With nothing but the boundless night sky and the fresh, crisp air to greet me, we trekked back the way we came, leaving the accursed marsh and noxious dread of danger behind. But a single imprint of the dungeon drew my attention to my travel companion, Damini, walking beside me. A less enthusiastic Ebony begrudgingly listened to him as he continued to happily chat away.

I pondered. 'During our encounter with the Scolipede, I heard that voice come out of him again,' I narrowed my gaze at Damini, 'But no one seemed to notice it happening. Is it all in my head? And then there was that thought I had about someone throwing away their life for me. Is it all connected to my memories? Maybe they're finally returning. Maybe if I stayed with Damini, more will start to–'

"Hey! Lumi!"

A voice startled me back into reality and I refocused on the puzzled Electrike staring at me. "Are you okay? You've been staring at me for a while now."

"Oh! Uh," I scrambled to come up with an excuse, "I just couldn't believe we're able to pull off the mission. Even against that Scolipede."

"I know, right?!" Damini exclaimed, "That means you passed the trial without a shadow of a doubt, right Ebony?"

Silence hung for a moment as Ebony flew beside us. An aura of foreboding followed suit as she spoke. "I can't disclose anything to you. You of all Pokemon should know that, Damini."

"Oh come on!" Damini whined, "At least give us something to go on."

The boggy marshland we've grown accustomed to transitioned to the now calm, somber prairie we went through before. Everything ranging from the Pokemon living here to the wild flowers retired for the night, the prairie's splendor fading into a cool, sleep-inducing atmosphere. Only a select few of Pokemon scurried about the plain, the expansive night sky spanning across its canvas guiding them to their haven of choice. I could feel my anxious spirit put at ease at the familiar sight of the numerous, shimmering stars out on display.

"This is still much to discuss with the guildmaster and Ramon in regards to where we stand with you," Ebony explained, referring to me, "As for my own opinions, I would rather not discuss things now."

"Fair enough," I said, "I can only hope I'll be accepted."

Ebony's stare lingered on me for a moment until she turned her attention towards the path. "Anyway, we shouldn't be out here for much longer. The faster we make it to the city, the faster I can go to bed."

"I hear that," Damini nodded, "Let's keep pushing."

The light, crisp night air lazily brushing past the Pokemon-dense trees and tall grass, we quicken our pace toward the beacon of light they call their base up ahead. With every hoot and scamper fading into the background, I took solace in the stars. I became lost in their splendor to the point I'd embarrassingly trip and fall on my face. Unfortunately, I could hear Damini's stifled snickers before he helped me back on my feet.

"You sure love the night sky, huh?" Damini inquired, "I noticed you were looking up when me and Orion were taking you to Centrare City."

I opened my mouth to speak, then closed it again before finally answering. "I guess I'm more fascinated by it to be exact."

"Really?" Damini questioned, joining me in my stargazing as we walked along the path.

"When I first laid my eyes on this, being underneath this beautiful array of colors, I couldn't help but appreciate this view," I finished explaining, hardly noticing the rising feeling of… purpose(?) in each word I spoke.

"I see," Damini said, absorbing everything I said, "Maybe you were an advent stargazer before losing your memory."

"Eh?" I stammered, almost tripping again as I whipped my head to face him. I met the gaze of an all knowing grin, "I-It's possible, I guess. It makes some sense."

"It's great you found something you're interested in," Damini happily said, "Maybe it'll help you recover your memories. You might be on the right track."

"Yeah…" I trailed off, thoughts began to run across my mind, "Um, Damini?"

Damini "Hm?" in response as I swallowed a lump of nerves, "I hope it wouldn't be out of line to ask this of you, but after giving it some thought, do you think that we can, maybe, form an exploration team together?"

Silence enveloped us as soon as I uttered those words. Shock filled Damini's gaze, quickly undoing all of the confidence I built up.

"I-I know you have your heart set on joining Team Dracowraith and it might be selfish of me to ask this of you, but after everything that has happened, I… I don't feel so directionless and lost with you by my side.

More silence followed suit. "I'm… I'm sorry. I shouldn't have–"

One laugh broke my desperate rambles, then a multitude of joyous laughter erupted from the Electrike unprompted, so much so, he had to cover his muzzle and face with a paw.. I stared at him with as much shock as he exhibited before. My emotions ravaged my body with a whirlwind of uncertainty.

"W-What's so funny?" I composed myself enough to ask.

After he finished his bout, he looked at me straight on, "I'm sorry, Lumi. It's funny because… I was afraid of asking you the same thing."

"You were–what?!" I reeled back so much, I'm surprised I didn't veer off the path.

"I wanted to join Team Dracowraith sure, but going on this adventure with you, working together as a team, and getting to know you in general, I realized I want to team up with you more than anything.

A faint, sincere smile grew on his face. "Just as I helped you, you saved me back there when I was in trouble. That's something I'll never forget."

"B-But what about me being an Aexite?" I asked nervously, "I wouldn't want you to get shunned because of what I am."

"That doesn't matter to me," Damini stated instantly, "There are as many Pokemon as there are stars. I had to learn this long ago. We aren't dictated by where we're born. It's our character and actions that matter. So let's continue to have each other's back and form the greatest exploration team the world has ever seen!"

"Damini…" I could feel a tear roll down my cheek, "You got it, partner."

A flurry of happiness and understanding flowed between us. My steps felt lighter than before as we marched along on the starlit path.

"Oh yeah! We should come up with an awesome team name. What should it be?"

"Hmm," I hummed in thought, searching my mind for anything suitable until–

"Wha–? What's going on?!"

Brought back by Ebony's panicked shout, I quickly shifted my gaze to a scene I couldn't believe I was seeing. Tons of Pokemon were running in disarray in and out of Centrare City's gate, disappearing into the night as quickly as they entered or left. The prairie's somber silence was now assaulted by the constant barrage of orders heard past the city's prior perimeter. Looking up towards the sky, there were dozens of Flying types frantically soaring above the city surveying the land in search of something.

"W-What's happening?!" Damini shakily asked.

"No, it can't be…" Ebony quietly growled before bursting forward.

"Hey! Wait!" Damini called out to no avail, "Lumi?!"

"W-We should go," I suggested while gulping down my fear, to which he quickly nodded.

We quickly sprinted down the path to catch up with Ebony, the panic and confusion turning more palpable the closer we got to the city. As we flung ourselves amidst the chaos, we saw Ebony swiftly approach the gate guard while he was giving other Pokemon further commands. We followed suit, edging closer to the pair until two loud SHING's stopped us dead in our tracks. The two blades on the guard's arms seemed sharper and longer than before. His ferocious glare bore into us– no, it bore into me.

"You…!" the guard growled, "You Aexite! You brought it here! Where is the beast?!"

Shock and anxiety rose up to my throat as I tried to choke out an answer. "I… I have no idea what you're–"

"Liar! I'll get answers out of you one way–"

Ebony floated in front of me, blocking the guard's advancements towards me. "Forget about the Aexite for now, Bisharp! Tell me what's going on! The beast you're referring to…"

Bisharp hesitated for a moment, but retracted his blades and gave a solemn nod, "Yes. One of those bloody monsters breached the perimeter and entered the city! We're having every guard and your fellow guild members available searching for this menace!"

"Good," Ebony nodded, "Have they found any leads on its whereabouts?"

"Just one," Bisharp informed, "It seems after being confronted by those on duty, the beast fled into the forest nearby."

"Has anyone gone to investigate?" Ebony asked.

"A few guards and guild members as well," Bisharp answered.

"Okay, I should give chase as well," Ebony decided.

"We'll join in too!" Damini piped up.

"No," Ebony denied, "You two head back to the guild. We don't know what we are facing. It's too dangerous."

"But I don't want to stand by and do nothing while my newfound home is in danger! I'm an explorer too!" Damini erupted.

"Damini, we don't have time for this," Ebony growled out of frustration.

"We recognize that it's dangerous," I interjected, "But we won't get in over our heads. Please let us join the search!"

Ebony stared straight into my soul, as if to dissect what I'm actually thinking deep inside. With a sigh, she answered, "You two are to stay close to me. The first sign of trouble is to immediately retreat to the guild. Understand?"

"Right, we promise," Damini answered alongside a nod from me.

"But madam, that Pokemon there…" Bisharp began, "She could be the one who–"

"I know, but it doesn't matter right now," Ebony counteracted as she turned to face the lead guard, "What matters now is ensuring the city is secured and safe from this threat."

Bisharp opened his mouth to argue again, but reluctantly closed it and gave a courteous nod. "I understand. Report anything you discover."

"Of course," Ebony nodded back before glancing at us, "You two. Follow me."

Without another word, we navigated through the sea of Pokemon towards the forest to the right of the city.

As we entered the forest's vicinity, Ebony immediately took note of the surroundings. Unlike my last two ventures in forests, this one seemed too good to be true. The serene atmosphere contained within this space of the trees and wildlife felt oddly normal. We stopped a short distance into the brush and carefully regained our barings.

"So where do we start?" Damini asked, darting his head around eagerly.

"Let's not be hasty," Ebony advised, "We need to assess the situation first and foremost."

"Who's there?!" a voice called out further ahead the trail.

Running on all fours toward us was a familiar sleek blue Pokemon with piercing red eyes. He quickly stood up in front of Ebony when he finally reached us.

"Oh you're back, Ebony," Quilava noted, "Glad to have you on board with the search. We need all the help we can get."

Ebony nodded in acknowledgement. "Torch, any news on the whereabouts of this beast?"

"Nothing yet," Torch, the Quilava, answered while rubbing his chin in thought, "My partner and the rest of the crew are still scouring the forest as we speak. It's like this monstrosity is purposely avoiding us."

"Tsk. That's troublesome," Ebony hissed.

"That's when we come in," Damini stepped forward, "Me and Lumi will help with the search too."

"You're the new recruit, right?" Torch inquired, "A bit unfortunate this happened on your first day but–

The Quilava's eyes widened with brief shock when he glanced at me, "It's you."

Ebony glanced at the Torch and me with mild curiosity, causing the uneasiness in the pit of my stomach to intensify. "You two know each other?"

"You can say that, but let's save that for later," Torch dismissed before pointing to the east side of the forest, "For now, we need more eyes on the scene. Ebony, take your group and join my partner in searching this side of the forest. I'll check on the others who haven't come back yet."

"Understood," Ebony confirmed, "You two, come on."

Going our separate ways for now, our group headed deeper into the forest. The woods enveloped us in a symphony of rustling leaves and distant nocturnal calls. We kept track of our immediate vicinity with only the moonlight peeking through the occasional break of the treeline. The moonlight dappled the forest floor in silver, casting intricate patterns of leaves and shadows. Besides from a few sightings of owl Pokemon called Hoothoot singing their nightly songs from the trees above, the forest itself was eerily calm despite a beast supposedly coming through.

"Where is it?!" Damini groaned impatiently as he whipped his head around, "How can a beast like that just up and disappear?"

"It seems to be hiding its presence," Ebony theorized, "It knows there's a whole mob of Pokemon hunting it down, so of course it won't be easy to pin it down. What I'm more worried about is that we haven't met up with Torch's partner yet."

"Didn't Torch say they were searching here too?" I said, cautiously checking the way we came, "It's a little weird we hadn't seen anyone around."

"Exactly," Ebony agreed, "Perhaps they already–"

"Stop!"

I jumped at the sudden shout that sliced through the somber serenity. Almost immediately, what sounded to be a strong wind blowing echoed clearly through the maze of trees, along with other shouts resonating into a chorus of panic.

"You don't think the group found it?" Damini asked Ebony, anticipation rising in the both of us.

"Only one way to find out," she simply said before we dashed towards the direction of the yells.

I felt a sudden drop in temperature before we reached a scene I couldn't help but slow down, mouth agape at what I saw. Every individual leaf, tree and shrub were encased in frigid ice and snow as far as the eye could see. Icicles were formed unnaturally pointed forward as if they were caught in a strong breeze while manifesting. The entire scene sparkled beautifully underneath the scattered moonlight despite the chilling undertone.

"This is…" I muttered with what little breath I had.

"They must have gone further ahead," Ebony concluded, "Hurry!"

With an affirmative "Right!" from Damini, the two rushed past the scenery, leaving me behind.

"W-Wait!" I called out before I chased after them.

I haven't gotten far before something shining dimly amidst the ravaged, frost covered vegetation caught my eye. Delving into the brush with slight crunches of snow, I edged closer to the beckoning light, pushing away any foliage from my path. When I finally reached it, this… feeling… no, that's… not right. This… almost instinctive urge shook my entire body and mind. My heart raced rapidly when I laid eyes on this mysterious object. An icy blue, diamond shaped crystal encased in an transparent dome attached onto a black necklace lay on what appeared to be a giant footprint resembling a three toed talon. The crystal, despite ever so faintly, glowed with such an otherworldly, mystical shine akin to the stars above. My body started to move on its own, picking up the lone necklace into my paws.

'What… What is this strange feeling? My heart has a mind of its own,' my paw trembled sporadically, causing me to clutch the necklace tightly, 'Have I seen this before? Just holding it in my paw feels… strange yet familiar to me. What could it mean? And that footprint…'

"Lumi!"

I shook my head to rid myself of these dizzying thoughts and feelings. Thinking on my feet, I quickly hid the necklace in the fluff of my tails, which surprisingly held on to it firmly. I walked carefully out of the brush, my body still recovering from the shock, to meet up with Damini calling for me.

"I was looking everywhere for you, Lumi!" Damini stated with a trace of concern, "I thought you were right behind us! What happened?!"

"I…" I racked my brain for an answer, "I thought I spotted the monster in the bushes, but I was mistaken and got stuck there for a while."

"You should have told us!" Damini scolded, "We would have checked it out together."

"I'm sorry," I apologized.

"It's fine. I'm glad you're safe," Damini nodded with a small smile.

Swiftly flying down the path, Ebony approached us with traces of mild agitation across her. It quickly faded away when she laid her multi-colored eyes on us.

"You found her. That's good," Ebony commented, "That's one less thing to worry about."

"I'm sorry. I was–"

"Save it. What's done is done," she interrupted me, "We're heading back to the guild."

"What?! Why?" I asked.

"The beast managed to evade us and has escaped further inland," Ebony informed, "We're not adequately equipped to give chase, so we are to fall back for now."

"What's gonna happen now?" Damini asked, a string of electricity running down his mane, "If that beast were to make it to another town…"

"An alert will be sent out by the mayor to every settlement in Haita," Ebony said, matter-of-factly, "Everyone will be on high alert. It wouldn't be easy to attack any more towns."

"Still…" Damini shook his head, subtly scowling at the ground at his feet, "I wish I could have…"

"We shouldn't dwell on this any longer," Ebony stated as she went ahead of us, "Everybody else is leaving the forest. We should make our way to the guild too. I'll lead the way."

I anxiously stared at Ebony floating away and then back to Damini who hasn't moved at all. His shoulders shuddered for a moment, as if he was containing something within himself I can't perceive.

"Damini?" I reached out to nudge his shoulder, only to receive a stray zap and instantly pulled away, "Ouch!"

Damini woke up from his stupor and quickly backed away with a fear stricken face. "Sorry! Sorry. I didn't mean to shock you."

"It's fine," I assured him, "Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm good. Let's just go before Ebony leaves us behind," Damini brushed off before following Ebony.

I took one last look at the necklace safely tucked in my tails before following suit.

"M-My Aqua Gem! Just as beautiful and pristine as I lost you!"

My heightened hearing picked up on the joyous voice of our client, Corphish, from the boardroom. I could even hear the multiple taps on the wood floor from his dance of contentment. I craned my neck to silently peek around the corner near the staircases, just barely seeing Damini's green tail.

"After what happened to our city, this is much needed great news," Corphish exclaimed, "Thank you so much!"

"All in a day's work," Ebony stated.

"Yup!" Damini's voice rang with pride, "If you ever need any help, you know who to call."

"Mm-hmm, when my big bro comes back, I'll tell him all about you guys," Corphish praised, "Here. Take this as your reward."

A whole chorus of jingles erupted from the room along with a surprised "Whoa" from Damini.

"All this money just for us?!" Damini asked.

"Of course! This doesn't hold a candle to the value of this Aqua Gem," Corphish smugly pointed out, "See you later!"

Realizing he was coming my way, I quickly ducked in the space between the wall and the staircase just in time for his steps to be heard coming up to the higher levels.

Seconds went by before Ebony called out to me. "You can come in now."

I sprung up from my hiding place and joined Ebony and Damini in front of the bulletin board.

"I'm sorry you have to be left out of this, Lumi," Damini apologized.

"It's fine. I'm just happy Corphish got his gem back," I tried to smile. 'It's all to protect me, I guess. After the beast attack, they would think I caused it.'

"But look at this!" Damini grabbed the brown bag by his side and slung it in front of me. A few Poke spilled out from the bag and hit the wooden floor producing several clinks, "We're rich, Lumi! Just like that we're rich!"

"Ho ho, well done everyone! You certainly earned your reward," I nearly jumped out of my fur when Ramon emerged from the other side of the room, "But unfortunately, I need to see that money."

"Wait, why?!" Damini exclaimed.

"Most of the proceeds goes to fund the guild and the services it provides, including the clinic run by Eloise," Ramon explained as he took the bag, along with the scattered coins, and turned his back to us as he started counting each individual one, "Let's see here. Two thousand Poke… So your share comes out to this much."

The Oranguru handed the bag back to Damini, noticeably shrunk in size compared to just seconds before. Damini swiftly opened the bag and counted the contents to himself with several points of his paw.

"...One thousand Poke?" Damini stated as he frowned a bit, "You took half!"

"Well I'm sorry to say that's the guild's rule," Ramon simply stated, "Ebony, you are to make your report to the Guildmaster and I after dinner."

"Understood," Ebony bowed as Ramon left the room and descended the right staircase.

Distraught etched on his face as he gazed at the sack, he let out a sigh and perked back up. "Oh well. At least it's better than nothing."

"It's all a part of training," Ebony stated, "You make due with what you have."

"Is that what it is?" I questioned with a wry smile.

"Oh! You should take your share too," Damini suggested, "We couldn't have completed the mission without you."

Ebony stared at the sack of gold coins for a moment and shook her head. "Keep it. Think of it as a gift from Team Dracowraith to an inspiring explorer."

"Really? Thank you, Ebony!" Damini said joyfully as he came up to me with a smile, "Your share just got a bit bigger, Lumi!"

That got a chuckle out of me. "I see. I wonder what I'm going to use it for?"

"Hmm?" Ebony hummed at us with growing curiosity, "Don't tell you two are thinking of forming a team?"

"Um, yes. We decided to form a team on the way here," I explained, "Is something wrong?"

Ebony sighed, "For Arceus sake, you're already setting yourselves up for disappointment."

"I still don't get it," Damini said, "Lumi was great during the trial. That's gotta mean something about how great she'll be as an explorer."

"It's not just about her aptitude for exploring," Ebony shifted her attention to me, "It was also about who she is as a Pokemon. Rather you like it or not, you being an Aexite is still a big issue."

"So there will be a discussion on if you can trust me, right?" I guessed, steeling myself for the worst.

"Correct," Ebony confirmed, "Tonight's events will only make this discussion more troublesome."

"But the monster attack wasn't Lumi's fault!" Damini argued.

"They don't know that," Ebony countered, "The circumstances around her are too bizarre to ignore."

I looked down to the ground, my tails drooping limply. "I understand. What do I do in the meantime?"

"Well, you can join us for dinner. That's the least we can do."

A gruff voice suddenly echoed as a familiar Gabite made his way down the staircase and approached us with a welcoming aura to him.

"Chief!" Damini bounded forth to greet the senior dragon.

"Really wish you stopped calling me that," Orion remarked, drifting his gaze to his partner, "I'm guessing the mission was a success, Ebony."

Ebony scoffed, "Barely. At the same time, I wouldn't call it a travesty."

"How about you come exploring with me?" Orion suggested with a sly smile, "Come on, like good old times."

"Pass. I much rather not go headfirst into another dungeon so soon," Ebony shut down.

Orion sighed. "Worth a shot."

"Um, is it really okay for me to join you all for dinner," I brought up, "I'm not even a member yet."

"Sure. As long as you stick with us, it should be fine," Orion assured, "I'll let Salsa know we got a guest."

"Okay, thank you for having me," I thanked him, the word "should" still lingered in my head.

At the same time we followed the Dragon type up the staircase, two hushed voices bounced around us from above. Despite the echo's distortion, I could recognize the Guildmaster's voice but without his usual unique(?) mood as he talked to who I assumed to be the guard from earlier.

"But Guildmaster Quaquaval, you are currently housing an Aexite in your guild," I could hear the guard reason, "it could very well been the cause of this attack tonight. We can't risk it causing any more damage."

"I hear you, my good man," Quaquaval said, his voice becoming much clearer as we made it to the main lobby, "But we got this under control. You just focus on calming down the citizens of our city. Thaaat's a nice fellow."

I could see a slim figure, I assume to be the Guildmaster, just outside the gate leading to the lobby. The Guildmaster remained poised in the midst of the guard's constant barrage of pleads.

"This way," Orion whispered as he led us to the second set of stairs next to the last one.

With every rhythmic creak of each step we take, I could feel my guilt hammering away at my psyche.

"Lumi?" Damini's concerned tone told me what he wanted to ask.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me," I simply said, trying to put on a brave face.

"Okay. I'm sure the Guildmaster will settle it," Damini gave me a small smile.

"I hope so," I muttered.

Reaching the top, we arrived at an area much like the boardroom downstairs, but with plenty of windows letting us view the tranquil dusk outside. To the right was a hallway filled with doors presumably leading to individual rooms as far as I could see. Pokemon new and old were scattered around the floor, making idle chit chat with each other while occasionally glancing our direction. A sweet, fruity aroma wafted into the area, drawing my nose to the opening to the left. My stomach roared like never before, demanding to be satisfied right away.

"This is what you may call the living quarters of the guild," Orion explained, "Apprentices room here while undergoing the training regiment offer here. For now, you can stay around here. I'll talk with Salsa."

Orion entered the opening leading to what I thought to be the mess hall, disappearing from sight. That left the three of us with the hanging question of; "What now?".

A thought came to mind. "I've been meaning to ask; have any of you seen what the monster looked like?"

"I haven't," Damini admitted, "I went back to look for you not long into the chase."

"As for myself, I only caught a glimpse of it," Ebony mused, "The features I know for sure are that it was quadrupedal, dark in coloring, and a bulky head."

"Hmm, any other features you can remember?" I pressed a bit.

Ebony shook her head. "By the time I arrived at the scene, it was already gone. You'll have better luck asking Yuki if she'll give you the time of day."

"Yuki… She's uh…" I racked my brain for her species.

"She's the Froslass over there," Ebony motioned to Torch talking with a Pokemon resembling a masked woman dressed in a snow white kimono with a red band tied around their waist.

"She's the one who froze part of the forest solid, right?" I asked.

"Unfortunately yes," Ebony stated, deadpanned, "She can get a little carried away with her power."

"Whoa," I breathlessly uttered as I thought back to the icy scene. 'Compared to that, it puts my so-called Powder Snow to shame.'

"But if you're thinking of going after this monster, I would advise against it," Ebony warned, "You're much better off leaving it to the professionals."

"Right, that's true," I quickly agreed while sneakily side-eying the Froslass across the room. 'It's still worth asking her. I need more information.'

Orion emerged from the mess hall entrance with a satisfied smirk on his face. He casually approached us with a self-assured aura oozing out of him. "After smoothing things over with Pansear, he agreed to accommodate you for tonight."

"That's great news," I cheered, "Thank you, Orion."

"It's the least I can do," Orion responded, "He should announce dinner time any second now."

"Good. I'm starving…" Damini whined as he practically melted onto the floor.

My stomach growled in agreement. "Me too…"

Right on cue, a small humanoid Pokemon with a tuft of swirling red hair and matching fur popped out of the mess hall and sent a tiny fireball up in the air. The fireball combusted and sparked creating a small BANG for everyone in the room to hear.

"Alright everyone!" the Pokemon held his tan hand near his mouth as he shouted, "Dinner's on!"

"YEAH!"

Everyone erupted into cheer before they all stampeded into the mess hall, leaving me quite dazed.

"Shall we?" Ebony asked Orion.

"Yup. Come on, you two. We should hurry to our seats."

"Say less!" With that, Damini sprinted into the opening without a care in the world.

"H-Hey! I said we should stick together!" Orion called after him but to no avail.

I laughed weakly at the display. "I should go after him."

Orion sighed. "Sure. We'll try to meet up."

I quickly entered the entrance which led to a decently short hallway I made short work of. On the other side was a gigantic room filled with crystal lighting hanging from the ceiling, a stand carrying all sorts of berries and fruit to fulfill any need, and at the centerpiece was a table that could practically reach the other side of the room. Each chair was situated next to an already prepared dish. The smells enticed me even more as my stomach roared constantly and I couldn't help but wag my many tails at the thought of finally eating after a long day. I shook my head and remembered my other objective of coming here. I went down the line of hungry Pokemon taking their seats one by one on each side of the table. It wasn't until the very end where I spotted Damini salivating over the dish of assorted berries and fruit in front of him.

I strolled up to him with mild annoyance, jumping in the seat next to him. "Damini, we were supposed to stick together."

The Electrike snapped out of his hunger induced trance and looked at me with a sheepish chuckle. "The stomach wants what the stomach wants, Lumi. I can't help myself sometimes."

I let out a sigh. "Is that all?"

"Oh?! You're back!"

A familiar voice called out to us as the Rufflet steadily flew and landed in the seat across from us.

"Hey, Apollo!" Damini greeted.

"Glad you two are safe," Apollo commented, "The entire city was in a panic when that monster struck."

"We've seen it first hand," I mentioned.

"We even helped out in the chase, but it got away," Damini said dejectedly.

"Well I think that's a good thing," Apollo stated, "If it means less Pokemon would get hurt, I much prefer it ran away. No good comes from fighting those things."

"I hear ya but…" Damini shook his head.

"Umm, I think what matters most is that the city is now safe," I offered my thoughts.

"True, let's not dwell on that," Apollo agreed before leaning in closer with a growing grin, "Instead let's talk about your debut. How did your first mission go?"

"Well uh…"

"Ah. you knew Apollo already. That makes things a bit easier.

Orion and Ebony made their way to the seats next to mine, the Gabite's bulky stature dwarfing my tiny presence, "I already heard a bit from Ebony, but I appreciate the lowdown too."

"Oh you should have been there, Chief," Damini brightened up, "Lumi was amazing during the mission. When we got attacked by the–"

"Excuse me, everyone! May I have your attention?!"

The white noise in the room settled down as the now full table of Pokemon turned their attention to Ramon at the far end of the table. The Oranguru cleared his throat before continuing.

"Regarding today's events, we have been informed that the being has been driven out of the city and made its escape to places unknown. Despite the initial report understandably coming at a great shock to you all, you have responded to the threat admirably as was expected of our esteemed guild. I ask that you take this event to heart and continue your training to become the explorer you want to be. Now, enough of my rambling. It's time for what you're really here for."

"LET'S EAT!"

Almost unanimously, the entire table of Pokemon began digging into the dishes in front of them, the aroma of the fruit and berries became even more inviting as I stared hungrily at my own plate. The slobbering and munching on my right told me everything about how Damini is enjoying it.

"Go ahead, Lumi," Orion insisted, "You can tell us all about your escapades as we eat."

"Okay!" I immediately agreed as I grabbed hold of one yellow berry with a green, leafy top from my plate. I bit down through the thick coating of the berry and gained access to the tender flesh I craved. The berry's juice gashed forth, coating my taste buds with a sour flavor strong enough to make me perk up and soon melted into bless. My one bite soon turned to two, and then four, and then eight until only the leaves remained.

Orion let out a hearty laugh at my display. "Guess I should join in too."

"Me too. I'm starving," Apollo added in as they, alongside Ebony, joined in on the feast.

I paced back and forth in front of the Guildmaster's door, anticipation echoing around the room and straight back into my head, occupying my thoughts. Both Damini and Apollo silently followed my movements with their perplexed stares, most likely trying to listen in to every mutter and mumble I breathed. Apollo's wingbeats cut through the veil of silence and flew over to me.

"Lumi, please stop. You're indenting the floorboards," Apollo stated with a light sarcastic tone.

I finally stopped and sighed, "I'm sorry. Everything is being decided through that door and all I could do is stand here."

"Trust me, I get it," Apollo sympathized, "Contrary to popular belief, I was a nervous wreck when it came to this exact moment. I was preening and plucking my feathers like crazy. It was only thanks to Mandibuzz I was able to calm down and acknowledge how I did on my trial. And look at me now. One of the rising stars of our esteemed guild."

"But you're different," I admitted, "You weren't tied down by something beyond your control and had a place to fall back to. I… have nowhere else to go."

"Even if that's true, you got us," It was Damini's turn to step forward as he placed his paw on my shoulder, "If anything happens, you can rely on us."

"For once I agree with the mutt," Apollo snided with a nod, "You can count me. I won't leave my student high and dry."

Their words soothing my estranged thoughts, a genuine smile formed on my face. "Thank you, guys."

"Hope I'm not interrupting."

All of us let out a scream of terror at the sudden voice emitting from below. On closer, calmer inspection, I could spot Ebony's head peeking out through the floorboards with a mischievous grin on her face. The Ghost Pokemon fully emerged from the floor and gleefully floated in the air.

"I still got it," Ebony laughed before clearing her throat, "The guildmaster is now expecting you. I wish you good luck."

Ebony started to float up to the upper floor when I called out to her. "Wait! I just want to thank you for supervising me on my adventure."

Ebony continued to stare at the ceiling, "Don't thank me. I was just following the guildmaster's order. …But I reiterate; good luck."

With that, Ebony phased through the ceiling, disappearing from sight.

"Well you heard her," Apollo urged while pointing his wing to the door, "You gotta get in there."

"You're not coming with us?" Damini questioned.

"It's not my place to," Apollo explained, "But I'll stay out here for moral support."

"Okay," I took a few deep breaths to cleanse my spirit, "Here we go."

With a final "Good luck" from Apollo, Damini and I approached the ever imposing door and gingerly opened it, making our way into the guildmaster's quarters where he and Ramon awaited our arrival with an almost foreign sense of formality. The Quaquaval sat at his desk, legs crossed on it with Ramon right by his side.

"Lumi, baby," the guildmaster began, "Allow me to congratulate you on a good well done."

"Thank you, Guildmaster," I bowed.

"We heard aloooot about how the mission went from Ebony's report. Some upsides, annnd some down," the guildmaster unfurled his hand promptly.

"And as you may have expected, there was a discussion about the attack tonight and your possible involvement in it," Ramon mentioned.

"But that wasn–" Damini started.

"Tsk tsk! Let us finish, Damini," the guildmaster interrupted with a wag of his finger.

"In light of Ebony's report," Ramon continued, "we've deemed that Lumi had no involvement in this attack whatsoever."

The shock burst through my mind, causing me to take an involuntary step back. "R-Really?"

The Oranguru nodded, "You see, there's a reason we entrusted Ebony with the task of supervising your trial. Her species, Shuppet, has an innate ability to sense and feed on the malice of other beings by using the horn on their head. Throughout your entire trial, Ebony has been monitoring your emotions for any abnormalities that might surface. Even if it was for a brief second, she would have sensed it."

"Whoa, that's kinda cool," Damini said in awe.

'So Ebony knew what I was feeling the entire time,' the thought dawned on me, 'Pokemon are amazing, yet scary creatures.'

"Which leads us to the main event," the guildmaster lowered his legs to the floor and leaned onto the desk, his head resting on his hands while his arms were stationed on the polished wood, "Our final decision on your enrollment."

I felt the intensity in the air settle on my back as I awaited for them to continue.

"After careful consideration, we have decided that–"

"You're innnnn!" The Quaquaval spontaneously sprung up from his seat and pointed dramatically at me.

His words didn't register for a good second or two, but as soon as they did, a new wave of relief and happiness flooded my senses, almost to the brink of fainting right then and there. Thankfully, Damini pounced and wrapped his paw around me with a joyful smile.

"You did it, Lumi! I told you you could do it!" Damini cheered, squeezing me all the while.

"I… I'm so glad," I managed to say.

After giving the Guildmaster the side eye, Ramon beckoned for our attention. "The feat you pulled on your mission was quite impressive. While mastering your Powder Snow will require some work, I feel you'll be a great explorer under our training."

"T-Thank you," I thanked, resisting the opened floodgates.

"And noooow," the guildmaster approached a shelf to the right of the room and quickly searched through its contents. The next second, he came and presented an Explorer's Badge to me, "This is yours!"

The badge glistened in the crystal's light, reflecting my shocked expression in its sleek surface.

"Go ahead. Put it on," Damini urged, nearly giggling to himself.

With a firm nod, I reached out and accepted the badge from the guildmaster. I carefully equipped it onto the Defense Scarf with the satisfying CLICK of the clip on the back.

"Sooo how does it feel?" Damini asked, grinning happily.

"It feels great," I answered with my own smile.

"With that badge, you're now officially part of the Coryphee Guild," the guildmaster announced, "Now I might just be making assumptions, but you two are thinking of teaming up, right?"

"Yup!" Damini confirmed, "We decided when we finished the trial."

"Wonderful!" the guildmaster exclaimed, "We can take care of that right now if you wish. Now, what will be your team name?"

"O-Oh yeah! We haven't decided on a team name yet!" Damini turned to me, "What will be our team name, Lumi?"

I rested my head on my paw, thinking of every possible name I could think of. One name in particular rose to the surface.

"Astrum? How about Team Astrum?" I suggested.

"Team Astrum?" Damini felt the name roll off his tongue before finally nodding, "Yeah. That name suits us!"

"Allllright! Team Astrum! Ramon, you know what to do," the guildmaster gestured to the Oranguru.

With a wave of his hand, Ramon levitated a quill and parchment to his front. "I'll get to registering them right away, Guildmaster."

"I'm counting on you, my good man," the Quaquaval nodded before turning his attention to us, "You are now dismissed, you two. Rest well, baby!"

"Thank you, Guildmaster! I won't let you down, I promise." I assured before we left his office.

"Come on! This way, this way! Pick up the pace, newbie!" Apollo chirped happily as he led Damini and I through the hallway of rooms. Alternating torchlight filled the hall from their soft blaze, inducing a rather cozy feeling in my chest. The pitter patter of our footsteps occupied the silence of the sleeping guild.

Damini's deadpanned face pierced through Apollo's feathered head. "I know the way to the room, Apollo. No need to lead us there."

A sigh escaped the bird's beak and quickly turned around to send an annoyed glare Damini's way. "I wasn't here to lead you the first time and Lumi is finally a member who doesn't know her way around yet. Let me have this."

It was Damini's turn to sigh, "Fine."

"Good! As I was saying, right this way!"

Apollo turning around to start leading again, Damini gave me a look riddled with impatience for the bird, to which I shrugged with plain indifference. It wasn't long until we reach the end of the hallway where a cobalt blue, sturdy wood door with a little coral orange, box shaped container was attached at the bottom half of it.

"And here we are," Apollo gestured to the door with a proud smirk, "The room you two will be staying in for the remainder of your stay in this guild."

"Um, thank you for leading us here, Apollo," I thanked mostly out of obligation, while I could hear Damini grumble something under his breath.

"No problem," Apollo puffed out his chest, "If you need anything else, just let me know."

"Oh! By the way, are you still collecting mail from everyone tonight?" Damini asked.

"That's right. Just leave your mail in that box on the door and I'll pick it up shortly," Apollo explained, "I have to meet up with Mandibuzz to talk about something first."

Damini nodded. "Alright, I'll try to get it done in time."

"Well with that, I bid you all adieu. See you two tomorrow."

We all said our goodbyes before Apollo flew off the way we came. We turned toward the door, Damini promptly opening it to reveal our new home. It wasn't as spacious as I pictured, but it was definitely serviceable in housing two bright eyed trainees. A wooden shelf lined the east light blue wall, barren of anything besides a layer of dust coating each section. A small work desk accompanied with a lantern was stationed next to the north wall where a window showing the night sky once more. To the west was a closet and an already prepared hay bed laid on the floor.

While I was getting familiar with the room, Damini had already darted off to the closet and pulled out more hay from the drawer on the bottom.

"Here we go! Just enough for one more Pokemon," Damini stated as he placed the hay next to the pile already there and molded it with his front paws. The result was an equally inviting hay bed with my (metaphoric) name on it.

"So you've been in here before, right?" I asked.

"Yup, last night when I officially joined the guild," Damini answered, "I was so excited about starting out as an explorer, I couldn't sleep a wink."

"I can imagine," I stated as I strolled to the window, the stars out there to welcome me, "I can't believe I made it."

"I'm happy for you, Lumi," Damini smiled at me while sitting down on the seat near the desk, "Now you have a place to stay."

I nodded. "It's been a while since I feel… safe."

"Let's hope we can keep it that way," Damini asserted before he pulled out a piece of paper from the stack on top of the desk.

"You're writing a letter?" I inquired.

Damini nodded while turning the knob of the lantern, lighting the room with its newly acquired flame. "It's something I have to do. I gotta hurry before Apollo makes his round."

"Okay. Then I'll just turn in for the night if you don't mind," I announced.

"Oh sure! I'm thinking of doing the same too after I'm finished. I'm so exhausted," Damini whined a little before picking up the quill with his jaw.

I smiled a bit before making my way to the bed. "Good night, Damini."

"Good night, Lumi." Damini managed to say, muffled by the quill in his mouth.

I circled around the bed before flopping and curling myself on its soft, fluffy surface. The rhythmic scratching of the quill dancing on the paper made my mind at ease. Some curious clinks and jingles inserted their way into the melody somehow, but soon disappeared. My mind started to drift off as my body prepared for the welcomed embrace of sleep.

'Finally, I have a place to call home now,' I thought, 'And I have friends willing to help me too. Despite my situation, I'm in a good position. But the question now is, what's next? I still have no memories, I'm still a Vulpix, and this thing…'

I quietly pulled out the necklace from my tails, making sure Damini couldn't see the faint glow of the crystal. My heart started to race once I focused on this mysterious object.

'What is my connection to this necklace? And what could the implications be?'

I shook my head and stuffed the necklace containing all my worries in my tails again. 'Right. Sleep. I… need to… sleep…'

Finishing off the letter with a quick stroke of his quill, Ramon quickly sealed the letter within an envelope and stamped the fold with a golden seal shaped like an Explorer's Badge. With a flick of his signature fan, he levitated the letter to Apollo standing right outside the room. The bird Pokemon grabbed the letter in his beak and stuffed it into his little satchel slung around his shoulder. After a final salute, Apollo flew off and ascended up the stairs.

Closing the door, the Oranguru turned his attention to his good colleague sitting at his desk reviewing stacks of papers inscribed with scarlet ink. Ramon patiently approached the desk with his arms and leaf fan behind his back.

"Team Astrum's registration request has been mailed out, Guildmaster," Ramon informed with a satisfied smile.

"Eeeexcellent work, my good man," Quaquaval complimented, looking up from his desk, "You go get some much needed rest. I'll handle everything from here."

"Before I do, there's something that has me puzzled for some time now," Ramon crossed his arms in contemplation.

"Shoot."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why even consider accepting Lumi into our guild? I don't doubt she's relatively harmless, but this will put a massive strain on the guild and the city in general," Ramon explained, "For Arceus' sake, you had Captain Bisharp on your neck for the majority of the evening."

After a brief moment, the Guildmaster clasped his hands together and uttered a simple phrase, "Just because."

Ramon blinked twice, dumbfounded at the words settling in his ears. "Just… because?"

"Just because. Do I really need a reason to consider a potential apprentice? IIII don't think so," the guildmaster deflected.

Ramon sighed and pinched his nose with mild annoyance etched on his face. "Honestly I don't know what goes through your head sometimes."

"Trust me, Ramon. Everything will work out fine. It's all falling into place perfectly. It just needs time, " Quaquaval assured, waving his right hand around nonchalantly.

Soft knocks on the door broke through the following silence.

"Coooome in!" the guildmaster invited.

Dainty scuttling into the room, Eloise greeted the Quaquaval with a playful smile. "Good evening, Guildmaster!"

"Ah, Eloise! Welcome!" the guildmaster greeted, "Ramon…"

Ramon nodded, "Understood. Good night, Guildmaster."

Ramon made his way out of the room while exchanging greetings and goodbyes with Eloise before he left.

"Now," the guildmaster stood up from his desk and slicked his hair back into pristine condition, "We have much to discuss about our new arrival, old friend."