Chapter 6: Star of the Continent

This chapter's another longer one, but it's one I worked on pretty hard, so I hope you enjoy it as usual!

It's... huge.

Doug had difficulty grasping how packed the city was around him, especially with his own small stature. The place was designed with all Pokémon in mind, so everything was wide open yet efficient at the same time. Souvenir shops in open stands were dotted across the square near the checkpoint, selling merchandise of what seemed to be dramatized versions of Pokémon embedded in ornate scarves. Doug couldn't recognize what Pokémon they were supposed to be, though.

Machop, thankfully for Doug, was more than happy to guide him along. "That's an Umbreon Scarf, to show your love of the Palkia Council's Umbreon! That's a knock-off Urshifu Guild Scarf, so you can feel like a part of the legendary guild itself! That's a Status Checker, though it's an old model. They're pretty much everywhere around here..."

Doug took a moment to stare at the scarves in front of him. A guild? Like one of those MMO type things? Weird.

As Doug gazed at the assortment of scarves and trinkets, Machop took a Dungeon Charter out of his bag, flipped a switch on top, typed in some numbers and then held it to the side of his head. The DCD made a buzzing sound for a couple seconds, before the person he wanted to talk to picked up.

"Hey, Dad! So the trip to the city took a bit longer than expected… yeah, the bridge broke again. I had to rescue Gligar... we just entered Smackbone. Yeah. He seems fine, a bit banged up but I think he's okay... no, I haven't asked him how he feels about dungeons. Should I do so now? Alright... got it, I'll be back soon."

Machop put the DCD back in his bag, then looked up to see that Doug had been looking at him inquisitively.

Machop shrugged. "What?"

Doug pointed at Machop's bag. "That thing works like a cell phone?"

"Uhh, what's a 'cell phone'?"

Doug thought about how to answer that. "Well, in the human world we've got these devices that can be used to call people, just like that Dungeon Charter. I was finding it a bit strange that despite these worlds being so different, that thing's so similar to a cell phone."

Machop pondered that. "That is weird, isn't it..."

Doug motioned around himself. "And even these stores are surprisingly similar to ones I'd see in the human world. Why's it so similar?"

Before they could wonder about those oddities any more, a loud sound echoed throughout the massive capital, followed by an unfamiliar voice. Machop and Doug jumped in surprise.

"Attention, all citizens of Smackbone City! Umbreon of the Palkia Council will be making a statement about the surge of humans over the past day! Please come to the central square in ten minutes for the speech!"

Machop took that in and turned to the Gligar next to him.

"The square's north of here. Let's go, you don't wanna miss it!"

Doug sighed, exhausted. "Ugh, I'm so tired of running around... fine."

The central square was huge, and packed to the brim with Pokémon of the city. Doug and Machop squirmed through the crowd, pushing past Pokémon left and right, before Machop suddenly had an idea.

"Gligar, you can fly, right? Fly up and see if you can see Umbreon. I should be able to hear him fine, so don't worry about me!"

Doug hesitantly took to the air, and realized the skies were almost as packed as the ground. Flying-type Pokémon were everywhere up here, but at least he could see the podium in the distance now. Narrowing his tired eyes, Doug focused on the figure on the podium, a black canine with yellow marks on its body, as it cleared its throat.

The canine began to speak. Its voice was projected by what looked like two giant bats with large ears. The speech had begun.

"A long time ago, in another world long gone, humans and Pokémon lived in tandem with each other. Humans would train us for battle and for friendship, and Pokémon would battle each other out of natural instinct. We each cared deeply for each other. However, not all humans cared for their Pokémon..."

"Many humans simply used Pokémon as tools for battle, neglecting us. They abused our fighting skills while ignoring what made us so strong, and as such, they lost the true purpose of that world. These humans would even go so far as to hurt other humans, destroy forged bonds, and worse."

"Legends tell of one human who grew disgusted at the actions of the few. He gathered his team together, and went to see Palkia, the lord of the dominion of space. With Palkia's support, the two of them sacrificed themselves to split that old world in two, one world for humans and one world for Pokémon. Humans are said to have forgotten about the old world, but we Pokémon remember those times and have harnessed the technology of old!"

"With all due respect, Zygarde has historically been worse than Palkia at keeping the balance of space together, leading to distortions in the fabric of space that we call Mystery Dungeons. Certain locations bend the laws of space in strange ways, as well. And now, humans from the other side of the dimensional split are arriving here in the Pokémon world for reasons we do not currently understand."

"We at the Palkia Council have our suspicions of the many humans that have been coming to this world over the past day. After all, if the humans from the old world held such cruel contempt for their caring partners, who can say these ones are any different? Their spirits remain human despite their new forms, and they seem to lack the ability to evolve. Will we be able to integrate these new arrivals into our bountiful society?"

"I, on behalf of the Palkia Council, say that we, as citizens of Smackbone City, should make an effort to welcome these humans to our world. However, if they start to betray our trust, that policy may have to change in the future. Thank you all for listening to this speech."

Cheers and roars from the audience commenced, but Doug could hardly hear them. He was busy taking in the confusing information he'd been given from that speech. Slowly gliding down to the ground, Doug held his head down.

Dimensional split? Balance of space? Cannot evolve? What do they mean by that?

He was snapped out of it by a familiar kid catching him on his way down. Machop held Doug in his arms, giving him a reassuring look.

"You don't look so good. What's wrong?"

Doug shook. "It all makes sense now..."

"Huh?"

The Gligar gave a small chuckle. "Everything I've been wondering about. It all makes sense."

Machop stepped back. "W-what do you mean?"

"Let me explain..."

Machop took in what Doug told him about the human world.

"So you humans can't remember any of your history after about ten thousand years back?"

"Yeah. They call it the Mystery of the Past. There isn't any evidence of anything existing before that at all!"

Doug laughed to himself. "God, this is so stupid. Everyone's been trying to solve that mystery, but I definitely didn't expect it to be solved like this. I just needed to laugh, it's been a long day."

Machop gave a shrug as the duo looked out toward the outskirts of the city. The sun was almost fully down, the orange light falling over the city walls as the sky changed color from dark blue to black. Realizing something, Machop jumped up.

"Right! I need to find you someplace to live!"

Doug sighed again. "Like a hotel or something?"

"Nah, they're expensive, if you're talking about an inn. I was thinking I could get you registered at one of the guilds! C'mon, follow me!"

Machop ran off to the west end of the city, Doug following slowly as he stared at the energetic kid breaking away from him.

We've been running around all day and he still finds the time to run. How does he do it? I can barely even glide now…

Eventually, the two of them came up to a small, nondescript building.

"I believe this is the Guild Application Office," Machop explained, "and it should help you sign up for a guild."

Doug caught up to Machop, huffing. "W-wait, what's a guild?"

"Basically, a place you can get free lodging. Don't worry about it!"

They went inside and were greeted by a counter that looked similar to what one would look like in the human world. Behind the counter was a pink Pokémon with large ears, and a smile on their face.

Machop went up to the counter. "Hello, Audino! I'm here to get my friend here registered for a Guild!"

Audino looked over at Doug. "All right, do you have a Status Checker? I can get you to the guild registration site, and guide you through filling out your resume!"

Doug gave a surprised look. Websites? Resumes? I wasn't expecting those to exist here, but I'll take it...

Doug pulled out his Status Checker and handed it over to Audino. Audino flipped a switch on top and began tapping at the device a bit, before showing the screen to Doug.

"You're on the guild registration site! Which guild do you want to join?"

Staring at the screen with a look of confusion, Doug shrugged. That prompted Machop to speak up.

"Alright, I haven't been entirely honest with you about guilds. Different guilds welcome different Pokémon, so I'll see if I can find you one that's welcoming to all kinds…"

Machop took the Status Checker from Audino and began scrolling through the guild list, naming off guilds as he read them.

"The Urshifu Guild is only for the top-notch Pokémon. No way are you gonna get into that one."

"The Tyranitar Guild seems promising... nah, it says only fully evolved mons are allowed."

"The Alomomola Guild? That one only allows Water-types and sea dwelling Pokémon."

"The Wigglytuff Guild? It says the base is completely full right now, so you can't join that one..."

"The Lucario Guild? What kind of guild only allows Riolu?!"

Eventually, Machop's eyes lit up as he held the SSD in front of Doug's face.

"I found it! The perfect guild for you!"

Doug leaned his head back as he read the information presented.

THE SLOWBRO GUILD

Welcoming to all Pokémon! Do you lack the criteria to join the other guilds, but still want to work for one? The Slowbro Guild is for you! Headquarters are at the northwest square of Smackbone City! I hope to see you there!

As he finished reading, Doug glanced up. "Alright, then. How do I sign up for it?"

"For the Slowbro Guild, all you need to do is walk up to the front doors and say you want to join," Audino explained. "They're famously welcoming!"

Machop grinned. "Alright then. Thanks, Audino!"

"You're very welcome, Machop."

The duo left the building to see a dark night sky. The sun had completely set, but the city was still illuminated by the lights kept active by the hard work of Electric-types. Eventually, after about ten minutes of traversing the bright streets, the two of them came up to a tall tower with purple markings on its sides.

Machop gave a sigh of relief. "This should be it, I think. Let's just knock on the door and wait till someone answers."

Doug stumbled towards the door and banged on it with one of his pincers. There was no reply.

"You think they might be asleep?"

Doug sighed. "I dunno. I guess we should just wait..."

As if on cue, a figure approached the duo from behind, clearing their throat.

"Looking... for me, little buddy?"

Turning around, Doug recognized the figure as someone he saw earlier that day. They were decently large and had a pink body, with purple markings on it. Their ears were rolled up, and they had a shell on their left arm that looked like some kind of cannon. Doug gazed at the Pokémon in surprise, while Machop gazed in awe.

"Aren't you the guy that saved me in that dungeon?"

The Pokémon laughed to themselves. "Yup. Guildmaster Slowbro, that's me!"

Machop took in Slowbro's explanation. "Let me get this straight. So you were on a mission for the guild, and just got back?"

Slowbro nodded. "Yeah. I heard I... missed some kind of speech."

Machop piped up. "Yeah, Doug and I saw it. He's here to join your guild, by the way!"

The guildmaster looked at Doug. "You look... tired. Sure, I'll give you lodging… for the night."

The exhausted human gave a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank God..."

Just then, Machop's Dungeon Charter started buzzing from inside his bag. He took it out and held it to his head.

"You want me to come back home? Alright, when? As soon as possible… alright, I'm coming. Yeah, I'll help fix the bridge. Okay, see you soon, Dad!"

He set down the DCD, and turned towards Doug with a frown.

"I... have to go now. It's been a fun adventure, but I gotta go home to my parents. We... might not see each other for a while, since I've gotta help Dad fix that bridge..."

Doug gave a small smile. "Well, it's been great, Machop. See you later."

The two of them embraced for a moment, and Machop set out, leaving Doug alone with the guildmaster. Doug sighed, staring as the burly kid walked further and further away. Machop... you were kind of annoying, but I liked hanging out with you. I'll miss you.

He was snapped out of his gazing by the guildmaster, who guided him into the guild base, opening the door. Doug followed slowly.

The entrance led right to a round, wide open room that had a few cushions. As Doug took in the area, Slowbro explained the purpose of the room.

"This... is the entrance room. It's usually used to... treat wounded Pokémon, but no one's... injured right now, so it's empty."

They went up the stairs at the far end of the room, as Doug noticed that there were stairs down that seemed to lead nowhere. I wonder what's up with that?

"Don't... worry about the stairs down. We... had a cave-in earlier, and are trying... to fix it again."

The two of them went up to the second floor, where Doug could see a long metal table with what looked like stools.

"That's... the dining hall. Dinner time... has passed though."

On the third floor, the two of them approached two large sign posts.

"These are for... jobs and the like. I'll tell you... about them later. The floors above here... are for lodging. You'll be sleeping in... the sixth floor, alone for now."

Slowbro helped Doug up the stairs as the Gligar struggled to move. Eventually, the two of them reached the sixth floor, where an empty room with a small bed made of straw resided.

"Hope you sleep well... little buddy!"

As he said that, the kind guildmaster walked upstairs to presumably sleep as well. Doug staggered to his new bed and collapsed when he reached it. He'd been holding back all day, but he couldn't take it anymore.

Doug began to cry.

I'm a terrifying scorpion that uses poison... Those guys in that cave wanted me dead... Even Machop agreed that I was weak... and now, I'm alone.

I want my family back. I want my friends from that college back. I want myself back. All this is so confusing, and now I'm in the middle of an alien city...

I'm scared. I wanna go home.

Looking at the window at the edge of the room didn't help, because all Doug could see was a reflection of that purple scorpion. Doug averted his eyes, and just looked down at his straw bed, continuing to flow tears.

As he cried, he could feel a figure embracing him. Doug heard a familiar voice come from the warmth of the Poison-type giving him a hug.

"It's okay... little buddy," said Slowbro softly, "it'll all be okay. Don't... worry."

Slowbro stopped hugging the tearful Gligar, and slowly left the room. The tears stopped flowing, and Doug finally fell asleep with one thought left in his mind.

It's been a long day, but maybe things will turn out alright.

"We're still awaiting more coverage on the mysterious disappearance of multiple acres of land across our planet, most notably Jacqueline University in Nassachusitts, Umerika, as well as multiple acres of Los Vigos, leaving nothing but craters..."

I stared at the television glumly, my lip quivering. Still no signs of Doug. There's no way he was part of the disappearance. I'm not gonna believe it.

My cell phone buzzed, and I picked it up, hoping to see my big brother's number. Unfortunately, it was my other brother Mark's instead. I answered the phone, listening to my brother's voice.

"Hey, Nick. I'm sure you've heard about Doug's disappearance... I still can't believe it either. Entire acres of land just vanishing? I even heard you got school off for a week..."

I gave a sad sigh. "Yeah... I just wish we knew why and how this is happening. That would be, like, something, at least..."

I was surprised by his sudden reply. "Well, I was looking into it today, and I think I've found out why this is happening. If we can get to the crater, I could investigate it further. Would you wanna come along?"

I gasped. "Really?! If you know what's going on, I'll definitely go with you!"

"Alright. I'll pick you up in a few days, Nick. Be ready!"

I set down my phone, preparing myself for the unknown.

Wherever you are right now, Doug, I'll find you. I swear it!

And that's the end of Arc 1! I hope you all enjoyed these first six chapters, I worked hard on them! Feel free to leave a review if you like the story so far, or even if you hate it, criticism is good! Without further ado though, this is Ketchup, signing off!