Chapter 23 - Things Change
"Yup! That should be just about all of 'em. Thanks for the help, Ziggy!"
"No problem!'
Ziggy was sitting in Kona's room alongside the Dewott, who had requested his help in organizing some photographs into a photo album. It had been a fun little project, and Ziggy had gotten to hear some interesting stories from when the photos had been taken.
"This woulda taken hours by myself," Kona quipped.
"Thanks for letting me help," Ziggy said, "This was fun." It was still early in the day, only an hour or so after breakfast. Ziggy had gone right to help Kona as soon as he had finished his meal. His day was only beginning. He hadn't even gotten his list of today's chores from Carmen yet.
"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself," Kona said with a smile.
"Yeah, no problem," Ziggy repeated.
Kona then stood up and stretched. "Well," he announced, "I dunno about you, but I'm still hungry. I'm gonna go see if there's any rolls left. Liz's rolls are so good…"
"Okay," Ziggy said as he stood up as well. Kona was already halfway out the door. Ziggy was about to follow him, when the Dewott paused and turned back.
"Oh, right! Duh. The photo album we just finished. Probably shouldn't just leave that on the floor all willy-nilly."
Ziggy glanced down, seeing the finished album at his paws. He reached down and picked it up.
"It just goes on the top shelf of the bookshelf back there," Kona said, "Could you do me a favour and put it there? I wanna make sure nobody steals the last roll if there happen to be some."
"Sure," Ziggy said with a nod. Kona just smiled and waved at him, and then ran out into the hallway. Ziggy heard the sound of the door leading to the common room open and close a moment later.
Ziggy walked over to the bookshelf and reached up to place the photo album where Kona had asked him to put it. He had to stand up on his toes and stretch to reach the top shelf, as it was just barely within reach. Once he finally got it up there, he turned back around. He realized that he was now alone inside of somebody else's room, and he got the feeling he probably shouldn't hang around for too long.
Kona probably wouldn't mind, though. He and Ziggy were really close friends. Ziggy fondly reminisced about this as he walked out of the room and made sure the door was securely closed behind him. He paused for a moment as he glanced over at the door to his own room.
A weird sensation rippled through him. Still to this day, he often got the feeling that he didn't deserve to have this room. He knew fully well that this was the dorm area for guildmembers who lived at the guild, specifically Sparks, Carmen and the active team. Ziggy did not meet these high qualifications, yet he had a room here. He'd had it for months now.
Ziggy closed his eyes before his thoughts could consume him and let out a slow breath, just like Kandice had taught him. He thought about how lucky he was to have the room and how appreciative of it that he was. He reminded himself that if anybody did have a problem with him being there, they wouldn't just keep it a secret. If he couldn't stay there anymore, they would move him. Simple as that.
With that little mental knot now undone, Ziggy started walking again. He made his way down the hallway and approached the door to the common room, noting that it was still closed.
The doorway opened and Kona stepped into the common room. Sparks waved him over, and the Dewott quickly sprinted across the room. There was silence as Sparks waited. Ziggy would be coming through the doorway next. Sparks felt like he was at a surprise birthday party, waiting for the birthday boy to arrive.
When the door opened once more and Ziggy stepped through, though, nobody shouted 'Surprise!' Everyone remained quiet. Ziggy glanced around for a moment, first noticing the completely empty table where breakfast had just taken place not too long ago. Then, his eyes wandered across to the other side of the room, and he gasped from what he saw. Sparks glanced to his side and took in the scene as well.
At the far end of the room, between the dining table and the couch, all of the active team members were standing together. They were split into two single-file rows, leaving an 'aisle' between them. At the end of the rows, standing on a small platform that was only about a foot off of the ground, was Carmen. Dante was also standing next to the stage, at the end of one of the rows. Everybody in the room was looking over towards Ziggy expectantly.
The Buizel stood there with a confused expression on his face. He didn't say or do anything for a few moments besides looking at all of the assembled Pokémon in bewilderment. It seemed like the quiet, almost solemn atmosphere of the room had given him pause. Eventually, Sparks caught his attention and beckoned Ziggy over with his paw.
Ziggy eventually did start walk, slowly, over towards the group. He didn't look very nervous, as all of the Pokémon here were Pokémon that he knew and trusted. Still, though, there was a bit of trepidation to be seen in his eyes. "…Sparks…?" he whispered once he got close enough to the Raichu, who was at the tail end of one of the rows.
Sparks just winked at him and gestured for him to keep moving. "No need to worry, bud," he whispered back.
"But, what's…?" Ziggy's voice trailed off as some of the other team members started gesturing him forward as well. All of his closest friends were there, giving him encouraging smiles. Kona, Terry, Rico and Danika were all near the front of the lines.
Ziggy started to slowly walk down the aisle between the rows of Pokémon, approaching the stage where Carmen was still waiting. Sparks watched him go with a warm smile on his face. Perhaps setting it up as a surprise like this might not have been the best idea, but he was sure that Ziggy wouldn't mind by the end of it.
The Buizel passed a look to each of his friends as he passed by, who all nodded and smiled at him. What little nervousness he had started to die away with each friend that he passed. By the time he reached Kona, who was right next to the platform itself, he was only left with confusion. He glanced over at Dante, who also gave him an encouraging smile, and the Buizel instantly lit up a little. Ziggy then looked up at Carmen, who was much taller than him than she usually was due to being up on the platform. Ziggy hesitated slightly while he was directly under her gaze, but a moment later he carefully stepped up onto the platform.
"Good morning, Ziggy," Carmen said to him professionally once he was standing before her.
"Um…Good morning?"
"We're glad you could join us today," she continued, "There is an important matter at our paws…"
Ziggy's frown worsened a tad and he muttered, "Y-yeah…?" Sparks winced a little, realizing that Ziggy might be thinking he was about to be evicted or something.
Carmen briefly chuckled and said, "It is not a troublesome matter." Thankfully, this seemed to assuage Ziggy's worries. Carmen continued and said, "You have been with us for a long while now, Ziggy. You came to us as a mere client…a Pokémon needing our help, brought to us by our caring senior alumnus. The treatment that turned out to be most helpful for you, interestingly enough, involved all of us in a very close way that usually does not occur. At first, I will admit, I had many second thoughts about what we were allowing you to do. Though Sparks did fully convince me that letting you stay here longer than a month would be most beneficial to you, I did harbour many doubts about officially hiring you to work for us so that you could legally extend your stay…"
Sparks watched Ziggy bite his lip. The poor Buizel still had no idea what was going on, and Sparks hoped that Carmen wouldn't take very long to get to the point.
"However," Carmen continued, "my doubts were proven wrong almost immediately. You took to the chores that we gave you dutifully and determinedly. You took on your new role here not as a token technicality, but as a way to help out those who had taken you in. Over the months, your honest appreciation for the help we've given you has been felt by all of us here. And as you've continued to heal and grow, becoming stronger along the way, everyone here has seen the true virtues that lie hidden within you."
Ziggy turned briefly and looked over at Sparks helplessly. Sparks just chuckled softly to himself and hoped that Ziggy would just accept the praise.
"This has been proven to us on many significant occasions. Your accidental trip into the Mystery Dungeon, where you were a key player in bringing the lost cub to safety. Your willingness to help out with active team jobs, even in the face of those who didn't want your help. Your quick thinking and initiative when Sparks was in trouble. Ziggy, you have done many wonderful things in your relatively short time here with us. You should feel very proud of yourself."
A brief round of polite applause erupted from the crowd. Ziggy turned to look at the other Pokémon in surprise and then blushed under the attention. "Um…Uh…Thanks…" he muttered bashfully.
"So, Ziggy," Carmen announced, recapturing his attention, "As to the reason we are gathered here today, we have something we would like to offer you. As Guildmaster of the Radiant City branch of the Rescue Society, it is my pleasure to submit this for your consideration…" Carmen then reached a paw behind her back and dug it into her bushy tail. A second later, she pulled something from out of her tail fur. It was a small flat box, featureless and grey in colour. She held it in both of her paws, brought it down to Ziggy's eye level, and opened it. Ziggy gasped.
Sitting cradled in the box was a badge. It bore the same symbol that was on the badges that all of the gathered Pokémon, sans Dante, were wearing. Although it was also grey in colour, and lacked the pair of 'wings' that extended out from everyone else's, it still wore the same reflective luster of all the others. It was a badge bearing the universal symbol of the Rescue Society.
Ziggy stared, wide-eyed and silent, at the badge for a few moments. Then he slowly looked up at Carmen and whispered, "…What…?"
"I would like to offer you a position within the Rescue Society," Carmen said, simple and to the point.
"Y-y…" Ziggy stammered, "What do you…?"
"You have proven that you carry the one most important aspect that is shared upon every single member of the Rescue Society, both here and afar. You want to help, Ziggy. You want to help others. You have a very altruistic heart, and Pokémon like you are happily welcomed into our organization."
Ziggy went back to staring at the badge again. His eyes were wider than dinner plates, making Sparks chuckle silently to himself again. "I…" Ziggy said softly, "I don't understand…" He gulped loudly and then said, "You…Y-you want me to…t-to…?" He then turned and looked out at all of the members of the active team, who were attentively watching him.
Carmen chuckled as well. "This is not an invitation to join the active team."
Ziggy looked back at her in surprise, and then deflated just a little. "O-Oh…" he said in relief.
"This is a recruit's badge," Carmen explained, "As I'm sure you know, there are many many Pokémon working at the Rescue Society besides the active team. New recruits are welcomed into the organization for training and orientation, and will take on a more permanent position later."
Sparks took a glance at the badge within the case. It was the most simplistic design of badges that the guild manufactured. He recalled that not too long ago, Rico and Terry had both worn badges like that one. The fact that those two had graduated directly from those badges to their active team badges was not unheard of, but was definitely unusual.
He then took a quick glance at the other Pokémon. Compared to the badge Ziggy was being offered, everyone else's badges had a pair of wings coming out from either side. Sparks glanced down at his own badge, which was the same design as this but coloured completely in silver. Finally he looked over at Carmen, whose badge was gold and also had a simplistic 'halo' design coming out the bottom of it. Dante was the only other one in the room without a badge, though he had the badge's design on his necklace.
Sparks then looked at Ziggy once again, who hadn't moved or said anything. Carmen seemed to sense his hesitation and said, "You don't have to accept this if you don't want to. It won't change anything if you say no. Simply, some of us got together recently and decided that we think you'll do great things one day if you join the Society."
Ziggy had been staring at the offered badge, and turned to look at Sparks once Carmen had finished talking. Sparks caught his eye and smiled encouragingly while giving him a nod. Ziggy looked back at Carmen and said, "This…This is…real?"
"Hm?" Carmen replied.
"This…i-isn't a joke?"
Carmen's eyes went wide. "Absolutely not. That would be a lot of effort to go through just to make a rather cruel joke, wouldn't you think?"
Ziggy took a couple of cautious steps towards Carmen and the badge. "You…r-really want…" There was a pause before he whispered, "…me?"
"Rescue Society Guild Alumni are nothing more than good, friendly Pokémon," Carmen explained, "And that's exactly what you are."
"Are…A-are you sure?"
Carmen chuckled. "Yes, Ziggy. Yes."
"Really…?"
A few other Pokémon in the group quietly laughed, causing Ziggy to blush a little. The Buizel eyed the badge again for a few seconds, but then a frown overtook his expression. "But…" he said, "But what if I…What if…?"
Carmen shook her head and said, "If you fail to meet our standards in training, it will be the same as if you decline this offer. Nothing will change, and you'll still be welcome here. Likewise, you are free to resign and hand in your badge at any point."
"I…" Ziggy started to reply, but then became flustered again. "Oh goodness… I… I don't…I'm not sure if I…" His gaze shifted out to the audience again, this time with a helpless look in his eyes.
Sparks caught his gaze once more. They looked at one another for a moment as silence prevailed, and then Sparks simply said to him, "Go for it, buddy."
"Go for it…?"
"I believe in you," Sparks said with a warm grin.
Just like that, a lot of the worry and hesitation simply washed away from the Buizel's face. He turned his gaze back to Carmen, who had been very patiently waiting with her paws outstretched and holding the badge case. A few quiet moments passed.
Then, Ziggy started to slowly pace over towards Carmen. Towards the badge that was being offered to him. His eyes were locked onto the badge the whole time, and Sparks swore he could see a literal twinkle in the Buizel's eyes. The stage was small, so it was only a few seconds later that Ziggy was standing right in front of Carmen.
Ziggy looked up at the Braixen one last time for confirmation, and she simply gave him a curt nod. Then, with shaking paws, Ziggy reached out towards the badge. When he touched it, a shiver ran up his limb and down his spine, as if he was sure someone was going to yell at him right away for touching it. Nobody did, of course, so Ziggy carefully grasped the badge and then finally picked it up.
He brought the badge closer to himself and cradled it gently in his two paws while he looked down at it reverently. It seemed like the Buizel still wasn't quite sure what he was holding was real. After a moment, he looked up at Carmen and asked once more, "Is it…really okay…for me to have this…?"
Carmen gave him a little smile and nodded. "It's for you, Ziggy. Why don't you try putting it on?"
"I…I, uh…" Ziggy murmured, and Sparks noticed that his paws were still shaking.
"Want me to clip it on for you this time? We can show you how to put it on later."
Ziggy just looked up at Carmen, dumbfounded. The Braixen took this as a silent 'yes', and stepped forward. She knelt down in front of him and gingerly took the badge from his paws. Ziggy watched with wide eyes as she leaned in close and carefully clipped the badge onto his fur, causing him a slight jolt when it clicked into place. Carmen then stepped back to her original spot.
Ziggy's neck craned downwards as he looked at the badge clipped onto the golden fur of his breast, right next to his cream-coloured tummy fur. The solid grey colour of the badge stood out against the pale yellow colours of his fur. Sparks just watched in a quiet awe. There, standing up on the stage, was Ziggy with a Rescue Society badge. Just a few short months ago, he would have thought the sight to be impossible.
Then, Ziggy slowly lifted his head up and looked at all of the Pokémon in the crowd. There was an awestruck, mesmerized look on his face, with his muzzle hanging open slightly. He locked eyes with Dante, Kona and then Sparks yet again. He looked down at the badge once more as if to make sure it hadn't disappeared.
"Heh…Haha…!" The Buizel's quiet tittering was the first sound he had made since the badge had been clipped onto him. When he looked back up at the crowd again, a big smile was plastered on his muzzle. He started laughing outright, though it was a joyful laugh borne out of sheer disbelief of what was happening. The Pokémon in the audience started to applaud, which only made him smile even more.
"You haven't actually given me an official answer yet," Carmen said playfully.
Ziggy turned back to her, beaming, and said, "Yes! Yes, I accept!"
"Haha!" Carmen laughed, "Well, that settles it then. Welcome to the Rescue Society, Ziggy."
Sparkles danced in the Buizel's eyes. He looked down at his badge yet again, and reached up with his paws to touch it. He was letting out a quiet, happy laugh as he did. "I can't believe this…"
"Congratulations, Ziggy!" Kona called from just below the stage.
Ziggy turned to look at him, and the other Pokémon near him. He waved at them and said, "You guys, look! Look!" while pointing to his new badge. Ziggy then ran right off the stage and practically leapt onto Kona, giving him a hug. Kona, laughing heartily, hugged right back as the other Pokémon crowded in to give Ziggy his congratulations while continuing to applaud.
Sparks stood back and watched the small celebration, clapping his paws. Ziggy could hardly be seen thanks to all of the other Pokémon gathering in close to hug him, shake his paw, or get a look at his new badge.
"I'd say this was a success…" Danika said, casually walking over to stand next to him. "What d'ya think, big guy?" she asked, gently elbowing him in the side.
"…He smiled," Sparks murmured.
"Hm?"
Sparks turned to look at her. "He actually smiled…" he said, "That's the first time I've ever actually seen Ziggy smile…"
Danika was looking at him in surprise. "Had he still never…?" she asked, but Sparks just shook his head. The Sneasel then looked back over towards where Ziggy was, as did Sparks.
"I was really, truly worried I would never ever get to see him smile…"
"Well, I suppose you can't really blame him," Danika remarked.
"Still, though… I figured it was coming but it still caught me by surprise." Sparks cleared his throat and added, "It was…wonderful to see…"
"Sparks!"
Ziggy had caught sight of the Raichu and was now sprinting over to him. Sparks opened up his paws wide and caught the Buizel as he practically tackled him into a tight, warm hug. "Hey, buddy," Sparks said with a chuckle, "Congratulations."
"Sparks, I…I-I can't believe this is real…!" Ziggy said, wiggling his head out of the embrace to look up at the larger Pokémon.
Sparks' breath caught in his throat when he saw that beaming smile on Ziggy's muzzle. He looked like a completely different Pokémon. The smile was so alien on Ziggy's face that it looked like it didn't belong. Sparks hadn't been exaggerating earlier; he truly had been worried that poor Ziggy would never smile in his whole life.
"I'm so proud of you, bud…" he whispered, trying to keep his voice from cracking.
"I didn't…I totally didn't expect this…" Ziggy stammered, "I never knew- but I've always sorta wondered- I kinda just…"
"Whatever you decide to do with that badge, you'll do wonderfully at it," Sparks said.
Ziggy responded by hugging him again. "Thank you, Sparks. Thank you for everything!"
"I could say the same thing, Ziggy…"
A few other Pokémon started gathering around and offering more congratulations to Ziggy. He looked up from his embrace to them all and thanked each one. With that smile still plastered on his face, he let go of Sparks and turned around to face the crowd.
"Dante, look!" Ziggy said, eagerly pointing to his badge.
The Lucario laughed. "Another fine new addition to the Rescue Society," he said, "I have known this place for most of my entire life, and have never known a bad Pokémon to ever have worked here. Your future looks bright, my friend."
Ziggy gasped softly, his entire being lighting up upon hearing Dante's praise. "Thank you so much, Dante! You're awesome!"
Everybody laughed at that remark, including Carmen who was now walking over. The crowd parted to let her through.
"So, uh, what now?" Ziggy asked her, his tail still wagging excitedly. There was a short moment and then he added, "Er, I mean, Miss Guildmaster?"
Carmen chuckled. "I am not your guildmaster yet," she explained, "As a recruit, you only work under the broader umbrella of the entire Rescue Society for now. What now, though, will be to get you into some basic training courses that we have set up here. Stuff that every member of the Rescue Society must complete. Though, there is no strict time limit, you can do them whenever is convenient for you."
Ziggy nodded eagerly and said, "Okay! I'll do my best." Sparks had to admit he was slightly surprised by Ziggy's response.
"Although, there is something else," she continued, "Around the guild, or at least those areas under my command, we have a little tradition. Whenever an alumnus of the guild achieves a promotion, or moves up in the ranks somehow, they earn themselves a full day off that they can use to celebrate, and are allowed to bring two other alumni to also take a day off and join them."
"We used to have full-day parties," Sparks said, "But, well, a lot of Pokémon work here and it got a bit out of paw. Haha…"
"So," Carmen continued, "This is not normally something we do for new recruits, for obvious reasons. However…in your case, I think we can all agree that this counts as a promotion for you. So, I am going to allow you the celebratory day off. You won't have any chores today, and you can give a day off to two Pokémon here of your choice."
Ziggy gasped. "Really? For real?" Carmen nodded and he said, "A day of celebration…For…For…"
Sparks patted him on the back and said, "For you, buddy. Yes. You've worked really hard on improving yourself, and it really shows. You deserve a little reward."
"The rest of us need to get back to work right away, unfortunately," Carmen said, "So please select who you'd like to join you, okay?"
"Before you ask," Dante said as he approached, "I cannot join you. I have somewhere I need to be within the hour, so I am sadly unavailable." He gave Ziggy an apologetic smile.
"Oh," Ziggy said, sounding a bit disappointed at first but then picking right back up. "Okay, then! Sorry you can't come," he said with a smile, and then turned around to face Sparks. "Obviously, you've gotta come! Haha!"
"Who, me? I'm shocked," Sparks said in a playfully sarcastic tone.
"And, well, I gotta pick Kona."
"Me?" the Dewott said, sounding legitimately surprised.
"Of course! Besides Sparks, you're my best friend here! You've been super super nice to me since the very first day!"
"Aww… I'm touched, Ziggy. Well, all right then. I suppose I wouldn't mind a little day off."
"Very well," Carmen announced and gave the group of three Pokémon a nod, "You three enjoy yourselves. Just don't stay up too late. Remember you all have to work tomorrow."
"Thank you so much, Miss G- I mean, Carmen!" Ziggy said, giving the Braixen a smile and a nod of thanks. He then turned to the two friends he had chosen and said, "Gosh, this is exciting! I've never had a celebration day before in my life!"
That statement left a little ping in Sparks' heart. It was sad to think that Ziggy had never had a party for anything in his life before, not even a birthday party. Nobody here, Ziggy included, even knew when his birthday was.
"Before you guys rush off…" a new voice spoke up. The group turned to see Danika approaching them. She pointed to Ziggy's new badge and said, "That badge hasn't been set up yet. We have a Psychic Pokémon we're contracted with who infuses the badges with the psychic energy. So, right now it's just a badge. It can't, like, unlock stuff yet. Just to let you know."
Sparks and Kona nodded and thanked Danika. They were familiar with the process, especially since they had both been new recruits before in their lives. Ziggy, however, didn't respond right away. His smile had faltered slightly and he just stood looking at Danika quietly for a few seconds.
He then spoke up suddenly. "Hey, uh…Carmen?"
The Braixen was already starting to walk over towards the white board where the morning briefings were held, but she paused and looked back. "Yes?"
"Could I, uh…Would it be okay if I took…one more?"
"'One more'?"
Ziggy glanced at Danika, and then back at Carmen. "Danika's been working on those city records for a long, long time. I was just thinking, I'd really like to give one of the free days off to her. But, well, I don't wanna just take back the ones I already gave to Sparks 'n' Kona…"
"Ziggy…" Danika said, "That's so sweet of you, but you don't have to-"
"All right."
Everybody else looked over at Carmen in surprise. She glanced briefly at everybody, and then smiled and shrugged. "He gave a good reason. What can I say?"
A moment passed, and then Ziggy brightened up once again. "Yay! Thank you, Carmen! Thank you so much!"
"Yeah, uh…Thanks!" Danika said, still appearing a bit caught off-guard by Carmen giving her blessing so easily. "I…definitely appreciate a day off!"
"Okay, then," Carmen said, "The rest of you, come with me. Being shortstaffed is no reason not to do our best today like we do every day. Let's go, team!"
The other Pokémon of the active team then began to disperse, though each of them walked over to Ziggy and gave him one more quick congratulations and a pawshake before leaving. Dante was the last of the group to do so, and Ziggy smiled very brightly when Dante shook his paw.
"Have fun," Dante said before he headed off.
"Thank you, Dante!" Ziggy called out as he waved to the Lucario. Then, when it was only the four left near the stage, Ziggy turned to them all excitedly.
"Ziggy, I…" Danika said, "That was really nice of you…I didn't expect this."
"You've been working so hard on that stuff up there," Ziggy said, "Even though I help you whenever I can, there's still so much of it for you to do. You deserve a break."
"Aw, Ziggy…" Danika said with a heartfelt smile. The stepped forward and gave the Buizel a quick hug of appreciation.
"Wow…" Sparks said, "Look at that badge. It looks real good on you, buddy."
Ziggy looked down at his badge and practically squealed in delight. "It still doesn't feel real…"
"I was right about what I said a while back…You belong here, Zig. You definitely belong here…" Sparks still couldn't get over how wonderful it felt to see Ziggy acting so exuberantly. He had expected being offered the badge would have brightened Ziggy's spirits, but he had never expected it to this level. It made Sparks feel ten times more confident that he and the guild had made the right choice.
"So, Guild-recruit Ziggy," Kona said, putting emphasis on the Buizel's new 'official' title, "What should we do on this celebratory day?"
"I dunno, what kinds of things are you s'posed to do on a celebratory day?" he replied.
"Anything you want," Sparks answered, "It's your day, you can celebrate it however you want and we'll come right along with you! It's up to you."
"Really?" Ziggy gasped, "I get to pick?"
Sparks laughed at that and said, "Of course you do! Don't be silly…"
"Well…" Ziggy put his paw to his chin in thought and glanced around for a moment. "Let's go out!"
"Huh?" Sparks remarked in confusion, "'Out'? What do you mean 'out'?"
"Let's just go out!" Ziggy exclaimed eagerly, and he pointed off to the side with one of his paws. Sparks followed it to see that Ziggy was pointing out the window, and Sparks noticed for the first time that it was actually a relatively pleasant day for the time of year. There were still plenty of clouds in the sky, but also lots of blue sky to be seen and a healthy amount of sunlight shining down.
"Oh! Okay," Sparks replied, "Sure, I guess. Anything in particular you want to do, or just…?"
"C'mon, guys! Let's go!" Ziggy exclaimed, and then rushed right over to the employee-only door in the room that led outside. He stood with his paws on the door handle, looking back at the others excitedly.
Sparks was silently caught off guard for a moment. "Wh- Now?" he blurted, "I mean…You're ready now?"
"Yeah! C'mon, let's go! Let's go see the city!"
"Uhhh…" Sparks tried to reply, but found he couldn't pick out the right words to express himself. He turned to look at Kona and Danika, who were looking up at him with equally surprised looks. When Sparks looked back to Ziggy, he still had that excited smile on his muzzle but was now looking at them impatiently. "O…kay, bud," he said, hesitatingly.
As Sparks and the others then started walking over towards the door, Ziggy surprised them all again by opening the door and darting out onto the grass outside before they had even gotten halfway there.
"Whoa…" Kona remarked softly, "That badge made him way happier than I thought it would…"
"Yeah, uh…" Sparks murmured, "Are we sure we didn't just give him a 'Heart Swap Orb' or something crazy and that's not really Ziggy?"
"C'mon, you guys," Danika said from beside them, "He's just really happy. Haven't you ever been so happy that nothing can even worry you anymore?"
Sparks shrugged. "I guess that's fair. I just worry about him all the time, I suppose…"
Danika snickered. "Yes, that's how fathers usually are with their cubs."
The last sound that could be heard from the group before the door closed was Danika yelping in pain as Sparks elbowed her in the ribs.
"This doesn't even compare to seeing the Nihilego," Sparks said softly.
"I'd say you're overreacting," Danika remarked, "but…"
Sparks, Kona and Danika were all sitting together in a small city park that was only a single block in size. It was a small green space in the heart of the city, surrounded by roads on all sides, and featuring just a small grassy hill, some benches and picnic tables, and a tiny pond for cubs to wade or swim in. They were all gathered together, sitting on the hill as they watched the most impossible thing they had ever seen.
Ziggy looked over from the pond, where he was wading through the shallows, and saw they were all looking at him. The Buizel, fully unclothed aside from his new badge, smiled and waved at them.
"He just needed a confidence boost," Kona said.
Sparks hadn't even noticed that Ziggy had walked out the employee side door without his hoodie until they had walked out the gates and left the guild's property. He had offered to go back and pick it up, but Ziggy had just said something about wanting to enjoy the relatively good weather and kept on walking without a second thought.
The group of four had made their way down from the guild to the city proper, where they started out by walking along the perimeter road and eventually committed to just wandering randomly through the city streets. And the whole time, Ziggy was in the lead.
It was already the start of late afternoon by this point. The day had practically whizzed by. They had spent hours just walking about, enjoying the sights. They stopped by some food carts a few times to pick up some snacks, they took a stroll along some of the raised walkways, they ventured into a number of city parks that were larger than this current one. From an outsider's perspective, it would have just looked like a typical fun-filled day-long outing among close friends.
But Sparks knew it was more than that. From the moment they had stepped onto the perimeter road and were 'in' the city itself, Sparks had been anxiously waiting for something to happen. While he didn't like that Ziggy tended to wear his hoodie whenever he went out, Sparks knew it was not without reason. And, as would be expected, the group drew a lot of stares from the Pokémon they passed by.
A lot of stares.
Ziggy, though, didn't seem to mind. It almost seemed like he didn't even notice. That warm smile stayed plastered on his muzzle the whole time. His good spirits kept up and he spent most of the outing just talking to Sparks, Kona and Danika and laughing about the good times they were having. Some Pokémon even yelled slurs and hateful words, always from a distance thankfully, but Ziggy just seemed to pretend that he didn't even hear them.
It took Sparks a bit of time before he noticed that Ziggy was walking with his chest puffed out slightly. The Buizel was wearing his badge proudly and making sure that everyone else would be able to see it. That's when Sparks realized what was happening, or at least what he was pretty sure was happening.
Perhaps, thankfully, it was also why nobody had yet confronted them directly. Most Pokémon, unfortunately, had no problem getting into a shiny's face and being awful to them. However, even more Pokémon were smart enough to know not to antagonize an RSGC, even one in training. The badge commanded respect.
Really, the only caveat was that they had still stayed far away from the marketplace.
Ziggy finished wading in the pool and started walking back over to them. Sparks shook his head to clear his clouded mind. "Kona's right," he said, "Sometimes a good boost to your confidence is all you need. He's probably riding an emotional high today, guys. This probably won't be a normal thing for him, but it's nice that he can smile now. Even out here in the city…"
Now that it was later in the afternoon, Sparks had eventually come to accept Ziggy's exuberance and be happy for him. He was secretly on the lookout for any asshats who sought to ruin Ziggy's good day, but otherwise he was just happy to see Ziggy so happy. He knew that Ziggy wasn't 'cured' and that his worries and anxieties would likely rear their ugly heads again later. He just hoped that for today, that wouldn't matter. It seemed like, so far, it wouldn't.
After all, they had just spent almost the whole day running around and exploring the city with Ziggy's shiny fur on full display, and the Buizel hadn't once lost his good mood.
Incidentally, Sparks' gaze drifted behind Ziggy. There were still at least five Pokémon on the streets around the park that were staring at the shiny Buizel in either disgust or contempt. He idly noticed that the park was completely empty aside from him and his group.
"That was fun!" Ziggy said as he finally reached them and sat down next to them on the grassy hill.
"Heya, bud," Sparks greeted him.
Ziggy giggled and rolled onto his back so he was looking up at the cloudy sky. "It's actually kinda warm today!"
"Yeah," Danika agreed, "A bit unseasonably warm, but it feels nice. Thanks again for bringing me along. This has been fun!"
"It's been really fun!" Ziggy cheered, "This is totally the best day of my whole life!"
Sparks was glancing down at the Buizel in thought, and chuckled. "Well, no doubt there. I'm glad you're having such a good day, Zig…"
"I didn't realize there were this many cool parks in the city!" Ziggy said, "Oh my gosh, and that ice cream was the best! I'm never gonna get anything but Pinap flavour from now on!"
"I'm happy to see you smiling…"
Ziggy grinned at Sparks, almost in a cheeky sort of way, and then there was a moment of silence before Ziggy sat back up. "But, uh, seriously guys…" he said, his smile changing to a bit more of a demure one, "I…can't thank you guys enough for this. For everything…" Ziggy glanced down at his badge and giggled softly. "It still kinda feels like a dream."
"There's no need to thank us, buddy. We're just doing our jobs. Both as guildmembers…and as friends."
"I'm never gonna forget everything you guys have done for me…" Ziggy said, "You guys saved my life. You helped things get better. I really thought they weren't going to get better, but…they did."
"Things can always get better," Kona said with a matching smile, "Sometimes all you need is a little help."
"Thank you, thank you, for all the help!" Ziggy said, "Now I get to really help others! Oh, this is so great! This is the best!"
Sparks smiled and laughed softly. "You sure seemed to have fun today. I'm glad we could make that happen for you."
"Heheh! I didn't really care what we did. The best part of the day was just hanging out with all my friends!"
All three of the other Pokémon promptly said in unison, "Aww…"
"But yeah, this was really fun! I've always wanted to do this!" Ziggy babbled.
"Really?" Sparks asked.
"Yeah, I've always wanted to just go out and, y'know, explore this big city. I got a bit of that when we went on walks, Sparks, but to just go out and around in random directions. Just to see what we might see."
"Is that so? Well, then, I'm even more glad that we could make this day happen for you."
Ziggy looked down at his badge for the millionth time that day. Like always, it made him giggle gleefully. "Gosh, it feels like with this badge on I can do anything!"
"I have to commend you," Sparks said, "You're showing a ton of bravery today."
"Really?" Ziggy said as he looked up at Sparks, "Aw, it's nothin'. You were right, Sparks. You were all right. Probably nothin's gonna happen. It might, but it probably won't. Just Pokémon being stupid, but who cares, right?"
"Uhh…Well, yeah. Yeah, that's pretty much it. No need to worry, especially if you're out with friends."
"And you've got the best friends right here!" Kona exclaimed as he leaned over and gave Ziggy a quick hug.
Ziggy blushed a little. "You three are all my best friends in the world."
Sparks smiled in appreciation, as did Kona. Danika, however, looked a bit surprised. "Who, me?" she asked.
"Well, duh!" Ziggy giggled, "I mean we've spent so much time together up in your 'dungeon'!"
"Ziggy…You're way too sweet for this world…" The bespectacled Sneasel gave Ziggy the warmest smile.
As Ziggy smiled back at her, Sparks once again marveled at the sight of the Buizel smiling. By this point it was almost magical to see just how much happiness this badge had brought to him. It was one thing to see him smile for the first time since meeting him, but Ziggy had been smiling all day. He had spent the day out in the city, loving life.
Truly, Sparks knew they had given Ziggy more than just a badge. They had given him a purpose. They had given him a reason to be wanted, a reason to be valued. They had given him solid, physical proof that lots of Pokémon cared about him and saw him as more than just a 'useless freak'. That was part of the reason why Sparks had pushed so hard to convince Carmen to go ahead with this whole thing. He knew that receiving the badge, even if he was stuck in training for a long while, would do wonders for his confidence and psyche.
He just had never expected this much right from the get-go.
"Well," Kona said as he stretched out his limbs, "Today's been fun, but we've been out here for hours. It'll be dark soon."
"Dark?" Sparks murmured, and then glanced up at the sky. Among the numerous clouds that were still above them, he could just see the faintest hints of the start of sunset. "Good golly, we have been out here for a while."
"Haha!" Ziggy laughed, "I hadn't noticed. This has just been so awesome!"
"Yeah, we should probably think about calling it a night soon…" Danika said, "We can still do more celebratory stuff back at the guild if we want to."
"Cool!" Ziggy grinned.
"Mhm," Kona agreed with a nod. He then turned to Ziggy and said, "But before we do, I guess…Well, is there anything else you'd like to do? If there's something else you want to do, we can probably squeeze it in."
Ziggy tilted his head slightly and asked, "Like what?"
"I dunno. Is there maybe something you'd really like to do for your special day? Something you, or we, wouldn't normally do? Is there anything you've, maybe, always wanted to do?"
"Uhh…"
"That's not a bad idea, Kona," Sparks said appreciatively. He then addressed Ziggy and said, "Yeah, let us know if there's something special you'd like to do. Today's your day, so we'll make it happen if we can. Maybe there's something you want to buy and we can get it for you as a gift?"
Ziggy knotted his brows in thought for a moment, but then simply shrugged. "Nah, not really…"
Sparks frowned a little and said, "Are you sure? Don't feel shy about asking, bud."
The Buizel shook his head and giggled. "No, I just can't think of anything. This has already been the best day ever! I've had so much fun just hanging out with you guys!"
"Ah, well that's fair," Sparks said with a chuckle.
"Heh, yeah… It's been a really good day already, so I don't think there's any…"
Sparks glanced down as the Buizel trailed off and left his sentence unfinished. He noticed there was a thoughtful, slightly conflicted look on his muzzle. "Zig?"
"Well, uh…" Ziggy looked up at Sparks and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.
"Yes?" Sparks gently prodded.
"…There is one thing…"
