Yo! I'm back with another great chapter. This one's a hunker, so I won't blame you if you don't read it all the way through. But I think it'll answer a few questions... and raise a few more. ;)

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 13: Expedition

"Thank you so much for helping rescue Wingull!"

Jay and Aria were back at the guild, listening to the rain pound outside. Wingull was perched on Chespin's head, twittering and cawing happily. Chespin looked positively excited.

"No problem. It was easy, really," Aria said, puffing her chest up proudly.

"I was so worried… Even though Wingull is a Water type, he hates rain! Especially big rainstorms like this…" Chespin shuddered.

"I understand that. I'm kinda scared too, and I'm a Water type," Jay said, nodding. As if on cue, a loud boom of thunder crashed, shocking the whole guild. The rain intensified, and the torches sputtered uncertainly.

"Anyway, here's your money: 400 Poké! Flygon told us about the whole 'ninety percent' thing…" Chespin lowered his voice as he took out a leather pouch. "To tell you the truth, I'd love to give you all of this, but rules are rules…" He winked and smiled.

Jay winked back and accepted the pouch. A quick peek inside revealed that it was stuffed with golden coins that shimmered even in the dim light.

"Thanks," Aria said as Jay placed the pouch in his Explorer Bag.

"Oh no, thank you! I'm sure I can find another way to repay you…" Wingull said.

"We don't need repaying. Your smiles are all we need!" Aria said, beaming.

You're really cheesy… You know that, right? Jay thought. But he didn't say anything as Chespin and Wingull smiled.

"Alright… I suppose we'd better get going. I hope this storm lets up soon… Anyway, thanks again, and see you around!" Chespin said. Aria waved goodbye as the two made their way up the ladder.

Jay breathed, and he was suddenly aware that he had been on edge throughout their entire conversation. He didn't know why—Chespin and Wingull seemed nice enough—but he felt like he was constantly struggling to maintain a good attitude.

"Whew! This rain just won't stop!" Aria said, looking up.

"It doesn't look like it'll stop for a while. I honestly don't know what I like more: the pouring rain or the searing sun," Jay said.

"I'd think you'd love the rain," Aria said.

Jay sighed. "Why does everyone think that I'd love water? I nearly drowned in it! Nearly drowning in water can sure make you uneasy…"

Aria looked surprised, but not as surprised as Jay was. Until then, he only had scattered memories of falling into a river and losing consciousness, but as he said those words, it came back, clearer than ever. His panicked thoughts as he tried to struggle to the surface. The pulsing throb of his head, which had been cracked on a rock. His desperate attempt to stay consciousness…

"Whoa, dude. Slow down. You nearly drowned?!" Aria cried.

Suddenly, all activity in the guild stopped. Everyone turned to look at Jay and Aria. They all wore wide-eyed expressions on their faces, and even though they seemed bewildered and surprised, to Jay, they seemed menacing.

"How? How?! You're a Water type Pokémon! You can't drown! Water types can breathe underwater! When did you drown?" Aria screamed.

"Yeah. Go ahead and tell it to the entire world. That's wonderful," Jay grumbled.

Aria glanced around, and when she realized everyone was staring at them, she blushed and put a hand over her mouth. "Sorry, guys… We're good. Carry on, carry on."

Most of the apprentices continued on with their duties, but Jay could see Altaria and Magby were still looking at them out of the corner of their eyes.

"It was… y'know…" Jay lowered his voice and tried not to look at Altaria and Magby. "When I was a human… Humans aren't immune to drowning."

"Oh! It was when you were a human, huh? I get it. The more you tell me about humans, the less impressive they seem…" Aria said casually.

Jay put his hand over her mouth, but the words had already been said. He could feel his face flush as embarrassment flooded over him.

Aria had just spilled his secret.

"No! You idiot! You idiot! I thought I told you to keep that a secret!" Jay hissed.

"I-I'm sorry—" Aria gasped.

"Oh, no. You just had to go and blab it out to everyone who cares to listen! I was going to tell them eventually, when I get to know them better. I didn't want to tell them now, when they're all a bunch of strangers! But noooo, you just couldn't keep your big fat mouth shut!" Jay rambled.

He didn't know if he was more angry or embarrassed. A quick glance revealed that nobody was looking at them, but he still couldn't shake the feeling that someone had heard Aria. That someone knew he was once a human…

"Dinner time! Come to the mess hall or you'll go hungry!"

Before either of them could respond, Krokorok barked out the signal for dinner time. The apprentices rushed past the two explorers, not even batting an eyelash at them. Krokorok gave Jay a sour look before sauntering into the mess hall himself.

Jay glared at Aria and didn't say a word as he sulked into the mess hall.

Dinner was slightly more animated; most of the apprentices were trading stories about their adventures. A few minutes in, Aria got deep into a conversation with Altaria and Whimsicott, and the three didn't look like they'd stop yapping any time soon.

Good, Jay thought. At least I won't have her spilling any more secrets…

Jay looked down at his plate, shoving his face with food. He tried to avoid the gaze of anyone else—he wasn't eager to get into a conversation with his other apprentices; he didn't want the spotlight any more—but it didn't work for too long.

"Hey, Jay!"

It was Magby, the almost unnoticeable red blob. He had settled down next to Jay with a smile. Jay grunted to acknowledge his presence, but he didn't respond—he really didn't want to talk to Magby.

But the Fire type didn't get the hint. He scooted closer to Jay and continued to speak. "So… how do you like this place so far? Isn't it the coolest?" he asked.

"Yep," Jay responded shortly.

"How do you like exploring? I think it's cool… but I have to stay here every day it rains! I hate being a Fire type… Even a small raindrop will weaken me greatly! You're lucky to be a Water type…" Magby said enviously.

"Yeah, it's cool," Jay said simply.

Magby frowned and lowered his voice. "Hey… Is everything okay? You seem a bit out of it…" he said, his voice full of concern.

"I'm fine. Just a bit tired," Jay said.

But Magby was set on cheering Jay up. "Seriously, dude… What's up? Was it Aria?" he asked.

"Hey!" Aria barked.

Jay whirled around, and instead of finding his partner looking at him angrily, he saw that she had a look of concern on her face.

"Look, I'm sorry for screaming out all that about drowning…" she apologized.

"Yeah, what was all that about? Did you almost drown one time?" Magby asked. Before Jay could shoo him away or even open his mouth, Magby began to go on a spiel about something or other.

"I mean, Water type Pokémon can't drown… they can breathe underwater, so it should be impossible. Unless you almost drowned in lava… but then why are you here? If you fall into lava, it's game over… unless you're a Fire type like me. I can breathe underwater… or should I say 'under lava'? If I went in water, I'd be dead, but if you went under lava, you'd be dead…"

"QUIET!"

That word came out louder than Jay had intended. All heads turned to him, and he could feel dozens of eyeballs staring at him. Even Aria looked shocked—she was cowering in Altaria's fluff, her eyes wide.

Magby was the worst. He seemed genuinely hurt by Jay's outburst; he could see tears forming in his eyes. His mouth twisted into a frown as he stared back at his plate.

"Oh… I'm sorry for bothering you…" Magby said meekly.

Jay glanced back at Aria, who looked almost angry at him. He could feel his face heating up as embarrassment set in—he had just made someone else cry.

"I-I'm sorry." Jay barely choked out those words as he grabbed the last of his berries. "I'm leaving now… carry on. Carry on."

He stood up from the table and rushed back to his room, trying to ignore all the strange stares he was getting. As he made his way into the main room, he could feel a tear squeeze its way out of his eye.

XxX

"Ma'am?"

Victini looked up from the ground and into the face of Monferno. His orange fur was ruffled and the fire on his tail danced nervously as he looked into the angry eyes of the Guildmaster.

"Yes?" Victini asked, her voice full of annoyance.

"I just wanted to ask… Did you get anywhere during your invasion of Haxorus's Guild?" Monferno asked. He twiddled his fingers anxiously and fidgeted in place.

Victini sighed. Monferno took an involuntary step back—he didn't want to catch the Guildmaster on a bad day. "Oh… I'm sorry. I'll leave, I'll leave…"

"You're fine…" Victini took a deep breath. Even the mention of her rival guild made her fume—literally and figuratively. "And to answer your question, no, I did not get anywhere. I just burned a nice little hole in the side of their castle and taunted Haxorus—very satisfying, but it did nothing to accelerate our plans."

"Oh…" Monferno seemed genuinely displeased. "I'm very sorry it wasn't a success. It's a shame, too… We were doing so well with our plan."

"Are you trying to blame me for this setback?" Victini asked pleasantly.

Monferno flinched again—he knew this was trouble. When Victini suddenly turned all nice and sweet, it meant that she was getting very irritated.

"I'm sorry, ma'am! I didn't mean to imply anything…" Monferno cried.

"Good!" Victini grinned. "I didn't think you were trying to put me down… Now, thank you for your concern, but I'm fine. Just keep doing what you're doing, and we'll get the Red Orb someday. You are dismissed."

Monferno sighed in relief. Even though he was a Fire type, he could feel the tension in the room heating up to an almost unbearable level.

"I understand. I wish you the best of luck in your escapades in the future," Monferno said slowly. He dipped into a low bow and turned away from the Guildmaster.

Once Monferno had left, Victini chuckled. "You may have the Red Orb, Haxorus… but you won't be doing much with it. We'll succeed. Mark my words."

She turned around and retreated into her office, giggling like a playful child.

XxX

Jay ate the rest of the berries in his room, but it felt more like he was chewing empty calories. His stomach was a pit—not from hunger, but from unexplained sadness.

Why did I go all crazy then? Magby wasn't trying to be mean… he was just curious about why I was feeling down… he wondered.

Jay wiped away a tear from his face and sighed, staring at the hay in his bed. Ugh… Now someone's gonna come in here and start telling me off…

Indeed, someone did come into his room. It wasn't Krokorok or Flygon or anyone else. It was Aria.

"That was great, man. Great! You have a flare for melodrama. The way you stormed out of the room in a fit of anger—wonderful! I'd rate that a nine-point-five out of ten!" Aria said.

Jay couldn't tell if she was being sarcastic or genuine, but she didn't seem angry. He looked up at her and wiped a bit of berry juice from his mouth. "Thanks," he mumbled.

"Okay, seriously. What's up? You'd better not storm out on me again," Aria said, settling down in the bed across from him.

Jay had to take a deep breath before answering her question. "Gee, I wonder. You just said to everyone who cares that I was once a human… That was a secret only you, me, and the Guildmaster know! I don't want everyone else knowing it… not yet, anyway," he said bitterly.

Aria didn't react in anger like he had expected. She took a deep breath and opened her mouth, but she didn't respond right away. Jay found it very hard to read her expression. Finally, she spoke up.

"Look, I'm sorry about all that. I was surprised—when I'm surprised, I raise my voice. It's a habit I can't shake. So you can't really blame me…" Aria said with a shrug.

"Whatever." Jay looked down.

"Ugh… I guess you're still angry at me?" Aria asked.

"Did anyone seem to be talking about me at dinner?" Jay asked.

"You're avoiding the question," Aria said.

"No, I'm not. Did anyone seem to be talking about me at dinner?" Jay repeated.

"Just give me a straight answer," Aria pressed.

"I will. Just answer my question," Jay said, his voice rising in annoyance. "Was anyone talking about me at dinner?"

Aria sighed as she realized Jay wouldn't stop bugging her. "Well… they weren't talking about you being a human. They were just more confused by the fact that you stormed out of there screaming," she said.

Aria didn't say anything for a while. "I don't think anyone noticed me…" she added.

Jay sighed. "I'm sorry, I guess. Just… don't do that again, okay? I'll tell them when I'm ready," he conceded.

The two sat in silence for a little while, listening to the faint sounds of raindrops above. The torches flickered, and they seemed to be losing their steam, making the whole place look dark and mysterious.

Jay heard him before he saw him. He didn't know what alerted him; maybe it was a footstep or a breath of air, but before he knew it, he was up and alert. Someone was coming to their room—someone he never wanted to see again.

Krokorok came storming in, a look of pure fury on his face. He was practically dragging Magby behind him; the Fire type Pokémon looked sad and confused. Jay's stomach dropped—Krokorok was coming to punish them.

"Explain yourself, Jay!" Krokorok barked. Spittle flew from his mouth with every syllable he demanded.

"I—well, I didn't mean—" Jay stammered.

"Look what you did to Magby. He's frightened of you! He's terrified! Do you have anything to say for yourself?!" Krokorok demanded.

Indeed, Magby looked very surprised, but it seemed more like he was scared of Krokorok than he was of Jay. His eyes looked somewhat red; it was clear that he had been crying recently.

"I didn't mean to do anything! I was just…" Jay paused. He didn't know what he was doing when he decided to snap at Magby. So he decided to make up a lie on the spot and hope it worked.

"We just had a rough day. We were in Harvest Glen and we ran into a giant…" Jay glanced at Aria, who promptly continued his sentence.

"…Emboar! I know, we didn't know there were Emboars there either. But it was very weak, 'cause it was raining and all," Aria said.

"Eventually, he ran away, but not before he gave us a good beating. And after that, I fell into a pit… it took a long time for me to get out of it. Really annoying…" Jay added.

"And on top of it all, we almost rescued the wrong Wingull! We were trying to rescue a Wingull, and we assumed the first one we saw was our mark… yeesh, it wasn't very pretty. Not pretty at all…" Aria completed.

"So when we were at dinner, I was feeling really annoyed. I just kind of… snapped. I'm really sorry, Magby. I didn't mean to make you all upset…" Jay said.

Magby didn't respond; he was too busy trembling in place to do anything but squeak. Clearly, Krokorok was terrifying him.
"The Guildmaster has heard about this, and she is not at all pleased. You will be hearing from her tomorrow. In the meantime, I will leave you alone to get some rest," Krokorok said.

Jay blinked. Krokorok seemed almost kind as he said the last sentence. He had never expected the Guildmaster's assistant to say anything remotely nice to him; his mouth was always in a frown.

But Jay's idle thinking was dissolved when Krokorok finished talking: "I daresay you'll need the energy. Flygon is furious, and I can tell you first hand that she's not one to be messed with…"

Krokorok sauntered off, dragging the trembling Magby with him.

Jay felt like he had swallowed a nest of baby snakes. He felt nervous, and the low lighting made him even more of a wreck. A cold breeze blew through the guild, making him shiver. Aria shuddered and buried herself in the straw.

"Ugh… What'll we do? We're gonna be in so much trouble…" Aria moaned.

"It's okay. You weren't the one who were freaking out. You'll probably get off okay… I'm probably gonna be the only one who's hit hard by this," Jay said, not looking at her.

"Jay, don't talk like that!" Aria cried.

He still didn't look at her. "I know it's not fair… But it wasn't you. I just hope Magby can find it in his heart to forgive me… I'm sure he's pretty nice."

He yawned and lied down on his bed, staring up at the dimming torches. Now, he felt strangely calm. His body was itching for a good night's sleep, and he couldn't really think on the negatives when he was feeling so tired.

"Who knows? Maybe I'll get off easy. But it won't do us any good with stressing out about it now. Krokorok said Flygon will deal with us tomorrow… and I'm too tired to dwell on this now," Jay said.

"Oh my Arceus… It's the end of the world. You're starting to make sense! You're starting to drop profound bits of wisdom on the innocent ears of the population… This is the true apocalypse. Pokérus and the planet's paralysis has nothing on this—this is the true end!" she cried.

It took Jay a moment to see the smile on her face, but when he saw it, he smiled back.

"Yeah… I guess this is what all those doomsday theorists were talking about, huh?" Jay said.

Aria laughed lightly. "Alright, Mr. Apocalypse. The end of the world can wait for tomorrow… I don't know about you, but I'm dead tired," she said.

"Did you mean to make that pun? Because it was kinda lame… no offense," Jay said.

"Thank you. I try my best," Aria replied.

Jay shrugged. "Eh, I'm not much better. But whatever… you're right, I am dead tired. See you in the morning, I guess," he said.

"Good night, Jay. Sleep tight! Don't let the bedbugs bite… and if they do, sock 'em in the face and show 'em who's boss!" Aria said.

With that strange bid good night, Jay closed his eyes and put his mind at ease, slowly drifting into unconsciousness.

XxX

Jay woke up a few hours later to Altaria's singing voice. He still felt very tired—they had been up for a while last night—but he dragged himself out of bed and shuffled into the mess hall with Aria behind him.

The first thing he did when he entered the mess hall was seek out Magby. Magby still looked a bit shaken from last night, but he didn't shy away when Jay approached him. He sat down next to the Fire type and smiled.

"Hey, buddy. Look… I'm really sorry about last night. I just don't know what came over me…" Jay said softly.

Magby looked up, and Jay could see a sad smile tugging at his face. "Oh, it's okay. I'm used to being yelled at… It's happened a lot, you know."

That last bit gave Jay an almost unbearable pang in his heart. It was the nonchalance in his acquaintance's voice that really got him—he was talking about it like it was no big deal that he was being bullied.

Jay was taken aback by this statement, but he found it in him to reply anyway. "Oh my gosh… Other Pokémon yell at you?" he gasped.

"Yep. Let's just say I'm not the brightest of Pokémon… I'm kind of clumsy and something of a weakling… I usually don't go out on big explorations because I'm afraid someone'll have to come bail me out. It's… embarrassing," Magby said.

Jay felt awful, even more so than he already felt. But among that sadness, he could feel a certain determination: if anyone tried to pick on Magby, he'd stand up for him, despite the fact that he hadn't even known him for a week.

"Hey… don't worry, buddy. I'm gonna be your friend. Last night was just… weird. I promise I'll never do that again. And if anyone tries to bully you, I'll stick up for you. Nobody deserves to be pushed around," Jay said, patting Magby on the shoulder.

He glanced back to Aria, who was staring at him wide-eyed. Aria quickly turned back to Altaria and continued their conversation, though Jay could hear her talking about the "end of the world".

"Seriously, he's so nice now! You saw him the first day, right? He was grumpy and everything, and now… it's like he's totally changed! It's unbelievable… I swear, it's the end of the world," Aria said.

"Hmm… I wonder why he's suddenly acting all kind," Altaria wondered.

Jay turned away from Magby and looked at Altaria, clearing his throat. "Just because I made a few friends doesn't mean I'm gonna start a charity tomorrow. Honestly, if I could have everything my way, I'd be lying in bed all day and sleeping."

Altaria gave Jay a strange look—was it amusement? Then she turned back to her conversation with Aria.

"Yeah… I think the only reason he joined the guild was because he had no other place to stay. He's still not entirely on board with this 'love and kindness' stuff…" Aria whispered.

Jay cleared his throat; although it was clear that she was trying to hide her words from him, he had still heard her loud and clear. Aria turned around, a sheepish grin on her face. Jay did nothing but intensify his glare.

"Don't bore them with details about me. They don't need to know every last thing that happened in my life before I came here! Seriously, if you start spouting out a biography of my life, they're gonna stop thinking you're a friendly Skitty and start thinking you're stalking me!" he said, giving her a playful nudge.

It seemed kind enough, but Jay's expression told the real story: if you say anything else about me, you're going to regret it.

Aria seemed to get the message, as she nodded before responding with an equally playful phrase. "Dang it! He's onto me!" she laughed.

Altaria and her partner didn't seem to detect the tension, as they laughed along with Team River Song.

The friends finished their breakfasts with smiles on their faces. Jay spent some more time getting to know Magby, and to the Totodile, he seemed like a truly nice guy. He was a bit nervous at times, but he could look past it and see his personality shine.

After Jay finished off his plate, he joined Aria as they filed out of the mess hall. When they reached the main room, he found Krokorok and Flygon deep in conversation, and his stomach jolted—were they discussing his punishment?

He could feel Aria tense too; she instinctively inched closer to Jay and frowned, furrowing her brow in concentration. Flygon and Krokorok talked in an undertone that was almost ineligible; the rain was still pounding loudly even when they were underground. Jay was even more worried by the fact that he couldn't hear them.

Finally, the Guildmaster finished talking and turned to address the crowd. "Ahem… May I have your attention, please?"

Everyone fell silent almost immediately.

"Thank you!" Flygon said as the last voices died down. "Now, before we say our cheer, Krokorok and I have a special announcement to make. It would be in your best interest if you listen very carefully to what we are about to say!"

A few murmurs of excitement rippled through the guild. Aria sat forward, looking slightly less anxious. Her ears perked up as Flygon continued speaking.

"In one week's time, we are going to set out on an expedition."

She barely said the first sentence before the guild exploded into cheers of happiness. Plusle and Minun jumped up in the air as sparks danced on their hands. Cranidos folded his arms and winked at Aria, flashing her a smug smile. Altaria and Whimsicott began chatting excitedly to each other.

Arai turned to Jay, and he could see her squinted eyes full of excitement. "Oh my gosh! I can't believe it… It's been forever since we've been on an exploration!" she said.

Jay was just confused. "A what?" he asked.

"I can't explain it as well as Flygon can… Listen!" Aria said, turning back to the Guildmaster.

"Now, I know you all must be very excited, but I need you to listen carefully, okay?" Flygon said, scanning the crowd.

Everyone went into rapt silence as Flygon continued.

"We're going on an expedition to Dew Island, home of the famous volcano Hearth Mountain. Hearth Mountain has long withheld its secrets from the eyes of explorers, but there have been many rumors of wondrous treasure hidden deep within its twisting tunnels," Flygon explained.

Jay's heart began to race. This was it: he was finally going to become an explorer. He'd look for treasure and become famous for discovering it… he wouldn't be wasting his time helping others or running pointless fetch quests. No… they were going to find treasure.

He sat forward with rekindled interest, hanging onto Flygon's every word. "Those of you who have been with us for a while know about our procedures when it comes to expeditions. We'll be spending a week evaluating your successes and failures, and by the end of the week, we'll choose a few Pokémon who we think can help us along on our expedition," she continued.

There were some moans at this statement; Jay felt the excitement in his body deflate a bit. He hadn't been on his best behavior, especially with last night… would that possibly affect his chances of joining the expedition?

"Before we begin the selection process, we'd like to ask you all: is there anyone who does not want to go on the expedition? We don't want anyone being selected when they don't want to join us," Flygon said.

Nobody raised their hand. Jay heard Magby squeak next to him; he found that the young Pokémon was on the verge of tears.

"We certainly do have a big selection here, don't we? Well, the more, the merrier!" Flygon said lightly.

"I would like to add something…" Krokorok put in. Jay had almost forgotten he was there; he was being so quiet. "We will not be judging you solely on your efforts in exploration. We will be evaluating your behavior around the guild as well. So if you want to join us, you'll have to be treating the other guild members with respect…"

Jay's stomach dropped. Nobody said it, but he had a sinking suspicion that Krokorok's last statement was targeted towards him.

"You guys know the drill. Keep doing what you're doing and you'll be selected!" Flygon said, trying to bring a lighter mood to the conversation.

"YEAH!" the guild members cheered.

Flygon smiled. "That's what I like to hear! Now, I do believe that's everything of importance for today… Let's sing our daily cheer!"

Jay tried to look as enthusiastic as he could while he chanted, but he still couldn't shake Krokorok's last statement from his mind. Last night was one thing… surely one little thing won't count against me…

"Here's to another great day of exploring!" Flygon cried.

"HOORAY!" the guild chorused.

After the assembly was over, everyone began excitedly talking about the expedition. Altaria and Whimsicott were talking so fast that Jay couldn't even hear them. Cranidos was trying to flirt with Aria again—"Another exploration, huh? This time, will you be my partner?" His attempts to pick her up were met with stony silence.

Magby, on the other hand, looked like he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

Jay bent down close to him and placed a hand on his trembling shoulder. "Hey… What's up?" he asked quietly.

"I'm… so… excited… but I'm nervous too. I mean, what if I'm not picked? I don't want to stay here again… The last time they had an expedition, I had to stay here with Cranidos and Minun… I don't wanna be alone again…" Magby squeaked.

"Don't worry, Magby. You're a good Pokémon. All you have to do is go for it! Show the Guildmaster that you can join us. I'm sure you'll get picked! Just step it up and you can do it!" Jay said, patting his friend on the back.

Magby looked up at Flygon, who smiled kindly back down at him. He smiled weakly back and wiped his tears, sniffling. "I… I guess you're right… I'm not gonna give up!" he said, balling his hands into fists.

"That's the spirit, Magby! Now, get out there and show the world who's boss!" Jay said.

"I'd love to, but it's raining…" Magby said weakly.

"So? It might be raining during the expedition, but are you gonna let that stop you?" Jay said.

Magby grinned. "You're absolutely right…! I'm gonna do it. I know I can do it! I'm strong… I won't be a weakling ever again!"

He rushed to the ladder and climbed up it, struggling at first but eventually reaching the floor above them. Jay smiled.

"That was easy…" he said.

"Yeah… It's like all you have to do is give someone a rousing speech, and they can do whatever. I wouldn't be surprised if Magby came back and did a backflip and burped out rainbows…" Aria said.

Jay laughed. "Maybe he will…"

"Ah, Jay?"

Flygon's voice brought his attention away from his partner and brought back his dread. He had almost forgotten about last night and Krokorok's ominous warning about Flygon's punishment for him…

He stepped forward, trying to ignore the snakes squirming in his stomach. "Yes, Guildmaster?" he asked quietly.

"I seem to recall last night, how you got snapped at Magby and stormed away. Have you two reconciled now?" Flygon asked kindly.

Her voice was so nice, so calm. He had expected her to be at least somewhat angry at him for disrespecting a member of the guild, but she seemed no more strict than a teacher chastising a student. That made him feel even worse.

"Yeah…" Jay said, shifting guiltily in place.

"Can you tell me why you snapped at him?" Flygon questioned.

Jay furrowed his brow, confused as to what to say. He eventually found the right words. "I was annoyed. Not at him…" he choked.

"It was me."

Aria had stepped up next to him, looking brave but sad. "I accidentally spilled the secret… you know, about Jay…" she said.

"Yeah," Jay said, suddenly able to speak again. "I… I thought everyone was going to freak out, and so I was pretty embarrassed… It kinda carried over to dinner, and, well… you know the rest."

Flygon nodded, patting the red bandana tied around her neck. Jay nodded at Aria to show his gratefulness, and she nodded back.

"Hmm… I can understand why that would make you upset, Jay. But nobody noticed, right? So it's all good?" Flygon said.

"Yeah. We're all good. I'm going to tell everyone when I feel I'm ready, so I guess my reaction was pretty over-the-top… but we're past it," Jay said. He felt some of the tension in his chest deflate, but he still felt like she wasn't finished talking.

"Good. Now, I'm not going to take away anything; why should I, it seems like this was all a big misunderstanding. But I will say this: this may affect your chances of joining the expedition. I only say that because Krokorok's going to be helping me judge… and you know how he can be," Flygon said.

"Great. That's just great," Jay grumbled.

"Don't worry, though… you still have a week to prove that you can join us. So don't give up now!" Flygon said.

"We won't!" Aria said, her voice full of confidence.

"I'd hate to miss my first expedition… so I'm gonna give it my all!" Jay added.

"That's what I like to hear!"

A boom of thunder shot through the air, startling Jay and a few others. A few seconds later, a loud scream echoed through the guild, and Magby scrambled down the ladder, soaking wet and terrified.

"That rain is CRAZY!" he cried.

"You could say that again!" Aria agreed.

"C'mon, bud. You can do it! I just know you can!" Jay encouraged the trembling Pokémon.

Magby shivered and tried to get himself dry, shaking his head and arms. "I-I know I can… just m-maybe not now!" he squeaked.

"He'll be okay. Let's get going—we have a job to do!" Aria said.

"Good luck, Team River Song!" Magby said.

"Same to you!" Jay said, giving him a jovial wave.

The two explorers made their way to the ladder, ready to complete another job. I don't care if Krokorok thinks we're gonna fail… I'm not giving up!

XxX

Whew! This was crazy to write... but I think it's pretty good, don't you think?

Looks like we've got a bit of a plot point here! The Red Orb... Hmm, doesn't that sound familiar?

I'm trying to make this a sort of... "homage" to Ruby and Sapphire. It's gonna have Kyogre and Groudon and all, and it's gonna have similar locations to the games. I wanted to do this because of the recent release of Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire; those are great games, by the way.

*end rambling*

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Don't forget to review!