CHAPTER 7
That afternoon, Team Shell Bell had returned from their mission successfully. After entering the guild and locating the client, Marill, they presented her with the TM she had dropped.
"My friend really needed this TM! Thank you so much!" Marill chirped. "Here!"
Marill delightfully paid the reward money that was offered on her poster, then skipped off.
"Finally, someone paid us," Rylan chuckled.
"Yeah…" Zorian said. "Let's go give Gallade his share."
"Isn't he usually out here around this time?" Rylan asked. "I don't see him."
"Let's go check his room," Zorian said.
The two of them walked over to Gallade's quarters on the ground floor, then knocked on his door.
"Hello, Gallade?" asked Rylan. There was no response. Rylan slowly opened the door and peeked in, but there was no one inside.
"Maybe he's with the Guildmaster," Zorian suggested. "Let's go."
They then approached the door to Aggron's quarters, giving it a knock.
"Guildmaster?" Rylan called. "Are you in there? Is Gallade with you?"
Rylan tugged at the door handle, but it was locked.
"Strange," said Zorian.
"Well, there's not much we can do until we can actually see them," Rylan said. "I hope everything's okay."
"Let's go put up our stuff in the meantime," said Zorian.
"Right," Rylan agreed.
Before the two could head upstairs, however, a flustered voice spoke out from behind Aggron's door.
"One moment, one moment!" exclaimed Gallade's voice.
Rylan and Zorian stopped, then approached the door once more. Gallade opened it, then took a moment to catch his breath.
"My apologies," he panted. "The Guildmaster and I were having an important discussion."
"I assume you didn't want to be heard, then," said Zorian.
"Correct," said Gallade. "As it happens, however, I would like to discuss something with the two of you, as well as Teams Earth-Sky and StarStruck."
"Oh?" Zorian asked.
"But for now," Gallade said, "take some time to unwind. Inform the other two teams at dinner. Once you're all relaxed and well fed, come to the Guildmaster's quarters."
"Alright," Zorian replied.
Once dinnertime came, Rylan and Zorian sat down in their usual spots with their companions.
"Listen up, everyone," Zorian whispered. "I think this is important, so let's keep our voices down, but let's not look suspicious."
Nidorina, Wingull, Vulpix, and Buizel all nodded their heads, Buizel having turned around to pay attention to the conversation this time.
"Gallade has requested all of us to come to the Guildmaster's room after we're finished eating," Zorian said quietly.
"All of us?" asked Buizel. "Why us, specifically?"
"I don't know yet," said Zorian, "but we're the ones who Slowking challenged, the ones he allowed the chance to stop him. This can't just be coincidence."
"You think it has something to do with Slowking?" asked Wingull.
"Last I heard, they finally found him and locked him up," said Nidorina, "so he should no longer pose a threat to us."
"Something's been going on," Zorian warned. "We don't know what it is yet, but I get the feeling Gallade needs us again for something."
"What's been going on?" asked Vulpix.
"Just the other day," Zorian explained, "Rylan and I took a request from a Steenee. When we were done, she left quickly without paying us. The item she had us find looked important. I later saw her outside the guild, yelling about something. She saw me and took off."
"This is the first time you've told me about that last part," Rylan said.
"Sorry," Zorian responded. "Anyway, I think something strange is going on, but we don't have enough information about it yet."
"And you think that's why Gallade wants to see us?" asked Vulpix.
"Yeah," Zorian replied.
"Then let's not keep him waiting," said Buizel.
The group quickly finished eating, then left the mess hall and headed straight toward Aggron's quarters. Rylan knocked at the door. Moments later, Gallade cautiously opened the door.
"Inside," he said. "Quickly."
The three teams entered the room. Once everyone was inside, Gallade locked it.
"Follow me," he instructed, leading everyone down past the trapdoor. Aggron was waiting for them in the room at the bottom.
"All present and accounted for?" asked Aggron.
"Yes," Gallade replied. "Now, if I may…"
Gallade turned to face their six guests. He looked at Vulpix first.
"Which Pokémon used to be part of your team?" he asked.
"Sir?" Vulpix asked, confused.
"Which Pokémon?" Gallade repeated.
"Rylan," Vulpix replied. "Why are you asking me this?"
"I'll explain momentarily," Gallade replied. He turned to Buizel next.
"How did you come to this guild?" Gallade asked.
"The Guildmaster rescued us," Buizel replied.
"To whom did you speak upon the island we made camp on?" Gallade asked Nidorina.
Zorian quickly realized that Gallade was checking to see if any of them were impostors.
"I spoke with Vulpix," Nidorina said.
"What became of your team when we were at the peak of the mountain?" Gallade asked Wingull.
"Jynx immobilized us in ice," she replied.
"The day I offered to train you," Gallade asked Rylan," what did you do instead?"
"I snuck out to help Vulpix and Buizel," Rylan responded.
"And Zorian," Gallade asked, "what did I commend you for after you recounted your past experiences?"
"My strategic observation," Zorian replied.
"Alright," Gallade said. "As some of you may have guessed, I was checking to see if you all were really you. I believe we are being visited by spies."
Nidorina and Vulpix's teams looked at each other worriedly.
"I brought all of you here together because I trust you more than anyone else," Gallade explained. "Something isn't right, and we need to find out what it is. We only have two leads at present. One, someone is interested in finding old tablets. Two, an ancient town called Folde is involved somehow."
"I've never heard of this town before," said Wingull.
"Nor would I expect any of you to have heard of it," said Gallade. "Very few have heard the name, and even fewer believe it actually exists. If it does, however, we believe there is something there of great importance, something these spies are looking for."
"So, you're sharing this information with us because you trust us," said Zorian, "but where do we fit in with all this?"
"If Aggron and I were to leave the guild, whoever is spying on us would know we're onto them," Gallade explained. "I am tasking you all with finding out what you can about Folde while the Guildmaster and I keep up appearances."
"I'm a little nervous about this," said Buizel.
"Me, too," said Vulpix.
"I understand," said Gallade," but we've faced danger before, and we've succeeded."
"Not with our help," said Wingull.
"I wanted you two here because of your strong convictions," said Gallade to Wingull and Nidorina. "If you remember, Jynx got the better of me as well. Regardless of what happened atop Mount Maelstrom, you stood by us the whole time, never willing to surrender. I would trust the two of you with my life."
Nidorina and Wingull smiled faintly.
"Please," pleaded Gallade. "Goodness knows what could be happening behind our backs. We need to figure this out together."
To Gallade's relief, everyone nodded their heads after a moment of thinking it over.
"Thank you all," he said happily.
Aggron approached the six of them. "As Gallade told you a moment ago," he said, "we need you to investigate Folde. Seek out old Pokémon who you think may know of its existence. Read some books about it if you find any. Say nothing about what you are doing to anyone else, especially to clients. Understood?"
"Yes, sir," they replied.
"You're dismissed, then," said Aggon. "Get some rest and be prepared to start tomorrow."