Trevor felt a dull soreness as he arose from his newly made straw nest, rays of the morning sun already having seeped in through the windows. He looked down and found a familiar set of bandages wrapping his lean, fragile Meowth body. He gave a deep sigh of resignation as he looked sideways, only to find that Aiden wasn't in her own bed. Or in the house, for that matter. With a strained grunt, Trevor slowly pulled himself up to his feet, stumbled his way across the house, and slowly pushed the front door open.

Upon exiting the house, Trevor instantly raised his paws to shield his eyes before huddling from the morning chill. He found himself standing on a dirt road that led to a two-way intersection, the entirety of which was barricaded by a sea of grass that swayed and danced with the wind. In the middle of said intersection stood Aiden, impatiently tapping her foot at a rapid, consistent rhythm. She let out a wide smile upon noticing Trevor walking towards her.

"Look who finally decided to wake up," Aiden said with a relieved smile, "Jeez, you sleep like a log! I was starting to wonder whether you would let the entire morning pass you by!"

"Mmm, sorry," Trevor muttered, rubbing his eyes as they slowly began adjusting to the sunlight.

Aiden glanced at Trevor's bandaged body. "How's your chest feeling? Here, have one of these."

She handed Trevor another Oran Berry, which Trevor took with delight. "Thank you," he muttered in between excessively large bites.

"Don't mention it. We'll need all the strength we can muster for today. We're gonna take a short hike to Sunrise Town!"

"Sunrise Town?" Trevor as he finished devouring the berry in a matter of seconds, much to Aiden's amazement.

"Only the best town for any aspiring explorer! I chose to live here just cause it's nearby! Cost a fortune, but I couldn't pass up the chance to live near the famous 'Town of Dreams,' now could I?!" Aiden placed a paw on Trevor's shoulder, her bright, yellow eyes flashing excitedly. "Anyways, we're just gonna go in to register our team and do a bit of shopping. I'll give you the grand tour since you're from far away. Y'know, being human and all."

Aiden let out a quick, good-humored chuckle. Trevor nervously tried his best to do the same.

"Alright, let's hurry! We don't have any time to waste!" Aiden began sprinting off before suddenly spinning around and running back inside screaming, "Bag, can't forget about my bag!" Trevor continued to stand silently with a dumbfounded look.

-

The pair began jogging along the dirt path, Aiden looking straight ahead in anticipation as Trevor exhaustively tried to keep up. Along the way, the pair passed by a group of Pokémon which consisting of a lean, sturdy Sudowoodo, a stern looking Graveler, and a tiny Roggenrola struggling to keep up using their tiny legs. The team were all donned with purple scarves wrapped around different appendages. Trevor gawked at the trio, craning his neck and staring with wide eyes as they passed by. He wondered if they could talk in the same way Aiden could.

"By the way," Aiden suddenly asked as Sunrise Town steadily drew near, "You got any ideas for a team name?"

"A...name?"

"Yeah, a team name! We'll need to submit a team name when we apply, so let's try to settle on one before we arrive in town. We need something that'll leave an impression, one that we can be proud to call ourselves!"

Trevor found himself recalling Aiden's expression upon his accidental "agreement" to join her team. He remembered how her eyes glowed and shimmered in excitement, how her voice quaked upon the possibility that what seemed like her lifelong dream could become a reality. He recalled every minute tell that conveyed just how much becoming an explorer meant to her, and how determined she was in achieving this goal. In a brief flash of inspiration, an idea clicked into Trevor's head.

"How about...'Team Spirit?'"

Aiden stopped dead in her tracks, prompting Trevor to hastily do the same. "Team Spirit," she muttered to herself, her smile widening as she repeated the name over and over in her head. "Not bad. Not bad at all..."

-

Dirt roads turned to streets of cobble as the pair finally entered the borders of Sunrise Town. To say that the town was energetic would be an understatement: it was overwhelming. Pokémon of all shapes and sizes adorned with bandannas and satchels walked by an assortment of multicolored stalls, all accompanied by vendors loudly advertising their wares. One shade-covered stall ran by a boisterous Litwick contained cabinets of incense while another, occupied by a muscular, content-looking Makuhita, processed an array barrels chock full of colorful berries. Stone paths snaked, twisted, and branched off into a complex maze which made Trevor's head spin upon attempting to follow them. The air was abuzz with a barrage of simultaneous voices that overlapped into a chaotic harmony.

As the pair made their way through the town, passing through waves of talking Pokémon passing by, Trevor managed to catch sight of a golden, carousel-sized fountain in the middle of the town center. In the center of the fountain and placed on a pedestal stood a gargantuan, golden statue of a Lucario which shone brilliantly amidst the sunlight. Trevor stared in silent awe, transfixed towards the statue's elegance. As the he slowly neared the giant structure, he caught sight of nearby Pokémon flicking yellow and bronze coins into the giant, water-filled basin which surrounded the golden behemoth.

"This is the 'Explorer's Heart,' the, uh, heart of Sunrise Town," Aiden explained. "The creation of this town was funded through the generous donations of a legendary explorer back when the term "explorer" was fairly new. This statue was forged in his honor!" Aiden clutched Trevor's paw while refusing to take her eyes off the statue's glittering, golden features in admiration. "For me, the fountain represents the the timeless attitude of facing new frontiers, tackling challenges head on, and the drive to complete the mission no matter the risks involved. Explorers even like throwing Poké in for luck!" Aiden smiled giddily as she reached into her leather satchel, pulled out a dull, yellow coin, a giant "P" etched into both of its metallic faces, and clumsily flung it into the water. It landed with a noisy splash, sending waves of resounding ripples through the water's surface as the coin into it's new, gold-plated home.

"Ah. Maybe I shouldn't have done that when I barely have any money to spare." Aiden rubbed the back of her head with an sheepish smile.

Before Trevor could ask about what these aforementioned "risks'' were, Aiden had already taken Trevor's paw and was dragging him like a ragdoll to another part of town. Before being pulled away, he couldn't help but notice an insignia etched onto the pedestal of the Explorer's Heart which portrayed what looked like a winged Pokéball. The design stuck to Trevor even when the once towering fountain became as small as one of the countless coins resting on its basin.

-

A plethora of colors and noises whizzed by at such an accelerated pace to the point that by the time Aiden stopped, Trevor felt as if the world was continuing to spin. "Alright, Treph," Aiden said, pointing to a stall draped in vibrant green and purple patterning. "This is the Explorer's Haven, the finest shop for explorer supplies in the world. At least, that's what the sign says, I just go here cause the prices are cheap! Take my bag. I think there's about a hundred Poké in here, so use it to buy whatever you think we need." Aiden lowered her voice. "Just don't be too spend-happy; remember that we're...basically broke at the moment."

Aiden shoved her satchel into Trevor's arms and pointed towards a shadow perched on the apex of a giant hill. Upon squinting, Trevor found that it was a giant, building-sized tent, a long stone stairway leading to its entrance.

"That tent's where new teams go to register. After you finish shopping, go up and skip through the line. It's alright, I'll have waited through the line already, so you don't have to feel guilty. Just don't look at the Pokémon you pass by, look down. Anyways, I'll see you later Treph!"

And with those words, Aiden began sprinting towards the stairway, leaving Trevor was met with an all too familiar sense of uncertainty as he slowly began approaching the stall Aiden had pointed towards. He took a quick glance at its colorful sign, half green, half purple, and split by a yellow zigzag pattern. "It's pretty hard to miss," Trevor thought silently.

Upon nearing the stall, he noticed a Kecleon, its round, melon-green head lined with yellow patterning, sleeping with his head sprawled sideways on the counter. Trevor approached tenatively.

"Um, excuse me?"

The snoozing Kecleon's head jerked up alarmingly swiftly, causing Trevor to jump back, startled.

"I wasss'nt sleepin," the Kecleon murmured drunkenly, "C'mon sis, cut me some slaaaack."

"I...would like to shop? If you don't mind?"

The Kecleon snapped out of his daze, then turned to look straight at Trevor. He continued to stand rigidly, silently wishing that he had just stayed silent.

"Oh, hey little guy," the Kecleon apologized while wiping tears and dust from his black, beady eyes. "Sorry, sorry, I thought you were someone else. Welcome to Explorer's Haven, the finest shop for any explorer. You can call me Camo, cause that's...my name. Can I interest you in anything?"

Behind Camo was a series of tables containing an assortment of goods, from a pile of rope to labeled jars full of seeds to an assortment of what looked to Trevor like blue crystal balls. The only items that he was able to recognize were the pile of Oran Berries huddled in one corner. He narrowed his eyes as his mind went into overdrive trying to discern what Aiden would deem useful.

"Err- see anything you like?" Camo asked with a curious glance, "You've been standing silent for a few minutes now. C'mon man, we're low on funds. There's gotta be something that's worth buying here..."

"I'm sorry, but can you guide me through some of what you're selling?" Trevor asked, embarrassed by his own cluelessness. "I'm new when it comes to exploring, and-"

"A new explorer?!" Camo instantly sprang to life as he grabbed onto Trevor's shoulder and began enthusiastically leading him closer towards his wares. "Say no more, friend! Just pick an item and I'll explain exactly what it does. Then you can get to the buying; I'm sure you have more than enough Poké in that bag to get us a nice—err—buy some good stuff. Trust me, with these items, the entry exam will be a breeze!"

"Again with this exam," Trevor thought, "What exactly am I going to have to do?"

Camo's eyes glittered with expectation as Trevor continued to carefully scan his wares. "What are these?" he finally asked after some consideration, pointing to a jar labeled "BLAST SEEDS," the striking, bold font of the letters piquing Trevor's interest.

"These are blast seeds," Camo immediately answered, "They have many potent effects depending on what you do with them. Applying a fair amount of force to one will turn it into a powerful time bomb that detonates after about ten seconds. You'll know when a seed is about to blow up through a subtle hissing sound. If it makes direct contact with something upon being thrown, however, it will detonate instantly, so there's a fair amount of freedom in how it can be used! Alternatively, you can crack one in your mouth to breathe out a billowing stream of fire that's sure to scorch any crawler unfortunate enough to cross you! Here, have a closer look!"

Camo carefully unsealed the airtight lid and handed a seed to Trevor. Upon closer inspection, Trevor likened it to a gnarled, black almond. He stared at and rotated the seed in his palm for a few seconds before the impact of the Kecleon's words managed to sink in.

"Wait, this thing is a bomb?!" Trevor recoiled in horror, his hands trembling as he hastily shoved the seed back into Camo's arms.

"Yep," Camo answered proudly as he carefully put the seed back into the jar from where it came. "One of the best bombs in the business if I do say so myself! Compact, yet deadly - perfect for any explorer! Thirty Poké a pop, a real steal."

"Why are you handing it to me then?! Why are you selling a...a bomb in such a public place?!"

"Calm down, little guy. A blast seed is the least of your worries when most Pokémon here cam breathe fire on their own anyways." Camo hung his head sadly. "It's why business has been tough as of late - why use items when you can just rely on your innate, Arceus-given talents?"

It wasn't long, however, before his head sprung back up as he swiftly switched back to what Trevor could only describe as his 'entrepreneur mode.' "But never mind all that! Are there any other items you're interested in?"

After some deliberation, Trevor silently pointed to an array of razor-sharp spikes with varying colors stacked neatly on a shelf. He began to feel as if his heart was being gripped by a pair of cold, invisible hands as he awaited Camo's next explanation.

"These beauties are 'thorns,' the perfect throwing weapons. We only have two variants at the moment, wooden and iron, but rest assured, they're all as sharp and effective as their higher quality variants for sure! Five to ten Poké each."

That was enough to make Trevor snap. "What do explorers need this dangerous stuff for anyways?!"

Camo dropped his eager smile and stared into Trevor's eyes quizzically as if the answer should have been obvious. "For...crawlers. When you go into dungeons?"

"...crawlers?"

"You know, those Pokémon lookalikes that live in dungeons? The ones without pupils that try to kill anyone they come across? Hey - you okay?"

Trevor began to hyperventilate, clutching his bandaged body as his knees began to quiver uncontrollably. The world around him blurred and spun and his ability to breath lessened with each subsequent breath. Camo, his stall, the entirety of Sunrise Town crumbled into nothingness, leaving a dark, endless abyss in its wake.

"I need...to face...those things again? No. No, I can't! It wasn't supposed to be like this. Oh God, I'm gonna die! I'm gonna..."

"Hey, hey! C'mon, stay with me!" Camo grabbed onto Trevor's shoulders, shaking him around so as to break him out of his bout of panic. "Take a seat. I need you to breathe deep for me, okay? In, then out - just like that. Hey, I know the fear is setting in - many explorers get all jittery before starting their journey towards the big leagues. But trust me, going out there and taking on those dungeons, the journey of it all - it'll be unlike anything you've ever experienced before. I would say 'you'll see,' but it looks like you've even had some experience already!"

Camo smiled, grinning slyly towards Trevor's day-old bandages. With everything that had happened that day, he had forgotten about his injuries, much less the pale white bandages that continued to constrict his thin frame.

"I know everything probably seems like it's going at a fast pace. I've seen many an explorer say as much. But if you don't take that leap of faith, then nothing's ever gonna change. Take it from me, little guy, sometimes you've just got to close your eyes and take that jump without a care in the world."

Camo flashed a warm, reassuring grin which caught Trevor by surprise. He felt was overcome with a newfound sense of admiration.

"Now c'mon, let's get up. Let's get you some items so that you can go on your way towards some life-changing adventures," Camo reached a hand out to Trevor with the clear intent of hoisting him back up.

"Life changing adventures..." Trevor repeated in his head as he gratefully latched on.