Who's excited? I am! I'm over the moon. I hope these breather chapters have been calming enough, because we are heading straight back into madness after this chapter!
So funny story. This chapter originally was meant to be part of the previous chapter. Then I realised I'd be hitting 20,000+ words and thought maybe I should split it up. Hope you all enjoy!
I will warn, however, that blood has a role in this chapter. It's not as terrible as you may all be thinking! Just, anyone who is freaked out by any blood keep an eye out for the paragraph that starts with. "Now this may hurt a tad," got that? Cool.
Running was sorta fun, Sean decided. It certainly was better than being chased around by a bone-wielding monster, however, so the meowth would take what he could get.
On the morning after Dusknoir had returned with Uxie, the guild had mobilised and began to set off.
Team Ion, Wigglytuff, Chatot, Chimecho and Dusknoir saw off the rest of the guild as each apprentice was sorted into teams and sent off to where the Time Gears had been taken.
With time frozen and no guardians there, they hoped that something helpful could be found. Either a clue to the thief, or some sort of direction to any remaining Time Gears.
Once everyone was gone, Chatot hurried Rai and Mane to take up sentry duties and pulled Wigglytuff aside to brief him on the speech he had to make to Treasure Town.
"Dusknoir, if you could round up the townsfolk? They are most likely to quickly listen to you," Chatot asked as he dragged a reluctant Wigglytuff along.
The Ghost-type nodded sagely. "Certainly, I'd be happy to assist," Dusknoir said grandly and floated off to spread the word.
Sean had been left to do what Marowak had ordered him to do, run.
As he knew what Wigglytuff was going to be explaining, he saw no need to circle around the town square. Instead he ran along the outskirts, moving in and out of the town when his path became blocked.
The meowth wasn't running particularly fast. He didn't want to wind himself so quickly, and even then, upon the first circle of the pokémon settlement his legs were beginning to burn.
"Pain means it's working," Sean repeated as he forced himself along for another lap.
After the second lap pokémon were beginning to assemble and Sean slipped out of town to take a drink at the waterhole. He looked up to where the Wigglytuff Guild loomed, giant pink face leering over the town, and thought of Rai and Mane.
He felt bad for the two, but Chimecho still hadn't cleared them. Rai was getting restless, however. Sean had suffered an earlier morning than he was happy with, thanks to the energy of the shinx.
Getting up any morning was earlier then he was happy with.
"Good morning!" A chipper voice cut through his thoughts and Sean nearly choked on the water still in his mouth.
He coughed a few times for breath and quickly felt a paw giving him a few good, if excessive, smacks to the back, and his throat cleared. "Thank you," he gasped, blinking tears from his eyes.
"No problem," Riolu replied, smiling warmly as Sean squinted at him. "Sorry for startling you."
"Meh." Sean waved a paw. "I'm fine, no harm done."
"Good to know." Riolu smiled and pointed a blue-furred paw to the town. "Something going on? I heard a few pokémon chatting about some town meeting being called?"
"The guild has some news to share," Sean answered, grimacing a little. "It's, uh… not good news. You'd probably better get along, Wiggly- ahem. Guildmaster Wigglytuff is going to be explaining everything."
"So are you helping spread the word?" Riolu asked, moving forward slightly and Sean hastened to match his step.
"No." Sean shook his head. "Dusknoir is. I'm doing laps of the town. I'm training," he explained when Riolu looked confused. "Marowak has me doing it."
They made it into the crowd and Sean waved off Riolu before returning to his run, the Fighting-type pokémon returning it before melting into the forming crowd.
On Sean's next re-entry into town, the crowd had fully formed but Wigglytuff wasn't there yet. Dusknoir was, however, and looking over everyone with his single, red eye.
Finally, after two more runs, Wigglytuff had arrived. Sean slowed down, avoiding Marowak's figure in the crowd, and stopped to catch his breath under the guise of listening to the announcement.
Wigglytuff had already explained what was going on by the time he had stopped, so Sean didn't bother listening to the whole thing. A few quiet words were shared between neighbours, up until Wigglytuff began to speak.
The crowd had whipped into a flurry of whispers upon being told the truth of the expedition and the now-loss of the Time Gear they had found.
"Why didn't you do anything to guard it?" One of the townsfolk demanded and Wigglytuff sighed.
"We had offered, but Uxie was adamant that he could protect it himself. We were only permitted to check up on him every few months. It may have taken longer for us to learn of the Time Gear's disappearance had Dusknoir not looked into rumours from the area."
From there Wigglytuff began to explain what the guild was doing about it and Sean moved on. Marowak had spotted him and he didn't dare continue loitering about with the Bone Keeper Pokémon aware of his presence.
To his surprise, the soft sounds of another pair of paws hitting the ground followed him out. Sean looked back with only a little bit of unease to find Riolu trailing him.
"Hey." Riolu waved and Sean slowed down, being so kind as to let the fit Fighting-type catch up to his pondering plods.
"Why are you following me?" he asked, taking some needy gulps of air.
"Just had to get out of there," Riolu answered, grinning somewhat shakily. "It's going to be bad once the crowd is broken up, rumours and fears are going to be flying all over the place. Why not stick with a guild apprentice for a bit?"
Sean found no fault in that and gestured him along. "Well I'm going to do one or three more laps of the town before Marowak will probably need me. I'm happy for you to join me." Riolu smiled and matched his pace. Sean quirked his head when a thought entered it and said. "You're probably stronger than me. I'm training to be stronger, remember?"
"Meh." Riolu shrugged. "It just feels better to be with someone else. And hey, I'm still relieved you're okay after Amp Plains. You've recovered well," he added, looking Sean up and down.
"Thanks…?" He smiled, somewhat bemused. They ran together in silence, Sean focusing on the burning in his legs and not his burning jealousy at how easily the riolu was jogging along with him.
"Hey, can I ask you something?" Riolu said, right as soon as they left Treasure Town.
"Hm?" Sean answered, looking to the riolu who just waited in silence. "Yeah, okay. What's up?"
Riolu smiled and nodded forward, alerting Sean of the rock he was about to run into. "I'm just wondering, what do you think of Treasure Town?" They both passed the rock, Sean going around it and Riolu jumping over it.
"Uh, it's a nice place?" Sean answered, more than a little confused. "Why do you ask?"
Riolu shrugged, aura tassels bouncing along. "It's just not been too long since I arrived here, and I heard you were the most recent person besides me to arrive in this place to stay."
Sean wasn't sure if that was actually an answer, and he looked at Riolu for a moment longer than normal. The Fighting-type was facing forward, eyes narrowed slightly in concentration and mouth open to puff for breath.
"It's a nice place." He decided to go with. "The guild is here, the pokémon are friendly. It's nice."
"It is, isn't it?" Riolu said, smiling. "Definitely worth fighting for." From that statement, he turned to Sean, still smiling. "I look up to your guild apprentices and explorer teams. Fighting for places like these, it's wonderful."
"Yeah, I agree," Sean said, nodding. He was still a little bemused. "Keeping Treasure Town safe and the nice way that it is, is definitely worth fighting for." He thought for a moment, mentally crafting his next words. "Why do you make such a… well, bold statement? Is there anyone you need to fight? Or are you thinking of joining the guild?"
Riolu barked a laugh, except without much of the laugh, and shook his head, nearly hitting Sean in the eye with one of his tassels. "No, no. Nothing like that. Just a thought, since this place is so nice."
Sean blinked. He thought over the words, and he concluded Riolu still wasn't saying much of anything. It was making the nailbeds of his claws itch.
"Is there something you want to say?" he asked, seeing a gleam in the riolu's red eyes that he couldn't place. "Because it seems like there is."
To his relief, Riolu didn't hesitate in shaking his head. "Nah, I'm a bit weird. Sorry for that. I'd just like to get to know you. We're both the newcomers to this place, and I haven't really made any friends. And I don't think Sunflora or Bidoof like me."
"Pardon?" Sean asked, almost unable to believe Bidoof of all pokémon being so overt with dislike that this riolu would notice that. "Bidoof? And Sunflora, she's pretty nice. Why don't you think they like you?"
He was concerned, it seemed very out of place for the friendly guild apprentices to not like another perfectly friendly pokémon.
Riolu gave a slow wince. "Eh… heh, well when you were all still in Amp Plains the guild didn't know where you are." Sean nodded, that he knew since most of the guild had given them all an earful over it. "But I had heard Amp Plains, so I told her and Bidoof and they reacted… disbelieving, sort of angry. Said that Shinx would never go there and stormed off."
"Ah," Sean blurted out. "Ah. Oh, oh… yeah that's… sorry, it's not really my place to say why he wouldn't normally have gone there." Sean winced, thinking of Rai's family was not the most welcome thought.
Again, without any hesitation, Riolu nodded accepting that as it was. "Gotcha. I won't ask. I feel a bit bad about it though. I heard Dusknoir rescued you all though, that's cool. Being saved by 'The Great Dusknoir' and all."
Sean nodded, grinning wildly. "Probably the best thing out of that was being saved by him! The Great Dusknoir of all pokémon!" He beamed before thinking. "Oh wait, Mane. Er, Litleo. I guess, hmm."
He frowned, thinking hard, before noticing a very perplexed stare from Riolu. "Too much?" he asked, with a weak grin.
"A tad."
Sean gave an uncomfortably brief chuckle before grimacing and turning away. Any reminder that he was inside Dusknoir's stomach was a bad one. "Sorry," he said again, feeling the need to explain himself without seeming odd. "I just remembered he carried us back by holding us in his belly mouth and that just creeps me out."
To his relief, Riolu laughed. "Yeah I bet!" He grinned. "That thing looks like it could chomp you up in one bite." He wiggled his paws before raising them as if they were a pair of large jaws. "Chomp and you're gone."
Snorting, Sean shook his head at him. "That's really weird," he said and then felt immediately bad when Riolu's grin dropped.
"Heh, yeah. Sorry." Riolu turned away and Sean felt worse. He tried to think of something to say, but nothing came, and they continued jogging along in silence.
Soon enough, however, Riolu came to the rescue once again. And just like being saved by Dusknoir, this was nearly as unwelcome. "What do you think of Dusknoir?" he asked quietly, Sean nearly wasn't sure if he heard him.
For a moment he debated if he could pretend he didn't hear Riolu, but then the blue-furred pokémon looked questioningly at him and Sean thought fast.
"He's alright," he said, pointing his eyes to the road. "Much more down to earth then you'd expect of someone everyone calls 'The Great Dusknoir'."
"Heh." Riolu smiled and Sean felt a little less awkward. "So he doesn't call himself that?"
Shaking his head, Sean said. "Not even once, I think. He's confident, but I don't think egotistical."
As Riolu was now smiling, Sean decided to continue. If they could just move past any awkwardness, he'd feel better when going to sleep in three years when this memory bubbled up. "Very smart, very clever. Kinda hard to read though." Thinking of Dusknoir was easy, when he could just focus on game-related information and not the mon as he knew him. "He always gives me the feeling that he's got something more to say, or something he knows, but is holding it back until the right time."
"Do you trust him?" Riolu asked abruptly and Sean paused his thought to frown.
"Huh? Why wouldn't I?"
Riolu hesitated for a moment, red eyes flicked forwards before returning to Sean. "Well, I mean, you don't really know him, and you said you think he's holding some stuff back. Doesn't sound like you trust him to me."
"He saved my life," Sean said, a bit more forcefully then he intended. "Why wouldn't I trust him?"
"That's not a real answer," Riolu pointed out. And Sean nearly bit his tongue.
"Do YOU trust him?" he asked, avoiding the subject and pressing it back to his companion.
"I've seen no reason not to," Riolu said, before grinning slightly. "But you're dodging again."
"Yes," Sean answered, hating the lie as it rolled so easily off his tongue. "I trust him."
Riolu gave him a raised-eyebrow stare without the actual eyebrows. "Are you sure? You took a while to say that."
"Why are you so interested?" Sean demanded, slowing his pace as they began to circle around on the path. "You didn't actually answer my question either. You said you've seen no reason not to trust him, are you looking for a reason?"
"Not at all," Riolu said, as earnest as everything else he had been saying. "I know what I think. Just wondering about you. Getting to know each other and all."
Sean gave him a suspicious look. "Very well then. How about I ask some questions then?"
"Go ahead." Riolu gestured for him to start.
"Why did you come to Treasure Town?" He started with.
"I'm trying to find my path," Riolu answered.
"What path?"
"Dunno." Riolu shrugged, bouncing his shoulders as he jogged. "Whatever leads me to my future I guess. A good one is what I'm aiming for though." He winked with a grin.
"Uh," Sean stalled, expecting an easier go at probing the riolu for answers. But he was quick to a response and said a lot without saying much to clutch onto. His misgivings of Riolu's intentions began to lower.
"Not sure what 'you aitch' is asking." Riolu's grin widened as Sean's suspicion melted into annoyance.
"Shush, I'm thinking."
Riolu laughed and shook his head. "Ah… that wariness."
Sean absorbed that and frowned. "Wha-?"
"I'm so bored!" Mane whinged, rolling onto his back and pawing at the roof in frustration. "How can anyone stand this type of mental torture?"
Down the tunnel, through the pathway, and below where the grate sat, Rai sighed. Mane's voice echoed a lot and he had no way to avoid the endless chatter the litleo was capable of doing.
"I mean, wouldn't it make sense to do this in shifts? We do it for a few hours, then someone else, then someone else, and just cycle like that?"
"The guild is too busy for that," Rai answered, voice dull and done. "Most of the guild is out doing jobs even on days when the world ISN'T falling apart. We're the only ones here."
"Wrong!" Mane called back, causing Rai to cringe. "Chatot, Wigglytuff, and Chimes are still here."
Rai was aghast. "You can't expect the leaders to do this kind of work!" he yelled back and Mane grinned. Some emotion was back.
"Why not?" he asked and felt the shinx sigh hard.
"They are running the place. Everything only goes as smoothly as it does because of them."
"And… what do they do exactly?" Mane asked, drawing some Relic Fragment's in the dirt with a claw.
"Run the place. I just said that."
"How?"
Rai was silent.
"How do they run the place?" Mane prodded.
"I… how should I know? I don't know."
"So they could be doing nothing?" Mane suggested, and Rai growled.
"No."
"How would you know?"
"Because I just do."
"And I'm supposed to just take your word on it?" Mane laughed, this was fun at least.
"What else are you going to do?" Rai demanded. "It's not my place to ask. That would be so disrespectful."
Mane shrugged, even though Rai couldn't see him, it felt good to move his muscles. "Ehh… I mean, should you really follow what others say blindly? What's the harm in asking questions. It's those who don't like questions that usually need to have those questions asked."
The litleo detected movement behind him and turned, breaking into a grin. "Here's our mon of the hour!" Chatot hopped down, Wigglytuff following right after him. "Both of them! Hey wise leaders!"
He waved erratically, and Rai hissed, trying to be quiet but his voice still carried. "Don't bother them!"
Chatot, upon hearing Mane call out to them, looked up right as Dusknoir drifted down. "So how do you actually run this whole guild thing? Lotta work?"
Wigglytuff immediately turned to Chatot who huffed and held his head up. "Indeed. Going through each job application to determine if such needs require us to meet them. Dividing labour throughout the town to help in construction and repairing. Solving petty disputes, managing the guilds treasury, promotion and…"
Chatot would have continued, but Dusknoir gave him a quiet reminder that they did in fact have work to do. "Ah yes, of course." He gave Mane an imperious look, but the litleo moaned in disappointment.
"Damn. That was actually interesting," he sighed and turned back to Rai. "See any feet yet?" Chatot gave him another look but followed after Wigglytuff and Dusknoir to Wigglytuff's room.
The cheerful Fairy-type was looking a little drained but there was a gleam to his eye that Chatot realised had been lacking recently.
Once the doors were shut behind them he asked, mindful of Dusknoir's presence. "How are you feeling sir?"
"A bit down," Wigglytuff answered honestly, rolling to his chair. "But that's just because of all the terrible news I had to share! Boo-Boo!" He bounced onto his chair and turned back to his two confidants with a determined look. "But the time isn't the time to be down. Time is the time for action!"
Chatot nodded. He wouldn't show it, even if Dusknoir hadn't been there. But he was happy. It hadn't escaped his notice that Wigglytuff had been less cheerful for the last year or two, as well as more restless. Having a goal to strive towards would do him some good, Chatot reasoned.
"Shall I get a start on researching?" Dusknoir suggested, gesturing to where the hidden door that led to Wigglytuff's library laid.
"Thank you so much for this Dusknoir!" Wigglytuff beamed, waving his paw and the door appearing. "There you go. Have fun! Don't get too glum! And if you need to, go for a… run?" He turned to Chatot with a questioning look before giggling. "Sorry Dusknoir."
"No, no," Dusknoir waved him off. "I do miss the old legs but evolving was worth it."
The large Ghost-type had to duck to get through, but he managed and disappeared into a cramped room with many old tomes and scrolls.
As Dusknoir did that, Chatot retrieved the several maps he had been going over. They all were of the Grass Continent, but several were older and showed places that weren't found on the standard Wonder Map.
He turned around to find Wigglytuff staring out the window. "Sir?" he asked, hopping forward and Wigglytuff turned around.
"Just thinking about Armaldo," Wigglytuff answered and Chatot nodded, setting the maps down in front of them both. Wigglytuff sat, happier on the floor than on the big fancy chair, and they began to pour over the old items, handling them carefully of course.
After a few minutes of reading, Chatot put one map aside and gave Wigglytuff a firm look. "Is that the only thing on your mind?"
Wigglytuff smiled softly. "You know me too well to need to ask that question Chatot."
"I suppose so." Chatot nodded, there was some pride, but it was overshadowed by concern. "It can't be Soothe—er, sorry. Audino. You understand that, right?"
Wigglytuff nodded and scratched his belly. "I can't help but wonder though?" he said, looking up and to the window wistfully. Chatot's eye was on Wigglytuff's belly, in that one spot the fur never quite managed to cover completely. Wigglytuff quickly shook his head and turned back to the maps. "So what do you think of the Northern Desert? That place is largely mysterious and has many dungeons a Time Gear could be hiding in."
"If the Sand Dune of Spirit's does indeed exist somewhere in there." Chatot nodded. "Such a place may have some clue at least."
Wigglytuff made a note of that and they continued combing over the maps.
"Pokémon detected," Rai called and waited for Mane to respond in kind. "Mane?"
"Hm?" The litleo blinked a few times, he had fallen into a daze. "You say something?"
He received an aggravated sigh. "Yes. Pokémon Detected."
"Cool," Mane replied. "Who is it?"
There was silence before Rai just decided to pick and choose a different battle a different time. "Togepi," he gave, and Mane trotted to the lever and raised the gate. He returned to the entrance to the tunnel proudly, just for Rai to say. "That was fast. Did you even check to see if they were an outlaw?"
"Togepi?" Mane laughed back. "You're kidding right? Oh no, big bad Togepi, ruler of all things mildly bothersome has come to siege the guild."
"Take this seriously dammit!" Rai yelled back, and Mane's ears flattened, just for a moment. "We're doing a job. I know it sucks, but we should still do it right."
"Aye-aye," Mane muttered back and sulked over to the corner the lever laid.
Mane went back to dozing for a few hours more, getting up only to let pokémon in. He barely checked the outlaw records, but he did follow Rai's demands in doing so.
All the lying about was making him restless as well as hungry and Mane was wishing for a distraction or a reprieve.
When Chatot, Wigglytuff, and Dusknoir exited their study session he received one.
"Take a short break you two," Chatot ordered, hopping over to a revitalised Mane. "Get something to eat and drink.
"Hear that Rai!" Mane shouted, trotting over to the tunnel and sticking his face in. Only his red mohawk could be seen. "We get a break!"
His cheer echoed through the whole tunnel and rattled the guild slightly, Rai didn't care he was just as happy.
Mane stepped back when he heard the scrabbling of paws and stretched a paw down into the tunnel. "Need a lift?" he asked with a cheeky grin, spotting Rai in the dim light shimmying his way up.
"I'm." Rai grunted. "Fine." Mane watched with a little concern, but mostly amusement, as Rai struggled up the sharper incline.
"Here." A deeper voice spooked Mane, nearly causing him to jump in the hole. "Let me help." Dusknoir wrapped his hand in a shadowy tendril for a moment before reaching down, extending the tendril to wrap around Rai's front paws. "Ready Shinx?"
"S-Sure," Rai stuttered, still stunned whenever he received Dusknoir's attention.
Without any trouble, Dusknoir pulled Rai up, the shadow tendril disappearing into his hand as Rai was levered out of the tunnel.
"Thank you Great Dusknoir," Rai said once he was clear, bowing to the Ghost-type.
"No need to bow to me young Shinx," Dusknoir said, abashed at the formality. "Nor do you need to refer to me as 'Great'. Just Dusknoir will do."
"You mean it?" Rai's ears went right up as Mane rolled his eyes.
Dusknoir beamed. "Of course you may," he said and gave Rai a friendly pat on the head. "Now you must be hungry and thirsty from spending so much time down there."
"I am." Rai glanced to Mane who was ready to run off into the sun and roll around in the grass like he hadn't seen it in years. Rai was not so ready to go yet. "But first I wanted to thank you for saving our lives. If you hadn't come to Amp Plains, me and… well, we probably would have died there."
Mane looked over to Rai, holding a stable expression, and to Dusknoir before nodding. "Yeah he's right. I don't think we got a chance to thank you. Me, Shinx, or Meowth. You went off to do, well, important stuff. So, yeah. Thanks for saving us."
Dusknoir waved them off. "It was no issue, simply the right thing to do. The important thing is that you are all okay, you, Shinx and Meowth."
Rai nodded as Mane looked eager to leave again, but the shinx had more to say. "It was the most important thing, yeah. But…" he hesitated, glanced to the impatient Mane, before girding himself for what he had already accepted as reality. "Did you see anything there? Any stone or odd marking?"
Dusknoir stared at him in silence and Rai wilted under his gaze, he turned to Mane and hissed. "You drew it before, can you do it again to show Dusknoir what I mean?"
Mane looked between Rai's pleading look and the silent Dusknoir and nodded. He quickly sketched out the symbol of the Relic Fragment in the dirt floor.
"Something like this?" Rai asked, note of pleading in his voice. "My treasure, it's why we went to Amp Plains in the first place, I lost it to some thugs a while ago."
Dusknoir took a long peer at the symbol, thinking in silence. Eventually he shook his head. "No. I did not see anything resembling this in the clearing I found you or anywhere else in Amp Plains. I simply dealt with the Shadow Pokémon and took you out."
Rai sagged but nodded anyway. "I thought so. I guess Sableye was wrong. Thank you again for saving us and…" he frowned slightly. "Dealt with? How?"
Dusknoir stared at him again and Mane stepped in. "Killed it," he said, before looking sharply to Dusknoir. "Right?"
Dusknoir slowly nodded, hands twitching minutely. "Yes. I took what little life it had left. I do not like ending another life, even one so corrupted. Such a final sentence is not something I wish on anyone. But in some cases, it had to be done."
Rai breathed out hard. As with the Relic Fragment, he had imagined that was the case. "I… thank you." Dusknoir's eye flickered in surprise as Rai bowed his head. "I don't wish that on anyone, but… that manectric killed my parents. My brothers. My whole family beside my sister and me. I'm… I'm glad it can't hurt anyone else."
Dusknoir looked between the shaking shinx and frowning litleo and then back to where Wigglytuff had gone to check on Chimecho. Chatot was mulling about.
"I witnessed your final show of defiance, Shinx," Dusknoir admitted and Rai looked up in surprise. "You overpowered the Shadow Pokémon, however briefly. That took true shining spirit to beat back the shadow like that."
"Th-thank you," Rai said, stunned again.
"And if you are interested, I could give you some tips on how to deal with other Shadow Pokémon," Dusknoir offered, nodding to both of them. "To give you a more fighting chance if it happens again. However unlikely," he said before adding. "But it always pays to be prepared. There are many things I have learned I never thought would be useful, but they have saved my life and others. Knowledge is power after all."
"You'd do that for us?" Rai whispered and Dusknoir nodded.
"Certainly. Anything to lower the risk of Shadow Pokémon taking another."
"Splendid," Chatot said, causing Rai and Mane to jump and even Dusknoir to twitch. He hadn't noticed the bird coming closer. "Learning from someone as learned as Dusknoir is a rare opportunity." He turned to the startled Ghost-type, and in the same chipper tone added. "If I may be so bold as to ask, would you extend the offer of training to the rest of the guild? Surely that would lower chances of tragedy further!"
Dusknoir's eyes flickered briefly before he nodded. "Of course I would be happy too," he said, spreading his arms slightly. "The more pokémon in the know, the better they are."
Chatot nodded and hopped off to the kitchen, leaving Dusknoir to return his attention to two-thirds of Team Ion. "And what of the third of your number? I briefly saw him yesterday, he said he was training to get stronger. Perhaps there is something I could do to add to his repertoire?"
"You'd train him?" Rai gasped, beaming.
"Yeah," Mane added, grinning over his impatience. "Meowth could definitely use the training. Although I can't believe he's getting to train all day while we are stuck here. I don't even get to look at the feet!"
Rai snipped a glare at Mane for talking about feet in front of Dusknoir, footless spectre he was, before nodding to Dusknoir. "Thank you Gr-Dusknoir. Thank you so much for, well, everything."
"Hoo-hoo-ha! Do not thank me just yet, Shinx. Thank me later when I've actually done something worth thanking."
Sean kept running, Mane and Rai continued acting as sentries even after Chimecho confirmed they were fighting fit.
With the guild almost devoid of pokémon, it was soon decided to close it to the public for the time being and attach the job listings to the outside of the guild for other teams to take.
It wouldn't be right to shut down entirely, pokémon were still in need even with the Time Gears disappearing. But the three members of Team Ion were all getting very antsy to go back into dungeons.
Dusknoir had chosen to wait until the rest of the guild was back to give his advice on Shadow Pokémon, and Sean was still being taught by Marowak for the time being.
He had things to research anyway, the time to train would come later.
While Treasure Town continued to chug along, the apprentices sent out of their own excursions were having their own tales to tell. The travellers to Fogbound Lake eventually found their way.
"Hah… haa…" Bidoof panted, staggering out into fresh air. "Was Steam Cave always that hot, by golly?"
"Or that steamy?" Diglett gasped, shaking his shiny head off mud that had accumulated.
"Meh-heh-heh, if I recall correctly the two of you went through the cave with the Guildmaster. That might have made the journey easier and less taxing."
"Oh yeah," they both muttered, looking away from Croagunk. It had been fun to try and keep up with Wigglytuff, neither had heard the Guildmaster laugh that much before.
With Steam Cave belching out vapor behind them, the three pokémon made their way up the completely still path. No Drought Stone had been able to lift the fog, so they were blindly creeping their way forward.
It was so silent; the beating of their hearts became audible to everyone.
No Groudon appeared to bar their path.
No trick was laid to divert them from finding a forbidden treasure.
The fog was thick and almost had weight to it. Despite being frozen in time, they were still able to move through it though.
The fog broke as they reached the top, presenting an illuminated lake. Dozens of volbeat and illumise shone above the clearest water in the land.
Yet no light really shone. The water was frozen, yet not cold. There was no life to the pokémon, forever frozen in an eternal dance.
Bidoof's breath hitched as even Croagunk's eyes fell.
This was not beautiful. This was a moment of tragedy frozen in place. Many of the Bug-types had been rushing either towards Uxie to help him, or away to escape the freezing of time.
Most had clearly escaped, but those closest to where the Time Gear once laid had no chance.
"We… we should look around immediately," Diglett said quietly, snapping the other two out of their reverie."
"R-Right," Bidoof sniffled and shook his head. "Uxie wouldn't want us to be miserable, he'd want us to fix this. Right?"
"Yep." Croagunk nodded, eyes forward and narrowed. "Let's move."
It wouldn't be long before they'd find where Uxie slept, a thatched straw bed hidden within an alcove, and with it an old glyph, presenting three pixie-like creatures floating above flat pools. One had what appeared to be dirt, or clouds, above them. One had what looked to be a whirlpool above them. The third had what seemed to be many rods, swords, or perhaps gems around them.
"Is that Uxie?" Bidoof asked, pointing to the yellow one with the dirt or clouds. Perhaps the glyph represented fog.
Croagunk nodded. "I think so," he rumbled, as Diglett leaned in closer.
"Then who are the other two?"
"Better question is, where are they?"
The three pokémon glanced to each other before nodding. This could be important information the guild needed to know.
A day and a half before the trio heading to Fogbound Lake arrived at their destination, the trio heading to Treeshroud Forest arrived.
Passing through Mt. Bristle had been a clever idea to speed things along, even if Sunflora hadn't appreciated all the Flying-types.
"Okay team," Sunflora said once they saw the dungeon change and the three walked into a final den-like area. "Spread out and look for clues."
"Spread out where?" Dugtrio asked, as the three of them stepped forward. They stepped over the ancient stones, Dugtrio going around them, to find that the grove ended immediately with an impenetrable wall of trees.
"We'll look EVERYWHERE!" Loudred roared, nothing shook from the volume of his voice besides his teammates, who were used to it by now.
"Every nook and cranny," Sunflora said. "High and low."
They both glanced to him.
"Low," Dugtrio said. "We gotcha." With that he pulled his head underground, letting the other two spread out and rifle through some immovable things.
"I would say I wish we had an Electric-type to move this stuff," Sunflora sighed. "But there's nothing really worth moving… wait." She frowned and looked down. "Loudred, how is Dugtrio able to burrow through the earth if time is frozen?"
"That's… a. Good. QUESTION!"
Loudred stomped to Dugtrio's hole and bellowed. "HEY HOW ARE YOU ABLE TO MOVE THROUGH TIME-FROZEN GROUND?"
Dugtrio didn't respond.
"HELLLLLOOOO?"
Dugtrio popped his three heads out from the ground. "Two things," he said. "One, I have no idea. How are you able to move through the air if the air is frozen? Clearly there is some wiggle room. Two, I found something movable and I think it could be something."
"Oh my gosh! Well pull it up!"
"Will do." Dugtrio popped down and Loudred and Sunflora exchanged a look. "Here." Dugtrio appeared in his first hole and Loudred jumped.
"DON'T STARTLE ME!"
Dugtrio ignored him and butted over a flat, dirt-covered, stone tablet. Loudred picked it up and tried to shake it off, but Sunflora slapped it out of his hands and used her leaves to move all the dirt off.
"Grass-type trick," she said to Loudred's furious stare.
"Ground-type trick too," Dugtrio muttered, but no one heard him over Sunflora's gasp.
"This is unown script I think!" she said, turning it around to show Loudred and Dugtrio. On the uncovered tablet were multiple squiggles, a big dark blotch that might have had claws or might be cracks in the stone, and a strange symbol made of a circle, four spirals, and four spires.
"I BET THIS IS IMPORTANT!" Loudred claimed and snatched it from Sunflora. "LET'S GET BACK QUICK AND HAVE SOMEONE TRANSLATE THIS."
"Stop screaming everything at the top of your voice," Sunflora muttered as she and Dugtrio followed a very proud Loudred, both believing he was going to try and steal credit and neither willing to give it to him.
A day after Bidoof, Diglett, and Croagunk reached Fogbound Lake, Corphish and Team Gazer reached Boulder Quarry and found their way to the location of the Time Gear quickly.
"Declaration of Emotion: Horror," Beldum said, monotone tone wobbling slightly as the four of them entered the final chamber.
Drops of water hung suspended in the air. Motes of dust never made the final journey to the ground. The distant dripping and rumbling sounds no one had noticed the first time, were starkly missing in this second trip.
The guardian of the Time Gear. The ditto that had turned them all against each other in a violent battle, hung frozen with an expression of fear and pain.
Corphish's legs didn't make a sound as he walked up to Ditto, Team Gazer remaining frozen behind him. Corphish stopped before Ditto, raising a claw as if to grab and shake the pokémon lost to time. Close up he could see how Ditto's body had been in the process of transforming, pinkish goo changing colour and beginning to meld into another's form.
There were a few feathers, just beginning to sprout, before Ditto was trapped by the stopping of time. Several lines had been slashed out, looking almost like folds in Ditto's malleable body. Corphish had seen slashes, however, and could see those were injuries.
Corphish sighed and turned away to Team Gazer. "Before we leave, Electrike, use Thunderbolt on Ditto."
Electrike blinked as both Beldum and Beheeyem snapped out of their own reverie. "What? Why?"
"Dusknoir used electricity to move another frozen to time, remember?" Beheeyem said quietly and Electrike nodded.
"Right. I'll… I'll do that then." He walked forward gingerly before pausing. "It won't hurt Ditto will it?"
"It won't wake them up," Corphish answered, scuttling forward to where Ditto had shown them the Time Gear. "It'll just let us take them back to the guild, ready to be helped once time is fixed. We can't leave them to those injuries."
Electrike nodded and began to crackle with electricity. "Not now," Corphish said sharply and Electrike paused. "When we're ready to leave."
"Right."
Beheeyem laid a gentle hand on Electrike's back as Team Gazer gave Ditto a mournful stare, until Corphish's clicking reminded them that there was work to be done.
All four of them made their way to where the Time Gear had once stood. The lack of soft cerulean light was heavily felt, but no one commented on it. Instead they went further, past where Ditto had let them stand and further still.
The passage got tight and Beheeyem eventually had to crawl, Corphish leading the way while muttering under his breath. In the absolute stillness of the area, he was perfectly audible.
The passageway twisted and turned, went up and down, Beldum of all pokémon began to get claustrophobic before Corphish cheered out. "It opens up ahead!"
He scuttled forward just a tiny bit faster. There wasn't much space to move quickly, and bumped his shell against the wall many times. The scraping sounded so loud in the silence, it was almost like screaming.
Corphish fell out of a hole in the wall and landed on his back. He scoffed and began rocking back and forth to flip himself up, but Electrike landed on him. The other two pokémon both floated out serenely.
"Relief: I am relieved to be out of there."
Beheeyem brushed some dirt off his shoulder and levitated Electrike off Corphish. "We'll need to go back in," he said and Beldum made a sound like metal rubbing on metal.
With the darkness of the room, Beheeyem lit up his hands to give them some sight. Several beams of light had been frozen in time, but it was not moving and did not light up any more than where they were trapped.
Electrike also sparked with electricity to help the four of them see.
In this final back room they found very little. "This is definitely Ditto's place," Corphish muttered, looking over a shallow, empty, pool-like structure that could comfortably fit something gelatinous like a ditto. It also had goo at the bottom, which Corphish steered clear of, frozen in time or not.
"What's this?" Electrike asked, gingerly bounding over to a basket and zapping it. "Mystery?"
Beldum's eyes swivelled around. "Declaration: Electrike needs to begin allowing us to move things."
"Guys?" Electrike asked. "This basket has something weird in it."
Corphish looked up above Ditto's 'bed' to find a large symbol inscribed. "Beheeyem?" he called and the Psychic-pokémon was right by his side. "Shine your light up there."
Beheeyem did so as Electrike called for them again, pulling an ancient bound book out. "Guys? I found something."
"Inquisitive: What is this?" Beldum asked, floating up by Beheeyem as the three of them looked up at a massive inscription. "Inquisitive Statement: Is this a map?"
"Hey? This book says something about Time Gears and a hidden place." Electrike nosed his way further through the book, looking at the footprint runes he could read. "And some key to it. Is this important?"
"Pardon?" Beheeyem asked, blinking and looking away from the wall. "Did you say someth-!" Beheeyem's words choked off and he flew at Electrike. "Where did you get that?"
"It was in this basket," Electrike explained, but Beheeyem had already snatched the book from him.
"Be careful with items this potentially valuable," he scolded, opening the book as the other two looked back to him. He hummed under his breath for a moment, reading, before snapping the book shut. "Okay. I think this is important."
"What is it?" Corphish asked, scuttling forward as Beldum gave the wall once last look.
"I'm not certain, it seems ancient. And if a guardian of a Time Gear had it, it may have information we need. Look." Beheeyem levitated the book down and pointed out a section. "I cannot even read all this. Ancient language."
Electrike tried to nose in as Beldum floated back. "I found it."
"Very good," Beheeyem said distractedly. "Let's give this room another sweep before getting out of here. All this silence is unsettling me."
"Statement: I will create music." Then Beldum began to screech a low tune. It was unpleasant, but less so then the oppressive silence and everyone relaxed a little.
The three sets of pokémon had each reached their destinations and found something to bring back.
"To begin with," Dusknoir said, looking out at the assembled guild.
The guild had returned, bringing the spoils of information to give. They had done better than he had expected, and Chatot and Wigglytuff were both very proud.
With the apprentices back home, it was decided now was the time for Dusknoir to teach. "There is one thing to always keep in mind when facing a potential Shadow Pokémon." He paused for suspense and a few pokémon leaned in interested. "It's not a fight worth fighting."
A few frowned, glanced to their companions, and Diglett asked. "Why? I thought this was teaching us how to fight them?"
Dusknoir nodded. "Indeed. But engaging a Shadow Pokémon should not be one's first choice. They are powerful, remorseless, and the fate of falling to one is the direst end. Fighting should be the outcome when there is no choice. I will explain how to engage them, however. But first you must understand." Dusknoir rose it to his full height and loomed over them, eye burning darkly. "A Shadow Pokémon is a threat like no other. Do not fight if you have the choice."
He waited until the apprentices all gave nods, some more hesitant than others, and waited until everyone had agreed in some way. "Good. Now listen closely. While fighting a Shadow Pokémon should be a last resort, no amount of begging or pleading can sway them, there are still tricks any pokémon should be able to use."
Dusknoir gestured for everyone to stand. "Split into groups of two each. This is best practised in pairs, one pokémon will be the attacking pokémon and the other will be the defending pokémon. These skills may also help in non-shadow encounters."
He waited as the pokémon all began to talk amongst themselves, move, and pair up.
Loudred and Sunflora quickly went together, both glaring at the other.
Diglett and Dugtrio decided to pair up as father and son, both were more comfortable practising on each other regardless.
Bidoof and Corphish were already standing by each other. Chimecho gave a shy glance to Croagunk who offered a non-poisoned hand.
The last three all exchanged looks. "What do we do?" Rai asked, looking between Sean and Mane. He looked up as Dusknoir's shadow fell on them.
"Would one of you come up with me?" he asked, offering a large grey hand. Rai squeaked, and Mane rolled his eyes. "You two could work well together, it would be most helpful if Meowth would join me."
"Me?" Sean said highly, fur bristling slightly. Riolu's words bubbled up to him from those days ago and he glanced to Rai who looked supportive and Mane who seemed unconcerned.
"It shouldn't take us long to demonstrate," Dusknoir said, sensing Sean's hesitance. "And as you are a Normal-type, there is no risk to you."
Sean nodded. "No problem. I hope these two don't fight though," he added, hoping to pass his dilly-dallying as concern for them.
Mane stick his tongue out at him as Sean was led to the front.
"Breathe at a normal rate," he thought to himself as he looked out to the guild, all looking jealously at him. Sean would have been more than happy to trade with anyone, and so sorely wanted to ask them too. "Just be polite and don't shake or stutter too much."
"Now then," Dusknoir began, sweeping an arm out to them. "If we are all prepared, let us begin."
From there Dusknoir began instructing everyone to go through some mimed exercises. One pokémon was to act as the aggressor, the Shadow Pokémon, and was instructed to try and pin or catch the other pokémon.
The room was large and there wasn't much risk of damage as long as no moves were used. Loudred nearly yelled out when Sunflora tripped him, and Mane's coughed up a small Ember when he got too excited and nearly set Bidoof on fire.
Sean himself was told to act as the defender and to do his best to avoid Dusknoir. Seeing the giant Ghost-type bearing down on him, hands outstretched to clutch him up, inspired a very badly hidden fear in him and he almost freaked out.
Marowak's directions, however, came to him when Dusknoir nearly had him pinned. "If you are facing an opponent you cannot fight," he remembered. "The best thing to do is to ensure you always have a path to move, once you are out of options to run, you can only fight. And that is not a fight you are likely to win."
With all the other pokémon crashing and banging about, Sean used them as distractions. Weaving through, across, and under Loudred and Mane, and Wigglytuff who had started to dance.
Dusknoir's thick fingers grazed his fur a few times, but Sean managed to twist his way free before he could get a grip on him. He stopped thinking, mind going into a bizarrely relaxed state and he weaved through the crowd of fighting pokémon as if he'd done that his whole life.
Eventually, however, all good things must come to an end. Dusknoir called this first exercise to a close. "Good job everyone," he said warmly as Sean found himself coming to, crouching behind Croagunk. "Some were quite excellent at avoiding, others make sure you practise agility when you can. A hand or paw of applause for Meowth, avoiding me with great skill. Come on up here again, if you please."
Dusknoir clapped politely and Sean flushed, being gently shoved up front by Loudred while a few other pokémon gave him accolades for a surprisingly impressive job. "Your training already seems to be paying off." Dusknoir beamed and Sean gave a nervous laugh.
"Well."
Quick as a flash, Dusknoir snatched the completely unprepared Sean up, hand closing around his abdomen entirely and hoisting him up into the air. He yowled in shock and tried to scratch Dusknoir in a panic, but his claws had no effect on the arm of the Ghost-type.
Dusknoir squeezed and Sean felt the air get knocked out his lungs as everyone realised what had just happened so far. Sean froze up, he looked into the baleful eye of Dusknoir and just stopped.
"Don't let your guard down," Dusknoir said primly before gently lowering him back to the ground. Sean remained on his feet, unable to even unfreeze and collapse. "A Shadow Pokémon will use any advantage they can. Such beings are not truly 'there' anymore, but they can act like they are to raise their own chances of victory. They may say phrases that sound normal or stop attacking and seem to 'snap out' of their state. Do. Not. Believe. Them. They will take any opportunity."
"Are you alright?" Rai asked, having run up to the front right as Dusknoir was setting Sean down. "Sh-sh-Meowth?"
Sean blinked very slowly and took a deep breath. "I just saw my life flash before my eyes," he said through numb lips and Rai gasped.
"Seriously? You remember?"
Mane came up as Sean snapped back to reality. "The who now?"
"You said you saw your life?"
"Oh. Just a figure of speech," Sean gave a shaky laugh. "What just happened? I think I blacked out for a moment."
"My apologies for startling you so," Dusknoir said and Sean flinched hard. Dusknoir had raised a hand but seemed to think better of it and lowered his arm. "But rest assured you should not make a mistake like that when it counts. Since you didn't seem to hear, don't drop your guard around a Shadow Pokémon for any reason, no matter what they do or even say. Understand?"
"Y-yes."
"Good. Now." Dusknoir moved onto other aspects of preparation, while Sean just slowly melted back into the group. Bidoof and Croagunk gave him congratulations for dodging around so well up to that point, but Sean barely heard them, nor did he even remember doing so.
"What's happening to me?" he thought as he, Rai, and Mane stood at the back to listen to Dusknoir's next directions. Sean looked to his paw and frowned. He moved it, twitched the almost-fingers, extended the claw. "Whose arm is that?"
He blinked and shook his head, Rai was asking a question, only the meowth had to wonder. "Who is Rai?"
That thought caused him to nearly flinch. "What I am thinking? Rai is Rai. Partner. Best friend. Probably…" he shook his head again and noticed Mane staring at him.
"Your eyes are freaking out," Mane whispered. "Pupils going big and small. Are you okay?"
"Fine," Sean replied as easy as water. "Still reeling I think."
He rubbed his face, forgetting a claw was extended and nearly stabbing his eye. He winced as he still drew some blood out from his cheek and stared at the red liquid on his claw for a moment.
"You can use that to create-"
Sean blinked, they were splitting into groups again. This time he was spared from Dusknoir's attention and allowed to work with Rai and Mane. They were learning where to strike to most disorientate a pokémon.
"Can you run up ahead? Keep an eye out for any pokémon and come back soon!"
"If he gets hurt."
"Relax Guardian."
"No. I don't know what I'd do if I lost him."
He stifled a groan and rubbed his temples. "Headache," he grunted to the concerned look Rai was giving him. The litleo was always so-
"No Rai is a shinx. Mane is a litleo."
Sean felt dizzy, he needed to sit down.
"I want you with me. I want to protect us both."
He felt blood again and the meowth fainted.
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine."
"I hope you are. You had better be okay. I don't know what I'd do without you."
"Are you alright?" Sean blinked, he was lying on the floor and Rai was looking very concerned.
"I'm fine," he answered, leaning up. It was the truth, he felt surprisingly good.
Rai breathed a sigh of relief but was still ready to fuss over him. "I hope you are. You had better be okay. I don't know how I'd deal if you weren't." He leaned back to give Sean space and he found everyone looking very concerned.
"What happened?" he asked, gathering that he had done something foolish again and knocked himself out.
"You just… collapsed," Sunflora whispered and Sean blinked. "Just like that. You were up, and then you weren't. You spooked us all."
He felt someone touch him and flinched. Chimecho floated up from behind him. "You appear fine," she said, rather puzzled. "Besides the sudden bout of fainting, your heart rate and breathing rate seem fine and I can't sense anything off with my Psychic."
"Well I feel fine now," Sean said, standing up to give himself a stretch. "Better actually, I've been sore these past few days, but I'm feeling pretty good. Oh, wait." The guild tensed. "There's the soreness." He rubbed a hamstring, and everyone relaxed.
"Are you able to continue?" Dusknoir asked, before humming. "Hmm, perhaps not."
"No, I feel fine," Sean quickly said, shaking his head. "Really. I think all the excitement from earlier just got to me."
"You were running pretty fast," Corphish muttered.
"He jumped right over Loudred before going underneath Wigglytuff," Diglett mumbled.
"Dusknoir did grab him very suddenly," Mane pointed out. "He doesn't really like to be touched, I've learned.
They looked to Chimecho who considered it for a moment before asking. "What is the last thing you remember?" she asked, wanting to determine if he had hit his head or something.
"Standing by Mane," Sean answered, frowning slightly. "From where I am, and everyone's faces, I'm guessing that's not it?"
"You began mumbling a lot," Mane said. "Eyes were going weird too." He leaned in to peer directly into Sean's eyes and the meowth edged back slightly. "They are fine now, but it was weird."
"I think you should sit down, get a drink of water, and just observe for a bit," Chimecho said, deciding on the course of action.
Sean nodded. "Yes nurse," he said, only almost joking.
Chimecho smiled at him and he slinked off to the kitchen as Dusknoir shook the moment off and continued directing everyone.
Once he was alone, Sean took a look at his paw again. "Well that was weird. Did I finally have a Dimensional Scream or something? What guardian? A Time Gear guardian I guess. Strange."
He wandered back in and sat out the remainder of Dusknoir's tips. Most of it were things simply to do and then a demonstration of how to do them, which he was watching carefully and planning to ask Marowak to help him figure out.
Eventually, however, Chatot had to call and end too it.
"Everyone, thank Dusknoir for taking so much time to help you all," he said, flapping his wings. "But it is time to get to work. You can begin to employ his tactics through your work today."
There were a few groans, but no one argued and soon the guild was broken up into their tasks. Chatot and Wigglytuff were looking over everything the teams had brought back, trying to pinpoint some locations to explore but hadn't decided on anything yet.
The sun had well risen by the time the guild was sent out in force.
Several members, however, had things back at home base yet to do.
"Continue trying to contact Xatu and Alakazam," Chatot asked of Chimecho, who nodded and floated away. Cross-continent communication was difficult enough, but the minds she was trying to find was located further still. She wouldn't be preparing dinner this night.
Or the next, even.
"Now, Team Ion," Chatot said, seeing the three were still loitering around. "You know what to do, take your pick of tasks from the job bulletin board or outlaw notice board. Understood?"
"Yes sir," they chorused, Rai enthusiastic, Sean polite, Mane sardonic.
"Get to it then, chop-chop." Chatot flapped at then and Rai began leading them towards the middle floor.
"Before you go," Dusknoir said, sliding in next to them. "It had occurred to me that a large part of the reason we were training was for young Meowth here, and yet he was forced to miss a large period of it."
Chatot saw this and hopped over. "What did you have in mind?" he asked.
"Based on Meowth's earlier fainting spell and his determination to get stronger, it occurred to me that I could possibly give him a few specialised tips." Dusknoir turned to Sean who was girding himself for this. "How does that sound? I believe I could even begin the process of adding another ability to your arsenal."
He generated a Shadow Ball as easily as breathing and showed it before everyone. "Meowth can learn this move, although it won't be easy."
Sean stared into the blackish purple blob surrounded by crackling energy and swallowed. Mentally he knew that couldn't hurt him, he was a Normal-type. Still, not very comfortable being that close.
"That's amazing that Shhheee-Meowth could learn that," Rai said, wincing when Sean gave him a burning look. "Sorry. But that could be amazing, and Dusknoir you would really teach him that?"
Dusknoir nodded, letting the Shadow Ball fade away. "Indeed. For him to learn it, however, something must be given up. I can assure you it isn't an easy move for a non-Ghost to learn. Our powers come naturally to us, but for others?"
"What do you mean by 'given up' Dusknoir?" Sean asked, voice steady and level.
"For a pokémon not a Ghost-type to channel these types of energy, something must be willingly sacrificed."
Deciding that Sean had agreed, Chatot shooed Rai and Mane out. "Go, do your work. You'll see him later tonight."
"Good luck!" Rai called, and Mane gave him the same.
Dusknoir went to put his hand on Sean's shoulder again but hesitated the same as last time and dropped his arm. "Perhaps we should take this to somewhere more comfortable," he suggested, Sean disagreed.
"I'm fine here. It's where we were training before," he said, looking around at a few scuff marks in the dirt. He didn't want to go anywhere alone with Dusknoir, Grovyle's words came back to him.
"Don't let him get a close look at you," he thought glumly. "A bit late for that."
Dusknoir floated down until his wispy end was fading into the floor, he had crouched the only way he could, so he could explain this easier. "Here then." He reached a hand out and Sean forced himself not to lean away, letting Dusknoir grab his paws and bring them up flat. "Extend a claw if you would?"
Sean chose the right paw to do so with.
"Now this may hurt a tad," Dusknoir warned before sharply driving the claw into the pawpad of Sean's other paw.
"Ow! What are you doing!" he jerked back, retracting the claw, but a drop of blood was still coming out.
"My apologies," Dusknoir rumbled, almost sounding like he was holding back laughter. "It's better when you don't expect it."
Sean rubbed his paw with a mutinous look, but Dusknoir reached out again and waited. He tried not to glare, hesitated, but slowly gave his injured paw back. "Why did you want me to bleed?"
"It's the easiest sacrifice," Dusknoir answered, taking his paw. The blood had stopped, it was only a tiny prick, but he squeezed, and another drop came out. Sean winced, but he was more uncomfortable with how close Dusknoir was to him and his blood then in pain.
"Blood is a vital thing for life," he said, examining Sean's arm and feeling a few scars he had. "Even non-biological beings have some sort of vitality to them, whether it be liquid of something more esoteric. For a Normal-type such as yourself, your blood can be used to channel the power of the Ghost-type."
He had Sean hold his arm out and began orbiting both of his large hands over Sean's paw. To Sean's shock, and mild horror, the drop of blood seemingly began to smoke before it disappeared entirely, melding into a core of blackness that quickly grew.
"Bring your other paw over it," Dusknoir said and Sean quickly followed, shaking slightly as the orb grew further and further. "From just a tiny drop of blood, not enough to even feel. Comes this."
Dusknoir lifted his hands away and let Sean's shaking arms hold the Shadow Ball. "What. What do I do?" he asked, nearly panicked. His arms quivered, but the Shadow Ball didn't explode violently and hurt him.
"Hoo-hoo-ha. Don't worry. It cannot harm you. Just press down on it once you feel ready and it'll disappear."
Sean nodded shakily and took a breath before easing his paws down as slow as possible. He soon touched the swirling vortex of energy and braced, but no pain. It felt distantly cold, like he wasn't actually feeling the cold but was expecting it to feel cold. He pressed down and wondered if he felt the tiniest bit of resistance before it puffed into nothing.
He let out his breath and sagged. Dusknoir looked down at him, amusement flickering in his eye. "Well done. Now let's do that again."
"Again?" Sean asked, standing back up. "Alright. How much more do I need to bleed for this?"
"Very little," Dusknoir said, amusement still filtering through his voice. He took Sean's paws again and began forming another Shadow Ball with the barest scraps of dried blood still on his paws. "One actual drop of blood has enough to form multiple Shadow Ball's. As you grow more confident with the move, you will naturally begin to use smaller amounts to achieve the same result. This size is the optimal size," Dusknoir explained, stopping when the Shadow Ball was at the size the previous one was.
"Why?" Sean asked, a little more comfortable holding it now that the first one hadn't hurt.
"Larger and it runs the risk of breaking. Smaller and it may not impact your target as heavily or pop quite at the right moment and do very little."
"I see."
Dusknoir continued doing this for the next few hours. Sean got a crick in his neck and they decided to move onto moving and generating Shadow Ball's.
It was, dare Sean believe it, nice. Dusknoir was very patient, explained any questions he asked, and didn't push him when he began to get frustrated. Simply let him take a step back and breathe for a moment.
"Blood that is given express permission to use, can be utilised in the same way as your own," Dusknoir explained when he asked why Dusknoir was still using as much blood as he was. "But that which isn't? Much harder, not many Ghosts could use any blood that was not given to them like I could."
He didn't ask for express permission, and Sean was relieved. Even now, he didn't want Dusknoir to be able to use his blood for whatever whims he wanted. That was an uncomfortable thought.
In comparison, Sean wouldn't say Marowak was a bad teacher, but this was certainly different, and he appreciated that.
"Now would you look at that," Dusknoir said huskily, almost in awe. Sean grinned, sore and literally drained, but between his paws shone a Shadow Ball. One that Dusknoir did not form for him.
"How's this?" he asked, grin almost cocky. Dusknoir flicked his eye from his grin to the Shadow Ball and rubbed a hand where a mouth should have been.
"Somewhat small," he said, and Sean's grin dropped. "But astounding regardless. Destroy it, do it again ten times."
Sean blinked. "Already? Alright." He squeezed the Shadow Ball down and it disappeared. He frowned and rubbed his right paw. They had stopped taking blood from the left after it began to hurt. Dusknoir was honest when he said very little blood was needed to create a Shadow Ball, but they had been doing this for hours.
He had moved onto his arm and using the blood on his claws from puncturing himself. It wasn't pleasant, but it reminded Sean of blood tests and medical tools designed to take drops of blood to check blood sugar levels. He couldn't quite remember what, but with that in mind he was more comfortable doing this.
It'd be another twenty minutes before he could form another Shadow Ball. Just in time for Rai and Mane to stumble down, trapped in the throes of a big argument.
"You threw that bagon into the water! What's wrong with you?" Rai was yelling, and Sean popped his Shadow Ball.
"It tried to eat you," Mane snapped back. "Thanks for saving my life. Oh wait. That was me!"
Dusknoir looked up from where he was examining Sean's paws, looking to the commotion. "Now what is this about?" he asked, floating up and over.
"I saved his life and he's mad at me for it," Mane said immediately.
"You could have killed that bagon to do it!" Rai snapped back.
"Better then YOU dying," Mane growled. "I can't believe we are even having this argument."
"It's not the what, it's the how and I don't approve of you killing a feral for me."
"It DIDN'T die."
"Because I jumped and pulled it out."
"It tried to pull you in as well."
"Enough you two," Dusknoir said sternly, Chatot was poking his head out of Wigglytuff's room but was satisfied the situation was handled. "Shinx, thank Litleo for saving your life."
"Wha?" Rai blurted, and Mane grinned cockily.
"Litleo, apologise to Shinx."
Mane's grin dropped. "Excuse me?" he demanded, glaring up at Dusknoir.
"The two of you are teammates," Dusknoir said, fingers twitching. "Understand the others point, accept what happened, then move on."
He crossed his arms and stared them both down. Rai cracked first and bent his head. "Thank you," he said softly. Mane gave him a look for breaking but felt Dusknoir's gaze and relented.
"Sorry." He even bit his tongue to prevent himself from adding to that and undoing the apology.
"Very good." Dusknoir beamed and gestured to Sean. "Your friend has been making tremendous progress. I had expected days or weeks of practise, but he had formed two Shadow Ball's on his own already."
"Oh wow!" Rai beamed and bounded past Dusknoir, forgetting his argument with Mane. "Already? That's incredible! You're doing so well."
"That is really fast," Mane said, slinking in after Rai to attack Sean's other side. "Did he give you a TM or something?"
"Nope." Sean grinned, enjoying the boost to his ego. "I'm just that good I guess."
"Don't start getting cocky," Dusknoir warned and Sean laughed.
"I'm just playing," he said and flexed out his paws. "Took me ages to get the second one. But if I keep practising, who knows?
"Who knows?" Dusknoir repeated, voice deep and rumbly. "Well I think it'd be good to stop for the day. Let you recover, each may have only taken a bit of blood, but it can build up if you do it too much. Perhaps eat some meat."
With that, Dusknoir bid him good day. Sean watched him off, face screwing up at the thought of eating meat.
Later that evening, Sean was deep in thought. He was tired, the blood loss was beginning to affect him now, but he had too much on his mind to sleep just yet.
"Dusknoir…" he thought. He didn't like to spend most of a day with the danger, and he had accidentally relaxed at some point. Sean was confident he didn't say anything incriminating, but still being so candid with Dusknoir was making him confused. "Why was it so easy? Is he just that much of a mentor-ish figure?"
It had been nice to learn from Dusknoir, but the potential cost was leaving him feeling paranoid. "Someone is looking for a 'Sean'." he thought. It had to be Dusknoir, who else?
Making up his mind, Sean stood. Chatot's words rang through his mind again and he nodded. This had to be done.
It was foolish to rely on the story so hard. Using it as a crutch risked too much when things inevitably went in a direction he wasn't prepared for.
To be entirely honest with himself, Sean wasn't even sure if there was a story to follow anymore. "There has to be," he pleaded with himself. "I have to be able to fix the tower. Darkrai's something else, but Dialga HAS to be in place or everything is just over."
He considered Mane, Team Gazer, Grovyle, and Dusknoir. Things were too different to be certain, but he was an optimist that things could still work in a manner he could predict.
"But if I'm going to be able to predict anything," he thought as Sean sought out Rai. "Then I need to start doing things. Just reacting to everything is going to trap me. Action, that's something I have to do now."
"Rai?" he asked, poking his head into their room. The shinx perked up from the book he was reading, Mane looked up as well. "I was hoping to ask you something?"
"Sure." Rai smiled and stood. "What's up?"
Sean felt Mane's eyes on him, but he led Rai out anyway. They walked the guild in silence, heading towards the dining room.
Sean led them further, into the stock room, before turning to Rai, the shinx looking most worried now.
"I wanted to ask you not to tell Mane about me," he said bluntly, keeping his voice low just in case Mane had decided to follow.
Rai frowned but nodded regardless. "I guess. About the whole human thing, right?" Sean nodded, and Rai chewed his lip for a moment. "I don't really like keeping secrets or lying. And he knows your name, that's not the most pokémon name around."
"I doubt he'll ask," Sean said seriously. "But… I will tell him myself. Eventually. Chatot has just… he's told me to be careful. That 'someone' is snooping around Treasure Town, and it's made me a little uncomfortable."
To his relief, Rai nodded again. "Alright. I won't tell."
"Thanks." Sean smiled, but it was thin. That was just the beginning. "But also, I want you to promise you won't tell Dusknoir anything about me."
"What?" Rai asked, voice going to nearly normal volume. "Why not?"
"I just…" Sean hesitated and looked away. "Well, I'm not really 'human' anymore, now am I? I need to start adopting pokémon things, culture, mannerisms and stuff more if I want to fit in here. And you've told me that names are only given to close friends and, uh… well I learned not to share my name."
Rai winced. Nothing much had come out of that, besides Mane making the occasional comment, but it was still a source of awkwardness for them both. A reminder of times they weren't as comfortable with each other.
"Is that the only reason?" Rai asked, frowning slightly. "Dusknoir is really smart, and really well travelled. If there is anyone who might have an idea of how this has happened, it's probably him."
"Not just him," Sean pointed out, hoping dearly this wouldn't backfire. Rai brightened.
"Right! Grovyle said he might know you. Well, might." Rai frowned again. "Would it be that bad to ask Dusknoir? I've been thinking about it, since he's so open to questions. And he taught you Shadow Ball! You don't trust him?"
"I trust you," Sean said, and Rai's frown twitched. "Just… please. Keep this secret, let me tell who I want to tell. I have been thinking about asking Dusknoir, but I'd prefer to do it myself if ever. It's my thing after all."
Rai nodded and breathed out a hard breath. "That's fair," he said and cracked a small smile. "Glad you trust me at least."
Sean ignored the guilt trying to envelop him whole. "So you promise?"
"I promise."
He smiled. "Thank you, Rai."
Later that night, Sean left his room and the two snoozing felines to push his way into Wigglytuff's meeting room. He felt around in the darkness for a bit, eyes catching most of the larger things, until he found the parchment that pokémon used to write on.
He carried with him the piece of charcoal he had lifted earlier and scuttled back out to where the guild assembled each day.
His paws weren't the most dextrous. It'd been longer then he could even remember. But Sean put burnt wood to thick paper and began to write in the language he knew best.
Rai, I hope I never have to give you this. He began to write, English sloppy but legible. But if you are reading this, know that I'm sorry for… just everything. Trust Grovyle and find the Relic Fragment. You have to find it…
He wrote on, no sound besides the distant crash of waves and the scratching of paper.
"Is that it then? It's beautiful."
"Yes. But be careful."
"Always are. Come on Saniya, you know us."
"I do. I also knew Soothe. And I know Guardian."
"Fair point. Well, you both ready?"
"Always."
"It won't… it won't hurt right?"
"You'll be fine. Right?"
"Yes. It's as safe as it can be."
"Okay. I'm ready."
"Are they ready?"
"Yes."
"Then let's go. See you on the other side."
So I think the breather chapters are done for a while now.
Get ready. Because the storm is coming.