"Don't worry, your Pokéjewel will be safe, forever if you would like~!" Dusk smiled eerily as Ash and Endre stored the money they earned from a mission. It was currently midday, as the job was very quick.
"Your Pokéjewel is safe, I'll guard it jealously~!" Nyar purred at Dawn, but not without glaring at his companion, who glared back. The three sweatdropped as they left the bank and released their Pokémon from their Aprikorn.
"I swear, those two are going to give me a headache one of these days..." Dawn sighed, hugging Yellow as the group walked back to the guild.
"Your endless talking already gives me a headache," Kobold jabbed from atop Ash's hat.
"Shut it, you!" Dawn snapped, which Kobold retorted by sticking his tongue out.
"Hey don't worry Dawn, at least we got reward money this time," Yellow reassured.
"We would've had more if Endre didn't burn down the client's garden," the bluenette muttered, making the said fire mage flinch.
"'Yeah, sorry about that," Endre grinned, scratching his head sheepishly.
"Are they always like this?" Vecier whispered to Ignia, who nodded sadly. "Ah."
"How about we grab another job, to make good use of the day?" Ash suggested.
"But I promised May we'd go shopping later," Dawn protested, which went unheard by the rest of the group.
"Hmm, sounds like a challenge!"
"It's better than spending boring time shopping with Dawn."
"Hey!"
"I'd have to agree with Kobold there."
"No fair, Yellow!"
"Alright! I'm all fired up! Race 'ya to the guild!"
"Not again, well that's Endre for you..."
"Hey no fair!"
"Don't leave me here alone!"
And Dawn once again had to chase two energetic individuals all the way to the guild. Meanwhile a small child peeked from the side, with bright blue hair and head tilted in a questioning angle.
"Are those mages?"
A/N: And now appears a mysterious character! What will be his role in the story? Anyway, now let's go on with the show!
Poke-ranger21: Yes he will; in fact, I have very big plans for him~! Thanks for reviewing!
Sometimes it's hard to know,
Where you are supposed to go;
Where you belong, where you fit in,
Where you can bring out the you within!
But know, that with your friends,
Your adventures never end!
Yeah, deep inside, you know you're strong,
If you follow your heart, you can't go wrong!
Stand up! For all that is right,
Be brave! Prepare to fight for the light,
Hold on! We're friends for life,
And if we come together as one,
To claim what's ours, to right what's done,
Hand in hand, we will stay strong,
Complete the quest that we've begun,
We will win the battle,
Our lifelong battle!
Pokémon!
Order of Time
Chapter 10: The Child with Azure Hair
Order of Time
"Hey guys! How was your mission?" Diggie greeted from under the grate as the door opened for the guild.
"It was great, actually," Dawn remarked. "Well besides our prize money being cut in half because someone burned down a garden," she added accusingly.
"I bet you could burn down a forest with that gaze~" Kobold snickered, earning him a smack to the head.
"We're back!" Endre exclaimed with gusto as he literally jumped from the ladder going down to the guild.
"Welcome back, guys," May greeted happily. "Sorry Dawn, but me and Max are going on a mission, so we can't go shopping," the brunette apologised.
"Oh really, we were about to do the same thing!" Dawn replied, quite surprised.
"Good luck with that then," Max said as the two set off.
Ignia and Vecier sat on a nearby table as the three humans and two Pokémon approached the mission board, only to notice something off.
"Hey, there's nothing here!" Endre complained as the board was completely barren.
"Can't we go back to Officer Jenny's?" Ash suggested, remembering that there were quite a few jobs listed there.
"She said all the jobs there are also taken," Dawn sighed.
"And those are usually request jobs, which are quite easy and boring," Yellow added.
"Huh?" Ash and Endre deadpanned.
"You see, there are many types of jobs," Yellow explained. "Request jobs are those requested by citizens, whether here or in the nearby areas, to help in certain domestic cases. Rescue jobs are self-explanatory, and Exploration jobs ask one to map out a certain area or find a certain rare treasure."
"And since there are none of those jobs, then..." Dawn muttered, then smiled. "Then let's try a different kind of job!"
"You mean the other board?" Ash asked, pointing to another board with a few posted missions. "Why are there two boards, by the way?"
"Oh, those are the more dangerous jobs, Extermination, Retrieval and Arrest," Dawn explained. "On Extermination jobs there is a certain monster one has to slay, while on Retrieval and Arrest jobs a thief or outlaw needs to be caught."
"Kobold was an E-class Extermination job, and if the girl with the Spoink made a request it would be a D-class Retrieval job," Yellow added.
"Never knew there were different kinds of jobs..." Ash remarked.
"Arggh, it's too complicated!" Endre complained, making everyone sweatdrop.
"Anyway let's find us a job!" Dawn exclaimed.
As the group went to check the other board a young boy with bright azure hair approached the guild's entrance.
"IDENTIFY YOURSELF!" a loud voice exclaimed which made the boy cry and run away.
"Hey, wait!" Diggie tried to call from under the grate, and it made the boy jump in surprise and trip on the metal bars.
"Huh? What was that?" Ash asked, hearing Diggie shout just as Dawn was about to choose a job.
"Let's go check it out," Endre declared, grabbing Ignia who launched a Flamethrower in surprise, which Endre gobbled up, however some singed a certain raven in the face.
"Ouch..." Ash groaned as the group climbed up the ladder. When they exited the guild, they saw Surge and Diggie awkwardly trying to calm down a crying blue-haired boy.
"Scared another kid?" Dawn deadpanned at the large blonde, who huffed and looked away, cheeks slightly red due to embarassment.
"Hey, it's not MY fault I SHOUT so LOUD," Surge grumbled, somehow still loud enough to be heard from the inside of the guild. This made the little bluenette cry harder.
"Great job, Surge," Diggie deadpanned sarcastically.
"E-excuse me, sir, a-a-are you m-mages?" the young boy sniffled as he stared at the raven.
"Yes we are little boy, but first, who are you and why are you here?" Dawn asked, crouching in front of the small bluenette.
"I-I'm Azure, a-and I'm looking for my brother," he stuttered, making Endre freeze and narrow his eyes. "W-we were looking for a family heirloom we lost, w-when a man with a D-Drowzee offered us help. I-it's been three days!" he cried out.
"A man with a Drowzee, you say?" Dawn thought, placing a finger to her chin. "I remember there was that wanted man who had a Drowzee! He is wanted for cases of kidnapping and slave trade!"
"What an evil guy!" Kobold remarked. "He's even worse than angry Dawn!" he added snidely, earning a smack from the said bluenette.
"So that man must have kidnapped your brother!" Yellow exclaimed, putting two and two together. Ash then looked at Azure in the eye, crouching like Dawn to the boy's eye level. "Azure, do you know where the two went?" the aura mage asked.
"T-they said they were going to look for our heirloom in the c-cave over there," Azure replied, pointing south towards a small cave by the .
"They went to Masara Cave?! That's a C-class dungeon! It's a very dangerous place, one of the few high-tier dungeons close to civilisation!" Diggie gasped.
"Doesn't matter how dangerous a place it is, we have to find his brother!" Endre spoke up, eyes flaring in determination. And maybe find mine too... he thought wistfully, while Ignia looked at his Trainer curiously.
"That's CRAZY! You'll get pummeled in MINUTES!" Surge shouted, although not as loud as before to the relief of everyone.
"Endre's right, Surge, we have to do something to help! Dawn, what do you say?" Ash said, looking at his Pokémon then two the team leader who had a determined smile.
"Of course! We can't just leave the poor boy without doing something!" the bluenette agreed. "No need to worry, Azure! We'll find your brother!"
"T-thanks," Azure sniffled, clinging to Diggie's shirt. The sentry just smiled and waved goodbye to the trio and their Pokémon. "Good luck and stay safe!"
Masara Cave
In a small chamber filled with rocks, a man in a black business suit and his Drowzee walked slowly, approaching the edge of the room where a body was seen hiding.
"Well well well, look who I found hiding in a corner," the man, looking at the prone form of a small boy who looked like Azure, but a little taller and with bright teal hair. His clothes were ragged and dirty as he looked at the older man and his Drowzee in horror.
"No, I won't let you take me!" the bluenette exclaimed, trying to run away but the man had his Drowzee use Psychic. The small child froze still, unable to resist the psychic attack of the Pokémon whose master approached the bluenette.
"Oh, but what can you do, litle Teal?" the man teased, laughing maniacally.
A/N: And that's a wrap! This may be the last chapter I will be doing in a while, since school is here, and I'm still open to suggestions on what to do next~! (Then again, nearly nobody reviews... shout-out to those who reviewed so far, thanks a lot!) Please review, and non-constructive flamers will have to stand in front of a crying Azure and face his barrage of tears! Wohahahah!
to be continued...