When they got home, Ezra was surrounded by the other residents, all dying to know what happened. Curtly, she explained the events that led up to the biggest rip-off of her life. Her friends sympathized with her, but like Carys, cheerfully told her that two days was not a lot of time. Ezra said nothing. They hadn't been warped to another world and been given amnesia, only to be told that after a month of ignorance, they still had to wait.
She spent the rest of her evening in silence, not offering much conversation during dinner and afterwards. After what seemed like a hundred years, it was time to go to bed. She didn't think she would have been able to go to sleep, but she was out as soon as her head hit the pillow.
She woke the next morning feeling...stoic. She made a better effort to be friendly to her fellow residents, and tried to act like nothing was wrong. In the back of her mind, however, still lay the cheated anger from yesterday. Cresselia was not going to get off lightly.
Breakfast was a sad affair. The Bravo Specials were leaving once more, as they had stayed longer than they had hoped, but they promised to return in two weeks. Team Siren were planning out their next Shard-finding expedition and Team Geo were planning on leaving in a few days as well. Team Valkyrie, however, were staying for another month.
"Since things are starting to get rolling, we want to stay and help! I'm not leaving you two and my little sis all alone, with scary Dark Pokemon out looking for you!" Chrysi had said vehemently.
After saying their goodbyes to the Specials, Team Banshee went to look for a job to do, in order to pass the time before they finally met with Cresselia. They found a job in Frostbite Taiga. A Togepi had supposedly gotten lost inside the dungeon, and his mother, a Togekiss, was worried sick. She didn't know exactly what floor her son was on, but she would reward a Pure Seed and 500 Poke to whomever rescued him. Remembering their first rescue mission, they set out immediately.
Frostbite Taiga ( watch?v=_lS52Itco-4)
B1F
The weather hadn't changed at all since they had last been here a couple weeks ago. In Lily Town, it had been a humid, cloudless day. The area surrounding the dungeon, however, was still snowing relentlessly. The two climates were still cleanly severed in half.
Speaking of things that hadn't changed, the floor was still made out of dusky grayish-green grass, and the walls were the familiar shade of light gray rock. At least it was slightly warmer in the dungeon than it was outside.
"Ooh, I was starting to forget what the cold felt like." Shivered Carys, her breath visible in the chilly dungeon.
"Wanna go back to Frigid Tundra?" Chuckled Ezra, looking around. Since she was a fire-type, the cold wasn't affecting her as it was Carys.
If looks could kill, Carys would've been hailed as the new Dark Champion.
B2F
"Yah!" Shouted Ezra, unleashing her Flame Burst onto the enemy Medicham she was fighting in a hall. It used Detect at the last second, then jumped high into the air. After a second, it dove at her with its High Jump Kick. Ezra and Carys ducked, leaving it crashing into the floor behind them, dazed. A Swinub arrived, surrounding them.
Back-to-back, the two ghost-types finished off the enemies; Ezra with a Night Shade at point blank, and Carys with a combo of Trick-or-Treat and Shadow Sneak.
The foes out of the way, the two dusted themselves off and walked merrily down the rest of the hall.
B3F
"Stairys! It's like 'Carys', but better." Snickered Carys as they saw that they had spawned with the Stairs.
B4F
The chamber with the Stairs was filled with Swinub. There were four of them in the giant chamber. Luckily, though, Swinub were the weakest Pokemon in the whole dungeon. Two Razor Leaves and two Night Shades later, Ezra and Carys were laughing their way to the Stairs.
B5F
They came to a chamber with a Clear Gummi and a Black Gummi. They knew the Clear Gummi tasted like ice cream, but they hadn't tried the other one before. Carys ate the Clear Gummi while Ezra ate the Black one. She immediately gagged, retching on the horrid taste.
Carys raised an eyebrow.
"Black licorice." Ezra sputtered, eating an apple to try and drown out the taste that dark-types loved best.
"Figures. Even I don't like black licorice, and candy is my best friend! …Aside from you, of course." Agreed Carys.
B6F
Ezra was having a very hard time fighting a Mamoswine in a hall. It kept using Earthquake, leaving her with dangerously low health. She was only too glad when Carys nudged her out of the way, and cleaned the foe's clock with Razor Leaf.
"Eat this, candle girl." Carys ordered, pushing an Oran Berry into Ezra's hands. Ezra, who was starting to see black at the edges of her vision, was only too happy to comply.
But when she bit into it, a wave of pain washed over her as she bit into a large pit. Unable to take the pain, she fainted.
A second later, she revived, fully strengthened.
"Last I checked, Oran Berries don't have pits." She said suspiciously, checking that all her teeth were still there. They were.
"…Oh. Oren Berry. A lookalike item. It deals damage instead of healing you." Carys explained, seeing what had happened.
"I'm getting awfully tired of lookalike items." Ezra sighed as she entered a chamber. She immediately stepped on a Warp Trap.
"AND I'M EQUALLY SICK OF WARP TRAPS!" She screamed at the universe.
B7F
Weather Condition: Snow
"Ooh, it's snowing." Breathed Carys, sticking out her tongue to catch a few flakes.
"Eztairs! …Staira? Ugh." Said Ezra, trying out the joke from B3F. It didn't have the same ring to it.
B8F
Weather Condition: Snow
The snow had lessened somewhat. It was still falling steadily, but the flakes were getting smaller and smaller. They wouldn't have minded the snow otherwise, but it gave Pokemon with Snow Cloak a speed boost, which was annoying.
The three Piloswine that found them in a chamber, however, were ecstatic. Team Banshee was alerted to their presence by an Earthquake that shook the chamber, unbalancing Ezra and knocking her to the ground.
Carys attempted to launch a Razor Leaf at one, but it easily dodged. Instead, she nailed it with Trick-or-Treat, as the attack was unavoidable. The second foe hit her and Ezra with Powder Snow in retaliation.
Meanwhile, Ezra was trying to land a Stun Seed on the Piloswine that had its attention on her. It sidestepped with no problems, and used Mud Bomb. She dodged as easily as it had her attack. Following up, she launched Flame Burst, getting an idea. The Piloswine took a step back. Ezra angled herself so that the foe had no choice but to keep dodging by jumping back.
It was sent further and further back by her fiery attacks, until it couldn't walk backward anymore. She had backed it into a corner, where it was unable to dodge anymore. Sensing it was in trouble, it used Earthquake once more. It was an awfully kind attack, as it also damaged its allies, much to their surprise. Carys took advantage and KO'd one.
Ezra merely tanked the attack and ended it with Flame Burst. Turning, she saw that the last Piloswine was busy tangling with Carys. She merely sauntered up to it from behind and surprised it with another Flame Burst.
Suffice to say, the Double Team Special worked wonders when done right.
B9F
Ping! Went their badges, startling them.
"Togepi's here. Come on, this place is full of enemies that would love to beat him into a pulp. We need to find him, and soon." Said Ezra, jogging out of the chamber with Carys close behind.
They traversed through the floor as quick as they could, trying to find the tiny child before anyone else could. Eventually, they entered a chamber that held a Togepi, who was looking curiously at X-Ray Specs.
"Togepi!" Called Ezra, coming up to the boy. He turned, startled.
"Uh….who are you?" He asked cautiously, backing up to a corner.
"We're Team Banshee. We're here to rescue you." Said Carys as the two showed him their badges.
"Rescue me? ….Oh. My mother must have posted a request." He sighed, sounding not at all happy at the prospect of being rescued.
Ezra and Carys looked at each other, confused. Usually their clients were happy at being found. Seeing their looks, Togepi continued.
"Let me explain: my mother is quite wealthy. She has all of these priceless heirlooms, and she thinks that I'm one of them. I can't do a thing without her breathing down my neck. She doesn't let me leave the house very often. It's a problem, as I want to form my own exploration team one day. So, I like to sneak out and explore the area. Today, I decided I would take it a step further and explore an actual dungeon. …In hindsight, that was a bad decision. I had no idea the Pokemon in here were so tough! …Maybe I should go back. I don't think I can go too much farther, and I don't want to give my mother a heart attack. She means well, but she just doesn't realize that I'm not a piece of furniture."
He stood up straighter, sighing.
"I'm ready now. Take me to my mother."
Lily Town
"Ohhhhhhh thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouuuuuuuu!" Wailed Togekiss, tightly hugging her son and waving him around. The poor kid looked like he'd rather be anywhere but here. Ezra didn't blame him.
"Here you two darling darlings are!" Togekiss continued in a pompous voice, handing over their rewards. "Now, it's back home we go! And no more exploring for you, young man. I couldn't stand it if my most precious possession was lost from me! You're grounded for ten months!"
With that, Togekiss herded her son out of the building. Ezra mouthed "sorry" to him as they left. After they left, Team Banshee burst out into laughter.
"'My most precious possession'? Oh Original One, she thinks her kid is just like whatever priceless heirlooms she has! She doesn't realize that he has his own thoughts and feelings." Laughed Carys.
"Oh, poor kid. I'd hate to have her for a mother. Luckily he only has to wait a few more years before he can form his own exploration team. I think once he leaves home, it'll be good for her to realize that he isn't some object she can keep coddle and keep in a gilded cage." Ezra said soberly, ceasing her laughter. Carys agreed, and they went out to pass more time until dinner.
They were busy playing 'Monferno in the Middle' with Hoopa (They eventually had to make a new rule stating that he couldn't use his hoop, as the blatant cheater would use it in order to catch the ball) when they saw something that made their jaws drop open in surprise.
There, walking into town, was Wanda! Ezra was so focused on her, she didn't notice Hoopa had thrown the ball at her. It hit her in the side of her head, making her cry out. Hearing her, Wanda turned, and raised her eyebrows in shock. She headed straight towards them.
"Ezra and Carys! What are you doing here?" She inquired.
"We live here. What are you doing here?" Answered Carys.
"Who are you?" Asked Hoopa.
"Hoopa, this is Wanda, the Gardevoir I told you about this morning. Wanda, this is Hoopa, a fellow resident in Lily Town." Introduced Ezra.
"Hello, nice to meet you. After you two left, our job was done. There wasn't any reason for us to stay, so I decided to leave. Diego and Gaia stayed behind; they weren't ready to face the world again. We've all been affected by the Dark in some way or another, and they're not too keen to give up their safety. I, however, have my own quest I need to fulfill." Wanda explained, turning back to Ezra and Carys.
"What's that?" Asked Ezra.
"A few days before I evolved into a Gardevoir, my parents, two Shiny Gardevoir, were attacked by three Pokemon: a Froslass, a Vibrava, and a Fraxure. I barely escaped with my life, and I ended up at the waypoint of Canyon Cliff. Diego and Gaia have took care of me ever since. I trained hard in order to one day rescue my parents, and then Cresselia and her three disciples came by, asking us to help her. We agreed, always willing to hurt the Dark, and I put my quest on hold. But now, now that Cresselia's task has been completed, I can return to my initial quest. I asked around, and I was told that a Leavanny named Rose would house me for no charge. I…I have no money, you see." Wanda explained sheepishly.
"Team Renegade kidnapped your parents? That's awful!" Winced Carys.
"You…know the three who ruined my life?" Wanda asked incredulously.
"Yes, they're high-ranking members of the Dark. Formora, the Froslass, is the Dark Champion. Kialandi and Firnen, the other two, are her teammates. We're actually on our own quest to stop them." Explained Ezra.
"In that case, I will do all I can to help destroy the three who ripped my parents away from me." Wanda bowed in an oath of fealty.
"As for Rose, what you heard is not entirely true. Rose does charge her tenants, but another Team, Team Siren, pays for everyone's rent, because they're insanely rich and don't care about their money." Added Carys. Hoopa nodded.
"Yep! That's why I got a job here, at Neal's Sweet Treats! He has a room in the back, and that's where I stay!" Hoopa beamed, hula-hooping. Wanda faltered.
"O-oh…." She drooped, looking hopeless.
"If I may." Interjected a voice. The four turned to see Sora floating nearby.
"Oh, hi Sora. What's up?" Asked Ezra. To Wanda, she said, "Wanda, this is Sora. He's the town librarian."
"Greetings, Lady Ezra. I could not help but overhear. I may have a solution. Lately, I've been pondering about taking on an apprentice; someone who adores knowledge as much as I do. I shall be candid, it would be fortunate if I had someone to help me around the library. Upkeep and maintenance are taking away much of my time devoted to research. And I sense potential in the young Gardevoir. I would endear to have you as my assistant, Mistress Wanda." Offered Sora.
Everyone was speechless. Shut-in Sora usually preferred books over Pokemon; to hear him want company was unlike him!
"I….Well….It would solve my lodging problems…..Okay, sure. I'll give it a shot. Your name is Sora, sight?" Wanda asked, looking nervous. Sora gave a rare smile.
"Indeed. Do not worry, I am not an unkind Reuniclus, merely an odd one. Come by later, and I shall show you your room. We can discuss terms then." With that, Sora departed back to his library.
"Sora's always like that, but he's not wrong when he said he was nice. You'll like it; he has tons of books about everything!" Reassured Carys to the nonplussed Wanda.
"I see…I'm going to look around town some more, but I will see you three around." Wanda said, recomposing herself.
"Alright. If you need us, we live in Rose's Lofts—it's the tallest building, you can't miss it—and Hoopa lives at the pink building in front of the library." Said Ezra.
"Thanks. See you around." Nodded Wanda as she continued her tour of the town.
"The scary Dewott lady's coming towards us." Reported Hoopa.
The scary Dewott lady scowled as she walked up to the three.
"I heard that, trickster. See you don't steal my donuts again. Don't think I didn't notice that three of yesterday morning's batch had disappeared." Franziska threatened him, waving a scalchop in front of him. He gulped and shrank underneath her glare.
After a moment, she turned to Ezra and Carys.
"As for you two, it's dinnertime. Come." She said impatiently, beckoning them to follow her. She didn't look back to check if they were following or not.
"Gotta go. Bye Hoopa." Said Ezra, waving goodbye as she hurried to catch up to Franziska.
"Bye." A daunted Hoopa mumbled.
"Hey Franzy, what did you make?" Called Carys as she ran to catch up as well.
Franziska didn't answer, only whapped her on the head with Razor Shell.
Whee! More Lookalike Items!
In case you haven't noticed, I've decided to make it a recurring gag to have Ezra fall victim to a Warp Trap. Fate has a twisted sense of humor. Its name is also RemiScarlet58.
I was told two separate posts were preferred, and so your wish is granted. Chapter 10 will end on Sunday with the long-awaited answers Ezra and you all want.
Next week, Chapter 11 will commence. There are 14 chapters in total, plus four shorter 'post-story' chapters after that. I plan on finishing this series sometime in August. What happens after that…well, I think you guys might like the next story I'm planning :) (Tiny hint: it takes place in the same universe as this one~)
The Chapter finale will contain: another job, unlikely allies, and Answers At Last.
