Chapter 5: Always

The sound of footsteps on the floorboards convinced them to finally open their eyes and greet the day. By habit both Opal and Clement were light sleepers, but Lumi ensured that their days would always begin at the crack of dawn. Ever since he was a kit and old enough to walk, the two were routinely awoken by his rush to the window. Opal decided to be the one to kick things into gear, and disentangled herself from her mate after giving him a light nuzzle. The Mawile grunted in reply and she padded out into the hallway.

Their small home also doubled as their business. When they decided to settle in Thistle, Clement had the bright idea to open a store to sell various odds and ends. Down the hallway and past the kitchen, a flap separated the storage and store counter from the rest of the home. She noticed the flap had been recently disturbed, and decided to peek her head in. Her son leaned against the counter, eyes fixed on the sky. With the sun barely out and the streets bereft of Pokemon, the sight gave rise to a pang of nostalgia. Despite his recent evolution, he looked no different in this moment than he did eighteen years ago.

His enthusiasm for the daily spark in the distance eventually bled over to the rest of his family, and even Clement peaked his head over hers to get a glimpse at the bright display. Though it was routine, the explosion never felt mundane, and certainly never failed to send a jolt through their systems, enough to chase away any lingering sleep. Clement went back to prepare something for breakfast, while Opal smiled and surprised Lumi by using Psychic to squish him to her chest.

"Wh-hey!" he managed.

"Boy, I know you didn't brush your teeth this morning. You know the drill."

"Yeah, I was getting to that..." he rolled his eyes, and she huffed fondly. Despite the command, she made no move to release him, and he didn't try to leave. He sensed she had a question before it left her lips.

"You need something?"

"Watcha thinking about?'' She had a couple ideas, but he could be so cagey like his father sometimes.

"Uh, nothing. I mean, just about the stock for today I guess. I think we sold out of Quick orbs yesterday." His eyes still hadn't left that spot in the sky.

"I told your father, we'll get it sorted."

He finally tried to move, but felt her invisible grasp pressed onto him. He let out a sigh despite himself. She came up beside him and made sure he looked her in the eyes.

"So, what are your plans?"

"...I thought I told you earlier?"

"Just want to see if anything changed. What'd the school say about you teaching?"

"Oh. Uh, they still haven't gotten back to me. Honestly I just don't think they need anyone else. I mailed an application to some schools in Lumbell yesterday."

"Good! Always alot going on in the capital."

"Yup. We'll see I guess."

"And even if that doesn't pan out, you always got the shop," she patted the counter with her best reassuring smile. For a fraction of a second, his eyebrows creased in frustration, but he immediately widened them to try and hide it.

She caught it anyway. She always did.

"Yeah! Always got the, uh, shop." he did his best to sound the least bit excited. She 'hmmd' in response, before she paused to look into the empty streets. It really was an idyllic place. Nice, quiet town with nice quiet Pokemon. A school, sturdy buildings, lampposts lining the sidewalks, packed dirt roads that were sweeped daily. The most dangerous thing here was an occasional strong breeze every once in a while.

It was truly perfect.

"This place sucks, doesn't it?" she let out. Lumi's eyes widened and he stared at his mother.

"Uh, I mean I wouldn't say all that..."

"Yes you would."

"...Alright fine. Honestly mom, I'm really not too sure what to do with myself while I'm here..."

"Finally!" she exclaimed. She let out an exasperated breath and slumped over the counter. He giggled a bit at her antics.

"Ooh, I have to wrench everything out of you two, don't I?" he balked a bit and spread his arms.

"Well, what am I supposed to say! Dad won't let me go to Dungeons, won't let me go to any kind of Guild! Everyone my age moved out already, so right now all I do is head the shop and just, do whatever!" he finished with his arms thrown over his head. She sighed heavily and began to chuckle under her breath. Of course, his dad...

"Alright," she straightened up and nodded back into the house. "Go on, brush your teeth and get ready. I'll have a talk with him."

"...Really?" he asked, hopeful.

"You know I got your back, boy." She hugged him and then watched as he scampered through the flap, a new pep in his step. She smiled and took a breath to mentally prepare herself, before she trotted through the storage space and came into the kitchen.

Clement hummed to himself as he set out a simple breakfast of cereal, berries, and granola. He was far enough away to not have heard Lumi's outburst, so he was still in a peppy mood. This conversation would change that.

The Espeon smirked.

"Good morning, my wonderful Partner~" she came up behind him and rested her head on his neck, body curled around his second maw. He leaned in and rubbed his head with hers.

"And good morning to you too, beautiful." Oh, he could be so sweet when he wanted. She could feel how relaxed his muscles were and noted the soft smile on his face that appeared when he was really content. She leaned closer, her mouth right next to his ear and whispered...

"Can I talk to you outside~"

He stiffened. The smile vanished, and she turned around quickly to leave before she burst out laughing at his reaction. She had to keep some composure for what she had to say after all.

She leaned against the wall next to the doorway of their house, and waited. Clement skulked out a moment later and closed the door gently. He looked at her wearily when she just stared at him, so he decided to just bite the bullet and ask.

"...Is there something wrong?" at that, her eyes widened in incredulity.

"Something wrong? Nah, nothing's wrong! Nothing's ever wrong, Clem," she said with a smile. That just left him more confused.

"So..."

"I mean, just look around!" she waved her tail for emphasis. "What could possibly go wrong here?"

The Mawile was silent for a few seconds, before his eyes squinted and he sighed. Even his second mouth seemed to droop.

"...I think I know where this conversation is going."

"Good. So you won't be surprised when I say that I am bored out of my mind."

"...Opa-"

"Lumi is bored as hell. The kid is nineteen Clem. Most his age would be out adventuring, joining a Guild, doing something. I don't even think he has friends anymore, he just runs the shop and then goes off to hang out somewhere."

"Opal."

"You are bored, Clement."

"Opa- I am not bored." he stated firmly and crossed his arms.

"Baby, the most exciting thing we do nowadays is fight over who gets to run over to Absol's for the week's delivery. And don't even get me started on that experimental casserole you had us try last week. Things used to be so fun before..."

"Things were dangerous before. I made this decision to keep our family safe Opal, you know that!" he raised his voice slightly, eyebrows furrowed in frustration. She met his gaze and stepped forward to place a paw on his shoulder.

"And I have, and will continue to support you in that wholeheartedly. But now I have to also think about how to support Lumi. Haven't you thought about what's fair to him?"

"I-I'm being fair! There's plenty of stuff out there besides Dungeons and Guilds, and I am giving him all the time he needs to come to a decision. I mean, he wasn't that upset when we said he couldn't join a-"

"You got lucky."

"What?

"You lucked out. We managed to have the one kid who wasn't obsessed with joining a Rescue, Explorer, or Hunter Guild. Lumi was only stung a little bit when you said he couldn't join them because that's not where his passion lies anyway. But look me in the eyes and tell me you didn't see something break when you said he couldn't go to Absol's."

She looked hard into his eyes, and he tried to match her. Eventually though, he wilted and turned his face away. She continued.

"He's our son, Clem. He's wired different. You know he's made for something more than this."

"...I know," he responded, eyes locked on the ground.

"So why won't you let him go?"

"Because, Opal! He's..." he slapped a paw to his forehead and groaned.

"He's so much like him. Sometimes it feels like he's not gone and I just...can't lose him again. And don't pretend like you don't see it too!" He stared hard at her, his breath heavy. She did her best to keep a straight face.

Old memories threatened to bring tears to her eyes, but she chased them away. Not right now.

"Of course I do. So I know it's wrong to keep him locked up like this. I know it's not what you're trying to do, but that's what you're doing."

"I'm! I, I just..." words failed him, and he clenched his fists. Opal came forward and wrapped him in a hug. They stayed like that for a while, trying their best to focus on the present and not get overwhelmed by the past. Once they separated, Clement rubbed his maw as he looked up, thinking to himself.

"...Alright. Look. Just give him one more year. One year to see if there's anything else he wants to do, and if he doesn't then..."

"You'll mention it to Vert next you see him?" he shook his head.

"No. Well, I'll mention Lumi is interested, but he'll have to earn his place there. Like we had to for ours." She smiled at that.

"I'm not worried about that part."

"...Me neither," he breathed out. It was clear the idea was still uncomfortable, so she hugged him again for reassurance.

"Thanks, partner," she murmured. He squeezed her in response.

"...Hey Opal."

"Hmm?"

"Go brush your teeth." She ripped herself from him and blushed hard. He snickered as she sped into the house.

"Oh, screw you!"

Meanwhile, hiding within earshot under the store counter, Lumi pumped his fist with a silent "Yessssss!"

Vert considered the two in front of him before he gave a response. He was a bit surprised they waited a full day before they came to him; Clement especially was protective whenever Lumi was brought up in conversations.

"The kid's doing fine. Great, actually." he decided to go with. Opal rested on her paws after adjusting her satchel and he decided to do the same. The Mawile remained standing.

"So, has he gone into any...you know, was his first day safe?" the gruff demeanor he tried to put on broke slightly towards the end. Opal just sighed.

"We had him go into Whispy Woods to see how he'd handle it. I'm assured he loved every second. May or may not have burst into tears when he was accepted," said Vert, with a smirk.

Clement nodded and looked to the side in thought, but a firm nudge in his side broke him out.

"Nice response, super dad. At least look a little excited that he got in."

"I-I'm excited! Just, you know, considering things..." Opal huffed and rolled her eyes at the fairy. Vert found their care for their son endearing. What little they told him about Lumi over the years made him look forward to the day he would actually get to meet the curious Meowstic. Last night felt like it was almost supposed to happen, in some strange way.

Still...

"I take it you came out to meet me for more than just a parent-teacher conference? Any leads on your end?"

They both straightened up, and Opal decided to take the lead.

"It's been faint these past couple months, but I've definitely noticed a shift in the Dungeons around here. Things start feeling...different even before you go inside."

"We had to sit right in front of a couple for a while before we sensed it, you wouldn't notice otherwise, but after a while we began to lightly feel the strain Aether can put on your body," elaborated Clement. Vert nodded.

"That lines up with what I've been able to gather from my own investigations near my centers around the world. It was just a hunch before, but something is changing. Gradually." he stood up and turned towards the trail ahead.

"I'm getting some bad vibes from up ahead. If you have time, you might want to take a look."

Vert got up and started to make his way up the trail, the two following behind. It was about a twenty minute hike to the Dungeon itself, and the hot sun combined with the crunch of gravel underfoot made it a light workout. During the walk, Vert kept his eyes peeled across the rocks and path, mind cleared. His disaster sense was a mixture of a tingling in the back of his mind, and a strong intuition that something was wrong. It got stronger the further up they went.

"...I want to thank you two again for your help. Having an extra set of eyes to keep tabs on things near home is reassuring." he said as they walked.

"We should be thanking you! If anything, it's given us something to do on weekends."

"I thought you were a bit full of it when you asked us to watch the Dungeons a couple months ago because you 'had a bad feeling'," grumbled Clement, fingers up in quotes. "But...it does seem like there might be something going on."

"I can't think of anyone better to trust with this than you two. You're just as reliable as you were all those years ago."

Clement scoffed at that, but Opal beamed.

"Vert, flattery will get you literally everywhere. You hear that Clem? We're not out of our prime yet!"

"Nope. Not yet." his mate swatted him lightly and he laughed.

After they crested a particularly steep incline, the group found themselves on a small, grey plateau with boulders strewn about. In front of them sat the entrance to Grey Trail, miasmic portal framed by a simple stone , they fanned out to inspect the area. Vert walked toward the entrance while the other two handled the sides.

The subtle weight on his form and pressure on his mind was immediately recognizable to Vert as the effects of Aether. The sensations were too faint to detect if a Pokemon were to walk around without looking for them, but he had spent the better part of his life around the stuff. He was intimate with Aether's properties, he had to be.

You weren't supposed to feel it outside of a Dungeon.

He walked as close as he could to the film without entering the Dungeon proper, and stared hard at the colors. Something was off, he had been here just a week ago for another inspection, and his mind tugged insistently that something was different. He scrutinized the frame, looking for anything out of place. It took him a moment to find what was wrong, but his eyes widened when he did; the film frayed some at the edge, color spilling outside of the frame. He put his face right up against the Dungeon and squinted.

Tiny, miniscule flecks of color drifted off the surface of the portal. He paid close attention as the flecks either floated to the ground, or drifted in the breeze throughout the plateau. He backed up and sat down heavily, a breath he didn't remember holding escaping his lips.

His mind whirled.

How long has this been going on? What did this mean, this wasn't something he had seen before. Was it just this Dungeon, or was the same thing happening in other places? He closed his eyes and sighed. Pandora needed to hear about this.

A shout broke him from his musings.

"Hey, I think I found something!" shouted Clement as he stood by a large boulder. Opal and Vert rushed over.

"What's up?" he asked. The Mawile had a bewildered expression on his face as he moved aside and showed them a decently sized rock. It was plainly colored, but had a perfectly circular hole right in the center of it. Clement picked it up in both hands to show them, and the two leaned in to look inside.

It was completely dark.

"...put it down." stated Vert. The Mawile did so, and Vert looked around for a bit before he picked up a small pebble in his mouth. In front of the other two, he dropped the pebble inside the hole in the rock.

There was no sound to show it hit the bottom. He leaned in to see if he could hear anything, and reached inside to pick the pebble back up. His whole arm disappeared inside.

"Vert. What does this mean?" asked Opal. Her eyes were creased in concern. Vert looked back toward the Dungeon entrance and decided to share the thoughts brewing in his mind.

"I think this confirms what we've been worried about for the past few months; the Aether is spreading. My guess is the wind blew a big enough concentration on this rock to change it like this."

"...Okay. Okay, that's...damn..." Clement pressed a hand to his forehead, distraught. Opal came to press against his side.

"W-What's causing this?" she was trying to stay calm, but her breaths became a bit quicker. Vert considered what he knew, which was unfortunately very little. Over the guild's history, research into Mystery Dungeons had been primarily reactive; very little could be predicted, only recorded. Anything could have caused this change, they didn't have enough information to figure out what.

"...I don't know." was all he could say. The Espeon's ears drooped. Her mate rubbed her back while he stared at the ground. After a bit, Vert straightened up.

"We did good today. There's a summit with all the Guild leaders later this month, but I'll issue an emergency meeting for tomorrow. Everyone needs to know about this."

They nodded, still lost in thought. Vert tried to think of how to cheer them up from the situation, and the solution was simple.

"In the meantime, how about we head back to the guild, pay your son a visit. Sound good?"

They perked up at the mention of Lumi, and nodded. Without delay, Vert fished out his guild badge from his satchel and held it up, making sure everyone was close. In a purple flash, they disappeared.

The Aether continued to spread.

The three of them popped onto the emblem in the center of the Development Wing. As soon as his feet touched the ground, Vert's disaster sense decked him in the face. Almost subconsciously, he turned and stepped towards the flap that led to the Bio branch. Pandora was in front of the entrance conversing with a sweaty Brook. The Wartortle was hunched over, eyes locked on the floor. Vert walked over, his two guests in tow.

"Something happen?" he led with.

"Vert it's good to see you. Oh, and hello to you two again. I'm afraid there were some...complications while you were out." she waved to the couple, but the smile she gave didn't reach her eyes. Vert shifted his gaze to Brook, and he wilted even further.

"...What's up Brook?"

"U-um...there was a, um...it's not, I mean..."

Vert's unblinking stare convinced him to get it together, and he took a deep breath before he responded.

"Some of our experiments got, uh, a little out of hand...several recruits are recovering in the infirmary, and we have to check the damages to the floor."

"Which recruits?"

"Er, most everyone who had tasks in Bio today, and...um, Lumi..."

"WHAT!?" screamed Clement. Opal's eyes widened in concern.

In a flash, the poor turtle was swept up in the fairy's maw and forcefully brought right to his face.

"Where. Is. He." growled the Mawile. He felt a hand on his shoulder and Pandora stepped in between him and his captive. He gave her a nasty look, but she still maintained a polite smile.

"The infirmary is right there." she pointed behind them, to a small flap to the left of the entrance. "Lumi is resting inside, I'll take you to him now."

Clement let out a heavy breath and gave Brook a glare before dropping him on the ground. The two hurried after the Whimsicott through the flap.

Meanwhile, Brook struggled to his feet and met Vert's unimpressed stare. Normally the Absol was quite approachable, but now all that registered to the Wartortle was how much bigger he was than him.

"Get everyone involved and meet me in the office."

Brook gulped.

"...You too Purl." stated Vert without lifting his gaze. From behind him, the Sylveon batted the ground, thwarted in his attempt to sneak past.

Lumi's parents were ushered through the flap, and came to a hallway with openings along the sides covered in light blue curtains. Pandora led them through until they stopped in front of one. She peeked through and saw Lumi laid on a small bed, medicinal herbs and berries shelved to the side. She turned back to face the couple.

"He's currently resting, but you are free to go inside."

"Of course I can go inside..." grumbled Clement as he shoved past her. Opal stepped forward and gave the Whimsicott an appreciative nod before she stepped through the veil. She walked in to her mate kneeling by the bedside, a concerned frown on his face as he rubbed Lumi's forehead lightly. Opal came to the other side and put her forehead close to the Meowstic and reached out with her senses to get a feel for her son's mental state. She was relieved when she found he was only sleeping peacefully, no discomfort anywhere. A breath was released and she leaned back, a tired chuckle escaping her.

"...What's so funny?" asked Clement.

"Nothing, just," her smile got wider. "...What was it you said happened on you and Lucent's first day?"

He was quiet for a moment, before he snorted.

"I got knocked out for a whole day, and his wing was torn so bad he couldn't fly straight for at least a week." Despite himself, his mouth twitched upwards at the memory.

"Looks like he lasted a little bit longer than both of you." He nodded silently at that, then sighed.

"...I'm gonna have to apologize to Pandora and that Wartortle, aren't I?"

"Oh yeah."

"I'm sorry, I know I can be kind of...ÿou know."

"Yeah, I know. It's cute in its own way though."

They stayed like that for a bit, together with Lumi. It hadn't quite hit Opal yet, but she was slowly coming to the realization that this might be one of the last times they would be able to have a quiet moment like this as a family. The thought made her heart ache, and she rested a paw on her son's chest.

Clement had come to this realization a year ago.

The urge to speak to her son welled up within her, and she nudged him gently with her paw. Clement looked up and made to stop her, but seemed to want the same thing. After some more shaking, Lumi's eyebrows creased before they fluttered open. He yawned, and it took a moment for him to register that his parents were in the room, but he smiled lightly when he acknowledged them.

"Oh, hey. Uh, what's up?" Clement and Opal shared a look, and huffed in amusement.

"Clearly not as much as you. Having fun?" asked his mom. The past hour or so flashed through Lumi's mind, and he smiled wider than they had ever seen him do.

"Yeah, a lot of fun. Have you checked out the kinds of places they have in here? It's awesome."

"I'm sure it is, son." offered Clement. Lumi nodded, before he stiffened and lowered his head a bit.

"Dang, uh, sorry about last night. Things kind of happened fast and I didn't really get a chance to head back..." Opal's raised paw shushed him.

"Boy, it's all good. We just wanted to come by and say how proud we were of you!"

"So proud. Now you don't have to worry about sitting behind a counter all day," said Clement. "Also..." he gestured to Opal, and she floated the bag around her shoulder to him.

"We wanted to give you a little going away present." He opened the bag and pulled out a simple necklace. Attached to the center of a black cord was a white pearl. He handed it to Lumi who took it and stared. Light sparkled off the jewel, and if he stared he could make out shifting movement, almost like the imperceptible drifting of clouds.

The sight lifted his heart and spirit. It made him feel like he could be anywhere in the world, and always be as tranquil as these clouds.

He put it on, and the pearl fit gently in the center of his neck fluff. He felt grateful, more than words could say, yet all he could do was stare down at the bed. His paws clenched the sheets, and held even tighter when tears fell from his eyes. With a type of strength he didn't know he would need, he wrenched his head up to look to his parents. Opal's tears flowed freely with a fierce smile on her face. Clement stared at him with his mouth open, like he had just met the Meowstic a few seconds ago. Lumi sniffled, and tried to say something.

"...Um. Th-thanks. I'll make sure to wr-wri-" he was cut off as Clement grabbed him forward and crushed him in a hug. The Mawile shook lightly as he rubbed his back and Lumi returned it with just as much strength. Opal came around and embraced both of them.

"Don't worry about that Lumi," she murmured. "No matter where you go, you know we got your back."

Clement huffed and squeezed them tighter. Tears finally fell from his eyes when he spoke.

"We're a team. Always will be."