Craw looked at the nine Pokémon. "Good. You are early." He smiled. "You are the nine Pokémon that made it to the second round. Nine out of 30 and only one of you will become a member of our team. The last time we tested your abilities and capabilities for dungeons and some more things that we will tell you later about. Today our team will spend the whole day with you. We want to learn more about you but we will also test you in different ways that will decide in the end who of you fits into our team. In the end of we will make one last test with all remaining of you nine. It can happen that none of you will pass the last test but that is something we will see then."
The nine Pokémon nodded.
Craw smiled. "Well. First of all... We didn't had breakfast yet. I hope you didn't ate yet."
They nodded again.
Craw smiled. "You don't need to be so quiet. Hoshi you said you cook pretty well? How about you and Ariela go into the kitchen and prepare something for breakfast?"
Hoshi smiled and nodded. "Yeah sure! No problem!"
Ariela smiled and together they went into the kitchen.
Craw smiled. "I would like to learn more about all of you. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses but I also want to know if you fit into our team. So if you would like please tell us about why you all became explorers. Who wants to begin?"
Except for the Deino everyone seemed to be a bit nervous.
Craw smiled. "Rex. How about you start?"
The Deino nodded. "I was the strongest of my siblings and it is tradition in our family that the strongest either becomes a knight or becomes an explorer. I think the life as a knight is rather boring so I became an explorer instead and till now I didn't regret my decision."
Craw nodded. "But did you never thought of doing any other job?"
Rex shook his head. "No. It is tradition and I think the tradition is a good one."
Craw looked to him for a moment. "Good. Who wants to speak next?"
The Brionne lifted her flipper.
Craw smiled. "Then go ahead. Doremi was your name right?"
She smiled and nodded glancing to Damion. "Well I actually became an explorer because of a friend. But as I started with the training I really started enjoying it and now I don't want to be something else." She smiled.
Craw grinned and looked to Damion and then back to the Brionne.
Damion was widely blushed and tried to look away.
Brighton chuckled. "Good. Then who wanna be next?"
Erin the Baltoy looked at them. "How about me? Well I became explorer because I was always fascinated by ruins, relics and antique objects. Of course I know that explorers not only explore antique dungeons and ruins but it is more likely to find one as explorer. Also I like to help others."
Craw smiled and nodded. "Thats interesting Erin."
The Klefki clinked with his keys. "I became an explorer because of the treasures. It is not about the money but about the excitement to find them. It is maybe due to my species but I just love finding closed chests and open doors and both is best found in dungeons."
Craw chuckled. "Yeah Figaro, that sounds logic."
The Growlithe stood up. "I became an explorer to be brave. It is in the nature of us Growlithes to be brave and many Growlithes and Arkanines become guards, knights or explorers but I want to surpass them all. I want to prove myself to be worth being one of this proud species. Also like every of my line I want to protect others and we are pretty loyal so it was just logic for me to become an explorer."
Craw nodded. "Sounds reasonable Bruno."
The Bagon lifted her arm. "I wanted to fight and learn more about the world. I wanted to see much more of it and becoming an explorer was a good way to combine both. Being paid for that both is a bonus to me."
Craw chuckled. "Yeah. Your name was Lisa if I remember right?"
The Bagon nodded.
The Aipom smiled. "Well I was born into a family of explorers and never wanted to become something else. My brothers and sisters, my father and mother, my grandparents and even my grand grandparents were explorers. Its in the family if you want to say so."
Craw smiled. "So a born explorer huh?"
The Aipom nodded. "The name is Paolo. Remember that name since one day that name will be on the top of the top of all explorer names!"
Craw chuckled. "A high goal you have there."
Then the Clefairy waved her arm. "My name is Orelia. I want to be of help. In my family I was always the one everyone took care of. I never had to do something on my own. In fact they never wanted me to do something on my own. I wanted to become more and wanted to do something. So I left my family and tried doing something on my own. Nothing worked really since I never learned anything... I got lost in a dungeon and as I got saved by an exploration team I decided I want to become an explorer. I worked hard and trained hard to become one and now I am here."
Craw nodded. "That is very interesting."
Then Hoshi came back with Ariela. "Breakfast is ready. Please go to the dining room."
Craw looked to her. "It's OK. Just bring it here."
Hoshi pouted. "No. The team has a dining room and it is for eating together. We will eat there."
Craw looked to her surprised but smiled. "OK. Then let's eat in the dining room."
Brighton chuckled. "I like her. She doesn't hold back."
Kathrin punched him. "Stop flirting."
"Ouch!" He looked to her. "Don't worry. I am not flirting. When I am flirting then only with you." He winked.
Kathrin rolled her eyes.
Damion chuckled. "I am hungry." Then he stood up and went to the dining room.
Craw smiled. "C'mon. The dining room is big enough for everyone."
Together everyone went to the dining room.
Craw was surprised as he saw that Ariela and Hoshi had actually set the table like in a noble restaurant. "Wow... I never saw this room like this. You two really made a good job here."
Ariela smiled. "I only placed the food on the table and helped cutting some things. Hoshi made the main work."
Craw smiled. "This looks really good Hoshi. Thank you. But now let's dig in."
They sat down and started eating.
Craw smiled. There was a full brunch buffet on the table. He tried some of the fried eggs and some sausages. "This tastes really good."
Hoshi smiled. "Thank you very much but I am not that good. It's just a hobby."
Ariela smiled and nodded. "You are a good cook. I barely had to do something and you still managed to make all this within a short time."
Kathrin gulped down an egg. "Don't be too modest. If someone praises you and you earn it then take it."
Hoshi blushed a bit and nodded. "OK. Thank you."
Craw nodded. "How about you tell us why you became an explorer?"
Hoshi looked to him confused. "Didn't I tell you that already?"
Craw smiled. "Yeah but the others didn't hear it yet."
Hoshi sighed. "OK. Well as I was still a kid I was playing hide and seek. Near of my home was a dungeon and I got in it somehow and got lost. An exploration team saved me and I thought it was cool. So I became an explorer as well too. I wanted to help others too. That's all."
Together they ate for quiet a while and talked about their experiences in the guild and the missions and jobs the recruits already made.
Craw listened to every of them closely.
As they finally finished eating Ariela stood up. "OK. Now let's get going to the next part. We are going to the market."
Paolo looked to her confused. "Why are we going to the market?"
Ariela grinned. "There we will make the second test."
The Clefairy looked to her surprised. "The second? What was the first one?"
Craw grinned. "The first one was the question why you became explorers."
Ariela grinned looking at them. "Well. I won't make it as sneaky as Craw. I will tell it to you directly. The next task will be to choose but not buy two items each. I want to see each of them. To be more precise I want you to choose two equipment items for dungeons. No matter if they are move items or enhancer items like a mach ribbon or something like that. Your choice will decide if you are going to the next round or not."
Lisa the Bagon looked at her. "But what items should we choose?"
Ariela grinned. "I am not gonna tell you that because that is part of the test. Now go. You have one hour of time."
The recruits sighed and scattered.
Brighton smiled. "You are mean Ariela."
She giggled. "We gonna see how well they will do."
After nearly an hour all of the except for Orelia the Clefairy and Hoshi the Fennekin were back already.
Ariela looked at the watch that was in a high building near the market. "Hmm. They have five minutes left..."
Brighton sighed. "Well. Would be hard if two would lose in the second test already."
Craw nodded. "That would make the last test much harder then."
Then Hoshi ran to them panting. "Yes! I made it in time!"
Ariela smiled and nodded.
after five more minutes Craw sighed. "Well... Seems like Orelia didn't make it."
Ariela sighed. "Sadly. She was promising."
Damion nodded. "There she comes."
The Clefairy hurried to them. "Did I make it?"
Craw looked to her. "Sorry Orelia. You were too late."
Orelia looked to them with a sad face. "Really? I am out?"
Craw sighed and nodded. "This was a test that was about two things. What items you would choose and if you would manage getting your stuff in time. Sometimes we need to hurry and then we don't have time to wander around and think about what items we will take on a job for too long."
Orelia looked to them disappointed but nodded. "Yeah... I can understand that."
Craw nodded. "I still thank you for your time. I wish you good luck with finding a team."
Orelia nodded and sighed. "Yeah thanks for the chance... I guess that's a good bye then."
The team nodded.
Damion smiled. "Good bye. And don't worry. You are not half as bad as you are thinking. I bet you will find a team in no time."
Ariela smiled and nodded. "You are very friendly and that is one of your strengths. Don't take it too hard. You will find a team you fit in. That I am sure of."
Fletcher nodded. "I bet there will be some teams that will come to you in near future. Our job interviews got quiet much attention and many bronze and silver rank teams watched us so I bet they will be interested into everyone who got till here."
The Clefairy smiled and looked to them. "You really think so?"
Brighton nodded. "Just continue training. You still have to learn some things but even we aren't perfect."
Orelia smiled and nodded. "Thank you. Good bye then."
The team waved her as she went away.
Ariela sighed. "Well. You see how fast you can get out. We don't want perfection but we want that you give your best." She smiled. "Now tell me. What items did you choose?"
Bruno grinned. "I chose two move items. One is a choker that would allow me to use Thunder Fang and the other is a pair of gauntlets that allow me to use Cross Chop."
Ariela looked to him with curiosity. "May I ask you why you chose them?"
Bruno nodded. "I chose them because they would give me an advantage over types that I am normally weak against."
Ariela nodded. "I see!" She smiled and looked to the others. "Who is next?"
Hoshi smiled. "Me. I chose a neckerchief that pushes special moves and a necklace that allows me to use Pollen Puff to be able to heal allied Pokémon."
Ariela smiled. "Interesting."
Lisa grinned. "I chose a pair of gauntlets that allows me to use Dual Chop and an armored vest that allows me to use Dragon Rush."
Ariela looked to her. "Oh and why that?"
She grinned. "I could need some stronger moves that's why."
Ariela nodded.
Doremi the Brionne was waving her flipper excited. "I chose a move item for Aqua Jet to have a priority move and one for Protect since I didn't have a defensive move yet."
Ariela smiled. "That is interesting as well."
Figaro smiled. "I took a small ribbon that would push my special moves and a key that is a move item that would let me use Nasty Plot."
Ariela looked to him. "Oh. Why that?"
He grinned. "Well I know already Iron Defense and Magic Coat and the only attack moves I know are special moves so it would be good to have Nasty Plot to push my special attacks and the ribbon does that too. I lack a bit in attack so I would try to equal that with these items."
Rex tilted his head. "I chose for a Barrier move item to protect not only me but my team members as well and an insomniscope since to be protected from sleep effects."
Ariela smiled and nodded. "That is interesting."
Paolo waved with his tail hand. "I chose a scope lens and a move item for Bone Rush. Since I have the ability skill link and know already Fury Swipes and Tail Slap it would make these even more effective."
Ariela grinned. "Oh. That sounds like you really thought about it."
Erin looked to her. "I already have a pretty balanced move set but since I am not very good against flying types I chose a move item with Ice Beam and goggle specs to not run into traps and be able to warn my team about them."
Ariela nodded. "Very good. Now let me explain. I wanted you to not only be able to chose fast what you need but also I wanted to see if you know what you are doing. I wanted to know if you think about what you buy and if you would be able to choose items that would either support your move set by strengthening moves you already use, if you would choose items and moves that could help your team or if you would choose items that would balance your weaknesses so you would be able to defeat also enemies that would normally have type advantage over you. That is why I am sorry to say this but Lisa you are out. You only chose items that are very strong. You didn't thought about balancing your weaknesses or helping your team nor you chose items that would support your existing moves but only chose items to hit harder. That may help on jobs of low levels but the more difficult the jobs get the harder you will have it to defend yourself or your team."
The Bagon looked to her baffled. "Does that mean I am out?"
Ariela nodded. "I am sorry but you are not what we are searching for. I hope you will have more luck in future and maybe you learned something from today."
She sighed in defeat and nodded. "Yeah... Thanks anyway."
Ariela nodded. "Good bye."
She sighed. "Good bye then." She waved everyone and left.
Brighton smiled. "OK. That's sad but you all know we are only taking one member. We will go on to the next test now..."
After about two hours the team and the remaining recruits were sitting in the team's favorite café. Brighton had tested them with an obstacle course what they managed to go through pretty well. He had made it pretty hard and none of them would have made it if they wouldn't have done teamwork to get through it what was his test only about.
Damion's test was actually about showing him other qualities they had. Hoshi had passed it already by making them breakfast and the others had to show him if they also had some qualities or abilities that would help the team in everyday work and if they were good enough in it to really be of help. It was pretty hard for the most of them but in the end everyone of them was able to show him something that he thought was a good addition to the team's abilities.
Fletcher looked to them picking on some berries. "My test won't be that hard but you will see that it won't be easy either. As soon as we are finished with eating you will have one hour time to find a flag. I placed nine over the whole city this morning and you will have to find one each. If you don't get one you are out." He calmly gulped down an oran berry. "They are not very hidden but they are not obviously placed. a few are pretty close some are near and some are at the edge of the city what will make it hard for you to get back in time."
The recruits nodded.
Fletcher looked to them. "You are not allowed to take flags away from others so as soon as someone had a flag you are not allowed to take it away. Also collecting more than one flag isn't allowed."
They nodded and sighed.
Fletcher gulped down another berry. "But for now eat and collect some energy. You will probably need it." He looked to them. "But I will give you a hint where to find them. One is on a tower's top, one is on a fountain's bottom, one is on the city's wall, one is very close and you just need to reach out your hand for it, one is hidden in glass, one is where you already were today and the last four are very close to the four main streets but not visible from below."
The recruits seemed to be a bit nervous about this test. Craw grinned. He knew why Fletcher did this. Sometimes there were jobs that were done alone and required to transport an item from one place to another as fast as possible. These courier missions were mostly silver and gold ranked missions but sometimes higher and were only for objects that were too important or expensive to let normal couriers to transport it.
As they finally finished eating Fletcher looked to the recruits. He took out a flag and put it onto the table. "The flags look like this. You have one hour. We will wait here. Go."
The recruits looked to him for a second and everyone just wanted to run out as Rex suddenly grabbed the flag Fletcher had placed on the table using his mouth and looked to Fletcher. He placed it down again. "Have one."
The others looked at Rex confused but Fletcher nodded. "Good. You passed."
Everyone was baffled.
Fletcher looked to them. "What? I said it clearly. One is within your grasp and you just need to reach out your hand for it."
The others needed a second to realize how they just ignored the obvious solution. After some more seconds they quickly made their way out.
Craw chuckled. "That was mean."
Fletcher chirped. "I wanted to see if any of them were able to think outside the box. I have to congratulate you for this Rex."
Rex looked at the Fletchling. "I just did the most obvious."
Fletcher shook the head. "It was the easiest but sometimes the easiest is not the most obvious. You realized what the others missed out."
Rex nodded staring at the Fletchling.
Fletcher looked to him. "May I ask you why you always look at me like if I am your food?"
Rex seemed not to be offended by the question. "Because you are a feral that became civilized. I met some but never talked with one and those I met were rather dumb. You are more intelligent that I would have guessed."
Fletcher tilted his head. "So it is more a thing of interest?"
Rex nodded. "I would like to hear more about you. How was your life as a feral and why did you decide to become a civilized Pokémon?"
Fletcher tilted his head thinking about it for a moment. "Well... The life as feral was... rather rough. Every day I had to fight for my survival and basically everything but even then it was often taken by our swarm leader. The first time I was interested in the civilized world was when I saw how Pokémon that should be natural enemies worked together instead of fighting each other I was confused and curios. I wanted to know why a Riolu wouldn't hunt some rodents like the Plusle and Minun that were being with him or wouldn't dominate a female Vulpix to breed it. I wanted to understand how this 'swarm' worked together instead of fighting each other and why they didn't kill me as they had the chance. As the Riolu then gave me food I was so confused but at the same time so curios that I just had to follow him and find it out myself. Later I learned more about the civilization and I thought it was very interesting. It was great and I wanted to live this life too. Even now I learn new things every day and it is a good life and I learned about friendship and that is why I decided to stay."
Rex tilted his head. "That sounds very good."
Fletcher chirped. "I still have to learn a lot. There are many things that I don't understand completely yet. But I am trying and I get help from my friends."
Rex looked to the others of the team that were acting like if they weren't eavesdropping but everyone of them was grinning. "It is good that you have someone caring for you."
Fletcher nodded. "That is one of the things I like the most about the civilization. That Pokémon live together not only for survival but also because they care for each other."
Rex grinned showing his sharp fangs. "Now I understand I think. Thank you very much for explaining me."
Fletcher nearly flinched as he saw the Deino's fangs. He shook himself and ruffled his feathers a bit. "I am sorry. I still have to learn to control my instincts."
The Deino tilted his head. "That is no problem I get that reaction a lot. Even civilized Pokémon give me that reaction sometimes."
Fletcher sighed and looked to him nodding.
That was when Bruno the Growlithe came back into the café. He put a flag down on the table. "Found one."
Fletcher looked to the flag and nodded. "Very good. Rex. We can speak later."
Rex nodded.
Fletcher looked out of the window. "2 minutes left... Let's hope that the three come back in time."
Just as he ended his sentence Doremi came back into the café. She placed a flag on the table where four others were already.
Fletcher chirped and looked to her. "Well done." He looked out of the window. Two minutes later he sighed. "Seems like if Figaro and Erin didn't make it..."
Craw nodded. "We knew that some will be lost on the way."
Fletcher nodded.
They waited till the other two arrived just to tell them that they were out. Of course they were sad but they took it with composure. After they bid farewell the team went with the rookies back to the guild.
As they reached their base Kathrin stopped them. "We will go to the training room. My test will be the final test and like you know only one will be able to come out of it as our future team member." She went ahead into the training room followed by everyone else except for Craw who disappeared in the base. Kathrin grinned. "Your test will be the following. One of our team members will make the test with you. You will have to hit him. You can use any move you have to help hitting him and just that you know: If none of you gets our team member you will all be out."
That made them all a bit nervous.
Rex was the first who asked the question that everyone was worried about. "Who shall we fight? You?"
Kathrin shook her head. "No. It will be Craw."
Just as she said this Craw entered the training room. He was wearing his equipment that he bought the day before together with his tanto and a cape.
Katrhin grinned. "Unlike for all other tests you won't have one hour. You will only have ten minutes."
The five recruits seemed to be very nervous about this.
Craw grinned. "And don't expect me to hold back. I will do what I can to not get caught by you."
Kathrin grinned. "Craw will start in the middle of the room. You have to stay at least two meters away from him at the beginning otherwise you are free to stand wherever you want at the beginning. Except for killing or badly injuring others you are free to do whatever is not against guild rules. You can defeat Craw if you want... That is if you are able to."
Craw went into the middle of the room. He grinned and looked at the five that were taking their places around him.
Kathrin smiled. "Start!"
Craw didn't need to wait for the first attempt.
Hoshi was charging at him using Flame Charge but Craw was faster.
He had used his Agility move item right the moment he was in the middle of the room. Now he used his cape making himself invisible. He easily dodged her looking at the shocked faces of the recruits. "What's wrong? You never saw an invisibility cape?" He chuckled.
Hoshi tried her luck again using Flamethrower at the direction where his voice came from but Craw was already on a different position.
Bruno grinned. "You think that will help you?" He seemed to smell the air and then looked straight at Craw.
Craw grinned. "Oh! You know Odor Sleuth. I forgot that."
The Growlithe grinned and attacked him right away using Fire Fang but Craw easily dodged the attack.
Craw chuckled. "Just because you can see me that doesn't mean you can catch me."
Bruno growled angrily and tried it again but Craw dodged again.
Then he was nearly hit by a Dragon Breath but his Detect move item made him able to dodge it.
Bruno on his side didn't had so much luck. He was completely engulfed in the attack.
Craw looked at Rex. "You don't hesitate don't you?"
Rex didn't answer but instead used another Dragon Breath firing it right into Craw's direction. Craw grinned and dodged the attack. "You can see me... Are you using Goggle Specs?"
The Deino grinned and nodded.
Craw chuckled. "You surprise me a bit more every time." He jumped over Paolo who had charged into his direction.
Paolo on his way used his Fury Swipes trying to hit the Riolu but Craw just dodged by jumping back one meter.
He looked at Bruno and Rex. They were able to see him and were the biggest threat to him but he also had to watch out for the others. What worried him the most was that Doremi didn't seem to do anything but instead just watched the others. He guessed that she was waiting for her chance to move and that was a pretty clever tactic. He had to watch out for her. There wasn't much time for him to think about it and he had to dodge another try of Bruno to hit him and he nearly ran into Rex at that try just barely dodging the Deino's Crunch.
That was the time Doremi moved. She used Aqua Jet rushing towards the Riolu and he had to jump higher than he wanted just to dodge her.
That forced him to land different than normal by catching his fall with a roll to not get caught by Bruno who was already waiting for him but it also had a drawback since he couldn't see what was happening around him for about a split second so he instinctively jumped to the side as soon as he get back on his feet. That was the right choice since Rex was already on his track trying to hit him with Crunch again. Craw used his Agility move item again to get some more speed and got some distance between himself and the others. He loosened the cape and threw it onto Paolo who had run into his direction making the Riolu visible again. He grinned. "Since you seem to know where I am running or dodging two this is just a hindrance for me." He looked at the recruits. "You are better than I thought. How about we bring this to the next level?" He used his Agility move item again. "Now you won't have much of a chance to get me anymore. You can be lucky that I am your enemy here. If it would have been Brighton you wouldn't have stood a chance. He would just have run away from you every time you come close to him." He chuckled. "C'mon. I know it's not all you can do. Give me your best shots."
Bruno and Rex didn't let him tell them twice and both rushed at him.
Craw dodged both easily thanks to his extremely raised speed and Paolo didn't even got a chance to get near him. Now Craw was standing in the middle of the room again.
"7 minutes from now on!" Kathrin exclaimed making the recruits more nervous.
Craw grinned and looked at them. "C'mon. Is that everything you have? If that is all you won't have a chance."
Paolo attacked him again but Craw just jumped aside.
Doremi tried her luck again using Ice Beam but Craw jumped over the attack.
Craw chuckled as he dodged a try of Hoshi to hit him with her flame charge. "You all are not trying hard enough." He dodged another try of Hoshi. He grinned and looked to her. "You won't get me this way." Craw jumped aside as he heard someone charging from behind him. He sighed as he saw Bruno crashing into Hoshi and shook his head. "How much time left Kathrin?"
Kathrin grinned. "5 minutes left. Half of the time is over and you still don't seem to get a single blow on him."
Craw chuckled and dodged another try of Paolo to get him. "C'mon. Show me what you can do." He dodged another try od Rex hitting him with Dragon Breath. Instead of him the Aipom was engulfed in the flames. "Are you trying to hit eachother or me?" He looked to the others before dodging another try of Rex hitting him with Dragon Breath.
Rex on his side rushed towards the Riolu attacking him with Crunch now but Craw just dodged again by doing a backflip.
Craw sighed. "You should get faster and stop waiting for an opportunity or you won't have a chance." He jumped aside dodging Doremi this way who was using Aqua Jet and let her crash into the Deino this way. He took some distance from them and looked around. "Kathrin? How much time left?"
"4 minutes." She shook her head. "This is not going very well."
Craw nodded. "Let me give you a little advice. You should try attacking me with one attack following the next or you won't be able to land a hit on me." He didn't need to wait long for a reaction. Paolo charged at him right away attacking him with one Fury Swipes after the other. It was still easy for Craw to dodge them but not as easy as if the Aipom would have used it only one time. He thought about the training he had with Anubis and that he should thank the Lucario for it since it actually seemed to work but soon he was taken out of his thoughts as his Detect showed him that Bruno was charging from behind him using his Fire Fang. Craw jumped over the Growlithe just to see Hoshi now launching a Flamethrower right into his direction. This time he dodged to the side just to jump right to Rex who prepared a Crunch for him. Craw barely dodged by taking a step back and saw already Doremi using her Water Gun at him while Hoshi used her Flamethrower from the other side. He jumped high over the attacks and saw them colliding under him filling the room with a fog. He landed next to Paolo again who tried his luck by using Fury Swipes at him again but Craw just dodged by jumping away.
"Two more minutes" Kathrin announced.
Craw needed to dodge another Dragon Breath from Rex and was slowly pushed into a saw Doremi, Paolo and Bruno slowly approaching him from one side so he had only one way to go. Just as he wanted to flee from the three Hoshi blocked his path with her Flamethrower keeping it up so he couldn't flee anymore. The other three jumped at him. Bruno was using his Fire Fang, Doremi her Aqua Jet and Paolo his Fury Swipes but Craw just grinned and charged forward, let himself fall to the ground and just slid under them making them jump into the corner.
"One more minute!"
Craw just wanted to stand up and jump away from them as he felt a piercing pain go through his leg. Slowly he looked back and saw Rex. He held his leg in a Crunch firmly making him unable to flee.
"Stop!" She looked at the recruits. "Rex hit him with Crunch."
Everyone stopped in their movement and stared at the Deino and Riolu.
Craw grinned. "Where the hell did you come from and why didn't I see..." Then he saw the cape lying behind the Deino and grinned. "Oh... Very good. I didn't expect someone using my invisibility cape against me."
Rex let off of Craw's leg and grinned. "Kathrin said everything is allowed."
Craw nodded. "That's right." He looked to his team. "Could you all wait here for a moment please? I need to speak with the others."
The recruits surrounded Rex to congratulate him.
Craw went to his team and they started to talk. They seemed to discuss something and the recruits seemed to be a bit confused about it.
Ariela was the one who waved to the recruits telling them to come to the team.
Brighton grinned. "OK. We decided something. But first some questions for you. First a question for Paolo. Why do you think you couldn't land a hit on Craw?"
Paolo shrugged. "I have no idea."
Kathrin rolled her eyes. "Because you only used one move. Only relating on one move is nonsense."
Paolo sighed and looked down a bit nervous.
Craw looked to him. "What she wanted to say is that you shouldn't relay on only one move. You should try different moves to get to your goal or you won't get far." He looked to Doremi. "Doremi. What do you think was your biggest mistake?"
She sighed. "I think it was that I hesitated at the beginning."
Craw nodded. "That is right."
Fletcher looked at Bruno. "Bruno why didn't you use some more distance moves? You know Flamethrower as well why you didn't try a mix of Fire Fang and Flamethrower to get a better chance to hit Craw?"
Bruno shrugged. "I actually forgot that. I was so concentrated on hitting him that I didn't thought about using Flamethrower."
Craw sighed. "You could have get me in the last try to hit me if you would have used Flamethrower instead. I wouldn't have been able to dodge that."
Bruno sighed. "Yeah... I will have to train that in future."
Kathrin nodded. "Keeping a cool head when being under pressure is essential for an explorer."
Craw looked to Hoshi. "Hoshi. Why didn't you use Flamethrower directly at me at the end? You could have hit me instead of cornering me."
Hoshi shook her head. "I knew I wouldn't be able to hit you. You would have just dodged and then I would have blocked the others away from you. I didn't have a real chance to get you so I could at least make it possible for the others before time was over."
Craw looked to the others of his team and they nodded. He looked to Rex. "Last question. Rex? Do you think you are the one deserving the place?"
Rex seemed to think about it for some seconds. "I would like to say yes but actually no. Without Hoshi blocking the path so that you had only one way to dodge the others left I wouldn't have been able to catch you. You would easily have dodged me if you weren't concentrated on dodging the other three and you wouldn't have been forced to dodge them if Hoshi wouldn't have blocked your path."
Craw grinned. "You are very honest." He looked to his team. "What do you think about it?"
Ariela smiled. "I would be fine with it."
Brighton nodded. "I actually like the idea. Even though it means more work."
Fletcher nodded. "You are the leader and you decide."
Damion nodded. "Sometimes you have to change your plans. I am OK with it."
Kathrin shrugged. "This isn't what we planned but it's OK."
Craw nodded and turned back to the recruits. "Sorry for letting you wait for so long.I know we said that only one can get through the last test but sometimes plans change and what happened in the test made us overthink some things. Rex. Welcome to the team. You showed us great features and showed us that you are able to think about things that others would miss out. You keep a calm head even under pressure and that is something that we really want in our team." He smiled. "Congratulations."
Rex grinned and nodded. "Thank you. But that isn't all if I am right?"
Ariela giggled. "Also you are very smart. That is also a plus. Yes you are right. That isn't all. We decided that we would break our initial rule to only take one recruit. We also want you in the team Hoshi."
Hoshi looked to them confused. "Me? But I was so bad at the last test!"
Bruno growled. "That's right! Why Hoshi and not me?"
Craw glanced to the Growlithe. "Well. Unlike you Hoshi gave up on her place in the team in the last test as she knew she couldn't make it and instead of just going into a corner and stop doing anything for it she did what she could just to make it possible for one of you to get through it. She showed real teamwork and that is something that we appreciate the most."
Hoshi looked to Craw surprised. "What?"
Craw grinned. "I am sorry for you three, Doremi, Bruno and Paolo. You didn't made it but I am sure you will find your teams pretty soon." He looked to Hoshi. "But you Hoshi. Congratulations. You made it to the team!"
Author's note: Hello again! Sorry for the late reply. Because of Corona I had a lot of work and a huge lack of motivation for writing. Now I got some free time (especially since my work closed for the time being) and I since I slept through two days now I have energy and motivation to write something again. I hope you like this chapter and I hope I could surprise you with the end a bit XD Let's see how these two will do in the team in the next chapter!