In the presence of the Suicune, Cámille fluttered her wings. Her talons grip on the branch tightened. Every Pokémon around the campfire had their eyes on her.
The Dartix relaxed as the gentle waves of flames crackled into the sky and washed her. Walking Wake placed his tail on the log and grinned.
Cámille smiled back before she spread her wings. It was showtime.
"I have a story from a land far away, one also blessed and cursed by the presence of Pokémon who bent time to their will. But it was not them who caused quite the stir-"
Cámille's Tale: Kage no Yaiba
Humid, hot wet air plagued the boardwalks of Shadow Strike Island. It was the middle of a scorching summer, but all was unusually silent. Wild Pokémon chattered amongst themselves, in the air, land, and sea but nary a town's mon dared step outside.
Only those who wanted to brush with danger. Brush with shadows. Not dark-types or ghost-types. But actual dangerous shadows. There were shadows of all colors that waited outside. Each had a hue that represented every Pokémon type.
They consumed the land at sunset. No matter who, all non-wild Pokémon caught would be taken to a random Mystery Dungeon across Shadow Strike Island. Even if they had somewhere they needed to be.
And the only Pokémon who figured out a way to stop the shadow's onslaught was locked away in a cell, with only one chance to get out.
All because of the Island Guild.
The Explorer's Guild teams' iron rule didn't take being threatened so lightly. Whatever the threat was. No matter who posed the challenge. Not even their own allies. And any 'suspicious' Pokémon would not be freed from their clutches easily. Unless they had proof of their intentions.
But there were a few Pokémon who fought against them.
There was a Charcadet and a Pawinard among the few. They ran through the tight corners of a back alleyway. Numerous buildings intersected, some led to dead ends whilst others made it to other alleys. Fortunately and unfortunately for the young Pokémon, they were not being chased by the Explorer's Guild. Yet. However, they weren't alone. Far behind them, and all across the Island were a myriad of shadows.
"Don't lead the way if you're unsure where to go!" the Charcadet called out.
The Pawniard waved his blade with a shout. "But I'm faster than you!"
"Then use the Chief's map!"
"But it's hard!"
"It doesn't matter! We've got to make it to the dock and deliver Professora's and everyone's letter!" the Charcadet said as they rounded another corner. There was a bridge that led to the other part of the Island just ahead.
The Pawinard in front of her let out a sharp gasp as the satchel strap slipped out of his grasp. "Exploradora! Señor's bag!"
"Don't hold it with your blades, Cuchillo!" Exploradora yelled.
"Sorry!" the Pawniard cried.
The Charcadet ran over to pick up the bag. "This way! Hurry ahead!"
"Come on Exploradora!" Cuchillo yelled as he hopped on the bridge. In his grasp was a yellowed and frayed map, with two locations, circled in red ink. He then nearly tripped into the netting of the bridge, which jostled and shook the linked panels and his partner.
"Keep it steady will ya?" the Charcadet yelped.
"Sorry! I nearly dropped the map and all," the Pawniard laughed a little before he rolled up the paper.
The pair of small Pokémon dashed along the wooden planks that connected one small eastern landmass to the chunks of the main Island.
On the bridge, they maneuvered over the rolling tides of the sea, the Charcadet trailed the Pawinard closely as the two made it onto solid ground and held tightly onto the satchel. Below, a shadow quickly slithered toward them.
"You're so slow, we'll never make it in time!" Cuchillo grumbled.
"Can't you see I'm doing my best to hold Señor's bag Cuchillo!?" Exploradora yelled behind him.
An odd light-pink glow quickly flashed underneath the Pawinard and the Charcadet leaped forward into him, which tumbled them downhill into a thicket of bushes.
"Here, Exploradora!" the Pawinard helped his companion up as he glanced at their surroundings. There was an expansive boardwalk alongside the land right beside them. "We can reach FE's jail from here!"
The Charcadet tightened the satchel and raced after him past a Guild-run building. "We can also make it to the Explorer's Guild dock too!"
"When?"
"Before sunset!"
After the two passed the doors of the building opened. Three Pokémon burst out. There was a Squakabilly with white plumage, a Dewpider, and a black and white Linoone. All three wore a simple red bandana with a dull bronze badge.
The Squakabilly spotted the pair of Pokémon as they raced past and then sat on a fence as her teammates quickly flipped through a booklet. "Is that them?" she asked.
"Maybe, I need to see what the others in the Guild wrote down," the Dewpider said. "Right on the money."
The Linoone nodded and closed the book. "There they are, let's get 'em!"
Quickly the three Pokémon closed the building door and dashed after the Charcadet and the Pawniard. The boardwalk rumbled and shook under their force as they hurried.
"Look behind you!" Cuchillo tapped the side of a railing.
"What?" the Charcadet heeded her friend's warning and glanced around. Behind the two the Dewpider, Squakabilly, and Linoone chased.
The Pawniard sharpened his blades as he picked up his pace. There was a large building with a staircase that led to an upper level of the Island toward the Guild. It was a risk. "We've got company and it ain't the shadows this time!"
"Ho ho! So you've realized our awesome presence was amongst you!?" the three Guild Pokémon laughed.
"Who are you jerks?!" Exploradora yelled. Her head flame intensified and she quickly neared the building.
"Team Rushing Stop of the Island Guild!" The three Pokemon yelled as they nearly caught up.
Swiftly, the Pawniard and Charcadet climbed up the staircase that led to the rooftops and dashed along the top of it.
With a grunt Cuchillo let one of his blades grind against a metal siding and sparks flew. "We've done nothing wrong!"
"Yes, yes, there isn't a bounty on you yet. It's true, it's true," Dewpider said. Swiftly, he leaped forward to use Bug Bite.
"Yet?!" the Pawniard flinched as he narrowly dodged the attack.
The Squakabilly flew around the stairs with her team. "We heard a rumor that there will be a bounty put on y'all at sunset!"
"A bounty on you two and the other Pokémon you work for: the Señor, the Professora, and the Chief!" the Linoone explained.
"Of course, that's if you fail the Guildmaster's request of bringing her the proof you all are legit before then," the Squakabilly said and perched onto her shoulder.
"But if we stop you before you can make it then we get to cash in your 2 Star bounty! And roll in the dough!" the Dewpider laughed.
"What?" the Charcadet and Pawniard gasped. "That's not fair!"
"Too bad!" the Squakabilly cackled.
"Peep the badges on our scarves and surrender over those documents chicos!" the Dewpider yelled, as he hopped onto his Linoone teammate.
"We'll never hand over the papers!" Cuchillo sliced off a wobbly piece of metal roofing as he raced past it. "We're so close!"
"Leave us alone!" the Charcadet launched an Ember at the piece of scrap metal the Pawniard broke off and then kicked it backward. "We were just trying to investigate the shadows and then you guys called us a threat!"
The Linoone scampered away from the searing hot metal with her teammates and growled. "I bet your meddling caused the shadows! If so, you definitely are a threat!"
"What fricking meddling?" Exploradora yelled.
"Meddling with that foreign green and white Pokemon. The one with the red-pink blade!" the Linoone replied. "You brought them and the shadows!"
"Why are you blaming that on us?" the Charcadet shook her head.
"Because!" the three shouted.
"Because?!" the pair questioned.
"Because we're part of the Island Guild!"
"And you got everyone in town to treat us like criminals," the Pawinard gritted his teeth, "You locked up our friend just because they looked different!"
"That thing is a terrifying mix between a Gardevoir and a Gallade!" the Squakabilly screamed. "No Pokémon like that should be allowed in the public eye!"
"You know nothing about them! Or us and our vision!" Cuchillo and Exploradora shouted back. "We'll make our own group no matter what anyone says! The Guild or the town!"
"Who cares? You'll never be able to get as much community support as the Guild!" the Dewpider yelled.
"Or solve the shadows!" the Linoone jeered.
"Shut up!" the pair jumped off of the rooftop and landed directly in front of the Guild-operated jail. "Now!" The Pawniard fired an Air Slash at the three enemies.
"Ah! Dodge it!" Linoone swerved left and crashed off the boardwalk. And thus Team Rushing Stop fell: straight off Shadow Strike Island and into the depths of the ocean.
With those Guild Pokémon busy as they tried to reach land there was peace. Finally, Cuchillo and Exploradora relaxed. The Pawniard and his companion saw the massive building that held their friend in all its wretched glory, the jail was on a piece of land high up on the Island. What surrounded the jail was a massive barbed fence, which brimmed with multiple energies. There was also a translucent dome that sat on top of the fence into the sky, electrified and icy.
Exploradora and Cuchillo burst through the doors of the jail and ran down to the guard's station with a desk and chairs, where a heavy metal door blocked access to the row of cells that held all the prisoners. Well, the cells were supposed to. As there was only one prisoner.
"We're here FE!" the two yelled.
"C-cuchillo, Exploradora?!" a soft, metallic, electrified voice gasped.
"Excuse me?" a different, rough voice asked and the pair jumped back. From behind the desk slithered a dark and poison-type Muk. He stared at the Charcadet and the Pawniard and sighed. "Are you two here to pick up Inmate Number 1006?"
"Yeah, we've got the release forms and everything!" Cuchillo slammed down the paper on the desk.
The Muk softened a little when he read the words on the page but he scowled once he looked at the pair of Pokemon in front of him. "I see you've brought what's necessary to contain that thing but why aren't the Pokémon who wrote this request here?"
"We are their students," Exploradora adjusted the bag on her waist as she took a glance out the window. Time was ticking.
"Hurry it up with the details, You do know that once the sun sets I'll be taking Number 1006 here to the main Island for the 'experimentation' that the Guild requested. The Pokémon are fascinated by this one or whatever. I don't get paid enough to ask the deep questions."
"Our teachers were off securing a permanent location for our lessons. Señor Indeedee, Professora Mudsale, and Chief Annileape, they wanted to find a building for our new organization," the Pawinard said as he tapped his foot.
"Is it part of the Guild? I recall those three Pokémon worked closely with the Guildmaster. But they stopped doing missions lately."
"No, it's not part of the Guild," the Charcadet folded her arms.
"Then who?" the Muk asked. "It ain't looking like the Pelipper Post Office or the Kecleon Mart that's for sure."
Cuchillo stepped in front of Exploradora. "It's the Guildmaster's secret."
The Muk approached them and sighed. "I don't have time to deal with all that crap from the Guild," the jail guard stuck one of his hands into his gunk.
"So we can take FE back home?" the pair asked.
The Muk slid past the Charcadet and Pawniard with a ring of keys in his clutches. "You're free to go Number 1006."
"I am? Hey guys-" As the small Iron Valiant stepped out of their cell they were crashed into by the Charcadet and Pawniard.
"WE MISSED YOU!" the pair blubbered and held on tight.
The Iron Valiant stood still for a moment as their eyes flickered over the warmth and pressure of their companions. Then their internal radar blipped. Sunset approached, it was time to go.
"I know you two missed me but we've got to hurry to the dock and reach the Guildmaster!" FE broke away from the hug and spread out their arms.
"Onward!"
As the three rushed out of the jail, FE reached down toward Cuchillo. "You can hand the map over to me buddy!" they smiled.
"Why's that?" the Pawniard passed it to the Iron Valiant.
They placed a hand on their chest and rolled open the paper. "That's 'cause I've got everything under control."
"You-you know a shortcut to the Guildmaster's private dock or something?" Exploradora asked.
"The three of you won't need to worry about that!" a high-pitched squawk called out behind her.
"Because we know a shortcut! It's called you're under arrest!" the Dewpider yelled and shot out a Water Gun. The burst nearly splashed Exploradora as she jumped away.
"Oh crap, not these guys!" the Charcadet said.
"Are those Pokemon from the Guild or something?" FE led their friends across a small bridge.
Cuchillo turned back and launched an Air Slash. "Yeah, they keep trying to stop us from delivering the papers to the Guildmaster!" The blades of wind collided with the Squakabilly as they dropped the Dewpider.
"Didn't they think we couldn't do it!?" As the Iron Valiant rushed across the wooden boards another shadow trailed right on their heels.
"Watch out!" the Pawniard behind FE pushed them away from the wrath of a light blue shadow, and a pile of feathers exploded in the spot they just were.
The Iron Valiant rubbed the back of their head. "Those are the shadows eh?"
"The Guild also thinks we caused those shadows to appear and spread across Shadow Strike Island!" Exploradora explained as she caught up to the two.
"I know how to get rid of those shadows for good," FE said, as they took another peek at the map.
"You do?" the Charcadet asked, her eyes wide.
"Of course!"
They all headed to where the path ventured into the residential areas, one with various homes and huts which sat above the water. The boardwalk of course continued onward. "The final part of the Island is so close!" FE said and glanced at the setting sun beyond the horizon.
"We won't make it on this path, will we?" the Pawniard pointed forward and asked. His blade pointed at a pulled-up drawbridge beside a towering wall that bordered the edge of the cliff above them. "Look, that must be a shortcut!"
The boardwalk split into a section attached to an island cliffside, but it was above a section of the bridge. "Here grab on!" FE reached out to Cuchillo and Exploradora.
The pair grabbed on and held on tight as the Iron Valiant kicked off one wall and onto another before they completely scaled the entire structure and rolled into the grass. Just ahead of them was a stone road and a piece of ground where there were a couple of empty barrels.
In a flash, the Iron Valiant shot upright and raced onward to the paved path. These weren't just any stones, they signaled that the three had finally made it to the part of Shadow Strike Island that had had the Guild and the coveted Guildmaster's dock. The only problem, the dock was all the way downhill.
"Don't think we'd let you get away!" Team Rushing Stop was yet again right behind the trio.
As the enemies approached the Charcadet jumped out of FE's hands and pushed a barrel at them.
"Wah!" The Linoone panicked as she barreled directly into the wall with a thud. "How are they so acrobatic and fast on their feet?"
"It doesn't matter!" the Dewpider slowly climbed up the wall. "We need to stop them!"
"Why do they have runts like you trying to persuade the Guildmaster?!" the Squakabilly dived at the Pokémon with a barrage of Fury Attacks.
"Because Señor, Professora, and the Chief are counting on us!" the Pawinard said as he jumped back to help deflect some of the beak jabs.
"All we need to do is show off their research so we can get out of this mess!" Exploradora blocked the final blow with her fist. The Charcadet looked across the grass as a legion of multicolor shadows approached. "Watch out you two, more shadows are coming!"
As FE, Exploradora, Cuchillo, and Team Rushing Stop ran toward the faint silhouette of the Guild and all its infrastructure the sun set further. Much like the other smaller islands, there weren't many Pokémon in the streets. Only Guildies patrolled.
"Give it up you three! It's almost sunset and we need to go!" the Linoone shouted, and almost caught the Charcadet and Pawniard.
"We shouldn't head to the Guild, we need to go down to the dock and get near the water!" Exploradora launched another Ember at the Guild team and scattered them away.
"We can't!" Cuchillo yelled. "We won't make it in time!"
The Iron Valiant pointed a hand at a brown and black blur on the water's edge. "I've seen that boat before! That's the Guildmaster's, she's on that boat!"
"It's nearly sunset! Ah, the shadows are coming!" Team Rushing Stop yelped before they turned away from their targets to escape. But once they moved away from the Iron Valiant it sealed their fate.
Cuchillo, Exploradora, and FE watched as the land around them was bathed in the haunting hue of numerous colors. The shadows. Almost every surface of land not under water was covered by infectious shadows.
And so were the Linoone, Dewpider, and Squakabilly. Completely overrun with shadows. Red, dark purple, light teal, green, yellow- many other types of colors drenched their fur, feathers, and skin respectively. The shadows dragged the Pokémon away, each far off to the void of an Island Mystery Dungeon.
"The shadows got them!" the Pawniard panicked and reached his blade out.
The Charcadet behind him grabbed onto it with a sigh. "It's their own fault for chasing us out here!"
"But we'll get taken too!"
"D-don't say that!"
"FE what are we gonna do?!"
While they ran, FE's vision darted back and forth between their friends, the shadows, and the sea. "We can't allow this mission to be ruined, especially with the Guildmaster right in front of us. Wait! Her boat is right in front of us!"
"We've got to jump!" FE yelled, as they extended their boosters and dashed toward the cliff in front of them. Exploradora and Cuchillo grabbed onto their friend's hips as they raced even faster toward the depths of the ocean off Shadow Strike Island.
The Iron Valiant pulled out their pink lance and ran it against the ground. Pixelated energy flew into the air and the shadows right on the trio and they fled for just a second. "Hold on!"
Just as a swarm of shadows nearly caught them, FE swung their blade against the island ground and propelled themselves and the two Pokémon with them across the water, right above the boat's path.
As they sailed through the sky the Guildmaster, a Houndstone, looked up from the ship and tilted her head. "What on Earth is going on?" she gasped and ran to the railing of her boat. "Everyone stay back!"
The four other Pokémon of the Island Guild quickly did as ordered and watched.
"Those three weren't supposed to make it!" the Pinchurchin below the Guildmaster gasped. "But how?"
"Deputy, these are our allies. They work with Señor Indeedee and his team!" the Houndstone growled before she turned away with a smile. "What do you all need!?"
"Guildmaster! We have a couple of requests!" the three yelled in unison. The Pokémon landed directly on the deck of the boat with a thud that jostled the other passengers.
"We were about to go do a shadow rescue in Diez Strike Mystery Dungeon but of course! Anything for Pokémon like you!" the Guildmaster replied as the Pawniard and Charcadet climbed down.
"You actually care about FE?" the two stepped forward in front of the Iron Valiant.
"Of course I do. I'm not the one who ordered for them to be imprisoned," the Houndstone nodded. "A certain group of Pokémon went behind my back and locked them up!"
"G-guildmaster, that's confidential!" the Pinchurchin cried.
The Guildmaster snarled and gave her a side eye. "Deputy Pinchurchin!?"
"Could you please have your Deputy use Electric Terrain?" F.E asked.
The mentioned Pokémon, blinked. "Why?" Pinchurchin questioned, her eyes widened.
"Because with my Quark Boost I can get rid of all the Shadows," the Iron Valiant said.
The Houndstone gazed back at the Island beside them and back to the Pokémon in front of her. "You can?"
"Yes ma'am! It's the power of my paradoxical will!"
"Do it, Deputy Pinchurchin!"
"Understood!" the Pinchurchin fired her barbs toward the ocean, and at the Iron Valiant. The warm yellow wave of energy coated the air above the surrounding waters. Electricity was then sucked into the Pokémon as an aura.
"Quark Boost!" FE jumped back off the boat and shot through the air in a burst of pink electricity. Quickly the Iron Valiant soared back to the mainland of Shadow Strike Island. As they flew closer to the center more shadows blended together in a behemoth of black blob of energy high into the sky.
The Iron Valiant took out their blade and repeatedly sliced through the air. The pink arcs of turbo-charged energy tore through many shadows before FE slammed into the ground.
"It's over!" With a bright flash of light, the mass of shadows on the whole Island faded away just as the stars in the sky twinkled in the purple haze of twilight.
Back on the Guild boat, FE's friends unloaded their satchel. "We've got something else for you," Exploradora said.
"What's that?" the Pinchurchin asked.
"The paperwork from Señor, Professora, and Chief," Cuchillo folded his arms.
The Houndstone nodded. "Yes yes, I remember they had something they needed to deliver to me. It's fine they had you all do it for them."
"Here you go Guildmaster," the two said, as they held out the paper.
"So what's this organization that you all want to set up near Shadow Strike Island?" the Guildmaster questioned and gestured behind her. "It's making a big stink with some of the members in my Guild for some reason."
"Wait for me!" FE shouted as they glided down toward the water.
The Pinchurchin rolled her eyes. "Would it hurt to hurry up?!"
"Hey now," the Houndstone nudged her Deputy. "They made it all the way here from across the entire Island, let's hear them out."
Once the Iron Valiant touched the deck they gave their Pawniard and Charcadet friends a fist pump.
With a smile all three cheered. "We're going to form an Expedition Society!"