Where... Where am I...?
The peaceful lull of waves sounded in her ears. Darkness started to filter out of her vision, as sunlight spilled in, her consciousness gradually returning.
May finally opened her eyes again. Above her, she saw a girl standing, looking concerned. Honey-colored short hair...blue eyes...
Yet she couldn't keep her own open for long enough before she started to drift off all over again... It was too hard to stay awake.
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Serena discovered the brunette girl lying on the sands at the shoreline, clad in a bright green bikini with small hearts on her bikini bottom's hips, and was of course surprised to have discovered another human here. For so long, she had been the only human around, and as such, she was subject to special treatment. It was so strange to see another one appear after all of this time.
Though because she was human...that was the reason why joining Wigglytuff's Guild had seemed so daunting, and she had ultimately rejected that path. Granted, there was no way of saying for sure that she would have failed, but she was already convinced that she would. After all, why would they choose her? She didn't even belong here... She didn't even have any idea how or why she was here to begin with and thus spent her days hanging out around Treasure Town, where she became well known as a seemingly out of place human girl, one that many of the male Pokémon considered unusually attractive for some reason. Her attractiveness and status as a human were at least part of the reason why the townsfolk treated her well, though she was mostly left alone.
Earlier that day, she thought of finally joining Wigglytuff's Guild and thought of going in but was startled by the security system, as she had to step on a grate in front of the entrance.
"POKÉMON DETECTED! POKÉMON DETECTED!"
"WHOSE FOOTPRINT? WHOSE FOOTPRINT?"
"IT'S NOT A POKÉMON! IT'S A HUMAN! IT'S THAT HUMAN GIRL SERENA WHO'S BEEN HANGING OUT IN TREASURE TOWN FOR A WHILE NOW!"
"Eep!"
Serena had stepped back after hearing that and started to sulk in her lack of confidence. She had no idea how she ended up here but knew she was originally from a place called Vaniville Town in the Kalos region and one day got separated from her mother and ended up in another world where Pokémon could talk and humans, while known of, were incredibly rare. This happened years ago and the only memento she had was a small piece of stone that had a smooth surface containing an intricate pattern. ...I can't... I can't work up the courage to go in, after all... I told myself that this is the day, but... She lamented her lack of confidence as she took out the stone and looked at it, contemplating how she had somehow come across it before ending up in this world, she sighed and decided to go to the beach to relax and watch the nearby Krabby blow bubbles over the horizon as they did at sundown, unaware that two nearby Poison type Pokémon were watching her.
And now she was on the beach with that girl, waiting for her to come to. When she finally did, the other sat up and looked at her, clearly confused, and for good reason.
"Wha...where am I?"
"You don't remember anything?" Serena asked, as the girl she spoke to shook her head sheepishly.
"No, I... I don't. I don't even know how I got here. Was I blacked out?"
"Yeah, you've been out cold for a while. You almost woke up but you drifted off again before I could talk to you."
Serena smiled though and extended her hand in a friendly manner.
"What's your name? Let's start with that."
"May...my name is May." The other girl replied. She looked quite different from Serena, with her brunette hair with bangs and green bikini with hearts on her hips, contrasting Serena's pink Fennekin outfit that consisted of a pink bow, a short top with a pink collar that revealed her toned belly, a pair of pink wristbands and a skirt that were both adorned with a fluffy pink edge, as well as Fennekin ears, tail, and boots; the whole outfit's colors also matched that of the Fire type (though Serena wore a pink string bikini that doubled as lingerie beneath it). The girl noticed that she and May both had a similar chest size; though May's were slightly larger, both girls' breasts were clearly at least a C-cup, possibly even a D-cup. Most importantly though, they shared a more obvious similarity.
"May? I'm Serena. Wow...You're the only other human I've ever met around here. I mean really, I'm stunned. I always thought I was the only human around these parts." Serena admitted, but she seemed happy about it. May only looked confused.
"...The only other one-?"
That was when they were suddenly interrupted. Serena stumbled forward as something roughly bumped into her back, and turned around to see who it was. She was greeted by the sight of Zubat and Koffing.
"Whoa-ho-ho! Do beg your pardon." Koffing uttered, while Serena seemed a little incredulous.
"Hey! Why'd you do that!?"
"Heh-heh-heh. Isn't it obvious?" Zubat sneered, "We wanted to mess with you! You can't face up to us, can you!? After all, you're just a human! A weak one at that!"
That was when he noticed something. When he shoved Serena like that, he had knocked something out of her pocket. A stone tablet with an intricate pattern...and it looked valuable...
"That's yours, right? Don't mind if I do-"
"No, wait!"
Serena tried to stop him, but he seized it before she could, while Koffing cackled.
"Whoa-ho-ho! What's the matter, you're not even gonna try and get it back? What kind of a coward are you? Humans are such easy targets!"
The girl clenched her fists by her sides. Of course, she wanted to fight but...she was a human, and had no real experience fighting any Pokémon.
"Typical. Come on, let's get out of here."
"Yeah, see ya later chicken!" Zubat and Koffing cleared off, leaving her distraught.
"They can't take that...if I lose it-" She looked down at her feet, settled against the sands. "It's my personal treasure. The only connection I have to the human world. It means the world to me."
May had only just met this girl, but she already felt for her. If she were in the same position, she was sure she would have been upset too.
"...I have to get it back!" Serena suddenly glowered, looking a lot more determined. Just because she was an outsider here, didn't mean that she got to be pushed around by anyone. And she wasn't alone anymore either. May was here...so maybe...
"Could you help me?" She asked the girl hopefully. "Please."
"..." May hesitated for a moment, before nodding, "I can try!"
Serena was relieved to hear it, and they didn't waste time rushing into the nearby Beach Cave in pursuit of the two Pokémon that had stolen such a precious thing. As they descended, they encountered several Kabutos and Corsolas that tried to slow them down. The girls took them down by slamming into them or punching them, something Serena explained was a "regular attack" any Pokémon could do, and something Serena had picked up over the years. The girls also picked up an Oran Berry and a Pecha Berry they found lying in the cave. They also saw pieces of gold which Serena explained was Poké, the currency used in this world.
Eventually, they encountered the two by a pool inside, at the very bottom of the cave. Serena seemed nervous but mustered up her rage.
"Uh, hey!" She shouted, catching their attention. The two bullies turned and looked amused to see her, surprised too that she had actually ended up showing.
"Well well, it isn't the big chicken." Koffing chuckled.
Serena was tired of it, and she yelled: "Give me...give me back what you stole from me! That's my personal treasure, it means everything to me!"
"Treasure huh...so it must be valuable..." Zubat glanced at the tablet.
"It could be worth more than we'd hoped for. We could sell it for a good price. All the more reason not to give it back." Koffing teased, and Serena shook her head.
"No! You have to! It's my only connection to my previous life!"
"If you want it that badly, you'll have to take it from us!" Zubat demanded.
May looked across at Serena, who was still clearly a little nervous, but also seemed ready to battle if she had to. She refused to be a pushover about any of this.
As the two pairs rushed at each other, May leapt at Zubat and put her hands together and knocked the poisonous bat out of the air, using the move Smack Down in the process and knocking Zubat out. Koffing rushed at Serena but the girl focused her anger and unleashed it in her fist, using the resulting Fire Punch to strike Koffing.
Ultimately, things worked out. Serena was able to get the tablet back, and with it, her confidence rose far higher than it had ever been before. Zubat and Koffing lay on the ground, utterly exhausted and worn out.
"Owowowow."
"Ugh, we got roughed up."
"B-blast it... How'd we get wiped out by a couple of human girls like them?"
"Bah! Here you go, take it!" Zubat threw the Relic Fragment in front of Serena as he moaned in pain and Koffing continued to rant at the girls.
"Whoa-ho! Don't be acting tough now ladies, your victory was just a fluke today!"
"Yeah you just remember that!" Zubat finished as he and Koffing got up and fled the scene.
Serena picked up the Relic Fragment. "I'm so glad I got it back!" Even May seemed proud of her for it, and from that moment, the two knew they'd be good friends as Serena turned to May with tears of joy in her eyes. "Thank you so much May, if it weren't for your help, I wouldn't have been able to do it!"
May was glad Serena got her treasure back. A few minutes later the pair were sitting next to each other on the beach, and Serena explained why her Relic Fragment was so important to her.
"You see, I'm not from around here. I don't even remember how I ended up in a world where Pokémon talk and act just like humans. And I was shocked that they even knew what humans were. I thought of finding a way home when I first ended up here but I eventually gave up and decided to wander around the area. This stone, which I started calling my Relic Fragment, is the only thing I have left from the human world. I found it in the woods one day as a little girl and then ended up here. I've accepted by now I probably won't ever get home but I like to keep it around to remind me of home. And I never expected to meet another human here! I'm so happy we're friends now!"
May wasn't so sure. I just arrived here and I can't remember anything besides my name and it turns out this is a world full of talking Pokémon with no humans around besides her. She thought to herself. Serena at least seems like a nice girl. Maybe we can be friends after all.
Serena continued talking. "Besides, look at the pattern on my Relic Fragment. It just has to lead to some place where I can learn more about this world, and maybe find out why I ended up here. I thought of finally joining Wigglytuff's Guild to eventually become an explorer today but I got nervous and backed off. I mean, I'm the only human around and though almost everyone's nice to me for that reason, I'm still a bit scared. After I got too nervous to join the guild, I decided to come to the beach. This is where I always come when I'm feeling sorry for myself. Coming here is uplifting and it cheers me up. And then I found you, the first human I've seen in years and on top of that you helped me get my personal treasure back not even a few minutes after we introduced ourselves! I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship! What do you think, May?"
The brunette listened intently but still wasn't sure. "I just woke up in a world completely different from what I'm used to with my memories lost. I have nowhere to go or stay."
"Then can I ask you a big favor?" Serena leaned forward. "May, will you form an exploration team with me?"
May gave it a moment's thought but then decided that this was the only course of action available to her and thus agreed. "Alright, we can try." And the two girls decided to pursue something special. "Oh, thank you!" Serena was ecstatic and gave May a tight hug, causing both girls to blush fiercely. "We'll head over to Wigglytuff's Guild and register so we can get training and a place to stay!"
They would join the guild and become explorers.
Thus, their brave journey began.
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The two girls stood outside of a large structure that resembles a giant tent modeled off of the Pokémon Wigglytuff. May had no idea what this structure was but her partner was more than willing to explain. "This is Wigglytuff's Guild. To form an exploration team, you need to register your team here. Then you have to train until you become a first-rate exploration team." Serena explained. "But, you see that thing over there?" She pointed to the grate outside of the entrance. "That's their security. You have to step on it before being granted access to the guild. It's always nerve-wracking and it's one of the reasons why I got too nervous to go in by myself." Serena turned to face her fellow human with a smile. "So it's a good thing you're here with me this time!" May returned the blonde's smile as Serena stepped up onto the grate.
"POKÉMON DETECTED! POKÉMON DETECTED!"
"WHOSE FOOTPRINT? WHOSE FOOTPRINT?"
"IT'S NOT A POKÉMON! IT'S A HUMAN! IT'S THAT HUMAN GIRL SERENA WHO'S BEEN HANGING OUT IN TREASURE TOWN FOR A WHILE NOW!"
Serena felt an urge to run away emerge but steeled herself. N-no. I have to be strong... She thought to herself. I'm not alone this time! May watched Serena tremble and admired how the girl ultimately kept her cool.
Suddenly a voice came from the grate. "...You may ENTER!" Serena sighed in relief and stepped off the grate. But the entrance to the guild remained closed. "Someone's with you! So get that stranger to stand up THERE!" Serena turned to May. "They probably meant you, May. They said to stand up here." The brunette stared at the grate. There's a grate covering the hole... It's made so that no one can fall through... She thought to herself. Still, it's really strange... It looks like it will tickle my feet or...
"Hey, you! Stranger! Get on the GRATE!" Her thoughts interrupted by the security, May stood on the grate.
"POKÉMON DETECTED! POKÉMON DETECTED!"
"WHOSE FOOTPRINT? WHOSE FOOTPRINT?"
"The footprint is... The footprint is... Um..."
"What's the matter? Sentry? Sentry?!"
"What's wrong, Sentry Diglett?"
"Umm... Er... Umm... The footprint is...Maybe another human's! Maybe another human's!"
"What?! MAYBE?!"
"Well, I thought that Serena girl was the only human around these parts..."
"UGH! That's pretty crummy! Checking the footprints of visitors, Pokémon or human... That's your job, ISN'T it, Diglett?"
"Yes but I didn't think there'd be another human around!"
On the surface, May and Serena could hear the faint sounds of an argument from beneath the grate and sweat-dropped with nervousness. "I can't believe your feet are making them argue so much." Bemoaned Serena. May blushed at the statement.
"..Sorry to make you WAIT. Well, it's TRUE that we've never seen any humans here besides the girl with you... But you don't SEEM to be bad... OK, good enough! ENTER!" And with those words the gate was lifted and the Guild's entrance was now open. Serena yelped at the sight of the gate lifting but quickly calmed down.
"I'm glad we're finally allowed in. My heart's pounding, though..."
"Relax, I don't even know anything about this world. If you've been able to survive for years, you'll do fine here." May reassured her companion as the pair went in.
The guild itself was quite intriguing. The first thing the girls noticed was that to even enter it in the first place, they had to take a hatch containing a ladder that led underground, which was a bit disconcerting, to say the least. Luckily, when they actually got down there, they found themselves in a surprisingly cozy place laden with grass and colorful flowers. "Wow!" Serena was amazed by the sight before her and May looked impressed as well. They were in a large room with over a dozen Pokémon, most of them in pairs or groups. They were either ogling one of the two bulletin boards on opposite sides of the room or talking to each other.
"So many Pokémon! I wonder if they're all on exploration teams?" Serena wondered out loud.
"Probably." May answered her partner. "This looks fun at least. I hope we fit in properly."
"Excuse me!" A voice came from the hatch leading further underground as an avian Pokémon with a crest resembling a musical note flew out of it and approached them. "It was you two that just came in, right?"
"That's right." May explained.
"I'm Chatot! I'm the Pokémon in the know around these parts! I am Guildmaster Wigglytuff's right-hand Pokémon! " Explained Chatot. "Now shoo! Leave the premises! We have no time for salespeople or silly surveys. Off you go, if you please!"
Serena quickly spoke up to rectify the situation. "N-no! That's not why we're here! We want to form an exploration team... That's why we came. We want to be trained as an exploration team."
This explanation shocked Chatot. "Wh-what?! Exploration team?" He turned around and mused to himself. "It's rare to see a kid like this want to apprentice at the guild. Especially given how hard our training is! Surely the steady stream of Pokémon that run away from our rigorous training proves how true that is! And on top of that these two aren't even Pokémon but humans! I knew there was a human girl living near Treasure Town but never thought she'd ever want to become an explorer, much less find another human who'd be willing to join her in doing so."
Serena and May could hear Chatot ruminating and the former especially seemed concerned.
"Excuse me. Is the exploration team training that severe?"
The musical bird immediately turned around and flapped his wings "What! No not at all! It's not true in the slightest! Our training program for exploration teams is as easy as can be!" He quickly changed his tune and started to wave his tail and crest. "Well, well, well! I wish you had told me up front that you wanted to be an exploration team! Hee-heeee! OK! Let's get your team signed up right away. Follow me! "
Serena and May sweat-dropped at this.
"His attitude suddenly changed, didn't it...?"
"Yeah, are you sure we can trust this guy?"
"I think we can. No one's ever tried hurting me in this town before besides those guys we fought earlier."
Chatot turned to face the girls. "Oh, anything wrong? Come on! Over here! Quickly, please! " Serena and May followed Chatot down the ladder. They ended up in a larger chamber where there was a large pot guarded by a Croagunk and multiple entrances to other chambers. Chatot turned to face the girls. "This is the guild's second underground floor. This is mainly where the apprentices work. Team registration is this way. Come along, please." As he led the girls to Wigglytuff's chamber, Serena couldn't help but notice how there was sunlight coming in despite their location, something she observed with amazement.
"Wow! We're two floors underground yet we can see outside and get sunlight!" She noted.
Chatot ruffled his feathers in response. "The guild is built into the side of a cliff. It's only natural that you would be able to see outside." He explained. "If you were some local Pokémon child I'd discipline you for such a pedestrian remark, but I suppose it can't be helped, you're only human after all."
Serena seemed peeved by the remark. "I've been here for years though..." She said under her breath. Though May reassured her friend. "Don't worry, I haven't been here for even a day so I'm sure you at least know more about this world than I do." The brunette said as she pat Serena's back, causing her to blush slightly.
The pair continued to follow Chatot until he stopped in front of a large door. "Now, here we are at Guildmaster Wigglytuff's chamber. On no account... I repeat, on no account should you be discourteous to our Guildmaster. He is the most accomplished Pokémon in our day and age and he is incredibly magnanimous so please be on your best behavior. Understood?"
"Of course." Both girls responded. Satisfied with their responses, Chatot turned to the door.
"Guildmaster! It's Chatot! I'm coming in!" He said as he opened the door and went in with Serena and May in tow.
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The two girls stood in front of a large pink Pokémon facing away from them while standing on a wide red rug. His room was adorned with flowers and there were large torches with extinguished charcoal as well as treasure chests filled with trinkets on either side of him. Chatot stood near one of the torches.
"Guildmaster! I present to you two Pokémon...er… I mean humans, who wish to join our guild as apprentices." They all waited for a response for about a minute but Wigglytuff didn't move. Chatot called out again.
"Guildmaster... um... Guildmaster?" May and Serena were confused. What is he doing, is he deaf? May thought. Suddenly, the pink Pokémon turned around without warning, surprising the two girls.
"Hiya!" He greeted the humans with enthusiasm. "I'm Wigglytuff! I'm the guild's Guildmaster! You want to form an exploration team? Then, let's go for it! I've never met humans in Treasure Town before and I think we'll all be good friends! First we must register your exploration team's name! So, tell me your team's name?"
Serena wasn't expecting this. "Oh, well, we never really considered that." She turned to her companion. "May, I can't really think of a good name for our team. Why don't you think of one?" May was also caught off guard by this requirement but started to give it some thought. Since it 'll be just the two of us as a team, I think it'll be best for the name to really invoke our spirit. But I wonder, what do I have in common with Serena besides both of us being human girls in a world of talking Pokémon?
"Hmm, tell me Serena, what are your hobbies?"
"Well, I like performing for people and I guess for Pokémon too. Before I met you I sometimes danced for some Pokémon and they really seemed to enjoy it, some even gave me Poké or food in return or let me stay in their houses." Serena blushed as she said the last part. Though some of them got a bit too excited when I stayed at their houses. "And when I was a little girl I liked to watch these things called Pokémon Showcases where people and Pokémon would perform together on TV; I also liked to bake."
May nodded in understanding and smiled. "Sounds like we have a lot in common. I just remembered that I used to gather berries and make these snacks called Pokéblocks, though you had to use a special machine for them. Also, I think there was something similar to Showcases where I come from except they were called Pokémon Contests and they were more about Pokémon showing off their moves in front of a large audience. I also remember learning how to belly dance."
"That sounds amazing!" Serena beamed in response. Chatot and Wigglytuff didn't really understand what the girls were discussing but said nothing, rightfully assuming it was a human thing.
"How about this Serena? Since we both like performing and showing off our talents, let's choose something that really invokes that spirit! Like some colors that really make performing come to mind!"
"What colors do you think could do that?"
"Well, how about crimson, to emphasize our passion and since it's a good color for performances? And then something else to show the world we're good at performing. Like…" May looked at Serena's Fennekin outfit. "Serena, how comfy is your outfit? And what is it made out of?"
"Well I never really thought about it, but it's really comfortable. And I think it might have some velvet in it."
"Then it's settled. Our team's name should be Team CrimsonVelvet!"
Serena was ecstatic. "Team CrimsonVelvet! That suits us perfectly!"
Wigglytuff was happy to see that the two came to an agreement. "All settled then! I'll register your team as CrimsonVelvet." He then started to chant to himself. "Registering! Registering! All registered..." He then jumped and screamed as a bright white flash filled the room "YOOM...TAH!" As the light disappeared. Wigglytuff exclaimed: "Congratulations! From now on, you're an official exploration team! I present you with this in commemoration." He then set a small golden box before the two girls. "This is a Pokémon Exploration Team Kit. It's what every exploration team needs. Quick, open it up."
May and Serena excitedly opened the box and gawked in awe at what was inside. Wigglytuff explained what the contents were. "That's your Explorer Badge! It's your official team identification and also lets everyone know you're an exploration team! It'll be useful since you're the first humans we've ever given this kind of badge to so people will need to know about you. And there's the Wonder Map, which will show you where in the world you are as you go explore far flung dungeons; it's a wonder of convenience! And you can see how Treasure Town is marked here so you'll always know where to come back to. Finally, there's a Treasure Bag. It lets you carry items you find in dungeons. Your successes as an exploration team can lead to bigger and bigger space for your Treasure Bag. It's a very wonderful bag! Have a peek inside your Treasure Bag." Serena and May opened the bag and saw that there were two items inside. One of them was a pink scarf that Wigglytuff explained was a Pecha Scarf, an item that prevented its wearer from getting poisoned. The other one was a Crimson Bow, which Wigglytuff explained would make its wearer more powerful on the whole and was also chosen because May mentioned the color crimson. "Those two items are special. I'm sure they will help you on your adventures! " Wigglytuff proclaimed.
Serena was ecstatic. "Th-thank you so much! We'll do our best!"
"Yup. But you're only apprenticing right now. So do your best... to train!"
"We will." Answered May. The two girls couldn't believe that they were now an exploration team. Team CrimsonVelvet's adventure was just beginning in this new world.