Mister Messa sighed as he placed down his pencil. Placed neatly across his desk was were documents about several boring numbers that needed to be answered with more numbers topped with signatures. Then next to those documents were several unopened letters in a stack with addresses and names of many Pokemon of varying importance, and each one needed to be replied to. Messa placed his flippers over his tired eyes. It was far into the night after all...
"These are trying times aren't they?" Miss Daisy approached with a cup of tea, which she placed on the table for the exhausted Palafin.
"I've fought with Garchomps, Machamps, and even an oversized Gyarados... How could I know my greatest weakness is papers and pencils?" He let out a weak chuckle as he grabbed a random letter from the stack. It was yellow in color and sported a big logo of a globe with cartoonish green landmasses with the letters G, I, another G, and A across it. G.I.G.A, also known as the Grand International Guild Association. Messa knew them well as the group who helped him form the guild, as well as provide resources. With no hesitation, he rippled open the letter and pulled out the golden sheet of paper that was within.
"Miss Daisy?" Mister Messa squinted his eyes at the paper in his flippers, "What's this about an expedition?"
He handed the paper over to his aide, who gave it a a quick yet thurough read. "Oooh, I see... they revived your weekly report and are interested in the mystery dungeons over by the dunes. They want the guild to go explore them, and possibly find a Place of Power among them." She explained.
Messa groaned, taking a sip of tea. "Ah... A whole expedition..." He shook his head, "It would be nice to find a PoP before any of those Strange Ones do. But..."
"And they want it soon. As in, next week soon..."
Messa stared blankly, then let out an even bigger groan as he downed the rest of his tea. "Start writing up the summons. We leave tomorrow as soon as possible. I have to make some calls. Actually, a lot of calls..."
Daisy wrapped her arms around her companion, "We will get through this Messa. Together."
Messa smiled at her, "Thanks..."
Chester placed the plastic helmet on his head, and buckled up the strap under his chin. He then slipped on plastic knee and elbow pads, and finished it by strapping a big plastic chest plate. Now fully equipped with enough plastic to make a toy army, he took a defensive stance and armed himself with a big friendly grin.
"Now punch me!" He yelled.
Row stared, his stance utterly neutral as he stood a good few inches away. "T-This is what you had in mind? I thought we were using dummies." He nervously took fighting pose with his fists up at the ready. "Are you sure about this?"
"Yup!" Chester made a taunting gesture with his hands, "Now don't hold anything back!"
Row nodded. With a start, he began lunging at his friend with his fist raised. With a crackle of lightning, he delivered a solid punch to the Chespin's torso. Sparks flew as Chester was suddenly launched towards his house, breaking through a wall in the process. Row could only clasp his hands over his gaping mouth as tears filled his eyes.
"C-Chester?" He gasped.
Just as suddenly, the Chespin dashed straight back through the hole in the wall with a big grin on his face and fists at the ready. He was now without his armor, and looking completely uninjured. "Now dodge this!" He yelled.
Thinking quickly, Row sidestepped his attack causing Chester to stumble and land on his face. Slowly, he picked himself off the ground and brushed off the dirt that was sticking to him. "You know..." Chester sighed, yet his face expressed nothing but positivity "You could've held back just a little."
"I-I really didn't think I had it in me!" Row stared at his hands in awe. Chester wrapped his arm around his friend, gently rubbing his dirty hand against his stark white face, "You really are full of surprises!" Row simply smirked back while trying to wipe off the dirt that now stuck to his cheek.
Then, from out of nowhere, a massive spark of lightning appeared in front of them. Row fell onto his back in shock, while Chester remained standing but wide eyed. An Emolga appeared where the lighting struck, carrying a mailbag twice the size of them. "HelloareyouChesterandRow?" They asked.
Chester just nodded, and got a letter thrust straight into his hands. "Thankyouhaveaniceday!" The Emolga dashed into the distance, their lighting speed on full display.
"What was that?!" Row finally spoke up.
"Emolga Delivery Service." Chester said as he opened up the letter. Inside was a sheet of paper that came straight from the guild. It was an urgent summon, detailing an...
"Expedition?" Chester said, scratching his chin. "Arenoak dunes, bring whatever you think is necessary, and we leave today."
"What!?" Row stood back up with a grimace on his face. "Today? A whole expedition?" He rubbed the back of his head, "I don't know... I don't think we can do a whole big trip so soon after joining."
"It can't be that bad." Chester shrugged, putting his trademark smile on his face. "Besides, think of the workout we'll get with all the walking!"
"I don't think these legs are built for-" Row's thought was interrupted by Chester lightly patting him on the back.
"Come on, you can complain more when we get there. Help me patch up this hole and grab our stuff." The Chespin stepped through said hole to get inside.
"You mean your books?"
"Yup!"
Chester and Row arrived at the guild, and were greeted by the sight of all the teams in the lobby talking with each other. Except for Team Trouble, they were arguing about something. Again. Row tried his best to ignore the strong emotions coming from them to focus on second floor, where Mister Messa floated in zero form while putting on a brave face. Row didn't need his emotion sensing to tell he wasn't having a good time. He raised a flipper, causing everyone to quiet down.
"Everyone, I know this is very sudden, but it's true. We are going on an expedition towards the dunes of Arenoak. There are many mystery dungeons, and we are tasked with exploring them all. And..." Messa suddenly perked up, as if he finally found the perfect thing to say. "And this might be the most important mission we've had for a while. Our skills will be put to the test, and for some of you, it'll be the perfect chance to prove yourselves! And if we gather enough information, we might be able to truly discover what's been happening with the dungeons and Arenoak!"
He received mild applause for his efforts. He sighed, the burst of energy dissipating, "Now each team will be partnered up. Of course, since we only have 4 teams, it just means that Beauty and Trouble will be together, as well as Buster and Hero. Everyone please calmly head outside and join your partners on the Donphans."
Team Beauty and Team Trouble both gathered together and quickly made their way outside. Team Hero meanwhile were waiting for Team Buster, of whom Samuel was reluctant to join them. Thankfully, Fernand managed to convince him and the two of them finally joined up. The four left the building, and were greeted by the sight of a Donphan with a large steel cart with a large cloth top behind them, one capable of holding at least a dozen Pokemon. Which only served to make the two teams feel small as they entered the back of it. With a hefty amount of stomping, the Donphan ran off following the one in front that carried the rest of the guild.
Row and Chester sat on one side of the cart, while Samuel and Fernand sat on the other. All four of them sat in silence for several minutes. Fernand and Chester both smiled at each other, while Samuel... glared at the Ralts. Row nervously looked outside, trying his best not to make eye contact.
"How do you know those moves?" Samuel suddenly spoke up.
"Huh?" Row replied.
Fernand intervened by bringing a palm down hard on his friend's head, pushing it downwards. "Sorry, he's just been super interested in how you got moves like that! I mean, who's ever heard of a punching Ralts?"
"O-Oh." Row slightly blushed, "I uh, don't know... I just kinda have them?"
"Amnesia." Chester pointed at his friend.
"Aah..." Fernand nodded. Samuel growled, having finally pulled his head up. "You could've just interrupted me." He said, rubbing the sore spot on his head.
"Can I ask a question?" Chester raised his hand, "How did you two become friends?"
"Oh I-" Now it was Fernand's turn to be interrupted, this time by Samuel patting him hard on the chest. "I'll answer this." He said sternly. With a quick cough to clear his throat, he began sharing his story.
"I had just completed my training, near my birthplace... I had managed to cleanly slice through a rock with nothing but my bare hands. And then when I surveyed my work, there I saw him staring in awe at my skills. After some light conversation, we both agreed to a duel. The battle was fierce, with each of us at an even skill, until-"
"I won!" Fernand spoke up, causing Samuel to grumble. "No," he said, "I won."
"Nuh uh. I remember you hunched over grabbing your knee and hissing in pain!" Fernand pressed his face against his friend's forehead while a smug expression grew on his face.
"And I remember you grabbing your nose while groaning and hopping around like a sugar fed Spoink!" The flames atop the Charcadets head flared up for a brief moment.
"So it was a tie?" Chester asked.
The two both stared at the Chespin, their heads still pressed against each other. An awkward silence ensued, as they both seemed to be very reluctant to admit that fact. Finally, they stopped being so close, and returned to a more neutral sitting position. Fernand hummed, "So... can I ask a question about you two?" He clearly wanted to change the subject.
Chester shrugged, "Sure? What is it?"
"What did you get for your trial?"
Chester tilted his head, "Eh?"
"You know, the cave? You went in there with scarves?"
"Oh that?" Chester rubbed the back of his head, "Well it was pretty cool, Row sacrificed himself to save me, and I saved him back! What about you?"
"Me and Sam versus an army of Impidimps to grab an orb." Fernand chuckled, "But yours sounded cute!"
"C-Cute?" Row asked.
"Yeah, sacrificing yourself to save your friend? It's cute!"
"I... heheheh, yeah I-" Row's stark white cheeks began practically glowing red. "S-So can I ask a question now?" A silence from the others gave him the go ahead, "Um... do you guys like sweet things?"
"Nah, I'm a pickle guy." Fernand replied. "You ever have pickled onions? Good stuff."
Samuel let out a smug sounding huff, "Spicy. The hottest kind that not even Charizards would dare eat."
"Oh come on, there's no way you-" Chester spoke up, only to be shut down when Samuel pulled out a shining red pepper from a previously unnoticed pouch he was carrying. With the smuggest look in his eyes, he crammed the entire thing directly into his mouth. He chewed and chewed before gulping it down. He leaned back in his seat, staring directly into the Chespin's eyes. No reaction, not even a single cough or bead of sweat.
"...Nevermind." Chester said, amused.
"Wait why do you-" Row was about to ask another question, but Chester interrupted by reaching into his bag and pulling out a book.
"Who wants storytime?" Chester presented a book that bore a cover depicting a Sawk and a Throh grappling each other, "I got a book about fighting techniques we can read!"
Samuel rolled his eyes, "I'll pass. I already know everything I need." He stared right out the back of the cart.
Fernand shrugged, "Well if he doesn't, then I will!"
Chester grinned, opening up the book and starting on the first page. Row however, was now focused on the Charcadet. He noticed a distinct sharp feeling of discontent coming from him, yet his expression remained stern. While it was clear he wasn't afraid of voicing his displeasure about things, there seemed to be something far more pressing that he wasn't willing to share.
Row nervously fiddled with his hands; he really hoped this trip wouldn't be long...
Thankfully, only about two hours passed before they finally arrived. Unsurprisingly, there were tons of sand in all directions, save for a stone-paved road that seemed to end about a couple inches away from where they were. The rest of the guild waited in a circle for the last two teams to join up. Chester, the ever eager, was the first one out of the cart. The second he set foot on the sand however, he let out a high pitched yelp as he hopped up and down.
"Hot hot hot!" He yelled. Samuel, exiting the cart next, stood on the sand unflinching and with his arms crossed. With a shake of his head, he began walking over to the others with Fernand quickly joining behind him. Row leaned out of the cart, "Chester, you aren't exaggerating are you?" He said.
"No! It really is hot!" Chester winced as he tried to keep both feet on the sand, his stance hunched and pained.
Row gently lowered himself from the cart onto the sand below. When his foot made contact, a distinct feeling of heat and pain spread across his entire leg. Holding in a scream, he lowered the other foot and stood on to burning hot sand. "I-I see what you mean..." He said, tears in his eyes.
"Come on, everyone's waiting for us." Chester slowly began walking, with Row tailing behind.
Mister Messa, taking notice of the approaching teams, gave a nod to his aide. "Alright, everyone's here! Now let's get down to business!" It seemed that he had regained his energy on the way there. "Now, we have three, possibly four dungeons to explore." He pointed behind him with his flipper at some ruins in the distance, as well as a strangely grassy oasis off to the east of it. Then he pointed over to his right, taking note of a massive cave opening.
"But first!" He then gestured to Daisy, who prepared a massive piece of cloth. With a flourish, she waved it over Messa and covered him completely. Then with a quick pull back, she revealed a now hero form Palafin. "We must set up camp!" He said, a sudden burst of energy coming over him again. Daisy draped the cloth over herself as well, and tossed it away to reveal her wearing a mask.
In a flash, the both of them began darting around the area. Tents, tables, and even a campfire were set up in seconds. A massive cloud of kicked up sand spread out, revealing the fully completed camp and two exhausted Pokemon sitting in the center of it. "T-Tah dah!" Mister Messa waved his arm before it slumped to the ground. Chester applauded like crazy, which caused everyone to stare at him. He stopped clapping, "What? Don't tell me that wasn't awesome!"
"T-Thanks Chester." Daisy panted, "N-Now Team Beauty and Trouble get the first tent, and Hero and Buster get the second. We get the third. E-Everyone get settled in while we... get everything ready."
The teams proceeded to do so, leaving the two veteran Pokemon alone.
"Mister Messa?" Miss Daisy said as she tried to turn her head towards him, "Do you want some more tea?"
Messa coughed, "After a quick nap okay?"
"Agreed..."
The two flopped onto the floor, falling asleep on the spot.