"Things sure are a-changing 'round these parts."

Braviary craned his neck up toward an oak bookcase. He grabbed hold of a binder with his beak and hopped over to a nearby desk. He dropped the binder onto a small reader's podium, with a glowing orb attached to provide a source of light. Then he used his beak to flip the binder open, showing sketches of Shane and Tessa. Below the drawings sat a line reading "Team Radiance Exploration File."

"I was beginning to think she'd never end up joining us. It's just such a shame that she arrived now. After all, the Guildmaster's getting rid of her family's records."

Braviary shut the binder. He grabbed a larger one from his desk using his beak and shoved it onto the podium. It opened up, showing a pair of sketches. The first displayed three Pokémon raising bronze explorers' badges high: a Rufflet, a Metang, and a black and red-orange cat with a bell-like orb on its neck. Below that drawing was another one. It showcased the same three Pokémon, only this time they had gold badges. In addition, a Riolu stood next to them, smirking. She had a bronze explorer's badge pinned to the bandanna around her neck, a small fang sticking out of her mouth, and a white patch of diamond-shaped fur on her forehead.

"I wish y'all could be here to see her. Yer little gal's really coming into her own with that partner of hers."

The name's Braviary. I'm the intelligence expert and assistant to Guildmaster Metagross here at the Horizon Exploration Guild. Course, that weren't always the case. Back in my heyday, I was part of one of the guild's top exploration teams: Team MIB. What's the name mean? Why, Metagross, Incineroar, and Braviary, of course. Now, we weren't actually like that when we first joined. But we were confident, yesiree. Confident we'd evolve and show the whole continent how strong we are.

We never backed down from a mission. Even if it done got us in hot water. Course, that meant we got into plenty of jams. None of them compared to this one mission, though. Been about twenty-five years, but I still remember it plain as day. Cause it would turn out to be the most important job we ever did…

Special Episode 1: Seasoned Veterans

Chapter 10: Tracking a Tremendous Treasure

This Special Episode will follow Braviary back during his time as an explorer on Team MIB. The episode uses a first-person perspective for the duration of the flashback.

~Aeon Observatory~

"C'mon Rufflet. Wakey, wakey. Today's the big day!"

"Mmmrrgghh… ffrrrrggnnnngggh…"

My eyes opened to find Torracat staring right at me. His beady yellow eyes always made my feathers frizzle. "I'm up. I'm up," I groaned, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. My vision was still kinda fuzzy, but I could see the distinct lack of sunshine out our window. "Now what in tarnation did ya get me up for, Torracat? It ain't even sunrise yet!"

Torracat put on that annoying, all-knowing smirk of his. "Exactly. We have to get an early start. After all, this is our big assignment. If we nail this job, we'll make veteran rank!"

That's when it clicked. "Oh yeah. Guess it kind of slipped my mind. My bad."

"Slipped your mind? You're our inventory guy, Rufflet!" Torracat said. "Don't tell me you forgot to buy the supplies."

Well now, it might've slipped my mind in the moment. But that didn't mean I hadn't prepared the other day. "Course not," I said. I opened up our toolbox kit to show off all the wares I'd procured. "See, take a look fer yerself."

The quantity of items is sufficient to proceed.

I looked up at Metang, who was hovering over by the door. Least, I think it were hovering. Never could really tell, since ground-type moves could still hit him and what not.

"Thanks, Mets," I said with a yawn. "Now then, uh, someone want to remind me where we're heading for this here job?"

Torracat facepalmed. "Oh for heaven's sake. We're heading to Stormcracker Isle to find the long-lost treasure of the legendary Armored Adventurer! Or, at least, to try."

I raised a wing. "Hold up a sec. Ain't the Armored Adventurer nothing but a fairy tale? Y'know, something us exploring types like to tell yung'uns to get 'em interested in joining the guild?"

"Who's to say?" Torracat chuckled. "That's what we're going to find out. My dad tried looking for the treasure back before he became Guildmaster, but he could never navigate the inner caverns." Torracat got that confident gleam in his eyes. "He wasn't Team MIB, though. We're the best around. And now's our chance to show it."

"Well, shoot, finding a legendary explorer's treasure would make fer quite the adventure," I said. "So, what're we standing around here for?"

Torracat laughed. "That's what I was saying. Let's get moving. I already got us a pair of Sharpedo willing to head out to Stormcracker Isle."

And we are ten minutes and fifteen seconds late to rendezvous, Metang announced. Now it's sixteen seconds… seventeen… eighteen…

"Alright, I get it," I grunted, hefting the toolbox kit over a wing.

~Stormcracker Isle~

"Looks like you lot lucked out. The isle's going through one of its dry spells."

Torracat and I shared a Sharpedo, while Metang lay atop the other one, clutching it's big ol' fin. They sped across choppy morning waters toward a fairly large island. Sure, I didn't have Keen Eye. But I didn't need it to see the basic features: clusters of jungle brush, a rocky spire jutting into the sky, and a waterfall streaming out from the rock, giving rise to a river that dumped into the ocean.

I turned to Torracat. "If'n ya don't mind me asking, boss, just why's the place called Stormcracker anyway?"

Torracat glanced at Metang. "Yo, Mets. Give Rufflet the rundown."

Affirmative, Metang replied in that flat robot voice of his. This island is positioned directly in the migratory paths of Zapdos and Thundurus. Each Legendary Pokémon expels excess electrical energy while migrating. The energy gathers up around the island, forming torrential storms that can fall for weeks on end.

I could already feel my eyelids growing heavy again. Metang just had that effect on me. Guy could take any subject related to exploring and make it as boring as sentry duty at the guild. I done needed to shake my head about to make sure I didn't doze off. "So, why do y'all think the Armored Adventurer would stash his treasure here? Cause it's a tough island to penetrate?" I wondered.

"Either that, or he ended up here by accident and couldn't survive," Torracat said. "Which means if we find anything, that'll make us explorers on par with the mighty Armored Adventurer."

I pictured glimmering, gold statues of our team in the center of Aeon Town. Complete with Pokémon marveling at 'em and telling their kiddies about the brave explorers of Team MIB. "Heh." I rubbed my beak with a wing. "Now that'd be something to see, I reckon."

"Hey, Sharpedo, we need to head for the east side of the island," Torracat said. "Is that okay?"

"Sure," our Sharpedo replied.

"Hang on." I squinted at the island. "Ain't that gonna put us further from that there big rock than if we go to the west side?"

Correct, Metang replied. However, it is the safer route. The jungles on the west side contain very rare fruits and berries, making that part of the island a prime target for scavengers or wild Pokémon.

"And the last thing we need are some whackos trying to butt in on our big mission," Torracat declared. "Now then, full speed ahead toward that beach!" He pointed a claw forward. Next thing I knew, I was gripping the Sharpedo's fin for dear life as it carved through that there ocean like it were slicing up a thick, juicy melon. After a few minutes, we touched down on the beach and said our thanks to the Sharpedos. "You've got that flare to call these guys when we're ready to leave, right, Rufflet?" Torracat asked.

"Reckon I do," I replied, pulling out the flare from the toolbox.

"Great, then let's head inward," Torracat said, and led our team forward into the jungle. There were no paths for us to follow. So, we was dipping and ducking jungle brush and hopping over tree roots that were taller than Torracat. Of course, them giant tropical leaves weren't no problem for Team MIB. With my Wing Attack, Torracat's Flamethrower, and Metang's Confusion, we easily cleared a path forward in the direction of that huge rock at the center of the island.

Torracat, do you not think it wise to avoid burning any foliage? The smoke could alert wild Pokémon to our location, Metang said.

"Good point, Mets. But this is a deserted island. We're probably fine," Torracat replied. I rolled my eyes. If'n there was one member of Team MIB who could jinx our luck with his overconfidence, it was Torracat. "Still, it doesn't hurt to err on the safe side. I'll hold off on the Flamethrowers and try to look for the best angle to approach that rock."

For once, it seemed Torracat was completely focused. Maybe things were gonna be smoother than I tho–

"It was this way for sure, cap'n! There's smoke billowing outta these here bushes."

Doggone it. Torracat, ya jinx.

Metang, being closest to the gal's voice we heard, raised up his arms, readying to strike with Metal Claw. The bushes in front of him rustled. Halt. Identify yourself or I will use fo–

A black and blue blur shot out of the bushes. I saw a spark of fire, but realized Torracat was behind me. Metang weren't quick enough to react, so a fiery foot collided with his face. Course, with both me and Torracat in front of him, you could guess what came after that: a three-Pokémon pile-up. We smacked back against a coconut tree. To really rub salt in the wound, one of them stupid fruits fell down and conked me on the dang head.

"Oy!" Torracat shoved me to the side. "Mets, get up. Don't let that sneak-attacking hussy get away with this."

Understood, Metang bellowed, floating back into the air. However, whatever it was that attacked us had turned tail and run away.

"They can't have gone far. Mets, scan the area with your psychic powers," Torracat ordered. "Rufflet, give me eyes in the sky!"

I was still seeing stars from taking a coconut in the noggin, but I weren't no sissy. I flapped my wings and took to the air. Metang scanned the nearby bushes. His eyes turned blue and a nearby bush shook like an antsy Ludicolo. It didn't look like that had done anything, though. I pushed that though aside, however. Because I saw branches and bushes getting slashed up left and right by a Feraligatr with a particularly nasty look in its eyes. There were a couple Pokémon beside it, but I didn't recognize them right off the bat. It's not like I went about memorizing Pokémon species in my spare time.

"Boss!" I squawked. "Whatever ambushed us is bringing company. There's a Feraligatr and it's looking mighty grumpy."

To his credit, Torracat recognized the situation quickly. A water-type like Feraligatr put our team in a bit of a bind. We had no effective moves to deal with one. "Time to make tracks, guys! I'll lay some cover fire to distract them. Let's head for the inside of the island," Torracat declared.

"Err, boss, maybe it weren't a good idea to say that out lo–"

The same blur from before leaped out of the trees. Now, I'm a steady flier, but I weren't prepared for no aerial ambush. So, I was plum surprised when a Riolu struck me in my tailfeathers with a flaming kick. "Eyyyyaaaaaaagh! My keister's cooking! My keister's cooking!" I spiraled downward, with Riolu clinging to my legs. I spotted the little jackal, but didn't have no time to get off an attack before we crashed. Despite all that, Riolu hung onto me. In fact, she wrapped up my wings with her arms. This made my teammates pause.

"Go ahead! Try an' attack me, ye stinkin' landlubbers," she spat. "Ye'll just be harming yer feathery friend here." She turned toward them beaten-up bushes. "CAP'N! CAP'N! I've found us some strangers from the mainland!"

I thrashed about real good but this gal had an iron grip about her! All my struggling managed to do was make her mad. She dragged me toward the bushes, where I saw a patch of blue scales out the corner of my eye. Weren't too long before Feraligatr looked me right in the eyes. His angry, red eyes, big ol' teeth, and the claw scars across his chest made for quite the worrying sight, I tell ya.

"You've gone and made quite a ruckus, haven't ya, Runt?"

Riolu looked up at Feraligatr, gnashing her fangs together. "Grrr… how many times I gotta tell ye, cap'n. I've got me a name. It's Prisma! Not Runt!"

She called herself Prisma? That didn't make a lick of sense. I figured the gal had a touch of the crazy. Probably too much time under that hot sun. Still, I didn't given it much thought, considering my current predicament. "Hey, what's the big idea?" Torracat barked. Ever defiant, my boss was, even in a lousy situation for the team. Too bad this was one of them moments I wished he kept his yap shut. "Tell your friend to release my partner right now."

"Why did you capture him, anyway? Did you want to make a scene?" Feraligatr growled, eyeing my Riolu captor suspiciously.

"No, cap'n," Prisma barked. "But these blokes were tearing up the jungle and I weren't about to let 'em destroy our cover. I was attacking from the bushes and I took this here Rufflet as a hostage so those lubbers wouldn't try to keelhaul me."

Icy mist brushed along my feathers. "For the love of– how many times do I have to tell you, Runt? Ditch that stupid voice. We're scavengers, not savages. No need to speak like you jumped out of a hatchling's story."

Prisma's grip weakened. The gal clearly didn't have much pull with her leader. "B-But cap'n–" she whimpered.

"And it don't make ya sound intimidating, either," Feraligatr said. Were I not wrapped up in a Riolu hug, I'd have probably laughed. Unluckily enough, Torracat was there to do that for me.

"… fine," Prisma sighed. "But these are continent-dwellers. I'm sure of it!"

"Aye, captain!" the Mareanie on my right spoke up. "They've got badges. Must be one of them rescue teams from the mainland."

Feraligatr didn't like that one bit. He bore them wicked-sharp teeth of his at us. "So, what would a pack of goody-two-shoes rescuers want with Stormcracker Isle? There ain't no Pokémon around here needing your help."

"We're just… passing through…" I grunted, hoping my partners might be able to add to the ruse.

"Yeah. We're doing some surveying for our guild," Torracat continued. Bless him. His confidence could get us in hot water, but it bailed us out just as often. "Just trying to map out the island and then we'll be on our way."

"Fat chance of that," Prisma barked. "Where are your mapping tools, huh?"

Well, shucks. The jackal was a quicker thinker than I done expected.

"I've… uh… got 'em right in my toolkit," I lied. "If'n you just let go of me… I can show you."

Feraligatr opened his mouth to retort, but Prisma acted quicker. Her grip weakened. I had to resist the urge to laugh. I spun around and used a burst of air to shoot myself forward and smack Prisma in the belly with my signature Aerial Ace. That sent her hurtling into Feraligatr's gut. Now, he didn't like that one bit. Eyes went wide. Spit shot out of his mouth. If'n you were the inexperienced type, you'd have watched the scene with a fit of giggles. But not Team MIB. No sirree. Torracat covered the area in a spread of his Flamethrower, while I took back into the air. Metang hit the flames with his Confusion wave thingamabobs to spread that fire even further.

"Let's move, gang!" Torracat shouted. And we high-tailed it outta there mighty quick.

Course, it weren't so quick that we didn't hear Feraligatr shout, "Runt, you bleeding moron! You just cost yourself rations for the next two days."

A loud smack echoed through the air. Torracat and I glanced back to see Prisma on her knees; a paw gingerly held up to her face. Frankly, it served the varmint right. Trying to get the jump on us for no good reason. It wasmighty stupid of her to buy into my little act and let me go. Except, it looked like Torracat didn't share my sentiments. I could see the worry on his face plain as a disguise on a Mimikyu. "Oy, boss-man. Stay focused. They're on our tails!" I cawed, trying to shock him back to his senses. Torracat frowned but quickened his pace.

Hoo boy. Of all the times to have a bleeding heart moment.

Them scavengers made a beeline for us. "If they're heading for the rock, they must be trying to find the treasure," Feraligatr hissed. "That's our treasure, lads. Don't let 'em take what's rightfully ours!"

I even saw Prisma running after us. She done had this fire in her eyes, the likes of which could make a Turtonator blush. And she was much quicker on the draw than her pardners. I thought she could do with some slowing up. So, I dipped down toward her and abruptly banked right. I had to adjust my angle to avoid a ball of sludge that Mareanie spat toward me. But I managed to get around to Prisma's back.

"Gnngaaaagh!" she howled as I hit her in the back of the head and pulled back up to finish off the U-turn. Course, that victory didn't end up lasting long. Turned out, Feraligatr could strike from a heck of a distance. Nothing could've prepared me for this massive tunnel of water striking me in the back and knocking me to the ground.

Rufflet is injured. We must provide cover, Metang stated. He and Torracat turned, preparing to face the charging scavengers. Now, I weren't about to take any of this lying down. I rolled forward, dodging a Force Palm from Prisma. Then I got back into the air just in time to avoid my teammates combining their attacks again. A Flamethrower column turned into a bunch of fiery rings thanks to Metang's Confusion. Except, it didn't do much. A small Water Gun from Mareanie and a massive Hydro Pump from Feraligatr snuffed all the fire out in a matter of seconds.

But the burst of steam that followed done messed up my flying course. It made Metang and Torracat stagger back. Heck, Prisma got caught in it too. "W-Watch it, cap'n," she hollered. "I'm right in front of ya."

"… bah. Don't get in my way and you'll have nothing to worry about," Feraligatr snarled. That put a furrow in Torracat's brow. He sprang forward, crunching down on Mareanie's head. He swung his head around and managed to toss Mareanie back into this lanky metal Pokémon called Bisharp. I tried to take advantage of the opening by swooping down and using a burst of Aerial Ace speed to hammer Prisma from above. But I weren't counting on Prisma actually standing her ground. She gripped my shoulders with them ironclad paws of her and fed me a dirt sandwich courtesy of a Force Palm right on the top of my head.

"Stop making the cap'n get mad at me!" she hissed, foot igniting fer one of them Blaze Kicks. Torracat leaped into the fray. His fangs caught on fire and he bit down on Prisma's leg. Fire spilled out in all directions. Prisma's eyes widened and she jumped back.

But Feraligatr shoved her aside, claws extending and glowing bright blue. I don't know how a scavenger like him got his mitts on a Dragon Claw TM, but I had no intention of seeing how well he could swing them things about. Luckily, Metang realized it too, cause a pink Confusion ring halted Feraligatr's progress. That gave me the time I needed to fly away.

"Let's break off, boss!" I squawked. Torracat didn't respond, as he was spitting a warning Flamethrower over toward Prisma.

"You don't have to attack us, Riolu," Torracat said when the flames died down.

"Yes I do!" she barked, lashing out with a glowing fist. Torracat barely managed to skirt the attack. It took a moment for me to realize that was Sky Uppercut. "I already lost rations thanks to you lot. I'm not falling any lower in the cap'n's eyes!"

"Why are you even listening to him?" Torracat asked. He spewed another Flamethrower to put Prisma on the defensive. "You shouldn't have to answer to a Pokémon that treats you like dirt!"

"What do you know, rescuer?" Prisma growled. "My crew's my family! I'd never abandon them." She kept her wits about her and ran right through the middle of that stream of Flamethrower. Next thing I knew, she smacked the boss between his eyes with a Force Palm. He bounced back across the dirt. Metang and I turned to shield Torracat so he could grab an oran berry to heal.

"We ain't making any progress like this," I grumbled. "Don't bother talking with that there varmint, boss. Ya can't reason with crazy. And she's a crazy one."

Torracat gnashed his teeth. "Sorry. It just burns me up to see a Pokémon get mistreated like that."

"Well, well, well." Feraligatr licked his chops. "It seems we're at an impasse here. You want into the inner caverns. And we want in there, too."

"But, cap'n, we've been searching them caverns for days! Ain't no sign of the treasure," Prisma protested.

SMACK!

Feraligatr backhanded Prisma, knocking her onto her back. "Quiet, Runt!" he barked. "Have you learned nothing from me? Mystery Dungeons are beyond reasonable explanation. Just because we failed before doesn't mean we give up."

My eyes widened. "Wait, so the inner caverns are a Mystery Dungeon after all? Boss, ain't this way too far out for the Tapus to control the landscape? We ain't never dealt with uncontrollable Mystery Dungeons before."

"Ha! You sound like you've never seen a Mystery Dungeon. What sort of pathetic rescue team are you hacks?" Feraligatr sneered. "Runt! Mareanie! We're setting out for the inner caverns. We'll leave Bisharp to take care of these three." Feraligatr gave Bisharp a reassuring pat on the bat. Then he grabbed hold of Prisma like she were an old doll and dragged her into the bushes. Mareanie followed along after them. Metang tried to turn and hold 'em off, but that Bisharp blocked our path. He disappeared into the shadows. Before we could realize he was using Feint Attack, he popped up in front of Metang and wrangled his arms. Weren't nothing Metang could do to Bisharp. He slammed Metang into the ground, and a loud CLANG rang out through the clearing.

"Mets!" Torracat gasped. He lunged at Bisharp, teeth burning bright, but the varmint rolled out of the way. I weren't in a position to do much good either. Thought swooping in to strike him with Aerial Ace could snag some chip damage. But the blades on his arms suddenly extended and I quickly found myself backing off.

"Boss! This feller knows Guillotine. We gotta keep our distance," I squawked. Torracat recognized the danger and jumped back, opting to shoot off a Flamethrower instead. That was a foolish move, cause his attack went well high of Bisharp. But at least that seemed to make the varmint leery.

What would you have me do in this situation? Metang asked. My lone ranged attack is Confusion and it will not work.

"If'n the two of us can give ya some cover, think you can move in and attack?" I offered. Probably weren't a good idea to open my big ol' beak, though. Bisharp heard us and vanished in the blink of an eye. Seconds later, he slammed into Metang and sent him backwards again. I couldn't help but squawk and fly higher. I was a hardy li'l bird, but seeing them glowing Guillotine blades done sent my heart a-racing.

Torracat stood his ground, though, and a fast, narrow Flamethrower scored a direct hit. Bisharp's gray arms lit up bright red. He thrust them to the side and I felt a rush of heat against my feathers. "Why are you guys treating Riolu so badly?" Torracat demanded.

Oh, lordy, he was still sore about that?

Bisharp's overheated arm blades extended. He swirled them around, ready to cleave the boss into ribbons. I gulped and dropped down, readying my body for a sudden upward jolt into a U-turn. There were a nice, satisfying THWUMP when I struck Bisharp's head, stunning him.

"You okay, boss?" I asked. Torracat grabbed my wing and I hefted him on up.

"Talk about a close shave," he sighed, placing a paw to feel his right cheek. Poor feller done got his whiskers sliced right off. No idea if that meant anything important, but he seemed frazzled about it. We didn't have no time for celebrations, though. Because I felt something hard and metallic smack against my back, knocking me into the dirt. I lost my grip on Torracat, but the boss opened up his fiery mouth. He clamped onto Bisharp's shoulder and Bisharp's eyes went wide.

"Hold on, boss," I squawked, summoning a tunnel of air to ram into Bisharp with Aerial Ace. I'd have thought that combo would show the feller what's what, but he somehow stood tall. I saw his arm blades flare to life and flapped back. But it turned out that I weren't his target. Torracat realized the issue all too late. Them bright blades struck the boss upside the head. Torracat released his grip on Bisharp's shoulder and slumped down the ground. "Dang it!" I hollered. "Yer gonna pay for that."

Bisharp raised up an arm and gave me a "bring it" gesture. Course, I knew I wouldn't be any good one-on-one with the guy. I just needed to stall for a moment. Luckily, Metang was prepared to land a hand. A loud mechanical CLANG sounded when his Metal Claw met Bisharp's metal skull. The varmint's eyes done teared up and he stumbled forward. I charged in for another smack with Aerial Ace, but Bisharp bounced back lickety-split and vanished. He struck me head-on and overpowered me. I wiped out in the dirt, seeing stars. Thankfully, I had already done my part. A red glow popped up behind that varmint. He turned around and threw his arms up in complete shock as a Flamethrower swallowed him up.

Torracat stepped forth from the heat, glaring daggers at Bisharp's smoking, KO'd form. Then I felt a metal arm around me. Metang hoisted me back to my feet. Are your wings operable? he asked.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Just got thumped mighty good," I grunted. There weren't no shame to getting outmuscled, but I couldn't help feeling like this wouldn't have been a problem if I weren't just Rufflet. I'd trained mighty hard, but I was still the only one on the team who hadn't evolved. This battle only served to highlight that sore spot.

Torracat jogged over. "Yo, Rufflet. How many Reviver Seeds do we still have left?"

"Nine, I reckon," I replied. I liked my intervals of fives and tens. Nice, wholesome numbers there. So, I tended to buy up our items in clusters of five. Sure, it bothered the teammates, but not enough for them to take over toolkit management.

"Do we have any idea where those scavengers went off to?" Torracat asked, scanning the area. They had ducked into the bushes but they could've left some footprints. Problem was, following them would be a plum bad idea.

I believe I detect faint traces of their energies near the southern section of the rock spire, Metang announced, pointing a metal arm forward.

"Is that the entrance to the inner caverns?" I wondered.

It is an entrance, Metang responded. I also detect structural weakness in the base of the rocks. It is due west of where I estimate the scavengers to be. He pivoted to his left.

Torracat grinned. "Ah, so we're gonna make an entrance."

"Now, wait just a doggone minute. I ain't trying to make no rock avalanche!" I squawked. Us birds didn't do so well in them situations, y'see.

I can deflect debris with Confusion, Metang offered.

"Sounds like a plan to me. Onward, Team MIB!" Torracat declared and darted off to the west.

Next time: Team MIB find themselves in some puzzling situations. Where's Professor Layton when you need him?