Arriving At Alma.

Shadow looked curiously at the map in her grip, lifting it with a bit of difficulty to position it next to the map on the large sign before her.

"So, I'm here, and I need to be over... there, I think?" She frowned, following the path on her map.

It wasn't as good as the one on the sign, but that was mostly because it was a lot bigger than it. Her map had a lot of places on it, going all the way from her small hometown of Fori to the really big (and kinda scary, not that she'd ever admit that) cities to the place she was trying to get to now; a town, bigger than her home but not massive, that also had a Pokemon Adventurers Guild in it, one run by a Wigglytuff. That was probably a good thing, given that Wigglytuff Guild's had a very high rate of very successful adventurers and Rescue teams coming out of it in the end.

"It'd be nice if it wasn't so far from home, though." Shadow grumble lowly, folding her map and carefully putting it away in her bag. She figured that she was probably right in her guess as to where to go next, and if it turned out that she wasn't then she could probably just ask for help at whatever town she ended up in.

Shrugging her bag onto her back again, she continued onwards to what was hopefully her destination, all the while reflecting on the trip so far. For the most part, it had gone wonderfully, with her only needing to use her new- newish, anyway. She could already do it before now, but she was a lot better and more powerful than she had been before her Mama had started training her for her trip- Ember Move to blow a little fire at a few random Dungeon Pokemon once. They'd decided to pester her, and they had run off straight away after that so it hadn't really descended into a fight; more like a scuffle between her and her siblings, at least before Pa or Mama pulled them apart to avoid anyone getting hurt by the horns of the three Absol.

Shadow sighed, poking awkwardly at the bag hanging by her side with her tails. It'd been a going away present from her family- more specifically her four siblings, since they'd been the ones taking extra chores and helping around Fori for money to gang together and buy it for her. They'd also bought a scarf, in matching purple, which was snugly around her neck. It had enough grow room for if she decided to evolve too, which was nice, though she didn't think it was necessary. She wasn't really in a hurry to grow up- not like little Kaltria, her baby sister. Still, the thought was nice, and she supposed you never really knew what would happen while she was on her Rescue Team. For all they knew, maybe she would end up evolving at some point. Maybe in some sudden, last-minute decision in the battle against the bad guys in order to save her team and the treasure they'd been hired to rescue!

Or maybe it'd be in her base, with the rest of her team, because they decided they needed more power and she was in a good place to give it to them.

The point was, she supposed, she had no idea at all whether or not she'd end up evolving once she'd joined a Rescue Team, so it was nice of her siblings to take that possibility into account when they were getting her her gift. And it also meant she had a useful place to put her team leader Rescue Badge as well, rather than threading it through her fur or something.

She missed them...

Shaking her head, Shadow set her shoulders and continued forwards along the path. She didn't need to miss her siblings, it'd all be fine. They were at home in Fori with Mama and Pa, and she'd be writing to them often, and they'd be responding, and she'd become a super powerful Rescue Pokemon that led a super famous team, and she'd be able to hire a teleporter to go back there for visits when it wasn't busy, and it'd all be great.

And she was gonna keep telling herself that until the sad sicky feeling went away and she believed it.

Welcome to Alma.

Main town, straight ahead.

Rescue Pokemon rental fields, left.

Wigglytuff Rescue Team Guild, right.

Enjoy your stay, whatever the reason.

Shadow stared upwards at the sign and grinned widely.

"Brilliant." She crowed quietly, eyes bright. "I knew it was the right way. Nasty Murkrow..." One of the Dark-type birds had interrupted her on her walk through the woods and asked where she was going. He'd tried to persuade her that she was going the wrong way, but she'd pointed out on her map that she was going the right way. He'd tried to argue against that for about five minutes, but he eventually got fed up with trying to explain and fluttered off all angrily, telling her that she'd regret not listening.

She almost had, actually, when she'd run into a strange illusion field in the middle of the forest she'd been walking through, but it hadn't been very good. All it'd done was make her feel a bit confused for a minute, but she knew how to deal with that and had just kept walking past it with a bit of fire to burn the edge of the confusion off.

Flash Fire was sooo useful.

"Right, so straight ahead for the main town. Guess that's where I'm gonna need to go first, because I'm gonna need a hotel or summat to stay in. At least until I become an awesome Rescue Recruit, that is, since I think you stay in Guild until you graduate. And then you're normally pretty good and have money and stuff..." Shadow grinned enthusiastically at the thought of being a famous Rescue Pokemon, then shook herself free of it and adjusted her bag and scarf. "No, Shadow, stay focused. Get set up in town first. Then you can focus on being an awesome Rescue Pokemon. Just gotta focus."

She started trotting down the road in front of her, shooting a slightly longing glance down the one to the Wigglytuff Guild before she continued.

Just a little bit longer, and she'd be able to make it!

"Where's the hotel here?" Shadow muttered irately to herself, pawing at the floor as she looked around. "It should probably be around here... right?"

She had absolutely no idea; she was basing it kind of off of her time back home in Fori, which had a smallish hotel near the entrance of the town, and as such that was where she was standing at the moment, looking around for where she hoped it would be.

Being in a new place was annoying, she decided, stepping off to the side so that she was out of the way if anyone needed to walk past. The bigger towns and cities she'd stopped in on her way here hadn't been so bad; there were lots of signs everywhere, and if she was still lost there was usually another Pokemon that she could ask for directions.

People were usually pretty nice when she asked for help, probably because she was so young. She was only ten, after all, and a lot of the Pokemon she'd met on her way here had commented that it was pretty young to be travelling alone.

Shaking her head a little, she looked around again, trying to spot a sign that might point her in the right direction.

"Are you alright, there?"

Shadow jumped and squeaked slightly, before blushing and turning to look at the speaker. An Arcanine had managed to sneak up on her somehow, and was now looking down at her, faintly amused.

"Oh, um, hi." She said, waving a little awkwardly. "Um, yeah, I'm ok, just a little lost..."

"The hotel's a little further into town, a couple streets down round the corner." She gaped, and he laughed. "You look like a traveller, and a lot of them get a bit lost cause they think the hotel's gonna be nearer the gate than it is. Dunno why Blissey set up where she did, but whenever the two've them are asked they just titter and talk in circles 'til you forget what you asked."

"Oh, thank you!" Shadow smiled. "Yeah, I was a bit confused..."

"No worries, no worries. Glad to help. I'm Arcanine- yes, just Arcanine, you'll find that a lot round here- leader of Team Rushout. We're one of the bigger local teams round here."

"I'm Shadow, and I'm gonna be a Rescue Pokemon." She told him. He laughed, a loud, booming sound.

"Excellent, it's always good to have more Pokemon around! Here, let me walk you to the hotel, I can answer a few questions for ya." The larger Pokemon gestured down the street for her to walk ahead of him, keeping to her side. "There's not a lot going on around here, true, but there's always something."

"What's it like being in a Rescue Team?" She asked. "I kinda want to make my own."

"I'll put in a good word for ya, kid, but you might have a bit've trouble with that. Not Wigglytuff, he's a darling, but Chatot can be a bit strict sometimes, doesn't like the idea. He's a bit hard pressed letting kids into the Guild at all, t'be honest. Still, if he's a problem, feel free to find me, I'll let you join up with our lot for a while. Or ever, if ya take to it." Arcanine offered. "But to answer, it's pretty good. Stressful, whether you're leading or just working in it, but it's good work. Getting to help a lot of Pokemon out and travel around... dangerous, too, o'course, with Outlaws and Dungeons being what they are, but still good." He paused, then pointed. "Just over here's the hotel. Blissey and Audino run it, with their kid Chansey, they'll be happy to let you hang about until you're all sorted. Whether that's with a Team, the Guild, or something else."

"Thank you!" Shadow beamed. "And thanks for the offer, too, but I'm gonna be a Rescue Team leader myself! You'll see!"

He laughed, again, though it didn't sound mocking. "I bet, kid. Maybe we'll be able to work together in the field sometime."

This is my apology for the recent late uploads, and also because I haven't posted any of these in a damn long time and I have a ton of them that I want to write and post.

Also, feel free to send in requests about events referenced in the main story that you might want to hear about! There's not a ton, admittedly, but if there's anything you'd like to see written, feel free to ask! (Heck, even if it's not referenced, ask anyway! I'm always down to hear what people want to see.)