Author's note: Thank you Earthpatriot117 for posting reviews for my story. I've been hoping to get some to see what to improve upon for future chapters.
I'm starting a new semester in college soon so I won't be able to update as frequently as I normally do (~2 weeks). I do intend to keep making chapters when I can but expect ~1 month between each chapter. I intend for chapter 4 to come out in late September and further chapters to come near the end of a month.
Me and June began the lesson on berry identification when we entered the main hall roughly an hour ago. I was shown some of the various berries that grow in this world, what they do when eaten, and how to tell when they're ripe. Most berries are just food and nothing more with some of them looking eerily similar to fruits from my world like the pecha berry. A few berries such as the oran berry have medicinal properties. The pecha berry can cure poison, another heals burns, and one can even force people to awaken from sleep.
"This is an oran berry." June says as they place a blue colored berry onto the table. "And this is an oren berry." They placed a berry that looks nearly identical to the oran berry next to it.
"An oren berry is similar to an oran berry, except it contains a weak poison." June explained. "You have to examine them closely to tell them apart."
I lean in to see if I could tell a different. "Umm. I can't tell them apart. What's the difference between them?" I asked.
"See the dark spots the dot each berry has, they are different in shape." June explained with one of her claws pointing to a patch of dark spots. "The oran berry's dots look like near perfect circles, while the oren berry's dots look more like ovals."
I look at the oran berry, then the oren berry and I could see what June described. The oren berry's spots were stretched out on two sides. "What would happen if I ate an oren berry by mistake" I asked.
"You will feel nauseous to the point you feel as if have to vomit. Eat too many and you will faint and even die in extreme cases." June explained. "However if you can hold it in your stomach, oren berries can be used as a last ditch measure to avoid starvation. There has been a few cases where me and others in the guild have been forced to eat oren berries to not starve while in a mystery dungeon.
"Mystery dungeon?" I asked.
June let out a sigh before answering. "I was going to discuss it tomorrow, but I can do it now. If you wish."
I nod my head in response. "What are they?"
"Mystery dungeons are abnormal areas in the world were time and space fluctuates wildly. You can explore an area the size of a small forest to a mountain range in anywhere from a few minutes to half a day in some cases." June explained. "Pokemon search through them for items, bandits and wild Pokemon hide in them, and treasure can be found in some."
A place where space fluctuates. Could that be how I got into this world? "Could a mystery dungeon have brought me to this world?" I asked.
"No. Most humans turned Pokemon are found outside of mystery dungeons and do not recall being in one, let alone the knowledge of them prior to their transformation." Jules explained. "The nearest mystery dungeon is about three miles to the north east from where we found you in Dawn Forest."
"How would I know if I'm in one when walking though say a forest, and how do I escape them?" I asked.
"The sky turns overcast and regardless of whatever direction you walk in, you will only run into more of whatever the current environment is." Jules explained. "If you don't keep track of where you go you can find yourself walking in circles. As for escaping there are several methods to achieve that, with one you should avoid. Keep going forward to find the exit, using an escape orb, or fainting but you risk losing items and belongings to the mystery dungeon if you faint in them."
"If I get lost in one and can't find an exit?" I asked.
"When someone notices you missing or you fail to return to town, a rescue team will come and attempt to find you, such as the one me and Jules are in for example." June said.
"So, you and Jules help rescue people lost in these mystery dungeons? Is that the purpose of the guild?" I asked. This guild is starting to sound similar to some branches of public service.
"That is one of the tasks of the guild. We also have an exploration division to find, map the boundaries, and explore mystery dungeons." June explained. "They make it possible to avoid mystery dungeons while traveling, but you should not always avoid them. If you know what to expect in one and have good fortune, it can be quicker to go through a mystery dungeon than around it. Me and Jules managed to go though a massive forest in half an hour by going through the mystery dungeon in it. Going around it would have taken almost a day."
The concept of a mystery dungeon would have sound absurd like a haunted house. But seeing what some Pokemon are capable of, and that I've gotten moved to this world from mine makes that concept seem possible. I was about to ask June another question about them when I heard the sound of the door creaked as it was opened. I turned to see who it was and saw Jules and Maple walking over to us.
"I hope things have been going well for you Alex." Maple said. "Jules told me you've been adapting well to here. Faster that most cases even."
"I have, though I have to make sure to remember the things Jules and June are teaching me." I said. "The skills they're teaching won't matter if I can't remember them."
"With practice and experience I'm sure you will." Maple said. "I've also been told by Jules you wish to repay the guild by doing work around here."
"That's right." I said. "It's the least I can do for getting all of this help. Whatever you need to have done, point me to where I need to go." I felt relieved that I didn't have to beg.
"We're having some wood brought in from the local forest for repairs and maintenance across the guild, you can help move them here with a few others." Maple said. "June, are you finished with your lesson with Alex?"
"Yes, for now. I will seeing what you remember tomorrow and going over anything you forgot." June said. "I will be with Orei if either of you three need me."
"I'll meet you outside the main hall Maple." I said. Maple nods in acknowledgment and turns to walk to the door. I speak to June again once Maple is out of earshot. "Can you put my uniform fragment wherever I'm going to be sleeping? It would be best if it was in one place."
June nods her head. I walk by Jules and nod to her. When I pass her I can hear here talking to June. What they were saying wasn't my concern so I paid it no attention to it. When I exited the main hall and saw Maple I followed her, out of the guild's walls and going around it to the local forest. "What should I expect?" I asked.
"The trees will be cut down into a size that's easy to drag around." Maple explained. "Since you don't have arms you'll have a rope attached to you so you can pull by walking."
I followed her to a small opening in the forest with some fallen trees and their stumps, along with some other Pokemon. Some were green with wings and blade like claws, one look like a purple rat, and one reminded me of a knight in white armor. Some only glanced at me briefly, the other stared before going back to their work. But one came forward to me, Twi.
"Alex? What are you doing here?" Twi asked.
"I want to repay the guild's generosity for helping me." I explained.
"You don't have to, but I won't complain about the extra help." Twi said with a grin forming along his lips.
"You'll be helping move them to the guild once they've been cut down." Maple explained. "Follow Twi once the rope has been attached around you. If you need me I'll be back at the main hall."
With that Maple nodded and went off back to the guild. I look towards Twi, they're already getting their log ready to be dragged with two bird Pokemon helping them. The logs, both being tied to Twi and the rest in this opening seams to be several feet long and two feet thick. When they finished they came over to me and did the same. Once it was secure I followed Twi. Took a few tries to get moving but once I did it wasn't as hard as I'd expected to move it, the wood must be a lightweight type.
"Twi, can I ask you about a few things?" I asked. Surprisingly I could even talk comfortably while doing this, hopefully it's the same for Twi.
"Sure." They said.
"It's about mystery dungeons, I never heard about them until June mentioned them. What do you know about them?" I asked.
"A decent amount. When I'm not assigned to work here, I often go into them to rescue some lost Pokemon with my team." They said. "Is there any question you had in mind?"
"How do they form?" I asked.
"No one knows how." Twi explained. "They've been apart of this world since the beginning, at least what's been recorded on paper and stone. In that time no new mystery dungeon has formed, and none have vanished. If one did either of those two things you can expect Orei and June to be investigating."
"June is my other question, why is she quiet?" I asked.
"June seams to be more of a work over socializing Pokemon." Twi said. "They keep pleasantries short and get to the point quickly. I assume she just like work more for whatever reason."
"What is she working on?" I asked. "She appears to spend a lot of time with Orei when she's not with Jules."
"She wants to become the next head of intelligence when Orei steps down one day." Twi explained. "Being the head of intelligence requires you to know many different kinds of topics from what I've heard from others."
"Makes sense." I said. Come to think of it, I need to decide what to work towards here. I could do more work like this, but I doubt construction will be a constant and reliable source of work. I could learn a new skill and make that my living, but what can I do? Farming is possible, but without hands what I can do is limited. The same goes to logging, mining if it's done at all. I doubt fishing is done here. I'll have to think over it for the next few days.