The subtle murmur of boiling water and the smell of an enticing meal flooded the small hut belonging to Team Wuji in Crescent Town. The sounds and scents were trapped inside, and the light from the morning sun was prevented entrance since the little structure was completely sealed save for a round hole at the top.
A young and somewhat chubby Bulbasaur watched the process of his team's next meal being made in a large cauldron with brimming anticipation evident on his face. It was almost too much trouble for him to watch without begging for a taste of what he knew must be heaven in edible form.
So what better way to relieve the sense of trouble than to start begging?
"Oh, pleeeease Stella! Just one taste, that's all I want!" he begged loudly. "Just one bite is all I want!"
"For the love of Mew, Arceus, and every other legend out there!" An annoyed Espeon, Stella, yelled in aggravation. "Zigfried if you start begging for a taste before I'm even done, I swear I'll smack you over the head with a spoon!" As if to emphasize this, she levitated a ladle cloaked in psychic energy threateningly close to the Bulbasaur's head. Though the utensil didn't bother the Bulbasaur, he did retaliate against something else.
"Hey! I've told you I don't like that name! It's Ziggs, dangit!" he yelled annoyed. "If you must, call me Ziggy even. The hell I'll be called something ol' fashioned like Zigfried! Do I look like some knight in shining armor to you?"
Stella telekinetically dropped the ladle into the cauldron, causing a small splash of hot liquid to jump out before it started to stir the mixture. "I'd be careful how you speak to me if you want to continue being my taste tester," she mentioned with a smug look upon her face. "And, for the record, listening to me would be a nice idea, being as last time you didn't and you ended up being tattooed by a Smeargle.
Ziggs looked down at his left leg to see the tattoo he had gotten. It was like three weird, mutated Unown without eyes were now pasted onto his leg, which is to say that it was a language of humans. Ziggs didn't know too many beyond the Unown alphabet, and this definitely wasn't Unown.
"Wh-what does that have to do with what we're talking about right now, huh!" he asked, obviously peeved that she had to bring that up. "Drinking some Shuckle's old berry juice has absolutely no relation to getting a little taste of what you're cooking."
"Awww, look. Trying to avoid the subject of drinking underage," the Espeon cooed sarcastically. "It's like any attempt you had made at being macho is utterly lost in a single moment."
"Just…Just shut up!"
"Hahahaha, oh, you're too easy to toy with Ziggy!" Stella exclaimed. A bowl on a wall shelf glowed blue and levitated itself into the cauldron. It reappeared full of steaming soup. "Here you go; cream of mushroom mixed with Belue berries. I hope my taste tester enjoys it!" she said with a totally apologizing smile. The bowl levitated down in front of the hungry Bulbasaur who was smiling in anticipation. And without a moments reprieve to let the soup cool, Ziggs dunked his head into the bowl of soup and began the process of slurping it up. Y'know…lacking hands and all.
Stella rolled her eyes. She having no hands either was no stranger to eating from a bowl. But at least she did it with some amount of decency. Ziggs, on the other hand, was just as rabid as a Forgotten One if he hadn't eaten for a while. Within about 30 seconds the bowl was empty and Ziggs was licking his lips.
"Aaaaah! Stella you make the best food ever!" Ziggs roared in what must be assumed was complete ecstasy as he leaped towards the cauldron. "I must have mooooore!"
"Not yet," was all Stella muttered before a psychic blast shot the Bulbasuar back from the pot. He slammed into the wall of the hut near the entrance with a loud bang. Ironically enough, at that moment, Reiki opened the fur drape over the doorway and poked his head in with a somewhat surprised look.
"What's goin' on in-" Reiki paused as he looked to the low groan coming from Ziggs at his right. The Bulbasaur was still plastered against the wall by his back.
"Soooo…delicious…" Ziggs murmured with a faint smile before falling off the wall and face-planting into the hut's floor. Reiki sighed and put his palm to his face.
"I guess you've finished lunch," Reiki assumed. "And must you be so hard on him? He's a valuable asset on the field y'know, and I really don't want my tanker too broken to explore."
"I heard that," came the resentful and muffled response of the Bulbasuar. "I'm not fat…"
"He didn't say you were fat Zigfried. You're the only one who ever brings up your own weight negatively," claimed Stella passively.
"Grrr…don't call me Zigfried!"
Stella shook her head. "I have finished lunch Reiki. I've enough for some dinner tonight as well. It's cream of mushroom with Belue berries!" the Espeon explained as she psychically dished up some soup for the team leader.
"Hmmm…I hope you made enough for five…" the Riolu mumbled disturbed by something unknown to Stella and Ziggs, who had now brought his face out of the dirt.
"She better have!" Ziggs exclaimed. "This stuff is delicious; I could eat it all month!"
Stella rolled her eyes at the overenthusiastic compliment. It was nothing new that the Bulbasaur complimented her cooking like it was a cure for the common cold. "Oh please…" she continued to scoff. "Yes, I did make extra helpings in order to compensate for Ziggs. I thought I told you I'm making that a habit?"
"Regardless, it's not because of Ziggs I asked," Reiki stated before continuing. "Kaim is coming home tonight so-"
"HE IS!" both the other explorers asked incredulously.
"Bu-But I heard that he got hit with a Horn Drill from a Forgotten Rhydon!" Ziggy testified as if he didn't see how his Charmander comrade could make it home. "He shouldn't even be alive still, but he should at least be bed-ridden!"
"For once, I have to agree with Zigfried's logic…" Stella murmured agreeably.
"Damnit Stella…how many times?"
"Well, you're both probably right. Under normal circumstances, Kaim should have died on the spot. However…" the Riolu paused and his tone of voice immediately turned sour and resentful. "Something changed those circumstances, fortunately." Given what he said, the attitude really did not match up at all.
This intrigued Stella into probing for more information. "And just what was this something, Reiki? Might I ask?"
Reiki grimaced as he looked down at the floor. "The reason Zigfried won't get to eat the extra helping of soup. That's what."
Outside of the entrance to the HQ, a large arch decorated with a golden star that lead into the cave of the sea cliff Kaim and Cadence stretched their bodies, thankful to finally be in the light of the sun and breathe fresh air again.
"Aaaaaahhh…Geez!" Cadence yawned and exclaimed after a good stretch. "It feels like I spent an eternity inside. It's great to actually be outside again!"
Kaim nodded his full approval. "Yep! And just wait 'til you see the rest of the town, it's great! On top of being a hotspot for explorers and travelers as well as the hometown of our guild, it makes a great vacation destination!" Kaim began to point out the surrounding geological figures; the nearby beach with its warm waters and tide pools, the harbor for small sailboats near the base of the crescent shaped cliff, the mountains and forests that made for great hiking, and the outside fields where you could find practically every color of flower…
"And in the town," he continued by pointing to the village, "There are dozens of shops and booths where you can find practically anything you want! Our squad house is also down in there, but we'll do a little sight seeing first, how's that?"
Cade nodded happily. "I'm excited already! Let's do this!"
The pair traveled down into the center of town. Today it was bustling, and all the shops had there wares out on display on stands or bright colored rugs. The crowd was large, but not suffocating. Everyone seemed to be rather happy, sharing tales of recent journeys or just chatting about the weather. On more than one occasion, a pokemon in a rush almost crashed into Cadence had it not been for Kaim pulling him out of the way.
"Oh hey, you have to check out this place!" Kaim exclaimed pointing to a wood cabin with the word "treats!" advertised on the top. Cadence followed the energetic Chamander inside, which he then discovered to be a desert bar. There was a Makuhita and a Torkoal making pastries, and a Vanilluxe that helped a Delibird and a Miltank out with an ice cream bar and milkshakes. Across the room was a smoothie bar, where a Rotom had possessed a blender and was mixing some delicious looking drinks from berries, fruits, and herbs.
"This is me and my other friend Ziggs' local haunt; we come here a lot when we're hungry! They make some of the best stuff ever…oh, come try this!" Kaim brought Cadence to the ice cream bar first, and then stepped up to the counter. The Delibird approached him with a smile.
"Hello again Kaim, what can I do for ya'?" the penguin asked.
Kaim took a moment to decide. "Do you have any specials today sir?"
Delibird seemed delighted that his latest customer asked. "I'm trying a new recipe for Bluk Berry sorbet that doesn't stain your mouth, mixed with Vanilluxe's Vanilla swirled in if you'd be interested? We also have all of our normal flavors too."
Kaim nodded in affirmation. "I think I'll give your new recipe a try! Sounds good! Bluk berries always taste good to me but I've always been kinda disappointed by the stains they leave in your mouth." In the background, the Vanniluxe had already started using his abilities to create Kaim's sorbet by firing off a small blizzard in a glass container.
The Delibird nodded delighted and turned to Cadence. "And you, young lad? Are you interested in anything?" Cade was still trying to decide.
"Ummmm…" he mumbled while still looking at the menu. There were almost too many options. Some Cade managed to pop up in a piece of Cade's lost memories, and others were simply unfamiliar or just plain bizarre. He noticed one that seemed interesting and, after careful thought, could be pretty tasty.
"Seeeaa Salt...?" he announced in a long drawn out fashion as if asking a question, not declaring his choice. "Yeah, Sea Salt Vanilla sounds good, I guess." The Delibird nodded and smiled again, either unaware or not caring about Cade's awkwardness. He then left his post to assist Vanniluxe with adding the cream, sugar and crushed berries to the contained blizzard.
"Just you wait until you try some of this! It's the best stuff evah!" Kaim exclaimed with much fervor and a clenched fist. He then asked a little more quietly, "I wonder, do humans have ice cream too?"
Cade nodded. "Oh yeah, definitely," he replied hurriedly. "It's just as addictive to us as it is to you guys, now that I remember, hehe! But I have to say, we probably don't make it the same quality as you guys do. You know, using an actual Blizzard to make it on sight and all."
Kaim grinned at that. "Yep, best stuff I know 'round here!" It wasn't long before the Delibird came back with two cones of ice cream.
"Here's the Vanilla Bluk cone for you Kaim, and a Sea-Salt cone for the young Totodile. I'm guessing this is going on the guild tab too, young explorers?"
"Yes please!" Kaim said politely. Delibird chuckled.
"Such nice manners. To think that such young kids are running missions these days," the penguin said pensively. "Don't those guild leaders have any idea at all what kind of dangers are out there?"
"We would know first hand, wouldn't we?" Cade asked Kaim. Kaim smiled all too knowingly with a hint of a worrying grimace trying to break it. The Delibird was left clueless as to what Cadence meant.
"Well, so long as you two are all right with it, I say you should keep chasing your goals. Just stay as safe as you can. Kaim, you and Zigfried are two of my best customers, and this new gentleman here with you may make a third," the Delibird crossed his arms. "So stay safe and enjoy your ice cream now, ya hear?"
"Yeah, yeah, you worry too much," Kaim scoffed much to Cade's surprise. "I am destined to follow in my father's footsteps, just watch!" This piqued Cade's interest. It was the second time he had heard mention of Kaim's father. He wondered if he would ever meet the man.
…Cade's thinking paused then.
'Kaim's father…Charmander…Charmeleon…! Oh, right...' Cade had a momentary relapse when he figured that the one who his little lizard friend called 'father' was no man but most likely a fire breathing, earth stomping, wing beating monster of a Charizard.
'…Cooooool…'
"Hey, Cadence! Ya just gonna stand there and stare into space as your ice cream melts?" Kaim yelled to catch his friend's attention. Cade looked at his ice cream cone, now melting all over his little clawed hand. He quickly started licking his hand and the ice cream in order to get it all cleaned up.
"Dangit, I need a napkin!"
The two continued on their way through the town. Kaim happily showed Cadence all the sights he could think of while the two ate ice cream. Cadence thought that the town was…nice. He couldn't really describe it any other way, but it just resonated with him. It was small, and wherever he looked he saw Pokemon happily enjoying the sunny day and each other's company as they told stories and gossiped about random events and news. Along with the dessert house where he and Kaim had visited, Cadence found a shop run by two Keckleon's (one green, the other an off orange of all colors), a bank run by a Meowth and Persian, and a storage lot run by a Kanghaskan. There was a gym run by two Machamp, a post office in the shape of a Pelliper and (Cadence couldn't believe it) a railroad station that received incoming rail cars. Again, Cade questioned the ability of Pokemon minds. How could they do this? He was pretty sure that Pokemon never made railroads when he was a human.
"This town is…" Cade kept uttering in disbelief, "just great! I only have snippets of the town's from where I came from in my memory, but I really like this place all the same. Everyone is so happy here."
Kaim was grinning as he tossed the last remnant of his waffle cone into his hungry mouth. "Yeah, it sure is. I guess it's because the people who do live here feel safe under the guild's watch. They really believe in Master Lumen." Kaim turned to Cade with a questioning look. "But you mean to tell me you don't remember what town's looked like from where you came from? Not even where you lived?"
Cade finished off his own cone and then closed his eyes in attempts to think. "Well, I don't know…I kinda remember some things," he replied pensively. "Like, I remember there being…towers…and trees with leaves that looked like they had been painted gold or something…I don't know, sounds kinda far-fetched if you ask me…"
"Farfetch'd? What do you mean Farfetch'd?" Kaim asked, mistaking the phrase for the Pokemon.
"Oh, no! It's a phrase humans use… means…oh, never mind. I meant to say it just doesn't sound very…likely I guess." And then, much to Cade's surprise, Kaim began to giggle and then laugh. "Hey!" the Totodile quipped, "What's so funny?"
"Oh, hahaha! I'm just a little, hehehe…you find these things you're coming up with for memories unlikely and here you are a pokemon where you were once a human," the Charmander mentioned, again remaining quiet. "Either you need to reset your priorities or you're taking this sudden transformation better than a lot of other humans would." Kaim giggled again just a little. Cadence frowned in response and scoffed, but underneath he questioned the validity of Kaim's statement.
Was he taking this too well…?
"Whatever… So, when are we going to see our team's base? I want to meet this Zigfried character you were talking about, he seems pretty cool."
"We're actually almost there, it should be just up ahead if I didn't forget," Kaim responded as he looked forward. He smiled then and pointed. "Yep. There it is, see?" Up ahead in the direction he pointed was a large hut made of white wood, and decorated with shells and shining stones of varying colors. There was a big black W painted violently above the entrance to the hut as if to make it stand out and shout, and the entrance was covered by a black and gray fur. Smoke was coming out a makeshift chimney at the top.
"Welcome to the squad headquarters of Team Wuji. A respected squad of explorers within the Guiding Light guild led by none other than Master Lumen's son Reiki," Kaim introduced as if reciting a brochure to a vacation destination. "And by the looks of it, Stella is probably preparing lunch as we speak. Just wait until you try some of her cooking its delicious!" Kaim walked up to the entrance and pulled back the fur.
"BUDDY!" Suddenly, with a large flash of green, Kaim was tackled backwards a couple yards from the entrance. Cade was about to run over and aid Kaim in fighting whatever attacked him but he noticed then that Kaim was laughing nervously while cries of relief were coming from the Bulbasaur now smothered on top of him.
"Thank Arceus, you're alright! You know how upset I would have been if you got killed on your first day?" Then suddenly he got up and started yelling angrily, though if you looked closely you could see he was starting to cry. "The heck would I have to tell your dad when he got back from his latest mission if you wound up dead, Kaim? You dolt! Look at that scar! How the heck could yo-"
"Easy, Ziggs, easy!" Kaim exclaimed, sounding sort of exasperated. He was trying to pat the Bulbasaur to ease him while at the same time attempting to shove him off. "I'm doin' alright, no need to get your vines all tangled up."
"Tangled up!" the Bulbasaur asked ferociously. "I'll show you tangled up! Around your neck, you idiot!" Despite the threat, the Bulbasaur never followed through and eventually got off of Kaim. At that moment, Cade noticed an Espeon run out of the hut as well, who noticed him only briefly before seeing Kaim and dashing over to greet the Charmander as well.
"Well," she asked loudly as she approached Kaim, "did you manage to get me any Oran berries like I asked you to?"
Kaim frowned as he picked himself off the ground. "S-Sorry Stella. I didn't end up getting the ingredients for lunch. Though I suppose it's a little late for that now anyway. I failed my first mission…"
The Espeon smiled softly and shook her head. "Come here, rascal." She knelt her head down to nuzzle Kaim on the cheek warmly. "Don't you ever again go into a mystery dungeon alone and without telling anyone, understand?"
"OK…"
At that point, Kaim managed to get to his feet. "Oh yeah!" he exclaimed suddenly. "I want you guys to meet someone, he's my new friend!" The Charmander dashed over to Cade, who had until now managed to go unnoticed, and pulled him over to Stella and Ziggs.
"Stella, Ziggs, I want you to meet Cadence. I met him when I got lost in the Mystery Dungeon and he's gonna be joining the team today!" Kaim then turned to Cade. "Cade these are our team mates. Stella is our psionic Espeon and Ziggs here is the best Bulbasaur a friend could ever ask for."
"So this is the Totodile Reiki was telling us about, hm?" Ziggs questioned rhetorically. Cade could have sworn the voice alone betrayed that its speaker was sizing him up for something, or maybe that the Bulbasaur was a little hesitant about him.
'Reiki must have told them about how Kaim wound up getting attacked because of me,' Cade figured to himself. He would have dwelled longer on the subject until Stella came up to greet him, and remembering Anastasia and Lumen's own forms of precognition and telepathy, put those thoughts aside.
"It is very nice to meet you Cadence, and we're glad that you and Kaim made it out of the dungeon relatively safe and sound. You two are just in time for some lunch if you guys would like to have some soup."
Cade would have figured that after eating ice cream he would have been pleased as punch to decline, but he was still rather hungry. Disregarding this to his new nature, he accepted the invitation. The group of Pokemon went inside the hut, Kaim and Ziggs talking ecstatically (mainly about Kaim's battle scar and how "friggin' awesome" it looked). The little shelter was actually much bigger than it looked on the outside. There was a fire pit in the center, and wooden shelves holding up mugs ,bowls, and small glass bottles that looked like they contained spices and berries of the sort on the walls. Next to the shelves were cabinets containing unseen utilities and a crude cutting table with a knife that hung from a hook. Similar to the room Cade woke up in after being rescued, there was a small spring that bubbled up in one spot and circled around the flat earth that encircled the fire pit, only to drain out another hole. There were even three little cots filled with straw, one with a bunk on top of it.
There was a warm and comforting scent that permeated the entire hut, and it originated from a large cauldron sitting over the smoldering fire pit in the hut. Next to the pit was Reiki, sitting in a tight and what looked to be somewhat stressed posture and holding a bowl of white creamy stew in his lap. He caught Cade's glance, and for one split moment, squinted his eyes into a grimace before blinking and standing up.
"Well, looks like the gang's all here then," Reiki mentioned quietly despite the loud chatter that was filling the hut. Surprisingly, it seemed like everyone had noticed him anyway and quieted down so they could listen to him.
"Stella, Ziggs, as I already explained Cadence is going to be joining our team and fill up our fifth slot in the roster," he explained without looking at anyone in particular.
"Kaim, Cadence, hold out your hands for me," Stella mentioned in between Reiki speaking. Kaim and Cadence did as they were told, and soon enough two bowls that were glowing with a violet hue hovered into their palms before a levitating ladle poured them full of soup. It was pale and creamy sort of like oatmeal, but floating in it were slices of mushrooms and bright blue chunks of berries. Cadence, doing his best to regain an adventurous attitude, took a small sip of the soup.
"Whoa, this is really good!" the little croc replied in subtle awe. The soup was a nice thick texture. The cream and spices complimented the dry and chewy pieces of mushroom and savory Belue berries which would have otherwise been rather bland or too rich respectively by themselves, and there was a sort of sour tang to the brew.
"I told you that ya'd like Stella's cooking!" Kaim exclaimed happily, downing his soup with vigor.
"Oh really, it's nothing you guys. There's plenty left, so if you want some more just dip your bowls in the pot and get some. Now, what were you going to say Reiki?"
Reiki nodded, getting the chance to speak again. "Right. Cadence will be filling our last spot on the team and returning to us the benefits of a water Pokémon that we had lost beforehand."
'Lost..?' Cadence thought for a moment. He decided that whatever Reiki had meant by that, he'd ask Kaim later.
"Just so you know, Cadence has no memory of his origins or how he even ended up within the Fields of Gold, the dungeon that Kaim had wandered into," the Riolu continued. "He's joining with us in order to repay Lumen for rescuing him and in order to find out more about his past. Admittedly, such quests are not our first priority, but we will definitely keep them in mind while we are doing our jobs."
"Amnesia, huh?" Ziggs asked. "How do you think that happened to you?" he asked this as he extended a vine from within his bulb to reach a large bowl of the shelves and dip it into the pot for some soup. "You think you bonked your head on a rock or somthin'?"
"Ummm…" Cadence mumbled. He still didn't feel comfortable talking about the subject, but he figured he didn't need to scoot around any truth for this question. He noticed again Reiki's unflinching and critical gaze centered on him, obviously interested with what the Totodile would say. If he shared anything with his father, Reiki could probably stare down a herd of Tauros if truly necessary. But this didn't mean Cade would reveal his humanity yet.
"Probably not. I mean, when I woke up there weren't any real rocks around that I could see." Reiki looked away then, and took another sip of soup.
"Weird…" Ziggs muttered. "Well, 'sall good I suppose. Being as you got out of that situation in one piece I mean."
"No kidding…" Cadence replied in kind. He could tell what Ziggs meant by that, but he didn't know if he was being reprimanded for it or not. The reminder of Kaim's wound alone was enough punishment on Cade's conscience as it was.
"Anyway!" Reiki exclaimed, attempting to keep the focus trained on him. "We still got work to do. Adding a new member to the team isn't any cause for true celebration. Kaim, I take it that you showed Cadence the town before coming back here? You wouldn't be so late otherwise."
"Uh-yup!" Kaim said happily, apparently missing the harsh remark at his punctuality. "I showed him the Keckleon Brothers shop, the storage area, the bank, the gym, the train station, all of it! And we stopped for ice cream."
"Ice cream!" Ziggs asked with a bewildered voice. "You got ice cream WITHOUT me? But… But…"
"You forget that while they were out you were still here begging for stew before they even arrived, Zigfried," muttered Stella.
"Well it's not like I KNEW he was coming today!" Ziggs defended "Not until Reiki walked in and told us maybe two hours ago. And for Arceus' sake PLEASE stop using that name."
"Hey, tomorrow we can go out for ice cream again Ziggs," Kaim offered to his friend. "They had a new flavor I'm sure that you'll like a lot, I tried it out. It was like frozen treat heaven!"
"Hhhhnnn… fine, I forgive you," Ziggs muttered as he lay down and buried his face into his legs, defeated and in desperate need of ice cream. "But mentioning 'frozen treat heaven' isn't helping, so change of subject please."
"Yes, change of subject! My subject!" Reiki exclaimed irritated at the numerous interruptions, but he gave up at that point. "Yeesh, whatever. Stella, I need to go back to the guild HQ and register Cadence into the team as a trainee." He stressed 'trainee' heavily. "I forgot to do that before I came back here. Can I give you command until I get return?"
"You needn't ask," she replied, finally filling a bowl for herself. "I'll watch the boys until you get back."
"Thank you. I don't plan on being long." Reiki got up and, without even a glance back, left the hut hurriedly.
Cadence sipped his soup in quiet contemplation. Reiki certainly seemed like the serious type, and he definitely wasn't taking a liking to how easily the Riolu was angered. Every conversation was like a stray ember that could easily light the fuse to a pile of dynamite. It was uncomfortable, to the say the least, talking around him. And to place the cherry on top, he was one of the few who knew he was a human. Cade didn't feel that Reiki could be trusted with that knowledge. He didn't even know if he had told anyone even! What if he had already told the team? Did they know he wasn't really a Totodile…well, in at least some respect.
"So, Cadence!" Ziggs asked, smiling now. "Since you don't remember anything about where you came from, what are you going to do about it?"
Cadence put his empty bowl down and licked his chops (which were ironically now definitely chops). It would seem that Ziggs was rather curious about his unknown origins. Did that mean he didn't know of his humanity? Or had he been told and was eager to discover more precious secrets?
"I don't even really know how I would go about finding my memories," Cade replied honestly. "I'm kinda hoping maybe they'll just… well, y'know, Pop! Oh, that's what happened!… I guess."
"You should just try asking around town some. Talking to the locals. Maybe they'll recognize you or be able to give you a hint." the Bulbasaur offered.
'I don't really think they would,' Cadence thought 'But hey, I probably won't be so lucky to have my memories restored to me on some mental silver platter.'
"It's definitely worth a shot," Kaim agreed. "And Master Lumen also offered his assistance when we spoke to him. Plus, I'd be more than happy to help." Then Kaim began laughing. "And if food's involved, Ziggs here will be at your beck and call! Hehehe!"
"Oi, that was uncalled for. But yeah, I'll be more than happy to help you out, food or not," Ziggs offered with a ready grin "Besides, seeing how easily my Charmander friend wanders off and gets lost in mystery dungeons you'd probably be better off travelling with someone with a good head on their shoulders."
"Heeeeeey!"
"What? Really Kaim, you're a pretty pathetic fire type if you can't take the kitchen fire. Get out if it's too hot for ya'." Ziggs remarked smugly.
"Hmph, whatever…" Kaim remarked turning his head away, totally embarrassed.
Ziggs tried then to console his best friend and apologize, but the Charmander made out as if he didn't care until the last second when he tackled the Bulbasaur to the ground much like he had been tackled upon coming home. Course now, Ziggs kept screaming that his tail-fire was too close and wrestled away from Kaim, which brought up the whole kitchen fire analogy again and Kaim began chasing the poor 'Saur round the hut with his flame.
"Aaaauugh! You crazy Char', put that thing back behind you where it belongs!" Ziggs screamed. "Stella, you're in charge, do something!"
"Why? It's just a little kitchen fire. You're around it all the time, I would know," she responded with a humored smile upon her face, her split tale twitching excitedly at the ruckus. Ziggs, on the other hand, had a look of utter betrayal on his face before having to run again from Kaim.
Cade found himself smiling while he watched. He had a feeling Kaim didn't wish any harm on Ziggs, and Stella probably had a better grip on the situation than she let on. The Totodile chuckled a little as the Bulbasaur was finally caught and he pleaded mercy, but Kaim just laughed and rolled over laughing. Minus their different species,the scene made them look very brotherly.
"Hey you two, calm down!" Stella called out then, figuring the two Pokemon had made enough trouble "Especially you Kaim, I don't know what Reiki would say if you lit something on fire with that tail of yours."
"Ah, yes ma'am!" Kaim said alertly, on his feet and off the floor, though this sudden burst of alertness didn't get rid of the smile on Kaim's face. The same was true for Ziggs.
The rest of the afternoon went by with the four Pokemon sitting around the center of the hut and talking about each other. Ziggs, it turned out, had been friends with Kaim since they were both hatched from an egg. He was from a forest maybe a day's journey from Crescent Town named Forevergreen Woods, was actually the youngest son of a highly respected Venusaur in the forest, and the only member of his family to ever join an adventure team for 3 generations.
"Wow!" Cadence muttered, fully bewildered. "You must get a lot of praise from your folks then, don't you?"
"Naaaah, not really. I try not to make it out to be a big deal to them," Ziggs replied. "I did it for the fun and the travel, not to mention being able to help people out. I'd rather not get noticed so much."
"That's very noble of you Ziggs. But don't you think gaining renown for the team would help us get receive more missions?" Stella queried the Bulbasaur.
"Are you implying that Team Wuji doesn't have enough help with that being as Reiki is Lumen's son?" Ziggs asked with nonchalantly, expecting an obvious answer. "The day Lumen gave him permission to start his own team, the gossip was all over the base, and I knew that even before I joined the guild! Granted, it had a little trouble starting up since it only had two members until Lumen asked you to join, but Reiki alone gave the team twice the popularity of any normal sized group."
"True, true," Stella mumbled. "I even remember feeling surprised that Reiki needed my help in the first place. But hey, fame isn't everything I imagine."
"What did you do before Lumen asked you to help out Reiki?" Kaim asked, eager to learn more about his comrades. After all, he knew just as little about Stella and Reiki as Cade did since he hadn't been on the team for more than a day before the incident.
"Oohh, well, I guess I was just like you guys for a while. An eager Eevee who one day decided she had enough of the boring plains and thought that maybe treasure hunting would bring more enjoyment and thrill to her lonely life." Stella began. There was a glimmer of nostalgia in her eyes as she started telling her story. "Of course, as time went by, I learned that I was not as suited for the up and front heat of battle as I thought I was. I wasn't too bad at treasure hunting though, and I remember the excitement of journeying through the land and the mystery dungeons, sometimes having to dig for treasure. Or maybe search for some little Pokemon that got lost one day. Anyway, I ended up becoming the Master Lumen's top scout. I was fast and lithe, and smart when I was somewhere I wasn't familiar with." Stella started laughing then. "I remember the morning I evolved I actually began cursing that I wasn't some shiny or what not because I had lost my ability to camouflage into the earth, and I was a little bit bigger than before. But those capabilities were traded out for my new found psychic talents. I could easily relay information back to Lumen from great distances once I had practiced enough. Plus I wasn't so helpless when fending off multiple enemies anymore. So, when he asked me to help out Reiki and to 'message' him if anything were to go wrong, I figured he knew what he was doing and that I would know what to do."
"Not to mention the fact that you are the BEST COOK EVAH!" Ziggs exclaimed. "I think the team might go hungry if it wasn't for you."
"Ziggs, don't you ever stop thinking about food?" Cadence asked with a giggle.
"No, he doesn't," Kaim and Stella answered simultaneously. Everyone in the room started laughing, even Ziggs despite putting up a meek protest.
'It's like they're one big family,' Cadence thought to himself happily. 'They all laugh and eat together, live together, and obviously work together. Stella seems to have devoted her whole life to this job even. I feel kind of humbled by all of this. Will they accept me?' But then Cadence looked towards Kaim. He seemed to be very happy when he was around the team. Kaim had already accepted Cade, and Cade felt that he could trust him. After all Cade trusted the Charmander to keep his humanity hidden. He enjoyed the company of Stella and Ziggs, but he didn't know if he could give away his secret yet. Not quite yet.
"Ok Kaim, your turn to talk!" Ziggs ordered.
"What, why? I don't have a story really," he replied meekly scratching the back of his head nervously.
"Oh, of course you do! Your father is the town blacksmith, that's something isn't it?" Stella offered.
Ziggs laughed. "Yeah, sure, blacksmith. Not to mention he's one of Lumen's best explorers AND one of the few Pokemon to have ever offered him a challenge! Your dad, Kaim, is a BEAST."
"Well yeah, that's him," Kaim pointed out. "As much as I wish I were him sometimes, I'm not. Beyond being his son and apprentice, I don't really have too much running for me."
"You've battled with a Rhydon before!" Cadence blurted, not thinking of the memories that he might arouse in not only Kaim, but in himself even. Just the mention of the Rhydon made Cade cringe and shake, if only in a way that could be felt but not seen. Glancing at Kaim, he noticed that Kaim also looked uneasy, and sad too. Cade wanted to extend himself, to apologize, but Kaim began to speak.
"Battled, and then got beat. That isn't all that spectacular I think," he moaned.
"Kaim, you are selling yourself short!" Stella remarked suddenly. "Rhydon are fearsome foes, and a Forgotten Rhydon is a feral monster! The fact that you have fought with one, at your age and size no less, might as well be considered a dance with death!"
"Yeah, and I know you didn't just run away like I did!" Cade added, happy to aid Stella in boosting his friend's confidence. "That part where you jumped on its head and Metal Clawed it was super cool!"
"Really? You managed to attack it! Kaim that's insane!" Ziggs shouted, his voice either impressed or disbelieving, or both even. "I didn't even know you knew how to use the Metal Claw technique!"
R-Really? Metal Claw was the first thing dad taught me when I went into blacksmithing," Kaim explained. Then he added with a smile, "Because dad always joked that if I learned it I'd never experience smashing my fingers with the hammer, hahaha! I had never used it in a fight before that day!" His self-confidence was slowly growing as the group began to praise him.
'Maybe that's all he needs,' Cade thought to himself as he smiled for Kaim. 'Do people not normally do that for him? Perhaps it's only because he just joined the guild.' Cade thought of another question to continue the conversation.
"What about your mom? Where's she at, what's she do?" he asked Kaim eagerly.
Kaim's smile began to fade slightly, as did Ziggs and Stella's. Everyone grew quiet suddenly.
"She… isn't around anymore. She got lost once on a mission in a really dangerous mystery dungeon," Kaim explained in a somber tone. "Dad said she was separated from the party, and then they got knocked out and forced out by the dungeon's curse, err sumthin'. Anyway, she never came out…"
'Of course, just when I was doing so well I manage to bring up the fact that he doesn't have a mom anymore,' Cade belittled himself in his mind. 'Cadence, you are doing so WELL at this friend thing!'
"I'm really, really sorry! I had no idea tha-"
"Oh no, don't apologize! It happened a few years ago," Kaim assured his friend hurriedly, waving his hands. "And to be fully honest, I never had that many memories of her. I was really young."
Cade nodded slowly, looking down and away from Kaim's worried look. He determined that he would never bring up that subject in Kaim's presence if he could manage it.
The team continued to chatter idly for a couple more hours. They all slowly learned about each other's ins and outs, a couple of petty secrets or tales from home or tales of old missions. The conversation at one point even went off on a romantic tangent, which was rather entrancing as Stella described her tale. But when Ziggs came in with his tale, he exaggerated so much that it was hard not to tell he was trying, and everyone ended up laughing. Reiki had yet to return from the HQ even as the sunlight that leaked through the draped entrance and chimney began to grow weaker, and the light of the fire flickered on the faces of the four Pokemon.
Ziggs stood up slowly and stretched out as he yawned. "Yaaaauuhhh… Why is it that sometimes I feel like I just went on a mission after a day of just lying around the house?"
Stella stretched in kind, though she did so as discreetly as she could before replying, "Well, at least it will give you incentive to sleep. You realize when Reiki comes back he's bound to have a mission for us?"
Ziggs groaned loudly, "Ugghh… Yeah, you're most likely right. Maybe I'll wind up with Kaim and make sure he doesn't go off and get himself hurt. Probably the best idea in the first place."
"What about me? How can I help?" Cade asked the Bulbasaur and the Espeon.
Stella shook her head. "That is a question best served for Reiki when he- Wait, here he comes."
The draped entrance opened and Reiki walked in. His demeanor looked unchanged; stern, uneasy, and fierce as he had been the last two times Cade met him. When the Riolu looked at the group, he glanced again quickly at Cade. No nonsense, no welcome feeling. Just a seemingly careless glance that was slightly intimidating as Reiki's eyes reflected the fire across the room. It was a look of mistrust, but Cade figured there may have been more to that look than he could discern.
Cade shifted his attention to the envelopes that Reiki was carrying, two with an emblem of a bright golden star that sealed them closed, and 3 others without.
"So, Reiki?" Ziggs began. "Didja get Cade's registration taken care of?"
Reiki nodded briefly. "Yeah, and I got us two missions as well. We'll embark tomorrow an hour after daybreak. Kaim, I also picked these up for you. They are commissions for the blacksmith shop that came in while you were recovering." He handed the three envelopes without decorations to Kaim, who took them with eagerness and thanks. Then Reiki sat down near the fire next to Stella. He gestured to her with one of the envelopes.
"Stella you and I will take this one here. An escort mission for a small family of Zigzagoons down Route 3 and through Rhombus Ruins so we can get to Inex Town." He then handed the other to Ziggs, who extended a vine from his bulb in order to take it.
"Ziggs, you and our two newest members will be going on a rescue mission in Tugley Woods," Reiki explained to the Bulbasaur. "The client, a Plusle named Kros, says you'll be looking for a Minun in the woods who has been missing for about a day or so. Bring back the Minun, and make sure these two newbies don't get hurt beyond repair."
Ziggs sighed, though he looked sort of happy despite this. "Looks like I got the baby-sitting job after all," he muttered before looking towards Kaim and Cade and smiling. "All good. We'll make short work of this mission, kay guys?"
Kaim clenched a fist and nodded, determined to satisfy his expectations as a squad member and to prove himself. Cade merely nodded and stayed quiet, but he smiled slightly back at Ziggs.
"Alright. Now that that's said and done, I think we should all get to bed." Reiki suggested as he stood back up. "Cadence, Kaim, you can share the unoccupied bed and bunk."
The team slowly began to migrate towards the beds. Stella told Kaim that she had already outfitted the top bunk with flame retardant materials for him, and Kaim was thrilled that he got top bunk. His enthusiasm made both Cade and Stella laugh happily. Everyone climbed into bed then, except for Stella who padded out a very comfortable looking mattress at the foot of Reiki's bed and snuggled into it.
"Good night everyone!" Ziggs yelled loudly to the rest of his team, laughing a little as he did.
"Good night!" replied the rest of the team at the same volume, except for Cadence, who couldn't understand why everyone was yelling right as they were going to sleep. He rolled with it, though he didn't reply in kind with a 'good night' of his own since now the hut was silent minus a few gentle sighs.
And then, Kaim poked his head over the side of the bunk and looked down at Cadence.
"Good night, Cade," Kaim said happily.
Cade smiled brightly, though he wasn't sure if it was visible in the almost lightless room, the one exception being the faint glimmer of Kaim's tail on the top bunk. But Cade could tell his friend was smiling.
"Good night, Kaim," Cade replied quietly. And with that, Kaim whipped back up to the top, leaving Cadence alone with his thoughts.
'Just another day in the life of a Totodile,' he thought funnily in the back of his mind. He didn't know if it was irony or just a mere jest, or if maybe there was a sense of seriousness, but this thought made him laugh all the same before he drifted off into sleep.