Chapter 8
The Guild Exam
Kerrosian Territory - South of Kerrosia
The passing days were arduous to say the least. Hazel and Ryan had hardly spoken to each other since Sandy Slopes. Apparently, keeping secrets was not a way to keep Ryan friendly. Hazel had taken to walking behind the three while Ryan took up the front.
Dillan had offered to give him a ride on his back more than a few times, but Ryan always declined, saying, "I'm fine." However, the gabite always caught the way his ears perked whenever he rolled his eyes at the gabite.
Ryan's solution for keeping cool was to use the community water pouch. He'd pour the cactus prune-juice from Hazel's pouch over his face, wetting down his fur in the slimy substance. Dillan would have been impressed if not for how much water Ryan wasted doing so.
Hazel looked like protesting more than a few times, as well. Yet even when she'd grunt disapprovingly, the pachirisu hardly paid her any mind. So she instead kept to herself at the back of the group.
With a glance towards Ryan, Dillan wondered if this was just a temporary thing or if he really meant what he said in Sandy Slopes. He'd mulled over those words more than a few times, and each time his heart seemed to drop deeper in his chest. Would Ryan really leave the group?
He seemed so certain of it - so ready to abandon Hazel and strike off with Dillan on their own adventure. Sure, there was no plan involved, but Ryan looked confident that this was the right way to go. That only made Dillan wonder whether joining the Guild is what Ryan wants.
Dillan quickly shook the idea from his head. None of that mattered in the end. Not Ryan's feelings, nor his own. What mattered was getting home to Grace, no matter what. Taking care of her was all that was important. To do that, he needed the Kerrosian Guild's library. He needed to join the Guild. It was all that mattered… right?
Dillan looked down at the fin on his arm. With a single thought and a push, it shot out into a blue blade that hummed just over their own steps. And with a relaxed exhale, it shrank back.
The blade was his only defense, really. It was the only ability he'd really gotten a grasp of. He didn't even fully understand that weird sixth sense he'd seen - first in Void Canyon, then in Sandy Slopes. But neither of them helped against that pudgy ghost monster. And in a few, short days, he was expected to take part in a battle exam. Would his blades be enough?
"Something bothering you?" a perky voice asked from behind the gabite.
Dillan turned to see Hazel, leaning close to him with her paws laced together behind her back. Dillan laughed nervously. "Y-Yeah," he admitted, caught off-guard by the charmeleon's sudden insertion. "Kinda…"
Hazel matched the gabite's pace as her tail swung next to his. "Is it the Guild Exam?"
A small laugh escaped Dillan as he rubbed his neck with a claw. "Am I that easy to read?"
Hazel didn't press the gabite for an answer. She just kept walking next to him, staring ahead as they walked. With all the questions swirling around Dillan's head, the charmeleon's calming charm was a nice break from swirling thoughts.
"I'm worried about the exam… I mean, it's going to be a battle exam?" He looked to Hazel for an answer and saw her nod in response. "I've been in four fights altogether, and I've had my butt handed to me every time. I'm just worried we're not going to do very well."
"You do suck," Hazel laughed a bit to herself, but stopped as Ryan blew a huff of air into the sky. "B-but, gabite are really hearty at the end of the day. You're super strong physically, and your ability to see in caves is amazing! …Not that that'd help in a fight against Kaimana…"
Hazel set a claw to her chin in thought. He didn't know what she had on her mind, but based on the wagging of her tail, it had to be something positive. Maybe she was going to help Dillan fight in some way?
"Here:" Hazel stopped in her tracks without warning. She turned Dillan quickly by the arm so he could face her. "You asked me back in Void Canyon to show you some moves, right? Well, since then, I've been thinking about how my father taught me Flame Thrower so I can teach you to do the same."
Dillan's face lit up at the idea. "That move with the big jet of flame?"
"Uh-huh!" Hazel took a few steps back. "I think it'd be a good move for you, both tactically and because Kaimana's a steel-type."
Dillan had to turn his head at the word. "Kaimana…?" he asked slowly, making sure not to mispronounce anything.
"She's the Guild Master of the Kerrosian Territory," Ryan said, stepping up to the two with a less-than-amused scowl.
Dillan remembered Drake using her name before. And based on what Ryan said, she was the one in charge of the area: like the district manager for the area. And they had to fight… her.
His teeth gritted in an instant. "We're going to fight the Guild Master?" He imagined himself striking at a snake person and getting tangled up in its slithery form, only to be squeezed to death. His lungs would feel like jelly underneath its grip. "Isn't that a bit much?"
"She'll go easy on us," Hazel explained. "I saw the Guild Exams when they were in Ferricia. Guild Master Staudt wore a stone saddle to make himself more sluggish. I imagine Guild Master Kaimana will do something similar."
"Do we have to do this now?" Ryan huffed.
Hazel crossed her arms at the pachirisu. "Why not? By nightfall, we'll be in Kerrosia fighting Kaimana. We might as well teach him something before we get there."
"We should have done this before Sandy Slopes," Ryan pressed. "He's not gonna learn in one sitting. Might as well just keep walking."
"You're free to do that," Hazel shrugged. "But Dillan looks like a natural to me. He'll learn Flame Thrower fast."
Ryan looked towards Dillan with a raised eyebrow as if to ask, "We're really doing this?"
Dillan just shrugged. "If this is going to help us fight Kaimana, why not?"
The pachirisu rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Fine. Go nuts." He fell backwards into a sitting position with a wet "flop" of his fur. And as he uncapped the water pouch for another shower, Hazel clapped her paws together.
"Alright! Let's start off with your stance!"
"My stance?" the gabite asked.
Hazel took a hold of her own tail and presented it to Dillan, showing him the yellow ball of fire. "Flame Thrower is all in your breathing. See, all pokemon who can use fire-type moves have an inner flame. Mine happens to be an outer flame, but yours will probably be in your chest next to your heart." She tapped Dillan's chest, right in the center of his ribs.
"The first step is to find your inner flame. Once you get a feel for where it is, things will start coming naturally. But for now, center yourself with a stance." Hazel spread her legs out and stood like a sumo. She planted her feet firmly in the sand, kicking up clouds of yellow powder. "You want to center yourself so you can take as deep a breath as possible. That'll stoke your inner flame and make it easier to locate."
"This must have been easy for you," Dillan smirked with a nod to Hazel's tail.
But this only made Hazel laugh aloud. "Are you kidding? You have it way easier!
"Your inner flame is inside of you, meaning it won't set fire to everything you touch. When I was a little girl, I essentially had a torch stuck on my tail, with adults looking at you all the time like, 'Don't burn down the house, Hazel!' 'Watch out for the table, Hazel!' 'Burning your friends isn't funny, Hazel!' On top of that, my father retired from the Guild and became a berry farmer. Imagine the horror of seeing your daughter frolicking through the fields with a raging blaze behind. Arceus, he was not happy."
"Okay," Dillan said. Looking towards Hazel, he tried mirroring her posture as best he could. Dillan spread his legs out with a "thud" of his feet in the sand. And as he did so, Hazel stood up straight to correct him. She pushed his chest back with a paw, straightening his back.
"You need to keep your airways as clear as you can. Stand up straight and start taking deep breaths. You should start to notice a warm spot in your chest around where I was pointing."
Dillan did as he was told, focusing on the feelings in his chest. He closed his eyes softly and started a breathing exercise he'd learned in gym class. Each breath felt dry - like breathing in a cloud of dirt. He felt the sun beading down on his bare back, where his now-ruined cloak used to rest. He felt the Sapphire Star pressing gently against his ribs as it hung, heated by the sun. His lungs expanded in and out. In and out. He felt peaceful just standing there, breathing. He'd almost forgotten what he was doing before it happened.
A warm spot formed just next to his heart like Hazel said. He felt it grow and shrink with his breaths. In and out. Hot and cold. A smirk made its way to Dillan's scaly lips as he relaxed at this accomplishment. Yet it only elicited another small push of Hazel's paw.
"Keep standing straight," she urged.
"Sorry," Dillan said with an apologetic smile. "I just… I feel it."
"That's good to hear!" Hazel's voice sounded full of pride and a bit of surprise, the latter Dillan decided to ignore. "Take a deep breath and hold it for as long as possible."
Dillan did as he was told and found the warmth in his chest flared. Only this time, with his held breath, he felt it growing in intensity. It grew hotter than the sun's rays or the Sapphire Star, and sat at a very pleasant temperature.
"What now?" Dillan squeaked, still holding his breath.
"Whenever you're ready, let that heat ride on your breath and soar out from your mouth!"
Hazel took a deep breath herself. Within a moment, she opened her maw towards the sky, letting a stream of flame jet out towards a lone cloud. Dillan's breath slipped. He watched in awe while the fire pierced through the lone, fluffy object, scattering it into a vapor of smoke.
"That was cool!" he said with an almost childlike wonder.
"Hey!" Hazel smiled with a playful slap to Dillan's shoulder. "Focus! You're gonna do the same exact thing in a minute."
Dillan nodded, ignoring Ryan's eye-roll. "R-right."
The idea of becoming a living flame-thrower was way more appealing to Dillan than it should have been. It made it difficult to take even a small breath in. However, with a hard swallow, Dillan managed to push down his own excitement. He took a deep breath, focusing past his scales and on the heat in his chest. He didn't know what happened next or how to even, "let the flame ride your breath". However, that didn't deter him as the thought of breathing fire was too cool to ignore.
With a determined look towards the sky, he found a remnant of the cloud Hazel had decimated - a small puff that looked no bigger than a golf ball from where he stood. He aimed his snout towards the object, allowing his inner flame to build. Its warmth washed across his heart and lungs. He eyed the cloud with determination, took a hard exhale, and gagged on a stream of ash in his throat.
He sputtered blackenned specks onto the sand. Its abhorred taste lingered, like how he imagined burned rubber would stay if melted against his tongue. He instinctively licked at the sand, coating his tongue in the grainy substance - anything was better than that. All the while, Hazel clamped down on her muzzle, stifling a roar of laughter as best she could.
"Great," Ryan said, completely unamused. "You learned, 'Ember'. That'll show Kaimana."
"It's a great start," Hazel said, kneeling down to Dillan's side.
Dillan gasped for a fresh taste of air. "Why does it taste like I just licked a sweaty guy's clothes!?"
"Welcome to being an infant fire-type," Hazel laughed with a sympathetic pat to Dillan's back.
The pachirisu stood up with an annoyed arch to his brow. "Now that we've wasted everyone's time, can we go?" Ryan didn't wait for an answer. Within a moment, he walked onward to the north.
Hazel's smile slowly faded as she watched him stomp off like a miniature troll. She took an exasperated huff and rubbed her face. "He's right, I guess. We should head towards Kerrosia." The charmeleon reached down for Dillan's claw and helped him upright. "You can practice breathing exercises on the way. It'll help you use Flame Thrower eventually."
Hazel moved to follow Ryan. However, Dillan pressed a claw to her shoulder. "Hey."
Truth be told, he wanted to ask the same thing Ryan did, the question that made Ryan so annoyed. 'Why didn't you tell us about your fear?' Yet as Hazel looked back at him, she seemed to know exactly what was on his mind. It was probably the same thing on her mind, as well, and it made her brow contrast her smile.
"Hazel…" Dillan started forming the question in his own mouth. However, seeing how awkward it made her - how depressed she seemed to get at the mere anticipation - he found the only words that came were, "Thanks for having my back in Sandy Slopes. I'd… probably be dead without you."
This seemed to catch her off-guard. She just stared towards Dillan in surprise. No words left her mouth. Instead, a thankful smile started to form, though it was clouded by a saddened knot in her brow. She seemed to understand what he wanted to ask but didn't know how to respond. Regardless…
"Can we go?" Ryan's voice demanded from ahead.
Hazel's lip twinged. She clasped her paws over her maw: "We're coming!" She sighed into the air and forced a smile. "We should get going."
"Y-yeah," Dillan agreed. And with a few steps forward, the gabite started towards Ryan, fully-aware of Hazel's smile disappearing the second she thought he wouldn't notice.
They walked the next few hours in silence. The atmosphere in the group was a bubble of frustration no one wanted to burst. And the frustration was contagious. Dillan found himself back to his more-serious thoughts, while Ryan sulked ahead and Hazel slumped behind the gabite. Neither of them were ready for the fight that lay ahead.
Even so, Dillan found one thing to improve his spirits as Hazel pointed to a structure on the horizon.
As they got closer and closer, Dillan's surprise and amazement grew with the sheer size of the structure. It stood at nearly a hundred feet, reaching higher than any building Dillan assumed lied behind the orange-bricked walls. As he ran up to the castle walls, the Sapphire Star bounced on its string below. He looked down, not seeing the usual cloak which had previously obscured the stone. And then, Lily's words rang in his head: "Promise me you will keep the Star safe."
Dillan looked towards the charmeleon with a questioning look. "Hazel, how dangerous would you say the Kerrosian Guild is…?"
"Crime-wise?" the charmeleon said, her voice sounding a bit less cheery. "I'd say standard for a capital city."
"Which is better or worse than normal…?"
Hazel just shrugged at the question. "I've never met anyone from Kerrosia."
Dillan tapped the Sapphire Star nervously. Until now, it had been hidden from wandering eyes behind the cloak. And with the abilities the stone had shown, he had to question whether Lily's words about evils wanting it were real. Would those who want the stone recognize it now that his cloak was gone? Would it be safe?
The gabite began slowly, not really sure how to put this in a way Hazel would understand: "Hazel…?" The charmeleon turned towards Dillan with a furrowed brow but he continued. "Would you mind holding onto this for a bit?" He hooked the string around his fins and managed to pull it over his head (with some minor struggling as the string caught on his rather large ears). "I'd keep it myself, but… with my cloak ripped to shreds, I can't really… hide it, and I'm worried it'll get stolen in the town."
Hazel seemed a bit hesitant at first but agreed without any questions. "Sure," she said simply, taking the gem from Dillan and pocketing it in her bag. "I'll make sure it stays safe."
"Thanks," the gabite sighed, happy the stone would be kept hidden. Now he could keep his promise to Lily worry-free.
The group moved on, walking the length of the wall and looking for an entrance. The sun was low now, casting their shadows across the orange surface - one Dillan continued to stare at with amazement. He wondered what kind of craftsman were needed to build such a structure. Did it mean the pokemon here had a deep understanding of math and physics to make such a thing possible, or did they just slapped a bunch of stones atop each other until it worked?
Either way, the group finally reached a hole in the wall plugged up by a massive, iron-barred gate. Beyond the gate, Dillan could see nothing but a road rising up from the sand, snaking itself towards a large cliff. Across the cliff sat another wall - maybe the back of this one. As he stopped, he looked up and down the iron doors.
Ryan ran up and down the length of the gate. "Uh… how does this work?"
Dillan paused for a moment. "I'm… not really sure," he admitted. "Maybe there's something to open it."
Hazel chuckled at the gabite. "It's a gate, Dillan. You're not supposed to open it from this side. Here."
Hazel stepped up towards the gate beside Dillan and grabbed hold of the bars. Then, with a big inhale, she shouted: "Anyone there?!" Her shout echoed across the ravine, bouncing off the walls and fading in seconds.
Ryan and Dillan both clutched their heads from the sheer volume. They took two steps away from Hazel, then a third for good measure.
"Good God, woman!" Ryan snapped. "Can you shout any louder? I can still hear out my right ear!"
The charmeleon audibly rolled her eyes, turning towards Ryan with pursed lips. "You've got to get someone's attention. Otherwise, they'll leave us out here."
"Whatever you say, big mouth."
Hazel's lips grew as thin as a snake, and a puff of smoke escaped her nostrils.
"Guys, please!" Dillan begged, stepping between the two. "We're gonna be fighting Kaimana in a bit. Can't we save it for her?"
But to the gabite's dismay, the two crossed their arms, leaving Dillan to sigh in defeat.
As Dillan started over with a deep breath, a shuffling sound came from behind the gate followed by some light whispering:
"Are you sure about this…?" a squirrely voice asked.
"'Course I am, Rookie!" a gruff voice stated. "We've practiced this a thousand times before! Now go out there just like we rehearsed!"
A sharp gulp could be heard from the other side of the gate followed by the sound of muffled steps.
"Wh-who goes there…?" the squirrely voice asked, its source hidden behind the left side of the wall. Dillan watched in stunned silence as a metal, golden hand jutted out from the right side of the wall, giving a thumbs up to the left.
"What…?" Dillan slowly asked, taking a step back. Was this some sort of… training exercise?
Dillan didn't know how to feel about this. He wanted to be impressed by the sheer audacity of expecting three wanderers to participate like this but also annoyed.
"Are you kidding me?" Ryan huffed.
"Uh…" the squirley voice said. "What now?"
The once thumbs-upped hand retracted at the question. "Well, do ya know who they are yet?"
"N-no…"
"Then we gotta wait for them to respond."
Ryan stomped his foot against the ground. "This is ridiculous." He went towards the gate and tried fitting his small head through the slot. However, he only managed to squeeze his ears through before his crown caught against solid metal, preventing him from continuing. Ryan backed off in a huff. "Just let us in!"
"Hey, shut your gobs!" the sharp voice demanded. "It's the rookie's second day on the job!"
"We don't have time for this!" Ryan demanded. "We're trying to take the Guild Exam!"
"Well, then. That's just too bad, innit? If you don' have time to help me train the rookie, then it looks like I don' have time to let you in."
"Ryan," Hazel huffed. "Just play along?"
"Don't entertain this!" Ryan spat.
"Please?" Dillan insisted with an insistent step towards him. "I agree this is annoying, but they're gatekeepers. We'll do this real fast, and we'll get in. What's the harm?"
Ryan paused for a moment, considering Dillan's words with an impatient tap of his foot on the sand. He eventually stepped away from the gate with a shrug. "Fine. We'll play."
A short pause lasted before the squirrely voice sounded again: "Wh-who are you…?"
"We're travelers and aspiring Guildmembers," Hazel called to the voices.
And with another gold thumbs up, the squirrely voice continued: "Uh… What-ah… What brings you to Kerrosia?"
"We're here for the Guild's exam," Dillan continued.
"Duh," Ryan chided.
"Oh," the voice answered.
Dillan watched the road beyond the gate for a few moments, waiting for another question. Yet it never came. He just stood there between the two before a huff escaped the right side of the wall.
"Good effort, Rookie," the gruff voice said. "Almost nailed it on the head, but not quite. I'll take up the rest from here so you just watch me, alrigh'?"
"Captain," the squirrely voice announced, and Dillan could almost hear a salute.
"Now then. Y'all are here for the Guild Exam. That means ya have a team name, ye?"
Dillan's face grew hot as he felt Ryan sigh and Hazel purse her lips. "Ah… a team name?"
"Yeah," the voice said. "Y'all do have a team name, ye?"
"Uh…" Dillan felt the back of his neck grow hotter. He didn't know what to say as an answer. Him and Hazel had been talking about names for a bit now but nothing was ever decided by the group. Seconds went by, and Dillan could feel Ryan and Hazel's gaze on his back. He needed to say something. Just say something!
"We're… uh… Team Rescue?" Dillan suggested, picking the first name he could think up.
"Team Rescue the Rescue Team…?" the gruff voice slowly said. "A bit on the nose, ye?"
"See?" Ryan said with a flashy jab to the gate. "Told you that name sucked!"
"O-okay," Hazel said shortly, crossing her arms in a huff.
"Yeesh," the gruff voice said. "Y'all have a tough journey over here o' what?"
That question shot through Dillan like a bell whose chime rang all-too true in his ears. "It's… been a trek…"
More silence followed just ahead of a loud, "clunk" above the gate. The iron bars rose up into the stone overhead. Two figures stepped out from either side of the wall: on the right, a sturdy-looking, armored pokemon who hunched over with a gigantic, golden sword arching from its face and two black blades forming a sort of mustache. A purple sash with a black dragon emblazoned across the front hung over its chest (kingambit). And on the left, a small, brown bunny with a worried expression and the same sash across its shoulders stood tall, though their forehead ran damp with nervous sweat (buneary). Both pokemon had spears tipped with serrated axes and a point that could easily run Dillan through.
In spite of the monstrous weapons, Dillan's joy beamed through a bright-eyed smile, leaning in closer to the two. "Are those halberds?!" he asked enthusiastically.
The kingambit tightened his grip over the weapon's shaft, flashing a warning glare towards Dillan. "If you'd like a quick inspection, please. Keep gettin' closer to Mrs. Knifey here." He moved his hand up the halberd's shaft, revealing a small engraving in the wood that did, indeed, read, "Mrs. Knifey."
The gabite's enthusiasm petered out as he stepped away slowly from the weapon. "S-sorry…" he apologized with a rub to the back of his neck.
"Are you carryin' any kind of weaponry?" the kingambit questioned. "Blast seeds? Detonite? Powder Vines?"
Meanwhile, the buneary hopped over to Hazel, slowly reaching out for her bag with a nervous grin.
"Nothing like that," Hazel said as she submitted her bag for inspection. "Just some food and medical supplies."
The buneary struck their chest in thanks before rummaging through the bag. "Doesn't seem to be anything here, Sir," they said, coming back up. "Just the usual."
"And you checked for hidden pockets?" the kingambit asked.
The buneary paused before turning back to the bag awkwardly, pushing its head back down past its hem. Meanwhile, Ryan huffed once more. He tapped his foot against the sand again.
"We're kind of in a hurry," he said, pointing back to the setting sun. "We'd like to take the exam tonight."
"Ryan, calm down," Hazel insisted, not turning to the pachirisu. "They're just doing their job."
The buneary came back up with a nervous grin to the kingambit: "Now it's clean."
"Thank y'all for your patience," the kingambit said with a strike to their breast. "With continued rise in tension to the West, Guild Master Kaimana wants us certain there ain't any explosives brought into town. I'm sure y'all understand."
"Y-yeah…" Dillan said, not truly grasping the issue but also understanding Ryan's want to hurry. "It's fine. Really."
The guards struck their breasts with a closed fist: "Take care within the city walls," the buneary said with a small smile. "And good luck with the battle exam!"
"Try not to let Kaimana push y'all around too much," the kingambit said.
"Whatever," Ryan said. He ushered the group ahead with a dismissive wave. "Let's just go already. I wanna get this over with."
Dillan and Hazel both struck their breasts (something Dillan started to pick up on as a gesture of respect) at the guards and followed Ryan towards the ravine.
Dillan wasn't sure what to expect approaching the side of the cliff. He could hear the sound of rushing water over the side, but no river was present around them. Perhaps the town was built at the bottom of the ravine? But the truth of the matter was much more impressive.
As they reached the end of the path, the sanded road gave way to a wooden staircase that winded down the side of the cliff. And as they descended over the cliff's side, Dillan found himself awe-struck. Kerrosia's buildings weren't at the bottom of the ravine at all, but built into the side of the cliff.
The deeper they descended, Dillan found himself looking across towers of stone on either side of the ravine, connected by massive, wooden suspension bridges. The buildings looked to be carved out of the clifface in levels, with a massive shelf of stone serving as the foundation for each level. Rings of orange sat in the building's stone which mirrored the wall beyond. And the sound of rushing water came from a waterfall that shot out the side of the cliff: an underground river. The river crashed down onto the top shelf before snaking its way through the city. A hole sat at the end before it left the shelf, pouring down into the second level of the city, starting the process over again.
If the castle walls took some effort, this was a true feat.
Hazel ran up beside Dillan, staring with the same awe at the surrounding area. "It's beautiful…"
"It's like looking at a city on a bookshelf." Dillan laughed aloud, hanging over the railing just to watch the city a little closer. "This world is so cool…"
Their path eventually spilled them out onto the first shelf. Silky banners with pictures of Ganderosa's dragon skull hung above the streets by string. And as they continued, Dillan noticed the city was bustling with pokemon.
Torches lined the walls, shining onto masses of creatures, walking across streets, sitting at bars and taverns, discussing battles and their own prowess. They talked of great adventures, slaying monsters and bringing justice to the land. Pokemon with stringed instruments (much like the one Dillan had seen in Ferricia) strummed songs on every corner, singing great tales and legends. Each had hats at their feet filled with gold. And as Dillan watched the pokemon, it occurred to him that most of them were burly creatures who wore Guild badges pinned to their chests like badges of honor.
"I've never seen so many Guild Members…" Dillan said as they passed by an inn stuffed to the brim with pokemon. He watched a few in particular eating what appeared to be a sort of berry soft-serve: a lucario and ampharos, who took their time, while a dragapult dug in ferociously, fending their ice cream off from its two dreepy friends. The scene seemed especially embarrassing for the former two, making Dillan laugh at the simple shenanigans.
"Those guys are Team Stormcoat," Hazel explained with a wicked grin at the ice cream crew. "See, everyone here's a prosperous Guild member." Hazel looked across the groups with awe, pointing out a few specific pokemon from the crowd. "L-look! There's Team Sunbreak!"
Dillan found the Guild members in question: a golden vuplix, growlithe, rockruff, and zorua - each one with a different dish in front of them. Some were berry-based, others were bread. They'd take a bite of their own dishes, pass them around, and try a different one. Then they'd began a heated debate on why one diner's berry creme was better than another.
Either way, Dillan found his eyes more drawn to their food than anything. He could go for a bite to eat right about now. However, Hazel quickly stole his attention with an excited squeak.
"Oh!" she said with a sparkle in her eyes. "Those guys are Team Snow In Summer!"
Hazel pointed to a group of four - a gothitelle, beehyem, hattrem, and espeon - who sat stoically at a bar, simply eyeing passersby as if studying them intently.
"They're Guild badasses! Really good at gathering intelligence!"
"Snow In Summer is an… interesting name…" Dillan bargained.
"Really rolls off the tongue," Ryan said, but with a side-ways glance back towards Hazel, he snickered with, "Still better than Team Rescue, wouldn't you say?"
Hazel gave a mock laugh before setting back to find another team. "Let's see… Ooh! Those guys are… uh…" Her claw went limp as she seemed to have second-thoughts, pointing to a group of four pokemon down an alley-way. They were all boosting each other towards an open window.
Dillan tilted his head at the sight. "Are they… breaking in?"
Ryan cupped his paws over his mouth: "Pretty stupid with all these Guild members around!"
The four, now realizing the three aspiring Guildlings, merely decided to blow raspberries in their direction before continuing their casual B and E.
"They're… Guild members, too…" Hazel squinted in their direction. "Team Breaker, I think. I'm sure they're on Guild business. Probably."
Regardless, the group of three moved down streets of orange cobble, much like the surrounding buildings. The occasional cactus adorned with gigantic, pungent flowers sat in front of homes, whose glassless windows opened to cheerful faces of pokemon sitting down for dinner with family and friends. And embedded in the back wall, a sort of monastery. It shot above each building with giant, purple banners lining the front - banners with the same dragon's skull emblazoned on the front: the Guild.
It was a peaceful-looking building, beautiful in design. Almost Gregorian, too. Spires curved out from the walls like watch towers, with pokemon guards sitting in them, watching the crowd below. Ordinate windows of marbleized glass hung beautifully on the front. And in front of the building sat a garden full of green hedges and pokemon working to keep the place looking nice. Truly, Dillan felt like he was walking towards King Arthur's castle.
Though after the moment of beauty, Dillan's thoughts came back to him. He was almost there. Why he was here in Ganderosa, what brought him here, how to get home - the Guild held those answers. It had to. Within that great building ahead lied a library with a well of information just waiting to be discovered. He'd finally have all his questions answered. And who knows? Maybe he would pick up a spare few books on the pokemon world for his home town's library… if the Guild would let him.
Dillan found a bounce to his step, walking ahead of both Ryan and Hazel towards the Guild. Not even Ryan's sour attitude could get him down right now. He finally saw it ahead. His goal, realized. All he had to do was win that fight today… against Kerrosia's Guild Master…
The excitement once present within the gabite started to leave as the situation finally set in. The Guild Master. Like lords in medieval times, he wondered if this Guild Master would be a beast, even with restrictions.
Dillan looked towards the monastery ahead. Whereas it once looked peaceful with its spires and a large set of steps, it now seemed to twist before him into a dragon's keep. Within slept a vicious beast behind those great, oak doors. And here he was, wandering towards it like some idiot knight, unaware of just what kind of threat loomed beyond.
Dillan slowed down and allowed Hazel to catch up. He watched her tail flare with excitement as she bounced with each step. Her joy lit up like a warm ball of flame. She didn't seem scared or worried in the slightest. In fact, she smiled with excitement.
"It's right there, guys…" she said, sounding on the verge of tears. "All that waiting is finally over." She took in a deep breath through her nose, allowing herself to be completely absorbed in the moment.
It calmed Dillan to see this. It meant whatever was inside couldn't be as bad as he'd made it out to be. They would be able to conquer this thing. They would win. They couldn't afford to lose. Whatever this Kaimana person was, they wouldn't stand a chance.
Before entering the Guild, the group stopped in its courtyard - a surprisingly green area with palm trees and flowers planted everywhere, so much so that, upon entering, Dillan felt soft blades of grass between his toes. Ecstasy. And in the center of the courtyard, a sight that made Hazel light up in an instant, like the "go nuts" switch had suddenly been flipped in her head.
"A well!" she cheered, hopping towards a stony ring, adorned with metallic vines. She seemed lighter than air as she approached.
"Again with this?" Ryan pulled at his face in disbelief.
"I told you," Hazel said with her snout pointed skyward, drawing a coin from her bag. "Every new town, I'm gonna make a wish in their well."
"Well, I wish we'd move on. Can I flip for that?"
Hazel just scowled at the pachirisu, but Dillan didn't let it dampen his own spirits.
"I'd like a try." Dillan said with a smile, stepping up to Hazel.
The charmeleon's enthusiasm returned in an instant. She handed the small coin to Dillan, who balanced it on his fin. She then procured another and situated it on her thumb.
Hazel closed her eyes and took a deep breath, hovering her hand over the well. "Just make a wish before tossing it in," Hazel said, flicking the coin with a light "ping". It spun into the air, and with a "plop" of the water, it disappeared into the abyss.
Dillan looked down at his reflection within the coin, wondering if wishes could come true in this universe. After all, he stood next to a fiery dragon-lizard, an electric-puking squirrel, and wore a crystal that seemed able to slow things at will. Could he wish away that lizard's face staring back at him? Would he find his nose returned if he simply wished it in a well?
"Alright," Dillan said, closing his eyes slowly. He thought on what exactly he wanted as a wish - "I wish to be home again" - and flipped the coin skyward with a twist of his fin.
He watched as the coin spun gracefully in the air, shining with golden rays from the sun's light. It soared in a moment stretched out for an eternity before a, "fwump" in the grass signaled its rest at Dillan's feet.
Dillan and Hazel both stared at the coin in utter disbelief, both wondering how in God's name Dillan missed the very-wide mark.
"Do I have the worst aim in all of Ganderosa?" Dillan asked simply, staring blankly at the sad, lizard-faced reflection.
"Hope your wish wasn't something important," Hazel said with a light pat on Dillan's shoulder, shaking her head somberly.
"Great," Ryan huffed. "We've all flipped a coin. Now can we go in?"
Ryan walked past the group, stepping towards the great doors and pushing them open (in spite of his size), leaving Dillan and Hazel to stare at his back in disbelief.
The gabite pursed his lips at the situation at large. "Is… this the new Ryan?" he asked.
But Hazel's only response was a sigh. "Come on, Dillan. Let's just go." And she pulled on his arm, leading the gabite towards the building.
Upon entering the building, Dillan was in awe at a gigantic piece of marbled glass set in the back wall. Underfoot, floors as reflective as a lake's surface stretched on for miles, carpeted with red runners stretching towards the back of the room with a big set of stairs.
The building was even more filled with pokemon than the roads outside. A good majority of them wore some sort of clothing article adorned with silver, dragon-skull pins that sparkled in the torchlight. They spoke excitedly and walked arm-in-arm with others who wore less shiny pins, chattering about the exam.
"Did all of these guys take the exam?" Dillan asked with a smile.
"Sure did," a small, fuzzy mouse of a pokemon with large, white-tipped ears and a tail as fluffy as a cloud (minccino) said with a thumb's up. The mouse wore a sort of purple poncho with a badge pinned to its center. It also carried what appeared to be a rudimentary clipboard made of a slab of wood with paper literally nailed to the top. "Are you guys aspiring Guild members?"
"Yeah!" Hazel said with a smile. "How do we sign up?"
"That'd be with me," the minccino stated with a small tap to its clipboard. "After that, you'll go upstairs." It flipped over one of the pages and continued. "Can I get a team name?"
"Uh… Team Rescue," the gabite winced, sticking to the original name in spite of Ryan and Hazel's audible groans.
The minccino retrieved a piece of black stone - perhaps charcoal - from a black spot on its tail and began scribbling something on the paper. "And your names?"
"Dillan," he said simply, pointing to himself then his teammates, "Ryan, and Hazel."
"You're Dillan," the minccino said. It didn't look up at the group but pointed its charcoal quite accurately. "The pachirisu's Ryan, and Hazel is the pretty one. Got it." And with a final jab at the page, the minccino returned the charcoal shard back to its tail. "Wait upstairs until your team name is called and we'll get started with the exam."
"Thank you!" Dillan said with a quick press on his chest, which the minccino returned with a paw to their own.
"Good luck!" The minccino then disappeared into the crowd.
"Let's get this over with," Ryan huffed. He hopped without another word towards the stairs in the back, leaving Dillan and Hazel to merely blink.
"Unbelievable," the charmeleon said with a sigh.
Dillan sighed as well, looking at Hazel with a pleading expression. "I mean, to be fair, you didn't really talk to him about what happened."
Hazel shook her head. "This isn't about what happened to Ryan. This is about him not-..." She paused mid-sentence as if she'd just bit her tongue. "Let's just go." And with that, she walked on to rejoin Ryan.
"A-alright," Dillan said, following Hazel up the stairs.
Ascending the steps, the group found themselves inside of a sort of waiting room. The carpet flowed across the floor to a set of double doors with pull handles. Lining the walls were multiple, stone benches where groups of pokemon sat, listening - some intently, others with nervous shakes - for their names to be called. Dillan was surprised by the diversity of pokemon all sitting down:
Some groups were of big, burly pokemon - fiery, blue dragons whose scales stretched over wide muscles, armor-clad pokemon like golems plastered in metal sheets, even what appeared to be gorgeous snakes with glistening scales. Others were smaller: a little, blue crocodile accompanied by a smaller lizard whose tail was on fire (like Hazel's), no armor on the two, just a pocket watch in one of the lizard's hand and the crocodile's in the other.
The three eventually took a seat on an empty, stone bench, sitting in silence, waiting for the name, "Team Rescue" to be called.
"We really have to change that name," Dillan sighed.
"Yep."
More deafening silence followed, leaving Dillan to tap his claws together awkwardly. Whatever happened next would be history in a moment. He just needed to beat Kaimana.
"Hey," Hazel said, setting her bag on the floor. "Since we're about to go in and fight Kaimana… Well, I just wanted to thank you two for becoming a team with me. So, in return-"
"Team Rescue?" a green, monkey-like pokemon with two sticks under their arms (thwackey) called, cutting Hazel off.
Ryan stood swiftly with a clap of his paws. "Let's just do this," he said, stepping towards the entrance and leaving Hazel with her arm stuck in her bag.
"Uh…" Dillan stuttered, looking from the doorway to Hazel, unsure of what to do.
Hazel pursed her lips towards the door. And with a sigh, she pulled away from the bag just staring at the ground. "N-nevermind. I'll just… do it later, I guess..." She walked on towards the doorway without her usual cheer. And Dillan just sat there without a word, all the way up until she slipped through the doorway.
Dillan heaved a great sigh, wondering why he didn't say something to Hazel. However, he took a deep breath: "Just get through this last step… One last step and you're home free. You can do this. You can get back. You've got this." And as he stood to his feet, the gabite passed through the doors.
They were all surprised to find themselves walking into a rocky battlefield, lit by a flame encased in glass above. Stands stood on either side of the arena, with a multitude of pokemon staring down at the oncoming group. Cheers erupted over the crowd as 'Team Rescue' entered the ring.
The battlefield itself was a dirt arena outlined by white paint. On either side of the arena sat white boxes brushed into the dirt. Stone pillars rose within the arena's area as though the ground itself shot off piece, serving as towers, or perhaps perches to sit atop.
At the other side of the battlefield, sitting cross-legged and sideways in a stony throne, sat a black-and-blue fox-like biped. Pointed ears stretched upwards towards the sky, and a great plate of armor covered their breast (lucario). A pin sat pierced in their left ear - a golden one Dillan couldn't make out, though he guessed it had to be one of the dragon skull pins. Great, rugged rings of iron sat on their arms and legs, objects that stood out against the blues like a sore thumb.
"Guild Master Kaimana," Hazel stated profoundly. She struck her chest with a closed fist before bending a knee. Dillan followed her lead while Ryan just stood there with a bored expression on his face. He bounced back and forth on his heels as if done with the whole situation.
The lucario - Kaimana - kicked her legs from the armrest and stood up straight. "Welcome to the Guild Exam," the lucario said with a light smirk. "Your name is Team Rescue? A bit on the nose, don't you think?"
"I guess everyone thinks that, huh?" Dillan asked with a rub of his neck.
Hazel's calm demeanor tweaked at the comment as her brow furrowed, though she didn't lose composure. "We're here to join the Guild and serve Ganderosa!"
"Perfect," Kaimana said, lacing her fingers together and stretching towards the sky. She continued to speak mid-stretch: "This will be a test of how well you work together to overcome an adversary. The three of you against the one of me. Prove to me you're worthy of King Judah's blessing and you will pass my exam. This should be a simple enough challenge, yes?"
"R-right…" Dillan said with a nervous grin. "How hard can it be…?"
"It won't be that hard." Hazel planted her feet and spread her arms to her side. "We just need to prove to her we're ready. We don't even need to beat her."
"Are you sure about that…?" Dillan asked, staring at Kaimana as she lifted her leg behind her head. "She seems to be readying up pretty well just to let us 'prove ourselves'…"
"It's just intimidation," Hazel assured. "Why would you need to stretch if you've been fighting all day?"
"You do you, Hazel," Ryan said. "You're pretty good at that."
Hazel's breath caught in her throat at the comment, while Dillan just palmed (or clawed in this case) his face.
"Excuse me?" Hazel crossed her arms at the pachirisu, losing a bit of her calm.
"Guys," Dillan began, "now's not a great time for this."
Ryan scoffed aloud. "Hazel wouldn't know what 'the perfect time' is if it slapped her in the face."
Hazel's fists tightened as she groaned at the sky. "Fine! I'm sorry, okay?! I'm sorry I didn't tell you about my fear! Is that what you want, Ryan?!"
"I want you to actually fight with us, Hazel!" Ryan snapped, his cheeks sparking wildly. "I want us to go into a fight and not think you're gonna get us killed! But can I really do that anymore?!"
Murmurs shot out through the crowd as the surrounding Guild members watched a bickering war start before them. Dillan's face grew hot at the onlookers, judging them from their chairs. Worst of all, Kaimana scowled at them with contempt. "Did you three need a minute?"
"M-maybe…" However, upon saying so, Dillan heard their argument devolve into an uproar of name-calling. "Most definitely."
But before Dillan could say another word, Kaimana struck her iron bracelets together with a ringing "clang!" followed by a cheer from the audience. Kaimana immediately leaned forwards, darting towards the group.
"Oh jeez, oh damn, ¡diantre!" Dillan dove to the side as Kaimana rushed Ryan and Hazel. In the middle of their bickering, they found a long, blue bone form in Kaimana's hands. She gave a quick swipe of the bone, and it cracked against Ryan's head. He soared left, skidding across the dirt. She then directed her gaze towards Hazel, and with another strike, she found herself spinning in the opposite direction.
Ryan bounced against the floor, but landed on his feet with a dazed look. It didn't take long before he took off with blinding speed towards Kaimana. He sparked towards Kaimana faster than Hazel had time to stand. Ryan soon became enveloped in blue, crackling electricity.
Kaimana planted her feet and gave a quick swipe of the bone. In a split second, the bone cracked against Ryan head. He soared left, skidding across the dirt. She then set her gaze back onto a petrified Dillan.
Hazel, finally making her way upright, planted her feet. Her tail-flame flickered wildly as she took in a breath. Yet a crack of thunder erupted across the field. Ryan dove back into the fight head-first, once again bathed in lightning. He charged Kaimana with a determined roar.
Hazel stopped before she spewed her flame, seeing that Ryan put himself directly in the path. Yet this seemed to cause her to grab at her stomach. She leaned over and sputtered like a damaged leaf blower as she quite literally vomited smoke and embers.
Kaimana's arms slumped as she pursed her lips, looking from Hazel to Ryan. "This is Team Rescue? Who do you intend on saving with this disgraceful showing?"
Ryan threw himself towards her and she easily side-stepped the pachirisu, who landed with quick speed. He threw his head at Kaimana again, but she swooshed left. The pachirisu continued throwing sparking jabs towards the opponent who avoided every attempt, sweat being the only indicator Ryan had done anything but attack the air. After a few seconds of throwing punches, Ryan began panting through gritted teeth. His blows became slower and his movements became sloppy. Kaimana caught one of Ryan's blows in her paw before jabbing her knee into the pachirisu's stomach. She looked down at Ryan, who doubled over at her feet, clutching at his midsection with gasping breaths.
Dillan took a nervous step back and summoned his blue blades from his arms. But this only seemed to draw Kaimana's attention.
The lucario swung the bone staff at Dillan, who slapped it away with his fins. However, Kaimana didn't stop. She spun the bone in her paws, thrusting it towards the gabite. Dillan once again blocked the blow, locking her bone between his fins. Yet Kaimana wore a wicked snarl. She leaned into her bone staff, pressing against Dillan with her own weight. Dillan found his feet sliding further and further back as he desperately held his ground. Yet the strain in his arms was beginning to strain. He gritted his teeth and squinted beyond the blue to see whether Kaimana struggled as well, but the lucario seemed to be unfazed. Just how long could he last?
An answer came just as soon as the question left his brain. For no apparent reason, Kaimana backed off. That is, until a stream of fire scorched the ground just in front of the gabite, licking at his scales.
Dillan stumbled backwards in shock. He traced the fire back towards the charmeleon who eyed Kaimana with determination, hardly noticing the fact she sent Dillan to the ground.
"H-Hazel?!" Dillan called out to her. "Why?!"
Hazel finally looked towards Dillan at that and stuttered an apology. "Oh! S-sorry! I didn't think gabite minded the flames!"
Kaimana's gaze went from Dillan to Hazel as she watched her stutter apologetically. The lucario's brow furrowed at the sight. "Keep your eyes on your opponent!" The lucario jerked her arm through the air, hurling the bone towards Hazel.
Hazel had barely enough time to notice the on-coming attack to duck underneath, narrowly avoiding a blow.
"D-dang!" Hazel spun around wide-eyed at the bone, which crashed into the Guild's wall in an orange plume of dust. The audience roared with approval, and the arena filled with pokemon singing Kaimana's name.
"Hazel!" Dillan called out, but it was too late. By the time she turned, the lucario had already thrown a fist at her chest.
"None of you even attempted to work as a group," she stated, watching with pity as Hazel fell to the floor. She clasped her hands together once more and resummoned the staff.
The lucario quickly advanced back at Dillan, throwing a blow at his chest. He moved his fin to stop her attack but quickly found the bone swish lower than he'd thought, taking out his legs from under him.
The gabite fell backwards onto his tail with a, "thud" and Kaimana struck at his head with her bone.
The world seemed to spin in an instant as everything went sideways. The gabite panted in shock, reeling from the blow that throbbed in his brain. He made to push off the ground and instead found the end of Kaimana's staff inches from his very nose. Kaimana's grip squeaked through the now silent arena; her knuckles grew white against the bone staff.
"No," she snapped, and the audience around sounded disappointed at this.
"W-what…?" Dillan said. He looked past the staff towards Kaimana and found himself turn white. Those cold eyes stared down at him, as if ready to thrust her bone through his skull and into his brain. Dillan was left panting, reeling from the blow. "What's 'no'? What do you mean by 'no'?"
Kaimana's blue staff vanished from her hands in a puff of blue sparkles. "This was a truly pitiful display. The three of you should be ashamed. You walk into my Guild, bicker like children, and think to join as esteemed members? How can you be expected to uphold our standards when you fail to work together?"
"That… That can't be it…" Dillan said in utter disbelief.
An array of "boo"s erupted from the crowd. Looking around, Dillan felt every eye on him and his friends, judging them with gazes colder than any breeze. The gabite shrank towards the ground, hoping to be absorbed into nothingness just to escape.
"Of course, it is!" Kaimana spat from above, scowling at Dillan with no mercy behind her eyes. "You thought you could waltz into my Guild with no plan, no strategy, and no sense of teamwork, and somehow pass the exam? Bah!" She stepped away from Dillan and back towards her stony throne, sitting upon it in a huff. "Leave here and do not come back: not until you value my time and your own." She waved them out from the room, scowling at their stunned forms.
"B-but…" Hazel started in shock. "You gave us no chance!"
Kaimana began picking the dirt from between her fingers. "You give yourselves no chance when you walk into battle alone. With that fact, I will not permit you three to risk your lives."
The pachirisu laid there, his fur streaked in orange from the dirt below, just staring at the ceiling. He didn't say a word or make a move. Hazel, however, made to stand in wide-eyed shock.
"N… no…" she slowly said in disbelief. "That can't be it…"
"It is," Kaimana snapped.
"Can we try again?" Dillan asked. "Can we get another chance?"
Kaimana chuckled wryly, not looking towards the gabite. "I would avoid wasting my time any further if I were you. Your group isn't ready, and by the time you even come close to being so, the exam's ending date will have passed.
"Now leave before I have actual Guild members escort you out."
Dillan slumped over onto the floor in defeat. He couldn't believe it. After weeks of travel, and it was over in the blink of an eye? Within a single moment, did he lose his way back to Grace?
Ryan scoffed aloud, quickly shooting to his feet. He didn't say a word before heading towards the exit.
"R-Ryan?" Dillan called out but received no response. "Ryan, wait up!" The gabite shot up to his feet, giving chase to the pachirisu and leaving Hazel to lie motionless in the room.
He finally caught up with Ryan outside the Guild. The squirrel was about to walk past the courtyard and into the orange city when Dillan set a claw on his shoulder. Yet the pachirisu brushed Dillan's arm away and scowled up at him.
"Ryan," Dillan insisted. "Come on. Talk to me."
"About what?" Ryan said coldly. "What's there to talk about?"
"You are really the worst," Hazel's voice said deadpan. She exited the Guild right behind Dillan, looking absolutely crushed.
"I'm the worst?" the pachirisu scoffed. "Look here, I didn't get us almost killed!"
Hazel's teeth gnashed together at the accusation. "Would you stop that?!" she demanded. "I almost died, too, you know!"
"We should have been a team there, Hazel! But we weren't! Instead, you panicked!"
Hazel's tail-flame flared up in a puff of smoke. "Damn it, Ryan! I'm sorry, okay?! I'm sorry I froze! What do you want me to say here?!"
"I want the truth! I wanted you to tell us the truth before it becomes an issue! Not after! That's why we weren't a team in there! How the hell can I expect you to have my back?"
"Stop it!" Hazel demanded. "Stop acting like I'm the only issue here when you never wanted to be a team in the first place!"
Ryan just scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Oh, please."
Hazel's tail whipped against the ground. "Don't act like it isn't true! It's because of you we don't have a team name yet!" Hazel opened her palms and began counting on her claws: "You said Team Friends was too campy, Team Harmony was too floaty, Team Rapture was too wordy: each one of those are names that Dillan and I both agreed to, with a whole bunch more! You were the only one who ever objected!"
Ryan pursed his lips at the charmeleon. "And?" he countered weakly. "That was because-"
"I'm not done!" Hazel spat, advancing on the pachirisu. She flashed a vicious snarl down on the pachirisu as her fists shook at her side.
"Guys," Dillan pleaded. "Can we take a step back?"
But neither of the two heard him. "Out of the numerous times we've discussed a team name," Hazel continued, "the only times you've suggested one was to be a sarcastic jerk! And I heard you and Dillan the night we got out of Sandy Slopes! You wanted to leave me behind without a second's thought!
"Just admit it, Ryan! You don't want this to work!"
Lightning cracked off Ryan's cheeks. "You don't get to judge me! I gave up everything to make sure my last teammate was safe 'cause that's what you do! Teammates look out for each other! Friends don't let friends walk blindly into a murder cult!"
The two pokemon finally stopped reaming on eachother. Dillan was just left staring at the remains of their battlefield, craters etched into their faces with each emotional blow. Ryan's cheeks sparked with anger while Haze's flame flared wildly. All the while Dillan just watched from the side.
"G-guys, really!" Dillan said, inserting himself between the two. "Can't we just take a step back and talk this through? Preferably without shouting?"
Ryan stood there for a moment, just staring up at the gabite in disbelief. The pachirisu took a step back. And then another. And another. Ryan walked away entirely, throwing his hands up in surrender. "I'm done."
"Done?" Dillan asked slowly. "What do you mean, 'done'? Done with what?"
"Obviously the team, Dillan," Ryan said with a spark of his cheeks. "I can't do this anymore. Not with her, and not with you."
Ryan turned to walk down the steps. Yet Dillan reached out towards the pachirisu saying, "Ryan! Please!" Yet Ryan jerked away from his touch.
"Don't you get it?!" Ryan insisted, his voice starting to crack. "I can't do this again - not when I can't trust Hazel. It's too hard!"
"Ryan," Dillan started. "I have your back. You know that. Isn't that enough to stay?"
But Ryan just scoffed. "How can I believe that when you can't even defend yourself?"
Dillan felt his breath catch in his throat. That single sentence sent him into a sputtering mess. His instincts forced him back a few steps as if walking away from danger. He felt like a glass vase that had been tossed carelessly to the ground. But he was already cracked to begin with.
Ryan gave one final wave of his tail before leaving for the city.
Dillan watched Ryan every second of the way. He couldn't believe what he heard. It had to be a joke. Some cruel prank of the universe.
"Ryan!" Hazel demanded. "I'm not finished!"
"I am," Ryan said with a wave of his paw.
Thud!
Ryan stopped in his tracks on the edge of the courtyard. He turned around towards Hazel - towards what she'd thrown down. There, lying at his feet, sat her weathered bag. Its contents spilled out onto the ground at Ryan's very feet.
"Ryan of Team Rescue," Hazel said, standing up straight in front of the pachirisu. "Rule Five of the Guild member's handbook states that any Guild member who tosses their bag at your feet challenges your very honor! As such, they are challenging you to a duel!"
"A… duel?" Dillan looked at the bag agape. "Does that mean…"
Ryan scoffed aloud. "You wanna fight me? Really?"
Yet Hazel looked towards him with the utmost seriousness to her gaze. Her fists hung clenched at her side and her flame flickered wildly. "Defend your honor!"