Hey, everybody! I'm glad you like the story so far! This chapter is full of introductions on most of my own characters. I might end up mixing in some elements from the first games into this story. I hope you like it. Onto the chapter!
Chapter 2: Wigglytuff's Guild
Flare and Shelly stood before the grate on top of the hill. "This is Wigglytuff's Guild." Flare explained. The stars were twinkling above. "To form an exploration team, you need to register your team here. Then you have to train until you become a first-rate exploration team."
"It must be tough." Shelly muttered.
Stepping closer, she shivered. "U-um..." Flare whimpered. "Isn't there something just a little odd about this place?" She shook her fear off. "No...! I've got Shelly with me this time. I have to be brave." If I'm not, I'll never fully escape my father...ever! I need to do this, for myself and for Shelly.
She stepped onto the grate. "Pokemon detected!" the voice cried again, spooking the Vulpix. "Pokemon detected!"
"Who's footprint? Who's footprint?" the other voice demanded.
"The footprint is Vulpix's! The footprint is Vulpix's!"
"AAAH!" Flare cried. She forced herself to stay on the grate. "N-no. I have to be strong. Don't run away..."
"...You may ENTER!" the second voice roared. "Someone's with you! So get that stranger to stand up THERE!"
Flare hopped off the grate, relieved. That was nerve wracking. I was afraid for nothing. Turning to Shelly, she sighed. "They probably meant you, Shelly. They said to stand up there." She pointed to the grate. "Don't worry. I'm right here if you need me."
...There's a grate covering the hole...It's made so that no one can fall through...Still, it's really strange...It looks like it will tickle my feet, or... Shelly gulped, afraid. "This is just too creepy..." she muttered.
"Hey, you! Stranger!" the second voice called. "Get on the GRATE!"
Scared, Shelly jumped onto the grate. This better be a good idea...
"Pokemon detected! Pokemon detected!" the first voice cried again, making Shelly's fur stand on end.
"Who's footprint? Who's footprint?"
"The footprint is..." The first voice paused. "The footprint is...Um...U-um..."
"What's the matter?! Sentry!" the second voice yelled. "Sentry?! What's wrong, Sentry Diglett?"
"Umm...Er..." the first voice, Diglett, muttered. Underground, in a tunnel with roots and vines in it, Diglett whimpered. "Umm...The footprint is...Maybe Pikachu's! Maybe Pikachu's!"
"What?! MAYBE?!" the second voice bellowed.
"B-but..." Diglett started, sweating nervously. "It's not a footprint you normally see around here...What reason would a Pikachu have to come here?"
"UGH! That's pretty crummy!" the second voice barked. "Checking the footprints of visiting Pokemon...That's your job, ISN'T it, Diglett?"
The sweating worsened. "Yes, but...I don't know what I don't know." Diglett cried. "I only know so much and this isn't something I know!"
Back up on the grate, the duo sighed. "What?" Flare muttered. "Are they arguing?"
"I guess so. Wonder why?" Shelly asked. "Is it about us?"
"...Sorry to make you WAIT." The second voice called. "Well, it's TRUE that you don't see many Pikachu in these parts...But you don't SEEM to be bad...OK, good enough! ENTER!"
The ground shook momentarily. "Yikes!" Flare cried. "I'm so nervous! So excited! But I'm glad we're finally allowed in. My heart's pounding, though... Shelly, let's go!" The duo entered the tent.
"Th-there's a hatch that leads underground here!" Flare gasped, pointing to the ladder sticking out of the hole in the ground. "Amazing! Where does it lead?"
"There are even arrows." Shelly giggled. "Let's go! I bet it goes somewhere safe. With those arrows, bad Pokemon can just come in whenever they want to, right?"
"Please don't jinx us, Shelly." Flare begged. They descended the ladder.
They reached a big room filled with Pokemon. Two boards were on each side of the ladder, facing the opposite wall. Pokemon were in little groups, talking or gathered around the boards. It had a kind of cozy, family feel to it. Flare felt safer this way. I haven't felt like this since I was sent here.
"Wow!" she cried as they stepped further into the room. "So this is Wigglytuff's Guild! So many Pokemon! I wonder if they're all on exploration teams?"
"Maybe, Flare." Shelly replied. "Or maybe they're just Pokemon asking for help from the exploration teams. Shouldn't an exploration team be really busy?"
"Excuse me!" a voice called. The duo turned to see a colorful bird Pokemon with a musical note-shaped head. A Chatot! He hopped toward them. "It was you two that just came in, right?"
"Y-yes!" Flare nodded.
"Yep, that's us!" Shelly added. "Who are you, birdie?"
"Shelly!" Flare hissed, hitting her. "Be nice to him!"
"I'm Chatot! I'm the Pokemon in the know around these parts!" Chatot said. "I'm the Guildmaster Wigglytuff's right-hand Pokemon! Now, shoo! Leave the premises! We have no time for salespeople or silly surveys!" He flapped his wings toward the ladder. "Off you go, if you please!"
"What?! You've got it all wrong!" Shelly protested.
"N-no! That's not why we're here!" Flare explained. "We want to form an exploration team...That's why we came. We want to be trained as an exploration team." I also want protection from my father, but you don't need to know that.
Chatot looked shocked. "Wh-what?! Exploration team? It's rare to see a kid like this want to apprentice at the guild. Especially given how hard our training is! Surely the steady stream of Pokemon that run away from our rigorous training proves how true that is!"
"Excuse me?" Flare was confused. "Is the exploration team training that severe?"
"Do you have to take a survival test or something?" Shelly asked. "We already did that at Beach Cave, birdie."
"What?!" Chatot was shocked again. "Well...no. No no no! It's not true in the slightest! Our training program for exploration teams is as easy as can be! Well, well, well!" Chatot was laughing now. "I wish you had told me up front that you wanted to be an exploration team! Heee-heeeee!"
The duo sighed and looked at one another. "His attitude suddenly changed, didn't it...?" Flare muttered.
"Yeah, you think?" Shelly agreed. "He's a total fruit!"
Getting over his laughing fit, Chatot cleared his throat. "OK! Let's get your team signed up right away. Follow me!" He hopped toward the ladder, only to realize that the duo wasn't following. "Oh, anything wrong? Come on! Over here! Quickly, please!" They followed him down the stairs.
Once they reached the next floor, Chatot spoke again. "This is the guild's second underground floor. This is mainly where the apprentices work. Team registration is this way. Come along, please."
He hopped toward a door with an odd swirl mark on it. Flare ignored that and ran toward the large window beside it. "Wow! We're two floors under the ground and you can still see outside!" Flare cried.
Chatot huffed. "Oh, please! Hush now! The guild's built into the side of a cliff. It's only natural that you'd be able to see outside."
"Oh." Flare muttered.
"She was just surprised." Shelly grumbled. "You shouldn't be so mean to her, birdie."
Ignoring Shelly, Chatot pointed to the door. "Now, here we are at Guildmaster Wigglytuff's chamber. On no account...I repeat, on no account should you be discourteous to our Guildmaster." Turning to the door, he called, "Guildmaster! It's Chatot! I'm coming in!" They entered the room.
A large pink Pokemon had its back turned to them as they entered. "Guildmaster!" Chatot called. "I present to you two Pokemon who wish to join our guild as apprentices."
The pink Pokemon stayed silent.
"Guildmaster..." Chatot started, sounding uneasy. "...um...Guildmaster?"
An ear twitched and suddenly, the pink Pokemon twirled around. It was Wigglytuff! "Hiya!" he cried. "I'm Wigglytuff! I'm the guild's Guildmaster! You want to form an exploration team? Then let's go for it! First we must register your exploration team's name! So tell me your team's name?"
"Oh! Our team's name?" Flare said, panicking. "We didn't think of that...So what do you think would be a good name for us, Shelly?"
A name...for our exploration team? That's a big decision. Shelly thought, tugging on one ear. Maybe... She looked outside to see moonlight streaming through the tiny window. It made her and Flare's fur turn silver. "How about Team Moonlight?"
"...Moonlight?! Team Moonlight!" Flare cried. She nodded. "Yeah... That's a good name! It suites us!"
"All settled, then!" Wigglytuff cheered. "I'll register your team as Moonlight. Registering! Registering! All registered...YOOM...TAH! Congratulations! From now on, you're an official exploration team! I present you with this commemoration." He stepped forward and set down a gold box.
"An Exploration Team Kit?" Flare asked.
"Yup! It's what every exploration team needs." Wigglytuff said. "Quick, open it up!"
The duo stepped forward and opened the box up. Inside, there was an Explorer Badge, a Wonder Map, and a Treasure Bag. "Yeah! There are all sorts of great items in here!" Flare cried.
"What's so special about a piece of plastic, a scrap of paper, and a leather bag?" Shelly asked.
"That's your Explorer Badge! It's your official team identification!" Wigglytuff explained. "And there's the Wonder Map, which is a wonder of convenience! Finally, there's a Treasure Bag. It lets you carry items you find in dungeons. Your successes as an exploration team can lead to bigger and bigger space for your Treasure Bag. It's a very wonderful bag! Have a peek inside your Treasure Bag."
Flare looked into the Treasure Bag. Inside, there was a Joy Ribbon and a Violet Bow. "Wow! They sure are pretty!" Shelly commented.
"Those items are special." Wigglytuff pointed out. "I'm sure they will help you on your adventures!"
"Th-Thank you!" Flare said, smiling. "We'll do our best!"
"Our absolute best!" Shelly cried, placing a paw on her chest.
"Yup. But you're only apprenticing right now. So do your best...to train!" Wigglytuff said.
"We will!" Flare agreed.
"We promise!" Shelly cried.
The Vulpix looked at her Pikachu partner. "Let's always do our best, Shelly." She suggested.
"Of course, Flare! What else could we do? Our worst?" The Pikachu laughed.
The two clapped paws once again. I did it. I'm finally in a place where father and that thing could never get me at. I'm happy that I have a friend. Shelly, I'll always protect you. I promise, Shelly. Father will never lay his paws on you, never! Flare vowed.
"Chatot, why don't you introduce our new friends to the other apprentices and teams?" Wigglytuff suggested.
"O-of course, Guildmaster!" Chatot hopped back to the door, Team Moonlight following after him. Spotting a big purple Pokemon, Loudred, he called, "Loudred! Call everyone to the main room in front of Guildmaster Wigglytuff's chambers!"
"Understood!" Standing under the stairs, he shouted, "EVERYBODY! Chatot says to get DOWN here to meet some NEW friends! HURRY UP!"
Flare and Shelly covered their ears, ringing from how loud his voice was. Chatot covered his ears with his wings. "Owowow!" Shelly whined. "That was really loud!"
"I know what you mean." Flare agreed.
"And we have to put up with that everyday, you two." Chatot pointed out. "You better be prepared for your morning wake-up call."
"Oh my god, please say he's not waking us up!" Shelly begged. Chatot stayed silent. "I'm gonna be deaf sooner than I thought."
"I agree with you, Shelly." The Vulpix whimpered.
Soon, a whole horde of Pokemon came in from upstairs and from the two tunnels on either side of the main room. Once Chatot assumed everyone was assembled, he shouted for silence. It was Loudred who ended up silencing everybody with a loud yell. "Everybody, please settle down. We have two new apprentices that we want you all to meet. Introduce yourselves in a neat and orderly fashion." Chatot ordered.
After a bit of bickering, Shelly and Flare decided to introduce themselves first. "I'm Shelly and this is my partner, Flare. We have recently formed Team Moonlight. We want to become a first-rate exploration team!" Shelly fell silent.
"Neither of us are from around here, so if anyone can help us out around here, we'll appreciate the help." Flare added.
"Well, who's up next?" Chatot asked.
Loudred stepped forward. "Hey, I'm Loudred. I'm a fellow apprentice and guild alarm clock."
Then came Diglett, popping up from the ground. "I'm Diglett, fellow apprentice and guild sentry. It's nice to meet you."
Then it looked like three Digletts came up together. "We are Dugtrio, Diglett's father. We switch the posts on the Outlaw and Job Bulletin Boards."
Then a blue frog with black and purple paws spoke. "Meh-heh-heh. I'm Croagunk. You'll find me over there, perfecting my shop." He pointed to a strange frog-like stone structure to their left.
Then a wind-chime thing came up. "I'm Chimecho, the guild's cook. I'm also the owner of Chimecho Assembly. It's a pleasure to meet you."
A beaver came up alongside a walking sunflower. "I'm Bidoof and this is Sunflora. We're fellow apprentices, yup yup. I hope we can be friends."
Then a lobster came up. "Hey hey! The name's Corphish, fellow guild apprentice."
Then a bunny, a bird, and a walking rose stood before them. "Hey, we're also apprentices. I'm Mimi, this is Feather, and that's Rose."
Another Pikachu, this one a male, strode forward. "Hey there, ladies. My name's Sparks and I'm part of the solo Team Snow. I hope we can be on good terms, especially you." He flashed a smile at Shelly. Man, does she look cute!
Man, does he look weird! Shelly thought. "Maybe later, Sparks." She muttered.
"Just move along so we can see the others." Flare warned, fur prickling.
"Hey, just watch it!" Sparks said. "What's the matter? Jealous that I'm flirting with your friend?"
"Just move it, Sparks." She growled. The Pikachu leaped away. "He and I aren't on very good terms, Shelly. Just ignore him."
"You know him?" Shelly asked.
"Yes, unfortunately."
An Eevee and a Totodile came forward next. The Eevee had a red ribbon around her neck. "Hi! I'm Kit and this is Sharptooth. We're part of Team Raindrop and we're apprentices, too!" the Eevee chirped, smiling.
"As long as you don't upset Kit, we'll get along just fine." Sharptooth grumbled.
"Overprotective much?" Shelly muttered as the duo vanished.
A cat, a pink dog, and a blue mouse came up next. "Hey, we're Team thief. I'm Meowth, nicknamed 'Cat Burglar', this is Snubbull, and this is Marill. Might want to keep your valuables in a safe spot while we're around." The cat warned. Shelly noticed that he wore a black glove with a red T on his left paw.
Suddenly, a second cat jumped forward and threw her arms around Meowth's neck. "Ooh, you forgot about me again!" she whined. A purple ribbon was wrapped around her tail.
"Sorry, sweetie." Meowth chuckled. "This is my girlfriend, Meowsy. Do anything to hurt her and you're my new scratching post."
"Meeeow!" Meowsy purred. The four stepped away.
"That was...scary." Flare whimpered.
"You got that right, Flare. Talk about possessive."
A big pink thing and a gray cat stepped up next. "I'm Chansey, the guild's nurse. And this is my apprentice, Glameow. If you have any injuries once you return from missions, just drop by my room and we'll get you fixed up. Glameow, why don't you say something to our new friends?"
The gray cat looked up. "Hi...I'm still in training to be a nurse. Um, I'll be in Chansey's room if you need me." She raced down the hall to the right, vanishing into a room.
"Poor thing, still so shy," Chansey muttered. "Good luck with your training, dears!" Chansey quickly followed after her apprentice.
A large black and white dog came up next. Following her was a brown lizard wearing a skull and a big brown bird. "Hey, we're Team Yena. We're graduates, unlike you newbies. I'm Yena, that's Bone, and that's Fear. Stay out of our way and we'll stay out of yours." The Mightyena barked.
"Heh heh! You're so mean to the new kids, boss!" Fear, a Fearow, laughed. "Maybe if you were nicer, we'd get more recruits for our team!"
"Then we'd be hit with loads of weakling jobs." Bone, a Cubone, muttered. The trio departed.
A weasel stepped up next, looking tired. "I'm Linoone, the guild's tracker. You won't see me much, so don't bother looking for me."
"No duh, you lazy rat!" Yena hissed. "Always waits until the last second to get things done except in emergencies!"
Three dogs with curled horns and forked tails came up next. "We're Team Houndoom, also graduates. I'm Doom, that's Fang, and his little brother Claw. If you need any help in missions, you can come looking for us."
A bat, a black dog, and a blue ghost came next. "We are Team Nightshade, also graduates. I'm Shadow." The Zubat said. "They are Umbreon and Misdreavus. We do missions at night. If you have questions, look for us."
"Always shut the door to our room, though." The Umbreon added.
Shelly noticed that he had bandages on his right back leg and across his left eye. I wonder what happened to him. Oh! She saw that the leader, Shadow, had shredded wings and scars on his chest. Misdreavus had light blue beads around her neck instead of red. They're sure one oddball group.
A green praying mantis and a blue snake-like dragon were up next. "I'm Salazar and this is Fade. We are also apprentices, part of Team Fading Blade." The bug, a Scyther, said.
Fade, a Dratini, nodded. "I'm please to meet you..." she said softly. Then she looked away, embarrassed.
Finally, a red and yellow fox and another Glaceon came up. "Hey, we're Team Frostburn!" the red fox, a Flareon, said. "I'm Molt and this is my brother, Freeze. Flare, I'm glad you finally decided to join up!"
"Uh, yeah. I'm glad, too." Flare looked away, blushing.
Shelly giggled and nudged her. "What's with you?" she asked, smirking. "Is he your boyfriend or something?"
"No, of course not!" Flare hissed. "He just this Pokemon I met when I first came here! He's been following me around for a while now, that's all. We're just friends!"
Freeze sighed. "Molt, let's go. I'm tired after our training today." He said, not looking at the two new apprentices.
"Oh, okay! Bye Flare!" The duo left, heading for their room.
"And the others: Team Storm Pulse, Team Gemstone, Team Crimson, and Team Fire Flower are on long-term missions." Chatot said. "You can meet them, along with the citizens of Treasure Town, tomorrow. Team Moonlight, come with me. There are two more Pokemon you need to meet."
Going down the hallway and stopping in front of Chansey's room, he entered. Sitting on one of the beds was a tiny Pichu snacking on an Oran Berry. "This is Sweet-Tooth, another apprentice. She enjoys sweets. Now, come along. Outside we go!"
Once they exited the tent, they stood at the top of the stairs. Chatot pointed to a large green Pokemon with a leafy tail. "Scythe, up here!" he called.
The creature, Scythe, looked up. He was chewing on a blade of wheat grass and had dark green circles around his eyes. "What is it now, Chatot?" he asked. "I haven't seen anything suspicious today."
"We have two new apprentices and I'm introducing you to them be. Be nice and introduce yourself!" Chatot reprimanded.
"Yes, sir," Scythe looked up, standing a bit straighter against the boulder he was leaning against. "I'm Scythe the Sceptile, guard of the guild. I have insomnia, so I can't sleep. I like wheat grass."
"We can tell." Shelly muttered.
"I think I saw you when I went down to the beach today." Flare remembered. "Was that you?"
"Yeah, it probably was. How many Sceptile have you seen wandering these parts?" Scythe asked.
"None," the Vulpix sighed. "Sorry, I was just curious."
"Oh, hush now, Scythe!" Chatot barked before the Grass-type could speak again. "I believe it is time to go back inside and get some rest. Good night, Scythe!"
"I don't sleep! But good night to you, too!" Scythe called. He returned to leaning against the boulder, watching for trouble.
After returning to the main room, Chatot led them down a long hallway to the left of the ladder. "This is your room!" he said.
The duo leaped onto the beds, laughing. "Great! We get beds!" Flare cheered. No more sleeping on the beach.
"So soft, so warm. I think I'm in heaven." Shelly sighed, snuggling into her bed. "I love this place already, Flare."
"You will live here while you work for us." Chatot explained. "Things will start getting busy for you tomorrow! So rise early and start living up to our code! Don't stay up late. Get to sleep early tonight! That is all." Chatot left.
A full moon was shining through the window that night. "...Oh, are you still awake, Shelly?" the Vulpix muttered.
"Yeah. Why?" Shelly asked.
"My heart's been racing all day today over every little thing..." Flare explained softly. "But I'm glad I finally made myself come here. I thought Wigglytuff would be scary, but he seems pretty friendly."
"He looked creepy to me." Shelly grumbled, rolling over.
"We're going to be experiencing all sorts of things starting tomorrow, but I'm not very scared." Flare admitted. "In fact, it's the other way around. I'm super excited about the adventures we'll face!"
"I'm feeling super sleepy." Shelly groaned. "Could you shut up and go to bed already?"
"I'm feeling a bit sleepy, too..." Flare muttered.
"Finally! Shut it and go to sleep, Flare!" Shelly hissed.
"Shelly, let's give it our all tomorrow."
"Sure, whatever. Go to bed."
"OK, Shelly. Good night." Flare said.
"Good night, Flare." Shelly replied.
Flare smiled. I've haven't had anyone tell me good night since my mother died. I'm glad Shelly told me that. Thank you, Shelly, for everything. She fell asleep.
Shelly, on the other hand, couldn't sleep yet. Um...Now I'm suddenly apprenticing at the guild...I gotta admit, it's pretty exciting to be in an exploration team. And it's fun to be friends with Flare...But first things first...Who am I? How did I turn into a Pokemon? How did I end up unconscious on that beach? Shelly yawned. I'm feeling sleepy too...Well, thinking about it won't help right now. I'd better focus on the guild's work for now...If I do that, well, everything should become clear eventually...I'll surely get to the bottom of this in time. Then, she fell asleep too.
Elsewhere...
Flare's father snarled, pacing around his empty cave. He had privately buried his mate after his master made disappeared, mourning her loss. His four remaining children were currently being trained by the Sableye. His daughters, Amaui and Anela, were being trained in defense while his sons, Zephyr and Yottoko, were being trained in offense.
His wife's younger sister was here, screaming at him. She looked lovely to the eye but she had a sharp tongue and was defiant. Just like her sister, he lamented. How terrible it had been that he had to kill her, all on account of her not being an obedient wife and obeying his orders. He never asked for much from her: a massage, pleasure, children, the Relic Fragment.
He growled, growing impatient of the younger Ninetale's complaints. Twirling around, he ripped his claws across her face. "SILENCE!!" he roared. "Why are you so much like your sister?! You defiant, whiny little wench!"
She fell silent. It didn't take long to realize what he had done. Leaving scars across a female Ninetale's face was a sign of exile from her family. Upon realizing this, he smiled. "Well, I can't risk you taking the children and running away from me, can I?" he asked, smirking. "You are now exiled from my family!"
She was scared. "Fine!" she shouted. "I never wanted a part of this anyway, murderer!" She fled from the cave, crying. An exiled Ninetale's not only lost their family but their name, too. Her old name was hers no longer. "From now on, I am called Scarface." She raced across the paralyzed landscape, intent on getting as far away from him as she could.
Once she was nothing more than a speck in the distance, a voice broke through the male Ninetales' thought. "Primal Ninetales, was that such a wise decision? If you let her go free, she could locate your daughter and hide her from you."
"She's already hidden thanks to my wife's Relic Fragment." Primal Ninetales countered. 'What are you doing here anyway?" He glanced at the shadow on the floor. "Ah, I see you've evolved since last time we met. Come to challenge me to another match?"
"No, that won't do." The voice said. A single glowing red eye stared at the Ninetales. "My position was boosted to an even higher level, Primal Ninetales. The command of the Sableye hordes has been passed on to me."
"What?! When?" he demanded. "Why wasn't I informed? What of my position?"
"You and I are of the same rank now, Primal Ninetales." The voice replied. "Are you afraid of being thrown aside by our master in exchange for me?"
"Yeah right! Master would never throw me aside!" Primal Ninetales yelled. "It was I who found master the Relic Fragment and I who delivered it to him!"
"But it was your daughter who stole it once again, correct?"
Primal Ninetales hung his head. "Just get out of my den. I don't want anyone to disturb me again." He walked to his rocky nest and rested on it, missing the warmth of his dead mate.
"Are you in mourning now, Primal Ninetales?"
"Get out,"
"...That will do." The red eye vanished, signaling the Pokemon's retreat.
Primal Ninetales groaned, closing his eyes. "Why me? Why him? Why everything?" I'll find a way of getting that Relic Fragment back, no matter what. My position will not be jeopardized by a ghost and a child! Never!
--
How was the chapter? I hope I didn't overload you on characters. What will happen to Scarface? Who was talking to Primal Ninetales? And what's in store for Team Moonlight? You'll have to wait until next chapter to find out!
Also, I was wondering if anyone can make some clients for future missions. I just recently got both PMD2 games and my Diamond version but the mail didn't bring my DS, so I can't get ideas for future missions until Monday.
I hope you all liked the chapter! Please review!