Waking up early in the morning, the Eevee stretches and quietly leaves the room to not wake the sleeping Nickit up. He walks down the stairs, says his goodbye to the couple, and walks out of the restaurant.

"You sure you don't want some coffee?"

"No thanks. I don't really like coffee anyway."

"Suit yourself."

Closing the door behind him, a chilly breeze greets him as he walks through the quiet cobblestone streets, the lamp lights repelling the dark veil of the starry early morning sky.

He walks by the merchant's stall where the Keckleon is fast asleep on a chair.

Minutes later, he sees three figures from the distance, heading towards his direction.

"Didn't think you'd be here before us," Shino sighs and hands the grinning fire-type a few gold coins.

"Easy money," Cindy snickers as she puts them inside her money pouch.

The Vulpix chuckles as the Eevee rolls his eyes. "I don't think we introduced ourselves yet."

"I don't care who you guys are," the Eevee quickly says. "Let's just go already."

"Before that," Shino says, preventing him from turning around. "You do realize that once we complete this mission, our team will be the ones receiving the reward, right?"

"I don't care," the Eevee says as he walks out of the western boundary of the city. "The sooner we get there, the sooner we can start," he says as he continues walking.

Vixie blinks at the retreating Eevee. "You're walking there?"

He stops and looks over his shoulder. "Uh, yes? How else are we gonna get there?"

"Teleport?" Vixie replies.

"Nah," Shino says, shaking his head. "I don't think he can teleport there yet." He then grabs his badge.

The Cyndaquil smirks at the Eevee. "Watch and learn, newbie." She turns to the yellow Shinx.

With a smile, he raises his badge up. "Call, Ariados."

A beam of light falls down beside him and an Ariados has been summoned, greeting him.

"Hey, bud." Shino pets its head, the spider letting out an appreciative hiss. "We need you to give us a lift. Hope you don't mind."

"Not like it could understand you anyway," Cindy comments.

"Hush. It's the thought that counts."

"Whatever you say, lover boy."

The Eevee frowns as he watches them hop on the big spider's back.

"I forgot to buy a harness again," the Shinx sighs as he looks at the Eevee. "Well? Hop on."

"Tsk," the Eevee looks away, conflicted.

The Cyndaquil frowns at him. "What did you say earlier? The sooner we—"

"I know what I said," he hisses at her. "Fine, whatever." He ignores their helping paws and hops on the spider's back by himself, him brushing against the white fox's back. "I don't approve of this."

"Suck it up," Cindy says as they start moving. "At least we're not abusing him unlike others."

"I see no difference," the Eevee replies back.

"Excuse me?" Cindy growls.

Vixie sighs. "Guys, could you maybe continue your argument later when I'm not in between the two of you?"

"This is gonna be a long day," Shino whispers to himself, shaking his head.

They spend the rest of the journey in relative silence.

The waking sun's gentle rays start to poke out of the horizon as they arrive in front of the entrance of the forest. After hopping off of the Ariados, the yellow Shinx pets its head before sending it back.

"Right," Shino says as he turns to his companions. "Let's review..."

Vixie pulls out the mission letter from her rescue bag and rolls it open. "Explorer mission," she reads aloud. "Location, Greenleaf Forest. Mission, investigate the wilds roaming outside the dungeon."

They look around, but see no other soul in sight.

As the trio continue looking around, the Eevee turns and stares at the entrance's darkness, recalling his research from yesterday. He sits down and puts a paw on his chin. "Is it possible they use the stairs to leave the dungeon?"

"I don't think so," Shino says, turning to him. "Wilds ignore the stairs for some reason."

"Why do they ignore it?"

He shrugs. "Beats me. They just do."

The Eevee continues to think, trying to find a connection. "...But let's say they don't, what happens?"

"They can leave the dungeon?" Shino offers. "But really, they don't use it, like, ever. It's like they're blind to it."

"I've seen some step on them," Vixie adds her thoughts. "But nothing really happens to them. They don't go to the next floor or gets sent out of the dungeon unlike rescuers."

"Or stupid Pokémon who think they can go through the dungeon without a badge," Cindy adds.

"Cindy," Vixie hisses at her.

The Cyndaquil shrugs. "I'm just saying."

"That reminds me..." Shino blinks at the Eevee. "Why were you inside this forest anyway?"

"That's not important right now," he quickly replies.

Cindy snickers. "I rest my case."

"Hm..." The Eevee looks left, and then right, staring at the line of trees acting like walls of the dungeon. "Is it possible they get out through the gaps between the trees?"

"Nah," Shino says, shaking his head. "That's impossible. It's against the nature of mystery dungeons."

He looks at the yellow Shinx and arches a non-existent eyebrow. "What the fuck is this 'nature of mystery dungeon' bullshit?"

"He has a very colorful vocabulary, no?"

"Cindy, hush."

"What? I kinda like it."

Vixie rolls her eyes. "Of course you would."

Shino frowns at the Eevee. "Each floor isn't an endless place. There's a limit of how big a floor is. It's much easier in cave-like dungeons, but for forests, it just..." he trails off, and shakes his head. "Maybe it'll be better if you just try it than me trying to explain it."

The Eevee frowns at him. "I'm not gonna enter this dungeon and go on another murder spree just to reach the stairs on the third floor."

The Vulpix blinks at him. "...another?"

"Nah, not what I meant," the yellow Shinx says with a smile, and points at the trees lining the dungeon. "Try going between the gaps and see for yourself."

The Eevee sighs and stands up. "Fine." He walks in between the trees, and despite the darkness, he can see enough to continue walking straight until he sees a bright and wide open space up ahead. He walks out, blinks, and looks at the trio smiling at him. "...the fuck?" He looks over his shoulder.

The trio chuckles.

"See?" Shino says, smiling at the dumbfounded Eevee. "Hard to explain, but that's what happens if you try going beyond the floor's boundaries inside, too."

"What if they fly out?" the Eevee asks.

Shino shrugs. "Haven't tried. Kinda hard without wings, but it'd be safe to assume that the same would happen."

"This world is getting bullshitter and bullshitter by the minute," the Eevee mumbles to himself. He shakes his head, sits down and thinks it over once again.

"I think we broke him," Cindy says.

"Maybe," Shino says, turning to his two friends. "Let's go around the dungeon and see if we find anything." After receiving their affirmative nods, he continues, "we'll eventually meet at some point but let's continue anyway and exchange our findings here." He turns to the Eevee. "You okay with that?"

"Whatever," the Eevee sighs as he stands up. "I'll go this way then." He turns around and starts walking away.

"Maybe it'll be better if we go by pairs," Vixie suggests.

Cindy immediately grabs the startled Shinx. "Dibs."

The ice-type rolls her eyes. "Fine... I guess I'll pair up with mister grumpy."

The group splits up and walk around the dungeon's treelines.

"Wait up," Vixie calls after the Eevee, and catches up to him seconds later.

"Hm," the Eevee hm's as he looks at the line of trees. "Tell me..."

"Huh?"

The Eevee continues without breaking his gaze on the trees, "Rescuers rescue Pokémon in need, right?"

"Well, yes." The Vulpix blinks curiously at him. "That's our job after all."

The Eevee falls into silence, deep in thought, until, "These Pokémon, the ones you rescue, how or why do they end up in dungeons anyway?"

The Vulpix shakes her head. "I don't know."

The Eevee stops and looks at her in disbelief. "You never asked them?"

The Vulpix tilts her head. "I... The thought didn't really come to us?"

"Not even once?"

The Vulpix shakes her head.

"Tsk." Eye twitching, he shakes his head and continues walking, the Vulpix tailing him. "An unknown variable..." he mumbles.

"What about you?" Vixie suddenly asks. "How did you end up in this dungeon? On the third floor even."

"I..." he trails off. "...don't..." he shakes his head and glares at the trees.

Vixie nods her head. "So maybe they don't know either."

"I highly doubt that."

"Well, you don't know."

He stops and glares at her. "You don't know that either."

She frowns at him. "Well, tell me then."

"I..." He throws his glare down on the ground. "I don't see any reason—"

"Were you a wild?"

He blinks and looks up at her.

"You were looking about wilds in the library, right?" she asks with a concerned frown. "I've read one time that wilds can sometimes gain, um, consciousness?"

Consciousness?

She continues: "Sometimes I wonder if that's why wilds attack one another sometimes." She sits down, her expression turning into one of concern. "Is that why you hate how other Pokémon treat wilds?"

"...no." He closes his eyes and shakes his head. "No, I'm not a wild, or was, or ever." He glares at her, and sighs. "Let's just continue with the mission."

The duo continue in silence. They eventually meet with the other pair, continue on their way, and finally regroup in front of the dungeon's entrance.

"Nothing," Shino says as the morning sun rising from the horizon.

"Same," Vixie says. "I wonder if whoever reported this just made a mistake?"

"Maybe," Cindy says, sitting beside the Shinx and leaning against him. "All I know is that this was a waste of time."

After nuzzling the back of her head, he turns to the Eevee. "Wanna throw the towel on this one?"

The Eevee says nothing, lost in his thoughts.

"Yo."

No response.

The Shinx sighs as the Vulpix approaches and pokes him on his shoulder.

"Damnit," the Eevee mumbles under his breath as he glares at the ice-type. "What?"

"Sorry," she says, shaking her head. "Wanna head back?"

Standing on all four, the Eevee looks back at the entrance of the forest. He sighs and pulls out his badge. "Yeah, whatever." He looks at the yellow Shinx. "The eastern gate is closer to the guild than the west one, right?"

"Yeah," he nods.

"I'm gonna look really stupid if this doesn't work," he mumbles under his breath as he raises his badge up. "Return, Tabindagat City, eastern gate."

A beam of light shot down from the heavens, teleporting the startled Eevee away.

"Rude," Cindy says as she stands. "What's with that guy anyway?"

"Who knows," Shino says as he pulls his badge off, raises it up, and teleports his group back to the city gates.

The trio then head towards the guild, and finds the Eevee waiting for them by the entrance.

He frowns at them. "Took you long enough."

"Why are you waiting for us anyway?" Cindy asks as they enter the guild. "Our group completed the mission."

"Congratulations," the Eevee says with an unimpressed frown.

"Really though," Shino says, stopping and turning to him. "Why are you following us? The mission's already over."

He frowns at him. "Not until you report it."

Cindy groans.

"Well," Shino says, frowning. "Do whatever you want, I guess?"

The group head inside the mission room and sit at one of the available tables opposite of an Alakazam.

"Oh, hello," the psychic-type greets them, and blinks at the Eevee. "I see you got yourself a new member."

"He's not—"

"I'm not with them," the Eevee immediately says.

The Alakazam shrugs. "Well, anyway, you're here to report." He accepts the mission letter Vixie hands to him and starts reading it. "Ah, an exploration mission." He pulls a form from his drawer and looks up at them. "So how did it go?"

"Nothing," Cindy answers.

Shino frowns. "The four of us went there but didn't find anything nor any wilds."

"I see." The psychic-types starts writing on the form with telekinesis. "That's quite unfortunate."

"I have a theory though," the Eevee suddenly chimes in, gaining their attention.

"Oh?" the Alakazam blinks, smiling. "I find theories really fascinating. Well, do go on."

"Before that, a question," the Eevee says. "Your answer will either make or break my theory."

"Really intriguing," the Alakazam says. "Ask away."

"What are you doing?" Cindy asks.

The Eevee ignores her. "Pokémon getting rescued in mystery dungeons. How do they end up there anyway?"

"Curiousity," the Alakazam quickly answers. "That's one reason. Abduction as well."

The Eevee blinks at that.

"Strays from school trips and the like, training gone wrong, ill-prepared rescuers, and there are also some mundane reasons like dares." The Alakazam smiles. "Have I satisfied you with my answer or should I continue?"

"Er, that was good." The Eevee shakes his head. "But has there been any who were clueless as to how they got there?"

"Abduction, as I mentioned before, or intoxication."

The Eevee tilts his head. "...nothing else?"

The Alakazam nods. "As far as my memory goes, no, nothing else."

The Eevee nods his head. "Right. My theory then is this... Sapience."

They blink at him.

He continues: "A sapient Pokémon can enter a dungeon, climb the stairs, and exit the dungeon." He shakes his head. "But in this mission report, wilds were able to get out of a dungeon. How?"

He glances at the white Vulpix, recalling what she has shared, and turns back to the Alakazam.

"Maybe they gained enough sapience but still act like a wild most of the time. Maybe it'll take a while before they can truly control their, er, wildness, and become like us. Perhaps these, uh, mystery dungeons require only a tiny bit of sapience for its stairs and exits to work." He takes a breath. "And that's my theory on the matter."

"Fascinating," the Alakazam says, twirling one of his mustaches with his fingers.

The Eevee nods his head. "Whoever reported these incidents must have probably gotten rid of them already, the wilds ran and hid or went back inside the dungeon."

"Wow," the Mew says, levitating behind the startled Eevee.

"For fuck's sake!" He glares at her. "I told you not to do that!"

"Sorry, sorry," she quickly says, waving her paws at him. "I didn't mean to, I promise! But, wow... I should write a report about this." She floats toward the exit, stops by the door and looks back at him. "Come see me in the library later today, okay?"

He blinks, and shrugs. "I might as well." He walks out of the office.

"Well then," the Alakazam says with a smile. "Your friend gave us a very fascinating report, wouldn't you all say?"

"Uh, yeah..." Cindy manages to say.

With a nod, the Alakazam then resumes filling the form. "Good job, today. Your rankings will be updated in a short while."

"Yeah, uh, thanks," Shino says with a small smile.

With that done, the trio exit the office, dumbfounded.

Cindy shakes her head. "Well... What now?"

"He's smart..." Vixie says.

Shino nods in agreement. "I'd like him to join us, to be honest. His attitude could use some work though..."

Smirking, Cindy playfully punches the ice-type's shoulder. "What's with that dumbstruck look?"

She glares at her. "We all did."

"Got me there."

"It was pretty interesting though," Shino says. "Wanna check out what they're discussing?"

Receiving his two friends' nods, the trio head upstairs and enter the library. They look around, but see no signs of the Eevee anywhere, so they approach the Mew floating by the blue-ringed Umbreon behind the desk.

"Excuse us," Shino says, catching the Mew's attention.

"Hm? Oh!" She smiles, recognizing them. "Hello. You were in the office downstairs, too, right?"

The yellow Shinx nods his head. "Yeah. We were wondering if he came by here?"

"Not yet. I hope he comes here soon though, while we're not busy."