The next morning, Upright found his belly was damp with dew. It brought a familiar scent. Doggy, pacing around him anxiously, seemed to get the same idea: it was like Grace's identity mark.

"Hurrah! He's not in a coma," the growlithe said.

"Hurrah," Upright mimed. He rose up and stretched, then rubbed a paw along the length of his fangs. No longer than last night, thankfully. "So… Grace expected us back in a few days. Will she be mad if we're back in one?" Instead of answering, Doggy gave a mischievous grin. "Um."

"So…" Doggy crouched. Recognizing it as an invitation to play-wrestle, Upright squared off as well – surprisingly, he loved the scuffling. "Looks like we're at a crossroads. First road: we sprint back. I get pinched for denying you the nature-walk."

The quilava hopped forward with a swipe. A swoosh followed by a clump as his paw hit the ground. Far too slow. "Any more pinches and your nose might fall off..."

Still taking it easy on the newbie, Doggy fell sloppily onto Upright's back. They tumbled about till they were tied in an uncomfortable tangle. "I need my nose," Doggy agreed. He huffed, picking the other pokémon up. "Second road: we take the slow route back."

"Not a half-bad idea. But I really want to run some more – gah!"

A gigantic roar caused a flock of gulls to flee from the edge of the cliff. Doggy tossed Upright away. The quilava rolled away in the grass. "Third road!" That mischievous smile appeared again… "we go straight to Pathen."

Upright shot up. "What?!"

"You said it yourself: we're expected in a few days. Let's cut to the chase and visit Pathen in the meantime! Otherwise, I'll keep tackling you all the way to Grace's-" Upright caught the growlithe as he dashed at him. A bit of gumption and a loud harumph later, Doggy was the one laid out in the grass. "Yeouch! Nice surprise counter, pal!"

"Listen," Upright said, speaking quickly before his friend could continue the assault. "I decided to try and block out my past with as many new experiences as possible. I want to see Pathen, but if I left Grace alone and worrying in her cabin, I would feel horrible."

"No," Doggy replied. "I think you should listen up. I spent all night worrying about this situation, in a way you just can't understand. I think if you go back to Grace, she won't care for your answer. You don't get it – she really hates that city."

Grace, such a gentle pokémon, telling a lie straight to his face. That just didn't sound right! "Grace… won't let me go no matter how I feel?" Upright asked, plain baffled. "She said I could go!"

"Gah, don't make me say why out loud!" Doggy barked.

"I can't believe Grace was planning to keep me cooped up! And you were going to let it happen! W-Why are you looking all paranoid, all of a sudden?"

His friend donned a fake smile and tackled him. Of course. More playtime instead of answers. Yet, after getting in close, Doggy started to whisper. "She might have someone watching us."

"Enough playtime," Upright whimpered.

"Seriously, pal?" Doggy hopped up, letting out a ragged sigh. "Forget the secrecy, then. One of Grace's spies would have gotten us already if we did something bad. If there is a pokémon spying on us," The growlithe shouted to the valley, "and wouldn't like me to talk to Upright, speak now or forever hold your peace!" There were a few places that could be considered hiding-places back on the trail, such as fields of tall-grass or the shade of trees. Near them, however – nothing. Just rolling green hills.

Upright nodded to himself. "You're weirding me out."

Silence. After basking in it, Doggy let out a joyous bark. "Really?" He asked the nothing. "I get to tell him about Grace? S-So cool! And relieving… sheesh."

"Well. Uh, tell me," Upright insisted hesitantly.

"Plain and simple story: Grace is sorta the most wanted criminal in the Territory."

That Grace would lie was one thing. Most-wanted criminal, however… "Doggy, I'm begging you," Upright said. "I was pretty much born yesterday. If you spent all night planning some elaborate hoax… I mean, you told me that she has the best interest of the Territory in mind!"

"Grace cares about the Territory, that's true. And she cares about you. No matter how much caring goes on, it doesn't change the facts: She organizes teams that go to the Outside."

"...What's wrong with that?" Besides sounding very appealing. But Grace seemed unwilling to let him leave a cabin, let alone go past the boundary.

"The big adventuring club out there," Doggy explained. "Grace's group ambushes their teams outside of places like Cutter's Alley. Then they steal the artifacts for our favorite crafty gardevoir to investigate. Oh boy... I can see I'm losing you."

"Yup," Upright answered. "Where would I even fit in all of this?"

"Simple!" Doggy barked. "You saw where she's hiding out. In a place like the Territory, hiding places are real scarce! And, like… did that feel like the pinch of a dainty pokémon? You have to believe me!"

Well – Upright wanted a mystery besides his own to sniff out. Although this was turning out to be pretty corny. Still, he had no other choice but to sigh and concede to the growlithe. "For believing I was human, I will play along. Ah!" Upright cried mockingly to the valley. "What's that?" Doggy turned to look. "Doggy, I distracted the spy! Let's dash to Pathen!"

The growlithe grinned. "Nice going! Hurry, follow me! To that treeline!"

The forest they left looped around their left side. In the distance, the great trees hung over the edge of the cliff. Upright had barely any time to notice them before he was in a full-sprint, an attempted escape from the spy he might or might not believe existed.

By the time the two made it to refuge, Upright needed a quick rest. Even so, Doggy kept hounding him to reach the other side. Under pressure, the quilava stumbled from their end to the other side.

What he saw jolted life into him. "D-Doggy?" He gasped.

"Yeah, pal? Can you see Pathen from here?"

He could see Pathen, all right. Anyone who couldn't desperately needed to get their eyes checked. A crooked obelisk towered over the Territory. The farther his eyes traveled across, nearing the boundary, the more grand it became. A largish town, to clusters of steeped palaces visible from a mile away, to large towers that seemed to rotate in particular places. Then, sprouting from it all: a bridge to the Outside.

What had Upright expected out of a pokémon city? A few drawn-up tents and wood cottages? This was grand, this was entirely different. Upright felt all those great sensations from before get dwarfed by the massive city of Pathen. Pokéarth was real. It had trade, it had criminals (like Grace, possibly), and it had a place for him if he chose to find it.

"What a hopeful look!" Doggy barked. "I must admit, this view of Pathen gets me every time. No one really comes out to this part of the valley… it's odd to sit in a place untouched by pokémon and look at the jewel of the Territory. You kinda forget that we're even capable of coming together. Gah..."

"You okay?" Upright breathed, distracted.

His look of hope was contagious, apparently. "For some reason I get an unshakeable feeling," Doggy said in a hushed voice, "sharing this view with you. As if… grr, it's hard to explain. But it makes me excited! Let's go!"

"Way ahead of you!" Upright called back. The quilava was already making a mad dash for the city.

~~~2~~~

"D-Doggy," Upright stuttered. "Look. He's floating. Floating!"

"Is your friend alright?" The pokémon asked. "All I did was ask his purpose." The growlithe shrugged, embarrassed. Several pokémon were waiting for entry, held up by the quilava's panic attack. Luckily, none of them made a peep – one look back at the gaggle lined up behind them and Upright might faint. "Child, I am from a long line of escavalier, and all of us float. Did you think we could slither with our steely carapaces?"

Somehow, Upright managed to pull it together. Strange as it was to see an escavalier, he would be denied entry if he kept acting suspicious. "Sorry!" He blurted. "Er, heat got to me. My purpose here is to, uh-"

The growlithe swooped in to save the day. "Same as me. We want to browse the market."

"Good choice on the day, then!" The guard exclaimed, letting them by. "New stock from Outside came in hours ago. "I think I'll buy my darling a gift after my shift… you two are cleared for entry. Remember to report suspicious activity – beside your own, ha! Only thing to ruin a day like this is a smuggler sneaking by on my watch."

"Smuggler?" Upright asked in a panic. He looked around for his mystery spy. After hearing that warning, Doggy's story seemed a bit realer than before. "N-Nope! What's a smuggler anyway?! Heh heh. Heh."

So close to being in the clear! Doggy visibly winced at the untactful response.

Mercifully, the escavalier's plans for the evening put him in a good, trusting mood. "If a merchant doesn't present an Initiative seal for his product, it's smuggler's get. You come dashing to me the instant you spot it. Enjoy your day!" The guard called to them as Doggy nudged the quilava down the street.

"Wow," Doggy hissed. "You were so smooth back there. Like butter."

"Sorry. I remembered what you told me about Grace and I panicked- oof!" Some pokémon who entered after them came by, colliding into the quilava. Upright stumbled onto the ground – for a mere bump, it hurt a lot. The green culprit slipped in among the myriad of bodies filling Pathen's main street.

So many bodies. Upright whimpered. Any moment now, the crowd of pokémon would overstimulate his senses. So many identity marks in the same place! Dozens, scores, just weaving in and out on business!

Once again, Doggy swooped in to save him the embarrassment of fainting. With the growlithe at his side, Upright felt a surge of confidence. This was his kind now. He had no choice but to get used to it all. Still...

"I myself avoid Pathen like the plague," Doggy explained, leading Upright through the crowded street. "Whenever I see these streets, the coward inside of me yearns for their safety. Luckily, Pathen doesn't want me, either."

Upright nodded. He pointed his nose toward the sky and buried it under his paws. "Uh-huh," he mumbled.

"What's up with you?" Doggy asked. The growlithe stopped him with a paw. "You're going to bump into somebody like that."

Regardless, the quilava kept his nose covered. "Too many smells and marks. Much more than the Territory. Some aren't very nice."

"Right… some pokémon think they're Arceus's gift and never wash," Doggy spat. Mercifully, they found an open spot under a large canopy to rest. The merchant in his stall saw that they were just taking cover from the hustle outside and clacked its teeth angrily. "Me, a genius strider? This is a shameful day. I usually wash dayly. When there isn't any water nearby, I tongue-bathe!" He licked his arm to show off what he meant. That didn't help Upright settle down at all.

"No way!" Upright exclaimed. "I-I'll stick with water, thanks."

"Ah," the merchant called, "you must be in the market for some shampoo!" Upright bolted up to his full height.

"Shampoo?" Upright asked the pokémon. The merchant had a very slender shape. Like Upright, he had cream-colored fur around his stomach, but the merchant was otherwise a shade of light-brown. "I think I know shampoo."

Doggy nodded. "Maybe you do. Shampoo is different flavors of tea mixed in with curated tree sap. If we were filthy rich, I'd buy some lemon shampoo for you."

Before the merchant could inquire more about how rich they were, Upright offered some praise to the growlithe. "I didn't expect such a good explanation." He remembered shampoo, but not how it was made. For a self-proclaimed roamer, Doggy sure knew a lot of odd things.

Suddenly, a little rock bounced off of Upright's head.

"Storefront area for paying customers only!" The merchant cried, shooing them away.

"Whatever!" Doggy growled back. "Your little stall can shove it. No one gets customers by being rude."

They continued their walk down the main path. Upright tried his best to not let the smells bother him. Although a better whiff of the city led him to wonder. "Hey, Doggy, why do we all have a special marks anyway? Can't others tell us apart by our species?"

"Wait," Doggy replied, "you don't think you're the last quilava on Pokéarth, do you? With what you already know, I bet you can figure it out on your own."

Upright shook his head. Building a reliance on Doggy's smarts wouldn't be healthy in the long run. But the topic of scents interested them both, in different ways, so the growlithe continued anyway.

Doggy mused to himself as they strolled along the cobble path. "I think humans are less intimate than pokémon," he concluded. "What with your neurotic problem with being 'naked'. For example: do humans like to fight a lot?"

"Not exactly," Upright said. "At least, I don't want to fight anyone here."

Doggy tittered. "Uh oh, you're in for a wild ride. Oh well, at least scents will be child's play once you see- speak of the devil! Look, Upright!" Several other pokémon stopped as well, to observe the scene taking place.

A scuffle had broken out under a canopy, in one of the many stalls lining Treasure Street. One pokémon, a large gray wolf-dog, flew out from the store. When it spoke, it had a rough, wild voice. "No need for fear," the wolf-dog said, "the store is marked now."

A wide, gaudy creature followed it to the middle of the street. It was sort of like a raccoon – a screwy, angry, fat raccoon. "I warned you what would happen if you marked my stall again!" The storekeeper yowled.

"M-Marked?" Upright whispered, positively stunned. "He doesn't mean…"

Doggy whispered back hastily. "Remember the wilds we ran through? Packs of wild pokémon live there. Some of those end up coming into society. The city gives them menial jobs while they learn to fit in."

The wild pokémon pleaded his case. "I left a marker! For the stall! Everyone will know where to find us now – thank you and have a nice day!"

The raccoon shook as it argued back. "We have street names, you scatterbrain. The corner of Treasure Street by Skinnyblock… like I said… a hundred times!" Then, the storekeeper did something that made the spectators cheer: he struck the wolf-dog across the face, inciting him to fight back. The two fell into an all-out brawl, clawing and raking at one another.

Upright took in a sharp breath as the wolf-dog put a long gash into his boss's back. The shopkeeper replied by burying his giant teeth into his opponent's shoulder. "They're not playing around," Upright hissed.

"No," Doggy told him. "No, Upright, it's fine-"

"S-Somebody stop them!" Upright cried out to the crowd. "Break them up!"

His pleas were met with laughter from the audience. A pokémon clapped him on the back for a joke well done; they all thought he was kidding.

Before he could shout again, the fight ended. The wolf-dog bucked the shopkeeper off of him, then grabbed hold of his neck, successfully pinning him.

"I give up," the merchant spat. "But you… are fired!"

"Wow," Doggy said reverently. "Even a bidoof's buck-teeth failed to bring that poochyena down. So cool!"

The wolf-dog (a poochyena, apparently) gave Doggy a wild glance. Then he dashed past them, tail between his legs. "I am departed, then." the poochyena growled. "Those who show stomach in the wild are meant to be the loser. It isn't like that, here." All the mirth from before died away as the wild pokémon started his slow walk out of Pathen. Upright gathered from Doggy's frown that this was a sad moment.

Yet again, the growlithe explained the situation. "They say a wild pokémon changes the moment they enter society. He'll never fit in with his old pack." Doggy muttered the last part as if he understood the feeling.

Maybe Upright wasn't a pokémon, but he understood it too. "Hey!" He called to the poochyena. The wolf-dog whirled around, snarling. "I'm new here as well, and everything is very confusing. Before you leave… can you show us some cool spots?"

"I'm giving you a tour already," Doggy reminded quietly. "Am I doing a bad job?"

"You're too smart. I want to figure out some things for myself," Upright answered. "This… poochyena and I can work together."

Another protest fizzled away as Doggy realized what was going on. "Goh-hoh-hoh," he laughed. "Thank you for noticing my genius."

"I'll do it!" The poochyena said with determination. A few sighs of relief were shared by the audience. The bidoof, just about to feel guilty, demanded angrily for his employee to return to work. No one paid him any heed.

All this wild pokémon wanted to do, Upright supposed, was help. The quilava missed his own opportunity by hundreds of years, when Annihilation came. Doggy gave his friend a quizzical look, then smiled knowingly, as if acknowledging that he made the right choice.

While Doggy watched Upright, another figure in the background watched them both. The giant figure blended right in to the crowd of dispersing spectators, leaning against a post that creaked under his large weight. He flipped the twig in his mouth over, taking note of where the three ran off to.

~~~III~~~

"So, pokémon like to scrap?'" Upright asked the poochyena. "Eh, I hit my head earlier and some memories got jumbled." After deciding the main road was overstimulating both of them, Doggy dragged them onto Skinnyblock Street. Compared to Treasure Street, it was a glorified alleyway. Several windows, which existed to filter air rather than provide any sort of view, speckled the dusty houses.

The poochyena started to give an answer, but was interrupted when Doggy leaped in front of him. A door swung open, and a pokémon sauntered out. A few steps closer and the door would have smacked right into the wolf-dog's face.

"Wow, how dangerous," the wild pokémon said, forgetting his answer. "I avoid this danger usually – it's the fastest way to the best smells, however. Thank you and have a nice day."

"I happened to get hit once," Doggy complained. "The splinters on my face sorta looked like whiskers. By the way – what's your name?"

This turned out to be a hard question. "Is it poochyena?" The wolf-dog guessed doubtfully. Doggy gave him an encouraging smile. "I missed my naming ceremony..."

Upright patted his back helpfully. "No worries. Doggy and I didn't have names, till we named each other-"

"You can name pokémon?" The poochyena asked excitedly. "Do me, do me!"

The insistence got under the quilava's skin, making him nervous. Doggy agreed to his name out of kindness for Upright, and vice versa. The quilava wanted to decline, yet was so startled by the sudden responsibility that a name simply slipped. "Marker," he blurted.

"Gah-hoh?!" Doggy choked down a guffaw. "Marker, Upright? You sure that's a good quality to point out?"

The poochyena cocked his head to the side. "Hm… I love it! Thanks, namer! I thought the Wild Committee had the only namers. That's what my handlers said."

Upright assumed that namers, and the 'Wild Committee' at large, were other pokémon who helped new arrivals assimilate. "Thanks, but..." he took another look at Marker's smile. "No problem, Marker," Upright siged.

"The Wild Committee has branches in every village and major city," Doggy said, mostly to himself. "Every wild pokémon is assigned to a solo handler or a duo of handlers. How could they forget to name you, ceremony or no?"

Marker looked down guiltily. "My handlers gave me the wrong directions to the ceremony," he answered. "Now if I want to rejoin their pack – their program," Marker amended."I have to pay a… what was it… oh! A reentry fee..."

The poochyena collapsed with a heavy whine.

"Hey!" Upright cried. "Doggy, is he okay? That was a nasty scrap, back there." Marker looked healthy a moment ago, beside his wounds. The wild pokémon hid his illness so well, Upright had no idea of his suffering.

The growlithe looked utterly disgusted with the dirty walls closing them in. "When was the last time you had enough money to eat?" Doggy asked.

"Almost a week," was the answer. "I have another payment tonight. So that makes a whole week."

"Let's ditch this city," Doggy pleaded. "I have a friend who would be happy to feed you for free."

"But!" Marker retorted. "Even so I want to run wild again… I really want to live in the city with all the interesting smells. It's okay if I go hungry. I went just as long without food when I ran with my pack."

This wasn't simply skipping a few meals. Whatever this reentry fee consisted of, it was starving the poor creature to death. Upright opened his mouth to complain, but noticed that Doggy was shaking. The growlithe had something to far more important to say.

Doggy leaned in toward the poochyena's face. "You idiot!" He barked. "Those handlers are robbing you blind. Missing some stupid ceremony… do you really think the Wild Committee would punish you like this? There is no reentry fee!"

"T-The handler I first met was nice, so they must all be. Correct?" Marker argued feebly. The words fit in amidst an awful revelation: the handlers Marker trusted to help him had swindled him instead. Slowly, the poochyena adopted a vicious snarl. "No. No I do not."

Just then, the same door that stopped them earlier swung open again. Giving an angry howl, Marker lunged forward and ripped off a chunk. The pokémon trying to leave its home wailed and fled back to the safety of their slummy house. Panicking, Upright leaped forward and tried to stop the rampaging creature. Marker changed his focus to the Upright, burying his fangs in the quilava's shoulder.

At first, Upright stared on in horror. Then he became aware of the long, white fangs trembling inside of him. Pain came next and blotted out his ability to see, or breathe, or even wave to Doggy for help. He had hardly walked Pokéarth for a wekk, yet felt, at that moment, that his time doing so was coming to a brutal end. The pain was unimaginable.

Then, as if by magic, the pain turned into exhilaration. Upright took control of his hind legs and kicked Marker right in the lower stomach. As the leverage between the two pokémon flipped, Upright removed the teeth in his shoulder with a desperate wail. He scooted till his fur brushed against the wall. His arms were raised, claws out as their owner panted, praying that Marker came to his senses.

Doggy helped the poochyena settle down. With a bucking kick from his own hind legs, Doggy sent Marker rolling down Skinnyblock. He trounced the starving pokémon, pinning him with ease.

"I didn't want to hurt you," Doggy swore. "But if you want to survive here, your instincts have to take a backseat to your wits!"

"I am so angry!" Marker caterwauled. "They preyed on me like I was a rabbit without its ears!"

Using the wall, Upright managed to push himself up. He couldn't help it: when he saw blood leaking from his shoulder, he had to clutch a protruding piece of rock to keep from fainting. What had Doggy said? That pokémon enjoyed bleeding?

Doggy relented, sucking in the musty air of the alley as he stepped back. "Your first scrap, Upright. For a moment, I thought you froze up. But you handled yourself well, all things considered."

"Thanks," Upright said. "I'm bleeding-"

"Not a problem," the growlithe interrupted. "The blood of pokémon is an all-purpose substance. It can be used as a cleaning agent, fertilizer… even as an ingredient for the best medicines – it will speed up your recovery by simply matting into your fur."

Upright looked at his injury, then Marker's own gash. The migtyena's wound was about healed. "Really..."

"And in terms of shampoo…" Doggy smiled. "The top of the line product uses the blood of great warriors as a replacement for sap. No matter where you live or who you are, the excitement of battle will get to you. It's become a point of honor. Many stores – including restaurants," he added slyly, "offer discounts to active fighters."

Marker's stomach growled. He looked away, ashamed to have gone feral on poor Upright.

A coin-pursed from Doggy's bad dangled from his teeth. "Speaking of restaurants… I could use a pick-me-up. Want to come along?" Doggy asked the poochyena. "I'm buying this time."

As much as he disliked the notion of taking scraps, Marker had no choice. He rose sloppily to his feet, making himself scarce as he passed the destroyed door.

The quilava had managed to escape a pin, whereas Doggy put the poochyena out with one kick. The growlithe met eyes with Upright, and the admiration they had for uneven deeds were equal.

"Sorry, pal," Doggy said. "I might drag you into a real mess. But a genius strider can't ignore the problems right under his nose."

"When I was attacked then," Upright told him, "my pain turned into sheer excitement. If we get in trouble, I promise to not freeze up. Not if that poochyena's really being starved by a couple of con artists."

"Goh-hoh-hoh!" Doggy cackled. "There are two sorts of death-seeker in this crazy world. Those who seek it..." even as his voice remained mirthful, his eyes darkened. "And those who merely ask for it without knowing. Well! You can think of where these handlers lie while we eat some yummy grub. This eatery is gonna shock you."

"Uh-huh," Upright grunted. They followed Marker, who was desperately pacing around the exit to the alley. Upright could use a little sunlight himself, he realized.

~~~II~~~

Every hour of starvation was obvious on Marker's face as he tore apart a whole chicken. Not cooked chicken, not grilled chicken, not fried chicken… Upright kept his ears flopped in order to block out the live chicken's squawking.

"I love live eateries!" Doggy shouted, turning a few heads. A few mumbled in agreement, digging in. "The energy of several dozen pokémon sharing fresh prey in a single place – it puts a passion in this death-seeker's heart."

"I don't share your passion," Upright admitted. The growlithe told him not to order till he was sure. The worst was when a newcomer to the eatery got cold feet, allowing their dinner to escape... and live eateries use a strict no refund policy.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," Marker repeated, licking his chops clean. "It reminds me of hunting with my pack. I feel like a new pokémon!"

Doggy slammed the table with both paws. The owner of the restaurant, a massive bear with lunar patches of yellow fur (an ursaring, Doggy claimed), kept a special eye on the troublemaker. "This marks the moment you took charge of your life," he said. "There is no god out there to save us, so we must make our own way. Goh-hoh-hoh!"

Marker joined in, copying the strange laugh. "Gah-hee-hee!"

"No, no," Doggy said through a mouthful of chicken. "Goh-hoh-hoh."

The two nodded, then laughed. The synchronicity was downright shocking.

The ursaring looked over again. Upright gave him a look that begged forgiveness, then slumped under the table. What a role-model Marker chose...

A long arm slammed a screaming chicken down on the table, right in front of Upright. "Gah?" The quilava squeaked. The ursaring nodded to him encouragingly. "N-No thanks..."

"At Gastro's Live Eatery," the ursaring declared, "you eat or give up your spot. Don't be afraid of the chicken, pal. Dull animals aren't like the rest of us. Grab a hold of it." Gastro released the chicken. Seeing it pick up speed for a leap, Upright grabbed it instinctively, as if the chicken was a glass of water about to tip over the edge. The sensation of the live creature felt foreign in his strong paws. He could feel its pulse falter, then quicken.

Upright began to tear up. "I-I would like to go now..."

Gastro huffed and put a paw on his shoulder, preventing him from rising. "Calm down, youngster. There's a polite way to do it – just like eating an artichoke."

"Yum, artichokes!" Doggy tacked on. Not helpful in the slightest.

The instruction began: "hold it straight up."

With the strength of a pokémon clutching its neck, the chicken had no chance of escape. While sniffling, Upright caught on to the pungent sent of fresh meat. He inspected the doomed animal curiously.

"Next," Gastro said, "twist the neck until you hear a little pop."

The chicken grew tired of struggling the moment Upright stretched out its neck. It gave him a very sad look with its beady eyes. On the other hand... Upright hadn't eaten protein since he arrived in Pokéarth. After days upon days of berries and fruits, the smell of meat was intoxicating. "So sorry," he whispered, wrenching his paws until the pop came. How bad could it be?

For his effort, he received a clap on the back from Gastro. "Attaboy," the chef said. "Now, I ain't cruel enough to make you go to the bones. You eat the parts you're comfortable with, and leave the rest to one of your friends." That excited the growlithe and poochyena more than it should.

"Okay," Upright said. Did he really just kill his own food? The fatty body of the chicken waited, slumped over in his paws. He laid it out on the table. And – he still couldn't believe himself – started to bite daintily into the stomach. Warm blood leaked onto his tongue. "N-Not bad, after the feathers."

"See you around, kid," the ursaring said.

"Wait!" Doggy called. "You were very helpful. Why?"

Gastro chuckled. "Repeat customers," he answered bluntly, pointing his nose at the quilava.

Doggy jumped in surprise; Upright was tearing into the chicken as if searching for a prize in the offal of the animal. It seemed more like exploratory surgery than lunch at an eatery. Some parts tasted awful to the quilava, but he tore into everything regardless, appreciating the curious tastes.

"Plus," Gastro said to the gaping growlithe, "I owe a lot to the Adventure Initiative. Least I can do is introduce their newbies to the thrill of the hunt. That chicken's on the house." He waved one last time before attending to an impatient party at the front of his little restaurant.

After Upright finished eating, Marker whined loudly. The quilava left very little of his lunch: just the legs and posterior remained untouched. And, alongside that, Upright had a very strange reaction to completing his first meal.

"S-S-S-So gross, not like an artichoke at all!" Upright sobbed. "I just ate guts! I b-bit into the brain. Which tasted a lot better than the heart… aiyee, g-gross!" He bounced around in front of the table, muzzle steeped in chicken blood. For all his complaining, the meal had a revitalizing effect for the quilava.

"You look like an angry kit," Doggy told him, unable to contain his chortling. "Marker, can you calm our friend down, while I clear up a mistake?"

"What mistake?" Marker asked, pawing at the mess Upright made. For a picky eater, the quilava sure made a mess.

"Gastro mistook us for newbies from the Adventure Initiative," Doggy explained. "Which can lead others to assume we're impersonators. Which leads to a bunch of burly creatures pummeling us. You guys couldn't help it, what with the green look on your faces and those wounds. Still, we must pay for Upright's chicken." Doggy left to talk to the ursaring.

Marker himself looked renewed. He nudged the quivering quilava. "While you were digging in," he said meekly, "Doggy asked where my handlers meet me for payments. Does he plan to fight them?"

The thought of it sobered Upright. "Y-Yeah," he replied, nodding.

"Can I come?" Marker asked. A hint of a snarl formed on his muzzle and his nose wrinkled.

"Of course. I have no idea – er, no recollection of a real fight. Doggy needs someone who's useful in a pinch."

The last comment made the poochyena's eyes widen. "Useful… when I was in a pack, I thought words were weak. But that one makes me shiver!"

Upright gave his the wild pokémon a warm smile. "By the way," he hummed, turning his nose up in thought. "What's the Adventure Initiative?"

Marker's jaw became firm with respect. "There are many great packs in Pathen. The Wilds Committee is one who promised to help wild pokémon, but did not. The Adventurer Initiative goes Outside."

"Outside?" Upright wanted more information. "The place outside the Territory."

"Of course!

A bolt of purpose shot through Upright's heart. "Doggy took me on a run to the boundary of the Territory," he said, remembering it warmly. He remembered the air churning in his strong lungs, the way that every muscle and tendon in his body worked together to push him forward. The memory of his own heartbeat thrummed in his sensitive ears, making them prickle. "We saw a green, coiled dragon soaring over the Valley that Goes on Forever. Do members of this pack really go 'Outside?'"

"A dragon?" Marker mused. "Yes, I saw it up close once."

At that moment, Doggy was humbly accepting Gastro's generosity. His honesty impressed the ursaring so much, the chef decided to waive the price of their whole meal. The growlithe was in the middle of a deep bow when a crash rose above the ruckus.

"Tell me!" Upright barked, slamming the table again. "I have to know!"

"W-Well, I was hunting for food," Marker whimpered nervously. The sudden passion stunned him. "Like most packs, we roam only inside the Territory. A doe fled through the boundary to the Outside. I chased her despite the warnings of my pack-leader, because I am a prideful poochyena. I killed the doe paces across the boundary! I was very happy and making much noise! Then… then… the green dragon swooped in from the sky, eating my prey in a single chomp. It swooped a second time, inspecting me with its yellow eyes!"

A few diners quit eating. Apparently, many of them either knew about the dragon, or loved a good tale.

Gastro came up, arms folded. "You might not be in the Initiative, but you sure do embellish like a true recruit," he accused.

"No," Marker stated. "I tell the truth. Very confident, I demanded a price for my kill. He gave me a prize."

"What did the dragon give you?" Upright asked quietly.

The poochyena turned away. The wild roughness of his voice cracked in fear as he answered.

"My life," Marker said. The restaurant fell into a stunned silence. Only the screeching of prey remained. "Another serious bloke, that's what he growled as he flew away. His voice became loud at the end. It stole my hearing away for many hours."

Crackles of electricity rippled through Upright's fur. He had trouble breathing. The envy he experienced knocked him off his feet. "I… I want to meet the dragon," Upright said.

"You ought to learn how to stomach a chicken first," Gastro taunted.

"All the same," the quilava said wistfully. "The dragon sounds like he has a curious sense of humor..."

Doggy sighed. "Pal, you ought to be careful what you wish for. Besides! We have a date with a couple friends at Nodrink Lane. You'll get to see the river that flows through the city. Sapphire River's kept its color, despite being smack-dab in the center of Pathen. That shoulder of yours good?"

Upright inspected his bite wound. Other than a bit of puffiness under the fur, it was healed. "All good," he said. They rose, thanked Gastro for the free meal, and started their way to Nodrink Lane. "By the way," he mentioned to Marker, "sorry for yelling at you. Whenever I hear about the Outside, I get a strange feeling. I think when I was a human, your sort of stories were all I ever dreamed about." Upright noticed the slip-up; his paws flew up to his mouth.

The poochyena stopped in his tracks. "Human?" His ears flopped and his head titled to the side. "That would explain a lot. You're more curious than a whelp!"

The reaction was unexpected. Maybe Marker's life as a wild pokémon prepared him for strange things? Between all the excitement, Upright never considered if he wanted to let others know his origin. For the most part, he lied up to this point.

Thankfully, he had a quick-witted friend to help him out. "Looks like Upright trusts you," Doggy said merrily. "Take it as a complement – becoming his friend is no small feat. Even I, a genius strider, struggled! Goh-hoh-hoh!"

"Goo-har-har!" Marker shot back.

"Grr, forgot it already? Listen up: Goh. Hoh. Hoh."

Marker circled around the growlithe as they walked. "So what are you? A genius strider or a death-seeker?"

"...Both. And don't you ever ask me such a silly question again!" Doggy playfully cuffed the poochyena.

There wasn't any need to add to Doggy's sentiments. Upright smiled to himself, amused by their play-fighting.

~~~III~~~

"Any moment now," Marker whispered. "I meet them here on the dock, to give them my pay for the day. Then the stronger one makes me say thank you, have a nice day! It is a civilized welcome, I heard."

"What a beautiful river," Upright said.

The Sapphire River shone in the moonlight. Its sandy bottom, visible through the clear water, made it as if the riverbed was lined with stardust. The city at night quieted, and many pokémon went into their homes. Nocturnal creatures brought new scents to Pathen, along with the sweet smell of clean water and the stench of oil in burning lanterns.

Doggy nudged him. "Eyes on the prize," he reminded the quilava. Upright nodded and kept low to the ground, just as Doggy instructed. The dusty floor rubbed against his stomach. "I want to make sure of what we're dealing with. This might be a misunderstanding."

"You don't believe me?" Marker asked, strung.

"I do!" Doggy exclaimed. "But these handlers might be getting pushed around by someone else. They might be stealing your money under duress."

"Biting them solves my problem, though."

"You need to think of the bigger picture," the growlithe argued. He crouched lower to the ground. "That won't solve the problem. When a genius strider helps, they help all the way! It's nighttime, so you ought to wait for them." Upright was impressed by his friend's sense of justice. Had Doggy challenged ne'er-do-wells in the past?

Marker nodded. "Good idea – the one time I was late, they were furious. You will know it's them if one reeks of ammonia and the other gives off a bad vibe. Bad vibe is very tough." The poochyena took in a deep breath and stalked out to the empty dock. The dock's function, from what Upright could surmise, was to transport pokémon across the river. Marker sat down and started to preen himself anxiously.

"These handlers are clever," Doggy growled. "The ferry operates for both diurnal and nocturnal pokémon. There is a ten-minute pause where neither operate… the perfect time to exploit someone."

Upright tried to relieve the tension. "We'll teach them a lesson the same way Marker told off that bidoof."

Doggy shook his head. "No, we won't. I didn't want you to panic, but some pokémon inside the city are truly foul. We might end up seriously injured, Upright."

Hours prior, Doggy told him the city was safe. Was this what safety meant to a pokémon? Then again, they sought out the danger…

"If you want to run, do it before the battle, not during," Doggy told him. "If you do stay and we start to lose, and you have a choice to either counterattack or flee… choose the latter." It took no words for Doggy to understand the flash of determination in the quilava's eyes. "You won't listen, will you? I can tell from your eyes. Your passion is so quiet. No one could ever tell without knowing you."

Just then, voices came from the dock. The loudest was Marker's.

It was like the poochyena promised: a foul-smelling skunk pokémon and a strangely shaped creature with bulbous pink legs. Another joined these two, however.

"Ventor?!" Marker cried. The bidoof nodded solemnly. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm sorry to inform you of a new setback," the pink-legged pokémon growled. She had a forceful voice. Her mark was more foreboding than Ventor or the skunk – she was the ring-leader for sure. "You incurred a fine when you attacked your boss. He is graciously allowing you to keep your job… it will take months to pay your dues, poochyena."

Knowing his friends were nearby made the poochyena brave. "No."

"What do you mean, no?" Ventor hissed.

"Pokémon fight all the time. It's a good thing to fight!"

"Not for a dirty pack animal like you!" The stunky snapped. Marker backed away slowly. The stench of ammonia hung in the air. "The Wild Committee is your one chance of being accepted. Otherwise, no one will ever love you!"

"Then what does that make us?" Doggy cried, leaping out from their hiding place. "Daydreams?!" The handlers stepped back, along with their conspiring shopkeeper. It was time to help! Upright stumbled out to the dock. He dropped to all fours as he ran.

"D-Damn it," Ventor spat. "It's that lot who led our schmuck away! I just knew you incorrigible punks would ruin a good setup."

Upright stepped forward. "What did you gain from this?" He said. "You're cheating him of the same money you used to pay him."

Doggy shook his head. "Not exactly. The Wild Committee gives stipends to any merchants who take on wild workers. Many are glad to help on their own," he spat. "Every now and then… there's opportunists."

This earned a few chuckles from the trio. "You sure know what's up," the skunk taunted, "for a mutt. I can smell the forest on you from over here. Guess you're just as homeless as your friend."

"Grr!" Marker joined Doggy's side. "How do you smell anything? You are so stinky." The stunky snorted dismissively.

"And you, medicham, have no honor!" Doggy said. The pink-legged creature took the insult harshly. "Where has your instinct to help others gone?"

Ventor answered for her. "These self-sacrificing traits you two have… are detrimental to your fitness! Tank, Sweets, get rid of them!" The bidoof sprinted up the steps to the dock, making his escape. Before Upright could give chase, the two handlers started to close in.

Upright realized with mounting horror that they had their sights focused on him. When Marker attacked him, his fighting instinct came out. Unlike his friends, however, he couldn't summon that instinct on demand yet. And the two dangerous pokémon could tell!

A shout from Doggy helped jump-start his instincts. The stunky, Tank, came rolling in with his short-yet-quick claws. A few strokes and Upright would be ribbons. The quilava leaped out of the way and bared his fangs. Even if his instincts were slow, he still knew how to bite!

"Wait," Doggy cried, "Don't bite-"

It was too late. What seemed like a opportunity was a ruse; Tank had opened his back up to a bite on purpose. Upright got an awful taste in his mouth. The stench became a thousand times worse, and he started to gag. For a lack of options, he refused to let go. Bile rose up into his throat.

"I taste worse than the worst carrion!" Tank bragged. "You won't be getting rid of that taste for weeks."

The medicham, Sweets, closed in on Upright. Before she could deal a brutal blow to the stunned quilava, Marker swooped in. With a vicious leap, the poochyena made contact with her shoulder. Then he spun in midair, slamming the handler into the ground. It was a great deer-killing move. But Sweets absorbed the slam by rolling away, then she kicked at Marker, who rolled with the blow to reduce its damage. The two moved farther down the dock.

Tank started to back away, dragging Upright with him. "Hey, you're still holding on? Let go!"

His choice to hold on caused the stunky to panic! Doggy's words rung in his mind: if you want to survive here, your instincts have to take a backseat to your wit! Upright doubled down. It was just a taste, after all.

The stubbornness paid off: distracted by a measly bite, Tank didn't notice the growlithe descending on him from above. Doggy pounded the handler's head with his forelegs. Tank backed up again, reeling from the blow.

"No one swindles my friends," Doggy growled. He crouched, focusing himself. Upright hopped up onto Tank's back, locking him in place. Was Upright about to see the technique his friend mentioned in the forest?

"Y-You're a stupid kit!" Tank argued as if the semantics mattered, or he was much older himself. "You can't possibly – no, wait a moment..."

Somehow, the energy coming from Doggy managed to hit all five of Upright's senses. In none were they concrete, yet in all they were present. The growlithe's eyes shot open as he flew forward.

"Fury swipes!" He roared.

Swipe-swipe-swipe. Tank flew flew back and forth as Doggy landed consecutive blows. The speed… Upright couldn't help but gape. The growlithe was faster than ever!

"Not like this!" Tank wailed through a bloodied maw. He ducked down in order to avoid more abuse.

Doggy hopped into the air, landing on the stunky's head. He made the handler eat wooden plank.

When Tank rose up, wood chips jutted from his cheeks like whiskers. "It was Sweets's idea," he begged. "All… Sw-Sweets's..." he slumped over, unable to fight.

"Attaboy Upright," Doggy huffed. "You didn't play in to your senses."

Upright bowed his head. "That's nothing compared to your secret move-"

A loud yelp interrupted him. There was still another handler to deal with!

"Stupid… mutt!" Sweets screamed, kicking Marker in the stomach. The exhausted poochyena allowed it with nothing but a yowl in protest. Seeing an opening to finish the fight, she took it: with a spurious punt, Sweets sent Marker flying into the water. Upright could see the wild pokémon sink to the floor. Like he sank in Native Lake...

Then the medicham moved to confront the other two. "I won't allow you to have him. Even if you escape and report us, no one will be alive to give testimony!"

Doggy hobbled forward. The growlithe saw Sweets raise her foot. With a pang of horror, he realized he had no chance of getting past. "I used too much on my attack… no, no!" Things were becoming dire. Marker's struggles under the water became frenzied. "Dang it, Upright. We'll go at once! Whoever slips through saves Marker!"

"Aw, how cute, you named him!" Sweets laughed at their horrified faces. "Splitting up won't work. I can take you both out at once – eh?"

Upright took a few steps forward, then turned his back on the medicham. As their odds worsened, a fierce heat had grown on his back. His new body insisted that he direct this heat at something before it became unbearable. Who better than this disappointent?

"Kid, you won't distract me for a second," Sweets bragged. "I-"

"Get away!" Upright shrieked. He tensed his back.

Embers erupted from Upright, bursting forward in waves of piping-hot sparks. Too sure of herself, Sweets wasn't ready to dodge. She shrieked as well, trying to pat out the many fires blooming on her body.

Doggy made a mad sprint for the water. Even covered in hot embers, the desperate medicham moved to stop him. Upright tightened up, doubling the output. Then, from one moment to the next, Sweets found herself enveloped in fire. The embers had connected together to make a fully-fledged blaze – she took too long to get out of the way.

"Stop," Sweets choked out. "I yield!"

The horrified voice brought Upright back to his senses. The overwhelming urge to defend himself faded. Instead, he turned around. With a firm push, he sent the scorched pokémon into the water. Luckily for Sweets, she floated.

At the same time, Doggy surfaced with Marker. Spotting the handler, he kicked eagerly towards a ramp protruding into the river. Despite his best attempts to keep Marker's head above water, the unconscious pokémon kept slipping under the surface.

Upright ran over to the ramp and helped them u. Doggy snorted some water out of his nose.

"I saw him swallow water," he said hastily. "I never saved a drowning pokémon before, I have no idea what to do next..." the poochyena looked very lifeless. Doggy whined and pawed the poochyena eagerly.

"I have an idea," Upright replied, putting his paws on Marker's chest. He started to push up and down. "I will push the water out!" After a few pumps, Marker retched, coughing up water. Upright continued with renewed vigor.

"I didn't get involved just to see you die," Doggy growled. "Come on..."

With one large push, Marker returned to the world of the living. He scraped the dock with his feet, gasping. After the initial surge of life, the poochyena fell quiet, sucking in the cold air.

Doggy seemed crazed with relief. "Note to self: teach Marker how to swim."

Despite everything, Upright found a hearty chuckle to give. "We can take him to the lake by Gr- her house." After all this, the wilds of the Territory seemed far more preferable to Pathen.

Before they could make their plans, something caught their attention. Doggy started to sniff the air. "Water and that stunky's messing with my sniffer. Do you smell that, Upright?"

The quilava did. It was Ventor's scent, mixed with an unfamiliar smell. "I… I think Ventor brought another thug."

Doggy rose up angrily. "Bring it on. I still have tons of fight left in me!"

"I decline," a voice called down to them. A massive silhouette overtook them from the street. It raised its arm, coaxing a flinch out of Upright.

Thud. Ventor, beaten unconscious, tumbled along the dock.

"Whoa," Doggy gasped. "You did this? Good looking out… thanks a lot!"

The figure put a foot out over the ledge, then chose to use the stairs instead. Such a large beast would put a hole in the dock if it jumped. The river reflected the moonlight, making it easier to see the newcomer as he approached. He was humongous, with tufts of white fut covering his wide belly. A twig stuck out from his mouth – their helper had a stoic-yet-amused look on his face.

"No need to thank me," the giant grunted.

Upright shook his head. "If Ventor escaped, it would be his word against ours. It might still be..."

"Good point." The newcomer flipped his twig. It was a very precise and habitual movement. "Thankfully, an adventurer's opinion has much weight."

"You're from the Initiative?!" Doggy asked.

The adventurer huffed. "Guilty."

"S-So cool! Marker, wake up already! There's a ginormous pangoro from the Initiative, I feel so humbled..." Doggy bowed to the adventurer. How could the growlithe be so excited, when his friend Grace robbed the Initiative?

"Name's Khridoli. It's a pleasure." The pangoro leaned over the water. He scooped up Sweets, inspected the wounded creature. "I hate to kill such a genial mood, but you three ought to know: I've been tailing you since that scuffle in Treasure Street."

Doggy's mood changed in a heartbeat. "Wait… since noon... You watched our fight, then. Marker was drowning! Why didn't an adventurer like you come to help?"

"You had it handled," Khridoli answered bluntly.

"No offense, but that's not good enough!" Doggy shot back. "What if we were incapable. By the time you realized, Marker would be a goner."

"For us land-dwellers, it's okay to take on some water. Provided it gets shoved out later. Your friend had minutes of time. There was no real danger."

The sentiment disappointed Upright, somehow. Doggy was too incredulous to speak, so he took over. "Why'd you follow us?"

"Had an itch you three were applicable." Khridoli gestured to the medicham. "That's some roast, kid. You must be proud of yourself."

That word, applicable… "I-Is that a good job?" Upright asked, trying to save his assumptions.

"Are you modest or stupid?" Khridoli chuckled. "Of course it's a fine job. You're paces beyond the average in the technique department. In fact, all three of you surprised me."

"You keep talking like we're being tested," Doggy spat. "This was real life. Marker was being abused by his handlers. Whether you wanted to test us or not, as an advent- eep." The rest of that insult fizzled off when the pangoro took a long step forward.

"Don't ruin a good moment," Khridoli growled threatningly. "Save your bleeding heart for another time. Too many good deeds go unseen, the benefactors gone before we can get a trace. With orientation so close, you're the sort of potential recruits I like to see."

Doggy gaped. "P-Potential… recruits. You want to recruit us to the Initiative." Not good. Grace was likely rolling around in her bed, tortured by a nightmare kind of like this.

Khridoli nodded. "Yup. Scores of pokémon sign up at our base of operations to be tested. Yet we always have an eye open for unlisted."

"Unlisted?" The growlithe said. His anger seemed forgotten, for the moment. For Doggy to not know something!

"Pokémon who ought to be going Outside, but haven't signed up for one reason or another..The three of you clicked together like a true team. You all fit the bill – chicken-eating habits aside," Khridoli added tauntingly. Upright didn't notice the remark. He was too busy trembling.

Doggy swirled his paw around on the wood. "This is all so sudden. Marker hasn't even woke up yet-"

"I'm in!" Upright answered.

"Upright?!" Doggy yelped. "Wanna give that some thought?"

"I did," the quilava said. "I know the stakes. But I won't be able to cope with who I am inside the Territory. I want to see everything Pokéarth has to offer, because anything less and I'll never understand who I am as a pokémon." Upright tried to keep his origin hidden, but also get his point across to the concerned growlithe. "I want to visit the green dragon for a chat. I want to explore Cutter's Alley, not Skinnyblock Alley."

Something gave Doggy pause before, but the quilava's confidence shattered that last bit of hesitation. The words put a fire in his heart."As a genius strider and a death-seeker," he announced, "I ought to be embarrassed! The real challenge is Outside. You're right, Upright, one-thousand percent right!"

Khridoli chewed his twig thoughtfully. "Chat with a dragon... strange goal, though I've heard worse. You're fine too, growlithe, as long as that death-seeking is just a shtick. And that leaves your wild friend. He seems conscious enough for a life-altering decision."

Upright hadn't noticed that Marker was very much awake. He was panting, a wide grin on his face. Seeing his friends alive and well meant he was liberated from those awful handlers. Would that freedom make him hesitant to get shackled to the Initiative?

"I go with my new pack," was his answer. The words warmed Upright's heart.

"Then it's decided," Khridoli grunted. "We'll bunk at an inn for the night while I sort these ne'er-do-wells out. Come morning, you three will pass through the Timestop as unlisted."

~~~II~~~

You clicked together like a team. The words echoed in Upright's head. He repeated them, testing them out. Did they?

Khridoli bought them a room in a high-end inn. At least, Upright took notice of an actual bed in his room, accompanied by a lit hearth. Not wanting to break bank renting three rooms for a single night, the pangoro requested they all share a bed. There were certainly wide enough, but…

Doggy kept to himself on the corner of the bed, yet overtook the room with his snoring. It was a chronic grind that drowned out the relaxing crackles of the fire, it sounded like the growlithe was choking this time around.

Even so, Upright's body fought for its night of rest. The quilava curled up, shutting his eyes.

Thud. Upright yelped and looked around. One moment he was drifting off, the next he was on the floor.

"Sorry," Marker whispered. He was half-awake, licking his chops sleepily. "I am an active sleeper."

"It's okay," Upright lied. Active sleeper… what did that even mean?

Maybe an hour would help his friends settle in. Upright left their room and went downstairs. Several nocturnal pokémon were enjoying a nighttime meal. A few nodded to him, and Upright nodded back. It seemed like Pathen, in truth, never slept.

"Hello, diurnal," one of the patrons said to him. "Feeling restless?"

He was an upright salamander of sorts, with green skin and sharp foliage sticking out from his arms. His stomach was a cherry red. The mirth in his eyes seemed tricky, but Upright found his scent unassuming. "I might be a light sleeper," Upright replied.

"Perhaps you are a creature of the night. In Pathen, the time you sleep is a lifestyle choice. Those daylight busters don't have a clue, though I can tell you prefer the heat. Come on, enjoy the night life while you can, then – try out some warm cider with rum, on me." The barkeep heard the order and served up the drink. Somehow, the quilava could tell the drink would put a warmth in his belly. A drink to wash the taste of Tank's fur from his mouth sounded great.

.

It would be rude to decline, right? Upright moseyed over to the counter. With a polite bow, he prepared a tiny swig.

The salamander tipped the full drink into his mouth. Upright flailed, swallowing what he could. The taste of the booze helped him forget Tank, certainly. A new fiery feeling took over, plus a drowning sensation.

"Hey!" Upright coughed, wiping off some stray froth. A bit of the cider refused to go down the right pipe. He fell into a painful coughing fit.

"Oops," the salamander called, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Drank it a bit fast there, bud! Let's take you outside before you retch all over the counter. Be right back."

The quilava struggled as the pokémon dragged him outside. The forthcoming creature took him into a thin alley on the side of the inn. Was he being attacked?! Upright focused the heat in his back, trying to trigger his only defense.

"I'll have none of that!" The salamander spat. He slapped Upright upside the head, canceling out the attack. "Quit fighting me, kit. You and I, we have a mutual friend."

"Get off!" Upright growled, still coughing. "Get off of me! Doggy! Marker-"

A claw wrapped around his muzzle. Desperate breaths whistled through his nose. "We... have… a mutual friend," the pokémon hissed. "Lives in a shack? Makes friends with losers? Do you know her?"

Was he referring to Grace? Upright recalled the way she protested against his visit to Pathen and relaxed slightly. The fur on his back fell, then rose again. Doggy was right about there being a spy, and Grace being a notorious criminal! He even caught a glimpse of the spy at the gate to Pathen – he received a bump from the salamnder for mentioning Grace!

"Good," the spy said. "My name is Daté. See, that's my real name. You can trust me. If I let go, will you scream?"

Upright shook his head. Slowly, the grip around his muzzle loosened. "Grace... sent you?" He panted. "I t-thought you were going to kill me. You dragged me outside and tricked the barkeep..."

Daté shrugged. "She was worried about your visit to the city. In case whatever so-and-so happened, Grace wanted me to issue a warning. Lucky me, to get you alone before that oaf returned."

"What does so-and-so entail?!" Upright asked. "A-Are you going to hurt me for joining the Initiative? Please! I promise to never tell a soul about the cabin!"

"No, whelp! This will upset Grace, sure. Even so, she understands that it's your choice. Too merciful for her own good, in my opinion. Lke I said, I only want to give you a warning."

"O-Okay," Upright said. The salamander leaned in close.

"A while back," Daté whispered, "a pokémon thought it would be good idea to claim he was once human." Upright's eyes widened. He tried to respond, but Daté's arm reached towards his mouth. "he was a loner. No one could dispute his claim, and his adamant attitude won Pathen over. It made for quite the craze in the Adventure Initiative. Teams lavished him with gifts, so they could bring him Outside. Gotta put a bit of his blood in an ancient urn to open a secret path, gotta have him speak to a mural in Cutter's Alley. Et cetera. In fact, I bet more than a few adventurers caught on to his lies, yet said nothing – the liar turned out to be a blast to hang out with! I sure enjoyed the company. It was the best con in pokémon history."

Where was this story leading? It was a warning against admitting his humanity, though the worst consequence seemed to be a few bothersome errands…

"One day, a team of adventurers takes him Outside. There's a dais in a place called Sunstarch. Just some more fun, right? Just another trip to the Outside, you'd think. No." Daté scoffed bitterly. "They disemboweled our lying friend. Laid the entrails on the dais. Nothing opened, of course. Stupid bastards."

Upright gaped. Tears welled in his eyes. What a cruelty it was, to force someone to die for a simple test. "W-Why?!" He asked. Grace's words in the cabin came to him: Others will find his secret and exploit it, till the benefit of doing so hinges on his life.

"Because he claimed to be human," Daté answered, only echoing what he already knew. "And that made him reek of opportunity. I care little whether you're legit. Human or not… you keep your mouth shut and your eyes peeled. And if you see me around, fulfilling my agenda, you stay far away. Interrupt me or spread Grace's name around, and I will give you the other kind of warning." Daté stated to leave. The suddenness of it all made it hard to think. "Sorry for pushing you around," he called back, his parting words to the shocked quilava.

"I'm sorry for your friend," Upright blurted, more to the darkness of the alley than to the pokémon. "And thank you for the warning. I won't forget it."

Daté stopped for a moment, then leaped into the air. He was gone in an instant, his body and scent vanished as Khridoli rounded the corner. The pangoro caught on to the blindingly fast movement – in a lumbering way, he seemed to be in a real hurry to find the quilava.

"Kid!" Khridoli called, rushing over. "The barkeep said someone dragged you outside. What were you doing down in the lobby?!"

"Couldn't sleep," Upright explained.

"And this fellow, was he with those handlers?"

Upright shook his head solemnly. "No. He wanted to avoid paying his tab," he lied.

"Did you see what he looked like? Do you know his breed?"

"Too dark."

"That sort of leap… you aren't leaving my sight till we reach the Timestop tomorrow," Khridoli decided. It was through this decision that Upright realized just how lucky Daté was. A few minutes later, and he'd have missed his chance to speak with Upright. And the quilava knew, like any danger one can glance back at, that he leaned towards telling Khridoli his story until he heard Daté's cautionary tale.

Because of that, Upright had a promise to make before he returned to the struggle of sharing a bed with Doggy and Marker. "Hey," he said to the adventurer, "I know it's not my place… but I have one condition for joining."

Khridoli, lacking the box of twigs he kept in the inn, ground his teeth instead. "If it's sensible, I'd be glad to oblige."

"You might have heard me say something strange," Upright explained. "Earlier, after lunch."

The pangoro narrowed his eyes. "Yes. Real strange. I was hoping to speak with you in the morning to better understand who you are."

The quilava's heart dropped. "Forget it," he pleaded. "It was just make-believe. I swear. I'm a quilava who… who… hit his head. I have amnesia. Both my friends know I'm scatterbrained so they play along - to make me feel better."

Daté's story seemed universal, or widespread enough for the adventurer to understand the reasoning behind the lie. Khridoli seemed to recognize, too, that the mysterious attacker did more than duck out on a bill. "I can abide for the time being," the pangoro grunted. "You look like you're about to break down. Come on, to bed with you."

Upright followed on the pangoro's tail, trying his best to ignore the dark figure watching him from a nearby roof. The animal in him was very tired of being watched.