"Hey, there you are! Good to see you're still hanging in there!"

"Hey…that voice…you!"

"Well, for lack of a better title, 'you' will do just fine I imagine."

"Quiet! I have WAAAAAY to many questions for you. Starting with who the heck are you?"

"I told you that 'you' would do just fine."

"Wait…what? That I would do just fine? What's that mean?"

"No, I was try…uggghhh! You are really dull headed, you know that. If I had known that, I might have had second opinions on my future when I was younger."

"…What are you talking about?"

"So, how are you holding up so far as a Totodile?"

"Avoiding questions…still…I should've figured you'd know about that too. It's ok, I guess…"

"You don't sound too positive. Something happen?"

"Yeah, I nearly caused somebody to get killed. If it wasn't for Master Lumen, we would have both been dead…and I blame myself for that."

"Well, whether or not it was your fault, didn't you heal Kaim in the end?"

"Yes, I did, you're right. But sti- wait, how did you know about Kaim?"

"Same reason I knew you became a Totodile, Cade."

"Who are you, God? No, now that I'm a Totodile I should be saying Arceus or Mew, shouldn't I?"

"Hahaha, funny! Nowhere near to being close to any three of 'em, sorry."

"Hmmm…Well, can I assume that you're my friend at the very least?"

"Yes, most definitely."

"Well then why won't you answer any of the questions I'm asking?"

"Well, I can answer that. Twice, actually. First, it isn't that I'm not telling you. Just not yet, that's all. The second is that I probably couldn't answer them really easily or that well to begin with."

"You're not a very impressive all-knowing being, y'know?"

"And so far, minus your luck, I'd say you're not the best Totodile."

"…Touché."

"But I will permit you to know who I am in relation to you."

"Oooook…? Shoot."

"I am you, and you are me. Yet we are both ourselves individually, and yet we are each other. Ultimately, we are none of the previously mentioned."

"Congratulations, you've successfully confused me even more."

"Sorry, it's not like I didn't tell you so, but it's the best I can do . Try mulling over it a bit, you might get it."

"I doubt that highly."

"Well, looks like it's time to get up, huh?"

"Already? Ugh…it seems kind of early…"

"I'm sure you'll be fine, just you wait. I'll be hearing back from you soon enough!"

"M'kay. Seeya' then Mr. Conscience voice."

"…Wow…Wonderful name…"

"Mr. Cadence, it's morning. Rise and shine please."

Cade's eyes fluttered open to reveal a slightly lit infirmary room and an Abra levitating in place beside his bed looking down at him. Well, doing his best to look at him; his eyes were still closed.

"Mmmm…What time is it…?" Cade asked groggily, rubbing sleep out of his eyes and propping himself up in his bed.

"It is approximately 47.6 seconds after the first light of dawn," the Abra answered unemotionally.

"…Right then," the Totodile affirmed. "Who are you, again?"

The Abra smiled faintly, but his eyes remained tightly shut. "My name is Tennor. I serve as Master Lumen's messenger as well as secretary, and herald of Guiding Light."

'Wow…Pokemon sure are a lot more organized than I imagined them to be,' Cade thought impressed. He then quickly changed his thoughts as he realized they weren't the most secret to a psychic type, even one as young as an Abra.

"So I guess this must be my wake-up call to go see Master Lumen, huh?" Cade then looked over to see Kaim sleeping peacefully in his own cot.

Well, maybe contently would be a better description. The loud snores and frothy saliva falling from his mouth didn't exactly register in Cade's mind as peaceful.

"Does…Kaim always sleep like this?" he asked the herald. Tennor merely nodded his head sadly.

"He hasn't been here long, but already most of our guild blames their lack of sleep on his incessant snoring," the Abra explained. "The sad thing is that he doesn't even sleep in the guild HQ, and people still claim to hear him snore in the night."

Cade giggled. "Ha! Well, I slept alright, so I don't know if I can vouch for them or not."

At this moment, the graceful figure of Anastasia walked into the infirmary. "Well, I can tell that Kaim got a healthy amount of sleep tonight," she mentioned begrudgingly upon her entrance.

"M'lady Anastasia, I am here to awaken Mr. Cadence and check on the progress of Kaim. And, by the way, it is very nice to see you."

The Gardevoir curtsied. "It is nice to see you this morning as well, Tennor. Kaim is doing just fine I believe. I'm actually going to wake him up now so I can check-up on him."

She approached the Kaim's cot and knelt down. She shook him gently. "Hey Kaim, it's morning. Time to wake up," she whispered.

Kaim continued to snore.

Anastasia sighed as she stood back up. She cleared her throat. "…WAKE-UP SLAP!"

With a devastating smack to the Charmander's right cheek, Kaim cried out in pain. "OWWWOWOWOWOWOW! I'm awake, I'm awake! Where's the battle?"

Cadence bust up into hysterical laughter and fell out of his cot as Tennor merely groaned in dissatisfaction and let his head fall forward (cue comical sweat drop). Anastasia smiled and pretended that it wasn't her doing that awoke the Charmander.

Kaim looked down at the floor to see Cade rolling around laughing with tears in his eyes. "What's his gag?" he asked, completely oblivious.

Anastasia ignored the question. "How are you feeling this morning, Kaim? Does your chest hurt at all?"

Kaim sat up in his bed. "Hmmm…" he muttered. "Nope, not really. My head's a little sore, but other than that I'm alright."

Cade again had a small fit of the giggles under his breath as he stood back up.

Anastasia nodded affirmatively. "Well, I think that that's ok so long as your chest is fine. Can you get out of bed so I can take a look at it?"

Kaim nodded before throwing the covers forward and hopping out of the cot. The Gardevoir kneeled down to get an easier look at the spiral scar. Cade and Tennor approached to get a look too.

"Well, I'm impressed!" Tennor said. "I had heard that Kaim's wound had been gravely serious. So either the rumors are nothing more than exaggeration or your healing skills are beyond magnificent Lady Anastasia. Still…" Tennor leaned forward and stared at Kaim's scar with shut eyes. "It certainly left a mark."

Kaim actually grinned at this, proud of his battle scar.

"Actually, it is mostly due to the Totodile standing next to you that Kaim is back up on his feet already," Anastasia explained. Tennor turned to look at a nervous Totodile.

"Hmm? I don't quite understand I'm afraid," he said.

"Apparently, I can use Aqua Ring. It's supposed to be an oddity, right?" Cade mentioned.

Tennor was surprised enough to open his eyes, if but slightly. "Aqua Ring! That's…phenomenal. How on earth did you manage to acquire that technique? Given who you are, I mean."

Cade was now sweating nervously in an attempt to come up with an answer that wouldn't reveal he was human or struck with amnesia. He still didn't feel like telling many people about that yet, but he didn't really have a valid explanation as to why he could use the technique. He just didn't know.

"Umm…well, you see…ah...hmmm…"

"Cade's Aqua Ring is just an anomaly I believe," Anastasia claimed. "It's possibly a birth defect of some sorts due to drug abuse from the parents or unnatural cellular mutation while still in an egg."

'Wh-Wh-WHAT! What kind of sad excuse is that! And what kind of drugs do Pokemon even have anyway!' Cade thought in utter shock. His right eye began to twitch involuntarily again.

Tennor wore a slightly disturbed face. "Aha…I see," he muttered staring oddly at Cade now. "Anyway, my work here is done. I will report back to Master Lumen on Kaim's condition. Cade, he will be waiting for you to see him in his quarters at the top of the lighthouse. Have a nice day everyone!" The Abra teleported on the spot before anyone batted an eye.

"Ah! Dangit, I should've asked him where the lighthouse is!" Cade exclaimed in aggravation.

Kaim perked up at this. "Ah! Lady Anastasia, I'm feeling a lot better now!" Kaim claimed excitedly. "Can I take Cade up to see Master Lumen if it's ok?"

Anastasia blinked. "Well, I guess…you have to remember you're still real-"

"Oh come on, please!" he begged her. "I mean, with you, Master Lumen, and Cade all having worked on me how can I not be alright?"

Anastasia sighed before chuckling. "He…you're so like your father, you know that? Alright, I'll let you go. But I'm warning you, you should try not to exert yourself so much."

Kaim nodded happily and with a smile. "Uh-huh, ok! I'll make sure to!" Kaim then saluted to the Gardevoir. "Thank you very much for your assistance, Lady Anastasia!"

"Ooohh, you are more than welcome, Kaim. Stay safe, ok?" she replied. Anastasia turned to Cade. "Cadence, it was wonderful meeting and working with you. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your help with Kaim and I hope that you find yourself content while working for our guild." After she said this, she curtsied yet again.

Cadence blushed and scratched his head nervously. "Ehehehe…you're welcome, I guess," he mumbled. "But I should be saluting you shouldn't I? You're my superior as of now too, right?"

Kaim interrupted while running to the door of the infirmary. "C'mon Cade, we have to go see Master Lumen!" he told the Totodile in excitement. Anastasia was a little peeved that he was already being way to energetic given his condition, but the Charmander didn't seem to show any signs of pain or exasperation at all. She then blinked as she noticed something.

"Ah, Kaim! Come back here for a second, I forgot to remove the bandage from your forehead!"

Kaim glanced up to try and see the wrapped cloth while Cade was walking to the door. The Charmander shrugged. "Eh, it's ok! Kinda cool actually! I'll seeya' later!" Kaim dashed out the door yelling, "C'mon Cadence!" Before Cade left, he turned around and shrugged at Anastasia before waving goodbye.

Anastasia sighed with a hint of stress before smiling. "This is going to be interesting," she said.

Cade followed a beaming Kaim down the cavernous hallway. It was slightly dark, but with Kaim's tail and the rising sun shining through the carved windows, it was becoming slightly easier to see. Cade had to admire the view that he had of the sunrise. It was rising over some large rocky mountains with some smaller hills at the base. They were covered with many trees of different varieties, some deciduous and others evergreen. From what looked like a mile away from those hills was the makings of a little village. The village had an opening to the beach on one side while the other was blocked by a large cliff that seemed to grow upwards the farther it came from the mainland. It stretched out into the water and curved slightly as if it was turning right to go back to land, but it appeared to have crumbled midway. Cade realized that this was where he was now; inside the sea cliff. He had unconsciously stopped to admire the view.

"Hey, are you gonna stand there gawking all day or are you going to actually follow me?" Kaim asked impatiently.

"Where is that? Down there," Cade asked pointing towards the town and ignoring Kaim's question.

"Oh that? That's Crescent Town," Kaim explained. "It's named after the shape of the sea-cliff we're in now. It's very lively actually, and a lot of the guild members live there. Those who don't tend to stay in the guild's dorm rooms, but there aren't many who do."

"Neat! Can we visit it later?"

"Maybe, but that's not what we're doing right now! C'mon, or Lumen will be upset that we took so long!"

The two pokemon continued down the corridors. Every now and then, they'd pass another pokemon, but not many since it was still pretty early. But those they did had mixed reactions to the two. One group of Shroomish looked at Cade in curiosity and shyness and then gaped in awe at Kaim's scar. Kaim grinned to himself as he walked away from the group.

Eventually the two came to a ladder that rose up and eventually outside of the sea-cliff into what looked to be another room.

"Ok, once we climb this we'll be inside the lighthouse!" Kaim exclaimed as he hopped on the ladder and began climbing.

"Wait, inside? How's that work?" Cade asked in confusion as he grabbed a rung and began climbing.

Kaim laughed. "Yeah, I was confused the first time too!" he admitted. "But it's really neat once you see it! The only way into the lighthouse is from this ladder, and you come up through a hole in the base of the tower."

"Hmmm…kinda inconvenient I think," the Totodile muttered under his breath, but for the most part he kept his opinion to himself. At the top of the ladder, Cadence climbed into a large circular room. The walls were made of pearly white bricks and the floor was a red clay surface covered with dust. There was a spiral staircase that ran up along the walls and disappeared into a ceiling above him.

"Cadence! Kaim! Glad you could make it!" yelled the voice of Lumen from high above. "Come upstairs please and we'll have a chat." Cade blinked in surprise at the Lucario's voice and how he magically knew where he was. Kaim either didn't seem to notice or mind as he began dashing up the steps on all fours. Cade followed, eager to make sure he didn't keep the Master waiting.

Popping up through the ceiling revealed a smaller circular room. However, this one was walled only by large glass windows. In the center was a large glass orb where the light for the tower must have gone, but there appeared to be nothing inside it. The most peculiar and out of place sight was the large red rug upon which Master Lumen was sitting. He was also sipping a beverage from an earthen mug. Cadence was beginning to wonder how on earth Pokemon were able to live with things like light houses and fabric, but he was snapped back out of his thoughts by Lumen.

"Hey you two! Care for some Cheri Cider?" he offered them reaching for two more mugs and a pitcher of the same make. "It does well to warm one's spirits."

Kaim instantly beamed at the offer. "Yes please, Master Lumen!" he walked over and took a cup of the cider and sat down on the rug with the Lucario.

"Cade, you want some too?" the Lucario offered. Cade was about to decline, but he felt that even though Lumen was his new "superior" now he could easily relax around him still.

"Ok, sure. I've never had Cheri Cider before," he replied. He sat down next to Kaim, who was already chugging the contents of his mug, and took a cup full. The drink was red and pristine like dark garnet. It brought up faint memories of cranberry juice. He took a sip, and wasn't surprised to find that the drink tasted like cranberry juice with the exception that it left an unusual tingling in your mouth and throat that evolved into a sharp spice. It was kind of uncomfortable at first and Cade almost gagged on it. But it left a nice, warm fuzzy feeling inside, almost as if he were slightly buzzed from drinking an alcoholic beverage.

"It's... really nice!" Cade commented before taking another long sip. Kaim took several more gulps before finishing his altogether, bringing his mug away and letting out a big sigh of content.

"Ahhhh! Soooo good! Thanks again Master Lumen."

"I'm glad you two like it so much. I make it myself, but it doesn't seem like many Pokemon appreciate its spicier aftertaste," Lumen replied with a happy grin. "But let's talk more pressing matters regarding Cade's first day working with us."

Cadence kept his attention on Lumen but didn't hesitate to keep sipping on his cider. "I don't know exactly what kind of business you run, but I'm happy to help in any way," Cade mentioned in between gulps.

"Well for now, we'll just worry about the basics of our operations, where everything is, et cetera. But in as few words as possible, Guiding Light is a mixture between a rescue response guild and a treasure hunting guild," Lumen explained.

Cade nodded in affirmation before Lumen continued.

"To do this, you need to be a member of a squad. In my guild, we normally have squads of about 4 to 5 pokemon who go out to the mystery dungeons."

Cade raised his hand to pause Lumen. "Um, just what exactly is a mystery dungeon?" Cadence remembered Kaim saying something about the field they were in being a 'mystery dungeon'. He still couldn't grasp exactly how being in broad open fields of grass under a blue sky constituted being in a dungeon.

Kaim spoke up this time. "A mystery dungeon is this really weird place where pretty much anything can happen. One mystery dungeon can be in the same place forever, but it's never the same dungeon twice. Just as odd, sometimes one mystery dungeon's entrance will move. They're really weird."

"Reality just isn't what it is normally in those things," Lumen added. "Sometimes you can enter one by going into a cave mouth and you'll end up in a field of grass like the one you were in. Or vice versa. People say that they are cursed by something that alters the land by some unknown design. Complete hypothesis, but there aren't any other really working theories on what else could cause a mystery dungeon's anomalies."

"This one was really weird" Kaim exclaimed. "Honestly, I was walking out of a hole in the sky when I went down a floor."

"You'd be surprised how common that is Kaim," Lucario mumbled with a look of remorse on his face.

Cadence mulled over this. "Well it seems that they have one thing that remains the same," he said in thought. "These mystery dungeons always advance to a destination, right? That's how Kaim said you get out of them."

Lumen nodded. "Yes, he's correct. The only exception is if one is knocked unconscious or they use a special item. All the same, they can be extremely dangerous so it is EXTREMELY UNWISE TO GO INTO THEM ALONE…" This was said with much emphasis as Lumen stared seriously at Kaim, who was trying to act interested in the inside of his mug… or anything that wasn't in the particular direction of Lumen's face. The Lucario turned back towards the Totodile. "Any more questions Cadence?"

"Yeah, actually," Cadence continued. "What exactly is a Forgotten One?"

Lumen and Kaim both frowned before the guildmaster replied.

"Forgotten One's are the title we have given to Pokemon like the Rhydon you and Kaim had encountered. They are Pokemon who reside within the dungeons and do not naturally venture out of it. Whether they remain there because they can or they must is unknown. Very rarely one may follow a squad out of one, but this is beside the point. Forgotten One's are vicious, extremely territorial, and abnormally powerful wild pokemon. They don't think cognitively like you and I do," Lumen paused. "…To an extent. Forgotten One's, despite having the nature and disposition of wild pokemon, show signs of reason. They are able to watch and learn things, such as a weakness in an opponent for example, and take advantage of this knowledge."

"The rumor is that Forgotten One's are lost explorers who ventured into the dungeon who didn't come back out and slowly went insane," Kaim explained with fearful excitement. "Or, there's another that says that when you become trapped in a dungeon, you sort of, like…DISOLVE into the dungeon. And it takes your knowledge and body and uses it to make pokemon to defend itself!"

"Ok, Kaim. Thank you, thank you. We've all heard the tal- er, well…" Lumen looked towards Cade nervously, who was smilingly nervously himself. "Anyway, I'm sure you get the idea. They are dangerous, and as such most tend to stay away from mystery dungeons with the exception of explorations and rescue guilds. That being said, we need to find a squad for you. And as it just so hap-"

"OH! OH! Master Lumen! Master Lumen! Can Cade join Team Wuji?" Kaim asked loudly. It somewhat deafened Cade a little since he was sitting right next to the Charmander. "They've still got one slot on their roster left after me!"

Lumen grunted in annoyance. "Kaim, I really wish you would stop interrupting me…but that is on the track I was going. I believe having Cadence join Wuji would be an excellent idea. But it is not my decision in the end."

"That's right, it's mine…" claimed an unknown voice from behind Kaim and Cadence. The two turned around to see a Riolu leaning against the giant glass beacon. He wore thick heavy looking rings of black metal around his wrists and ankles, and he had a cold demeanor about him.

"Ah, Squad Leader Reiki!" exclaimed Kaim with obvious surprise. "I didn't see you there! How are you t-"

"IDIOT!" the Riolu shouted at the top of his lungs right in front of the Charmander. "YOU WENT INTO THE FIELDS OF GOLD ALONE WITHOUT MY PERMISSION! WHY ON EARTH WOULD YOU DO THAT ON YOUR FIRST DAY!" If it didn't deafen poor Kaim, it at least rang in poor Cade's ears.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Kaim apologized. "But Stella needed Oran Berries, and the mart was all out. So I-"

"SHE WAS ONLY ASKING YOU TO GET COOKING INGREDIENTS! THAT DOESN'T WARRANT YOU TO GO GALLAVANTING OFF INTO A MYSTERY DUNGEON! I AM THE LEADER OF THE TEAM, AND YOU DON'T GO INTO SUCH DANGEROUS PLACES WITHOUT ME TELLING YOU THAT YOU CAN!" the Riolu yelled for the second time.

"For the love of Mike, can none of you keep it down when you talk? And what's it to you whether or not he goes into fields of whatnot?" Cade asked the loud Riolu. The Riolu turned his attention from Kaim to Cade.

"If you hadn't heard I happen to be his squad leader," the pup said curtly. "Now if you'll excuse me…" The Riolu turned his eyes to Master Lumen. "Dad, you called me up here for something. I suspect it must be relevant to this Totodile here?"

'Dad?' Cade, thought in surprise. 'This kid's Master Lumen's son?'

Lumen nodded to the Riolu. "Yes, it does actually. Reiki, I'd like to introduce you to Cadence, a new employee of mine." Lumen turned to Cadence. "Cade, this is my son, Reiki. He is the leader of Team Wuji, Kaim's squad. I was hoping that you could join up with his team, but I need his permission first."

"C'mon Reiki! You gotta let Cade join our team!" Kaim begged the Riolu. "I mean, he has no where else to go and he and I are already such great friends!" At that the Riolu scoffed and looked at Kaim's scarred chest.

"Hmph, best friends, huh?" he asked snidely. "So tell me then. How exactly did you get that scar? Too busy playing rescue to pay attention to your fight Kaim?"

Cade was beginning to not appreciate the Riolu's attitude, and this was a thought reinforced when he saw Kaim's face become heavy with shame. "Well, I-I know that I shouldn't have been in the Fields in the first place." Kaim perked up a he put on a determined look. "But it's our job as a response squad to rescue those in need or danger, right?"

"There's no point in attempting a rescue you can't follow through with," Reiki put bluntly, "or you'll only make a heavier burden on the person who attempts the next rescue. That or add to the death toll."

"Hey!" Cade burst at the last comment, causing everyone in the room to look at him. "Look, I know this might seem a little out of line, but you really need to lay off Kaim, buddy!" the Totodile demanded of the Riolu. Reiki cocked his brow in a somewhat peeved look. Lumen's face remained stoic and emotionless, and Kaim was gaping in awe at what his friend had just done.

"And why do you think I need to do that? I'm his boss," Reiki stated.

"So, that doesn't make him any less hum- I mean, any lesser than you are. And yeah, he did get attacked while he was rescuing me. But I distracted him, so if you're going to get mad at anyone, blame me!"

"Alright, alright, let's not get all worked up over anything you two," Lumen said to interrupt the argument in the making. "Let's remain on the topic at hand, and that is Cade does not have a team to work with. Reiki, you've had two openings in your team for nearly a year now. Kaim has only recently filled one of them, yet you still have one remaining." He gestured to Cade. "And now, a perfectly capable water-type comes along looking for help and has offered his services. It would be foolish of you NOT to accept."

Reiki kept his eyes on Cade during his father's explanation. He closed them and sighed. "Cade is welcome to join Team Wuji and has permission from me."

"Alright! Thank you so much Ray-Ray! Just watch, Cade will make a great addition to the team!" Kaim thanked with overzealous gratitude.

"Grah! What have I told you about calling me that dumb name!" the Riolu yelled at the top of his lungs while keeping the Charmander in a head lock.

Lumen laughed. "Hahaha! I don't see why he can't. I mean, I use that name all the time; what's so bad about the nickname I gave you?"

"Sh-Shut up Dad! Uggh…" Reiki looked to Cade. "Look, I'm letting you join my team. I expect to see good results out of you the first time we're on the field, otherwise you're out. These are my conditions, so take it or leave it." Reiki let go of Kaim and began to walk back to the staircase. He stopped as he reached the first step.

"Oh, and don't think for a second that I'll trust you so easily…human."

The Riolu dashed down the steps, leaving behind a very confused and afraid Cade. How did the Riolu know his secret? Had he read his mind? Would this get out to the public? A million questions and scenarios burst into poor Cade's mind, and he couldn't help but break a sweat.

"Hey, don't worry 'bout Reiki Cade. He's really not as bad as it seems at first," Kaim said in attempts to ensure his friend.

"You sure? Because no offense or anything, but he really didn't strike me as all too likable. Y'know, being a jerk to you and me…it really didn't leave a good impression," Cade barely muttered. "On top of that, I don't feel all that comfortable now that he knows I'm human."

"I don't see why you're so afraid of other Pokemon knowing that," Kaim mentioned with concern. "It isn't taboo or anything far as I know… Though hearing about a Pokemon that was once a human being is a little crazy so…"

"Thanks Kaim…"Cade mumbled, even less sure of himself now.

"I wouldn't worry that much about it," Lumen spoke up. "If you try to keep something a secret, of course others will grow to be suspicious you're hiding something. But if you wish to keep it to yourself, that's fine."

Cade grumbled. "It isn't like I'm really 'trying' to keep a secret," he told the guild master. "But I'd rather only people I trust know it for now…Can your son read minds Master Lumen?" He couldn't figure any way besides that for why Reiki would know that information. And he was starting to get used to it.

"I'm sure if he focused hard enough he could, but he isn't that proficient at it yet," the Lucario claimed. "However, I'm proud to admit that my son has marvelous capacity within the range of stealth and covert. I'm a little less proud to admit that he tends to use this for eavesdropping."

'So he was there last night when Kaim and I were in the infirmary, huh?' Cade began to piece the puzzle together in his head. "Well, whatever. I'm just glad I got into Kaim's team. I have to make up for my screw up back at the mystery dungeon."

Kaim beamed with happiness while Lumen merely smiled. "I'm happy for you as well Cadence," he said with sincerity in his voice, "and I am positive that you will repay any debt you owe to a friend. But for the time being, I suggest that we continue on with your first day of training. Sooooo…" Lumen looked at Kaim. "Why don't you show our latest recruit to your squad house down at Crescent Town? I'm sure the rest of the team will be happy to meet him."

Kaim nodded. "Sure thing Master Lumen, sir." The Charmander saluted and began to run back to the staircase beckoning Cade to follow. Cade bowed before following after the Charmander.

"Oh, and Kaim! One more thing!" Lumen cried out.

Kaim whipped around. "Yeah? What is it?"

"I have nothing wrong with head accessories, but please find something else to wear on your head besides a bloody bandage." This was said with more literal meaning than it sounded, as the bandage on Kaim's head did have splotches of dried blood all over.

"Oh…uh, hehehe…sure thing Master Lumen! Have a nice day!" Kaim saluted again real quickly and obviously nervously before dashing down the steps as fast as he could.

"Cadence!" Lumen exclaimed once more. Cade turned to look at Lumen in response.

"I know that this maybe a little awkward for you, being a Pokemon and all," the Lucario mentioned, "but just trust yourself and those close to you and you'll be fine. If you have any questions or concerns, ask Reiki. He's your new leader now, so it should be his pleasure and responsibility to help you."

Cade gave his signature grumble to that comment, disagreeing with the former claim on Reiki helping him out. "Meh…" he breathed grumpily, "fine."

"And in the event that anything bad DOES happen to you relating to your being human, come DIRECTLY to me as soon as you can, understand?" The Totodile perked up and nodded furiously noticing the tension in that particular subject.

"Understood," Cade affirmed, "Bye Master Lumen, sir. Thanks again for the cider!"

The Totodile waved before dashing down the stairs and Lumen waved in return. Cade eventually caught up with Kaim at the bottom of the steps. "Hey, what's the matter? What'd Lumen say?"

Cade shrugged. "It was nothing important; just some precautionary advice. So, ready to show me 'round that town? We also need to find something to replace that damned bandage. Lumen was right in telling you to get something different."

"Ok, ok, enough about the dumb bandage already! Geez!" Kaim exclaimed as he quickly unraveled it. There were no significant injuries underneath it, and if there had been any they were long gone by now apparently. "OK, then we're off to town! I can't wait to show you the squad house, we're gonna have so much fun being teammates!"

"You really take this whole rescue exploration thing lightly, don't you?" Cade asked in a slight deadpan. The Charmander's bubbly optimism was kind of awkward. You'd think somebody who almost had their organs pummeled would have been slightly adverse to the job that got them in that situation. Apparently, this was not the case for Kaim.

"Ever since I hatched from an egg I've wanted to do this! Now enough talk, let's go!" Kaim jumped onto the ladder and slid down its sides, and Cade followed right behind him.