Despite all the excitement, the day was still morning, the sun making its way steadily to the top of the sky. The entrance to Whispy Woods was accessed through an easy trail halfway between the guild and the town. Van assured him it wouldn't take more than an hour to get there.
Lumi looked back and marveled at the guild, still in disbelief at the sight. Now that he had actually been inside, the facade of the guild looked so small. Almost comically so.
"Threw me the first time too," rumbled the Scrafty. Lumi turned and saw the lizard smirking.
"Just," the psychic cat took a breath, "This is all so sick, all of it! How does the guild do any of that!? How is it bigger on the inside? How do you guys have your own, like, Dungeons? What's with the giant explosion?" he ranted, unconsciously getting closer to the Scrafty.
He heard chuckling, and blushed, backing off.
"...My bad." He rubbed the back of his head. "Just have a lot of questions, is all."
"Chill, it's normal. I was the same way, still am sometimes. It's cool, huh?"
"Awesome. How long have you been with them?"
"Not too long, only a couple of months. Rode in from Verdant a while back."
"Verdant Port? That's like, a two-day ride by boat across the gulf. Pretty far."
"Eh, not the furthest." He shrugged. "Guild's full of mon from all over. You're the only one from so close to home that's been interested."
"Yeah, I figured," offered Lumi, before looking down in thought.
"How come?"
"Hm?" He looked up again at Van, meeting his curious gaze.
"How come you want to join? Somebody from Thistle asking to join was the last thing anyone expected. Just wonderin' is all."
"Oh, uh..." Lumi took a moment to think, before shrugging, "Thistle's a town where kids learn the basics before shipping off to go join an explorer's guild somewhere. I was always more interested in learning about how things like orbs and stuff worked, so once I figured out what Absol's was all about, I just decided I would join them when I got older."
"You didn't want to be an explorer?" Asked Van.
"Well, I have nothing against them, and exploring Dungeons sounds exciting, but I just think my way of helping might be a little different than going on rescues or catching bad guys, you know?"
The Scrafty nodded.
"Trust me, I get it. Similar story for a lot of mon there, actually."
The Meowstic's eyes slightly widened in surprise. "Really?"
"Oh yeah, we're all a bunch of weirdos," Van chuckled. "Honestly, you'll fit right in."
"Won't I need like, a degree or something? I'm not exactly a scientist or-" He was cut off by the Scrafty belting out a laugh. After a solid minute, he calmed down, still smiling broadly.
"Nice one mon. Look, don't sweat the details. If you join, you'll be an apprentice, and the guild will teach you everything you need to know. Most of the 'science' we do is just figuring out what works and running field tests. Don't sweat it."
Hearing that made Lumi feel a little lighter, relief lifting his spirits.
"Thanks, really."
"Like I said, don't worry about it. Instead, focus on the task we have now."
"Oh, yeah. Speaking of, what exactly does 'get dud orbs' mean? What's a dud orb?"
Van smirked again."You'll see."
After turning at the trail, it was only a short walk to the entrance of Whispy Woods. The dry landscape gradually gave way to taller grasses and bushes, before trees began sprouting up along the path. Soon, the path was encased by trees, growing denser the further they walked. Trepidation and excitement filled Lumi, eyes turning to examine the new surroundings. Van led him forward with a casual gait, clearly used to the sight.
Looking forward, Lumi squinted in the distance when a strange sight caught his eye, heart beginning to race as he struggled to comprehend it. His gait increased slightly before he began to jog forward to confirm what he was seeing. In no time, he was standing in front of what he could only guess was the entrance to the Dungeon.
An arch of trees that twisted in unnatural angles framed what looked like a hole in space. The hole was filled with a fluorescent mosaic of colors that obfuscated any degree of sight further in, and he belatedly realized that this was the same film that composed the Proto Dungeons. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and he realized that his breathing had increased. He looked up and noted a concerned frown on Van's face.
"Let me guess, first Dungeon?"
He nodded.
"Alright, basics first." He sat down and motioned for the Meowstic to do the same. He held up one of the nubs on his paws.
"One. Don't panic. You'll be seeing things inside that you never have before, and things will only get worse if you psych yourself out." He held up another nub.
"Two. Listen to everything I say. Trust me, I've done this tons of times, so there'll be nothing to worry about."
As the Scrafty species are only in possession of three nubs on each hand, Van had to get creative and just face his whole palm out to Lumi for emphasis. This particularity was ignored in favor of listening to more advice.
"Three. Yes, there are hostile pokemon inside, and yes we will be in there for a while. Do you know how to fight?"
Lumi was about to nod but then gave a so-so motion with his paw instead.
"Um, I know Confusion, Disarming Voice, Scratch, and Leer..."
"Alright, so you know how to defend yourself, at least. If you want, you'll get a chance to train, but we won't actually be doing a whole lot of fighting. Now." He stood up, the Meowstic following suit. They both turned toward the mouth of the Dungeon.
"This is one of those things you just gotta do. It'll feel weird stepping through, but you got a little taste back in the guild. Remember, don't panic, and I'll be right here with you."
The lizard motioned for Lumi to step to his side, and he began walking, the Meowstic matching his stride. Lumi could tell he was taking things slow for his sake, but he was thankful. Coming closer to that strange energy, he steeled his face and tried to calm his beating heart. He had seen many amazing things today, what was one more? The thought just made his heart rush with excitement.
Passing through the film, he felt that previous disorientation come back stronger than before, his nerves on edge and keenly aware of a weight enveloping his form. Unlike the Proto Dungeon, his eyes had trouble processing his surroundings: a kaleidoscope of colors shifting and forming, threatening to make him lose his lunch. As they walked forward, the colors seemed to finally settle on a pattern, greens and browns taking dominance. Eventually, even the ground beneath him shifted to resemble that of brown dirt, yet he could not recall the sensation of shifting earth.
The world came into focus, and they stood in the middle of a forest grove, paths lined densely with trees and vegetation in front of them and to their sides. Lumi jolted at the transition and looked behind him expecting to find the entrance. Instead, another path lead in a different direction. He continued to look around as his pulse slowed and a smile grew on his face.
"Woah..." he breathed. "Woah, woah, oooooh damn, that's crazy..."
"Heh, congrats." Van heartily thumped him on the back, "You just walked in your first Dungeon. Watcha think?"
"It's..." The Meowstic took a moment to consider. There were many things he could say, but there was something nagging at his instincts, his Energy, that took precedence.
"Why do I feel...lighter? And, I can't help but feel, uh, something in the air."
"Short answer, Aether. I know, weird name, but it's the best we got. Mystery Dungeons are places that are chock full of the stuff, and it warps the surroundings in weird ways. Also interacts strangely with your Power, makes it a little more sensitive than outside."
"...Huh. But, wait, how come-" A hand in front of his face.
"Hold up." The Scrafty focused on the path to their left. Lumi looked and spotted a Tangela that loomed in the corridor. For a moment, everything was still, until Van took a step forward. As if flicking a switch, the Tangela began running forward, vines flailing widely in an attempt to attack. Lumi panicked, stepping back to try and decide which move to use, but before he could Van had already engaged the creature. Despite the large backpack, the Scrafty moved fast, rushing through the vines and delivering a swift series of punches and kicks that knocked the Tangela on the ground. Lumi's eyes bulged and hopped backwards when the Pokemon seemed to dissipate into motes of light, and dispersed in the air.
Coming out of his stance, the Scrafty turned and flicked his head.
"Hey, follow me for a sec, gotta find a safer place to set up." He didn't even sound winded from the fight.
Unsure of what that meant but not about to ask questions, the Meowstic obeyed and followed Van through the floor. They ran into more Pokemon; Tangelas, Rattatas, and Oddish, but Van dealt with most of them. On occasion, he would back off and allow Lumi the honor of dueling a mon. Having little experience, his first fights were awkward and mostly consisted of him running around shouting at his enemies, much to Van's amusement. Soon he was able to get into a rhythm of using Confusion or Disarming Voice, and then Scratching his foes after they were weakened.
They came upon a small dead end, the only entrance being the one they came through. Lumi thought they would turn around, but instead watched as Van turned in a circle, nodded, and then went to go sit by the far wall. Taking off the backpack, he rustled around in it for a bit before pulling out a transparent orb. Van prepared to use it, and Lumi stepped closer, curious as to its function. The clear orb began gleaming brightly in the Scrafty's hand.
Then Van disappeared from view.
Startled, the Meowstic stepped back and peered closer to confirm there was no trace of his guide.
"...Van?" He called out, beginning to look around.
"Hey, yo, Van!" He decided to come closer to where the Scrafty used to be. Maybe there was some trace? Perhaps the orb had some kind of teleport function? But then why would the Scrafty not bother to bring him along...
His musings were cut short as the disembodied head of his chaperone popped in right in front of his face, wearing a shit-eating grin.
"Sup."
"Mrrreeeoowwww!" yowled the cat, falling on his butt. "Ah fu-dammit, what the hell!?"
The rest of the Scrafty seemed to materialize into view, trembling and clutching his sides in barely constrained laughter.
"H-Hey, come on mon. Y-you know it's not safe to chill in a Dun-" Giggles overtook the rest of his sentence.
"Ah...just, How?" He asked, at a loss. Lumi rose to his feet, Van grabbing his arm and walking him forward. The Scrafty pulled his arm forward, and to his amazement, watched as half of his arm seemed to be cut off.
"Camouflage Orb. Just makes a screen in front of you that blends in with the surroundings," Van explained, breath becoming steady. "Real important for what we're about to do."
He stepped through again, disappearing from sight. After some brief hesitation, Lumi followed suit, feeling a tingling sensation as he walked through what he presumed to be the threshold. He saw Van on the other side pulling out some large cushions from the bag that definitely should not have fit.
"And what exactly are we about to do?" Questioned Lumi. He was waved over by the Scrafty who was already reclining on the plush cushion. He sat down, briefly marveling at the softness, before turning to Van expectantly.
"Wait."
"...Wait?"
"Or nap. That's what I prefer. Camouflage helps so no ferals interrupt," he said, simply. The Meowstic still looked confused, so Van sighed and sat up.
"Alright look. Short version. Many items are created from the Aether that congeals in Dungeons. Stay in a dungeon long enough, and it starts to get restless, strained from using Aether to generate a floor when someone walks in. While this is going on, Aether is way more active as the Dungeon strips itself apart. Our job is to collect the dissipating Aether, which takes the form of orbs yet to absorb any Energy, while this is happening."
Lumi was quiet, trying to process that information. The Scrafty looked at him with a sympathetic expression.
"Don't try and think about it too much. We can go into more detail later, but honestly, Mystery Dungeons don't make a lot of sense on the best of days."
"...You said we're staying until the place...falls apart?" asked Lumi. Van nodded.
"Isn't that, like, really dangerous?"
"When the Dungeon fully dissipates, it'll filter out anything not Aether, so if anything we would just get kicked out the way we came. You would have to actively try and fight the push before things get dangerous." At this, he smirked.
"Like I said, you'll be seeing some trippy stuff. Most Exploration teams never see a Dungeon break apart, they're taught to leave at the first warning signs; loud winds, walls groaning, things like that. We'll be staying way beyond that. Sound fun?"
"Oh yeah, this is way better than what I was expecting on my first day!"
Van smiled.
They stayed like that for a while, lounging on the cushions as they spoke. Lumi found Van easy to talk to, and it was fascinating to listen to him describe some of the projects his fellow recruits were working on with such nonchalance. Van, for his part, put more effort into describing his stories, encouraged by the genuine enthusiasm Lumi showed. The willingness Van displayed in answering his questions made Lumi feel like a recruit right then and there. Given how popular Exploration and Rescue teams were, it was rare to find a Pokemon who shared his passion for things most Pokemon took for granted.
Eventually, Van announced he would take a light nap to wait for the Dungeon to grow tired of their presence. Seeing that Lumi was too excited to get any rest, he instead gave him instructions to wake him up: "When the floors start peeling off, and not before then."
Once the Scrafty began snoring, Lumi tiptoed over to the backpack and busied himself with inspecting all the pockets. Sure enough, he was able to fit his whole arm and then some in even the smallest pocket. After he felt a draft from sticking his head inside the main compartment, he decided to put it aside lest he somehow fall in. For a while, he sat there replaying the events of the day in his head and trying his best to grasp everything he had seen. He couldn't stop smiling to himself at how bizarre this day had become, and was shaping up to be.
About two hours later, his thoughts were interrupted as he felt a draft rustle his fur. He perked up and strained his senses, waiting in the eerie silence that came after. A few more minutes, and another draft, stronger this time, buffeted his body. The leaves of the trees above rustled, some dislodging and being carried in the current. It was longer before this wind died down, the gravid silence heavier.
Lumi waited. The Aether in the air pricked at his fur. Unconsciously, his ears unfurled ever so slightly.
Imperceptible at first but growing in intensity, the ground rumbled. Soft vibrations escalated into tremors, and cascaded into a quake. Already up on his feet, Lumi struggled to stand upright, only made more difficult by the strong WHOOSH that howled throughout the Dungeon as the tremors peaked in intensity. Relentless gales struck the trees, sound drowning out amidst the cacophonous rushing of wind. Against all reason, the wind's voice, for that was all he could describe it as, sounded undeniably frustrated. Intent lurked within the gusts, the sound of the squall akin to someone groaning in anger.
Tails twisting behind him, fur billowed out in all directions, and lips pulled back from the force, Lumi turned to see if Van was faring any better than him. Seeing the Scrafty, his eyes managed to crease in incredulity.
The Scrafty was fine alright. Still laid out on the cushion, snoring peacefully with his hands behind his head.
Chillin'.
A feeling like envy managed to well up in his chest before the wind finally got the better of him, another catlike yowl escaping his lips as he was whisked off his feet. The exhilaration of assisted freefall was short-lived as his back slammed into a tree, a soft groan escaping his lips. The next ten minutes consisted of Lumi being held captive on the tree by the wind as the Dungeon screamed unheard profanities at his helpless form.
Thankfully, the raging wind finally began to die down, the lack of force causing him to fall the short drop to the ground in a heap. Groaning, Lumi rolled onto his back, body sore and ears still ringing. He looked up at the forest canopy with lidded eyes, head pounding, taking respite in the silence that followed the wind. For a moment, he almost forgot what he was supposed to be doing, his thoughts a blur from the excitement.
Except...
What is that?
As he slowly regained focus, his eyes picked out an irregularity in the leaves. At first, he thought it was his addled mind playing tricks on him, but squinting at the canopy confirmed that the colors of the leaves, before a uniform green, were now fluctuating through every color of the rainbow. Struggling to his feet, he noted that the trees, almost imperceptibly, were shifting from brown to a fluid array of colors. He was reminded of the entrance to the dungeon, and it clicked in his mind what was about to happen.
The Dungeon was about to come undone.
Excitement and nervousness mixed together in his gut, combining into a desperate desire to see what comes next. He made his way to Van, about to shake him awake, but paused upon remembering what he was told. The floors peeling off? He had to see that. He crouched low to the ground and stared, keenly aware of the dirt occasionally bleeding into soft pinks and purples.
After what felt like forever, his eyes finally picked out something other than the mesmerizing sight of the ground periodically losing clarity. He squinted his eyes, and was amazed when tiny, droplet sized spheres began rising off the ground. Like rain falling upwards, more of the droplets ascended from the floor towards the ceiling. Curious, Lumi reached a paw out to prod at one, surprised at the density of the floating thing. It felt like touching a marble, and he cupped it in his paw to get a closer look. Within the tiny sphere, a bold rainbow shifted and flowed within. His mouth opened in silent awe, and he let it go, watching for a moment as it continued its ascent.
Deciding that now was the right time, he again went over to Van and nudged at his shoulder to wake him up. He then recalled that the Scrafty somehow slept through the whole Dungeon screaming at them. With a silent apology, Lumi placed both his paws on his shoulders and roughly shook him awake, going harder until Van cracked an eye open.
"...mmmh? Wazzat..." groused Van.
"Van? I think it's time. The Dungeon is, uh, doing the thing."
Struggling to get both eyes open, Van turned his head to look at the surroundings. Lumi took a moment to reflect on how surreal it was to watch someone calmly observe the environment bleeding into a moving mosaic around them.
"Hmm. It's a little early, could have gone five more minutes..." Nonetheless, Van finally rose out the cushion, reaching his arms over his head to stretch. Lumi waited while he collected the cushions and deposited them inside the bag. In exchange, he pulled out what looked like two large bug nets. He tossed one to Lumi, who fumbled before grasping it, and hefted the other one over his shoulder.
"Aight. Here's the fun part. See these things?" He gestured to the small rainbow marbles floating around them.
"Concentrated Aether, it's what orbs are made of. They're too small to collect right now, so we gotta wait for the Dungeon to get more unstable. Might as well take a walk in the meantime."
With that, the two set off from their shelter, Lumi eyeing the upward falling drops and ever colorful trees. He noticed that the drops had grown, about the size of his fist instead of marbles. The ground they walked on began to look pockmarked with small rainbow-colored holes, the small Aether orbs taking with them pieces of the Dungeon as they dissipated.
"So, have fun with the wind?" Started Van as they walked through the pathways. Lumi rubbed his still sore back.
"You could say that. I was truly blown away, Dungeon really swept me off my feet." He was rewarded with snickers for the lame puns.
"Really though, how did you manage to sleep through that? I could barely hear anything with how loud it was."
"Maybe I gust got a good internal clock, eh?" It was Lumi's turn to snort. "Sides', do this enough times and you realize that these places are all bark and no bite. Well, most of them."
"Actually, that reminds me, where are the feral Pokemon?" It was true, in walking throughout the rest of the wood, they hadn't encountered a single other Pokemon.
"Ferals are the first to go when a Dungeon gets like this. Guild hypothesis is it takes a lot of Aether to keep those things moving around, so they lose their form before everything else." explained Van. Lumi nodded. It made enough sense for the time being.
They entered a larger grove, this one full of floating orbs and rainbow holes. The surrounding vegetation began shifting more frequently from normal to the moving Aether that composed it. Van walked over and grabbed an orb, this one big enough to need to be held in both hands. He inspected the weight, bouncing it in his hands before nodding and coming to show Lumi.
"This is big enough, see how it's the size of a regular orb? We're gonna want to take as many of these back as we can." He deposited the rainbow orb into the backpack and brandished the net.
"We'll hit this room, and then move together to the other places. We have about thirty minutes before this place is too unstable to walk in. Shouldn't be too hard, but watch your step for the holes."
Despite the overwhelmingly bizarre situation, Van's instructions were clear enough, so Lumi just nodded. He couldn't help the trepidation that arose at the thought of the rainbow holes, they were big enough now to trip him if he wasn't careful, and they might grow even bigger.
He steeled himself, gripped his net, and walked forward. He spotted a few orbs floating that were roughly the correct size. Careful of the holes, he approached the orbs and gave a hearty swing of the net. They disappeared into the mesh, however, it still felt weightless. Smiling to himself, he continued around the room, catching orbs in the net that never seemed to be full. Van mirrored him on the other side, movements much more smooth, almost acrobatic.
They met in the center of the space once they had collected all the orbs they could. Wordlessly, Van put down the backpack and opened the main pocket, shaking his net over it to deposit the bounty. Lumi noted with bemusement that more orbs poured out of the net than visually made sense, but was becoming accustomed to such things. He did the same with his net and counted roughly thirty orbs they had gotten from this room. They nodded to each other and went to move to a different area. The Dungeon became more unstable all the while.
By the time they had repeated the process in a few more rooms, Van seemed to actually need to put some effort into lifting the backpack. They had both worked up a sweat from the exertion, needing to exercise greater caution avoiding the growing holes in the ground. The Dungeon around them now spent more time as a multicolored mess than any semblance of a forest.
"Phew. Alright, that should last us for a while. Not bad for your first dive, mon," Van offered.
"Thanks, glad I could help. Sooooo..." Lumi trailed off, having noticed that the exits to the room they were in were now blocked by holes wider than could be jumped over. He wasn't scared, but the dwindling piece of Dungeon they had left him concerned.
Mildly concerned.
"How are we getting out of here?" asked Lumi, heart rate increased.
"Oh, easy. With this." Van opened up a side pocket and whipped out a shiny, purple badge. The emblem of a blue spark was emblazoned on its metal surface.
"Oh!" Lumi exclaimed. "Wait I've heard of those. Explorers use them to warp outside of Dungeons."
Van snorted in response. "We're definitely not just going outside the dungeon. I'm sure as hell not walking all the way back with this thing. Here, hold tight."
The Scrafty grabbed his arm and held the badge above their heads. Lumi shut his eyes as it glowed to life, and a second later the two were no more. Moments later, the spot they were standing on finally dissolved, the Dungeon nothing more than a nebulous space of multicolored Aether.
In a flash, the two appeared, stumbling onto plush cushions. His eyes had to adjust to the sudden shift in light, but once they did Lumi recognized the curtained walls of the guild. Van led him out of the tent flap in front of them, and he saw that they had appeared in the back of the Development floor. The darker, uniform colors soothed a growing headache he had from watching colors swirl for so long.
"So, we're almost done," started Van, hefting the backpack along and leading him past the Proto Dungeons. Unlike before, they were empty.
"Just gotta drop these off and then show you one more thing, then it's dinner time."
"Isn't it a little early for dinner?" questioned Lumi. Van looked at him funny for a second, before pausing and smacking himself lightly in the head.
"Aw, damn, did I... I forgot to tell you, sorry."
"Sorry? About what?"
"There's a, uh, small time dilation of sorts when you enter a Dungeon. Don't freak out!" He assuaged when the Meowstic's eyes widened.
"It's nothing crazy, just an hour in there is roughly three or so out here. It would spit you out long before you could be gone for like, a whole day. I really should have mentioned that sooner, my bad." Van apologized, holding his other arm with his hand.
"No, it's fine, really! It's just, I wasn't expecting, uh, yeah..." The mood lowered as they walked to the front of the room. Lumi gazed down in thought, and Van periodically looking up as if trying to start the conversation again. They stopped at the first tent flap on the left side of the room, opposite of the one they entered earlier. As soon as they walked in, Van stiffened, and Lumi caught the small 'aw fuck' he let out under his breath. In front of them, behind a desk stacked with papers, sat a bored looking Dragonite. When they looked up at their entrance, Lumi swore he felt the air chill, their gaze boring into him.
"Uh, hey, Damia..." started Van as they walked forwards. He seemed more keen looking at the ground than the Pokemon in front of them.
"I'm here to drop off some duds. Uh, looks like you got hit with more work than usual today, heh..." he tried, chuckling timidly.
The Dragonite, Damia, didn't respond. Van slowly wilted under her gaze until she released him, nodding off to a bin to the side of the desk. He hurriedly walked over, took off the backpack, and began pouring the orbs inside.
Unsure what he walked into, and intimidated by the large Pokemon, Lumi just stood there, waiting for Van to finish. He looked everywhere but at the Dragonite.
"Hey," she called his attention. He finally looked at her, relieved that her gaze had softened slightly to one of curiosity.
"You the recruit I've been hearing about?" Her voice was deep, yet smooth like velvet. Admittedly, it was pleasing to listen to, but he was too tense to enjoy it.
"Yeah. Well, I want to be. It's been exciting so far so I'll join if you'll have me."
"...We'll see," was all she said. Sensing the end of that conversation, he waited until Van walked back with a lighter backpack.
"Ok. That's it. I'll, uh see you at dinner?" He tried.
Damia said nothing.
"Cool. Aight Lumi, let's go." He gave a small wave anyway, then turned and walked off. Lumi looked to the Dragonite briefly, but she was already filling out a form, her attention elsewhere. He followed Van out into the room, heading toward what he now assumed to be the Scraftý's own personal workspace.
"Sooooo..." started Lumi.
"That was Damia, Head of Dynamo. She kind of oversees the floor, and keeps an eye on projects," he replied, not turning to address the Meowstic.
"...You good?"
"Yeah! Yeah, just was, uh, not expecting her to be there this late. Look, let's just keep it moving, alright? There's something cool I want to show you."
They entered, and Van plopped the backpack on top of his workbench. He pulled out a dud orb and showed it to Lumi.
"I kept one, cuz I wanted to show you a little of the infusion process. Here, hold this." Lumi took the rainbow orb in his paws, marveling at the shifting, psychedelic colors.
"Most working orbs are created when you infuse Type Energy into the Aether in varying amounts. That Orb is pure Aether but hasn't been influenced by any kind of Energy, so it could be anything. The same concept applies to anything made or saturated in Aether. I wanted to show this to you now, because if you're gonna be staying with us, you'll need to know the basics."
At the mention of Energy, Lumi attempted to engage the orb as he did before, but there was no mental prompt this time. Instead, he felt his Energy get pushed around and shifted by the Aether, unable to latch on.
"Just close your eyes and let your Type Energy meld with the Aether. Imagine you're poking and prodding at the contours of the orb," he instructed.
Concentrating, Lumi closed his eyes and just let his senses be swept along. Through his paws, he could feel the shifting Aether, and the image of a lake appeared in his mind's eye. Wanting to experiment, he channeled some of his Psychic Energy into the lake, dark pink in color. Unlike the structured Energy needed to manifest a move, he simply let the raw Energy interact with the Aether. He felt his Psychic Energy mesh and shift with the Aether, before ultimately getting swept up and dissolving within.
He opened his eyes, gasping for breath, and was a little disappointed when the orb contained the same rainbow color.
"Nice job," comforted Van. "I can tell you got a good feel for how the Energy flows. Most mon just want to pour everything in at once and don't think about how the Aether reacts. You'll get the hang of it soon."
The Scrafty took the orb in his own hands. Lumi watched as his feet pulled further apart. He kept the orb directly at chest height.
"Now." He said with his eyes closed. "Normally you need the interaction between Type Energy and Aether to make an orb, but Absol found a neat little trick. Let me just..."
The Scrafty went quiet, clearly concentrating. The orb in his hands shone as the rainbow inside began to swirl. The colors shifted and mixed, the rainbow seeming to arbitrarily shift from different hues. After a bit, the orb settled on a sky blue, a gleaming spark resting in the middle. Sweating, the Scrafty held the orb up proudly and handed it to Lumi.
The orb felt electric in his hands, the power within feeling like a hair's breadth away from being let loose. He felt a name, Jubilant orb, come to the forefront of his mind. The orb seemed to call to his Energy, guiding it to just the right spots to unleash it...
"Woah! Time out!" Van snatched the gleaming orb away from Lumi. The shine snuffed out as Energy left it.
"What's wrong, did I do something?" Asked Lumi, worried.
"Not you, just, don't use this indoors. Don't ask me how, but Absol figured out a way to get an orb working with pure Aether. And I do mean 'working'. This baby fully works both in and out of Dungeons."
"Woah. What's it do?"
Van gave him a sly smile. "I'll let that be a surprise. For now though..." He stuffed the orb in a smaller handbag and slid it on.
"Let's get somethin' to eat. I'm starving." At the mention of food, Lumi felt an ache in his stomach, alerting him that he hadn't eaten anything all day. He chuckled and rubbed his head, looking down with a small smile.
"Lead the way."
They walked out into the floor, and through the room connecting the Branches together. Coming out into the main room with the large board, they continued towards the flap on the opposite side. The floating orbs, once illuminated enough to simulate morning, were now much dimmer.
Whereas the Development Wing opened up into a rotunda one could easily call grand, coming through this flap revealed a hall one would not hesitate to call homely. The hall was still long and the ceilings still high, but the abundance of cushions and couches near the center brought the place closer together. Plush purple carpets rested on a wood floor, and a thick, dark-brown cloth draped the sides for walls. Beginning in the center of the room and flanked by cushions, a large staircase led to a second floor, girded by dark wood balusters. Pokemon steadily streamed out of all entrances in the room, aiming for a large tent flap to his right on the bottom floor, where a warm light and delicious smell wafted from.
"Welcome to the Residential Wing" Van said. bringing Lumi from his observations. The Scrafty gestured around as they walked towards the flap.
"When we're not working, this is where we typically hang out. Dorms are over there," he gestured to a flap on a left, "And the library is up there," he pointed up the stairs, to a rather large and ornate tent flap directly in front of the landing. "There's some other stuff too, but the most important is..." He paused for emphasis as they walked through the flap. Lumi's mouth instantly began to water, the smell hitting him full force.
"The Mess Hall."
The sight of a long, low, table ladened with food greeted his eyes immediately. Cushions of varying sizes lined the table, with Pokemon having landed, hopped, or slithered onto whatever seat was available. He spotted multiple Pokemon, including a familiar looking Wooloo, zipping in and out of flaps toward the back, setting plates on the table before rushing back. The sounds of chatter and laughter filled the room as Pokemon lined the table. As he took in the sight, Van spotted a cream colored paw waving frantically from further down the table. He guided Lumi towards a spot where a couple cushions were free, and Clara the Spinda smiled happily.
"Heya Vanny! Hi Lumi!" She exclaimed, eyes swirling. Van sat next to her, Lumi following suit.
"Sup." "Hey, Clara," they greeted.
"How was it getting those duds? Any problems?"
"Nope. This guy," Said Van, putting a hand on Lumi's shoulder, "Is a natural."
"Thanks, I was the one awake for most of it." That got a chuckle out of Clara, and Van lightly pushed him, smiling.
"Really Vanny? Again? I swear, you're the only one who can do that." The Scrafty just shrugged.
"How about you? What was that special 'project' Dora got you working on?"
"That's a surprise! Oh, speaking of, Lumi!" Clara leaned forward, addressing the Meowstic.
"What'd you think of your first Dungeon dive? It wasn't too scary, was it?"
"Scary? Nah, it was sick. Wasn't expecting to get yelled at by a forest or having to catch floating magic balls in a net when I woke up today, but I'd do it again."
"Atta boy," Van said. "Vert'll like to hear that."
"The other Guildmaster? When do you think I'll meet him?"
"Pretty soon, I'd say," he said, looking over him. Lumi followed his gaze to the entrance of the room. As he did, the chatter quieted down a bit, and he understood why instantly.
Standing larger than most members of his species, an Absol loomed in the doorway. His steely gaze swept over the room for a moment, before calmly striding forward. To Lumi's surprise, sitting happily on his back was the Whimsicott, Pandora. As they came closer to the head of the table, the sound quieted until nothing could be heard besides the Absol's footsteps on the wooden floor.
They arrived at two opulent cushions. Pandora hopped off to sit primly on hers while Absol remained standing. He was unsure what the pause was for, until a server rushed out and put a plate of berries, salad, and pasta directly in front of the Meowstic. Despite everyone else having a plate in front of them, the Absol and Pandora were still without one. The Absol's gaze swept the table, and nodded, apparently content with something. Soon after, other servers appeared and deposited meals in front of the two.
At that, Pandora looked up at Absol expectantly. He cleared his throat. The room seemed to lean in slightly to listen to what he had to say.
In a clear voice, he spoke.
"...I'm hungry. Let's eat."
As if a spell had been broken, Pokemon around him dug into their plates with gusto. Discussion and laughter ramped up around him, the atmosphere lifting his spirits even more. He found himself easily slipping into conversation with Van and Clara, the two regaling him of the great food the guild had, much of it grown in house. A while into the meal, the Wooloo came by and whispered something into Van's ear, the Scrafty nodding before getting up and walking over to Pandora. His gaze lingered on their conversation briefly, before returning to his meal. The Scrafty came back not long after.
"Hey," he said to Lumi once he settled into his seat. "Once you're finished, head on over to Pandora and Vert. They said they wanted to talk with you."
A brief spark of apprehension shot through him at the thought of meeting the Absol, Vert. Clearly he was held in high esteem here, and his half lidded gaze, combined with his large stature, made him a little intimidating. Soon, however, curiosity overwhelmed any hesitation. Just what kind of Pokemon could he be?
"Yeah, alright." He nodded in response.
The night wore on, and eventually empty plates cluttered the table. Feeling full and satisfied, the day's events finally caught up with the Meowstic and drowsiness weighed on him. Looking around, other Pokemon were beginning to leave the table, presumably to go to sleep, or finish light conversation. Looking over, he noted Clara leaning tiredly on Van, the Scrafty's eyelids also starting to droop. He couldn't prevent a yawn from escaping himself.
"...Alright guys. Guess I'll see you later." He finally rose from the cushion. He bumped fists with Van, and Clara tiredly got up to give him a quick hug, to his surprise.
"Sure thing mon. I'm gonna turn in too."
"Oh, Van! Uh, there's something I want to show you first, before you go to sleep." The Spinda perked right up and practically dragged Van off the cushion, the Scrafty throwing back a confused wave as he was led out of the Mess Hall. Shrugging, Lumi gathered himself and made his way over to the head of the table. Pandora idly checked something in her book before noticing Lumi and locking eyes with him. She smiled and waved, so he hurried his pace.
"Lumi!" she greeted warmly as he arrived. "It's good to see you again. Van was just telling me about the day you had. It sounds like you enjoyed it?"
"Oh yeah. Thanks again for letting me tag along."
"By the sound of things, you performed wonderfully. We have some things to discuss, but first I would like you to meet your other Guildmaster..." Lumi didn't notice before, but the Absol's gaze hadn't left his plate, staring down with half-lidded eyes.
Pandora's smile remained, but he caught the quick flick of her eyes to the disaster Pokemon. Without breaking eye contact, she elbowed him squarely in the side.
He snored.
Lumi couldn't help a small giggle. Her smile faltered for a moment, but then reappeared, somehow more dangerous than before.
"Ahem. Allow me to introduce your Guildmaster, Veritas, the lead-" She was cut off by a paw squarely on her jaw. Lumi flinched at the speed with which the Absol switched from dead on his feet to directly in front of him, eyes wide open and alert.
"Vert. Arceus, just call me Vert." There was little inflection to his voice, monotone in delivery. He squinted down at the Whimsicott in his grasp as her eyes twinkled with amusement. Thoroughly thrown by the situation but attempting to take it in stride, Lumi reached his paw out.
"Lumiere. But, please just call me Lumi." Vert slowly removed his paw from Pandora's mouth, the fairy smiling widely, and grasped Lumi's paw in his much larger one.
"Dora here tells me you're interested in joining?"
"Yeah. It's uh, been a dream for a while now." That got a small smile on the Absol's face.
"Well, let's go make it official. C'mon."
He rose, towering over both of them, and led the way out of the Hall. Walking next to Pandora, he followed him out into the commons and up the stairs, swinging a left at the landing. They arrived in front of a heavily embroidered tent flap, star motifs lighting up the purple curtain. Following Vert inside, Lumi was greeted to the sight of an elevated platform with two exquisite looking cushions placed on top. Bookshelves lined the walls, with various scrolls and objects he couldn't begin to guess the function of resting on top.
Vert sat on the cushion to his left, and Pandora, after placing a smaller cushion in front, sat on the large one to his right. He took the cue and took his place in front of them.
"So," began Vert. "Pandora. Tell me what makes our friend Lumi here qualified to join."
His heart began to race. Qualified? He hadn't taken a test, or prepared anything to show what he could offer. His mind raced, trying to think of things to say for himself, but all he really had was just that he wanted to be here.
"Enthusiasm in spades, and a natural curiosity, strong enough to overcome any sort of doubt." Her voice brought him out of his mental dilemma, and he met her gaze with one of bewilderment. Her smile seemed to get bigger the more she spoke.
"Besides these necessary traits, he also demonstrated a willingness to boldly step into unfamiliar territory, and ability to trust and collaborate with his peers while doing so. This account is validated by our guild recruit, Van, who accompanied Lumi on a surprise task of some peril. He also reported that Lumi 'somehow kept a straight face even when everything went to hell around him,' speaking admirably of his brave nature.
"Furthermore, it is clear just from his conduct that he keeps an open mind, and conversations have revealed that this is something he has desired for a long time. Not everyone can find it in themselves to be caught up in our Cheer and get up for more."
Unused to such praise as this, Lumi felt his face heat up, looking down at his paws. Wetness began to form in his eyes, and his breathing became a bit heavier.
"Based on this analysis, it is difficult to think of a Pokemon more fit to be welcomed into our family."
She stopped speaking, and it was quiet for a bit afterwards. Vert's eyes were closed, head tilted in thought. Lumi was fighting sniffles, still processing the words.
Finally, Vert raised his head and looked at him, eyes piercing through him. He almost wanted to look away.
"And what do you have to say about this, Lumi? If you were offered the chance, would you join our Guild?"
Almost forgetting to speak, Lumi found himself nodding before words came out.
"Y-Yeah. Yes, I would love to," he responded, voice thick with emotion. A wide smile spread across Vert's face.
"Then, welcome home."