DarkFoxKit: *Looks around from underground* Is it safe?
Traveling Master: Don't know. *Looks around, seeing no sign of anyone else* I think… the coast is clear… For now.
DarkFoxKit: Okay, then it should be safe. Maybe Dust finally decided enough was enough and crowded everyone back to our story. *Slowly comes out*
Traveling Maser: Hopefully, but you can never be too careful with that Absol. We should probably get to the story soon, just to be safe. *Climbs out after DF*
DarkFoxKit: Of course, of course. The computer is right over there. *Goes over to the computer* … TM? Why did you paint the computer pink?
Traveling Master: Pink? I didn't paint the computer. And if I did, I would've gone with black and red.
DarkFoxKit: Then why is the computer pink? *Starts to upload the chapter*
Traveling Master: Alright, while you upload the chapter, I'll let the readers know what we have planned. *Turns to face the readers* So far me and DF have been working a lot with the story and upcoming chapters. New ideas that we plan, surprises and such. Recently we came across a new idea, but this time we want your help with this idea. It involves the Pokemon Amaura, and for a while we were trying to figure out whether or not this Pokemon should be a part of Team Night Tide or not. That's when we decided that you, *Points at the readers* can decide. There will be a poll on DarkFoxkit's profile on whether or not Amaura will be part of the team.
DarkFoxKit: Alright, the chapter is up, and so is the poll, now we can head back into the ho-
*The computer suddenly started to move*
DarkFoxKit: … Did… did the computer just… moved?
Traveling Master: Maybe you should step away from the moving computer.
Computer: *Suddenly has a Ditto face* Hiiiiiiiiiii~
DarkFoxKit: O.O RUUUUUUUUUN!
Chapter 18: Downtime
Carrie had this nagging feeling all day, but she didn't know why. She couldn't help but feel worried about Chloe, but she couldn't just leave, she was in the middle of an important meeting. A lot of the Pokemon in White Leaf Town were worried about the stolen goods and the break in. Many Crusaders feared for their items' safety, especially the rarer ones. Carrie had to reassure them that her warehouse was completely safe, and nothing important was stolen. The thief mostly stole food.
It had taken almost the entire day, but Carrie was finally free when Officier Arcanine promised to launch an investigation on the thief. Carrie decided to go check to see how Berry and Brody were doing with the kids, since the nagging feeling hadn't gone away yet, and she needed to know her babies were safe. She did consider Phantom and Spooks as her own children, especially since Chloe enjoyed playing with them all the time.
What Carrie didn't expect, however, when she was heading back towards the guild, she saw two familiar Dreepy playing with a boy and girl Nidoran, who were running around with a Nidoqueen and a Nidoking. Carrie frowned at this before she approached the Nido family.
"Uh… hi, excuse me," Carrie spoke up, getting their attention.
"Carrie!" Phantom and Spooks smiled, before they both realized that with Carrie here, and not Berry, Brody, and Chloe, they were about to have one angry mama.
"Carrie! Uh… what are you doing here?" Phantom asked nervously.
"I should be asking you two that." Carrie frowned before she looked at Nidoqueen. "These two should be with a Goomy and a Lucario. Have you seen them?"
"Not for a while. Last time I saw them my mate had knocked the Lucario away because he was flirting with me. That's when the Goomy and the others went to go find them. I was surprised to see only these two Dreepy return but they told me that the Lucario and Goomy had taken the third child with them for some errand," The Nidoqueen explained, but was now getting suspicious after see the concerned look on Carrie's face. "Is everything alright?"
"... The third child… was that a baby Kangaskhan?" Carrie asked.
"Yes, I'm assuming you're her mother?" Nidoqueen asked.
Carrie didn't answer, instead she turned towards Spooks and Phantom. "Do you know where Brody and Berry took Chloe?"
Phantom and Spooks were unsure what to say to Carrie.
"Uh… they… uh…" Spooks stuttered.
"They went on a stroll, yeah, they… they should be back soon," Phantom spoke up.
Carrie wasn't buying any of it, she's taken care of Phantom and Spooks many times before to know when they were hiding something. "Okay, if that's the case, why is it that you two decided to stay behind? You are supposed to be with them at all times."
"We… didn't feel like walking," Spooks said.
"Spooks, we can't walk, we float!" Phantom hissed.
"R-right! That's w-what I meant! Floating, not walking!" Spooks stuttered.
"Excuse us, I need to have a talk with these two," Carrie said politely to the Nidos.
"Yes, of course," Nidoqueen answered before she took Nidoking's hands. "Come on, darling. You two as well."
The Nidorans nodded before they followed their parents as they walked away from Carrie and the two Dreepy.
"Phantom, Spooks, I want you two to tell me exactly what happened and I want the truth. Brody and Berry would never irresponsibly leave you two with strangers unless they had a good reason," Carrie stated firmly.
"But we weren't left alone!" Spooks protested.
"I didn't say you were alone, I said you were with strangers," Carrie corrected.
"That's not what he meant. They left us with two other guild members," Phantom corrected.
"And who are these two members who left you with these strangers?" Carrie was starting to lose her patience.
"Uh… I think they were Brody's teammates?" Spooks answered.
Just then a familiar Grovyle and Charmeleon had walked around the corner, with the latter carrying lots of food.
"I'd say we hit the jackpot tonight, Grant, this will keep us fat for a week!" Al grinned, licking his lips at all the food he was carrying.
"Still can't see why this couldn't have waited till later," Grant grunted.
"You heard that salesmon. These were on sale only for a short time. We had to get them!" Al argued. But suddenly Grant stopped, almost causing Al to bump into him. "Grant? What up?"
Grant didn't say anything, but Al recognized that look on his face. He followed his partner's gaze and saw an angry Carrie giving the both of them death glares.
"...Oh…" Al said after realizing why Grant had stopped.
Carrie began to approach the two of them. "So… let me get this straight, Berry and Brody left Phantom and Spooks in your care for whatever reason, and you two just leave the Guildmaster's, your Guildmaster's, grandchildren to two strangers, so you could go get something TO FILL YOUR BELLIES!?"
They both flinched at her shouting. Grant was thinking of what to say, hoping to somehow calm the angry Kangeskhan from skinning them alive, unfortunately Al beat him to it.
"H-hey! It's not our fault that our leader and his Goomy girlfriend left them with us so they could go save the baby Kangaskhan from an outlaw kidnapper!" Al said.
At that, the air went cold. Grant's mouth hung open in shock and fear, Carrie stared at them as the words sunk into her head. Phantom and Spooks quickly backed away, knowing that the hurricane was coming. Al just realized what he said, and seeing the rage build up inside Carrie, he did the first thing that came to mind. He held up one of his berries and offered it up to her.
"...Uh...Berry?" Al gave a nervous smile while Grant just facepalmed himself.
Literal fire surrounded the very angry Kangaskhan and she gave a loud roar. It wasn't something that Carrie often did, but she ended up using Outrage on Al and Grant, causing an explosion in the area. Phantom and Spooks were really glad that Carrie wasn't facing them when she used it.
Once the smoke had cleared from the recent attack, Phantom and Spooks saw only a huge black spot on the ground, most likely from where Carrie aimed her attack. But there was no sign of Grant or Al anywhere, but suddenly Carrie reached down towards the black spot and grabbed two black figures from the ground.
"You two! You are going to help me track down this outlaw until I get my baby back! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME!?" Carrie roared at the two.
"...Crystal," Al managed to cough out.
"...Clear," Grant added.
Carrie then turned to Phantom and Spooks, both went stiff under her gaze, then Carrie gave a sickly sweet smile.
"Phantom, Spooks~ I'm going to need you two to head back into the guild and talk to your grandma for me~" Carrie smiled.
"Yes ma'am!" They both shouted at the same time before scurrying off back to the guild.
Now that Phantom and Spooks were gone, Carrie turned her attention back to Grant and Al. "Now, where did this outlaw go?"
Before the Charmeleon and Groyvle could answer, a Carriage pulled up. The Carriage was being pulled by Midday Form Lycanrocs, two of them. They weren't horse-like Pokemon, but they were strong and fast enough to pull Carriages just fine. Brody and Dust jumped off of the Carriage.
"Thanks for the ride, we know we sort of hitchhiked at the last minute, so this will be something for your troubles," Brody said, handing the Lycanroc to the left a big bag of Poke.
"Thank you~" The Lycanroc smirked, sounding female, taking the bag.
Carrie's eyes homed in on Chloe, who was in the Lucario's arms, with Berry beside her.
Both Brody and Dust suddenly felt a sense of dread come over them. Dust was confused by the sudden feeling but Brody instantly recognized it, having felt it before. He turned around just in time to see Carrie drop Grant and Al as she started making her way towards them.
"Uh oh," Brody nervously said.
"Mommy!" Chloe smiled, happy to see her mommy again.
Carrie didn't hesitate to take Chloe from Brody's hold and hug her child. Chloe started crying as soon as she was safe in her mother's hug.
"I was so scared, Mommy! That bad outlaw kidnapped me and tried to use me to blackmail the Crusaders!" Chloe cried.
"Shhh… there, there, Chloe… sweetie… you're safe now… Mommy's got you…" Carrie said soothingly.
Berry slipped out of Brody's hold, wanting to appear healthier and stronger than she felt after seeing the mother and child reuniting. She also knew she would have to appear this way in order to take the scolding and possibly a mother's wrath once Carrie finished comforting Chloe. Berry was also glad the ice had fully melted off of her by now.
Carrie turned her attention back to Berry, Brody and Dust, giving them a fierce glare. "You three have some explaining to do."
"It was my fault, Carrie," Berry spoke up quickly. "Brody got punched far away by someone's husband, so I was left with the children. We went to go find Brody when this outlaw Snubbull grabbed onto Chloe. I tried my best to stop them, I really did. I hopped after them, tried to use my attack to slow them down, but my Dragon Breath didn't do anything, and the Snubbull managed to run out of town. I'm sorry, I should've been more responsible. If you're going to punish anyone, punish me. I only dragged Dust into this, he had nothing to do with Chloe's kidnapping, he just came to help rescue her."
"And why didn't you come get me?" Carrie asked.
"Well apparently the Snubbull had threatened to harm Chloe if Berry had brought you or the Guildmaster." Dust spoke up, wanting to defend Berry's case. "She demanded something called the Syzygy and would only return Chloe if Berry brought it to her."
Carrie stared at the three of them before speaking once more. "Back to the guild, now. And I expect to hear the whole story when we get back."
Brody had been carrying Al and Grant since they were covered in soot, and neither were able to move. Dust offered to carry Berry, but Berry insisted on slithering herself. Dust wondered why Berry had been so adamant about being carried.
It was slow, since Brody had to drag two of his teammates, and Berry's slithering was slower than usual. Carrie didn't seem to mind, she was busy comforting her child. Dust was both dreading and anxious to get to Chihiro's office. He really didn't want Berry to have to go through another punishment for something that was completely out of her control this time.
They finally made it to the Guildmaster Office. Chihiro was there, she had likely heard the story from Phantom and Spooks.
"Carrie, I see Chloe is safe and sound," Chihiro gave a sigh of relief.
"Yes, she is. I was about to take Al and Grant to go after the outlaw ourselves when Berry, Brody, and Dust had just showed up with my child." Carrie explained.
"Hmm...Well from what I've been told, you three have quite the story to share," Chihiro noted. "Please, tell us everything that happened."
Berry decided to start since she was the witness to Chloe's kidnapping. Though she was having trouble staying focused as everything started to blur around her.
Dust took over once Berry got to the part where they were at the entrance to Phoenix Dungeon. Brody's story was straight forward, he went through the dungeon himself when he and Team Night Tide split up. Berry had been too stubborn to let them leave until they found Chloe and the Snubbull. They began talking about their meeting with the shiny Trapinch, when Dust and Berry felt incredibly dizzy.
"Dust? Berry? Are you two alright?" Chihiro asked in concern when she noticed they were wobbling a little.
Dust tried to speak up but his entire vision blurred and suddenly everything looked like it was flipped on its side. He realized then he had just collapsed. He tried to get up but to no avail. Berry on the other hand only seemed to slink further and further to the ground, her body becoming almost flat due. They saw Chihiro saying something but couldn't make out her words, and soon, both Dust and Berry succumbed to their exhaustion.
When Dust opened his eyes again, he found himself lying in a familiar bed, with familiar surroundings. It was a place he had hoped he wouldn't have to come back again so soon, the same place he almost died in.
"Ah, I see you've awakened. You've been here so many times it's hard to tell if you're a student or a patient," Dust looked up to see Dr. Perfume was in the room checking on him. "How are you feeling?"
"...Tired…" Dust answered before realizing it was only him and Dr. Perfume in the room. "Wait, where's Berry?"
"She is in another room being looked after by one of my nurses," Dr. Perfume answered. "You seemed to have suffered from heat exhaustion, as well as energy exhaustion. Absol aren't meant to be in a hot environment. Absol are usually seen in snowy areas. But I'm not sure what caused your energy exhaustion other than you overdoing it."
"Actually…" Dust was about to explain how Brody had used Close Combat on him when he was under the influence of Attract, but remembered how after that whole ordeal with the Snubbull, all the pain in his body was gone. He wasn't sure how to explain it and was trying to figure it out himself.
When Dust hadn't said anything in a while, Dr. Perfume continued. "What I found strange was that other than your exhaustion, your body was physically fine. I didn't see any wounds on you. Your partner, on the other hand, had multiple bruises, as well as a bite mark on her side. Her body is suffering from heat exhaustion as well, and it looked like she had been dehydrated. A desert is not a good place for a Goomy. She might have to stay here a little longer."
"Will she be alright?!" Dust asked, forgetting about himself.
"Calm down," Dr. Perfume spoke up. "Berry will be alright, but she will need to stay in the guild for a few days to a week to recover. The bad environment, and whatever battle she had while in the place put a strain on her body."
"...Do you mind if I check on her?" Dust was already getting up, not really waiting for an answer.
"Like I said, she's in the next room. But afterwards come back, you still need a full rest before you can officially leave." Dr. Perfume answered as he opened the door to let Dust out.
The Absol thanked Dr. Perfume and walked through the door. He looked to the next door, and slapped it a few times to knock. A nurse Wigglytuff opened the door.
"Oh, Dust. I take it you're here to see Berry?" The Wigglytuff asked.
"Yes...How is she doing?" Even though Dr. Perfume had just explained to Dust earlier, he still asked.
"She's currently sleeping. We are monitoring her conditions, but right now all she needs is time to recover," Wigglytuff answered Dust. "Would you like some time with her alone?"
"Yes, please," Dust thanked the Wigglytuff as she exited the room.
Dust didn't say anything as he stared at his partner, who was lying in a watery tank, her body slowly rising and lowering with each breath she took. Dust felt strange standing there, unable to do anything to help his partner.
Is this what Berry went through? Is this how she felt when I was here last time? Dust thought about how he would feel if Dr. Perfume told him that Berry was in danger of dying instead of reassuring him that she would be fine in a few days.
Dust noticed that Berry wasn't wearing her scarf right now. He saw the Defense Scarf was currently lying on a counter.
Dust didn't know how long he stood there, not that he really cared. All that was on his mind was just being there for his partner, despite Berry being unconscious he didn't mind staying there. He was so focused on Berry that he hadn't noticed Dr. Perfume entered the room. A tap from the doctor made Dust jump a bit, before realizing who it was.
"Oh, Dr. Perfume, sorry didn't see you there," Dust apologized but then frowned. "I'm guessing you're here to tell me to come back and rest?"
Dr. Perfume lightly chuckled before answering the Absol. "Close, but my nurse had told me you wanted to spend some time with your partner. While you still need your rest, I see no problem with you resting here. You can use the bed there. Me or my nurse will come to occasionally check on you two."
Dust smiled at the Aromatisse. "Thank you Dr. Perfume."
"Carrie or Chihiro may come see you in the morning," Dr. Perfume stated. "Right now, it's midnight, so they're likely asleep at the moment. Try to get some sleep yourself for tonight. Berry isn't going anywhere."
"I understand," Dust noted.
Dr. Perfumed nodded at Dust before leaving the Absol alone with his partner. Dust took a moment to examine the bed and was glad that it was actually pretty close to Berry's water tank. He hopped on top of the bed, making sure to face Berry before laying down. He didn't fall asleep at first, instead he just layed there, staring at Berry as she continued to sleep, wondering how long it would be until she would wake up. It was the first time Dust cared for anyone other than his mother this time before, it was a strange feeling.
After some time Dust felt his eyelids grow heavy, he tried to stay awake but many times he found himself dosing off. He wanted to stay up, hoping that Berry would randomly wake up, but as time went by, Dust found it harder and harder to fight off his exhaustion. Eventually he fell asleep, with the last thing he saw was Berry, sleeping in her watery tank.
Dust woke to some giggling noises. When he opened his eyes, he saw the face of a Dreepy right in front of him. The Dreepy gave a happy smile when they saw him open his eyes.
"Hey! Welcome back to the world of the waken!" It was Phantom.
Dust stretched and let out a yawn before replying to Phantom. "Morning Phantom."
"Morning?" Phantom giggled once more. "Dust, it's past the afternoon."
"What?!" Dust suddenly got up, no longer feeling tired. He then turned to Berry, hoping that she might be awake, but to his disappointment, she was still sleeping. So he sat down as he continued to stare at her.
Phantom looked at Dust for a moment. "You know, if you keep staring at her, someone might think you have an obsession with her."
Without taking his eyes off Berry, Dust replied back to Phantom. "Well she is my partner and my first friend...I just...keep thinking that any moment she's gonna wake up. And I want to be there when she does."
"Heh, maybe you are a little bit obsessed with her," Phantom chuckled. "Berry's spirit is strong, so she'll wake up soon."
Phantom then flew up suddenly, and Dust noticed a large shadow towering over him.
"Well, well, well, look who finally joined the land of the living once more," Chihiro chuckled.
"Hello Guildmaster, while it is nice to be back, I think this is much better than last time I was here," Dust turned to face Chihiro while giving her a smile.
"Indeed, last time you were in ABSOLute peril," Chihiro remarked, chuckling at her own pun. "And with you looking after your partner, that is BERRY sweet of you."
Both Dust and Phantom cringed at Chihiro's puns, but Dust still was grateful for the kind words.
"Thank you...What happened after me and Berry had passed out? Did Brody tell the rest of our story?" Dust asked, remembering how they never finished recounting their adventure from yesterday.
"Well… Brody did his best to tell us what happened during the battle with the outlaw Snubbull, but his memory appears to be spotty at best. So we didn't get the full details, just what happened at the start of the battle, and the tail end of it," Chihiro answered. "But as for what happened after you and Berry passed out so suddenly on us, Carrie picked both of you up and took you to the Medical Bay. Phantom and Spooks were very worried, and so was I actually. The last time you collapsed so suddenly, you nearly died. We were all relieved to hear it was just exhaustion. I suppose it wasn't fair of us to keep you and Berry from getting a much needed rest after going through that hectic adventure to save Chloe."
"...Are Berry and Brody going to be punished again? I mean, this time it wasn't even their fault," Dust asked, concerned for both his partner and for Brody.
Chihiro shook her head. "We decided to wait until after hearing the whole story, it wouldn't be fair to punish them just yet. But from what I've heard so far, you won't have to worry about them receiving any punishments. We'll be waiting in my office for you to finish telling your tale."
Dust nodded, relieved that Chihiro was allowing him and Berry to rest before having to finish reporting on what happened on the mission. If it was up to Dust, he would've chosen to stay there until Berry had woken up, but he knew that he would have to leave eventually. He stayed for a little while longer but decided that it was about time for him to go.
Before leaving Dust placed his right paw against the glass tank, trying to think of what to say. After a minute passed only one thing came to mind. "Get well soon, Berry."
Dust was looking at the Dragapault in the Guildmaster office. He noticed that Phantom and Spooks weren't in the room with them. Chihiro looked to be doing a lot of paperwork.
"So… the fact that you're here tells me that you're ready to report on the rest of what happened," Chihiro noted. "Whenever you're ready, feel free to share."
Dust nodded and continued with his report. He recalled the last thing he and Berry had mentioned was their encounter with the shiny Trapinch and went on from there. He told her of his battle with Trapinch and the sudden rain, despite being underground, only to find out that Berry had just used Rain Dance. Then he explained how they were later able to exit the underground tunnels and return to the surface and come face to face with the outlaw Snubbull. Dust explained how they tried using the guild's badge as a bluff, hoping to fool Snubbull long enough to rescue Chloe.
"When that failed, that's when Brody showed up," Dust explained. "At first things were looking good on our side, but then that Snubbull used Attract on Brody."
"Attract, well that does explain why Brody was having a difficult time telling his side of the story," Chihiro noted. "And knowing him, he must've become a difficult obstacle."
"You are correct, Brody had Chloe in his arms, ready to hand her over to Snubbull, who was also holding Berry against her will. Things really did take a turn for the worst," Dust added.
"So how were you able to get out of it?" Chihiro questioned. "No offense to you, but Brody, while he is in the Bronze Rank, has the power to rival a Gold Rank. And if your partner was out of commission at the time, and you had no other help, how were you able to still rescue Chloe and defeat the Snubbull? This sounded like a no-win situation for you."
Dust paused for a moment, for he wasn't even exactly sure how that happened. "Well...It's true, I stood no chance in a fight against Brody. At first I figured the best option would be to fire an Ice Beam and hopefully freeze him, but he quickly countered my attack...Shortly after he used Closed Combat, it's still a surprise I was even conscious after the attack. Though I think he was just holding back, else I don't think I would've even been here to share my report."
"I'm thankful the outlaw hadn't ordered Brody to go all out on you," Chihiro remarked. "So, it still sounded like you were in a no-win situation. What happened after that?"
Dust gave a slight chuckle before continuing. "Well after that...I'm honestly not sure myself. You see, as my body was in pain...I felt this new sensation in my head. At first I didn't know what it was, but suddenly the only thing I felt was a massive pain in my head. It was like no headache I've ever felt before. It was almost like my mind was being ripped apart. I could hardly move, but I saw Brody was about to use Blaze Kick, most likely an order from Snubbull to put me out of my misery. Luckily just before he could deliver the attack, it started raining, preventing him from using it. And that's when everything became…"
"Became what?" Chihiro asked after the long pause from Dust.
"I don't know how to fully explain it," Dust admitted. "Suddenly the pain was gone from my head, but that wasn't the strangest part. Despite it raining, Snubbull had ordered Brody to finish the job. And that's when I could see it. I could see Brody's attacks before he even started them. It was as though I was seeing a future version of himself and his attacks. Because of that I was able to dodge almost all his attacks. Though at the very last moment I lost my footing on the sand and even though I saw his next attack coming, there was no way for me to dodge it, but suddenly he stopped. Turns out Snubbull's Attract had lost its hold on Brody."
"Hmm…" Chihiro appeared to be deep in thought about something. "You said that you felt pain in your head, then you were able to see future versions of Brody? Seeing his attacks before they even happened?"
Dust nodded in confirmation.
"I see… Did you… hear any voices in your head just before then?" Chihiro questioned in a suspicious tone.
"...I…" Dust paused for a moment. He did recall hearing something, but couldn't tell if it was actually someone talking to him or just his mind going crazy from all the pain he felt. He was considering telling Chihiro of the voice he thought he might have heard but suddenly felt nervous for some reason. Unsure why he felt that way, so Dust decided to keep that part to himself. "I can't recall. All I remember was the intense pain I felt."
"Okay… let's say this was some miracle for now. But if it happens again, I want you to tell me as soon as possible," Chihiro instructed.
"Will do." Dust nodded while saying so.
"But there are still other questions about that battle that I haven't gotten answers to," Chihiro said, changing the subject. "Such as how did Snubull's Attract wear off so suddenly."
Dust nodded, already having an idea. "I think that might have been Berry's doing. After Brody had broken from the trance, we later heard a scream and saw that Snubbull was using Ice Fang on Berry. She might have done something to cause Snubbull's Attract to wear off."
"Ah, so Berry must've gotten enough energy back when it started raining to fight back against Snubbull," Chihiro noted. "It seems you and Berry saved each other today, and I am glad you were able to save little Chloe from that outlaw. Carrie might've murdered the Snubbull, a Kangaskhan's motherly instincts will go haywire if their baby is in danger, that's something not even civilized Kangaskhan can control."
"Well that is...good to know for the future," Dust gave a nervous chuckle, remembering how he felt sudden dread when they last saw Carrie. But there was still something bothering him. "Maybe Brody explained it, but one thing I was curious about is why did he give the Snubbull the chance to leave? Surely he could've easily taken her down, especially after knowing that she knows Attract. Did Brody ever explain why?"
Chihiro sighed. "He didn't need to for me. I already know why."
Dust blinked. "Then why?"
The Dragapault shook her head. "I'm afraid that will have to be something you hear from Brody himself, it's a personal matter for him. But I will say that next time an outlaw kidnaps a child, whether they threaten to hurt them or not if you tell someone, you should still come to me at the very least. I am an expert on when it comes to hostage situations. I know how to get the child or children back without the outlaw knowing."
At this, Chihiro gave a very mischievous and dark grin that sent chills down the Absol's spine.
Wanting to change the subject, Dust grabbed his badge, remembering why the Snubbull had kidnap Chloe in the first place. "I also had another question. What exactly is a Syzygy? I know it's a term normally used to describe a lunar or solar eclipse. But when I tossed the outlaw my badge, for a moment she believed that we had just given her a Syzygy. Is it a nickname for some object in the guild?"
Chihiro looked at Dust for a long moment, as if studying him, or his very soul. It made Dust feel nervous and a little bit exposed, it also made his curious mind wonder if Ghost types could see other Pokemon's souls.
"I suppose I owe you an explanation after everything you went through, for both this guild and for us," Chihiro finally said softly. "But be warned, this is sensitive information, not everyone in this guild knows about it. I'm not sure how that outlaw found out about it, but if I am to tell you, I order that you keep it a secret, understood?"
Dust felt even more nervous then he had before. Part of him was actually considering refusing, as the saying goes, ignorance is bliss. But another part of him couldn't help but feel curious. The same feeling he got every time he was about to do something he knew would get him into trouble, but he couldn't help himself, he always had to know. While he was still debating on whether or not to accept this secret, he recalled his old Guild Master's mission, how Grace had tasked him with finding a certain object within Unity Guild. If this was the item Grace was talking about, then this would help him return back home.
After some consideration, Dust finally gave a nod of confirmation as he braced himself for what he is about to learn.
"The Syzygy is a meteorite stone that had fallen to this planet over several millennia ago," Chihiro began. "It was founded by my ancestor, and it had been passed down in my family's generation ever since. We had found out about its power, and we knew about consequences if such power were to ever get out. The Syzygy is indeed powerful, but also dangerous. If put in the wrong hands, the Pokemon, be they wild or civilized, can and will lose control of themselves and go on a rampage, a destructive rampage. We had seen first hand just how much damage a single Pokemon could do with this Syzygy. While destroying the Syzygy was something we took into consideration, we also realized that it can also be a big help in case we would ever need it for whatever reason. When I founded this guild, I kept the Syzygy in a safe and hidden place. The badges were based off of the Syzygy itself, I guess you could say that it did help tribute to the creation of Unity Guild. I would only tell a trusted few about the Syzygy in case I may need help keeping it safe from thieves and other outlaws. It is unfortunate, but I suppose the history of the Syzygy's power never truly faded, so it is still possible for Pokemon to hear about it."
Dust was very fascinated as Chihiro explained about the Syzygy that the Snubbull had wanted so bad.
"But I also believe, that despite the Syzygy's power, it can also help bring out a Pokemon's potential. It's why I keep it in the guild in hopes of Pokemon who are normally seen as weak, could become strong, and make a name for themselves," Chihiro admitted. "I didn't like how guilds had these rules where only the strong species of Pokemon were allowed to join, while the weaker ones were never given a chance to even try to prove themselves. It was one of the reasons why I founded this guild. As a Dreepy, I was seen as weak, not many Pokemon knew about my evolution either. There could be hundreds of 'weak' Pokemon that have stronger forms that they never knew about, and even if they don't, they can still tribute to a team that is right for them."
It was a lot for Dust to take in, but after hearing everything, he now had a better understanding of what it meant to be part of Unity Guild.
"...Thank you for sharing this with me." Dust finally replied.
"Just remember that this is a secret for a reason. With great knowledge comes great responsibility, and I expect you to keep it a secret, understood?" Chihiro asked with a sense of warning in her voice.
"I understand." Dust agreed.
"If you do consider telling your partner, you'll need to come here and ask for my permission first," Chihiro added. "You should know the only reason I'm telling you about this is because your and Berry's lives were put at risk for it, and I do trust you two enough not to blab about it at the very least."
Dust chuckled a bit at the thought. Normally when he discovered any such information, the first thing he would do is blab to any one who happened to be nearby. But this time he would have to make sure to keep it a secret, something he wasn't really used to.
After a moment of pause, Dust replied back to Chihiro. "Well, I will absolutely do my best to keep it a secret."
Chihiro gave a surprisingly light hearted smile. "I will Dust off my trust just for you, and make ABSOLutley sure that you would give me a Berry and sweet information on the tired Goomy's recovery~"
Dust tried to hold back his cringe, but Chihiro easily noticed it and gave a hearty laugh.
"You don't have to like my puns for me to trust you… though it would be nice to get a decent laugh or two," Chihiro remarked. "Now, is there anything more you want to discuss while you're here?"
"Are Berry and Brody still going to be punished?" Dust asked with concern.
"No, they won't," Chihiro assured. "They did nothing wrong, they acted what they thought was the best course of action, even if they should've came to me at the very least when Chloe was kidnapped. I can still understand why they felt they couldn't, because I was busy, and they didn't want to worry Carrie. And the outlaw did issue a threat of hurting Chloe if they told anyone, honestly, if I was about Berry's age, I would feel the best thing to do was to go after the outlaw myself as well."
Dust gave a sigh of relief. "That's good to know. Well that covers about every of my questions."
"Alright then. I will dismiss you. You are free to do as you like, research at the lab, shop at White Leaf Town, or just wait for Berry's recovery if you prefer. If you want to take on missions, you'll need someone to watch your back while your partner is recovering," Chihiro informed.
The Absol gave a nod to Chihiro before he walked out of her office.
As Dust was walking to the lab, seeing how Berry wasn't awake yet, he saw Talon, with Tippi on his back, looking ready to head out.
"Talon, Tippi!" Dust called out to them. "It's been awhile since we last saw each other. How have you two been?"
"Hey, Dust, we've been… great," Talon said hesitantly. "Hey, Tippi? Why don't you check to make sure we have everything in our bag before we leave?"
"Fine, whatever," Tippi grumbled before she crawled off of Talon's back and Talon took off the bag he had around his waist and opened it for her.
Talon then hopped over to Dust and whispered to him. "Tippi's been a bit moody lately. She's also been eating a lot more than normal, so much so that I notice that she's gaining a bit of weight if you know what I mean."
Dust gave a curious look after taking a moment to look at Tippi. "Well she does seem a bit larger than last time I saw her."
"Don't talk about it too loudly," Talon hissed. "I've been a bit concerned about her. You know how a lot of bird Pokemon like to eat Bug types, right? With how much she's been eating and gaining weight, she's gotten heavier for me to carry, and I worry that the bird Pokemon we run into in this dungeon we're going in might start to see her as appetizing."
"Hmm…" Dust took another moment to look at Tippi. "I can see how that would be concerning. A Caterpie that size would surely draw the attention of any wild Bird Pokemon looking for a meal. Is it wise to take on a mission when she's like that?"
"I wanted to stay here until she got over with whatever's got her craving food," Talon sighed. "But she insisted on going after we received this mission from Chihiro. Apparently it's the same Snivy we saved a while back, and she wants our help for something. I don't know why it has to be us specifically… I'm not really a big fan of the Snivy line."
Dust frowned. "If you don't mind me asking, why is that?"
"A Serperior ate my family once," Talon answered. "I was the only survivor, and the only reason I survived was because Chihiro happened to be there before I was eaten."
Dust was taken back by Talon's response. He was not expecting something like that to have happened to Talon in his past. "...I'm...sorry that happened...Um…"
"It happened a long time ago," Talon waved a wing. "Don't worry about it. The Unity Guild is my family now. But that is why I'm concerned for my partner, I don't want her getting eaten."
"Well...I can see how that would give you a negative view on Snivy. I'm not sure how I would react if my mother was suddenly gone. You don't think this Snivy would actually eat your partner, do you?" Dust asked, still feeling slightly uncomfortable about the recent topic.
"I doubt the Snivy would be interested in eating a Bug type, but I am wary of that." Talon frowned.
"We have everything, so are you ready or what?" Tippi asked, clearly in an annoyed mood, something Dust wasn't used to seeing on the normally timid and quiet Caterpie.
"Ready as I'll ever be," Talon gave a small chuckle.
"Good luck on your mission," Then Dust crouched low towards Talon and Tippi while lowering his voice. "And Tippi, some advice. With all the weight you've accumulated, it might be best to watch what you eat. You're partner says he's been having a difficult time carrying you."
Dust gave a wink to Talon, recalling Talon's warning about mentioning Tippi's weight too loud. Talon just stood there, shocked with his beak wide open.
"What… are you calling me fat!?" Tippi snapped. "I have half a mind to cover you in String Shot right now!"
"Aaahhhh! N-no! Dust is just being a well intention idiot! Don't mind him!" Talon quickly said as he frantically flapped his wings before he flew up, grabbed onto the fuming Caterpie and his bag with his talons. "We should get to that mission now, don't want to keep that Snivy client waiting!"
With that, Talon flew away quickly, though he did wavered around a bit, showing he was struggling carrying both the bag and Tippi at the same time. And Dust was left there, wondering why Tippi was so angry at him suddenly. He shrugged it off as he continued on his way towards the lab.
"Dust? What've you been researching this time? You seemed pretty buried in your work," Otti asked, who was currently a Breloom.
Dust was currently looking through a microscope, with his badge on the glass panel for him to observe. Without taking his eyes off, he replied back to Otti. "I've been curious lately by our guild's badge. They were already fascinating before, but now I want to further study them. Like how is something so small able to teleport crusaders out of the dungeons? Not including how it also brings other Pokemon with us when we are doing a rescue mission. Never really had thought on our badges too much before, but after yesterday, my curiosity was touched once more concerning these badges."
"Hmm… what kind of theories do you have right now about the badges?" Otti questioned curiously.
"Well so far one theory I have is that they emit a unique type of energy wave. One that is connected to the guild itself. Perhaps upon receiving them, Crusaders are somewhat…" Dust paused for a moment, trying to find the right words. "Recorded, in a way. The badges themselves would only respond to a Crusaders commands, at least that would explain how only guild members are able to use the badges. Wouldn't do good if an outlaw had gotten their paws on our badge and was able to use them like we do.
"Another possible theory is that perhaps they are made from the same materials as the special orbs, such as Escape Orbs," Dust explained. "But then that raises the question, what exactly are the orbs made from. I know it would be some form of glass material, but then where do their origins begin. But that would be a topic for another time. As for the badges, if they are made from the same materials as the Orbs, perhaps that is how they are used to teleport out of Dungeons. But one major difference is that while we can use them any number of times, Orbs are only used once, so this theory is most unlikely. But those are just two ideas that come to mind."
Of course there was one specific theory Dust had that he kept to himself. He wanted to share it, but it was about how the badges were somehow connected to the Syzygy that Chihiro had explained to him earlier. But due to it being a very secretive topic, Dust had decided to keep that one to himself.
"Hehe, those are all very interesting theories," The Breloom-Ditto chuckled. "There's a lot going into the making of a guild's badge. Many of them are made with the same materials and power in mind."
Dust looked away from the badge, curious by what Otti said. "Power in mind?"
"The power to teleport Pokemon out of a Mystery Dungeon, having similar properties to an Escape Orb, of course once used, the badges would take at least half a day to recharge, that's why teams who plan to go on multiple missions in one day are advised to take an Escape Orb or two with them," Otti informed.
"Interesting," Dust noted. "I didn't know about the badges having to recharge. It's a good thing that me and Berry have only been doing one mission a day so far. Would've been very unfortunate if we ended up stuck in the dungeon with no means of getting out."
"Heh, not to worry, if there was a cause for an emergency exit, the badges would've likely activated a failsafe system that would automatically teleport you out of the dungeon, but it would be wise not to go back in for two days if that were to happen unless you have a few Escape Orbs with you," Otti chuckled. "New teams usually don't take multiple missions in one day. Higher ranks are more likely to do that, it helps them get stronger without having to use the Dojo, and help Pokemon at the same time, while also earning them more points to push their ranks up. Though higher ranks also tend to take on long term missions as well, which is why you hardly see any around here these days."
"That does explain why I've only seen other Bronze Rank members so far. The only Silver Rank team I know of is… Team Crimson Raiders." Dust frowned.
"Team Crimson Raiders are an interesting bunch. They don't usually stick around the guild for long unless they're in training," Otti informed. "Once they're done with that, they're very focused on whatever mission they take. But enough about that. I feel like you've spent a long enough time in the lab today. You should go out, get some fresh air, maybe do some shopping at White Leaf Town."
"Nonsense. I haven't been here that long. There's still more I need to study," Dust explained.
"Dust, it was morning when you came in here. It's evening now," Otti deadpanned.
"...Oh...well I suppose I might've lost track of time," Dust said while giving an embarrassed laugh. "But can't really blame me. As a fellow researcher you know how easily we get lost in our research."
"Yes, but even I know when to call it quits for the day," Otti chuckled before transforming into a Hoothoot. "And my internal clock says you've been in here long enough. You haven't even eaten anything all day. I suggest you go out and get something nice, maybe check on Berry to see if she had woken up yet. And also, didn't you say you saved up enough Poke to afford at least a cheap T.M now?"
"Hmm...I did find some interesting things at the market yesterday, but didn't have the chance to get anything after running into Berry. I suppose I have studied enough for today." Dust agreed. "Thank you for reminding me. Actually, now that I think about it, do you know much about Fairy types?"
Otti transformed herself into a Clefairy. "A little bit. They are a bit of a rarer type, not as rare as Dragons, but still not that common. Why do you ask?"
Dust took a moment to look at Otti, amazed by her ability to transform. "Well yesterday me and Berry had fought against a Snubbull, and we were both struggling against the Fairy Pokemon. Would you happen to know any moves that me and Berry could learn to better face off against Fairy types in the future?"
"Weren't you struggling because the Snubbull took over Brody with her Attract?" Otti asked.
Before Dust could answer, Otti spoke up again. "Though it is true that your team does share that common weakness to Fairy. It would be wise if one of you could learn a Steel or Poison type move to counteract the Fairy types."
"Well hopefully the market will have a Steel or Poison type move for me and Berry." Dust replied. "Um… can Berry learn any Steel or Poison type moves?"
"Well… not much is known about the Goomy line, I haven't been able to study them enough to know every T.M they could possibly learn. But I do remember seeing a Goomy using a Sludge type of attack before. Some thought a Goomy was a Poison type due to this," Otti answered. "So perhaps Berry might be able to learn something like Sludge, Sludge Bomb, or Sludge Wave. Though Sludge Wave tends to hit everyone around the user, so you probably don't want to give her that one."
"Noted, thank you for the help, Otti," Dust thanked the Clefairy as he gathered his stuff. "Oh, while I'm at the market, do you need anything from there?"
"I'm good for the moment, just try not to lose track of time while shopping," Otti advised.
With that Dust said his goodbyes and left the lab.
The Absol, though he wouldn't admit, felt stiff from sitting too long, and the fresh air outside the guild smelled really nice. It also helped that the air was clear and free from a city's pollution, something he had grown used to all those years back at his old guild, but this was a new change that he had been getting used to.
"Definitely a nice change of scenario," Dust mostly said to himself as he made his way towards White Leaf Town.
Despite it being late in the afternoon, the town square was still busy as ever, with Pokemon of all different shapes and sizes going along their business, acquiring all sorts of different items on their bucket list. Dust didn't pay them too much attention, he's only focus was to tackle his own shopping list. He knew that he and Berry were low on supplies, and while the guild would provide some extra berries, after hearing about Otti's advice concerning Escape Orbs, Dust felt it wouldn't hurt to have some of their own. After spending a good minute of looking around, he finally found the Kecleon's shop, with the two Kecleon having just finished business with a Marill. Seeing that Dust was next, the two Kecleon happily greet the young Absol.
"Welcome to our shop!" The two brothers greeted.
"Ah, Dust, always good to see you," The green Kecleon remarked. "How can I help you today?"
"Salutations to you too," Dust happily replied. "I was hoping to purchase some Escape Orbs, and possibly any TMs you two may have."
"You're in luck, I just got some Escape Orbs in stock today, how many would you like?" The green brother asked.
"I'll check out our TM stocks to see what's in today," The purple Kecleon stated before heading to the back of their shop.
"How much are your Escape Orbs?" Dust asked while looking at each one.
"300 Poke for one Escape Orb," The green Kecleon informed.
Dust took a moment to look in his bag to see how much Poke he had. Hmm, I definitely have enough to purchase a few Escape Orbs, but I should probably see what TMs they have first.
After waiting a bit, the purple Kecleon returned with all the TMs that they owned.
"Here's all our TMs, see any that you want?" The purple brother asked.
The Absol began to look through the box of TMs. Otti had recommended the moves for him and Berry, he just hoped he could find those moves in the box. There were quite a few good ones, like Surf, Hyper Beam, Flamethrower, Shadow Ball, and Solar Beam. However, his mismatched eyes found one TM disc that was silver, which indicated it was a Steel type move, the label said 'Iron Tail'. Dust noted the Iron Tail TM and continued to look through the box until he came across a purple disc. The label on the Poison type disc was 'Sludge Bomb'. Of course, the prices on those TMs made him suck a breath. Iron Tail was 8000 Poke, while Sludge Bomb was 7500, neither were very cheap.
"Is there a problem?" The purple Kecleon asked, noticing the Absol's expression.
"...Um...no. It's just, I see two TMs that I actually would love to purchase, but I was not expecting either of them to be quite so...expensive," Dust explained.
"As I've said before, it is difficult to find good TMs with good moves," The purple Kecleon replied. "However… if you do want both, I suppose I can give you a bit of a discount deal. Consider it a gift since you came close to death before."
"You've heard about that?" Dust asked.
"It's pretty wide spread around here, the Absol who came back from the brink of death," The green Kecleon chuckled.
Dust didn't exactly know how to respond. He knew he always had a knack for making a reputation for himself back at his old guild, but this one was different.
"Uh...Well thank you for…the discount then, never thought that my little encounter with death would hold some form of merit," Dust awkwardly chuckled. "Well if that's the case, I would like to purchase the TM moves Iron Tail and Sludge Bomb."
"Alright, so the discount deal is that you can pay full price for one of the TMs, while the second one will be 25% off," The purple Kecleon explained.
"Alright then," Dust noted as he stared at the two TM discs. Seeing how he would save more if he paid full price Sludge Bomb, he pointed at the purple disc. "I would like to purchase Sludge Bomb for full price."
"Okay, then your total will be…" The purple Kecleon took a moment to find the total sale amount, including the discount he had offered before finally giving an answer. "...13,500 Poke."
Dust double checked his bag, making sure he had enough and was satisfied to know that he had just enough for both TMs. After counting the correct amount, he handed over 13,500 Poke over to the purple Kecleon, noting that he had 175 Poke left to spare.
The purple Kecleon smiled as he took the bag of Poke from Dust, counting it to make sure there were the appropriate amount, before he picked up the two TMs from the box and pushed it to Dust.
"Thank you for your business, Dust." The purple Kecleon smiled.
"Is there anything else we can help you with?" The green Kecleon asked.
Dust shook his head before replying back. "Nope, I think that's everything, at least everything I can get. Thank you for the discount, it really helped."
"No problem, perhaps if you rise in ranks or do something else that becomes popular around here, you'll get more discounts in the future~" The purple Kecleon informed.
"I'll keep that in mind," Dust waved goodbye before leaving the shop.
The young Absol decided to look around a bit more, just in case anything else might have caught his mismatched eyes, but seeing that he only had 175 Poke left, there was hardly anything that he could get. After spending some time, Dust was about to head back to the guild when he suddenly sniffed an appetizing aroma in the air. At that, he noticed his stomach growling, remembering how he hasn't eaten for a while now and decided to follow the scent, both curious and hungry to know the source.
Dust kept following his nose to the hunger induced aroma, until he came across what looked like a newly opened restaurant. It was pretty small, likely just starting out, but the food Dust smelled definitely beats out the guild's cafeteria food by a landslide. Not that the cafeteria food wasn't good, but he had been eating there for a month straight, and he'd like to have something different.
Dust approached the restaurant doors, seeing an Appletun standing at the counter, though a Cherubi was on top of the Appletun's back.
"Hello, welcome to the Sweet Apple Restaurant. Though don't let the name fool you, we serve all kinds of dishes here, not just sweets and fruits. We are open to every kind of Pokemon species," The Cherubi greeted. "Will you be dining in today, Sir Absol?"
"I would love to, but… I don't really have that much Poke on me, surely not enough to afford food that smells this great," Dust explained.
"Our food prices are as cheap as they can be since we are new here. The cheapest food would be about 10 Poke, while our most expensive dishes could range from 100 to 500 Poke. We hope to be able to earn enough Poke to expand our restaurant, and bring in more variety and ingredients for more Pokemon to enjoy," The Cherubi explained. "Some of the food here can raise your IQ, make you feel a little stronger, or you might even be extra lucky and find a prize in your food~ The more expensive your dish is, the more chances you have of finding a good prize."
"Oh wow, I was not expecting that," Dust happily replied. "If that's the case, then I will be dining in."
"Very well, please go ahead and find yourself a table to sit in, we have big chairs for the bigger Pokemon, small chairs for the smaller Pokemon, and the normal chairs for the average sized Pokemon, take your pick to which one you're most comfortable in," Cherubi instructed. "After you sit down, a waiter or waitress will be with you shortly, we hope you enjoy a fine dining experience~"
"Thank you," Dust thanked before choosing a table with a normal sized chair to sit at.
After Dust took his seat, a floating teal and white teapot came over to him. The Absol gave a confused look at the teapot, before a purple, cute ghost-like figure came out from the teapot, and held out a notepad and a pen.
"Greetings, I am Jasmine, and I will be your waitress for the evening," The Polteageist introduced. "The menu is on your table, you may choose whatever is within your price range."
"Thank you," Dust said before grabbing the menu. He took a moment to look through the menu, not really sure what to order, each selection sounding delicious. So he decided to focus on the price, seeing one that was around 125 Poke. "I'll have the…Roasted Psyduck hands, please."
"Very well. Would you like any refreshments to go with it?" Jasmine asked as she wrote down Dust's answer.
Dust looked at the menu once more, seeing that he would still have just enough to get a drink too. "Yes please. Can I get the Oran Berry Punch."
"Alright then." Jasmine smiled. "I will return soon with your order."
With that said, Jasmine withdrew into her teapot before she floated away. Dust waited for a bit, noticing the smell of food being cooked coming from the kitchen. He tried to take a look in the kitchen, but from where he was sitting he had a hard time seeing the insides. But just then Jasmine exited the doors and Dust caught a brief glimpse of what he assumed was a Marowak, at least he thought it was. Though this one looked very different from the normal ones he had seen before. He would've hoped to look more but the doors quickly closed as Jasmine came towards him with his food and drink.
Jasmine was using some kind of telekinesis to float Dust's plate and glass cup of Oran Berry Punch. Jasmine set the plate down in front of Dust, and his cup beside the plate.
"There you are, please enjoy~" Jasmine smiled.
Dust took a moment to let the aroma enter through his nose, his stomach letting out another growl as his mouth was starting to salivate. "Thanks, I'm sure I will enjoy this meal."
Dust then went and took his first bite out of the meat, noticing the rich flavors as he chewed them in his mouth. After taking a couple more bites, he took a sip out of the Oran Berry Punch, tasting the sweet flavors as he swallowed his drink. It wasn't long until Dust had cleared his plate and finished his drink, his stomach fully satisfied from the meal. However, Dust noticed something on his plate. It was a coupon that would give him a free meal in the Sweet Apple Restaurant.
Just then Jasmine returned to take Dust's plate and cup. She then noticed the coupon and gave a friendly smile. "Well aren't you lucky. Make sure to return with that coupon for a free meal~"
Dust smiled and nodded. "I will."
"Be sure to talk to Ms. Cherubi for your payment before you leave," Jasmine instructed.
Dust nodded before getting up from his table. He walked up to the Appletun and Ms. Cherubi to pay for his meal.
"I hope you enjoyed your meal," Ms. Cherubi smiled.
"I did, it was very delicious," Dust returned the smile with his own.
"Please, spread the word to the other Pokemon about your experience. The more Pokemon who eat here, the more chances we'll get to expanding this place." Cherubi grinned. "Your payment in total will be 175 Poke."
"I'll make sure to tell others of this place," Dust replied as he handed Ms. Cherubi the remainder of his Poke. "Thank you for the meal."
"Please come again soon~" Cherubi smiled before she used her leaf to pick up the bag of Poke.
Dust, feeling full, satisfied, and excited after buying the new TMs and getting an awesome meal, walked to the Medical Bay to see how Berry was.
However, when Dust went into the room Berry was in, he didn't see her. Berry's tank was completely empty, no Goomy in sight. Dust started to panic a bit, looking around the room to see if Berry happened to be there, but no luck. He exited the room, still trying to look for her when he saw Dr. Perfume walking nearby. He rushed towards the Aromatisse, almost crashing into the doctor, but was able to stop himself from doing so.
"Goodness, Dust, where's the fire?" Dr. Perfume asked, seeing how Dust almost crashed into him.
"Fire? There's a fire?" Dust asked, his mind racing.
"No, no, it's a figure of speech, meaning 'what is wrong with you'?" Dr. Perfume clarified.
"Oh, my bad," Dust corrected himself. "But there's nothing wrong with me. I was hoping you knew what had happened to Berry, she's not in her tank."
"Berry? Ah, she woke up an hour or two ago. Since she was mostly recovered, she was discharged from the Medical Bay, so she likely went back to her room," Dr. Perfume explained.
"She woke up?" Dust asked in disbelief. "I thought she wasn't supposed to wake up for another few days, or a week."
"Those were worst case scenarios. It would appear Berry is much stronger than that, so she woke up after half a day of rest," Dr. Perfume replied. "She did ask about you though when she woke up, so we told her you were currently at the Research Lab."
Dust let out a sigh of relief. "That's good to hear. Thank you, Dr. Perfume. Now if you'll excuse, I have a partner to find."
"Much obliged," Dr. Perfume thanked before Dust exited the Medical Bay.
Dust didn't waste any time as he headed towards the Research Lab, it was most likely that Berry would've left after seeing he wasn't there, but there was always the chance that she could still be there. But as he got there, he saw the lights were all off, usually signifying that no one else was using the lab. Still, Dust turned on the lights, just in case but saw no signs of Berry. Turning off the lights, he continued down the hallway, thinking of other possible places Berry would be.
Dr. Perfume did tell him to check their room, but Dust figured Berry must be hungry since she hadn't eaten in over half a day, so Dust decided to head for the cafeteria. As he made his way towards the cafeteria, he passed a few Pokemon along the way, but he didn't stop to greet them, he just wanted to find his partner and see for himself that Berry was alright. Wasn't long until he finally reached the cafeteria, noticing that there weren't that many Pokemon in there. That made it easier for him to search for his partner.
Taking a moment to scan the area, he finally spotted Berry at one of the far ends of the table, with Brody bringing her what looks like a big plate of assorted Berries and Gummies.
"Thanks, Brody, that's really nice, though I would've been fine with just a few berries," Berry remarked.
"Nonsense, you haven't eaten for a long time now," Brody replied as he put the plate of food in front of Berry. "After your beauty sleep, you need to eat to fully recover your strength."
Dust couldn't help but feel relieved when he saw Berry there, awake and eating like nothing was wrong. The Absol made his way over to them. When Berry spotted him, she perked up.
"Hey, Dust!" Berry greeted, waving with one of her antennae.
"Berry!" Dust shouted as he finally reached her. Ignoring her slimes, Dust went and gave Berry a hug. "I'm so glad to see you're doing well!"
Berry was a bit surprised at the hug, Dust never willingly gave her a hug before other than when it was necessary to keep her warm from when he accidentally hit her with an Ice Beam attack, but the Goomy decided she liked it. It made her feel warm and good.
"Heh… did I worry you that much?" Berry sheepishly asked.
After a couple more seconds of hugging Berry, Dust finally let go, his under torso now covered in slime, though he didn't mind at the time. "Oh yes, I was very worried. Part of me thought that you wouldn't be waking up for a long time."
"Heh, well at least I did wake up, and at least you didn't need to go on some perilous journey just to bring me back a cure," Berry chuckled good naturedly.
"Well I wouldn't exactly say perilous journey, but I did do a bit of shopping, though mostly because Otti advised me to," Dust explained. "I actually managed to get us two TMs, something to better help us if we were to ever encounter a fairy type in the future."
"That's good…" Berry then frowned a little. "Wait… TMs? Aren't those really expensive? How much Poke did you spend?"
"Normally yes, but apparently I have quite the reputation and the Kecleon gave me a discount for buying two," Dust answered while smiling. "While normally it would've cost me 15,500 Poke, with the discount I was able to purchase them for 13,500 Poke, leaving me with 175 Poke to spare. Which I later used to eat at this fairly new restaurant, which I highly recommend you try it some time. Their food was phenomenal. And while I did used the last bit of Poke on the food, I say it was worth it."
"Wait… you're saying that we have 0 Poke right now?" Berry spoke up.
"Well if I did the math right, yes. We currently have 0 Poke," Dust continued to smile, not realizing the sudden change of atmosphere in the cafeteria.
The Goomy's left eye twitched a little. "... Is there anything else you did that I should know about?"
"Hmm...Well before shopping I did spend some time in the Research Lab, and later I ran into Talon and Tippi, who apparently has been gaining weight," Dust noted.
"... You didn't tell Tippi about her weight gain, did you?" Berry asked, frowning.
"Well Talon did tell me not to mention it so loudly," Dust explained, causing Berry to sigh in relief, but then he continued. "So that's why before leaving, I quietly mentioned it to her, just like Talon told me to."
Berry stared at Dust. "What the absolute Distortion World, Dust!? You do not tell a lady that she is fat! That's just begging to be smacked! And another thing, you spent all of our hard earned money without even discussing with me first!? Why couldn't you have at least put the 175 into a bank or something so we'd have it in case we would need it on a rainy day!?"
Dust was actually taken back, surprised by Berry's sudden rant. "...Okay, I see how that can be quite...upsetting. But if it makes it any better, I did end up getting a free coupon for a free meal at the restaurant."
For a moment, Berry just stared at Dust. Dust gave a nervous grin, seeing the Goomy's dotted eyes just staring at him in annoyance. Then Dust was suddenly soaked, his fur dripping with water.
Berry was groaning. "That's it, you're never shopping again unsupervised."
Dust shook his fur, shaking off as much water as he could. "Huh, funny. That's something my mother would say."
"Yeah, well, I'm beginning to see why she would say that," Berry huffed. "We have no more money left!"
"Not to worry, my dear," Brody spoke up. "If money is the problem, then I can simply lend you some for the time being."
"There, see? Money isn't an issue, Berry," Dust stated.
Berry grumbled as she began to swallow her berries and gummies, feeling like she was going to use Water Gun again on Dust if she didn't stuff her mouth right then and there.
Seeing that Brody was here, Dust decided now would be best to ask him a question that's been bothering him for a while now. "By the way, Brody, I've been meaning to ask you something."
The Lucario looked at Dust. "Yes? What is it?"
"Well, earlier when I was giving Chihiro my report on what had happened during our battle with the Snubbull, I asked her why you decided to let the outlaw go, thinking that you had already told her. But she told me it would be best to ask you yourself. And it's been puzzling me for a while now. You clearly had the advantage, especially after knowing that she can use Attract, surely it would've been easy for you to take her down."
Brody remained silent for a while, staring at Dust, contemplating on how best to answer the young Absol.
Berry stopped stuffing her mouth, having heard Dust's question. She swallowed her food before turning her full attention on Brody and Dust. "I… actually would like to know too, why did you let the outlaw go?"
Brody stared at both of them before finally smiling. "Well I supposed it's only fair that you two know. You two risked your lives, so you two should know as much. The reason why I let the outlaw go, why I didn't take her down is because I wouldn't be able to."
Both Dust and Berry gave Brody a confused look, with Dust asking, "What do you mean?"
"I mean, even though it's true, I could've easily taken her down, I would not be able to harm her," Brody explained. "And not just her specifically, but all females I ever met and will ever meet in the future, I will never harm a single part of their body."
"Why? I mean I know you seem to have a thing for females, but why go so far as to not hurt any of them? It's dangerous to let a female outlaw go like that," Berry said. "If I hadn't been able to block her last Attract on you, Dust would likely be dead, Chloe would be in the hands of that Snubbull, and I… I'm not sure, I'd likely be dead too."
"I know, and I'm sorry that you two had to go through that," Brody apologized while bowing his head. "But no matter what I can't harm any females, not until I find…" Brody paused for a moment, as though deep in thought. He looked around, making sure no one else was nearby. "...Long ago someone had cursed me. I don't exactly know who, or why, but since then I found that no matter what I do, I cannot harm any females. If I had known that Snubbull was female from the very start, I would have either Al or Grant go in my place, instead of me."
"You were cursed by someone?" Dust asked, surprised and fascinated.
Brody nodded. "Yes, but I don't remember who or why."
"Oh jeez, that sounds terrible." Berry frowned.
"It does make things...difficult from time to time, but normally I can always count on my teammates if needed." Brody smiled, trying to reassure them.
"Is there any way you can find them? Any leads?" Dust asked, wanting to learn more about Brody's predicament.
"Well...there is actually one lead. Despite not knowing who they are, one thing I do know is that they are female," Brody explained.
"How is that exactly a lead?" Dust asked, unsure how genders really play a role in all this.
Brody then closed his eyes while holding out his paw as aura was pulsing from his body. "I remember her aura. That's the only thing I can recall about her."
"Well… that… narrows it down to half the population on the planet," Berry sheepishly chuckled. "I suppose you might know her when you see her though."
Brody nodded. "Perhaps. But not many know of my condition, only my teammates, Carrie and our Guildmaster know. I trust you two enough, and you two deserve to know after I risked your lives. But please, do keep this to yourselves, the less who knows, the better."
"I promise I won't tell anybody," Berry promised.
"Likewise, I won't tell anybody either," Dust added.
Brody smiled. "I thank you both then. Now finish up your meal, you still have to fully recover and I have to close the cafeteria soon."
Berry started to eat the rest of what was on her plate, while Dust looked at her.
"Careful, if you keep eating all of that, you'll start gaining weight too," Dust said.
Berry looked at Dust before spraying him with Water Gun, along with some of the berries that were in her mouth.
"There, now you're berry," The Goomy huffed.
Unbeknownst to them, a fourth had been listening in on their conversation the whole time. Sticking to the shadows, the mysterious figure snuck out the cafeteria undetected, making some distance from the others until they were a safe distance away. Once the coast was clear, the figure stepped out of the shadows, revealing an all to familiar Zoroark, as he grinned to himself.
"Interesting," Zoroark said to himself. He continued on his way with the knowledge he had acquired, knowing that it would be very useful to him someday.
Greatest Guy: Traveling Master: Yup, Dust got extremely lucky back there. And didn't help that Brody loves flirting with every female, so Attract would be very effective on him. But I like to think Attract has different effects on others, depending not only on the gender but also their emotional and mental state as well.
Would be more difficult to use Attract on someone who currently has a mate, or someone whose heart has recently been broken.
DarkFoxKit: The inspiration for Attract being 'mind control', at least to someone like Brody, was from an anime episode in Pokemon, where, frankly, an evil Togepi used Attract to mind control Ash and Dawn's Pokemon.
Star Taurus: DarkFoxKit: You do… what now that the Outlaw is arrested? You want to know how and why you mean? You'll see as the story progresses. And yes, we're all glad Chloe is safe and sound.
FoxyKhai0209: Traveling Master: Yup, would've been pretty bad if Dust and Berry had failed to rescue Chloe. And as we mentioned before, all things will eventually be revealed. So you'll find out about the reason behind the outlaw's action in time. If Brody was a female… I don't… I can't even imagine him as a female. Maybe he'd have an existential crisis over suddenly being female. *Shrugs* And trust me, I don't want Brody hearing any of this either.
DarkFoxKit: I think they meant if Brody was born a female, not suddenly turned female. But that would be an interesting crisis. There are items that can transform Pokemon into objects, Pokemon into other Pokemon, and even turn objects into Pokemon. Why not have an item that switches a Pokemon's gender?~
Traveling Master: Shhh! Do you want Dust or Brody to hear that?! Last thing we need is for them to even remotely get an idea like that!
DarkFoxKit: Relax, it's not like they can hear us.
Traveling Master: If you say so. But if Dust or Brody suddenly end up with a way to switch someone's gender, I'm blaming you.
Star Gemini: DarkFoxKit: Um… cool, I guess? Thanks for the astronomy lesson? I get that they were talking about the Syzygy in the last chapter, but… what does this have to do with anything in the story?
Traveling Master: Well one thing is for sure, family reunions must be fun.
Guest #1: DarkFoxKit: *Looks at this chapter* Oh yeah, Carrie was completely calm when she found out about her child missing and kidnapped. This is sarcasm by the way.
Lonelyboi69: Traveling Master: Thanks, we made it our goal to try to upload a chapter every Friday. And yeah, with time and practice, this new ability will come in handy for Dust in the future. And glad you enjoyed the story so far, we hope you keep enjoying it!
The Shining Sage: Traveling Master: I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO MAKE THAT JOKE! Or something like that. As funny as that would be to see, Miyagi is only a name in the story, nothing more. So unfortunately there won't be any karate kitten.
Guest #2: DarkFoxKit: Yes, egg moves are interesting. I like the idea of Pokemon inheriting moves from their parents, but it's bothersome when there are some moves that are exclusive only to these Pokemon that happen to hatch with it. So we're making sure Pokemon have the ability to learn these egg moves whether they were hatched with it or not. If these offsprings can hatch with these moves, then the Pokemon should be capable of learning it.
Traveling Master: I also like to think that they could learn moves because of their ancestry. It's not just who their parents are, but could go down to grandparents, great one, centuries before the Pokemon was even an egg. So I agree with DF, that it is very possible for Pokemon to be able to have these moves. But telling you right now, Dust won't be learning Megahorn. Just letting you know.