And with this, Chapter 05 is ready to go. I still DO NOT own Pokémon or RWBY and never will, and I hope you all enjoy the new chapter.
Jaune stared at the man, admitting to himself that he honestly hadn't expected an offer to join the Galaxy Team from the older man, his gaze as stern expression not changing as he did so. Then again, somehow, he supposed he should've have been as surprised as he should've, the man beginning to explain his reasonings behind it.
"Please don't be mistaken, I'm not just only offering you this position out of the goodness of my heart, you understand" he said, the tones carrying a strong sense of seriousness that did little to nothing to mask or deceive the blond knight. His words coming out clearly with his stance on his reasoning as solid as Jaune could see. "To be fully honest with you, hearing your story, the fact you have fallen into our hands from out of that rift in the sky, can be enough for me not to trust you at all." Kamado then looked at him with his eyes narrowing a bit, seemingly inspecting him once again. "Are you merely a lost soul who needs help or one who could bring more harm to us than good?" he asked rhetorically, the man clearly not trusting him.
In response, Jaune frowned at the blunt accusations, however saying nothing as the man addressed the situation from his perspectives, barely noticing the man's eyes shining with a hint of somber softness. "You see," the man continued, "While I do not in any ways hold anything against you, I must do what I have to for the sake of the village and it's people" he said. "The villagers... the Galaxy Team, we have all lost so much" he said while closing his eyes, lost in thought as he looked back at the last few years of his life, the reasons they came to Hisui in the first place. "And while we have managed to make a new home in this land, there is still much uncertainty among us all."
Jaune said nothing to that, but his frown from the open accusations turned into one of understanding. Perhaps if he was younger, at least as young as he looked, he might not have fully understood, but in his life, came wisdom and experience with memories of traveling with Team RNJR and later Alyx and Lewis surfacing. The man continued.
"As the leader of both the Galaxy Exploration Team as well as Jubilife Village, my duties are first and foremost to my people. And as such, while it may seem harsh, I will do all I can to protect them, no matter what I must do" he said. For a split second, the man before him reminded of another leader, a man known as James Ironwood. In time, despite not agreeing with the man's actions, he could to some extent understand the late general of Atlas.
Wanting to protect your home, your people, and doing whatever it was you felt you had to. Kamado however seemed less like the general and had more of a reason to be so blunt with his distrust towards the man. No doubt he would do the same as well if it was his family, his friends, who could get hurt, or worse, by someone who fell from the sky.
"I understand, sir" Jaune responded, catching the commander off guard for a second. "A leader isn't necessarily the strongest, or the smartest" he said, words he was told by Ozpin back at Beacon, back when he and his team revealed the truth behind his forged transcripts coming to light, and how the immortal wizard already knew and was well aware about them to begin with. "A leader must be the most reliable, someone who can protect their team and do whatever it takes to do so" he finished, his own blue eyes closing as more memories flooded into the young man.
"Mr. Arc" an older man said to him, sitting at his desk with his team beside him, curiosity in his eyes as he looked at the young man before him, the leader of Team JNPR looking nervous in contrast to his own calm demeanor. "You said you wished to tell me something?" he asked as Jaune said nothing.
"Jaune, I'm sure it'll be alright" a young, red-haired woman said, her green eyes holding concern for him, trying to reassure him as a pair of jade eyes looked at the back of his head, looking at her leader with the same sense of comfort in them.
"I... " Jaune began, nervousness swelling into him as he tried to admit what he had done. "I wanted to come clean, sir" he finally got out, the headmaster showing interest in such a thing. "About my transcripts I mean" he elaborated, earning a look of realization from the headmaster.
So that's what this was about.
"I don't think I belong here" he said, earning frowns from his three fellow teammates, his friends he had made at Beacon, a feeling of shame washing over him as he had already discussed this with them all the night prior, only having been back for about three or so days now. He apologized to Pyrrha, he explained what he did to both Ren and Nora, the raven-haired young man staring at him with shock, then anger that he would pull a stunt, and then strangely enough, understanding and finally acceptance when he revealed he would be coming to Ozpin the next morning to come clean.
Nora, in contrast to anger, was just shocked, albeit hurt that he hadn't really trusted them enough with it, up until now, though he knew that her over-dramatic antics did conceal a bit of heartbreak she must've had when he told her. Still, he did promise to make up for it, he had to as their leader, as their friend.
"I see, Mr. Arc" Ozpin said, his hands folded atop of his desk with a mug of what Jaune assumed to be coffee resting beside them and a neatly organized stack of paperwork on the other side of that. "I am curious as to what brought this on. According to your transcripts, you seem to have the experience to be a wonderful huntsman in the near future."
Jaune practically choked on that, recalling how he asked to make it seem more glorified as they could make it. Instead, he just let out a reply to contradict that. "Actually, I... I have to come clean, sir. I, those transcripts are frauds" he finally said, shame now filling him entirely. "I'm not some kind of prodigy, or a well-trained swordsman. I never even went to a prep-school" he said. Hell, he hadn't even had his aura unlocked. Pyrrha did that for him, the thought of facing any Grimm without his aura, it truly made him realize just how out of his league he was.
And now, now he just spilled the beans, in front of the headmaster himself. He was horrified, afraid as to what happened next. "I-I'm sorry, I know I don't belong, I... I'll leave as soon as I can, I know I deserve worst and-"
"Enough, Mister Arc" Professor Ozpin said, despite his words being calm and soft, somehow stopped his student with a fear-inducing and strong tone. Jaune dared to look up, expecting the man to be glaring at him, a frown on his face, fury shown for him and his team to see.
Instead, he notices the man's demeanor remain the very same, almost appearing a bit more amused than before. Jaune didn't know if that made this better or worse for him. "You may relax, young man" he said as he held a small smile on his face. "You are in no trouble, at the moment" he stated, making Jaune nearly gawk at the man in question.
"B-but I, I just... Huh?" he practically cried out in absolute confusion, wondering why the man wasn't as angry or upset as he thought he'd be, as much as he had every right to be. Such a reaction, a reaction his friends beside him had as well, only served to make the headmaster chuckle a little.
"You are not currently in trouble, Mr. Arc" he said before he reached for the paperwork on the desk, flipping them over and revealing what they truly were. Jaune's heart nearly sank at the sight of them, his name written on them as his forged transcripts laid before him and his team to see. "To be quite honest with you, I had a feeling that this is what you wanted to talk to me about."
"I... wait, you... did you-" Jaune began to ask before the headmaster beat him to it.
"Yes, I am fully aware about your transcripts being forged, Mr. Arc. Both me and Glynda had a rather... heated discussion regarding them" he informed the four, causing each of them to either wince at the phrasing, or in Jaune's case, paling at the thought of what she wanted to do regarding that. "Safe to say, she was more than ready to confront you with them after your initiation, but later chose against it" he finished, leaving the blond-haired swordsman crossed between fearful and fortunate.
"Wait, hold on!" the orange-haired girl, Nora suddenly said. "You two knew Jaune-Jaune's transcripts were fake the entire time?!" she practically shouted as Ozpin nodded his head, readjusting his glassed with his fingers.
"Indeed, Miss Valkyrie" he said, a grin forming from his smile as he seemed more amused than he probably should've. "You are far from the first one to try and forge transcripts, Mr. Arc" he said, having turned to address the young man directly. "And you will no doubt be the last to try such a foolish thing. But as things stand, you were caught before you had a chance... a fine attempt nonetheless" he praised as Jaune stared at the man in disbelief.
"T-then why?" was all he could ask, asking the question that was no doubt on his and his friends' minds. "Why would you accept me, if you knew I was lying?" he clarified, not sure what to make from this. Ozpin picking up the paperwork known as Jaune's transcripts and placing them in a nearby desk drawer.
"Because, Mr. Arc, I sensed an untapped potential from you" he said rather plainly, earning looks from the group of students who were lost in his reasoning. "Tell me, Mr. Arc. What exactly do you know regarding the Great War?" he asked as Jaune frowned a bit.
"The Great War?" he asked, not sure what that exactly had to with any of this. "I mean, my great-grandfather fought in it, he used Crocea Mors and was considered a hero" he said, recalling the man who had indirectly inspired him to even want to be a huntsman in the first place. Ozpin thinking about what he knew of the man in question.
"Yes, if I recall, it was Alexander Arc if I'm correct" he said, addressing the man by name, a name that was given to him before the Color-Name rule that was used in the war. "He was a great man who fought against Atlas and for the King of Vale. A trusted advisor as well as a brilliant tactician" he said with a fond, almost a nostalgic expression escaping from his normally stoic face. 'A good friend of mine, but another failure on my part' he thought somberly, recalling how the man died by the hands of one from Salem's Court. Looking back, perhaps Mr. Arc's parents were correct to keep Jaune away from the huntsman's path. Yet, deep down, Ozpin knew that such a thing would be a mistake.
"Wait, Jaune's ancestor was an advisor?" Pyrrha asked, not knowing such a thing. Having grown up in Mistral her whole life, she was drilled with not only combat training, but history as well. She knew about the Great War, and the King of Vale. Yet she had never even heard of one Alexander Arc before. Ozpin nodded once again.
"Indeed. While he was far from the best fighter, he was a grand tactician, a leader in his own right with a sharp mind that could pick up on even the tiniest of details. Though most of his accomplishments hadn't made it in the records, I can assure you that much of the battles won in the name of Vale were responsible to that very man. Though I suppose there are some who would overlook such a thing" he said, disappointed at that. History was written by the winners but could also be changed and manipulated as well. Understandably, Alexander was one such casualty to such a thing, his credit being given to the generals and the fighters.
"Wow, so that means Jaune's great grandfather was like some super-awesome leader too, right?" Nora asked, sounding amazed at the fact as Jaune was shocked to hear it. His great-grandfather, he was a tactician. Ozpin smiled.
"From what I recall, he was a rather strong-headed man as well, acting with not only his head but his heart. He was someone who would do some rather reckless things, if it meant protecting those, he considered comrades and friends, a true huntsman in nearly every way" Ozpin praised, before looking back at Jaune. "And I decided to take a gamble" he said, revealing another reason to them all.
"A gamble?" Ren asked, his magenta eyes looking at the older man with both confusion and interest.
"Indeed" he said, "I wished to see if Mr. Arc shared such potential as Alexander had, and to my surprise, from what I know of the man, Mr. Arc does indeed share some of such qualities" he revealed, causing Jaune to look towards his headmaster in amazement. He, was just like his great-grandfather? "While you are far from the most gifted student in terms of combat, and your grades are... quite lacking, Mr. Arc-" he said, earning a wince from said student as he continued. "-You do hold quite the tactical side to you, from the cameras we had, you seem to rally your team against that Death Stalker and are rather honest with yourself... despite the dishonesty in your transcripts of course."
"...Thank-you?" he said, not sure how to take the words of the man. Was that a compliment or an insult in regarding his so-called honesty? "S-so, I'm not in trouble?" he asked, a new sensation of hope filling him as Ozpin seemed to frown slightly.
"Regarding your transcripts, no you are not" he said, earning a sigh of relief from both the young man and his fellow students, seemingly much more relaxed now, knowing that their leader was going to be alright- "However," Ozpin said, interrupting their shared train of thought with a word that brought the fear and unease back into them all, "I cannot say the same regarding your overall performance here at Beacon" Ozpin informed, a serious look on his face now revealed for them all to see.
"M-my grades?" Jaune asked as Ozpin nodded, pulling what was left of the paperwork on the desk and showing it to him. Jaune took it, his eyes scanning the sheets with his eyes widening, a feeling of someone punching him in the gut more often and with a greater force the longer he read on.
Safe to say he could understand what Ozpin meant, his grades didn't exactly hold up, not even to a liar like him. Words such as "uninventive, disapointing, disengaged." and many other words written on what appeared to be his permanent record. And those were only from Oobleck, he didn't want to know what Professor Port had him under, and he dreaded knowing what Professor Goodwitch had put down.
Waste of Space, Beowolf Food and some other third insulting but very accurate adjective coming to mind, his gaze turning towards the headmaster, who let out a small sigh. "As you can see, your grades are rather poor, it is to the point that some of the faculty is... displeased with your actions in class" he stated, earning a frown as Ren spoke up.
"T-then what can we do?" he quickly asked, catching Jaune's attention at the concern in his voice. Ozpin looked towards the raven-haired student, a small smile forming despite the seriousness of the situation.
"From what I have heard, you have been training with Miss Nikos, have you not?" Ozpin asked the blond-haired knight, catching him off guard as Pyrrha came to answer for him.
"We have, he's been improving a lot" she said, lying slightly to cover for him. But she had to think of something, anything to keep her leader out of trouble, earning another look from the Arc who was shocked at how his partner defended him. Nora adding onto it.
"Yeah, throw Jaune-Jaune into the wolves and he'll take them all on single-handily" she said, hyping her leader up, making Ozpin chuckle in amusement.
"Quite" he said, not believing such a thing but looking at the man in question. "But I'm afraid this is more than just his combat classes. You will need to work on your other classes as well, studying hard, engaging in class, proving yourself capable of standing beside your peers as a huntsman. You have potential, that much is clear, but as I said at the beginning of the year, these things we will not simply give you, these are things you must grab for yourselves" he reminded, Ozpin's opening speech coming to mind.
And recalling it made Jaune realize now, just what he meant. Another memory, his talk with Ruby coming to mind as well.
"You're a leader now, Jaune. You're not allowed to be a failure" a young girl said, short reddish-black hair with silver eyes peering at him as he seemed unsure of himself.
"But... what if I'm a failure at being a leader?" he asked as she thought about it for a moment, smiling and replying with a single "Nope." At that, the blond-haired knight laughed a bit, joining her on the floor. "You know, you're not the easiest person to talk to about this kind of stuff" he said a little bit better about the situation he was in.
"Nope!" she said, as Jaune leaned into the door behind him a little more, his team behind the wooden frame as the younger student continued. "Jaune, maybe you were a failure when you were a kid," she said, earning a groan from the older student. "...And you might've even been a failure the first day we met" she continued, Jaune once again groaning, recalling how they were both lost, how he threw up on both the ride to Beacon and on the silver-eyed girl's sister's shoes. "But you can't be one now. You know why?" she asked as he looked at her, trying to find an answer.
"Uhhh, because...?" he wasn't sure, unable to find one as Ruby continued.
"It's not just about you anymore. You got a team now, Jaune. We both do!" she said, the leader of Team RWBY said, snapping the leader of Team JNPR out of his funk. "And if we fail, then we'll just be bringing them down with us." she finished, getting up and placing her hands on her hips. "We have to put our teammates first and ourselves second" she said as Jaune was given something to think about, a new sense of understanding coming to mind.
Returning to the real world, Jaune was brought back by Ozpin's voice, who was talking straight to him. "Mr. Arc, do you know what makes a proper huntsman, no... before that, are you aware as to what makes a proper leader?" he asked, causing Jaune to seem just as confused as ever before reflecting Ruby's words back at him.
"It's someone who can't afford to fail, or his team will be brought down as well?" he asked more than said, earning looks from his friends while Ozpin nodded.
"A fine answer, but there is more to that than failing and not" he said, closing his eyes as he reflected on the many failures he had made in his very long existence. "No, a leader is more than simply not failing, it is about being one who cannot inspire trust within his team" he said, earning a shocked look from those of Team JNPR. "A leader, Mr. Arc, is not simply the strongest, or the fastest, or the smartest of the team. It is not the most successful, the one who is the most experienced or even the bravest of them all. Rather it is the one who can inspire trust, to guide them, to do what must be done and to act in the best of not only the team but the task at hand." Looking towards Team JNPR, he fully smiled at them all. "A leader is someone who can make more than the equal of the parts he is given, to protect and lead others as well as stand up for what he believes in and against those that seek to hinder or harm them."
"I... I see" Jaune said, not really sure if he did, Ozpin could tell he didn't fully understand, but he was sure that with time and experience he would.
"I'm sure you do, Mr. Arc" he said as he stood from his chair and made his way towards the window of his office, cane in hand and the coffee mug being snatched by the other. "And I'm sure that in time, you will make a truly great leader, should you apply yourself appropriately that is." With that being said, he dismissed them, a glance at the elevator that led to his office. "And one last piece of advice for you all. While it's true that there are obstacles that obstruct us, even in our most dire of hours, never forget you are not alone, your friends stand beside you, and together, you can accomplish things that alone you cannot hope to achieve. Never forget this..." he said as Jaune felt something form in him.
Happiness, gratitude, acceptance. He could see Ren giving him a silent nod, Nora a wide grin and Pyrrha a smile, warm as he had ever seen before. With one last look and a word of thanks, Team JNPR headed back to their dorms, perhaps with a new sense of unity, a new and more honest beginning for them. He was accepted, he had nothing more to hide. And with all of that, Jaune had a new reason to become a huntsman. If Ozpin, if his friends of Team JNPR and Ruby believed in him, maybe it was time he truly began to believe in himself.
As the memory brought up a bit of nostalgia, perhaps even a fond bit of hope that he would see her again, Kamado however seemed impressed with the young man. "Those words hold true meaning; I must ask how you came to such a conclusion" Kamado asked. Jaune looked at him, his expression turning somber for a moment, looking down as he closed his eyes.
"...A man I called my teacher said that to me, quite a long time ago" he replied, thinking back on those words much differently than when he was still the wide-eyed student back at Beacon. A more morbid thought came to him, wondering if Ozpin had just said that to ensure he had another pawn on the board, but even if that was somehow the case, those words, as he grew and pondered, still held their meaning.
He pondered the wizard's failures, and then he pondered his own. He failed to live up to that, bitterly he recalled those who he failed to help or saved. His partner, Pyrrha, the first person to truly believe in him, the woman who had grown to love him, leaving him and sending him to safety with a confession and a kiss to remember her by, and the last time he heard her voice, those lonely nights of training and the same words coming from his now worthless scroll.
"Alright, Jaune. Just like we practiced" Pyrrha's voice came out, a recording of her on his scroll as he stood to train in the darkness of night. "Follow these instructions. Shield up" she began, "Keep your grip tight. Don't forget to keep your front foot forward" she continued as Jaune followed her advice, a determined expression on his face as he did as such. Having done this many times before, nearly instinctual by this point.
"Ready? Go" the audio came from the scroll, Pyrrha's voice coming out as Jaune raised Crocea Mors tightly and bringing it down, cutting at the emptiness that laid before him, determination on his face. "Again!" the voice came as he repeated his swing. "And again" she said as he followed through a third time, this time spinning in a circle that seemed to cost him a bit more than he thought, the young man feeling a slight sensation of windedness as he did. "Okay. Now, assuming you aren't cheating, we can take a break" she said with a small bit of humor escaping the recorded video in the form of a slight giggle. Jaune standing up as he closed his eyes.
"...I know this can be frustrating..." the video continued, Jaune turning towards it with a softer expression as he saw the face of the woman he grew to love too late in his life, "And it can feel like so much effort to progress in such a small amount of time, but I want you to know that I'm proud of you. I've never met someone so determined to better themselves. You've grown so much since we started training" she praised him, making him once again look away, his chest aching as he fought against the tears welling up.
He was improving, he was growing. Where was this so-called growth when he needed it the most. If he was just a bit stronger, if he could've just made it to her, maybe then she would've... she would've...
"And I know this is just the beginning" she said, happy in a sense before she seemed bothered by something, as if trying to better sort out and clear her thoughts in that moment. "Jaune, I-I..." she began before placing a hand over her heart. "I want you to know that I'm just happy to be a part of your life. I'll always be here for you, Jaune" she said as he couldn't take any more of that, instead silently crying, lamenting in her loss.
Looking down at his hands, he heard the sound of the video rewinding, Jaune doing what he could to wipe away the tears and continuing his training. The video continued again. "Alright, Jaune, just like we practiced. Follow these instructions. Shield up." it repeated as Jaune continued the motions, unaware of a pair of silver eyes, staring at him in sadness.
His mind turned to another red-head, an orange-haired girl with similar green eyes, looking at him with happiness turned despair, the former happy-go-lucky and cheerful android known as Penny Pollendina coming to light. His first shook slightly as he recalled her request, he words, the reminder of yet another person he couldn't save.
"Let me choose... this one thing..." her voice called out weakly, an injured and dying girl laid before him, weakly, pleadingly, reaching up and grasping for Crocea Mors's hilt. "Trust me" she begged him, wanting to make a choice of her own. Jaune said nothing at that, the image of her lifeless eyes, the blood stained upon his blade as blurry, and stinging hindered his vision as he could only hear his own wails of enraged and sorrow-filled lament that was only matched by the shame he felt for doing what she asked of him.
Yet another memory came to him, this time that of a figure, an image that was blurred out by his body's inability to see properly, the reminder of his body silently writhing in agony with the only thing he could make out being a pair of amber eyes that glared down at him with such contempt.
"I'm not some fairy tale character, this isn't some story" the girl snarled at him, her eyes drilling into him, looking at him if he was just some broken toy to her, something that no longer served its purpose. "You aren't some heroic knight" she said again.
"A-Alyx-" he called out weakly, his body weakened, fighting off the poison she snuck into his meal. Why, why was she doing this. He could barely see Lewis looking at the girl in horror, shock at what his sister just did. The Curious Cat however wasn't around, but beyond the flames Alyx stood in front of, for a second, he thought he could've saw a pair of blue eyes, looking at him in amusement.
"No more, I refuse!" she snapped at him, her glare intensifying. "I... I will return to Remnant, I will make it home, and neither you, nor anything else in this... this backwards hell will stop me. You couldn't save your friends; you can't save yourself. So just do us all and the world a favor and just drop dead!" she shouted before turning her heel and leaving, Lewis looking at her in complete disbelief as Jaune's vision faded.
The last thing he heard was a soft voice echoing from the area. "My, what a display" a man's voice said, sounding so amused. "Do not worry, Jaune. I'll make sure you'll be more than just a simple rusted knight when we come back for you... if, we come back for you" the tones of the Curious Cat taunted.
Back in reality, Jaune let out a tired sigh, his body feeling strangely exhausted, his mind not much better as he was slowly waking up to the world around him. As he did, Kamado looked at him with an unblinking gaze, seeing the emotions forming within him, despite how well he tried to knowingly or subconsciously hide it. Anger, confusion, sadness, regret. It was clear to him that this young man had seen more than a fair share of things, his gaze reminding him of someone like Beni's after their homes were destroyed.
Such a thing greatly unnerved the man, proving once again that this young man that fell from the sky, was more than just a simple lost soul who landed in this region. There was much more to the outsider than he could've thought, and yet he had to wonder, just what could he have gone through to warrant such reactions?
"Then, I thank you for understanding my position. Which brings me to my offer" Kamado said, causing Jaune to snap out of his daze. The man continuing from where he left off. "You are an outsider here, and there will be many who will not trust you, especially in Hisui. However, if you truly are looking for a way home, just as you claim, perhaps a chance to prove yourself is all you need."
"A chance to..." Jaune trailed before his eyes widened in understanding. "A job in the Galaxy Team" Jaune realized, understanding while Kamado nodded.
"Alone out there, you may very well survive, but how long or how well off you will be is not something we can claim to know. As I mentioned before, there are only three options for you, technically four I suppose. Your first option would be to travel alone, seek out the land, and find a way back if such a thing is possible at all."
'There has to be a way' Jaune thought immediately, he had to get back, no matter what, he had to make it back for Team RWBY. He had to make it back to Remnant with them, for his friends, his family. There not being a way home was unthinkable.
"Your second option is to join one of the clans" he said as he pondered them over. "There are two clans in Hisui, each one having the tasks to look over certain Pokémon in Hisui. However, they can be just as untrusting as we are, and they have been at war with one another for some time now. Not only would you have them unable to fully trust you at first, but you would no doubt be making a few enemies in the clan you hadn't chosen. Even if they are no longer fighting, tensions are still high, and... as you can guess, this could easily turn sour, should something go amiss."
So, in other words, these two clans were out. True they could help him, but they couldn't take him in. From the sounds of it, these two clans absolutely hated one-another, apparently at war not to long ago. Kamado was right, it was probably best to stay away from them unless he needed to.
"The third option" Kamado continued, "Would probably be to join the Ginkgo Guild" he said, catching Jaune's attention. "They are a neutral faction, they travel the region as merchants, and could be your best bet, should you wish to travel. However, with these recent disappearances, their current leader, Ginter, has been cautious as of late. Regardless, should you get on Ginter's good side, he might very well accept you as one of his."
The Ginkgo Guild, a traveling group of merchants? That actually seemed like a good idea, he could travel in numbers, perhaps even find something on the way. Maybe one of them could help him find a way back? It could be possible, but somehow, Kamado seemed to hint against it. 'Those disappearances again, just what is going on?' Jaune thought as Kamado finished.
"And your final option. To join the Galaxy Team as a member of one of our corps" he said while standing from his seat and moving back towards his main desk. "I'm unsure how much you might have already learned, but the Galaxy Team comes in several different corps. Mainly the Agricultural Corps, the Security Corps, the Supply Corps, the Survey Corps, the Construction Corps, and finally, the Medical Corps" Kamado said.
"The Security Corps protects the village, the Medical Corps are the doctors who tend the injured... the Survey Corps are working on the Pokedex..." Jaune said, mulling over what Kamado had said, the other man nodding his head.
"Indeed. You have already shown to be decent in catching Pokémon, at least according to Laventon. More so, this would allow you to travel about Hisui to look for leads on a way back or why you are here to begin with. Even if there is no way out, you will be allowed to explore and return to the village."
Jaune said nothing, but the way Kamado worded it, it sounded like he wanted him to join the Survey Corps. His eyes narrowed slightly, causing Kamado to continue.
"It is your choice to make, I will not force you onto this path. However, as a member of the Survey Corps you will be able travel freely and in turn we will allow you to remain in the village to rest and recover from your travels" he said. "It is your best bet, and I will admit, that progress on the Pokedex has been growing harder as of late."
"...So, you want me to help out with the Pokedex, to catch Pokémon, while I travel Hisui?" Jaune asked, being a bit blunt about it as Kamado simply nodded once again. "...Well, I'm not sure how well I'm going to be catching Pokémon. I got lucky the first time."
"Luck or skill, we cannot determine which of those as of yet. You came from the sky and had shown promise. If you can contribute in such a way, not only will you do a great service for our Survey Corps, but you will also be able to better adapt to this world of ours. Not only that, but you will also be able to use whatever Pokémon you catch, which will allow you to better survive out in wilderness. Any Pokémon you catch will be in our pastures and as a result, and you will be given a choice whether or not you wish to keep them or leave them to be researched and later released back into the wild."
Jaune listened to Kamado's reasoning, recalling the mentioned pastures the day prior. There were several Pokémon he had seen, he was amazed at some of them, birds and bugs, creatures that looked like horses and more. Soon, memories of the Afterans came to mind, not only that, but having a team of these Pokémon creatures could help him out in more ways than one.
"What exactly would I have to do as a part of the Survey Corps?" Jaune asked the other man, knowing the basics from the professor but not the entire thing. Kamado seemed to have smiled a bit, hearing Jaune's curious tones regarding the survey corps.
"Your duties will be simple enough" Kamado said. "You will seek out Pokémon, catch them to help in our research. Travel alongside them and help the villagers in Pokémon-related problems" Kamado finished. Jaune however seemed to freeze for a second, his mind recalling something, an odd dream he had last night, a light, a whisper.
"Seek out Pokémon" he whispered under his breath, going unnoticed by Kamado but Juniper looking at him with confusion.
"By catching different Pokémon and helping the villagers, you will also earn their trust. As I mentioned before, this is your choice. I am merely giving you an option" the commander said. "So, the question remains, what will you decide?" he asked, looking at Jaune as he awaited his answer. Jaune however mulled it over more and more. The dream he had, to seek out all Pokémon. Kamado wasn't wrong when he said he could probably travel freely, and it seemed like a good place to begin. If he was going to travel Hisui, a world filled with Pokémon, who according to Laventon were capable of feats even Huntsmen and Huntresses can do, it was probably a good idea to have an expert like Laventon help him.
As much as he hated to admit it, he was a stranger here, he knew less about this world than he had when he faked his transcripts for Beacon, or when he first fell. The last thing he needed was to somehow travel back in time or something again. The more he thought about it, the more he came to his decision. Looking at the other man, Jaune smiled.
"...Alright then, where do I start?" Jaune asked, Kamado looking at him with a pleased expression, a smile on his face, knowing things were going to change very soon if things played out the way he hoped.
"So, you accepted" Cyllene said, or rather Captain Cyllene said as she looked at him. Jaune looking back at her and nodded, his sword back on his waist while Juniper sat beside him. "Professor Laventon had convinced us to give you a chance, despite what you might think regarding your skills in catching Pokémon, the fact you managed to catch two without even the tiniest sliver of experience could lead us to something."
"Yeah, it should be interesting" Jaune commented, a small laugh filled with some nervousness escaping as he seemed less eager about this so-called test Kamado had told him about. Cyllene however did not find the humor in Jaune's words. She was aware it would be interesting, but not all kinds of "interesting" meant it was good. As far as she was aware, he could still easily meet his end out there on even the most basic of assignments. The current state of his sword was enough to question how qualified he truly was.
"Interesting or not, we will not know until you have passed this test. Normally you would simply be tasked with catching a Pokémon or two..." she said, looking at the newest recruit dead in the eyes before narrowing them. "However, if we really want to see what you're capable of, perhaps a different test is in order?" she pondered aloud, earning a quirked eyebrow from Jaune and a frown from Juniper, the small silver-furred fox not liking where this was going. "You will be tasked with catching three different Pokémon" she declared, having decided on what his test should be.
"Three Pokémon?!" Akari shouted, having remained behind as she was asked to stay by the older woman, all while Rei and Professor Laventon returned to his lab in the room over, the doors closed as they talked about their research. Cyllene nodded her head, addressing Akari now.
"Jaune had shown his abilities to catch two out of the three run-away Pokémon the evening before, had he not?" Cyllene asked, as Akari frowned a bit. "Then I see no other reason why he cannot do the same as a test. More so, this will test him in not only catching Pokémon, but will let us see how well he conducts himself in Pokémon battles."
"Pokémon battles?" Jaune asked, a frown on his face as he looked at Juniper. "You mean, fighting with my Pokémon" Jaune guessed as Cyllene nodded.
"You have a partner, that Eevee, do you not?" Cyllene asked as Juniper quickly ran and hid behind Jaune. "I am sure you will be able to handle yourselves. Akari will be supervising you, as will Professor Laventon, since this was mainly his idea" she said as she frowned slightly. 'And I will not allow that fool to so eagerly allow his Pokémon to run astray. Perhaps this will be a better punishment than doing paperwork?' she thought, recalling how she had to go gather him when she learned those three Pokémon escaped.
"Not that I'm against it, Ma'am" Akari said, before she turned to Jaune. "But... how well can you even battle, Jaune?" she asked him, looking at him curiously. "You sounded like you don't know what a Pokémon Battle even was?" she said as Jaune seemed to be caught by that little bit of information. "Have you... even had a battle before?" she asked, her gaze towards him narrowing as she realized she was onto something, Cyllene understanding her concern.
"I see, that could be an issue. Thankfully we can remedy that easily enough" she said before she turned to Jaune. "Have you ever had a battle before?" she asked the blond swordsman, who just gave her a flat look.
"No, I just arrived here yesterday" was all he said. Akari frowned as Cyllene seemed taken back by his somewhat blunt and emotionless tones. She however rephrased her question.
"I mean, have you and... Juniper had any battle experience?" she asked as she immediately got her answer. Eyeing the foxlike Pokémon, she noticed it tense up, looking on in fear and trying to hide back behind Jaune like it had before. Jaune looking at her worried as he picked up the small Pokémon and held her in his arms.
"Not really, I honestly don't know much about her to be honest" he admitted as he tried to comfort her. "Juniper, did you want to give it a try-"
"Eevee, Eevee!" she cried out, shaking her head no in fear as she made it crystal clear she did not want to fight. Come to think of it, she seemed really worried when she was kicked by that Rowlet, and looking closer at her, she still seemed to have a small bruise from where she was struck. Looking at her, Jaune came to a conclusion. 'Juniper isn't originally a Pokémon, maybe... she doesn't want to battle? Or maybe she knows she can't battle other Pokémon?' he thought to himself, questioning things before a new voice interrupted.
"Oh, my... what seems to be the problem?" Laventon asked as he walked into the room, the doors now open with Rei nowhere in sight. "I sent Rei to collect a few things from the general store for me. Though I can tell by your faces that something isn't quite right."
"Professor, did you know Jaune had no experience with Pokémon?" Akari asked as the man looked at her for a moment and then towards Jaune himself.
"I mean, he did just fall from the sky not even a day ago, I wouldn't expect him to know too much about Pokémon at all, no offence of course" he said as Jaune took no offense at all. He didn't know anything about Pokémon. That was one of the few reasons he even accepted the be a member of the Survey Corps.
'Seek out Pokémon, your role...' he recalled the words, not sure how he heard them. He heard them from his dream, but could barely even remember it, thus making things even stranger for him.
"But I'm sure with some help from little Juniper there, you will be able to battle in no time-"
"Juniper doesn't want to battle" Jaune interrupted the man, causing him to stop mid-sentence. "Honestly, I think she's afraid of battling" he said, the Eevee behind him hiding from the professor, causing him to frown a bit.
"Oh, well I see where that could be an issue" he said as Cyllene sighed.
"If he does not have a Pokémon who wishes to battle, then he will have a harder time catching Pokémon as a member of the Survey Corps. We can offer you a replacement Pokémon, should you wish" Cyllene offered as Jaune frowned.
"Juniper means a lot to me, I can't just replace her" he said as Akari frowned slightly. Not that she was trying to sound rude, but why would he want to carry around a Pokémon that couldn't really battle. She could see if he wanted to raise her as a pet, but if she couldn't battle, or rather want to battle, then why not have the small creature rest in the pastures and use a Pokémon that did want to battle, her mind moving towards her Oshawot as she thought about it more.
Suddenly her eyes widened, her Oshawot, the Pokémon he helped catch. 'Maybe...' she pondered before turning to the professor. "Professor, what about that other Pokémon, the one me and Rei didn't choose?" she asked as Jaune seemed confused at first, but Laventon suddenly brightened up.
"Why, Akari... that is a great point. Yes, perhaps that could solve our problems" he said before turning to Jaune, pulling out a familiar device. "Jaune, I might have the solution here" he said before pushing the button on the capsule in question. Jaune looked on in amazement as a light came from the now-opened Poke Ball, a familiar creature appearing in front of them all.
"Cyndaquil!" it called out, happy to be out of the Pokeball before looking around. Akari smiled at the small creature, Cyllene quirking an eyebrow but catching on quickly to what he meant to do. Jaune seemed to eye the creature in confusion and curiosity, no doubt reflecting back the creature's own confusion before it turned towards the professor.
"This one here is called a Cyndaquil, the very first you actually caught her yourself if I recall correctly" the professor said as Jaune nodded, remembering him throwing that very Pokeball at it when he first tried to catch the three runaways Pokémon. "Very fitting I dare to say, with Rei having decided on Rowlet and Akari choosing Oshawot as their partners, I wasn't sure what I would have Cyndaquil be used for to be honest. But if you're going to be going into the field, then she can do you a lot of good" he said with a smile.
"...She?" Jaune asked as he looked at the Cyndaquil in confusion, said Pokémon tilting her head until she noticed Juniper making her way towards her, a smile on the fox's face that was soon met with one of the porcupine creature's own. "You mean, you're giving her to me?" he asked as Laventon nodded.
"I see no reason not to. She might seem rather timid at times, but she is still a good Pokémon to have on hand. Plus, you can still keep Juniper with you with no worries" he replied as Cyllene nodded.
"Most of us usually have around three or four Pokémon at a time, it is incredibly rare for someone to carry around a full team of six. As to why only six, that is something no one really knows" the captain said, adding in her own two cents. "With two Pokémon, Juniper and that Cyndaquil, you will still be allowed to carry four other Pokémon."
"Alright then, if it's alright with all of you?" he asked, earning a nod from Laventon, who handed him the small Pokeball. Akari seemed to smile at this. "I guess, we're traveling together. The three of us, huh?" he asked the two Pokémon. Juniper seemed to smile at him, Cyndaquil following suite as she seemed too eager to join him. Holding out the Pokeball, he pushed the button again, recalling the blue and yellow Pokémon to her resting place. "Well, I guess that's that then?" he asked before Cyllene spoke up.
"It is, but I will give you a final warning" she said, causing them all to turn towards her. "Pokémon are wonderful creatures, but they are also dangerous. There had been several instances where we had lost some of our members to some of the more... aggressive Pokémon of this land" she said, closing her eyes and taking a sigh. Akari frowned slightly while Laventon lowered his head. "This is not an easy task for anyone. Your life will be in danger, should you continue this path. I ask you this, one last time. Are you sure, you wish to join the Survey Corps?" Cyllene asked Jaune, her eyes narrowed more than normal as she wanted to make sure.
"...I don't have much of a choice, I already said I would" Jaune said without a hint of fear. "I'm a bit tougher than I look, and it's like you said, I have both Juniper and Cyndaquil with me. We'll just play it safe and be careful" he assured her as she stared at him for a minute before nodding her head.
"Then I will give you your mission" she said before reaching for a sheet of paper. "Your task will be simple... you will catch four Pokémon within the Obsidian Field lands" she stated, declaring his mission to them all. "You will catch a Bidoof, a Starly, a Shinx and a Buizel. Only after you have caught all four Pokémon will you officially be a member of the Survey Corps."
Four Pokémon, that seemed, rather hard at first. Looking back, he didn't even know what any of those Pokémon were. But he would still give it a try. Cyllene turned to a stunned Akari.
"Akari, you and Professor Laventon will escort and watch over Jaune, should anything happen I expect you to interfere" she said, Akari nodding her head as she knew what she was asked to do. With that, Jaune inspected the Pokeball that Laventon had given him, holding it up and recalling the small creature back to her resting place, still not entirely sure on what to make of it all.
"Well then, I believe with that out of the way, we can begin our trials, if you feel up to it" Laventon said as Jaune looked at him and nodded, before realizing something. "But do you think we can grab something to eat first?" he asked, not sure if he could or not. Cyllene gave him a deadpanned stare, Akari following suit with even Juniper giving him an odd look. Laventon grinned for a moment at that. "Perhaps once we get to the camp. I'm sure we can discuss more regarding your trials while we eat. And it would be better to have a meal before a mission Afterall" he said in good fun, causing Cyllene to shake her head in minor disappointment.
Minutes later, she looked on while the three of them left, heading to the Obsidian Field lands for their newcomer's trial to begin. As the main door closed, she made her way back to the desk, Abra having been there, seemingly asleep for the entire conversation. Sitting down and returning to her work, she pondered to herself more about the could be subordinate. He was truly unlike most others she had met, which did little to ease her nerves.
"If he is a threat, then he must be watched. I believe it would be better if we kept someone like this close" she muttered out Kamado's words, the commander's tone ordering her to keep an eye on him. It was clear he was hiding something, as to what that was, she had no need to pry unless she had to. Looking at one of the reports, she frowned, 'Another Alpha Pokémon attack...' she thought, a frown now fully on display. Another day passes, another incident that occurs.
Subconsciously she turned towards her left, away from Laventon's lab and at where the medical bay was located. Recalling the condition, a member of the Security Corps was in, covered in burns, nearly dead and having been saved by pure luck. No doubt Pesselle was going to be busy with that.
She could only hope the best for Akari and Laventon. As she continued her work, she was unaware of Abra, who floated in the corner of the room, stirring from its sleep. It's eyes glancing up as it narrowed its eyes. Something was amiss, and whatever it was, seemed to make it uneasy.
Above the Galaxy Halls, a pair of eyes looked at the three forms of Jaune, Laventon and Akari, talking to someone near the main gate of the village that would lead them to the Obsidian Field lands. As they began to depart, the eyes seemed almost happy to see them leave. "Follow them but be careful not to get caught" she said in a hushed tone, a nearby shadow seemingly complying as it began to make its way around the village, willing to fulfill the task of its friend. As the shadow swiftly made its way to spy on them, the figure smiled, eager to hear just what this mysterious swordsman could do.
'Don't disappoint us now, Jaune' she thought before returning to her tasks at hand. 'Otherwise...' she trailed off sadly, not wanting to finish that possible outcome and instead vanishing from view and wishing him the best of luck.
And with that, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, hopefully I got any typos since I had to mostly scan the document with Fanfiction's spell check and half of the typos I made didn't even appear until the fifth time I saved the document. I had to re-spell the word Pokémon well over 10-15 times. So yeah, there's that. So, if there are any typos I missed, I apologize on that. That being said however, I know it's strange that I'm not having Juniper battle, but she'll play an important role in the story coming up. So as of now, Jaune's only real Pokémon is currently Cyndaquil. Jaune's team is picked out, and Jaune will be traveling with a full team, Juniper acting as the unofficial 7th Pokémon. With that, I hope you have a great day.