Pokemon Mystery Dungeon
Shadows of Ganderosa
Chapter 9
A Test of Strength
"Dillan." a somehow-familiar voice called out. "Get up you lazy head!"
"What is it, Grace?" Dillan asked. Grace? Who the heck is Grace? Dillan tried to make out his surroundings, but everything was blurred together which made a messy picture of greens and whites.
"Momma's gonna leave without you!" Grace said. "Get up!"
"Where's momma going?" Dillan asked. What am I saying? I didn't want to say anything!
"To Bill's! You know that! Now get up!"
What's going on?! Why does this feel familiar? Who is Grace?
The dream changed.
"Dillan. Get up." Reya's voice called to Dillan. Dillan was on the floor. He opened his eyes. He was back in the art room. He looked around. There was a new picture on the wall. It was next to the one with the sandslash. It was of Dillan, Ryan, and Hazel. Dillan was on the floor while Ryan was on top of him. Ryan was cowering from a machoke that loomed from above. Dean. Dean was massive. He had red, glowing eyes. He also had nasty, long drips of saliva pouring from his mouth and hanging from his chin. Hazel was looking at him in a mixture of hatred, fear, and sadness.
"Dillan." Reya called to him. Dillan finally had a guess of what the room was.
"This is my mind, isn't it?" Dillan asked. "The pictures that are blurred, those are the memories I lost; the pictures that aren't are the ones I can remember, and the blank ones are memories I haven't made yet." Reya nodded. "Why can't I remember anything from my past?"
"I can't say."
"So you know?" Dillan asked.
Reya looked worried. "I've already said too much."
"You do!" Dillan was starting to get angry. Who is she? Why isn't she giving me the answers I need! "Tell me how to get them back!"
"I can't do that."
"Why?"
"Because I don't know..." Reya looked down at the ground. "I don't know how you can get them back..."
Dillan was very mad. "How did I lose my memories?" he asked slowly, yet sternly.
"I don't have time for this." Reya said in a hurried tone.
"Why not?"
"I have a reason for contacting you."
Dillan was livid. "Who are you to keep this information from me?! Why do you get to decide if I get my memories of not?!"
"I don't decide. I follow orders."
"Who's orders?"
"I can't say."
"Why not?"
"Because that's not why I'm here."
"If you think I'm going to listen to what you have to say, you can forget it; not until I get some answers!"
Reya thought about what he had said for a few seconds. Her face was very stern.
"Fine." she said. "But I will not answer everything. Some questions I either do not know, or cannot answer."
"Who am I?"
"You are the gabite known as Dillan."
"I know that!" Dillan said forcefully. This isn't working. I need a new approach. He tried to calm down. He tried breathing slowly. It worked. "Where did I live before I was kidnapped."
"I can't answer that."
"Fine. Who's Grace."
Reya looked at him with shock. "Where did you hear that name?!" she asked. The gardevoir sounded worried.
"In a dream." Dillan answered. "Who is she?"
Reya looked away from Dillan. She stood there for ten seconds before answering, "Grace is your sister..."
My sister? I... I have a sister? Those words stunned Dillan.
"How old is she?" he asked.
"Grace is nine."
Nine... I have a nine year old sister named Grace...
"Is she a gabite like me?" Dillan asked. Tears formed in his eyes.
"No."
"What is she?"
Reya turned away from Dillan.
"This has gone on for far too long." she said.
"What species?" Dillan asked again. A wave of nausea swept through Dillan. He watched as the room began to warp.
"They found me..." Reya said with fear. "I need to leave."
"Reya!" Dillan shouted. The tears started gushing from his eyes. "Please tell me more!"
"I'm sorry." Reya said. The room began to fold in on itself.
"Reya!" Dillan yelled.
"Hey!" Ryan said as he shook Dillan's face. "Wake up!"
Dillan's eyes flew open. He threw himself into a sitting position. He launched Ryan across the room. Ryan hit the wall with a "slam".
"What's your problem!" Ryan shouted. Dillan looked down. He felt the tears in his eyes. Grace... My sister... Ryan realized he was crying. He immediately felt bad. "What's wrong?"
"I..." Dillan started. "I have a sister."
"You do?" Ryan asked with shock. He ran up to Dillan. "What do you remember about her?"
I would love to tell Ryan about Reya... Dillan's sapphire pendant started getting heavier the more he contemplated telling Ryan about the art room.
"Um..." Dillan started. She's nine years old. Her name is Grace..."
"That's awesome!" Ryan shouted. His face was filled with joy. "You're remembering things!"
A knock came on the door. "Shut up in there! Pokemon are trying to sleep!"
"Sorry!" Ryan shouted. He turned his attention back to Dillan. "Anything else?"
Dillan started tearing up. "No..."
"Dillan, eyes over here." Ryan said. Dillan looked at his friend. "You're remembering things! That's awesome! You should be happy with the progress you've made! Pretty soon, you'll remember everything! Don't cry. Pretty soon, you'll remember everything!"
Dillan fought the feeling in his sapphire. "I didn't remember anything..."
Ryan looked confused. "Come again?"
Dillan told Ryan about Reya and about the room. Ryan looked even more confused as Dillan went on.
"Wait." Ryan interrupted. "So you're saying that there is a pokemon that comes to you in your dreams and she knows about your past?"
"Yeah..."
Ryan looked stunned. "And she won't tell you about it?"
"Yes.."
"Why not?"
"She says it isn't her call."
The two sat together in silence. Ryan was contemplating t\the situation. He finally spoke up with, "You know what?"
"What?" Dillan asked.
"I think it's in your head."
Dillan was horrified by the answer. "In my head?!" He yelled in irritation. You're suppose to be my friend! You think I'm lying?
Ryan saw Dillan's expression and added, "Don't get me wrong. I think Reya exists. I just think maybe you're mind is inventing Reya as a way to search through your mind."
"Then explain her telling me to go to the castle ruins? I don't even know where that is!"
Ryan put his paw to his chin. "Well... Maybe you've been there when you had your memories. It could have a link."
Dillan was still frustrated with Ryan's reaction. "I'm not making this up!"
"I know you aren't. I'm just saying that maybe your subconscious mind is trying to piece things back together. I just don't understand why."
Dillan was fed up with Ryan's attitude towards the situation. "Let's get Hazel up." he said coldly. "Then we can go to the guild."
Ryan's face showed shame. "Was I offensive?" he asked.
"Just forget it." Dillan strode to the door. He put his claw on the handle and pushed the door open. Ryan followed behind. Dillan went to the next door and knocked. The two waited for about two minutes before Dillan knocked again.
"One minute!" Hazel said. The two waited. When the door opened, Hazel looked like normal. Her bag was still slung around her arm. "Just making sure we have all of our supplies." She looked at Dillan who was still irritated by the previous conversation. She then looked to Ryan who looked guilty. "Did I miss something?"
"No." Dillan said, trying to sound enthusiastic; though he didn't know about. "You didn't miss anything."
Ryan mouthed the words 'I'll tell you later' to Hazel. Dillan didn't notice.
"Alright." she said. Team Rapture moved onwards to the stairs.
Dillan could make out a lot more of the first floor. The room was filled with sun light from the windows. There were also normal torches lighting the darker corners of the floor. The sawk was the only pokemon there. Everything looked fresh and clean; as though a tidal wave washed away all of the grime from last night, leaving one of the cleanest rooms imaginable. Hazel walked over to the sawk.
"Hello, sir!" She said cheerfully.
"Hello." he answered enthusiastically. "Have a nice stay?"
"Yep." Ryan said.
"Well that's great!" The sawk told them. Dillan thought something seemed off about his attitude. He acted cheery and lively. It was a change from the nervous way he had treated them last night. "We can forget about last night, right?" That explains it.
"What happened last night?" Ryan asked sarcastically.
The sawk started laughing. Hazel took the keys out of her bag and set them on the table.
"Thank you, miss!" the sawk added. He took the keys and set them in their slots. "Have a good day!"
As Team Rapture started walking out the door, Dillan heard the sawk mumble something along the lines of 'stupid kids'. He ignored the remark. Hazel and Ryan stopped followed by Dillan. They were outside of the club, in the streets of Castle Kerroshia. They were bustling with movement just like Fericia. Dillan ignored the chattering and turned his thoughts to last nights dream. What if Ryan's right? What if it is my mind trying to make sense of my past? If that is true... does that mean Dillan isn't my real name? That thought scared him more than his encounter with Kieth. No! Even if 'Dillan' isn't my name, it's still my identity... My new identity... What about my old one? What about Grace? I can't even remember what she looks like! Dang it! Why is this happening to me...
"Dillan." Hazel said over the commotion. Dillan didn't realize they had been talking about where to go next.
"What?" he asked.
"What do you think?" Ryan asked.
"About?" Dillan asked. Hazel and Ryan looked on with concern.
"About going to the guild then setting off for Alka." Hazel said. "We would eat on the way to Alka."
"Uh..." Dillan said. He wasn't completely paying attention. His focus was split between his thoughts and the conversation. "Sounds good."
Ryan looked on with a guilty expression. Hazel put her attention to the roofs. She pointed to a black roof that was above the others.
"That's the guild." she told them. She motioned for the rest of her team to follow. They did, though anyone could tell that Ryan and Dillan were both lost in their thoughts.
They walked for about three minutes. Dillan looked at the different pokemon that passed him. Each face he passed had a history, an identity. They knew who they were. Some were shop owners. Others were exploration teams. Dillan couldn't help but envy them and his team members. They had something Dillan did not; memories. Granted, he did remember everything that had happened to him from the past few days, but he wanted to know more. He wanted to learn more about himself. He wanted to know more about Grace. His thoughts blinded him from the commotion ahead. He walked right into a pokemon that was barreling through the crowd, pushing away pokemon after pokemon. It ran face first into Dillan and they both tumbled towards the floor. "Wham!" Dillan's head smashed into the dirt, causing his ears to ring and his brain to ache. The air escaped his lungs like a freight train. Dillan found it hard to breath. He felt his fin bend from underneath his weight. The sudden shock to his nervous system caused it to shut down. Dillan felt numb. He tried desperately to fill his lungs with oxygen. The pokemon who fell down on him got to it's feet quickly. Dillan got a quick glance of the pokemon.
It was a bipedal pokemon with grey scales. It had big yellow scales on its arms with a big scale extending outwards from the tip of its tail. Its head had one large scale extending upwards from its forehead. It had a wave pattern on the scale. Its eyes were white with red pupils. Weird. Its legs were black. The talons on its hands and feet were yellow. It looked at Dillan with a face of pride and darted off into the crowd.
It was at that moment Dillan felt something wrong; like when you leave a house and you feel as though you left something important. Dillan's hand instinctually drifted to his neck. No... The sapphire star was missing. Panic filled Dillan's expression. He forgot about the pain in his misshapen fin as well as the migraine. He looked at the spot where the hakamo-oh had blended into the crowd.
"Are you ok?" Hazel asked Dillan. She got no answer. Dillan darted into the crowd in an attempt to find the thief. "Dillan!" Hazel called to him.
How did that pokemon do that? Dillan questioned as he weaved in and out of an assortment of pokemon that seemed to blur together as colors. Dillan searched through the mess of yellows and greens so he could find the grey he was looking for. Where is it? Come on! He stopped for a minute. He had entered a fork in the road. Pokemon bumped into Dillan's arm as they walked towards their destination. Which way?! He looked left, then right. He didn't see any grey. Dillan swore under his breath as he looked towards the ground. He only hopped the pendant would call out to him like before. . . . Nothing.
"Dillan!" Ryan called out from behind. The gabite turned around to face the pachirisu as well as Hazel. They were both gasping for breath. "What happened?"
"That pokemon took my pendant!" he said with anger as he hopelessly looked back at the divide in the road.
"Your sapphire one?" Hazel asked.
"Yes!" Dillan shouted frantically.
"Uh..." Hazel said. She was at a loss for words. "Can't we... get a new one?"
"No!" Dillan said. "It wasn't an ordinary pendant!" It was my first gift! It's helped me so much! I can't let it go!
Dillan was about to run left when Hazel grabbed his arm and held him in place. He reared around to face her. His eyes were full of pain and worry. Hazel looked at him with sympathy.
"Dillan-" She started.
"No!" He shouted. He didn't want to hear what she had to say or the reason for her to say it. He only wanted his amulet.
Ryan just stood there. He didn't say a thing, neither did he look as though he was going to.
"It's gone." Hazel told Dillan. He was trying to break free of Hazel's grip, but to no avail. "This city is too massive for you to find the pokemon."
Dillan stopped struggling.
"Then what do I do?" Dillan asked.
"There's nothing you CAN do. I hate to say it, but the pendant is gone."
Dillan was crushed by the answer. But what if... No... She's right...
"That isn't true." Ryan said calmly. Dillan looked at the pachirisu. Hazel followed. "When we complete our delivery, we'll become a full-fledged Exploration Team. As such, we could check the job board in this town to see if the thief has a hideout. If it does, we just go there and find the thief. He would then lead us to the pendant."
Dillan felt hope rise to his chest. He didn't know what a job board was, but Ryan's words were very convincing. If he was right, Dillan would be reunited with his pendant in no time.
"Ryan, that's brilliant!" Hazel complemented.
Ryan gave a dignified smirk.
"Well," Dillan began. "what are we waiting for!" Dillan started walking towards the guild. Hazel and Ryan trailed behind.
The Kerroshia Guild looked almost exactly like the one in Fericia. There was a courtyard with a fountain in the middle. The fountain had a statue of Maxamillian Armadine in the center. A tower was jutting up from the back of the courtyard. There was also a wooden board next to the tower's oak doors that had papers nailed all over it. The only difference between this courtyard and Fericia's was that the tower was made of sand stone.
Ryan got in front of Dillan and ran over to the board.
"You guys go inside. I'll be here."
Hazel looked confused. "Why are you staying out here?"
"Because," Ryan said with a smile. "I figure if we need to go through the Palando Mountain Pass in order to get to Palando Town, (Author's reminder: Palando Town is where Team Rapture was assigned) then we might as well find a job for the pass; that way, we can help someone out while we make our way to Palando."
"Ryan," Hazel started. Her expression and her tone showed she was blown away by Ryan's thoughts. "I don't know what to say."
"That'll do." Ryan said with a smirk. He then looked to Dillan. "Don't worry. I'll look for a poster of the thief."
"Thanks Ryan." Dillan said. His thoughts trailed back to this morning. "Look," Dillan's tone showed guilt. "I'm sorry for the way I acted this morning. You're probably right. Maybe I WAS just-"
"Stop right there." Ryan began. "It was my fault. I should be the one apologizing for what happened. I need to think about what I say before I say it. Also, I didn't mean to imply you made up your sister. I'm sor-"
"Sister?!" Hazel interrupted with a shout. Her eyes darted from Dillan to Ryan and back to Dillan. "You have a sister?"
"Hazel," Dillan began. "I'll tell you about it when we leave; but yes, I have a sister. Her name is Grace... I think."
Hazel was speechless. Her expression was one in the middle surprise and joy.
"Enough about that." Ryan said. "You two need to complete your mission."
"R-Right." Hazel agreed. "Let's go Dillan."
The gabite and charmeleon departed through the tower doors.
Dillan was stunned by the interior. It had a sand stone floor that was cut into squares. The squares had spirals flowing from the middle and extending to the sides. The roof had many chandeliers lighting the interior. There was pillars jutting from the ground and ending with a Corinthian pattern. There was a stair case at the end of the room. On the west side of the tower, there was a tiny desk with two neat stacks of papers. The first one was very small while the second one was three times as large. There was also a pokemon behind the desk who was taking paper from one stack, stamping it, and tidily putting the finished paper on the second stack.
The pokemon was a grey, bipedal with massive, round ears. It had a circle of white fluff around its neck that lead up the back to its ears. The pokemon was a shorter than Ryan. It was about one and a half feet tall. It worked in a fashion that made it look as though the cinccino enjoyed the job.
Dillan walked up to the cinccino. When he got up towards the desk, the pokemon looked at him with a wide smile.
"Hello!" it said cheerfully with enthusiasm. It then leaned on the table with its elbows. "Welcome to the guild! I'm Kaitlin! How can I help you today?"
"We're here to see the Guildmaster." Dillan told Kaitlin. Her attitude made Dillan feel like he belonged. Ziggy was the complete opposite. "We have a package for him."
"Wait right here and I'll get her for you. Also, just so you know, 'him' is a 'her'. She doesn't like being referred to as a male."
"Alright!" Hazel jumped in. "Thank you!"
Kaitlin walked away from her desk and headed up stairs. Dillan felt a little embarrassed for getting the Guildmaster's gender wrong, but he quickly forgot that feeling when he heard a bang from the ceiling. It was followed by a few more. It sounds like a mosh pit up there.
After a few minutes, the noise stopped. Kaitlin was walking down the stairs with a new pokemon at her side. It was a bipedal pokemon that was a little smaller than Dillan. It had short blue fur on its head, arms, and thighs. Its thighs looked like cargo shorts with black legs sticking out of them. Its chest was covered in tan fur with a spike jutting out of the middle. Its paws were black with spikes in the back of them. It had a black band around its head that went over its eyes, but it had slits for eye holes. The pokemon had tall, pointed ear, along with four black dangling locks of fur at the back of its head.
The lucario had a focused look on its face as the cinccino talked to it. The pokemon looked at Dillan. They both stared at each other. The lucario looked as though it was staring into Dillan's mind, trying to grasp the secrets he has inside. It made Dillan nervous. The two groups walked towards each other.
"This is Guildmaster Kaimana." the cinccino pronounced. Kaimana continued to look at Dillan. Her expression was meaningless. Dillan could not see anything about her to reveal even the slightest bit of emotion.
"And you are?" Kaimana asked. Her voice was that of a fighting master; devoid of emotion, yet filled with passion.
"We are Team Rapture." Hazel told her. "I'm Hazel," Hazel gestured towards Dillan. "this is Dillan," she then pointed to the door. "and our third member, Ryan, is outside checking the job board."
"And why are you here?" Kaimana asked.
"Guildmaster." Kaitlin said. "You know why."
"Yes, I do." Kaimana stated. "I want him to say it." She pointed to Dillan.
Dillan was worried, though he couldn't say why. "We're here to-" he started nervously.
Kaimana rushed him. She swiped her feet below Dillan. His head bashed against the tile. His brain rattled around in his skill.
Hazel rushed Kaimana. She wasn't sure why she was lashing out at Dillan, but she didn't care. Kaimana stepped to the side at the last minute, avoiding Hazel's attack. Hazel tripped of Dillan's limp body and fell to the floor.
"You expect me to believe that you are an Exploration Team," Kaimana began. "yet you have no badges and you fight like amateurs. Get up and prove you are worth my time." Kaitlin slapped her palm to her face. She then groaned.
Dillan scurried to his feet. "You can't judge us that quickly!" he shouted defiantly.
"No?" Kaimana asked. She crossed her arms and stood up straight. "Then prove me wrong."
Dillan focused his energy into his fins. They extended into a blue scythe. Dillan rushed the lucario. Kaimana leapt into the air, avoiding Dillan's attack. She landed on a pillar and dismounted from it. She flipped through the air whilst putting her foot out. It glowed white. Kaimana gave a groan she sopped spinning and planted her foot on Hazel's crown. Hazel hadn't recovered from tripping on Dillan. Hazel gave a cry of pain as she fell to the floor. Dillan looked on in horror as his friend lied there. Other than her taking in air, she was motionless.
"Hazel!" Dillan shouted. No response. "Why are you attacking us?!" Dillan shouted.
"You are different, gabite." Kaimana stated. "Your aura is... unnatural. If you think I find your story even slightly convincing, you are wrong." Kaimana put her paws together. When she drew them apart, a large, glowing, blue staff appeared. She grabbed hold of it and darted towards Dillan.
Dillan had seconds to react, no time to think. He leapt to the side. Kaimana darted again. Dillan blocked the staff with his fins. He moved them together like scissors and cut the staff. Kaimana threw the staff towards Dillan. Dillan dodged it and lept at Kaimana. His claws hit his target. He smashed into Kaimana's chest. She kicked at Dillan, shoving him away. Blood trickled down her wound. Dillan didn't stop moving backwards when the blue staff whacked him in the back of his head. Dillan fell to his face. He felt exhausted. How do I fight her? How do I win?
"You, gabite," Kaimana began. "are a worthy adversary. Tell me, why are you here? What is your go-" She didn't get to finish her sentence. Ryan was on her back, rubbing his cheeks against her fur. Kaimana gave a shout of pain as electric sparks jolted through and off her body. She fell into a kneeling position as Ryan stopped his attack. He ran over to Hazel.
"Is she alright?!" he asked frantically.
"Y-yeah... I think so..." Dillan responded.
Kaimana looked at them. Sparks continued to arc off of the lucario. She started smiling. "That was good." she said. The You managed t-to paralyze me. You say y-you've come from Fericia?"
"Yeah." Ryan said with gnashed teeth. "What's it to you?"
"Ryan," Dillan started, not taking his eyes off of Kaimana incase she decided to attack once again. "She's the Guildmaster."
Ryan looked towards Dillan. "Her?"
"Yes, 'her'." Kaimana said.
"Why attack us?!" Ryan asked angrily.
"Lawrence did not tell you?" Kaimana's expression showed confusion.
"Tell us what?" Dillan asked.
Kaimana stood up straight. "This is your test."
"Test?" Dillan asked.
"Yes." Kaimana responded. "This was your test of strength. Lawrence was suppose to inform you, as he did me."
"What are you talking about?" Ryan asked. "Informed you how?"
"I received a letter last night informing me of a new exploration team that goes by the name of Team Rapture. This team was to be tested on their strength if they could complete the journey to Kerroshia."
"Why didn't Lawrence tell us?" Dillan asked.
"Lawrence is a strange pokemon and an even stranger Guildmaster. I don't pretend to know his motives when it comes to his duties; though if I were to guess, he did not tell you because he forgot."
That sounds like Lawrence.
"That doesn't explain why you were attacking us so viciously." Ryan stated.
"Did you expect me to go easy on you?" Kaimana asked. "I do not grant that luxury; neither do your enemies. They will not hesitate on executing you; on the other hand, I was only trying to knock you unconscious. You should be thankful. Today, this team did not perform to the best of its abilities; though you did manage to weaken me. You may have even been able to best me; though that is not the objective today. Today, your goal was to weaken me; whether it was from pain or paralysis. You have succeeded in your task. Kaitlin."
The cinccino walked up to Kaimana. "Yes, Guildmaster?"
Kaimana did not take her eyes off of Dillan and Ryan. "Get me a revival herb and a cherri berry."
"On the double." Kaitlin said as she rushed up the stairs, leaving Kaimana, Dillan, Ryan, and an unconscious Hazel in the surprisingly undamaged room.
"Now then," Kaimana began. "I suppose you haven't come here for the battle and instead you have come to deliver a package?"
"Uh..." Dillan started. He was shocked at how quickly the situation had changed. One minute it was an all out brawl; the next, a delivery. "I guess." Dillan was still skeptical that the lucario wouldn't lash out at him the second he let his guard down.
"Do not fear your opponent." Kaimana stated. "It will only blind you from seeing your real enemy."
"And that is?" Ryan asked.
"Yourself." Kaimana pressed her paws together. She closed her eyes and started concentrating. Her locks of hair began to float in the air as if the gravity had shut off. "If you truly believe your only enemy is the one that is fighting you, you have not examined your weaknesses."
A pink pulse started emanating from the lucario. Dillan instinctually held up his arms in defense. When the wave hit, he felt no pain; he felt the exact opposite. He felt energized. Dillan lowered his arms and looked at the lucario. She was now sitting with her legs folded over themselves.
Kaitlin came down the stairs. She was holding a red berry and a green herb in her arms. She walked over to Kaimana. "Here is the cherri berry." She handed the red berry to Kaimana. The lucario grabbed the berry and consumed it. The sparks began to dissipate. Kaitlin walked over to Hazel. "Sit her up." she told Dillan in a kind manner. Dillan obeyed. Kaitlin proceeded to break the herb into pieces. She inserted the leaves into Hazel's mouth. After three seconds, the charmeleon's eyes darted open. Hazel started coughing up the leaves.
"Bleahck." Hazel said. "What was that."
"A revival herb." Kaimana said. Hazel realized the lucario was conscious. Hazel leapt to her feet and started eyeing Kaimana.
"What did I miss?" She asked. Dillan explained what had happened, all while Hazel stared cautiously at Kaimana.
"And that's when Kaitlin gave you the revival herb." Dillan finished.
"Now then," Kaimana said as she stood up. She started striding towards Team Rapture. "you have a package for me?"
"Yeah..." Hazel said skeptically. She dug through her bag and pulled out the box. She gave it to Kaimana.
The lucario openned the package. She grabbed the contents and held it up s she could get a better look at it. It was an orange, topaz crystal that sat on a string. The crystal was smooth on one side, but rough on the other; s if it had been broken off of a larger formation. Dillan looked at it. He felt something strange about the crystal; something familiar.
"What is that?" Dillan asked.
"Oh, this trinket?" Kaimana asked. "I'm not sure. It looks strange."
Kaimana put it back in its box and pulled out a letter. She openned it and read to herself. Her expression did not change throughout the whole letter. She set the letter in the box and handed it to Kaitlin.
"Take the box up to my room and set it on the desk." Kaimana said.
"Yes Guildmaster." Kaitlin acknowledged. She grabbed the box and went up the stairs. Kaimana turned her attention back to Team Rapture.
"Now then," she started. "You three have done well to get here. You may not have bested me in battle, but you did weaken me. As a result, Team Rapture has passed their Test of Strength." At those words, Team Rapture felt a surge of accomplishment; though they did not let it show due to their mistrust in Kaimana. "Kaitlin will deliver your exploration badges to you once she comes back. Good work. If you improve in your fighting, come see me. We'll have to spar sometime." Kaimana turned towards the stairs and left the room.
Once she was out of earshot, Ryan said, "That was strange."
"Agreed." Hazel and Dillan said together.
After a few minutes of standing around, Kaitlin came down the stairs with a package. It was two times as big as Kaitlin, so Dillan was surprised she could carry it; nevertheless, she did. She set it down at Hazel's feet.
"Your Exploration Badges!" she stated. "Also, sorry for the fighting. I wish Guildmaster Kaimana would tell pokemon before she starts fighting, but she always says, "If they don't expect an attack then they aren't worthy of standing". A little harsh, I know, but that's so her." Kaitlin went back to her desk and started working.
Hazel opened the box. There were three badges inside. Except for their difference in size, they all looked the same. They were round with a sphere protruding from the center. There were wings jutting out of the badges from the side. The badges had a bronze color to the.
Hazel reached down to grab one. She examined it then said to Kaitlin, "Excuse me." Kaitlin looked to Hazel. "We just started, yet these badges say we're at the Bronze Rank. How?" Bronze Rank?
"Guildmaster Kaimana said to give you those for completing the journey here. She seems to think that you guys deserve it. I agree with her. Not everyone can cut the Guildmaster."
Hazel's expression grew into a joyous look. She looked like screaming from pure happiness.
"What do you guys mean by Bronze Rank?" Dillan asked.
Hazel looked at him. She was still brimming with joy. "Each exploration team has a rank that says which jobs they're ready to take on!" she stated enthusiastically. "The ranks start at Normal and end with Diamond! Normally, beginners like us would start at the Normal Rank, but we get to start at Bronze!"
"Awesome!" Ryan stated. He reached into the box and pulled out the smallest badge. It was just his size, which made him feel small; though he didn't let that dampen his spirits. Hazel proceeded to put the badge on the front of her scarf. Ryan put his on his arm band. Dillan didn't reach down for his. He knew he wouldn't be able to grab it. Curse my handless arms. Hazel looked at Dillan, expecting him to reach down for his badge.
Ryan looked towards Dillan and realized the problem. He pulled the last badge from the box and nudged Hazel on the ankle. Hazel looked down and recognition spread over her face.
She grabbed the badge and looked to Dillan. "Sorry." she said. "I forgot about your claws." She proceeded to pin the badge to Dillan's bandanna. Dillan watched her pin the badge. He would have loved the badge had he not remembered his sapphire had been stolen.
Dillan looked to Ryan. "Any luck with the thief?"
Ryan frowned sympathetically. "No..." he said with a depressed tone.
Dillan realized what a hassle he caused. He diverted their main mission for a pendant. He just killed Ryan's mood with that question. As much as you loved that pendant, you can't mope around over it. It might be gone, but it's ok. I'll survive.
"Ryan," Dillan began. "It's cool. It was just a pendant. I can get a new one, right?"
"Well, actua-" Ryan stopped himself. "Sorry. Yeah, we can get you a new one."
Dillan smiled at Ryan as Hazel finished pinning the badge to Dillan's neckwear.
"Looking nice!" Kaitlin said. Team Rapture turned towards her. Kaitlin was flustered by the sudden attention. She stopped looking at the team and went back to work. She seemed tense.
"Thanks!" Hazel said. Kaitlin seemed to relax a little; though she didn't make eye contact.
"Back to the road?" Dillan suggested.
"Sounds good to me." Ryan said. "Just let me grab a job from the bulletin." Team Rapture went outside.
Dillan and Hazel followed Ryan over to the bulletin.
"I would have grabbed a job earlier," Ryan started. "but A. I didn't think we'd go up to the Bronze Rank so quickly and B. I heard miss fists beating the crap out of you two."
"She caught us off guard." Dillan protested.
"Yeah." Ryan said sarcastically with a smirk. He examined the papers. He reached for a piece of paper with a green "B" on it. He hesitated when his eyes caught another one. He looked at it for a while. The second one also had a "B" on it.
"What's wrong?" Hazel asked.
Ryan didn't answer. He jumped for the second one and grabbed it in his paws. He looked at it.
Hazel's eyes drifted down to the price section. "That isn't much." she stated.
"So?" Ryan asked.
"So the other one gives us more cash."
"Yes, but that's not what this job is about." Ryan said smoothly with his gaze towards the paper. "It's about helping others. The first one is just about some scientist who got lost. This one is about a kid who was kidnapped and taken into the Palando Mountain Pass."
Hazel looked worried and ashamed. "I didn't mean it like that." she said.
"I know." Ryan said. "It's just... Never mind... Let's just save this kid."
Dillan wasn't sure he should be asking but, "Why can't we do both?" Hazel looked to him.
"Technically we could, but personally, I think it's too difficult to focus on multiple missions. We just started out. I agree with Ryan. Let's help the kid."
"Alright." Dillan responded.
Hazel pulled out the map from her bag and handed it to Ryan. "Where to now?" she asked.
"We need to exit Kerroshia from the west." Ryan directed. "That path will take us straight to the Palando Mountain Pass"
"Lead the way." Dillan said to Ryan.
Ryan handed the map to Hazel. Dillan took a quick glance to his chest. The sapphire is gone. It really sucks. When Lucy gave it to me, she told me to take care of it. As much as I hate to let it go, it's gone. I feel bad about it, but I can't dwell on that forever. I need to focus on the task ahead. With that last thought, Dillan followed Ryan and Hazel.
Team Rapture completed their first task. What task awaits them next? Dillan can't answer. All he can say is that whatever challenges are ahead of Team Rapture, they would take it on together.
