Wardens Eternal

Chapter Five: Getting Started

What started out as a crossroads and a watering hole had prospered and grown over the years into a wildly successful trade center that came to be known as Treasure Town. Thanks in large part to its ideal location, linking three major roads and the sea, it was almost guaranteed that any Pokemon traveling any long distance would at least visit the settlement if not to stop and rest. All that traffic and commerce made Treasure Town the unofficial capital of the region.

But as far as Scarlett was concerned, Treasure Town's reputation failed to prepare her for the true size of the settlement now that she had seen it in person. Even from atopt the hill that the Guild's entrance stood upon, she could see the dozens of buildings and tents that housed the innumerable Pokemon that lived and worked there. It was awe inspiring.

By the time that the newly formed Wardens actually entered the main marketplace, Scarlett was already distracted by all the bright and cheerful colors from the hanging banners and signs, the expressively painted market stalls lined with beautifully dyed rugs, even the stones used to pave the main paths seemed to pop out with lively shades of red and yellow. Everything just looked so upbeat and happy, it was hard not to be swept up by the air of positivity and joy.

. . . Until of course, Scarlett realised that Martian was giving her an annoyed look. Then again this was the fourth or maybe even the fifth time she got sidetracked by the sights so it wasn't like she didn't deserve it, especially since she promised him she wouldn't get distracted again, twice.

The luxio relented, softening his gaze. He understood that his partner was fascinated by the new environment they were in, and that her curiosity and sense of wonder would tempt her to wander off. Truth be told he wouldn't mind getting to know Treasure Town better, poke around a bit and see what there was, but still, right now there were other matters they needed to prioritize first.

Before the apprentices left the Guild, Martian took the opportunity to double check the Starter's Kit for anything else he could use. Sure enough, among the coupon notes in the bottom of the chest, he found a basic checklist of names and businesses to check out.

The Apprentices' first stop was Beautifly's shop, Beautifly worked as a tailor, crafting tough, reliable apparel for Pokemon of various sizes and forms, or ornate and beautiful clothes and accessories if that was what the customer desired. It took a little over an hour for the three to agree on the pattern, materials, and any special additions the apprentices wanted. After double checking her measurements, Beautifly dismissed the team telling them to return later in the evening to pick up the finished apparel.

After that first stop, Martian and Scarlett began to run through the checklist and find out what else the town had to offer. The Kecleon Market, run by two of the chameleon pokemon, served as a general store. They sold the bare necessities like apples, water flasks, and some medicinal berries at really great prices. If you wanted to buy more specialized items, like orbs, or elixirs, however, the Kecleon brothers were more then happy to point you in the right direction to someone who would have it.

The Appraiser was unfortunately closed for the day, leaving a note about the owner being sick or something like that. Hopefully whenever it reopens the appraiser could judge the worth of any unidentified treasure the team could bring back.

Bayleaf and her sister Chikorita made their living by growing and selling various berries for purchase despite recent hardship on the family. Oran Berries were a staple of any civilized pokemon's existence and Pecha berries were the go-to antidote for most poisons. Right away Martian could tell that the Wardens were going to do a lot of business here.

On the other hand, Duskull Bank was one place Martian knew he wasn't going to do any business. The so-called banker tried to convince him to open an account right away but once Martian started asking questions about how the floating skull made a profit, the luxio's trust vanished in an instant. If an exploration team unexpectedly went missing for three weeks and no relative or acquaintance arrived to claim ownership, their account would be terminated and all of their savings were the ghost type's to keep.

Not gonna happen, not to this Exploration Team. . .

Delcatty, thankfully, ran a far more clean business, both metaphorically and literally. Martian opened an account with her for the team after he finished reading the contract that explained everything that happened with their money. Far more honest and professional than her longtime business rival.

Hippopotas made his living as a glassblower, turning sand into glass with a brick furnace before blowing the glass into finished products like little glass bottles and window panes. A few glass bottles were a wise addition to any exploration team's supplies. Ideal for carrying elixirs or other important fluids. The ground-type's stall was ideally located next to Shuckle the alchemist's. Shuckle sold elixirs, a specially brewed drink that could restore a pokemon's ability to use certain moves.

Golduck made his living crafting and selling pottery to exploration teams. By themselves, the ceramic shells didn't do much, but fill it with a variaty of different payloads and an impact sensitive explosive core and you had small yet versatile bombs. Poison and Sleep Powder, as well as Stun Spore were some of the more common payloads, though there were lots of more exotic kinds of pots out there.

Clamperl and Alakazam worked together as partners in order to produce and sell Orbs. Similar to seeds, orbs were a powerful tool in an exploration team's hands able to temporarily manipulate the weather or even influence the minds of any hostile pokemon nearby into thinking that the user is invisible or attacking their own allies. Clamperl would produce pearls and Alakazam would use his powers to turn said pearls into finished products. It would be nice to have a few orbs handy no doubt, but the prices the two asked for hurt more than a Rampardos to the gut.

There was only one last stop the apprentices needed to make before going back to Beautifly. A proper combat trainer. It was something that Martian added to the list himself because as good of a reputation the Guild might have, he wasn't going to risk Scarlett's life or his own in battle until he was convinced they both were trained and prepared for the trials of combat the best they could be.

The dojo was fairly bland in appearance from the outside, mostly unsightly colors of solidly packed dirt and wood. Martian smiled, this place was built strong enough to withstand punishment, a very good sign. The entryway was covered by a net of vines meant to keep sunlight out of the dojo, blocking out a distraction so people could better train inside. The electric lion parted the net and held it open for Scarlett. The kitsune, despite being nervous about this place accepted the gesture and entered.

The first thing Scarlett registered after that was a loud war cry from a Machoke. The same Machoke that was making a beeline for her with a fully charged Focus Punch. The terrified vulpix froze in place eyes locked onto the glowing fist as the rest of the world seemed to vanish into darkness. . .