He let it hang around his neck by a silver chain and stepped up to the grate.
"Pokemon detected, Pokemon detected!" A child-like voice chirped from underground.
"WHO IS IT? WHO IS IT?" A boisterous voice yelled.
"The footprint is Riolu's; Shadow is back!"
"ALREADY huh? C'mon IN then!"
The ground trembled as the heavy gates lifted up, granting the determined youngster access inside. He waltzed inside, ignoring the sign, and climbed down the ladder. He paused at the second floor, his gaze traveled from one face to the next.
Various Pokemon loitered in this area; some were having discussions, others were focused on the poster boards on the left and right sides of the room.
The Riolu paid them no heed and continued his descent to the bottom floor.
"Bidoof, what are these? I said to check the Kecleon's market for Perfect Apples! These are Big Apples, not Perfect!" Chatot scolded the plump, small brown beaver Pokemon.
"Gosh, I'm sorry Chatot... I ain't really seen too many Perfect Apples, they all look the same to me," Bidoof sheepishly replied.
Before either could speak another word, Shadow scuffed his foot against the dirt floor, grabbing Chatots attention.
"Ah, Shadow, you're back already!" He sang, "I assume you were successful?"
Shadow, with his usual stoic face, dug through his slightly damaged Treasure Bag and handed Chatot at least a dozen or more giant, bright red apples.
"I knew we could count on you, Shadow! What a pleasure it is to have one of the Lucario's clan most experienced young one signing up at our guild! Thomas' and Molly's eldest son nonetheless!"
"So," he continued, setting the Perfect Apples aside, "I trust you know all the rules and our policies, yes?"
"Of course, I wasn't planning on joining blindly," he scoffed arrogantly.
"Very good, as expected. Now, ah, where's your team?" Chatot cleared his throat, his eyes scanning the room.
"...Excuse me?"
"Your team, Shadow. Where is your partner, or team members?"
"I.. don't have any," Shadow rolled his eyes, "I've always worked alone."
Chatots expression turned sour.
"You can't join unless you have at least one other member or partner in your team. I'm sorry, Shadow, but rules are rules. I know this is a bit unexpected. However, due to the.. unusual goings on, the mystery dungeons and the like, the Exploration and Rescue Team Federations felt it both necessary to put a restriction on those who wish to start a team. You have to understand, it's for the best of everyone involved, for you and your teams safety."
"And I suppose this has nothing to do with the near apocalyptic disasters that took place decades ago?" He quipped sarcastically. "If this was, in fact, another world ending event like last time, where are our so called 'heroes'? Our special little snowflake human and cliche scaredy Meowth partner?"
"Listen, we appreciate everything your mother and father have done for us here in Treasure Town and in the far east in Town Square. And from what I understand, this is your dream, is that correct? To follow in their footsteps? However, we can't go bending the rules for you, otherwise we'd have to do that for everyone else as well."
The Riolu scowled at the parrot Pokemon.
"Find yourself a partner, then we'll gladly let you enroll in our apprenticeship program. If you'll excuse me, I have plenty of work to do."
With that, Chatot flew up the ladder to the first floor.
"Hmph," he grumbled to himself, "fine, I don't need anyone anyway. Not their silly guild, and most certainly no amateur 'partner'!" He sneered the last word like it was mud beneath his mighty feet.
He glared down at his fragment and shoved it in his bag.
He took a frustrated breath, despite his insides boiling, and stalked off outside the guild, straight down a dirt path that led to the beach. He knew he was out of sight and earshot when the dirt path turned gritty and fine against his padded feet.
He gently reached into his modestly sized rugged dark blue bag and pulled out his personal treasure. He then sat cross legged and gazed up at the bubbles that caught the sunsets rays and glowed colors of the rainbow. His maroon eyes slowly began to droop. He focused on his burning hot red aura, which shifted and simmered down to a serene vivid orange hue.
"I always come here when I'm feeling down," he whispered.
He held up his treasure against the orange-pink sky, the oddly shaped rock with peculiar patterns painted on gleamed a faint hue of the sky colors when the rays hit it just right.
"I thought it would be easier with my charm around," he murmured.
"I really don't want a partner but, I guess I wouldn't mind having someone to teach new and challenging things to. As long as they aren't too inexperienced, haha!" A rare grin spread across his lips.
He stood and brushed off the gritty sand from his blue and black fur, when he heard a faint moaning coming from next to Beach Cave. He let his treasure hang again.
"Hm?" He perked his head up and swiveled it towards to general area of the sound and his eyes widened when he figured out the source.
"Wha-? Are they passed out?"
The yellow furred figure didn't move or make any other noise. Shadow approached him -or her, judging by the heart shaped lightening tail- quietly.
She had a tuft of fur that was brushed to the right, and held in place by a red/blue checkered headband. The fur on aforementioned area was long and covered the right side of her face; the ends were cut crudely and thus jagged. Her fur was messy and stuck out in many places, including her tail. She was shivering and, when Shadow brushed his paw against her forehead, was damp and feverish; not to mention she had a bruise and scabs all over her petite body.
She appeared pretty young. Shadow was about 3'9'', and was a young adult already. She had to be only 3'3'', at the most.
"She also looks starved," he noted.
Indeed, he could see the distinct mounds of where her ribs were and hip bones jutted out noticeably. Overall, she was essentially pear shaped; at a healthier weight she'd be more hourglass shaped most likely.
Shadow grimaced, "she needs medical attention. But the one in town..." He closed his eyes a moment and pondered his options.
"If I bring her to town, they'll ask too many questions, and they may not even help her until those questions are answered."
He glanced over her damp, sickly body.
"For now, I'll bring her back to base. She needs somewhere dry, warm, and plenty of rest."
He tenderly picked her up bridal style and started the walk back home.
-scene change-
Shadow bent down and placed his unexpected guest slowly on the soft straw bed next to his. He pinched his forehead with two fingers and leaned out the gaping mouth that served as the inside cliff. The wind tickled the fur on his face; it was the calm after a particularly nasty storm. The sun had said goodnight and the full moon took its place, glittering moonlight that brought tranquility and rested those who were weary.
"Best view out of all of Treasure Town, except maybe the guild."
In his opinion, Sharpedo Bluff (named after its shape) gave the best view of the sky during sunrise and sunset. You could also see the bubbles of the Krabby merrily float by, deeper into the ocean.
He took one last, longing look into the great open world, and knelt next to the unconscious electric rodent that laid limp on the bed. For the umpteenth time, he changed the cloth on her head by throwing the used into a wooden bucket of ice water. He then removed another cloth from a different bucket of plain cold water and placed it on her head.
The Riolu's eyebrows furrowed with worry and confusion.
"Her fever should have broke by now. Though her pulse is a little higher than normal, it's not what's concerning here."
He suspiciously eyed the purpelish bump on her head, close to her chin, and the scabs of claw marks on her chest, already healing.
Many thoughts ran through Shadows head.
Had she been abused and run away? Caught in the midst of that brutal storm? Where had she come from in the first place? Amp Plains? Even from there, her kind stay deep within, sheltered from the nature and other Pokemon. Had her clan got forced out by another?
He shook the thoughts away and laid back on his own straw bed, turned in her direction.
"I can ask once she's recovered enough to answer." He decided resolutely.
"For now, however, her condition is stable, she needs sleep, and I'm exhausted from todays test."
He finally let his eyes shut and relaxed his weary body.
His dreams were filled with strange symbols akin to ones he had studied in his books, his unexpected patient, and a world so gray, light couldn't breath and wash the dark away.