CHAPTER 3

"Rylan, please don't go," Vulpix said as Rylan turned to take his leave.

Rylan stopped in his tracks and turned around to face Vulpix, though didn't look her directly in the eyes. "I have no business here," he said. "I need to find out who I am, how I got here, and how I can return home.

Vulpix's ears drooped sadly. "It's just that I…"

"Yeah?" Rylan asked.

"I… I want you to stay," Vulpix admitted. "Sure, we haven't known each other for very long, but there's something about you that I like, and you seem to need help. I was hoping we could…you know…become friends."

Friends? He had started feeling a little less scared of Vulpix, but this might be pushing it.

"Sorry, I don't… I mean, I can't…" he stammered.

"You don't what?" Vulpix asked. "Don't want to be friends?"

Rylan growled and stomped his foot before realizing it was still sore. He winced and reached down to rub it. "No, I don't want to be friends!" he exclaimed. "I want to go home!"

Vulpix looked really hurt by this. She understood that Rylan wanted to find his home, but why was he so rude to her?

"…Thanks for the help," Rylan managed to say. He turned and walked out of the guild. Vulpix sat down and watched disappointedly as he left.

"What was that all about?" Buizel had entered the central room and spotted Vulpix as Rylan left. Vulpix looked up at him.

"It's Rylan," Vulpix replied. "I offered him a place to stay with us, but then he got angry and left. I'm really worried. He said he doesn't remember where his home is, and just heading out there with no plan is a pretty bad idea. I don't want him to get hurt."

"You don't deserve to be yelled at," said Buizel. "That was rude."

"Thanks, but don't you think we should help him out?" Vulpix asked. "It's our duty as explorers to help those in need."

"It's also our duty as explorers to follow the rules of the guild," Buizel stated. "Unless there's an emergency, we have a curfew. We're not allowed to leave the guild at this time of night. I'm sure that Riolu will be fine."

"His name is Rylan," Vulpix reiterated.

Buizel scoffed and turned around. "A Pokémon with a human name… Stupid."

"He said he's human, and I believe him," Vulpix said.

Buizel crossed his arms. "I doubt it. Now come on, it's getting late. We should get some sleep. We don't want to wake up late tomorrow morning." He turned and retreated to their room.

Vulpix sighed and followed suit, entering the room behind Buizel. She climbed into bed and closed her eyes, trying to go to sleep, but she couldn't stop thinking about Rylan and wondering if he was safe.

Rylan was a decent distance away from the guild by the time Vulpix went to bed. As he walked through the forest, he began to feel very conflicted. Was it really such a wise decision to head out into the night by himself? Still, he thought, it sounded a lot better than joining the guild and being among a bunch of strangers. Feeling tired from his long walk, he sat down on a log in the middle of a clearing and looked up at the sky.

"The night sky…" he said to himself. "It's really nice."

He gazed at the bright Moon hanging in the sky. Then he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

Frustration, confusion, and uncertainty had built up in his mind and heart since he first arrived in this unfamiliar land, and he had finally reached his breaking point. He had no idea who he was. He didn't want friends, but Vulpix had been so kind to him, and he had been so dismissive of her. After letting out a cry of desperation, he fell to his knees and tears began to pour from his eyes.

"Who's there?" yelped an angry-sounding voice.

Rylan gasped and wheeled around, trying to locate the source of the voice.

"This is MY turf, pipsqueak! You've just earned yourself a world of hurt!" the voice barked.

"Please, I don't want any trouble!" Rylan said.

Rylan was about to leave, but not before a rustling noise from behind him made him turn around again. Staring him down with two enraged, intimidating eyes was a Raticate, surrounded by a horde of Rattata. Shaking in fear, he attempted to run for it.

"Get him!" yelled the Raticate. His Rattata underlings pursued Rylan as he fled.

"No! Get away from me!" Rylan cried. Though he tried to pick up the pace, his sore leg made it quite difficult. Thinking fast, he hid behind a tree before the Rattata showed up. Consequently, they ran off in the direction they thought he was running.

Rylan's whole body was shaking from head to toe. He was lucky enough to avoid the Rattata for now, but would getting out of the forest be any less difficult?

"Boss! Over here!"

Rylan jumped and turned to the source of the voice. He had been cornered by three Rattata, who wasted no time in pinning him down and calling over the other Rattata to assist.

"Please, let me go!" Rylan begged.

The boss Raticate arrived soon after the helpless Rylan had been pinned down. "Heh heh," he chuckled. "I thought for sure the Pokémon near this area knew better than to enter my territory. Guess I'm not infamous enough yet. Perhaps a good Hyper Fang ought to help you understand, boy."

Rylan braced himself and closed his eyes, tears streaming down his cheeks. "No!"

"GRAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"

A thunderous roar and massive trembling in the ground startled the Raticate, diverting his attention away from Rylan.

"What's that?" he asked, alarmed.

Seconds later, a large tail slammed into Raticate, sending him flying into a tree. The Rattata pinning Rylan down slowly turned to look at the source, chuckling nervously and shivering.

"You want to be next?" asked a loud and demanding voice. "Move it!"

The Rattata scurried away, quickly followed by Raticate. "I won't forget this!" he warned as he left.

A shadow loomed over the still quivering Rylan. "Are you all right?" the voice asked calmly.

Rylan opened his eyes. An Aggron stood towering over him. The large steel Pokémon kneeled down and lifted Rylan up to a sitting position.

"...Y—yes, I'm okay…" Rylan replied.

The Aggron nodded. "That's good. You'd best be careful, though. Lately, an unknown disturbance has been causing Pokémon to become more defensive over their territories and, as a result, violent and aggressive. However, Boss Raticate has always been discourteous."

Rylan looked up into the giant creature's eyes. His physical presence was intimidating, yet his countenance appeared to be gentle. As Rylan stared at him, he started to feel calmer, protected, as if the fear within him was slipping away. There was also something very familiar about those eyes…

"Hmm, you're just staring at me," the Aggron said. "Is something wrong?"

Rylan blinked. "Oh, no, nothing. Um… Thank you."

Aggron examined Rylan for any signs of damage on his body. His attention soon fell upon Rylan's bandaged leg.

"I recognize these bandages," he said. "Chansey uses them back at the guild. So, that must mean you are Rylan."

Rylan tilted his head. "How do you know that?" he asked.

Aggron chuckled. "How, indeed? Vulpix came in and asked me to arrange for Chansey to treat your leg."

Surprise spread across Rylan's face. "Does that mean you're…?"

Aggron smiled and nodded. "Guildmaster Aggron, at your service."

Rylan stood up. "Vulpix," he said quickly. "I need to apologize to her. She's done nothing but nice things for me, and I treated her badly," Rylan explained.

Aggron smirked. "You might want to tell her that now, while you have the chance." His gaze turned toward a nearby tree. "All right, you two. Stop hiding. I know you're there."

Vulpix emerged from behind the tree, followed by Buizel. "Please don't punish Buizel, Guildmaster," Vulpix said. "He wanted to make sure I didn't get hurt. I came here of my own accord and will accept the appropriate punishment for leaving after curfew."

"There will be a consequence for incompliance with the rules," Aggron said, "but we'll worry about that later. Rylan here has something he would like to say to you."

Vulpix approached Rylan, who abruptly looked down at the grass. "Vulpix, I—"

Aggron stooped down and gently nudged Rylan encouragingly. "Eye contact," he said. Rylan gulped and blushed, embarrassed. "Okay," he murmured. "Vulpix, I'm sorry for the way I acted earlier. I shouldn't have yelled at you."

Vulpix smiled. "Thanks, Rylan."