Avianre Town. It's been a while since we've stopped at home. It's to be expected, of course, as Rocttryn's always keeping us on the move. He's particularly interested in all those ruins that suddenly popped up. Kinda weird, eh? We've been investigating the ruins all across Grasanio so far, but we haven't really found much of note. We kept what seemed like a capsule, but we can't figure out how to open it. Might be worth something when we get back.
Ah, who am I kiddin'. Rocttryn would kill me if I sold this little souvenir. He's convinced that we can use it for something. Can't say I blame 'im. It's intriguing. We've studied this thing since we found it a couple weeks back, in the Sky Plains Ruins. This thing's what spurred my pal to look at the rest of the ruins. Thinks there might be some kind of connection. Me? I think he's just gone crazy. We're supposed to be a Rescue Team, lookin' for Pokemon that need help.
We aren't explorers. The guild in Avianre Town is just a branch of the Rescue Wings. They don't really have dedicated training facilities. More of a place for Rescue Teams to live in between jobs. Set up a location here because it's so far out from everywhere else that Pokemon were refusing to take jobs in the area.
I'm gettin' off topic. This isn't about the guild. It's about this capsule. It's really weird. It's perfectly round… perfectly smooth. Half of it's red, and the other half's white. We're at a loss on how it works. We've tried smashing it with Rocttryn's Head Smash… Didn't go so well. Poor guy was out cold for a couple days. Left me to fend off the feral Pokemon. Yeah… we ain't doing that again.
I suggested showin' it to a professional explorer so we can get back to our rescue work. Yeah, that went real well… Rocttryn doesn't want to give up his big chance. So we're determined to crack the secret of this capsule.
The Heliolisk put down his pen and closed his record book. The gentle breeze swept through his tent, carrying a flittering leaf with it. Its red colour warmed the lizard's scales, and a smile crept across his face. He adjusted his goggles, fitting them firmly over his eyes. They were custom goggles, given his unique head shape. They cost him a fortune, but it was better than having the wind constantly blowing his eyes dry. He watched the leaf as it fluttered out the other side of the tent. Following it, the autumn sun shone through the gaps in the branches. Its warmth was waning, but enjoyable to the lizard nonetheless.
He gave a cursory look around the campsite. His partner still wasn't back from his hunting trip -they'd run out of food since they hadn't planned ahead- but Heliolisk wasn't worried. The crackles of the fire gave the small site a calm atmosphere, and the Aerodactyl's shelter was still quite intact. Heliolisk leaned against a tree, fiddling with his Unity Looplet. It was a cozy orange colour, and fit nicely on his left arm. It's true, he pondered, that emeras can't be found outside of dungeons. That did not stop the looplet itself from working. If he was really worried about his partner, all he needed to do was squeeze the looplet.
The looplet had been a gift from his mentoring team, Cynderleaf. A way to always hold his partner close. His smile grew larger as he thought back to his apprentice days. When all he had to do involved rescuing Pokemon in need. He'd loved being on a team with Sceptile and Typhlosion. Those two Pokemon had taught him everything they knew about rescuing. Where the dungeons were located, how to prepare for a rescue trip… And most importantly, planning out a rescue route. You needed to get to the dungeon safely. From there, the rescue badge would complete the mission. It would send the rescue team and their client back to base. Heliolisk frowned at that thought. Rescue efforts never took two weeks. If a client was not reached by the fifth day, the Guild would call them back. Often, an exploration team would then be assigned to the case.
Heliolisk blinked. He removed his hand from the looplet and went to attend to the fire. The log pile next to it was beginning to look dangerously low. Still, Heliolisk shifted through the wood until he found the largest piece. Placing it on a nearby stump, he carefully stripped it of the bark. Heliolisk figured he could use them to start another fire if the need arose. After skinning the log, he carefully put it into the flickering flames. The fire died, at first, due to being smothered. Heliolisk stepped back. Just minutes later, the blaze roared back to life.
Just then, a rustling from the bushes caught the lizard's attention. The leaves parted, revealing the figure of a large purple dragon. A large jagged scar decorated the front of its head. It had been given to the Aerodactyl by a particularly fierce Weavile. A Mega Stone pendant connected two sides of a black hood. This hood functioned as the Aerodactyl's flight mask when he pulled it up. It was a gift from the Heliolisk, as the Aerodactyl found it painful to fly thanks to the scar it carried. It wasn't much longer before Heliolisk brought his attention to the lifeless Furret hanging from its mouth. Dinner. The reptile smacked his lips.
"Good huntin', I take it?"
"Nae th' best, bidie in. A' th' prey's hiding."
"Shame. Least you got something that can satisfy us both."
"Aye. Yi'll waant tae cook? Ah dinnae mynd."
The heliolisk shook his head. "We both know what happened last time I cooked, Rocttryn. Had to call in the Squirtle Squad to put out the fire," he chuckled.
Aerodactyl let out a hearty bellow. "Aye, we definitely dinnae waant a rame o' that! Richt, it'll be a few moments, then." The dragon placed the Furret down. "Ony luck wi' th' capsule?"
"None, I'm afraid," Heliolisk replied. "It's quite the puzzling endeavour. Nothing we know could make a shape this smooth."
"Aye!" the great dragon responded. "Bit ah think we'll git it open eventually. Sae dinnae think aboot passing it aff, Suntren! "
The reptile resigned himself to watching his partner cook. It was true; he had been thinking about giving it to an exploration team. They'd certainly have a better idea how to work with it. But giving it away would also kill Rocttryn's dreams. Suntren sighed. No matter how much he wanted to, he couldn't just crush his partner's dreams of being a real explorer. Such a thing would be unlike the rescue Pokemon he'd trained to become. He reflected on his situation.
Really, it was no different from any other job. He still had a Pokemon in need that he was assisting. He had a reward at the end, and a plan of action. As such, Heliolisk settled on a decision. The reptile would assist Rocttryn as far as opening the capsule and discovering its contents. Surely that would satisfy the great dragon. And then the pair could return to their jobs. Perhaps even with a slight bonus for Suntren…
"Dinner's duin, pal! Let's sloch! "
"Alright, I'll be right over, Roct!"
The lizard pulled himself together. Detective work could wait for a while. After all, nothing gets done easily on an empty stomach. And the Furret meat was swelteringly appetizing, anyways. Heliolisk licked his jaws. He always loved roasted meat. Especially the way Rocttryn cooked it. The Aerodactyl always made it nice and tough. Gives the mouth a nice workout, and it always tastes heavenly. And it was safer, too, than eating raw meat. Suntren shuddered. He'd heard the unpleasant stories of those who ate it raw. They were often found spasming out later in the day. Always vomited, too. Not a very pleasant image.
The delicious smell of the Furret intensified as Suntren came closer to the fire. It made his mouth water with anticipation. The dragon was grinning widely.
"Ah, ye'r 'ere! 'n' it looks lik' ye'r hungert!"
"Yes. Your cooking always makes me hungry, regardless whether I just ate or not." Suntren scratched his forehead. "And you made it just the way I like it. Dunno what i'd do without ya."
Likelie need tae ca' th' squirtle squad ilka time ye tried tae sloch, lizard!" the Aerodactyl bellowed. "Glad a'm 'ere wi' ye tae mak' sure that doesn't happen!"
The lizard nodded in agreement. The big guy was right; he'd probably set fire to the place every time if he tried to make something. It happened all the time when he was part of Team Cynderleaf, after all. Part of the reason he grew so close with Rocttryn, he felt. The Aerodactyl would be lost without him. And he'd be hungry without the Aerodactyl around. "Let's just eat, alright? We'll discuss our upcoming plans after we're both satiated."
The Aerodactyl beamed. "Noo thir's a plan ah lik', pal! Juist dinnae think aboot throwing ony awa', ye hear!?"
The Heliolisk chuckled. "How could I, Rocttryn? To throw away food is to insult he who provided it."
"Aye!" The dragon saluted. "Least ye kin dae is save it fur efter."
Suntren nodded, taking a bite of the meat. As the lean meat seemed to melt in his jaws à la noodle, the Heliolisk basked in the taste. The roasted protein was rather bacon-y. Suntren's favourite. He opened his frill and rumbled in delight as the energy flowed through his body. His partner, Rocttryn, had chosen to eat the crunchy paw meat. He snapped through the bones of the Furret, swallowing bits whole without much difficulty. Suntren smirked. That was the partner he knew.
The sun had disappeared by the time the partners finished eating. They had eaten the Furret so thoroughly that not even a skeleton remained, courtesy of Rocttryn. Suntren felt stuffed, and rolled onto his back, wincing as a sharp rock dug into his back. He reached back and brushed the rock away.
"So… What's the next spot? We didn't find anything here."
"Ah wis thinking we heid doon sooth. We've covered a' o' Avianre 'n' th' surrounding forest," Rocttryn responded. "We're sure tae discover something thare."
The Heliolisk jumped. They were based around the Eastern Front alone. Rescue Teams typically didn't leave their assigned areas. To head south…
"Rocttryn… That would mean abandoning the guild! We'd no longer be a rescue team!"
The Aerodactyl let out a hearty bellow. "Aye! That's howfur we'll become explorers, auld mukker! Juist lik' we aye dreamed!"
Suntren frowned. "Rocttryn… There's a better way to leave the guild than just abandonment. You know I'll stick with you until the end of times, but I can't… run away. Not again."
"Eh? They'll tak' th' capsule if we gang back tae resign, bidie in! let's lea it a' behind 'n' stairt anew!"
The Heliolisk looked to the ground. "Rocttryn…"
"Aw... C'moan, Suntren! Ah ken yi'll waant tae see freish places," Rocttryn grinned, placing a wing on the lizard. "This is oor muckle break! Ye juist gonnae shite it?"
The night wind came blowing in. With it came a chill that ran across his back. There was but a single truth for Suntren. Rocttryn… He needed the lizard. The Heliolisk had saved his life in that Weavile attack. And so… Suntren couldn't abandon him. He gazed into the swirling leaves.
"Alright, Rocttryn. We head south tomorrow."
"Aye! That's th' spirit, pal!" Rocttryn shook Suntren's body. "A'm glad ye'll come wi' me!"
Suntren nodded. Somehow, it felt like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. "And I'll stay by your side, friend." He smiled at his partner, before rummaging in his bag. It was rather messy-the lizard had never cared for cleanliness-but it held all the important articles. A few clangs were heard as Suntren pulled out the Rescue Team badgeset. He gently set it on the ground, ensuring it wasn't damaged. "We'll leave these behind. We won't need 'em where we're going."
"Aye! Fae noo oan, we aren't a rescue team, we're explorers!" Rocttryn picked up the discarded badges, and flew over to a nearby branch. "Let's lea 'em 'ere sae that thay kin be recovered, though. We ain't trying tae lose anythin'."
"Right. Let's get a good night's rest, then. We've got all day to start travelling south," Heliolisk stated, feeling the claws of fatigue grip him.
"Ye dinnae wantae plan oot a route beforehand?"
Suntren chuckled softly. "With how excitable you are, partner, I'd never be able to rest if I did. Nah, it's best we rest now."
"A'richt, bidie in," the Aerodactyl responded. "Bit ye gotta promise that we're heading aff foremaist thing th'morra, aye?"
The lizard nodded sharply. "First thing tomorrow."