he told me.

"Instincts?"

"Yes, indeed! Listening to your instincts is paramount to your victory!"

I frowned. What does that even mean?

"I want you to imagine yourself on a beach," he said. "Think about the waves, imagine how they crash upon the shore. Envision the sounds in your head…"

Well, I tried my best. I couldn't recall any memories I had of ever seeing an ocean with my own eyes, but I knew what it was like. I could see the sea, its water drifting about against the warm sunset backdrop. The waves were a mix of the reflected blue and orange of the sky. They gently crashed on the sand, and I could hear them clearly…

It was...calming...relaxing...

"Envision yourself below the waves. The serene calmness of it...think about how quiet it is. Schools of WishiWashi pass by you...seaweed flows softly on the ocean floor. You are floating. Not a care in the world."

I saw everything he described. My body hovered in the water as sunlight danced above me. The sea life...I couldn't stop thinking about how...delicious...some of them would be. I wanted to swim. I wanted to go along with the ocean current.

"You are at peace…"

I was. Everything I was worrying about...all of my anxieties...they...washed away…

"A SHARPEDO ATTACKS YOU!"

"AHH!"

I jumped. Literally.

I fell onto my back. As I fell, a pressure in my stomach was released. Liquid spewed from my mouth unconsciously, my torso quickly becoming soaked with water. I spat, trying to get it all out. "Wha...what the hell?" I sputtered.

"Congratulations, Oswald!" Allium grinned. "You now know how to use Water Gun!"

What?

"W-what?"

"To unleash the might of the ocean, you must see yourself as a dweller of the depths," he said. "You must accept every gift and cruelty that Kyogre's abode has to offer."

I stood up, attempting to wipe the water out of my fur. To my annoyance, it didn't really work. "I don't...bleugh...understand."

"You will! Because next I am going to teach you how to use Water Gun properly and drown your enemies. Not your own fur."

We then worked on getting the Water Gun technique right. Another few hours passed. I felt completely drained by the end of it. I was certain that I had hacked up my own weight in water three times over by the second hour, but then Allium told me that a water type's inner ocean is functionally infinite, as long as I had a source of sustenance.

I ate more berries. They made me feel better.

I started to get the hang of it by the end of the session. I was spraying Allium with jets of water so strong that I couldn't believe it. Though, when Allium was hit, he would tell me my power was actually quite weak; he wouldn't flinch. My abilities when it came to Water Gun was comparable to a young child, but not a pokemon just out of the egg.

That gave me hope.

Soon enough, the Samurott stopped me. "That is enough practice for today. However, there is one more technique I want to teach you."

He pointed at my hip. "Your scalchop, Oswald! Swing it for me!"

I looked at him confused. "Scalchop?"

"Yes, your scalchop," he repeated. "The one's on your hip!"

'What? These?" I rubbed them with my paws. "The scallops?"

"Scal-CHOP."

I frowned. "Um, okay I guess." I peeled a scallop off of my hip with my right paw. I stared at it, and felt a sense of excitement. Learning to use these things was what I wanted since I learned that I first had them. But after failing for a few hours...the thought of doing the same with these things made me hesitate. "Um-"

"Swing it!" Allium commanded. "Show me how you cut and slice your enemies!"

So...I swung the scalchop in the air. I had no idea what I was actually supposed to do, so I swung it as hard as I could in front of me. However, unlike with Water Gun, I envisioned myself in the middle of a large-scale battle, my blades cutting through enemies like they were butter. I was a samurai—powerful and competent. None would stand in my way.

...Though in reality, I sliced the air sloppily. My footwork was lazy and awkward, mostly because I didn't move from my standing spot. Allium stopped me almost immediately.

"You handle the weapon as if you've never held a scalchop in your life," he told me.

...Well, that's demoralizing. I probably looked like an absolute idiot swinging that thing around. Why do I even bother? My cheeks became a bright red and I couldn't look Allium in the eyes.

Allium shook his head. "You are not ready for the Razor Shell technique. Work on your Tackle and Water Gun first."

I placed the scalchop back on my hip, sighing in disappointment. "If you say so."

The Samurott shot me a large, toothy grin. "In time, you will become a fearsome hero!" Allium unsheathed a blade from one of his front legs and held it high above him. He looked at the blade with deep reverence. "We Samurott...we are a proud bunch. Our swords protect the innocent and slay any and all evil!" He looked down at me. "You will learn this in time, Oswald." He sheathed his blade.

As silly as it sounded, I was actually looking forward to that happening some day. I was a pokemon now, and fighting as one was...sort of appealing. Sort of. Still not interested in getting killed. "Looking forward to it...Allium." I nodded respectfully. "Thank you for teaching me."

Allium smiled warmly. "And I thank you for allowing me to teach. Now, I must be off," he suddenly said. "I have other things to attend to." He turned to leave but then turned back as if he forgot something. "Oh, yes! Are you familiar with the castle pool?"

I raised an eyebrow. "No?"

"Then consider that your homework assignment," he chuckled. "Visit the castle pool and experience the feeling of water on your fur. Indulge in its welcoming embrace. Goodbye, Oswald! May we meet again!"

"...See you later!" I called back while waving.

I was alone again. And after looking up, I noted that the sun was still a few hours from setting I reckoned. I still had some time to spare before dinner with Fenn. With nothing better to do, I decided it was best to take up Allium's offer and visit the castle pool. Cooling down a bit sounded nice.

Cursing myself for not asking Allium where the pool actually was, I began my search.

---

I stopped by the front desk to ask Lace where the pool was. She said that it was actually on the first floor, right behind the courtyard, out in the backyard of the castle, outside. I was thankful that I didn't have to climb any stairs at least.

I found it in minutes. Walking onto the tiled path leading to Kebia's back lawn I was immediately struck by how lively it was. A well maintained path, lined with hand cut trees in pots, led into a clearing holding a bunch of pokemon. These pokemon lounged about and conversed with another.

In the center of the clearing was the pool I was looking for. Unsurprising to me, the majority of the pokemon swimming about and sitting near the pool were water types.

I was ignored as I approached. Definitely preferable to me; honestly, I didn't feel like meeting any more new people today. Eventually, I came to a stop at the pool's edge. A couple of young Wooper swam past and splashed some droplets in my direction, causing me to flinch.

That really annoyed me. I'm a water type! I shouldn't be afraid of water!

I looked down at the pool and my own reflection looked back at me. An unkempt Dewott with a despondent look on his face stared into my peculiar green eyes. This was the first time I had gotten a good look at myself properly.

I'm so...thin...and...weak looking. Is this what others see me as? God...no wonder I keep getting laughed at. I look pathetic.

I needed to sit down. Staring at myself for any longer might've made me pass out. So, I plopped down on the water's edge, careful not to sit on my tail again, and let my feet soak in the water. It was lukewarm.

Watching others swim about and having a good time, I let my mind wander. I started to wonder if going through with all of this guild nonsense was really worth it. I made it through one dungeon (one dungeon!) and nearly got my head cleaved off. Sure, I'm more prepared now, but what good did that amount to if I was still terrible at battling?

I stroked one of my scalchops and rested my head on my other paw. I considered if I actually had any other options. I mean, I just...went along with everything that's happened so far. I could've said no, probably, at some point. Maybe I'd still be stuck in the wilderness? I guess I did end up well off in the end, but dead with a room and dead without one are both fundamentally the same.

Judging by my experience in Figy Forest, I could very easily end up dead on the job. Was there an option for me at some point that would've left me without the looming threat of death? Maybe I should've just asked Anemone to throw me in a cage and keep me like a pet until she figures this all out.

I didn't know. And frankly, I didn't want to think about it anymore.

I dropped myself into the pool to get my mind off of all of those grim thoughts. My body steadily sank into the depths, and immediately, my fight or flight instincts kicked in. My breath caught and I struggled to keep myself from panicking.

I paddled my arms and legs frantically, trying to get a foothold on something. I ended up spinning around in circles, my tail betraying me and throwing me off balance. I slowly began to realize that my death was even closer than I anticipated.

I was going to die here, in a pool not two seconds after I willingly fell into it. What a waste; couldn't even make it to the second mission. I should've known that I'd die of my own stupidity.

I flailed for a moment longer, gradually losing the strength to move. My limbs ached and I so desperately wanted to just give up.

And eventually, I did. I accepted my fate and let my limp body float in the water. I waited for my imminent demise.

I waited. And I waited. And I waited more.

...Nothing changed. I opened my eyes to find that I was in the pool, still alive. I was incredibly confused, but then I looked at my own hands.

Paws.

I was a Dewott.

Well, now I feel like an even bigger idiot than before.

I was never in any real danger. My human side just took over and caused me to panic. I could literally breathe under water now that I was a Dewott.

I let myself drift again, this time actually attempting to enjoy the feeling of being in my supposed natural element. The calming feeling of being drenched in something so inherent to this body I was in set my mind at ease. It felt so...normal. Like I was meant to be here, under the water, in my true home.

I was at peace, just like Allium had said.

I stayed at peace for a little while longer until I caught wind of a bubbling sound to my right. I looked over and a pokemon with a long snout tipped with a round, pink nose grinned back at me. If I hadn't been under water, I might've screamed in surprise.

The Primarina attempted to say something to me, but it came out muffled. I looked at them, befuddled and unsure of what to do. Then, they pointed one of her flippers up, pointing to the surface. Following their signal, I got their message immediately and tried to follow them to the surface.

Much like before, however, I couldn't manage to move effectively. I screamed in the water to get the Primarina's attention, but only bubbles and muffled noises escaped my throat. They looked puzzled, but soon got what I was implying with a look of recollection on their face. They swam behind me and put their flippers under my arms. Together, we swam back to the surface.

The clarity of the above land world coursed back to me, and the Primarina set me down on the pool's edge. Water slid off of my drenched figure, coating the stone in the water I was just swimming in. I coughed the water out of my lungs as the Primarina drifted next to me. "Ack! Th-thanks!" I coughed.

"Don't mention it," the feminine sounding Primarina said. "You seemed to be having a lot of trouble for a Dewott, huh?"

I coughed some more. "You could...say that."

"I didn't think we'd need a lifeguard," she joked, "but you've definitely proven me wrong!"

"Ha...ha...yeah, I guess," I laughed awkwardly.

She rested her head on her crossed flippers on the pool's edge. "I don't believe we've met. I'm Marigold."

Marigold. I've heard that name before. Dahlia mentioned an entertainer in town with that same name.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Oh, Oswald." I briefly considered making a joke out of this introduction, but I was too exhausted to think straight.

"I know," she giggled.

...Not anymore, as it turned out. "What?"

"Anemone has already told me aaaaall about you. She told me you just showed up one day and joined the guild without any fanfare. A real shame. You got your own room, though. That's cool."

I shouldn't be surprised. Dahlia said that Anemone meets with the other two matriarchs often. I just hope that she didn't didn't tell them about-

Marigold lowered her voice to a whisper and leaned closer. "She also let me know that you had a very special secret. One of the...otherworldly variety."

Oh. That's wonderful.

I held my paws out in front of me. "L-listen Marigold, Anemone made it clear with me that I shouldn't tell anyone else-"

"Oh, there's no need to worry," she interrupted. "She told me the same thing. Your secret's safe with me." She winked. "I just wanted to meet you. I like meeting new pokemon. Especially super unique ones like you." The Primarina booped my nose with a flipper.

I flinched, then frowned. "I'm not really that unique or nice to look at, sorry to say."

"Nonsense!" she retorted. "I bet you're a killer with the ladies." Her eyes lit up and she gasped. "You should come to my show in the cafeteria in a few days!"

I raised an eyebrow, rubbing my nose. "Your show?"

"Yes!" Marigold exclaimed. "I would love to see you there! We'll be singing songs all night! Maybe you can even meet a sweetheart there, huh?" She wiggled her eyebrows at me.

"That...sounds like fun, Marigold." I honestly couldn't care less. "I'll have to see if I can make it." I shot her a half-hearted smile.

I turned away to look at the sun falling in the distance. It still wasn't sunset yet, but I didn't feel like being here anymore. This trip was hardly the relaxing venture I thought it would be.

So, I stood up. "I uh...gotta get going. Gotta water my plants and all that, you know?"

"Aw," she pouted. "I was hoping to hear more about you..."

"Not today, sorry. Those flowers aren't going to water themselves."

She gave me a sad smile. "Ah...alright. Well, it was nice meeting you, Oswald."

"You too," I said while walking away. "Bye!"

"Bye!" she called out to me, waving a fin. "Oh! Grab a towel on your way out!"

"Oh, um...thanks! I'll do that!"

---

I waited for Fenn in the cafeteria and ate an apple while I waited. Said apple was one of the only fruits that I recognized right away when I first saw it. Despite this, I never bothered to actually eat one until now. My reasoning was that I wanted to try something new first so I didn't get stuck eating what I already know. Because, I mean, I had no idea how long I'd be here. May as well.

Still not eating meat, though. I could barely stomach the thought of it.

My eyes perked up at the sight of a familiar looking Quilava. A brown bag was strapped around his shoulder and he smiled when he saw me.

"H-hey, Oswald," Fenn said. "How was your...why are you wet?"

I looked down at myself. My fur was still damp from the swim I just took, and I was sitting on a towel. "Went for a swim."

"N-nice," he nodded. "I didn't know Kebia had a pool."

"You've been here for two months and you didn't know there was a pool?"

Fenn sat down and set his shoulder bag on the table. "Fire type, remember?" He pointed at himself.

I smirked. "Surely it wouldn't kill you," I argued. "You could use the bath. I can give you one, you know. I know how to use Water Gun now."

"U-um...no thanks," he murmured, rubbing his arm. "I prefer dry-cleaning."

"Suit yourself."

Fenn went to go get a plate of berries and when he returned, I asked him something. "What's with the bag?"

The Quilava munched on a berry. "Cycla gave it to me," he answered between bites. "They said every team needs a bag to store their items."

Fenn then tapped the table. "...Kind of a waste of a lesson in my opinion..." he said.

"What do you mean?" I pondered.

"They wouldn't shut up!" Fenn voiced, throwing his arms into the air. "Every topic was so stretched out and they were so monotone with their explanations...p-plus I already knew most of it anyway..."

Didn't he say earlier that he didn't know much about mystery dungeons and such? Should I be concerned?

"Did you get anything out of it?" I questioned.

Fenn pointed. "The bag." He bit into a berry. "What about you? Did your day go well?"

I grimaced. Did it? Did it go well? I honestly wasn't sure. It was a day full of self loathing, that's for sure. Nothing outwardly bad really happened. In fact, I was better off for it. Maybe it was just all in my head.

Shrugging, I just replied with, "It went fine."

Fenn nodded wordlessly and then looked down at his food. "First real job tomorrow..." he said quietly.

"Are you nervous?" I asked softly.

He looked at me, a few sparks popping off of his forehead. "N-not...really. I'm sure I can handle whatever we come across." His eyes widened and he swiftly corrected himself. "We! We can handle whatever we come across!"

"It's fine, Fenn," I chuckled. "I know I'm not as good at battling compared to you."

Fenn's ears drooped and he rubbed his arm. "Yeah…"

We finished our meal and headed back to the room. Fenn set the bag in the corner and curled up to sleep. I layed down as well, but stayed up for some time.

My mind started to wander back to everything that happened today, over and over again; my head wouldn't let me rest. I rolled over and stared at Fenn sleeping on the other side of the room.

Fenn was the only pokemon I've met so far that I really trusted in any capacity. Maybe I didn't have any choice in coming here to Kebia, but I was glad that the one active choice I had made since I woke up resulted in the two of us becoming friends. I'm lucky to have met him.

Lucky...is that it? Am I just lucky? Or am I unlucky and I just don't know it yet?

I sighed and turned onto my back.

Guess I'll know for sure tomorrow…

 

[ErazonPo3]

Heyo! This story caught my eye and I thought that since you're in the early days of crossposting what is a pretty significant backlog, now's as good a time as any to jump into it! I've written a lot of my thoughts as I went, so they may be a bit scattered.

Spoiler: Prologue

Prologue

I'm very intrigued by this prologue, starting off on a spooky note with a Malamar that can't be up to anything good. He has a fun, melodromatically villainous vibe. I enjoy Larkspur and Crane's taunts and jabs, and I'm curious to see the path Crane takes given that he's something of an ally to Larkspur and yet seems to recognise the danger in him getting his way. I wonder if the human Larkspur is referring to is Oswald, or another human turned Pokemon?

And of course, I love the accompanying art!

Spoiler: Chapter 1

Chapter 1

My first impression of Dahlia is that she's a good person if a little mischevious, which is always fun in a character. I'm also enjoying the setting so far, you do a great job with describing the world in a way that paints a picture but never drags. I'm looking forward to seeing how the worldbuilding all unfolds, because a castle town is an interesting spin for a PMD world!

And now here's Oswald! Given the ominous prologue, I wonder if the Persian really does know something about him. I like Holly so far too, so I'm glad she didn't kill Oswald. The dynamics of Team Phlox are interesting, so I'm interested if that'll be relevant in the future.

Spoiler: Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I'm enjoying the rundown of things from Dahlia, it lays things out about rescue teams for Oswald efficiently without getting too bogged down for readers who already know the go, though she understandably avoids the subject of mystery dungeons. I'm also looking forward to meeting all three matriarchs of the town, who must all have very distinct personalities.

The Gallade statue is an interesting piece of the setting, I'm assuming it's in its Mega form too which is cool. The implied history and lore makes Kebia feel very fleshed out, and I'm looking forward to getting to know more about who the Gallade is.

I also know based on the intro art that the Quilava is going to be Oswald's love interest (at least that's what I'm assuming) and I'm enjoying this first impression! It's very cute and I appreciate that he's a fire type with a softer personality. Lilac's upbeat personality is a bit of fresh air at this point, as well!

"It was almost like the pokemon here found a castle, built a town around it, then ran their businesses and organizations without realizing the significance of it…" makes for a very interesting line which I will keep in the back of my mind. And a castle with an elevator! That's interesting.

"Or...at least I think I was sweating. Do water type pokemon have a reason to sweat? Was it...something else...or…?

I don't know. I was going to have to get a second opinion on this." This observation in particular was pretty funny to me.

The depictions of the Legendary Pokemon on the stained glass window is also intriguing, and I'm wondering what relevence the ones depicted may have to the royalty that might have once owned the castle. It's also noteworthy to me that Anemone chooses not to sit on the throne herself, but at a desk instead.

I like how the first person POV plays into Anemone's mind reading really well! It flows nicely. Also oops, can't keep any secrets from her, so the human is out of the bag it seems. I like how Oswald joining the guild was arranged too, it follows in a very sensible way. Anemone is being very forceful about Oswald keeping his human secret though, so I'm sure there's something concerning underlying that... I really enjoy her character!

Spoiler: Chapter 3

Chapter 3

It's interesting that Oswald notes that other Pokemon have good reason to fear Anemone, but I've decided to trust her for now :) Oops again, Oswald needs to form a team. I like that it really gets the ball rolling; signing up to a guild and forming a team can sometimes take a good chunk of the intro, and I appreciate the fluid pace things are going at.

The scene with Oswald's tail was very funny too. Oh, the awkward mishaps of having a new and unfamiliar body.

Oh no, Lilac's doing a complete 180 now. I thought it was foreshadowing that he noticed she was letting him get away with lies to easily, so this is quite the turn! It makes me wonder if she's a potential antagonist down the road, given how quick she is to make threats.

And it's the Quilava again! This is a nice little meet-cute, albeit the second time (literally) bumping into each other. Oswald is pretty smooth with his plan to get pecha berries despite not recognising them, even if he doesn't fully pull it off. And Fenn gets a name!

I like how quick Oswald is adapting to his new situation, already angling for a teammate and a motive for doing guild work. He's definitely got the gift of the gab when he isn't scared and disoriented, and I'm keen to see how it works out for him in tighter spots. I get the impression that Fenn has a lot more on his mind than just shyness, though, so I wonder what his reservations are.

This has been an enjoyable read so far, though I'll probably leave my reading here for tonight to catch up again another time. I'm always down for a good slowburn with good character work, and I really like all the characters I've met already!

 

[Kiba Makuro]

Hello Snap, I’m bringing my fancy electric grill for V-Wheel.
Chapter 6: Chapter 5 - Day 2 Part 2: Lavender. And Chapter 7: Chapter 6- Day 3: New Faces

Spoiler: Lavender and New Faces

Let’s talk about Lavender first, and then toward the end New Faces.

We start off with the Mystery Dungeon.

The descriptions of the environments here made a perfect set up for the whole chapter. I remember the previous chapter ending with a hint of what's to come so that was great. The haunting feeling and the discomfort was made actualized by the beginning of your prose. The actions of the characters, particularly Oswald, however lacked the kick I desired.

This is probably due to these chapters being primarily in first person, and being from the pov of someone who doesn’t know much. A good thing is that in both chapters you’ve started to use less epithets for new Pokemon to keep the flow of action going well. Interesting how it’s coming in spades for moves, which in my opinion haven’t always had the best descriptions. Thankfully that’s remedied in New Faces.And you have Dewott’s naivety to your advantage with “scallop” finally being caught as ‘Scalchop’ by Allium.

Then we get our first Mystery Dungeon battle. Well battle with a Pokemon, a feral. The harshness of the world (Pamtre) was introduced here, with Fenn being forced to kill the Scyther. But it felt… A little “forced” almost, but I think this works out alright in the end. Getting eased into this take/ idea in pmd works slowly, and thankfully we’ve got plenty of breathing room and a second chance at introducing it.

We get some more standard first Mystery Dungeon stuff and a first “MD item”, which doesn’t exactly turn out to be a surprise tool for later. It’s fun seeing protags accidentally screw up with items instead of getting a lucky break.

Once Fenn and Oswald get through enough of Figy Forest they finally find Chary. We get another fight where the stakes are high: protecting Chary as she’s asleep and defenseless but it ends pretty quickly like before.

While this chapter seemed deceptive at first, it was the precursor to the story you wanted to start in full. While I think they could be executed better, the one-sided fights shows that Fenn has stagnated, and Oswald has a ways to go. I would have liked to see more to the Dewott’s inaction though, like his will to fight being suppressed at the last moment.

And we finally see some of the reasons behind Fenn’s timidness, his parents and little sister. The pressure to live up to his name Fenrir, (name of a wolf in Myth- interesting for a badger-based mon) and being a warrior/ a proper explorer at Kebia Guild. Unfortunately the scene was a bit too small for my liking, just like the transition from the Figy Forest to the cabin, and the cabin back to Kebia Castle.

It’s more apparent in the next chapter New Faces, where Oswald feels really down on himself for not being able to help during those fights at all. And not just that, but how others in Kebia Guild treat him and Fenn.

Thankfully they were both able to get some lessons.As shown earlier the Quilava has a massive chip on his shoulder, with high expectations from his family while Oswald was given a privilege but doesn’t have the means to show it off yet. He still doesn’t know how to exist in his new body and can’t spend a day with someone to tell him everything.

The opening glimpse back at Dahlia, reminded the audience of the whole “information” is the greatest tool part of this fic, and I’m interested in what lies ahead. The wording was somewhat wonky in a few places, but it’s alright.

I’m glad we got to see Marigold again at the end of New Faces, and it looks like Oswald saying yes gets him into a new situation for later.

These were a nice pair of chapters, can’t wait to read more later. See ya later Snap!

 

[SnapDragon]

Chapter 7 - Day 4, Part 1: Stubborn ​

Check...check for enemies...stay...ignited...warm...warm...war...wha?

Fenn was nudged from his slumber by the blinding rays of the sun the next morning. As much as he appreciated the additional heat on his fur, it didn't help him sleep any better when it was right in his eyes. He blinked and shifted himself away from the light streaming in from the window.

Must be morning, he thought. Fenn sat up onto his paws and stretched, extending his arms high above his head. Unlike the day before, he felt refreshingly awake. Also unlike the day before, his Dewott teammate was still asleep, his bed closer to the wall compared to the previous morning.

Fenn looked at Oswald, deep in thought. He seems to be adapting well. The Quilava mentally kicked himself. Of course Oswald is handling this well! We haven't even gotten started yet!

Their first real job was today, and there weren't going to be any handicaps this time. Wherever the two of them went from this day forward, Team Lavender would face new challenges.

...Fenn was nervous.

He had made it seem like he was ready the day before—that was what he had told himself—but Fenn hardly believed his own words. There would be no excuses for failure because there was nothing he couldn't burn with his flames...right?

But what if he did fail? What then? Just then, he thought back to his conversation with Anemone two months ago and his heart sank. Would he go back to cleaning floors in shame? Would Oswald's opinion of him change?

Fenn thought back on the Dewott. Oswald's words of encouragement meant a lot to Fenn; he had never had a friend like him before. The fire type would always stay home, practice his techniques with his dad, and fix the house when it would inevitably burn down. Fenn had never made an honest effort to meet new pokemon in his life.

Spending time with his teammate was something he had taken for granted, and the last thing he wanted was for him to lose that.

And then there were his parents. The thought of them was enough to make his ears fall flat against his head.

Fenn couldn't bear the thought of disappointing them. His dad in particular expected him to be a strong and righteous explorer. If he got to work and it turned out he was nothing but a screw up…?

The Quilava shook his head. I'm not a screw up! I just got a slow start! I'm a warrior! And besides, who's really at fault for not exploring until now? Certainly not me! Anemone just didn't believe in me!

He almost wished he had thought of that back when he went home a couple of days ago. Fenn also wished he didn't actually believe that it was all his fault all along. It wouldn't surprise him in the slightest if it was.

...I miss grandpa. He...he would've believed in me...

With a deep sigh, Fenn softly padded over to the window. The windowsill held the two small flower pots that he had requested from the front desk yesterday. He sat with his arms resting on the windowsill as he watched the pots with interest. Nothing sprouted from the soil. Yet.

Fenn had taken some seeds from the lavender he had picked a couple days ago and planted them in the soil the day before. It would take some time for them to grow. Around two weeks...maybe? Maybe longer…? Maybe even...shorter…? Fenn wasn't particularly well versed in the art of growing plants. Having some lavender to call his own made him excited, though. Ever since he had first laid his eyes on those beautiful purple petals, he felt compelled to grow some of his own.

However, his father never saw the value in "worthless signs of vanity" like flowers, so he wouldn't allow them in the house. A shame, really. Fenn was interested to see how the full grown lavender would improve the room's atmosphere.

Fenn continued to stare at the flower pots wistfully for a few seconds longer before he heard a faint rustling behind him. He turned to see Oswald slowly sitting up in his bed, looking quite uncomfortable.

"God, this bed sucks," the scraggly Dewott muttered angrily under his breath. Slowly, Oswald rubbed the back of his neck and looked around the room until his eyes rested on Fenn's. "Oh, you're up."

"W-we actually slept in a bit," Fenn said, stepping away from the windowsill. "Most of the other teams have probably already picked their next mission and gone to breakfast."

Oswald groaned as he stood up. "Fine by me," he quipped. "I'm not in any rush." He ambled over to the explorers bag in the corner and picked it up. "Another mystery dungeon today. Are you ready?"

Fenn bit his lip. I'm doomed if I'm not. "Y-yeah, I'm ready," he said sheepishly. "Are you?"

Oswald slung the bag over his shoulder and shrugged. "Eh. Probably not, but we've waited long enough." He cradled the bag on his side, shooting Fenn a friendly smile. "We'll figure it out. You know, as long as you're around."

The Quilava felt like he should've blushed at that, but instead he just rubbed his arm and looked away. "H-heh, definitely." Fenn briefly considered telling Oswald that he was actually not at all the "amazing battler" Oswald thought he was.

But...he's counting on me! I need to carry the team. There's no excuse for failure!

The Dewott headed for the door, and yawned. "Ahh...alright, let's get going," he said.

Fenn nodded wordlessly and followed the otter's lead.

---

Team Lavender made it to the lounging room bulletin board soon after. Today, the board looked to be quite barren, though there was still plenty for the two of them to choose from. Fenn scanned the board of posted jobs in search of a mission fit for the two of them. Oswald stood nearby, looking a bit aimless.

Fenn read out the postings in his head. Escort mission...no. Find a lost item...no. Catch a low level crook...not really worth it. Rescue a lost pokemon...just did that. Fenn continued to look over the tasks for a few more minutes until he got frustrated. Nothing interesting or even particularly challenging. Hm…

"Do any of these stick out to you?" he asked Oswald.

Oswald was jolted out of his daydreams. "Huh? Oh. No, not really. I mean I can't read so I wouldn't know."

Fenn froze in his search and spun around to face the Dewott, unsure if he heard him right. "I-I'm sorry, what?" Fenn asked, bewildered.

"Yeah," Oswald said, rubbing the back of his head. "I must've forgotten how to read footprints. Or maybe I was never taught how to read at all. No idea." He gripped the straps of his shoulder bag.

Fenn frowned. That amnesia of his is really something else. I've never met a pokemon that didn't know how to read footprint runes. Fenn went back to scanning the job board.

Nothing caught his eye on the second pass through. Nothing except a posting on the top right. Fenn stood on his tip toes and peeled it off the board. Oswald leaned over Fenn's shoulder, trying to get an idea of what he picked. "Found something?" Oswald asked.

"Yeah, I think so," Fenn responded. "Here...it says: 'Fire Stone retrieval at Mago Canyon. Three hundred for each stone acquired with a 500 poké bonus for five."

Oswald whistled. "Not bad. Who sent the request?"

"It says...'the guild.'"

"The guild?" the water type pondered. "They pay teams to do things like that? What do they even need the Fire Stones for?"

Fenn shrugged. "I'm guessing it's for the shops in the town square. The guild technically owns the town and this is their way of making a profit."

"Makes sense." Oswald nodded. "So have you been to this 'Mago Canyon' before?"

"...I haven't," Fenn stated. "I-it'll be a first for me too. Speaking of which," he pointed at the shoulder bag on Oswald's person, "could I see the bag for a second?"

Oswald said "sure" and handed the bag to Fenn.

Fenn unfastened the front pocket and pulled out a small journal. "Cycla gave me this guide on every known mystery dungeon in the region." He flipped through the journal's pages. "M...Maaa...Maaa...go...ah! Here we go! Mago Canyon!" Fenn pointed at the page he flipped to. "Let's see here…'Mago Canyon is an eight floor dungeon to the west of Spelon Town. It's predominant natives include a variety of rock and fire type pokemon. There are no known entrance points. Estimated difficulty is around a 'C.' Tread with caution."

Oswald crossed his arms. "A 'C?' What does that mean?"

Fenn closed the dungeon guide. "Dungeons are ranked by their difficulty in Unknown script," he explained. "They start at the lowest level of challenge at an 'E' rank, then progressively get harder the higher up you go ending with 'A' and then 'S.'"

Oswald frowned. "So, you chose a moderately difficult mission? Fenn, I don't think we're ready for this."

The fire type stuffed the journal back into the bag. "I think we can handle it," he said. "I doubt it'll be that bad."

Plus I need to prove myself. If I can't get through a dungeon like Mago Canyon, then I'm a failure of an explorer. I have to do this...

"And the typing of the ferals." Oswald raised his eyebrows. "Fenn, I might not remember much, but I do know that you'd be at a severe disadvantage." He slung the bag over his shoulder. "Let's pick something else."

"No!" Sparks flew from Fenn's back.

Oswald blinked.

Dang it! I didn't intend to come off so desperate! "I-I mean," Fenn mumbled. "We can use this as a chance to test your new m-moves."

The Dewott put his paws on his hips and scoffed. "Fenn, I can get the same results from spraying Caterpies without having to worry about your wellbeing," Oswald retorted. "Pick a 'D' or 'E' job or...something."

The Quilava rubbed his arm hysterically as he pleaded. "P-please! I know I can...I-I mean I know we can do this!"

"Fenn."

"Just...trust me on this. We can get some items in town that'll help. Trust me!"

Oswald stared at Fenn, his brow furrowed and his paws still firmly planted on his hips. Fenn waited for Oswald's response, trying and failing to stop his body from trembling.

Eventually, Oswald's expression softened and he sighed. "Alright," he said. "If you're so sure that we can get through this...then okay, I trust you."

Fenn let out a sigh of relief. "Th-thank you...Oswald. I won't let you down."

Oswald seemed as though he wanted to say more, but chose not to. He simply nodded and adjusted the strap of the bag on his shoulder. "Let's go get breakfast then get those items you mentioned."

And so they did. Fenn and Oswald soon found themselves in the cafeteria. Fenn stood in line with his and Oswald's plates. He had insisted that he would get their meals for the two of them to make up for Oswald's kindness when they first met. Now at the front of the line, he came face-to-face with Skua, Kebia's Simisear chef.

"Hey, Fenn!" he greeted in a jovial tone. "The usual?"

"Y-yes," Fenn murmured while nodding, avoiding eye contact. "And some oran berries for my t-teammate."

Skua tossed some pecha berries onto one plate and oran berries onto another. They all landed in a near perfect pile on both plates. "Teammate, you say?" he asked with a smile. "Finally ditched that cleaning job, huh?"

Fenn grabbed the plates and frowned in discomfort. Why was this Simisear so insistent in being so familiar with Fenn? Why does he even care? Can't he just give Fenn his food and keep his mouth shut?

"Y-yeah, I guess..." Fenn stammered, already turning to leave.

"Hey, that's great!" Skua grinned. "Good for you, buddy. See you around!"

Hopefully not, Fenn thought. Next time I'll just make Oswald get the food.

Fenn walked to the same table that he and Oswald had occupied every other time they were in the cafeteria. Oswald sat on the bench, twirling a scalchop on the table. Fenn awkwardly waddled on his hind legs and practically threw the breakfast plates he was holding onto the table. Oswald jolted in his seat.

"Ah! Oh. Uh...you...really didn't have to get my food if you didn't want to, Fenn," Oswald said. He wiggled his paws. "I'm more suited for this sort of thing."

"It's okay, Oswald." I'm going to start making you do it from now on anyways.

Team Lavender ate their breakfast in silence; Fenn was at a loss when it came to starting a conversation and Oswald seemed content with keeping quiet at the moment, so there weren't many words exchanged. Fenn stared at the Dewott as he ate and cut his oran berries with his scalchops...for some reason. Oswald would slowly slice into his meal and would act surprised when they would cut cleanly in two.

He seems so out of it, Fenn thought. Is this really how amnesia works? Surely, he can't have just...forgotten how to be a pokemon. I wonder if he remembers anything...something must've sparked his memories at some point…

Fenn decided to ask him. "Hey, Oswald?"

Oswald looked up from his experiment. "Hm?"

"Did you remember anything recently?"

"...Uh…" Oswald stared at Fenn, wide eyed. He shifted his gaze left and right as if he were checking if anybody was around. Oswald hesitated to speak for so long that Fenn was starting to get worried.

"No," Oswald said after some time. "No...I...well, I remembered how delicious Oran's can be!" He went back to cutting up his breakfast and scarfing it down like it was the first thing he'd eaten in a while.

Fenn continued to stare at Oswald, his lips parted slightly. Is he...is he lying? Why would he lie? I...I don't...? Fenn was deeply curious about this pokemon and how he just showed up out of nowhere. Fenn was almost confident that there was more to him than he was letting on. Almost. As strange as Oswald was acting, Fenn didn't want to make assumptions.

The Quilava went back to eating his pecha berries. I know I shouldn't pry, but I do really want to know what's on his mind. However, Fenn decided to let it go for now. Oswald would tell him eventually like he had before.

I just hope it's soon...I don't like being kept in the dark like this…

---

The streets of Kebia were abuzz with activity when Fenn and Oswald traversed their way through them after breakfast. Pokemon came and went as they pleased, whether on route to somewhere specific or just enjoying the pleasant atmosphere. The shops were open, and the merchants behind their stalls peddled their wares to any and all passing pokemon.

Team Lavender was looking for Kecleon's shop. Fenn had never been there, on account of not being a guild adventurer until now, so he wasn't exactly sure where to look. Thankfully, Cycla had told him that every explorer in Kebia worth their weight in poké shopped at Kecleon's, and had given him the proper directions. His stock was expensive, but well worth it for the quality.

Fenn had some gear in mind when he would get there. He had to be smart with his money and leave some extra left over in case the job didn't pay well enough. Cycla didn't know off the top of their head how much everything there cost, so Fenn had to make some rough estimates. He might've also tuned out during that part of the lecture—he couldn't remember.

With the calculations he made, it shouldn't cost more than 800 poké. Probably.

Fenn and Oswald turned a corner and came face-to-face with a building shaped like...well, a Kecleon. Fenn had followed Cycla's directions exactly, he just wasn't aware that it would be so obvious. The structure stuck out amongst every other building in Kebia thanks to it's...unique design. Fenn wasn't even aware that pokemon styled houses were still in fashion.

Fenn stared up at the building in awe. He was sure this was the place.

Oswald, nearby, stopped to take in the ridiculousness of the sight. "What the hell..." he muttered under his breath.

The Quilava turned to him. "Th-this should be Kecleon's. We should be able to get everything we need here."

Oswald looked between the building and Fenn. "Are you sure this is the place?" he asked jokingly. "Cause I'm not so sure."

Fenn smirked. "Yes, I'm sure."

Oswald smirked back. "Alright, I'll take your word for it." He started to walk up to the building's front door before being stopped.

Fenn blocked his path. "A-actually," he stuttered, "there's s-something I need to ask you first."

"Alright, shoot."

"C-could you be the one to talk to Kecleon and get what we need? I really don't want to..."

Oswald raised an eyebrow. "Uh...I suppose so. I don't really see why this is such an issue, though."

Fenn rubbed his arm. "I'm not...comfortable...talking to other pokemon." He looked away. "Makes me...nervous."

"...You're kidding me," Oswald chuckled. "It's really not that big of a deal, Fenn. Just get what you need and go."

The fire type's ears drooped. "Please," Fenn pleaded. "D-do this for me?"

Fenn's Dewott teammate smiled sympathetically. "I already said I would. Just know that when I say you can handle anything that comes in your way, I mean it." Oswald adjusted the position of the bag on his shoulder. "What do we even need to get?"

"Um...here." Fenn padded over to Oswald and stuck his paw into one of the side pockets on the bag he was carrying. He pulled out a small notepad and a writing utensil. "I'll write it down."

The fire type scribbled some writing onto the notepad's pages before handing it to Oswald. Oswald stared at the notepad, his eyes glazed over. Fenn waited for him to finish reading.

"Fenn?"

"Yeah?"

The Dewott handed the notepad back to Fenn. "I can't read."

"Oh!" Fenn smacked his forehead, shocked by his own stupidity. "I forgot!" Fenn held the notepad in his paws. "Just...give it to Kecleon. H-he'll get what we need for us."

Oswald took the notepad back. "Sounds good to me."

With their plan of action effectively made, Fenn and Oswald strolled into Kecleon's shop. A bell above the door rang out. "Welcome!" a voice called out from across the room. Fenn stepped inside, peeking out from behind Oswald's body.

Kecleon's shop was filled to the brim with shiny knick-knacks and fascinating curiosities. A table in the center of the room stretched from the door to the counter at the back, displaying hundreds of rare consumables behind glass. Bookcases lined the walls, their shelves brimming with sparkling orbs and polished multicolor disks. Hat-racks stood off to the side, various articles of clothes ranging from scarves to capes and even eyewear hung from their branches.

Fenn was taken aback by the sight of so many valuable items in one place. The establishment had the feel of a renowned, underground museum. Every trinket and every bauble was treated as though they were the most important goods in the known world. Balls of light erected atop tall bronze mounts shrouded the shop in mystifying shadows. The lack of any natural light made Fenn feel wistful.

Meanwhile, Oswald didn't seem to care for any of it. That was how it appeared to Fenn, at least. He just strolled to the front without taking any of it in.

Team Lavender approached the Kecleon behind the counter. The green pokemon's monocular eyes looked at both Fenn and Oswald up and down independently. He smiled kindly as they advanced towards the counter. "How can I help you two today?" he asked politely.

Oswald slid the notepad across the counter. "We're going on a dungeon run today," he explained, tilting his head to denote that 'we' refers to Fenn and him. "Need some special gear."

The Kecleon hummed, "Hm," scanning the pages of the notepad in his hands. "Ah, yes! I do believe we have all of this in stock." He stepped out from behind the counter. "Let me get this for you."

Oswald nodded and started tapping his fingers on the wooden desk. Fenn fidgeted restlessly with his paws.

"So, where are you two headed?" asked the Kecleon, unlocking one of the glass display cases with a key.

"Mago Canyon," Oswald replied dryly.

The shopkeeper beamed, "Ah, Mago Canyon. One of my favorites."

"You have favorites?"

"Of course. Spend as much time as I do traveling and you come across some truly spectacular sights." He grabbed a cylindrical bottle full of brown liquid from its display case. "I like Mago Canyon in particular because" -he closed the display case- "it isn't picky." The Kecleon stepped behind the counter, his arms full of trinkets, and dropped everything he was holding onto the surface. "You can enter any way you want."

Fenn thought back to the guide he read earlier. It did mention that the canyon had no known entrances. Fenn understood that not every mystery dungeon worked the same way, and even worked on their own rules from time to time. Some broke the laws of physics, others were so harmless that he had heard of non-ferals living in them, and some were so inhabitable that they were deemed a lost cause.

It was notable how the most common deviation between them was how they allowed entry. Figy Forest, of course, only allowed access through that one opening in the trees. Entering in any other way would result in the intruder being spit right back out. Fenn never understood why it was this way, but he did know that there were some dungeons that were like one giant portal to another dimension. Mago Canyon must be one of them.

"So, what," Oswald inquired, "you can just...jump in and the dungeon will put you on the first floor?

The Kecleon nodded. "Exactly. If you get the chance, get up on the canyon's cliffs and skydive in. There's nothing like it."

Oswald raised his eyebrows but ultimately didn't question it. "I'll uh...keep that in mind."

The shopkeeper tallied up the total cost of every item Fenn had asked for, counting out the price on his fingers. "All of this should round out to...1,244 poké."

Fenn balked. His estimation was off. Way off.

Oswald cast Fenn a sideways glance to gauge his reaction, and Fenn felt as though he should've said something, but couldn't find the words. The Quilava didn't have the confidence to tell Oswald that they should reconsider their purchase. And after a few more moments of silence, the Dewott took Fenn's lack of an answer as his approval.

"Um...alright." Oswald took a small sack out of his shoulder bag: Fenn's funds. Oswald dropped it onto the counter. "I think we have enough for that."

The Kecleon nodded. "Very good."

Then the two of them stared at one another for a few moments. Neither one of them moved a muscle. It was the Kecleon that soon broke the silence.

"Are...are you going to pay?"

"Oh." Oswald grinned awkwardly. "I'm sorry to say this but...my fingers are a bit stiff." He held out one of his paws and ran his fingers across it with the other paw. "You know how it is...I start getting your coins out and then a clumsy oaf like me just...drops them all over the place. Having a mess like that would be pretty inconvenient, I think."

The shopkeeper looked at Oswald, confused. Fenn was also confused. What is he talking about?

"O...kay?" Kecleon slid the sack closer to him. "If you can trust me with your money for a moment, I will count out the required amount."

Oswald nodded. "Thank you."

...What...what just happened?

Kecleon took what he needed from Fenn's funds before sliding the bag back over to Oswald. "Thank you for your business," Kecleon hesitantly said.

Oswald dragged every item he bought into his shoulder bag. "No, thank you." He turned on his heels and left for the door. Fenn clumsily followed behind him, still a bit perplexed. When he looked back at the shopkeeper, he saw that Kecleon was watching them leave, a bemused look on his face.

Outside, Fenn and Oswald reconvened after their shopping trip. "Well, that went well," Oswald said.

"Oswald...how did you do that?" Fenn asked curiously.

Oswald raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean 'how did I do that?'"

Fenn stammered, "Y-you know...walking in there and...talking and holding a conversation with a pokemon you've never met."

The question continued to confuse Oswald. "I just...did…? I don't know, Fenn. I don't really care about making much of an impression. You asked me to get the stuff and I did. Not much more to it than that."

"B-but," Fenn stuttered, "that whole 'stiff fingers' ordeal! Weren't you w-worried that Kecleon was going to assume that you were going to rob him?"

"No?" Oswald frowned. "You know, Fenn, you being so sheepish is sort of ironic to me considering how well you do against ferals."

Fenn shook his head. "That's different," he retorted. "My dad started teaching me to fight when I was young and didn't stop until I was ready. I've never had to...haggle...before."

Oswald crossed his arms and scowled. "Maybe your dad should've taught you how to be yourself and not him."

Fenn's vents ignited in anger. "What? No! I am NOT my dad! How could you even say that?"

The Dewott held up his arms and backed down immediately. "Okay, you're right! You're not your dad! I'm sorry! I really don't want to argue! Please!"

Fenn calmed down some, the fire on his back dissipating but not disappearing. "Whatever," he grumbled. "Let's...just go already."

Oswald said nothing and followed Fenn away from Kecleon's shop.

Fenn fumed. I am NOT my dad, he thought angrily. Teaching me to fight doesn't make me him. I'm a warrior with my own independence, just like grandpa always said...right? The flames on Fenn's back were gone. I am not my dad. I'm not.

Fenn looked to the horizon, a determined glint in his eyes. I'll prove it.

---

Team Lavender made it to Mago Canyon within a few hours. They had said next to nothing for the entirety of the walk.

Fenn tried to keep his mind off of his previous conversation with his teammate. Thinking about his home life didn't help to improve his confidence in the coming mission.

In a moment of desperation and boredom, he kept his mind occupied by counting clouds.

The environment they were walking on changed from dirt and grass to a dull, grey stone the closer they got to Mago Canyon. Sheer cliffs dropped off into a chasm of black. Fenn looked down into the natural ravine and his eyes caught sight of a swirling whirlpool of deep, dark fog. Streams of darkness leaked onto the canyon's edge from far below. If there was a bottom to this imposing anomaly, Fenn couldn't see it.

Oswald stood nearby, looking over the side, and holding the map of the region they were in. "I'm guessing this is it?" he asked sardonically.

Fenn nodded, more to himself than anyone else. "Yeah...Mago Canyon."

The water type stuffed the map into his bag. "Kecleon did say we can just jump in, but...do we want to?" The Quilava turned to look at Oswald. He was peering over the edge, clearly uncomfortable with the notion of leaping off. "Potentially snapping my neck on a stray rock isn't how I want to go."

Fenn smirked. "Well, look who's scared now?" For some reason, he felt inclined to get back at Oswald for what he said earlier. Just a little bit.

Oswald glared at him. "Words can't kill, Fenn," he said, annoyed. "But this?" He spread out his arms to signify that he meant the canyon. "We could very easily die out here. Far away from any semblance of civilization."

Fenn did his best to smile reassuringly. "I-it's fine, Oswald," he uttered. It has to be fine. If it's not...then… "We'll be f-fine."

The Dewott stared down at the swirling darkness at the bottom of Mago Canyon. His eyes were wide and his paws were shaking. He remained silent for some time, deep in thought, before he finally sighed. "Alright." He smiled warmly at Fenn. "I can do this. As long as you're with me."

Fenn was touched. He still doesn't hate me...even after all of that? I should...I should apologize for getting upset earlier...he didn't deserve to get yelled at…

Oswald held out his paw. "You ready?" he asked, his voice shaky.

The fire type nodded and held Oswald's paw firmly. "Yeah...I'm ready."

With a running start, Team Lavender took a leap of faith. The wind whistled by Fenn's ears. He couldn't stop himself from closing his eyes. Too many feelings flowed through him to the point of him becoming light headed.

The darkness rapidly approached, and Fenn braced himself.

Soon enough, everything went dark. Team Lavender's first real mission was underway.

 

[SnapDragon]

Chapter 8 - Day 4, Part 2: Vindication ​

Mago Canyon: 1st Floor

The sky above Mago Canyon was blood red.

I stared up at the imposing sight as I rose to my feet. Somehow, Fenn and I landed on the canyon's dusty, crimson rock floor safely. Kecleon ended up being trustworthy after all; I didn't have any nicks or scratches on me.

The atmosphere of Mago Canyon was considerably different now that we were within the dungeon. The fog was gone, and in its place was an ominous cascade of heavy shadows, the entire environment surrounding Fenn and I being coated in the same color as the sky. Everything was red.

There was no wind. It was so eerily quiet that I could hear my own heart beating in my ear. The sheer cliffs we were just on couldn't be farther away.

And then there were the walls.

The walls of Mago Canyon weren't the walls of Mago Canyon. The canyon was gone. Instead, we were enclosed in a cage of...cubes. Hundreds and hundreds of cubes, each big enough to fit ten of me and Fenn, were stacked on top of each other reaching miles above us.

Every cube was different. Some were designed with the same swirls and shapes I had seen back in Figy Forest and others were designed in such a way that made no practical sense. The most noteworthy designs to me, though, were the cubes that stared back at me.

Cubes with faces; faces that were angry; faces that were sad. Faces that looked as though they knew my best held secrets, their malicious grins quickly being burned into my mind. They reminded me of humans, which only served to worsen my current mental state.

None of it made sense. I couldn't believe what I was looking at. How is this possible? Am I going insane?

My sensory deprived ears picked up a faint noise to my side. I turned to the sound to see Fenn lifting himself off of the ground, his head low and his ears planted against his head. He began to take in his surroundings much like how I just did, his eyes wide and his lips parted.

Eventually, his eyes caught mine, and that was enough to make him seem relieved. "O-Oswald," he croaked. "A-are...are you real? Is any of this real?"

I approached him slowly and scratched the back of his left ear. "I'm real," I told him with a weak, reassuring smile. "We're in Mago Canyon, I think."

Fenn sighed and let his shoulders relax. "O-okay. I j-just...wanted to make sure." He rubbed his arm. "Just give me a minute t-to compose myself. Th-this is a lot to take in all at once."

I nodded in understanding. If it weren't for how hard I was gripping the straps of my shoulder bag, I might've assumed I was dreaming. This place was unreal.

"Why are mystery dungeons like this?" I asked no one in particular. "Are they made by someone? Why are they here?"

"I-I don't know, Oswald," Fenn said quietly. "They've been around since before I was born." He looked around at the towering walls of cubes. "I never understood why they're like this…"

So mystery dungeons are a mystery for a reason. Every pokemon in Pamtre just accepts these places as a fact of life. I frowned. I'm not going to get any concrete answers when it comes to mystery dungeons, am I?

Fenn looked at me. "Are you...feeling okay?" he asked, perturbed.

I wasn't quite sure why he was asking me since he seemed to be fairing worse than me in some ways, but I nodded anyway. "Yeah. Not as bad the second time."

Or maybe it's not the same? I wondered. This dungeon definitely feels odd, but not in the same way as Figy Forest, strangely enough.

"W-we should get moving," Fenn said. "I'm ready." He pointed a paw at an opening in the wall of cubes. "Same rules apply when it comes to going up floors here. F-find the staircase, look for stones as we go."

Oh yeah, the staircases. I grimaced. If I see the same marble staircases here, I'm losing it.

"I'm ready too," I added.

We advanced through the first corridor of the dungeon, side by side. I attempted to keep my eyes off of the walls, but each time I would steal a glance, I would catch sight of something unsightly on the cubes and I'd have to look away. Fenn didn't seem to be doing much better. The flames on his back were almost constantly ablaze while we were here. Whether it was because he was as scared as I was or because of something else, I didn't know.

The tunnel we were going down turned abruptly to the right at a 90 degree angle. We turned with it, but not before being visually assaulted by a quartet of frightening faces on the wall ahead of us. If it weren't for the fact that I was in actual pain with a really bad headache, I might've stuck out my tongue at it...or something. At this point, the lack of any natural noise was starting to drive me nuts. The only solution I could think of was to strike up a conversation with Fenn.

"How are you holding up, Fenn?" I asked, trying to stay composed.

"F-fine," Fenn murmured. "I f-feel like I'm being crushed, but I can deal with it."

Nailed it right on the head there. Figy Forest made me feel like I was constantly being watched; I could get through that fine because Fenn was with me. But here? The pressure in Mago Canyon was intense. I wasn't being watched as much as I was being compressed. The sky was constantly in sight, but we may as well have been in a closed off cave miles underground.

I kept my paws firmly on my scalchops as I walked. The sooner we get out of here, the better.

The corridor ended. Now, we were in another large square chamber devoid of any obstacles aside from a single rock near the center. There was an opening in the cubes behind it.

Fenn's fire crackled beside me as he stepped forward into the room. "That's a Geodude." He whispered, pointing at the rock. "See it?"

I squinted at the cracked stone. It seemed out of place, it's surface a slightly different color than the surrounding ground, but I couldn't tell if Fenn was right or not. "How can you tell?" I wondered quietly.

"You can't?"

I looked again—still a rock. "No, not really."

Fenn stood up on his hindlegs. "Well, it is one. I-I think this is a good opportunity for you to show me your new moves against an actual opponent." He smiled. "I'll stay back and watch."

"...Alright," I muttered. I tip-toed further into the chamber. Approaching it from the side, I tried to get a better look at the rock. It still didn't move or even appear as anything other than a part of the scenery. Even if it is Geodude, I thought, we could just walk around it. Nothing is stopping us.

"Psst!" Fenn whispered to me from across the room. "Get it's attention! Make it a fair fight!"

I frowned. I'd rather just blast it and be done with this, but Fenn is expecting me to show him that I'm not completely useless. Building up the courage to fight, I cupped my paws around my mouth and yelled, "hey!"

Immediately, the rock moved. The cracks on its surface split and two rocky limbs extended outward. It shifted slowly, small motes of dust falling off of it's jagged frame. It used its arms to spin itself and turned to face me. Two unsightly and savage eyes stared into mine.

It grumbled something, now very aware of my presence. I only stared back, unsure of what to do. Neither of us moved.

Suddenly, it sprung to life, using its muscular arms to propel itself across the room. It sailed through the air in my direction. I would've inevitably taken the strike had Fenn not screamed something at me and pulled me out of my daze.

I dived forward. Just barely, the Geodude shot over my head, landing on the ground behind me. I swiftly stood back up, staring at the Geodude again, now panting heavily.

"OSWALD!" Fenn wailed. "FIGHT BACK! YOU KNOW YOU CAN!"

I flinched, and Fenn's words registered with me. I can fight back now, I suddenly remembered. I had almost forgotten. I really need to get my head in the game. I shook my head. Ok...how do I do this…?

I thought back on my training session with Allium. "Think of yourself as the mightiest predator," he had told me. "You need to eat. You must survive. Kill your prey as though you will perish if you do not."

And so I did. I was now a mighty Samurott swimming deep in the ocean, seeking out my next meal. I saw a lone Remoraid, an easy catch.

"You are one with the ocean. Kyogre recognizes you as one of its own. Control your instincts and engross yourself with your surroundings."

I envisioned myself as an even greater predator. I was not just the strongest pokemon in the sea, I was Kyogre. The very waves I rode were mine to control. That Remoraid was nothing but a snack to feed on.

"Unleash your inner tide."

The Geodude attacked again, but this time, I was ready.

I shot out a hefty stream of water. This ocean is mine! The feral was hit midair, liquid spilling off of it's rocky form. The Water Gun I fired assaulted the Geodude even as it fell to the ground in a soggy heap. Chips of its body flew off, painting the rocks around it in spats of black sludge.

It attempted to get up even with its injuries, but I wasn't done yet. At this point, I was above even Kyogre; nothing could stop me. I unleashed another torrent of liquid, causing the Geodude to slide across the ground, its fractured form cracking and falling apart from the onslaught.

After the second Water Gun, it didn't move again. Now all that remained was a haphazard collection of damaged stones coated in a black liquid.

I stared down at the sight, panting from exertion. I was about to unleash another attack on the now dead feral when Fenn called me from nearby, causing me to wince.

"Oswald! You did it!" He padded up to me. "I knew you could!"

I blinked. "W-what? Huh?" I looked back down at the dead Geodude with wide eyes. "Did...did I do that?"

Fenn nodded, a wide grin on his face. "Y-you sure did!" he praised. "Pretty easy, huh?"

I blinked again. That...was easy. Almost...too easy. Is this really all it takes? Why was I so scared, again?

"Let's keep going," Fenn beamed. "Won't be the last we see of the ferals here."

I was so enraptured by my handiwork that I didn't notice Fenn heading for the next corridor without me. I quickly caught up, following behind Fenn further into the dungeon. Maybe Fenn was right, I thought. If the rest of the pokemon here are as weak as that Geodude, then we had nothing to worry about.

Of course, I was wrong. The Graveler in the next chamber would prove to me that we were way in over our heads.

I didn't really understand what the Graveler was doing when we came across it after beating that Geodude. Mystery dungeons hardly seemed like liveable places—especially this one. And yet, here was a lone Graveler, standing in the center of a room in a dungeon, rolling around pebbles at its feet.

Fenn didn't give me much time to think about it either. He advanced towards the feral before either me or the Graveler had noticed what he was doing.

"My turn," Fenn said confidently. "I'll beat this one."

Before it had the time to react, Fenn blasted the Graveler with an extreme amount of concentrated flame. The feral let out a low roar as it swatted at the incoming blaze. Fenn didn't let up for a few agonizing seconds.

I mused on how Fenn's sudden Flamethrower barrage 'wasn't much of a fair fight,' but it seemed as though it didn't matter much. Fenn only stopped when the Graveler blindly tossed a rock directly at the Quilava's head.

He reeled back, coughing up smoke and falling onto his back. Other than the feral being a darker shade of grey, the Graveler was uninjured.

I rushed to Fenn's side, though he was already sitting himself upright when I got to him. Before I had the chance to ask him if he was alright, he batted my paws away and stood up fully. "I-I can still do this," Fenn breathed. "Just got a lucky shot on me, that's all."

I was concerned, not only because his attack had barely phased the feral, but because the rock had left a nasty gash on his head. Blood dripped down his face right under where his forehead flames were. But Fenn marched back into battle, ignoring the pain.

Instead of hitting the Graveler with fire attacks outright, Fenn opted to whittle it down through repeated and constant pressure. Flame Burst after Flame Burst burned the rocky pokemon. It didn't have many ways to fight back aside from tossing more rocks. Fenn was on his feet now, so few managed to hit him.

But despite Fenn's best efforts, the Graveler was still mostly unfazed. I could tell Fenn was getting frustrated because he kept trying to get closer and hit it with more sustained fire attacks. Nothing seemed to be working and Fenn's recklessness was landing him more rock based injuries.

Eventually, the Graveler got sick of chucking rocks and took advantage of Fenn trying to get in close. The feral wildly swung its arms as Fenn went in for the close range Flamethrower and was promptly smacked in the side.

Fenn screamed in pain and I couldn't stay still any longer. I was aware that he might get mad at me for interfering, but I was too furious to care. I could already feel water gurgling in my throat so all it took to unleash a particularly nasty Water Gun was for me to imagine the Graveler as a rival predator of the deep. I'll make you regret choosing to fight back!

The Graveler recoiled and stumbled back as I hit it with a Water Gun. Just like the Geodude, shards of stone chipped off of the rock type's exterior and the ground was splashed with oily black goo. It staggered but didn't fall. Now, its attention was on me.

I didn't give it a second to breathe. Another Water Gun splashed its face and one of its eyes was gone, lying about in pieces somewhere nearby. It was having trouble standing and seemed at its wits end. As a final resort, however, the Gravelor punched the ground.

Everything began to shake.

I stumbled and my vision began to blur. Loud sounds of impact struck the earth as cubes from high above were falling and landing onto the dungeon floor. I could do nothing except keep my balance on my hands and knees.

The shaking soon stopped and I was left stunned. Cracked and broken cubes littered the arena and a familiar looking Graveler was barely alive in the middle of it all.

I wasn't having it. Something snapped in me and I did the only thing I could think of.

I limped over to the Graveler and loosed a high powered stream of water directly into the creature's fractured skull. A combination of water and the feral's black blood flowed out of its corpse. It was dead.

I panted heavily, relieved to see the damn thing dead as it should be. My relief remained until I remembered Fenn.

I frantically looked around looking for his body amongst the wreckage until my eyes caught a sign of a prone Quilava. I didn't hesitate to sprint to him, a horrible pit in my stomach. None of the fallen cubes came close to crushing him, thankfully.

"Fenn!" I yelled. "Fenn, get up! Speak to me! Fenn!"

Fenn blinked his eyes open and slowly lifted his head off of the ground. He coughed. "I'm...I'm alive...don't worry."

I sighed in relief, my heart still pounding. "Fenn, you almost gave me a heart attack," I laughed nervously.

Fenn stood up slowly, sucking in air through his teeth due to the pain he must've felt. "The...bag..."

"Oh, right!" I took my shoulder bag off and handed it to Fenn. He took it into his paws and started searching through it.

"L-let me dress my wounds and we'll get going," he mumbled. "Can't stop yet. We're just getting started."

I frowned. "Fenn, this is just the first floor and you almost lost to the second enemy. We should find a way out of here before we get more hurt."

Fenn shook his head as he wrapped a bandage around his forehead. "Th-that Graveler just got lucky," Fenn argued. "I would've gotten it eventually."

Is he serious? He wants to keep going after losing that bad? Maybe I could do the rest of the fighting but I hardly think that Fenn is fit for seven more floors. That is implying that he lets me take the lead anyways.

The fire type pulled out a blue berry out of the bag and took a bite. "I-it's fine, Oswald," he said. I p-promise you the next fights won't go nearly as bad as that last one."

I should've said no. I really, really should've said no. Unfortunately, I knew that Fenn would find a way to convince me. I was just going to have to make sure that he didn't get himself killed during this mission. Not very reassuring considering that I just learned how to fight yesterday.

"...Okay, Fenn," I murmured. "Let's...just take a break first."

At the very least he agreed to rest for a bit. I needed to take some time to get myself out of the battling mindset. I had a similar issue when I was training with Allium in that I would start seeing the world around me differently even after I stopped thinking about it. My mind had started playing tricks on me and it took everything in me to stop myself from blasting the other training duos there.

Now in the dungeon, I felt as though I was still underwater. The cubes around me fluctuated and wavered in and out of my vision. Allium's advice involved grounding myself through repeated physical contact. So, I caressed one of my scalchops and ran my fingers over its sharp edge. I tried hitting the side of my head until my surroundings faded back to normal. It worked, but then my head started to hurt again.

After a few more moments, Fenn was ready to move on. "We'll need to search each floor completely so we don't miss any fire stones," he said. "E-even if we find the stairs we have to keep going."

Fenn and I continued through the next tunnel. Another empty room was what we found—two paths on both sides. I chose the left path first and we ended up in the room with the stairs. The very same marble stairs topped by a swirling black portal I had seen in Figy Forest.

I give up.

"Let's head back and check the other path," Fenn stated. "Don't wanna miss any." I didn't argue, though I was a little worried that we would come across another feral and Fenn would get himself hurt again.

We went back to the previous room and headed down the right path. Yet another empty chamber. Not even a fire stone for our troubles. Fenn and I retraced our steps for a third time and prepared to move on. I strained my ears to listen for sounds coming from the darkness and I could hear a crackling fire as well as a low hum, though I wasn't sure if that was really the portal or Fenn on fire next to me.

Holding paws, we ascended into the portal. Seven more to go.

Mago Canyon: 3rd Floor

The next two floors went more or less the same. No fire stones, but every other room we ended up in had a rock type feral we ended up fighting. Fenn insisted on dealing with each one, even if we didn't have to. Fenn would try his damndest to beat whatever we were fighting on his own, hardly do much of anything to them, get horribly battered, get frustrated, then I would have to come in and finish it off.

In all honesty, it wasn't a horrible strategy. Fenn would routinely weaken and distract the ferals enough for me to come in with the easy kill, but I wasn't too keen on using Fenn as bait. Of course, Fenn didn't see it like that. He was convinced that he was just being unlucky or something like that.

"This is stupid!" he fumed. "I shouldn't be having this much trouble! What am I doing wrong!?"

I ascertained that Fenn was being too hard on himself and trying too hard. We didn't have to come to Mago Canyon and struggle so much; we could've picked an easier job. Everytime I attempted to communicate this to Fenn he would shoot me down.

"No! I can do this!" he hissed. "It'll be worth it, I promise!"

I didn't have the patience or energy to bicker with him. Later on, I would make an effort to get to the fight first, but that would only make him angrier and cause me to back down.

We searched the entirety of the third floor and found no fire stones. Fenn was positively enraged at this point and insisted on enduring the punishment. I merely followed along and aimed to guarantee his safety.

Mago Canyon: 4th Floor

Our luck was a bit better on floor four.

Fenn and I traversed the floor with our eyes peeled. Nothing noteworthy happened for the first two chambers aside from us coming across a lone apple on the side of one of the rooms. At this point, I was so done that I happily cut it in half and shared it between Fenn and I, completely disregarding the fact that we had found a perfectly ripe apple at the bottom of a canyon outside of our normal reality and just ate the damn thing. I was hungry so...whatever.

Soon enough, we found ourselves in another open pocket of the mystery dungeon. It was also empty, but I caught sight of a sparkle in front of one of the paths. "You see that?" Fenn asked excitedly, his anger waning a small moment. "It's gotta be one of the stones!"

Fenn dashed across the earth before I had the chance to stop him. He must've gotten so excited that he failed to notice a light down the tunnel rapidly getting closer. Fenn picked up the sparkling rock and held it in the air for me to see.

But I wasn't focused on that. I was focused on the figure getting closer and closer to my friend. Out of desperation, I yelled out, "Fenn!"

Suddenly, the Quilava was tackled from behind and sent spiraling to the ground. The fire stone fell into the encompassing rock, remaining mostly intact. Where he stood before was now an aggressive looking Ponyta, it's fiery mane blazing harshly and its horn sharp and slanted. It began to drag its hoof in the dirt as if preparing to charge.

"YOU SCUM!" shouted Fenn. He hastily rose to his paws and tossed a volley of flame at the fire type feral. The Ponyta zoomed around his attack, dodging the fire and rushing Fenn horn down. Fenn spun his torso and rolled to the side to evade the skewering he would've been dealt. The Ponyta skidded and halted before it could hit the wall, turning back to face Fenn and reading itself for another charge.

I decided to step in at this point. Envisioning myself as a majestic Mantine surfing waves the size of buildings, I darted across the chamber. I unleashed a Water Gun in the direction of the feral, but it sprung into action at the last moment, causing my move to narrowly miss.

"Crap…!" I cursed under my breath.

Most likely viewing me as the bigger threat, it changed its course for Fenn mid charge and came straight for me. I dived to my right and slid away from the strike, wincing as the stone scratched at my skin. The Ponyta drifted on its hooves and hit the cube wall behind me with its side.

I stood back up and readied another Water Gun, internally viewing the feral as responsible for all of our troubles so far as to increase my rage. However, the Ponyta recovered quickly and ran beside the ends of the room. The stream of liquid I discharged missed.

Fenn released multiple bursts of fire at the Ponyta in an attempt to hit it as well, but his assault only served to scorch the faces of some of the cubes around us. The Ponyta came back around again, this time rushing for Fenn.

I assumed at that moment that trying to hit the feral with ranged attacks wouldn't work so I devised a new strategy. The only other move I had learned from Allium was Tackle, a physical move that I needed to use sparingly or else I would become too predictable. I had almost forgotten I had even known it since rock types crumble under the might of water, not my skinny, wiggly arms.

But now that I could see this feral evading our every move, I realized that I was going to have to try something different.

I followed Allium's teachings and ran as fast as my pitiful little legs would allow me. I lowered my body closer to the ground, setting my eyes on my mobile target. I planned to hit it from the side, intercepting it before it would hit Fenn.

It didn't see me coming. Wham! I tackled the Ponyta with my shoulder, causing it to drop onto the floor. It wailed a discordant sound and flailed on it's side, trying to catch its bearings. Now thoroughly at an advantage, I leaped on top of the beast and prepared to pelt it with water.

"Ha- OOF!" The wild creature's incessant thrashing threw me off and its hooves striked me in the chest, knocking the wind out of me. Without anyone holding it down, It would've risen back onto its feet...but then a blast of flame struck its eyes. It wasn't very effective, but the attack caused the Ponyta to fall back onto its side and gave me enough time to try again.

Now that the waves were under my control at last, I let out my strongest Water Gun yet. Steam coated the area as the feral shrieked loudly. I didn't stop until I couldn't hear its horrid screeching anymore.

Eventually, the steam lifted and the once fearsome beast was now a maneless pokemon, unconscious and out of commission. I would've kept going, but those hoof strikes I suffered were starting to get to me. The room spun as I fell back onto the rocks in a sitting position, exhausted and weezing.

"Oswald!" called Fenn. "A-are you okay?"

I nodded. "Yeah...yeah I...got it...ah..." I fell onto my back, completely out of breath.

Fenn rushed to my side. "H-hold on! Let me get you an oran berry!" I barely heard him as I laid there staring up at the sky, my vision already starting to fade. "Here!" he yelled. "Eat this!" Fenn lifted something to my lips and coaxed me to bite down. I did and the pain immediately started to subside.

After a few more moments, I was back to my normal self. I blinked and sat up, confused. Wait...how am I already better?

"F-Fenn?" I whispered hoarsely. "What...what did you give me?"

Fenn held up one of those blue berries I would eat in the cafeteria. "Oran berry. They have healing properties."

"Is that what those are called?" I asked. I stared at my paws, my eyes wide. "And you said they can heal me?"

"Y-yeah," he smiled. "How else are we supposed to keep going?"

"That's...that's amazing!" I grinned wide. "We had those this whole time? What else did we buy at Kecleon's?"

Fenn rummaged through the main pocket of my shoulder bag. "Let's see...some rawst berries in case you get burned...some left over orans...a few apples in case we get hungry...some elixirs...a luminous orb...a trawl orb-"

"A trawl orb?"

He pulled out a spherical, green orb. Spirals were etched into its surface. "I-if we break it, it supposedly pulls every stray item on the floor directly to us," Fenn explained. "Just in case we don't feel like exploring the last floor or...something like that."

I was amazed. Who knew we could have so much control over the dungeon like this? "That's incredible!"

Fenn smiled and searched through the bag some more. "Yeah, it sure...hang on." His smile disappeared and I looked at him with curiosity. He pulled another orb out of the bag, this one shiny and black. A bright light shined from inside of it. "How did this get here?"

"What is it?"

"An escape orb. Lets us escape whenever if we break it. Cycla...must have slipped it in here when he gave me the bag." He frowned. "If I had known we had it with us, I would've left it behind." He placed it back into the bag.

Something about that comment troubled me. "Fenn, don't you think that you're being a bit reckless? What if we get into a bad situation and that orb was our only way out?"

He handed the bag to me. "I told you we'll be fine," he said. "We won't need it. Trust me."

There he goes again, ignoring my concerns. If anything we should leave right now and use the gear we have on a different, easier mission tomorrow.

My Quilava partner stood up and shook his hide. "Halfway there. Hopefully find at least four- oh!" His ears perked up as he padded over to the stone he had dropped before the battle and picked it up.

"That's one."

Mago Canyon: 6th Floor

Two more floors passed and we only found one more fire stone; the dungeon wasn't treating us well. Alongside not getting the materials we needed to finish the mission, we were also getting swamped with more difficult opponents on each subsequent floor.

Floor five was filled with near constant battles with ferals. More agile fire types and bulky rock types which meant I had to start putting in twice the effort. Fenn still wasn't willing to slow down, but he was more willing to work with me and take them down together even if that entailed me having to do the majority of the work.

By the time we got to floor six, we were running out of items to keep us from collapsing. No more orans, elixirs, or apples. I didn't know what it was about dungeon crawling, but I would get really hungry all of a sudden every few floors or so.

We managed to acquire our second fire stone after beating one particularly annoying Carkol. It had achieved what it had set out to do and almost burned me alive. The burns I was left with caused us to use the last of our bandages and three of our rawst berries. They weren't my favorite, but at least the pain was gone after. I nearly used our escape orb right then and there due to how unbearable it was.

We took a break after beating the Carkol. As we rested, I couldn't help but notice that Fenn looked...worried. His flames were withering with each floor and they wouldn't reach the heights they would rise to on the earlier floors either. More so than just being worried, Fenn was also frustrated.

"H-how are we supposed to make our money back at this point?" he fretted quietly. "There's n-no way we'll get the last few stones on the final two floors. There's just no way…"

I hated seeing Fenn like this. More so than I admittedly disliked how reckless he could be. But we couldn't give up! If we gave up now then we were just a bunch of failures! Even if we didn't find three more stones, we could at least say we made it to the end. If we wanted to we could just get to floor eight, use the trawl orb, then get out. Essentially the same thing, right?

I decided I needed to tell Fenn this. "Fenn," I started. He looked up at me, downtrodden. "We'll make it out of this with a profit, I promise. We can use the trawl orb on the last floor and get out of here. Our luck can't be so bad that we won't find at least two more stones, right?"

A smile slowly curved onto his face. "Y-yeah...yeah you're right." He stood himself up onto his four paws with some difficulty. "One...one more floor...o-okay…"

Our break ended and we soldiered on. Just one more, I said to myself. One more and we'll be home free…

Mago Canyon: 7th Floor

The seventh floor of Mago Canyon felt different. I had stopped noticing how oppressive the atmosphere of this place was pretty early on, but something immediately felt wrong when we got to the seventh floor.

For one thing, every cube had a face on this floor. Not a single one was abstractedly designed. Their eyes seemed to follow me as we made our way through the first few chambers. Not only that, but the intolerable silence came back in full force. I was half expecting the cubes to start talking at this point.

Another thing was the pressure I felt. Weighing me down just as the dungeon always had, but now it was like I was trapped in an invisible box wherever I went. Spending too much time focusing on anything other than my own breathing caused me to think that I was suffocating out of nowhere. I could tell Fenn was suffering with this worse than I was, his flames barely alight.

It didn't take long for us to encounter a sight that frightened me to my very core.

There was nothing unique about the room we stepped into aside from the fact that this one had a roof. The room was dark and claustrophobic despite its large size. Fenn told me to pull out our luminous orb and lead the way, sounding genuinely scared as he did so.

I cracked the golden orb like an egg on the stone floor and a ball of ethereal light floated in the air above us. The room lit up somewhat, and I could just make out three paths on every wall around us. On the edge of the light, Fenn and I both saw a faint sparkle.

Fenn didn't hesitate to rush over to it, his fear suddenly forgotten in place of excitement at the thought of being one step closer to leaving. I followed him, the light of the orb gradually brightening the other side of the room. I stopped when a face too distinct to belong to one of the cubes appeared just beyond the stone.

"H-huh?" Fenn slid to a stop right before he could grab the rock.

An enormous creature padded out of the darkness, it's wide, snarling face staring Fenn down. Sharp teeth protruded from its muzzle. Its golden mane caught the rays of the luminous orb and served to make the feral look huge in comparison to Fenn and I.

It let out a low growl as it stomped on the fire stone, crushing it to bits. The Arcanine towered over us.

Fenn coughed out smoke in fear, gasping as he stumbled back. The Arcanine moved in on him, taking advantage of his hesitation. The giant beast swatted Fenn aside as if he were a fly, sending Fenn sailing into the darkness, landing with a loud thud.

"AAAHHH!"

"FENN!" I advanced towards the feral to get my revenge. I imagined the Arcanine as a stray fire type in my water, drowning and-

The Arcanine intercepted me and bit down on the air in front of me. I was barely able to leap backward in time as I barfed water onto myself, landing roughly on my back. I need some shorter metaphors.

The Arcanine didn't give me much time to recuperate, slashing the ground with a claw right after I narrowly rolled out of the way. I needed to catch my bearings so I got on my feet and started running. The feral was fast—faster than I was, that's for sure. It leaped in the air and landed in front of me, causing me to stumble back. It opened its jaw to attack, but stopped when a flame burst hit its side.

It barely flinched, but Fenn's assault got the Arcanine's attention. It spun on its heels and countered Fenn's fire attacks with its own. A blinding stream of flame lit up the chamber and was spewed in Fenn's direction. Fenn dodged and fired back.

Again, the Arcanine didn't flinch. In fact, the stream of flame only seemed to get brighter each time Fenn would strike. The flamethrower got so strong that I could see the faces of the cubes around me melting when they would be struck.

I found enough time to charge up my Water Gun, capitalizing on the Arcanine focusing on Fenn and not me, I unleashed the strongest stream of water I could. This time, the feral did flinch and swiftly turned on me, the look in its eye striking fear into my very soul.

Fenn launched another attack at the Arcanine and failed in fazing it. Its mane appeared to burn as brightly as its flames.

"Ghk!" It slashed at my chest, raking three shallow gashes into my fur and drawing blood. The impact sent me flying. I hit one of the walls hard and collapsed onto the rocks, my head spinning. I could hear Fenn screaming. What he was screaming, though, I didn't know.

I shakily looked up from the earth, barely conscious. Fenn was clashing with the Arcanine and failing to make a dent. He had stopped trying to hit it with his flames and was now hopelessly bobbing and weaving around the monster's slashs and bites. They continued like this for a few more seconds before Fenn's exhaustion caught up to him.

"NO- AAAHHH!" Fenn tripped. The Arcanine had managed to bite into his back.

The beast shaked Fenn's limp body in the air before tossing him in my direction. Fenn smashed into the wall just as I had, sliding down onto the ground, bruised and bloodied.

I looked at him in horror. No...this can't be happening…

To my surprise, Fenn was not only alive, but still conscious. He looked back at me, body covered in cuts and bandages, with tears in his eyes. "O-Oswald," he barely audibly whispered. "The...trawl orb...please…"

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Even on the brink of certain death, Fenn still thought about the mission first. Being the lackey that I was, I did what he said using the last of my strength. But then my paw caught something smooth and round. The item I pulled out of the bag wasn't the green orb that Fenn was asking for.

It was the escape orb.

"Oswald...p-please…"

I looked up to see the Arcanine making its way slowly towards us, its eyes crazed and bloodshot. I had to act now or else we were doomed.

When I looked back at Fenn, my heart nearly stopped as I saw that he was pleading with me with his eyes, tears streaming down his cheeks.

I closed my eyes to block it out. Tears were streaming down my cheeks now as well. "I'm sorry...Fenn," I whispered.

I smashed the escape orb on the ground with every ounce of strength I had left. A bright light, brighter than the luminous orb and the fully powered Flamethrower of the Arcanine combined, engulfed us. I could feel my skin being dragged and pulled in every direction.

The loudest screech I had ever heard rang out from somewhere. Ghastly tendrils of pure black energy grasped my limbs, trying to pull me away.

Whatever was grabbing me was suddenly forcibly peeled off of my fur, however. The light reached a point of pure white and my senses were all lost in a fit of all encompassing agony.

We had escaped. Team Lavender's first mission was a failure.

---

I opened my eyes to the sight of a cloudy blue sky and the sound of gentle wind.

My body ached everywhere; I could hardly move. I tried to sit myself up, wincing at the pain my chest was feeling at that moment. With some trouble, I was able to stand on my feet. Wobbling in place, I clutched my chest. I nearly fell back down when I saw that my paw was coated in blood. That...hadn't been a dream.

I looked around at my surroundings. It didn't take long for me to ascertain that we were back on the real cliffs of Mago Canyon. Somehow the escape orb booted us back to the very same cliffs we jumped off from.

I heard a shuffling to my right and turned to see Fenn struggling to stand. "F...Fenn!" I hobbled over to him and collapsed onto my knees at his side. "Fenn," I breathed. "Say s-something. Let me know you're okay..."

After a few seconds, the Quilava shifted. "...Stupid," he hissed quietly. "Stupid. Stupid. Stupid."

"Wha...Fenn?"

He shakily lifted his head, his red and puffy eyes meeting mine. "I...I'm so stupid. So stupid...of...course an Arcanine would have F-Flash Fire. I'm...such an i-idiot."

I shook my head. "No...Fenn, you're not an idiot," I whispered. "This wasn't your fault."

Fenn looked away. "I'm such a...failure. Anemone was right...I can't do this…"

"Fenn, stop," I pleaded. "You're not a failure! We just had some bad luck, that's all! Don't let this get you down!"

He dropped his head onto his paws. "I just wanna go home…"

I frowned, a harsh cold feeling clinging to my heart. This sucks, I thought. We tried so hard and nearly got killed...but our reward won't even amount to much. I'm so sorry, Fenn. I should've...done better. If only...if only I wasn't such a loser. This is all my fault...

I rested my body for a bit. The path back to Kebia was long and we weren't exactly in the best position to take that journey. Fenn didn't say anything else; he curled up in a ball and presumably would've waited for the end had I not been there.

---

We stopped by Spelon Town on our way back. Even if it meant we had to crawl (which in Fenn's case, I guess he did) I wasn't stopping until we got some adequate medical attention. The pokemon there were more than happy to patch us up and suggested that we stay there to heal for the night.

But Fenn, being Fenn, declined their offer. We left Spelon as quick as we entered with new bandages and oran berries to spare.

We made it back to Kebia with a couple of hours left until sunset. We must've looked quite unsightly since almost every pokemon stared at us with concern in their eyes. Some asked if we were alright, and others ignored us like this was supposed to be a normal occurrence.

Lace greeted us at the front desk. "Hello, how are y- oh my gosh!" She brought her leaf appendages up to her face in shock. "You two look absolutely horrible! What happened?"

Ipo next to her wasn't as surprised. "Rough day, huh?"

I only groaned in response and placed the two fire stones on the counter. Lace read the piece of paper that was attached to them. "Oh my," she said. "You two took a job way out of your league. What were you thinking?"

It was Fenn's turn to groan in response.

Ipo tallied our reward and handed a small sack of poké to me. "600 poké for two stones," he said. "Plus the guild tax so your reward is 420 poké."

I stared down at the bag. It was pitifully small.

I noticed Fenn limping away from the counter. "Wait, where are you going, Fenn?"

He turned his head slightly. "I'm going to bed," he said quietly. Fenn then walked away, his head down in shame.

I watched him leave, an upset look on my face. "I do hope you two take this as a lesson to take jobs within your skill level," Lace said behind me. "I always hate how often a team either never returns or returns much like how you just did."

I didn't have anything to respond to that with. I just stood there watching Fenn leave me behind.

This sucks.

---

I needed to take my mind off of what had just happened. The only other avenue for keeping myself busy was training with Allium. Even if it was only for a couple of hours, I figured that doing literally anything else was more beneficial than ruminating over my recent failure as an explorer.

I found Allium soon after I made it to the training grounds. He greeted me.

"You look as though you fought ten Zangooses' (Zangeese?) and barely lived to tell the tale," he said to me.

"I don't want to talk about it," I replied.

The two of us spent an hour honing my only two skills. Unfortunately, I couldn't keep up, and I wasn't even interested in learning more about using my scalchop. Allium commented that my Water Gun hit even weaker than the day before and I couldn't touch him when he asked to see my Tackle.

"You are distracted."

I sighed. "Yeah...I'm sorry. I had a rough day."

He frowned. "I can tell. You are exhausted both physically and mentally."

I hated how right he was.

"Go rest for today," he said. "Return to me when you have recovered."

Being as tired as I was, I didn't argue.

As I turned to leave, Allium called out to me, "Oswald." I turned back. "If you would like to talk," he smiled, "simply ask.

I grimaced, slightly annoyed that he would even ask. "I'm...sorry Allium. I'd really rather not."

He nodded. "I understand. I will see you another day, my student."

---

I dropped by the cafeteria to get Fenn some dinner as an attempt to maybe cheer him up some. He rejected it and told me he wasn't hungry.

That's what bothers me the most about this, I thought in bed later. I still don't understand why Fenn was so adamant about being the lynchpin of the team. I know it has something to do with his family, but that's clearly a sour subject. I stared up at the ceiling wide awake, limply swiping at the air with a scalchop. I could've done more to make him feel better...I think. I should've done more to make him feel better.

Why do I have to be so passive? I should've been more assertive and made him choose an easier mission. He would've been before off for it! But...I hate making him upset.

Ugh. I'm such a failure. All of this is my fault. I'm so sorry that you're stuck with such a loser, Fenn. I promise I'll make it up to you. I just hope you can find it in yourself to forgive me.

I rested a paw on my chest and winced. The aching from the Arcanine wound was still there, not yet fully healed. I realized then and there that I found my answer to the question I asked the night before.

I am...unlucky. Very much so. A luckier human or pokemon would've made it through Mago Canyon with five fire stones to spare.

I sighed. Tomorrow will be a better day. I promise, Fenn.

 

[SnapDragon]

Chapter 9 - Day 4, Part 3: Germination ​

The moon shined brilliantly above the ocean as waves crashed gently on the shore. The glorious lunar object was in a state of a waning crescent. Within another 20 or so days it would reach its full glory and light up the night in its dazzling glow.

A lone Malamar watched the waves with a tranquil stillness, his tentacles flowing lazily through the air. Larkspur took in the beauty of the sight, hovering idly above the sand as he admired how divorced the view was from the rest of the world's problems.

His body floated inches from the ground, his fins conjoined to a point. Larkspur hated the sand. Hated how difficult it was to get rid of it, and how much of it there was. Given the opportunity, Larkspur would eliminate all traces of sand from the world and create a land of expansive oceans with no sand for the waves to crash upon.

He smiled. That would be one of his goals on his very, very long list of objectives after his plan would be complete.

Tonight, Larkspur decided to give his mind the chance to relax and enjoy the scenery. The waves always served to calm him at his weakest moments; now was no different. Besides, he was feeling nostalgic.

32 years had passed since the wars of the psychics raged on and changed Pamtre forever. 32 years since Larkspur had died.

And yet, a Malamar named Larkspur still lived. How curious.

It won't be long now, Larkspur thought. Soon enough, I will have my throne. That horrid wench will be dead and I will finally have the control I was so rightly owed.

He looked up at the moon in contemplation. And soon, I will see you again, as well. We will rule this place. Together.

"There you are, Lark. I was looking for you."

Larkspur turned on the sound of a voice to his left, his head tentacles sporadic and at the ready. A dark imp covered in jewels fazed through the sand, the gems in its eyes sparkling in the moonlight. His necklace swayed with the ocean breeze.

Crane.

"I would have assumed you would be nursing your orb again," Crane said jokingly. "But I suppose I was wrong." One of his eyes shimmered. "You were just ogling your eternal love instead."

The Malamar furrowed his eyebrows and scowled. "What did I tell you about approaching me unannounced, imp?"

Crane threw up his claws and shrugged. "You should know my voice by now, Lark. Would you prefer me to send a preemptive letter first and organize a meeting?"

"What do you want?"

The Sableye crossed his arms, his expression more serious than before. "Your 'subjects' are getting restless," Crane answered. "They want results."

Larkspur looked back to the sea. "Mm, as do I," he stated. "I am afraid they will have to honor my request if they want their revolution."

Crane frowned. "They keep telling me about the 'change' you promised them. 'A better world?' 'No more suffering?' Quite the story you're feeding these poor souls, Lark."

Larkspur turned back to face Crane. "Why, of course! How else am I expected to garner a following? Deliver on my promises and give them what they want?" He scoffed. "Oh please, Crane. The fools have no sense of purpose outside of their struggle. They say they want change, but they will very soon realize that the perfect future they want already exists. They are just not a part of it."

"That is positively cruel of you, King Lark," Crane laughed. "I can see why you have so many enemies.

The Malamar narrowed his eyes. "I fail to see why you care. I recall you referring to the criminals we employed as 'wastes of skin with no meaningful ambition.'"

Crane shrugged once again and flashed a wide, toothy grin. "You're right, I don't care. I just want to be second in command when you take over Kebia.

"These soldiers of yours," Crane continued, "they believe in something you tell them you can give them, but we both know you won't do that if everything goes right for you. Those are the kinds of pokemon that'll stick with you if you tell them what they want to hear and will tear you apart when they realize that you lied."

"That will not be an issue," Larkspur declared. "Any unfaithful underlings will be eliminated at the apex of my rule. We will not have to worry about deserters or traitors—only how we decide to drink our wine."

The shifty Sableye rubbed his claws together. "Hehe..oh, I know, Lark. I cannot wait for the feasts we will have. I just thought I should inform you about the possible results of failure." He laughed deviously. "Which won't happen, of course."

Suddenly, two figures appeared in the sand in between Crane and Larkspur in a flash of light. The tentacles on Larkspur's head flailed momentarily in response.

A Gothitelle and a Beheeyem faced Larkspur. The Gothitelle held a silver, rectangular case in her hand at her side as she addressed him respectfully. "Lord Larkspur."

"Ms. Jasmine," he acknowledged back with a nod.

The Gothitelle turned to her Beheeyem compatriot and waved her hand. "Leave us now," she told him. "I will call you when I am ready." The Beheeyem nodded wordlessly and disappeared in a blip of light.

"Jasmine," Larkspur said once he was gone. "I presume the restoration was a success?"

Jasmine nodded and lifted the small metal box up for Larkspur to see. "Every piece is accounted for, Lord Larkspur. The greatest minds I could find were able to reconstruct it with astounding precision." She opened the box as though it were a Clamperl. The inside was fit with a smooth, reflective screen on its upper half and four empty rhombus shaped divots and a button on its lower half. Small squares were arranged just above them, an Unknown letter on each one.

"They believe in our cause," Jasmine continued. "I believe we have the capability to guarantee the takeover of Kebia Castle in less than a month."

Larkspur smiled devilishly. "Excellent." He used his telekinetic psychic powers to pull the device from Jasmine's hands into his own tentacles. "We are one step closer to meaningful change. Your contribution will not go unrewarded in the future."

Jasmine bowed proudly.

If Crane had actual eyes, they would've rolled out of his skull.

"We are continuing our search for the human, Lord Larkspur," Jasmine said.

Larkspur nodded. "Ah, yes. The human. How goes the search?"

"No dice!" called out Crane from nearby. "Turns out using unpaid criminals to look for something so unspecific doesn't come up with much."

The Malamar frowned. "This is taking longer than I would like."

"Perhaps we are looking for the wrong pokemon?" Jasmine told Larkspur. "With how long it's been, the human would have had the chance to integrate into our society.

Crane crossed his arms, one of his eyes sparkling. "Or maybe they're dead. Who knows?"

Larkspur glared at Crane. "They are alive," he grumbled. "The orb still shines." He looked at Jasmine. "Continue the search, interrogate any suspicious pokemon, and bring me the results as soon as you can."

The Gothitelle nodded. "Yes, of course Lord Larkspur." She turned to leave before Larkspur stopped her.

"There is one more matter I would like to discuss with you, Ms. Jasmine." He narrowed his eyes. "Alone."

Crane, who was busy picking his teeth with a claw, snapped to attention. "That my cue, Lark?"

Larkspur gave Crane the harshest glare he could muster. "Yes," he growled. "Please leave. Go back to searching for the human."

The Sableye phased through the sand and promptly left, giggling to himself as he disappeared.

Larkspur turned his attention back to Jasmine. "You have done well to secure the device." He eyed the silver box. "But now I must ask you to complete one more task."

Jasmine listened intently.

"The four keys," Larkspur started. "Find and acquire them and the human and our plan will be complete. Can I trust that you will be successful?"

The Gothitelle smiled knowingly. "Of course, Lord Larkspur. In fact, I am already aware of the locations of each key for the device."

Larkspur raised his eyebrows. "You are?" He chuckled. "Oh, Ms. Jasmine...you never fail to impress."

"Anything for you, my lord."

Tentacles writhing in excitement, Larkspur hovered back and forth as if to pace in midair. "Then I am sure you are aware of how I expect you to obtain them. Spread out your assault and utilize every pawn at your disposal. Do it too quickly and we force their hand. Do it too slowly and they will grow impatient."

Jasmine nodded along.

"Anemone is a faulty strategist," he continued. "Play to her weaknesses and she will crumble under the pressure, surely. And if not," Larkspur smirked, "then I will make it certain that she will."

"It will be done," Jasmine declared. "Is that all, my lord?"

Larkspur nodded. "Yes, thank you, Jasmine. We will bask in the spoils of a new world yet."

And with that, Jasmine called to her compatriot. "Lotus!"

The Beheeyem from before appeared at her side and the two of them locked arms. Jasmine said something under her breath and the two of them disappeared within a second. Larkspur was left alone once again.

Now by himself, Larkspur finally had the chance to admire his prize. He spun the silver object in the air with his telekinesis. Not a single scratch plagued it's surface; it was brand new.

A smile appeared on his beak as he opened it up and examined its contents. He stared back at his own reflection and ran a tentacle over the single button on the center of the lower half.

"It is so close...I can feel it," Larkspur whispered. "I will have my kingdom and rule this world." He laughed. "It will all be mine."

He gazed up at the moon. "And you…my guiding moonlight…

"We shall meet again…"

 

[SnapDragon]

Chapter 10 - Day 5, Part 1: Second Wind ​

Waking up the next morning was like being punched in the face.

Not only because I didn't get that much sleep, but also because I couldn't deny that yesterday happened. Everytime I'd close my eyes I would have nightmares of killer cubes and sea serpent Arcanines. When I woke up, I was drenched in the water that managed to drip out of my mouth. And yet, I still had dry lips. Miserable.

Fenn didn't seem to be faring much better. I sat up to see him lying upright, his eyes bloodshot and staring off into space. He didn't notice me watching him—or maybe he didn't care. There was nothing I could think to say, and telling him to get ready for work seemed like a jerk move.

In all honesty, my motivation was shot most likely just as much as his was. Yesterday's mission put me in such a pessimistic mindset to the point that I genuinely started to have serious doubts.

I had promised myself more than anyone else that today would go better. But after staring at Fenn's gloomy state for a bit, I wondered if it would be worth it at all. I mean, yesterday went so horribly because both Fenn and I had terrible judgement. Everything that could've gone wrong did go wrong. Could we have prevented it? Probably. But how much input did I really have?

Fenn sighed despondently and kept his eyes on the floor. "What am I doing...?" he mumbled, barely audible.

I sat there and kept watching him for some time. Who was really at fault for us failing so badly? Could it have been...Fenn? He certainly was the one to choose the job in the first place. I agreed to go along with it, but Fenn understood his limits—he had to. He wouldn't have picked it if he didn't.

But deep down I knew that wasn't true. Fenn clearly had no idea what he was doing in Mago Canyon. It was so obvious that I was surprised that I didn't step in and just use the escape orb as soon as I could.

Actually, it didn't surprise me. That was the part of this whole disaster that I could take the blame for; I'm terrible with confrontation. We could be at the lowest point possible and it could be Fenn's fault entirely and I still wouldn't be able to find it in me to tell him off. I just...don't have it in me.

I frowned. My mind was in a dark place, and the longer I spent ruminating on all of this nonsense, the more often I blamed Fenn for doing us wrong. Picking a job we weren't ready for, wasting our money, persisting despite every sign telling us otherwise, getting himself hurt for the sake of his pride...maybe Anemone was right…?

...

...No.

No, I refused to accept that. Fenn is a lot of things, but he is not a liability. It was just one bad day. We could learn from this, I'll make sure of it. I was positive that this was more common than either of us were giving it credit for.

Mission two would go better, it had to. For Fenn's sake...and mine.

I stood up. "Fenn," I said, trying to appear determined. He looked at me, his eyes full of sadness. "We have to keep going."

He looked back down and shook his head. "Can't," he whispered. "Can't do it...just can't…"

I shuffled next to him on his bed and gently caressed his shoulders. "Fenn...we can't give up...please…"

He avoided my eyes. "Just forget about me, Oswald...leave me to rot. I'm...I'm not an explorer and I never will be…"

"You know that's not true." My voice was low and raspy. "It was one bad day...don't let it get you down."

The Quilava blinked slowly, still refusing to meet my gaze. "Why do you care?" he whispered. "I'm not worth it...I'm just a failure…"

"Because…"

Because you were my first choice. I didn't have to pick you, but I did. I have my misgivings about your judgement as an explorer, and you're not great at recognizing your own limits. I'm not particularly skilled myself; I'm about as much of a failure as you are, but we're already this far in. I put my trust in you...because I saw myself in you...somehow. You obviously have some issues, but...so do I. I want to solve our problems together, even if that means we have to fail every once and awhile.

I didn't say any of that. Truthfully, I didn't have the guts to, nor the eloquence. The words caught in my throat and I waited too long, undoubtedly making Fenn feel worse. But I had to say something uplifting, regardless of what it was. Sighing wearily, I said my piece.

"Because...you are amazing in every conceivable way."

Fenn's ears perked up at what I had just said. He remained silent.

"I-I know everything went wrong, but...I'm okay with that. You might not be…- maybe you were expecting to be great at this right from the start...but that's also why I want to stick with you."

His eyes gradually met mine, sparkling with a shine I was too distracted to notice.

"Give me one more chance...one more mission. Please...I don't want to give up on you because of one failure. We can do this...we just have to work together.

"So...cheer up...for me?" I smiled awkwardly.

The Quilava stared at me for some time. Neither of us moved. Eventually, I let go of his shoulders and rubbed the back of my head. I really said that? God...what was I thinking? I must've sounded stupid. Good going, Oswald.

"O-okay."

My eyes went wide and I swung my head around to face Fenn. I stammered, "wha...what was that?"

Fenn smiled sincerely. "I said okay," he replied quietly. "One more mission."

Wait...that worked? My mouth slowly curled into a large grin. "Heh...yeah...one more."

---

Why did I try so hard to make Fenn feel better? I wasn't quite sure. Something came over me and I finally said what I was thinking. Or at least...I tried. It didn't really come out as I wanted. Maybe it was because I really did believe in him? I've only known the guy for, what, three days? We were friends. Would I have done the same with any other pokemon?

I am a pokemon now. Are pokemon just more emotional creatures or have I always been like this? The line was starting to blur; I don't know if I would have put so much faith in Fenn if I was still a human.

These supposed "instincts" were getting to my head regardless. I started craving pool visits ever since I woke up yesterday. I considered hunting down some of the pokemon passing by us and eating them. Which was...concerning, but...hey, it wasn't my fault. Still...I should really go swimming today…

I shook my head and smacked my skull. No, stop! I'm a human! I'm just stuck in a Dewott's body! Swimming is for the weak! I don't eat pokemon!

Fenn gave me a perplexed look while he scanned the bulletin board. We had been standing around, reading job postings, for a good amount of time. Fenn stared at the board in contemplative silence, seemingly dissatisfied with what they had available. Even at his lowest point, Fenn still insisted on being picky.

I guess I should have known this would happen. He appeared to be feeling better now—enough to get out of bed at least—but I still caught him cursing at himself from time to time. He was an idealist at heart, which was why I was there.

At some point, I got impatient and tried picking jobs at random on account of my lack of reading skills. Fenn would tell me each time that they weren't worth doing. Even when I insisted that we check on the skill level of the dungeon, Fenn would turn it down, regardless of what it was. "Not worth the low reward," he would say. "Too easy," he would tell me.

The Quilava soon groaned in frustration after a while. "Ugh! None of these are any good!"

I crossed my arms, also frustrated to some extent. "I'm certain there are plenty of worthwhile jobs we can pick," I said. "Just, you know, lower your expectations some."

The fire type facepalmed. "I-I already went through every posting three times already!" he exclaimed.

"Ahem. Are you two done yet?" a gruff sounding Granbull said from behind us. "Some of us need to work too."

I sighed. "Alright, here." I peeled off one of the postings from earlier that I remembered was supposed to be one of the easier ones. "This one." I handed it to Fenn. "What does it say?"

"Uh...r-rescue Phanpy at Grepa Lake."

"Grepa Lake was 'D' rank, right?"

"Um." He flipped through the dungeon guide until he found what he was looking for. "Yeah."

"Then let's do it."

"B-but," Fenn stammered, "Grepa Lake is full of water types."

I guess the name "Grepa Lake" didn't register with me at first. If we took this job then both Fenn and I would be both at a disadvantage. Even with the low ranking, we'd be sending ourselves into a dungeon with pokemon we couldn't outright beat easily.

It would be a repeat of last time.

But then I noticed the Granbull eyeing me and lost my nerve. Too bad, we were just going to have to deal with it.

"It can't be that bad, right?" I said nervously. "A fish on fire still burns. As long as we work together...we can handle it." I winked. I'm gonna get us killed, aren't I? Fenn and I really are made for each other...

Fenn grimaced, his eyes clearly portraying his concern. He didn't want to fail just as much as me. I really was putting a lot of stake in one really problematic job, but-

The Granbull was crossing his arms and tapping his foot, clearly annoyed.

-we didn't really have a choice. God, why do I have to be such a wimp?

"O-okay." Fenn sighed. "If you think we can do it...then I trust you."

That's reassuring. I don't even trust myself. "Great." I nodded. "Then let's head out for Grepa Lake."

Fenn stopped me again. "What about items?" he asked. "W-we don't have a whole lot of money..."

Thinking back on yesterday, we only used a few kinds of items. Grepa Lake should be easier and shorter than Mago Canyon, so we should only bring the bare essentials. Thankfully, I remembered that one of those bare essentials was something I eat everyday.

I replied, "we can just drop by the cafeteria and take some berries with us. I'm sure they won't mind."

Smacking his head, Fenn balked. "W-why didn't I think of that? Let's go!"

---

Fenn and I stopped by the cafeteria to eat our breakfast and take some berries with us. I was curious why this wasn't a more well known thing so I asked Skua if taking food from the cafeteria out on missions without paying was allowed.

He said, "you know, I hear they sell Oran berries in town. The townsfolk have to pay 50 poké a pop, but the guild members get them for free. Most jobs don't pay as well as dungeon crawling either. Strange how that works, huh?"

He winked at me. We were in the clear.

With a bag full of berries of varying types, enough to feed the two of us for a week straight, we made our way out of Kebia Castle.

Before we were able to leave, however, Ipo called us over to talk.

"You two," the Simipour said. "Come here, I have something I need you for."

Fenn and I exchanged glances and approached the front counter. Lace wasn't there for some reason.

"What's up?" I inquired.

"Have you two run into Team Phlox lately?" asked Ipo.

"No, I haven't," I replied. "Have you, Fenn?" Fenn shook his head.

Ipo scratched his chin and grimaced. "Damn. This is really starting to get on my nerves..."

Fenn and I stood there as Ipo rummaged through some paperwork, found a specific document, then rubbed one of his temples as he read it. After a few more seconds, he placed the document on the counter and faced me.

"Alright. Oswald?"

I nodded.

"You were here when Team Phlox brought in that Persian, right? Please tell me Crocus wasn't being obtuse again."

I raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

Ipo frantically scribbled on the document as he talked. "That's great. Fantastic even. That means, by process of elimination, you get the reward for his bounty."

"Um."

He dropped a sack full of coins on the counter. "Accounting for the guild tax and the late fees, your reward for bringing in Moa the Persian is 1050 poké. Please sign here." Ipo reached over the counter and handed me the document and a writing utensil.

Unsure what to even think at this point, I scribbled a few lines on the paper and handed it back to him.

"Great, great. That should free up my backlog a bit." The desk clerk waved us away after a moment of silence. "You can leave now. Shoo."

Fenn and I left Kebia Castle then, 1050 poké richer and one more successful mission on our resume.

I was still processing what had just happened, while Fenn was more than happy to be that much richer. "Over a thousand poké for just being there!" He beamed. "Oswald, we made our money back! I can't believe it!"

I smiled at how relieved Fenn was. Taking the reward for someone else's work wasn't exactly how I wanted to earn my pay, but seeing Fenn happy made me happy. If Team Phlox wanted the money so bad, then they should have taken it when they had the chance.

Meanwhile…

---

Oo-oO​

Dahlia had made the conscious decision to sleep in today. Team Phlox's recent work had been going well; no mishaps or issues when it came to collecting bounties. She was certain that there were no notable bits of gossip in the past day, so she saw no reason to meet with Stork.

Naturally, she saw this as a perfect opportunity to get some much needed beauty sleep. Perched on her favorite branch, its stem decorated in shiny jewels, Dahlia closed her eyes, content with her place in the world.

At this point, the only thing that could've ruin this moment would've been-

"PINK! WHERE ARE YOU!"

That. Yep. There it is.

Dahlia opened her eyes and blinked the grogginess out just in time to see Holly storm into their room, clearly furious.

Pink, who had also chosen to sleep in, was just waking up from her slumber on her bed across the room. "Huh? Wha..." she mumbled, barely awake.

Holly wasted no time grabbing Pink by the scruff of her neck and tossing her out of her bed. "Get up, you lazy bum!" Holly ordered. "You've got some explaining to do!"

The Monferno hardly seemed to care about being tossed around and, as such, curled up on the floor, her eyes not completely open. "What's this about, huh? I get one day a week to sleep in and you ruin it…"

Pink began to snore…

FWOOSH!

Holly breathed fire directly in her face.

That woke her up. Pink jumped off the ground in surprise and frantically put out the fire on her face. "OW OW OW OW! WHAT WAS THAT FOR?"

The Houndoom glared at Pink. "Where's the money?"

"What money?"

"THE MONEY FOR OUR LAST TWELVE BOUNTIES! THE MONEY I PUT YOU IN CHARGE OF!"

Dahlia, now completely awake after all of the screaming, fluttered through the air and landed on Holly's horn. "What's going on?" she wondered.

Pink ignored her. "I don't have the money."

"Then where is it?" fumed Holly.

The Murkrow was also curious where their earnings were. "Yeah, Pink; what did you do with our money?"

She sat there for a moment, looking away and biting her lip, before conceding and telling the truth. "I forgot to turn them in," Pink said.

"YOU WHAT?"

Dahlia frowned. "That's almost worse than spending it without telling us."

"I know, I'm sorry!" Pink threw up her arms in defense. "I just got so busy and I couldn't find the time and- and...come on, Holly," she whined. "It's not that big a deal-"

Holly interrupted her. "Cut it with the excuses! I had our expenses tallied out for the whole MONTH and you ruined it!"

Pink groveled in front of the Houndoom. "I'm sorry! I'll make it up to you! I promise!"

"We may as well go turn in our bounties properly and take what they'll give us," the Murkrow chirped.

Holly growled. "And you're not getting any of it, Pink."

"Wha...what?" the Monferno pouted. "B-but, Holly! I was gonna ask out that cute Charmeleon and take her out to Altaria's!"

"I don't care!" Holly shouted. "You should consider the rest of us the next time you get careless."

Pink whimpered pitifully, but had no retort.

"The front desk," Dahlia said. "Let's go."

---

Team Phlox left their room on the fifth floor and walked down to the front lobby. Ipo, engrossed in his work, didn't see them coming. He also didn't see Pink coming as she leaned over the desk, grabbed him by shoulders, and brought him down to her level.

"Alright, monkey-boy," she snarled, "where's the cash?" Ipo stared at her wide eyed, clearly taken off guard.

"Put him down, Pink," Holly deadpanned. "You don't get to interrogate this guy."

The Monferno promptly did so, only a little angry. Ipo blinked as he fell back onto the ground.

"Oh, it's you," the Simipour said, standing up and dusting himself off. "About time you decided to show up."

Dahlia clacked her beak atop Holly's horn. "Sorry about that. Someone on our team wasn't doing her job." The Murkrow glared daggers at Pink, who chose to cross her arms, look away, and scowl.

"How much do you owe us, Ipo?" Holly asked impatiently.

Ipo rummaged through some documents and scribbled a few things down. "Lucky for you, I've been waiting for you three for longer than I reasonably should have." He slid a piece of paper across the counter for Holly to read. "Be thankful there's no penalty cap. The fact that you only do bounty work kept me in limbo for way too long." He rubbed his temples. "Like seriously, ten days? Give me a break."

Holly scanned the document for a moment before she spoke up. "Hold on. I've been keeping track and I know for a fact that we've done twelve jobs since I told Pink to take care of turning our bounties in. I only see eleven here."

"Well, you see," Ipo started, "when you put me in a position where I can't get rid of paperwork the guild needs to keep track of things, I get restless and stretch the rules a little."

"Where is it, Ipo?" Smoke puffed from Holly's nostrils.

"That Persian you brought in, Moa, in case you forgot, was technically caught by you three...and one other pokemon."

Dahlia immediately knew what he was talking about. "Wait...Oswald?" she interjected.

"Yep. That one."

Pink reached over the counter and grabbed Ipo again. "YOU GAVE OUR MONEY TO SOME RANDO?"

"Stop," Holly demanded sternly. Pink had no choice but to back down; meanwhile, Ipo hardly seemed phased.

She looked at him, a serious glint in her eye. "Give us the room number for this guy and we'll settle this." She narrowed her eyes right then. "Professionally."

Ipo wrote something down on a small piece of paper and handed it to her. "You actually just missed him," he said. "His team should be back by tonight. Please don't let this happen again for Arceus' sake."

Dahlia read the note over Holly's snout. "Team Lavender, third floor, room 15, east wing," she read to herself.

He's got his own room? Dahlia thought. How did that happen? It took us months to get our own place.

Pink shadow-boxed the air. "Oooh I'm gonna beat this bastard. He's gonna get what's coming to him. Serves him right for thinking he can take our poké."

"I'm going to the training grounds," Holly stated, turning to leave. "Pink, go take our poké back to the room." She narrowed her eyes at the Monferno. "Lose it and you sleep on the floor, got it?"

"U-uh...aye-aye captain!" She saluted and left to secure their earnings.

The Houndoom turned to face Dahlia after she fluttered to the ground. "We'll meet later and confront that Dewott. Don't be late."

Dahlia tipped her hat as Holly walked to the courtyard.

Now alone, standing on the floor, Dahlia pondered on the sudden shift her day had taken. I guess I'll get to see Oswald again after all. Maybe I'll finally figure out what his deal is.

She was itching to find out, but for now, she had to find something to keep herself busy. I wonder if Marigold is around…

---

Oo-oO​

"Hey, Fenn, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"Do you eat meat?"

Fenn was clearly taken aback by the question. I had never actually seen him eat meat, but I assumed that he had to at some point. While we walked on the dirt road to Grepa Lake, I waited for Fenn to answer me.

"Um...I-I haven't in a while," he said. "My dad used to make me eat it to 'make me stronger.'" Fenn grimaced. "I-I didn't really like it much. I honestly prefer berries."

Again with his dad, I thought. Everytime I hear about this guy, the less I like him. To me, a human, a pokemon forcing another pokemon to eat one of their own kind—even if they were technically wild animals—just seemed unreasonably cruel to me. It honestly bothered me how nonchalant Fenn was with killing ferals. I mean, sure, I've killed some too, but Fenn almost treated it like a game at times. And eating them after? I can't be alone on this.

"So you just...don't like it?" I asked. "Is that it? You don't see any other issues with it?"

"No? Why should I?"

"You're eating other pokemon!" I exclaimed. "How do you not see the problem with that?"

Fenn frowned. "It's...never bugged me before. They're ferals. They kill and eat each other all the time."

"That...hm." I stroked my chin in contemplation. Somehow, I...never considered that. Given the chance, any of those wild pokemon we killed might have eaten us if we weren't able to beat them first. That's what would happen with other ferals when they get killed in the wild, I was pretty sure. Still, something about eating a creature of my own species didn't sit well with me.

"You've never...you know, eaten a civil pokemon before, have you?"

His quills ignited in shock and his eyes went wide. "N-no! Of course not! Civil pokemon don't eat other civil pokemon!"

I furrowed my eyebrows. "How do you know that?"

"What...I..." Fenn picked up his pace. "C-can we please not talk about this anymore?"

I left it at that. I probably shouldn't have taken it that far. Fenn isn't a bad guy. He'd never eat another civil pokemon willingly. I'm still against eating pokemon in general, though. Especially other water types.

I shook my head. That's enough of that. We have a job to do.

According to the map, Grepa Lake was situated between the Durin Mountains to the north of Kebia. That was what Fenn told me. He also told me that Grepa Lake was one of those "picky entrance" dungeons. We had to walk to the end of the dock and jump in.

I still didn't understand how these places could get so specific with what they wanted. Were they alive? Having to walk to the end of the dock didn't sound random.

It knows. It has to.

Fenn and I breached a clearing in the trees. Far off in the distance, enormous mountains tipped in white loomed over us. Further down the mountain range and closer to our location, pine trees lined the shoreline of the lake that we had just found. That was the assumption. However, it was actually hard to tell, what with all of the fog rising from the water.

Much like Mago Canyon, Grepa Lake was enshrouded in a deep dark fog. Purple swirls drifted in and out of the smog, giving the sight a ghostly appearance.

"Okay," Fenn whispered next to me. "W-we're looking for a Phanpy named Kiwi. The dungeon is six floors."

I nodded. "Just water types, right?"

"I think so."

I stared at the fog lingering over the water. I couldn't see past it, nor could I see the water under it, implying that there was any water left at all. As such, I started to wonder what this dungeon could've been like. The lesson learned from Mago Canyon was to not judge outward appearances. Grepa Lake was a lake, but was it really?

"We won't drown in there, will we?" I asked. "I-I mean, you won't? I can breathe underwater. Yep." Nice save, idiot.

Fenn sent me a funny look before pulling out the dungeon guide. "I'm sure it would've specified that. I don't see any warnings about drowning."

"Alright." I sighed. "Okay, Kiwi isn't gonna save herself. Grepa Lake, here we come."

We walked about the lake's outskirts until we found the dock. The fog parted to create a sort of fog corridor with the wooden planks as the base. Strangely, The wood didn't even creek as we walked across it. And when the pier ended and the two of us looked down to see a swirling whirlpool of dark, purple water, once again, I strained my ears for whatever sounds I'd hear this time.

My heart sank when I could've sworn I heard voices. Noncoherent and barely audible, but I was certain there was someone speaking.

"Are you okay, Oswald?"

I blinked, and I turned to see Fenn looking at me, on two legs, with concern in his eyes. "H-huh?" I stuttered.

"...You're trembling," he murmured.

My paws were trembling. I hadn't noticed, but I had been shaking ever since we stepped onto the pier. It didn't matter how confident or nonchalant I had been earlier, I was still thoroughly terrified of mystery dungeons.

"N-no," I stammered, "I'm not okay. I'm really scared that everything will go wrong and...I'm so sorry, Fenn. I'm terrible at this…"

My Quilava partner held out a paw and smiled. "If...if it makes you feel any better...I-I'm kinda scared too...just in a different way. Heh."

Fenn's honest attempt at a pep talk made me chuckle. I was still scared, but at least I had Fenn with me. I wasn't not doing this alone, thankfully. "Heh...I guess so, Fenn. L-let's get in there and suck really badly."

"Yeah!" he exclaimed. "It's gonna be the worst!"

Laughing to calm my nerves, I grabbed Fenn's paw and we leaped into the whirlpool together. All encompassing darkness followed quickly. Those voices I had heard were now louder, and more obnoxious.

I couldn't make out most of it, but I could make out one thing. One word.

"Oswald…"

 

[SnapDragon]

Chapter 11 - Day 5, Part 2: Bells ​

Grepa Lake: 1st Floor

I remembered something small right then. It was something so tiny and insignificant that I wondered why my mind hadn't granted me this information anytime before now.

It had to do with my name. Oswald.

I had spent the last five days using that name to describe myself, and almost every time I would introduce myself, a pokemon would comment on how strange it was. I remembered the origin of my name—it's meaning. Essentially, it has its origins in "god king" or "power ruler" which annoyed the hell out of me.

What kind of pretentious asshole decided to give me such an ostentatious name? Like, seriously, all this revelation did for me was give me more questions. This special treatment I was getting...none of it actually had anything to do with me. All of it had to do with what I used to be and even that wasn't unique. I don't care what my name is—I'm not that important.

I am a wimpy, stupid human that just so happened to be a pokemon too—trapped in a world that wasn't mine. Just because my name said I was significant, it didn't mean that I was.

But none of that mattered right now. I had jumped into a spooky whirlpool and now I was in a mystery dungeon with my Quilava teammate looking for a lost Phanpy. That was all I cared about.

Immediately after we materialized, I noted how blue everything was. Streams of light filtered from the sky to highlight the sand I was standing on. Mounds of sand piled up into hills that acted as walls for the room I was in and thin strands of green flowed idly from the ground. Various other aquatic plants were scattered about. All the while, my vision wavered and wobbled as if I were submerged.

In fact, the feeling I had in this dungeon was not too dissimilar from the feeling I got when I swam back at Kebia…

…

...I realized what Grepa Lake's gimmick was.

But if I'm underwater, then what about…?

"Fenn!" I yelled, hectically searching for the Quilava. "Fenn, we're underwater! Fenn! Are you-"

"Over here."

I spun to face the voice I had just heard. Padding towards me, completely calm, was Fenn. He seemed pretty unconcerned for a fire pokemon underwater.

"F-Fenn, how are you not drowning?" I breathed. "Aren't we…?"

He shrugged. "I-I don't think we're underwater. I...probably wouldn't be able to talk or...be alive for very long if we were."

Oh. How odd. Grepa Lake made me feel as though I were far below the water, but I could talk with Fenn just fine. What kind of magic are these mystery dungeons using?

"O-Oswald! Look up!" Fenn pointed a paw up at the sky above, his mouth open in amazement. Looking up myself, my jaw dropped in much the same way.

The ceiling of the dungeon—if you could call it that—was high up overhead. Various shapes flew about, casting shadows on the lake floor we were standing on. Like vultures circling their next meal, Mantines swam near the surface. Swimming as if they were within a body of water.

"Oswald! Try Swimming!"

"What?"

"You're a water type!" Fenn exclaimed. "Try to swim!"

How would one swim in the air? I was perfectly planted on the ground, not the slightest bit concerned about floating away. I suppose I had no reason not to try. I could fall on my face, I thought. But then again, I was curious.

I decided to see what would happen.

Crouching down low, I leaped into the air fully expecting gravity to pull me back down...

...But it didn't. Instead, I remained stationary in the air, drifting very slowly upward with some resistance.

My eyes went wide. This is exactly like swimming. I can't believe it…

"It worked!" shouted Fenn. "Oswald, you're floating!"

"I am!" I shouted back, twisting in place and propelling myself in various directions. "Fenn! You try it!"

"Okay!" he announced, using all four of his limbs to jump. He lingered in the air for barely a second, flailing his arms in an attempt to stay afloat. Unfortunately, it didn't work for Fenn, and he fell back down into the sand with an "oof!"

Floating down to his level, I gently lifted Fenn onto his feet. "Only water types, then?" I said timidly.

"Un...forntunately."

"But hey! Check me out!" I made a bunch of exaggerated swimming motions around Fenn and performed multiple flips and tricks that I'd never be able to pull off on land. "I'm a Goldeen!" I bellowed, waving my legs behind me and sticking out my lips in an attempt to make the Quilava laugh.

It worked. Fenn was very amused. More so than I was hoping for, honestly.

He stared at my antics in awe, laughing so hard at my dumb attempt to be an ugly fish that he rolled about in the sand hysterically.

That made me smile. Seeing Fenn enjoy himself made me feel better about our failure yesterday. It didn't matter to me that we weren't the best explorers at the start; I just wanted to enjoy the journey. How long that journey would be, I wasn't willing to consider. Being here with Fenn was all I wanted to think about.

Though, I should've paid more attention to our surroundings. I panicked when, after swimming about for a bit, a face appeared in front of mine. Big lips, a sharp horn, and hostile looking eyes.

It was an actual Goldeen.

I flailed my arms in the air, spinning in place. The Goldeen made a strange noise as it launched forward and skewered my side with its horn. I screamed then—screaming even more when it pushed me through the air flapping its tail fins faster and faster. Water spilled from my throat unconsciously and all I could think to do was to weakly punch the fish until it stopped.

It did stop, but only when it was engulfed in flames. The fire didn't even nick me as it scorched the Goldeen and burned it alive. Its mindless thrashing caused me to unhinge from the feral and lose whatever magic was keeping me afloat. I fell to the sand hard.

The flames gradually whittled the water type down to a charred corpse as I laid on the ground, wincing from the pain of being stabbed. Fenn's Flamethrower halted and the dead Goldeen flopped down onto the sand. My partner wasted no time rushing to me.

"Oswald!" he cried. "A-are you okay?"

"O-oh yeah," I gasped, grasping my side, "it's only a mild stab wound. O-ouch..."

"Did you see that?" he grinned. "That was awesome! How could I forget how great this feels?"

"That's...great, Fenn. Oran, please."

"Oh!" he exclaimed in surprise. "Sorry sorry sorry! Got too excited. Give me a second."

Within the next few minutes, Fenn had put his medical skills to the test and my torso was wrapped in bandages, my wound soaked in berry juices. Fenn wouldn't leave me be even when I said that it didn't hurt to move. He was like a nagging nurse doing everything in his ability to make sure I got better. Not that I cared. I found it touching, and the berries tasted really good.

"It doesn't hurt?" he asked for the tenth consecutive time. "Do you need more bandages?"

"I'm fine, Fenn," I said between bites. "You did a great job. We should really get moving, though. We're looking for a lost pokemon, remember?"

Fenn blushed. "O-oh right...I forgot."

I finally stood, clutching my side just to make sure I was all there. But thankfully, Fenn put in quite a bit of effort making absolutely certain that I wouldn't feel any discomfort. He did a good job since I...couldn't really feel any pain.

My side was also numb, so maybe that had something to do with it.

"Well, if every encounter here is like that last one," I said, "this dungeon should be a cakewalk! A fish on fire still burns, right?" Please don't jinx me.

Fenn giggled, "y-yeah, totally."

Grepa Lake: 3rd Floor

I wasn't wrong. Grepa Lake ended up being significantly easier than Mago Canyon. This dungeon seemed to specialize in fish pokemon; not a single feral we encountered in the last three floors moved with anything other than fins. Fenn seemed to be enjoying himself, too, laughing and joking about "the funny sounds" the pokemon would make when we would scorch their flesh.

I might've been a little disturbed by how happy Fenn was to kill wild pokemon, but if I was being honest, I was glad that Fenn had no trouble beating every pokemon in his path. Of course, I didn't want to be completely useless and not contribute, so I used this opportunity to test out my swordsman skills with my scalchops in a real, dangerous environment.

My skills with these things were woefully underdeveloped, but I got the gist of what I should do with them. They were knives, essentially. Not really swords, but that didn't matter much to me at the time. It was really fun to wave them around like an idiot. I was like...a floating ninja...cutting up my enemies before they had a chance to know I was there.

...Sounds kinda stupid when I put it like that, but eh, I wasn't gonna get this opportunity again anytime soon.

Fenn enjoyed how much fun I was having. And I enjoyed how much he delighted in going through the dungeon with me. Just a bundle of fun this journey has been so far, and boy, does it feel weird to say that.

The dungeon itself didn't give me much to comment on. Standard affair: same corridors, ferals, and marble stairs with portals. Why was every dungeon I've gone into been so similar? Who cares? They made no sense and each one was slightly different, I get it. Maybe the next one we visit will have a special vendor that'll sell us magical seeds. How exciting!

All jokes aside, Grepa Lake was nothing to write home about. We didn't find Kiwi on any of the first three floors. Fenn and I instead fought off a Seaking together and had a blast doing it.

We moved on to the fourth floor with newly instilled vigor and confidence.

Grepa Lake: 4th Floor

"Ah! Don't come any closer!"

Fenn and I made it to the fourth floor and we were surprised to find the Phanpy we were looking for was wandering about where the dungeon decided to place us. Of course, there was no way that this job was going to be so easy that we would find Kiwi before the final floor. The second she noticed us, she ran.

We had no choice but to follow. "Wait!" I called out to her. "We're not going to hurt you!" She was already gone, running through the right side corridor. "Come on, Fenn! We gotta catch her!"

"O-Oswald, the ferals!" Fenn wailed worriedly. "Look!" I looked to where Fenn was pointing and saw what he was talking about.

Wishiwashi, all around us, staring from above the sand mound walls. They did not move or indicate that they had any plans to attack. They just watched us, quietly.

"Ignore them," I said. "Kiwi is more important!" We chased after Kiwi through the corridor she ran down. The Wishiwashi didn't follow.

This continued for the next three rooms. We would find Kiwi, she would panic, try to escape us by dashing down another path, we would follow, and the Wishiwashi would always be there, watching.

This was starting to creep me out. I wanted answers for why Kiwi was so scared of us. Because, I mean, we couldn't have been scarier than the fish, right? And these Wishiwashi...what was their deal?

Eventually, we had pursued Kiwi long enough to corner her in the room with the stairs. I say "cornered," but it became apparent to me that she knew how mystery dungeons work when she leaped into the portal at the top of the stairs. I cursed under my breath. "Shit...we'll just have to keep going. Come on, Fenn!" I headed for the stairs.

"Look out!"

"Wha- ah!" I was rammed by multiple Wishiwashi before I was able to reach the stairway, knocking me flying through the air. The force of the attack and the nature of the dungeon caused me to spin out of control and smash into the sand. Fenn took the opportunity to scorch the ferals; one or two of them suffered the blow, but the rest retreated. "Ptoo! Pah!" I shook sand out of my fur and shot my eyes up to view our assailants.

Three or four became ten. Ten became twenty. More and more Wishiwashi congregated until a hulking beast consisting of a school of Wishiwashi formed. In a twist of logic I had no explanation for, the school of Wishiwashi roared.

It rushed Fenn, its gigantic maw kicking up sand and other plant life along the way. The quilava leaped out of the way, and he sent an intense burst of fire at the Wishiwashi once he landed on the sand, hitting it and causing smaller Wishiwashis to fly off the amalgamation with burn marks to spare. It's size was no less grandiose than before, however, and it's holes were swiftly covered with more fish.

It fired a Hydro Pump this time, the powerful attack causing the neighboring air to ripple from the sheer force of the water. It missed after Fenn rolled away from the stream, only barely being sprayed with excess liquid. The Quilava then countered the ranged move with his own. His Flamethrower clipped the beast's tail fin, inciting the feral creature to roar in pain.

There wasn't much time for it to recover, on account of me firing an attack at the Wishiwashi's midsection. I was certain that it wouldn't do much, but my main focus was on splitting the smaller pokemon from the school. Water Gun was more effective at crowd control than anything else at my disposal.

Even more fish fell from the group. Fenn and I continued our assault despite the feral's best efforts, but as a last resort, the Wishiwashi charged Fenn in an attempt to take him down. Fenn, however, was more than ready to meet the beast head on. He leaped whilst also simultaneously expelling a steady beam of flame. At the apex of his jump, Fenn did a front flip in mid-air, the fire not stopping even once. It only increased its longevity, eventually coating the fire type in a ball of his own flames. Fenn took advantage of his previous momentum to soar at the Wishiwashi, propelling himself directly into the feral's mouth.

Launching himself through one end of the beast and out of the other, Fenn's Flamewheel burned every fish it touched. Now that over half of the amalgamation was decimated, the construction fell apart once Fenn came out the other side. Many charred corpses fell into the sand. Any living Wishiwashi left over retreated to who knows where.

"Yes!" I shouted, amazed by what I had just seen. Fenn's capability to burn his enemies was second to none! He took down that Wishiwashi like it was nothing! "Fenn! That was spectacular! I had no idea you could do that!"

The Quilava looked slightly embarrassed to be getting so much praise and also looked to be quite tired. "Th-thanks," he panted. "I...tried my best. That...that move always wears me out."

I smiled. "You did great, Fenn." I looked at the portal, a bit perturbed. "What was the deal with Kiwi? Did the job listing say anything about her character?"

"Not...that I know of," Fenn mumbled. "Th-there's only two floors left. At worst, she might get out before us."

I nodded. "We should pick up the pace then. She's managed well on her own so far, but I'm not comfortable leaving Kiwi on her own any longer." Though I wasn't entirely sure how she was still safe after all of this time. The ferals we fought on our way here were aggressive—dangerously so. Fenn and I could handle ourselves, yeah, but I wasn't so certain about Kiwi. Her de facto response to danger seemed to be to run away.

Whatever. It's not our job to ask questions. We'll take her home and head back safely.

In reality, however, I should've been more concerned about myself. Because after leaving this place, I was gonna wish that getting home safely was the only thing I had to worry about.

Grepa Lake: 6th Floor

The fifth floor of Grepa Lake was entirely empty. Even the Mantine were gone. Fenn and I traversed the eerily quiet floor, maintaining our silence for the most rooms in a single floor of a dungeon we've been in yet. I practically craved violence it was so uninteresting. Since we were searching for Kiwi, we had to look through every chamber, too. We didn't find her after an hour of walking. Not even an item for our troubles...

We were ready to move on.

The sixth floor was a single room. The atmosphere was...different. I'll give Grepa Lake some credit: the rest of the dungeon could vaguely be described as serene and the facade was at least convincing.

Not here, though. The illusion had dissipated on floor six.

The floors, the walls, the ceiling...all pulsated in a fashion much like how a heart would beat. Everything was dark red. If I didn't know any better, I would've assumed we had transferred back to Mago Canyon. I didn't dare stare at the walls for long; the resemblance to flesh was not a pleasant thought.

In the center of the room was a tree. Strangest tree I've ever seen. It wilted, slumping with its branches nearly touching the ground. The bark of this tree looked to be made of some sort of...rotting grey chitin. Cloths of varying colors hung from its thin branches. The thing stood alone—it had no leaves.

I stared, utterly transfixed, at the tree. A deep part of me resonated with the sight and I couldn't look away. What was it about this plant that hypnotized me so much? Had I seen it in my previous life somewhere? No...that couldn't be. Something so bizarre had no place in my reality. Still...why does looking at it feel so…?

"Oswald! Over here!"

I snapped out of my stupor, my partner's voice bringing me back to the land of the living. Fenn was half behind the tree, peering at me with a smile. A welcome contrast to the horrors of Grepa Lake's final floor. He called to me, "I found her!"

The Quilava nudged the Phanpy cowering behind the tree and led her to me. "There you are, Kiwi." I said. "You gave us a lot of trouble."

She kept her head down and ears drooped in shame. "I'm sorry," she murmured. "I thought you were here to take me back, so I ran."

"Why?" I asked. She fidgeted one of her front legs and something bright yellow shifted with her. "What is that?" I pointed at her front leg.

Kiwi held up a thin piece of cloth much like the ones on the tree. "It was a dare," she replied quietly. "I had to get to the end of Grepa Lake and bring it back."

I crossed my arms and frowned, but not because I was upset with Kiwi. The pulsating was getting louder and more prevalent. Neither Kiwi nor Fenn seemed to notice...for some reason. I want to leave, I thought. I do not care about your stupid dare, just let me leave.

"Not our problem, let's go." I didn't give either of them the chance to argue and turned to escape this dreadful place.

"Oswald…"

I stopped. The pulsating stopped. The silence was deafening.

Turning around, I could see that Fenn and Kiwi were looking at me strangely. But I wasn't concerned about them. I knew they weren't the ones to say my name just then.

It was the voice I had heard when we first entered Grepa Lake. It was the dungeon...and it seemed to be coming from the tree.

It captivated and enthralled me as if the act of saying my name was the catalyst for a spell that was specifically created for me. The tree appeared no different, but my body and mind screeched at me to see what my eyes never could.

It began to speak more. Words jumbled together in distorted ways that I couldn't comprehend. Soon after, I felt a sensation groping at my brain and the words unscrambled. I listened, welcoming the feeling of having my mind violated and used to send a message.

"Oswald...the bells are ringing...the sirens are singing…

"For you.

"Oswald…

"Oswald…"

For me? What are you talking about?

"Oswald?"

The sound of Fenn's wonderful voice knocked me out of whatever bewitching I was under. "W-what?" I stuttered.

Fenn's face was twisted into one of deep worry. "Are you okay?" he asked. "You just sort of...stopped."

I looked Fenn in the eyes. It was him. There was no denying it. He was real.

I needed to know that. If it hadn't been for him, I would've been consumed. I don't know how, but it would've happened.

I had to be absolutely certain that everything else was real. "F-Fenn," I started, "did you hear someone speak just now?"

He seemed perplexed, an eyebrow raised. "No? I haven't heard anybody but us three. Have you?"

Oh.

Oh no.

OH NO.

OH NO NO NO NO NO NO.

"Nevermind, we should go."

AND GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE. GO GO GO GO GO GO GO GO GO.

---

I had never been so happy to see an ominous dark fog.

The three of us emerged from a flash of white onto the pier of Grepa Lake. I didn't waste any time getting as far away from the entrance to that hellish dungeon as soon as possible. Fenn called to me as I ran to the nearest tree, out of breath. I hyperventilated and leaned on the trunk, fighting the urge to puke.

Fenn was at my side soon enough. "O-Oswald!" he yelled. "What's the matter?"

"It's...nothing," I panted. "That dungeon just...took a lot out of me."

"Do you need an oran berry?"

"No...I'm fine. Kiwi has to get home. I'll rest when we get back to our room."

Fenn was clearly perturbed. He wanted nothing more than for me to be okay. Oh, Fenn, I'm so glad you're here. I want to tell you everything, but I have a feeling that doing so will only make things worse. Telling you about what I heard...you'll just think I'm crazy. And maybe I am...but I don't want you to know that. I'm sorry...

Kebia was only an hour or so walk from Grepa Lake. It wouldn't be much longer before we would be done and I could relax.

The Phanpy we rescued was pretty apathetic to being saved. She kept with us and hardly said anything—not like Clary in the slightest. I suppose I shouldn't put the blame on her for not caring.

She was just a kid. A horribly reckless and stupid kid, but a kid nonetheless.

Said kid directed us to her home on the outskirts of Kebia. The closer we got, the more scared she seemed to get. I had no reason to care, though. It was her damn fault for getting herself trapped because of a dare. I wanted my reward, that was it.

We made it to her home: a wooden cabin much like all of the others. "H-hey," Kiwi muttered, "would be okay if I snuck in through the b-ba-"

I knocked on the door, causing Kiwi to squeak.

A Donphan answered the door almost immediately. "Yes?" she asked.

I stepped aside to show her the cowering Phanpy behind me. "Your daughter. The job's done. We're here to collect."

She ignored me and pushed me aside to get to her daughter. "Oh, my little baby!" The Donphan wrapped Kiwi in her trunk. "I was worried sick! Don't ever do that again!"

"Ugh, mom! I'm not a baby anymore!" Kiwi squirmed in her mothers grip and the two of them stayed like that for a few seconds.

Too many seconds. "Ahem." I cleared my throat.

"Oh, right!" the Donphan released her daughter. "Let me get your payment." She entered her house for a moment and came back out with a sack in her trunk. "A thousand poké for my baby's saviors."

I took the sack and saluted. "Thank you, ma-am," I said. "We'll be leaving now. Come on, Fenn." Not even checking if Fenn got the message, I left the premises and left Kiwi behind, doomed to never really understand why her stupid decision ended with me having an existential crisis.

Fenn caught up to me. "I wonder why Kiwi had to take a piece of cloth from that tree at the end of Grepa Lake," Fenn said. "I-it must be a new thing kids are doing. I don't remember ever hearing about that dungeon when I was younger."

"Hey, Fenn, can I ask you something?"

His ears perked up. "Huh? Oh...sure, go ahead."

"Why were you so calm on Grepa Lake's last floor?" I asked. "Could you not see the walls...or you know...hear them?"

The Quilava raised an eyebrow. "H-hear them? What are you…No, nothing like that. It had the same sandy walls as every other room in Grepa Lake. I-I mean...there was that tree. It was out of place, but that's all I can say I found weird about it."

I spun on him, stopping in my tracks. "What was the tree like?" I questioned inches from Fenn's face.

"The tree? Um...I think it was...spruce? N-no leaves, obviously. Whoever put it there did a terrible job keeping it alive. Why do you ask?"

"...No reason. Just wanted to know if something like that is more common."

This can't be happening. Not only did he not hear WHATEVER THE HELL THAT WAS, but he couldn't SEE it either. I'm going insane. Or...am I?

I retract my "not special" statements from earlier. There's something going on with me, and if I don't figure out what it is, I'm going to lose it. But who do I even ask? Anemone? She already told me she doesn't know ,so what's the chance that she's learned something new in the last five days. Someone HAS to know. I wracked my brain for information about potential leads. Nothing bore any fruit...except...

Wait...WAIT! That Persian! He might know something! I can still remember how he looked at me...he's my best shot at finding answers! HAHA, I have a lead! All I have to do is get into the castle jail and ask him. But...how would I do that? Do they allow visitors? Hm…

I was going to have to work on it. Sneak in when the rest of Kebia Castle is asleep if I had to. There was no way in hell that I was going to sit around and wait for someone else to solve my issues. I needed answers, and god dammit I was going to get them if it was the last thing I did.

---

Fenn and I turned in the Grepa Lake job. Only 700 poké in exchange for my sanity? I really shouldn't complain. We technically got compensated for two jobs today. Though if I had known what the second one was going to leave me with, I might've just opted to stay behind.

I was hungry, but lacked the energy to sit in a crowded cafeteria, so we went back to the room right after. We still had that gift basket, after all. No reason to waste time when the same food we usually eat was available where we sleep. Fenn didn't mind, thankfully. Unbeknownst to me, our night wasn't about to end without one more incident.

"DEWOTT! I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE!"

The door to our room slammed open. I hadn't felt it necessary to lock it yet.

I was wrong. I should've locked it.

"YOU!" A very angry red Monferno stormed across the room and pinned me against the wall before I knew what was going on. She strangled my neck and held up her other fist threateningly. "WHERE'S THE MONEY, BLUEY!" she screamed in my face.

"Oswald!" Fenn jumped to attention, his back flaming at full mast. "Put him down!" he growled at the Monferno.

The other two members of the Monferno's team were not far behind. "Pink," the Houndoom asserted somewhat humorously, "What did I tell you about threatening pokemon?" A Murkrow flew in behind her, landing on the Houndoom's horn.

Dahlia, I thought, and the rest of Team Phlox. What are they doing here?

"He stole our poké!" Pink snarled. "No one steals from us!"

Fenn bared his teeth. "We didn't steal anything! Let him go!"

Holly stomped her foot. "Calm down, both of you!" The room went quiet…

The Houndoom then approached me, her brows furrowed. "Ipo gave you one of our bounty rewards. We're here to take it back. Sound fair?"

So, that's what this is about. I should've known. There was no way we'd be able to get away with being that lucky for long.

"F-fair?" Fenn questioned. "Fair? It's your fault for not picking it up before us! That money belongs to Team Lavender!"

Pink's grip on my neck got tighter, and I could hear her fist clenching.

I had to step in. We didn't need the money—we survived fine without it. "Fenn," I said sternly. Every pokemon in the room turned to me. "Give them the money."

"W-what? But...Oswald-"

"It was never ours to begin with, Fenn. Give them the thousand poké. I don't want anyone to get hurt."

The Quilava looked dejected, his quills receding into his body. It was clear to me that if I hadn't said anything, he would've gotten violent. I didn't want that, even if we were in the right.

Fenn counted up the money and tossed the sack in their direction. "Here," he grumbled. "Take it and choke on it."

Pink finally let me go and picked up the sack of money. "S'what I thought!"

"A wise choice," Holly announced. "If possible, I'd prefer to avoid incidents like this in the future." She raised her eyebrows at me, expecting a response. I didn't give her that satisfaction; instead, I just rubbed my neck and glared. "We ought to be going. Come on, girls."

They began to leave, but Dahlia flapped to the ground. "You two go on ahead," the Murkrow told them, "I'll catch up in a bit." Holly and Pink took their leave, merely giving Dahlia a half-hearted wave over their shoulders. Now alone, Dahlia hopped to face me.

"Sorry about them. They're not this bad all the time, I assure you."

I coughed. "You said the same thing last time, Dahlia."

She shrugged. "Poor circumstances. Can't say I'm too happy they decided to threaten you. I hope you don't hold this against us." Dahlia clacked her beak. "Speaking of which, how have you been, Oswald?"

Other than having two horrible days in a row? I scowled, "I could be worse."

"That's good," she chirped. "I see you made a friend." Dahlia tipped her hat at Fenn. His only response was to blow smoke out of his nose and move to the other end of the room. "Very affable."

I crossed my arms. "What do you want?"

"Nothing!" She held up her wings defensively. "Just wanted to know how you were doing. I've been looking forward to speaking with you again."

How did I know that was a complete lie? I don't know, maybe it was because her teammates just threatened to beat the hell out of me? The least she could've done is seen me through it all instead of plopping me on Anemone's doorstep and leaving. I mean, sure, no one else had done much more for me at this point—except for maybe Allium—but sticking around for a bit longer wouldn't have hurt.

The Murkrow shook her head. "But seriously, I really am sorry for all of this." She placed a wing over her chest. "If you ever need anything, a favor, or help with a mission, just let me know."

A favor? Now that got me thinking. I did need help with getting into the castle jail. Did Dahlia know how? Wouldn't hurt to ask.

"I should be going now," she trilled, tipping her hat. "It was nice seeing you again, Oswald."

"Wait." I stopped her. "That favor you mentioned...you mind if I turn that in right now?"

---

I explained to Fenn before I left with Dahlia what I planned on doing. He understood why I wanted to do it and chose to stay behind. His decision had more to do with a lack of interest in interrogating prisoners rather than his apathy for my amnesia. No surprise there. Fenn was a fighter—he'd be the bad cop.

Does that make me the good cop? Guess I'll find out.

In terms of choosing the right pokemon to ask to take me to meet the Persian, Dahlia wasn't the worst choice I could've made. Of course, it turned out that I had nothing to worry about. The castle jail was open to any pokemon with a good reason for being there. Dahlia knew this off the top of her head and she agreed to go with me as part of the favor. How she was so knowledgeable about the castle dungeon, I had no interest in asking her about.

All one really needed to get in to see any of the prisoners was either a provable past relationship or necessary access to the pokemon in question. I qualified for both, especially considering that I had Dahlia with me.

"Zzzt! You are granted ten minutes to speak with prisoner Moa, the Persian. Zzzt!" The main guard of Kebia Castle's dungeon was a Magnezone that gave us access after we showed them our paperwork. "Zzzt! Cell block 'C.' Zzzt!" They unlocked the entrance to the cells with an electric shock and let us go.

The cell block we ended up going down, cell block 'C,' was marked by a big letter 'C.' I was confused for a second, since most of the writing I had seen so far had been in footprints runes. But I figured that, like with mission rankings, Unknown script was used for certain things. That still didn't explain why it was engraved in the wall, though. Maybe it was left over from the days when humans controlled the castle? I kind of doubt they used their feet to write.

...Or at least, I hope they didn't. That would be weird, even for me.

Regardless, I walked through the prison while Dahlia perched on my head on the lookout for Moa. Most of the cells we passed were empty, but there was the occasional prisoner that watched us from behind the bars, their eyes bloodshot and angry. Each one wore a metal collar.

"Oi! You here to mock me, you stupid bird!" one prisoner yelled at us.

"When I get out of here, I'm wringing your neck!" another threatened.

"I hear Murkrow tastes good when it's cooked!" a third one bellowed.

The attention we were getting was making me uncomfortable. "You sure have made a lot of enemies," I said in correspondence to Dahlia.

"That tends to happen when your main source of income is bounty hunting," she responded, clicking her beak. "Here, this should be the cell we're looking for."

I wasn't sure how she knew that; there were no labels on any of the cells I had seen. But looking in, I saw a grey quadruped lying on their side looking away from us. "Is that him? Moa?" I grabbed the bars. "Moa?" I called. "I need to speak with you."

The Persian slowly raised his head. "What is it now?" he growled in a nasally sounding voice. "I'm already doing my time, can't you just leave me-"

His eyes finally met mine and they went wide. "You!" he screeched. "No! Anyone but you!" Moa backed into the wall and shook uncontrollably. "I-I-I-I don't know about th-th-the dayflower. There's n-no apples in these p-pipes."

"Dayflower? Pipes? What are you talking about? Moa?"

"H-h-honey nut! Torn capes! Torn capes!

"What? Dahlia, do you understand what he's saying?"

Dahlia shifted atop my head. "No idea," she said. "He's talking nonsense as far as I know."

I frowned. "Hello? Moa? Can you answer some questions for me?"

He yowled, "triple helix motion! I have pokerus! Shatter bells!"

"W-wait, bells?" I flinched, grasping the cell bars tighter. "What do you know about bells? What do you know about me?"

"Lies! Every Happiny is lying!"

I shook the cell bars in frustration. "Tell me what you know!" I shouted. "TELL ME NOW!"

After that, he started screaming non-stop. I kept yelling at him to talk to me despite Dahlia telling me to let it go. Within half a minute or so, the Magnezone from earlier floated up to us. "Zzzt! I am going to ask you to leave. You are disturbing the prisoners. Zzzt!"

"B-but," I fretted, "he's my only-"

"Drop it, Oswald," Dahlia chirped loudly. "You're not gonna get anything out of this guy."

The Magnezone guard led us back to the main lobby. "Zzzt! Screaming at prisoners is not allowed. Zzzt!"

I rubbed my scalchops nervously. "...I'm sorry. I got carried away."

"Zzzt! If screaming is necessary, waiting for the prisoner's release is ideal. Zzzt!"

"How long will that be?" Dahlia asked.

"Zzzt! Seven days. Zzzt!"

Seven days? Could I even wait that long? He knows something! I have to know what it is!

"We're sorry for the trouble, officer," added Dahlia. "It won't happen again."

"Zzzt! It will not. Screaming at prisoners is forbidden. Zzzt!" They floated away and got back to their guard duties.

The Murkrow in my company flew down onto the ground in front of me. "Sorry that didn't go as planned."

I sighed. "It's fine. Thanks for coming along."

The corner of her beak curved to give off the impression of a smirk. "Don't mention it, Oswald," Dahlia tweeted. "If you ever need me again, get in contact. The other two might not like it, but I'm willing to lend you a wing if you need it."

After I thanked her a second time, she tipped her hat and flew off back to her teammates. I guess I should do the same, I thought. More questions today...somehow worse than yesterday. I can't believe this. Is there any possible way that things could get worse?

---

Fenn agreed that we should turn in early after what we did today. I didn't tell him what happened with the Persian since he didn't even ask. My Quilava partner was more interested in resting anyway. He must've been tired—I know I was.

We were tired in different ways, of course. Today was a very weird and stressful experience for me in particular. I had no way of stopping it all from playing over and over again in my head while I laid down and tried to get to sleep. I knew that if I shut my eyes for too long, the nightmares would come back.

Why me? Why do I have to deal with this? Repeating to myself, again and again, that I'm not cut out for this didn't do much to change my situation. If anything, it made it worse. Is there any point to not stop now? Because I feel like giving up. I'm so...aimless and purposeless. Ugh.

"Hey, Oswald?"

Fenn's voice cut through my rampant self loathing. He was still awake, surprisingly. I was so sure he had fallen asleep at this point. That said, I was happy to listen for as long as he wanted. Better than wallowing in my own thoughts for another few hours.

"Yeah?" I replied.

"O-oh, you're still awake. I'm glad I'm not the only one. Heh..." He was silent for a moment. "H-hey...listen, I wanna tell you something."

I remained silent.

"I wanted to say...that I'm really glad we met. I know I was really difficult at first and...n-not the easiest to work with. Kinda whiny, too...I understand if you might think less of me…I would...

"...But...I-I really am happy you stuck with me. I've never met a pokemon like you or had a friend that believed in me so much. What you said this morning...it meant a lot to hear you say that. I never get...compliments...plus...I also wanted to say that...I had fun at Grepa Lake. Maybe you didn't towards the end...I don't really get why you won't tell me why...but that's fine. Th-this has been challenging for both of us. You can...tell me when you're ready.

"I'm glad I decided to stick around. You're a really nice pokemon, Oswald. Thanks...thanks for making my dreams come true."

"..."

"..."

"You're welcome, Fenn. I'm glad I met you too."

---

Midchapter art by CharsGalaxy on Twitter. Go check them out!

https://twitter.com/CharsGalaxy

 

[SnapDragon]

Author's Note: The shanty at the end of this chapter is based on the song "Rolling down to old Maui."

---

Chapter 12 - Day 6: Crashing Waves ​

"DING DONG!"


I woke up with a start. The dreams I was having dissipated and I was back in the home base of Team Lavender. Fenn had awoken as well, fully ready to fight back against what had interrupted our sleep.


Whoever had woken us up made themselves apparent with another bellowing shriek. "DING DONG! CALLUNA COMIN' IN!" A floating, ghostly figure phased through the wall into our room, completely disregarding the door. The ghost levitated a few inches off the ground, gliding towards my bed with an undeniable elegance. The Mismagius, with her transparent frame, was about as tall as Fenn and I, but she used her ghostly powers to tower over me.


"Oswald, is it?" she announced with a sultry, feminine voice. "Oooooh, how I've waited to finally meet you." The Mismagius lowered herself down to my eye level, phasing through the floor to match my height as I sat there, stunned. "So long I've sat in wait, observing you. Hehe~"


Observing me? I blinked. "Um...who are you?"


"Ms. Calluna?" Fenn spoke up. "What are y-you doing here?"


Calluna? Where have I heard that name before?


"Ah!" Calluna, I'm guessing, exclaimed. "Fenn, darling! How have you been?" She turned her attention to Fenn and floated to him, leaving me bewildered. "I was overjoyed to hear that you followed your dreams and joined an exploration team~." She leaned down to speak in his ear, but still loud enough for me to hear. "And with a catch like THAT. Well done~"


A CATCH? What does that mean?


Fenn rubbed his arm and blushed slightly. "Heh...thank's, Ms. Calluna," he said quietly. "I-I've been a lot...better recently."


Calluna chortled, "That's wonderful, Fenn-dear. I always love seeing my employees grow and thrive~"


"Ahem!" I cleared my throat. Both Fenn and Calluna brought their attention to me. "Can I ask why you're here?" I said.


"Why, of course, dear!" the Mismagius laughed. "Go ahead!"


"..."


Her 'W' mouth became much larger the longer she stared at me. "I'm waiting~"


"Why are you here?" I asked a second time.


Calluna gasped, "How rude! Questioning a lady before even asking for her name!"


"W-what, but I-"


"I am the ever so beautiful, and wonderfully market efficient, queen ghost of Kebia Castle, Calluna~!"


"Yeah, I assumed-"


"I'm here to escort you to see our Gardevoir in charge, Anemone! She wishes to speak with you~"


My eyes went wide. "She wants to see me again?" I blurted out tensely. "Already?"


"Mm, yes," Calluna hummed. "She had me catch you too; that doesn't happen often. It must be very important." She winked.


My mind went back to my conversation with Marigold a few days ago. From what I understood, Anemone had told her two trusted advisors about me. Marigold was the first, Calluna must be the second. And sending this Mismagius to get me...whatever Anemone has for me must be pretty significant.


"Now, come along, Oswald-dear!" she sang. "Don't want to keep Anemone waiting, now do we?"


I wasn't too keen on waiting much longer myself. "I suppose not," I said. Any chance to learn something new after what happened yesterday was enough to make me jump off a cliff if I needed to.


Though when I finally stood up, I met eyes with Fenn. He looked on suspiciously, his ears pressed up against his head. Getting called down to see Anemone must not be that common. There was also the fact that I'd be leaving him alone for some amount of time. There was no telling if I'd be back in time for us to do a mission today.


"What about Fenn?" I asked. "What's he supposed to do while I'm gone?"


Calluna bobbed in the air in thought. "Hmmm...there are some floors that need scrubbing-" Fenn grit his teeth in horror while Calluna just laughed, "-joking~! Fenn-darling will just have to stay behind."


Figures. I walked to the other side of the room until I was near Fenn and rubbed the back of my head. "Are you okay with this? I might not be back till later."


To my surprise, the Quilava smiled warmly. "I-I'll be fine," he said quietly. "There are some odd jobs in town that I read about yesterday that I can do to pass the time. We can meet up for dinner at sunset again. H-how about that?"


I smiled back. "Sounds good, Fenn. I'll see you then."


"Oh, you two are so cute!" Calluna giggled. "It brightens my day to see newer teams like yours being so understanding with each other~"


I left Team Lavender's room a little flustered by Calluna's comment and waved goodbye to Fenn.


Once we were out of the room, Calluna hovered close behind me. "Follow me, human," she whispered, "the elevator is this way." The Mismagius phased through the floor and came out of the ground ahead of me. She floated backwards, keeping her eyes trained on me for the whole journey.


I did what she wanted me to do, following her at a brisk pace. Somehow, Calluna knew exactly where she was going. She guided me robotically, taking sharp turns while avoiding walls altogether. There were very few pokemon that saw us on our way to the elevator, and the ones that did watched on with wide eyes. I could already tell news of me meeting with Anemone would spread.


We reached Anemone's elevator. "Do you remember taking this on your first day here?" Calluna asked. "Because I do." The elevator doors slid open on their own. "You were so nervous, I could tell."


Her tone had changed completely. The playful, sultry nature of her words was replaced with a more serious and outright sinister attitude. Calluna looked at me as though she could see right through me. Right through my fragile persona.


"What do you mean, 'I was so nervous' when I first got here?" I wondered. "I never saw you."


Within a fraction of a second, she was there, inches from my face. Her smile wasn't gone, but her eyes communicated dark intentions. "Anemone might be able to control a portion of this castle with her mind," she said bitterly, "but I see everything that she can't. We didn't allow dark types in until I showed up. The second you walked in through those doors was the second you became entertainment for me and my employees."


She twitched her head to the left, indicating to the elevator. "Get in. She's already aggravated enough as it is. Waiting will only make it worse for you."


I followed her orders without question.


If I wasn't nervous before, then I was then. This whole time I've been under constant watch without me even knowing. That feeling that someone gets when they feel like someone's watching them? I never got that. How would I know if I was under surveillance of a pokemon I'd never meet?


Privacy was a lie and I was doomed to be found as soon as I entered Kebia Castle.


The elevator doors closed and it began to ascend. Calluna hovered next to me. Was she moving with the elevator or was the elevator moving her? I was too nervous to ask.


The ghost next to me didn't do as I did and face the wall...like a normal pokemon would. Instead, she stared at me for the entire ascent. "I do hope you don't mind," Calluna said to me, "I invited some additional company for this lift ride."


"Company?" I asked.


The "company" phased through the moving wall behind the elevator doors and flashed a massive zipper grin at me. "Heeeey," the Banette said. "Long time no see, human. Told ya we'd run into each other again."


"Human?" I flinched. "Wha...what are you doing here? How do you know that, Aster?"


"Hmm, that was my doing, darling," Calluna remarked. "I hope you don't mind~"


I looked between the two of them frantically. "But...Anemone said NOT to tell anyone. Isn't it the same with you?"


"Oh it is," Calluna chuckled, "I just couldn't help myself. Aster is, well...he's my hands, my other half."


Aster rubbed his mittens together. "I've got big hands," he sneered. "Big, big hands."


This was unfair. I was doing what Anemone said but Calluna got to break the rules? I frowned bitterly. "I didn't agree to this."


"Consider it a meaningful exception," argued Calluna. "Aster is very trustworthy, I assure you~"


"Your secret's safe with me, boss 'mon," added Aster. "Hehe~"


I can't catch a break, can I? Anemone has some explaining to do.


The elevator came to a stop. Both Calluna and Aster phazed through the metal gate before the gates rightfully opened. I reluctantly stepped into the hallway that I had been in five days prior after the gate was ajar with a metallic click.


"Good luck," Calluna trilled. "I'll be here when you're done~"


Aster chuckled from behind his closed lips. "Try not to make her mad. Last time that happened, we had to clean the walls. Took us weeks."


I was certain that he was joking. Having met Anemone before, I knew that she was demanding and a bit scary, but she wouldn't...become physically abusive...right? I planned on going in there and confronting her about some of my grievances...what'll happen if I make her upset?


Wait, crap, she can probably hear me. I'm in her range now, I forgot.


If you can hear me, Anemone, I'm not letting you get off easy with treating Fenn like that. He's not a liability or whatever you think he is. And this "telling your advisors about me" business without my consent...I'm not happy about that. I don't care if you don't like it, I deserve a say in this.


The Mismagius swerved into my vision. "Talking with her like that will only make it worse, Oswald." She narrowed her eyes. "Trust me, I know."


The Banette circled around me once before passing into a wall adjacent to me slowly. "See you around, human…"


Calluna swiftly did the same, staring me down as she did. I was left alone in the hallway before the throne room.


Walking nervously towards the large double doors, I couldn't shake the feeling that I had just made a huge mistake. Multiple even. Joining this guild...waking up this morning...following Calluna-


The doors opened on their own.


-and thinking about all of that. Please don't be angry.


Anemone's office was deathly quiet aside from the sound of my own dull footsteps on the carpet. I gulped as I inched myself closer to the Gardevoir pacing from one end of the carpet to the other, hands behind her back, head down, and brow furrowed. She didn't raise her eyes to see me as I approached, she only slowed her pace.


"I have to say, Oswald," Anemone glowered, her irritated sounding voice echoing off the walls, "I'm disappointed in your lack of proper judgement. I would have accepted literally any other choice you could have made for a team member. So many that would have not only treated you better, but wouldn't have gotten you killed." She stopped and glared at me. "So many better than that one."


I stood my ground, glaring back and fighting the sinking feeling in my stomach. "Fenn is no worse an explorer than any other schmuck I could've gotten," I scowled. "I chose him for myself. He should be treated like any other guild member here." I pointed to my scarf. "He deserved one of these."


Anemone crossed her arms, her eyebrows raising complacently. "It's nice to know that I was 100 percent correct about that Quilava. Fenrir was better as a janitor. Maybe the next time the two of you get yourselves mortally wounded, you'll realize how wrong you are."


I clenched my fist in anger. How dare she? "It's. Fenn."


She laughed, "I don't care! Doesn't matter what his name is, he's a terrible partner for you. Say the word and I'll fix that."


"What do you know!" I shouted. "All you do is sit in here all day! Fenn is an amazing explorer! Better than any-"


I was cut off by an invisible power forcing me to my knees. My airways were restricted and I could hardly breathe. No matter what I did I couldn't free myself.


"Be quiet," Anemone ordered, her tone returning to one of irritation. "I didn't bring you here so you could complain. You should feel lucky that I don't make you change teams right now. Bring this up again and I break your limbs, got it?"


I fought with the invisible hand on my throat, croaking out hoarse syllables that were vaguely similar to words. "Y...yeeee...yeeeeee...yeeeeessss…"


The pressure on my throat was gone and I could breathe again. I hacked and coughed on my paws and knees, trying to bring myself back from nearly passing out.


"Good," the Gardevoir said, satisfied. "Now, get up. There's something I actually need to tell you."


I shakily stood up, fighting the boiling fit of anger in my chest. Anemone's eyes met mine and it took everything in me to keep myself from exploding.


"Are you going to be able to control yourself, or am I going to have to make you calm?"


I sighed belligerently. "No. Please, continue."


Anemone nodded. "Good answer." She started pacing again. "Now, I know that you don't know what 'spatial drift' is, so I'm going to ask you to ask me what spatial drift is."


Still peeved, I replied grumpily, "Fine. What is 'spatial drift?'"


"WOW! Spatial drift? I'm glad you asked!"


I stared at her, silent and unamused. Anemone continued.


"Spatial drift is what happens when stray matter comes to our little realm for whatever reason and congeals into a mixture of anomalies. That's how it was explained to me. You might know these mixtures of anomalies as 'mystery dungeons,' more aptly described as 'spatial dungeons.' By me. That's what I call them."


"Is that why they're so...odd?" I asked, now more curious than angry. "Why is stray matter just showing up out of nowhere?"


She shrugged. "Why do orbs only work in dungeons? How do reviver seeds bring you back from the dead? I don't know, Oswald. That's just how the world works. I heard once that Palkia has favorite dimensions and hates ours, but that's just a rumor."


"Okay, but what does this have to do with me?"


"I'm getting to that. Stop interrupting me."


That shut me up. I wanted to know where she was going with this.


"There's this artifact left over from Pamtre's inception," Anemone resumed. "Perhaps Palkia was just careless? Regardless, unofficially, it's called a 'Spatial Orb.' I only know of one in this existence. What it does, well, I'm not entirely certain of it's restrictions, but I do know that the orb is capable of unspecific sway over spatial drift. In particular, you can utilize the Spatial Orb to send something vague from another reality to ours.


"This usually is accomplished through the orb's user providing the orb with a concept like an apple of any kind, or a type of pokemon, or-"


She stopped and looked me dead in the eyes with a somber expression.


"-a human."


I balked, my eyes going wide. "A human? You think...someone used the orb to bring me here? Why would anyone do that?"


Anemone began pacing once again. "Not entirely sure. If I'm being honest, I'm not confident that the orb is the primary reason why you're here, but it's a good guess on my part.


"As for the reason," the Gardevoir added, "I'm ignorant as to who would want a human here. I can take a guess on who would use the spatial orb, but their ulterior motives make no correlation with your circumstances."


All of this new information was making my mind wander. I was agonizing over a lack of a lead yesterday and now I might know how I got here! "Where is the orb?" I wondered. "You seem to know a lot about it."


"That's the thing, I was certain that it was lost after the psychic wars over thirty years ago." Anemone rubbed her chin. "I haven't heard of it being used since then." She shook her head. "Not that it was used in any meaningful ways back then anyways. I tried it once myself. The results were pretty underwhelming."


Thirty years, I thought. Whoever wanted me here must not have found me yet. I can only imagine what a pokemon that went out of their way to uncover a lost artifact and use it to bring me here is capable of.


"Exactly. Which brings me to my next point."


I listened intently, blocking out any more thoughts of mine until later.


"There were humans in Pamtre once. If you can recall our first conversation, I mentioned that they've been gone for a long time."


I did remember. I recalled how humans were practically extinct in Pamtre. All except for me. Sort of.


Anemone continued, "You are a pokemon most likely because having a human in a dimension with no humans would cause a paradox. That's what I'm guessing. Now as I was saying, humans have been gone for a long time, but their influence isn't gone completely." She pointed up. "This castle, for instance, wasn't built by pokemon."


I figured. This castle never gave me the impression that it was built with most pokemon in mind.


"Doing a great job 'blocking out those thoughts.'"


Oops. Sorry.


She sighed breathlessly. "The humans left a lot behind. One object that was left over was a device called the 'Kingfisher device.' It's a computer powered by four gems that serve as it's only source of power.


"One of those gems was stolen."


"Stolen?" I repeated. "What does the Kingfisher device do? Why would it need four gems to power it?"


Anemone turned around with her back to me. I couldn't see her face. "I don't know," she said.


"You don't know?"


She turned back around to face me, her facial expression neutral. "It was never actually used in any capacity, but some pokemon wanted it and it's never a good thing when an unquestionably evil pokemon wants an artifact that obscure."


The mind reader came closer to me, momentarily towering over me before she leaned down to better lock eyes with me. She spoke in a low tone. "I'm telling you this because the Kingfisher device was destroyed three decades ago, but the gems weren't. I trusted four powerful pokemon to look after them to ensure that no one would ever use them for nefarious purposes."


Her brow furrowed. "And now one of them gets stolen. And you suddenly show up days beforehand. Don't you find that...a little strange?"


"I-I don't know," I stuttered nervously, "is it strange?"


She stood back up and walked away from me. "I don't believe there will be any argument over you needing to keep a low profile," Anemone declared. "A pokemon out there is looking for you. Keep your humanity to yourself," she paused to send me a sideways glance, "and I'll work on finding the culprit. Are we in agreement?"


"Me? You want me to keep my secret to myself?"


Anemone glared at me, her eyes intense. "Yes," she replied slowly. "Keep it a secret."


"And what about you?" I pointed at the Gardevoir. "Do you get a free pass on telling whoever you want about me being a human? How is that fair?"


"Marigold and Calluna are pokemon that I can trust. I need them to know for the sake of having the necessary assistance."


"THEN WHAT-" I yelled, frustrated, "-WHAT ABOUT FENN? I can trust him! Let me tell him about this! I need the necessary assistance too!"


"No!" Anemone shouted back. "You expect me to trust you to tell someone you just met about something this important? Ignoring the fact that the pokemon you plan on telling this to is absolutely not trustworthy, I don't have faith in your judgement. Only I get a say in who is allowed to know."


I sputtered. "And Calluna too apparently! Can't forget about that!"


"ENOUGH!"


Much like before, I was forced down telepathically. A great invisible strength overpowered me and I ended up on the ground, stomach down, struggling for control over my own body. I could barely breathe, the hand on the back of my neck squeezed hard.


"THIS IS MY CASTLE! YOU WILL FOLLOW MY RULES! I DON'T CARE IF THAT MAKES ME A HYPOCRITE! YOU WILL DO AS I SAY OR YOU WILL REGRET IT! UNDERSTAND?"


I attempted to squeeze out a response. The wind had been pushed out of my windpipes and nothing would come out. I wheezed pitifully. "Y...y...ye...yeee…"


Yes. I understand.


The pressure was released and I could breathe again. I gasped loudly and shook on the ground as if I was in the middle of a snowstorm. Getting back up wasn't something I planned on doing for quite a bit.


"I'm glad we're both on the same page."


I coughed, gripping the carpet tight in my paws. My words came out hoarse and barely audible, but I knew Anemone would be able to hear me. "Why...why don't...why don't you just...lock me up...like the obedient little pet...you want me to be…"


She laughed, "Ha! Sorry to say, but I'm not that much of a tyrant. I'll let you live like a normal pokemon. I would appreciate it if you would refrain from dying though. That would be inconvenient for the both of us."


"...Yeah," I fell into an intense coughing fit, "it...sure would be…"


"And stay within reach. I need you here in case there are any new developments."


With some effort, I managed to stand on two feet. I wobbled and clutched my stomach. "Are we done now?" I asked shakily. "Can I leave?"


"Yes." She waved me away. "Please leave. You're giving me a headache."


I didn't need to hear that twice. At this point, I'd rather be anywhere but here. I stumbled out of Anemone's office, not bothering to look back or argue my case any further.


I regretted even trying. All my complaining did was give me a reason to never look forward to seeing that woman again. If I ever came back to that throne room—which I seriously hope I wouldn't—I was just going to sit there and accept what Anemone had to say. I didn't care anymore.


The doors opened and I met with Calluna right on the other side. She wasn't surprised to see me so downtrodden.


"You made her mad," she laughed. "It's a good thing she wants you alive. I would hate to have you sent to the morgue in pieces~"


I ignored her comment and hobbled straight for the elevator. Calluna followed right behind me.


After some time of riding the lift in silence, Calluna turned to me when I could only assume we got out of Anemone's range. "I really am sorry about what she did to you," she said. "Anemone doesn't function well under stress. Her methods aren't always the most...principled."


You can say that again. I only grunted in response.


"As a fair warning, you shouldn't take her for her word. She has a tendency to leave out some details that you might find important."


I raised an eyebrow and looked at Calluna to find her eyes much softer than the last time we talked. "That's an interesting thing to say about the person you work for," I stated. "Aren't you afraid she'll find out you're talking behind her back?"


Her eyes glinted knowingly, as though she had expected the question. "Oh, that's not a concern of mine," she said. "Anemone is well aware of what I think of her. She knows what most pokemon think of her. That's her curse. She's even aware of some 'conspirators' that seek to take her throne."


She's aware of some, meaning they're still around? "Why doesn't she do something about it if she knows they're trying to overthrow her?"


Calluna's eyes lit up at the sound of my words, as if she overjoyed at the direction this conversation was going. "Because if she has the power to get rid of one problematic Rattata, then why not remove them all? Why not remove the lazy Rattatas too while we're at it? The weak Rattatas? Throw them in the dungeon.


"It's a slippery slope, you see. Anemone doesn't want to be a dictator that locks away her enemies before they have the chance to strike or reconsider their actions. Thinking about committing an act is not the same as actually going through with it after all. She knows that better than anyone."


I realized that this Rattata talking point was the same one Anemone had used on me less than ten minutes ago. "Not being a tyrant" seems like a major goal of hers. Could've fooled me. I didn't feel like I had much choice as an independent pokemon when I was getting choked into the ground.


"The Anemone you're describing sounds a lot different than the one I know," I said.


Calluna shrugged. "Anemone is a leader. She's also two-faced. What did you expect?"


Fair point.


Our descent in Anemone's personal elevator came to an abrupt end. The gate slid open and I walked outside onto the first floor. Calluna was right behind me, but then she was in front of me. The ghost phased right through me as a way to get ahead, sending an unnatural chill down my spine.


She faced me. "I'm glad we finally had the opportunity to meet," Calluna said, the tone in her voice returning to its signature provocative quality. "Well, mutually meet that is. I've already seen you dozens of times~"


I smirked. Might as well play along. "I should get you a bell to wear," I told her, "then I'll know when you're around~"


"Mmm," Calluna hummed, circling around me, "what an interesting idea. It's a shame that would ruin the fun in watching you. You're so endearing when you're alone with your little friend~"


I should've really been more uncomfortable about this. I mean, I was, but I wasn't doing a very good job communicating that to this Mismagius. I had a bad habit of trusting pokemon that treat me well it seemed. I should stop doing that. At the rate that I was meeting new pokemon, I was bound to be kidnapped in the dead of night within the next week.


Oh well. I was probably really naive and stupid. Actually, no, I am really naive and stupid. But if I trust everyone I meet then I'm bound to make the right choice by sheer chance eventually, right? There's also the fact that Calluna just admitted to stalking me and I'm taking that information strangely well. I must not care all that much, because I couldn't find it in me to tell her off. She most likely had my best intentions in mind, even if she was kinda creepy about it.


"Well, I'm sorry to tease and run, darling," Calluna said in a mocking sad voice, "but I must be leaving now. Will you be able to handle yourself on your own?"


"Alone, you say?" I spoofed, putting a hand to my forehead and stepping around trying to act in an exaggerated manner. "Oh, I'm not sure. I might just...die of loneliness without you here."


She laughed, "How charming." Calluna phased through the ground until only her head remained. "Best find a way to keep yourself busy. Fenn-dear won't be available for a long while. Farewell!"


And then she was gone, as far as I was aware.


I stood there for a few moments after she left, taking in what both Anemone and Calluna had told me. Mystery dungeons were the result of spatial negligence, someone on Pamtre brought me here for some reason, ancient human technology, I have a ghost stalker...all very significant and worth thinking about…


...


WAIT. HOLD ON.


What about the dungeon from yesterday? Why didn't she...holy shit.


She knew. Anemone knew that I saw what the dungeon was like and heard what I heard. She had to have seen it. She read my mind AND SHE DIDN'T EVEN BRING IT UP!


What was happening? Why wouldn't she mention that? Was it not relevant? It had to have been, even from a "me possibly being crazy" perspective. Did I make her mad enough to make her forget about it? Please tell me she didn't intentionally leave it out of our discussion.


This is dreadful. I feel like I'm losing my mind.


I was going to break down if I didn't take my mind off this. I needed an escape from this hell. But what options did I even have? Fenn was off doing his own thing, and even if he wasn't, I couldn't bother him with my human troubles. Who else knows? Marigold? Calluna? Aster? I barely know any of them. How are they going to possibly help me?


Go swimming? I shook at the thought. Floating around in the castle pool will only serve to remind me about Grepa Lake.


I suppose there was Allium. I could train with him for a few hours. He might tell me to come back when I'm less distracted again, but it was worth a shot. I could show him my scalchop skills...ugh. That reminds me of Grepa Lake too.


This sucks.

---

My trek to the training grounds was excruciating to say the least. I was getting weird looks the whole way there. Having noticed that I was a source of attention the last couple of days, it didn't bother me because I had Fenn with me. Being a seemingly uncommon pokemon that shows up out of nowhere and gets special treatment definitely earned me some dirty, jealous glares sent in my direction. It wasn't my fault, of course, but that wasn't any consolation after what I had just gone through. Rumors spread fast here it seemed, so keeping a low profile like Anemone suggested sounded like the ideal.


So, after keeping to the least populated routes and generally avoiding every pokemon in sight, I once again found myself in the castle training grounds. The courtyard was as busy as always. Flying types flew overhead and engaged in aerial combat while three fighting types fought a losing battle against a single Blaziken. Allium was easy to pick out through all of the commotion. It occurred to me right then that Allium must've spent most of his time in the training grounds. Of the four times I've been here, the Samurott would be about each time.


Regardless, Allium being here benefited me. I walked through the grass, avoiding the stray hits of pokemon in training, and approached the water type.


He was currently sparring with a Wartortle. Allium brandished his two blades whilst he engaged in frivolous combat on his two hind legs. The Wartortle, meanwhile, fought back with such vim and vigor. His shell might not have been a blade in the literal sense, but he sure used it like one. The clashing of blades rang out through the courtyard.


I watched them for a while, fiddling with the scalchops on my hips as I waited. Watching Allium fight almost made me excited. Deep down, I wanted to be like that. But thinking about being a cool samurai wasn't why I was here. As the fight went on, there was no clear victor, but that wasn't the point. Rather, their battle seemed more like a struggle for dominance. The Wartortle would put so much effort into utilizing his airborne momentum and outright skill to land a hit. His eyes, when I would catch them, were sharp and resolved. He was taking this very seriously.


Allium could not have been any more different. The way he fought back with his blades gave me the impression that he wasn't actually fighting back. He was defending primarily, but not losing any ground. There was a smile on his face because of course there was; Allium always has a smile on his face. But, honestly? He looked bored. I could take a guess and say that he was really just looking for an opportunity to land a single strike and end the session.


Which was exactly what happened next. The Wartortle, by sheer happenstance, botched a strike. Allium smacked him down into the dirt, sending the water type sliding away on his back. "A single mistake," the Samurott said, "that is all it takes."


His eyes fell on me and lit up immediately. "Ah, Oswald! How wonderful it is to see you! Are you here to test your skills?"


"Partner is off on his own," I responded, walking closer. "Training with you is my only real option...so here I am."


That came across like I was saying that I only came here out of obligation. Not my intention, but Allium didn't take it the wrong way. "I have you all to myself then!" he exclaimed. "Haha! I cannot wait to see how you have improved!"


The Wartortle finally righted himself back onto his two legs, stomping over to us. His eyes were trained on me.


If looks could kill, I would be dead in the dirt.


He stared daggers at me even while Allium introduced the two of us. "Oh, I don't believe the two of you have met. Oswald, meet my apprentice, Swift!"


I smiled nervously. "Uh...nice to meet you, Swift." I held out a paw.


Swift didn't even look down for a second. He kept his eyes locked on mine, glaring harder than before. The Wartortle was silent, but his gaze said everything that needed to be said. "I don't like you. I hate you even. Don't act like we're friends."


I rubbed the back of my head with the paw I had just outstretched awkwardly. What'd I do to piss this guy off? I realize that a personal room is a sought after luxury around here, but that's not enough of a reason to hate someone.


Allium placed a hand on my shoulder, causing me to jump. "This is a fantastic opportunity to show me what you have learned!" he said loudly. "You and Swift can practice together and demonstrate your skills to each other!"


I'm not sure I want to take a hit from someone that would clearly cleave me in half given the chance, I thought. I should come back later when Swift isn't here.


Before I had the chance to voice my grievances, however, the Samurott smacked me on the back, sending me careening forward. I nearly lost my balance, just barely regaining it inches from the Wartortle. He still remained silent and stood rigidly.


"Begin! Fight!"


Swift must've been waiting for the signal to strike because he launched a hefty stream of water directly into my torso the second that Allium told us to fight. The force behind the attack sent me flying back into the dirt. For the second time today, the wind was knocked out of me, the Water Gun being strong enough to nearly knock me out outright.


I rolled on the ground, and the world spun after I landed on my back. I didn't have much time to rest, however. Swift took my weakness as a sign to push me even further down. A shell, coated in water sharp enough to cut my head off, narrowly missed me as I used the final inklings of my strength to dodge. I rose as quickly as I could.


Swift spun around through the grass, changing his course to once again make another go around at slicing me in half. My mind was scattered, and any attempt I made to conjure up a Water Gun only produced weak spurts of liquid. I eventually stopped trying when Swift hurled himself at me. His shell missed once again, but not before grazing my arm. Blood flung from my shoulder and my balance was stolen from my feet, causing me to fall to my knees.


"Use your scalchops!" Allium yelled. "Show me what a true swordsmon can do!"


Not my biggest concern right now! In any case, I wasn't going to hit Swift at range; he was too fast. I peeled a scalchop off my hip with the paw of my uninjured arm. The Wartortle was coming right at me at full spin, spraying water all over the place. I was terrified, my premiere reaction being to jump out of the way, but I knew that he would get me eventually. I'll block his attack with my scalchop and then...I'll figure it out from there.


A couple of meters away, Swift used his tail to bounce himself off the ground and attack me midair. I held my scalchop up defensively, fighting the urge to close my eyes and pray for it all to be over soon. My plan was to meet him midair and knock him down, but there was no way that was going to happen.


And then Swift surprised me. He backed out of the spin at the last moment and blasted right past my defenses. His midair double flying kick landed square in my chest. I fell onto my back and dropped my scalchop as Swift flipped over my head and slid on the grass. I laid there, stunned and beaten.


"Still underdeveloped!" called Allium. "That is unfortunate. But you will be a proper swordsmon yet!"


If someone was saying something, I couldn't hear them. How I got so beaten up without leaving Kebia Castle today was beyond me. Maybe that was just me being unlucky again, I suppose. Or maybe that was just me being stupid. I did walk into these situations, after all.


Allium loomed over my prone form, blocking the sun with his massive, grinning face. "Do not give up yet, Oswald, my friend! With enough oran berries, no injury is too much to come back from!"


I groaned. I've got another long day ahead of me don't I?


A few more hours passed and I didn't make much progress. Allium mentioned something about "channeling my inner tide" into my scalchops at some point or something. I don't know, it was all a blur. Swift wasn't making any of this easy for me. I was left with multiple bruises and cuts each time he would get the chance to brutalize me. Never said anything either—just kept glaring at me and hating me with his eyes.


Allium either didn't notice or didn't care. I suppose it was fine considering how many oran berries I ingested by the end of it all, but would it have killed him to tell Swift to go easy on me for once? I hated it. Genuinely, I was miserable.


After the tenth time or so that Swift kicked me into the dirt and left me wheezing for air, Allium ended our training session. "Well, that was productive!" he said.


No. No, it wasn't.


"I must be going now. Oswald, work on your scalchop skills! Remember to treat your blade like an extension of your instincts. The waves listen to the moon only if it shines through the clouds!"


I had no idea what that meant. Not that I cared. I stopped paying attention not long after I got here.


"And Swift, work on your approach. You are too predictable."


The Wartortle nodded, sending a brief sideways glance in my direction.


"Farewell, my apprentices! I hope to see you improve the next time we meet!" He left then, leaving Swift and I alone watching the Samurott leave.


Once Allium left the premises, Swift immediately forced himself uncomfortably close to me, poking me in the chest with a finger. "Listen here and listen good, whelp," he snarled in a deep voice, "I don't like you."


No surprise there.


"You should feel lucky that I didn't decapitate you. Next time, I won't miss."


Welp. I can't say I didn't expect this. Granted, I was still horrified and concerned for my safety, but I saw this coming.


"Stay. Out. Of. My. Way." He poked my chest with each consecutive word. "I don't want you around here, got it?" I nodded quickly, trying my best not to fall backwards with how hard Swift was leaning over me. "If I ever see you on these training grounds again, I'm gonna make you wish you were never born."


With one last shove, I fell, landing awkwardly on my tail. Swift stared daggers at me before storming off. After that exchange, I sat in the dirt for what felt like hours.


Well. That was terrifying. Never coming back here again.


I looked up at the sky, my eyelids heavy. It wasn't even close to sunset. My day had been thoroughly ruined and all I wanted to do was lay in bed until it was all over. In fact, that's what I decided to do.


This sucks. Being a human sucks. Being a worthless sack of meat sucks. Having no agency sucks. Everything sucks.


Why couldn't I just live as a normal Dewott that was at least mediocre at something. I had nothing to my name and now I effectively had nothing left to do today. What good was there in my life?


Nothing. Except...Fenn.


Fenn...where have you gone? I want to see you. You're the only positive in my life right now. My only source of happiness, my only escape. I don't want to think about anything other than you, Fenn.


Fenn, the shy but competent pyromaniac of Team Lavender. Fenn, the explorer. I don't care what anyone says, you're great at your job. Sure, you don't pay attention to your own limits, but I don't care. I'll follow you to the ends of the earth if that was what you wanted.


I don't care. I don't care. I just want to spend these miserable hours with you.


Fenn…


Fenn…


I then proceeded to waste five hours of my life sitting in my room thinking about nothing but Fenn. I only left at sunset, when I was certain that I would get to see him again.

---

Oo-oO​

The cafeteria was particularly active today. Fenn sat on the bench of his regular table, antsy and fidgety. He had just finished his work in town, and now he was eagerly waiting to see Oswald again. Having helped with construction work on upwards of six newer houses, he was pretty tired. It was difficult work, sure, but also very rewarding. Fenn had made over twice as much today as he had after dungeon jobs over the past couple of days. He couldn't wait to tell Oswald. With their new earnings, they could easily take harder jobs with better equipment and not fail this time.


Having spent the vast majority of his life living with his father, carpentry became one of Fenn's innate skills. It wasn't something he planned on doing, of course, but that was just how life turned out for Fenn. He could clean floors better than an Ambipom with four mops, fix houses faster than the strongest Conkeldurr, and burn ferals with flames brighter than Moltres itself.


But talking to pokemon? Not his strong suit. Fenn was happy that Oswald had such an easy time talking for him. It helped that Oswald provided Fenn with the confidence to talk louder than a whisper. He was easy to talk to, even for someone as socially inept as Fenn.


The sun was close to setting and Fenn was finding it harder and harder to sit still. He had got to the cafeteria early because he knew that today was the day of the week that Marigold was due to have her performance for the guild. It was a common occurrence, but one not many would tend to miss. As such, there was a lack of proper seating. Fenn was worried, with all of the looks that he was getting, that he would have to give up his spot to a larger group. He dreaded the thought of having to explain to Oswald that they might have to sit on the floor or stand.


Thankfully, Fenn's eyes lit up at the sight of a familiar Dewott shambling through the crowd toward him. "H-hey, Oswald!" Fenn called. "How was- oop."


Fenn was cut off by Oswald pulling him into a tight hug. The Quilava sat in his embrace awkwardly, not particularly uncomfortable as much as he was confused.


"Um...is everything...alright, Oswald?"


The Dewott hummed into Fenn's shoulder. "Mm...yeah, I'm fine," he mumbled. "Just...happy to see you is all." Fenn felt Oswald's grip tighten as he leaned into him more.


Fenn was a bit flustered to hear him say that. Regardless, he leaned into the hug as well. It was nice. He hadn't been hugged in a while and he was happy to see Oswald. They remained in their embrace for a few more moments before Oswald broke the hug. Looking into his eyes, Fenn noted how tired he looked. It was like Oswald hadn't slept in days. Much different compared to how awake he looked just this morning.


Still, the Dewott smiled warmly. His voice was low and quiet. "I'll go get our dinner," he said. "You stay here." Oswald scratched behind one of Fenn's ears before leaving to get their food.


What happened while I was gone that made him so tired? It must've been Anemone. Fenn dreaded the thought of seeing that Gardevoir more than once. He still hasn't told me what's going on. I should ask him when he gets back. Maybe he'll explain why he's acting so...pleasant.


Even more pokemon piled into the cafeteria. Fenn caught sight of a trio of pokemon walking in his direction and the quills on his back sparked to ignition. "You!" he snarled. "What do you want?"


The Houndoom, Monferno, and Murkrow approached the table nonchalantly. "Calm down, will you," Holly said indifferently. "We're not gonna rob you this time." Dahlia landed on the table before Fenn snapped at her with a paw. She fluttered back onto Holly's horn, slightly peeved.


"There's no other available tables," Dahlia grumbled. "Quit being a Grumpig and let us sit down."


Fenn growled, "No! Not after you tried to hurt Oswald!"


Pink, with her arms crossed, spoke up. "Where is the blue bastard anyways? I would think he'd be with you."


"...He's getting the food," Fenn said angrily.


Holly clicked her tongue. "Great idea. Pink." She tipped her head to the left. "Go get the food."


Pink seemed surprised by the demand, but followed it despite her apparent grumpiness. She walked past the table, grumbling something about "only one with hands" and "not getting paid enough for this."


Fenn glared at the remainder of Team Phlox. Ready to start a fight if needed.


"I hope you realize that if you start something, you could get penalized for it," Holly deadpanned. "There are rules against that sort of thing."


The Quilava was about to retort back, but then he heard a voice nearby.


"What's going on?"


Fenn turned to see Oswald with two plates of berries nearing the table. He sat down before any pokemon could say anything and began digging into his dinner shortly after.


"Yo, Oswald," Dahlia chirped, "mind if we sit here?"


He waved her off without looking up from his food. "Don't care."


"Cool."


Much to Fenn's dismay, Holly and Dahlia sat with Team Lavender. "W-what are you doing, Oswald?" Fenn questioned. "They robbed us yesterday!"


Oswald held a pink berry up to Fenn's face. "Are you hungry?" he asked. "I got you your favorite."


He should've had an angry response to that, but Fenn was hungry. He begrudgingly took the berry and buried his grievances. Fenn wasn't happy having to deal with this, but Oswald was here now. He was the one that got strangled and he doesn't even care. As much as Fenn wanted revenge, Oswald didn't. Best move on and ignore the pokemon across from them for now.


"So, Oswald," Dahlia started, "I hear you got sent up to see Anemone today? What's that all about?"


Oswald snacked on a grepa berry and grimaced. He must have not liked the taste. "You heard wrong," Oswald said. "That wasn't me."


"Oh? It wasn't?"


"Yeah, that was my imposter Smugwaldo. Looks exactly like me except he wears a blue scarf instead of a purple one. Completely evil bastard. I would steer clear if I were you."


"...What?"


He sighed. "It's confidential."


Confidential, Fenn thought. I haven't asked myself yet, but is that why he won't tell me?


"Confidential, you say? Are you sure you're not able to give me a small hint?"


"Nope."


Holly clicked her tongue. "Let it go, Dahlia," she said. "This is Anemone we're talking about. Whatever she wanted to tell him must be important enough to keep it secret." She narrowed her eyes at Oswald. "Though these sorts of things tend to usually happen to...more acclaimed members of the guild."


Oswald didn't look up from his meal. "She really likes my whiskers, what can I say?"


Pink returned with Team Phlox's plates and sat down. "They didn't have Tauros meat, sorry, Holly," Pink said mockingly. "Guess you'll just have to eat Linoone chops today."


"What? Grebes told me we got a new shipment last week? How are they already out?"


"I don't know, how about you go up there and ask him yourself?"


"You're lying, aren't you? You know how much I need my Tauros meat."


"Can we please not have this discussion?" Dahlia cut in. "We do this every week…"


"I'm perfectly fine with arguing about this. I'm not eating this crap."


"If you weren't so picky, this wouldn't be an issue."


Team Phlox continued to bicker, leaving Fenn and Oswald to watch on as they ate their meal.


Fenn looked at Oswald to see that his expression was sullen, the berry in his paw half-eaten. He'd never been that great at reading others or being empathetic in general. Perhaps that's why he never had many friends. There would rarely ever be opportunities for Fenn to exercise his sympathy for others, implying he had any to give.


Still, he felt inclined to make Oswald feel better. Fenn...actually cared. He liked Oswald, a lot. Maybe a little too much...that scared him.


Another reason why Fenn never had many friends: he would get too clingy with the ones he had. He recalled a Torchic he had known when he was young. Nice little fellow, granted Fenn the time of day, great fighter. Fenn, not used to being around someone that actually treated him like a pokemon, grew attached to the Torchic and wouldn't let him be. It got to the point where the Torchic resented Fenn, and moved on.


Fenn never really got over it, even if he says the opposite. After his experience with the Torchic, he always had a worry in the back of his mind that if he made friends, they would inevitably throw him away when he needed them most. It wasn't their fault, Fenn disputed, it was his. Fenn simply oversteps his boundaries when he shouldn't.


This led to a situation where Fenn would agonize over being too forward and, as such, devoted all of his free time to a hobby that didn't require him to talk to others. He never really got past the social hurdle. It was why he ended up as a janitor, rather than the explorer his grandpa wanted him to be or a fighter like his dad expected him to be.


And now he sat with the only real friend he had made in years. The only one that didn't toss him away when Fenn needed him the most. Even when he poured his heart out to him the night before, Oswald returned the sentiment. Fenn was attached—he couldn't deny it, but he still felt that if he tried to be caring, he would only push Oswald away.


Fenn's mind couldn't decide on how to form the first words in a sentence or whether to say anything at all. He wanted to ask, "Hey, pal, are you feeling alright? Can I help you in any way?" But he felt as though he should just leave him be; he probably needed the space. Who knows what he was up to today. Fenn sure wishes he could know, but that would be a breach of privacy.


A sigh escaped the Quilava's lips, and his flames smoldered out.


"What's up, Fenn?"


The Quilava perked up to see Oswald looking at him with a sad stare.


"You haven't eaten much," he said softly. "Are you not hungry?"


Fenn, surprised by the question, stuttered. "U-um...not any m-more."


Oswald nodded. "Yeah, me too," he said thoughtfully. "After everything that happened today...berries aren't that appetizing."


"Why was it so bad? Y-your day, I mean."


He smiled. "All sorts of reasons, but I'm not going to bore you with the details. I'm just glad I'm here with you now. It can't be that bad when you're around. You always make me feel better."


Fenn suddenly felt a feeling he had never experienced before. Something deep within him stirred and...made him feel warm. Warm, not in the way he usually felt warm, but warm in a way that flowed through his entire body. He couldn't describe it. It was...nice, but...nice in an indefinable way. Regardless of what kind of warmth it was, however, Fenn was happy. He was happy that he had Oswald, a pokemon that liked him just as much Fenn liked him back.


There was nothing to worry about. All of that agonizing over whether or not he was being too clingy didn't matter. Fenn had found someone that liked him for him—flaws and all. He was excited to do more with Oswald, travel, and become the best explorer he could be!


"I...thank you...Oswald. You-"


Fenn was interrupted by a squeaky voice all around him.


"Attention, everyone!"


Every pokemon in the cafeteria turned their heads towards the stage. A Braixen adorned in shiny jewelry and draped in a dark blue gown stood at the front of the stage. She addressed the audience with her wand at her lips. "The performance is about to begin, please take your seats."


A bustling through the crowd commenced and the commotion of so many pokemon talking with another quieted down to a hushed whisper. Within the next few minutes, a group of six pokemon, all decorated much like the Braixen, occupied the stage. A seventh pokemon, a Primarina, slid her way up the very front of the stage. She addressed the crowd with her feminine and welcoming voice. "Welcome all! I hope you're all doing well. Tonight, we have a very special performance for you all. I hope you enjoy it."


The lights in the cafeteria dimmed as curtains were draped over the windows. The hushed whisper from before quieted to complete silence. The Seven pokemon on stage formed into a line and a spotlight shined from above. They sparkled as their jewelry reflected the bright light.


Without another moment to spare, Marigold and the rest of the performers began to sing...

Stranded far in the deep, haven't earned our keep


Arceus save us all


Promise we'll be home before the stew is done


Don't give up on us yet


We're living free, oh can't you see


Kyogre won't pull us under


So we'll sing and dance until the morning comes


Pass me a drink, my friend


The waves can't stop us now, me lads


The waves can't stop us now


We're living free, oh can't you see


The waves can't stop us now


Once more, set our sails for the nearest port


Another day at sea


What treasure we'll find, o bountiful loot


How richer we shall be


Such horrid beasts will block our path


Stranded with no help to come


And yet we're living free, oh can't you see


The waves can't stop us now


The waves can't stop us now, me lads


The waves can't stop us now


We're living free, oh can't you see


The waves can't stop us now


Wind set north, so let us go forth


Onward to adventure


Sailors we are, follow the star


Tornadus will guide our sails


Plagued by disease and wounds so deep


Must carry on, my friend


One night more, hold on my friends


That's what living free is like


The waves can't stop us now, me lads


The waves can't stop us now


We're living free, oh can't you see


The waves can't stop us now


The waves can't stop us now, me lads


The waves can't stop us now


We're living free, oh can't you see


The waves can't stop us now…​

 

[SnapDragon]

Chapter 13 - Day 7, Part 1: Meeting of the Matriarchs ​

It takes quite a bit of effort for Marigold to get around Kebia Castle.

The Primarina has to drag herself, or flop around like a beached Wailmer. It's not very pleasant, or something Marigold ever really enjoyed having to do. Any chance she'd get, Marigold would flop on over to the pool and swim like the majestic water type she is. She was a water pokemon in the purest sense. No legs, no fingers, and a pension for getting dehydrated. Still, she wouldn't trade her flippers for anything in the world.

...Okay...maybe legs. Don't tell anybody she thinks that though.

Marigold, or Mari if you'd prefer, was summoned to a meeting with the other matriarchs of Kebia. One of Anemone's messengers, or "channelers" as she likes to call them for some reason, communicated to the Primarina that the matter was urgent.

Haven't had one of those in awhile, Mari thought. There were always the monthly reports, but every so often the Gardevoir calls for a gathering unscheduled. Such matters usually had to do with a problem that must be solved immediately, or information that couldn't be shared through secondary sources.

Or she was just lonely. Anemone was like that sometimes.

Marigold was certain that wasn't the case however. Less than a week ago, she sat down with one of Anemone's channelers and was told that a human had joined the explorers guild. The idea of such an exotic kind of creature in town was enough to excite the Primarina into meeting the human herself.

...Only to be moderately disappointed at how...normal and...not human he was. Such a shame.

Regardless, Mari had been woken up after the day of her performance by a Natu with eyes so glossy she wondered if it was even alive. The channeler, with its tone so horrendously monotone, explained that Anemone will detail what was happening in her office.

The bird even had the insight to wake her up early so she wouldn't be late. I swear that Gardevoir puts so much thought into everything. It's no wonder she's in charge. Mari was still in disbelief over how Anemone had been so adamant about her showing up on time once that four Machamps showed up at her door one morning and offered to carry her there. She was...flattered by the gesture, but the day Marigold couldn't get across the castle on her own was the day she invested in wheels. She wasn't any special pokemon, after all. What right did she have to take handouts like that? Mari could move perfectly well on her own thank you very much.

Marigold took her time getting to the elevator. It wasn't in her nature to pass up a chance to say hello to the members of the guild as they passed. The Natu channeler following her would remind her to pick up the pace each time, and she ignored it. Anemone knew that Marigold wouldn't rush. Urgency was rarely a reason to forgo her fellow pokemon.

When Mari got to the elevator that was just large enough to fit her, the natu fluttered off, it's duty done. The Primarina was left alone, but she wasn't really alone, was she?

"Hellooooo, Marigold~!"

A ghost and her friend passed through the castle wall next to the elevator and floated up to the Primarina. "Quite the show you put on last night," Calluna said in her signature inviting tone. "It's always wonderful to hear you sing~"

"I liked the part where you implied that sailing kinda sucks," Aster added, devious as always. "That's sure to improve morale. Hehe~"

Marigold addressed them plainly. "Goodmorning, Calluna. Aster. I'm happy to hear you liked it. Some of the girls were worried it didn't go all that well."

Calluna flourished her eyelashes. "Ooooh let me guess...was one of them Mazus? She's such a nervous wreck, that Lilligant. You'd think that evolving would improve her confidence…"

"Calluna..." Mari fretted, "what did I tell you about creeping on pokemon without their consent? It's bad enough that I hear such rude things about my girls. I don't need them worrying about a snoopy ghost like you."

Aster elbowed the Mismagius. "Yeah, Calluna," he sneered, "don't wanna...make any pokemon uncomfortable, now do we?"

Calluna chuckled. "Hehe, we sure wouldn't, Aster."

Marigold frowned. It didn't help that she had to meet these jokers more often than she'd like. Always messing around, invading pokemon's privacy, these two. Mari had no idea what Anemone saw in these ghosts. She understood that they managed the castle finances well, but trusting them with every business in town? And giving them free reign to do whatever they want? What was that Gardevoir thinking? The Primarina had to accept that, no matter what, no corner of the castle was ever free of surveillance. Arceus forbid her girls ever find out. They'd leave and never come back out of fear!

"So, Mari, do you know what Anemone wants to see us for?" asked Calluna.

"I do not. Do you?"

Calluna shot her a smug grin. "Mmm, maybe~"

"I'll give ya a hint," Aster said, "it's not what you think."

"Does it not have something to do with the human?" Marigold wondered. "Or recent criminal activity? I don't recall anything else of note happening recently."

There was a glimmer in the Mismagius' eyes. The kind that only appeared when she had the upper hand and complete control over the pokemon she was talking to. Marigold knew it well, and she hated it wholly. "You'll just have to find out," Calluna quipped. "It's quite sobering, let me tell you~"

Well, that doesn't bode well. How does Calluna even know already? Mari pondered. If something bad has already happened, I would've found out about it. Someone would have told me. Has she found a way to stalk Anemone? Now that's a frightening thought. I can only imagine why a pokemon like Calluna would even want to risk their life to uncover her secrets.

Marigold dragged herself to the elevator. "Well, now you have me curious," Mari stated, pulling the metal gate open. "We shouldn't keep Anemone waiting."

The two ghosts giggled and followed Mari onto the lift. She grabbed the lever with a flipper and pulled it until there was a click and the lever corresponded to the copper etching that read "throne room." There were five floors that this elevator went to. The basement, the first floor, the fifth floor, the throne room, and one last floor. The last floor was somewhere Marigold had never been. She assumed it was Anemone's bedroom since she'd never seen the Gardevoir sleep for the two decades the Primarina had lived in Kebia Castle, though she wasn't entirely sure if that was the case.

Anemone could teleport. If she needed to get somewhere in the castle, she could.

She'd never put much thought into it, but Mari would be lying if she said she wasn't the least bit curious about it. That curiosity would never be sated, however. The lever won't move that far without a special key. One only Anemone has access to.

The Primarina coiled her tail behind her in an attempt to get comfortable. The size of the elevator didn't give her much to work with, but that didn't stop her from trying. Calluna and Aster hovered above, looking down on Mari with their eerie smiles.

Sometime into the ride, Aster floated down to Marigold's eye level. "So, Mari," he started, "you gonna ask ol' Ane-manny about the orphanage again?"

"I'm going to try," Mari responded longingly. "She knows how much I want it. It's just a matter of whether Anemone's in a good mood or not."

Aster laughed. "You might as well wait for Giratina to show up and start the apocalypse. Anemone in a good mood. Ha!"

"It happens more often than you'd think, Aster," Calluna said. "I've seen Anemone at her best." She chuckled under her breath. "Her sense of humor is darker than mine…"

Mari went back to staring at the wall. In truth, she wasn't confident that she'd be able to convince Anemone to go along with building that orphanage. It was a personal dream of Marigold's to give all of the parentless pokemon in Kebia Castle a proper home. She sees so many running about, risking their lives to stay here. It breaks her heart, especially after the last orphanage burned down.

The Primarina had been asking Anemone for permission to have one built for months now. Anemone always turned her down for one reason or another. May it be that there were projects that needed to be completed first, a lack of funds (which Marigold knew was complete nonsense), or the Gardevoir just...didn't feel like doing the proper paperwork that day. That always made her mad in particular. There were children—orphaned children—running around the castle and she doesn't even care!

But what can one Primarina do? Anemone had the final say. The time had to be right, and Marigold was hoping that that time was today.

The lift ride ended. Mari was thankful—her flippers were starting to get cramped.

Now that she was near the mind-reader, Marigold began reciting lyrics to songs in her head; It kept her mind from wandering. Anemone hears everything any pokemon has ever thought or experienced when they get close. Her powers were so strong that even dark types weren't entirely safe. The Gardevoir had explained to Mari once that reading a pokemon's mind was like having a very big book smushed into her brain all at once and then having more pieces of paper forcibly stapled to the book constantly. There were no patterns, no easy way to organize any of it, and Anemone has just gotten used to it.

With pokemon she's already met, it helped to have a point of reference to start with so Anemone doesn't have to re-experience old memories while being hounded by newer ones. Hence why Marigold recites song lyrics. Anemone can ignore it because she already knows them.

Mari internally sang the songs from last night's performance as the three of them approached the throne room doors. The ghosts were quiet for once, most likely too focused on repeating their thoughts much like Marigold. The doors were already open, so they "walked" right in.

The silence of the throne room was enough to make the smallest sounds reverberate off the walls. Mari was certain that staying in a place so devoid of sound would drive any pokemon insane. Not Anemone, though—she probably relished in the quiet moments that she could get.

The Gardevoir in question was sitting on her desk, watching the three of them enter the room pensively.

"You three took your damn time," Anemone said from across the room. "I thought I told my channelers that this meeting was an urgent one."

Calluna hovered in place. "Some of us are faster than others, Anemone-dear." She side-eyed Marigold, much to her annoyance. "But come now, darling, this 'problem' of yours isn't nearly as urgent as you think it is~"

Anemone crossed her arms as she jumped off her desk. "I was also hoping that the three of you wouldn't be aware of what was going on." She glared at Calluna. "You ought to keep your spies in check. I won't tolerate any breach of my privacy or mail, understand?"

The ghost was unfazed. "Hm. I'll have to keep that in mind," Calluna acknowledged satirically. Aster snickered behind her.

Despite appearing quite peeved, Anemone moved on past the ghost's mockery.

"Since there's no point in beating around the bush," Anemone started, "I'm just going to say it outright: one of the Kingfisher gems was stolen."

Marigold audibly gasped. She was completely baffled. "Stolen? H-how is that possible? Weren't the Tapu's guarding them?"

"I don't know how, but a group of pokemon were able to overpower Koko," Anemone said.

"That tends to happen when you leave a rusty old legendary all on their own and expect them to defend themselves," Aster added. "Tsk tsk tsk. How negligent of you, Anemone..."

The Gardevoir sent the Banette a harsh look. "Well, excuse me! Twenty something years and no incidents doesn't give me much credence to incentivize their safety."

"Was the gem all they took?" Marigold asked.

"Yes."

Calluna laughed heartily. "Oh my! That doesn't bode well~"

Mari was still in hysterics over the news. She had been aware of the Kingfisher device since she had come to live in Kebia Castle. What it actually does, or did rather, she had no idea. Anemone didn't bring it up often, but she always talks about its significance in the wars when she does.

Most believe the castle was what the wars were fought over. A struggle for power and land ownership. That was partially true—the castle was the main goal of both opposing sides. But the Kingfisher device…it had a role as well.

The evil warlock, Carnation—a Grimmsnarl that had plans to take over Kebia with his second in command, Larkspur—would have used the Kingfisher device to do...something. Anemone says she wasn't aware of the device's true nature, but aimed to stop them regardless.

Of course, both Carnation and Larkspur are dead now. The wars ended and Anemone took full control of Kebia. However, Marigold and the rest of the pokemon in Kebia still felt the effects of the wars. It had been a long time, and no other groups had sought to repeat what happened thirty years ago, but still.

That was why Mari was so afraid of what the gems being stolen meant. Handled poorly, this continent, Enigma, could see another pointless war. A war that Marigold wasn't prepared for. A war that no one in Kebia is the least bit prepared for.

Anemone had taken notice of Marigold's worried mind, and the Gardevoir watched her expectantly.

"A-Anemone...what do we do?" Mari breathed.

She sighed. "I'm not sure. That's why the three of you are here."

"We have to stop this from going any further!" the Primarina trembled. "Get the gems and bring them back here!"

"A novel concept," Calluna said sardonically. "But I raise you this: what would be the point of trusting the Tapu's with the gems if we're just going to take them back at the first sign of trouble?"

Marigold didn't have an answer to that.

Beginning to pace in front of her desk, Anemone answered both of their concerns. "I trusted the Tapu's with the gems because leaving them here would lead to too much of a risk. The castle would become a target in the event that someone would come looking for them. It doesn't matter how well hidden they are, I don't want there to be a panic. By leaving the gems with the Tapu's, they would be not only naturally hidden, but protected as well…"

Anemone pinched the middle of her eyebrows. "Clearly, I was wrong," she grumbled. "'Legendary' doesn't mean shit when you're well prepared, apparently."

Aster floated down onto Anemone's desk, landing in a lounging pose. "Which is exactly why we should help them on their turf," he smirked. "Send out a team or two and station them at each of the remaining Tapu locations. Even one well placed Tyranitar could make the difference~"

The Banette jumped away as Anemone waved him off her desk. "Off. Damn gremlin." Aster glided through the air until he was next to Calluna, giggling all the way.

"I'm worried that'll spread us too thin," the Gardevoir responded.

"Give me an hour and I'll find the best candidates and create a cost-efficient system for guard duty," Aster retorted.

Anemone raised her eyebrows and laughed, "I'm sorry, do you know when they'll strike? Please tell me, Aster, how do you expect to cover expenses when we have a chunk of the guild hanging out in the middle of nowhere doing literally nothing?"

If Aster had a response to that, he was too scared to say it. He slowly floated behind Calluna timidly.

"That's what I thought."

Calluna, being the only pokemon in the room to not offer a suggestion yet, approached Anemone slowly. "You know, Anemone," she began, her voice low, eyes almost obscured by her hat, "we could let the guild know what's going on-"

"No. Absolutely not."

"-and let them decide for themselves." The Mismagius raised an eyebrow. "Come on...you don't trust the pokemon that risk their lives for you everyday?"

Anemone frowned. "I trust them to keep this organization from going under," she said. "I don't trust them with keeping precious artifacts safe. There are some untrustworthy pokemon in this castle, in case you forgot. The less pokemon that know, the better."

"...Don't you think that that's what they want? An easy victory? To take the entire castle off-guard? Doing nothing won't do anything except guaranteeing the loss of the Kingfisher gems."

"I'M NOT-"

Anemone cut herself off. She closed her eyes in concentration, blowing air out of her nose in an attempt to stay calm.

She spoke slowly. "I'm not...doing nothing. I just haven't decided on what I want to do yet. I need more time. "

Calluna narrowed her eyes. "You haven't decided?" she asked. "Or you can't accept that you're approaching this the wrong way?"

The Gardevoir frantically paced back and forth. She rubbed her temples. "Just...be quiet. Let me think. LET ME THINK!"

Marigold took that as the cue to wipe her thoughts of anything obtrusive. When Anemone asks someone to "let her think," that means that you stop thinking. She needed complete concentration. The thoughts of others could interrupt that.

As a result, Mari began focusing on the most bland and uninteresting thing she could.

The color of the carpet was red. Very red. What kind of red? Doesn't matter. The design of the carpet? Hmmm...not that interesting. How was it made? Who made it? Who cares? Marigold doesn't. She likes it though. It was a nice carpet. She should get a copy of it. That'd be great.

Mari's carpet analysis was interrupted by Anemone, her moment to think finally finished.

"Alright, I've decided. We're going with a version of Aster's plan. I'm putting you in charge of making sure it goes well, Aster."

The Banette's apprehensiveness faded and he exclaimed in victory. "Yes!"

Anemone swore under her breath. "This is going to be such a waste of resources…" she mumbled. "I hate this...ugh...okay, we'll cycle out teams that will protect the gem sites. Don't let them know what is really at stake. Tell them...there are pokemon after the Tapus treasure. Be unspecific. Just tell them that it's my orders if you have to. And SMALL TEAMS, please! We want to keep the amount of pokemon that are even aware of the Tapu sites to be at a minimum."

Aster saluted. "You got it, boss! I won't let you down!"

Mari was wondering what her role in this situation would be. Unlike Aster and Calluna, she couldn't organize teams to guard legendaries on her own.

She raised a flipper. "What should I do, Anemone? I don't think I'll be very helpful with defending the gems."

Anemone smiled. The first genuine smile Marigold had seen from the Gardevoir in quite a while. "Do what you always do," Anemone told Mari, "except in the opposite direction. Keep rumors from spreading about the gems getting stolen and the Tapus being attacked. Just...lie if you have to. I need time to work all of this out."

"You expect me to lie?"

"If you have to, yes."

You're lucky that I'm good at that sort of thing, Anemone.

"I know, which is why I chose you. This news is bound to fan out to the entire castle and beyond, so If you can slow down the spread of information even by a day or two, that's fine."

Marigold nodded, well aware that lying was one of her strong suits. She's had experience with countering rumors of pokemon that didn't want to be talked about with better rumors. She's done it with her own performance group many times. Some might see this as a bad thing and overstepping her boundaries, but Mari knows that it's necessary sometimes. If there was a good reason to do it, then it was justifiable. Granted, she didn't like doing it, but she didn't like a lot of things.

Calluna had been uncharacteristically quiet for the last discussion. Usually, Calluna was the one to contribute the most in these meetings. But now? She was silent—staring Anemone down as Anemone stared back.

"Well, Calluna?" Anemone challenged. "Do you disagree with my plan at all?"

Calluna was quiet for a moment, bobbing in the air slightly. Mari caught sight of her eyes...they were intense! The Mismagius clearly felt strongly about something to do with the plan. Anemone probably knew what it was but was willing to let Calluna explain it in her own words.

"What about the human?" Calluna finally asked.

"What about him?" Anemone asked back.

The Mismagius hovered ever so slightly closer. "Don't you think he deserves to know what's going on?"

"I already told him about the first gem being stolen. I don't want him involved." Anemone crossed her arms impatiently.

Calluna spoke no louder than a whisper. "You know that's not what I'm talking about, Anemone…"

Anemone sent Calluna a firm glare. Mari could tell that whatever they were talking about was making the Gardevoir very mad. "He doesn't deserve to know," Anemone said fiercely.

A malicious grin creeped onto Calluna's face. "That's awfully selfish of you, Anemone," she taunted quietly. "Thinking of yourself before your subjects isn't very queenly, don't you think?"

The two of them stared at each other for some time. The atmosphere was tense as both of them waited for the other to respond. Meanwhile, Marigold looked on, confused. She wasn't aware of what had them so conflicted. Why doesn't Oswald deserve to know? And about what? Mari thought Anemone was thinking about the guild first. She was making so many compromises after all.

After a few moments, Anemone sighed, turned around, and leaned over her desk. "The spatial dungeons are playing with his mind," she said.

"Oh! Like Ranun?" Calluna questioned in a derisive manner.

Anemone physically flinched. Marigold did as well. Ranun was a name that she hadn't heard in a long time. Calluna had some serious guts to bring him up in front of Anemone...

The Gardevoir sighed shakily. "Yes," Anemone murmured, "like Ranun."

Suddenly, she slammed her desk, causing Marigold to blink. Anemone stood up straight abruptly and turned back to glare at the Mismagius. "We're moving on," she fumed, audibly keeping her anger subdued. "If you have any more grievances with how I'm handling this—by all means, let me know."

Calluna's only response was a slow shake of her head. That grin of hers hadn't faded.

Mari finally gave herself the chance to breathe. Thank Arceus, she thought breathlessly, that could've gotten bad. The Primarina, now free of tension, felt something shaking on her back. She turned her head to find Aster trembling behind her.

Even Aster was scared.

The discussion turned to one of mundane matters after that; the usual monthly reports. Construction was going well, new residents, no notable incidents—that sort of thing. Marigold contributed some, though the bulk of the conversation was dominated by Calluna and Anemone despite their previous argument. Mari wondered how the two of them could even stand each other, let alone discuss important business matters after being at each other's throats just five minutes before. I guess that's why they work so well together. They keep each other in check.

Half an hour passed. Anemone and Calluna had just finished deliberating over a potential tax increase when the Gardevoir called the meeting. "That should be good enough for today," she said. "Remember, do what you can to keep news of the gems being stolen a secret. We'll meet another time." She started to walk around to the back of her desk before Marigold stopped her.

"Anemone, wait!" Mari shuffled closer to Anemone, prompting her to halt in her tracks.

"What is it?" asked the mind reader.

Marigold was silent for a moment so as to properly find the words. Anemone undoubtedly already knew what she was going to ask, but she had told Mari once that thoughts aren't always the most reliable, so she won't always listen to them. "Would now be the right time to ask about building the orphanage? I realize now would be awkward for you, but I promise it won't cost us much."

Anemone stroked her chin in thought, and Mari waited with bated breath for her reply. Eventually, her response was, "You know what? Sure. It'll be a good distraction. I'll write out the work order right now."

The Primarina couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her eyes lit up and she squealed in excitement. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! You won't regret this!"

There was a smile on Anemone's face as she finished the paperwork. The second one today. Is that a new record?

And now the smile was gone. Drat! She heard me!

With that, the four pokemon dispersed. Marigold was very satisfied with the meeting. She got what she wanted! Next stop, vocal practice! She could already tell today was going to be a good day.

The resulting elevator ride was quieter than she would've expected. Neither ghost had anything to say. Aster, uncharacteristically, even seemed troubled. His signature zipper grin was replaced with a zipper frown. Calluna did have something to say about half way down, but it was nothing positive.

"Marigold, dear, there's something that you should know."

"What is it?" she pondered curiously.

"Anemone, well...I would advise you to be wary of her in the near future."

Mari blinked. "What? Why?"

She was silent for a few seconds. "If worse comes to worst—which it might—she could potentially become very dangerous…"

Aster trembled in the corner. "Very, very dangerous..." he whispered.

Marigold raised an eyebrow. "I understand that you might be concerned about a war starting over this," she said. "Trust me, I am too, but that isn't a good enough reason to talk behind Anemone's back like this."

Calluna looked away pensively, her eyes dull and dim. "I'm not going to force you, Mari…"

The elevator stopped.

"...But you should know there is a lot more than a war at stake here."

Aster didn't wait to rush out of the elevator, leaving the matriarchs to themselves. Calluna and Marigold left the lift shortly after.

"What are you talking about, Calluna?"

The Mismagius hovered close, her smile gone. That rarely ever happens. "Let's just say...that Anemone might become...irrational if everything goes poorly."

Mari frowned. "I am not conspiring against Anemone like this."

Calluna floated back. Her smile had returned, though it was weak. "Fine," she retorted, " be that way. It's your funeral. I'll see you around, Mari~"

The ghost was gone before Marigold had the chance to say anything else back. That was strange. What could Calluna possibly be talking about? Anemone becoming irrational? Why would that happen? Mari didn't know what to think about Calluna and Anemone's little spat. Regardless of what it is, it doesn't involve Mari in any meaningful way. It was just...a petty squabble. That was it. It'll all blow over in a week, she was sure. This Kingfisher issue would blow over too. Nothing to worry about.

Besides, she wasn't going to let this ruin her day. She had vocal practice with the girls in a few hours. Marigold was excited to tell Prim how great she did last night. That Brionne has come a long way.

And the orphanage! Oh, she couldn't wait to tell the patrons at Altaria's all about it.

Yes indeed, today would be a good day. Nothing to worry about. Nope. Nothing at all.

 

[SnapDragon]

Chapter 14 - Day 7, Part 2: The Most Powerful Psychic ​

Were there any secret compartments hidden in the walls of this castle, I wondered?

Why was I asking? Beats me. My mind had been in the dump for hours at this point. Especially after yesterday, sleeping felt like an invitation to be even more stressed than I already was. It was like...yeah, I could've just dealt with it, but I didn't want to. I didn't want to go wandering around either, even if I knew that might help.

So I just laid there, staring at the ceiling, thinking.

Part of me was under the impression that this was all my fault. If I had done something differently, maybe I wouldn't have ended up here and wouldn't have had to deal with everything this place had thrown at me so far. Maybe I really did screw up and it would've been better if someone else found me. After all, there was someone out there right now looking for me.

Or...I guess a better way to say it would be that someone was "hunting me." From the way Anemone made it sound, I was needed to accomplish something. Whether or not that was a good thing depended on a lot of factors I wasn't aware of and if I trusted Anemone. Which I really didn't. Not anymore.

God, I'm so stupid, I thought remorsefully. I should've...I don't know. I don't know what to do. Every step I've taken so far has just ended up with me getting pushed back down. Mystery dungeons or "spatial" dungeons or whatever the hell they're called suck too. I'm avoiding those from now on if I can help it.

Maybe I could figure something out if I could just TALK to someone, but apparently I can't even do that. Not to mention that I'm awful at fighting and the only way I could've improved isn't an option anymore either. Thanks, Swift.

So...I have to ask myself again...what do I do?

Quietly, I peeled one of my scalchops off of my hip.

The tiny hooks clung to the inside of my palm as I raised it to my eye level and held it out at arms length above me. As I did so, the sun hit the ridges of the small blade and reflected the light right into my eyes. I squinted, but I didn't look away. I turned it in my paw, getting a good look at it's sharpness and cleanly carved edges. They were reasonably new considering they—and by extension, me—were only a week old. Almost as if they were made for me and me only.

I held it up for some time as I stared at the sharp edge of the scalchop, taking in every single detail. Strange to think that I had something so dangerous on my person at all times…

…

…

...At some point, I looked away. The sun was too bright to look at for that long. And in doing so, I gazed over at the bed on the other side of the room.

There was Fenn, curled up like a cat in his little straw bed. His back rose and fell with every breath, and his eyes were shut closed. I blinked a few times as I watched him, spots from the sun invading my vision. After a bit, I realized that I didn't want to look away.

Everything about my situation in this castle sucked. But even I had to admit that it could've been a lot worse. At least I had Fenn, someone who was willing to stick with me and not dismiss me when it was obvious I needed the help. And yeah, I couldn't tell him what was going on, but as long as he was around, I had less to worry about. Last night's performance was a lot more fun than I was expecting it to be, and it was all because I had Fenn there to keep me company.

So...okay, maybe it wasn't all bad. I wasn't alone in all of this. Just thinking about spending the day with him brought a smile to my face. I just wished...I didn't have to be so secretive with him-

I was just going to have to hold onto that thought. A moment later, Fenn's eyelids began to flutter open. The sun shimmered brilliantly off of his dark blue hide as he got up and stretched like a canine. Just from watching him, I could tell he slept well. His eyes were half closed as he lifted his head off the ground and looked over at me.

I put my scalchop back on my hip and tried to make it seem like I wasn't just staring at him a moment ago. Really hope he doesn't think I was being creepy.

"Good...morning, Oswald," Fenn yawned. "How long have you been up?"

Too long.

"Half an hour," I replied groggily. "Didn't want to wake you."

He blinked the sleepiness out of his eyes. "You could have woken me up if you wanted to. I don't mind getting up early."

No. You deserve your sleep, Fenn. The last thing I want is to take that from you.

"It's fine. I didn't feel like getting up yet anyways.

Fenn smiled before padding off of his bed. He yawned again as he situated himself closer to the center of the room, closer to me. "W-well, I'm ready whenever you are," he said quietly. "Take your time."

That's very sweet of you, Fenn. I'm lucky to have a partner so thoughtful-

I...needed to stop thinking like that. Something snapped in my brain yesterday and now I could barely function properly. I do appreciate Fenn as a friend, but this was getting out of hand. I know for a fact that I'm not like this all the time. I don't...no. I just needed to focus on my work and I'd be back to normal in no time.

"Let me get the bag," I said, already standing up.

"Actually…" Fenn spoke suddenly. "W-would it be alright with you if we did something different today?"

I put the bag in my hands back down. "Different in what way?" I inquired.

Fenn rubbed his arm while looking down and away. "I...might have promised some pokemon in town that I'd help with building houses today…"

I raised an eyebrow. "You did?"

"...O-okay, they talked me into it. I'm not good at saying no. S-sorry."

"Heh," I chuckled, "don't worry about it, Fenn. I really don't mind." That worked for me at least. I was going to ask if we could do something different today anyways. Granted, I wasn't much of a carpenter, but if it meant that I could go one day without the threat of death looming over my head, then I'd manage.

Plus, I needed some time to think about what to do next.

I made some hammer swinging motions with my paws. "I can build," I smirked. "Probably. Just don't expect me to carry anything heavy. I got noodle arms." I waved my arms around chaotically.

Fenn laughed. "Th-they're going to have bigger pokemon there for that," he said, smiling big. "And I mean...I'm not strong either." He flopped his arms about like I just did. "Nooooodle arms, hehehe!"

The Quilava broke down in laughter as the two of us stood around waving our arms like idiots. This continued for a bit as I blundered around making funny noises and flapping my arms around as if they were made of gelatin. Personally, I thought the bit got stale after a few minutes, but Fenn just kept laughing. He was really easy to please, I guess. Not a bad quirk to have. Better than being a stick in the mud, that's for sure. Making Fenn laugh was really fun.

Eventually, I had to stop; I was worried he would hurt himself. Fenn was already laying on his back on the ground panting and in tears, giggling like a fool. I stood over him, laughing along with him. "You alright, buddy?" I asked.

He looked up at me with the biggest smile on his face. "Yeah...I'm okay," Fenn replied breathlessly. "Just really giggly for some reason. Heh…"

I gave him some time to catch his breath before the two of us headed off to breakfast and then out to town. Today, I was going to build houses with Fenn. Sounds boring, but I was actually pretty excited. After that giggle party we just had, I had already forgotten how bummed I was when I woke up.

I didn't want to jinx myself, but I was confident that that's a good sign of things to come.

---

Man, I suck at carpentry. It was bad enough not having opposable thumbs, but being not even three feet tall doesn't help either. I can barely carry a plank of wood on my own.

Fenn and I got assigned to work on a new orphanage that apparently just got the greenlight to be built, meaning we had to start from scratch. I was hoping we could be trusted with a project that was already half-finished, maybe? When the Farfetch'd we were taking orders from showed us the blueprints, none of it made any sense. Whatever system these pokemon had set up for work like this was completely alien to me, not at all anything like what I would've expected from human blueprints. The icing on the cake was the fact that it was all labeled in "feet text" so I couldn't even understand the instructions if I wanted to.

Fenn seemed to grasp it well enough though, so I just followed his lead.

He was, to put it mildly, a house building machine. It was like he picked up a hammer and Arceus themself blessed this Quilava with magical artisan powers. First battling and now this, is there nothing he can't do?

I tried my best to keep up, but for every plank of wood Fenn would manage to nail down, I would be there, smashing my fingers with my own hammer and tripping over my own feet, gradually lowering my hubris. It wasn't difficult work, at least for most of the pokemon here, but it was very mundane work. Not much discussion had to be had over what needed to be done and not much small talk went on between us and the other workers. Considering that Fenn managed to pull off his section without any help, nearly all on his own, while also taking on the majority of the work I was assigned, was pretty impressive. He even seemed to be enjoying himself, the cheeky weasel.

While the hours of the day passed, Fenn and I had a fair amount of interesting conversations.

"What kind of pokemon do you think will live here?" I asked Fenn while taking a lunch break.

"...What kind of pokemon?" he queried back, confused about the question. Fenn was also on break, though not by his own accord. He would have gladly kept on going had it not been for the boss not wanting anyone to collapse from exhaustion. He didn't even look tired. On the other hand, I was absolutely worn out.

"You know...orphans...in the orphanage," I replied while gesturing my arms around to indicate that I was talking about the building we were making.

Fenn appeared flummoxed for a moment before realizing what I was saying and smacked his forehead. "Oh!" he uttered. "Um, I-I don't know. Eevee's maybe?"

I let out a half-smile. "I was hoping for a goofier answer than that," I said.

"Goofier?"

"You know...what kind of pokemon do you think would be kinda funny to see in an orphanage?"

"I don't...get what you're saying," Fenn stated, clearly bewildered.

I bit into a berry I was eating that was provided for free by one of the organizers. It was blue like me, but it had an odd shape. The berry had three bulbous light blue segments with a purple tip and a flagella of some kind. It was also...very big to put it bluntly. Over a third of my entire height. Fenn called it a "kelpsy berry." I thought it tasted pretty good.

"Imagine this, right?" I started between bites. "A family of Delcatty adopts an Aron and it grows up to be an Aggron. And now...imagine what that family would be like."

Fenn stared at me blankly.

"A bunch of little cats and a big metal monster acting like a tiny cat to fit in?"

Fenn kept staring.

"Do you get it?"

"...No, not really. Why would a Delcatty adopt an Aron?"

I tried a different example. "Okay, imagine like...a legendary like Dialga hatches from an egg that was left there and it grows up with the other pokemon in the orphanage. Wouldn't that be funny?"

Fenn still looked perplexed. "Legendaries...d-don't hatch from eggs...do they?"

"I...it's the scenario that's funny, Fenn. Just think about how awkward that situation would be for every pokemon involved."

He was contemplative for a few seconds before gradually breaking down into laughter. "Hahaha! Now I get it! Hahaha! That's really funny! Hahaha!"

I chuckled with him awkwardly. "Heh...yeah." In retrospect, it wasn't that funny. I was just bored and wanted to start a conversation. I probably wouldn't have tried had I known Fenn wouldn't get it immediately. Oh well. It made him laugh, and that was good enough for me.

"Haha!" Fenn giggled unabashedly. "I'm just thinking...an Exeggcute that evolved early...and it CAN'T FIT INSIDE! HAHAHA!"

I nodded along politely. "Yep," I muttered. "I wonder if I'd count as an orphan. You'd think they'd let me in?"

He kept laughing. "Haha! Yeah, I'd love to see the family that would adopt you! Hahaha...haha...ha…"

Fenn stopped laughing abruptly and his eyes got wide. "W-wait!" he exclaimed. "Wait wait wait! No, Oswald, I didn't mean that! Oh no...Oswald, I'm so sorry!"

"Sorry?" I questioned jokingly. "Why are you sorry? You're probably right."

The quilava whined, "No...oh, Oswald. I forgot about your amnesia. W-what about your parents? I shouldn't joke about that. I-I'm so sorry…"

Parents? They hadn't even crossed my mind until now. Am I an orphan? I wondered. Does being a stranded human in a world full of pokemon count? My parents must have been humans like me. I wonder what they're like…

Eh. Who cares? There's probably a good chance that I'll never see them again. As far as family is concerned, I don't have any. That's a depressing thought, but I don't remember them anyways. I doubt I ever will considering the rate at which my memories are coming back.

"It's fine, Fenn. You can joke about that. I can take it."

He slumped his shoulders and rubbed his arm. "I'm sorry…" he murmured.

I scratched the Quilava behind his ears to calm him down. "It's okay, Fenn," I consoled him softly.

The physical contact I had made knocked Fenn out of his funk. He looked me in the eyes and changed the subject to one I wasn't expecting. "Why do you...do that?" Fenn asked slowly.

I retracted my paw quickly. "Um…" I looked down at my paw and grimaced. To be honest, scratching Fenn behind the ears might've been a human thing I carried over. Thinking about it now...wow, I could only imagine how this must've looked to anybody else. But uh... "Do you not like it?"

"N-no, I do. It...feels nice actually. I was just wondering."

Shrugging, my response was to do it again, then to move on to scratching his chin and neck if only just to see how he'd react. To my surprise, he enjoyed it quite a bit. The quilava leaned into my touch and closed his eyes, a few sparks eventually popping out of his back. That...surprised me a bit, and after realizing that I might've gone a bit too far with this, I retracted my paw and took a step back, leaving nothing but an awkward, lingering silence in the air.

He was still for a moment, seemingly expecting more. But then his eyes shot open, and I could see the shock clear on his face. "U-uh," he stammered, "b-breaks over!" Fenn ran off to his work station, leaving me to finish my lunch alone. My paw stayed outstretched for a few moments afterwards.

Well, I probably shouldn't do that again. I don't know, I didn't think about it at the time, but treating Fenn like THAT might not be something I should do. At least he didn't seem to understand the implications behind it...I hope. Didn't think he liked it THAT much either. Oh my god, this is embarrassing. I'm never gonna be able to let this go, am I?

Whatever just...forget about it. He doesn't really know what it means. It's fine. Just move on.

Fenn and I got back to work. We didn't have much to say after that. Later on, I managed to smash my fingers for the fifth consecutive time while hammering down a nail.

"OW!" I yelled. "Dammit!"

Fenn was at my side within a couple seconds. "Are you okay?" he asked worriedly.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Ow, damn." I cradled my paw while sucking in air through my teeth. "I suck at this...ow…"

"H-here, you heal up, I'll finish this." Fenn took my hammer and finished my work in record time. I couldn't keep up—he was so fast! I looked on in awe as he managed to finish more work in two minutes than I would've been able to complete in half an hour.

"Holy...how'd you get so good at that, Fenn? Cause damn, are you good."

He blushed and looked away. "I-it's nothing," he muttered. "Just something my dad taught me. My parent's house has a tendency to burn down at any given moment," he told me while continuing to work, "so my dad taught me how to rebuild it."

Hm. Fenn really does bring up his dad often. I hadn't really noticed, mostly because our conversations are never really that long and we haven't had very many of them. But after today...yeah, there's something going on here.

"And like fighting," I said, "you got really good at it because...your dad made you do it?"

Fenn seemed pensive for a moment. "He didn't m-make me do it, per se. I-I mean he definitely encouraged me to and it got really annoying after awhile, but it's good to help around the house and...it's not like I had anything better to do…" he trailed off, staring off into space. "That's...not a bad thing, is it?" Fenn looked at me, his eyes communicating how conflicted he was.

Much like Fenn, I was also conflicted. I couldn't believe he put up with that. His parents should've treated him like the child he was. Not free labor. But then again, I might've been overthinking this. Fenn was really competent at what he did, no doubt a result of his sheltered childhood. He doesn't hate it either as far as I can tell. If he did hate it, or his dad, he would let me know.

"No, it's not a bad thing," I replied. "But I am curious, how often did it burn down?"

"Um...once every other week, I'd say."

I sputtered, "Wha...once every...why? How come you weren't kicked out?"

The Quilava looked away in thought for a few seconds. "I...I don't know," he said quietly. "N-no one ever brought it up. I thought it was normal for so long that I wondered why other houses never burned down at any point. As for why...my dad has a hard time controlling his anger…"

"Really?" I pondered knowingly. That Typhlosian definitely gave me that impression.

"I-I'm not implying that h-he ever hurt me or anything like that."

I blinked. Whoa, hold on. "I didn't think that you were implying that at all actually."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Let's get back to-"

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to-"

We both stared at one another after we simultaneously interrupted each other. My heart sank as the air between us grew heavy. I really DID NOT want to have this conversation. Just drop it! Say something! We're not ready for this! Don't make him upset!

"WELL!" I blurted out. "These planks of wood aren't going to hammer and nail themselves! Those orphans need a place to SLEEP! Oh yeah! I'm buildin'!" I lifted a large plank of wood over my head and stomped over to the cutting board. If the Quilava had anything else to say, I didn't hear it.

Fenn didn't mention his dad anymore that day after that. I made it a point to avoid any subjects that could lead back to his childhood or his family. He obviously needed to talk this out. I would absolutely be willing to, but I don't think either of us are ready. If he wanted to talk about it with me, he would.

I just hope I'll be ready when that happens.

Speaking of not being ready—close to the end of our shift, Fenn approached me with a question.

"Hey, Oswald?"

I replied plainly while making the finishing touches on my section. "Yeah?"

"Have you remembered anything yet?"

I immediately stopped what I was doing and froze. Dammit! Not this again!

Last time was bad enough. I was certain that Fenn figured out that I was lying. Should have made it less obvious, you moron! This time, however, I did remember a few things, but it was nothing worth mentioning. If I said that I remembered one thing, then Fenn might think that I remembered more the next time he asked.

I needed to keep it ambiguous. I said, "No," as monotone as possible, looking Fenn right in the eyes.

He studied my expression for a few seconds. I could hear my heart beating in my skull as I tried as hard as I could to hide the fact that I was sweating profusely. It only got worse as Fenn's face progressively got more sullen. Hell, he started shaking.

"You're... you're lying, a-aren't you?"

And there it is. Another conversation I didn't want to have.

I let out a weary sigh and slumped. "Yeah...I am...a little," I muttered.

"...Does it have something to do with your visit with Anemone yesterday?"

I nodded. "Are you mad?" I asked timidly.

He frowned. "No, I'm not mad. "I just wanna know why you haven't told me yet. It's been bothering me for a few days now."

Damn. Didn't mean to do that. "Why didn't you say anything?"

Fenn avoided my eyes. "I-I just thought...maybe you'd tell me on your own. And after that whole..." He shook his head. "Y-you mentioned that it's confidential yesterday when you were talking to that Murkrow." He brought his gaze back to mine. "Why? Why can't you tell anyone?"

Because I might become mashed meat if I do.

"I'm not allowed to," I said. "I'm sorry, Fenn."

His ears drooped. "You can't even tell me?"

Goddammit. "No. Anemone will literally kill me. Believe me when I say that I hate this just as much as you do."

"...Alright," he whispered. "...It's not bad is it? Should I be worried?"

I had no idea anymore. There hadn't been a single day here where I was sure. I'd been dealing with things as I went because I had no way of knowing what to expect. I might act decently composed on the outside, but internally, I was paranoid constantly. So when I respond to Fenn with-

"No. Everything will be fine. Don't worry."

-I'm not only saying that to console him, but myself as well. I didn't know what I was doing. Should I have been concerned that I was spending too much time building houses when I should've been looking into my situation more? I don't know. I'm just happy that I'm not dead.

Something was going to happen at some point. Hopefully by then I'd be prepared.

My words reached Fenn, but he didn't seem particularly relieved to hear them. He sighed. "...Okay," Fenn mumbled, "I'm sorry for prying. I-it was stupid of me to ask…"

"What?" I exclaimed. "No! Fenn, you're fine." I rested a paw on his shoulder. "You have the right to be curious. It's my fault for keeping this from you. Listen, I promise you it's nothing you should be concerned about." Can't promise myself that. I have no choice but to worry. "Anemone didn't think so, but you know Anemone. She's not very rational or a particularly good judge of character." I winked. "Told her off for you."

Fenn's eyes brightened and his ears perked back up. A welcome sight. "You...you did?" he asked hopefully. "H-how did she respond?"

With complete and utter Tauros shit.

"She said she was wrong," I told him. "I was right. You are amazing, Fenn. Even Anemone thinks so."

Part of me wasn't expecting Fenn to believe what I was saying. Anemone admitting she was wrong didn't seem plausible in this current timeline, but I wanted it to be true so I treated it like it was. I also lied again. For someone that hates lying, I sure do it a lot. This time though, it was a good lie. The kind you want to believe even if you know it isn't true. Yeah, the best kind of lie.

Fenn bought it, full sail. In fact, he might have bought it too much. His eyes sparkled and he looked touched. Before I knew it, he hugged me. His head rested on my shoulder while he repeatedly said "thank you" over and over again. I hugged him back, though I wasn't feeling very good about lying right to Fenn's face and getting rewarded for it.

He broke the hug and looked me in the eyes, his eyes streaming with tears. "Thank you...Oswald," he whispered. "You're the best friend I've ever had."

This feels wrong. I feel like a scumbag for some reason. Doing the right thing shouldn't feel so scummy.

…

Eh. Oh well. Fenn is happy. That's all that matters.

"You're welcome, Fenn."

---

We finished our work for the day. Compared to the other workers and how much they got done, Fenn and I actually finished quite a bit. No thanks to me, of course. For a job well done, our paycheck was fat! Almost 2000 smackeroos! Not bad for menial labor. Granted, I'm not saying that carpentry doesn't take skill, Fenn can attest to that, I'm just saying that compared to dungeon diving, this job was a cinch.

I'm not complaining.

Fenn and I headed back to the castle about an hour until sunset. The cold autumn winds blew the now discolored leaves across the dirt and stone while we walked. The streets were considerably emptier than they were earlier today, and there was a calmness to the town square that I hadn't felt in quite a while. It reminded me of images from my past life. Nothing specific obviously, but I could still recall the feeling of sleepy weekday nights with no concern for my future.

I would say that things aren't much different now, but I know that wasn't true. I do want to enjoy these quieter moments, however. They remind me of simpler times that I'll never truly remember. As such, I vowed to make new ones. Peaceful times with my close friend Fenn amongst all of the surrounding chaos. That sounds nice.

"HEY! Whippersnappers! C'mere!"

Starting tomorrow. Peaceful times will just have to wait, I suppose.

Fenn and I stopped in our tracks. A elderly sounding (and looking) Drampa called us over from the side of the road. There was irritation in his voice.

Me and my Quilava partner exchanged a wordless, ignorant glance before approaching the pokemon. I crossed my arms. "What is it, grandpa?" I questioned, annoyed at having to waste time with a senile old fart.

"Yous two be youthsful and full of dat machO energy aren't ya?" he asked, his manner of speech fitting well with his age.

"...Macho energy?" I repeated. Fenn and I looked at each other. Both of us were very perturbed. I looked back to the old pokemon. "I don't like where this is going. What do you want?"

He scanned his eyes to the left and right in a shifty fashion. The Drampa tip-toed up to me, stretching his face closer to mine. I instinctively stepped back. He squinted his eyes and talked in a low voice. "I's got a demon in me attic."

"A demon? Okay?" I wasn't aware that the concept of a "demon" even existed in this world. Now I I was curious.

He continued. "That blasted guild stop taking me requests."

Gee, I wonder why.

"I needs me some machO youths to get rid of it."

I raised my eyebrows. "If you stop saying that word we'll get rid of as many demons as you want," I said. "How much are you going to pay us for this?"

He looked left and right once more. "I's got one million pokees in me safe," he whispered. "Saved it up from the war. Killed 200 basterds with me Dragon Breath."

I turned to Fenn to see him giving me a look that read "this seems reeeeally fishy." Yeah, I'm not buying this, I thought. Odds are this old man heard some Rattata in his walls and couldn't tell the difference. I am interested though...for some reason. If only out of morbid curiosity. It could also be a trick, but I don't know...the vibes I'm getting from this guy don't read him as a pokemon that would kidnap kids or anything like that. He seems more like a crazy conspiracy type...I hope.

"What do you think, Fenn?"

He looked between the Drampa and I. "Um...I don't know," Fenn said quietly. "I'll just go along with what you want to do, Oswald. I-I can probably handle a 'demon.'"

I smiled. I'm sure you can, Fenn. My answer to the request was, "Alright, we'll do it." I narrowed my eyes at the old Drampa. "But you better have our million poké when we're done, Drampa."

"HUH?" he shouted.

"...Nevermind. Show us the place."

---

Talk about the creepy old guy at the end of the street…

This Drampa's house was a complete wreck. Right on the edge of town, with neighboring houses that looked abandoned and simultaneously worse. My bet was that this old guy had lived here for so long and was situated out of the way enough that he never left and nobody bothered to tell him to leave. Made sense to me; we went so out of our way to find this place that we had to go through multiple alleyways.

It was a decently sized house either way. Two stories, rotted wood paneling, ominous howling wind. Oh yeah, baby. Classic horror mansion.

When we got close, one of the window panels straight up just fell off. The Drampa didn't comment on it.

"You're not going to trap us inside and kill us, are you?" I asked the Drampa while we stared up at the building. I peeled off a scalchop. "Because if you are, then the deal is off." I swung my scalchop in the air threateningly.

"HUH? WASSAT?"

"IF YOU TRAP US IN THERE THEN THE DEAL IS OFF!"

"TRAPS! Ooh, I's remember back in the war when I's caught a Scizor with me pityfall trap...or was it a Scysther…?" He kept rambling on about his experience in the war as though he forgot why he brought us here.

I frowned and turned to Fenn. "Let's go, Fe-"

I shut up when I saw him. The Quilava shook in place. His ears drooped and his teeth chattered. He was staring at the building, scared out of his mind.

I put my paws on my hips. "Are you seriously scared?" I wondered bitterly. "It's just a house!"

"I-I-I-I don't know about this, O-O-Oswald," he stuttered. "Wh-what if there r-r-really is a demon in there?"

"Didn't you say you could handle a demon? Where is this coming from?"

"Th-that was before I s-s-saw this place…" He rubbed his arm while he trembled in fear. "Gives me the heebie-jeebies…"

And mystery dungeons don't? I sighed and rested a paw on his shoulder. "Don't worry about a thing, Fenn," I said reassuringly. "I'm sure it's nothing we can't handle. Plus," I pointed at myself and grinned, "I'll be there. I'll keep you safe."

That didn't do anything to reassure Fenn. In fact, I'm pretty sure he started trembling more after I said that.

I sighed again. "Let's just get in there and get rid of this 'demon.'" I grabbed hold of Fenn and slowly pulled him up the steps to the front door. "We'll be done in less than an hour!" I called out to the old Drampa on the street. He might've fallen asleep because he didn't respond.

The front door to the creepy mansion opened with a series of creaks. I let go of Fenn's paw so he could walk on four paws, but he stuck close to me. The inside of the house was dark, a problem had it not been for Fenn and his natural lantern abilities. The room illuminated in a warm glow thanks to the Quilava's fire.

We were in a living room I was assuming. Various fancy looking furniture laid about the room while knick-knacks littered the tables and shelves. Medals and portraits—those sorts of things. It was apparent that there used to be more than one pokemon living here. The furniture was dusty, but seemed to be quite expensive. The portraits presented the same Drampa we had just met, younger and with a young looking Altaria and a Swablu. How sad. She must've passed a while back and now he's living alone. I actually kinda feel bad for the guy. No wonder he hasn't moved—he probably wants to hold onto these memories. To a fault, mind you. This place could do with some management.

There was a set of stairs near the front door. Fenn, whimpering behind me, was hesitant to go up with me. I put on my warmest smile and rubbed one of his shoulders. Less embarrassing than ear scritches. "We'll be fine," I said quietly. "This place is just out of shape. We'll go up the stairs here, check out the attic, and leave all in the span of five minutes. Sound good?"

Fenn was about to say something, but then we both heard a noise.

"C…s…th…est…"

It was faint, and just barely loud enough to hear, but it was a voice. I was certain of that, and it was coming from above. The attic, just like the Drampa said. It was also definitely not a Rattata in the walls. This was...something else.

"C-can we leave?" Fenn whimpered.

I shook my head as I stepped towards the stairs. Now, I was even more curious and...admittedly a little scared myself. But I couldn't let Fenn know! He was counting on me! I motioned for Fenn to follow and put a finger to my lips to let him know to be quiet. Fenn reluctantly kept to my back, not saying a word.

The second I stepped on the first step, the wood creaked, causing me to wince. As soon as the creaking sound went off, the voice stopped. My stomach sank. Did it hear me? Oh no, please tell me it didn't hear me. We remained silent for a few agonizing moments. Thankfully, the voice continued to sound out a few seconds later. I let out a sigh of relief.

Fenn and I kept up our pace up the steps very slowly and deliberately. Each one creaked. The voice got louder with each step. Once we got to the top, the voice almost became distinguishable.

"I...m...the ma...you w...bow…"

At this point, I was trembling as much as Fenn was. My mind began to wander and imagining what this "demon" could be scared me to no end. Oh god...what if...what if it's the same voice as the one I heard back in Grepa Lake? It does sound kinda similar...oh no…

"O-Oswald…" Fenn whispered behind me.

I didn't dare turn around. Seeing Fenn's terrified face would only make me want to leave this place and never come back. I had to keep going...no matter how scared I was.

The stairs ended and we were now in a dark hallway. The light from Fenn's fire didn't even reach the end of the corridor. I nearly jumped out of my skin when I saw something dark and vaguely humanoid shaped at the very edge of the light. I reluctantly advanced forward, fighting against the urge to pull out a scalchop. The sound would only serve to frighten me more. Thankfully, the dark shape at the end of the hallway was a ladder that would inevitably lead us to the attic.

The voice was at its loudest now.

"Cosm...there will be...ang...s…"

Whatever was up there continued to yell and blather. Neither Fenn nor I said anything. The anticipation and the darkness...it was almost too much to bear. I nearly ran out of the house right then and there, but I had to keep going. I was impressed Fenn didn't; he seemed positively horrified.

I kept moving. I had to know...even if it killed me.

Against every bone in my body telling me not to, I grabbed the ladder and began the slow and deliberate ascent. The ladder was topped with a hatch, the voice right on the other side. There was no telling what would happen when I would open it…

Fenn was at the bottom of the ladder, silently screaming at me to stop and get down. I wouldn't listen to him. The hatch...it was right there...I just needed to…

I unhinged the hatch and pushed it open, causing a dull sound to ring out through the whole house.

The voice stopped.

My heart beated at the speed of light. I took the final few steps up the ladder and climbed into the attic.

It was dark and deathly quiet. Fenn hadn't climbed up after me, which was enough to make me start to panic.

And then...I heard it.

"WHO DARES ENTER MY LAIR!"

A pang of fear slithered up my spine.

"FENN! FENN, HURRY UP! PLEASE!"

"OSWALD? OSWALD, I'M COMING!"

Something very sinister laughed. "YES!" the voice shouted. "COWER IN FEAR OF THE IMMENSE AND UNSTOPPABLE POWER OF...COSMO!"

I couldn't think of anything to do except to cower in the corner. This was a bad idea. Why did I think we could do this?

"OSWALD?"

"FENN! OVER HERE!"

Within a moment, Fenn was by my side, trembling and hugging my form in fear. I couldn't think of anything to do, so I hugged him back, trembling more than I ever have in my very short life.

It continued to laugh. "AHAHA! AHAHAHAHA!"

I closed my eyes. Is this it? Am I dead? Please just let it be quick…

The voice got closer...and closer...the laughing would not stop. We were powerless to stop it's advance. That laugh would be the last thing we would ever hear…

Any second now…

…

...Any moment...

…

...Wait. It stopped.

Instead of more laughter, a noticeably cheerier and squeakier voice spoke instead.

"Oh! Hi!"

I opened my eyes slowly to see that the room was illuminated now. A dusty and nearly empty attic met my vision. There was no demon—no horrendous creature. I was almost convinced that there wasn't anything there at all.

And then I looked up.

Right in front of us, floating a few feet off the ground, glistening in the light of Fenn's fire, was a Solosis. A very, very small Solosis. It went on to talk more in it's high-pitched child sounding voice.

"Are you here to witness the amazing psychic powers of Cosmo?" they asked rather innocently.

"H-huh?" I croaked out. "C-Cosmo?"

"That's right!" The Solosis bounced in the air in a circle. "Cosmo is IN the building! Cosmo is the greatest! Cosmo is the best psychic in the whole world!"

I was confused. Very confused. Was this the demon? It was just a kid. A kid...talking to himself in the attic of some old pokemon...hm.

I finally stopped trembling and stood up. Fenn, who I assume was still hesitant to let his guard down, kept shaking and stuck behind me like before. Now standing up fully, I got a good look at the Solosis.

...It was a Solosis. There was nothing else to say about it. Well, that's not right. I should probably try talking to...Cosmo(?) and find out what's going on.

"Um," I started, "are you...Cosmo?" I pointed at the Solosis.

"Yes!" he exclaimed, bobbing in the air. "Cosmo is Cosmo!"

I nodded slowly. "That's...great. What are you doing here?"

"What else? Cosmo is practicing his super powerful monologue in his super secret lair!"

"...Your lair is the attic of some old Drampa's house?" I asked, quite puzzled. "How did you even get in here?"

Cosmo bobbed in the air frantically. "Oh! Oh! Cosmo knows this one! It was the window that let Cosmo in!"

I looked behind Cosmo to see that there was in fact a closed window at the other end of the attic. I frowned.

Fenn, who at this point had to have been as confused as I was, stepped out from behind me and addressed Cosmo. "Are you...the demon?" he wondered timidly.

"Cosmo goes by many names! Mostly Cosmo...okay, just Cosmo. But demon!" His outer bubble jiggled in delight. "Cosmo is the demon! Cosmo will have to use that!"

Fenn stared at Cosmo blankly before turning to me. "Oswald, this isn't a demon. This is a Solosis."

"I know," I said. "I figured that out already."

The round green sphere bounced around the room chanting his new title happily. "Demon! Demon! Haha! Demon!"

Fenn and I looked on in bewilderment. And disappointment. And relief. A Solosis in the attic was not one the things I was expecting out of this, frankly, entirely pointless adventure. I was of course happy that it wasn't something worse, but now I was wondering how Cosmo managed to fend for himself for so long. Or not. The Drampa never mentioned how long this has been going on. Cosmo might've just shown up yesterday.

"What do we do now?" Fenn asked me.

I crossed my arms. "Take him back to the Drampa, I guess. The very least we can do is let him know the demon in his attic isn't a demon."

Fenn nodded. "I think so, too. We should get Cosmo to come with us."

I nodded back. "Yeah, you're probably right. Hey, Cosmo!"

The Solosis stopped bouncing and floated over to us. "Cosmo has been summoned?"

"Can you come back with us to see someone?" I said. "There's like, a million poké on the line."

Cosmo looked a little sad. "But...Cosmo's lair…" he mumbled.

"There are plenty of better lairs out there," I told him. "Just not this one, okay?"

He immediately lightened up. "A new lair! Cosmo is excited! Lead the way! Lead the way!"

---

"Hey gramps!"

I was right about the Drampa falling asleep. He hadn't moved since we left him. At the sound of my voice, he jolted awake. "Huh? Wazz happa?"

"We got your demon," I said while Fenn, Cosmo and I ambled out of the front door onto the street.

"Did yous?" the Drampa asked. "Did yous exercise it like theys do in those stage plays from the war?"

Fenn and I extended our arms on both sides of Cosmo, kneeling down and presenting the Solosis like an important figure. "It is Cosmo!" Cosmo exclaimed. "Cosmo is the demon you seek!"

The old Drampa squinted at the Solosis. "Thas no demon. Thas a Solosist."

"We know," I stated. "There was no demon. It was just Cosmo."

"Cosmo!" bellowed the Solosis.

"Now where's our million poké, old man. You promised us a million."

The dragon type frowned. "Thas not a demon," he said. "I's only promised a million for a demon."

"There never was a demon," I glowered. "Even if there was one, it's gone now. You won't hear it anymore. Now give us the money."

The Drampa huffed, "I's don't owe yous nothin'! I's only promised a million for a demon!"

"I just told you-"

It was only for an instant, but I saw it. This Drampa smirked. He had me right where he wanted me.

Oh, you son of a…

It was a trick. Just not the kind I was expecting. The senile old prick had a pest in his atic that he didn't feel like getting out, so he asked a couple of unassuming idiots to fix his issue, promise them way more than he actually had, then never pay them because the requirements were too vague. Now I get why the guild stopped taking his requests. It was all a scam. I would've been mad if it weren't for the fact that we already got paid today.

I scoffed. "Let's go, Fenn. It's getting dark and I'm hungry."

"B-but what about the money?" Fenn stuttered.

"A million is too much anyways."

We left for Kebia Castle then, leaving the old Drampa to ramble to himself all on his lonesome. "Yer useless, ye hear me!" he called out to us as we walked away. "Damn youths these days can't do anything right!"

Can't believe I actually felt sorry for that guy…

---

The Drampa didn't make me mad. We had realistically lost nothing but an hour of our lives to his stupid trick. Finding out that we still had to pay the same thirty percent tax for a job that we didn't even get assigned on castle grounds however, did.

"I can't believe this," I fumed. "This is unfair and you know it!"

"Life is unfair," deadpanned Ipo the Simipour behind the front counter.

"Every business in town works under Calluna's heel," Lace, the Leavanny also behind the counter, added. "Taxes are an integral part of civil life. How else would we be able to keep all of this maintained?" She gestured to the counter, the walls, the ceiling, the castle, the town. Everything.

I grumbled, "Still...it sucks." Fenn shot me a sympathetic look. He had to deal with this for two whole months. He understood how unfair it was.

"By the way," Lace continued, "is he with you? Non-guild members are only permitted as guests under the surveillance of other guild members." She pointed a leaf appendage at something, or someone behind us.

Both Fenn and I had no idea what she was talking about, so we turned around.

There, in the castle lobby, floating about, looking aimless, was Cosmo. He watched us quietly not far behind. I hadn't noticed he had followed us all the way here—the little bugger didn't say anything.

"Cosmo?" I wondered aloud. "Why are you here? Go home."

Cosmo floated closer while bobbing in the air all crooked. It was like he was a guilty puppy after getting called on his antics. "Cosmo...was promised a new lair," he said dejectedly. "Cosmo needs a new lair…"

"We didn't promise you that," I replied firmly. "I just said that you couldn't use the last one because someone was already living there. Isn't that right, Fenn? Didn't I say that?"

Fenn looked at me blankly. "Um...you might have. I-I think you implied it more than you actually said it if I remember correctly."

"Oh. Well, either way you need to go home, Cosmo. We're not your baby sitters."

The Solosis sniffled pitifully. "Cosmo...doesn't know where he can find a new lair…"

A new lair? Why is he...wait. Oh, now I get it.

"Are you homeless, Cosmo?" I questioned. "Is that why you were hiding in that Drampa's attic?"

He shook his body, changing his demeanor to one of pure pride. "Cosmo is a powerful and almighty being! No home could possibly contain Cosmo! But...a powerful psychic like Cosmo needs a place to...hatch his schemes!"

I turned to my Quilava friend. "Fenn, I think he's homeless."

Fenn shrugged. "I don't know what we should do about that," he said back. "W-we're not his baby sitters, you're right, but we can't just leave him on the street…"

"He can join your team," Ipo said blandly from behind us.

Lace faceleafed. "Ipo, it's a kid. These two are...young adults? Right?"

Fenn nodded. I wasn't sure so I nodded as well. Fenn and I are probably the same age. I should ask him what his age actually is at some point.

The Leavanny nodded back. "Yes, young adults," she continued. "Having a child on their team would endanger the kid, don't you think? I'm sure the Solosis would just slow them down."

Ipo glared at Lace. "Someone sure changed their tune. You didn't have a problem with kids being explorers a week ago when we let in that team with the Shinx. I say let the Solosis join their team. What's the worst that could happen?"

Lace sputtered, "Th-that's not the same thing! A team of two kittens will take lower level missions—the boring stuff. The stuff that doesn't get them killed! I don't know if you remember, but these two showed up half dead a few days ago! Do they like suitable guardians to you, Ipo?"

He lifted his chin at her dismissively. "They're not guardians, they're team members, Lace. It's not up to us to tell pokemon how to do their jobs. Do you even have a better idea, hm? Miss 'bright and bubbly.' Miss 'I judge pokemon on their life decisions.'"

"Well, excuse me, Mister 'I sit around doing paperwork and NOTHING ELSE!' Do you even have a life outside of this job, huh? When's the last time you left the castle?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means exactly what you think it means!"

They continued to argue like this while I turned my attention back to Cosmo. I don't know if I've made it apparent yet, but I didn't particularly like kids. They're annoying, messy, and act like they know more than they do. They're like...small adults, but worse. I don't think I wanna ever have kids either. I wouldn't call myself much of a role model, if I was being honest.

Cosmo though, his situation was a little strange. I liked his whole shtick; it was cute. Kids do have that one thing going for them: they can get really creative when they wanna be.

He was homeless and most likely an orphan. I know enough about Pamtre to know that the outside world is not kind to those that can't handle themselves. I do kinda agree that we would be putting him in danger, but, I mean, am I really that much more competent than a child? If I can head into a dungeon and not die, then Cosmo will be fine.

So sure, I was willing to give him a chance. Team Lavender could use a new member anyways.

I elbowed Fenn. "What do you think?" I asked him. "Do you think we should let Cosmo join us? Cause I'm fine with it."

Fenn studied the Solosis with his eyes while the green gelatin ball hovered nervously. "I-I don't know," responded Fenn. "I'm sort of...hesitant. I haven't seen him in action yet."

In response to Fenn's indecisiveness, Cosmo shook off his nervousness and donned his usual confident persona. "Ooh! Ooh! Cosmo wants to join! Cosmo can use every psychic attack known ever!" Cosmo beamed. "Cosmo is a master!"

"...O-okay that's great. What else?"

The Solosis levitated in thought for a few moments before suddenly having a proper answer. "Oh! Cosmo knows! Cosmo can tell jokes!"

"Jokes?" Fenn repeated.

"Mhm. Okay. What did the Sandslash say to the Hitmonlee when the rocks started moving?"

Fenn and I exchanged glances. "Uh, I don't know," the Quilava said, "what did they say?"

"'That was ONIX-pected!"

Oh my god, really? He has puns? Okay, you know what, I retract my statement. I'm gonna tell Fenn that Cosmo will just have to-

"PFFFFT AHAHAHAHA!"

I flinched at the sudden outburst to my left. I looked in complete awe as, against every conceivable possibility, Fenn laughed at Cosmo's stupid joke. I genuinely couldn't believe it. How did I end up with these maniacs? Fenn couldn't contain himself; he was rolling on the floor laughing!

"Oswald," Fenn wheezed between his laughing fits, "we gotta...we gotta get him on our…on our team."

"You can't be serious."

"Cosmo is the best jokester in all of Pamtre!"

I groaned. "Alright, fine. Hey!" I yelled at the still arguing desk clerks to get their attention. "Cosmo is joining our team."

Lace and Ipo stopped their bickering. They were in the middle of throwing hands, just about to tear each other apart. They both looked between themselves and us before becoming professional pokemon again. "Wonderful!" Lace shouted, throwing her arms up and smacking Ipo in the face, knocking him to the floor. "I'm overjoyed to hear you say so!"

Ipo grumbled something as he dragged himself back to his feet...only to be knocked back down once again by Lace opening her arms quickly. "OKAY! The only step left is for you to give us a name and you'll be on your way."

I tilted my head. "It's Cosmo," I answered, "but doesn't he have to meet with Anemone like me and Fenn did?"

The Simipour dragged himself off the ground. "N-no," he groaned, "there are...separate rules for kids."

"YES!" Lace said, with a fake smile, and for the third time, whacking Ipo in the face. He fell to the ground with a pained scream. "Every member of the guild must meet with Anemone. She is a very busy Gardevoir, however, and little Cosmo is not a high priority. So, he will be put on a waitlist."

"Cosmo is on a waitlist! Yay!"

Like hell Cosmo is meeting Anemone on his own. She can beat me up all she wants, but I'm not letting her touch him.

"In the meantime, I will get you set up with your new team member. Hm…" She rubbed her chin while she looked at Cosmo. "I'm uncertain how a Solosis could wear your colors…I don't believe we've ever had one of his species here before..."

I turned to look at Cosmo. Yeah...how will he wear a scarf? I don't think he can. I'd imagine it would just slide right off him…

"Ooh!" Cosmo jiggled excitedly. "Cosmo has the solution! Hrgh…" The Solosis exerted himself, much to the concern of all of us. A persistent bubbling sound rang out and his outer shell vibrated...until there was a loud pop.

I blinked. Cosmo was now purple.

"Tadah! Cosmo is now purple Cosmo!"

All of us stared at the Solosis, speechless. Well...all except for Ipo. He groaned in pain while still on the floor. He stopped trying.

"I...wasn't aware that a Solosis could do that," Fenn muttered.

The Leavanny behind the counter clapped her leaf appendages together. "That works just fine," she said. "Now, if you would follow me, I'll set up Cosmo as an honorary resident of your chambers."

She came out from behind the desk, stepping on Ipo along the way, eliciting a loud "ow" from him. Lace guided us back to our room. Cosmo followed eagerly, bouncing in mid air and commenting on everything he saw.

"Haha! Yes! Cosmo's new lair is gonna be so a-Mew-zing!"

Kill me.

---

Lace finished the setup for Cosmo and made him an official member of Team Lavender by allowing him to unlock the door to our room. I was dubious how a pokemon without any hands could use a touch-pad, but Lace explained that psychic types each have a unique "psychic fingerprint." I suppose I can't dispute that, Cosmo used his psychic powers to touch the panel and the door opened. Goes to show how little I knew.

She bid us a goodbye and left the three of us to ourselves.

Fenn and I watched Cosmo fly around the room from the doorway. He was positively overjoyed. "Yay!" Cosmo cheered. "Cosmo has a lair! Cosmo has a lair!" He bounced on the silk bed in the corner and giggled constantly.

Meanwhile, I looked on in slight annoyance. Not because Cosmo was being annoying or anything, but because seeing him jump on the bed reminded me that I was still slated to sleep on the floor while Cosmo would inevitably take the soft, cushiony, silk bed. I won't stand for this. He doesn't even have legs! I don't care if I have to share the bed, I refuse to sleep on the floor anymore!

I turned to Fenn. "Hey, Fenn, you wanna share the be-"

"Yes. Sweet Arceus, it's about time."

My eyes went wide and I sputtered, "W-wait, what? I thought you didn't want to! You were so adamant about giving me the bed!"

Fenn frowned. "...I-I only agreed to sleep on the floor because I thought you wanted space," he told me. "I've always been willing to share the bed. I just...didn't want to be rude…"

I stared at the Quilava in disbelief, my mouth agape. Thinking back on it, it was probably not as awkward for pokemon to sleep together since they are basically animals. But noooo, I'm a human; human friends sleeping in the same bed is wEiRd and not something we do. I really hate myself sometimes. Who cares? Just sleep with the Quilava in the only decent bed available! It's not like you're that big anyways! There's plenty of space!

"Well," I said, "alright then. We'll share the bed." I looked back at Cosmo. "And Cosmo can sleep...wherever."

Cosmo continued to bounce and laugh, ignorant to Fenn and I's conversation. "Cosmo is the greatest! Cosmo is so cool! Haha!"

I sighed. What have I gotten myself into?

 

[SnapDragon]

Chapter 15 - Day 8, Part 1: Normalcy ​

Lavender is such a nice looking plant.

I could see why Fenn liked it so much; there was a lot to love. That kind of color just pops in a way that looks really appealing. I mean, just looking at the flowerpot on the windowsill now was giving me a decent idea of how much it tied the room together. That's what I would've said if the flowers had actually grown yet. A small stem was all that was sticking out of the dirt, and I could barely even see it from where I was laying.

Flowers in general were just something I enjoyed seeing in person. Maybe I was a gardener in my past life because if I didn't already have to deal with so much then I might've considered finding a way to own more of them. Kebia Castle in particular seemed to use them as decorations quite a bit. The gardens, in the hallways, in the light fixtures—whatever. They were everywhere, despite the castle being devoid of anything else noteworthy in terms of aesthetics.

There was a flower field just around the corner, after all. I wouldn't be surprised if the merchants in town sold them. Maybe...we could go into town and pick up some pretty ones on our way back from work today.

Okay, that was all well and good, but why was I saying all of this? I don't know, I guess I was just trying to distract myself from the fact that, when I woke up, Fenn was asleep with his head resting on my chest and his lower body curled up on my side. I nearly jumped back when I saw him, but thankfully, I restrained myself.

I wasn't upset as much as I was just surprised. I mean, I already had one of the best nights of sleep since I arrived in Pamtre last night thanks to the soft covers of the bed. And Fenn...he was really warm. Like, really warm. He was like a heated blanket that made it twice as hard to be mad.

Honestly, my biggest problem might've been the fact that I felt embarrassed to be so close to him. Not that I didn't like him, it was just the fact that being this close would give off the wrong impression. Humans don't sleep this close together unless they were involved in some way.

Pokemon though…? Fenn did respect my boundaries already. If anything, I get too close for comfort more than he does, what with the ear scratching and...whatever. I digress.

I didn't really mind that Fenn was using me like a pillow. After spending all that time working on that house and coming across "the greatest psychic ever," I think a well-deserved rest was warranted. So, I just resigned myself to accept it, lay back, and try to sleep in a bit more.

We can be embarrassed about this when we're both awake...

"Cosmo is awake! The day calls for him!"

Which is now, apparently.

"Ngh..." Fenn groaned on top of me, gradually blinking his eyes open, "...give me five more min-"

The Quilava froze once he realized that he wasn't lying on the bedsheets, but me instead. His eyes went wide as he met my gaze.

I stared at him blankly. "...Good morning, Fenn."

Fenn's face flushed a shade of red so bright I was worried that he was about to spit fire. He stood up quickly and fell onto his back. "I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY!"

I sat up to see Fenn rolling around on the bed, covering his face. I let out a kindhearted smile. "Don't be embarrassed, Fenn," I said. "It's fine, I don't mind."

"Nooo," Fenn mumbled into his paws, "y-you trusted me to share the bed with you and I abused that trust. I-I don't know what came over me….I'm so sorry…"

"I already said it's fine—I haven't slept that well in a while. You're really warm, you know?"

Fenn buried his head into the bedsheets and screamed.

"What's going on?" Cosmo asked rather innocently. "Did Cosmo miss something?"

I chuckled. "It's nothing, Cosmo. Fenn is just being overly dramatic."

Fenn yelled, "I am not!" into the bedsheets, his voice muffled.

I rubbed Fenn's shoulder and turned to the Solosis. "Well, Cosmo, are you ready for your first day on Team Lavender?"

"Cosmo is always ready!" he beamed. "Cosmo is ready to...do things!"

"Heh, I bet you are, buddy." I shook Fenn's shoulder lightly. "You gonna be okay?" I spoke gently.

He rose from the sheets and faced me, his eyes avoiding mine, his cheeks still rosy. "Y-yeah," Fenn whispered. "G-got flustered, that's all." Fenn sighed breathlessly. "Back to work today…"

Work, as in dungeon work, I thought. Not looking forward to that. I fail to see the rationale behind exploring dungeons at all if carpentry pays twice as much. Not to mention the physical and, in my case, mental trauma that comes with dungeon diving. It's not a stretch for me to believe that my motivation has been thoroughly drained by now.

Unfortunately, I had no real choice, and I doubt Anemone wanted to hear that I hadn't been staying useful. It was an obligation for me at that point, but yesterday proved that it didn't have to be. What I should've done is tell Fenn outright that I didn't want to do this anymore and instead spend the rest of my pokemon life lying around all day, doing nothing. After all, my only stipulation was to not die.

But...I wanted to figure things out. What if the solution to all of my problems was with the mystery dungeons, or what if staying put and doing nothing was what they wanted. I didn't know. What I did know, though?

I looked over at the Solosis kid on the other side of the room. He was bouncing in a circle in the air, going on about how excited he was to be on the team. I still didn't know how to feel about him yet, but I was glad that he was safe now.

Then I looked at my close friend and roommate, Fenn. The Quilava had gotten over his embarrassment and was looking at me with a warm smile and soft eyes. He was waiting for me to say something, most likely for me to tell him that we should head out to the bulletin board.

So, after putting some thought into it, I might be a complete moron that was missing something important right in my face or something, but I did care about those closest to me. I'd endure a deadly dungeon run to make them happy. It was Cosmo's first mission after all; don't wanna let him down. With that thought in mind, I hopped off the bed.

"Let's head out," I announced.

Fenn nodded wordlessly and hopped off the bed as well. I followed his lead and snatched the bag off the nightstand.

"Onward!" Cosmo shouted, jiggling with determination.

---

"What does this say?"

"Uh...Noivern clipped their wings and can't escape?"

"...Not even close. It's...a Tropius. And it's a bounty mission…"

Oh. That's embarrassing.

Fenn decided to quiz me on my reading skills after we got to the bulletin board. Naturally, I hadn't gotten any better so I failed horribly. How can a Tropius even be an outlaw? That doesn't make any damn sense!

"Haha! Oswald can't read!"

And now the talking bubble is making fun of me.

"H-hey, Cosmo, what does this say?" Fenn held up a piece of paper for the Solosis to read.

"Ooh! Ooh! It says, 'find lost X-Ray Specs in Kelpsy Fields.' Cosmo is the greatest reader!"

What? How come Cosmo knows how to read and I don't? He doesn't even have feet!

"Very good! Great job, Cosmo!" Fenn said, shooting me the smuggest grin imaginable.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," I deadpanned, "the dumb Dewott can't read. Can we stop with the bullying now?"

Fenn giggled. "O-okay, I'm sorry," he apologized facetiously. "Just...couldn't resist."

"Hm," I grumbled. "What did I do to deserve such torment?" This isn't even payback for what happened earlier. This is unwarranted, blatant oppression!

"That was fun!" Cosmo beamed. "Where are we going next?"

I looked at the Solosis incredulously. "...We're not done here yet. We haven't picked a mission."

"Oh! A mission for what?"

I blinked. "Um…" I exchanged glances with Fenn. "We're explorers, Cosmo. We help pokemon by going through mystery dungeons and such. So like with that X-Ray Specs mission that told us to find an item someone lost."

"Oh, cool! Cosmo hasn't been in a mystery dungeon before! Cosmo loves to explore, though! He's great at finding things."

Fenn and I looked at each other again and the look on his face told me that we were thinking the same thing.

We had accepted not just some random pokemon onto our team, but a literal child that had never been in a mystery dungeon in his life. We didn't even test to see if he knew any useful moves or any moves at all. Does he even know what he's in for?

"Hey, Cosmo," I started, "do you know what being on an exploration team means? Like, are you aware of the risks?"

Cosmo froze in midair and looked between Fenn and I. He was silent for a moment. "...Cosmo...gets to find treasure!" he said loudly and proudly.

Whoops.

I got careless and now I might've put a little kid in danger. I acknowledge the fact that I said that Cosmo will probably be fine because I suck just as much as he does, but there's a difference between sending a useless moron like me into a deadly dungeon versus sending a child who doesn't know what he's in for into the same dungeon.

I motioned for Fenn and I to huddle together and discuss this covertly. We crouched down behind one of the bean bags in the lounge room. "What do we do?" I asked Fenn in a loud whisper. "Would it be irresponsible of us to take Cosmo with us? I don't think we're the right kind of pokemon to teach him."

Fenn grit his teeth and looked away. "U-uh...I'm...suuuure it'll be fine," he whispered slowly. "Besides," he let out a weak smile, "I...still bring you along a-and you can barely fight. Eheh…" he laughed awkwardly.

Ouch. I mean, he's not wrong, but ouch.

"Jeez, Fenn! What did I do to deserve all this verbal abuse?"

The Quilava twirled his bandana in his paw. "Heh...I-I don't know. I guess I'm just feeling mean today..."

I sighed and crossed my arms. "Regardless, you have to agree that this isn't the same thing. Cosmo is just a kid. If he gets hurt, it's our responsibility."

"H-hey! It can't always be our fault! Kids join the guild all the time! He has to learn how to do it eventually!"

"And if he does get hurt?"

Fenn bit his lip. "...We can pick an easy mission," he mumbled quickly.

"Really?" I raised an eyebrow. "You're fine with that?"

Fenn nodded.

"Alright." I stood up. "Guess we can't just leave him here. May as well show him the ropes."

Fenn seemed relieved. Though, in retrospect, I wasn't entirely sure why.

The two of us walked back to the bulletin board to find Cosmo in the same place as before, trembling slightly. "Is...is Cosmo in trouble?" he asked shakily.

"No, everything's fine, Cosmo," I told him. "Me and Fenn were just discussing something." I peered at the Quilava only for Fenn to avoid my gaze. "We still have to pick a job, though. Anything stick out to you?"

Cosmo's attitude improved considerably out of nowhere. A piece of paper floated up from the floor and into my paws. "X-Ray Specs! Cosmo wants to try them on!"

I stared down at the parchment. This must be the same job he read out a few minutes ago. "Hey, Fenn-"

"Already on it."

Fenn reached into the bag around my shoulder and pulled out the dungeon guide, flipping to the section with Kelpsy Fields. He read it out. "K-Kelpsy Fields is an enigmatic dungeon of ten floors. The primary wildlife includes psychic types of varying challenge ratings. There are no specific entrances. E-easy to get lost the first time through. Proposed average difficulty: 'D' plus."

"'D' plus? Average?" I scoffed. "You're telling me we've been working off a letter grade system this whole time? And it's averaged? With our luck, we'll run into the strongest pokemon there. How is a dungeon full of psychic types a rank as low as 'D' anyways?"

Closing the book, Fenn shrugged. "Not sure...but I think we can handle it."

"I know you can handle it, Fenn. You're not at a disadvantage this time. I'm more worried about-" I tilted my head in Cosmo's direction, "-that one. This dungeon doesn't sound as easy as you think it is."

Cosmo didn't associate the meaning with the action and stared at me out of the corner of my eye, confused.

"I-it's only one item, how hard could it be?" Fenn said nervously.

"Did the job posting mention which floor it's on?" I asked, handing the piece of paper to the Quilava.

He scanned it for a moment beforing simply answering with "no."

Then difficulty isn't the issue. Ten floors means a lot of ground has to be covered to avoid missing such a small object. All the while, the dungeon will probably try to screw with me again, which is a give in.

I absentmindedly peeled one of my scalchops off my hip then put it back just as quickly. "I'm not...opposed to the idea. Just...hesitant. Finding it is gonna be a hassle, so if we're really going through with this job then we should stock up on the necessary gear."

"Yep," Fenn agreed. "Th-there were some things that I wanted to get at Kecleon's now that we have a decent amount of money."

The Solosis sheepishly floated closer to the two of us. "So...we get to go to the store next?" he wondered, picking up on Fenn and I's conversation.

I replied, turning to the Solosis, "yes, we need to get the appropriate equipment to make sure this mission goes well. We'll head there next."

"...After breakfast."

"Yes, after breakfast. Thank you, Fenn."

"Yay! Food!"

---

Now in the cafeteria, Cosmo wasted no time letting us know how thrilled he was to be there. "Cosmo is hungry! Yay, food! Food food food!"

"You sure are excited. What kind of berries do you like, Cosmo?" I asked, sitting down at our regular spot.

One has to wonder how a Solosis even eats. What does having your food slide through a gelatinous bubble do to the taste? How much of his body is his stomach? Really makes you think.

"Cosmo does not eat mortal food! Cosmo...devours the souls of his enemies! No pokemon can escape his psychic awesomeness!" Cosmo's eyes burned with an immense power!

I nodded frivolously. "Oh yeah, I eat the souls of my enemies all the time. Great flavor. Wouldn't you agree, Fenn?"

The Quilava blinked as he looked between Cosmo and I. Knowing Fenn, it'll probably take him a minute. His eyes rested on me. "S-souls?" he wondered aloud.

"Yeah," I responded, sarcasm dripping from my lips. "Souls. You remember that Kabutops soul we ate that one time? Mmm...scrumptious."

Fenn stared at me vacantly for a few more seconds before the corner of his lips curled into a smile. Now he gets it.

"I...I do actually," Fenn uttered. "I-it was really good...that one was really sweet, wasn't it?"

"Mmmmm, don't remind me! Dang! I could go for some souls right now! I wonder if they've got any on the menu today?"

"Grebes always cooks up a good soul! They're done just well enough every time! So good!"

"I KNOW! It's unreal how precise he is! A true master chef! Mwah~"

"I-I could eat so many souls right now…ohhh, I wanna eat till I pass out…"

"Haha, you better watch your soul diet, Fenn! Don't wanna lose that lean form of yours, now do ya? Haha!" I winked.

Fenn...blushed…and lost his cool. "L-lean?" he stammered. "U-um…"

I realized I might have taken this joke a bit too far. "W-wait, Fenn...what I meant was...um…"

Meanwhile, Cosmo looked on, completely nonplussed. "Cosmo...also likes Lum berries," he said.

"R-right," I blurted out. "I'll go get the food. Be right back!" I stood up from the table, doing my best to avoid eye contact and the burning sensation in my cheeks.

Fenn kept his head down, fidgeting with his paws uncomfortably.

Cosmo had no idea what just happened, but he shrugged it off. The adults were being weird like always! Food was on its way! Hooray!

The following meal was eaten in silence. I'll admit, it was entirely my fault.

But come on, Fenn is quite lean. That wasn't even me being flirtatious, it's true! I swear I'm not trying to make our relationship more awkward than it already is!

Oh well. We'll get over it eventually. We always do.

---

Afterwards, the three of us went to Kecleon's.

Cosmo was ecstatic about all of the knick-knacks and rare items. He zoomed around the shop while Fenn and I talked to the shopkeep.

"This is so cool!" Cosmo exclaimed excitedly. "Is that a-" he gasped, "-a warp wand? Cosmo wants one!"

"A-ah, please don't touch anything, young Solosis!" the shopkeep cried. "Those aren't toys!"

I waved him off. "It's fine, Kecleon. Cosmo is well behaved, he won't break anything."

"Ooh! A One-Shot Orb!"

"Could you keep an eye on him, please?" The Kecleon sighed. "I knew I should've kept that sign up…"

"Oh, sure," I chuckled and looked over at the Quilava peeking out from behind me. "Fenn, could you look after Cosmo?"

"Hm? U-uh, I guess. H-hey, Cosmo, let's calm...no, put that down!" Fenn left me with the Kecleon to discuss what needed to be bought.

"Sooooooo…" I careened my head back around to face the pokemon behind the counter.

He looked at me indignantly. "What is it you need?"

"A lot of things, actually. We've got a mission in Kelpsy Fields today."

"Kelpsy Fields…" he repeated thoughtfully, stroking his chin. "An odd one, that's for sure. Gave me trouble last time I was there. Best be on your toes."

I nodded. "I can imagine. Speaking of, we're supposed to find a pair of X-Ray Specs? You wouldn't happen to have any I could look at in person, would you?"

Considering that I had never seen such an item, I wanted to know what we were looking for.

"Ah. Of course. Give me a moment." The shop owner fiddled with one of the display cases and picked out a pair of purple specs modeled after the features of a Venonat. He brought it back to the counter for me to look at. "Quite the intriguing artifact, don't you think? I doubt you'll have trouble recognizing it in the dungeon."

There was another reason why I wanted to see the X-Ray Specs: I wanted to know if we could skip the job entirely by getting the required item through...other means. Not stealing, mind you; I wanted to see how much they'd be worth. Primarily because, well, the job listing only mentioned that we had to return the thing, it didn't say we had to get it from Kelpsy Fields.

"Yes...definitely...hmm. Just Curious, how much do these go for?"

"Eight thousand."

Nevermind.

I briefly considered the prospect of swiping the specs while the chameleon wasn't looking, but ultimately surmised that that wouldn't be the greatest idea. He probably had some sort of security system installed. No way of getting out of this one.

"What else did you need?" The Kecleon wondered.

I tapped my fingers on the counter. "I was hoping you could help me with that, what with you being so experienced and familiar with the place."

"Ha!" he chuckled. "I've been there once, my good 'mon. I wouldn't call myself 'experienced,' but I understand what you mean. Have you considered investing in weapons?"

"Weapons?"

He waved me over. "Follow me."

The two of us walked to the other side of the shop, where Fenn and Cosmo were currently bickering.

"What about this one?" Cosmo suggested.

"N-no, we don't need a mobile orb," Fenn chided. "We need to save our money for more useful equipment."

The Solosis pouted. "But I wanna go through walls."

"No means no, Cosmo."

"Gentle-mon!" Kecleon approached Fenn from behind, catching him by surprise and causing his back to spark momentarily. "If you would be so kind as to make some room. Your acquaintance needs to survey the weapon selection."

Fenn frantically stepped out of the way, nearly knocking down a display case to the floor. Thankfully, he caught it just in time.

"Careful!" the chameleon yelled. "You break it, you buy it!"

His ears drooped. Fenn ashamedly dragged himself to my side. Cosmo continued to bounce throughout the shop, keeping to himself.

"Now," the Kecleon started, "I trust that you, a Dewott, have some experience with deadly instruments?"

"...You could say that." I was about to reach for my scalchop, but I stopped myself.

Key in hand, the shop owner unlatched the glass case. He pulled out an iron spike and...a rock. He held them up. "How good is your throwing arm, Dewott?"

I stared at him with a vacant expression. "What?"

"Your throwing arm. How good is it?"

My eyes drifted to the stone in his hand. I blinked slowly. "That's a rock," I stated.

"A Gravelerock."

I blinked a second time. "You're selling me a rock."

"Wh...yes. I am selling you a rock. A rock for throwing."

"Kecleon, I don't know what kind of trick you're trying to pull, but I'm not buying a damn rock."

He sighed and placed the objects back in the container before pulling out another spike—this one pink and white. "This is a Corsola Twig," he said. "Strong and very sharp. Plucked from the back of a healthy Corsola. I recommend it for a bipedal pokemon like yourself."

"...I fail to see how this is better than a metal stick and a rock."

"Like I said, they are quite sharp. Even the hardiest dragon type with their scales as impenetrable as steel cannot stand a chance."

"What about actual steel types?"

"Yes. More or less."

"How much are they?"

"Eighty poké a piece."

Jeez. That's steep. How much money do we have again? I glanced at Fenn for his opinion.

He shrugged. Fenn didn't have anything to say.

Well, alright then. Wouldn't hurt to take some backup just in case. And...if I'm being honest, I don't know if I trust myself with my scalchops. I just don't think I'm all that good at using them. Maybe I could do better with these twigs? "I'll take five."

Kecleon nodded. "A wise choice. I use them often myself. You won't be disappointed."

"Right." Suddenly, I felt a tugging on my thigh. I looked down to see Fenn peering up at me, his expression one of anguish. "Hm? What's up, Fenn? You look anxious."

The Quilava shot a glance at the Kecleon and motioned for me to get closer.

I kneeled down to his level. "Yeah?"

"C-could you ask him about Reviver Seeds?" Fenn whispered in a voice that was barely audible.

"Reviver Seeds? Uh, sure." I stood up and faced the Kecleon. "Do you have any 'Reviver Seeds?'"

The eyes of the reptile lit up after I asked my question. "Reviver Seeds!" he exclaimed. "You're in luck—a new shipment just came in! Come, this way!"

Kecleon led us to the other side of the shop. More glass cases lined the wall, displaying many seeds of various types, all of which seemed very distinct and mystical.

But then, Kecleon, unlocking the case that held the seed I was asking for, pulled out the blandest one of them all.

The little doodad was small enough to fit between Kecleon's fingertips; it was unremarkable. He held it up for me to see. "Have you ever seen a Reviver Seed in person, Dewott?" Kecleon asked.

I squinted in an attempt to better see the item. "I've definitely seen a seed before and, boy, is that a seed," I said impassively. "What's so special about it?"

"Oh! You've not even heard of them before?"

Didn't Anemone mention these at some point? What did she say about them? "...I might have. What do they do?"

He twiddled the small object in his fingers, it's bland surface lightly gleaming from the light of nearby lamps. "Reviver Seeds are very rare and powerful oddities. I would wager that they are the most valuable commodity for any dungeon diver. They are both my most sought after product, and incredibly scarce."

I raised an eyebrow. "It looks pretty plain to me. I don't get it."

Kecleon smirked. "It looks so unassuming because we are not within a dungeon at the moment. If we were, you would see just how incredible it truly is."

"...You still haven't answered my question. What does it do?"

The chameleon paused, his smirk widening to a full knowing smile. "My good Dewott, what can't it do?"

"What?"

"Broken bones…any known or unknown disease...a permanent disfigurement...all can be healed thanks to this one seed…

"Not even death is incurable when one possesses a Reviver Seed."

I glared at the shop keeper in suspicion. "You're joking, right?" I didn't believe any of it. "Is this an elaborate ruse to get me to buy worthless, stale seed?"

"Not a ruse," he told me. "A Reviver Seed's main purpose is to bring one back to the plains of consciousness in the event that the holder loses it." He narrowed his eyes. "Even if that means reversing death itself."

"You're...no. That's ridiculous," I stated. "Death is death; a seed of all things can't change that."

"It is the truth. Though I suppose the only way to know is to see it for yourself."

I scowled. What kind of nonsense…?

I was about to tell this scam artist off some more—maybe leave right then and there because it's obvious we were being hoodwinked, but then I felt a tugging on my thigh again. I looked down and met eyes with Fenn.

His expression was dead serious; his resolve was apparent. Fenn believed every word. That, or he already knew all of this. One thing is for certain: he nodded very slowly as if to tell me that Kecleon was correct.

But if Kecleon is correct, then that means…

"How do they work? The Reviver Seeds, I mean." I wasn't willing to accept whatever this guy had to say just yet. I wanted to hear how plausible his explanation was.

"Well," Kecleon began, "the true reason is still up for debate, but the most common theory I've heard is that, when a pokemon dies, their spirit leaves their body." He held up the tiny object. "The Reviver Seed acts as a sort of conduit to allow the spirit a safe passage back as well as a protective shield. Once the power is released, the seed returns to a plain state."

"So...the seed is more like a vessel for...whatever power it's holding?" I asked.

Kecleon nodded. "Yes, I believe so."

"But how does it...fix the previous injuries?"

The Kecleon stroked his chin in thought. "I'm not entirely sure how, but I had once heard the explanation that when a body and a spirit connect, the body returns to its initial form of the current age." He shrugged. "Or something of that nature. Like I said, I don't quite know. Reviver Seeds are an enigma."

"How are they even made? Don't tell me you just find them lying around."

"Ha," he chuckled lightly. "You are well within your right to be suspicious. Not many know of the creation process of relics such as these." He cleared his throat. "To put it simply, they can be grown, and found, in mystery dungeons and only in mystery dungeons."

"...What?"

"Yes, indeed, Reviver Seeds are so rare because the task of acquiring them is laborious and very frustrating. It is all luck, really. I have never found one when I actively search for them. And don't get me started on how irritating growing them can be. Expecting the dungeon to cooperate can be quite painful."

That's...okay, I need to get my facts straight. With all I've seen so far, magical seeds capable of reversing death isn't that egregious of a concept. The fact that they existed was odd, but I wasn't in any sort of position to dispute something as stupid as this.

And now to ask the question I need the actual answer for.

"How much are they?"

Grimacing, Kecleon looked us over a couple times. "Prices fluctuate often," he told us, "but normally they range from 20,000 poké to 50,000 poké depending on available stock."

Holy shit.

I heard something hit the floor just then. Looking down, Fenn was staring at the Kecleon with eyes wide, mouth agape. He had dropped the writing utensil he had been holding.

I turned my head back to the shopkeep. "Um...nevermind," I mumbled. "We don't have that kind of money."

Kecleon nodded understandably. "Very few do. Will there be anything else?"

"Uh-"

I was interrupted by my thigh being tugged on once more. Fenn was trying to get my attention. He held a small piece of paper covered in scribbles in front of my face. "What's this?" I asked him.

"G-grocery list," the Quilava said quietly.

"Grocery list? Oh, right!" I handed the paper to the Kecleon. "Here."

He scanned it for a few moments. "Ah, yes, of course. Let me-"

There was a crashing sound behind us. We all swung our heads to see Cosmo floating above a toppled rack of trinkets. "Cosmo didn't do it!" the Solosis yelled, clearly guilty.

I could feel Kecleon tearing me apart with his eyes. We had forgotten to watch Cosmo.

"Uh...we'll pick that up."

---

The trip to Kelpsy Fields took us the better part of three hours. It wasn't far, no, it was just hard to find.

Heading to the east this time, the land here was flat and consisted of more pokemon-made roads and structures. Fenn explained to me that most large settlements on this continent occupy the eastern side since that's where the most of the trading happens. The pleasant climate was also a factor, but even that was variable.

Kebia had been moderately cool the whole time I had been here. I didn't mind much; I prefer the cold over the heat any day. To the east, however, the temperature was warmer and the skies were clearer. That said, the atmosphere was generally more melancholic out here in the wild, what with the warm winds and the light browns adorning the tall grass in the meadows we walked through. The sky was clear and a bright blue.

There were a lot of meadows. And fields. Fields, fields, and the occasional town or outpost. Not much to talk about.

The scenery that is. The three of us talked quite a bit, actually.

"S-so, why did you buy those spikes, Oswald?" Fenn wondered as we continued our journey. "Don't you already have weapons of your own?"

"Hmm…" I pondered Fenn's question. "I suppose so, but I am sort of worried that I'd lose them. Plus, I wanna try these out. Maybe I'm better at throwing than slicing? It's not like I'm a pro with my scalchops anyways."

I wasn't being completely disingenuous. Learning how to use my scalchops was exciting and something I was genuinely interested in figuring out. But...I didn't know anymore. Not after Swift and everything with Anemone. What was the point? At least with these spikes, I would be on common ground with anybody else who would use them. I wasn't an expert, but I also wasn't expected to be one. The scalchops were a different story.

"...But your scalchops will grow back, won't they?"

I flinched. "They what?"

"Y-you know," Fenn said, "they'll grow back if you lose them. I never understood how it works, but I read somewhere that the bodies of pokemon with natural tools have a way of knowing if they get lo-"

"Fenn?"

"H-huh?"

"Please be quiet."

"O-oh. Okay…"

I didn't wanna hear anymore of that. Even if it meant being rude like I just was, knowing that the blades on my hips were a part of me made me physically ill. I had to stop him.

Oh my god. Why didn't I make this connection before? My body produces weapons. How does that work? Do they form under the skin and pop out when they're done? Blegh. Ugh. Just thinking about that makes me nauseous. Now I'm definitely not using my scalchops after knowing that.

I rubbed my temples and tried to get my mind off the disgusting images in my head. I looked ahead at the Solosis jauntily bouncing in midair.

I can think about Cosmo, that'll get my mind off of it.

The little guy led the way so that Fenn and I could keep an eye on him. He'd caused quite a bit of trouble for us so far, though not as much as I would've expected. Cosmo was shockingly obedient for a kid his age; listened to the two of us without question. It may not have seemed like it at first, but he was very conscious of what was going on around him. He shuts up when we're having a conversation that doesn't involve him, listens when we do, and doesn't complain often.

You would think that such a young kid would go on and on about being tired or hungry, but no, Cosmo doesn't do any of that. Almost to a fault if I was being honest. When I asked him how he was doing, only then did he say that he was really tired and needed to rest. Makes me wonder how he got that way…

Fenn had actually been the one to suggest that Cosmo lead the way. Imagine my shock when I found out that Fenn worked surprisingly well with the kid. I was worried that he might be timid like he always was and have a hard time keeping Cosmo under control, but no, Fenn slipped right into the role of "surrogate dad."

Does that make me the other dad? I hope not. Like I said, I'm not much of a role model.

"...Are we there yet?" Fenn tiredly asked. "This shouldn't...be taking this long."

"That's the thing," I replied, map in my paws, "we should already be there. We already passed by all of the landmarks..."

"I haven't seen any fog...have you?"

I shook my head. "Not even a little."

Fenn sighed and eyed the psychic bubble pokemon in front of us. "Y-you think he'll be able to handle it?" Fenn asked me softly. "I-I know it's kinda too late to ask...but...I have my d-doubts."

Yeah, no kidding. I shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't know, why don't you ask him?"

Fenn shot me a glare out of the corner of his eye. "You already know what his response would be, Oswald. He's not great at telling us how he's feeling."

"We've only known him for a day, Fenn."

"...Still."

I didn't disagree with the sentiment. I was the one worried earlier and I didn't stop us from going through with this. I didn't understand why Fenn was so concerned all of a sudden either. Up until today, I would've assumed he had no reason to care. Maybe I was just feeling bitter, I don't know. Either way, I felt like humoring myself for a bit.

I called out to the Solosis. "Hey, Cosmo! Think you can handle this dungeon?"

"Of course!" he shouted. "Cosmo is the greatest psychic type in the whole world! Evil-doers don't stand a chance! Cosmo is amazing! Absol-utely so! Haha!"

Fenn snickered beside me.

"Don't encourage him," I glowered, cutting him off. "That one wasn't even structured like a joke."

Fenn stammered. "D-wh...puns are funny!"

"Puns are not funny."

The Quilava pursed his lips. "Oh, what would you know? You haven't got a single funny bone in your body!"

I acted surprised at that comment. "Excuse me? I absolutely have a funny bone! But what about you? All you've got is funny bones! You practically have a funny skeleton!"

"Hehe! I sure do!" Fenn stuck his tongue out at me.

I smiled. Haha! This is fun! I like it when we get all playful like this.

"Ha! Yeah, I-"

My eyes had just drifted back to the fields in front of us. Within the span of our non serious conversation, we had walked through a pasture of tall grass. The grass was pulled back and we were now in a patch of significantly shorter grass.

I froze. Fenn froze. The happy-go-lucky mood was sucked right out of the air and all that was left was an icy cold feeling of dread.

My heart dropped.

Not far ahead of us, perfectly placed in the middle of the clearing…

...

...

...

...the source of our dread.

...

...

...

...

A pure white marble staircase.

...

...

...

Topped with a deep, dark portal...