Location: Home
When Nuzleaf and I were eating breakfast, it dawned on me that I should probably specify different occurring days in my journal entries. However...days or weeks don't have specific names in this world. I don't think they do, anyway. I talked to Nuzleaf about it, and he kinda looked at me strangely. Maybe that's not how they do things here?
I don't have a lot of memories from my human world, but at the very least I remembered there are 24 hours in a day (in the human world, that could be totally different here) 7 days in a week, 30-31 days in a month depending on which it was, and 12 months in a year. If they don't have a calendar-like system in place, how do they keep track of what time of the year it is?
Then again, these aren't humans. These are Pokemon. They have instincts that tell them what season it is or what time of the year it is. I...don't have that. I may be a Chikorita, but my instincts are purely human. Therefore, I have to rely on my knowledge of the calendar system, even if it doesn't apply as accurately in this world as it does in mine. If the trees changed colors it'd make things easier, but Nuzleaf informed me that the trees around here are Evergreens – they don't lose their leaves or change colors.
Ironic that I named our Junior Expedition Society team after an inconvenience on my behalf. Next chance I get to name a team, I'll call it "Lack of Opposable Thumbs".
I asked Nuzleaf how he specified what day was what in his travel journal, and he suggested I go by moon increments. I...had to stop him there. I don't even remember what the moon increments are in the human world, and I doubt I'd remember what they are in the Pokémon world. Even if I wrote them down, that'd require looking at the moon at the end of each day and...I'm honestly just not ready for that kind of commitment for something as mundane as journal-writing.
Maybe Lyra will have some idea of what I can do. I won't ask her the same questions as Nuzleaf since that'd only confuse her further, but maybe she can tell me of upcoming events that'll help. From there, I can formulate a calendar system in my journal and try to keep up with the seasons that way. If there are longer seasons in this world than mine, maybe I can alter the system to fit so I know what to expect in the coming years...if I'm even here that long. For all I know, I could magically teleport back to my world tomorrow.
Still, if I don't poof away then it wouldn't hurt to have some idea of what day of the year it is.
Location: Serene Village Classroom
What a boring day. Farfetch'd taught us about type advantages and weaknesses, and the difference between Super Effective and Not Very Effective and how some moves have no effect on certain-typed Pokémon and yada yada yada.
Ugh, what a snorefest. It's obvious this is boring material for the rest of the class too, given how I can hear Pancham and Shelmet snoring away in the back. Looking over at Lyra, her mind is clearly elsewhere. Maybe she's excited about getting started as Junior Expedition Society Members? We'd agreed to meet up in the plaza to get started after school, but I'm still not clear on what "getting started" entails. How do we even begin our work? Is there some sorta system in place?
Oh, and Lyra didn't have a lot of helpful insight on upcoming events other than "summer vacation will be starting soon", but even in the human world summer vacation never started on a specific day every year – it was always different. As far as I can remember, it happened some day in June. I figure to be safe once summer vacation starts, I'll have it marked as June 15th. Until then, I'll leave the date in my travel journal as just June. It's better than having only my location to go by.
Location: Serene Village Plaza
Date: June...day 1?
So, Ampharos showed us how to use our Expedition Gadgets and the Connection Orb to accept help requests from Pokémon around us, and we accepted Sylveon's plea for help from the Foreboding Forest. Not a terribly exciting first expedition to start out on, but Lyra is really enthused about helping Sylveon, and I can't exactly turn my back to a lost Pokémon in need. After all, it was a lost Pokémon in need that'd brought me to the Foreboding Forest in the first place.
As I deposited money and items in the Deposit Box, I heard Lyra excitedly chatting to Ampharos about how grateful she was for his assistance. We're one step closer to achieving her dream, and we had him to thank. Ampharos seemed bashful as he was showered with her eager praise, and I can't help but giggle at the sight. Not often Lyra fangirls over someone like that.
I envy her bottomless well of energy. Some of our adventures have really exhausted me, but she's always raring to go. Maybe it's because she'd lived in Serene Village her whole life whereas I've been here for...maybe a month? Maybe only two weeks? Point being, I haven't been here for as long as her.
But...no, even the other kids who've lived here as long aren't like her, so it must be her specifically. Maybe our scarves have something to do with it? I can't imagine she'd get a lot of answers about where they came from if she stayed here. Maybe she's looking for the answer somewhere out there? Or maybe she simply wants to help other Pokémon...I dunno.
Anyway, we need to finish getting ready to go on this expedition. According to the request, Sylveon's trapped somewhere on the B2nd floor of the Foreboding Forest, so it shouldn't be particularly difficult. Plus, we'd braved much harder Mystery Dungeons between now and when I rescued Goomy.
This oughta be a cinch.
Location: Home
Well, I was right. The dungeon Pokémon weren't that big a deal, especially once I set a Type Bulldozer Emera in my Looplet – which powered up any moves I used that would've otherwise been not very effective against certain Pokémon. Made Razor Leaf especially helpful against the bug and bird Pokémon, and we found Sylveon in no time.
Once we returned to the plaza, Ampharos explained how the Connection Orb helps us see the ties to other Pokémon, and by saving Sylveon we gained additional ties to Axew and can now accept requests from them if they have any. But…there's a LOT of space on this Connection Orb. Something tells me we aren't gonna be accepting the requests of just 100 or so Pokémon…
Well, this is what Lyra wants to do with her life. Go on these expeditions and help Pokémon in need, even if there's a thousand of them. And this is what I signed up for.
It's...something. I'd rather be doing something than sitting around the village dreading the eventual return of the Beheeyem. And it's not like I'm doing anything alone. At least I've got Lyra with me.
Things could be worse, I guess.
My thing is, I don't want an orb to tell me which dungeons to explore. I don't want the Expedition Society to tell me where I should go or who I should help. What if I wanted to go back to Nectar Meadow? No expeditions to be had there, but plenty of bug-types to fight and help me build up a tolerance to their super-effective moves. Could be some honey in store if I play my cards right. I should have my own adventure, not be limited by what others want.
But...ugh. This is what Lyra wants. And in hindsight, the Expedition Society isn't really making me do anything yet. Showing the help requests on the orb just gives me an idea of who I could potentially help out, but who I choose to help is entirely my choice.
It's just...I don't know. This whole thing feels a little streamlined. I'd rather explore the landscape and discover the locations of these mystery dungeons myself, free to spelunk and explore wherever and whenever I choose. To be sent to these dungeons from the crossroads at the behest of the Expedition Society feels...dull. Like I'm being robbed of my adventure.
Eh, maybe I'm just a picky whiner. It's free work with endless rewards and new areas to discover. I should be excited and grateful to be doing this...right?
This isn't exploration, though. It's not free-roaming adventuring or deep cave spelunking...it's an organization telling me what to do in what dungeon on what floor and what I'll get if I do it. Like an animal being given a treat in exchange for performing a neat trick.
Mmm...if not for the fact that Lyra wants to do this, I wouldn't bother with it. Time to be the Society's dancing Mankey.
A/N: Wanted to get this posted ASAP because guess what - we're officially halfway through the Serene Village arc! Woo!