Psychic Province of Tuntemus, Therduin Village, 1st of Bright Moon, 1st Age of the New Calendar, Year 11.
"Look sharp, Jaron, it's up ahead." Edrys, a Persian, and Jaron the Beedrill's assigned mentor mercenary, spoke up for the first time in half an hour.
"Finally!" Jaron buzzed happily as he zoomed past Edrys to get a good look at the village over the forested hill.
"There it is." Edrys smiled. "Therduin Village. Sorry to make you trek all this way with no carriage, but it's made it that much easier for me to maintain a focus on my own mission right now, so I thank you for that."
"A mission you've kept a tight lip about." Jaron noticed. "Is it that top secret or-?"
"Not really top secret, just rumors of a demilegend out in these woods. Wanted to make sure you had someone I trusted watching over you as you got to your destination."
"So, you?"
"It's important to have faith in oneself." Edrys winked coyly, before she returned to her more serious grimace. "Otherwise you might find your faith misplaced in these demilegends. Not that a trainee hopeful like you would be trusted to confront those anytime soon."
"I do have some experience." Jaron pointed out.
"Warlords out in the wilderness might give you combat experience, or knowledge of guerrilla tactics, but they won't prepare you for UGM work." Edrys sighed. "I ought to know. I was one once. That's why they gave you to me, I imagine. Anyways, perk up and look alive, we're here."
"This is just a tree in the middle of the village square." Jaron noted.
Edrys rolled her eyes and pointed a paw towards the flags hanging from the tree branches.
All of them bore the UGM logo. "So what if it's a tree?" She asked. "You'd rather we trek north for another day and head into a boulder? Come on, I don't want to keep Clark waiting."
And with that, Edrys simply…walked into the tree.
Jaron hovered silently for a moment, marvelling at the illusion used to obscure the building, making it look like some large tree no less. He took a breath and got his thoughts centered.
Then, he flew inside.
Therduin Village UGM Guildhall
"Oh, he finally came in!" Edrys chuckled softly as Jaron entered what by all accounts appeared to be a normal building, fully furnished with everything a UGM guildhall would need. Mercenaries sparsely populated the reception room, some looking at job boards, others simply talking at tables, or preparing to set out on missions.
"Edrys, who's the fresh face?" A Slowking asked.
"Trainee hopeful. I'm their lucky mentor." She responded.
She turned to Jaron. "Jaron, you go up to Clark at the front desk and explain who you are. That Slowking and I have about two months worth of catching up to do. If you need advice on anything during your trial, come back here and find me. If I'm not here, I'm likely patrolling the forest outside the village. Just head outside the gate and shout for me in that case, I'll be there in an instant."
She turned back before Jaron could even nod. "But come on Rexus, that's really how you greet your prized pupil?"
Jaron turned his attention towards the front desk, where a Kadabra was busily rearranging files and ornaments to get his workspace just right.
"Hello?" Jaron buzzed. "I'm Jaron Damakos, here for the trial mission. Edrys said she sent my forms ahead of us already."
"So, you're Jaron?" The Kadabra asked nervously. "Ah, okay, okay, good. Glad you're, uh, glad you're here."
"Something wrong?"
"No! Nothing!" The Kadabra quickly denied. "We just don't get many uh, many trainee hopefuls, so I generally only have to process forms. I'm not uh, the best talker. I'm…I'm Clark."
"Have you thought about transfering to a busier guildhall?" Jaron wondered.
"Wouldn't work, wouldn't work." Clark shook his head. "Have to talk to too many pokemon to even submit a request like that. But that's enough about me, you're the one on the trial mission here."
"Yes, that's right."
"Okay, let's see… hm… aha~~!" His laugh as he found the sheet of paper he was looking for seemed to pulse with the air. "Here's one that ought to work for someone of your *ahem* prior disposition. Mei Dronn, an innkeeper right here in town, wants a letter delivered to our captain of the guard, a Bronzong by the name of Bannan. Here's the envelope. You'll find Bannan by the East Gate. When you've delivered the letter to him, do whatever he tells you to do before coming back here."
"And if he tells me to do nothing?"
"Then do nothing, then come back here." Clark nodded as though that was a perfectly ordinary answer.
"But, just delivering a letter across town, that seems like a really easy trial mission to pass."
"You're not allowed to read it for yourself, obviously." Clark shrugged. "And we are timing you on this so dilly dallying and making me talk is uh, is uh, well, it's not a great start."
Jaron sighed as he took the letter. "East Gate right? I'm off."
"G-g-good luck!" Clark called as Jaron flew out of the building and into the village proper.
He turned back to wave goodbye to Edrys but realized that the building looked like nothing but a tree from outside.
"Only in Tuntemus." He groaned as he zoomed off.
Therduin Village, East End
It didn't take Jaron very long at all to find Bannan. While some other Bronzong did mill about the town, only Bannan was present at East Gate specifically, and only Bannan had a peculiar red sash worn around their body.
"Delivery for Bannan!" Jaron announced as he handed him the letter.
"Ah, a UGM trainee, I take it?"
"Trial mission." Jaron clarified. "I've been told to report to you for anything now that the letter has been delivered."
"Alright then." The Bronzong yawned as he telepathically opened the envelope and silently read over the floating letter.
"What's your name, Beedrill?"
"Jaron Damakos."
"Well then, Jaron. Congratulations. You're Private Jaron Damakos for a day. Mei's letter, because I'm sure you were at least a little curious, detailed a particularly nasty dispute last week between two Union Rank solo mercenaries. Their altercation at her inn turned violent, and she'd like to hire a guard disguised as a bartender or a barmaid to avoid another conflict like that, as well as to get reparations in pokeyen from the mercs in question. Now, I'm not about to send you, a recruit with questionable combat history, after two Union Rank mercs to demand their money. That's a recipe for disaster. Instead, why don't you go ahead and tell three of my guards that I'm considering them for Mei's request? Gauge their reactions and come back to me, ideally with your own opinions about who would make the best candidate."
Jaron gave a quick 'yes sir', remembering that Clark was timing him, and hurried off to talk to the guards that Bannan described to him.
The first was a standoffish Hatenna.
"What?" She growled. "I'm not going to disobey an order from Bannan, but he'd be out of his mind to put me in that shithole of an inn! I joined the guard because I wanted a life of fighting outer threats, none of this peacekeeping nonsense."
"Why not just become a mercenary?"
"And have to compete in their hostile job market?" the Hatenna scoffed. "As if. Look, if I'm put there, I'll do what I have to do, but I want it on the record that I do not want to be confined to some stupid inn for an extended period of time."
"Well…" Jaron muttered to himself as he buzzed away. "She was pleasant."
The next guard was a Bronzong, like Bannan.
"Oh, he's thinking about putting a guard in cognito? I mean… I'll do it if I have to, but I'm not sure if having a Bronzong sitting around the inn will be the best way to keep it friendly."
"Wouldn't some local pokemon, and maybe even most foreigners, get you mixed up with Bannan though?" Jaron asked. "Wouldn't the idea that the captain of the guard was present be a great deterrent against any sort of drunken uprising?"
"In theory, but…" The Bronzong shivered. "I'm not Bannan, and if they were to figure that out, I'm not sure if I have the skills to put down an altercation like the one I've heard happened recently."
"Well, he's considering putting you in that position, so surely Bannan has some faith in you."
"I suppose so." The Bronzong replied, still not entirely convinced. "And of course I'll do my best if he chooses me. Maybe I'll have to ask him for some additional training if that's the case. Please be sure to tell him that while I'm willing, I'm very hesitant."
Jaron nodded and buzzed off towards the final guard Bannan described to him.
A Gothita that was clearly window browsing while on her patrol.
"Hm? Really?" Her eyes lit up at Jaron's mention of the task Bannan was thinking of assigning her to.
"You mean I'll get to be in that inn all the time, listening to the greatest gossip, and the only times I'll ever have to lift a finger is to deal with some stupid drunkard getting too loud? Where the heck do I sign up for that? A life far away from any serious combat, getting paid extra in the tips I make as a fake barmaid on top of my salary as a guard? And the ability to chat up all the travelers who come through so they give me higher tips on top of it all? I'm super on board for it, tell Bannan no need to look for anyone else!"
"I mean, I did already talk to two other guards about it." Jaron admitted.
"Well, I mean…" The Gothita slumped her shoulders. "If Bannan puts someone else there, I guess I won't hold it against him. But man, patrol is so boring. This is the first decently long conversation I've been able to have in months while on duty."
"Well uh…I'll be sure to let him know about your enthusiasm." Jaron nodded. "Sorry to cut the conversation short, but now I have to return to Bannan."
"Well, good luck on your trial mission!" The guard called after him. "Stop by again if you pass! You can tell me about the adventures you've gone on! And remember to tip generously!"
"Does she think she already has the job?" Jaron muttered to himself as he headed back towards Bannan.
"Oh, just in time!" Bannan smiled. "I had no trouble on my end. What about you?"
"I talked to the three guards you described." Jaron reported. "They all expressed a willingness to do the job if assigned to it, but their opinions on their consideration all varied. The Hatenna was very adamant about not wanting to leave her current position. Your fellow Bronzong was open to the idea, but hesitant in his ability to perform, and the Gothita seemed almost too eager to take the position. I can't really place my stinger on it, but they all feel like, uh, suboptimal choices?"
"Quite frankly, they all are." Bannan nodded. "But I can't risk any of my more experienced pokemon, not with all the rumors about a demilegend out in the woods swirling around."
"That makes sense." Jaron sighed. "Personally, I think either the Bronzong or the Gothita would be a good choice. If you could, I'd just have them both there, and give the extra patrol work to the Hatenna."
"A serviceable option for the next week or so." Bannan nodded. "After seeing how they handle that change in duty, I may bring one or the other back onto their beat. I'll go round up the three of them and explain the plan. In the meantime, could I get you to check in on Mei at her inn? Once you've done whatever she wants you to do, you can head back to Clark and report a successful trial mission."
"That's…it?" Jaron asked.
"That's all that needs doing, kid." Bannan laughed. "You'll get your share of scouting and sabotage action when you head into Mystery Dungeons as a real trainee and not just an applicant. Now go, the inn's up north."
The Gorgeous Sawsbuck Inn
The Gorgeous Sawsbuck Inn practically popped out of all the residential buildings surrounding it, thanks in no small part to the mounted heads of four Sawsbuck, each from a different season, adorning the wall just above the front door.
"Savage pokemon, I hope." Jaron sighed.
"Oh, of course! I was a little girl when the inn was built!" A female Mr. Mime grinned from behind a counter. "I'm Mei Trann, and welcome to the Gorgeous Sawsbuck Inn and Tavern. Will you be staying for dinner, dinner and breakfast, or an extended stay?"
"None of the above." Jaron shook his head. "I'm Jaron Damakos. I'm a UGM applicant. I delivered your letter to Bannan. He's planning to send over some guards to pose as assistants for you, and he asked me to come ahead of them and help out however I can. So, what do you need done?"
"Well…" Mei leaned back against the wall. "I'm grateful for the help, but in the week where there was no help, I've already opened up to find myself robbed of quite the sum of pokeyen. I'd prefer it if you could track down the thief and deal with them yourself. You're acting under Bannan right now, right? Then you're a private for all intents and purposes, so you have the legal authority to make an arrest on that thief."
"What's this about a thief?" A Dwebble asked as he and a female Nidoran both entered the tavern.
"I thought I told you two to piss off!" Mei glared at both of them.
"We feel really bad about all the trouble we caused though!" The Nidoran responded as both she and the Dwebble took out pouches full of pokeyen and plopped them on the counter.
"That's an equal amount from both of us." The Dwebble explained. "Enough to repair all the damages done during our fight."
"Wait, you're the Union Rank mercs who are responsible for my trial mission existing in the first place?"
"Helmar." The Dwebble held out a leg.
"Hedvige." The Nidoran did the same.
"Best Union Rank mercenary south of Oldtower." They both used to describe themselves before glaring at each other.
"In any case…" Hedvige slowly turned toward Jaron. "We're sorry you've been stuck focusing on the aftermath of our mess."
"Sure." Helmar rolled his eyes. "Our mess."
"Don't act like you aren't responsible for at least half the damage!" Hedvige growled.
"Don't act like I wasn't also responsible for at least half the pokeyen!" Helmar growled back.
"If you two wouldn't mind clearing the way for Jaron here?" Mei crossed her arms. "Like I said earlier, he's got a thief to track down and arrest."
"So there was a theft." Hedvige sighed, sadly.
Helmar also lowered his head in shame.
"So, about this thief." Jaron decided to focus on the task at hand as he talked to Mei. "Did they leave any sort of clues to determine where they might have gone?"
"One very important clue, actually." Mei nodded. "They'd replaced the glass panel on one of my windows with a Light Screen. This is actually very important because it means they entered through that window, a rather small space, and they were capable of creating a Light Screen."
"Desius." Helmar and Hedvige both grumbled under their breath.
"Alright." Helmar stretched. "Come on Jaron, I better go with you. I know where we'll find the Dottler we're looking for."
"Like hells you will!" Hedvige raised her voice. "You're just going to let Desius go again like the last five times! Jaron, take me with you! I've got more raw power than helpless Helmar does anyway, and I won't let Desius just slip his deleter binds like the boulder brain next to me!"
"I'm objectively the better choice, Hedvige the hothead!" Helmar raised his own voice. He turned to Jaron. "She might call me boulder brain, but at least I have a brain! She's just going to go in there and keep attacking the poor guy until she's beaten him to near death! I have the type advantage over him anyways!"
"Just because I don't use the same fancy footwork you do doesn't mean I beat pokemon to near death!" Hedvige retorted. "We don't even know if Desius will resist arrest! All I want to do is make sure this time he actually stays arrested!"
"Well excuse me for understanding the nuances of his situation!"
"Nuances my ass, you've made half your money off his bounties and he always always gets away almost immediately after you've been paid!"
"That's nothing but a malicious rumor that you're the creator of because you got upset I always beat you to catching him!"
"SHUT! UP!" Mei shouted as she slammed Barriers down in between Hedvige and Helmar.
She turned to Jaron. "Clearly those two won't work together. Take one with you if you want, or take neither of them and find Desius yourself, all I want is my hard earned money back."
She turned towards the trapped Helmar and Hedvige.
"As for the two of you, no matter who he takes, I don't want to see either of you within a 20 yard radius of this tavern until Flare Moon, you got it?"
Both Helmar and Hedvige nodded silently.
"Good." Mei smiled. "Now Jaron, be a dear and let me know exactly who will be going along with you so I can free them from the Barrier box."
To be continued…
Trainee Hopeful: Jaron Damakos
Male Beedrill
Ranger
Class Based Ability: Sniper
Move Tree 1 (Melee): Fury Attack → ? → ? → ?
Move Tree 2 (Sabotage): Infestation → ? → ? → ?
Move Tree 3 (Archery): Poison Sting → ? → ? → ?
Move Tree 4 (Ranger Skills): Laser Focus → ? → ? → ?
(A Move on the tree of OC's choice will be unlocked upon successful trial mission completion)
AN: What Jaron does next, that's up to his creator.
Dragoliched, thank you for submitting Jaron! Send in how you want Jaron to tackle this problem and I'll get on the second part of his mission! If I don't get a plan of action by the 18th, I'll just go with the default actions I've got him doing in my mission outline.
AN2: I have a discord for those that wish to join! You can find the link on my profile page.
AN3: The SYOC for this story is still (and will always be) OPEN! The application form is on my profile, so please feel free to submit if you are interested!
AN4: And as always, thanks for reading!