I'm so sorry for taking so long to update this. I know that I somehow have quite a few people following this story now, and I feel like garbage for not being able to continue it sooner. I'll um, I'll continue this at the end of chapter author's note so that this doesn't get too wordy...
"Gah! I don't believe this crap! Stuck babysittin' a coupla' snot-nosed namby-pamby brats just 'cuz I don't do things all picture perfect squeaky clean the way that old dictator declares is 'the right' way?! It ain't right, Anny! We bust our asses trackin' down those scumbag Hydreigon bandits, put our necks on the line to haul them in, and just because I happened to get a little rough with them on the way to the precinct, THIS is the thanks we get for it?! Of all the lousy, rotten, no-good things that winged little cream puff has done to get back at me..."
"Oh, hush, Krook, you're hardly making a good first impression..."
Wil and Braixen followed their escorts quietly, as the Krookodile and Leavanny led them out of the city outskirts, down the road that led to Braixen's house. Neither dared make a peep, lest they incur the wrath of their grumpy chaperone any further. While Anny had done her best to get the two used to the normal preparation routines that Detective Teams usually took before tackling a mission, such as proper provision management and overviewing the mission, Krook had made it abundantly clear that he was not at all happy with the current situation, and had done little more than rant and rave about pretty much everything under the sun from the moment they left the precinct. Wil was actually morbidly impressed that he had managed to keep it up for so long without losing so much as a beat, but at the same time hearing the person who was supposed to be one of his instructors do nothing but complain about having to 'babysit' them in the first place didn't exactly instill him with confidence or enthusiasm.
"Bah, what do I care about first impressions?" Krook spat, flapping his lips together in dismissal. "These kids have no business takin' this dumb test, we're gonna get stuck holding their hands the whole way, and we ain't even gonna get paid for it, for cryin' out loud!"
"For Arceus' sake, Krook, just because you're having a bad day doesn't give you the right to take it out on these two." Anny shot back, not at all willing to put up with her partner's unnecessary vitriol. "Kids, don't pay any attention to what Krook says unless I agree with him about it, he always turns into this pouty little baby whenever things don't go his way, so don't take it personally." She shot Krook a murderous look to keep him from speaking up on the matter before continuing, "I'm sure you've got what it takes to pass this silly old test, it's nowhere near as hard as the Chief and Krook want to make it sound, they just do that to scare off anyone that might get second thoughts about joining. Weeding out those who aren't going to be dedicated before it becomes a problem, y'know?"
Wil and Braixen both nodded implicitly, though they still didn't have the nerve to speak.
Noticing this, Anny let out an exasperated sigh and shot Krook another glare. "Jeez, Krook, you've got them so freaked out that they're afraid to talk!"
"Pfft, ain't my problem." Krook replied dully.
"Maybe not yet, but you just keep this attitude up and see where it gets you later, 'darling'." Anny responded, adding an extra, threatening emphasis on the last word. Whatever power Anny held in those words, it worked, as much to Wil and Braixen's shock, the surly Krookodile soon after muttered out something that could have been construed as "Sorry..." if you were listening extra hard. Seemingly enough for Anny, her demeanor soon softened again, as she turned back to the younger duo and smiled. "Now, I think we all just got off on the wrong foot from the start, and it's gonna be a while before we get to our destination, so why don't we take this time to get better acquainted with one another?"
Glancing at one another, and then at Krook to make sure he wasn't about to go off on another profanity-laced tirade, Wil and Braixen nodded. One of them even managed to eke out a tiny "S-Sure.", though it was so quiet that even they couldn't figure out which of them had said it.
Giggling at their apprehension, Anny shook her head and gave them a look of reassurance. "No need to be so worried, dears, I don't bite, and Krook won't so long as I'm around, so feel free to open up and talk as much as you'd like. Here, I might as well get the ball rolling, since I'm sure Krook's not going to add much to the conversation. As you have to know by now, I go by the name Anny, and my partner Mr. Grumpydile over there goes by Krook, we've been a Detective Team going on, oh, probably a good ten years now."
"W-Wow, really?" Braixen exclaimed on instinct, Wil's eyes flashing with a sense of slight amazement alongside her.
Giggling again, Anny nodded, happy at the fact that she had gotten them to ease up a bit. "Yup! We've been at this since we were around your ages, I'd reckon. Oh you should've seen Krook when he was a Krokorok, trying to act all tough and menacing. He was the dorkiest, most adorable-"
"A-Anny!" Krook cried out in panic, his face beginning to turn a deeper shade of red almost instantaneously. "Z-Zip your damn lips, woman!"
Krook's reaction only served to give Anny another giggle fit, which in turn only made his face even more crimson, a fact that he tried futilely to hide by stomping ahead of the others so they couldn't see his face at all. Braixen and Wil had to stifle laughter of their own at the Krookodile's overreaction, as Anny began to speak again, once she had wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes.
"Oh, dear... But yes, we've been at this for quite a while now, so rest assured, you're in good hands with us! Er, or rather, claws and mandibles, as it were..."
"Well, that's certainly a relief, right Wil?" Braixen said politely, nudging her partner so that he'd say something as well.
"H-Huh? Oh, yeah, totally..." Wil said, nodding rapidly, though inwardly, even news such as that did little to ease his fear for what was to come. "All the experience in the world is gonna mean diddly squat when your pupil has no idea how to fight whatsoever..." he thought miserably to himself, his stomach churning as he trudged on alongside Braixen and the others. He hoped they would remain unaware of his true feelings for as long as possible, but realized that he would eventually end up letting Braixen down whenever it did inevitably happen regardless, causing a noticeable slump in his demeanor.
"So um, how did you two become a Detective Team?" Braixen asked, picking up on her partner's tenseness and doing her best to cover for him.
"Oh, that's..." Anny's happy expression faltered momentarily as she bit her lip in contemplation. "That's actually maybe a bit too long of a story to tell at the moment, and I somehow get the feeling that Krook isn't going to want me to tell you regardless since it's a bit... Embarrassing for him, shall we say."
"Geez, you might as well just tell 'em all about it now, Anny." Krook grunted in irritation. "Sayin' somethin' all mysterious soundin' like that, now all they're gonna be doin' the whole time is pesterin' you to tell 'em..."
"Er, n-no, not if it would make either of you uncomfortable..." Braixen said quickly, not wanting to get on Krook's bad side any more than they already were.
"Well, maybe another time, I'm sure we'll have plenty of time to talk about it later, once you two become official detectives." Anny said with a smile. "But hey, why don't you tell us how the two of you met, instead? You're both so adorable, and those little speeches you gave about one another to the Chief were just too precious! I have to imagine you two have been at each other's side for a while yourselves, with how well you seem to get on with one another!"
Braixen and Wil looked at each other in embarrassment for a moment, before turning their gazes to Leavanny and shaking their heads.
"Actually, uh, we kind of just met each other for the first time yesterday..." Braixen admitted sheepishly, though she couldn't quite tell why she felt so sheepish about it in the first place. The look of surprise on Anny's face at her admission was rather prevalent, to say the least.
"Oh my gosh, you're kidding!" Anny said in shock, to which Braixen and Wil once again shook their heads. "Wow, but the way you two were talking to the Chief though... You don't hear too many people who've only known each other for one day willing to put so much faith into one another like you two seem to have..." Giggling again, she cast Krook a reminiscent glance. "Haha, it almost reminds me of myself and Krook, in a way..."
"Bleargh, just gag me with a spoon already." Krook muttered. "If you're so eager to tell 'em the damn story, then just do it already, will ya?"
"No, no, it can wait for another day." Anny replied smoothly. "Besides, I'm much more interested in hearing their story now, assuming they're willing to tell it, of course."
"Oh, well, sure, we don't mind... Er, do we, Wil...?" Braixen stated, before looking at Wil hesitantly once she realized she should have asked him first before answering for the both of them.
"Y-Yeah, sure, I've got nothing to hide." Wil said with a shrug. "Uh, you can tell them though, Brai, you seem a lot better with words than I am..."
"Alright." Braixen said with a nod, before she began to regale Anny and Krook with the tale of the previous day, though she left out the part about Wil claiming to be a human for obvious reasons, instead merely stating that he had amnesia.
"...and that's pretty much it." Braixen finished, a few minutes later to an at least halfway enthralled audience.
"Yeah, see, that would've taken me thrice as long to explain, more than likely." Wil said with a small, hollow chuckle, one which faded quicker than he wanted it to.
"Oh my goodness..." Anny said quietly, bringing her hand to her mouth once Braixen was finished. "That... That's so beautiful! To think, that two total strangers can meet in such a way and go on
to form such a bond so quickly in this day and age! Why, I'm almost tempted to say that it was fate that brought you two together, wouldn't you agree, Krook?"
"I'd say it's more like you've been readin' too many of those crappy girly novels of yours lately." Krook sniggered in response, drawing another thoroughly annoyed look from Anny.
"Uh, I'm not sure if I'd go so far as to claim it was fate, but it certainly was convenient for both of us." Braixen said in slight embarrassment, trying to detract from how gushy Anny was going on about it.
"Yeah, no kiddin'." Wil added, before letting out a small shudder. "I don't even wanna know where I'd be right now if someone else would've found me..."
"Well, fate or not, it sounds like you two lucked out big time in finding each other." Anny said with a smile, trying to keep things positive as she picked up on Wil's continuing gloominess. Suddenly, her eyes lit up as she saw a certain structure coming up in the distance. "Oh! That's your guys' house, isn't it?" Braixen nodded in confirmation, and Anny continued, "Ooh, maybe we should stop in so you guys can say hello to your kids! I just have to admit, after what you've told me about them, I really want to meet them myself!"
Krook groaned in disgust at the suggestion. "For cripes sake, Anny, we don't got time for this! It's bad enough we have to waste our time with these twerps as it is, the last thing I wanna do right now is deal with even twerpier brats!"
"Er, I'm not so sure that's a good idea right now anyways..." Braixen said hesitantly, casting a worried glance at her home as they came up to it. "Like I was saying, they're kind of suspicious around anyone that isn't me, and they're still getting used to Wil as it is. Perhaps later, though, once we all have more, er, time..."
"Oh, I suppose you're right..." Anny said reluctantly, nodding her head sadly as the group passed by the orphanage.
"So uh, tell me again about this place we're headin' to, please?" Wil asked, doing his best to seem at least a little interested in their task. "It's another one of those Mystery Dungeons, right? I uh, still haven't quite wrapped my head around the concept of those things..."
"Mm-hmm." Anny nodded, before letting out another giggle. "Don't worry, we don't quite know that much about them either. But really, so long as you guys have your Detective's Badges with you, you shouldn't have anything to worry about in regards to getting lost in them or anything. But um, as for the place itself, it's a quiet, usually peaceful forest on the edge of a lake, hence the name Lakeside Forest. And er, by peaceful, I mean by Mystery Dungeon standards, at least. There usually aren't many strong Pokemon lurking about within it, typically just a bunch of low level Bug and Grass types, which is probably the reason the Chief chose it for you guys."
"Yeah, any Fire type worth their mettle shouldn't have any problem gettin' through there in one piece, but bringin' in a criminal is a whole different ballgame." Krook added seriously. "This idiot you guys have been assigned to may be just some punk Scrafty vandal, but you can't ever let your guard down around a quarry, no matter how bush league they might seem. They're wanted criminals for a reason, y'know, so you can't expect them to just roll over for you like the simple, mindless mooks that live in the dungeons."
"Y-Yes sir, we realize that." Braixen said, trying to sound confident for her and Wil's sake, in the hopes that Krook would stop treating them like children, if only a little. "My um, mother used to tell me and the other kids all about how dangerous her job was, probably because she didn't want any of us to... Urgh, follow in her footsteps... But yes, I'm aware to never take a criminal for granted, even if they seem weak at first glance."
"Peh, well, let's just see how well you can apply that knowledge of yours in the actual real deal situation." Krook said, still not sounding all too confident in Braixen and Wil's abilities, casting a particularly wary eye on Wil, as he had done little more than nod along in agreement to things that Braixen had stated that she knew. "We'll be watchin' you guys to make sure you don't go and get yourselves killed, but don't think for an instant that we're gonna step in unless it's an emergency. The whole point of this little exercise is to make sure you two are ready to do this crap on your own, so you'd probably be better off pretendin' that we ain't with you."
"Much as I hate to admit it, Krook's got a point..." Anny reluctantly agreed. "Once we get there, we're going to let you guys take the lead, and we'll be following a ways behind you, just to monitor and keep an eye on you. Truth be told, we aren't really supposed to interact with you guys at all once we enter the dungeon, unless we're forced to. But hey, if you kids really wanna do this, then you shouldn't need our help regardless, so like Krook said, just try and pretend that we aren't there at all, okay? Don't worry, I know you guys can do it!"
Wil and Braixen exchanged nervous glances with one another before nodding in compliance, though Braixen couldn't help but take notice of the look of dread in Wil's eye.
"Th-Thank you, ma'am." Braixen stuttered in response to Anny's encouragement. "We... We won't let you down, r-right, Wil?"
"...Nope. Wouldn't dream of it." Wil spoke in response, though his gaze stayed glued to the road ahead of him, too ashamed to look Braixen or Anny in the eye as he lied to them.
The rest of the trip was spent in an awkward, relative silence, the only conversations being bits of small talk that took place mostly between Anny and Braixen, Wil only speaking up when his name was mentioned, and Krook not speaking up at all other than a few grunts of yes or no in response to questions from Anny. Thankfully, it only took them another twenty or so minutes before they arrived at their destination.
"Gosh, this place is so pretty." Braixen stated, as the group stood at the edge of the large, shimmering lake that seemed to stretch on alongside the forest for its entire length. "Mama Kangaskhan used to take us on trips here all the time when I was little, back when it was still relatively safe to do so. She used to go into the forest and gather lunch for us while we played by the lakeside... I can almost still taste the apples she would harvest from here, they always seemed so much bigger and tastier than those from elsewhere for some reason..." Braixen's stomach growled involuntarily at the memory, prompting Wil's to do the same, giving both of them an all too painful reminder of how hungry they both still were.
"Oh, you poor dears, you're probably starving, aren't you?" Anny asked in distress as she noticed the pained grimaces that had appeared on their faces in response to their stomachs growling. "Krook, don't just stand there, give them something to eat, for goodness sakes!"
"Heh?" Krook grunted, not having been paying full attention, taking a moment to realize what Anny had asked. "Ah, jeez, Anny." he began, grumbling in annoyance as he reached into his and Anny's exploration bag and pulled out a couple of apples, then tossed them without warning Wil and Braixen's way. "You're too damned generous, woman..."
"Stop saying such silly things, Krook, there's no such thing as being 'too generous'." Anny responded, giggling as she watched Braixen and Wil juggle the apples that had unexpectedly been thrown towards them. "Besides, you can't possibly expect them to go exploring on empty bellies, they wouldn't last a floor in such a state! Now go on dears, eat up, and don't worry about paying us back or anything, either."
"W-Wow, for real?" Wil asked in shock, as he looked hungrily from the apple in his hand to the happily confirming nod of Anny, beaming in gratitude at her and Krook. "Holy crap, thank you so much! I haven't eaten anything all day, and Brai hasn't eaten anything but friggin' twigs, so oh God, do we ever need these."
Braixen, however, looked at her apple with trepidation, her stomach growling fiercely as she stared at its delicious, tempting sheen, but her grasp keeping it oh-so-temptingly away from herself. "Um... Gosh, this is really kind of you guys, but... I just... I don't think I can eat anything with the knowledge that the kids back home are still starving..."
"H-Huh?" Wil squawked, stopping abruptly as he brought his apple up to his mouth, moments away from biting into it. His stomach let out another vengeful growl as the apple stayed agonizingly close to his face, but much as he wanted to tear into it, hearing Braixen's words made him reluctant to do so, not wanting to selfishly feed himself if his partner had no intention of doing so.
"Oh, you can go ahead and eat, Wil, I'm just talking for myself." Braixen stated quickly, not at all intending for Wil to abstain as well.
Wil spent another agonizing moment staring at the apple in his hand, before sighing and reluctantly lowering it to his side. "Er, nah, if you aren't eating, than I ain't either." he said, shaking his head and forcing a grin.
"Oh, no, don't you start this again, Wil." Braixen said in annoyance, getting flashbacks to Wil's little stunt from the night before at dinner. "I already told you, I'm used to not eating, I can handle it. You, on the other hand, obviously aren't used to it, and plus, like you said, I've already eaten today, and you haven't, so you're a LOT hungrier than I am, I'm sure. So eat your apple."
"Oh my God, no, freaking twigs do NOT count as food!" Wil responded, his voice beginning to rise to match Braixen's. "And besides, if you can tough it out, than so can I! In case you couldn't tell, I am incredibly rugged and manly, so this kind of thing ain't nothin' to someone like me."
"No, no, you're not doing this again." Braixen growled, stomping over to Wil and getting right in his face. Balling up her fist, she raised it up to her friend's face threateningly. "I am not about to let you go in that dumb forest on an empty stomach just because you stupidly think you have to prove something. The kids are my responsibility, not yours, so you don't have anything to feel guilty about. So eat your damn apple!"
Wil shook his head rapidly, cackling madly before raising an accusatory finger to Braixen's face to match the fist she had raised in his. "Ha! What is this garbage that's spewing out of your mouth? I told you, I ain't gonna be no freeloader, I said I'd help you take care of those kids, and as long as I'm living in your house, then they sure as hell ARE just as much my responsibility as yours! But that's beside the point, fact is, if you ain't eatin', then that means I ain't eatin' either, it's just as plain and simple as that. I don't care what the reason is, either. If a friend of mine is goin' hungry, then I am too."
"My GOD, you're the most stubborn, hardheaded idiot I've ever met!" Braixen snarled, the smug look on Wil's face accomplishing little other than enraging her even more.
"I know you are but what am I?" Wil responded, sticking his tongue out childishly before putting on the biggest poop-eating grin he could muster, thoroughly pleased with himself for managing to use such a 'classic' retort.
"Wil, you either eat that freaking apple or I'll shove it down your damn throat myself!" Braixen shouted, her eyes flashing with a wildness and anger that let Wil know she wasn't even kidding at that point.
"God damn, this has got to be the most passive-aggressive pissing contest I've ever seen." Krook stated to Anny, with a mixture of annoyance and amusement. The two had become mere spectators, both of them too caught off guard by the sudden and rapid escalation of Wil and Braixen's argument to step in or interrupt the two.
"U-Um, I-I don't think it'd be very wise for either of you to head into a mission hungry, dears." Anny exclaimed loudly, having finally been brought out of her shock by Krook's words and hoping to distract the two before things escalated any further. Succeeding in getting their attentions, she spoke up quickly before either of them had a chance to shove anything anywhere. "Th-That's very dedicated of you, Braixen, and you too, Wil, but either of you going hungry isn't going to help anyone, least of all those poor kids or yourselves. You guys need the energy to get through the dungeon and all the inherent danger that lurks inside of it, it's not selfish of either of you to eat right now, for heaven's sake! I'll tell you what, once you finish your mission and we all report back to the Chief, we can go out and get a big dinner for the kids and you guys, in celebration of you becoming detectives, it'll be mine and Krook's treat since we have plenty of Poke to spare. But first you guys actually have to become detectives, and in order to do that, you need to be as fully prepared as you can be, and that means not going in on empty stomachs. So please, there's no need to get all up in arms with each other over something so silly, just go ahead and eat, and get ready for the mission, alright?"
Wil and Braixen looked from each other to Anny and then back, nodding in embarrassment and quickly muttering their apologies to each other as well as to Anny and Krook for having acted in such a way in front of them.
"Alright... Um, th-thank you again, ma'am..." Braixen said quietly, still looking downwards in shame as she finally took a bite from her apple. Wil had already gotten halfway through his.
"No need to be so formal, dear." Anny replied with a smile. "Just Anny is fine. And you're quite welcome."
"Well, if nothin' else, you two sure make a good pair." Krook began, a wide grin spread across his face. "You, princess, have got the hair trigger anger of a rabid Primeape with a case of the livertail, and your doofus buddy there seems to have poop-stirring obnoxiousness down to an artform. If this is how you guys act around each other, then I'd hate to be the poor chump that crosses YOUR paths, they ain't gonna know what hit 'em! Gahahahahahahaha!"
"Krook!" Anny hissed, smacking her partner upside the head for being so crude. It didn't subside his laughter.
"I-I resent that remark." Braixen stated, trying to maintain some semblance of dignity. "I don't have any anger issues. I just... Got caught up in the heat of the moment, that's all. And I'm sure the same can be said for Wil, riiiight?"
Seeing Braixen's expectant, almost demanding gaze resting upon him to back her up, Wil swallowed his half-chewed bite of apple, nearly choking in the process, before nodding rapidly and flashing a grin still coated in apple chunks. "Yeah, uh, we're both just irritable from the hunger and stuff, or something like that, probably. It's only been a day, so we just haven't gotten used to each other's quirks and idiosyncrasies and all that jazz and man I'm just running my mouth and I don't know how to end this sentence so I'm going to shut right up now."
Braixen blinked at her friend's run-on sentence, before clearing her throat and speaking back up to Anny and Krook, desperate to change the subject and hoping that they didn't think they were supervising a couple of lunatics at that point. "Yes, what he said. But um, while we finish eating and making our final preparations, perhaps we should go over what it is we're going in there to do one more time, just to be on the safe side."
Sighing in irritation, Krook spoke up before Anny had a chance to herself. "Like the Chief said, your target is a simple, punk Scrafty that's wanted for vandalizing a couple of walls in Relic City. Normally, these kind of crimes aren't even bothered with since we have so much other crap to deal with as it is on a day to day basis, but apparently one of the people who got their wall defaced got all uppity about it and posted a reward for the little idiot's capture. So yeah, this should be pathetically easy, even for a couple of scrawny little pipsqueaks like you. Just make sure you keep your guards up at all times, because you never know if the loser has friends waiting in there with him or not."
"Of course." Braixen said with a nod. "I have to imagine someone wanted for something as petty as vandalism isn't going to hide him or herself too deeply in a dungeon, so hopefully this won't take us too long."
"That's a keen observation, dear, but just remember, criminals are highly unpredictable, so try not to ever put too much stock into an assumption." Anny exclaimed. "After all, you know what they say about assuming things too quickly!"
"Y-Yes ma'am... Uh, I mean, Anny." Braixen replied, nodding intently, trying her best to glean and remember everything Anny and Krook told her, and hoping Wil was doing the same thing.
Wil almost certainly was not doing the same thing, as he polished off the last bite of his apple and let out a loud, satisfactory burp. "Oops, pardon me, ehehe. Hoowee though, that was tasty! Funny how things always taste so much better when your stomach is on the verge of eating itself out of hunger."
"That's nice, Wil, but uh, you have been paying attention, haven't you?" Braixen asked, narrowing her eyes and folding her arms as she gave Wil another expectant gaze.
"Uh, o-of course I have, Brai!" Wil exclaimed, chuckling nervously as he desperately tried to remember what the others had just been talking about while he was off in tasty apple blissland. "You uh, you guys were talking about that guy we're after, and that he's petty and unpredictable and might have friends so we shouldn't make butts of ourselves... Or... Something like that."
"...Close enough." Braixen said, crunching into her apple after keeping Wil waiting for a brief moment to determine how sincere he was.
A few minutes later, the duo were finally ready to head into the forest, their lunches devoured and their butts prepared. Or at least, as prepared as they could be, as both of their hearts still pounded with an undeniable nervousness and sense of apprehension.
"Alright guys, this is as far as we can help you." Anny said, as the four of them stood at the edge of the forest. She gazed, worriedly but proudly at the two younger Pokemon, like a mother seeing her kids off as they left the nest, while Krook merely stood to the side with his arms crossed and a look of massive indifference etched upon his grizzled visage. "Once you step into the forest, you'll pretty much be on your own, but as long as you stay on your toes and watch each other's back, you should be a-okay!"
Braixen and Wil nodded warily in response, both of them too nervous to actually say anything, and without any further stalling (try as Wil may), the two took simultaneous steps into the dungeon, and suddenly, it was as if they had stepped into an entirely different world.
"Well, at least it's not as dark as the other one was..." Wil murmured, mostly to himself, as he and Braixen took a few more steps into the dungeon then stopped to get their bearings. Glancing around, the forest indeed was mercifully more well lit than the previous one that Wil and Braixen had stepped into was. The trees were still so thick that you couldn't really see the sky at all, but there were somehow still beams of sunshine that managed to peek through the canopy, giving the place a warmer and altogether much less menacing vibe than Blackout Forest. A warm, pleasant breeze blew through the trees, and other than a few mushrooms and small patches of vibrantly colored, low-growing flowers here and there, there wasn't much to note about the place that couldn't also be said about practically any other forest in the world. Wil had caught sight of a few small bird Pokemon flitting about high above in the tree branches, along with some unassuming bugs semi-hidden in the foliage, but none of them screamed dangerous to him in any way. On the contrary, they all looked about as docile as could be.
"Yeah, it'll be nice not to have to focus on keeping a light going." Braixen proclaimed, as she took ahold of the stick that she had stuck within her incredibly bushy tail. "Still, I think it might be best for you to lead the way again, Wil."
"W-What?" Wil stuttered, taken aback by Braixen's suggestion. "W-Why? W-W-W-What if we run into one of those crazy nutbag Pokemon? I can't..." Wil glanced towards the entrance they had come in through, looking to see if Anny and Krook had followed them in yet. He couldn't see them, but still lowered his voice to a whisper before continuing. "I can't fight, Brai! I-I-I don't know the first thing about battling!"
"Yes, and that's exactly why I think you should take the lead." Braixen whispered back, just as wary of letting the others overhear as Wil was. "If you're really serious about becoming a detective, then you're going to have to learn how to fight, and the only way to do that is to march confidently headlong into danger. Don't stress too much about it though, like Krook said, there's almost nothing but low-level Bug and Grass types milling around here, so we shouldn't really run into anything that'll give either of us any trouble at all. Just remember, the moment any Pokemon in here sees one of us, it's gonna make a beeline straight for us, and they'll keep on following us unless we knock some sense into them, so if you wanna avoid fighting, try staying out of any else's sight. Though, that's always a lot easier said than done..."
"B-B-But..." Wil whimpered, still not at all ready to go any further, the knots in the pit of his stomach returning full force as his knees locked together. "I-I-I... I'm s-s-sorry Braixen, I-I can't..."
Reaching out to put a firm but gentle grip on his shaking shoulder, Braixen looked Wil square in the eye, and waited until he got up the nerve to look back before speaking to him in a calm, confident voice. "Wil. Stop. Relax. You can do this. If I can do this, then so can you. After all, you are 'incredibly rugged and manly' aren't you? What kind of rugged and manly guy is afraid of a couple bugs and mobile plants?"
Wil let out a short, uncontrolled burst of pained laughter as he rapidly shook his head. "Y-Y-Yeah, n-no, th-th-th-that claim was greatly exaggerated for the sake of our stupid little argument. I am a spineless, gutless wimp, that's what I am, Braixen..."
"No, you're not." Braixen stated firmly, shaking her head as her sharp gaze intensified. "No spineless, gutless wimp would have done the things you've done for me, Wil. Not just rushing into danger to get my berries back, but agreeing to form a Detective Team with me, and actually following through with it. If you were truly spineless, you would have never even suggested such a thing, and you certainly wouldn't have come this far. You're scared, sure, but being scared doesn't make you a wimp. You're strong, Wil, strong enough to put yourself through all of this bullcrap to help out a group of Pokemon that you hardly know, that takes more strength than most people will ever know. All you need is a little confidence, this just seems terrifying to you because you've never had to face such a situation before and because you're still getting used to being a Pokemon. It may take a little bit, but as awful as this sounds, you will get used to this, just like I did, and once you do, this'll come easy to you. And I'll be right here with you the whole way, so you have nothing to be afraid of. If you can't handle something, then I'll be right there to back you up, but I expect the same thing from you, okay?"
Wil stared wide-eyed back at Braixen, her own stare so intense that it felt to Wil as if it were burning a hole right through him. At the very least, her pep talk had managed to stop him from shaking quite so violently, and after closing his eyes and taking a few deep breaths, he looked back up at Braixen, having steadied himself as much as he could. He was still incredibly tense and shaky inside, but... He wasn't going to let Braixen down by showing it any further.
"...Okay." he said finally, nodding firmly and doing his best to tough a smile out, which Braixen happily returned.
"Alright then." Braixen said, releasing her grip and relenting her gaze once she felt that Wil had managed to get himself back in control. Pointing ahead of her and Wil, in the only direction there was to go, she spoke with great enthusiasm, "Lead the way, partner!"
Wil nodded, swallowed, and sighed, before turning around and taking the first, tentative step down the path of... Well, whatever the path was leading to, Wil didn't know. Was it the path of danger? The path of death? Perhaps even the path of destiny, as Anny no doubt would have called it? Whatever path it was, Wil at least was able to take solace in one thing above all else, something that Braixen felt compelled to remind him, just to drive her point home in case he had any doubts...
"Whatever happens, just remember, Wil... I'll always have your back."
It was not a path that he would travel alone.
Okay, first and foremost, I want to profusely thank all of you who have favorited and or followed this story, as well as whoever added it to those PMD story collections, I swear I did NOT mean to take so long to update this, especially not with this short ass, cop out chapter where hardly anything at all happened. I just... Don't have much time to write right now, and I haven't for a while now. Life is super duper ultra mega mambo tango foxtrot BUTTS, basically. I don't know when I'm going to have the time to write consistently again, but I've pretty much had this sitting on my computer for a month now, with a little bit more that I've cut off and saved for the next chapter, simply because I haven't had the time to finish it. I wanted so badly to be able to add more to what I had written, but it's been almost a month and I've gotten maybe 2000 words written the entire time, and I have no idea how long it will take me until I can write enough to make the next chapter seem satisfactory to me in length and content. So yes, I will readily admit that this chapter is actually just about a third of what I planned on this chapter being, hence the hastily and obviously edited shlocky ending to it, but I decided, it might be another month or more before I can finish it, and I felt bad enough for taking this long to update, so I figured I should at least give you guys something while I still had the chance, and at the very least, I can pretend that this is where the game title would show up and the 'real' game begins. Because holy crap, I can't remember if it was this story or my Paper Luigi one, but I know I ended one of their last uploaded chapters with "hurr durr hopefully will update before the Cubs win the World Series huehuehue" and with the way things are going with my lack of updates, dear God, that might actually be false. So yeah, I'm sorry if this chapter is disappointing in its length and lack of plot progress for any of you, but hopefully this will be enough to tide you all over and at least let you know I haven't abandoned this story, if nothing else. Again, thank you all so, so much for reading this story, you don't know how happy it makes me to know that people are actually enjoying it, and as for future updates... Well, I can at the very least promise that when I can start updating again, it will be a LOT more consistent than these first three chapters have been. I just... Don't know when that will be, and don't want to get anyone's expectations up by giving any kind of date.
...But still probably before the Cubs win the World Series.
...This should jinx something in either one direction or the other so I win either way huehuehuehuehue.