AN: It is time for Chapter 4! So I guess I did get this up meaning I am a really GOOD liar then. I hope you all enjoy this chapter just to say this story is like 20+ chapters. Just to let you know I add a tad of reality in this and not just going off game concept. Adds a little more to it, don't you think? Well, I guess you'll find out as you read. Again, another joke so fair warning.

Disclaimer: (ring ring) Hello? I don't own anything related to Pokémon. Well, thanks MKLG, I guess I knew that…what a jerk…wait! That's me!

Chapter 4

Sleeping bliss. The beds in the Guild were soft, if you consider the hay soft, but no one complains. However, the apprentices do complain about one thing about sleeping, the being woken up.

"GET UP!" Loudred screamed into Shine's room which was actually Shadow's and Blaze's old room.

"I'm up!" Shine yelled back.

Shine gets up and looks at window where the sun shines in. She can't believe she's here…the Guild. Soon she'll be a first class explorer. Then she realizes she needs to go out for debriefing. Everyone was so welcoming to her. Of course they mentioned it reminded them of when Shadow first arrived, but they knew she was different. They then got their assignments and did the cheers which Shine was happy to partake in unlike Shadow who always reluctant.

"Alright, as I suspected Shadow planned this out so your next day would be Thursday so you'll be with her," Blaze theorized. Shadow was smart like that.

"Okay!"

"Speaking of the devil, where is she? She better not be asleep...she may be the greatest explorer along with Wigglytuff, but she's so lazy." Blaze mentioned. Shine giggled at that. So Shadow had faults and she was learning from the one who knew her best and from the best.

"Tell me how you really feel and don't have a Milktank, I'm here," Shadow commented coming down the ladder having heard what Blaze said about her.

"It's true," Blaze corrected, "Alright, go on. I'll even walk you out."

As they began walking to the ladder to go up the entrance after having reached the second floor they, or at least Shadow and Shine heard familiar voices.

"Oh Tauro! Yesterday was so much fun! Can I join Team Stomp?" Dona, a Donphan asked Tauro.

"Of course you can Dona, but remember we share." Tauro accepted with a smile.

"I know!" she squealed.

"That poor Donphan..." Shadow mumbled a little too loud.

"Quiet Shadow!" Tauro snapped having heard her.

"No thanks, my opinion in most cases is quite enlightening and truthful," Shadow smirked at her comment.

"Shadow!" Now Blaze was commenting about her behavior.

Shadow rolled her eyes before mocking back with, "Blaze!" He just glared at her. "It's true..."

"Hey are you on an adventure team too?" Dona asked.

"It's an exploration..." Shadow began to correct her.

"Whatever," the Donphan continued, "you should join us. You look super strong and could give anyone a good running." She obviously was both the more intelligent and naïve of the group.

"Dona, I'm team leader plus I don't want this flea bitten mongrel..." Tauro insulted.

"Flea bitten is a little much and I have a breed or in this case species..." Shadow countered in a joking tone it seemed.

"That was given to you! Everyone knows you're a mutt!" the bull snapped back.

"Whatever, you have horns on the wrong end plus to you, Dona was it? I am already the leader of Team DarkFire." Shadow said seeing the conversation, if you could it that, was getting out of hand and attracting unwanted attention.

"Oh My Arceus!" she swore, "It is you! Are you really? (Shadow nods) Well never mind, great meeting you! Come on Tauro."

"They have him whipped. I almost feel sorry for the poor..." Shadow said getting her last words.

"Shadow!"

"I was gonna say bull," she concluded.

"I'll never understand." Shine mumbled to herself. She also wondered who was the real child, her or Shadow. Even though she had only been officially been around the Umbreon a few days she was learning so much just about her as an individual. What happened to her role model?

"Okay, while we are here let's pick a mission then I'll show you Treasure Town more in depth. Explorers not only explore new dungeons, but help those in need. Here this one looks good." Shadow said moving on with her training.

Client: Rattata

Objective: Search for my lost item, a White Gummi

Place: Beach Cave F3

Reward: 200 poke

"I like it." Shine said even though it seemed simple.

"Good, because you didn't have a choice." Shadow said.

Shadow showed Shine Treasure Town before starting toward the Beach. Like Bidoof had done for her so long ago she felt she was paying it forward this way. That and she needed to know about where she could go for supplies and facilities.

"Can I ask some questions?" Shine asked Shadow as they walking toward the beach.

"Sure."

"Why are you doing this?" Shine asked starting with the basics.

"Like I said you remind me of myself if I would have born a Pokémon. I love to travel and explore new places. I see that spark in you and the way I see your mom she would never let you by yourself with a nudge," Shadow explained.

"Do you remember anything about yours? You know, your human life," Shine asked.

"No, I don't," she admitted, "and I guess that's why I gave Guildmaster. I want to find out who Shadow was as a human. I think my human self is dead anyway, but I have to know for sure so I keep traveling. I'm beginning to think what I am searching for isn't here."

"Because that you use to be human is that why that Tauros called you a mongrel and a mutt?" Shine asked. She then decided by the look on Shadow's face that may have been the wrong thing to ask. Shadow then brushed it off.

"Yes. My species is Umbreon, but no one will ever truly see me as such and I have come to accept it so remarks like that do not bother me. We're here. This is Beach Cave which is the closet dungeon to Treasure Town," Shadow said glad they could get off the topic. It was time to enter the dungeon.

"This is so cool!" Shine said. It was different when you're allowed to be here and not stocking someone.

"Remember to stay on your toes." Shadow advised.

"Right!" Her words seemed to commands to live by.

"Hehehe..."

"What's that?" Shine panicked slightly. She still had memories of what happened the last time she encountered some Pokémon.

"Some Corsola. Wanna help take them out?" Shadow suggested.

"Sure! Tackle!" Shine called.

"Iron Tail!" Shadow attacked and the Corsola were defeated easily.

"That was a rush!" Shine marveled at what this like. Shadow smiled at the Eevee's excitement, but then saw a Kabuto behind Shine.

"Shadow Ball!" Shadow attacked and the moves passes thru Shine and knocks out Kabuto.

"What was that?!" Shine yelled.

"I just defended you." Shadow started.

"I know that! Thanks by the way! That was awesome! The way it passed thru me! How did you do that?" Shine babbled. Shadow could only chuckle.

"It is one of many IQ abilities that is called Gap Prober. You learn them as you grow in ways such as eating Gummies and such," Shadow explained.

"Okay. Hey, isn't that the Gummi were looking for?" Shine says seeing a White Gummi across the other side of the floor. However, Shine doesn't see the trap that Shadow can see with her Trap Seer ability.

"Watch out!" Shadow barked as she pushes Shine off in time, but has to take a step forward this making her step on the trap which is poison spike trap that shoots into her paw. "Ow!"

"Shadow! Are you okay?" Shine asked seeing the incident and hearing it.

"I think so...traps are dangerous so always come prepared and be careful." Shadow said giving her another piece of advice. She was better at this than she thought she would be.

"Got it! Are you starting to sweat?" Shine asked seeing some beads on her black fur.

"It's because I'm agitated that my paw hurts. This way until we finish the mission no one mess with us as it's poisonous." Shadow explained to cover.

"That's scary and cool at the same time!" Shadow thought so too.

"Go grab the gummi so we can leave." She order.

Shine grabbed the gummi and they teleported out, but Shadow never took care of her poison.

LINE BREAK

"Thank you so much for finding it! I'm trying to become a great explorer someday so raising my IQ will help," Rattata said thankfully.

"You're welcome!" Shine cheerfully agreed.

"Here is your reward," Rattata said giving Shadow the 200poke reward. "Thank you!"

"Here," Shadow said giving her the money.

"Why?"

"It was your mission and you earned it. All I did was supervise," Shadow replied.

"Thank you Shadow!"

"Great job Shine. Shadow seems to be doing a great job." Blaze confessed. He was kind of worried about letting Shine go with Shadow, not because he thought she'd do a bad job, but she liked to get the job. He remembered sometimes she'd go by herself for either no or little reason.

"Thanks! It was awesome to go out with Shadow. She taught me a lot about IQs, traps, and..." Shine told how her outing had been. As she talked about her day to Blaze, Shadow begun to feel the effect of her poison. All she got out was a sigh before she collapsed to the ground.

"Shadow!" the duo cried.

Blaze saw on her the red fever bridge on her muzzle and feels her head. "She's burning up and I know burning! Did something happen?"

Shine feels she's going to hyperventilate as she said, "I don't know..."

"Chatot!" Blaze screamed.

"Yes Guildmaster, which I am finally getting use to...Oh my! What happened?" Chatot grumbled before seeing the ex-apprentice down for the count.

"I don't know...can you tell?" Blaze asked him.

"Down in the dungeon she saved me from a trap. She said she was fine, but it looked like she hurt her paw. She didn't tell me about the types..." Shine interjected telling what she knew what happened. Her confession seemed to help Chatot conclude what was wrong with her as he looked at her paw.

"She's been poisoned." That was all he said.

AN: Am I on a role or what? There is chapter 4 with 5 and probably 6 coming soon to an update near you! I figured since these chapters are short and since we won't hit the climax until about chapter 9ish I'll update often.

Also I want to point out after said point I may not update as often as I'd like because the binder containing this story is not with me. It is at home where I am not and won't be for a while as I'm a college. I only have up to half of chapter 9 on my laptop. Hopefully my bro will come thru and send it to me chapter by chapter so I can continue until I get the binder. I may have them mail it…I'm rambling, but don't fear I ALWAYS finish a story because I hate being left hanging.

Preview: Will Shadow be saved from her poison? Will they get it in time? What sacrifice will be made to unsure she turns out okay?