A blur of red slipped through the streets, nimbly running across the sidewalkless streets while carrying a satchel about its size. The Cherubi's energy was nearly unmatched, managing to outpace some other kids who were also scrambling to get home, attempting to gain headway with attacks but finding themselves barely able to pull off anything.

Ruby simply ignored the squirming behind her, following the other pokémon ahead. With how things had gone today, she was confident that things would be even better in years to come. Her aunt had said that the future is limitless, even if she was a weak Cherubi now.

La Colina was usually considered a quiet community, a few miles off the western coast of Keldamin continent, not too far away from Umar up north and Jumpluff's Terminal to the southeast. For summer to now be over, leaving kids more erratic and loud having left school finally, it lay an unwelcome awakening to the adults who were used to the peace of the town.

A few shouts, hisses and squawks rang through the area, but they were soon out of hearing range as the group Ruby had followed began to scatter. Mons who were closer to their houses left the cluster, leaving her with a few others who were also yet to reach theirs.

Eventually, after a minute or two more of pacing down streets and a quick diverge from the rest of the kids, Ruby found her road. She sighed happily, spotting her aunt's house farther down, brimming with anticipation.

A row of petunias graced the front yard of the small cottage home, spreading its warmth like an outstretched hand. The residence was only slightly shabby, blending in with the rest of the neighborhood houses and made up of a fine birch wood and concrete foundation. A cozy porch sat at the door of the house, led by steps to the entrance fence.

Ruby didn't stop to hesitate as she stumbled in to bathe her stubs in the lawn up front. Something about the feeling of home that was invigorated in the grass, nurtured and treasured by her Aunt Jemma ever since she had bought the estate, was just so… peaceful. Ruby curled over to shake her satchel off, leaving it sitting where she stood.

Yeah… after touching uncomfortable gravely roads all day, this feels nice.

She soon glanced around, having noticed the lack of her aunt expectedly waiting for her.

Huh, she said she'd be at the door waiting for me when I got home. Maybe she's out back?

Ruby abandoned her school bag, wandering off towards the gate that led to the backyard. With the entrance slightly open, it turned out she was right.

A beautiful Lilligant stood out by the garden ahead, spreading some sort of teal powder over a row of blooming roses. She exhaled to herself, before turning around and beaming as she noticed a familiar Cherubi scrambling forward.

Aunt Jemma welcomed Ruby in an embrace, wrapping her in leafy arms and holding her close. The two giggled and smiled, having glad to see each other well after a long day.

"Ruby dear" Jemma crowed, setting her down. "How was the first day of school?"

"It was really good! I met a new friend." the Cherubi announced. "Her name is Tori, and she was really nice!"

"Do you remember what species she is?"

"Uhm…" Ruby fidgeted a bit, trying to remember. "Cottonee! That's what the teacher told us."

"I'm delighted that you had a good day." Jemma yawned, turning towards the patio as she dusted herself off. "I've been hard at work all day making the house look nicer. Autumn is coming along quite soon, so I may as well take leisure in tidying up."

"Oh, cool!"

"Is there anything else that happened at school you want to tell me?"

Ruby simply smiled. "No, I don't think so."

With that, they moved towards the back door, Ruby quickly snatching her bag from the front yard before following inside.

A quick swipe came and landed, sending a feral Mincinno towards the dungeon wall before it bounced off and scampered off down another hallway. It chittered in its retreat, swishing its tail as it moved.

Mallku, the Weavile who had barely been able to see the feral beforehand, sighed to himself, checking what damage was left from its prior tackle. It was barely much, as his body had endured much more than something so feeble as a misguided self-defense, but the small bruise caused him to frown regardless.

"Another thing you should know," Mallku instructed to the Magby left of him. "Is that you should always avoid an attack if you can. Keep watch at all times, and you'll never have to waste funds on a visit to the nurse."

"I'm not weak" JP argued back, shaking the lantern. "It's not like I'm going to get killed out here."

"Yeah well, even if you don't it's not going to look funny." Mallku readjusted his scarf, spotting a worn, gray staircase in the room ahead. "Oh, seems like we're at the end of the dungeon. Any questions?"

"Why can't this dumb training stuff be over with?"

"You won't be successful if you don't know how to do it right. Plus, you're getting tutoring from a professional. I'm trying to help here, kiddo."

JP kept quiet.

"Well then" Mallku replied. "Let's head back to the guild."

They pressed down the hall, reaching the end with no ferals in sight. JP set a foot up against the staircase, and in a bright flash the Magby disappeared. Mallku followed, teleporting outside the dungeon and onto the surface above, obscured in a small forest clearing right next to JP, who was begrudgingly fiddling with the lantern on a stump. He groaned, jolting back onto his feet.

"Is the dungeon supposed to be that short?" the Magby whined.

Mallku awkwardly smiled, throwing an arm over his shoulder. "When you get older the dungeons you explore tend to be longer. Don't worry about that too much, only focus on the here and the now." He crouched down to JP's height, sympathetic. "I think your Embers were pretty good against those Diglett. You definitely have potential, you know."

"Stop spitting fake compliments" the fire type muttered under his breath.

Mallku sighed once more, readjusting his posture. The guild was less than a few miles back, so he could relieve in knowing their mission would end on a soft note, despite JP's childish and stubborn attitude. He knew he'd have to work with kids from the start of taking up this job, yet the Weavile couldn't shake the isolation that every client seemed to want to elicit with him. The tutoring had gone decently smooth today, but JP seemed to act disinterested the entire time, only bothering to make lame comments at random intervals or attack while completely ignoring Mallku's instructions, in an effort to drown out anything that wasn't over-exciting or fun.

Either he was getting old and lost his touch years ago, or this was just how younger mons saw him- old, frail soul who missed death when it should have hit him.

I guess my efforts to make things fun just don't work with kids.

They had begun walking now, heading home the way they came, through a shorter passageway Malllku had discovered thirty years ago during his team's first mission. While the mons who knew about would have preferred going the guild-recommended route, this path had survived the effects of distortional landscape shifts throughout the years, and was quicker minus the threat of present ferals who may have escaped the bounds of the nearby dungeon. At least his clients were never opposed. Not that they ever said anything either.

Mallku glanced back. Still toying with the frame, JP was silent, trailing reluctantly.

"Sooo… anything else you want to know about being an explorer?"

JP remained quiet.

"Hm…" Mallku rose a claw to his chin. He had been around children countless times despite never having them himself, but they never seemed to quite act the same. Quiet-but-stubborn was a new combination of personality for him. "So what do you like most being an explorer?"

JP snorted a light smog, making a hissy-like noise. Uncomplacent behavior, to his disappointment.

Mallku resorted to glancing around the forest again. As much as he tried, some people just don't want to cooperate. Not that he was getting paid to do that, not that he was being paid to fulfill the most important part of the job in building and establishing relationships.

It went like this for several minutes, before Mallku stopped in his tracks.

He glanced to the left of him, spotting something yellow poking out of a nearby bush. He squinted at first, recognizing it as a Pikachu with an oddly thick ear, but fully became perplexed when he saw a hint light blue along with it, noticing the end of the ear devoid of black.

Mallku held up a claw for JP to stop. "Stay here. There's something weird I think I saw."

The Magby didn't argue, sitting where he stood.

Diving into the thick of the foliage, Mallku stumbled close to see if his eyes were deceiving him. At first he stiffened in panic, but completely lost all senses the moment he saw what else was actually under the bush.

Jirachi, Victini and Heatran- three pokémon he had only heard in passing myths and stories, were sprawled out in the dirt, looking harshly wounded with their bodies looking less or more dead.

Just lying there idly asleep, under the cover of the foliage happening to be surrounding them.

Yep. Just lying there.

Mallku choked, blinking, trying to snap awake. He wiped a tear, unsure of what to think, or feel, or do. He glanced between the mons and the way back to JP, before awkwardly shuffling out as if he never saw anything.

He had to make some sort of action.

Mallku glanced back. From the corner of his eye, they were still there.

Well…

There's no harm in being a little curious, right?

If they're still here tonight I'll make a proper decision he mused, turning tail. Hell knows what I'm getting myself into.

Jirachi wiped off a stain of blood on their cheek, huffing as they looked up at Arceus. The god's eyes were judgmental, condescending and full of contempt.

Exactly what Jirachi wanted- to finally have leverage after so long, to finally show what they were capable of.

Distant shouts and sounds of moves being fired lit up the area around the two of them, raging across the Hall of Origin with intense shockwave. Despite the type disadvantage, Heatran and Victini were cleaning up Palkia quite well- Bolt Strike after Stone Edge, the water type was barely able to keep up with the speed and reaction-time of them, taking blow after blow with little retaliation.

And with Dialga already down, all was left for Jirachi to take care of Arceus.

"You know we di'n't come here for nothing" Jirachi hissed, grinning violently.

Arceus hmphed. "What are you planning?"

"Oh, you know" the steel type monologued. "Just making the world better. Releasing Darkrai and Hoopa of purgatory. Taking control of the universe after getting rid of you and your stupid cronies. Elevating Heatran to mythical status. It's a big list."

Arceus rose their chin, starting to glow in a yellow hue. "I figure you've been working hard on it."

"Oh, you know I have."

Jirachi cackled, before realization hit. They noticed the glow emanating, and immediately twisted around. "Wait a second, you dirty-"

Uxie, Azelf and Mesprit teleported in a few steps away, immediately utilizing their psychic powers to materialize two large, chain-like appendages out of thin air. They cried out harmoniously, and at once the appendages flew towards Victini and Heatran, locking them by their limbs. The fire types fell to the ground, groaning and mumbling shouting as to what had happened.

Jirachi stopped cold, realizing their mistake.

They forgot about the guardian trio.

Hissing out a "Fuck!" Jirachi found themselves victim to the psychic's grip not too long later, the collective hold of all three outweighing Jirachi's own push to let loose. Arceus looked down affirmatively, dry of the glow from before.

"It seems you are not good at math."

"Oh screw off!" Jirachi glared at Azelf, Mesprit and Uxie, grunting beneath bared teeth. "You're all a bunch of fucking idiots!"

"Shouldn't have pushed your luck. Maybe letting you go at a price will teach you something" Arceus retaliated, backing away slowly. "If Darkrai and Hoopa learned anything, maybe will you too."

The psychic trio lifted their grip, and in a flash of lightning, Heatran, Victini and Jirachi were gone.