Chapter 4 - Those Who Wander

Despite the sleepy haze that hung over Jay's head as he awoke, he was starkly aware that he wasn't back in his bed. He was still lying on the pile of pillows in the inn. The pokemon inn.

A few more moments and he felt how off his body still was. Fur coated him from head to toe like a blanket. His proportions were all off. His tail was uncomfortably crushed underneath him.

Perhaps worst of all was how it didn't feel nearly as strange as it had the previous day.

He felt an all-too familiar surge of dread rising, but forced it away. He knew all too well what would happen if he continued lying there, waiting for it to wash over him.

Take it one step at a time.

In a swift motion, Jay forced himself up from the pillows and stumbled over to the curtains, ripping them open and forcing light into the room. He blinked as his eyes adjusted to the morning sun.

The town outside the inn was illuminated by a brilliant orange glow. The sunrise of the previous morning clearly wasn't a one-off; the humble buildings reflected the light in a way that he had to begrudgingly admit was pleasing to the eye.

Don't get too attached to the view, Jay told himself as he turned to walk out of the room, Just keep moving and–

He cut off his train of thought as he noticed the pillows he had been sleeping on. They were absolutely shredded. There were rips and tears across most of them, and cotton was even spilling out in some places.

Concerned, Jay inspected himself for injury. He seemed completely unharmed, somehow. Any blood on his fur was from the previous day's excursion, and he couldn't even feel any pain from his beedrill stings anymore.

As he continued checking himself over, he noticed something fuzzy caught on the back of one of his paw spikes. It took him a second to realize what he was looking at: a piece of cotton. A glance down revealed that there was even more stuck to the spike on his chest.

Jay groaned in annoyance. He knew he tossed and turned in his sleep, but it usually wasn't this bad. Not like it would have mattered, if he had been lucky enough to become just about any other pokemon species.

Still, standing around and getting upset wouldn't help anything. So, with his bad luck streak firmly reestablished mere moments after his awakening, he made his way out of the room and towards the front desk.

The raichu sat at her desk, looking the same as when he had last seen her. He had half a mind to assume that she had been there all night; if her son was anything to go off of, boundless energy ran in the family.

"Good morning!" she greeted him cheerily, "I hope the room was comfortable."

"It was. But… I, uh, may have accidentally destroyed your pillows while I slept."

The raichu tilted her head, eyes trailing down to Jay's spikes. "I've never met a species with claws sharp enough to tear through that extra-durable fabric, but I should have expected as much from a lucario."

Heat rushed to Jay's face. "I'm really sorry, if there's anything I can do to help, I–"

"Don't worry about it," the innkeeper insisted with a wave of her paw, "I should have quality checked my materials. I want this inn to be fit for traveling heroes such as yourself, after all. Oh, that reminds me; they're in the dining room."

"Uh, thanks. I guess I won't keep them waiting."

Taking his excuse to exit the conversation, Jay hurried to the dining room. Compared to the previous night, the place was packed; almost every table had some species or another enjoying breakfast and chatting merrily.

Gill was waiting at the same table they had eaten dinner at, talking to a swellow that Jay assumed was his teammate. As he made his way across the room, his newly sensitive ears let him pick up on their conversation.

"–this rate, the place will be spawnin' palkinium. But if we increase the rating, there'll be a whole host of trouble comin' to town." Agitation was evident in the vaporeon's voice.

"If the pokemon inside the dungeon were really as aggressive as you said, I don't think we can afford to wait any more. We should let the guild know," the avian replied calmly.

The vaporeon opened his muzzle to retort before catching sight of Jay. "Well, look who it is! Howdy, Jay. This here's my teammate, Melody."

Jay offered an awkward wave as he sat down at the table. Gill rolled an oran berry over to him, which he fumbled to stop from falling off the table.

Melody stood rigidly, her beak hanging open in surprise. "Ah, hello, I…" The swellow trailed off, staring at Jay.

Gill, meanwhile, wore a smug look on his muzzle. "Mel bet that I was prankin' her when I mentioned a lucario moseying into town. Looks like I'll be keepin' the next shipment of sitrus berries all to myself."

Melody's expression remained frozen in shock. "…I just never thought I'd meet a lucario in person."

"She's some sorta fanatic," Gill added teasingly, "She's always tryin' to meet as many important mons as she can. It's why she keeps flyin' off and leavin' me to put out all the fires."

At that, she seemed to regain her composure and cast an unamused glare at her teammate. "Who saved your tail when that tangrowth and his band of criminals came stomping through town?"

"Who saved your feathers from gettin' fried when that incineroar came around lookin' for a brawl? We're square when it comes to saves, but you keep gettin' all the vacation time."

"Says the mon who won't leave the waterfront for a day. Some of us like to spread our wings and meet important people."

Gill's smugness only increased. "Seems to me like stayin' in town would've had you meet Jay even quicker. And I'd wager that you'd qualify him as an important person."

While the pokemon were having their lighthearted dispute, Jay simply sat nibbling on his oran berry. But as much as he tried to distance himself from the argument, he couldn't help but have heat rise to his face at the mention of his supposed importance. "I'm not important."

The swellow seemed even more shocked than when he had walked into the room. "Not important? Gill said you had amnesia, but you have to know how rare and powerful lucario are, right?"

Jay's blush only increased. For once, he was thankful for the fur that covered his face. "…No, not really."

"They're nearly extinct. The last lucario who was active in the public eye, Guildmaster Wezen, was said to be the most powerful pokemon in the world. He fought–"

"Mel," Gill interrupted, "Why don't we help Jay fix his amnesia problem instead of reteachin' him history?"

"Right. Sorry, I was getting ahead of myself." She took a deep breath, finally calming down. "Jay, I think I found a solution on one of my recent trips."

Jay sighed, relieved at the shift in subject. The vaporeon gave him a small nod before unrolling a piece of parchment that had been laying on the table. As it unraveled, the paper was revealed to be a map that was coated in rough marks and notes. At the top of the map, the land mass was labeled as Tenebre.

Melody hopped onto the table and extended a wing towards a dot on the western coastline. "We're here, in Seabreeze. A few weeks ago, I made a trip up to the Mesa Arena here." She shifted her wing towards some arid looking terrain.

"The arena's known for attractin' mons from all over to watch the fights," Gill interjected, "It's like volcarona to a flame."

"Yes, and a veteran fighter that I met during my visit let slip that the arena's owner apparently knows Jirachi."

Jay's interest was piqued. "The wishing pokemon?"

Gill nodded. "The one and only. What better way to get your memories back than askin' a legendary who can alter reality to suit your fancy?"

Alter reality...

"Do you really think that Jirachi could do something so… impossible? Why wouldn't everyone just go and get wishes from them?"

"Because," Melody said, "The arena's owner is a total recluse. Only top level arena staff and champion fighters have ever spoken to him, and they don't tell much to the rest of us."

Something wasn't adding up. "So how am I supposed to get him to tell me where Jirachi is?"

"Partner, if you haven't noticed by now, lucario are special exceptions to most rules. I'd wager he'd be more than willin' to meet with you."

Jay considered the proposition for a moment. If any pokemon would have the power to whisk him back home like nothing had ever happened, it would be Jirachi. Plus, it seemed that his newfound species would make things significantly easier for him.

He knew better than to trust such a deceptively positive situation.

"How do I get to the arena, then?"

Melody gestured back towards the map. "The safest route would be to go north towards New Dawn, the continent's capital. From there, you can take the main road southeast."

Jay squinted down at the map and noticed that the suggested path was far from direct. In fact, it appeared that a straight shot directly towards the arena would be much faster, even if he wouldn't be following a road. "Why can't I just cut through the forest here?"

"There's a dungeon in that forest," the swellow pointed out, pointing to a small note made amidst the trees, "If you're not careful, you could end up getting lost inside."

"Now hold on. Jay does have that rescue badge I gave him as payment for his good deed yesterday." Gill gave Jay a serious look. "The safe road is about a two day's trip, but I reckon the forest will take less than a day. You think you're up for the challenge, partner?"

There was no question which path Jay would take. If the forest was faster, it was the way he was going to go. "Even if I'm not, I'll risk it."

"Then we'll have to get you geared up before we send you off. Mel, you mind keepin' patrol while I get Jay sorted out back at the base?"

"Of course. It was nice meeting you, Jay." The swellow paused, blinking at him a few more times. "…If you're ever in town again, I'd love to hear about your adventure."

"Thanks for the–" Before Jay could finish, the swellow took to the air, flying out the room.

Gill shook his head as he watched her fly away. "Surprised she didn't ask for an autograph. Must've been embarrassed. I'd wager we should get movin', too."

Jay was still trying to process the conversation and Melody's rapid exit. "Where are we going, exactly?"

"Team Hurricane's base of operations! The seat of justice in this small town, where we keep all our supplies… and any troublemakers. It's over by the edge of town, in the direction you're plannin' on going. Let's make like a manectric and bolt."

After the lofty description Gill had provided, Jay hadn't been expecting the base to be so small. Though it was built for pokemon under half his height, so perhaps he should've been thankful that his ears didn't quite brush against the ceiling as he made his way through the entrance hallway.

Peering down a corridor to his left, he caught sight of some empty jail cells. Following Gill to the right, he was led into a room covered in shelves upon shelves of dusty boxes and trinkets. Orbs glowed dimly and rescue emblems reflected light as he scanned the room.

"I always keep some supplies in case I need to go runnin' off on a quick trip," Gill said, sticking his head into a box on the floor and pulling a bag out of it with his teeth.

Jay accepted the bag, but hesitated before opening it. "You've already helped me so much, I don't want to–"

"Save it. The stuff in that bag isn't worth much, and it's worth a whole lot more to you right now than it is to me. You've gotta stop worryin' about bein' a burden; you were here less than a day before savin' a kid. In my books, the town still owes you."

The vaporeon's direct response didn't sit well with Jay. He hadn't done anything that any reasonable person wouldn't do; why did everyone insist on treating him like a hero?

Thankfully, he had a good excuse to avoid eye contact with Gill by inspecting the contents of the bag.

Three apples, two water canteens, and a blue berry. The perfect survival kit.

"That there's an oran berry," Gill clarified as Jay dumped the items into his satchel, "It's got healin' properties; I always eat at least one after a fight."

"Got it, thanks. I should probably go before it gets too late."

"Hold on, now. There's one last thing I wanted to give you before you left: a lesson."

Jay, who had already been halfway out of the room, stopped in his tracks. "A lesson?"

"Yep. Memories aren't the only thing you've lost; lucario are natural-born warriors, and you struggled to take down a beedrill. I think it'd be smart to jog some of that combat instinct before sendin' you off."

The vaporeon had a point; Jay couldn't guarantee that he wouldn't end up in another fight on his journey, and he had to be able to properly defend himself. "Alright."

"This way," Gill instructed, trotting through a door in the back of the storage room.

Jay complied and found himself in a fenced yard connected to the base. Tall sandbags were lined up like training dummies in the grass.

"First lesson," the vaporeon said, turning back to face Jay, "Preparin' for an attack."

"Wait, are you–"

Jay was cut off by a torrent of water colliding with his body, soaking him from head to toe. He dug his feet into the ground as he struggled against the liquid onslaught.

Eventually, the spray subsided, revealing a smiling Gill. "Not bad! That attack knocked you off your feet yesterday."

"Did you have to give me a power wash to make sure I could brace myself…?" Jay mumbled as he shook himself, water flying from his fur.

"I said I'd help you get cleaned up yesterday, didn't I? This was just two pidgey with one rock throw."

Do pokemon really have a one-to-one translation for every common saying?

Gill led Jay over to one of the sandbags. "Now, fightin' types have some sorta special energy that allows them to hit real hard and real fast. Channel it and smack this as hard as you can."

Jay stared at his target, confused. "Wait, do I just hit it really hard, or do I have to activate the power somehow?"

"Couldn't say. Never used a fightin' move before. If it's like everythin' else, though, it should just be a part of you. Focus on hittin' hard and let your body take care of the rest."

"Alright…" Jay took a deep breath, and then swung at the sandbag. His paw collided with it and a resounding thud rang out; he was surprised that his paw didn't hurt, given the force.

Gill didn't share his enthusiasm. "You were holdin' back big time on that one, partner. Don't worry about hurtin' yourself. Imagine that the bag is your worst enemy."

Jay tried again, yielding a slightly stronger blow.

Again, Gill was disappointed. "Huh. Maybe this'll help: envision that the sandbag is about to hurt someone, and it's up to you to stop it."

Although the proposed danger that the inanimate object posed wasn't very tangible, Jay did his best to play along. He sized up the sandbag, imagining the beedrill flying at the pikachu. He threw his fist forward and made contact.

A sound not unlike a gunshot rang out through the yard as the bag flew backwards, slumping over in the grass. Jay's paw ached slightly from the blow, but he was too shocked to care.

"Now that's more like it! I guess we know how to get you motivated. Just hold on to that feelin' whenever you end up in a fight."

Jay wasn't so sure that he wanted to use that move in a fight. He hadn't been aware of the sheer power his new form had possessed. It wasn't like he had to channel a special energy or activate something deep inside of himself; he just needed proper motivation to swing hard enough.

It was as though his upper limit for how hard he could punch had been increased by multiple magnitudes, and it terrified him. If he ever ended up in combat again, he would have to be very careful about keeping himself reined in.

Gill continued, blissfully unaware of the internal struggle Jay was having. "Now, there's some fightin' techniques that are a lot fancier than that. From what I can gather, fightin' type mons have powerful basic attacks, like you just saw, but also some moves that need to be more consciously activated."

"That… wasn't a powerful fighting technique?"

"Nope. I've seen counterattacks that mitigate and redirect damage, punches that increase in power the more you make contact, and one particularly nasty poliwrath even managed to level a building with one strike when we pushed him to the brink. Fightin' energy is tied to adrenaline, I'd wager."

The vaporeon's words only served to further concern Jay. "…Do you really think I could level buildings?"

"You could probably do way more than that, once you get rollin'. You've got that special aura energy that makes lucario so revered… and feared. I'd try to give you some pointers on it, but I've never seen a mon use it before."

Jay's head spun. Not only did he have power to level buildings, but apparently he had the capacity to become even stronger thanks to some nebulous energy. It all seemed so wrong. He didn't sign up to become a weapon of mass destruction!

Then again, he hadn't really signed up for any of this.

Stop overthinking things and focus on your goal. The sooner you get home, the sooner you can stop worrying about everything.

"Alright, I think I've got it. Any other advice before I go?"

"A few more things. First, that forest dungeon you're headed towards isn't like The Maze; it doesn't have a clear entrance. You'll know if you've found your way inside if fog starts rollin' in and the trees get dense."

"See fog, use the badge, teleport out. Makes sense."

"Well, it's not always that simple. These emblems take time to charge, and dependin' on the dungeon you could be stuck inside for a few minutes before it warps you out."

"Which is where the fighting training comes in?"

Gill chuckled as he made his way towards a gate in the back of the yard. "Now you're gettin' it. I think that's all I've got for you, partner. Keep headin' east and you should make it by sundown. Good luck."

Jay stopped in front of the gate. Although he hadn't known Gill for long, he had come to lean on the vaporeon's guidance during his confusing time in the pokemon world.

He took great care in choosing his words. "Thanks, Gill. I really appreciate all the help. I wish there was something I could do to make it up to you."

"I'm just doin' my duty. The world could sorely stand to have another lucario in it, after all. Speakin' of which, I've gotta get back to town. There's no tellin' what those kids have gotten up to by now."

The vaporeon gave Jay one final nod before heading back towards the base, disappearing inside.

Jay was left alone in the yard, staring at the closed gate. Beyond it was the unknown, but also his only chance of returning home. He placed a paw upon the gate and pushed it open, ready to face whatever awaited him.

He wasn't expecting to see an excitable pikachu on the other side.

"Hi again, mister!" the young pokemon squeaked, smiling. "You're leaving town already?"

Jay was taken aback by the pikachu's sudden appearance. "I am, but what are you doing here?"

"Well, mom said that Melody said that Gill said that you were probably leaving today," the pikachu admitted, rubbing a paw against the back of his head sheepishly, "And I kinda… wanted to check. And then I heard you and Gill talking, so I waited."

"Alright…" Jay stepped through the gate, closing it behind him. He lingered for a moment, standing awkwardly next to the young pokemon. "Well, try not to get into any more trouble."

"I won't," the pikachu insisted, "I'm gonna be extra careful from now on! But I also wanted to tell ya… Thanks for saving me."

The words tugged at Jay's heartstrings. Had the pokemon really come all that way just to say that? "No problem. It's… it's what lucario do, right?"

"Yeah! And I decided that when I'm old enough, I'm gonna join a rescue team! Saving people is way cooler than exploring places!"

Jay couldn't help but smile. "I think you'd be good at it; you saved me from that beedrill, after all."

The pikachu beamed. "You really think so?"

"Yeah. You're pretty strong." Jay looked back towards the town. Pokemon walked the streets, happily going about their day. "I guess we've both got some lofty goals. Help Gill keep things in line here, alright?"

The pikachu stood up straight, giving his best attempt at a salute. "Alright! I'll do my best! But until I'm old enough, go save lots of people for both of us, okay?"

Jay copied the gesture, trying his best to ignore the slight twinge in his chest. "Will do."

Or, at least, you're going to save your sister from being alone.

Jay reoriented himself towards his target. He was marching east, towards the mesa. The pikachu was staying here, in the town.

With a reluctant wave, he bid the pokemon farewell and began his journey.

Jay's journey towards the arena was dull, but he was thankful that it was quiet. He made his way through grassy hills and fields without any major incidents.

Sparse trees littered the landscape. At one point he passed what appeared to be a berry orchard with a small cabin next to it, but he didn't linger. He had food, anyway.

Eventually, the trees became more common. The land began to level out and the branches above him became so dense that they blotted out most of the sunlight; he had made it to the forest.

He had been walking for what felt like hours, and he still had a ways to go before he reached his destination. He wasn't quite tired or hungry yet, but he didn't want to push himself until he was. It was time for a break.

Jay sat down on a particularly soft patch of grass and stretched out his legs. After a brief moment of fishing his arm around blindly, he retrieved an apple from his satchel. He wasn't the biggest fan of the fruit back home, but beggars couldn't be choosers.

Now that he was sitting still, it was as though all of his thoughts could finally catch up to him. The morning had been almost as much of a blur as the previous day, but at least he had a clear goal now: Jirachi.

If he could make it to Jirachi, he could wish himself back home, making his entire stint through the pokemon world nothing more than a bad dream. Maybe he could even wish to be sent back to the exact time he left, so it would be like he was never gone at all.

He had only been gone a day, and yet the thought of seeing his sister again filled him with resolve. She always kept him motivated when times were tough, and kept a smile during the worst of times.

The similarities between her and the pikachu hadn't been lost on him. He glanced down, looking for a distraction, only for his eyes to fall on the apple. His thoughts turned to the pokemon who gave it to him.

As strange as the townsfolk were at times, he much preferred their company to the silence of the forest.

Stop thinking about them. They're behind you, and you've got to keep moving forward. You can make it to Jirachi and undo all of this.

There was no point in dwelling on pokemon he would never see again. Jay took one last bite out of the apple before tossing the core away, doing his best to send his unwanted thoughts away with it.

He had to worry about the dungeon in front of him, anyway. For all he knew, he was about to march right into a horde of feral pokemon. He stood up and pressed forward, keeping an eye out for fog.

For a while, it seemed like he was in the clear; the trees became more frequent, but nothing else changed. He wondered for an instant if he had somehow skirted around the edge of the anomaly, but dismissed the idea; such luck would have been completely unprecedented for Jay.

Moss coated the trunks around Jay and the floor beneath him. With his footsteps muffled, he became aware of just how quiet the forest was. The absence of wild animals was unnerving.

There aren't even any non-pokemon insects anywhere… How does the ecosystem work?

As though on cue, a chittering noise sounded at Jay's side. He turned to see a giant mushroom crawling towards him. It took a second for what he was looking at to register in his head: it was a parasect.

Jay began to back away, but more chittering from behind him stopped him in his tracks. He risked a glance over his shoulder and saw two paras flanking him.

Why were there feral pokemon in the forest? Had he stumbled into the dungeon? Shouldn't he have seen fog?

…Much like the dense, white fog that currently shrouded the area that Jay was standing in?

You had to look out for one thing.

Jay would have been annoyed if panic wasn't already setting in. There was no way he could deal with the feral pokemon on his own. All he could do was activate his badge and hope he could survive until it teleported him out.

Before he could move a paw down to his satchel, though, an ear-piercing shriek echoed through the forest.

Jay hastily covered his ears with his paws and shut his eyes, the thought of escaping temporarily forgotten. The noise reverberated through his very core, and felt as though it would cause him to melt if it continued for much longer.

After a few seconds, it lessened in intensity. After a few more, it ceased entirely.

As he opened his eyes, he found a surprising sight. The three feral pokemon were crumpled on the ground, unconscious. He glanced around, not finding anything out of the ordinary.

Eventually, his gaze turned inward. He looked down at his paws in awe.

Was that some sort of fighting type technique? Did I accidentally use my aura powers? What if I–

"Interesting."

Evidently, the attack didn't come from Jay. His eyes darted around in an attempt to locate the source of the mysterious voice. He caught sight of something unexpected in his peripheral vision: a thin sheet of red cloth hanging down from a nearby tree.

His gaze followed the trail of fabric and his mind filled with terrible thoughts of what could be waiting at the other end. He was far from disappointed; in fact, the massive pokemon hanging upside-down from a branch was more terrifying than anything he had imagined.

Black and purple scales coated its form. White fur, covered partially by the scarf, fluffed around its neck. Almost in contrast to its draconic body, its head was adorned with two speaker-like ears.

Of course, none of that was at the forefront of Jay's mind compared to the razor-sharp crimson claws at the end of its winglike arms, or the fangs poking out of its snout.

After a few moments of tense silence, the noivern spoke. "Interesting indeed. How fortuitous to meet a lucario in a place such as this!"

Jay merely continued to gawk at the dragon hanging above him.

The noivern must have picked up on his discomfort. "Ah, forgive me, I must be forgetting my manners. Allow me to speak with you more properly." With that, he released his hold on the branch and gracefully glided towards the ground.

Jay stumbled back as the pokemon soared towards him. In his scramble, his foot hit a rock and he ended up flat on his back. He took a moment to lay there, staring up at the canopy of branches above him.

Well, if the dragon wanted to eat or maul you, you just made it really easy for him. It's amazing you've survived until now, honestly. You can't make it ten steps without falling over.

The awkward sort of solace Jay had been taking in his own thoughts was interrupted as the noivern poked his head into Jay's field of view, tilting his head in confusion at the sight before him. The dragon towered over Jay imposingly, though laying on the ground certainly didn't help the perspective at all.

Having been sufficiently jolted from his internal monologue by the terror that the pokemon instilled, Jay forced himself to his feet. Though it did little to help, as the noivern was still at least a head taller than him.

Meanwhile, the pokemon seemed to be regarding Jay with an intense curiosity. He wordlessly stared for what Jay would have considered to be an uncomfortable amount of time even in better circumstances.

"My name is Zeal," the noivern finally said with a low bow. He held the gesture for a few moments, as though waiting for something. After Jay made no moves to reciprocate, he arose, a troubled look across his face.

Great, and now you've upset him. You meet a terrifying dragon pokemon and five seconds in, you upset him. He stood, frozen, desperately racking his brain for a way to amend the situation.

The noivern's eyes lingered on the badge pinned to Jay's satchel. "You must forgive me for being ignorant of your name, but I was unaware that the guild even had a lucario currently commissioned."

After an uncomfortable amount of silence, Jay realized that it was his turn to speak. He did his best to keep his voice steady as he scrambled for words, "Oh, I'm not– I mean, they don't. I just got this from someone to help me on my journey."

The noivern's eyes lit up. "Ah, even better! An adventuring lucario; this must be fate! You see, I am currently undertaking a daring quest to uncover the location of Star Cavern. As you must know, only the most legendary of explorers have ever set foot inside, and yet I find myself so close to joining them! This is no trivial adventure, however, as I…"

Zeal continued, but Jay wasn't paying much attention to his words, opting instead to stare warily at the noivern. He had seen quite a few potentially dangerous pokemon since he awoke on the beach, but this was the first that looked like it could rip him in half without a second thought.

At least this one isn't feral.

Then again, if he decides to attack, it'd be much easier running from a mindless beast than an intelligent dragon.

There was another pause, and Jay caught himself without any clue as to what the pokemon had asked, if anything at all.

Jay's panicked confusion must have been obvious, because Zeal inclined his head and added, "So, would you be willing to accompany me on my journey?"

Though the offer was unexpected, Jay didn't hesitate this time, responding reflexively. "Oh, no, you don't want my help! I'd only slow you down, honestly. And, I… also kind of have my own things going on right now, anyway."

"A lucario, slowing me down? Perish the thought! I have extensive training in carrying burdens up to two-thirds of my body weight during flight, if that is what concerns you." He spread his wings with a flourish to accentuate his statement.

Jay's expression made it clear that flight was among the least of his worries, though the notion of soaring atop a bat-wyvern at high speeds sent another spike of anxiety through his chest.

Zeal was silent for a moment. It was clear that his statements weren't garnering the reaction he had been hoping for. That didn't dissuade him from trying again, though.

"Ah, I think I understand. Fear not! After we complete my quest, I would be honored to assist you in whatever your endeavors entail! With our skillsets combined, surely we can complete our tasks in only a fraction of the time it would take us individually. I assure you that I will be a valuable partner, in travel and in combat."

Realization hit Jay like a truck.

Is this noivern… pitching himself as a traveling companion? Despite not knowing anything about you? Does he think that any lucario he meets is just going to pull their weight?

Although it appeared that the noivern meant well, there was no way that Jay could accept the offer. He had his own problems; he couldn't get tangled up in some completely unrelated adventure.

But even more than that, something else had been bothering him since he had said his goodbyes to the pokemon at the town: he couldn't afford to form any friendships. His stay in this world was temporary, and he couldn't create any attachments to pokemon he would only end up leaving behind.

"Thanks… but I'm not looking for any partners right now. I can't really afford to get close to a total stranger."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Jay regretted them. For the first time, the noivern looked truly put-out, as though all of his hopes had just been dashed by his inconsiderately worded refusal.

"I understand why you would be hesitant to trust an unknown pokemon in these trying times, but I assure you that my intentions are pure." There was a note of sadness in his voice that cut Jay more than claws ever could.

Jay tried to find a way to repair the situation. He didn't want to upset the pokemon, but there was no way he could get sidetracked.

He drew in a deep breath and gave it another attempt. "Look, I'm sorry, it's not that I don't trust you, but I can't… I've got something really time-sensitive that I'm doing right now, and I can't let myself get distracted. Sorry."

A tense moment passed between the two. Zeal opened his mouth to respond, before closing it again. His expression became resolute.

"I understand. I had assumed that a lucario would be preoccupied with something of great importance, but I wanted to offer my services regardless. I wish you the best of luck on your journey."

Without waiting for a response, the noivern summoned a powerful gust of wind and took flight. He deftly weaved between the trees until his body was out of sight. The last thing that could be seen of him was the red scarf trailing behind him, before it too was lost behind the trunks.

Jay simply stood there, a hollowness rising in his chest. "You too."

He tapped the badge on his satchel, producing a soft click. After a short wait, there was a flash, and he was transported out of the dungeon.

The silence of the forest felt more oppressive than ever. With a deep sigh, Jay resumed his journey.

After a few more hours of traveling, the trees began to thin out. Once again Jay could see sunlight breaking through the branches, though it was faint. It seemed as if he had made it through the forest just in time; the night was almost upon him.

The grass he walked over became scratchier. Before long, patches of clay cropped up underfoot. The trunks in front of him parted enough to reveal a vast plain of red rocky terrain sprawled out ahead.

In the distance, a massive outcropping of layered rock rose up from the ground. Atop its flat surface, a massive coliseum loomed threateningly, shrouded in shadow as the sun set.

Jay stood in awe, admiring the structure. It was grander than most human constructions that he had seen back in his world, which was a feat that he hadn't thought pokemon were capable of.

After staring at the arena for a while, he caught sight of a village next to the mesa. He started to make his way toward it, but stopped himself.

You don't have any money. You didn't save anyone in that town; you can't expect more handouts. It'll be safer to just camp out here and go to the arena in the morning.

With that in mind, he scanned the area for a decent spot to sleep. He managed to find some dying grass nestled between a few water-deprived trees and fallen trunks at the edge of the forest that made for a makeshift campground. Ordinarily he would have a hard time sleeping in such an uncomfortable spot, but the exhaustion from his long trip was finally starting to weigh on him.

Upon laying down, Jay couldn't seem to find a comfortable position. He laid on his back for a while, staring up at the stars, but it just didn't feel natural. He shifted to his side, but the metal rings attached to his shoulders dug into the ground.

Eventually, he curled up into a ball, finding it to be the least uncomfortable of his options. He imagined it looked a bit silly, but he didn't much care, given the situation.

At least there aren't any pillows to shred.

Hey everyone! Just wanted to take a moment to thank y'all for the absurd amount of support I've gotten on this story in the week since I've released it; knowing so many people enjoy it and are eager to see more warms my heart. I hope you enjoy what's coming soon. Trust me, this story is still a ways off from hitting its stride.