CHAPTER 6
The next morning, Rylan woke up, noticing that Zorian was not in the room with him. He looked around for a moment, then saw a note on the floor. He picked it up and looked at the message.
"I'm going on ahead, Rylan," Zorian had wrote. "I need to catch Zweilous early so I can talk to him. I'll meet you in the mess hall."
Rylan set the note down and left his room to head down to breakfast, hoping everything would be okay between those two. It sounded like the advice Zweilous gave Zorian yesterday wasn't very helpful to him.
Rylan found Zorian seated at a table in the mess hall by himself. After getting his tray of breakfast, Rylan sat down next to him.
"You alright?" Rylan asked.
"Yeah, just got a lot on my mind," Zorian replied. "Zweilous told me a moment ago that he would explain more to me during our next training session. I don't blame him; he and his team are probably quite busy each day since they're high ranked."
"And you're still thinking about the situation with Steenee?" Rylan inquired.
"That, too, yes," Zorian responded. "The more I think about Steenee, the more she reminds me of someone I knew from the human world."
"I'd take Vulpix's advice," Rylan said. "Try and get your mind off it. Dwelling on it won't do you any good. Steenee's probably just another petty outlaw waiting to be punished."
Zorian sighed and resumed eating his meal. Rylan comfortingly slipped an arm around his brother's middle, hoping it would help ease him. Once done, the two headed back to the assembly hall and waited with the other guild members until Gallade arrived.
"Attention, everyone," Gallade said. "Your daily routines will proceed as usual today. We have several missions listed on the board for today, so remember to take caution that you select one appropriate for your skill level and rank."
"BZZT," said a voice. A Magneton had just entered the guild, and it was floating toward everyone.
"Officer Magneton?" Gallade asked. "This is quite an unusual visit. Magnezone is the one who normally addresses the guild when we get a request from the police, and he doesn't enter unannounced like this."
"BZZT. THE DIRE SITUATION CALLED FOR THIS UNEXPECTED VISIT," said Magneton. "APOLOGIES IF THE TIMING IS INOPPORTUNE."
"Dire situation?" Gallade asked. "What's going on?
"BZZT. REQUESTING AN AUDIENCE WITH YOUR GUILDMASTER," Magneton said.
"Alright," Gallade replied.
Magneton hesitated for a moment, looking around the room as though it didn't know where to go.
Gallade pointed to the room to his left. "His office is right over there."
"BZZT. THANK YOU," said Magneton, floating over to the door to Aggron's quarters and opening it with magnetism before entering.
Gallade gave Magneton a skeptical glance before it entered, then turned back to face his guild members. "So, yes, make sure you choose your missions wisely, and be sure to prepare accordingly. That will be all for now. Dismissed."
"Yes, sir!" the other Pokémon responded. Gallade hastily made his way into Aggron's room once his speech had concluded.
"Let's go see what we can pick up," Rylan said, motioning for Zorian to follow him to the notice board.
The two of them stopped at the board and looked around at the available requests. "How about this one?" Rylan asked, pointing at a poster near the bottom of the board. "A Marill dropped a TM somewhere in Floral Meadow."
"Doesn't sound too hard," said Zorian. "Sure, let's do it."
Zorian noticed that Rylan seemed to be quite chipper compared to how he was before. He didn't even seem to be letting the disappointment from last night's failed attempt to evolve get to him today. While Zorian was glad that his brother no longer had those lightless eyes he had as a human, he started to feel as though he, himself, was now the moody one between the two of them. Vulpix was right—he had to get his mind off things. The miserable life they once had is over. No point in trying to dwell on ancient history.
Rylan and Zorian took the poster, then set out together to gather the supplies they'd need before heading to Floral Meadow.
Back in Aggron's quarters, Magneton had just started talking to him when Gallade entered the room and accompanied the two of them. He sat down in a chair near the Guildmaster's table, carefully observing Magneton.
"So, what is this dire situation you need assistance with?" asked Aggron.
"BZZT," said Magneton. "SUSPECT 'STEENEE' IS MORE ELUSIVE THAN WE THOUGHT. WE HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO LOCATE HER. WE ALSO BELIEVE SHE IS QUITE RESOURCEFUL AND DANGEROUS."
"Then we'd best put the word out," said Aggron. "Please instruct your boss to make some Wanted posters."
"ONE MORE THING," said Magneton. "WE HAVE REASON TO BELIEVE SHE IS HIDING IN A PLACE CALLED 'FOLDE.' HAVE YOU ANY KNOWLEDGE OF THIS LOCATION?"
Aggron eyes widened a little. "Folde?" he asked. "Only by name, I regret to say. In all my years, I haven't heard much about it."
Gallade stood up and walked toward Magneton. "You know what?" he started. "If we happen to find any information about Folde, we shall keep in touch. For now, the Guildmaster has other responsibilities to attend to, so I'll thank you to kindly leave now."
Gallade's look of intense suspicion clearly hit the point home with Magneton.
"AS YOU WISH," said Magneton, turning around and leaving the room. Once it had left, Gallade closed the door and locked it.
"What was that about, Gallade?" asked Aggron. "If Steenee is indeed a dangerous presence, she must be dealt with."
"I agree with you there," said Gallade, "but something seemed off about that Magneton. I don't think it works for Magnezone."
"Something must be going on," said Aggron, "something we don't understand yet. First Steenee, now this… Someone somewhere must be orchestrating something in the shadows."
"Yes," said Gallade. "Perhaps we'll get to the bottom of this if we find Steenee. That Magneton also mentioned her."
Aggron looked at Gallade. His expression suggested he knew something.
"You have knowledge of this place called Folde, don't you?" Aggron asked.
"Yes, sir," Gallade replied.
"Then you must tell me," Aggron said quietly, "but let us not be overheard by prying ears."
Aggron pulled open his concealed trapdoor and led Gallade down into the secret room with the writing desk that Gallade had only seen once before, during the incident with Slowking. Once they arrived at the small room at the bottom of the stairs, Aggron lit a torch and mounted it on the wall.
"All I know about Folde is that it's a very important place in our history," said Aggron, "but as far as I know, any information about it has been lost to time."
"As it happens, I know a little bit about it, though not much more than you do," said Gallade. "Folde is said to have been the only known human settlement in this world. It's believed to have existed thousands of years ago. Humans do not live here in present day, so if Folde does exist, something must have happened to them in the past."
"Is that all you know about it?" asked Aggron.
"I'm afraid so," replied Gallade.
"It may be in our best interest to find this ancient settlement," said Aggron. "Whether or not Steenee is hiding there, something tells me that both Steenee and Magneton are interested in it."
"But that could be what they want," Gallade suggested. "You told me about Steenee's request, that it involved seeking out an ancient tablet. They could be trying to use us to find Folde for them."
"You may be right," Aggron said. "But we should also consider that Steenee knew where that tablet was. Either she or someone who is working with her knows something about relics of the ancient past. We may just be their contingency plan in case they don't find Folde on their own first."
"So, what do you propose we do?" asked Gallade.
"We must find Folde before they do," concluded Aggron, "but we must find a means to do so without being seen. If there are spies in our clientele and in the police force, we must be as discreet as possible. I suggest we turn to the members of our guild."
"Good idea," said Gallade.
"We must find and ask Pokémon who we can trust," said Aggron. "After what happened with Slowking, it would be unwise to ask only the strongest among us to undertake this task. We need to ask those who have demonstrated the most loyalty to us."
"I think I know just who those Pokémon are," said Gallade with a smile.