PMD: Trails Of Wonder
A constant crackle rings through the air, an orange-yellow wisp of flame spreading light in the forest's dim atmosphere, seldom populated by any but a young Pokèmon.
By the fire rests a small feline, its body coated in light blue fur, with hints of black on its neck and below its torso. Located on its hind was a black tail with a 4-pointed golden star on the tip.
Reaching into a small bag, the Shinx pulls out a bundle of golden coins.
"250 Pokè…this was my pay for today. Wonder what I'll do with this. Probably not much."
The small feline soaks in the heat of the flame before it as it leans over, lying on its tummy.
"Crappy job…no home…"
Opening its left paw, a batch of berries fall out of the Shinx's hand.
"Living off fucking berries to save money…I haven't had a real meal in a month. Just how low can I get?"
The young Pokèmon turns over, its stomach facing towards the star-filled night sky.
"Why can't I be a regular teen? Having friends…being in rescue teams…I just deliver mail to people."
The boy reaches his hand towards a newspaper rolled out on the ground beside him.
"Team Cavalier saves the day once again…Mudbray Musician 'Hay-Z' releases new single…New sales at…." The Shinx crumples the newspaper in its paws, tossing it into the fire. "Who the FUCK reads this shit?"
As the newspaper is cast into the deep inferno, the flame momentarily grows in size as it absorbs the article, breaking it down into a gas in mere seconds.
"God…did my parents just do away with me because they knew I'd turn out like this?"
Pouting, the young Shinx lies back on its frontside, burying his head into the grass.
"Just a stupid paperboy…" He grumbles, before closing his eyes and nodding to sleep.
That morning….
Attention, guildmates!
A large steel Pokèmon booms, effectively silencing the room.
Over a wooden tabletop, the Pokèmon stands tall and firm, its body formed of large steel plates, with white claws in place of fingers on its oval-like paws.
Placing its hands on its round hips, the Pokèmon, an Aggron, begins its address, practically shouting across the room.
"Lissen up, ye runts! There's an important announcement fer' all ye suckers, so you better keep yer' ears wide open, ye hear?"
…..
"I WANNA HEAR A 'YES, SIR ABBADON!'"
In unison, the room's populace erupts into a synchronized chant.
"Yes, Sir Abbadon!"
Suddenly, a small blue Pokèmon waddles its way into the room.
"Yes, yes. That'll be enough, Gerald."
The Aggron flinches in surprise and immediately drops its firm position at the sight of the Wooper.
"A-Ah! Yes, of course, sir!"
'Sir Abbadon' clears the way for the small fish-like Pokèmon as it approaches the room's center.
Clearing his throat, the Wooper begins to speak in a deep, toned voice.
"Ahem. Good morning, members of the Round Table. Before I begin my address, I would like to, as your headmaster, congratulate all of you on your excellent work, so far. You have all, as individuals, made an excellent contribution to our guild. I would like to commend you all substantially for your efforts."
The headmaster bows, and the entire room erupts into a tumultuous applause.
The room silences as the headmaster lifts his head, allowing for his address to continue.
"I appreciate all of you for your work as individuals, and for the amount you all, separately bring to the table."
"Because, unfortunately…there has recently been an event, in which someone has been taken out."
'Sir Abbadon' enters the room, revealing a whiteboard on which a poster containing the face of a Grovyle is displayed.
Gasps and murmurs fill the room, eventually subsiding to allow the headmaster to speak once again.
"Mr. 'Oliver', please make your way to the board."
A Sandslash walks out from the crowd and approaches the whiteboard.
"Clayton had always been a dear partner of mine," Oliver begins. "He always had a bit of a jerkass sense of humor…it made him pretty entertaining to work with. I couldn't ask for a better co-worker….no. I couldn't ask for a better friend."
Oliver lets out a deep sigh.
"That night…we'd been scoping out the woods for anything unusual. Any signs of that damn troublemaker running about…we'd heard some rustling in the bushes, and when we found it was really just a little cat, we'd let our guard down, y'know? We thought it was a false alarm…that we'd tensed up for no reason."
"But then, that bastard…he popped up out of nowhere. That damn Zangoose that we'd been searching for in the first place…He came and attacked."
Oliver places his hand atop a scratch mark on his cheek. "I managed to get away by the skin of my teeth. My partner, on the other hand…I can't so much say the same for him. Damn Zangoose snatched 'im, and there's no telling where he is, now. For as much as we know, he might as well be dead. 'Course that's not what I believe. But, I guess it is sometimes best to assume the worst."
'Sir Abbadon' flips the whiteboard, as the headmaster signals Oliver to return to the crowd. A wanted poster is shown on the board, with a picture of a Zangoose displayed on the cover.
"This criminal has been running around these parts for some time, and despite our efforts, we have not achieved much in the way of finding his place of origin, or the reason behind his repeated abductions. The state of his victims is unknown, but we believe they are being exploited to his benefit." The headmaster's eyebrows begin to furrow. "That, at least, is the best-case scenario."
"But, in any case, to conclude this lecture, we strongly suggest that you all exercise the utmost caution in your missions. If you see anything that seems off-color or unusual in the slightest, do not ever shrug it off. Keep your guard up, and make sure you cautiously exit the area until you are certain it is secure. However, we are a team of rescuers. Therefore, the safety of those you are meant to protect should be your biggest priority. If there is any way that you can ensure that both you and the Pokèmon that is to be rescued can make it from the mission safely, you must make it happen. By being a part of this guild, you have all promised to put the lives of others above yours. Whether you like it or not."
"That will be all for today. Proceed to your missions."
The guild members all pile out of the building, leaving only the headmaster and 'Sir Abbadon' behind.
"Ay, I put today's newspaper on yer' desk. Did ye see it?"
"Yes, I did. That paperboy…' Wonder', was it? Did he put it in the front mailbox?"
"Yes, sir."
"Hm. I'll leave a note for him to put it in the one by the backdoor. That'll make things more convenient."
"Ay, you know I have no problem carryin' it over, boss. I can always make time to help ye out."
"No. I need you to keep watch of the guild at all times. As long as that culprit still lurks, we must keep our guard up."
"U-Understood, sir."
The headmaster lets out a chuckle. "That's why you're my favorite worker, Gerald."
The headmaster walks back into the building and closes the door behind him.
Sir Abbadon stands in shock.
"Boss said I'm his favorite….by golly, I could cry right now!"
"I mean….erm…of course I am! Who else would be?"
Fin.