Chapter 3: New Faces

March stood there in shock. His outstretched hand grasped at nothing but thin air, the green flash and the image of Verdant grabbed Pyrose flash-burned into his eyes.

They were gone, without a trace.

"BZZT, WE HAVE A SITUATION, BZZT." He could barely register Polare beside him even as they spoke clearly into the communications badge attached to their metal body.

Pyrose activated the Gem. Why did he activate the Gem. He had known the risks. Alakazam was not here, they would not be able to replenish the Gem's source of psychic energy for him. Even with that aside, they had agreed to wait until the situation on the Grass Continent was sorted out.

March thought of Pyrose's expression of surprise and regret just before vanishing. Did he really mean to teleport? Was it intentional?

And Verdant… He and Polare were too slow, too far away to reach Pyrose, but she had managed to do it. But now she was stuck too. In another world. With possibly no hope of getting back.

"Pyrose…" he whispered. He could not move, frozen in panic as he was.

Polare glanced at him. "BZZT, REMAIN CALM, MARCH, THIS SITUATION CAN BE DEALT WITH. ALAKAZAM AND ADMON–"

A blipping sound to March's right. A familiar yellow sight filled March's vision as he turned to see Alakazam floating towards them, a concerned look on his face.

"I was only gone for but a minute, what happened?!" he exclaimed.

"BZZT, PYROSE ACTIVATED THE GEM. WE ATTEMPTED TO STOP HIM BUT VERDANT WAS THE ONLY ONE ABLE TO REACH HIM IN TIME. BOTH WERE TELEPORTED AWAY, BZZT."

"Wha–why would he use the Gem, he agreed to handle the situation with Xatu first!"

"BZZT, IT IS UNKNOWN. PERHAPS IT WAS AN ACCIDENT, BZZT."

"How do you ACCIDENTALLY activate the Gem?! Regardless, we need to solve this now. Do you two… No… That wouldn't work…"

"BZZT, WITHOUT YOUR ASSISTANCE, WOULD THE GEM BE UNABLE TO REFRESH ITS SUPPLY OF ENERGY, BZZT?"

"No, with the power of the legendary birds, it should restore itself on its own in time. Legendary Source energy is infinite, after all."

"BZZT, THEN PERHAPS WE MAY BE ABLE TO SIMPLY WAIT FOR THEIR EVENTUAL RETURN, BZZT."

"Yes, but the rate at which the Gem's Source recharges is shockingly slow, based on how much energy I was sensing. They would take quite a while to come back, in which time they could be seriously injured as a result of their lack of anticipation for such a thing having occurred." Alakazam kneaded one end of his mustache, eyes closed whilst deep in thought. "I… No…"

March still could not move. The conversation before him was passing by in a blur. "Pyrose… Verdant…"

"BZZT, REMAIN CALM, MARCH, WE CAN FIGURE THIS OUT, BZZT."

Alakazam spoke. "Perhaps we could create another gem? But we lack a ghost type…"

"BZZT, PERHAPS A LEGENDARY COULD AID–"

"No, none of them have the capabilities to traverse the multiverse, I am sure of that. At least none that we can contact on such short notice."

"BZZT, THEN WHAT DO WE DO, WE CANNOT SIMPLY WAIT FOR OUR FRIENDS TO RETURN, BZZT."

"I understand that, I'm thinking–"

"What is going on?"

The three of them turned to find a Absol atop the base's roof, staring down at them. It hopped down, looking between the three of them with concern written across its face.

"Admonitio–" March started, but he was interrupted.

"I came as soon as I sensed the dangers. Polare's broadcast only confirmed my gut feeling. I need specifics."

"BZZT, ALAKAZAM EXPERIMENTED WITH THE TELEPORT GEM, GRANTING IT THE ABILITY TO TRANSPORT USERS TO OTHER WORLDS. HOWEVER, PYROSE ACTIVATED IT, AND NOW BOTH HE AND VERDANT ARE STRANDED IN ANOTHER UNIVERSE, BZZT."

Alakazam nodded. "On top of that, Xatu apparently sent a warning message earlier that some catastrophe worse than the comet was approaching in the near future."

Admonitio touched a paw to his horn, wincing. "I suppose I wasn't just sensing ONE disaster then…"

"Urhg…"March touched a finger to his forehead, feeling his brain throb. A headache was already forming. With his other hand, he felt his chest, his heart pounding out of his skin.

"March, are you alright?" Admonitio asked, noticing his apparent distress.

"BZZT, IT IS DIFFICULT TO IMAGINE THAT HE IS COPING WITH THIS SITUATION WELL, BZZT."

"No of course not, Pyrose is literally my best friend, and Verdant is one of my closest! How am I supposed to cope if they're LITERALLY STRANDED IN ANOTHER WORLD?"

His breath was short. "What if they get in trouble? What if something happened to the Gem and they can't get back? What if… what if…"

He stumbled slightly, and both Polare and Admonitio were instantly there by his side, supporting him, but he pushed away from them with a murmur of thanks.

Alakazam combed through his mustache with a few fingers. "I understand."

"Do you?!"

"No need to sound so accusatory. I am trying to help. We can figure out a plan to save them together."

"BZZT, IF THAT IS POSSIBLE AT ALL, BZZT."

"Wait." Admonitio glanced between the three of them. "We won't accomplish anything by just standing here thinking about them and hoping they'll be alright."

"What do you think we're TRYING to do?" March said in a loud voice, his panic still mounting.

Polare had an answer of their own. "BZZT, THAT IS BESIDES THE POINT. WE CANNOT DO ANYTHING AT ALL. NOTHING WILL BE PRODUCTIVE, BZZT."

"That's my point exactly, Polare, we should just go about business as usual until they come back. Pyrose and Verdant are very capable. I'm sure they'll be alright."

"Will they?" March asked, half a retort and half a question filled with genuine worry.

Admonitio nodded. "With the amount of solo missions he's been going on lately, and coming out alive each time, he has more than enough experience."

"But he rarely comes out unhurt," March protested. "H–he's careful, and he's strong, yeah, but he's still vulnerable! Who KNOWS what sorts of horrible… THINGS… might be in that other world!"

"BZZT, IT IS SURELY FIN–"

"O–or what if something else gets to him, like, uh, what if the humans realize he's a human in a Charizard body and they capture him for crazy experiments?"

"BZZT, THIS IS NOT A DRAMA, MARCH, BZZT."

"B–but what if?! Or if Verdant isn't up to the task?"

"She is the strongest of you all," Alakazam remarked. "She is more than capable of supporting Pyrose."

"B–but–"

Admonitio cut across him. "MARCH."

March looked up, and Admonitio made eye contact with him. His expression was hard and set, but his black eyes shone with empathy. "They will be fine. We can only hope. There is nothing to be gained from worrying ourselves to death."

"You're saying I shouldn't wor–"

"No, of course not. I mean that it shouldn't consume you. They will be fine. Believe."

"BZZT, NOW IS A GOOD TIME TO TAKE A STEP BACK AND RELAX, BZZT."

"Yeah, what they said. Just calm down March."

"How can I be calm when two of my best friends are in danger?"

"Just take deep breaths."

March took his advice, and inhaled deeply. The others watched him patiently as he concentrated solely on lowering his heart-rate.

In. Out.

In. Out.

His chest stopped pumping adrenaline, and his brain began to soothe, the pain subsiding partially. He was calm.

"BZZT, BETTER, BZZT?"

"Y–yeah."

"BZZT, GOOD, BZZT."

Alakazam was watching the entire time, and finally he stepped in. "We still need to take care of the business on the Grass Continent. Xatu's warnings, however inconvenient they may be at the worst of times, should not be taken lightly. We need our best rescuers on the situation immediately."

"B–best… Y–yeah…"

Alakazam looked him up and down. "Admonitio and I can take care of the team whilst you two are away. It should have been all four of you, but alas."

March took a deep breath. As much as he hated it, they were right. Killing himself with worry would not bring Pyrose back. He should be productive, and help to investigate the issue in the meantime. Pyrose would have done the same if their situations were reversed. Begrudgingly, he agreed to the plan.

A thought suddenly came to him. "W–wait, if Pyrose is gone, and we don't know when he'll come back, who's the team leader?"

All three of the others looked at him, at each other, then back at him.

"You."

March was taken aback. "Wh–"

"It's obvious that you're Pyrose's right hand 'mon," Admonitio said.

"BZZT, YOU WERE ONE OF THE TWO FOUNDING MEMBERS OF THE TEAM, BZZT."

"And you were always the bravest, and closest to Pyrose," Alakazam finished.

"I–"

"You need to take charge, March." Admonitio made eye contact with him. "This team is your responsibility."

March gulped. "I–"

"BZZT, NOBODY SAID YOU HAD TO DO IT ALONE," Polare commented perceptively, "IT IS IN THE NAME, AFTER ALL. A TEAM, BZZT."

March gave an internal sigh of relief. "I–I'll try my best."

"It is unfortunate that this had to be forced upon you, but the situation calls for it." Alakazam looked at each of the three members of Team Go-Getters. "There is no time to waste. I will contact a liner to transport the two of you across the sea," he nodded at March and Polare, "while you," pointing at Admonitio, "should move into the Team Base, even if only temporary. We must remain vigilant."

"W–wait, if I'm team leader, but I'll be away too–"

"BZZT, WE WILL REMAIN IN CONTACT WITH ADMONITIO, MUCH LIKE HOW PYROSE KEPT IN TOUCH WITH YOU WHILST HE WAS OUT ON A RESCUE EXPEDITION A LONG WHILE AGO, BZZT."

Admonitio nodded. "You'll be the official and acting leader, but I'll take care of things if you tell me to. I will watch over the base and keep the lower-ranking members productive, and you can notify me for anything else."

Alakazam nodded again. "Pelipper mail is quite fast, it should take a day at most and a few hours at best to send a letter back and forth. We will tell you if Pyrose reappears. Do not worry."

"Easier said than done…" March murmured. He sighed and stretched his back. His headache had subsided, though the sinking feeling in his gut remained. It did not feel right, not having Pyrose there to call the shots, or Verdant with them as they prepared for a large mission, but he steeled his resolve regardless. "Polare, let's pack our bags. It's time to go to the Grass Continent."


March gazed over the side of the hull of the boat he was on, feeling it rock rhythmically back and forth as he leaned forward on the wooden railing. The sea's waves lapped at the ship's sides, splashing it with salty water and sending a tangy spray up into the air. March's nose twitched. He was a water type, sure, but one accustomed to land and freshwater bodies, as observed by his ground typing. This was a new experience for him, no matter which way you painted it.

The ocean around him was vast and empty, with only the bright noontime sun overhead and the ever-present sound of turbulent splashes keeping him company. Polare had retreated to the lower decks, hoping to catch some rest before they would arrive. March was surprised earlier at their stoic calmness in the face of the incident, but it seemed like they were only keeping calm in the moment. March thanked them internally for that. It would have been difficult to manage both his own and Polare's panic if they had occurred simultaneously. Regardless, Polare was now resting their nerves, and now March was alone.

Thoughts pervaded his mind as he continued to stare at the sea below. They must have nearly arrived at Treasure Town by now, the location which Xatu was said to have been staying at. His worries continued to plague him, but it was now mixed with a jumble of concerns over… all of this. All that was happening around him, and so quickly.

Pyrose and Verdant's situation.

Xatu's warning.

Him being the temporary leader of Team Go-Getters.

It was all so much.

He didn't know if he was up to the task.

He was not Pyrose. He wasn't the leader. Never was. Pyrose was always the one who stepped into the dungeon first, the one who filled out all the paperwork, who commanded the team in battle, who figured out how to get out of sticky situations, and find the way out of any problem. He did everything alone, and yet he still did it all with what seemed like ease.

March was neither cowardly nor incapable by any means. But he was not that leader.

I know I shouldn't BE Pyrose, I am my own person, March thought, but still… I wish I had his sense of responsibility. Now more than ever.

How did Pyrose manage it all? He juggled his social life with his friends, his public image with the media, his paperwork, his rescue missions…

But then again, as March, Verdant, and Polare always berated him for, that sense of responsibility often got him into trouble.

That was perhaps a good reason that March should not be Pyrose.

"I won't do things alone," March vowed to himself, curling a fist. But I wish Pyrose was here.

His mind lingered on Pyrose. He hoped he was okay. He hoped he could take care of Verdant. He hoped Verdant would take care of him.

He hoped for a lot of things. Whether his prayers would be left unanswered, he could not know.

"LAND AHOY!" boomed a great, deep voice from the bow of the ship. The Wailord pulling the seacraft breached the surface of the water, a great geyser of seaspray gushing out of his blowhole. "GRASS CONTINENT COMIN' UP!"

March flexed his shoulder, craning his neck. About time. It had been a few hours, at least. The landmass was just barely visible in the distance, and it was coming up fast. It would be time to get to work soon.

"BZZT, HOW MUCH TIME UNTIL WE DISEMBARK, BZZT?"

March did jump at the voice, nor did he bother turning around to address Polare. He had gotten used to the Magneton sneaking up on him by now; it was an uncanny ability of his. "Nearly there."

"BZZT, EXCELLENT, BZZT."

They were silent as they approached the Grass Continent, the expansive forests and great plains it was named after being just barely visible below a hazy distant mountain that peeked over the town. The port was bustling, with Pokémon running errands up and down the docks. As far as March could see, Pokémon were out and about, bustling as they went about their business.

The boat came to a slow stop by one of the central boardwalks, and the Wailord gave one last spray. "WE'RE 'ERE AT THE GRASS CONTINENT! GET YER STUFF AND MAKE YER WAY TO THE DOCKS!"

March and Polare watched as a wide, sturdy plank was thrown against the starboard side. A number of Pokémon started filing out of the spacious orlop of the ship, and a thought suddenly came to March.

"Oh, Polare, take off your badge and band, we should remain anonymous."

"BZZT, FOR WHAT PURPOSE, BZZT?"

"Well…" He thought back to the scene in Pokémon Square. "People will ask if they notice us, the famous 'Team Go-Getters', on a different continent. We want to keep this mission secret. Hopefully avoid the paparazzi and spreading panic."

"BZZT, DO YOU NOT THINK THEY WOULD RECOGNIZE US BASED ON SPECIES ALONE, BZZT?"

"I–" March thought about that one for a second before answering. "I… don't think so. Pyrose and Verdant aren't with us after all, and we're known for being a package deal, you know?" At least, before Pyrose started going solo…

Polare considered his argument for a moment before nodding, which amounted to rotating up and down slightly in place while hovering. "BZZT, LOGICAL, BZZT."

March took his and Polare's badges and enhancing gear off, stowing them inside the bag that he had placed beside him on the wooden boards of the deck. He slung it over his shoulder, and with Polare following close behind him, he made his way to the plank.

Touching down on solid land, he breathed in deeply. The salty scent of the ocean behind him was still overpowering, but he could swear he could smell the fresh scent of grass, an observation he grew more confident about as he and Polare strode (or floated, in the case of the latter) up the docks and towards the central town square. Pokémon around him paid him no heed; they were engaged with their day-to-day tasks and activities.

Not even a glance.

Good. Just the way he liked it.

"Polare, where did Alakazam say we were gonna be hunkering down again…?"

"BZZT, KANGASKHAN'S DAUGHTER WAS QUITE WILLING TO PLAY HOST TO OUR STAY HERE, BZZT."

"Oh, she ended up here?"

"BZZT, YES. THEY KEEP IN TOUCH THROUGH PELIPPER'S DELIVERY SERVICE, BZZT."

"That's sweet," March cooed. "Where, uh, does she live?" he asked, swivelling his head as he peered around the square.

Polare made a clicking sound. "BZZT, IT SHOULD BE OBV–"

"Yeah I see it now."

They entered the main square of Treasure Town, which was just as busy as the docks. Surrounded by several stalls selling various wares, services, foods, and products, March could feel a sense of familiarity. It was much like Pokémon Square.

He sniffed. A whole lot more grassy though, he noted, his nose wrinkling as the scent of one of his least favorite things filled his nostrils.

And, near the end of the pathway lined with merchant buildings and stalls, stood a huge structure styled almost identically to Kangaskhan's Storage service back on the Air Continent. The Kangaskhan head stood tall and poignant, towering over nearly every other building in its immediate vicinity, except perhaps the Duskull Bank that March noticed on his peripheral vision.

March took a step towards Kangaskhan's house, thinking to introduce himself, but in the corner of his eye, he saw something that made him pivot on the spot and stare.

"Xatu!" he exclaimed, running towards the familiar creepy, psychic bird, Polare trailing behind. A few people turned to stare at them as they approached the building, which was aptly designed to appear like a giant, wide-eyed Xatu. The sign reading "Xatu Appraisal Service" swung wildly in their wake as they rushed past it, March nearly skidding to a stop in front of the shop bar.

"XA–" he began, but stopped instantly, his face frozen in disbelief.

The stall was empty. A sign read, "Will return in a few days."

"BZZT, HOW DISAPPOINTING, BZZT."

March's eye twitched.


Aridia paced back and forth in front of a giant Wigglytuff head, the steel gate in front of it large and imposing. Her six tails were curled up, tense, and she constantly brushed her hair to the side with a paw, even as the bangs constantly fell in front of her face.

"Okay, Ari, you got this… you got this, come on…"

She stopped in her tracks, closing her eyes and breathing deeply to try and calm her nerves. Having mustered the courage, she walked up to the gate, and–

"POKÉMON SPOTTED, POKÉMON SPOTTED!"

"Eep!" Aridia had accidentally stepped on the iron grate just in front of her, and the loud, high-pitched voice from below startled her enough to jump away.

"Er, NEVERMIND!" the voice called.

"WHAAAAT, DID THEY GET OFF OR SOMETHING?"

"Yeah!"

"THEN TELL THEM TO SCRAM!"

Aridia yelped and bolted away from the Wigglytuff Guild, fleeing down the stairs and towards the beach. She did not stop, her breath quickly becoming short as the ground beneath her feet shifted from stone, to gravel, to dirt, and then finally sand.

Only when she saw the waves did she finally settle down. Crouching down and panting, her mind was filled with a cacophony of thoughts.

ARI, you said you would SIGN UP! she berated herself.

W–well, how was I supposed to know about the grate? she retorted.

She sighed, sitting down and feeling quite sorry for herself. She would never become an explorer at this rate.

The sunset cast its shimmering rays across the surface of the water, the sparkles glinting off the waves mesmerizing. The sky was a sherbet gradient, orange and pink from east to west, easing the land gracefully into a quiet slumber. There was no wind, and the trees in the distance behind her stood stoic and tall as small bubbles rose from the beach, Krabby hidden in the crevices of the backing bluff letting them float lazily into the air.

"I…"

Aridia sniffed. It was a stupid idea anyways…

Another sigh. Her heart-rate had slowed to its usual tempo by this point, the sight of the sunset beach calming to her.

"It's so pretty…" she sniffed, smiling slightly. There was a reason this was her favorite spot in all of Treasure Town, after all.

But as she swept her gaze over the view, her peripheral caught sight of a strange blue mass down the end of the beach. Turning to look at it, Aridia could not help but stare at what she soon realized was an unconscious body.

Her eyes widened, quickly getting up to run over. "Oh Arceus, are you alright?"

Using a paw to turn the furry mound over, she could finally see what it was. With blue fur, a canine snout, a pair of dreadlock-like extensions limp on the back of its head, and black markings lining its face, head, upper torso, and legs, there was no mistaking it.

A… Riolu? she thought. That's… I mean… We don't exactly get this species around here, do we?

She stared at it for a while, unsure of what to do with it. It seemed… mature. She did not have much information on the Lucario line as a whole; nobody really did, it was a rare sight to behold. But she knew that, as a baby Pokémon, they usually were not this tall. This Riolu had fairly square shoulders, and splayed out on the beach, she could see it was easily her size, if possibly slightly bigger.

How… did it end up here, on the beach?

She glanced around. There were no signs of a scuffle, no disturbed sand or blood or tracks. That must mean it… washed up on the beach. But… from where?

A thought suddenly came to her. Oh, right, I should check if… it's still alive or not.

She leaned over and pressed an ear against its chest. She could feel the heartbeat, in addition to the soft rise and fall of its torso as it breathed.

A sigh of relief. She backed away, having confirmed its vitality, and continued to scan the beach for clues of what could have happened.

A glint caught her eye. Just beside the Riolu, half-buried in the sand, was a golden object, and as she walked around and prodded it, she could see it was connected to an equally shiny chain.

"What is–"

A shifting sound, and she hastily backed away. It was awake.

The Riolu shook its head and moaned as it stirred, propping itself up on an elbow as it rubbed its head.

It mumbled in a slightly deeper voice, fitting of a young adult. "Eurgh… What–"

He saw his hand. His eyes widened. He screamed.

"AAAAGH WHAT IS THIS?!" he shrieked, shaking his arms as though trying to get them off of him, like they were not attached to his body but rather giant leeches. He crawled backwards on the sand using his feet until the waves lapped at his rear, which made him screech at the sudden feeling of coldness. He looked down at his lower half, and the screaming became more shrill.

Jumping a foot into the air and twisting and turning to look at every part of his new body in horror, he yelled, "WH–WH–WHAT THE AAAAAGH–"

Aridia swallowed, not anticipating such a reaction. "H–hey, calm down–"

"HOW CAN I–" The Riolu looked up.

His jaw dropped, and so did his tone. "Y–you… you can talk…"

Aridia tilted her head. "Yeah, of course I–"

"STOP. No, I just…" he made a movement with his arms while closing his eyes, as though going to pinch his snout, realizing at the last second that he apparently had paws. "I…"

He lost balance, yelping as he fell hard on the sand. "No… No…"

He squirmed about, murmuring to himself about something that Aridia could not hear. Hugging his knees, he stared off into space.

This guy is nuts. "Uh, are you–"

"I'm a Pokémon…" he murmured to himself. "How?"

Ari looked stunned at that. "I'm sorry, what?"

Chrome looked at her with manic eyes. "How long was I out for?"

"I–I don't know. I found you lying here just now."

"Just… wait a second. Where IS here?"

"Treasure Town Beach, right in front of Wigglytuff's Guild," Aridia answered, raising an eyebrow. Treasure Town was one of the most well-known settlements in the world. Did he not recognize the landscape?

"I… don't know where that is."

That's even worse. "Look, uh, how do I say this politely…" She rubbed her neck with a paw. "D–does your head hurt?"

"What?"

"Does your head hurt? It could be memory loss."

"Me–" His eyes widened. In a subdued voice, he whispered, "...Oh no…"

"What?"

"I–I can't remember a–anything–"

Well that's not good. "Nothing at all?"

"N–no. No I–" He bent over, eyes pressed closed as he apparently wracked his brain for any semblance of recollection.

"Nothing I guess." Aridia sighed. This is gonna get complicated.

An idea suddenly came to her. She walked around him, finding the golden object in the sand once more. Using a paw, she scooped it up, its weight surprising her, considering its small size.

She held it up to the Riolu. "Do you remember this?"

The Riolu took a long look at the object, squinting harder with each passing second. Aridia felt herself growing more uncomfortable by the minute.

Suddenly, its eyes widen, and its snout curls in excitement. "I–I think I remember something! Yeah, that's mine!"

"I found it lying next to you, so yeah that makes sense." She hands it to him, although he nearly fumbles it with his paws. "Nothing else? And what did you say earlier about not being a Pokémon?"

"I'm not a Pokémon." He turns to look her dead in the eye. His were hard and set, filled with a kind of determined honesty Aridia had rarely seen in others. "I'm a human."

She opens her mouth to speak.

And then something slammed into her.


"Of ALL the STUPID–"

"BZZT, CALM YOURSELF, MARCH, YOU ARE MAKING A SCENE, BZZT."

The Swampert in question stomped along the road, feeling paying no heed to either the Magneton trailing him nor the various townspeople that were giving him strange looks.

"He has the GALL to call us FROM A DIFFERENT CONTINENT and then he DOESN'T SHOW UP?!" March roared, waving his hands wildly in the air in his frustration.

"BZZT, YOUR ANGER IS UNDERSTANDABLE–"

"OF COURSE IT IS, We were DITCHED!" March was inconsolable. "We had to ABANDON OUR FRIENDS OVER THIS!"

"BZZT, YOUR WORRIES ARE SHARED, BUT THAT IS ILLOGICAL. EVEN WITHOUT COMING TO THE GRASS CONTINENT, WE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO MUCH TO HELP PYROSE AND VERDANT, BZZT."

"BUT WE WOULDN'T HAVE–"

"BZZT, PLEASE CALM DOWN, BZZT."

"I WILL NOT–"

"HEY, STOP YELLIN'!" an angry voice called to their right, and March huffed, saying nothing more. Polare continued to follow him down the path away from Treasure Town's main square, towards the crossroads.

"I just–"

"BZZT, YOU ARE DOING FINE, MARCH, BZZT."

"Am I?"

"BZZT, XATU'S ABSENCE COULD NOT BE PREDICTED. IT IS FRUSTRATING THAT THEY SUMMONED US WITHOUT CONSIDERATION, BUT WE CANNOT ALLOW OUR EMOTIONS TO CLOUD OUR JUDGMENT IN THIS TIME OF NEED, BZZT."

"Nothing's happening–"

"BZZT, BUT SOMETHING COULD HAPPEN, BZZT."

March sighed. "I guess you're right," he grumbled.

"BZZT, THAT TENDS TO BE THE CASE, YES, BZZT."

Another sigh. "Well what are we supposed to do in the meantime, just wait for him to come back?"

"BZZT, AFFIRMATIVE, BZZT."

"For a few days?"

"BZZT, AFFIRMATIVE, BZZT."

"With nothing to do?"

"BZZT, THERE IS WORK TO BE DONE. SURVEILLANCE OF THE LOCAL AREA COULD PROVE USEFUL FOR PRE-DETERMINING THE CAUSE OR EFFECTS OF THE UPCOMING DISASTER, AS WELL AS STAY ON THE LOOKOUT FOR XATU, BZZT."

"This isn't our continent, are we allowed to do missions around here?"

"BZZT, PYROSE SAID THAT IT WAS ACCEPTABLE, BZZT."

"What? When?"

"BZZT, HE MENTIONED IT WHILST DOING PAPERWORK, BZZT."

"Ah." Pyrose had a tendency to talk quietly to himself during late-night sessions, it was not unreasonable for Polare to have overheard him say such a thing. "Let's do that then."

March looked left and right. "Oh, uh, right, I'm the leader. Um…"

"BZZT, AWAITING ORDER, BZZT."

"I'm getting to it, I'm getting to it. Uh, you go say hi to Kangaskhan for me, I'll go notify the local guild about this whole… thing."

"BZZT, WILL DO. HOWEVER, IT IS PERHAPS WISE IF YOU WOULD TAKE A MOMENT TO CALM DOWN FIRST, BZZT."

"I AM calm!"

"...BZZT, UH HUH, BZZT."

"I swear I am!"

"BZZT, THE OBSERVATIONS SAY OTHERWISE. PYROSE AND VERDANT'S SITUATION IS GETTING TO YOU, BZZT."

"I…"

It was true. March had been tense all day. His outburst in the square earlier was quite uncharacteristic of him in fact.

"BZZT, PERHAPS IT WOULD BE GOOD TO TAKE A STROLL ON THE BEACH."

"Y–yeah… maybe…"

"BZZT, GOOD. KANGASKHAN WILL BE NOTIFIED SHORTLY, HEAD TO HER HOME WHEN YOU ARE READY, BZZT."

March watched as Polare floated back towards the town, standing and staring off into the treeline until all signs of the Magneton were gone.

He sighed. "Polare makes a better leader than me."

There, in the middle of the crossroads, March looked towards the setting sun in the distance. He could just barely make out the sound of waves crashing against bluffs and washing up on the beach. Behind him, a huge staircase snaked its way up a massive, steep hill, atop which he could see the glint of torches and a weird pink… thing. That must be the famous local guild, the Wigglytuff Guild. Pyrose had mentioned it on occasion for its uncanny efficiency in completing missions.

A stern yet worried expression on his face, he could only sigh for the fourth time, not moving from his spot in the middle of the crossroads. The wind did not blow, and nobody was in sight.

He was alone.

Pyrose, Verdant… I hope you're okay out there. Wherever you are.

He debated going against Polare's suggestion and visiting the guild anyways. It was his duty, after all, and what Pyrose would have done. But even as he could feel the headache build once again at the front of his brain, he looked towards the ocean, and the calming sight of the sea swallowing the sun against an orange and pink backdrop.

"I–"

"MOVE IT!"

He was snapped out of his conflicting thoughts when a small black shape whizzed by him, making a light clinking sound as it went. It made a sharp right turn and zipped down the path leading to the beach. Behind him, he could hear distinct yelling.

"THIEF!"

He did not need to hear or see anything else. March was spurred into action and immediately began to give chase. He sprinted down the windy dirt road, and as the beach came into sight, he could see the black figure in the distance, now distinguishable as a Murkrow holding a bag of presumably coins.

Ahead of the thief were a pair of Pokémon on the sand, and March winced as the Murkrow crashed into the pair, sending the three of them sprawling across the sand.

He ran up to try and get the Murkrow, but it jumped up at the last second. It saw three things. March, the two Pokémon it just knocked down, and a shiny golden object in the sand.

"Ooh, extra shiny!" it squealed as it snatched up the trinket with a talon and tossed it into the bag. March yelled as he nearly reached it, grabbing at its feathers, but at the last second it took off down the beach, disappearing into a hole in the wall.

"M–my–" March looked down, seeing a small Riolu looking shocked and in disbelief, reaching out a paw in the direction of the cavern entrance.

"I'll get your stuff back, don't worry!" March declared, charging after the Murkrow into the cave.

The Vulpix picked herself up from the sand, shaking her head and seeing Riolu attempting to stand on his wobbly feet. "A–are you–"

"I'm fine, that bird stole my thing!"

Aridia looked in the direction of the cave that the Swampert had chased the Murkrow thief into. "B–Beach Cave…"

"I have to get it back!" Riolu cried, taking a wobbly step and reaching out for the cave. He looked down at Aridia. "Help me!"

Aridia glanced between the Riolu and the cave. She thought about how she had gotten into this mess in the first place.

She thought back to the Wigglytuff Guild.

She thought about her own personal treasure back at home. What would she have done if it had gotten stolen?

"A–alright. I'll help."

She got up and helped support Riolu, and the two made their way into Beach Cave. Ari swallowed as the dungeon enveloped her and Riolu, and then they were gone.