Small snores escape Sia's mouth as she lounges against a dungeon wall. The team's satchel sits nearby her on a patch of moss. Flint sits across from her, nervously gnawing on a twig twisted into a paw shape. He reaches into the satchel carefully, not wanting to disturb Sia as he swaps items in and out of smaller compartments. He paws a shiny turquoise orb, eyeballing it as sunlight gleams off its surface. Flint sighs while clutching the orb, contemplating using it now.

"If push comes tuh shove, this'll save our fur," Flint huffs. "...I gotta be careful. Can't risk turnin' the dungeon into firewood like that again." He looks away from the satchel, squinting. "Or risk roastin' one of my friends just cuz I can't control myself." He taps Sia. "I'm just about done fixin' the bag, Sia, you ready to—"

Snrk!

Flint's cut off by a loud snort. "Huh? She fell asleep!? B-but we gotta get goin'!" Flint feels his nerves tense and internal temperature rise. He leans back, inhaling deeply. "…Heck, maybe I need a nap too."

Sia replies with a mumbled grumble. The tip of her long black scarf drips muddy puddle water rhythmically with her breathing. Her snoot scrunches with a gruff-growl bellowing from her belly. Whatever haunts her catnap dreams isn't pleasant.

Sia finds herself in a familiar empty space full of color, haze, and space. She tries to puff her tail by instinct, but stops when she remembers her burn. She "sits" within the empty air and catches ahold of her tail. Strangely, her injury seems to have healed as she waggles her tail with minor soreness. She brushes tail fur over the bald patch, bothered by its prominence.

"Huh. That paste stuff works fast." Sia chuckles. "Wait whuh? How am I here!?"

As if on cue, the Mew duo appear with their faces wrinkled up with worry. Sia scrapes her claws against the cloudy mist, scooting away before the Mew can speak. "Why now!? I'm stuck here with you two while my body's stuck with a walking timebomb!" Sia's tail blooms. "I'm done being your mook. Tell me what's going on or I'm asking Flint and Meira myself!"

"M-mook? Now hold on! You ain't anybody's 'mook', we just…uh…wanted a status update on Meira…?" Roots strains her face.

"Not until I know what's going on."

Branches sighs. "I suppose it would makes things more simple if you are 'in the know', too. But may I request a calmer demeanor? This will be a…doozy, as Roots would put it." Branches' paws illuminate a strange glow as he raises them to the sky. A beam of light pierces the iridescent abyss, transforming it into what appears to be a pair of eggs. Sia's tail lowers as she stares at the world changing around her. Branches continues, "As you have noticed, Flint and Meira are unusual. Plant-like appendages, that strange transformation of Meira you witnessed, and the storm caused by Flint's emotional rant just now are not typical Fennekin and Pikachu things. Well, maybe the rant." Said Branches.

Roots extends her paws to the skies as well, once again changing the "background" from eggs to wavering iridescent blobs. She adds, "As far as they know, they were born doin' amazing things like that! To be honest, that makes sense 'cause they're not 'normal' mons."

The Mew place their paws together to change the area to silhouettes of a Pikachu and a Fennekin. They glow an eerie green, and within the middle of each silhouette, an iridescent shape rests.

Sia's nose points upward in awe. "What's that rainbow-y blob thing?"

"It is…difficult to explain, one moment…" Branches swishes a paw and adds two more silhouettes, one of a Stunky and the other of Mew. The Stunky and Mew silhouettes share a similar colored glow, but no iridescent shape. Instead, the Stunky and Mew silhouettes are solid, filled with bone white color. "Let's see...a soul like yours or my own are considered standard. Do not worry, I checked your soul. Twice, as a matter of fact." Branches winks. "Flint and Meira however are unique in that regard."

Roots tilts her head. "I'm not sure how to put it without talkin' your ear off. The best we can do now is, uh, Flint and Meira have special souls because…they're special?"

Sia squints hard at the duo. "Wow. Thanks for that. Reaaal helpful."

"Hmph. If you are going to be rude, then we will ask another mon for help," Said Branches.

"But we can't, Branches! We're nearly out of time!" Roots squeaks.

Sia drops her sarcastic tone. "O-out of time?"

"Gah, Roots! We are not prepared to explain that as well!" Branches pinches his face together with his paws. His demeanor quickly changes. "I will put it this way: if Flint and Meira continue their dangerous behavior, the world is doomed."

"Doomed? What? That doesn't tell me anything!"

As Branches begins to explain, the world around them begins to rumble and fade. The infinite abyss sinks within itself as the light fades to darkness. Both Mew try their best to reassure Sia, but their words are cut off as Sia opens her eyes to Flint gently tapping her head. She bellows a yawn as she rubs her eyes.

"Mmh…sorry, I fell asleep…" Said Sia.

"Don't worry 'bout it, I could use a catnap myself after we find Meira. Ready to mosey?"

"I guess. As long as my tail isn't lit up again."

Flint pats his paws together. "You're right, I r-reckon focusing on the missions would be good fer now. I'll keep chitchat low." Flint places the satchel onto his side.

With ominous crackling of scorched flora underneath their paws, Flint and Sia find the stairs to the third floor and ascend to the fourth. The fourth and fifth floors are nothing noteworthy: most of the dungeon mons are strangely absent, with black marks littered around the dungeon dirt. Occasionally, a pile of coins and items lay in dungeon rooms, oddly stacked together as if left behind by someone. Having a few item request missions in their to-do list, Flint places scattered orbs and berries in the satchel and the pair continue climbing the dungeon floors.

Upon reaching the sixth floor, the both Flint and Sia catch their noses. The strong scent of scorched soil wafts around, causing the area around the duo to become foggy. A few dungeon bug-types attempt to attack, but easily lose their way every few steps they take. With some quick thinking, Flint turns his body around and waggles his bushy tail back and forth. The fanning from Tail Whip seems to help clear the ominous fog a little. For a moment, Flint flinches, feeling like a mon is running claws down his spine.

"Odd. Last I checked, this dungeon doesn't get foggy." Said Flint.

Sia replies, "Maybe some mon did it. There's a nasty bug mon here that can make explosions. Could be that."

"Ohh, glad yer tellin' me that now. I'm already makin'—" Flint stumbles. "Oof, sorry. Makin' some of my own!"

"You okay? Not feeling like breathing fire, right?"

"Not gonna fib, I think the fog's makin' me dizzy...when I was fanning, it felt like…never mind, we should hurry on to the next floor."

Flint and Sia continue through the suffocating fog, with Flint stopping to whip away some of it every so often. With every whip comes with more flinching and growling. Soft, almost whine-like growling in Flint's ear. Flint thinks, Is something using the fog as a cover to attack? Ain't no way that could work, Sia would see them when I waggle mah tail, but then... Flint bears his fangs at the fog. With every waggle and stumble, Sia steps back and prepares for the worst from the mysterious fox. Like the other floors, items are strangely stacked together, but neither Flint or Sia pay much attention to it as they gather up coins, berries and the rare Hurl Orb or two. After a while, Sia's mind begins to wander, so she asks Flint a vague question.

Flint tilts his head. "Huh? I'm not sure I'm gettin' what yer sayin'."

"Yeah, weird dreams. Ones where you talk to people you've never met before."

"None that I can remember, no."

"Well, I have. Dreams where a couple of mons keep telling me stupid stuff."

"Hah…S-stupid stuff?" Flint waggles his tail, scarfing down an Oran berry in case an attack happens again.

"Stuff like I need to look after you and Meira, otherwise the world is doomed."

For a moment, Flint's eyes grew wide, and his scarf glows ominously. But his expression immediately changes to holding back laughter. "Pff…Sia, I think this whole mess between Meira and I's stressin' you out or somethin', the world being doomed? Cuz of a little arguin'? Ahahahah!"

He doesn't know about the Mew, huh? What was with that face he made then? Totally not suspicious, Sia thinks. "I dunno. Like I said, stupid stuff." Sia begins to fan the air with her own tail, but freezes when a chilly feeling runs up her spine. "Whuh? Hey, c-can we hurry out of this stupid fog? Something's going on here."

"You feel it too? Thought I went and lost my mind! Somebody's messin' with us!"

Before Flint can accuse Meira prematurely, his body goes stiff when he enters a new room. He looks around beneath his paws, but finds no traps activating beneath him, not even a Random Trap. Instead, the duo stumble upon the source of the fog: smoke rising from a huge crater. Flint eventually shakes off the stray electricity he stepped on and looks around the room. Sia carefully steps around stray sparkles left in the aftermath of smoke and blackened soil.

Flint shakes his head, clearing away smoke around his face. "She's nearby!"

Sia covers her nose with her scarf, catching it in her fangs. "What? You mean Meira did this?"

Flint coughs. "N-no dungeon-born mon could do this much damage. It's gotta be her."

"I've been living with two time bombs?! And mons worry about me clearing rooms..."

"No!! Erm, usually we're pretty usual folk. Anyhoo, c'mon!" Said Flint.

"Slow down, I can hardly see! And whatever's out there is still lurking!"

Unwittingly, Flint and Sia sprint through the sixth floor, accidentally traveling in circles due to the blinding smoke. Caterpie and Spinarak trying to attack are easily trampled as the pair keep dashing. After circling back into the scorched room three times, the duo eventually find the stairs to the seventh floor. The once blinding smoke billows like a cloud around the pair as they skid into the dirt. Before climbing the stairs, Flint nearly blacks out from exhaustion, confused about why he suddenly feels more tired than usual. Then it hits him.

"I haven't eaten anything today! Just that measly Oran berry earlier...no wonder I feel so off," Flint gasps. He rummages through the satchel between the smoke and blurring vision, sticking the first edible looking thing into his mouth. He chews, swishing around what he hopes is an apple. But his tongue is hit with a variety of bitter and sweet tones, something more like a Sitrus berry.

"The next floor is right there? You could've ate an Orb on accident or something…" Sia shakes her head.

"Mmf…shorry…"

Irritated, Sia grabs Flint by his tail, pulling him towards the stairs. "All that running for nothing. Don't you think we should've found out who's stalking us? C'mon."

Flint swallows the berry and huffs, smoke puffing from his nostrils. "And let them pick us off like Cutiefly in the fog? And ya don't gotta pull me, I just needed a snack is all!"

Flint and Sia enter the seventh floor of the dungeon, less enthusiastic about another grueling walk between smoke and static. However, the pair enter a completely normal dungeon floor with hostile dungeon mons, items scattered in their usual fashion, and clear weather. Given a few seconds to recompose himself, Flint asks Sia to lead the team for this floor, who agrees it'll probably be better for now. Sia decides to go towards the left halls as she and Flint start exploring this floor, hoping to find Meira somewhere along the way. Team Harmonious Hope enters a large dungeon room with several bug and bird mons noticing their arrival. In a quick motion, Sia turns her backside towards the bug mons and unleashes a Smoke Screen, airing out the large room of aggressive mons. Flint uses Tail Whip to clear out Smoke Screen quicker, and as the smoke blows away, a sparkling item captured by the soil catches Sia's attention. Sia smiles confidently when she notices the item; she is prepared to put her digging claws to good use. Flint peeks over Sia's shoulder to see that she unearthed a gold bar. Sia happily places the bar into the satchel, puffing her chest fur in confidence.

As the duo continue onward, they brush faint sparkles in the air that seem to gather in uniform lines. Flint and Sia carefully follow the sparkles, not touching them in case it causes them to all disappear. Could it be some secret path to more gold bars? Not likely in a dungeon so close to the city. The sparkles go through several rooms on the floor, specifically barren rooms devoid of items or mons. Eventually, the duo wander into a twisting hallway, the sparkles growing and shining even brighter further down the hall. At the end of the hallway is a dead-end with nothing much to look at. Nothing, except piles of items and a mon.

The sparkles gather into a large orb aura of sorts around a yellow mouse mon, who is lounging against a large root coming out of the dungeon wall, facing away from the opening. Stacks of coins, piles of berries, and an orb all sit around the mon with their own array of sparkles. The lemon furred mon appears to have been napping for a while, yawning loudly as they awaken from hearing footsepts. Their aura of sparkles are reabsorbed as they awaken. The mon stretches before turning around with a scowl on her face.

"Oh, it's y'all." Said Meira.

"There ya are! We've been looking all over, y'know?" Flint yelps.

Sia points to the stockpile. "What's with the piles of stuff?"

Meira replies, "Didn't bring my own satchel. Usually only need the one."

The room falls silent. Flint sits directly in front of Meira, snoot pointing towards the ground to emphasize his eyes. Meira keeps her frown strong at Flint's display. Awkwardly, Sia removes the satchel and places it to the side of Meira, who begins stuffing the items she's collected into it, except for a berry that found itself in her mouth.

Between her chewing, Meira grumbles to Flint, "What're you doin', sitting there like you're made outta wood? Stop doin' that with your eyes!"

"Hmph." Flint's sad gaze changes to an irritated glare. "Well, fine! I was gonna apologize, but since you wanna be nasty about it…!"

Meira scoffs, "You ain't got any room to talk, buddy-boy! Callin' me a baby over forgettin' one thing, like I'm supposed to be Ms. Perfect!"

"Cuz you're forgettin' something really important! I can't keep excusin' you all the time, this is fourth thang this week!"

"Oh, oh, like you ain't ever forgotten anything! Why'd you even bother comin' out here, to 'baby' me some more?!"

"No! I came for the missions, y'know that."

"I don't believe you!"

Both Flint and Meira's scarves begin to glow. Bolts of electricity begin to pour from Meira's cheek pouches, while flames begin to spill from Flint's mouth. Flint and Meira begin to grow their plant-appendages at one another, gritting their teeth as they butt heads. Sia, already knowing what could come next, turns to leave the pair to their devices. But as she begins to scuttle away, she grits her own teeth, and her tail points to the skies. She slowly backs up into the room again, making sure the pair notice her behind is pointed at them, tail fanned in their faces.

"Both of you stop before I stink you!" Sia yells. "Today's the first time I've been in a dungeon in a long time, but instead of the usual missions, I got set on fire, stalked by some mon, and went on a dumb chase the whole time! I can't even enjoy the dungeon because you two are both acting like babies! I don't care if you're not getting along right now, I wanna finish this dungeon, go home, and sleep off this stupid day! Do this on your own time!"

Flint surrenders his paws into the air. "Hey now, no need to do all that! I'm calm, I'm calm!"

Meira crosses her arms. "Whatever. Guess all this can be put off for now."

Flint and Meira face each other again without so much as a peep. As if synced together, they both huff, and turn away.

Sia lowers her tail, and turns back to her team. "That's…slightly better, I guess. C'mon. Since it looks like Meira took care of the rescue missions, we just have one more mission."

"Wait, huh? I didn't see it in the satchel nowhere," Flint wonders.

Meira waves the page, having pulled it from her bangle. "I held onto it. It's a fight challenge at the end of the dungeon. Whoever wrote it disguised it as outlaw catchin' for who-knows-why."

"…I reckon we should get it over with then," Flint searches for a twig, catching it in his mouth.

"I'm leadin' this time. Let's go!" Meira throws the satchel over her left shoulder, taking charge of the team. Flint and Sia follow behind, but a wave of tensity shakes the team. Sia's glad to not deal with another burn or paralysis for the time being.

Notes: A little bit of retconning here and there to fit the next chapter in without too much focus away from Team Harmonious Hope.

(Old Notes) Feels nice to write a dungeon exploring chapter, even with the tension going on in the story. It may seem weird that Flint is portrayed as kind of an air head, getting dizzy from hunger, but that's the type person he is. The type to worry about others so much, he forgets to take care of himself.