"What…IS that?"

"Yeah, I was thinking along the same lines when I first came here," Hana commented, looking at the bright visage of the entrance to Wigglytuff's Guild. "While it makes it obvious whose Guild it is, it's kinda…excessive. It's also kinda creepy. Even now, I still feel like the eyes follow me!"

Satoru felt a sweatdrop bead down his head as he stared at the entrance. For once, he could agree with the Chikorita. According to Hana, Wigglytuff's Guild was world-renowned for churning out excellent Exploration Teams. It was also well-known because Wigglytuff himself was a famous explorer. He honestly didn't know what to expect when he was to meet the guy. Shizuka had gotten the okay that they could bring along someone to a Mystery Dungeon when doing their jobs. It was similar enough to a type of job they did on a daily basis when certain civilians simply wanted to explore while staying safe from the wild Pokémon in those areas. However, there was a catch. Chatot seemed suspicious of whoever it was Shizuka had planned on bringing due to the anxiety she showed when she asked for permission. The girl was too shy for her own good. This was one of the problems that resulted from her insecurity.

"Well, let's just rip the bandage off to get it done and over with," Hana said as she walked over the grate in front of the door. "No point in stalling the inevitable."

"Pokémon detected! Pokémon detected!"

"YAH!" the Chikorita shrieked over the confirmation of her footprint. "Dang it! That gets me every time! You'd think I'd be used to it by now."

"You may ENTER!" a different, much louder voice yelled. "Someone's with you! Get the stranger to stand up THERE!"

Hana moved away, looking pointedly at Satoru. Satoru looked down, feeling rather stupid for having to do it. He hovered over the grate, allowing his normally hidden feet to be revealed. Hana jolted at the sudden appearance of his apparently missing appendages. She stared in awe at the thin sticks that were his legs, still hovering slightly above the grate.

"Pokemon detected! Pokemon detected!"

"Whose footprint? Whose footprint?"

"The footprint is…Um…The footprint is…"

"Yo, Diglett! What's the matter THIS time!?"

"The footprint is…I don't know!"

"WHAT!? How can you NOT know a footprint!? That's your JOB!"

"This is different! I've never seen this footprint before!"

If Satoru hadn't felt self-conscious enough, he definitely felt it now. He didn't know who or what he was and hearing it confirmed aloud simply drove that fact into his mind even more. He felt worried when he heard another squawking voice join the confused rabble down below. He guiltily looked at Hana, feeling bad since he was the cause of the commotion. No doubt he'd get an equally bad reception if he was even allowed to enter the Guild.

"Hana!" the squawking one shouted. "Is this the one Shizuka was talking about?"

Satoru looked down when he heard the distinct voice again. Hana looked down the grate as well, biting her lip in anticipation.

"Yeah!" Hana replied. "Sorry for the trouble, Chatot!"

"Alright! Let them in! I expect a full explanation when you're inside!"

Hana sighed, looking troubled. Satoru wasn't looking forward to meeting this "Chatot". He had a feeling that meeting Chatot would be worse than Wigglytuff. The creaky gate opened, the dark inside of the Guild beckoning the two Pokémon forward. Hana urged him onward with her leaf, taking the lead to show him inside. He spotted a ladder leading underground. Hana climbed down the ladder while Satoru floated after her. He didn't see a single soul as they descended. By the time they reached the second floor, he spotted a familiar face. Shizuka was pacing in front of a door, looking tense. She relaxed slightly when she saw the two come over toward her.

"Well, that could've been worse," Shizuka giggled. "At least you got in. Though I've never seen Chatot this ruffled before."

"Is he a big poofball?" Hana inquired, a giddy smile gracing her features.

"He was when he was yelling at Loudred and Diglett. Then he settled down, so you just missed it."

"Dang…I wanted to see how fluffy he was."

"Anyway," Shizuka turned towards Satoru. "Just relax and be yourself, Satoru. The Guildmaster isn't as scary as you think he is. He's only scary when he's…err…"

Satoru blinked. "When he's what?"

"Never mind!" the Riolu quickly replied as she knocked on the door. "Guildmaster! Chatot! It's Team Hikari. May we enter?"

"Come in!" came the squawking voice from before.

The door opened, allowing the three Pokémon inside. Satoru took a deep breath, steeling himself for whatever may await him beyond the entryway. He hovered inside, spotting two other occupants. The bird gave him one look before he let out a few more screeches, flapping his wings frantically.

"H-h-h-h-h-how!?" Chatot practically screamed at Shizuka and Hana.

"How what?" Hana asked, curious as to why Chatot was so frazzled. "This is the one Shizuka was talking about."

"You mean to tell me that a Legendary Pokémon simply washed up on the beach, unable to remember anything about who he is, and then asked if he could see what an Exploration Team was!?"

Hana and Shizuka balked, simultaneously giving each other equally shocked looks. "Legendary!?"

"Legendary?" Satoru repeated, intrigued by the word and the fact that Chatot seemed to know something he didn't. "You mean you know who I am?"

Chatot gave Satoru a pitiful look. "You truly do not remember anything about yourself or where you came from?"

"Didn't the Riolu already tell you that much?"

"Yes, I have heard. However, I did not know that the victim would be the god of nightmares himself."

"God…of nightmares?"

Chatot nodded. "You are a unique Pokémon, one that many of us fear because of the gruesome power you possess. You are part of the Lunar duo that keeps the balance of the dream world. You are Darkrai, the Pitch-Black Pokémon."

Darkrai. The name had a distinct and familiar ring to it. It felt…right. He was Darkrai. Darkrai was him. He felt a sense of ease overcome him, now knowing what he was. But what did "Darkrai" mean to him? It was just a name; a name he had no knowledge of or the harsh implications behind it.

"Well, that's one mystery solved," Hana pointed out. "But why did you call him the 'god of nightmares'? Is he a bad Pokémon?"

"Many would tend to believe that," Chatot continued. "He possesses a special ability that gives sleeping Pokémon bad dreams. Since we all hate nightmares, it is only natural we should hate someone who brings them. That is why we praise the light that his counterpart, Cresselia, brings with her. She dispels the nightmares with her incredible psychic powers."

"So…I am hated simply because of what I am?" Satoru summarized, sounding entirely dejected after learning this.

"Sadly, yes. However, it is said that this ability is merely a defense mechanism and that a Darkrai never means any true harm. That is why Darkrai are never seen. It wishes to be secluded so that it can protect other Pokémon and prevent them from experiencing its frightening ability. It is a misunderstood Pokémon. To think I would have the honor of meeting one in my lifetime…"

"Not much of an honor if I'm despised by everyone. Maybe that's why I ended up on that beach; maybe someone wanted me gone and they left me to die…"

"Oh, Satoru…" Shizuka trailed off, feeling nothing but sympathy for the Darkrai.

"Nonsense!"

Everyone was startled by the happy-go-lucky voice that permeated the tense atmosphere. Satoru nearly jumped when the other occupant in the room suddenly turned around. This was Wigglytuff and Satoru was finally having the honor of witnessing the big heart of the legendary explorer.

"You may be a bringer of nightmares, but nightmares are just a part of life," Wigglytuff explained. "Every light must have a darkness that compliments it. Without that balance, we wouldn't have the wonderful world we live in now. So don't feel blue, Satoru! You have a wonderful chance to make a name for yourself and for Darkrai everywhere. You can show Pokémon everywhere that you're just like everyone else and that there's nothing to be afraid of."

"…You truly believe that, Wigglytuff?" asked the unsure Darkrai.

"Of course I do!" Wigglytuff happily cheered. "Right from the moment you entered this room, I could tell you were a good Pokémon. Just because everyone believes you act in a certain way, that doesn't mean it's true. Shizuka and Hana chose to believe in you, so I choose to believe in you too. Only you can decide what to do with the knowledge you have learned today."

Darkrai simply floated there, a contemplative look in his eyes. These Pokémon were sympathetic; foolishly so. But that was what made them merciful, trusting him despite his fearsome appearance and frightening abilities. He eyed the two that found him. They both had smiles on their faces. It was as if they knew what he was thinking and preparing the jump to the scene as soon as he said the words. If they could see behind his red ring, they would've seen the faintest of smiles grace his features.

"Don't look at me like that. I don't want to be pitied."

"But—"

"I mean it," he stated, looking pointedly at the Riolu. "Or do I appear so weak that I need children like you to look after me?"

"You…!" Hana snarled, preparing to Tackle the Darkrai if he said another insulting sentence to her friend.

"If that's the case, I suppose I'll need to prove myself to you."

Hana and Shizuka blinked simultaneously. "Huh?"

"You accepted me…took me in despite every instinct telling you not to," he explained, a somber air filling the room. "If it weren't for you, I'd be wandering the world completely lost. I want to repay that debt in any way that I can."

"Satoru, you don't need to repay us!" Shizuka replied. "We're just happy we were able to be of some help to you."

"I beg to differ…" Hana muttered before receiving a harsh jab from Shizuka.

"Shizuka and Hana, right? If it's not an inconvenience, may I join your Exploration Team?"

"HUH-WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!?" Hana shrieked.

"To be honest…I'm not sure where to go from here and I don't think a simple tag-along job will give me a good idea of what it is you do. I want to know why you have such passionate zest for this occupation. The only way to do that is to experience everything for myself."

"Well…" Shizuka paused. "I'd be more than happy to let you join. I don't know about Hana though."

"Absolutely not!" Hana shouted. "We can't have a Legendary on our team. It wouldn't be right to take advantage of him. I mean, if we should have a third official member, shouldn't it be someone more on our level?"

"But he has nowhere to go. It wouldn't be right to just turn him away."

"I know, but still…I don't want it to seem like he doesn't have a choice simply because he thinks he owes us for helping him."

"Come on, Hana. Have some faith! This could be the beginning of something amazing! Think about your Relic Fragment. Think about me! Maybe we can discover something we wouldn't be able to on our own if Satoru joins us! Those secrets are just waiting to be unraveled and we can discover them together. Wouldn't that be fun?"

"That's the spirit!" Wigglytuff gleefully agreed. "Something great is always born when friends are made. It makes mysteries that much more fun to solve when you have friends there to cheer you on! Just thinking about the incredible things any Exploration Team can do when working together makes me so excited that I could burst!"

Hana giggled. "Well, I guess I'm overruled. I can't argue with you, Shizuka; nor can I argue with the Guildmaster when he gets super happy like this."

"You hear that, Satoru? You're in!" Shizuka cheered.

The Darkrai merely nodded. The sputtered squawking of Chatot soon broke the jolly atmosphere, causing everyone to look at the panicking bird. Chatot rushed up to the Guildmaster, wings flying in a frenzy.

"Guildmaster! You can't be serious!" Chatot shouted. "Are you absolutely sure such measures should be taken? We could simply try and look around to help return Darkrai to his home."

"Chatot, don't be silly! This is Satoru's choice, not mine," Wigglytuff responded. "We should be happy that another member is being added to the Guild and on one of our best Exploration Teams too! There's no reason to go against a friend's wishes."

Chatot nodded in understanding. "Very well, Guildmaster. I haven't doubted your judgment once in all the years that I've known you and I'm not going to start now. I suppose I should set up accommodations immediately."

"Accommodations? For what?" Satoru asked.

"Well, since Team Hikari is still in training, you will be sharing a room with them in the Guild. An extra bed is needed since they only have two in there right now and we don't have any more room in the male dormitory."

"Sharing…? With girls…?"

Hana glared at Satoru. "Is that an issue?"

"No…" The Darkrai unsurely replied, hiding his blush fairly well. "It's fine."

"YOOM…TAH!" Wigglytuff announced as he hopped into the air. "Alright, I have registered Satoru as a new Guild member and new addition to Exploration Team Hikari. I'm looking forward to your future exploits. So, as always, do your best to train!"

"Alright! Let's do our best!" Shizuka yelled, fist pumping the air along with Hana. Satoru watched with unease, silently telling himself he wouldn't lower himself to doing such trivial actions after something of importance happened. Something told him he wouldn't be so lucky.

The next morning…

"HEY! GET UP! RISE AND SHINE!"

"Oh, Arceus! My EARS!"

"Dang it, Loudred! We're already up! No need to blast our eardrums every morning! Sheesh!"

He felt his head pounding and his ears throbbing. His eyes had turned into swirls, not used to being awoken so suddenly like that. The proclaimed alarm clock huffed in annoyance before moving on, going to wait in the common area with the rest of the Guild members. He hadn't noticed the new addition since Satoru had slept as a shadow on the floor since there was still no bed for him by the time night fell. He poked his head through the ground, light streaming in through the window and making him shut his eyes again. Hana let out a shriek, not expecting Satoru's head to simply phase out of the ground like that.

"How can you do that?" she immediately questioned. "I thought only Ghost-Types could go through walls and floors."

"You learn something new every day…" was his only answer, still waiting for the ringing in his ears to stop.

"Sorry, Satoru. We forgot to warn you about Loudred," Shizuka apologized. "He's…loud."

"Way to state the obvious," he muttered, rubbing his eyes as he attempted to wake up. "Do you honestly wake up to that every morning?"

"Pretty much," both girls replied.

"Of course…" the Darkrai groaned.

"Don't worry. You'll get used to it."

"Not looking forward to getting used to it."

"Come on, guys! We're going to be late to the morning briefing!" Hana cried, zooming ahead of her two team members.

Shizuka nodded before motioning the Darkrai to follow. He slowly hovered behind her, feeling apprehension bubble in the pit of his stomach. He could only imagine how the other members would react when they saw him. The three eventually made it to the common area and Satoru immediately felt all eyes boring into him. He cast his eyes down, self-conscious of his frightening appearance. Shizuka took hold of his hand, giving it a comforting squeeze before she led him into the line.

"Alright, alright!" Chatot started, trying to bring everyone's attention back to the front after noticing Darkrai's unease. "I'm sure you're all interested in the new addition to our Guild, but it's not polite to stare. You're making him nervous."

"Hey, hey! He's a member?" Corphish blurted out in confusion. "Since when?"

"Since last night," Chatot answered. "Everyone, this is Satoru; a Darkrai. He is a new member of Team Hikari. I expect you all to give our new member a welcoming cheer after today's briefing."

"Darkrai? As in…THE Darkrai?" Dugtrio asked. "The Legendary Pokémon that delights in giving us nightmares?"

Bidoof paled. "N-n-n-nightmares!? Oof…"

"Isn't he a bad Pokémon?"

"But if he's on Team Hikari, they must trust him. Then he's gotta be a good Pokémon!"

"I don't know. You gotta wonder about those two sometimes."

"HEY!" Shizuka and Hana snapped.

"Order! ORDER!" Chatot yelled. "Yes, he is the Legendary Pokemon that causes nightmares. But do not let that fact overrule your judgment. He is by no means the monster that texts make him out to be. In fact, the Guildmaster himself has placed his full trust in Satoru."

There was a brief silence before Diglett spoke up. "Well, if the Guildmaster trusts him, I trust him too!"

"I agree!" Sunflora cheerfully added. "We shouldn't judge him before we've even gotten to know him."

"There we go! That's the right attitude!" Chatot sang, his tail wagging in happiness. "Now, down to business. As you all know, there has been a theft of Time Gears all over the region. Please do your best to keep your promise to Uxie. That is all."

"We KNOW!" Loudred growled. "We aren't STUPID!"

Chatot ignored Loudred, turning towards the Guildmaster's room. "Guildmaster! Please address the crew."

On cue, Wigglytuff walked out. He stared at everyone. Everyone waited for the Guildmaster to put in his two cents or express his happiness to the rest of them, but nothing came. Curious, Chatot stood in front of Wigglytuff to find out why Wigglytuff wasn't saying anything. Chatot sighed when he heard a small snore.

"Zzz…zzz….snorfle…zzz…"

Satoru felt a sweatdrop bead down his head. "Is he…sleeping? With his eyes wide open?"

"Not again!" Hana sighed. "How does he DO that?"

"GUILDMASTER!" Chatot shouted. "GUILDMASTER!"

"Whuzzat?" Wigglytuff mumbled. "Chatot!"

Chatot perked up. "Yes, Guildmaster?"

"Everyone, please be nice to our new friend Satoru! Let's do our best to make him feel comfortable in his new home. YOOM…TAH!"

Everyone stared at the Guildmaster, all amazed by his quick recovery in order to hide the fact he had been sleeping. Satoru remained silent as the rest of the members went through their morning cheer, reciting the three rules of the Guild before striking a victory pose. The Darkrai was beginning to wonder if he'd be forced to do the same as soon as he became accustomed to the way things worked. But the more important question was this: what were these Time Gears Chatot spoke of? Why were they important? Who was Uxie? More questions without answers popped up the more he contemplated those two sentences. He looked at Shizuka and Hana, seeing them motion him to follow after them. He took a deep breath, ready for whatever awaited him on his first day.