Chapter Notes: I kept getting distracted by Star Wars fanfiction while writing this. I ended up just putting on a Master Playlist of TeamFourStar doing Pokémon Nuzlockes in order to keep Pokémon on my mind.

(I still almost named someone Jedi in this, so it only MOSTLY worked, lol)

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon:

Explorers of the World!

Chapter Five:

The Acceptance Trials

(Part 1)

Staying and working at Larry's Eats was both comfortingly familiar and drastically different than anything Abby had previously experienced (as far as she could remember). There was a familiar routine to it that she appreciated. She was woken up by either Larry or Lydia an hour or so after dawn. The three of them ate breakfast together in the kitchen. They then had two hours before the diner opened for the day. The diner stayed open all day, closing for two hours around midday, and then closing for the night around two hours after the sun had fully set.

It was the time between Open and Close where things became different than anything she'd previously done. When she worked with Finn or Shelly back in Beach Town, she mostly did inventory, some organization, and some cashier-work. Working in a kitchen, well…

"Bring me those Nanab Berries, Abby!"

"I need that milk yesterday!"

"We've got six orders for Voltorb Tarts! Six!"

Abby found herself run ragged the first morning, darting around the kitchen and learning where things were. It didn't help that, with the Registration Day approaching, more and more visitors found themselves venturing into the pleasant diner for a treat or a Smoothie before wandering away again. There had even been a few Guild Hopefuls like herself come through, sometimes asking for a place to stay, sometimes running errands for the place they were already staying. A particularly rude Larvitar had actually thrown a tantrum when Larry told him he wouldn't pay for a package because he hadn't ordered it. The Larvitar had then accused the Lickilicky of trying to sabotage his work.

It had gotten bad enough that the Town Guard had appeared to escort the Guild Hopeful from the premises.

Drama aside, Abby was… Content. The itch that had been under her fur in Beach Town, the urge to do Something instead or just relax with her family, it was finally settling. Sure, it was still there, still enough to keep her compulsively checking the papers in her Travel Pouch, double-checking times and dates, watching the sun as it moved across the sky. It was enough, however, working at the Diner, that she didn't feel the urge to do more. She was learning new things, working hard, helping, and that was just… It was something special. Relieving.

So, she threw herself into the position of Sou-Chef, giving her All into the job. Larry had taken a chance on her, had welcomed her into his literal Home and Business, and she was determined to repay that trust. And, beyond that, if what she heard around Spiral Town was any indication, being a Guild Member would see her doing similar work throughout her career, and every Mission, no matter how low-leveled, would demand that she give it her full attention. And Abby was determined to go above and beyond.

Her family had given her this chance. She would not squander it.

()()()()()()

Registration Day was an interesting affair. Lydia escorted Abby to the assigned area, the Lickitung cheerfully pulling a small food-cart along with them down the hard-packed road. Apparently, while not quite as good for business as the actual Trials were, Registration was still an excellent day for Tourist Sales. Family members, the Guild Hopefuls themselves, and countless curious bystanders, all wandering the same long, winding stretch of road, ripe for a smart business Pokémon to take advantage of.

"We always sell lots of mini-tarts and sweet juices every Guild Joining Week," Lydia told Abby happily. "Dad and I like to challenge ourselves to see if we can break the previous years record! Once you've signed up, you can join me at the stall! I'll need the extra help, ha-ha!" The Lickitung giggled brightly, and Abby bobbed her head in easy agreement, unable to stop herself from smiling in return as they turned the next corner—

To find the end of the Registration line. A good three blocks from where it was supposed to be. Staring, wide-eyed, at the back of the bored-looking Ekans in front of her. Lydia laughed at her shock, patting her on the back as she moved to the side with her cart so that a trio excitedly chatting Rattatas could get into line behind Abby.

"I'll see you in a few hours, Abby!" The Lickitung called cheerfully, waving at her as she took her cart further down the line. Abby sighed quietly and sat down to wait.

It wasn't even close to noon yet, after all, and Registration ended an hour before sundown. It was going to be a long day.

()()()()()()()

"Next!" The Smeargle taking Registration called as the Ekans Abby had been behind the entire time finally left. Immediately, the Shinx stepped forward, past the stern-faced Machamp that was the apparent Head Day Guard for the Guild. The neat glasses he wore marked him as the same Machamp she saw the first day at Larry's diner, making her nod at him politely as he gestured her past him to the waiting desk.

"Papers, please," the Smeargle told her professionally, holding his tail over the thick book that was apparently this year's Registry, right next to the name plaque that read 'Norman, Entrance Desk'. Abby obediently handed over her Travel Papers, sitting down and waiting patiently. She'd gotten to hear the last four Pokémon's Registry Questions, so she knew that he'd need more information after copying her basic information.

"Alright, Abby," Norman started calmly. "Do you know your Ability, Nature, and the minimum two moves you'd like to Register?"

"Yes sir," she replied. "I have the Intimidate Ability, a Serious Nature, and I'd like to Register the full four moves I'm allowed." Norman hummed in agreement, writing the given information down before gesturing at her to continue. "I know the moves Tackle, Thunder Wave, Quick Attack, and Thunderbolt." Norman hummed, sounding more interested now.

"Thunderbolt, huh?" He said absently, thoughtfully. "That's not usually a move you Shinx can get easily." Abby shrugged her shoulders slightly, her tail waving slightly behind her.

"I don't know how or why I know it," she told him simply, honestly. "I just do." Norman hummed again, signing off on the Registry, before turning the book around so she could sign it herself and place her pawprint next to it.

"Here's your Proof of Registry token," the Smeargle told her easily, handing her a green version of the Guild's symbol, which Abby immediately slipped into her Travel Pouch with a nod. "Here is your map to the correct location so you can attend the Acceptance Trials. Be there at dawn in three days, with your Token, or you'll have to wait until next year to attempt joining the Guild again. Have a nice day," he added, gesturing for her to leave him, which she did, his clear call of 'Next!' echoing out behind her as the tired Shinx immediately set out to find Lydia.

The next several hours saw Abby as an equal mix of utterly-exhausted and surprisingly-content. She'd found Lydia swarmed with customers and almost out of goods, and had hastily made the run all the way back to Larry's Eats in order to get the next cart of replacement tarts, juices, fresh Berries, and even a small, portable Smoothie machine that Larry had brought out of the back that needed an Electric Move to work. As Abby was nowhere near the size of either Lydia or Larry, the large cart holding the new supplies had taken a gross amount of effort to pull. She was very grateful that Spiral Town was made of relatively-flat roads.

Once she'd finally arrived with the cart, Lydia had pulled her into a whirlwind of work. She'd cut and juiced fruit for treats and drinks, used a mix of Thunder Wave and Thunderbolt to make Smoothies, and even manned the register when Lydia had to step back to make more Tarts. By the time the Registration Hours ended, Abby and Lydia were both drained and tiredly-enthusiastic. The Lickitung had no issues pulling both carts back to the diner, Abby stumbling along behind her, yawning repeatedly along the way. Larry laughed at them both when they appeared, herded them off to their rooms, and took care of the carts himself.

Abby didn't even get a chance to cover herself with a blanket once she reached her nest. She just curled up on top of them all and passed out completely, slipping into the deep, peaceful sleep of the happily exhausted.

()()()()()()

The day of the Acceptance Trials came dark and humid, the sun yet to rise as Abby made her nervous way into the milling group of Hopefuls. Larry and Lydia had wished her luck the night before, as she was leaving before they'd be getting up to start getting their Event Carts ready. Apparently, during the Trials, all the local eateries and such stay closed for the day and instead set up shop in stalls all along the road.

The Trials were a huge event, after all, as big if not bigger than any of the Seasonal Festivals. Pokémon apparently travelled from all over Gold Island to witness the next batch of Guild Hopefuls go through the different tests. And, considering well over a hundred Pokémon, perhaps well over two hundred Pokémon, were at Registration, and the Guild only accepts, maybe sixty each year, with maybe half of those Pokémon remaining after the first year. According to Lydia, a Pokémon could only attempt the Acceptance Trials twice before being barred from the Superior Guild, although they were welcome to try and join one of the minor Guilds scattered across Gold Island.

"Although, each of those Guilds is run by a former Superior Platinum Team, so a lot of them hold the same level of expectancy for joining," the Lickitung had told her the day after Registration, cheerfully chatting about supposedly well-known information after Abby had informed the two about her fever-caused amnesia. Lydia, apparently, was ecstatic to be in a teaching position for something besides cooking, although she was just as happy about that. The two had spent the last two days preparing for the Trials, with Abby learning all she could about previous Trials and Lydia preparing as many pre-made Tarts and treats as possible to freeze until the Day.

Abby resisted the urge to yawn as she stepped forward to hand Norman her Proof of Registry token, nodding politely to Noctowl Guild Guard who was watching everyone approaching with sharp eyes. Norman accepted her token, flipped neatly through the Registry Book to stamp her entry, and pointed her at a selection of white clothes with the Superior Guild symbol stitched on them in green.

"Make sure you wear your Guild Ribbon or Cloth somewhere that the symbol is clearly visible," the Smeargle informed her with a small yawn of his own. "If you lose it, you won't be able to attempt any of the Trials." Abby bobbed her head in acknowledgement, before picking up one of the headbands on offer and pulling it on to settle around her throat. She readjusted it for a moment until it was comfortable and glanced at Norman to double-check its placement. The Smeargle nodded at her and pointed her in the correct direction to wait.

Walking along the clearly marked path, Abby couldn't help but admire the decorations that had gone up seemingly overnight. Even in the pre-dawn darkness, the green-gold banners and streamers, all marked with the clear, twisting snake of the Superior Guild, fluttered gently in the humid breeze. Established Guild Teams darted around, either helping herd Hopefuls, set up last-minute decorations or maps, or just moving around in clusters. Abby perked up a bit when she recognized Emily the Luxray talking to a Hippowdon and a Gabite, but before she could go say hello to the Gold Team member, the trio turned around and darted away at the call of a large male Pyroar pulling a cart.

Abby found herself wandering around the waiting zone, a large clearing-like area that had obviously been set up for just this purpose. There were a few tables being manned by Guild Teams with bronze- and silver-colored tokens, each table holding jugs of various drinks and even snacks. The juice and water tables were being manned by several Pokémon wearing Bronze tokens: a Sylveon, Duskull, Furret, and Nincada, seemingly a Team considering how friendly they were with one another, although Abby wasn't certain as she didn't really know how Teams interacted within the Guild. A trio of Silver-token Pokemon, a Sunflora, Pikachu and Cutiefly, were supervising and attending to the resupply of the snacks and removal of dirty plates and pitchers.

Another group of Bronze Guild Pokémon were manning a table covered in nauseating-looking pitchers of a slimy substance that smelled like sewage and snacks in various stages of rot and putridness. That group consisted of a Stunky, Trubbish, Gloom, and a variant of Grimer Abby had never seen that was green with dripping yellow coloration around the mouth. Another Silver group, consisting of a Haunter, Banette, and Misdreavus, tended to their section.

There was also a single table holding what looked like charcoal, some heavily steaming plates of treats, and a Fire-Type powered machine for heating drinks. Unlike the other tables, this one was manned by a Gold Team, likely due to the expensive-looking machine. The Team was made up of a Magmar, Rapidash, and Blaziken, and the trio had a poignant mix of politely professional and exceptionally bored expressions, especially the Magmar running the machine.

After pacing around the entire area three times, Abby finally took a seat near one of the tables serving juice and fresh-cut Berries. The Sylveon there offered her a playful wink as they used one of their ribbons to hand her a small cup of Watmel Juice, tiny, frozen pieces of the Berry floating in it like impromptu ice cubes.

"Thank you," Abby told them; the Sylveon saluted her playfully, the bronze Guild Token on their headband glinting nder the paper lanterns decorating the clearing.

"No problem, little Shinx!" The Sylveon, a boy from his voice, replied cheerfully. "I'm always happy to help the newbies, potential or settled! My name's Sly," he added, reaching over the table with a paw, which Abby took immediately.

"I'm Abby," she answered in turn, making the Sylveon beam cheerfully.

"So, looking forward to the Trials?" He asked as he used his ribbons to move a plate of Spelon Berry slices with a cream-like dip, closer to the edge of the table. Immediately, a nervously fidgeting Elekid grabbed it and skittered over to share it with an equally nervous Pichu and Dedenne.

"In a way, yeah," Abby answered, pulling her eyes away from the group of munching Electric-Types. "I have an idea of what to expect, and Im anxious to get through them as best as I can, but I'm not looking forward to competing against so many Pokémon."

"Not overly competitive, huh?" Sly asked; Abby shrugged and waved a paw around in a so-so manner.

"I don't mind friendly competitions," she replied simply. "But I've been informed that I'm a little, er, too practical? When it comes to competitions?" She shrugged again and took a sip of her Watmel Juice. "I just don't see why Pokémon can't be happy that a job gets done right, whether than who got it done first. Back home, it frustrated a few of the younger Pokémon, that I wasn't willing to get into tussles or contests with them very often. I just don't really see the point, for the most part." Sly blinked, before letting out a tinkling laugh, a paw rising to cover his mouth.

"You have a Serious Nature, don't you," he said, more statement than question, and Abby nodded, bemused. "Most Pokémon with that Nature are like that, Abby, don't worry. It means you've got a good head for leadership skills and won't get overly distracted or upset like some Pokémon do," he assured her kindly. "Surprisingly enough, despite what rumors say, Lord Serperior has a Serious Nature, and so does Sir Geoff, his Second-in-Command. It gives you an edge, a level-head in dangerous situations, if you train properly." Smiling still, the Sylveon passed her a small plate of Nanab slices and a small dish of cream-dip.

"Don't worry, Abby," Sly told her kindly as she blinked up at him. "Eat some snacks, focus on making it through the Trials, and you'll no doubt find yourself a proud new member of the Guild. And, a bit of advice?" He added, grinning with a wink. "No one says you have to win the Trials to make it through." With a wave of his ribbons and another wink, the Sylveon pranced away to chat with one of the other Guild Pokémon, leaving Abby to consider the advice as well as the treats he'd left her. Taking yet another sip of her Watmel Juice, Abby dipped a piece of Nanab in the cream dip and ate it, humming softly at the interesting tastes.

I don't have to win, huh? She wondered as she glanced towards the east, where the sky was finally beginning to turn the sky pale as the sun was slowly starting to rise. I wonder what I do have to do, then…

Well, I'll find out soon enough, I guess.

Chapter End

Chapter Notes: I always thought it was hilarious that you have a MUCH higher chance of getting a Male Sylveon than a Female one and used that as an excuse to include Helpful Senpai Sly in this fic lol.

There are 217 Pokémon Registered for the Trials. They will all usually be referred to by Species and some by descriptions (Such as the Alolan Grimer Guild Member who is manning the Poison/Sludge Table of snacks).

The Guild Guards seen in this chapter are Otis the Machamp, who is Head Day Guard and in charge of organizing all of the Day-Guard Shifts, and Olivia the Noctowl who is almost always the final Night-Shift Pokémon.

Sly is a member of Team Spy! His Teammates are the other Bronze Pokémon manning the Berry Tables with him. They are: Wraith the Duskull, Aiden the Furret, and Shin the Nincada! They're supervising Silver Team is Team Yellow!

Sly is the Son of the owner of Spiral Town's Evolution Solution! He has a younger Eevee brother named Evan who only hatched from his egg this past Spring.

HINT/SPOILER: Sir Geoff and Lord Serperior were on the same Guild Team, along with the Third-in-Command, Dutchess.