~Aeon Town~

Shane sat underneath the awning of a small building. Its exterior was stylized to look like the face of a Kecleon, with the awning serving as an extension of its green and yellow forehead. The sweet smell of berries and other fruits tickled his nostrils, and he soon found himself gulping down saliva.

"There… I think that's enough supplies."

Tessa walked out of the town's Kecleon Shop, patting her comically inflated satchel with a paw. Shane raised a skeptical eyebrow. To him, it appeared that Tessa was about to topple over from the weight of her bag. "How much stuff did you buy, anyway?" he asked.

"Well, given that we're not official guild members yet, I only had access to a limited variety of items," she explained. "So, I got us a handful of apples, four oran berries, a pair of elixirs to keep our energy up, and some geo pebbles."

Shane blinked rapidly, trying to process her list. "That… seems like overkill," he confessed. "You seriously bought a bunch of dead-weight rocks?"

"Why not? I've heard they can sock an enemy pretty well if you toss 'em right," Tessa said.

"What do you think this guild is going to have us do, summit Horizon's tallest mountain? We're gonna be fine," Shane insisted. "If anything, that overstuffed pack of yours will just slow us down."

"It doesn't hurt to properly prepare," Tessa insisted. "One could get hungry while exploring, for instance."

"I'm well aware of that, thank you. I have a stomach. And it's definitely working," Shane harrumphed. "Now let's stop lollygagging and get to the guild already. It's time to meet some fresh, friendly faces!" Shane turned and looked about the town. "Uh… let's see." He tapped his chin. "If we came from the left, then we should probably go to the right…"

"The guild's on top of the hill overlooking the town square," Tessa explained, guiding him forward.

As Shane approached the central fountain, he noticed a few Pokémon mingling about in front of one of the few two-story buildings in the area. It stuck out from the houses near it, as its sides had two rounded, blue sections protruding from the first floor. The majority of the building was purple, save for a pair of windows on the second floor. One of which was only half as tall the other.

Shane's curiosity got the better of him and he asked, "What's with this place?"

"Oh, that's Crabrawler's Café. It's the main spot for Pokémon to gather and hang out," Tessa explained. "It's really popular with explorers. My mom got me a berry sorbet from there once. It was heavenly."

"Berry… sorbet?" Despite his personal lack of experience with Pokémon berries, Shane's mouth watered. "Quick!" He jumped in front of the Riolu. "Let's mash up one of those oran berries. I'll use some Powder Snow and we can make homemade sorbet!"

"Absolutely not. I spent good money on those berries," Tessa said, swinging her satchel back behind her. "You're the one so gung-ho about going to the guild. So, are we going or not?"

"Oh, relax, I was just having a little fun," Shane dismissed. "You need to lighten up a bit. How are you gonna make a good impression on the guild if you walk in all grumpy?"

Tessa scowled. "I am not grumpy."

"Really? Cause that expression could make an Ursaring blush." Shane chuckled and trotted on ahead. He quickly made his way along the dirt path leading up the hill. However, when he turned back, he noticed Tessa progressing much slower. "See, told you that bag would weigh you down," he taunted. "At this rate, it'll be afternoon before we get inside." He ran down to Tessa. As he approached, he noticed Tessa clutching her scarf protectively. "Hey, something the matter?"

"I… I…" Tessa gulped. "It's just… nerves." Shane suddenly gripped Tessa's shoulders with his forepaws and jostled her back and forth. "Agh!" Tessa barked, shoving Shane back. "And just what was that all about?"

"Just loosening you up," Shane explained. "There. Now can we get a move on?"

"Don't touch me without my permission!" Tessa squeaked. Shane hopped back in surprise. Tessa brushed off her shoulders and adjusted her scarf. "And, for the record, no, that didn't help one bit."

Shane sighed and shook his head. "Well, that's just because I don't have hands. Or magic aura-y powers. Otherwise, I could've done a much better job." He turned and jogged back up the hill. "Maybe we'll luck out and find a Manaphy who could Heart Swap us."

"I did not just hear you say that!" Tessa barked.

"Hey, for what it's worth, I think you'd make a great Vulpix. You're already a regular ice queen," Shane quipped. He ran the rest of the way up the hill, laughing.

Tessa took a deep breath and stared at the ground. 'C'mon, Riolu. Remember... this is be a somebody. This is for fame and admiration!' She marched straight forward, stopping when she felt the fluff of one of Shane's tails against her side. Tessa opened her eyes and found Shane examining the building.

It was circular, with a foundation of golden stones. Purple tapestries hung off the side of it. Each one had stitched in it a white emblem displaying a crescent moon that overlapped the sun. That same icon was etched into the stone platform positioned right in front of the door. Above the door, a purple triangle stuck straight up into the air, casting a shadow over the grassy knoll the building sat atop.

"Huh. It kinda looks like a sundial," Shane realized.

"What? That's no Sandile. Besides, most of the structure's underground anyway. Built into the hill, I think."

"No, no, I said 'sundial.' They're a, y'know, way to keep track of time?" Shane explained. Tessa gave him a blank look. "Forget it. Must be a human world thing." He tilted his head to the side. "What's with the telescope? Is this place some kind of planetarium or what?"

"Um…" Tessa fidgeted with her scarf. "If I remember correctly, I think this place is actually called the Aeon Observatory."

"That so?" Shane raised an eyebrow. "Y'know, for someone who claimed to absolutely, positively want nothing to do with this place you sure do know a lot about it."

Tessa rolled her eyes. "Don't jump to conclusions. My parents' house is in Aeon Town. I'd have to be pretty clueless not to know about this place. It kind of sticks out against everything else here."

"Fair enough," Shane said. "Now, how do we get inside?"

"Well, oh intrepid explorer, I'm not an expert like you, but I suggest we stand on that pedestal in front of the entrance," Tessa replied, pointing to the stone platform in question. Shane glanced at it but had to look away from the light reflecting off its glass surface. He blinked rapidly to clear his vision and walked up to the platform.

"Didn't need the snark in that answer, but I'll take it," Shane said. His tails wagged slowly as he jumped onto the pedestal. The sun and moon carving suddenly lit up, causing Shane to shield his eyes. "Hey, don't just sit there, Riolu," he called. "Climb on up!"

"Uh… yeah. Right…" Tessa stammered. She stumbled up beside him, throwing her arms up as bright light filled her vision.

"Registered, non-guild Pokémon and unregistered Pokémon detected. Stand by for identification!" a shrill voice shouted.

Shane looked around the pedestal as the glowing circles swirled around them. They soon fizzled out, retreating into the carving.

"The Pokémon are… Riolu and Vulpix!" the voice announced. "Please state your business!"

"We're here to join the guild!" Shane bellowed, puffing out his chest.

"Not so loud, please," Tessa whimpered, glancing nervously around the hill.

"Understood!" the voice replied. "Please proceed inside!"

The stone slab in front of the duo spiraled open, revealing the fringes of a bright purple carpet. "Hey, they're already rolling out the welcome mat for us. Awesome!" Shane cheered. He gave Tessa an encouraging shove off the pedestal and booked it inside.

"Oof! Hey, watch where you're walking," Tessa growled. She checked the contents of her satchel and followed him inside.

Episode 2: Minor Growing Pains

Chapter 3: Laying Some Foundations

~Aeon Observatory~

Tessa immediately bumped into Shane on the other side of the doorway. He sat on the carpet, taking in the guild's entryway. "It's… beautiful." He let out a whistle. "Look at that starry sky they painted on the ceiling. I think that's a Luvdisc constellation on the right. Oh... oh! And that's definitely a Solrock over there. And a Lunatone in the corner! This is really pretty. I like all the purple and gold."

"I guess it's pretty nice," Tessa said with a shrug. She spotted Growlithe sitting in front of a large wooden board, studying it intently. He noticed her and smiled.

"Hey, you're that Riolu I bumped into a few days ago," he barked, his tail wagging excitedly. "You're back. And you brought a friend! Hello, Riolu's friend!"

Tessa crossed her arms and turned away from Shane. "We're not friends."

Shane's ears twitched, but he ignored Tessa. He glanced over at Growlithe. "Oh, so the Vulpixes are backwards here, but the Growlithes made off just fine," he scoffed. "Honestly, how can anyone back in the human world like Vulpix more than Growlithe? It's not even a contest."

Growlithe tilted his head. "I beg your pardon?"

Tessa stepped forward and cupped a paw over Shane's mouth. "Err, don't listen to him. He's, uh, new around these parts."

"Well, I'll be."

Tessa and Shane jumped to attention at the sound of a new voice. They both noticed a staircase in the corner. A Braviary emerged from it and walked toward the duo. "I was wondering when I'd see ya finally set foot in here," Braviary said. "Ya certainly kept us waiting, huh, Tessa?"

Shane's eyes sparkled. "A Braviary? Okay, this guild's officially cool in my books," he declared, totally glossing over Braviary's statement.

"Ha ha. I like the attitude, pardner. But if'n yer expecting flattery to get ya a free pass to apprenticeship, you've saddled up to the wrong place."

"Of course, sir. Wouldn't think of it," Shane said, giving a nervous laugh. But his expression quickly shifted. "Hey… waaaaaaaait a second." He narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Braviary, "I've, uh, 'heard' an accent like that before. You wouldn't happen to know any suspicious-looking Nuzleafs, would you?"

Braviary scratched his head. "Can't say that I do. Ain't no Nuzleafs living around Horizon, last I knew of."

Tessa turned to Shane with a look of horror. "What are you doing?" she whispered. "Don't talk to Braviary like that. He's the Guildmaster's assistant!"

"Sorry." Shane looked down. "It's just that, uh, my instincts tell me not to trust any Pokémon with a kooky accent that acts nice to us. It's a recipe for disaster and double-crossing."

"I thought you said Pokémon didn't exist where you were from," Tessa hissed.

"Something the matter, you two?" Braviary asked. "Don't wanna keep the Guildmaster waiting, y'know. So, if'n y'all would head in that direction." He gestured back to the stairs. "I'll be right on down after I have a short chat with Growlithe over yonder."

Shane and Tessa turned and descended to the guild's main level. They found multiple hallways stretching out in different directions from a central room. Like the entrance, the new room had a starry sky motif on the ceiling. It was dark purple, with clusters of yellow and light blue littering it. Unlike the mural in the entrance, this sky faded into orange, and then finally to a sunny blue along the walls. In between each of the hallways, small pegs stuck out from the walls. Luminous orbs sat atop them, evenly distributing spherical light patches throughout the room to make up for the lack of any windows. The floor had a purple carpet in the center, with the same logo stitched into as the tapestries outside. Different versions of those tapestries also hung from the walls, next to the luminous orbs.

Shane broke the duo's silence. "Hey, uh, am I crazy or did Braviary call you Tessa?"

Tessa's eyes widened and she quickly looked away from Shane. "… he did."

"So, is that your real name, then?"

"No. It's... um... my mom told me it's just some old Lucario custom that dates back to ancient times. You're not allowed to call me that," Tessa ordered. "Ever."

Shane raised a confused eyebrow. "Why not? I happen to think it's a very pretty name. Suits you nicely!"

"If you want me to go through with this you will not call me Tessa. Understand?" she growled.

"Whoa, whoa, take it easy," Shane coaxed. "No need to get so cross. It's just a name. Besides, you really just want me to call you Riolu?"

"Yes. That's what I'm supposed to be called. What else would you call me, huh?"

"Well, don't you think that could be awkward?" Shane pointed out. "Like, what if we run into other Riolus? How am I supposed to know who's who? Heck, how do any of you even talk to each other when you're in groups? That seems like a pretty big oversight, if you ask me."

Tessa gritted her teeth. "Look, I get you're not from around here and stuff. But maybe you could just be silent and observe a bit and then start pestering folks with questions? It just so happens that the overwhelming majority of Pokémon simply call each other by their species name unless they're bullies, really good friends, or madly in love with each other. It's not a big deal."

"And nobody gets confused?"

"If you're in a group of Pokémon of the same species you just make eye contact with the one you want to talk to," Tessa said. "Did your 'brilliant human mind' not think that one up?"

"It did," Shane said. "But there are other situations. What if, say, you tried to report the Sneasel that robbed you to the guild. You can't just say, 'The culprit was Sneasel, officer.' Because there are probably plenty of Sneasels around here." Shane smirked, feeling pretty confident with his deduction.

Much to his surprise however, Tessa only glared at him. "You just love racing to conclusions, don't you? The fact of the matter is, no two Pokémon of the same species look completely alike."

Shane's jaw slackened. "Say what now?"

"We all have differences between one another. Sometimes they're big differences and sometimes they're small. We can use those differences to address each other," Tessa continued. "My mom, for example, is very thin compared to other Lucarios and has single fang sticking out of her mouth. I have extra tufts of fur on top of my ears compared to other Riolu." She grabbed her ears and bent them over. "Plus, my aura feelers are small for someone my age."

Shane laughed. "Ha! That's a good one. I've stared at Riolus on my computer screen for hours and the only way they look different is if an artist decides to take creative liberties with their fanart."

Tessa's glare fiercened. "Are you saying I'm lying?"

"Uh… I guess not," Shane muttered. "But if you're telling the truth, then that just proves my point from when we first met: we're destined to be a world-saving team, you and I! Because I, uh, read up on some of your local human legends and it sounded like many of the Pokémon that worked with the humans were called something different than their species name." He flashed Tessa a broad grin.

Tessa's heart skipped a beat. 'Huh. I hadn't even considered that and I've memorized the stories cover-to-cover.' She shook her head. 'No, wait, we shouldn't be having this conversation... someone might hear us and think we're crazy!'

A vein bulged out of Tessa's forehead. "Will you drop that whole world-saving business already?" she hissed. "Pokémon are gonna look at us funny if you keep that up."

Luckily for Shane, Braviary appeared from the staircase, abruptly ending the conversation before things escalated. Braviary focused on an open corner of the large room, where the stone walls gave way to a metal door. "Hopefully the Guildmaster ain't busy," Braviary mused. He approached the door and knocked on it with a wing. The metal door slid open and Braviary gestured inside.

Shane and Tessa walked through the door and entered a cold, gray room. It lacked any sort of decorations, save for a tapestry dangling from the far wall. It had a similar image stitched in it as the pedestal outside: a purple crescent moon overlapping a golden sun.

"Wow… talk about a sterile room," Shane muttered. "It's almost like the metal's been thrown up on top of… whatever used to be here."

"Quiet," Tessa said, elbowing Shane's ribs. "You're gonna get us in trouble."

"Guildmaster, I've got some new recruits," Braviary announced.

Shane jumped as he noticed part of the gray on the far end of the room shift. He watched four metallic limbs extend, hefting a massive, disc-shaped body up off the floor. 'The Guildmaster… is a Metagross?' Shane gasped. 'Wicked awesome! I don't see what Tessa doesn't like about this place. It just keeps getting better and better to me.'

Metagross slowly pivoted to face forward. Fact: the recruits are Riolu and a human.

Shane jumped at the Guildmaster's robotic voice. "Cripes!" His tails stiffened. "Wait… you know I'm a human?"

"Ha ha! That's our Guildmaster, for ya," Braviary laughed. "Always calculating things faster than you can even say 'em. How do ya think we keep things running so efficiently here? But, uh, not to disrespect ya or nothing, Guildmaster." He looked at Shane. "It's just, uh, that don't look like no human to me."

Acknowledged. Fact: this Vulpix has memories of things alien to this world. Fact: he seeks to join the guild to find out why he is in our world, Metagross explained.

"Eh? I never said anything abo– oh, I get it. You read my mind."

Fact: conversations detract from my ability to analyze and calculate in peace. Conclusion: read minds to deter idle chatter, Metagross explained.

'Wow, someone must be a real hit at parties, then,' Shane thought. 'Wait… he didn't hear that, did he?'

Metagross' eyes narrowed in a fashion that suggested yes, he very well did hear that.

"So, what do you think, Guildmaster?" Braviary asked. "Should I register these folks, or–?"

Order: administer test. Reason: to ascertain the duo's capabilities, Metagross replied. His eyes flashed blue. Instructions transferred.

Braviary blinked rapidly and he rubbed his head with a wing. "Err, right. Still ain't used to them mind games of yours, pardner." He turned back to Shane and Tessa. "Alright, you two, follow me back out." The trio headed toward the office's door.

Riolu.

Tessa froze as Metagross's robotic voice echoed in her head. She cautiously looked back at him.

Warning: continued dwelling on your family will impair your path to success in this guild.

Tessa flinched at this. "… thank you, Guildmaster. I'll, um, try to keep that in mind." She clasped her hands against her chest and shuffled out of the room, keeping her head bowed low. Out in the assembly area, she spotted the tips of Shane's tails disappearing up the stairs and quickly sprinted after him. She made it back up to the entrance and stopped next to Shane. Tessa hunched over, trying to catch her breath.

"Alright, eyes and ears on me, you two," Braviary ordered, pacing back and forth by the front door. Shane and Tessa stood at attention. "A big part of working fer the guild is helping us maintain an adequate stock of resources," Braviary explained. "Can't have folks going hungry, fer example."

"Our big test is… a food run?" Shane rolled his eyes. "Heh." He glanced at Tessa. "And you were worried."

"Son, we don't take kindly to folks who interrupt 'round these parts," Braviary said. Shane stiffened and looked away, biting his lower lip. "Now then, our resident cook, Steenee, had gone to Dewdrop Woods to get food yesterday. But she ended up losing one of the guild's looplets in the process. Them things are mighty valuable. So, the Guildmaster wants y'all to find it."

"Uh, question?" Shane raised a forepaw. "Who's to say another Pokémon didn't already snatch it up? That'd make a journey there pretty pointless, wouldn't you say? Besides, don't Mystery Dungeons always change their appearance? That looplet could be anywhere by now."

Braviary's brow furrowed. "Now look here, feller, I hope ya ain't trying to be cute. Fer one, looplets are plum useless if'n you ain't the exploring type. And second, everyone knows Mystery Dungeons out here don't work like them kooky ones they got overseas." He shook his head. "Are you sure you know what yer doing here, pardner?"

"Ignore him, Braviary," Tessa said. "You heard the Guildmaster. He's human. He doesn't know any better!"

Shane gave her a confused look. "Huh. I reckon I hadn't considered that," Braviary muttered. "Ah well. Guess you'll just have to learn about Horizon dungeons the old-fashioned way. By brute force, ha ha!" He reached in his satchel and pulled out a piece of paper and a glowing blue orb. "This here is directions to where Steenee went. And this is an Escape Orb. Use it when yer done or if'n y'all end up in over your heads. You, uh, do know about these things, yes?"

Tessa stared at it in confusion. "They magically teleport us out of the dungeon, right?" Shane asked.

"Heh, guess you do know a bit after all, hoss," Braviary chuckled. "Yeah, it'll warp you to the forest's edge lickety split."

Tessa's eyes widened. "But wouldn't that be painful?" she gulped.

"Nah. These here orbs are enchanted by psychic-types. Just, y'know, don't eat a ton before you use it fer the first time," Braviary explained. Tessa pocketed the orb and tightly gripped the direction sheet. "Well, if'n y'all got no questions, yer dismissed. Guildmaster expects a result one way or another by sundown."

Shane's eyes widened. "Then we'd better get a move on. C'mon, Riolu!" He turned and dashed for the door.

"Hey, wait!" Tessa lumbered after him. "You don't even know where you're going, you ditz!"

~Dewdrop Woods~

The entrance to Dewdrop Woods lay just on the outskirts of Aeon Town. The massive wall of trees – Shane remembered it from pursuing the would-be scarf thieves – had an opening in it that let inside the forest. As soon as they stepped through the entrance, the forest swallowed them up. Massive trees hung over their heads. Their thick, leafy branches blocked out most of the bright sunshine they had enjoyed on their walk over. Only tiny beams of light could weave their ways through openings in the treeline. The rest of the forest was as shady as any beach umbrella Shane had ever sat under in his days as a human. Interspersed between the trees were patches of thick bushes. Some held thorns. Other produced flowers that assaulted Shane's nose with a bevy of soothing aromas.

Shane and Tessa proceeded down a path that winded its way through the foliage. Rich, earthy soil crunched underneath their paws with every step, releasing a fragrance that reminded Shane of the parks he had gone and played in as a kid. Every so often, he and Tessa found themselves tripping over a hidden root. But, other than that, the trek was quite uneventful. Shane took note of the multitude of swollen roots protruding from the trees. Each time he got near one, he crouched low, expecting a wild Pokémon to pop out. But when nothing happened, his confusion grew.

"Okay, this is really bugging me now," Shane finally spoke up after they had trekked pretty far into the forest. "Why is there this nice pathway through the middle of a Mystery Dungeon? Where are the wild Pokémon jumping us at every turn? And why do you have directions around this place if it's supposed to change its appearance every time someone goes in and out of it?" Tessa continued starting at the direction sheet. "Hey, aren't you going to answer me?"

She sighed. "You really don't know, huh?"

"No, I don't. And I'd appreciate an answer. Unless you don't know either," Shane said.

"Sorry. You said you'd done some reading and you seemed like you knew what you were talking about with Mystery Dungeons," Tessa said, scratching the back of her head. "I guess you only know about the ones overseas."

"Yeah. Okay. I admit it. Now, what's the deal with dungeons in Horizon?" Shane asked.

"Simple. Rather than being labyrinths made up of floors, our dungeons are giant landmasses," Tessa explained. "Like this big forest, for example. The dungeons are separated from civilized towns by natural boundaries."

"So, like that giant wall of really thick, really dark trees we walked through at the start?" Shane wondered.

Tessa nodded. "Exactly. As for the other stuff, since the dungeons are stationary landmasses, they're not always changing their layouts," Tessa continued. "The Land Spirits decide when to change them. When I was a pup, my parents told me they can terraform the whole continent using their signature move: Nature's Madness."

Shane stopped walking, blinking rapidly as he tried to process Tessa's explanation. "Wait, what? Nature's Madness? Land Spirits? You mean, like the Regi Trio?"

"What? No. The Tapus! How could you not know who they are?" Tessa gasped. "It's their responsibility to keep Horizon's landscape safe. If it wasn't for them reshaping our dungeons, the chaotic energies of ley lines would build up to such a massive degree that the whole continent would break in half and sink into the ocean." As she said that, she fidgeted with her paws and eventually finished by thrusting her arms apart, like she was trying to imitate an explosion.

Shane's ears stood straight up. "Seriously?"

"Seriously." Tessa resumed walking forward, prompting Shane to jog after her. "And when they change the dungeons' landscapes, they try to make safe paths for explorers and other civilized Pokémon to navigate through. That way, we're not disturbing any wild Pokémon's territory. They don't attack us. We try not to bother them. Honestly, it's a good arrangement. And it's worked for us so far. We stayed clear of most of the problems that the other continents experienced."

"Uh... okay," Shane mumbled. "I mean, I recognized 'ley lines,' but everything else in that explanation just kind of went over my head. What's the point of having a guild if the dungeons aren't constantly changing, anyway? Seems like waste of manpower to me." He paused. "Or, I guess, 'monpower." He chuckled at his own lame pun.

Tessa rubbed the bridge of her snout. "Look, we don't have time to stand around debating the semantics of Horizon dungeons. You were the one who wanted to do this. If it bothers you that badly, then take it up with the Guildmaster when we're done here." Tessa carefully sidestepped an enlarged tree root. Shane stole a glance up at the tree line, which towered over his head. One of the branches looked ready to break off and fall down on the bush sitting beside the tree.

"Whatever. Still, it's strange. How do you figure the guild's able to get any food from a place like this?" he asked.

"No idea. I've never been here before, remember?" Tessa replied, going back to looking at the directions. "Okay, looks like we're coming up to a crossroads. We need to take the left path."

"Um, are you sure about that?" Shane trotted forward, glancing down two pathways sectioned off by rows of trees and bushes. "Because I swear I see light from the other path. I think there's a clearing in that direction."

"Who's the one with the directions here?" Tessa reminded him, waving the parchment around. "We're going left."

"Look, just hear me out for a moment. If we know which direction to go, why not investigate the other path?" Shane proposed. "The clearing's real close. Maybe there will be some treasure there?"

"No. We don't need to take unnecessary risks, Vulpix. We're on a timetable here," Tessa pointed out.

"It's minimal risk for a potentially big reward. How impressed would the Guildmaster be if we showed up with the looplet and actual treasure?" Shane said. "I'll bet we'll get fast-tracked to a higher-level status for our team!"

"It's not worth it. Especially when we're not familiar with this ar–"

"Too late!" Shane called from up on the right path. "I'm already heading for the clearing!"

Tessa clenched her free paw into a fist and ran off after him. 'I could just leave him behind,' she figured, 'But that's bound to cause more trouble than following him.'

Shane's form had already disappeared into the bright clearing. "Well, do you see anything?" Tessa asked.

"Just a pond and a couple of nests!" Shane yelled back. "Guess I was mistak– Hey, where did you guys come from?" Tessa tensed up and she quickly increased her speed. "Hey! Ow! Ow! No pecking! I'm not here to cause trouble!" Shane yelped.

'Ugh, you idiot!' Tessa hissed. She emerged into the clearing, squinting from the sudden influx of light. When her eyes adjusted, she saw Shane running in a panic from a quartet of angrily squawking, black and white birds with sharp, gray beaks.

"Gaaah! I didn't know this was your private roosting grounds. I'm sorry! We're just passing through, I swear!" he yipped. "Whoa!" His forepaw hit a root and he fell forward. Shane tumbled across the ground and fell into the pond on the other side of the clearing with a small splash. The birds hovered by the water's edge, exchanging confused looks.

Tessa rummaged through her satchel and produced a pawful of geo pebbles. 'Way to scare the Pikipeks, dude. And that idiot said we wouldn't need these.' Tessa chucked the the pebbles forward, watching them fan out from the tiny cluster they started in. Her trajectory was on the mark and the Pikipeks found themselves peppered by her projectiles.

She ducked back behind a tree. The Pikipeks all looked about in confusion. Suddenly, a plume of pond water doused them as Shane emerged from the pond and released a cloud of snowy air. It instantly froze their already-soaked bodies. The Pikipeks plummeted to the ground and landed on top of each other, forming a veritable stack of frozen Pikipeks. Tessa emerged from her hiding spot while Shane tried to shake out his wet fur.

"S-See?" he said through chattering teeth. "N-No p-p-problems a-at a-a-all!"

"The only reason you didn't end up in trouble was because I stepped in with my – what did you call them again? – oh yeah, 'dead-weight rocks,'" Tessa said, crossing her arms and smirking. "Who's the unprepared one now?"

Shane's legs quivered. "Unless you've got a towel in there, I'm still saying you."

"Oh please, you're fine. You're an ice-type, you'll live," Tessa scoffed.

Grooooooooowl!

"… but all that running around is a problem. For your stomach," Tessa sighed. She pulled one of the apples from her bag. "Here, you need this."

Shane accepted the apple and munched away at it. "… it's a little bitter," he reported.

Tessa rolled her eyes. "You're welcome. Now let's get back to where we should be going. Unless you fancy another swim?"

"Hey now. Maybe I'm secretly trying to learn Aqua Tail?" Shane proposed with a goofy grin. Tessa didn't even respond. She turned and walked back toward the fork in the path. "What? Come on!" Shane jogged after her, small ice shards dropping off his snowy tails. "That was funny. Can't I at least get a chuckle?"

"No!" Tessa barked. "Because this was nothing more than you wasting time. We're lucky you only riled up some Pikipek. It could've been a lot worse! Bewear live in these woods, you know!"

"I told you, we have nothing to worry about," Shane scoffed. "Like the Guildmaster would send us off to some terrifying labyrinth." He flicked his forepaw. "And that last sentence of yours was grammatically incorrect. 'Beware live in these woods?' Ooooh… very scary! What should I beware of, exactly? Giant tree leaves?"

'Come on, Vulpix, throw me a bone. You're the stranger to this land,' Tessa groaned. "Ugh, you're not listening to me," she growled. "Sometimes things aren't as clear-cut as you think they are."

Shane rolled his eyes. "Nice piece of wisdom there. You get that off the back of a fortune cookie? I prefer something along the lines of, 'don't dwell on the what-ifs.'"

"Fine then. Once we're officially in the guild, if you want to do a bunch of crazy missions on your own, no one's stopping you."

"That would defeat the point of us being a team," Shane pointed out.

"If we're supposed to be a team then at least try to understand where I'm coming from," Tessa snapped. "I know you think this is exciting… but there's real danger out here. And I want to avoid it as best I can."

Shane ignored her. "Hey." His eyes narrowed. "I think I saw something sparkle in the distance. Are there any other directions on your list?"

Tessa scowled. "Were you even listening to me?"

"I'm serious, Riolu." Shane proceeded forward, crouching low to the ground. "I think we might've found it. Do your directions mention anything about veering off further to the left?"

Tessa sighed and checked the sheet. "Yes," she replied. "Apparently this path currently leads to four different areas with fruit growing in them. We want the leftmost one."

"Excellent!" Shane chirped, padding forward confidently. The duo continued on the path, with Tessa taking the time to eat an apple. As she finished, she saw something sparkle up ahead. She noticed the path splitting off in four directions. Shane turned into the leftmost one and she followed him. The path led to a small incline, which descended into a dusty, dirt-filled pit. A single sparkling tree grew out of the center. While it wasn't as large as the trees surrounding the pit, it stood out, since it sat in the center of a ring of sunlight that made its golden leaves glisten.

"Whoa!" Shane gasped. "Check out the apples in that tree. They're huge. Like, as big as our faces!"

"Yeah," Tessa whispered. "How is that tree not collapsing?" She looked down and noticed Shane had already reached the base of the tree.

"Hey, I found the sparkly thing," he announced. "But it's a chest. I'm pretty sure looplets don't look like this."

"Yeah, you're right." Tessa jogged down toward the chest.

"I guess the directions were mistaken?" Shane thought aloud. "Still, as long as we're here, we might as well help ourselves to whatever goodies are inside." He rubbed his forepaws together eagerly.

"Hang on, Vulpix. That might not be such a good id–"

"HOLD IT!"

The two canines jumped and whirled around. They spotted a mongoose with bright yellow hair sitting on one of the tree's branches. "I know I didn't just catch youse two tryin' to make off wit' our treasure."

Shane raised an eyebrow. "What the heck are you supposed to be? A Furret wearing an ugly wig?"

"Vulpix! Yungoos are very sensitive about their hair," Tessa scolded. But the damage was already done. Yungoos flung the apple by his side at Shane, who hollered as the fruit splattered against his face and doused him in applesauce.

"Gaaaaah!" He stumbled back. "Hey, that stings!"

"Yeah, it should," Yungoos snickered. "Like da sting of some lout tryin' to run off wit' ya goods!" He looked down at the ground. "Now, Trapinch!"

The soil started to shift under Tessa's feet. She squeaked in surprise and jumped away from the tree. The treasure box sank beneath the dirt. Tessa scanned the ground. "Nnngh, c'mon you stupid aura feelers. Sense something!" She flicked one of the baubles on her head.

The spot where the box previously sat had given way to a small, round, orange head with beady black eyes. "Treasure box is secured, Yungoos," Trapinch announced.

"Excellent." Yungoos rubbed his forepaws together. "Now, we show dese two losers what happens to Pokémon who try to steal from us."

"No… no… wait. Please wait." Tessa threw up her paws. "This is all a big misunderstanding. We're not after any treasure. We're just trying to find something our friend left here while she was gathering food yesterday."

"… ha! Likely story," Yungoos dismissed. "Does it look like dere's anyt'ing valuable around here dat ain't edible?"

"Um… no. But, that's only because we just got here," Tessa insisted. "Give my partner and me a second to check in some of these bushes and, um, maybe we'll find something."

Tessa heard Shane spit mushed apple from his mouth. "Oh, we are so not backing down!" he hissed, rubbing sticky residue from his eyes. "Not after that ugly Furret threw an apple at me. Why do you 'mons get off on making white-furred folk messy, anyway? Get a hobby!"

"Vulpix, wait. We can talk this out with th–"

Shane spat a snowball up toward the tree. Yungoos dug his claws into the branch and spun around it. He dropped down to the ground, dodging the stream of snowflakes. "Okay, dat tears it! Da two of youse ain't walking outta here wit'out a heaping mess of bruises!" He snapped at the air with his large fangs.

"Vulpix, seriously?" Tessa barked. She turned back to Yungoos. "Please… please excuse my idiot of a partner over here. He got attacked by some Pikipeks earlier and I think it made him delirio–"

Beside her, Shane lunged for Trapinch. But Trapinch disappeared into his hole and Shane ended up headbutting the apple tree. "Ow!" He stumbled backward. "No fair, going underground like that." His eyes darted about the ground. "You can't hide forever! Come out and take your Powder Snow like a man… err… bug-worm thingy. You get the idea!"

Yungoos turned and glared at Tessa, who promptly facepalmed.

'Oh, for heaven's sake… I sure hope the other heroes stumbled in their first days, too.'

Next time: Shane and Tessa experience an impromptu teamwork exercise. And go for a little tour, too.