- Chapter 10: Fear Won't Cross Me -

"Disaster…"

Strained from exhaustion, the voice trembled amid the fog of confusion. Beneath its clawed paws, gravel shifted. The body almost slipped.

"Destruction…"

Bitter and sharp, the voice wavered as it dragged its weight through the darkness. The moon was obscured by the density of the rotted overgrowth. It stunk of decay.

"Despair…!"

Seethed in a deep pool of heated loathing, the voice hissed as its entire form staggered. It forced itself to a stop as it anchored its claws to the ground. Heavy and ragged, it couldn't control its breath. Lips curled back into fangs.

"The intensity of the world's wailing of despair… Even here…I can sense it even here!"

"Blind to our eyes. Nimble from our knowledge. To act as a mere messenger, I will do no more!"

"Let the world see the true faces of their heroes! Saviors of disaster? They remain ignorant to the hand behind the ruination I've witnessed! The ruination that chased me even here! Even HERE!"

The voice echoed in the darkness. A small, desperate laugh followed. A soft clink sounded beneath its crouched form: A scar. A prison. A weapon.

"No more. There will be…no more. I will not allow these false heroes to stand much longer. I know another was summoned. It is only a matter of time! Do you hear me, human?! There is only a matter of time!"

As it stood tall, the metallic object hung loose against its white-furred chest: A red semicircle, the inside silver. Broken and tarnished, it was nothing more but a physical reminder…

- 0000 -

"UP!"

It was another day of training within the Stoneridge Complex.

The only difference was…there was no dream. It didn't surprise her, but Krista went to bed expecting to hear the voice again. A part of her was worried that something might have gone wrong, but she knew she couldn't help it. Maybe it would turn up some other time?

Aside from that, the routine was the same; Attend the morning briefing. (Krista only memorized a small portion of the anthem.) Eat breakfast. (It was chesto berries served with some sort of toasted bread?) Meet Dusk outside the commons, and take the route to the dojo. On the way there, they encountered Team Bedrock, who were gathered around the storage.

"We'll be gone for a couple days," Clay announced. "We have to tackle a B-rank mission. Though, I don't understand why a mere supply transfer is rated so high."

"Maybe because…I don't know, we have to transport some high-value merchandise?" Granite rolled her eyes. "It's not a simple walk, not at all. All the way to Nightgrove Complex? Days. It takes days. Thieves are bolder now, you fool."

"Alright, alright…you got me…" Clay surrendered.

(Wow. She's very rude,) Krista thought. (Does she ever smile?)

"Whoa! Nightgrove Complex!" Pineno gasped. "You're actually going there?! That's all the way in the East! That's where Headmaster Trevenant lives! You'll get to see the base! My da— I've heard so much about that place!"

"Well, if ya want to know how to get there, we wouldn't be able to tell ya! Gah-hah-hah!"

Crush stomped his way over with a heavy bag held between his jaws. Once he joined his group, he slung it against Granite's back. The Lycanroc almost collapsed under the added weight. He apologized in an instant as she bared her fangs.

"Why not?" Pineno wondered. "You'll be going there anyway."

Crush chuckled. "We'll be escorted by an Easterner, yeah. They'll wipe our memories of the route taken to get there. All we can come back to tell ya is what the place is made of from the inside. My guess is it's for security. Can't very well have one Pokémon know the location of every faction, eh?"

"Sounds about right," Dusk said. "Even our Headmaster doesn't have a clue where the other factions are."

"Huh? Really?" Krista found that hard to believe. "But I thought he would at least know. Doesn't he talk to the other leaders sometimes?"

"Yeah. They met up in the big city," Dusk answered. "None of them know which faction is where. The only Pokémon who would know is our Supervisor. It kept us safe for this long, so I don't see a reason to complain."

Krista frowned. (Yeah but…what if something happens to the Supervisor? Then what?)

"I've always wanted to meet The Eastern Headmaster. I heard he's the complete opposite from ours. I hope that's not a bad thing." Clay let out a nervous laugh. "But the Pokémon who live there must be vastly different. I'm looking forward to that!"

"I do not like meeting new faces on such a massive scale. Too many scents. Too much to remember at once." Granite bit the straps of her bag to balance it while Clay secured it on her back.

"Oh, it can't be all that bad. I heard their associates are pretty nice! I wonder how Rumble is doing?"

"We don't have time to be sentimental. We have to go. We are already behind!" Granite backed away once she felt the bag wasn't going anywhere. "Let's go! The sooner we get there, the sooner we can leave!"

"Alright, alright. You don't have to be so pushy." Clay followed her with awkward steps. He waved at the team before he tucked his wings and sprinted after her.

"Good luck to you!" Dusk shouted. "Safe journeys!"

Crush chuckled and shook his head. He made a sluggish effort to follow his team.

"They are already leaving you in the dust," Krista said, concerned.

"Don't worry. I have my badge. If it's really urgent, I can just jump from here to there in an instant."

His badge.

Krista didn't notice it before. It was tucked away at the plastron of his shell, located near where she could assume his heart would be. It was hard to make out its shape from the angle, and the colors were hidden in the shadows. Even while obscured, it still shined a brilliant gold.

"I'll see you soon, Team Retribute. Take your training to heart, you hear?"

The Drednaw took slow and heavy steps down the hall.

"Nightgrove. What a trip." Dusk watched Crush with uncertainty. "That place is far beyond his element. I'm sure we will hear some interesting tales once they return."

"Just to transfer some merchandise, huh?" Krista tried to imagine Granite pulling a large cart around, all while she complained the entire way there. She couldn't imagine traveling with anyone like that.

Maybe she was nice when she had the chance to be.

"High-value," Dusk corrected her. "They should be meeting with a Kecleon—not our Kecleon. Delivery missions are usually pretty easy. But big ones that involve the rarest of items, crooks would try to get their paws on it. We never know if they are affiliated with The Sorcerers or not, so we take zero chances and only send our most talented teams."

"They are that important?" Pineno asked.

"Success or failure will determine our strength against The Sorcerers' forces. This isn't the first time Team Bedrock was given such an important job."

"I remember." The first time Krista saw them, they were praised for their success. "They…took down something dangerous The Sorcerers had, right?"

Dusk nodded. "Sabotaged an entire supply. Never an easy thing to do. It's because of them that The Sorcerers lost a huge portion of their ordnance."

"So cool…" Pineno's eyes almost sparkled. He turned to Krista with the biggest smile. "One day, that could be us, Krista!"

Krista wished she could share his enthusiasm, but just hearing how daunting Team Bedrock's job made her nervous. (I guess so… but it feels like a long way to go. I can't imagine being responsible for the fate of an entire region…all because of a few misplaced items. How powerful are these Sorcerers?)

"Well?" Dusk looked at both children. "Seems you two are motivated. That's good! Let's get back to it, shall we?"

Water Maze - 3F

Just like the day before, they did a single round of the flora dojo for review before they moved on to the next stage.

What they braved next was that of the water element. It was composed of the dojo walls, but they were twisted and smoothed out like river pebbles. The dungeon was dark, damp, and had flowing streams that made the ones back in the flora grounds look tame. The best way it could be described was walking on a shallow riverbed. There was so much water to push through, enough to reach Krista's chest, to her dismay. She discovered that she hated getting wet. Her fur was not waterproof. All it did was weigh her down.

She was happy that there was no mud, at least.

It was there that they learned the importance of how a dungeon's environment can be beneficial to its inhabitants. The water Pokémon were able to swim gracefully through the stream and battle with little issue. Krista and Pineno had to find a way to adapt. It was difficult fighting in water when it liked to slow down their movements. As usual, Dusk watched from the back, only adding necessary comments and advice.

The only good things about the dojo was for one, it held Pokémon Krista encountered before. There were Shellos, Surskit, and Poliwag. They were stronger than their cousins in Rocky Riverside, but she knew their attack patterns enough to avoid being attacked by bubbles and flying mud.

Dusk was right. Pineno was happy to be there. Despite the water weighing him down, he was practically unstoppable. His vines flew and struck any Pokémon that got too close. Even when they arrived at the dreadful third floor, he was able to knock out the majority after two hits. They didn't stand a chance.

Then, they were battling their third Poliwag on the challenging floor. It was the same as always; Avoid the water and mud attacks. Attack once it got close enough. Knock it out before it could think of an alternative way to attack.

Pineno summoned his vines, and they plopped on the water's surface instead.

"Huh?"

They bobbed along as if they were part of the lazy waves.

"What?!" Pineno tried to withdraw his vines, but they didn't move. "Why? Why can't I control them anymore?! Hey! Vines! Move!"

Krista could see Dusk shaking his head from the distance. Before she could ask him what went wrong, a blur of brown crossed her vision.

It shot her like a cannon. She was knocked off her feet.

Her weight plowed through water. Bubbles swarmed from her mouth. She felt a paw lifting her back to the surface. She wanted to thank Pineno, but she couldn't speak. She couldn't breathe.

The Poliwag jumped forward. The swirl of its belly started to spin. Was it spinning? She didn't think that was possible…

…everything was drifting away…

… … …

Krista's eyes flew open. She gasped and sat up, placing a paw against her racing chest. She looked around, confused about where she sat until she heard the water trickling from the rocks. Her seat was a pile of large river rocks. The sight of mud flashed before her eyes…she remembered. She was shot down by mud. Then she was asleep somehow—

Her coin!

Krista's paws were already brushing it before she realized what she was doing. As she drew them back, she checked for mud, but there was none. It was clean. Nothing was wrong. She found herself relieved.

She still hated it.

From the corner of her eye, she saw a limp body. Next to her lay Pineno, who was still unconscious!

"Relax. He'll wake up momentarily. I just gave him a chesto berry."

Dusk.

With only his nose, he pushed the bag back to his back. Nothing made sense. When did they get there? How did they—

"Ugh. I think I fell asleep against my will…" Pineno sat up, lazily chewing the berry he was given. It took him a moment to process his own words. He was wide awake in an instant. "Hypnosis! We got hit with Hypnosis!"

Dusk hummed with a nod.

"Where's the Poliwag?! It might attack us again!"

"I took care of it," Dusk said.

Krista looked around for any sign of the unconscious creature. She was sure they sat in the same room they fought it. It was nowhere to be seen.

Dusk walked over, his face twisted in thought. "Had I done nothing, you two would have drowned. That was a nasty scenario you got yourselves into. I'm afraid I don't have anything to replenish the energy you need to manipulate your vines."

"My…" Pineno checked his shoulders. He tensed them a few times, but he was disappointed to see nothing sprouting. "I overdid it again."

"Ah, so you know what this is. What lesson do you think you two learned from the Poliwag, hm?'

"Uh…to not use your best attacks just because you can? Only use them when you really need to?" Pineno was unsure, but the nod he earned from Dusk made him smile.

"Be more aware of surroundings, I guess," Krista answered. "The Poliwag shot me down with mud. I couldn't react fast enough to realize it wanted to put me to sleep."

"Mud shot is a technique that hits hard and slows you down. So remember, just because you have an advantage, doesn't automatically mean you have secured a victory."

The water behind Dusk rippled, and a Poliwag leaped from the surface.

"Uh…Mr. Dusk?" Krista called.

"You have to treat every dungeon as a threat," Dusk continued, unaware of the Poliwag sneaking up on him. "Otherwise, your blind confidence will become your own undoing."

"Mr. Dusk!"

Dusk smiled, and he made a sharp lunge to his right. A strong pump of mud flew past him, past Krista, and it struck another Poliwag that was behind her. It stumbled and fell into a pond with a loud splash.

Stunned, Krista stood and glanced behind her. She didn't even notice the other Poliwag!

"And also," Dusk kicked back a leg. The Poliwag that failed to attack him was sent flying back into the water from where it came. "Never lower your guard, even for a second."

Stoneridge Complex

After their many sessions of the water-logged dungeon, Dusk decided to let them go. The two of them were still soaked. No matter how many times Krista shook her fur, it wouldn't dry. As they traveled through the marketplace, they were casted several odd or concerned looks. A few Pokémon even laughed, probably recognizing where they came from.

As soon as they arrived at the storage, Kangaskhan was once again worried sick about their well-being. Pineno had to assure her that everything was fine.

"I'm just glad Dusk recognized you couldn't get out of that on your own! Oh, you poor things!" Kangaskhan returned their bag that they had just emptied, which was filled with rocks.

"I wish I could have seen what he did." Pineno was more disappointed about that than he was for his own failure.

Kangaskhan gave him a sympathetic look. "He did what he was supposed to. As long as you are still here, that's all that matters, right?"

"Yeah. That is true." Pineno's smile returned at full. "He was amazing, too! He knocked down a Poliwag without even touching it! It's like…"

"He used their own attacks against each other," Krista realized.

"Yeah! I've never seen anyone do that before! I've got to try that one day!"

"Only if you know what you are doing, child," Kangaskhan warned him. "So many children have tried it, only to realize they can't dodge as fast as they think they can. How about you work on your reflexes first?"

"Ah…okay…"

"Did he tell you which dojo you are taking on tomorrow?" Kangaskhan asked.

"No? Now that I think about it…" Pineno tapped his chin before he turned to Krista.

"I don't remember him saying which one either," Krista said.

That was when she noticed Kangaskhan's sympathy growing.

(What is going to happen tomorrow?)

- The Next Day -

Grumpig Dojo Lobby

"This is when things start to get dicy," Dusk said as soon as he lit the final torch. He coughed out the remnants of smoke from the blast seed he consumed. "You're about to enter one of the other dojos the associates had their hand in improving. It's also stocked with rawst berries. You should keep your eye out for those."

Pineno froze. "Rawst berries? But those soothe burns. Are we—"

His eyes were fixed on the flame logo that labeled the corridor entrance.

"A place filled with fire creatures!" Pineno's lips twitched into a smile. "So that's what we are doing today!"

That didn't sound good.

"Fire is one of your many weaknesses. In order to be prepared for anything, you have to learn how to face it," Dusk explained, as he led the way inside. "Come along. Don't breathe too hard. It's going to be hot in here."

"Um…actually…" Krista spoke up before he could go any further. "Can't we just do this another day? It's just that—"

"No. It's okay, Krista." Pineno interrupted her.

"But…I thought…"

"I have to do this. I'm not…I'm not going to let that Houndoom scare me anymore."

Krista turned to Dusk for a plea—she hoped that Pineno wouldn't push himself. He claimed he could do it, but she knew that he was terrified deep down. Pineno was smiling, but it wasn't a true smile. She knew what a genuine smile from him looked like.

But Dusk wore a smile himself, one that swelled Krista's heart with dread.

"I see. All the more reason to go on!" he said with a tail wag. "Let's conquer this maze! A way to shove victory against that coward's efforts!"

Pineno balled his paws into fists. "I can do this! I'm brave!"

There was no taking their way out of it. Krista didn't know what else to do.

(You shouldn't have to force yourself to do this…)

Fire Maze - 1F

The moment they entered the mystery dungeon, the walls became a charcoal black, coated with char and soot. Glowing lava made its slow crawl between almost every crack, like veins that kept the environment alive. The ground beneath Krista's feet was jagged and warm. It was almost unbearably hot, like the peak summer heat. As she peered further down the large room, she could see the ground and the surrounding air rippling ever so slightly. As she looked up, she almost choked.

The ceiling had bright hot streams of lava oozing from the cracks. They trickled downward towards the walls. She was sure the gravity would force it to rain straight down, but the logic wasn't there. The strange distortion was at work.

"Ah. Am I glad I don't have a thick coat all over my body. It's stuffy here," Dusk said.

Stuffy was an understatement.

"This dojo prepares you for almost everything a fire-based dungeon has to offer: Blazing fields, steaming caves, active volcanos…anything you can imagine. We consider this maze as the first taste to how cruel mystery dungeons can truly be, one of the worst places to be unprepared! This dojo always starts you off empty-handed to teach you how to adapt in a scenario like this."

Krista didn't know where it was safe to walk. She was practically surrounded by active lava. Were they in a space near an active volcano? Or…was it something else? She couldn't understand why any Pokémon would find such a dangerous place comfortable to live in. There didn't appear to be any suitable place for anything to grow. How did they eat? Did the associates keep them fed? They were wild, after all.

Then, she remembered Pineno.

He hadn't moved since they arrived. His eyes were squeezed shut, and his arms were tucked close against his chest. From how his body twitched, he fought against the urge to curl into a ball.

It took for Dusk to nudge him for him to respond.

"Your fear of fire…is as strong as my fear of pixies," Dusk said. "But what do you do when you face your greatest weakness? Do you let it consume you, or do you use it to guide you?"

"I'm not…afraid of fire," Pineno gasped. He tensed his body and looked straight ahead, determination in his eyes. "Fire only burns if I allow it to burn. I fear no flame!"

Dusk laughed. "Ah, another flora Pokémon who admires The Hammerarm! He has quite a strong influence, for better or worse. I hope you don't try to be reckless as he tends to…did I say something?"

Pineno had completely froze. Krista knew why.

Dusk laughed. "If you expect me to place such heavy expectations on you all because you are Chespin, I can assure you that won't happen! The Hammerarm has been on the front lines against The Sorcerers' forces for decades! You are still young. No one would ever consider asking you to prepare for something like that!"

"Y-yeah. I know." Pineno released his tension with a heavy breath. He must have anticipated Dusk to put together that they share a blood relation.

But no. Pineno was just another Chespin.

"I will monitor you both a little closer, since this dojo is quite dangerous to you. Remember: You two are training. I don't expect you to do anything impossible, so don't stress yourself."

"Yeah." Pineno nodded. He took a deep breath.

Krista already hated it. She wanted out.

Fire Maze - 2F

Dusk kept his promise. He stayed closer, and he was far more generous with giving tips on how to fight the fire Pokémon. Their first encounter was a timid-looking Numel. Dusk warned them that it was one of the few Pokémon who could spit embers at a low skill level, and he was right. It didn't take long for the wild Pokémon to unleash the small flames. Krista immediately hated the idea that she had to dodge flaming projectiles. Pineno was a lot more nervous, but he put on a brave face and fought the Numel off using his vines. It thankfully yielded.

But that was only the beginning.

Dusk also warned them about the Litleo and how aggressive they could be. They were always the type to strike first due to their territorial nature. They spat embers whenever they wanted. It made Krista's fur sting. She was sure some strands were burnt upon impact. To fight another feline was a surreal experience—Litleo wasn't the type to favor claws. It instead attacked with its body, roaring and growling, which sent chills through Krista's spine.

A final claw strike knocked it off balance. In an instant, it conceded and curled into a ball. It was as if its bravado never existed. While Dusk gave Krista a few words of praise, Pineno was silent.

He had watched the entire exchange from a large distance the moment fire started to fly. He tried several times to stand his ground, but there was only so much fire he could take until it was too much for him. He would always apologize, and Dusk assured him that everything was fine.

Krista hated to see him so down. He was trying his best in every way, but he would flee. She wanted to call off the training just to give him a break, but Pineno shot down every attempt.

"I can take it," he would tell her. "I can't be scared forever. I can…take it!"

But nothing changed. She almost snapped at Dusk when he praised him for his bravery.

"You are a great friend to look after him so much," Dusk said to Krista when she begged for them to leave. "But Pineno is determined to do this. If he wants to face his struggles, then why should I deny him that?"

That wasn't the point. It looked a lot more like Pineno was forced to endure torture.

As they explored further through the grueling environment, they picked up several rawst berries and a few escape orbs. They came across several "geo pebbles", just as they did in the water dojo.

"Ah, you could use these to your advantage," Dusk said as he leaned down to Krista's shoulder level. "Go ahead and try it. I see a Numel right there."

Her attention was more towards Pineno than the wild Pokémon that paid them no mind. A nudge from Dusk almost made her hiss.

"Don't lose focus. Just throw it."

With a flare of annoyance, she took aim and she threw the object with all her might. It slipped from the tips of her paws, and it flew backwards. To her surprise, the pebble made a sharp turn and struck the Numel on the side of its head. The wild Pokémon shook away the pain and glared at her with a growl.

"Those pebbles are said to be shed from a Pokémon called Geodude," Dusk explained, as the angry Pokémon moved closer. "That's why it seems half alive. No matter how terrible your throw is, it will always land on your target if your mind is focused on it."

Krista felt a wave of embarrassment. (He noticed. Was my throw that bad…?)

"Here. I want you to focus on solely attacking with those pebbles. Keep going."

Krista was convinced he lost it. "You're serious?!"

"Sometimes it's good to use weapons instead of your own techniques. Saves you the energy for when you really need them."

Well, there was no reason to not try. She had no plans to get any closer to a Pokémon with an angry face like that.

She threw another geo pebble, followed by another. The Numel flinched as it was struck again. It took a step forward, and the next pebble almost knocked it off balance.

It started to charge.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Krista reached for another, but she felt nothing. "Already?! I thought I had more!"

"Then what are you waiting for?" Dusk nudged her forward.

She braced herself, unsheathing her claws. Flames licked the corners of the wild Numel's lips.

She lunged. She faked out her attack, and the Numel recoiled back. She swiped her paw and knocked it off balance. Her next attack kept it on the ground. It squeezed its eyes shut, likely begging for mercy.

Dusk nodded. "Good. You should always try to keep a handful of those pebbles within reach. You'll never know when you'll need them."

Another glance at Pineno, and he waved with a smile. "That was amazing!"

His praising words had surfaced—a good sign. Krista was just glad they only had one more floor to go. Pineno started to adjust to his surroundings with every battle, which was the only positive outcome. Maybe they could make it through the third floor just fine.

Fire Maze - 3F

The third floor was when the lava became rivers.

The relentless heat was far more scorching than it was before. The air was like water as it rippled before their eyes. While corridors were less narrow, it came with a terrible price. Instead of walls, the land was surrounded by lava pools. Krista had a horrible vision of stepping right into it—she winched and inched closer to Dusk. The air was harder to breathe. Her fur felt like it would catch ablaze.

Whatever confidence Pineno managed to build was crumbling. His lips quivered as he tried his best to hold onto his smile. All he could do was stick close, all while he muttered rhythmic words to himself.

"Hm. That's strange…" Dusk said.

"What is it?" Krista couldn't fathom how he was so composed. The heat didn't seem to affect him in any way. His dark fur was bathed in a soft orange light. He had to be uncomfortable at least.

Dusk checked his surroundings again. The confused look on his face only deepened. "I remember the rivers of lava appearing beyond this point…unless my memory is fuzzy. It's been a very long time since I came here."

He gave the room a suspicious glance before he shook his head.

"Well, it's not like we are going any further anyway. We'll do some training here, and then we will leave. I'll be right behind you as always."

"Here?" Krista couldn't believe what she just heard. "This dungeon is dangerous! I know you see the lava! What if we fall in?!"

"You won't," Dusk assured her.

"How can you be so sure of that? The halls don't even hall walls! There's lava everywhere! We shouldn't—"

"If you run away with every bit of discomfort that crosses you, you will never grow as a Pokémon," Dusk interrupted. "If you don't trust me, fine. Don't trust me. But if you think I'm going to let you fall into a pool of lava, then I am insulted. Do you honestly think I would be careless enough to let you succumb to such a terrible fate?"

Krista sighed. (I guess he has a point there. He probably went through places far worse than this. This is just our first time seeing something so intense. I still don't get it though. How did this get approved?)

She hoped it was just a minor change of the layout. Perhaps it was part of the odd behaviors dungeons could display. It was the best answer she could come up with. But, something didn't sit right. She couldn't pin down where the feeling was coming from. They weren't being followed or anything, but her nerves were restless ever since they arrived.

A soft squeeze on her paw drew her attention to Pineno. He gave her a small nod, as frightened as he was.

"Come on, Krista. We can do this together."

Krista wanted to tell him that he was putting too much pressure on himself, but she knew he wouldn't back down. He held on to her as he kept his focus forward. He did his best to ignore the spitting lava that surrounded them. Dusk was close behind and kept a close eye.

(But how is that possible? How can dungeons get any worse than this? I feel like I'm surrounded by death!) Krista heard a pop as a lava bubble deflated. Pineno almost jumped. (Explorers willingly go into places like this for fun?! They are crazy!)

"Krista! Your right!" Dusk barked a warning.

She turned. She saw the lava bubbling at her right. She urged Pineno to move faster, and he did. The bubbling mass of lava crawled to the surface and stretched into a shape. A pair of round, glowing red spheres surfaced. They rolled to a stop, fixed on them.

Eyes.

Those were eyes, and they did not blink. Who the Pokémon was looking at, Krista didn't have a clue.

"Slugma!" Dusk tiptoed around the group and kept his eyes on the slug-like creature. He lost his smile, a lot more wary. "This doesn't make any sense. They aren't supposed to appear until the latter floors. They are meant for advanced classes!"

"You're saying we shouldn't even be seeing this Pokémon?!" Krista took a cautious step back as it inched closer. "Wh-what do I do?"

"Stay away from it. This Pokémon has an ability known as Flame Body. You can try to fight it, but its body is made of up magma. It's guaranteed to burn you."

Pineno almost whimpered. Krista wanted to assure him that everything would be okay, but it was impossible when she was unsure herself.

"Mr. Dusk?" She called him. She hoped he understood her concern.

"Usually I would let you learn on your own, but this Slugma is a different case. It's far beyond your skill level. It's docile for now, so let's try not to provoke it."

Dusk walked past. He sniffed his surroundings, including the hot ground. His eyes shifted as he studied every nook and cranny, but nothing else seemed to be out of the ordinary. That was when he flicked his tail, a signal for them to follow.

"I'll take the lead. Something about this floor doesn't feel right…"

Krista was right. It wasn't just her nerves after all. She held onto Pineno's paw, and there was a slight hitch in his breathing. She looked back at the Slugma, who made no move to pursue them.

"This never happened before. Never did a dungeon shift like this so soon." Dusk slowed to a stop. The path had split into two. "The layout has grown more frenzied. This looks a lot more like the fourth floor. But had we gotten there naturally, I would have known."

He chose the left path. His footsteps were more cautious as he checked every corner before he turned.

"Is it possible that we skipped a floor?" Krista asked.

"Not possible. The only way forward is to proceed by foot," Dusk said. "A score and five years of exploration, and I've never encountered anything like this in any training maze. We couldn't have missed the stairs. It's too large to ignore."

"Maybe it's another anomaly," Krista guessed.

"Something like this? Doesn't match the nature of a mystery dungeon one bit."

"The Headmaster said sometimes dungeons like to break their own rules. Maybe this is one of those times."

"In the dojos? The dojos have very little alterations. An alteration as big as skipping a floor would be expected in a 1-star dungeon at least."

Everyone was clueless.

"Maybe we should turn back and ask the Headmaster what's going on," Krista suggested.

Dusk shook his head. "I need to see what's going on first. I need to confirm something."

They entered a room. Dusk came to a stop. The very center had an angry pool of lava. It bubbled and spat, and pair of glowing red eyes surfaced. Another Slugma crawled out.

"Don't tell me…" Dusk nudged them to move back.

Krista felt heat behind her. She stopped and gasped. Another Slugma crawled from the lava flowing out the edge of the wall.

It lunged. Pineno screamed and ducked under her. His weight against her legs knocked her off balance. She fell towards the Slugma. She couldn't stop!

Fangs sunk into the slug, and flames spewed in an instant. A sharp yelp sounded, and the wild Slugma was flung it across the room. Its body splat flat against the opposite wall, like thrown paint on a canvas.

A silent scream escaped Krista. The Slugma's deformed body miserably slid down the wall, and it left a bubbling trail of hot magma.

When it got to the ground, it flattened into a bubbling puddle. The eyes drifted like leaves on a pond. The more Krista looked, the more she felt her panic grow. She turned away when she saw the eyes blink.

(It's okay…it's fine. Slugma don't have bones…I don't think they have bones…it's alive. It's alive. It's alive….)

Once she was composed, she turned to her mentor to thank him for the save.

Every muscle in Dusk's body twitched. His muzzle was on fire.

"Mr. Dusk!" Krista gasped. She kicked herself to her feet, but he shook his head. "Wh…"

Pineno took several steps back.

Dusks' lips curled back as he threw his head towards the ceiling. Claws dug into the floor and scraped the dark surface as he held his breath. After taking his fifth gulp of air, he lowered his head and shook his body. He was almost still, with the exception of his tongue sweeping his charred lips.

"Rawst berry," he muttered.

Krista grabbed the berry from the bag and handed it to him. The moment he ate it, his burns faded away, as if weeks of a normal healing process was sped up into mere seconds. Even the fur that was burnt off grew back.

(What just happened…?) Krista knew what she witnessed was the berry's effects, but it was still surreal. Dusk looked like he was in a lot of pain just then.

There was no time to ponder. The other wild Slugma crawled their way, angry for what was done to their ally.

"I don't blame them. I would be mad, too. That was a bit overdone, even for me." Dusk's legs crossed over each other as he took a step away. He grounded himself before he proceeded. "We should move."

He ran, giving the pair no time to ask. The trio of Pokémon sprinted down a new corridor.

"No…!" Krista gasped.

Dead end.

The land bridge ended at a massive pond of lava. The lethal surface bubbled at several spots…it bulged from the surface. Several crimson eyes rolled over. Three boiling bodies…five…six…the number of Slugma kept growing.

Splat! Splat! Splat!

Krista whipped around. Puddles of lava had fallen from above. In an instant, they grew eyes. Three Slugma rose from the ground and made their slow crawl towards them.

"A Monster House…?" Dusks' ears flattened against his skull. "No…no this isn't right…"

"Dusk…" Krista almost couldn't get his name out. Her eyes were towards the ceiling the Slugma came from.

Tens of eyes were locked down on them.

It burned her lungs—the rancid scent in the air was amplified. It heightened the unnerving feelings that tried to take hold of her.

Fear, the terrible odor that cloaked her nose. Where it came from, she felt the source move.

Pineno was a moment away from bolting. He instead squeezed his eyes shut. His words were soft. "Fear won't cross me…I am not alone… Determination…all we've ever known—"

The cluster of Slugma lapped at the surface. The heat was growing. As four more splat down from above, Pineno screamed and curled into a ball. Krista held him tight.

She had enough. Krista didn't care if Dusk was her superior, she screamed at him with all the fury she had. "There's too many of them for us to fight at once! We have to GO! Forget the stupid training!"

Dusk growled, and he crouched down. "Get the escape orb! Hurry!"

Krista searched through the clutter in the bag. She felt several rocks. A few berries.

A smooth glass surface!

She pulled it out. "How do I use it?!"

Dusk snatched it with his fangs and held it high above his head. Just as it did many times before, it unleashed a curtain of blue light that swallowed them whole. The mob of Slugma were just inches away when they vanished.

Grumpig Dojo Lobby

The first thing she felt was the cool air.

Then she realized she was actually in the air.

Krista gasped as she hit the ground. Pineno fell on top of her. She got to her feet, and she heard a shout from Dusk.

His heavy weight fell on them. Krista wheezed as her body was forced back on the ground.

"Sorry…" Dusk rolled off, and he laid flat on the ground. A relieved sigh escaped him.

"What was that…?" Krista breathed as she got to her knees.

"It hates urgent calls like that, so it spat us out in a petty fashion," Dusk answered.

"No, I mean, what was that? The Slugma! There were so many of them!"

"Probably their nest. Likely a Monster House. But it was too small for me to determine."

"Too small?! There were at least ten of them!"

Dusk stood with a grunt. "That was tame compared to what I've witnessed in my years. Maybe I could had fought them off on my own, but a nest like that means only more would come. They would attack you while I am distracted. You would get hurt. It would be irresponsible of me. But still…I wish I caught on that something like this would have happened sooner. I should have listened to my instincts. I'm sorry for the scare you two had."

Krista noticed he wasn't looking at her.

Pineno.

She turned to the Chespin, who took his time to stand from his tight roll. The sting of fear remained potent in her nose, etched in her memory.

Pineno took a look around before he noticed everyone's faces. He waved his paws in a panic. "N-no! That's okay! You just wanted to make sure you weren't assuming anything!"

Krista knew he was trying to play it off. His eyes were glossed, the corners built with tears.

He wanted to brave the dungeon. He really did.

Krista returned her focus to Dusk. She didn't want him poking Pineno with questions. "You're right. You should had got us out of there the moment you saw the floor was wrong!"

"I know, I know…" Dusk hung his head. "Gods…I did it again. It hasn't even been a full week…Vigor is going to kill me. But…you're not hurt…are you?"

Krista backed away as he sniffed at her, then at Pineno.

"Not hurt…good. That's good… Hey. At least you learned something out of this, right? You called the retreat once you realized there was no other way out. Not bad."

"Is that all you care about?!" Krista snapped. "We almost got cooked back there!"

"I know, I know. But what matters is that you two made it out safe."

Dusk turned towards the exit.

"Listen…don't tell the Headmaster about this."

"Huh?!" Krista and Pineno stood, dumbfounded.

"If he heard about the close-call we had, he's going to tear me to pieces. Even if it was an accident, he still would—"

"An accident? You mean this isn't the first time you put your students in danger?" Krista shouted. She saw him wave a paw for her to quiet down, but she raised her voice instead. "No wonder everyone keeps talking about you! What happened to the last group you trained?! Is this how you scared them off—"

"I have been reminded a hundred times!" Dusk snapped back, teeth bared. "I don't need a child criticizing me!"

Fear gripped her heart. Krista stepped back.

Dusk's face changed once he realized what he did. It softened, and he sighed.

"Sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you. You're right…you've been right from the start. We should have skipped this maze altogether, but I ignored your friend's discomfort. I…foolishly assumed that it would help him, but all I did…"

He shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Pineno. If you…and your friend want nothing to do with me, then I understand. It would be best for you to seek a better teacher. Turns out I'm not as ready as I thought I was."

"Mr. Dusk…" Pineno frowned.

"I'll tell the Headmaster everything. If I get chewed out for it, well, I should. I deserve it anyway. Besides…I need to check with him to figure out what's going on regardless. Until then, I'll have the dojo closed off from operation. You two can head to the library and do your studies there. Ask Grove where it is. She'll point you to the right direction."

He tapped his badge and looked towards the ceiling.

"Zee! I need to speak with our Headmaster. Can you take me to his chamber?"

Krista heard nothing. She could only assume it was a one-way call.

And she was right. Not even a second later, and Dusk got sucked into a thinning vortex of light.

… … …

"I can't believe we ran right into a Slugma nest! There were so many of them! I wonder what all that was about? I know Dusk is trying to figure out what happened, but it was still weird. Even he looked kinda spooked."

After they received some quick directions from Grove, the pair made their way across the vacant cafeteria. It was nearing mid-day. There were only other Pokémon crossing the cafeteria from other hallways.

Krista had been listening to Pineno ramble for the past few minutes. He was ecstatic as his voice carried across the room. It earned them several odd glances from passing Pokémon.

His chatter was his way to distract himself. There was still a nervous undertone in his words. Still, he smiled and kept a strong pace. He pushed forward even with the knowledge that they would likely return to the fire dojo before going to the next.

That was what worried her. He almost collapsed back there. What if it happened again? The dojo wasn't even safe.

"I don't think they'll let us back in there tomorrow," Krista assured him. "Not when it's not working the way it should be. Maybe we'll be in a different dojo tomorrow?"

"Maybe! But I don't ever want to step foot in there ever again!" Pineno grinned. Again, it was forced.

Before she could respond, a strange feeling made Krista stop in her tracks. She glanced behind her, but there were only a small number of Pokémon walking in the distance. None of them seemed to want her attention, nor did any look out of place…

(It's bugging me again. Someone is here? Following us…?)

Nothing. There was nothing.

"Do you think there are ghost Pokémon here?" Krista asked, her eyes locked on the distant hall.

"Ghost Pokémon? Maybe. I haven't seen any," Pineno answered. "If there are, I don't think they would be around here right now. They are nocturnal."

(That's true. But still…)

Krista decided she was being paranoid. She resumed her journey.

"I think Grove said it was over this way," Pineno pointed to his left.

They took a wing they never did before. West from the cafeteria was a long walk down a wide hall. There was no door. No barrier. The hallway ended and gaped open like the mouth leading inside of a cave.

Krista felt grass beneath her feet. She had to remind herself to breathe.

The floating blue stones ended where she stood. There was no purpose for them. As they continued forward, a gaping opening high above allowed sunlight to pour inside the massive chamber, like a gentle blanket of light.

Everywhere she looked, there was green. The ground was like a sea of grass, rippling as waves with every gentle breeze. Large, round, and flat boulders were stationed across the space, occupied by a variety of stacked books and Pokémon who looked vibrant under the sun. The stone walls were lined with trees who joined branches, where smaller Pokémon could sit or travel as they desired. Behind those trees were placed stones that were carved into shelves, and each held countless books of unique shapes and sizes. Even through her blurred vision, Krista could make out how each one was binded by threads and vines.

The marbled walls sparkled under the sunlight, something that even the floating stones could never do. Everywhere Krista looked, she could see the endless sea of sparkles, no matter where the sunlight came from. There were a thousand colors, a thousand stars. The ground was soft, the temperature was perfect, and the breeze was gentle. A breeze—fresh, fresh air. She wanted nothing more than to lie down and stretch, to nap under the sunlight, to claim every stone.

"Krista…take a deep breath," Pineno's voice pulled her from her admiration. "This place is very sparkly. I think your Meowth instincts are going haywire."

She almost protested, but she realized how he couldn't stop staring either. The center table was where the sunlight was the strongest. They both approached it without a word. It was warm, and perfect. Krista tilted her head back to admire the view of the sky above. There were little clouds today.

But there was one thing that didn't make sense.

"Isn't this place supposed to be hidden?" she asked aloud. "There's nothing sheltering us from view. Anyone outside could just discover this place without even trying."

Pineno smiled as he placed his paws on the table's surface. "If this place is vulnerable, I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be as active as it is!"

"That doesn't answer my question."

"I guess we should ask around and find out. We also need to find books that can teach us Retaliator basics. That's what Mr. Dusk wanted us to do. We have all day to learn, so I guess we should get started! But um…"

Krista shared his uncertainty. The rows of books lined along the walls didn't seem to end. The shelves were stacked, reaching nearly the same length as the trees that decided to claim the space suitable for them to grow in.

"Where are we supposed to look?"

"Over here," a voice said from behind.

They turned, and a large, thorny, metallic body dropped down in front of them, hanging by extending vines.

"Oh! A Ferrothorn!" Pineno gasped.

"Never seen you before." The large Pokémon had a deep, but strange metallic voice. "Who are you?"

"We are Team Retribute!" Pineno proudly announced. "Mr. Dusk sent us here to check out a few books!"

"Team…Retribute… A Chespin. A strange Meowth…yes. Team Retribute. Mightyena sent you here. Your badges. Standard rank. Probation. Grove mentioned you. Said you were on your way here."

He scaled the rest of the way down, joining them on the ground. He carried his weight as his feelers stretched and extended. He moved past them, not looking back.

"This way."

The pair of Pokémon followed him. He took his time crossing the room, effortlessly stepping over tables. The large trees betrayed their sight once they realized they'd been walking longer than they expected. The room was massive. The trees were huge. The shelves were tall, or perhaps they looked taller to Krista. She couldn't recall any tree looming over her presence so strongly.

Ferrothorn stopped in front of a shelf. He started to climb, planting his feelers on each segment. Somehow, he never touched a single book with every step.

Then, he stopped. His metallic voice spoke up.

"Retaliator basics. Shelf 1. Row 1. Section A."

A book was tossed down. Pineno caught it with his vines.

"Dungeon basics. Shelf 1. Row 2. Section A."

Another book fell. Pineno caught it as well.

"Battling basics. Shelf 1. Row 3. Section D."

A third book. Pineno almost toppled over.

There was silence as the Ferrothorn stopped. He twisted his entire body and looked down at them both. His eyes locked into Krista for a moment.

He turned back around. He crawled sideways and crossed several shelves before he knocked down another book.

Pineno grunted as the fourth slammed down on the pile. He fell on his back.

"Hatchling's First Footprints. Shelf 10. Row 1. Section A."

"What?!" Krista squeaked.

"Meowth can't read. Teach her to read."

Krista grumbled. (Who came up with that stupid writing system anyway?)

Ferrothorn made his descent. Once he touched the ground, he walked past. "Read. No check-outs. Return them to me before departure. Hatchling book is the exception. Take that. Plenty in stock."

Pineno was finally back to his feet. Just before Ferrothorn could leave, he jumped forward. "Wait!"

Thankfully, the librarian stopped.

"My friend wanted to know how this library is safe. Anyone from outside could spot us, right?"

Krista didn't like that he pointed it out that she wanted to know. Ferrothorn looked at her, but it was impossible to read his face. She didn't think he could show any emotion if he wanted to.

"Easier to look out than in," Ferrothorn said. "Cave walls are like boulders to the outside eyes. Another structure. Easy to gloss over. Outsider gets too close, outsider gets repelled. Sentry duty."

Krista almost didn't catch what he was explaining. It didn't sound safe enough. Maybe Pokémon were a lot more lenient with security? It was so strange.

As soon as Ferrothorn was gone, Pineno joined Krista's side. "Well, I guess we should get started, huh?"

… … …

Pineno was trying his best to help her read the footprints, but the large variety intimidated her. When he tried to start her off with the "easy" ones, all she could process was nonsense.

The placement of a footprint determined what was said. An upside-down Charmander footprint had a different meaning from one that was right-side up. Two small Torchic footprints held a different meaning compared to one large one. It was all so confusing! All it did was make her head spin, to the point she gripped her head with a groan.

"Please…please stop." Krista pressed her head against the table, mindful of the pesky coin on her head. She was going to melt from embarrassment. Her claws sank into her skull. It hurt, but she didn't care. Nothing hurt more than the occasional giggles she would hear from passing Pokémon. She was sure Pokémon could gossip. She could feel everyone laughing.

"Oh, don't be like that, Krista! Not every Pokémon in the world can read!" Pineno said. "Besides, you have a valid reason. I'm sure you can read something. What can you read, anyway?"

What can she read? She was sure she could always read.

(I know how to read. It's just nothing like this. The language I knew before I became a human…the writing system I knew…)

Everything went numb around her. Her senses…

Her vision…

Symbols. She could see them. Symbols on blurred shapes, shapes made of bricks. Lights. A paved road. The roaring of metal machines. Endless noises and sounds.

A sheet of paper. A stack of paper. Letters.

She could read them.

She could make out the words.

Do you believe…

There is always light in darkness?

Pressure fell on her shoulder.

Krista jumped. She turned and saw beady black eyes staring back at her.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…" Pineno looked towards his feet. "I'll just read the manuals."

Krista joined him at the table without another word. He started to read, but her mind couldn't focus on his voice. The words she saw…was it a memory? Or did her mind made that up to keep her from panicking?

Oh! I know this book!"

Pineno's excited voice was more than enough to grab Krista's attention. The Chespin flipped through the pages with such aggression , Krista was afraid he would tear it clean. His smile grew with every turn.

"Yeah! My dad had a copy of this book! He used to read it all the time when I was back home, you see? I pretty much memorized it! So uh…I guess I can summarize it for you, huh?"

"We don't have to memorize it by word?" Krista asked, hopeful.

"Nope! We just need to know the basic things, such as the name of this entire continent. They call it Prism."

"Prism? The Prism continent?"

"Yeah. Pretty much. It got its name because it's very colorful! You've seen the map, but I bet it looks even cooler if we could fly!"

(Fly?)

Krista wondered if he was joking, but he wore a smile that could rival the brightness of the sun. She didn't…know how to respond.

(I…I guess? Maybe they had flying Pokémon describe the land? That's how they made the map, right?)

"Oh, who am I kidding?"

Pineno's defeated voice was such a sudden change. Krista was almost taken aback by how he slumped against the table.

"Explore the land? That's impossible. It was never possible. Maybe I did manage to come here like I was supposed to, but I totally blew it! I went into that horrible dojo and told myself I had to toughen it out if I wanted a chance to get stronger…but I just…I just froze! I froze up! A sitting Ducklett!"

"Hey…hey!" Krista reached a paw towards him. "Don't be so hard on yourself. That place was horrible. I wouldn't expect you to be brave right away."

"No, no. That's not it. My dad…he always told me that being brave doesn't mean you aren't afraid of anything. Being brave is when you stand strong against what you are afraid of…and I couldn't even do that. How am I supposed to prove to my dad that I don't need to hide from the world anymore? I just…I don't know. My body just curled up and…"

"Pineno, it's not your fault."

"I know. But…I wanted to get stronger. I…I don't want to run away anymore. If Skullzer comes back, and I freeze up because of some stupid flames…then what?"

"Then, I'll keep him from hurting you," Krista answered.

"But how? He's so strong. I almost didn't…"

He rubbed his backside, as if the burn was still there. His tail sunk towards the ground.

Krista knew he was trying his best. Even if she only knew him for a few days, she heard enough of his story to understand his frustration. She would have to learn to protect herself in a world that wasn't her own.

"It's…not going to be easy." Krista knew it was a fact. It was one she didn't like to hear, and she knew Pineno felt the same way. "But isn't that why we formed a team? We are helping each other out, right?"

"Yeah. Yeah, we are." Pineno stood tall. "Sorry. I didn't mean to be such a downer. I know you are scared too, Krista. This world has to be super confusing for you, huh?"

"Well, yeah. Sometimes."

"That's why I need to get stronger too. I'm keeping my promise. I can't do that if I run away all the time." Pineno clenched his fists. "And you know what? Mr. Howler is wrong. The name you choose for us does suit us both! That will be our future!"

(Really? Retribute? I just picked that name out of random…I still don't know where it even came from. But now that I think about it…)

"Hey! You two!"

Alert, they both turned. Dusk was there. His face was hard to read, but from how quick he licked his muzzle, he had to be nervous.

"The Headmaster wants to see you."

To be Continued in Chapter 11.