Chapter VI: Commencement
Pathos' eyes were heavily crusted over by all the crying he had done the night before. His head throbbed, and his throat was sorely dry. Some part of him wanted nothing more than to lay in bed all day and do nothing, but he knew that was not possible, despite how he felt. Last night had, literally, been a nightmare for him.
He didn't blame Celestine for wanting to help him out, but he had no reason to trust her abilities to sympathize with him. In fact, the thought that she could betray him still remained in his mind, and it was very possible to happen.
He rolled onto his side. But... I just can't get it out of my head. It doesn't seem like the kind of thing someone can make up. She might truly have it within her to put aside any discomfort about me to be more worried about my well-being. More than that, maybe I'm just being super inconsiderate...
He felt himself becoming emotional again, and quickly disposed of those thoughts. He didn't feel particularly well about crying again, essentially because of how much of it he did the night before.
He shrugged the notion away and yawned profusely, rubbing his paws over his eyes, removing the crust from its once-secured home. He could feel the patches of fur on his face that were stiffened by his tears, causing him modest discomfort.
Pathos slowly arose from his bed, stretching out to warm his muscles into working order. He soon found himself squinting though, due to the bright light that was now making its way through the hole in the ceiling, showering the room in a blessed glow. The concept was as foreign as ever to him. He didn't quite understand how they could ever even manage to direct sunlight underground, much less this far down.
The flame on the wall seemed to have dissipated into nothing, but when Pathos got up to inspect, he found that it had somehow dialed down its intensity dramatically, more resembling a small candle than a sizable fire. Well... I guess there's no reason to argue about it. It really does seem to do its job, so what's the harm?
Notwithstanding his efforts, his mind found its way back to the experience of the night before. The feeling that was induced upon him was practically unreal, but was surprisingly able to recognize it at the time. But now that he lingered on the topic, he realized that, in reality, it was nothing like what he experienced at the Influx, it was something else entirely.
Pathos shook his head and yawned once more, taking notice of how well he was able to sleep, despite succumbing to an unorthodox means of falling asleep. His joints felt to be in acceptable condition, and he was able to think straight with little worry.
The steadiness of his mind soon disintegrated as it wandered back to all of the events of last night once more. His near-absolute breakdown, the arrival at The Invictus, as well as the journey there. It would never cease to amaze him how quickly things had turned around. He went from miserable, constantly hungry and thirsty with no socialization, to having someone to talk to, a place to stay, a supply of food, and more.
Ever since I woke up in that village, things haven't felt right, like something in my life has been shifted out of place. This feeling of... almost satisfaction... It's so surreal. I don't know what to make of it. He could think about it all day, but in the end, his conclusion of utter confusion would stay the same.
Nevertheless, it's not like he could deny the proposition of such a change; he chuckled at such a thought. But was he really beginning to grow on the turn of events that had afflicted him? Pathos gave a small shrug. He supposed it really didn't matter, as long as things didn't get too out of hand, he figured he could handle it.
Another idea came to mind that he found particularly fascinating. Though I have not spoken to that many people lately, I haven't had anyone pick at me, or blame me for the disasters that have been hitting. The last time that happened was with Basileus after the Influx that struck the camp. Of course, none of this means that it won't happen again. And, well... Serafino is probably of high standing somehow in the Empire, so he would need to be professional, but I'm not sure about anyone else. Up until now, others have looked at me as if I were some sort of criminal, as if all the damn Influxes are my fault, somehow. What's the chance this place is going to be any different? It was another mystery to him, a mystery he would most likely never be given the answer to. Regardless, Pathos was certainly eager to listen to an explanation if anyone had one.
Eventually, Pathos decided after a few more minutes that it was time to be somewhat productive, and prepared himself for the day ahead. Most of the time he spent preparing himself was instead spent dozing off, but he managed, and then exited his residence into the main room of the team base.
It suddenly dawned upon him that there was no definitive way to tell when to wake up. It was all based on pure self-discipline and training. He was about to let out an irritated groan when he heard the near-silent creak of another of the doors opening.
"Ah, you're already awake, Pathos," Celestine voiced as she emerged from her room. "At least I won't have to worry about waking you." When she started to make her way over, Pathos was expecting her to ask if he was feeling better after last night, but as a matter of fact, she did not, to his relief.
Trying to keep things comfortable, Pathos said, "Well, I guess this is it—you've finally joined The Invictus and made a team. But what on earth are we even supposed to do right now? I mean, is there something we're to do now that our team's 'data' has probably been registered? Since you're the team leader, you're the one who makes the decisions, right?"
Celestine was thoughtful for a moment. "Well... I'm not too sure myself. I thought things would be nice and easy, but I guess the world isn't kind enough for that." She giggled softly. "Team Reformity... The name has such a nice ring to it, don't you think? It's mysterious, yet simple and easy to comprehend." After a few moments of silence, her expression brightened and she gave him the signal to hold on for a moment before she returned to her room, saying, "Actually, there is one thing we can do."
A few moments later she reemerged with her old bag draped around her neck. "We can quickly transfer everything from this bag into our new one. It would help us get used to the concept of the new one, considering it's got its storage capabilities enhanced by psychics."
They walked over to the spot Pathos had left the new bag, and Celestine opened the latch, emptying the contents to the floor. It was now that Pathos was able to get a closer look at what they had received. They had been given their badges, but also two square scarves, a few yellow oblong objects, and two apples.
Celestine checked out one of the scarves, its fabric displaying a beautiful shade of yellow-gold, a small insignia embezzled on one corner. The design depicted an eerily stylized helmet, a dazzlingly beautiful crest skillfully sewn in as well.
"Huh..." Celestine murmured, examining the emblem. "This is definitely intriguing. I suppose having scarves does work out for us, so we can have our badges shown so we don't need to pull them out of the bag constantly. Here, let me put this on to see how it looks."
As she occupied herself with that, Pathos focused on the other scarf. This one was dyed what appeared to be black, but was indeed a deep shade of blue, which was somehow black at some angles, and dark blue in others. On one of the corners, the same insignia that was on Celestine's scarf was present, although its color scheme was switched up to be visible on the darker color.
"Hey, Pathos, does this look alright? I'm not good at handling non-rigid objects through telekinesis. Did I do okay?" Pathos looked up at his partner, who had the scarf somewhat skillfully tied around her neck, the insignia facing out, its respective corner hanging down. A small bit above that, she had also managed to get one of the badges attached, the side with the compass extruding outwards.
"Well... it certainly fits you. The color greatly contrasts that of your fur," Pathos voiced truthfully. He was quite fond of the way the gold seemed to complement the lavender of her fur.
He stared blankly at his own scarf, balled up on the stony floor. "Hey, um ... think you could help me put mine on? I don't think I'll be able to do this," he said with a sliver of helplessness.
As the Espeon was maneuvering the cloth around his neck, taking her time to not mess it up, Pathos retracted back into the depths of his mind. I don't know about Celestine, but things just feel... situated... I think I could get used to this as long as it continues, and nothing crazy pops up. I just don't want events like... last night... to keep happening. Pathos retracted back to the real world as he felt the scarf settle around his neck.
"...There, I think that should work," Celestine pronounced, backing away. The Absol inspected the scarf the best he could, determining how comfortable it was, whether he liked the color scheme on him or not, and even if his badge was in an acceptable place for him to be able to gaze at the compass within it. When he flipped the badge up, the watch on the other side was handily flipped so that he could read the time.
After acknowledging the scarf's details, and accepting its smooth grip around him, Pathos said, "Yeah, I guess I could get used to this. It certainly will help keep us warm. Too warm, in this damn desert. But I suppose it's necessary if we must keep our badges visible."
"Yeah, the warmth will be a problem. At least it's temperate down here, so we aren't going to boil anytime soon. I was actually anticipating that we would be above ground when here, but I was really amazed to find out it's all an underground city. Really cool, if you ask me." Celestine walked silently back over to the spilled contents of the bag, Pathos' attention following suit.
Pathos was particularly curious about the weird yellow things that were within the contents. He pawed at them, finding them to be hard and smooth. The borders were a silky gold, while more towards the center it turned a matte yellow. "So... just what do you think these are? They look like nothing I've ever seen. Perhaps we could ask someone about them?"
Celestine shrugged, emptying out the old bag. "Maybe we could. It really just depends. Right now our main concern should be getting something to eat, or at least trying to find something to eat, and then we'll need to get a move on and get something to do. As you said, our information is likely in by now, so we should be free to move about and explore, and get some things done. At least, that's what I anticipate."
The Absol nodded. As far as he could see, he had no reason to be more concerned about himself than his job. After all, he was on a team, so he needed to keep trying to push his own complications aside to instead focus on bigger things. "Right. Let's just get these items transferred and get going. To be honest, I'm kind of curious about everything, too."
The duo quickly deposited all of the necessary goods and equipment they would be needing, or what they thought they would need. Which, of course, included everything, down the the small yellow objects that they had been given.
With just a little more chat shared between them, Pathos and Celestine exited their base, and retraced steps back through the halls and corridors, which the duo had now discovered to also have the very same holes in the ceiling to let sunlight through, providing a nice and bright, as well as pleasant, walk back towards the main hub they were greeted with the night before.
"It will certainly be interesting to get to see what the place looks like during the day when it's busy, you know?" Celestine voiced, to which Pathos only nodded. He wasn't exactly sure what to say in response. He personally didn't think much of how different it would be.
When the time came that they finally arrived back at the heart of The Invictus, while they were expecting many Pokémon to be present, they had no idea it would be so many. Left and right there were many varieties, ranging from creatures like Charmeleon to Stantler, Dragonair to Grovyle, and Pathos even spotted Braonzong. If Pathos had to write a list of just how many different Pokémon there were, he wouldn't ever finish, not within his lifetime, at least.
The light that radiated down from above was gorgeous, encompassing everything and bathing all in an ethereal glow. The stands they saw the night before were now bustling with customers going to and fro, gathering all that they needed.
Celestine could just barely collect her words after they had left her. "Wow... This is phenomenal! Look at all these different people... Some may want to seek a new hope, some might want to aid others, and some just might want to be of service to the Empire... It's incredible!"
Celestine's radiant glee was nearly overwhelming Pathos. If The Invictus wasn't perfect for her, then he wasn't sure if there would be someplace better. Pathos, on the other hand, had no clue what he thought. The concept of helping others was far too foreign for him to begin understanding it so quickly.
But as he'd told himself almost too many times that day, they were a team. She was the leader, meaning that he had to follow her lead. Outright leaving the team would for sure hurt her feelings, and as much as he didn't care in the past, there was something different here, something forcing him from treating her the same way he'd treated everyone else. In the end, Pathos just let the thought wander. Maybe he would come back to it later.
Team Reformity made their way through the crowd, dodging burly arms, hulking feet, swaying tails, etc. Pathos wondered just how the two of them hadn't collided with anyone at that point. Later on, Celestine managed to point out a large sign had on it different locations and places to go. The team arrived in front of the billboard, and Celestine spotted the way that led to the cafeteria, pleasing them both.
They followed the sign's instructions thoroughly, Pathos helping Celestine recall the path they were to take. Eventually, they came upon a sizable room cluttered to the brim with Pokémon. Many large tables were placed about, all at uneven intervals.
The team spent a few minutes walking around, exploring, figuring out where to go. Once Celestine managed to inquire one of the passersby where the food was, she lead Pathos over towards some kind of serving table, various Pokémon behind the counter, dishing up a multitude of food items. Pathos had no clue how they managed to get such exotic supplies—at least to him—in such an environment. But nevertheless, they were all appealing to the Absol, so it mattered not.
Celestine held both of their platters as they received the different portions of their breakfast. Small slices of bread, chunks of meant, vegetables, etc. They had it all, and Pathos couldn't choose what it was he wanted. In the end, he simply decided to go with what seemed most appetizing.
When the duo had acquired all that they desired to eat, They made off elsewhere, attempting to find a spot to settle and eat, when they stopped as they heard the baritone of a familiar voice. Pathos instantly recognized it and thought he was mistaken, hoped that he was mistaken.
Celestine opened her mouth to speak, but Pathos managed to say something before her. "I'm sure I'd recognize that voice just about anywhere. Do you mind giving me a moment?" Without waiting, he left the Espeon behind.
He deftly moved between and around several groups, trying to find what he was looking for. But no matter how much he kept praying it was not as he believed it to be, as he singled out the source of the voice he heard, the Absol sighed, and shook his head. He heard Celestine arrive right behind him, who stopped instantly as she looked on. There, in front of them sat the one, the only—Basileus the Tyranitar, chatting it up with his teammates.
Within a few moments of their appearance, Basileus spotted the duo over the shoulders of his teammates and nearly spat out the food he was chewing. After recollecting, he said, "I'll be damned, you really showed up. I have to say, I'm quite surprised. Well, mostly about you, Pathos. Never thought I'd lay eyes on you again. Your companion, though, I'm not quite so astonished about her. Alkaios told me about what he said to her, so she knew about this place. But, on such short notice... I give you guys credit for that."
"Ah, yes, thank you. I suppose you would feel that way about someone you left on death's doorstep. But don't worry, it's fine, I'll totally forgive you," Pathos proclaimed, rolling his eyes.
Celestine suddenly jerked her head towards him. "What do you mean he left you to die?" The Absol brushed her off, though, more concerned about the heated argument he was having.
"Oh, right, that," Basileus spat. "I see no reason for why you should care so much about that incident, considering it was caused by your doing. Had you decided not to start the fight with the Scrafty, I wouldn't have stepped in. I was simply doing my job as overseer of the camp. And frankly, I wouldn't complain if I were you. You've got a nice place to stay and food to eat. I've damn near saved your life!"
Pathos growled in response to the Rock-type's cutting words. "The fact that you saved my life does not subtract from the problem—that Scrafty was the one who wasted a valuable resource. I'm fairly sure that he was the one who was at fault. I would assum that we both know Sitrus Berries are hard to get. I'm not exactly one for that. Even I have a point where I stand up against the problem."
Celestine snapped and rose her voice, swiftly making the two go silent. "I really don't know what happened between you two, but please don't start making a scene." She huffed angrily. "Thank you."
Basileus and Pathos shared a look before the Tyranitar huffed and looked away, returning to his food. "Whatever. Just don't be late to mission selection. The attendant there isn't exactly the happiest guy when things aren't pretty much on time." Basileus grinned. "By the way, nice scarves—haven't seen them hand something out like that in a while. Keep them in good condition, they're expensive." Having said that, the Tyranitar returned to chatting with his partners.
Pathos rolled his eyes and motioned for Celestine to follow him. They gave the other team a fleeting glance before moving on from the scene. One thing to strike Pathos as odd, though, was that the whole time, Celestine had been levitating their trays like it was nothing. Curious, he asked, "Doesn't that get tiring, holding things in the air like that? Don't you need a ton of concentration to do that?"
She tilted her head. "Huh? Well, I mean, not really. With larger objects, yeah, it can take its toll, but it doesn't usually cause us psychics any mental or physical fatigue unless done for hours on end."
The Disaster Pokémon nodded, acknowledging her answer. It made sense then; he'd seen her do it multiple times, and he even saw Vadimas do it a few times as well with no repercussions to either of their states.
Eventually they came upon an empty spot, flooding the two with relief. Celestine set down their plates, and they took their seats on opposite sides of the table. Pathos, finally able to divulge himself in the delightful act of eating, dug in immediately. Celestine slowly picked away at her food, much like she did at the cafe in the village.
"So..." Pathos asked when he took a break from eating, "how has it been here so far? I mean, it hasn't even been half a day, but you certainly seem to be enjoying yourself. I mean, the beds are great, and this food is actually really good. At least, compared to what I'm used to eating."
The Sun Pokémon beamed at him, nodding her head. "Mhm! This place is really cool so far. Admittedly, last night, with Serafino, I was a little scared, but he does seem pretty laid back, and he's also really cool. I think I'm going to enjoy my time spent here." Her smile dissipated, and she asked, "But what about you? More specifically, what you and Basileus were arguing about. What did you mean by him pushing you to death?"
Pathos bit his lip and turned away. Well... I'm not surprised that she asks, but I also don't know exactly how to word it... Maybe I could find a way to shrug it off? He huffed, looking back at the Espeon.
The Disaster Pokémon chuckled a bit and resituated the scarf around his neck. "It's honestly a kind of—but not really—funny story. To sum it up, when I was left stranded out in the desert, I was there because that sack of shit decided to intervene in some of my business. I was already in tatters from a fight I got into, and he jumped in, making my condition worse. After he threw me out, I wandered about for Arceus knows how long. I still have no clue how I even managed to walk, or how far I even made it before collapsing."
She was silent for a bit before she spoke once more. "I see... That would certainly explain quite a few of the things he said to you, then. I just can't seem to believe that you'd managed to come out of the onslaught he unleashed. Had I not come to your aid, you really could have died out there. You need to be more careful, you know?"
He shrugged, unabashed. "I guess so. Sometimes I just wish my life weren't so chock-full of stuff like that. It makes it so much harder for me, and even more unpleasant for everyone else." The Dark-type ingested some more food, savoring every bite.
"I don't know if I can exactly sympathize, but I think I get what you mean." Celestine shook her head, as if clearing her thoughts. "All that aside, Basileus did say to get to selection soon, so I reckon that we finish up here and get going, yeah?"
The duo made sure to swiftly make up for the lost time from their conversation and ate away, not sharing much after the fact, Pathos mostly just savoring the delicious aftertaste from his food.
Once they had finished eating, they weaved through the crowd, Celestine in front. They managed to get to the exit together, and they emerged back into the large cavern, still not used to the numerous Pokémon present.
The two tried to make sense of their surroundings and head to where it was they were supposed to go, but could not figure it out with the commotion around them clogging their minds.
Just when Pathos was about to say that he was going to give up, both he and Celestine brightened up as they heard a familiar voice. "Pathos? Celestine? It's Iris. In case you were wondering, I'm contacting you telepathically. I need you to report to the mission selection room for your benchmark mission. I am currently there, awaiting your arrival. I believe I sent you there last night, before you met Serafino.
"What I need you to do is to make your way back there, and the assistant there will help you get a task and take you to the teleportation room. Wait a moment—" Iris went silent for a few seconds before sending them another message. It seems that I will no longer be present, someone just came into the lobby, and since I'm the only one for the job, I must return. I expect to hear back from someone that you made it there. I'll try to meet up with you after your mission. Good luck."
Pathos looked at Celestine, and the look of confusion she wore equally matched his own. Nevertheless, she put a spring in her step and motioned the Disaster Pokémon to follow her.
It took them a reasonably long amount of time to make it through the thick, and even more so to find the right hallway. By the time they arrived in the large room where they met the Electivire, Pathos figured they wasted at least half an hour.
Pathos and Celestine found the place to be crowded beyond belief. There were Pokémon left and right, taking up most of the space in the area, though there were a few open spots here and there. Most of the Pokémon flocked to the side with the cork board, though a few situated themselves at the chairs on the far side.
The people over by the board were collecting sheets of paper and then heading on over towards the reception desk, where there was now a Snover instead of the Electivire from last night.
When the Snover was no longer busy handling papers, it looked up and spotted the duo. "Ah, you two must be Team Reformity, yes? Right on time! Come quickly before another team gets my attention."
Pathos and Celestine walked over slowly. When they made it, the Frost Tree Pokémon said in a detached voice, "Iris told me that you guys were on your way. She handed me your benchmark mission to give to you guys in her stead. I'll explain the basics to you once we get to the teleportation room. Just give me a moment to find someone to take over my position for a little bit."
They waited for a few minutes in the obnoxious place until the Snover found an acceptable replacement for his post. He then proceeded to lead the team out of the room and through various corridors.
"Allow me to introduce myself. The name's Edur, I'm one of the many people who man that aggravating post. From what I've heard, you arrived last night, so that means you met Cian, he was the Electivire who manned the post last night. He's a bit of a slowpoke, though, isn't he?" Edur turned to face them. "Anyway, things have been really difficult for everyone lately, what with all of the Influxes and need to rescue people out in the desert with our encampments.
"Things are made even more difficult do to the way we have to acquire our food supply. It's not like we trade it. We specifically have to pay the Emperor for all the things here, and I'm not talking a little bit of pocket change from everyone here. I mean huge chunks of our treasury. I mean, it wasn't always so severe, but with some of our camps being hit by Influxes, we lose a substantial amount of valuable items, mostly food and wood."
Edur chuckled softly. "But despite all of this, life here is fantastic, given the foundation this city was built on. I tell ya, those Ground-types sure are hard workers. It's said they managed to dig that big cavern out there in a little less than two years. Fort Securitas is one hell of a place to be, if you can land a place to stay."
Pathos tilted his head, perplexed. "Wait, Fort Securitas? I thought this whole place was The Invictus? So then The Invictus is just this area farther underground than the city outside?" he asked.
"Oh, yes. The Invictus is just a facility within Fort Securitas. It seems that many people think the same thing as you. Though, once you two get the chance to look around, go explore the place. It's gorgeous, especially Lake Dorothea, the entire reason the city was even built here," the Snover said excitedly.
Pathos and Celestine both nearly gasped. "Wait, you mean..." Pathos started, Celestine finishing for him, "There's a lake here? As in, a bountiful supply of water?! That's incredible! How did they even manage to find out that there was an underground lake here in the first place?"
Edur shrugged as the group took a corner at the end of the hallway. "I'm not sure of the specifics, but I've heard that they used the combined efforts of Water-types and Ground-types to locate a source of water. Emperor Amarandos is, as you may know, the one who is ultimately in charge here. Serafino is essentially just the second-in-command here." The Snover waved distracting thoughts away. "He really is quite the character. He may be the Emperor, but he is really down-to-earth. I've heard that he does really nice things for the community, though he can't always do the best.
"Anyway, He wanted to have a big waypoint out in the desert for not only travelers and traders, but also to extend the reach of his power. He wanted to give it more of a purpose than that, though. He wanted an organization that could supply help to those who required it, and thus, Fort Securitas and The Invictus were born, the latter a bit later than the former."
Celestine gave her signature smile. "He sounds like a nice guy, but I can't imagine the amount of stress the Emperor gets from running the Empire. I can't imagine how much he probably needs to rest. I was actually really surprised to even see Him here last night when me and Pathos arrived."
Edur was taken aback. "Oh, you were here then? That's even earlier than I thought you'd arrived." The Snover laughed once more. "Geez, it's been ages since we got new recruits..." The Snover recollected and nodded in acknowledgement. "But yeah, He pays occasional visits here to check up on the status of The Invictus and to deliver messages—with the help of a few guards, of course," the Frost Tree Pokémon said.
The group passed the time by talking on and off until they reached the teleportation room after around ten minutes of walking. Inside, Pathos was astonished to find out how much different it was than the rest of The Invictus, though it was a little like the lobby up above. Tile and smoothed walls were the main similarities, though there were bound to be a few others, he assumed.
On the far wall, there was a sizable map, detailing an enormous area with many different places being labeled, the main focus being a roughly shaped piece of brownish-tan land, titled "Ahriman's Dream". A prevailing mountain range ran along the east side of Ahriman's Dream, named "Tartarus Mountains". On the eastern side of the Tartarus, a span of green enveloped one's vision. The further one looked, though, the more it turned to tan-colored hills, eventually leading to a large body of water, though there was a point of interest here—a large, rough peninsula—being labeled in bold, stylized letters, "Urbe". Small islands littered the southern coast of the peninsula, and another mountain range bordered the top of the peninsula. On the contrary, a large area of blue was dominant to the west of Ahriman's Dream, taking up the west side of the map.
Beneath the map on the ground was a large platform, able to carry at least twenty different Pokémon, with stairs leading up to it. Two Beheeyem were situated at the top, a few teams showing them sheets of paper, and then being teleported by the Cerebral Pokémon. Edur nodded at Pathos and Celestine, and they walked up the stairs.
One of the two Beheeyem turned to greet Edur and the team. "It seems that you've brought to us another new team, haven't you, Edur? It's certainly been a while." The Beheeyem then turned to Team Reformity. "We shall go over the basics with you now."
Edur nodded. "When you pluck a job off the board, you will consult one of the attendants in the mission selection room, like me. We make sure that you are capable of facing the challenges it provides, among other things. We also test it's validity and truthfulness. If it's good to go, you take it here."
"When you arrive here, we will go over the mission, and validate you for teleportation. Most of the time, the client will give a specific location for us to teleport you to. However, there are times when a specific name is not given, and you are instead teleported to the nearest waypoint set up by the Empire. It is also these waypoints that the compass on your badge will point towards when you need to be teleported back here. More specifically, the compass points to the waypoint closest to your position. Check your compass often on your way to one of the points, as to make sure that you do not lose your way.
"Notwithstanding, before we teleport you to the destination of the client, however, you will be given specific information about what direction and how far you are to travel to reach the locale on the mission statement. It is crucial that you follow these details with utmost accuracy.
"When your mission is complete, such as reaching a client who is to be rescued, you will use the badge Serafino has provided you with to transport the client back. Do not inquire how it can do this, what is important is that you know how to use the device, not how it works. The badge is activated via spoken message. The message you are to deliver is, 'Objective complete. Sending client to base.' However, if your job is something that does not involve rescuing, then you are to simply retrieve the item asked for, or you achieve any other possible mission objective."
Pathos was mentally taking notes on what was being said. He was sure Celestine would remember it all, but if he had not a clue about what to do, then he would simply become dead weight. He felt something stir within him, and it made him excited.
"But, those are only a few of the many different kinds of jobs to pick from. Not all of them involve mystery dungeons, and some even detail just helping someone out within The Invictus. The selection can be very broad, and you'll have to prepare yourselves for it. If any questions are on your mind about the job you're thinking about taking, be sure to ask one of the mission assigners—again, like me—or the Beheeyem here."
Celestine looked like she got everything, but Pathos was still a little hesitant on things. Though, he didn't get much time to be concerned about it, because the Beheeyem signaled the other Cerebral Pokémon, and they floated over to the middle of the platform.
"It seems like everything is in order. Before we teleport you, Edur will go over the mission details with you. Do pay attention to what he tells you, for you do not get to keep the mission statement," the other Beheeyem stated.
"Thank you," Edur said to the Beheeyem, who nodded and turned to assist some teams that just walked in. Edur placed the sheet of paper he had been holding the whole time on the ground in front of the group. Spread across its surface was a multitude of things, varying from a description to a location. "I want you to quickly read over this and tell me if any of it makes sense to you."
The two nodded and examined the slip. It started:
I decided that it would be a good idea to go out and explore, but I suddenly found myself
trapped within one of these dungeons whilst travelling through the Tartarus,
and have been forced into a corner, praying that I can fend for myself until my message has been received.
Please send help soon!
Client identification: Panni.
Species: Bayleef.
Client location determined as: Alps of Gloom.
Allotted time for rescue: Three days.
Pathos was a little troubled with what was being displayed, but believed he got the gist of it. His main question was how anyone could miss the signature warped entrance of a mystery dungeon, visible to even the dullest of minds. It was almost hysterical, and seemed like a joke. He wanted to laugh, but he decided that would be most undesirable for both him and Celestine.
Celestine turned thoughtful then said, "So I would assume that the message at the top would be something the client provided for the team. Then there's the client's name, and their species, the location, and then what I would guess to be how much time they believed they had before they could no longer hold up against what they were facing. Is that correct, Edur?"
The Snover gave an amused chuckle. "For the most part, yeah. Well done, actually. I think most of that needs not be covered, then." He picked the tattered paper up off the ground and said, "Next, allow me to explain a few things to you. It might come across as confusing how clients, if they are stuck in a mystery dungeon, are able to send a cry for help. In all reality, it's a somewhat simple answer. All civilians living in a society that has an acceptable economy, stability, and is self-sustaining receive a special device issued by the Empire. The contraption is the culmination of the research of a multitude of Psychic-types, some of the best scientists the Empire has to offer, and the personal input of the Emperor. Everyone is really impressed with how it came out, not to mention the fact that it's helped save the lives of many."
Celestine grinned. "That's super cool. I'm amazed something like that could be possible. I personally haven't had much experience with mystery dungeons, but from what I can tell, it can't be that easy to pull off." She paused for a bit, then spoke again. "Though, now that I think about it, why the need for an allotted amount of time on the mission statement?"
"That's another thing I was going to explain," Edur responded. "See, that section wasn't always required to be put on the statements. However, it was eventually discovered that mystery dungeons change their shape and designs, as well as wiping the slate clean—anything within the dungeon is, as far as we know, removed from existence. No one knows why it happens, it is only known that it does happen. The Invictus eventually laid out a plan for the problem, and discovered that, usually, there's about four days between each transformation. If a mission is not selected off the board, the next day, the statement is changed, the allotment adjusted by one day. The mission is taken down once the allotted time dips below a preset amount, and the worst case scenario is then assumed.
"And so, the allotted time was decided upon, allowing for maximum efficiency when rescuing from dungeons. Though, be warned—time does not work the same in the dungeons as it does outside. Ninety-six hours outside only equals sixteen hours within the dungeon, so do be careful to pay attention to times. Because of this, you have twelve dungeon hours or seventy-two real hours to get your mission done. You may have been told, but on the backside of your badge, there is a watch that you are to use to keep track of the time.
"However, it is not just any watch. This watch was created by the same people who worked on the device that civilians use, and is made specifically for use in dungeons, so you can keep track of how much real time passes by. When not in a dungeon, the watch will work normally. But, once you enter the dungeon, the watch will speed up its ratios, showing what the dungeon time is. And never, I repeat, never rely on your instinctual perception of time when in a dungeon. Your only friend is the watch on the underside of your badge. Keep it accessible, you'll need it quite a bit.
Edur nodded past team Reformity at the Beheeyem, and said, "That is all. The Beheeyem will now walk you through the rest of the details. Pay attention to the rest of what they say, it will surely come in handy. Remember—use your compass and watch."
Celestine and Pathos turned around, and were shortly thereafter greeted by the Beheeyem. The duo was taken to the center of the platform, where they were positioned upon a sizable square.
"Just a few more things before you are sent off," one of the Cerebral Pokémon said. "Teleportation can be a jarring experience to those who are new to it. It may feel like a variety of things, but the most important thing to note is that it may leave you feeling tired afterwards. No matter what, if you do feel such a symptom, keep pushing forward. It is imperative that you complete your mission on time, and that you do not waste away the allotted time. Just remember that you will follow your compass to the nearest teleportation waypoint to be sent back here once your mission is over."
The two Psychic-types surrounded the team, the indicators on their arms beginning to blink in rapid succession. "We shall now teleport you. Remember your mission and how much time you have left. Do not be wasteful, and work with utmost efficiency."
A mystic glow took the place of the air around the Beheeyem, which soon spread to the team. A low humming overtook all other sounds that reached Pathos' ears. It felt like his hair was standing up on end, and that gravity no longer held its grasp on him.
Within seconds, he could feel all his muscles tense up, and before he knew it, he felt like his limbs were being torn apart, bit by bit. In what felt like eons, he began to lose connection to his mind, and then his corporeal form, and in a split second, his vision went blank.
End of Chapter VI
