Greetings and salutations! Chapter 40 was a wild ride, wasn't it? I want to pose a little challenge to you all. You know that big part of the garbled text in the middle of Chapter 40? There are a couple things hidden in that. Nine things to be exact. If you can find them all… uh… we'll talk. I dunno what else.
Let's begin!
The assembled guild stood in quiet awkwardness. No one had gotten a perfect night of sleep as at some point in the night as the Mute Orb's effects faded and the distant sound of yelling encroached into the sleeping quarters.
Now the guild was stood in line, waiting awkwardly for some direction to be given. No Wigglytuff, no Armaldo. Just yelling.
The yelling stopped suddenly, and a few pokémon breathed sighs of relief. The doors to the Guildmaster's Chambers slammed open, and Armaldo poked his head out.
His eyes were bloodshot, his feathers were nearly wilting, but he growled at them, nonetheless. "What are you all just standing around for? You know what jobs you need to do. MOVE!"
A near-deflated Wigglytuff could be seen through the gaps in Armaldo's stance, looking most exhausted before Armaldo slammed the doors shut and went back to yelling.
The apprentices wisely chose to scatter.
Not being sure what else to do, Team Ion fell back on their standard code of action. The job boards.
"Is it okay for me to be just jumping back into this?" Scout asked as they looked over the regular job notice board.
"Do you feel like you're going to murder us?" Mane asked, far too casually. Team Glee glanced over in concern.
"Mmm… no."
"Then let's find this hidden chamber," Rai said, selecting a mission to Mt Bristle. They'd be escorting Pawniard up through the dungeon, looking for a room locked with a keyhole.
The pokémon was all over them when they arrived to meet her.
"T-Team Ion is taking… me?" Pawniard said after Rai had introduced her. She started to hyperventilate, and Scout handed her an apple to calm her down.
It did not help.
An hour later, after Scout managed to find a paper bag for Pawniard to breathe into, they were off.
She was friendly, very friendly if a little chatty.
"I'm so happy for you that you got your partner back, why is he blue now?"
"I once cut down a tree on this road for Machoke. He thanked me, and I was so happy."
"Did you really fight Groudon?"
"Can I get your pawprints! All my friends won't believe me unless I have them!"
"You three are so cute together. Aww."
Rai and Mane, who were somewhat accustomed to this by now, took it in polite stride. Scout, however, was filled with embarrassment.
"Oh my god," he thought through an expression of contentment. "Fangirls exist!"
To his relief, he had no feelings of murder bubbling up. Even when Pawniard started daring him to tug on Mane's tail, the most he felt was a minor annoyance. She was loud and chatty, but friendly, and the whole experience felt a tad embarrassing.
Still, he couldn't be too annoyed. It felt good just to be talked to again, even if she was really just talking TO him.
"You know I tried to go to Mt Bristle by myself, but the machop here just wailed on me. Machoke is nice, but they are NOT!"
"I found this key four weeks ago when on a walk. It has these scriptures on it, see." She shook her key around a great deal when talking. "Mt. Bristle. Ledyba said it's My Bristle, but there's no dungeon called that!"
She was, fortunately, able to fend for herself. She shrieked VERY loudly when any machop appeared, but all other ferals were dealt with sanely.
"SAVE ME!" she cried when a machop got within ten meters of her. A shock from Rai sent it fleeing. "Thank you! You are so strong and brave and wonderful and-"
It took most of the day, but they found the door the key reacted too. "Okay," Pawniard breathed quietly for once. "Okay." She stepped forward and slotting the key through the ancient keyhole. Bumpy stone and orange rust were all the door showed.
She turned the key.
Something clicked. It almost sounded like a snap, and the key was drawn into the keyhole like a frog snapping up a juicy fly. They stepped back as the door rumbled and groaned before simply vanishing from sight.
Pawniard raced in and cheered. "TREASURE!" Her voice echoed greatly in the room, raising her already loud voice to a clangourous rave.
The room was fairly nondescript. But there was a ruby chest in the middle of the room. Pawniard made short work of the lock, slicing through it with her deadly hands, and pulling it open. "Oooh," she gasped, pulling out something made of cloth. "This feels great!"
Team Ion took a look at it as Pawniard passed it around. A cloth similar to the colour of the night sky, almost silvery in parts mimicking stars. It felt wonderful as Scout ran it through his paws. As soft as silk.
"This looks like a good one," he said, passing it back to Pawniard carefully.
"Thank you so much for bringing me here!" she said, beaming at the three. She carefully laid the cloth around her neck like a scarf or a shawl. "Okay! Let's get back to Treasure Town, and I can reward you!"
Reaching the end of Mt Bristle didn't take long, as they had already found the way on the search and turning around brought them straight back to the start of the dungeon.
"Let's go!"
The night would begin to fall by the time they returned. But for the first job after Scout's revival, it was a good one.
In bed that night, all cuddled up together, the felines had a short conversation.
"Things were a bit quiet today," Scout said.
"Were they?" Mane asked. "Were they really?"
Scout gave a short laugh. "She did talk a lot. But I mean."
"I know what you mean," Mane replied. Rai shifted, pressing against them both. "I'm still thinking."
"Do you want to talk?"
"Not yet."
Scout accepted that, so the three of them drifted off.
Armaldo did, eventually, stop yelling at Wigglytuff. He needed a day to recover his voice, but once he could actually make words again, he went to Azumarill to talk.
"I've got another one that needs your help," he coughed. He needed several days for his voice, but he did not believe in laying about.
That was Wigglytuff's job, apparently.
And with that, Scout was expected to meet with Azumarill after completing their work for the day. Jobs that took them more than a day away were disallowed for now.
"This is ridiculous, he's not dangerous," Mane snapped. "He's a bastard, but he's not going to hurt anyone."
"I will not put anyone, not even YOU, at risk until I am confident there is no risk," Armaldo replied. In the battle of glares, the powerful former outlaw tended to win over the strong former almost-outlaw.
And so that was that. Scout began to meet with Azumarill.
The first week of meetings went okay. But as he grew more comfortable, more things began to get unveiled.
"I'm just… so angry at myself," Scout said, eying the ground. "Everything I did. Everything I thought I knew. I'm an idiot who put everyone at risk, and I keep doing it! Why do I keep doing it?"
"It is often ourselves who know the answer," Azumarill replied gently. "But need a push to determine it."
"I just don't know what is so wrong with me in the past. How did I think anything I did was smart or... or…? I don't know!"
"What was his problem?" Azumarill asked.
"He wasn't good enough," Scout said, not thinking his words through at all. He blinked and recoiled slightly.
He blinked a few times, stunned at his own declaration.
"He wasn't good enough because of someone else's expectations," Azumarill said.
Scout shook his head. "No… I wasn't good enough because of my own expectations." He fell silent, just trying to mentally work through what he had just said.
They'd need to continue on this point later, Azumarill decided, as Scout had closed up again. She knew she'd get nothing more today.
Things continued to be relatively stable until Saniya came to talk to Scout again.
"May we go for a walk on the beach?" Saniya asked. In the beach had become a euphemism for traversing the Beach Cave dungeon to question Scout about things they couldn't really discuss elsewhere. "Just the two of us."
"Keep him safe," Rai asked, and Saniya nodded.
"Always do."
Saniya tested out some short distance teleportation to warp them right to the beach, they appeared above the water and Scout fell in, before entering the dungeon.
"I'm going to stink like salt tonight," Scout complained as they entered. "And I can't even go to the Hot Springs. It's too far and too late."
"I said, sorry." Saniya pouted. "Forgive me?"
"Yeah, alright."
"You're the best!" Saniya cheered and celebrated by blasting a shellos into the puddle it oozed out from.
"So, what did you want to talk about?" Scout asked as they walked. Saniya didn't seem keen on stopping, so he couldn't imagine this was a long conversation or else they would have stopped by now.
"You know how we're all forgetting stuff about the future? Even me even though I'm a super-awesome legend and even have time powers?"
"Indeed, I do."
Saniya frowned. "I remember more than my sweet Striker or Guardian or Sean, of course, but I still am losing stuff. For example, I don't really recall what was binding me when Guardian tried to possess Striker. I know it was something, probably a Ghost-type but…"
"A spiritomb," Scout replied, knowing the answer.
She gave him a brief surprised look before nodding happily. "Thanks. But that's the thing. I remember more, but I'm STILL losing recent stuff. Uh, mentally speaking."
Scout nodded, he was following but wasn't sure where Saniya was going with this and why they had to speak about it privately.
"I still remember Soothe," she said, wearing an expression of confusion and the furrowed brows of concern. "And it's been… uh… carry the one." She counted on some fingers. "Over 18 years since I last saw her. I still remember her name, her species, even her colour. Although that was pretty and shiny, like me!"
Scout nodded again. "Wigglytuff definitely still remembered her as well," he reminded. He had told everyone in the know by now what had gone down when he spoke to the leaders of the guild. "It'd be nearly as much for him since he's seen her."
"You'd think she'd be one of the first things I'd forget," Saniya said. "Maybe not. She was my first real friend, Giratina didn't count. She was the first person I trusted enough to save the world. But… but even then… all logic dictates that I should at least have trouble remembering what she was or sounded like. Nope." She tapped her head. "It's all still here."
"You think she's still around, don't you?" he asked. Saniya nodded. "I think… you should talk to Wigglytuff about this. If Soothe still IS around, she could be dangerous."
Saniya nodded again. "Yeah, that's… what I was thinking. But it doesn't… it doesn't make any sense. You and me, Sean and Striker and Guardian. Even Primal Dialga. Everyone disappeared when the time changed. Sean wasn't even FROM that world or timeline, and he was still nabbed by the paradox."
Scout wished he had answers for Saniya. He really did. The mystery twinged at his head as well. This audino, not a part of the story, but acting so far before it really began that he couldn't really claim that she couldn't be possible.
Mane wasn't in the 'story' after all, and he was around.
"Okay, that's all I wanted to talk about," Saniya said. She didn't look happy exactly, the prospect of Soothe being dangerous simply did not sit right with her.
As they continued through the dungeon, she found it impossible to simply keep in her head. "Do you mind if I… tell you about her?" Saniya asked, almost shyly. "I never really talked about Soothe before, even with you guys. I didn't want to make you feel like I was comparing or anything. And I'm totally not!"
"Go ahead," Scout said, smiling. "I'd like to hear about her."
Smiling gratefully, Saniya began. "Soothe was so weird. She was often grumpy but was really funny at the same time. She had the driest comments to make about stuff. Like the time-frozen water. She even taught me what a pun was! She said they were awful but would laugh when I said one, and we'd get into a 'punny war'."
Giggling at the memory, Saniya sighed. "And she loved knock-knock jokes! The worst ones you could imagine! Hahaha, you know when Bidoof first asked me one I nearly cried…"
After they returned to the guild, Saniya did go to Wigglytuff to inform him of her suspicions.
"I didn't say HE could be here," she said, glaring splinters at Armaldo.
"And he didn't say I couldn't be here," Armaldo replied. She stuck her tongue out at him but quickly shrugged it off.
"I'm going to cut to the chase," she began, giving Armaldo one more look as if it was his fault she wasn't going to ramble on about beans for thirty minutes. "I think Soothe is still around. By this point, the two of us should have forgotten her existence, it's been so long since we've both seen her. But I still remember, and you do too. Don't you?"
At dinner, Wigglytuff didn't attend, and Saniya chose to go to bed early. Leaving Armaldo to make an announcement to the guild.
"If any of you get any word or view, an audino with lavender fur, do not approach. Do not make any indication of noticing her. Leave as soon as you can and alert someone here. She is potentially highly dangerous but determining IF this is the right audino is essential."
"How many lavender audino's are there?" Bidoof asked.
"Likely not many but being careful is essential. Do you all understand? Do not engage. Do not go looking either, just keep an eye out. Say it back to me."
He got a vague return, and Armaldo made them repeat it again. This time it came out clearly. "Good. You may eat now."
There were a few known gluttons in the guild. Loudred, Paras surprisingly, Dugtrio. None could pack away food like Bidoof could, however.
Yet, tonight, he was only picking at his food, a concerned frown on his face.
"Uh, Armaldo, sir?" Bidoof asked, finding his appetite to be lost. Bidoof talking during a meal was unheard of, and a few pokémon couldn't help but pause to look at him.
Armaldo finished chewing a bite and swallowed, staring at the small, plump, pokémon. "Yes?"
"I, uh… by golly. This might just be me plum misremembering, but I reckon uh've seen a lavender audino before."
Everyone paused now.
"You?"
"WHAT?"
"Hey-hey?"
"Shut up you clambering children," Armaldo snapped, shooting glares at anyone else talking. "Explain, Bidoof."
"It was when I first was on my way here, yup-yup. To Treasure Town to join the guild. I reckon I was lost, or I thought I was, yup-yup. I met a very pretty audino with that light purple fur on my way, and she pointed me in the direction of the town. I remember it, I reckon, because." He began to blush. "She was awful pretty and being purple instead of pink was noticeable."
"And what did she say exactly?"
"Nothin, to tell the truth," Bidoof replied, frowning slightly. "I just asked her the way, and she pointed. I was too nervous to try and talk more by golly. I just thanked her and scuttled off."
"Hmm, this was when you joined the guild, correct?"
"Yup-yup."
"A couple years ago then… well, it was worth bringing up. Thank you, Bidoof." Armaldo went back to his food, the discussion over. Bidoof found his own hunger coming back now that he had said his part and the guild returned to raucous eating.
Armaldo eyed Bidoof a few more times, but the brown mouse didn't seem to have any other revelations to share.
A single lavender audino one time didn't mean much. Differently coloured pokémon certainly existed, a pink celebi existed with them right now while your normal celebi was green.
But still. It was something.
Beach Cave wasn't the only place they could talk. Just the most convenient. No one had been having nightmares, so the occasional comment was slipped by Sean or Rai, but nothing too big.
While on work at nearby dungeons, Scout was allowed to go a little farther now but still not more than a day away, the three of them talked.
It was often Mane who asked the harder questions.
"You ever use what you know about people to manipulate them in some way?" he had asked seriously. "And I don't mean just to get an advantage but, say, befriend them?"
It was a serious question, one Scout wanted to immediately reject but one he forced himself to think about. "Sometimes I worried I did," he admitted, giving Rai a guilty look. "But the story never really went into many lives up to this point. The only ones I sort of know are Bidoof and Wigglytuff and even then only a part."
"Well, did you ever try to befriend someone because you thought they were important?"
"Yeah… I think that's fair to say I did."
Rai's questions weren't as confronting to be heard, but he had a unique way of asking them that made Scout think all the same.
"Did you know I was from Amp Plains before?"
"I didn't, no. All I really knew about you was that you had the Relic Fragment and wanted to join the guild. Also, that you were really brave, you just weren't confident about it. That wasn't as true as I thought though, you're pretty confident!"
"I understand why you got so upset when I told Dusknoir what you asked me not to. But… why didn't you trust me enough to tell me the truth?"
Scratch that. Rai was excellent at asking difficult questions. "I… I don't know. Any answer I thought I had feels so stupid now."
"Well you ARE pretty stupid," Mane said, half-joking. "You're lucky you're cute."
"Come now Mane, people may think you only love me for my looks."
Mane smirked and gave him the up and down look. "That's part of it."
Scout turned away, ears going pink. "A-anyway. My reasons before were all fear-based. I was afraid you wouldn't believe me. Both about Dusknoir a-and if I told you how I knew."
Rai opened his mouth to object, but hesitated. "I… can see why you'd be worried, I guess. It still hurts that you didn't trust me."
"I'm sorry," Scout said. "I'm over all that now, I promise."
Rai managed a smile, and they continued on the job, shifting to talk about Team Sunrise and what they were up to.
In the safe end of another dungeon, a new important topic came up.
"Hey, why didn't you tell Lucario… uh, all that stuff about knowing things?" Rai asked, one ear flopping as he cocked his head.
Scout frowned. "Honestly? I don't know. I wanted to tell her when she mentioned her own… stuff, I really tried, but the words just wouldn't come out."
"Hmm," Rai hummed, "that's not good enough. She probably could have helped with Darkrai, and we don't have a clue where she is now!"
"Hey," Mane said, bumping Rai. "Lay off him."
"Huh?" Rai asked, falling onto his side from the sudden bump.
"Huh?" Scout asked, thrown by Mane coming to his defence now.
"I thought you were the one being critical?" Rai said, cocking his head the other way, the other ear twitching.
"Well, YEAH!" Mane scoffed. "But if you're going to be all nit-picky, I'll need to be the unreasonably forgiving one."
Rai gave him an odd look. "I'm not unreasonable."
"Mmm."
Scout chuckled before sobering. "I get that you're mad."
Mane's tail flicked out sharply before he shook his head. "Look I'm not MAD-mad. I just think you're a bit stupid, but that's how you've always been. I'll get over it."
"You shouldn't have to get over it," Scout replied.
"Mmm. I still think it's stupid I wasn't in this 'story' of yours."
Scout frowned at the reminder before he smirked. "Well, I still think this is the one I'd be happiest in," he said, beaming. Then, to Rai and especially Mane's shock, he leaned over and gave Mane a peck on the nose.
Mane spluttered at him, going violently red. "What was that for?" he asked.
"Because you're cute," Scout replied, grinning.
"ME?" Mane squawked. Rai looked like he was falling apart on the inside.
"Rai's cute as well," Scout said and gave him a kiss on the forehead, causing the shinx to nearly combust. "Both are so cute."
Rai growled without any heat to it, but he didn't know who to tackle at the moment.
Mane laughed, and the others soon followed. "Nah," Mane said, shaking his head. "If you've ever seen your reflection, you'd know YOU'RE the cute one of the team. I'm the handsome one and Rai… well, he's the fluffy one."
"Cute and cute," Scout said. He received a double tackle from Rai and Mane.
Mane pinned him and Scout booped his nose with a paw, causing him to growl.
"You look good under me," Mane growled, and Scout became aware of their position.
"I, uh."
"Off!" Rai said and tackled Mane off Scout, the two rolling and scrabbling for a moment before Rai had Mane pinned. "I'm the top cat," he said proudly.
"Yeah, yeah," Mane said, dismissively but he was getting flustered. "Now off."
"Nah."
"Oi! Off!"
"Nah. I'm going to take a nap." Rai then curled up on Mane and closed his eyes, smiling at the offending noises Mane was making.
"I am NOT your personal bed."
"You're warm and comfy," Rai hummed, nuzzling Mane for a moment.
"Well, YEAH, I AM the best. But still, OFF!" Mane's voice rose to a squeak several times as he spoke, with Rai still not getting off him.
"I'll make you get off," he warned.
"If you were serious, you'd have done that already," Rai replied. Mane closed his mouth, he had him there.
Scout smiled as he watched the display. It certainly wasn't the first time he'd seen something like that between the two. Mane caught him and said. "Stop your smirking," he demanded.
"And come over," Rai added.
"Oi!"
"Like you don't want him," Rai purred.
Scout chuckled awkwardly. "I'm… I'm good."
"He'll make you," Mane said, giving in.
"He's right," Rai replied lazily.
Scout stood up. "Like you could catch me," he said and ran off. There wasn't much space to run in the dungeon ending, as soon as they left they'd end up at the start of the dungeon.
Rai leapt off Mane, knocking the wind of out the litleo, to give chase. Scout WAS quite fast and more agile than Rai, especially when he dropped to all fours.
But Rai could use Quick Attack.
Scout dodged him once, twice, thrice.
Then Mane got him.
Mane was the heaviest of the three and completely took Scout out. Rai crashed into the pile of cats and laughed.
"Your prey, my fair leader," Mane said, putting on an approximation of Scout's manner of speaking.
"Thank you, good sir," Rai replied, doing the same.
"You two are BOTH heavier than me," Scout complained from somewhere below, muffled by fur.
"Chimes has got you on her special diet," Mane retorted, poking Scout in the ribs. "Those shouldn't be showing."
"She's just trying to fatten me up to eat me," Scout whined.
"Because she's evil?" Rai giggled.
"Exactly. Someone's on my side for once."
Mane snorted and gave Scout some room to breathe, without actually letting him out. Scout took overdramatic gulps of air, and then nearly choked when Mane gave him a lick on the cheek.
"I don't need you to get hairballs as well," Scout said on default, voice going high and squeaky.
Rai glared at him then grinned and licked the other cheek.
"Stoooop," Scout pleaded, covering his face with his paws.
"He's so embarrassed," Mane laughed and leaned in close. "I wonder why. We're all friends here."
"The best of friends," Rai said, laying across Mane and giving a matching smirk down at Scout.
"Y-Yeah?"
"Cause that's ALL there is."
Scout shifted in embarrassment. "I… I thought… you two… were…"
They both cut him off there. They didn't need to talk anymore.
"Your assignment is… different, today," Armaldo said to the assembled Team Sunrise.
"Different as in taking care of school children or different as in diving in the beach?" Striker asked.
"Closer to the former than the latter," Armaldo said. The four of them tensed. "In that, you will be working with Team Go-Getters again."
They didn't relax. The last time had nearly driven Striker and Charizard to drinking.
"Team Go-Getters has requested your participation in exploring the Circh dungeon for an item they have been requested to find."
That raised questions.
"Team Go-Getters took an item job?"
"A dungeon? How far is it?"
"You're letting us go to a dungeon?"
Armaldo raised his pincers to quiet them down. "Yes, it IS odd they would accept a request like this, but they have. Yes, you are going to a dungeon. This one is relatively close by, but you will be leaving the bounds of Treasure Town. The Guildmaster and Officer Magnezone have cleared this, so you will not be in any trouble for leaving. Team Go-Getters is there to reign you in if need be. Do not cause trouble."
The four exchanged looks. Saniya and Sean were eager to see something other than Treasure Town, while Striker and Guardian were a little more subdued.
"How dangerous is this dungeon that Team Go-Getters requested help?" Striker asked.
"That is the thing," Guardian answered in place of Armaldo. "This is among the least dangerous dungeons in the world. If not the absolute safest. There are no feral pokémon that have ever been recorded in this dungeon."
Armaldo nodded. "Right. I find this odd as well, but it could be a change of pace for you as well as a test."
Celebi raised a hand. "Wait? A dungeon with no pokémon? How is that even possible?"
Armaldo shrugged. "I do not know. The Circh dungeon is an ancient dungeon, existing before even Lucario appeared. It, however, is the ruins of an ancient town."
"A town?" Saniya asked. "Again? What?"
"I was getting to that," Armaldo snapped. "While, yes, towns did not exist until after Lucario, this does not show the same construction as a pokémon town. It is believed this is an ancient human village. Perhaps that's why there are no pokémon. Only memories."
And with that, he shooed them off.
Team Go-Getters was waiting for the perplexed four outside the guild. "Armaldo fill you in?" Chikorita asked.
"He did," Striker replied. "But we are curious as to why you asked us for help."
"A break from all the hard work you've been doing," Wartortle answered. "You're run around town all day every day without even being able to leave. We thought this would be a nice change of pace for you, even if it won't exactly be action-packed."
"That's kind of you," Sean said, falling into step with Wartortle. "It'll be great to see something different for once! And… an ancient human town?" he asked, glancing to Wartortle.
"I've wanted to go there myself," Wartortle replied.
"It's why we took this job." Chikorita waved the scrap of parchment with the request written on it. "Doduo wants some human relic. The place has probably been picked clean, but it IS a dungeon, and those are funky places. I think we'll be able to find something."
"And if my research is correct," Charizard added, speaking softly. "This isn't a very frequented dungeon. That could be due to the lack of incentive to go, but I have seen records of pokémon being unnerved by the dungeon. So, I believe it isn't very often travelled regardless."
"You do research?" Guardian asked. They had been meeting with Team Go-Getters for several weeks now, but the team didn't talk much about the job or their process.
"Oh, yes." Charizard nodded. "Wartortle decides on what jobs we'll undertake, Chikorita prepares our items for the trip, and I research the dungeons themselves to help the other two."
"A fine operation," Guardian said, approvingly. Charizard gave him a wide smile at the compliment.
"You were well known for being a learned pokémon yourself. Have you heard of the Circh dungeon?" Charizard asked.
Guardian nodded. "Indeed. I never paid much attention to it, as it had no connection to the Time Gears, and I doubted… the others would know about it. I must confess; however, I am curious. I do love history, and an ancient human settlement did interest me."
"Do you know anything interesting about it?" Chikorita asked, curiously.
Guardian considered the question. "Nothing more than Armaldo explained," he said. "No feral pokémon. Ancient human settlement from before Lucario. And that the dungeon can feel odd to pokémon entering it."
"That's what we've heard too," Wartortle said, nodding. "Still, this is bound to be interesting."
Sean raised a paw. "Question. Why hasn't this come up before?" He frowned. "This dungeon that's so close to Treasure Town, old human settlement, you'd think that'd be important."
"Pokémon don't tend to have the longest attention spans," Wartortle said, smirking even as Chikorita whipped him with a vine. "Ow. And history has never seemed to be their strongest point."
"I was able to find plenty of history," Guardian defended.
"If you look hard enough, sure." Wartortle nodded. "But you wouldn't believe how much humans are not only able to record history, but how much they do. Ever heard of a computer?"
"Window's vista!" Saniya said, almost a squeal with how sudden and loud that was.
"Uh… yeah?" Wartortle said, blinking at her. "I wasn't expecting any of you besides Riolu. How do YOU know?"
"Giratina told me," Saniya replied, smirking superiorly.
"And… how does IT know?"
Saniya paused. "Uh… I don't know." She pulled out her mirror to sigh sadly at before stashing it away again. "Hopefully I'll be able to get answers one day."
"Damn I miss computer games," Sean said, smiling nostalgically. "And video games in general. Did you ever play Pokémon Crossing, Wartortle?"
"Never heard of it," Wartortle answered.
"Really?"
"In my time, good lord this makes me sound ancient, we had Word and Excel on our computers and these crappy little disks that played the cheapest of games you got out of a cereal box. Those were the best."
"That's… huh." Sean blinked. "How long have you been here?"
"Over 20 years now," Wartortle answered.
"Ahh. That explains it. Damn, you wouldn't really know the glory of the internet, would you?"
"I… know it's a good storing and communication network?"
Sean shook his head. "I'm so sorry you missed it all."
Wartortle gave him a flat look. "Don't start getting patronizing."
Sean's ears flicked up straight in alarm. "Oh, no! That's not what I meant at all! Sorry, sorry!"
Wartortle laughed. "It's fine, kid," he said with a grin. Sean's alarm disappeared immediately.
"Yeah, alright, old man."
"Well, before you two start comparing other things, we should talk about the trip," Chikorita said, deciding to be the voice of reason.
"What did you have in mind?" Striker asked his fellow Grass-type.
"It's going to take us most of the day to walk there since Charizard can't carry us all."
"I could try?"
"And you would fail."
Charizard hmphed and crossed his arms.
"So, food and break times should be worked out."
"Good thought process," Striker replied, equally as pleased with Chikorita as Guardian was with Charizard. "It hasn't been a requirement of us in a while. And while we have remained active in Treasure Town, distance walking hasn't been done in months so we may be somewhat out of shape."
"You are NOT calling us lazy," Saniya said, poking Striker's face with her own.
"I am in the same shape you are," Striker said, avoiding the question fluidly. "Treasure Town's ground is flat and largely smooth, as was Temporal Tower, even now my feet are beginning to notice the poke of this more uneven ground."
"That's so sad for you," Saniya and Guardian said in chorus.
"My feet are still calloused from everything leading up the whole disappearing thing," Sean said happily.
Striker knew he had lost this one. "I'm not complaining, I'm just making an observation," he claimed, turning his head away from everyone. But with six people around him, that was impossible. "Stop looking at me!"
Smirking at his plight, but kind enough to move on, Chikorita pulled the map out. "I've got two designated spots for us to stop at. They are also very pretty. One's a flower field, the other is a lake. I also considered the Cave of Terror, but we can stop by on the way back!"
"I've heard about that place," Sean said, looking over to where Chikorita had marked her map. "Isn't it filled with zubat?"
"Every bat pokémon you can imagine," Charizard said, shuddering. "zu, woo, even noi. It's quite aptly named."
Sean seemed perturbed. "Seems like something that'd drive people to madness. Every two steps. ZUBAT!"
"Sounds fun!" Saniya said, hearing very little of that but wanting to be a part of the talking.
The two teams continued to chat as they walked. Guardian and Charizard shared theories on why the new dungeons that had appeared where they had.
"If you look at the whole map of the Grass Continent AND the Air Continent, you can make out a few interesting pictures," Guardian said, tracing a line with his fingers.
"You're looking for symbols, and so you'll find symbols. It's like obsessing over a number, so you begin to find that number in everything no matter how far you need to reach for it."
Striker and Chikorita discussed the pros and cons of various items.
"As good as the Slumber Orb is, nothing beats the Reviver Seed. Come on, I'll fight you over this."
"The Reviver Seed merely helps you continue if you are defeated. The Slumber Orb acts to prevent you from being defeated in the first place. The Reviver Seed is a crux for weaker pokémon."
"And relying on room-blasting orbs isn't?"
Saniya, who bounced between each conversation, piped up. "You've got an… orbsession!" All conversation ceased as all eyes turned to the grinning Saniya.
"I thought… you had stopped doing that," Striker said, weakly.
"Sunflora reminded me about puns, so I've been cooking some up!" Saniya beamed.
"New plan, arrest Sunflora," Sean said, before laughing. "Good pun, though!"
"Thanks!"
While Sean and Wartortle debated the best and worst of human society.
"Fast food. Checkmate," Sean said, smirking smugly.
"Finding a job," Wartortle countered, with as devious of a look as possible. "In case being a trainer doesn't work out."
"Hey! I managed to make a team that saved the world!"
"So did I!"
"I'm your leader," Chikorita called over, cutting through her debate of why the Blast Seed was better than the Luminous Orb.
"Ha!" Sean laughed.
"Doesn't change the fact that jobs are terrifying in the human world."
"Well… you got me there."
"Let's switch to pokémon world pros and cons," Wartortle suggested. "You start."
"Pokémon can talk here," Sean immediately said. "Or, really, we can actually have two-sided conversations. I'd talk to my family's purloin, but she never talked back. Probably for the best, if I thought she was talking back I'd probably be crazy."
"I win immediately and forever with the internet's true use," Wartortle said smugly. Sean blinked and cocked his head. "Wait… how young are you?"
"Uh… I was twelve when I came to this world. I've been here… four years maybe?"
"Okay… fine, I won't use that one." Wartortle considered his response for a moment. "Alright, controversial but still true. Humans aren't as easily satisfied as pokémon, BUT this definitely drives us a lot harder. Pokémon tend to be pretty chill with what they've got."
"Not a bad thing," Chikorita called.
"I'm not saying it is," Wartortle replied, with the tone of someone who had this discussion many, many, times. "But humanities advancement counts for SOMETHING."
Sean couldn't quite refute that point and they moved on.
The flower field was pleasing to Striker and Chikorita. But it made Sean sneeze a considerable amount. He did like the falling leaves, though.
"You know, when I first appeared in the Dark Future, I ran into some time-frozen leaves. Damn, they cut me up. I wonder if I still have the scars…?"
"You still remember that?" Saniya asked, interested.
"Well… yeah!" Sean nodded. "It was pretty much the first thing that happened to me after I got tossed there. I still remember how I met all of you too! But the names of the places we went too… yeah, I have no idea."
"I think one was called… The Rock?" Striker said, pausing his flower picking. He gave each of his team members a bouquet, and it was hard to tell who was more flustered, Saniya or Guardian.
Sean would have been grateful, but he sneezed so hard they all flew away.
"You know, in the language of flowers these flowers mean you think the recipient is stupid," Charizard said.
Eyes turned to Striker.
"I… certainly did not know… that Charizard knew the language of flowers."
Saniya and Guardian quickly restrained Striker and began feeding him the flowers. Sean laughed at their antics before sneezing again.
"We should continue moving," Chikorita suggested. They had to unwrap Striker of all the flowers tying him down but were back on the road quickly.
Sean continued to sneeze for a few hours.
"Damn this sensitive nose," he scoffed, rubbing his face. "Plus one to being human, I don't smell everything with the power of a thousand noses."
"Imagine something with a thousand noses," Wartortle considered.
"Like a mega probopass?" Charizard asked.
"That would be terrifying," Chikorita said. "New mission, ensure that never happens."
"Agreed," her teammates, and Team Sunrise, chorused.
At the lake, Sean was able to wash the pollen off his fur, and everyone else, and stopped sneezing every two steps.
"Finally," he gasped, breathing again without the constant itch. "I have never loved breathing quite so much."
"Somewhat concerning of a statement," Wartortle said, from besides Sean in the lake. The two human-turned-pokémon swam together. It had taken a while to convince Wartortle to step in, he wasn't a good swimmer.
"I stand by it." Sean splashed Wartortle and tried to escape. A Water-type. In the water.
Wartortle caught him in seconds. And only due to giving Sean a head start.
The two teams had an excellent time together. Away from alcoholic banette and murderous children.
All long walks come to an end, however, and with the first stars appearing in the sky, they had arrived at Circh.
The entrance was an ancient, crumbling, archway. Despite its age and the disrepair, it stood strong and firm. A preserving aspect of the dungeon it was a part of.
There was ancient writing on the arch, but it was so long and faded they hadn't a chance to try and make it out.
"Here we are," Chikorita said, jittering with unknown excitement. Charizard gave her a few Looks to calm her down.
Feeling a bit nervous, Sean stepped forward first out of his team. "Well, we shouldn't just stand around."
"Should we not enter with some time between us?" Guardian asked, feeling something off about the entranceway. "To prevent the dungeon from registering us as a group of seven?"
"There aren't any pokémon in here," Chikorita said. "And did you know that Wartortle doesn't seem to register on that? We've come in with groups of five."
"Sean didn't register as well," Saniya said, but somewhat subdued. There was definitely something off about this archway. "But even then, that's five of us."
"To be honest, I'm curious," Chikorita admitted. "What will happen here with all seven of us. Even if something does happen, the seven of us are absolute hardcore badasses! We'll be fine, and I have an Escape Orb just in case."
"As do I," Striker said. He always had orbs.
"Orbsessed," Saniya muttered under her breath.
"Well…" Sean said, feeling the rest of his teammates looking to him for the decision. "Okay, together. But if something DOES happen, we have to be ready to leave."
"I'll keep it ready," Striker said.
With a breath, Team Sunrise and Team Go-Getter's entered Circh. The ancient dungeon of a human settlement.
"Is the name familiar to you?" Sean asked Wartortle quietly as they walked into the warped landmass.
"Maybe. Circh…"
It was immediately apparent that this was no ordinary dungeon. The space was wide and open rather than constrained to blocky rooms and featureless corridors. It felt like walking into any old town, only one without a sky, or any living being in sight or sense.
The roof of the dungeon was at least similar to the norm. A swirling vortex of dark purple clouds, far enough up they were hard to focus on, and yet not far away at all.
They walked a cobblestone road, cracked with grass and weeds splitting through the stones and growing towards the lack of the sun.
There were some subtle signs of pokémon settlement to have existed at some point. Scorch marks and claw gouges and the occasional leavanny-woven fabric. But most of the town was reclaimed nature and old human design.
Walls with pinpoint precision, each brick slipped into place with care and an eye for detail. Fences along the roads to tie equine pokémon to. There were signs of more significant buildings once, but those were rendered as complete ruins.
It was a damaged place, there was no question. Even ignoring the wear and tear of age, something had gone down here. There were piles of bricks, strewn about as if they had been broken just minutes ago. The dirt was still freshly moved.
There were flecks of blood, dried but still red.
The only thing missing was any sign of life or death.
It was unsettling. Had there been bodies, there would have been something comforting about something so blunt and straightforward. There were marks on wooden tables were rings of condensed liquid had dried, something that could not be seen after thousands of years in the elements.
It was a dungeon. There was no doubt there. But one none of the seven had experienced before.
"This is creepy," Saniya said, the only one brave enough to speak against the absolute silence. There was no whisper of the wind through leaves, although there were trees around. No rumble of the crowd. Not even the loud silence of a tragedy.
There was nothing but their heartbeats.
"This… reminds me of the Dark Future," Sean said next, shivering slightly. "I really don't like how quiet it is, can we please talk."
"A… good… idea," Guardian said, breathing laboured.
"I did not expect this!" Chikorita gasped, realising this was bringing back bad memories for the four. "I am so sorry."
"It's alright," Striker replied, forcing a smile. "This ISN'T the Dark Future." To prove it to his friends, and maybe to himself, he kicked on old bowl over. It shattered.
The sound seemed to relax the four, the sounds of their heartbeats lessoned.
"Let's just get this done," Charizard said. Chikorita hesitated, glancing about, before nodding.
"Right. Let's find something."
"Where?" Saniya asked, fluttering forward. "These buildings look like they'll crumble if a stiff breeze touches them." She tapped a wall. It didn't collapse. She tapped it harder. "Okay, maybe not a STIFF breeze. But it could still be dangerous getting into these things."
"Let's just go in further," Wartortle said. This place was skeeving him out as well, but nothing as bad as Team Sunrise. "The actual good stuff is usually further in."
"If you're looking for something, I might be able to help."
Absolutely everyone jumped.
Including the voice when the seven pokémon reared back at her, fire, water, leaves, magical energies, all ready to blast and keep blasting.
And then. As one. They stopped.
"O-oh my. I did not mean to startle." The speaker knelt down until she was level with the smallest of the pokémon, which was Sean. "Hello. I am Violet."
Light pink skin. Hair on head. Wrapped in woven material. Striker, Saniya, and Guardian had all seen one of these before.
"Is that…?" Chikorita gasped.
"A human," Wartortle said, just as stunned as the rest of them.
Violet blinked. "Have you not seen many humans before?" she asked.
"No," Sean said, through numb lips.
Chikorita, Charizard, and Wartortle had some quick, tense, discussion before Wartortle was pushed forward.
"Uh…" he said, mouth twisting in a way he had not done in some time. "H-Hello?"
"Oh my," Violet said. "A pokémon who speaks?" She smiled gratefully. "You do not need to stress yourself, I can understand you either way."
"Seriously?" Striker asked. "You can understand me right now?"
"Yes." She nodded. "I can."
"Sean couldn't," Striker almost complained.
"May I ask who 'Sean' is?" Violet asked.
"I am," the riolu said. "I was human once."
"You were?" Violet asked, amazed. "No wonder your companion speaks so well." She glanced to Wartortle with a smile. "Not to say you wouldn't speak well regardless."
"I have… so many questions," Wartortle began. "How are you here?"
"Hm?" Violet asked. "An odd question. Perhaps we can discuss such philosophical questions on a walk?" She came to her feet slowly, as to not startle them. "Oh, this is wonderful! It has been too long since we have had new arrivals. The men and woman don't come here often anymore, and even the pokémon have been staying away."
She frowned, sadly, but soon erased it with a smile. "Weary pokémon you must be to come so far. Would you walk with me? I am looking for something myself, perhaps we can each find what we are looking for together?"
She waited for the pokémon to decide. Chikorita was immediately for it, Charizard was hesitant, Wartortle was simply trying to process what was happening.
"Another human?" Saniya hissed. "Could THIS one be Gabriel?"
"She said her name was Violet," Guardian pointed out.
"This is far too unusual to be safe," Striker said, the wariest of the bunch.
"I have to know," Sean said, shaking his head and already stepping forward. "I just have to."
That was that, and Violet smiled as the pokémon began to follow. "Let me show you around," she said and began to guide them.
"Here is John's Tavern, it's somewhat of a seedy establishment, but John is a good man." She said this while gesturing to an imploded wreckage. "I hope he comes home soon, the patrons miss him."
She brought them to a somewhat intact water fountain, old and long since stopped working. "Here is our fountain, the water is good and pure, so feel free." She cupped a hand of air and took a sip as if proving the water was safe.
Sean, hesitatingly, followed suit. Just air. "It's good," he said, Violet was watching him. She smiled happily.
"I am glad. I'll let you partake in the refreshment." She waited as the rest of them followed Sean's. Except for Striker, who continued to just stare at Violet.
"I am not thirsty for air," he said. Violet gave him an empty smile.
"Who is?" she giggled.
And once everyone had 'drunk' their fill, she moved on. "Foster the Blacksmith works here. Let's go in." She stepped to the collapsed door and walked through the massive hole. "Foster! We have some pokémon visitors today!"
Sean and Wartortle peered in before carefully stepping in, seeing some old human architecture. Chikorita and Saniya followed, the rest remained outside as they were too large to risk it.
Violet spoke to air in front of a long burned-out forge for a few minutes, chatting about the weather and how Foster's swordsmithing was going. Sean noticed how her voice lacked the accent he knew Galarians usually sounded like, but she did seem to be from Galar's distant past... still, it reminded him more of Kalos' national accent.
"That's so many blades," she said, sadly. "I hope once it's all over, you'll be able to retire." She waited for some response. "Oh! Well, of course, of course. Pardon me." She backed out and led the pokémon to a new attraction, continuing to talk to humans and pokémon that weren't there.
"Violet?" Sean asked after she parted sadly from yet another encounter the others did not see. "Who are you talking to?"
Violet gave him a blank look. "Here is Thera's Records. She is a brave woman, taking over with her husband away." It was just a ruin. Like everything else. Empty.
"Sean, what do you think of her clothes?" Wartortle whispered. The two of them had been watching Violet the closest. Charizard and Chikorita had asked a few questions, asking about human way of life and what kinds of things they do, while Team Sunrise were much more cautious and just keeping an eye on her.
Guardian and Saniya did pipe up with the occasionally question about Violet specifically, but were often answered with blank stares.
Looking at her clothes, Sean didn't have much an eye for fashion, but even he had noticed they were a bit much.
Violet was adorned in a lovely, antiqued, gown with many frills and trails of fabric. She wore a large hat shaped with curves and lines of velvet. She did not need to hold the gown off the ground. Despite its opulence, it seemed somewhat spartan. Something she could move quickly in, run if she had to.
They were very old clothes.
"And here is the best part!" Violet beamed as she led them to a place that was shockingly, not a ruin. It was an ancient bathing area, open to the air but held up with marble pillars with a fresh inscription on the walls. The language was very antiquated for Sean and Wartortle to easily read, but they got part of it.
"Hero bath?" Wartortle asked.
"Yes!" Violet beamed. "Excellent eye, you have been taught well." She blushed again. "Not to imply your companions have not, that is not what I mean. Oh dear, I apologise for that."
Sean frowned, this was all really tickling some old memories. Class at school. Doing a project on history. Galar…
"Circhester," Sean said. Violet looked up sharply. "That's where this is, right?"
"Why yes," Violet replied. "This is Circhester. I thought you already… oh, I shouldn't continue. It would be rude again." She sighed, composing herself despite visibly wanting to kick a rock. "I apologise for my lack of grace, I have been rendered flustered you see. I do hope you may find it in your hearts to forgive me."
"There is nothing to forgive," Wartortle said. The others had given the two human-turned-pokémon the job of figuring out what the hell was going on.
"You are too kind."
"We're in Galar," Sean muttered to Wartortle. "Or, at least, this place is. This is actually Galar, that's a region from my world."
"Mine too," Wartortle replied. How was a piece of Galar here, in the pokémon world of mystery dungeons?
"Violet," Sean said, stepping apart from Wartortle. "You said you were looking for something too?"
"Oh, yes!" Violet said, relieved at the change of topic. She had been silently saying something to herself, only her lips moving before. "My sweet companion. Oh, my precious Nelia. We were together only a short time ago, and now she is gone. I must find her before supper."
Violet was growing slightly agitated, looking around her. She rushed to someone only she could see and pleaded with them to know if they had seen her pokémon. She spoke to several figures not there before she nearly bumped into Guardian.
"My most gracious of apologies," she said, glancing over to Sean and Wartortle. She repeated something, lips moving, but she was too far away to hear, and they had to come over.
"We could help you find Nelia," Sean offered.
Violet's eyes filled with tears. "I do not know such kindness these days," she said, wiping them away. "Pokémon truly are wonderful beings. Thank you. She is an indeedee and has a matching pendant to mine," she said, pulling out a necklace from under her clothes. "It is a sign of our bond with each other. Oh, I do not know what I would do without how. I will look forever if I must. Nelia!?" she called.
Her voice did not echo.
"Forever…." Sean repeated, softly that only Wartortle heard him.
They exchanged a worried look and followed after Violet. She continued calling for Nelia before noticing they were still with her.
"Splitting up may help," he suggested. "Us with Striker, Saniya, and Guardian together and Chikorita and Charizard?"
The named pokémon nodded. Sean, of course, did not think about names when he was saying this and both Chikorita and Charizard blushed a little but said nothing.
"Be careful, brave pokémon," Violet called, softly.
"They are strong," Sean said.
"Yes… many are," Violet said, sadly. She nodded to someone only she could see and continued walking, calling for her pokémon.
"Violet?" Sean asked.
"Yes?"
"May I ask what the date is?"
Violet gave him a puzzled look. "Date? I am unsure of what you mean."
"What year is it?" Wartortle added.
Again, Violet did not seem sure. "I… am not sure."
"Well… what's going on in Galar at the moment?" Sean settled on. That, Violet, could answer.
But she did not seem happy about it.
"Oh, it's awful. With the rise of the two kings, we saw peace and prosperity, but our wild and relentless neighbours feared their power and have attacked. We suffer war, something I am sad to say even pokémon are being forced into. The conflicts of humans…"
"Kalos," Sean gasped.
Violet's eyes hardened before she softened. "Yes. Kalos' dread king Arceus-Zygarde has waged a war built from vile grief. He's lost many from his side, seeing his actions for what they really are." She trailed off, a distant look of nostalgic sadness on her face before she shook it off and yelled. "Galar will not fall to his tyranny!" She calmed down quickly, taking a soothing breath. "But all this fighting makes me fear. Raiding parties, danger on the borders, people taking whatever pokémon they can… I must find Nelia. NELIA!"
In time, the other five pokémon returned with nothing to show for it. "Just lots of… nothing," Chikorita said, to Violet's disappointment.
"Where may she have disappeared to?" she asked. "Perhaps she has returned home. Have you found yourself that searching for someone looking for you tends to have no success? Perhaps Nelia is looking for me?"
"That could be it," Sean said, placatingly. Violet smiled and then her mouth moved again with no words coming out.
"So… Violet?" Chikorita said. "What do you think of Riolu and Wartortle? Pretty weird that they both were human once, right?"
"Oh, both?" Violet said, surprised. She turned to Wartortle, who nodded sheepishly. "So that is why you were so learned? Uh, I mean, not that you wouldn't be regardless… I am doing it again."
Wartortle laughed it off. "It's fine."
"Your forgiveness is difficult to handle," Violet said, somewhat breathlessly. Her lips moved again, Sean thought he caught her repeating that word. Forgiveness.
She turned to him sharply, startling Sean. Her lips began to move again, but she spoke after just a few moments. "Two humans who are now pokémon?" she said, furrowing her brow. "Perhaps you are kings as well?"
She moved on, nearly drifting even as each foot planting on the ground soundlessly. Sean tried to reach forward to touch her leg, but Violet was faster than she looked, and his little legs had trouble keeping up.
"It was Nelia who raised me, essentially," Violet said. "My mother and father had little time, and indeedee are well regarded here as dutiful pokémon. She took care of me in my infancy and acted as a companion and a friend as I grew older. She is like a sister to me. Nelia! WHERE ARE YOU?"
Sean frowned, this was sad to watch in an emotional way. He shared a look with Wartortle and could see he felt the same way.
She continued calling for her lost pokémon. Throughout it, as Sean and Wartortle had gone quiet, the others spoke to Violet. Saniya tried to make her laugh, she got a soft laugh once, but Violet grew embarrassed.
Striker and Guardian asked her about herself, but most of Violet's answers were somewhat confusing and contradictory, or started something but didn't finish the thought before she returned to calling.
Chikorita hit her with a few thoughts and observations that distracted Violet for a while. Still, nothing could stem the need to find Nelia.
In the end, Violet couldn't find her pokémon. "I know you brave pokémon will not be staying long," Violet said, sadly. "No one new stays for long. I am also greatly ashamed of myself. You came looking for something yourself, did you not?"
"Just something human," Chikorita answered. "Another pokémon just wants a human knickknack."
Violet gave her a puzzled smile but gestured forwards. "You'll have your pick for your diligent assistance to me," she said firmly and began striding away with purpose.
Again, they had to rush to keep up with the long legs of the human.
Violet stopped at a pile of wreckage so destroyed it was impossible to tell what it once way. "In… here," Violet said, hesitantly. She glanced at the wreckage in something resembling concern and fell dead silent.
Chikorita, brave as she was, stepped forward carefully. "Uh… where to start?" she asked, before something silvery caught her eye. "Oh!" She extended her vines until she could grip the silvery object and pulled it forward.
"A spoon?" Wartortle asked.
"A HUMAN spoon," Chikorita reminded. "Nothing like the spoons of the kadabra and alakazam."
"…Sure."
"A fine pick," Violet beamed. Sean frowned, he had walked around to try and get Violet's attention by prodding her leg. She had moved before he could, and he had caught her mouthing silent words at the ruins before then.
Violet offered to show them back to the entrance of the town and swept ahead, determined and quick once more.
"I hope, if you see Nelia tell her to come home," Violet asked as they reached the entrance of the dungeon. She stopped as they walked past her, unwilling to walk further.
"Why don't you come with us?" Saniya asked. "It'd be easier to look for her if, you know, you were looking for her!"
Violet gave her a blank look and began speaking again. No words. Everyone saw it this time.
Violet smiled. "I'm afraid I cannot. I must find Nelia before sunset, or we will be late for dinner." She turned around. "NELIA? NELIA?"
"It was sunset when we entered," Striker pointed out. Violet didn't seem to hear him.
"Violet," Sean asked, bringing her attention back even as she had begun to walk off. "Can you actually leave?"
Violet gave him a blank smile. "Oh, certainly. I'd need permission first. Nelia? Where are you?" She mouthed something again and turned around. "Oh, where could she be. I hope nothing happened to her. Oh, Nelia."
She began to walk off, headless to their words now. In front of their eyes, they witnessed Violet simply disappearing.
One moment she was there and then she was not. No lights, no fading, just there and then not.
"Okay…" Saniya said. "That was one of the actual weirdest things I've ever been a part of."
"Do I still have…?" Chikorita pulled out the spoon. "Oh, good. Okay… let's go."
Night had properly fallen as they entered, confused, a little freaked out, and overall very sad.
"I think I know what that was about," Sean said, sadly. "She was from Galar, a region from our world." He gestured to Wartortle. "During a war."
"A war?" The question was asked. Pokémon didn't have wars.
"It's… hard to explain and unpleasant to even think about," Wartortle explained.
"Wars end with millions dead, usually," Sean said. "Depending on how big. This war was an ancient one, about three thousand years in the past, so the overall human death count wasn't as big as it could have been… but lots of pokémon died too."
"Humans and pokémon?" Guardian asked, sadly. A finger twitched.
"I think that might be some sort of… I dunno, dungeon memory? She wasn't a Ghost-type pokémon, but I think she was some sort of… a spirit or something? I don't know, I was never able to actually touch her. But… you saw when she was mouthing stuff, right?"
"That time, yeah?"
"She did that a lot. I couldn't really work much about, I thought she repeated forgiveness when it was mentioned. But that last time… I think I got a bit more."
"You did?" Wartortle asked. "What did she say?"
"I saw 'tell her I forgive her'."
The two teams fell silent.
"That was extra freaky," Saniya said, troubled. "You, uh… three thousand years ago? That's a long time."
"Yeah." Sean nodded. "I did a history assignment in school, and I chose the Kalos/Galar war. A lot of humans just think it's a myth, but there IS plenty of evidence."
"I've heard about it," Wartortle nodded. "Not much though."
"Three thousand years…" Saniya mused. That was an uncomfortable number, as it meant something to her.
But what? It was something Giratina had said or talked about a few times. But she couldn't grasp onto the memory firm enough and gave up before long.
They continued to trek back in silence.
"Alright," Chikorita said. "I've got to apologise. I knew that might happen and didn't tell you."
"WHAT?" Wartortle yelled.
"Excuse me?"
"Why would you hide that?"
"Chikorita!"
"Order, please," Charizard called. "I knew, as well. We chose not to mention it because there have been no reports of aggression from the human and that it doesn't happen to everyone who enters."
"I didn't want to raise expectations," Chikorita admitted. "Which is still a bit selfish of me, I'm sorry. I really wanted to see what would happen if she met Wartortle… then I thought of Riolu and…"
"That's why you invited us?" Sean asked, a little hurt.
"Not JUST because of that!" Chikorita said quickly. "Everything we said was true, and Wartortle had no idea either."
"She's right," he said, frowning at her. "Well… did you get what you wanted out of it?"
Chikorita shook her head. "Not really. She didn't really react. The opposite of it, really. Which I guess is something, kinda."
"You should not have deceived us," Striker said, upset at the prospect.
"I'm sorry."
A little later, the two teams sat down for rest. They weren't going to make it back to Treasure Town this night regardless, and they needed sleep.
Before proper goodnights were shared, Wartortle took Sean aside for a moment.
"I think we're friends now," Wartortle said. Sean smiled at the prospect. "And I know your name, so it's only fair you know mine."
"You weren't born Wartortle?" Sean joked.
"Heh. No. My name's Dimitri."
Sean smiled and outstretched his paw in the human gesture of a handshake. Wartortle took it. "Nice to meet you, Dimitri. I'm Sean."
One month had passed, and then another. Team Sunrise, having NOT run off and ended the world, were given a tiny bit more freedom, while Team Ion continued going strong.
Scout was having night terrors, but no one else was, so it was decided that was probably not Darkrai. Being buried beneath Rai and Mane basically every night helped stave them off until it was only every so often he'd begin trembling in his sleep.
His sessions with Azumarill were going well. She was pleased with a lot of progress her new patients were making. Striker still was unhealthily attached to orbs, but that was more of a quirk than a genuine problem.
Eventually, Wigglytuff badgered Armaldo enough that the pair of them called Team Ion into Wigglytuff's meeting room.
Wigglytuff was seated on his far-too-large throne bouncing happily in place while Armaldo skulked around the side like a treasonous adviser.
"We have called you in for an important question," Armaldo began, ominously.
"You are to be offered the Graduation Test!" Wigglytuff said, ruining several hours of dramatic planning.
Armaldo gave him a Look.
"Sorry," he said, not very sorry at all. "I'm just too excited to hear their answer!"
Shaking his head, Armaldo nodded to the surprised trio. "Yes. Team Ion have proved themselves as exemplary apprentices of the Wigglytuff Guild, and it has been decided to offer you the option to attempt the Graduation Test. You can accept or refuse. If you accept, we will discuss further, if you refuse the offer will be retracted for now but will be offered again."
"U-Us?" Rai asked, wrapping his head around the idea. "We are some of the most recent entries! I thought Sunflora, or-or… Corphish would have been offered this first."
"Who says they haven't?" Armaldo asked.
"Several pokémon have been offered the chance," Wigglytuff explained. "Sunflora, Loudred, Corphish, and Croagunk. Croagunk made it clear he is not interested in graduating, whereas the former three want to graduate together alongside Bidoof."
"A plan that may not work out," Armaldo muttered. "Which I think they are beginning to understand."
"Bidoof seems smitten with the newest arrivals," Wigglytuff said, sensing how Armaldo's words could be taken. "He may not wish to join a team with Sunflora, Loudred, and Corphish anymore. They have been offered, recently, but are considering the question for now. But it was decided that you deserve the chance as well!"
Team Ion shared glances. Scout had told them this was a possibility already, and they had discussed the merits of graduating or not.
Ultimately…
"We'd like to give this a shot," Rai answered as the leader of Team Ion. He stood confidently, and both Scout and Mane stood a bit straighter as well.
"Hooray! Hooray!" Wigglytuff cheered and left his throne to dance around them. "This will be a challenge, friendly friends! It'll take great courage, wit, and determination to see it through!"
"Yes," Armaldo said, smirking. "If you think you know what to expect, I am confident you may be surprised." He eyed Scout knowingly, and the meowth swallowed.
"The details! The details!" Wigglytuff sang. "Will come tomorrow." He stopped dancing and giggled at their expressions. "We know what the test will be, but a little more planning needs to be done first. Go to bed, we'll fill you in with your task tomorrow."
"Sleep well." Armaldo grinned, and they were shooed out.
"So," Mane said as they arrived back in their room. "How much do you want to bet this isn't going to be just fighting the guild?"
"Based on the look he gave me," Scout said, "no bet."
"We'll be fine!" Rai insisted and tackled Scout into Mane. "Now, we've got to go to sleep!"
"You're halfway to knocking us out," Mane grumbled. "Which is a good start, all things considered."
Rai laughed. "Hee-hee, goodnight Mane." He licked the top of his head. "Goodnight Scout." He did the same to Scout, and the three settled in for bed.
Some time ago.
"Knock-knock." Timber said, smiling happily at the old door he knew each line by heart.
"Who's there?" Returned the lovely voice he held so dearly.
"Chew." Timber grinned, he'd been working on this one.
"Chew who?"
"Chew through that tree, and you get Timber!"
Bell giggled in return. There was no pause this time, he grinned proudly.
"What do I owe the pleasure today, Timber?" Bell asked, amusement in her voice still.
"I, uh, wanted to just come talk," Timber replied, scuffing the ground briefly. "I like talking to you, yup-yup." He blushed and was glad she couldn't see it. It was easy to talk to a door. He didn't have to worry about what he looked like or what he was doing.
"You're very sweet. I like talking to you too." Timber beamed at that. "What would you like to talk about?"
Timber immediately fell into some excited chatter about the recent town gossip. Sunflora shared her juiciest bits with him more often nowadays, and it gave him great material to share with Bell since he knew she didn't exactly go out often.
He'd known her since almost his entire time in Treasure Town, and not once had he ever seen her around. Of course, he didn't know what she was, so that hampered it slightly.
She knew what he was, however, and hoped that if she did see him in town, she'd come to talk to him.
But he doubted she left her house anyway. He wondered what it was that kept her locked in there, too shy to leave. But he was too polite to ask.
"Oh, that reminds me," Timber said. They had been discussing recent events in the guild, and he was reminded of the other night. "The guild's been put on watch for someone!"
"Oh?" Bell asked, voice dripping with interest. She always loved to hear about the guild's actions.
"Yup-yup. Armaldo was all stern about it, you know how he is. They want us to keep an eye out for a lavender audino, but not to approach or nothin. The one they are looking for could be dangerous, they say, but haven't really told us much more."
"A lavender audino?" Bell asked, curious. "I've only heard of pink ones."
"I've actually met one!" Timber said, proudly. "She, I think it was a she as she looked pretty, pointed me the way to Treasure Town! So, there's probably a couple around, I reckon."
"Possibly. Hey, Timber, knock-knock?"
Timber beamed. "Who's there?"
"Atch."
"Atch who?"
"Bless you." Bell giggled.
It took him a moment, it often did with hers, but he got it and laughed. "How are you so clever?" he asked.
"Oh… you know," Bell replied, all coy. "I have a lot of time to think them up."
Timber understood and shifted the topic to the recent dungeon he had managed to clear with Paras, Flaaffy, and Marill. The four of them made a surprisingly good team.
Eventually, however, he had to say his goodbyes. "Before you go?" Bell asked, slipping some paper under the door. "Would you be able to get me these things, soon?"
"Of course!" Timber replied, taking the paper up and stashing it safely in his saddlebags. "Anything for you, Bell."
"You are too good to me, Timber," Bell sighed, but there was a smile to it. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight Bell."
Timber walked off, feeling light and happy as he always did after a good talk with Bell.
On the other side of the door, the lavender audino stood up from where she laid against the hardwood and stretched, popping her back.
"The Wigglytuff Guild is looking for me now, are they?" Soothe wondered, walking to her desk and beginning to comb through some of the many papers she had stored on and within it.
She found what she was looking for, near the bottom, yellowing with age and faded, but the sketch was still clear enough.
Her own copy of the map to Star Cave. She couldn't simply lay the other one out for Bidoof to find without copying it for herself.
She had never gone herself, but perhaps it was something she should consider.
"Interesting."
A fair few of you guessed it, and I felt like now was the time to confirm it. Yep. Bell is Soothe. And if you'll believe me, Soothe Bell (as in the pokémon item) was a complete coincidence that worked as such a good clue. When giving her the name Bell I was simply trying to think of something that was soothing, like a small bell. So, Bell.
So, haha, the biggest hint there was happened to be an accident and the actual hint I intended on (Soothe asking Chatot a knock-knock joke when she first met him) was smaller in comparison, but a few people guessed it from that hint anyway so…
Anyway, I have now worked out what reward I will impart on those who figure out what I've secreted in the previous chapter (and if you cheat, I'll… be unable to prove it, shush). The idea I had is for my Deleted Scenes and Other Stuff story that is nearing readiness to begin being published. I thought maybe I could involve the readers just a tiny bit more with that story than this one, and start that out by giving people who find the nine hidden messages in that garbled text in chapter 40 the option to suggest either a deleted scene they want to see, an alternate take, or even an AU idea.
I can't promise such ideas will be massive amounts of words detailing entire chapters, they may just be pieces. For AU ideas you could even suggest your own characters meeting mine or… well something.
It's an idea I'm strongly considering. Could be fun. If not, well I'll have learned something then!
Good luck.
That dungeon was fun to write…