Thump! Thump!
The almost rhythmic stomps broke through the abyss, prompting my consciousness to resurface again. Drowsiness weighing on my eyelids, I opened my eyes to not the view of the forest floor like I expected, but to the sight of multiple polished blue scales all lined up neatly and orderly in rows. I carefully lifted my head and inspected all of my new surroundings. By using the spotted rays of moonlight, I could see the lush green prairie stretching as far as the eye could see, with a few trees scattered sparsely across the landscape. A crisp, cool breeze swept through the prairie leaving a relieving, almost healing sensation on my aching body. The whole world seemed to steadily go up and down as whoever I'm on takes one big step at a time.
"O-Oh! You're awake!" A voice stole my attention from the scenery and down below towards my rescuer from before, "I'm glad! Are you feeling okay?"
I opened my mouth to answer, but the bizarreness of talking Pokemon was like an invisible muzzle.
'So that wasn't a dream after all,' sadness filled my thoughts while examining my foreign paws.
"Sit tight, Vulpix," a gravelly voice emanating from whom I'm riding on spoke. Gabite turned his head towards me, "We're almost to the city. Just a little more till we get there."
'Vulpix, huh? I guess that's what I am now,' my new identity hung heavily on my heart.
"Thank you for helping me before," I said, gratitude resonating in my voice.
"No problem! It's our duty as explorers to help those in need! Right, Chief?" Damini proclaimed, looking up to Gabite who gave a nod.
"Explorers?" I wondered out loud.
It was Damini's turn to nod, "Mhm. I'm Damini and this is our chief, Orion."
"He's the only one who calls me that," Orion stated flatly.
"We're explorers from the Coryphee Guild–"
Orion cutted in with a correcting cough, steering Damini to the right direction, "Um, well I'm not an explorer yet. This mission is part of my trial."
"We were sent to Duskveil Forest to arrest the outlaw referred to as Mightyena," Orion informed, "It was only meant to be a capture without incident."
"But I messed up and let him slip away," Damini added crestfallen, "I'm sorry you got mixed up in all of that."
I shook my head, "It's okay. You saved me in the end and I'm grateful to you for that."
A bittersweet smile graced his face, "But still…"
"If you still feel responsible, use this experience and train so you won't repeat the same mistake again," Orion advised.
"Yes, Chief!" Damini said, his resolve sparking to life.
"That reminds me," Orion spoke up and turned his attention to me, "It is rare to see Alolan Vulpix around this side of the region. Is there a reason why you were in the forest all alone?"
'Uh oh. I guess that question should be expected, but…' "I was… lost for a very long time. I was looking desperately for anybody to help me."
The Gabite's hum softly vibrated from his body, "Still, that's a long way from where your species normally live."
"I…" I started but couldn't find the words to finish.
"Chief, maybe you should ease up a bit," Damini suggested, "She's been through a lot today as is."
Orion took a second to think before responding, "Yes, yes you're right, Damini. I apologize."
"It's okay," I replied, carefully adjusting myself as I rode his back.
"What is your name, if you don't mind me asking?" Orion asked, turning his focus on the road ahead.
"My name..?" I hesitated for a second before saying, "My name is Lumi."
"Lumi? That's a nice name," Damini smiled, which appeared to be contiguous as I smiled too.
"Well Lumi," Orion began, "in the next thirty minutes or so, we'll be in Centrare City. When we get there, we'll drop you off at the clinic to tend to your wounds. Don't worry about cost, the clinic is fully funded by the guild so it's free of charge."
"Okay," I nodded, following everything he's saying, "but what about after I'm fully healed?"
"You can decide what to do from there," Orion explained, "Damini and I have to report to the guild and retire for the night."
"I see," I said, a feeling of anxiousness spread across my back.
"But if you need anything, you can come by to the guild anytime," Damini reassured.
"Okay, I'll keep that in mind," I chirped, some of anxiety dissipating a bit.
While we continued to talk in the midst of reaching the city, my mind drifted back to an earlier topic.
'That was close,' I exhaled an imaginary sigh of relief, 'I couldn't just go and tell them I'm a human with no memory. They wouldn't believe me and screw up my chance of getting some help. They seem like nice Pokemon, but I can't take the risk of them finding me weird and leaving me in the middle of nowhere. That said, where do I go from here?'
I looked up towards the sky, the bright twinkling stars peeking out from the scattered clouds decorating the night with their beauty.
'I don't even know where to begin,' I tried to find solace in the stars above, hoping they'll somehow lift the uncertainty and doubt clouding my head.
Amidst the welcoming glow of nearby torchlight, we approached what appears to be a guardpost stationed at the border of Centrare City. Orion presented his badge from before to the tall, almost chess piece-like Pokemon who examined with scrutiny nearly pouring out of its eyes. Then what seemed like a split second, I could feel that same scrutiny on me, except a lot more intense somehow.
'Just now… did I imagine it?' The uneasiness made me squirm on Orion's back.
With a stern "You may pass", we're allowed entry into the rustic atmosphere of the city. Heading further inside, I could see many tents scattered across the land with occasional Pokemon going about to their nightly chores. The wooden structures of multiple buildings marked the transition from simple tents to the inner makings of the city. Guided by the stationed torch lamps illuminating the street ahead of us, we arrived at what appears to be a city square where many shops sold a variety of things such as apples, berries, scarves and orbs. Night shoppers of all shapes and sizes swarmed the stalls with peculiar looking gold coins with a 'P' symbol in hand while purchasing whatever they needed.
Slipping past the crowded street of the market, we headed east where the very air itself became noticeably somber. Pokemon with bandages and cases on various body parts came in and out of one building with a white Poke Ball symbol on the front. As we stepped inside, we were greeted by the hushed atmosphere of the waiting area, accompanied by the sight of Pokemon with what appeared to be a colorful flower crown for tails tending to the injured down one of the hallways.
Walking up to the front desk, Orion called out, "Excuse me?"
One of the Pokemon floated over to us while holding onto their flower crown tail, " Yes sir? How can I help you?"
"Can we see Eloise if she's not too busy? We're from the Coryphee Guild," Orion explained.
"Of course," the nurse agreed, "Follow me."
Leading us down the left hallway, I briefly glanced into some of the rooms while passing by. Most of them were empty with only a neatly placed straw bed and desks carrying medical supplies occupying the space, but others had wounded Pokemon either sleeping or actively tended to by the nurses here. At the very end of the hallway was a wooden door with the same white Poke Ball symbol on the middle of it.
"The doctor is currently in right now," she said gesturing to the wooden door.
"Thank you, Comfey," Orion thanked and the Comfey bowed(?) in response and flew away to one of the rooms.
Orion strolled up to the door and tapped rhythmically on it with his lone claw. A muffled yet welcoming "Come in" called out from the other side prompting Orion to gently open the door and set foot into the doctor's domain. Many interesting items and knick knacks like wooden figurines decorated the shelves without a speck of dust on them. Vibrant drawings of what I assumed to be of the clinic staff were posted on a dedicated wall bringing some joy into the room. I noticed one desk with the same badge Orion has but on a plaque, and a picture frame depicting a Salamence and two other Pokemon I don't recognize. They seemed to be saluting to the camera, an aura of pride radiating from their very being while giving a satisfying smile.
In the corner of the office, I spotted one of the Pokemon from the picture putting away a file into one of the cabinets near the desk. The pink Pokemon wore a dark blue nursing cap which sat perfectly between their large ears. The file tucked away in the cabinet, the Pokemon turned to greet our group with a soft smile which disappeared as quickly as it came when they set their sights on me. Despite their pudgy stature, they practically zoomed across the room and hovered above me like a mother with her young, spooking me a bit in the process.
"How did this happen, my dear?" her soft voice asked with pure concern while she inspected my wounds with care.
"Uh," is all that my mouth managed to say, my mind still in a daze.
Orion, recovering from the shock of her display of speed, cleared his cough and regained his composure, "It's a long story. But do you think you can–"
"Of course, dear," she cooed before carrying me off leaving a bewildered Gabite and Electrike behind.
Arriving in one of the rooms, she set me down on the straw bed provided and went to the desk to prepare something I couldn't see. Adjusting myself on the straw bed, I let myself melt on the surprisingly soft and fluffy cushion-like feature of the bed, while also fighting off the urge to fall asleep. Finally catching up to us, Orion and Damini came into the room at the same time the doctor had finished preparing what looked to be a herb mixture in the bowl. As she began to gingerly wash and applied the mixture onto my wounds, each dab caused me to wince in pain, Orion and Damini explained how I ended up like this and shared details about my current situation as of now.
"Poor child, that must have been awful," she said while wrapping my lower neck and upper torso with medical tape.
"Lumi's gonna be okay, right?" Damini asked in my stead, concern etched on his face.
"From what I could see, the bite marks weren't too deep," Eloise explained, "So with the herbal treatment I made, it should close up by tomorrow."
"That's a relief," I sighed some of my stress away, "Thank you for your help."
"My pleasure, dear," she beamed with inner joy, "Just make sure you take the berry elixir too once I'm done preparing it."
"Sure," I agreed with a grateful smile.
Orion solemnly nodded, "I'll leave her in your hands then, Eloise."
"I'll make sure she's well taken care of," Eloise reassured, "Send my regards to the guildmaster."
"Sure," Orion said, turning his attention to Damini, "We need to report back to the guild before it gets too late."
"Oh! Yes, Chief!" Damini exclaimed and hopped towards me, "See you later, Lumi. I hope you make a full recovery."
"Thank you and see you later," I smiled, which prompted a cheerful smile in return.
Saying our goodbyes, Orion and Damini promptly left the room, their absence leaving a weird tug in my heart I couldn't explain.
Eloise's chuckle broke the silence, "That Damini, I hope he gets to join the guild. He's such a delight to have around."
I nodded in silent agreement, a stray thought came to mind, "This clinic is funded by the guild, right? Do you know them personally?"
"That's right, dear," she responded while reaching into the cabinet and grabbing two little blue berries, "I visit them sometimes as I'm good friends with the guildmaster."
"You're also an explorer too, right?" I asked out of curiosity.
"Ah, you saw the plaque and picture in my office," Eloise put together amidst also retrieving one pink and one green berry and started to juice them together, "I used to be an explorer back in the day along with my dear friends. I retired ages ago and founded this clinic to help injured Pokemon however I can."
"That's amazing," I said, a feeling of sadness crushing me, "It sounds like you had it figured out from the start. Then there's me, feeling so… lost on what to do."
"Ah yes, those two did say you wound up lost in the forest near here," Eloise brought up, "Your family must be so worried about you."
"Y-Yes," I stuttered in sudden uncertainty, 'Are they worried about me? I wish I could remember who they are.'
"I'm sure we'll find a way to bring you home," she tried to reassure me, "Things are just… hard with the region as it is now."
"Then what should I do?" I asked, hopelessness dipping from my voice.
"I wish I had a clear answer, dear," Eloise responded crestfallenly as she knelt down and brought the juice made out of the berries from before to me, "If only I could keep you here, but there's only so much I could do for you."
"It's okay, I understand," I muttered, pulling the bowl closer to me.
At that moment, one of the Comfey nervously floated into the room, bashfully spotting the doctor while twiddling their hands, "Um, Doctor Eloise? T-there seems to be a problem with Ariados's cases again."
Eloise silently took a deep breath before responding, "I'll be right there, dear.
She slowly stood up and followed the Comfey to the door before turning to me, "I have to go now, my dear. The berry mixture I gave you will help recover your strength and heal your wounds at a faster rate. I'll check up on you in the morning, but if anything, please ring the bell next to your bed."
"Okay, I'll keep that in mind, doctor," I stated softly with a smile, "Good night."
"Good night, dear," Eloise's tender smile was the last thing I saw before she closed the door behind her, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
Moonlight descended from the window, filling the room with its soft, white light. I gazed out the window from my bed, seeking solace in the unboundless expanse of stars again, only to discover nothing but emptiness.
I sighed and closed my exhausted eyes, 'I feel bad about continuously lying to them about my true situation, but I have no idea how they'll react at all. I know I wouldn't believe me. But at the same time, I need help. I can't do this on my own.
I glanced back at the bowl resting by my side, waiting to be of use. I lifted it up in my paws and took a sip. The liquid sweetness mixed with a hint of bitterness filled my mouth as it went down my throat, already feeling renewed strength in my legs.
'The Pokemon from the guild really do seem nice. Maybe…' I began my thought, mustering the resolve to finish, 'Maybe joining their guild is the right move. I got nowhere else to go and the only Pokemon I know might help are Damini and Orion.
Lingering doubts began to weigh heavily on the bowl as I stared into it, 'But what if I have to enter a 'dungeon' again? And… who do I even trust with all of this?'
Feeling the intensity of my anxiety again, I took a deep breath and calmly took another sip of the elixir. 'I have to try, at least. It's my only hope.'
Finishing off the juice, I carefully set it to the side and curled up on the straw bed. The day's exhaustion finally claimed me as I faded into the embrace of slumber.