As Tristian steps out of his room, he looks to his sides to see the rest of the guildmembers wandering out of their rooms. Loudred glared angrily at the Shinx, meanwhile others like Bidoof or Corphish just looked tired. Most of the other pokemon looked to rest somewhere between those two moods.
With his head hanging low, he entered the main room, with Rachel following closely behind. Chatot gave the two a curious look.
A few minutes later, everyone was present, although tired and slightly annoyed. The morning cheers go as usual, aside from the early wake up call leaving everyone annoyed and tired.
Chatot hopped towards the new recruits soon after everyone else had left to do their duties.
"You two will go to the boards and pick out requests to complete." He seemed to be deliberating something as he looked down at Tristian, but soon enough his demeanour changed back to normal. "That is all."
As Chatot left, Tristian turned to Rachel with a puzzled expression. "What was that all about?"
""Perhaps the symbol on your paw caught his attention."" She suggested as she looked at Tristian's new paw decoration of yesterday's adventure, the symbol's scorched maroon imprint hard to hide amongst his short fur.
He laughed sheepishly. ""Yeah, that makes sense."
Rachel let out a small giggle before turning to the ladder. "C'mon, let's see what needs doing."
Tristian nodded, but stayed in place a little longer as he wearily looked at the front of his left paw. "Does this have anything to do with my nightmare?" He pondered in his mind. He shook his head wildly and followed Rachel up the ladder.
A few minutes later, the duo found themselves walking down the stairs that lead to the crossroads with their objectives for today on the papers in their bag.
Rachel was holding three papers and double-checking. "...one rescue, one item retrieval, and one outlaw to take down, which will add up to a total of 600 poke for us."
"Plus the other rewards also look good if you ask me!" Tristian added as they reached the bottom of the stairs.
Rachel froze for a moment as she put her paw to her head. "Oh!" She exclaimed. "The library!"
He cocked his head for a second before his eyes widened as he remembered it too. "The reward for saving that Vaporeon from Drenched Bluff!"
"And your moves." Rachel added with a smirk. "Change of plans. Let's head to the library first, and then we'll get everything for our mission to Drenched Bluff."
"Sounds like a plan! Let's go!" Tristian said, his eyes beaming.
The duo proceeded to sprint their way through Treasure Town until they got past the Kecleon Brothers, where they took a left, following a path into the trees that were blocking out most of the light coming from the rising sun.
Tristian followed Rachel at a quick pace, and after a left turn they were met with an enormous rectangular structure. It was made of beige wood as support and white stone walls in between that. From the window placement it was clear that it's probably three stories tall. And at the very top stood a dome on which the likeness of an Eevee head was made.
Marveled by the size and prestige of the building, Tristian almost forgot to follow his partner inside.
The inside of the Library was just as impressive as the outside. A comfortable carpet beneath their feet, lanterns hanging from the ceiling, lighting up even the darkest of reaches in the building. Bookcases for as far as the eye can see, with sections that seemingly split by color. It had the Shinx in a trance.
Rachel caught onto her partner's bewilderment and gave him a little push to bring him back to reality. "Everything alright?" She asked with a grin on her face.
"I… I mean… eh…" He stammered, still looking around in pure disbelief.
"It's impressive, right?" Another voice said. The duo turn to the voice and are met with an Espeon, using telekinesis to move around a pile of unsorted books.
Tristian stammered a little more before trying to collect himself again. "Y-yes! Yes it is! This place is massive!"
The Espeon chuckled kindly. "Why, thank you. We put a lot of work into this place."
Rachel stepped forward and gave a little nod. "Tristian, this is Luna Evostone. She's one of the owners of the library."
Tristian jumped a little before shaking his head briefly and clearing his throat. "Hi. My name is Tristian. Nice to meet you, miss."
The Espeon gave a small nod and had a kind smile on her face. "Nice to meet you, Tristian. You must be Rachel's partner. It's great to see that you've finally gotten into the guild, dear."
"Thanks Miss Evostone. The information in your library helped a lot." Rachel said in response. "So, what can I help you two with?"
"We were looking for a book on moves, and we're also here for a reward." Rachel said in an upbeat tone.
"A reward?... Oh! So you're the ones who got Cetus out of that dungeon?" Luna asked.
"If that's the name of the Vaporeon, yes." Tristian answered as he glanced at Rachel with excitement.
Luna nodded and turned to the left. "Cetus! Can you come here for a second, sweetie?"
"Coming!" A voice shouted from across the library. Soon enough, a Vaporeon arrived, skidding on the floor a little as he arrived. "Hi." The young kid said, his voice very high pitched.
He then put a paw to his mouth as he locked eyes with Tristian and Rachel. "You're the ones who saved me!"
"Yup, we know. We're the best." Tristian boasted, earning a little bump in the shoulder from Rachel.
"Thanks again for that… I really thought I was done for." Cetus admitted, a little embarrassed. "I wanted to give you this for saving me."
The Vaporeon turned around and grabbed two seeds, handing each member one.
Tristian looked at the seed from multiple directions, unsure of what it was.
But unlike her partner, Rachel did know what it was, as her face filled with amazement. "Is that a Joy Seed?"
"Yup!" Cetus beamed. "I hope you both like it!"
Rachel nodded and put it in her bag, seeing Tristian do the same. "I'm sure we will, thanks a lot."
As Cetus jumped around in joy, Luna walked up to them and handed them 300 poke. "Don't worry, I've already given the other share to Chatot. He has to keep the guild financed somehow."
"Yeah, I guess that's true…" Tristian answered, a little saddened, earning another bump from Rachel.
"Now, Cetus. I want you to give the Shinx here a tour of the library, and then bring him to the section on moves." Luna said to her son.
"I will do that right away, mom!" He said, slamming his paw proudly on the carpet, causing Luna to giggle.
"Now, if you'll excuse me," Luna began as her books started to float in the air. "I have some books to sort out. Have a good day, you two."
"Bye mom!"
"Goodbye, Miss Evostone."
"…Oh! Yeah, bye!" Tristian said, spacing out again as he looked at the size of the building.
Soon after she left, Cetus turned to the duo, his eyes lighting up with excitement. "Okay, I'll show you both around, kay?"
The two looked at each other before Rachel nodded. "Yup, I think it would help my friend a lot. He's new here, after all."
"Okay!" Cetus said as he walked to the middle of the building as Team Lightbringers followed. As they arrived, it became clear that the Library has different colored carpet in different sections.
"So, we have 7 sections in our library." Cetus looked towards the section with blue carpet. "To the left of the entrance is the children's section, which is probably not that exciting, all things considered."
"Up next is that pink section, which is the stories section. Who handles this section is-"
"Me!" A Sylveon happily announced as he appeared around the corner, causing Cetus to jump in surprise and making Rachel and Tristian take a step back in shock. "I like stories, they're a lot of fun to read!"
As Cetus landed on the carpet, he turned around to face his brother with a sour look. "Nisha! Don't scare me like that!"
Nisha shrunk and took a step back. "Oh… S-sorry…" He quickly ran back into the stories section, disappearing around the corner.
Cetus let out a sigh as he stood up. "Ugh… where was I?" He then turned to the next section, which had a green carpet. "That there is the history section, which probably speaks for itself. Lilac is in charge of that part."
"Yes?" A voice in that section said, soon followed by a Leafeon peaking her head around the corner. "What's it Cetus?"
"Oh, just showing the library to this newcomer."
"Okay. Keep at it." Lilac responded before sinking back into her section.
"I will!" He said as he turned to the next section, which didn't have any books and instead had a big double door with two eeveelution faces on both of them. The left side depicting a Flareon and the right side an Espeon. "That's our private area. Did you know this library also doubles as a house?"
Tristian, who had been quiet up until this point, was taken aback by the sudden question, causing him to stammer his answer to Rachel's amusement. "N-no, I-I didn't."
"Well, now you do!" Cetus said cheerfully, oblivious to Tristian's nervousness. He turned to the next section, which had a cyan carpet. "That is the science and research section. A bunch of books filled with nerd-speak and strange things."
"That's only because you aren't old enough to understand half of it." A Glaceon said as she walked towards the group.
"N-no! The books are stupid, that's all!" Cetus said in his defense.
The Glaceon growled in response, causing Cetus to sink into himself. "Look, I didn't get a lot of sleep today thanks to Zerda's nonsense, so I don't have a lot of patience. Got it?"
"Y-yes…"
"Good." Cetus said as he walked into the Research section.
Tristian cocked his head in confusion as he turned to put a paw on Cetus shoulder. "Hey, is everything alright? Who was that?"
"I'm fine… for the most part." The Vaporeon said, still a little shaken. "That was my brother, Lago. He has a pretty short fuse…" He took a few breaths to calm down and then turns to the next 2 sections, which both have a black carpet. "These two aren't finished yet, so this is basically where we keep the rest of our books. This part is handled by Felumbra. You'll have to talk with him to find that book you're looking for."
As Cetus turns to the Shinx with expectation, Tristian smiled and nodded. "Thanks! I think that'll help a lot."
"Yay! Glad I could help." Cetus cheered, overjoyed. "I wish both of you luck with your exploring and such. Have a good day!"
The duo waved as he walked to the Children's section, where he began putting some loose books back in place.
Rachel soon turned to her partner and nodded to the black section. "No time like the present, eh?"
"Yup." Tristian quickly said in response before the duo walked towards that section. There they saw an Umbreon looking through some books and deep in thought. Tristian stepped forward and cleared his throat, getting the attention of the dark type.
"Wha-? Oh, hello. How can I help you two?" He said, who didn't look up from he was busy with.
"You're Felumbra right?" Rachel began. "We are looking for a book on moves for my friend here."
The Umbreon looked at the two and nodded. "That would be me. Please follow."
The three make their way through before Felumbra stops and pulls out a rather big book after a bit of searching on the shelf. "There we go! The standard instructions on moves."
As Tristian stood frozen in shock at the sheer thickness of the book, Rachel nodded as she took it and put it in her bag. "Thanks, it'll help us a lot."
Felumbra laughed and gave a little nod. "That's good to he-hey!"
He quickly turned around and saw an Eevee lying on the floor, rubbing a sore spot on her head. "Owie…" She cried out.
"Oh, it's you, Fuji…" Felumbra said with a sigh before giving the Eevee a pat on the back. "Watch where you go next time."
"Sorry, big bro, I will." She said as she stood up again.
He chuckled and gave a little smile. "Good to hear. Now, get back to it."
"Yes sir!" She beamed before sprinting of in a different direction.
"Heh, kids." Felumbra said with a grin before turning to Tristian and Rachel. "You two alright?"
"Sure am." Rachel said with confidence.
However, Tristian seemed a little more absent. "Yeah… Hey, is it just me or does this library have…?"
"One of each Eeveelution? Yes, you are correct." Felumbra interjected.
"Then who and where are the Jolteon and Flareon?" Tristian asked with his head slightly tilted.
Felumbra nodded after some silence. "Ah, well, the Jolteon is my Younger sister and is currently busy in the restricted area with her usual science and stuff."
"Didn't Rachel mention a Jolteon that was working on some shadow thing… Shadow Pokemon?" Tristian thought to himself, before he continued listening to the dark type.
"And Flareon… that would be our dad, Vulpes. The Founder of the library…" He remained awfully silent after saying that.
The Shinx took notice, and ever curious asks another question. "What is he doing?"
"He… I… that's… that's not important." Felumbra said with a hint of nervousness.
"And what are Shadow Pokemon, and why is she looking for a cure?" He continued to ask, not reading the room.
"Look!" Felumbra said with frustration in his voice. "I am not comfortable talking about those topics, nor is anyone else in the library. So please… don't ask…"
Tristian didn't want to stop. Still, he wanted, no , he needed to know! But as he looked at Rachel, who was slightly upset about the situation, he swallowed his pride and nodded. "Okay, sorry for asking."
"It's okay. I shouldn't have exploded like that." Felumbra said with a sigh. "I hope that book will help you. Now, I wish both of you a good day." He then turned and left down the halls of bookcases.
Tristian and Rachel we're making their way back to the crossroad after depositing the book with Gen. Tristian was bouncing around, causing Rachel some amusement. "Are you that excited to learn your moves?" She asked.
"Yup! It will be great to be a little more useful!" Tristian answered in an excited manner.
Soon, however, he slows down and starts to lose his excitement, causing Rachel to raise her eyebrow. When they reached the crossroad, she took him aside for a moment.
"Hey, is everything alright, Tristian? Why are you like a pendulum right now?"
"I just feel bad for asking about Vulpes and shadows… I didn't want to upset them."
"And you didn't." Rachel said as she put a paw on his shoulder. "You had no way of knowing. I'd probably do the same thing in your position."
She then gave him a confident pat on the back as she looked to the path out of town. "Now let's get back to it, and teach Drenched Bluff who's in charge!"
His excitement returned, he nods with a confident smirk. "Let's do this!"
The two sprint through the forest, ready to tackle the dungeon.
It has been a good day for the Shinx. Their mission to Drenched Bluff went well, with them capturing the Octillery, saving the Shellder, and getting back the TM for Surf. They got their rewards, and he comfortably fell asleep, excited to start training on his moves tomorrow...
...That was, until he opened his eyes, and he was met with a familiar greyscale world. He looked around in a panic before making eye contact with a Ninetales sitting to his right, keeping watch over him.
"Do not dare speak a word."
She had whispered it, but Tristian still felt quite threatened by her unblinking scrutiny.
He shivered and immediately lowered back to the floor, biting his lip to stop himself from screaming in fear.
"Good, at least you are willing to listen." She said, as she remained focused on the Shinx.
What followed was a tense silence, as the Ninetales refused to let her eyes of the terror-stricken Shinx. After a few minutes, however, he finally built the courage to speak again.
"Wh-... where are we? W-what do you want with me?" He asked, his fear making it hard to speak.
She refused to budge for a moment, but it was clear that the silence was too much for her too, causing her to relent and answer. "We are in the Wigglytuff Guild, and if it was my decision, you would've been dragged out of town by now."
"Why keep me, then?" He asked hesitantly.
"Like I said, it wasn't my choice. I thought my answer made that clear." She lets out a sigh, as she pinches her face in annoyance. "A friend of mine wanted to keep you around, and I can't say no to him…" Her head shoots up again as she resumed watching him. "So, neither of us will leave, not until... you freeze again."
"W-what do you mea-"
"Enough!" The Ninetales snarled at him.
This caused Tristian to immediately drop to the floor and lock in place.
She returned to a more passive stare as she lambasted the poor Shinx. "I'm not here to be your friend. I don't trust you, and I think he's making a mistake in letting you stay. So don't get any ideas, got it?
Tristian silently nodded, and soon enough the room was filled with an unnatural silence.
1 hour had passed... The Ninetales was still watching him.
2 hours had passed... The lack of sound was starting to dawn on Tristian.
3 hours had passed... Unable to do much else, Tristian tries to close his eyes to sleep.
4 hours had passed... Tristian was still asleep, with him occasionally opening eyes when there are sudden sounds. The Ninetales remains unmoving.
5 hours had passed... Tristian was still asleep.
6 hours had passed... He still slept, though he could've sworn he heard a rumbling sound coming from somewhere.
7 hours had passed... Tristian finally wakes up fully, and notices that the source of rumbling was the Ninetales, who had still not moved from her position.
And then, when 8 hours had come and gone, Tristian started to feel a little dizzy. He looked at his paw to see it slow down… and it wasn't just his paw, but his entire body that was doing the same. The urge to scream was maddening, but his vocal cords failed to cooperate.
He closed his eyes, fearful of what happens when he opens them... if he could open them at all, that is...
To his relief, he was still capable of opening his eyes, and when he did, he was greeted with the familiar walls of his guild room.
He looked to his side to see how Rachel was doing, and was greeted by the sight of her lying on her side, still in a deep sleep.
He smiled and stood up slowly, as to make sure that he didn't wake her up again. But that smile soon faded as he pondered in his head about want had happened.
"Where was I, why was everything grey, why was there absolutely no sound, and what was the deal with that Ninetales?"
He let out a sigh. Whatever happened didn't matter right now. The important part is that he's out of there... though now he dreaded the next time he went to sleep...
And that's chapter 8 done, the mystery keeps getting deeper and deeper, eh?
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. At this point, I should stop promising to pick up the pace with this.