A/N: As usual, if there's anything you wish to see altered or added, leave a review. It would help significantly.


Neltharios watched as many more parties shuffled into and out of the scene. Even thirty minutes after Kruler and Kroto were taken away, he saw the crowd only getting larger. He had attempted to locate his cohorts amidst the chaos unfolding but could find neither the Axew nor the Bagon. Soon he had given up, opting instead to get some food.

"Y-You can't charge me with that! How can I be held liable!?"

The squealing, yet oddly deep voice of a Koraidon drew Neltharios' attention to his right. Three Magnezone and a strange black and white bipedal bear with yellow accents stood in front of Coach Setzo and Dr. Mamado. The Koraidon appeared to be pleading with the opposing group, drawing only scathing looks from his opposition.

"Because as an instructor, you assume a responsibility over your students," The Urshifu explained, "Given that you are new here and that your culture is… erm, different, you will likely have a lesser charge in the courts. However, the same cannot be said about the chairs of the University."

"N-NO! Please!" Setzo turned to the Miraidon, "Is there anything at all we can do?!"

Dr. Mamado closed his eyes and shook his head. "Adonis. Stand back and let me handle this." Setzo did as told and lowered his head even lower in shame.

"Detectives, you are aware of the Law of Ten, correct?" The Miraidon asked, opening his eyes.

The investigators looked between each other, drawing confused looks from all members of the team. Leering at Dr. Mamado, the Urshifu responded, "And the relevance of that is?"

"There is a clause in the Law of Ten that protects individuals from the actions of those beneath them. This extends to instructors and the actions of their students. To be held liable for the actions of the students, Mr. Setzo would have to be proven to be negligent or otherwise malicious in the planning of the assignment." Dr. Mamado crossed his metallic arms and flickered his eyes, "In other words, you must prove that Mr. Setzo had prior knowledge of the presence of a Mystery Dungeon AND that he intentionally allowed the students to go into Twist Forest."

The detectives were left in shock. The Urshifu let out a growl to intimidate the Miraidon, though he was left unphased. "…Damn you… How could we forget about that?" He uttered.

The Miraidon smirked and the sparks on his face flickered yellow, "Unlike you, I have quite the repository of knowledge embedded into my being. Perhaps you should brush up a bit more."

"Quiet Mamado!" The Urshifu grunted, "We'll carry out the rest of the investigation now! Just stay out of our way."

The group stormed towards Neltharios. The Urshifu stomped in front of the Charmander, locking the fire type in place. "Move along, kid!" He shouted as Neltharios was bumped out of the way. Neltharios peered at the Urshifu and his gang, storming towards another group of students.

"O-oh, thank you Morris. You-"

CLANG!

The Miraidon's arm boomed as it collided with the Koraidon's head. "You moron! You blockhead!" The Miraidon's sparks had changed from yellow to red, "What were you thinking!? Did the sandwiches here kill your brain cells!?"

"I…"

"I worked so hard to get you this job with me and you're going to throw it away?! Get it together, or you'll have more than a run-in with the chairs and the law." Dr. Mamado, then realizing the gold-scaled Charmander staring straight at him, adjusted his tone, "Neltharios? How long were you here?"

"Just long enough to see the ending to that scene," Neltharios explained, "What was that about?"

"…If you promise not to tell anybody, then I will explain." Dr. Mamado offered.

"Deal," Neltharios agreed, "So what happened?"

"The officials here were investigating Adonis on the basis of Criminal Negligence because two students escaped into the forest," Mamado leered at Setzo, making him wince, "And this idiot was going to run his mouth."

"You mean Kroto and Kruler, right? What happened to them?"

The Miraidon looked up to the sky, "Your peers that went into that dungeon faced an alpha Pokémon. Supposedly alpha Pokémon went endangered hundreds of years ago at the advent of complex Pokémon civilizations." He then looked directly at Neltharios, "Alpha Pokémon are thought to be infinitely stronger and have moves that their normal counterparts cannot learn."

Neltharios tapped his fingers at that last part. Hmm. I wonder if there's an alpha Charizard. Is there a way to become an alpha? What if I'm secretly an alpha? Thoughts began to bubble up in his head, clouding up his headspace.

"All recorded instances of alpha Pokémon have been ferals, only being found in extreme conditions. Such conditions include areas of extreme heat, such as inside a volcano or in areas of high pressure as in a deep-sea basin. But according to Team Ventus, the alpha Pokémon that your peers had faced was not only unnatural, but had only recently spawned, struggling to adjust to its surroundings."

"W-What?!" Neltharios questioned, "How?"

"We don't know. We're pressed for information now, so we'll have to wait and see. Classes will have to be pushed back a week for this." The Miraidon then turned his back to Neltharios to face the despairing Koraidon, "Now, remember our deal and get out of my sight. I need to treat a blockhead the way he needs to be."

The Charmander silently complied and moved away from the duo. Taking a stroll, he attempted to take in all the information. If alphas are spawning in Mystery Dungeons now, what will that mean for Traxy and I? He can't handle himself, especially if we fight one of those things. Neltharios then pressed his hands together. But that makes it even more worth it if we take one of those things down. Our team will be one of the best! We can be better than Team Ventus!

Neltharios then began picking up his pace, skipping down the path towards the inner campus. Yes! We can do it! Kruler! Kroto! Traximus and I will pick up where you guys left off! We'll hunt down and take out an alpha, just you wait!


Team Ventus managed to avert the crowd's chaos, fleeing into a private inn deep in the city. The trio stand in the center of their room with Grady being closest to the connection orb. A silent tension grips the three's beaks shut. A cold sweat trickled Grady's neck.

"This report isn't gonna file itself, boss." Fuego quipped nervously.

Grady gave Fuego a grumpy sigh, "I know… I just hate having to report to this guy." He pecked at the connection orb, brightening it, "But we're going to have to do it eventually."

"Welcome, Team Ventus," A robotic voice greeted, "What would you like to do?"

The Staraptor gulped loudly. "C-contact Sergeant Garland. We have news from Kira University. Priority negative-one."

"Understood. Contacting Sergeant Garland."

As the connection orb begun flashing, it emitted several sound cues to indicate a code. The tension grew between the three of them. The Talonflame began shaking nervously. Then suddenly, the sound cues stopped, and a split second of silence was superseded by a lumbering voice on the other end of the line.

"This is Sergeant Garland, speak quickly."

Grady cleared his throat and stiffened his back straighter. "Sergeant Garland, sir, we have a report to give you."

"Can it wait? I have more important things to deal with."

"Um…sir? I-it's important," The Staraptor stammered, "It has to deal with the recent… events."

An audible sigh was heard on the other end of the line, "You mean the little Mystery Dungeon spat? I know about it."

"No, it's more than that," Grady retorted.

"Then out with it! I haven't got all day!"

"There was an alpha attack in that forest. Our team was lucky enough to be in the area at the time to save those students."

…No response. The chilling sound of silence fell on the other end of the line.

"S-sir?" Fuego called, his talons digging into the floor.

"You said. WHAT?" There was a slamming noise following the Kommo-o's outburst.

Aile shut her eyes, "He said an alpha sir-"

"An ALPHA!? On top of EVERYTHING else we have to deal with!" Garland's outraged voice caused the trio of Team Ventus to wince in unison. The Kommo-o's voice then became somewhat distant, "How did Talgeria allow this epidemic to get outta control!? Even at the beginning at the decade Talgeria has been having these issues and now they're leaking into our territory!"

Fuego looked at Grady, his eyes filled with horror. "Talgeria had issues with alphas for years? How did we not know about this?"

Grady continued staring downward, "I-I don't know. When we were overseas in Lively Town, the Expidition Society had these problems too. But I thought it was contained in that sector."

"First Talgeria, Treasure Town, Lively Town, and now our very home! How many agents must we devote to these beasts alone!?"

Grady locked up. Wait, Treasure Town too? As in where Wigglytuff's guild is? What did we miss?!

Garland's voice then became clearer and angrier, "You three! You will be coming with me to have a talk with the Prime Minister, understood!?"

"U-understood, sir…" The three gulped.

The connection orb immediately cut out, its color draining from the source.

Numerous moments passed. None of the members of Team Ventus wanted to pick up the orb. All three stood in silence in various states of tension. A wave of unease and nervousness temporarily overtook their ability to speak.

"That could have g-gone worse…" Aile nervously quipped, drawing a horrified look from Fuego.

"Yeah? Now we must see the Prime Minister! Which means international conflict is likely to follow!" Fuego snapped, making Aile cringe, "I don't wanna go back to Talgeria!"

"I don't like this either," Grady deadpanned, regaining some of his stoic composure, "But we have to contend with the hand we've been given. Dealing with the Prime Minister is small pickings compared to what the alphas can put us through, right?"

That last question was powerful enough to draw silent weeping from the Talonflame to Grady's right. Aile hung her head down solemnly, desperately willing away her urge to pass out.


-Kira University – Infirmary-

"Ah. You're finally awake."

Raising her head up, Kruler felt positively miserable. The insufferable ringing in her ears kept her from focusing on things properly. That's not to say anything about the state of her arms, as despite the diminished pain, the burns still lingered on her bandaged appendages. Her vision clearing, she noticed an Oranguru standing in front of her, his leaf lazily hanging from his left hand.

"How are you feeling?" The Oranguru asked, raising his leaf slightly.

"Living," The Totodile grumbled quietly, observing the Audino behind him moving around the room.

The Oranguru rubbed his chin as he narrowed his eyes. "Then let's get this over with," he lifted up a strange sheet of paper, "Aside from your burns, you appear to be relatively fine in comparison to your cohort. With Heal Pulse treatments, you should fully recover within the week." He placed the sheet on the counter to his right, "Now, if you don't mind me asking. What happened, exactly?"

Kruler's eyes widened. She became fixated on his second statement. "Wait, what do you mean by 'in comparison to my cohort?'"

"I'm not at leisure to tell you the specifics," The Oranguru shut his eyes.

Kruler tapped her digits together, "Can I at least know how he's doing?"

"He briefly went into a critical state just a while ago but stabilized shortly before you woke up."

Critical? Wait. The mental image of Kroto's blood staining the grass raced through Kruler's mind, sending a grim chill down her spine. Subconsciously, she began to hyperventilate ever so slightly. Was he… Dying? Because of my mistake? No. That can't be right!

"Now, if I may ask again. What happened?" The Oranguru opened his eyes and gave a sympathetic look towards her.

Kruler grew nervous, her cold sweat trickling the back of her neck. She soon rubbed her temples as her head began to hurt. The pain in her arms intensified as the scene of her waterfall dissipating against the alpha's membrane and searing her scales played over and over in her head.

"Okay, I understand," The Oranguru cited, placing the sheet of paper on the desk next to him, "If the trauma is still too potent, then we can assess another time. Your health comes first after all."

The Totodile merely nodded her head, while keeping it low. I almost killed him, didn't I? I…

"Alright. Are you fit enough to head back to your dorm? We can have an administrator act as an escort for you if you wish."

"I-I can handle myself… Thanks though." Kruler slid off the table, mentally willing herself to fight through the stinging sensation in her arms.

"Very well then. If you insist, I will file for your release. Please do be careful on your way out."

Making her way out, Kruler disdainfully headed in the direction of the exit. Upon exiting, she was greeted to a Koraidon who looked utterly defeated. The Totodile looked up, forming a slight throbbing sensation in the front of her head.

"Hey kid… Y-You doin' okay?" Setzo muttered, his voice trembling and his eyes fixating on Kruler's arms.

The Totodile shifted her eyes around, "I'm okay. These burns are annoying, but I'll survive."

Setzo tapped his crimson fingers together, concern intensifying across his entire body. "And what about that Passimian? Is he doing okay?"

The question gripped at the inner reaches of her mind, the mental images resurfacing again for a second time. The Totodile locked up and her other thoughts came to a screeching halt. "I-I Don't. Know…" Kruler managed to slip out.

The Koraidon's pupils dilated, and for a moment it seemed like his heart stopped. Said moment was spent in silence, the wordless exchange communicating more between the two than any phrases can convey. Upon regaining his bearings, Setzo hung his head low and began to cry.

"S-sorry for ruining your first day here. It was all my fault," He lifted his head up slightly, allowing Kruler to see the glint of tears in his eyes, "I hope your friend is better."

Kruler watched as Setzo trudged past her and into the infirmary. Lost in thought, Kruler continued forward and towards the direction of her dorm. I can't let something like this happen again. At least we both ended up alive after that, which I'm glad for. Her face contorted into a snarl. But damn that Magcargo! If I ever see one of those again I'll-

"Kruler!?"

Looking to her left, she sighted Palla jogging in her direction. She seemed rather concerned but had an odd air of excitement to her being, evident by her pacing. What's got her so peppy? Wasn't she all mopey yesterday? Kruler thought to herself.

"Thank goodness I found you," The Axew said, catching her breath, "Are you okay?"

Kruler rolled her neck, "Aside from the stinging arms and bruised ego, I'd say I'm fine. But why are you out of breath? Did you need me for something?"

"Yeah! I met this guy named Traximus who said he knew you! He wanted to talk to you about forming an Exploration Team!"

Kruler nearly bit her own lip at that statement. "What!? Now? But I just got out of the infirmary! And what about his friend!?"

Palla signaled Kruler to follow, not wanting to touch her arms. "That's exactly why he wanted to talk to you personally. He didn't know how long you were gonna be in there, so he sent me to ask you. But since you're better, you can come with us, right?"

"I guess…" The Totodile rolled her eyes.


Breaking News! Out of Kira University

On the mere first day of classes, an incident occurred in which two students had wandered into a Mystery Dungeon. Witness accounts report that the two students were completely unsupervised, being at the mercy of the elements of the dungeon. The instructor of the students at the time, Adonis Setzo, the famed spikeball champion, was taken in for questioning immediately following the incident. Had it not been for the exploits of Team Ventus, led by Grady Enrys, the two young Pokémon may have met a disastrous end. Enrys, when asked about the dungeon, commented, "An oversight enabled these students to waltz into the forest unattended and get themselves into danger. Thankfully we were called in when we were. All we can say is that for some reason, Twist Forest has become unsafe for casual exploring. We request that civilians and inexperienced exploration teams refrain from exploring Twist Forest until the government can parse the cause for these issues."

Complicating the issue, one of the two victims had second-degree burns while the other had sustained minor damage to their lungs due to excessive smoke inhalation. No Pokémon in Twist Forest are known to be fire types. The running theory by many at the time is that they were attacked by an outlaw, perhaps The Notorious 'Derge. Nobody knows for certain, and Team Ventus had declined further comment. But one thing remains clear. The surrounding area of Kira University must be investigated.

-C. Vincent, your valiant Chatot reporter


~ End of Chapter 1 ~


Chapter 1 finally concludes. The final bit was quite shorter than I expected, but it's for good reason.

Next: Making it official; Suspicious moods?