Chapter Six: The Explorer Guild
The next morning, the Pokémon of tent 591 all said their goodbyes. While Honoo, Dosatsu, Jimen, Amaiko, and Kibishii would be heading to Violet City, the others were going elsewhere. Ryuzaki would be going to Olivine City, Eisuke, Kazumi, and Ouya would be going to Goldenrod City, and Motoko would be going to Blackthorn City.
"I still can't believe you guys all got into the Explorer Guild," said Eisuke, shaking his head.
"It must be a lucky tent," Amaiko said as she wrapped Eisuke in a hug.
"Good luck in your travels," said Motoko.
"You too," said Honoo. "Blackthorn City is very far. Be careful."
"I will," said Motoko. "Discover something awesome, okay?"
"Certainly," said Honoo.
Once they had said their farewells, they left the tent. Jimen looked around to make sure they hadn't left anything behind, and then the trio walked through the Azenaki, went through the Tri-Type gates, and the distance between them and the Safari grew greater and greater.
"I'm sort of going to miss this place. The cliffs are nice here, and the waterfalls are awesome," said Jimen.
"There are many good memories here, but there will be even more in Violet City. We won't always have to worry about tests and stuff," Dosatsu agreed. "And we'll learn more interesting stuff than combat."
"But the combat was important. We need to be strong if we want to explore," Honoo said.
"Of course, but you must admit it gets boring."
Jimen said, "How long do you think it'll be before we're a real deal exploration team?"
"Longer than six months. Maybe a year or two," said Dosatsu.
"Two years is way too long," Jimen muttered.
Before they knew it, the trio arrived in Cianwood City. The town was very crowded today with the newly graduated cadets all trying to get on the ferry. "Guys, let's hurry and get our spots before they're booked," said Jimen. The trio rushed over to the ticket booth and managed to snag three of the last tickets for the noon ferry. Once they'd purchased, they got into line to wait.
After fifteen minutes of waiting, a worker called, "All aboard for the noon ferry! Have your tickets ready!"
The line began to inch forward. Honoo started to feel nervous. Last time he had been on a ferry, it hadn't gone very well. He was much more comfortable with his fire than he had been before. However, he'd been with the same people for six months. Being in a crowd in an unfamiliar place was different.
Soon, it was the trio's turn. Honoo handed over his ticket and stepped onboard. Once Jimen and Dosatsu were on, they immediately went down to the less-crowded deck below. Honoo felt better to get out of the spotlight.
Once they were down, Dosatsu said, "Hey, aren't those guys in the Explorer Guild?" Honoo looked to where she was pointing. There were three water-types sitting at a booth, a chinchou, a marshtomp, and a seel.
"Yeah, they were in line for the signups. Let's go talk to them," said Jimen. The trio approached the water-types.
"Hi there," Jimen greeted. "You three are in the Explorer Guild, right?"
"Sure are," said the seel. "You guys are, too. What're your names?"
"I'm Jimen Pidgeotto. This is Honoo Quilava and Dosatsu Axew," Jimen said.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Juhi Seel. This is Ekisen Chinchou and Toku Marshtomp.
Come and sit with us," said the seel. Honoo remembered Ekisen. They had spoken to her the first time they'd taken the Forty Ferry.
"Thanks!" The trio sat down at the booth, and they struck up a conversation.
"So are you guys an exploration team?" Dosatsu asked.
"Yeah. We're Team Tsunami. What's your team name?" said Toku.
"We don't have one yet, but we are an exploration team," said Jimen.
The boat lurched as it took off. Juhi said, "Guys, we're passing Whirl Islands. I used to play there and search for Lugia as a kid."
"You played at Whirl Islands? Isn't it dangerous?" Honoo asked.
"I never got passed the whirlpools, but I just played on the outside. Speaking of Whirl Islands, does anyone know the Legend of Lugia?" said Juhi.
"I know the Legend of Houou. It's about the war between Houou and Lugia, and the creation of the legendary beasts," said Jimen.
"The Legend of Lugia is sort of about that, too, but it's the real version of what happened. Shall I tell it?" Juhi offered.
Jimen looked annoyed. He hated when stories contradicted with the Legend of Houou, which was his favorite. "Alright. Go on." So Juhi began.
"Thousands of years ago, there were two towers in Ecruteak City. One was the Tin Tower. That tower was home to Houou, the Guardian of the Skies. The second tower was the Brass Tower, which was home to Lugia, Guardian of the Seas. Lugia was a beautiful, great white bird with blue markings. She was a psychic-type and a flying-type, but she protected the seas because she loved the water-types so. Although Houou and Lugia lived so close together, they were polar opposites. They hated each other and always argued. Houou was a bully. He always said the skies were better than the seas, and he claimed most Pokémon preferred the land. This made Lugia very angry.
"One day, Houou came to the Brass Tower. He said, 'Lugia, today, my army of flying-types defeated your water-types. Looks like they are mere weaklings on land. I shall do it again until water-types are known as pathetic creatures.' Laughing, he left.
"This made Lugia furious. 'How dare Houou come here just to gloat? How dare he set his Pokémon on my precious water-types, whom weren't suspecting an attack? He'll do this again just to get at me. I've got to do something to protect them. I must defeat Houou once and for all.'
"So Lugia decided that in order to protect her precious water-type Pokémon, she would raise the seas to swallow the land and create a world of only water-types. She was upset that she would have to sacrifice all the other types, but it was worth it to defeat Houou. It had to be done. Lugia told the water-types her plan, and they all agreed that this was the only way to protect themselves.
"Houou found out, and he was furious that Lugia was going to try to destroy his domain. Houou flew to the Brass Tower and demanded, 'How dare you wage war on me?'
"Lugia responded, 'You were trying to annihilate the water-types. How else did you expect me to retaliate? I am doing what is best for the seas.'
"Houou said, 'I shan't go down without a fight. I will fight to the death to protect my home and my Pokémon. You will not win.' He left shortly after.
"The war waged on, but the flying-types and the water-types were equally matched and fell into a stalemate. Both sides were killing each other off. Lugia realized that if she were to protect her people, she would have to kill Houou. Lugia flew across the land and went to visit the legendary bird of lighting, Zapdos.
"When Lugia arrived, she said, 'Zapdos, I must ask you a favor.'
"Zapdos snorted. 'Why should I help you? You're trying to kill off my kind, the electric-types. I don't owe you anything.'
"Then Lugia said, 'Zapdos, please help me. I will make you a deal. My plans are to raise the seas, yes, but if you help me, I will spare the electric-types. I will build them an island where they can live in peace. They will be saved. All I ask is one favor.'
"Zapdos knew the favor could not be a good one, but he could not turn his back on his kind. 'Alright. I'll do as you ask.'
"That night, Zapdos flew to Ecruteak City with the intention of summoning lightning to destroy the Tin Tower. The fire would kill Houou, who lived inside, and Lugia would win the war. Zapdos felt guilty for his actions, for Houou was a flying-type like him, but he only wanted to protect his kind. Zapdos rose above the Tin Tower and summoned a bolt of lightning. The tower went ablaze.
"However, Houou had spotted Zapdos and knew immediately what Lugia had done. Houou escaped the tower and flew forward to fight Zapdos. Zapdos shot at Houou with his lightning, but in his rage, one of the bolts struck the Brass Tower. When the Brass Tower caught fire, Zapdos's eyes widened with fear. Lugia would be furious with him. He quickly left Ecruteak City and flew into hiding where Lugia would not find him.
"Houou tried to put out the fires, but they could not be tamed. He could not vanquish the flames. But just as he was about to give up, a rain came. The downpour drenched the fires and saved the city and forests around them, but it was too late to save the towers. When Houou came to examine the damage to the Brass Tower, he found that three Pokémon, a fire-type, an electric-type, and a water-type, had perished in the fire.
"Houou felt sorry for them. Using his power to bring new life, he brought the Pokémon back from the dead. But upon their resurrection, he created the three legendary beasts. He created Raikou to represent the lightning that had hit the towers. He created Entei to represent the fire that had burned them. Lastly, he created Suicune to represent the rain that had vanquished the flames.
"Together, Houou and the legendary beasts rose up against Lugia. The four went to Whirl Islands, where they believed Lugia now resided. When they arrived, Houou said to Lugia, 'Lugia, the war ends now. You have gone too far and destroyed my home. Call off the war.'
"Lugia replied, 'Houou, I am sorry both our homes got destroyed, but I have to protect my people. They'll be safe in a world of water.'
"'You leave me no choice, Lugia,' said Houou. He unleashed his legendary beasts on Lugia. Raikou, Entei, and Suicune brought her down and put her body to sleep. As he watched Lugia's still body, Houou laughed. 'Yes! I've won against you, Lugia. I am the winner of our duel!'
"Then, something happened that Houou hadn't expected. The legendary beats turned on him. 'Houou,' said Raikou. 'You are a bully. Although it was best that the seas should not be raised, we can't allow you to continue to torment the water-types.' The beasts put Houou to sleep as well and went off to speed across the land of Johto.
"However, legend tells that Houou's and Lugia's spirits still roam the land. Houou seeks to return to his body so he can continue tormenting the water-types. And Lugia seeks to return to her own body so she can continue protecting her kind. And when they do rise again, those who share their type shall weep tears of joy."
As Juhi finished, Jimen was bristling with anger. "What a taurdrops story. Haven't you heard the real version? Houou wasn't the villain. He just wanted to protect his own kind from Lugia's craziness. And Houou did not raise the legendary beasts to take down Lugia. He raised them in his mourning. Do your research."
"I don't know what lies your mom fed you, but Lugia was a good Pokémon. Houou was a bully," Juhi argued.
"Guys, let's calm down," said Dosatsu. "This is proof that although they're nice stories, they aren't real. Two versions of reality couldn't have happened. Houou and Lugia are just stories, so don't get so worked up. We're all explorers."
Jimen and Juhi fell quiet, still glaring daggers at each other. Honoo hoped this wouldn't get awkward.
Time passed, and as the deep orange sun was setting in a light violet sky, the ferry arrived on the beach of Route 40. The two exploration teams said goodbye, and Honoo, Dosatsu, and Jimen went off the boat.
"Let's stay at the inn tonight," said Jimen. "We deserve a treat."
"An inn sounds much nicer than camping," Honoo agreed.
They wandered the streets of Olivine for a half hour before finding the inn. It was a white, three-story building at the edge of the city. "It boggles my mind that they'd put the inn in such a remote location," Jimen muttered, cranky from their walk.
"Ah, come on, Jimen. I liked walking around Olivine. It's such a nice city, despite being so close to the sea," said Honoo.
"I agree. We don't have cities like this in Unova," Dosatsu added.
They entered the inn. Honoo immediately sensed the rise in temperature. The inn was filled with soothing warmth. A fire was roaring in the hearth. In the lobby, there were several sofas and a wingull behind the counter. The wingull looked no more than eight months old.
"Welcome to the Pelipper Inn. How may I help you?" the wingull said unenthusiastically. He was flipping through a picture book.
The trio went up to the counter. "We'd like three beds for the night," said Jimen.
"That'll be eighteen poké." Jimen handed over a twenty bill and the wingull returned two singles. "Follow me."
The wingull led them up to the second floor. It was an open room with many nests lined up in rows. The room was filled with the soft snoring of sleeping Pokémon. The wingull led them to the corner, where there were three unoccupied nests. "Here you are. Enjoy your stay." The child rushed off to get back to his book.
"This is nice," said Dosatsu. She got onto the straw nest closest to the corner. "It's so toasty warm in here."
"I hear they heat the nests with the help of fire-types," Jimen said in agreement.
Honoo was too exhausted to even talk. He curled up on his nest. The fire that burned on his lower back continuously licked the nest, but quilava were special Pokémon. Their permanent fire was not flammable, so whatever it touched would not ignite. Honoo loved this feature. They were still blue, of course, but he was coming to terms with it. Being out in the world with his flames on display, he'd had to get used to the occasional look of disgust, but most took no notice, and his friends were always there to comfort him. He was beginning to wonder if he would have been fine in Azalea Town if he had gone out. He remembered Jimen's kind words. "Why is it a disorder? That's wicked!" Perhaps one day he may even use his scorching hot fire to the advantage of his team.
Honoo hadn't even realized he'd fallen asleep when he woke up to the sun shining in through the windows. It was sunrise. All the inn guests were rousing. The stirring of Jimen beside him had woken Honoo.
"Get up, everybody! We've got to get to Violet City today," Jimen said, his body quivering with excitement.
That was when Honoo remembered. Of course! Today's the day we arrive at Jonetsu's Explorer Guild! This will be my first day on an exploration team. Honoo leaped out of bed and went to wake Dosatsu, who was still fast asleep.
Honoo shook Dosatsu gently. "Wake up. We're going to Violet City today."
Dosatsu's eyes opened slightly. "Five more minutes," she muttered before rolling over and closing her eyes again.
"Dosatsu, we've got to leave now," Honoo urged. "You don't want to keep Jonetsu waiting, do you?"
"Okay, okay. I'm getting up." Dosatsu slowly rose into a sitting position. She stretched out her arms and let out a huge yawn. "I'm up." She climbed out of the nest.
"Let's get outside. Then we'll review the map," said Jimen. The three Pokémon went downstairs, thanked the wingull as they passed, and stepped out onto the streets of Olivine.
"Map," Honoo requested. Jimen pulled out the map and handed it to Honoo, who opened it in front of him.
"The route is almost identical to the one we took from Goldenrod City. We've got to go north on Route 39 and then onto Route 38. We should reach Ecruteak City around noon. Then we go south on Route 37, turn east onto Route 36, and we'll reach Violet City. We should be there by evening," said Honoo. He folded the map and handed it to Jimen, who tucked it back into the bag.
"Then let's go!" Jimen said. The three Pokémon, hearts beating with excitement, stepped onto Route 39 and followed the path to their dreams.
"It's very bleak," said Dosatsu. In fact, that's all any of them could come up with to say about Violet City.
It was evening now. The sky was just starting to turn orange when the trio finally reached Violet City. But upon entering the city, they found it to be rather disappointing. The color palette was bleak, and there were hardly any buildings. Even the chain store, the Poké Mart, was painted duller than its usual vibrant pigment of blue as if just to match the mood of the city. Many of the Pokémon walking around were aged with dreary looks on their faces. It was as if time passed twice as slow here. It was a town stuck in the past, falling behind the other settlements in their race into the future.
"Why would Jonetsu choose a dumb place like this to put his guild?" Jimen wondered.
Honoo suggested, "Perhaps because the Ruins of Alph are right outside the city. Or maybe he likes quiet places. A city as flashy as Goldenrod would only be a distraction to our training. Or maybe because it's is the center of Johto..."
"Okay, okay, Mr. Map," said Jimen with an amused smile. Honoo really had become their designated map-reader.
"So where is the guild?" Dosatsu said.
They'd reached the middle of the city, where there was a crossroad, but the guild was nowhere in sight. The only significant thing anywhere nearby was the large pond to their left.
"Excuse me," Dosatsu said to a passing old ledian. "We're looking for the military Explorer Guild. Can you direct us?"
"Sure. Just head to Sprout Pond and cross the bridge. The guild is at the other side of the pond," said the ledian. "I get that question all the time."
"Thank you, ma'am," said Dosatsu. The ledian nodded and walked off.
The trio exchanged an excited glance and dashed for Sprout Pond. There was a small island in the middle of the pond where an old couple was enjoying the evening. A purple wooden bridge connected the south side of the pond to the island, and then another bridge from the island to the north side. Across the pond, Honoo could see a small, purple building.
The trio ran across the pond. Honoo's heart quickened and he could feel adrenalin coursing through his veins. His dreams were so close now. Just a few more steps, and he would be there. All his desires were just within his grasp.
But then Honoo stopped short. His heart slowed down, and his adrenalin began to fade.
Jimen and Dosatsu stopped and looked back. "Honoo, what's wrong?" Dosatsu asked. It was odd, for she couldn't feel any anxiety coming from him.
"What if it's not at all what we expected? What if this is just one big anticlimax? What if it isn't what we hoped?" Honoo said.
Dosatsu turned and walked back. She picked up Honoo's hand and held it comfortingly. "It will be."
"But if it isn't?" Honoo demanded.
"Just trust me. The adventure of a lifetime is waiting for you at the other side of this pond. You came this far. Don't stop here," Dosatsu said.
And Honoo felt excited again. "I won't." He broke into a run and dashed across the pond, passing both Jimen and Dosatsu.
"Hey, wait for us!" Jimen laughed. He and Dosatsu quickly followed. They ran right through the island, ran over the second bridge, stepped off onto ground, and burst through the red doors.
Honoo was confused at first. He couldn't see Jonetsu, explorers, battles, or treasure. There was just a small empty room. In fact, the only object in the room was a hole with a ladder leading down and several signs. The largest sign said Welcome to the Johto Military Explorer Guild: Run by Captain Jonetsu. Another sign had several notices, such as The Guild is Closed to Visitors Today. Sorry. The last, most noticeable sign said Welcome, New Pupils! Please Head Downstairs and Sign In at the Main Desk.
"We've got to sign in downstairs," Honoo explained to his friends. "I guess the guild is underground."
"Underground? I love it already," Jimen said. "Honoo, you go on in first."
Honoo felt touched. He thought Jimen would fight beak and claws to get in first. "Thanks," he said. He got onto the ladder and climbed down.
Now was the time to be impressed. Honoo gazed around the large, underground room. It was ovular and lined with golden-brown bricks. The ground was covered in short, soft, light green grass. Two large bulletin boards covered in notices were on the north wall. At the other walls, there were doorways leading to different rooms. The doorways at the east and west walls were open, but the south doorway was closed. Near the center was a crescent- shaped desk, and sitting at the desk was a noctowl.
Honoo, Dosatsu, and Jimen walked over to the front desk. Dosatsu stepped to the front. "Hello. We're here to sign in. We're from the Safari."
"I see. New arrivals," said the noctowl. "Names?"
"Dosatsu Axew, Jimen Pidgeotto, and Honoo Quilava," Dosatsu replied.
The noctowl looked through a list. "Ah yes. You're among the first to arrive. Welcome to the Explorer Guild." He rang a bell on her desk.
Several moments later, an ivysaur came up from a ladder that led down to another floor. "Yes, Shinchona?" the ivysaur said.
The noctowl, Shinchona, ignored him and said to the new arrivals, "This here is Tsua Ivysaur. He'll show you around the guild. After he finishes the tour, you are to meet with Jonetsu in a designated area."
"Thank you," said Dosatsu.
"Come on. Follow me," said Tsua. He led the trio away from the desk. "Welcome to the Explorer Guild. I'm Tsua Ivysaur, a fellow member of the guild. I've been training here for one year now. Today is my one year anniversary, in fact."
"You've been here a year? Are you close to graduating?" Jimen asked.
"Heavens, no! I still have a year of training to go," said Tsua. A frown appeared on Jimen's face.
They arrived at the bulletin boards. "These two boards are the Job Bulletin Board and Outlaw Notice Board. While exploration teams aren't working, they often take jobs like these. As guild apprentices, it's part of our training to go on these jobs regularly. The Job Bulletin Board is where Pokémon request help. They could be lost, missing items, or other stuff like that. The Outlaw Notice Board gets notices from the local police. If you go out and capture an outlaw, you'll get rewarded, and it earns a lot of points in training."
They headed to the west doorway. The hall split into two while a door blocked one.
Tsua said, "Oftentimes, graduated exploration teams will come here. Some take jobs, but others just come to relax and share stories. That's what the Explorer Lounge is for. It's a public service. If you ever want to relax for a day and listen to stories, that's the place to go.
"The other way leads to the lecture room, where Shinchona and Jonetsu will give us lessons. Those lessons take place in here. Explorers also come to give lectures."
Who would want to listen to a dumb lecture when they could be out exploring the unknown? Jimen thought. And that stupid job board, too. I didn't come here to find some idiot's lost lunchbox.
They crossed through the main room, heading to the other doorway. As they passed, Honoo noticed that Team Tsunami had arrived. They seemed tired but also excited.
They entered the east doorway. The hall also split into two, but there were no doors.
"That way leads to the Artifact Room. It's filled with treasures from Jonetsu and Shinchona's explorations. It's a fun place to visit. It's filled with all sorts of neat stuff. The other way leads to the library. It's one of the greatest libraries in Johto. It's open to the public and filled with books on faraway places, diaries of explorers, and the history of exploration. Sometimes we have to do research, so the library is the place to go. There's also a collection of myths from regions all over the world," Tsua said. "Now let's go down to the first floor."
They went back to the main room and climbed down the ladder to the lowest floor. The main room on the first floor was smaller than the second, and more rectangular than ovular. On the north wall to the left was an enormous, detailed map of Johto. To the right of the north wall was a door. There were halls branching off from the south, east, and west walls. There were Pokémon lounging around, all of them first- or second-evolved.
"Follow me," said Tsua. They went to the west hall first. It was a very short hallway. When they entered the room, a long dining table filled most of the space. "This is the mess hall. It's where we eat our meals. You'll be called here for breakfast and dinner. When you hear the bell, head here. In fact, you're not too late for dinner tonight."
Tsua led them across to the east hall. When they entered, Honoo was impressed. The golden bricks and grass floor changed to white tiles with blue designs. The room was circular with a domed roof. "Impressive, isn't it? This here is the Battle Area, more commonly referred to as the Arena. You can train and practice your fighting skills here. Of course, fighting isn't a priority in our training, but gaining levels is important. Jonetsu doesn't tolerate fighting unless it's for exercises. We're a passive guild."
They use the level system here, too Honoo thought. Perhaps the whole military uses it. And no fighting? That's different.
They then went towards the south hall. As they crossed through the main room, Tsua said, "That door over there leads to Jonetsu's chambers. It's off limits to us apprentices."
As they crossed through the room, a charmeleon called to Tsua, "Tsua, got newbies with you?"
"Yeah, Sanshouo. This is Dosatsu, Honoo, and Jimen," Tsua said.
"We needed another fire-type around," Sanshouo said. "Welcome." His eyes remained on Honoo's fire a second too long, but he tried his best to ignore it.
"Thanks," Jimen said.
Tsua led them into the south hall, which led to another hallway perpendicular to it. There were many small doorways scattered throughout the hall. "These are the apprentices' dorms. Every team has one room. Let's find your room, shall we?"
Tsua led them up and down the hall before the finally found it. It was the room right at the end of the left side of the hall. "Here we are. Go on in and unpack. Once you're finished, go and meet Jonetsu in the mess hall. He'll be waiting. Welcome to the guild!" Tsua left the alone.
The room was small and pleasant. There was a small, metal fireplace in the wall. The room had three straw nests that formed a triangle. There were several hooks to hang things and a wooden storage box.
"I call this bed!" Dosatsu jumped and flopped down on the top of the triangle.
"I love this place. It's great," Honoo said as he claimed his own test. It was the one most inward.
Jimen slipped his bag off onto a hook and climbed onto his nest. "Well, I must say I'm a little disappointed."
Honoo and Dosatsu were astounded. "Disappointed? How?" Dosatsu gasped.
"Job requests? Combat training? Lectures? That isn't what I came here to do. I came here to explore, find treasure, and make historic discoveries. Not to find some loser's lost toy or catch a petty thief," Jimen muttered.
"We've literally been here for less than an hour. You can't start complaining. Everything we do here will be necessary to become explorers. You can't just throw yourself into some uncharted land and expect things to go swimmingly. This guild is exclusive for a reason," said Dosatsu.
"Whatever," Jimen muttered. "I just hope things look up when we go talk to Captain Jonetsu."
After ten minutes of resting, the trio went back into the main room. The Pokémon, most likely other guild cadets, were relaxing and drinking smoothies. Honoo felt nervous as they passed through the crowd to the mess hall. Were these apprentices judging him? What did they think of his fire? Would they hate him for it? His heart started to pound.
When they entered the mess hall, Jonetsu was sitting at the far side of the table. He had papers scattered around them. He looked up as they entered. "Ah, my favorite little heroes. Come in. Sit on down."
Jimen, Dosatsu, and Honoo sat down across from Jonetsu. Honoo tried his best to control the pounding of his heart.
"Welcome. How do you like the place so far? Meet your expectations?"
"Sure did!" Dosatsu said enthusiastically. Jimen was quiet, but he couldn't help but get excited sitting at a table with the notorious Captain Jonetsu.
"I'm glad. Jimen, how's the ground-type move I sent you? Did you manage to learn it properly?" Jonetsu asked.
"Yeah. It works really well. Kihon Sandslash helped me a lot in practice," Jimen said.
"Kihon. She's the 204th corps leader, right? I like her," said Jonetsu. "Let's get started on your registration. First off, you need a team name. Have you picked one out?"
They were all quiet. They all felt embarrassed for not having thought much about it. "I'll take that as a no. Take a few moments to think it over," said Jonetsu.
The trio huddled up. "Anyone have any suggestions?" Honoo said.
They were all quiet in thought for a moment. Then Dosatsu said, "Well, I've had an idea for a little while."
"Go on. Tell us," Honoo urged.
Dosatsu looked a little embarrassed. "Fine. You guys probably won't like it, but I think one major thing we all have in common is we all love legends. We're all passionate about them. Especially you, Jimen. Whenever someone challenges what you think is canon, it bothers you. Although I don't believe they're true, I know for a fact that both of you want to become explorers partly to find out if the legends you hold so dear are true. And even though I have doubts, I'd be interested in finding out, too. So what if we called ourselves Team Legend?"
Honoo and Jimen were quiet as they considered this.
Dosatsu looked sheepish. "We don't have to do it," she said.
"Are you kidding? It's perfect!" Jimen said. "Honoo, you agree, right?" Honoo gave a nod. "Then it's settled. We're Team Legend."
"Nice name. I'll take it down." Jonetsu picked up a quill and started to write on a paper. "I need to know all your current levels."
"We're all level twenty," said Jimen.
Jonetsu jotted it down. "And what are your current moves?"
"I know dragon rage, dual chop, scary face, and slash," Dosatsu replied.
"Good moveset. Dual chop is a powerful move," Jonetsu said. "What about you, Honoo?"
Honoo's heart pounded a little as Jonetsu looked at him with his crimson eyes. "Uh, I know smokescreen, ember, quick attack, and flame wheel."
"And I know sand attack, quick attack, dig, and whirlwind," Jimen added.
"Okay then!" said Jonetsu. "You're all set. We'll be having these meetings from time to time so I can track your progress. Come down here for dinner when the bell rings, and after dinner I'm going to brief all the new recruits. Just meet outside my chambers. Before dinner, you may as well get to know your fellow apprentices and explore the guild."
"Thanks, Jonetsu," said Jimen. The trio got down from the bench and left the mess hall.
When they left the mess hall, Honoo spotted Amaiko and Kibishii sitting together slightly separate from the rest of the group. "Look! It's Team Volcano," he said to his friends. They walked over to greet their old mates from tent 591.
"Oh, hey, friends. Got here safe?" Amaiko greeted.
"Yup. How was your trip?" Dosatsu asked. She sat down next to Amaiko.
"It was delightful. Kibishii and I went to visit the Burned Tower in Ecruteak City. It's from the Legend of Houou, but you knew that, right?"
Jimen was immediately excited. "Of course! That's my favorite story," he exclaimed.
Amaiko smiled. "No way! It's mine, too. I told it to Kibishii while we were in Ecruteak, but he said it was silly because it contradicted with his favorite story." Kibishii grunted as if to say damn right I didn't like it.
"Amaiko, do you know any of the other Pokémon that are arriving?" Honoo asked.
"The only Pokémon I know is coming is Bureina Nidorina." But Amaiko didn't sound particularly happy about this. "Oh look! New arrivals."
Honoo turned. Team Tsunami had just come down from the ladder. They were being led by a raichu with particularly big eyes. She was giving them the tour.
"I know them," said Honoo. "We met them on the ferry. They're Team Tsunami."
"I don't like that seel. She seems to think Lugia was the good guy," Jimen muttered. "What garbage."
Kibishii turned to Jimen. "It's not that her version of the tale is garbage, nor is yours. You come from opposite sides of Johto. Lore gets twisted wherever it goes. You simply learned the version from your own region. She's a water-type from Cianwood City. I'd be surprised if she didn't think of Lugia as the good guy."
Jimen looked shocked. Not because he had been told off, but because that was the most Kibishii had ever spoken to him, perhaps anyone besides Amaiko, without telling a story. In fact, Honoo and Dosatsu were shocked, too.
"Jimen, you should try to make friends with them. Let's all be friends!" Amaiko said in her cutesy, high-pitched voice.
Suddenly, a jumpluff ran over. "Great Arceus, you are sooo cute!"
A furret came over as well. "Oh, look at her. She would fit right into Team Chibi," she cooed.
Amaiko giggled. "Thank you!" Kibishii shot the girls a look that could only be received as don't touch the vulpix. She's mine.
"Oh, silly me! Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Kitsu Furret, and this here is my teammate, Sukippu Jumpluff. Along with Mausu Raichu, we are Team Chibi," said the furret. "You're all new arrivals, yes?"
"We just arrived from the Safari today," Dosatsu said.
"Oh, I remember training. What a bore," said Kitsu.
"I hardly passed those dumb trimming tests," Sukippu agreed.
"But that's all over for all of us. What're your names?" Kitsu asked.
"I'm Amaiko Vulpix, and this is Kibishii Rhyhorn. We're Team Volcano," said Amaiko.
Jimen added, "And we're Jimen Pidgeotto, Dosatsu Axew, and Honoo Quilava. We're Team Legend."
"Nice team names. Oh, you're all so cute!" Sukippu squealed. "Amaiko, sit with me at dinner, okay?"
"No, sit next to me!" Sukippu said.
"Thank you for the offer, but I'm going to sit with Kibishii. You can both sit next to me on my other side, though," said Amaiko. She wrapped her arm around Kibishii, who didn't even seem to notice as he stared into space, lost in deep thought.
Just then a bell rang. The bell could be heard throughout the whole guild. "Yippee! Dinner!" Kitsu cheered. She and Sukippu abandoned the rookies and darted into the mess hall.
"Let's go get our seats before it gets overcrowded," said Dosatsu. They entered the mess hall.
Honoo was surprised. The once-empty table was now covered in delicious food. There was a platter of red meat, lots of berries and vegetables, white meat, fruits, and different jugs filled with assorted beverages. Jonetsu was sitting at the head table, his plate covered in large, roasted apple slices. The air was warm from the heat of the food, and the room was filled with the chatter of the cadets.
The trio sat down next to each other towards the end of the table. Honoo was in between Dosatsu and Jimen. At the opposite head of the table was Shinchona, the noctowl whom had been at the front desk when they'd first arrived.
Jonetsu cleared his throat and tapped his glass with his claws. "Attention, everybody!" The chatter quieted down.
"Pupils, we're here to eat another delicious meal prepared by our cook. And tonight is a special occasion. Most of our new recruits have arrived. So dig in and try to get to know each other. You may feast!"
The Pokémon dug into the food. Honoo grabbed a plateful of red meat and mashed passho berries. The food was even better than at the Safari. He wasn't sure he would ever get used to being so pampered after living homeless on the streets of Goldenrod City.
The mess hall had an enjoyable atmosphere. The room was filled with the noise of conversation. The girls of Team Chibi were obsessing over Amaiko, squealing and pinching her cheeks whenever she spoke. Amaiko was basking in the attention, and the mood was so good Kibishii didn't even seem to mind very much. The older pupils were laughing loudly and throwing food when they were sure Shinchona wasn't looking. The new arrivals were quieter but still clearly having a good time of themselves. With Jimen and Dosatsu at his sides, not even Honoo could possibly have a bad night.
Across the table sat an arcanine and a magmar. Honoo met the arcanine's eye. "Ah, a fire-type! And a quilava, too. You don't see many of them nowadays, do you?"
"No sirree," the magmar agreed.
"I'm Inu Arcanine. This here's my partner, Moyasu Magmar. Together, we're Team Scorch."
Honoo mustered up his courage and said, "I'm Honoo Quilava."
Jimen jumped into the conversation, eager to speak with some experienced pupils. "I'm Jimen Pidgeotto. That there is Dosatsu Axew. We're Team Legend."
"Legend? Nice name," said Inu. "So what brings you to the Explorer Guild?"
"We're gonna become a top-notch exploration team," said Jimen. "When do we start exploring, by the way? Anytime soon?"
Inu and Moyasu glanced at each other and burst into laughter. Jimen's feathers ruffled at this. "'Anytime soon!' Boy, is he funny," Inu said. He and Moyasu managed to calm down. "My friend, you've got a long way to go. There's plenty to learn before you can even think about going on expeditions."
"Expeditions?" Dosatsu asked.
"It's when the guild goes to explore something far away. It's hard to get in. Only several teams are selected, and hardly ever rookies. Some of the pupils that have been here for a year haven't gone on one yet. We accompanied Jonetsu on an expedition a couple of months ago."
"It was the greatest! We found some neat stuff," Moyasu said.
"We have to wait ten months to explore?" Jimen groaned.
"If you're lucky," said Moyasu.
"What about small-scale expeditions? Anything easier to get into?" Jimen pried.
"You'll find out more about that at the briefing later today. Inu, Moyasu, don't spoil too much. It's more fun telling them when they don't know." It was Jonetsu who had spoken from his spot at the head of the table.
"Sorry, Jonetsu!" Inu called back. Honoo was surprised that Inu had spoken to Jonetsu in such a familiar way. Jimen had gotten scratched for talking to Captain Kyojin that way once. He'd been angry about it for days afterwards.
Dosatsu asked the members of Team Scorch, "How is guild training? Are the jobs fun?"
"Doing regular jobs are fine. It's always nice helping out others, and the Pokémon who post jobs are always more than willing to reward. It's more practice working outside and as a team than anything else," Inu explained.
"Are there a lot of lectures?" Jimen asked.
"Yeah. Oh, don't look like I just announced a famine. The lectures are very interesting. Jonetsu talks a lot about his own escapades," said Moyasu.
Jimen looked intrigued. "I'd like to hear about that," he admitted.
"I know how it sounds, but it's not bad. I promise. It's better than day jobs," said Moyasu.
"And if you guys have time at the end of the day, definitely stop by the Explorer Lounge. All sorts of different exploration teams stop by, so you might meet an especially famous one. Moyasu and I met Team Domino once," said Inu.
Honoo gasped. "Team Domino? The legendary team who discovered the lost Dragon's Den? The one with Sagasu Dusknoir and Mitsukaru Beartic? That Team Domino?"
"The one and only," Inu said, holding his head high.
"What were they like?" Honoo asked enthusiastically.
"Sagasu was pretty boastful, but Mitsukaru was quite humble. They told us about the discovery of the Dragon's Den," said Moyasu.
"Sorry, I'm confused. What's the Dragon's Den?" Dosatsu asked.
It was Jimen who answered. "The Dragon's Den is only the legendary lost temple built to honor Arceus and his angels. It's said to be thousands of years old. No one knows who built it or how it came to be, but it was only heard of in legends until Team Domino uncovered it. They're quite famous. I'm shocked you haven't heard of them."
"Seems neat," said Dosatsu.
"Neat? It's beyond neat. It's an architectural monument! There are features of architecture in there that Pokémon hadn't even thought to attempt before. And even then they found it difficult to replicate what the Dragon's Den had pulled off ages ago. It's a masterpiece worthy of the great god," Honoo said.
"Did you guys know that Jonetsu takes the pupils on a field trip to the Dragon's Den every year?" said Inu.
Honoo and Jimen gasped. "When is it?"
"Oh, the rookies don't get to go. It's only for senior apprentices. You have to be trained for eighteen months," said Inu.
"Eighteen months?" Jimen groaned.
"At least we're going at all. I can wait for the Dragon's Den," Honoo said.
"There are drawings of it in the Library. You should check them out," Moyasu suggested.
Honoo looked around at the other pupils around him. He spotted those he knew, such as Amaiko, Kibishii, Juhi, Ekisen, and Toku. But there were also a couple he did not know. There was a nidorina and spinarak keeping to themselves.
The new arrivals waited outside Jonetsu's chambers for his briefing. Most of the senior pupils had retired to their rooms. Team Scorch and a couple of others had gone up to the Explorer Lounge for a late night drink. It would be dark outside by now. Honoo felt ready for bed, but he could keep his energy up for a while more to hear what Jonetsu had to say.
Finally, the doors opened and Jonetsu stepped out. Honoo, curious about the forbidden room, tried to peer into the chambers, but he could only see darkness. Maybe he likes it dark. He is a dark-type, after all Honoo considered.
But the doors closed before Honoo could look any further. Jonetsu, tail swaying, said enthusiastically, "Welcome, new explorers! I hope you are liking the guild. Has it met your expectations?"
"Yes!" the cadets said together.
Jonetsu shook his head. "That brings me to the first thing I'd like to discuss. Enough with the formality here. I'd like for you all to consider yourselves not apart of a military, but of a school of exploration. No one needs to say 'hai' here. You can if you want, but you'll just look ridiculous. Go on, you can laugh."
The Pokémon let out their giggles. They were slightly hesitant, for laughing like this while being briefed by any other captain would surely land punishment, but Jonetsu even laughed with them. Once they were quiet, he continued.
"Here, I am not Captain Jonetsu Umbreon." He said his title in a mocking voice. "I'm just Jonetsu, your guildmaster and teacher in the ways of exploration. Now that all that useless formality is gone, I'm sure we will all come to be good friends.
"I will now explain how guild training works, so listen carefully if you don't want to be lost for the next two years. You all start with basic training. Most of your days will consist of taking jobs from the Job Bulletin Board and Outlaw Notice Board. These jobs will help you work on team coordination, gain experience in the field, and reach short-term goals. You will all record your progress with these jobs in your adventure logs. You will find these in the storage boxes in your rooms. Each job is worth a certain number of points. Earn points, and it'll assist you in the long run. The more difficult the job, the more points it is worth.
"As junior apprentices, a large portion of your days will include field trips to the Ruins of Alph. The ruins are one of the reasons I put my guild here. Surely you have heard of the ruins. They were uncovered a couple of hundred years ago and are filled with puzzles for you to solve and artifacts for you to study. You will probably have your first field trip within a week. These trips will grow less frequent as your time goes on.
"The last percentage of your training for now will consist of lectures. Shinchona, my partner, and I will give lectures. These will be to help teach you skills you can use in the field. Lectures are usually only a couple of hours, so what you do for the rest of the day depends on the situation.
"As you are aware, we also have a battle area. To be honest, the only reason I have it is because dumb old Yuki made me. Combat skills don't make a good explorer. Good explorers are built of courage, cooperativeness, and spirit. I'm not a fan of fighting in general, so it's only allowed when I give the okay, okay?
"Usually work ends in the late afternoon, so you can spend the rest of the day doing anything that will help you become a better explorer. I don't permit lazing, so if you are caught doing nothing you will receive a punishment. I don't know why you would, though. There are tons of great things to do. When you're not working, you can go as far as Dark Cave on Route 31, the intersection of Routes 36 and 37, and a little way down Route 32. If you go farther, there will be consequences. Shinchona deals with all of that, though. You will have vacations twice a year in which you may visit your family, and if they live here in the city, I must urge you to stay focused on guild work.
"I must also remind you that we have a curfew. Unless I tell you otherwise, you must be back at the guild by first black. Guild work is tiring, so you will need all the sleep you can get, and this is just a way of keeping track of all the pupils, so I hope you don't mind too much. If you are nocturnal, come to me and we will discuss it.
"And lastly, in three months, the guild will be hosting an expedition. Some of you may have heard, but an expedition is when I take several of the teams to go explore someplace far away. Usually, they take place in or around Johto and Kanto, but we have gone as far as Hoenn in the past. I cannot tell you now where our next expedition will be, but note that it will be somewhere very exciting! Usually, we don't bring junior pupils, especially ones with only three months of experience, but there have been and will be exceptions. Work very hard and you might just land a spot.
"And that's about it! You all must be exhausted, so do go get some rest. We rise at dawn. Tomorrow morning, you all should come back here after breakfast so I can assign you to a mentor team. Goodnight, new pupils, and welcome to the Exploration Guild."
Jonetsu turned and disappeared into the darkness of his chambers. The new pupils sectioned off into their individual teams and headed towards the rooms, chattering excitedly.
Jimen's eyes were glowing brightly as he said, "Did you guys hear him? There's an expedition in three months! We have to get on it. We just have to."
"I don't think we should get our hopes up yet, Jimen. We've only just started. Jonetsu said rookies are hardly ever allowed to go," said Dosatsu.
"But we have to try! I need something more exciting than lectures and day jobs. If we're going to be here for two years, I need to feel like an explorer," said Jimen.
You should probably try it out before you decide you're bored, Honoo thought.
They arrived in their room. Dosatsu closed the door behind them and they all began to get ready for night. The fire had gone out, so Honoo used ember to get it going again, filling the room with flickering blue light.
As they settled on their nests, Jimen said, "Do you think we'll discover something as magnificent as the Dragon's Den one day?"
"If we train hard and have spirit, we can," Dosatsu said. "Let's discover a whole new region."
"Let's find Houou and prove the legends true," Honoo said.
Jimen suddenly sprang out of his sleeping position. "Hey, let's tell stories!"
"Now? I'm tired," Dosatsu said.
"Come on. It's our first night in the Exploration Guild. Let's end it with something special," Jimen pleaded.
Dosatsu could sense how much he wanted it. "Oh, alright. But this time, Honoo has to tell it."
Honoo looked startled. "Me?"
"Yes. I've never heard you tell a story before," said Dosatsu.
"Oh, I'm not nearly as good a storyteller as Jimen. And look at the poor guy. He's itching to tell something. What do you have planned for tonight, Jimen?" Honoo asked.
"This is one my mother told me. It's my first story, actually. It's the Legend of Tesaki and the Forest Guardian."
"I've never heard of such a story," said Honoo.
"Nor have I."
"I'm not surprised. It's a Johto story, but hardly anyone tells it anymore. It falls victim to the much more popular, such as the tales of the Tower Cycle."
"Okay, fine. But Honoo, promise me you'll tell me a story someday," Dosatsu said.
"I promise. Go on, Jimen."
"Very well. I'll tell it as Mother told it. In any forest across the globe, if you walk deep enough, you might find something peculiar. It is a wooden shrine. Long ago, they were painted green and covered in vines and flowers. Pokémon, especially grass- and bug-types, would gather at these shrines and pray to them, for they are shrines of the Forest Guardian. Now they have fallen into disrepair. Their paint peels, and the vines have died, but it troubles not the Forest Guardian.
"Celebi is her name. Those who see her describe her as a fairy. She is sprite-like, with a light green body to match the foliage. Her gossamer wings flutter with the breeze, and her blue eyes are ringed with black. Those who long for love are immediately besotted. The grass- and bug-types whom she protects love her so, and they will even follow her gentle humming for hours at a time. She is the keeper of the rare lum berry, which can heal all natural ailments.
"But not only is she a being of grass, but she is a being of psychic as well. Celebi not only tends to the forests of the present, but across all time. She can hop through time. She could vanish today and reappear a hundred years ago."
"Incredible!" Dosatsu whispered. Neither she nor Honoo had ever heard of such a thing.
"Yes, it's true. She protects the forests that are no longer around and the forests that have yet to come. When Pokémon try to cut the forests down or natural disaster threatens, she is there. When a forest has grown old and the ground is cluttered thick with dead leaves, she comes with fire to clear it and begin the cycle anew. No matter how great a threat it is, she will come. But she does not defend her forests with violence or force, but instead the gentleness that is the very nature of Celebi.
"Of all the forests of the world, the Ilex Forest in her homeland of Johto has always been her favorite. When the forests are safe, there she rests by her shrine, which still stands today. There she makes braids and beads of leaves and flowers, and hums to all the Pokémon who live there. She loves many forests, but there is something about the Ilex Forest that not even the Forest Guardian can explain. The Ilex Forest is a haven and home.
"However, there was one hateful Pokémon who sought out Celebi. He was Heatran, the embodiment of the magma that flows through the earth's core. He was a hateful and aggressive Pokémon who sought only to destroy. He had been imprisoned by Arceus once before, but he escaped on a volcano's tidal flow and decided to begin his destructive work again.
"The first thing Heatran decided to do was seek out his faithful accomplice. Heatran was partners with Tesaki Charizard. She was the strongest fire-type in all of Johto, and she was proud to serve the legendary. Heatran crawled across the earth until he came upon Tesaki's home in Johto.
"'Tesaki Charizard, I have returned from my imprisonment in the earth's molten core. Our work shall begin again. Have you remained faithful?'
"Tesaki bowed and responded, 'Yes, my Lord. I have not swayed in my loyalties. I shall serve you whatever you need. What is it you ask of me?'
"And Heatran said, 'You know of the Pokémon Celebi, who hops through time. I intend to create a world where only the strongest may live. I wish to create a land of only my kind, the fire-types, who blister and blaze and burn. Then our strength will be unmatched. But I cannot do it here. The other types have grown too strong. It must be done in the past.'
"'I ask of you to take my fire and go to the Ilex Forest. It is a forest that has stood since I was first born. Find Celebi, for she stays there when her work is down, and use her to reach the past. Then, you must unleash my fire and ignite the forest. My flames shall spread and engulf the globe, and only the fire-types shall survive.'
"'It is a most admirable plan. I shall carry it out, my Lord. But might I ask why you would not perform this great feat yourself?' Tesaki asked.
"'You may. Celebi knows me. She knows I am an enemy of the forests. She will sense my coming before I can reach her. This is a task I must trust you with. I now give you my fire, the fire of Heatran.'
"Heatran breathed his mighty fire and encased it in a sphere of red rock. He handed it down to Tesaki. 'Destroy it in the past and the world shall burn.'
"Tesaki bowed. With Heatran's fire in her claws, she took flight for the Ilex Forest. There in the forest by her shrine, Celebi wove baskets of grass and wood, humming the tune of the trees and the underbrush. She had not sensed Heatran's return and was unaware of the danger she now faced.
"Tesaki arrived at the shrine. She hid the fire and lighted down to speak with Celebi. To win the guardian's heart, she bowed down. 'Lady Celebi, I must beg you of a favor. I wish to go to the realm of the past. I want to see the Ilex Forest in its glorious days of youth. You tend to forests in past and future. Surely, you can take me there.
"Celebi looked down at the fire-type before her. 'Tesaki Charizard, you have come to ask me this favor. I shall grant your wish. I know not whether or not you wish to deceive me, but I do not know you. I cannot possibly predict what your intentions are. But heed my words. If you betray me now, I shan't trust you again. Never shall I take your word as true for as long as you shall live. Do you object?'
"'No. Take me to the past,' Tesaki said. She tried to hold in her laughter. She had won! Celebi would take her word. What a fool the Forest Guardian was.
"Tesaki stepped forward, and both she and Celebi were enveloped in blue light. And when the light died, the shrine before them was not run down and colorless, but bright green and covered in flowering vines and lichens. The forest was youthful, and the sky and sun were young. They were in the past.
"'Your wish has been granted,' Celebi said.
"But Tesaki started to laugh. 'Ha! You fool! You should learn not to blindly trust, for deceit was my intention. I serve Heatran, Pokémon of the magma and swirling molten core. Now watch as your beautiful forest burns!' She pulled out Heatran's fire and smashed it upon the ground.
"Great waves of flame flowed from the smashed orb, engulfing the forest and turning the green to red. Tesaki laughed, feeling the heat roll around her. She looked to Celebi, hoping to see the fairy look furious or hurt.
"But to her surprise, Celebi was calm. She glanced at the tidal waves of fire all around her, but her serenity would not be shattered. It was so startling Tesaki's laughter dwindled. 'Well?' Tesaki demanded. 'Will you not say something?'
"Then Celebi opened her mouth and began to sing. Tesaki heard the song, and it was more beautiful and tranquil than any other song she had heard before. It was a song of life and death, of peace and war, of yin and yang. In the song, she heard the magikarp leap, the wurmple crawl across the branch, and the pidgey fly. She heard the forest in Celebi's song, for it was the music of the earth itself. And it was beautiful.
"Then Tesaki looked around her at the beautiful forest she was set on destroying. She began to panic. 'Celebi,' she said, 'we have to stop this!'
"'We shall. Come help me, Tesaki. A fire-type's help would be most welcomed,' Celebi agreed.
"So together, Tesaki and Celebi ended the fire. Celebi used her magic of healing and life to end the fires. She sang to each leaf and it turned from blackened and charred to green and bright again. With comforting, the bug- and grass-types returned and began to play again. Finally, the forest was restored.
"'The forests are safe again. I must now return to my own time, where my basket awaits,' Celebi said.
"'And you will take me as well, surely,' Tesaki said.
"Celebi shook her head. 'No, Tesaki. You are not coming with me.'
"Tesaki was shocked. 'What? But why? I want to return to my home and my time. I want to see the forest I have just helped to save.'
"Celebi said, 'I told you before we left that I would trust you once, but if you betrayed me, I would never trust you again. I did so, and you betrayed me. How can I trust that you will not do so again, or scurry back to Heatran for another task? The past isn't so bad, so enjoy your new home. Perhaps we'll see each other again.'
"'Celebi, wait!' But it was too late. Celebi had vanished in blue light, leaving Tesaki trapped and alone in the forest of the past."
"Whoa," said Dosatsu. "Celebi is cold. But what about Heatran? Shouldn't Celebi do something about him?"
"It isn't Celebi's job to do something about Heatran. He tried to destroy the forest and she stopped him, but as long as Heatran doesn't try to destroy a forest again, Celebi has no quarrel with him," Honoo said. He turned to Jimen. "It was a good story, Jimen. I couldn't have done better."
Jimen preened his chest feathers. "Thanks."
Dosatsu stretched her arms and said, "Now let's hit the hay. Everyone is probably already asleep." She curled up into her nest. "Goodnight, Honoo. Goodnight, Jimen."
Jimen propped himself up on one leg and rested his chin on his back. "Don't let the bedbugs bite."
Honoo got up and put the fire out, leaving the room pitch black. He laid down on his nest and curled his long body into a tight coil. I'm glad we're finally here. It's a nice relief to know there's no danger of being cut. I just hope I can live up to everyone's expectations. It'll be tough. He glanced up at where Dosatsu was sleeping. The axew was already fast asleep. He turned to where Jimen was. They've helped me so much. I just hope I can return the favor one day.