Chapter 1

Here They Come

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"Time's up." a Pidgeotto said, addressing the two Pokémon in front of him. A Piplup was inspecting a wand he held in his flippers, looking it over with a Dewpider. "Now, did either of you figure out what kind of wand this is?"

"No, Mister Wes…" the Piplup said, looking up at the Pidgeotto with a frown.

"A Warp Wand?" the Dewpider asked.

Wes sighed and took the wand from the Piplup into his wing. "Incorrect." he held it horizontally, turning it around to show them the side of it. "Look here," he traced the bottom length of the wand with his other wing, underlining large embossed text that read 'Petrify Wand'.

"Oh…" the two said. They turned to face each other.

"I thought that was the brand name…" the Dewpider whispered to the Piplup,

"Me too…" the Piplup whispered back.

"Now, pay close attention. I don't want to have to do this more than once. Abe is going to use the Petrify Wand on me so you can see its effects first hand. This wand is ideal for situations where either the enemy is too strong or if you need to make a quick getaway," the Pidgeotto handed the wand to the Drizzile next to him, "Whenever you're ready, Abe."

Abe nodded then stepped several paces back. He held the wand in a ready position,

"Mister Wes, does getting petrified hurt?" the Dewpider asked.

"Not quite, it jushNGH–" Wes said, being struck by a yellow light.

"Whoa!" the two children said in unison.

Abe walked up to Wes, moving his hand in front of Wes' eyes. His eyes followed Abe's hand, but the rest of the Pidgeotto was as still as a statue.

"How long does it last?" the Piplup asked.

Abe put his hand to his chin, about to answer before a Lairon walked up behind him from the alleyway entrance.

"I cannot fucking believe it," she said, stomping over to the Drizzile. "Abe, what are we doing wrong? Are our brains just made of shit? Are the brains of the people we submit our proposals to made of shit? All I want is a goddamn break already…"

Abe turned around to look at the Lairon, turned his head to look at the kids, then back to the Lairon. He made a motion waving his hand across his throat, gesturing at the kids.

"Oh, oops. I didn't know they were still with you. I thought you wrapped up your Sunday lessons with the little guild aspirants earlier than this." she said.

The children were leaning around Abe and stared up at the Lairon in awe, their eyes practically glowing.

"You talk like when mom found out about other-dad!" the Piplup said.

The Lairon looked over at the Piplup. "That's fucked up, kid." she shooed them off with her hand, "Alright, time to go. Head on home now."

The Piplup and Dewpider both gathered their belongings off the courtyard ground, waved, and left through the same way the Lairon came in.

"Anyway, what are we supposed to do at this point? Any ideas?" the Lairon asked.

Abe shrugged. He turned to ask Wes, stopping when he saw the Pidgeotto's state. Wes was still petrified, his eyes twitching at this point. Abe ran over and delivered a small chop to Wes' back, causing him to stumble forward and fall to the ground.

Wes laid there, panting heavily. "Afternoon… Lizzy…" he took in a few more breaths. "Maybe… we could–"

"Wes, it was your proposal that just got us rejected." Lizzy said.

Wes pushed himself up off the ground and dusted off his front, "Well, maybe if you stopped barging into the homes of our superiors on the weekends, we would have had an expedition proposal accepted by now."

Lizzy sat down on her hind legs and threw her arms outward, "I can't help it! You know how much we need this promotion. I can't just sit around waiting to hear back!"

"Couldn't you give it a rest for a single day? Maybe if we give our minds a break, we can come up with something that will go through."

"We need to get right back to the drawing board, though!" Lizzy stomped her foot down. "Do you think a proposal is gonna fall into our hands just by standing around, talking about it?"

"Excuse me," a Carnivine hastily approached the three. "I noticed the wand that boy is holding, are you three guild members?"

Lizzy immediately spoke up. "Yeah, we're Team Trip. Is something wrong?"

"Oh, the most horrible thing has happened! Please, come with me, quickly!" the Carnivine said, rapidly looking between the three.

"Hold on a second, slow down. What happened?" Wes said.

"No time to explain, it's going to start raining soon! Please, this is urgent!" the Carnivine clasped his leaf-like hands together, looking down at the three.

"Can you guys handle this? There's some stuff I need to get done at home." Lizzy said.

"Okay, we'll be fine on our own. Abe?" Wes turned to Abe.

Abe nodded, stuffing the wand into his satchel.

"Where are we headed?" Wes asked the Carnivine,

"Just follow me, my home is on the outskirts of to–" the sound of distant thunder interrupted the Carnivine. "We have to get going, quick!"

Walking behind the Carnivine at a bit of a distance, Wes leaned over to Abe, "Do you find this a bit odd as well? Why would he be looking for help in an alleyway?" he whispered.

Abe scratched his head, looking to the turbid, gray sky for an answer.

"Here we are!" the Carnivine said. He was stopped just ahead of them in front of a fairly ordinary looking house. "I have some materials and tools in the shed out back," he gestured to behind the house. "Use whatever you need to get the job done. The damage is up there on the back left part of the roof."

"Wait, what?" Wes asked.

"A huge rock fell through the ceiling of my music room. I can't afford a carpenter, so I'm lucky to have run into your team!"

Wes looked to Abe, trying to find some sort of reassurance, but Abe just shrugged and shook his head. Abe made his way around the house, leaving Wes and the Carnivine outside the front door.

"You aren't going to help your friend?"

"He can stick to things. I can't."

"Oh, alright. Well, how about we head inside? You could get that rock out of there."

'I guess it is going to rain, and this guy does have a hole in his roof, but is this truly an emergency? Couldn't he have put up a tarp?' Wes thought, following the Carnivine into his home.

As soon as they entered, Wes noticed the tremendously gaudy interior which contrasted the plain outside. A golden chandelier hung from the ceiling in the opening hall. The pristine, painted walls were lined with intricate wainscoting. One wall even held a massive oil portrait of a Carnivine and a Bellossom next to each other in a head-on view.

'This guy can't afford a carpenter…?' Wes thought.

"Pearl! I'm back!" the Carnivine said, to no response. He cleared his throat, "She must be outside. Anyway, the room is right upstairs."

Wes continued to follow the Carnivine. He smelled a musty scent as soon as he hit the upper level, the smell only growing stronger the further they went down the hall. It reminded him of a library, only more putrefied.

The Carnivine opened the last door on the left. The room had rows of shelves hanging from the walls, brimming with records. A record player sat on an end table next to a couple of recliners, and in front of that table sat a huge rock. There was wooden debris and a thin layer of dust scattered around its radius.

Wes looked up at the ceiling, seeing the framing of the roof and the dim sunlight exposed through a hole about a half meter across.

"I'm so lucky it hadn't touched the phonograph," the Carnivine said. "It takes months for them to make these things, and no two sound the same. This one is just perfect for me."

"So… you like music?" Wes asked.

"Uh…" the Carnivine's brain short-circuited from the question, failing to answer.

The two heard a rhythmic tapping coming from the exterior wall. They looked out the window and saw Abe climbing up over it. He held some boards over his shoulder with one arm, sporting a tool belt around his waist while he scaled the house.

"Oh, right." the Carnivine turned back to Wes, "Back in my prime, I would scour the globe in search of the most elusive music. Before you stands the most comprehensive collection of records in the entire Grass Continent. Nay, the world! Behold!" he raised his head high, opening his arms wide.

"I… see." Wes shifted his wings a bit. "So, how did a roc–"

"Yes, my most prized record, you're surely wondering."

"Well, I was actually talking abou–"

"In fact, it isn't a record which is the most valuable part of my collection, but my log book. My most grand adventure! Fifty years ago, an acquaintance tipped me off about the true origins of classical composition. 'A long shot', they told me, but I was most persistent in my goals. I had to make my way over three hundred kilometers north of here, and I trekk–"

BANG BANG BANG BANG

The two looked up, seeing a single board placed across the middle of the hole in the roof.

"Ah, it seems like your friend is finally getting to work. Tha–"

BANG BANG BANG BANG

They both winced at the hammering once more.

"Hey! Abe! Are you alright up there?" Wes asked with his wing raised up to his beak.

Abe's head peered in from over the hole, and he gave a thumbs up.

"Where was I…" the Carnivine said. He walked over to one of the shelves, picking out a tattered book that was squeezed tightly between several records. "In this notebook, I logged every. Single. Second of that adventure! I didn't leave even the most minor detail o–"

CRASH

A deafening noise came from above and a blur of blue and brown came toppling down into the record player as well as the table that held it. Abe's limp body was laying in the now jumbled pile of wood, knocked out on impact.

"Oh my GOD!" the Carnivine raised his arms to his head, slowly approaching the mess. He kneeled down and sifted through the debris, picking out small pieces of his now demolished phonograph. "This can't have happened… No…"

Light footsteps rapidly approached the room,

"Is everything alright in…?" a Bellossom came in through the doorway, freezing at the sight of the wreckage. She looked between the other three in the room and the now larger hole in the ceiling. "Boy," she settled her focus on the Pidgeotto, who recoiled out of his shocked state,

"Uh… uh… A…" Wes sputtered out.

"There's a phone in the kitchen. Take your friend and call the paramedics." the Bellossom said.

Wes snapped out of his stupor. He ran over to Abe, throwing him over his shoulder and made a brisk pace to the kitchen.

"And you," she approached her husband who was still rummaging through the debris, "If you even think about trying to swindle more guild members into free labor so you can pocket my money, you're done."

"This light is giving me a headache." Lizzy said.

"How do you think Abe feels? I think he landed head first into that Carnivine's record player." Wes said.

Abe was lying face up on a cushioned table, still unconscious. The harsh fluorescent light of the small room greatly highlighted his battered and bruised condition.

The two heard the rattle of the door as it opened, "Hi. I heard your friend here took a nasty tumble. How long has he been out for?" the Dragapult said, floating in.

"Not even an hour yet." Wes said.

"Alright. I'm just going to take a quick look at him." the doctor went over to Abe, stopping right above him. He held up his hand up in front of his own head and a small Dreepy shot out in between two of his claws. He tapped the Dreepy on the head and its eyes illuminated in a yellow glow. The doctor held open one of Abe's eyelids, shining the Dreepy's light into his eye. He let go of the Dreepy, and it retreated back into his head. The doctor started to inspect Abe's body closer, feeling around in search of injuries. "Yeah… He's dead. I think."

"Dude, he's clearly breathing." Lizzy said.

"Oh, wait a minute." the doctor held an ear up to Abe's chest. "Ah, my bad. Haha. Little 'doctor joke', there. Anyway, I don't think any of his bones are broken, and I don't think he has a concussion. You can go now."

"But he's still out cold! Can't you wake him up? I'm not carrying him home." Lizzy said.

"I guess, if you want…" the doctor hovered over to the cabinet hanging from the wall, scouring the inside. The sound of clinking glass stopped and he pulled out a jar. He unscrewed the lid, dropping a couple seeds into his hand. He floated back over to Abe, held up his head, and crushed the seeds in his own palm. After holding up the seeds to Abe's nose, he shot awake. "Hey." the doctor let go of Abe and floated back a bit. "Oh, yeah. Drizzile, guy, look over here."

Abe stopped looking over himself and turned to face the Dragapult.

"Right." the doctor held up three of the claws on his right hand, "How many claws am I holding up?"

Abe raised his own hand with an open palm.

"Good. How about now?" the doctor held up his left hand as well now, all four claws raised.

Abe brought up both of his hands this time in the same manner.

"Great. I'll just let your friends take you back home now."

"Wait, he didn't answer either of those right…" Lizzy said.

"Doesn't matter. He understood my questions, he's good to go. Not my job to teach him how to count."

"He can count, though!" Lizzy said.

"Fine." the doctor turned back to Abe. He held up three claws on his left hand and three on his right this time. "How many claws am I holding up? Say it out loud this time."

The door flew open and a Shiinotic ran in, "Doctor Carcass! There's an emergency!"

"Can't you see I'm kind of in the middle of something?" the doctor said.

"Someone had an accident and cut their finger off! They need immediate surgery to reattach it!"

"That sounds like a you problem." the doctor said, pointing at her.

A muffled scream could be heard from the hallway,

"Come on! Before it's too late!" the Shiinotic ran back out the door just as fast as they came in.

The doctor turned to the three, "Sounds like something came up. See ya." he said, floating out of the room.

Abe rubbed his head and winced. He reached down to his side, but his hand hit the table. It had gone straight through where he expected his satchel to be.

"Abe, are you alright?" Lizzy asked.

"Right here, Abe." Wes said, handing over Abe's satchel. "Really though, that was a rough fall. Anything feel off?"

Abe shook his head as he rummaged through his bag. He stopped at something, but seemed otherwise satisfied at the contents, so he closed it and threw the strap over his shoulder.

"If you say so… No point in staying here, then." Wes said.

Crunch

Abe cringed as the automatic sliding glass door of the doctor's office pinched shut on his tail. He turned around, waving his arms in front of the door to no avail.

"Did you step on something?" Wes asked Lizzy,

"Shut up. Not in the mood. Just want to go home, eat, and sleep." Lizzy said.

"I suppose dinner would make an ideal location to explain what I learned today."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Don't care."

"Even if it means an idea for a new expedition proposal?"

Lizzy perked up, "Wait, are you serious? How could you have possibly come up with something after everything that happened today? Tell me. Now."

The two turned toward the repeated sound of metal ringing out, seeing Abe kicking the door as hard as he could. The door finally gave way and Abe took his tail into his hands, tears in his eyes. He kicked the door one last time,

"How about I tell you as we make our way back home?" Wes said.

"Yes. They just took him to the doctor's downtown. I'll be there soon. Au revoir." Wes hung up the rotary phone that hung off the Carnivine's kitchen wall. He went toward the front door of the house, but stopped himself. 'Wait, he probably left his satchel out in their shed.' he thought. Before he could even turn around, the door to the backyard swung open.

The Bellossom he saw earlier had come inside, holding Abe's satchel in her hands. "Oh, good. You're still here. I was afraid you may have forgotten this." she said, handing Wes the bag. "This is the last time my husband pulls this shit on me behind my back." she slammed the door behind her.

"Uh… Thank you for bringing this to me. Sorry we made such a big mess of things…"

"No, I should be thanking you. It's about time my husband gets a wake-up call like that." the Bellossom jumped up and sat on a chair next to the kitchen table. "Goes on an expedition fifty years ago and still rides the high as if it happened yesterday. And as if he actually got anything out of it! Maybe if he had brought back something more than that log book–that he wrote himself–he would be the one putting food on the table!" she slammed her fist down hard enough to knock over the vase on the table.

"Oh… Well, I really have to go see my… teammate…" Wes stopped himself from walking away at the last second. "Expedition?"

"Don't get me started." she leaned her head on one hand. "I shouldn't even call it an expedition, he just called it that so much that I call it that now. It wasn't even anything official, because neither of us ever had anything to do with any guilds. He runs away based off a stupid rumor he heard at the record kiosk. Doesn't come back for three weeks, and when he does, won't shut up about hearing 'the true roots of music', or some stupid crap like that."

Wes' brain lit up, "It wasn't official? And… he didn't accomplish anything? Our team is actually looking for a–"

"If he actually accomplished anything, he wouldn't have to scam kids like you so he can pocket my money to go buy records. Money that I give him to hire fucking professionals!" the Bellossom stood up in her chair and kicked the table in front of her, making it explode into the wall behind Wes. "I know of your expedition problems, though."

"You… do?" Wes asked, brushing the wood splinters off of himself.

"Your friend ran into me out in the shed earlier. I asked him if he was the carpenter I told my husband to go hire, and he told me about your team's 'woes of late', as he put it. He seemed like such a humble lad, it makes me feel terrible for my husband's behavior in conning your team. Could you wait here for just a moment?" she said before she hurried off into the other room.

'Something is off here… Something isn't right with these Pokémon… Why am I getting distracted and making small talk like this when my best friend could be dying?' Wes thought. He shook his head and threw the strap of Abe's satchel over his neck, the bag resting on his front. 'I should really get going.'

Just as Wes made up his mind, the Bellossom returned holding that same log book the Carnivine was holding earlier.

"Here, take this." she said, handing the book to Wes. "You seem like you have a good head on your shoulders, so I imagine I don't have to explain."

"Wait, you're just going to let me have this?"

"It's the least I can do, darling. In fact, I'm going to give you one more thing." she walked over and opened a counter drawer, "You should submit your expedition request to the Capim Guild's Preservation Wing. I am fully confident that there's no way you'll be rejected." she pulled out a business card and gave it to Wes.

"And?" Lizzy asked Wes. She poured the last of the ball bearings in the bag she was holding into her mouth, a couple spilling onto their dining room table.

"And… and what?" he replied.

"Is that all? Your idea is to go… record… some lost music or something? I don't see how that meets any of the qualifications to get approved for an expedition."

"It's already all there for us, though! The path, the distance, the location. Even the end result! It would take practically no effort to draft up and at least try to submit a proposal."

"Well, I don't want anything to do with this. It's Abe's turn, anyway."

Abe set his glass down on the table and raised his upturned hands, throwing a confused look at Lizzy.

"Lizzy, Abe just had a traumatic brain injury, and you're making him do the dirty work?"

"He can still write. It's not like he got a traumatic hand injury."

Abe held up his hand, showing the back of it to Lizzy and retracted his thumb to his palm.

"Wait, did you? Or…"

Abe raised his other hand with the same gesture.

"Abe. We've been over this. You can't give me the finger with only two…"

Abe got up, left the table, and closed the door to his room behind him.

"… What? Don't look at me like that. If you feel so bad, why don't you help him?" Lizzy said.

"Lizzy, I know you say you just don't give a…" Wes mouthed out the letters, 'F. U. C. K.', "But can't you share a grain of sympathy? What ever happened to this being a team effort? Didn't you say you needed this?"

Lizzy was rolling a ball bearing around on the table, but it slipped out from under her claw. "Yeah… Okay…" she stood up on all fours, "This shit has been going on for too long. It's been over a year of trying now, and we just aren't getting anywhere. I'm losing my patience, is all…"

"It's fine, it happens. Seriously, though, try to take it a bit more easy, alright? Let's get some rest, and work on the proposal tomorrow. Together." Wes hopped off his perch, fluttering to the floor.

Lizzy rubbed her head then looked to Wes with a resolute look. "Sure. Let's."

To Be Continued…