Emily trudged across the beach with her head low as she looked back at another pathetic attempt to join the exploration guild, but her spirits lifted as she looked across the ocean at the bubbles that the Krabbys were blowing. The sight of this always cheered her up after a bad attempt of joining the exploration guild. She popped one of the bubbles with her nose, but she jumped back as all the bubbles in the air were shattered by a roar that seemed to come from all around her. Emily barely got out of the way as a Feraligator charged at her and she knew she wouldn't last long. Then there was a flash of light and when it cleared a Riolu was standing in between them, and just by looking at the amount of coinfidence in his stance Emily could only guess that he had done the same thing before.
"Leave her be." He told the Feraligator.
"Look at you pipsqueak." The Feraligator laughed.
The Riolu's hands were cloaked in a blue energy and he sprinted towards the Feraligator, and as he swung his tail the Riolu slid under it and slammed his hands into the Feraligator's jaw. As the Feraligator fell the Riolu walked over to Emily and sat down by her.
"You okay?" The Riolu asked her.
"I should be asking you that since you just risked your life for me." Emily told him.
The Riolu laughed as he shook his head. "I'm Lucius by the way."
"I'm Emily." She replied.
"You've seemed a little down the whole time, why?" Lucius asked her.
"You wouldn't want to hear about my problems." Emily replied.
"Try me." Lucius replied.
"I've been trying to join the Explorers Guild in Treasure Town, but I keep chickening out." Emily replied quietly. "Sorry, I must be boring you already."
Lucius chuckled before he looked at Emily. "Boring me? No way, I want to check this Explorers Guild out for myself."
Emily took a deep breath as a crazy idea crossed her mind. "Would you like to form an exploration team with me?"
"We'll see." Lucius told her as he stood up.
Emily stood up but she could barely stand as her legs shook.
"Do you want me to carry you until you calm down?" Lucius asked her.
Emily reluctantly nodded and let Lucius gather her up against his chest.
As they walked through town people waved and when they got to the explorers guild Lucius set Emily on the ground and she slowly walked up to the grate that was in front of the gate. She took a deep breath and took a tenative onto the grate.
"The footprint is Eevee's, the footprint is Eevee's!" She heard someone yell.
Even though Emily wanted to jump off of the grate but knew Lucius was watching her.
"You may enter." The voice told her.
Emily stepped backwards and almost screamed when she ran into Lucius.
"I never heard you move." Emily told him.
"No one ever does." Lucius replied as he stepped onto the grate.
"The footprint is… the footprint is… oh my Acreus." The sentry babbled.
"Who is it Diglett?" Another voice asked him.
"It's Lucius." Diglett replied.
Emily was shocked at Diglett's response and as the gate started to open she looked from Lucius to gate and back at Lucius. Suddenly there was a flash of movement and soon a Grovyle was standing in front of Lucius and tears were in her eyes.
"Lucius is that really you?" The Grovyle asked him
"Yeah, Kina it's me." Lucius replied.
Kina wrapped her arms around him and buried her face into his chest. After awhile she recomposed herself looked from Emily to Lucius.
"I came with her to the Guild, it wasn't my original plan, but… I need everyone's help." Lucius replied.
"What do you our help with Lucius." Wiggytuff asked him.
Emily was watching the two friends so intently that she didn't notice that everyone from the guild had come outside.
"I'm being followed by something." Lucius replied.
There was a silence that Emily didn't understand until Loudred spoke.
"A presence you can't place, how strange." Loudred replied.
"Maybe I could be of some help." A Guardevoir said from the crowd.
"Of course Sabrina I need any help I can get." Lucius replied. "Meanwhile, I plan to explore to see if I can find any clues."
"I'll go with you." Kina told him.
"I will as well." Emily piped in, surprised about what she just did.
"A group of three, something I would've liked to avoid but might as well." Lucius replied quietly. "Okay so it's official Me, Kina, and Emily will all go as a group and look for clues, and it would help if you guys would help with the process."
At that they turned around and walked away but before they could go to the Shaymin Village Guardevoir stopped them.
"Lucius do you want the item back that you gave me to hold on to?" She asked him.
Guardevoir produced a ribbon that seemed to shine with an unearthly radiance and Emily felt pulled towards it for a reason she couldn't explain. She handed it to Lucius who quickly pocketed it and hugged her.
"Thanks for keeping your promise." Lucius told her. "We get back in one piece."
"We better." Kina told him with a slight smile.
"I seriously hope that's an inside joke or something." Emily told them as they set off towards the Shaymin Village.