Chapter 10: Team Kilowatt

Author's Note:

And thus begins our intermission! Chapter 10 and onward will cover the events of Explorers with an added flare. I shouldn't need more than 3-5 chapters to smooth things out on that front, as I'm only progressing things as far as the expedition selection (for reasons), but that doesn't mean Team Fedora is gone until then!

I will be using the time between these intermission updates to pump out shorter chapters that delve into some of the older plot points that I've been neglecting. Until then, have a shapeshifting solosis!

As usual, if you have something you'd like to share, please do let me know in a review!

Keep it real,

-EMG

Treasure Town Beach – One Month Prior

Long had it been since we'd stepped onto the salty planks of the Treasure Town dock, and Soul was still a pile of sludge! The seasick solosis sloshed about dizzily on the golden shores of the beach while Shana did her best to mold her into shape. How living Jell-O could manage to feel sea sick was beyond me, yet the sylveon-shaped solosis had been feeling the heat ever since we exchanged the mountainous terrain of the air continent for clear seas. By far, the grass continent was more of the same. Shana's claims of an entire continent covered in trees had yet to ring true, yet Treasure Town was a coastal village. So long as we stuck to the perimeter, I was hesitant to call the purplish fennekin a liar.

"You sure this is still Veralos?" I flipped around and eyed the sea as the tiny dot that was our ship vanished into the horizon. "I wasn't expecting intercontinental travel."

Shana paused her efforts to soothe the gooey sylveon and shook her head. "Different continent, same government. Once upon a time, we called the air continent Woodhollow, but then the merger happened." She shrugged. "That's ancient history. Focus on the now, please." She flashed a pleading glance. "She's dying over here. You're the male of the group. Carry her!"

"Why's it gotta be me?" I searched eagerly for Flint, only to find him missing. "He went ahead, didn't he?" I plodded along the time-worn planks, stopping squarely at the foot of a small noticeboard. The thing was a mess of paper tainted by saltwater and sea breeze. Abandoned staples and safety pins littered the soggy cork board, along with a deluge of stained, crinkled notices of various events. A pristine, laminated page stood out among the rest, presenting various photos of a glowing forest, along with the word "Expedition" in bold letters.

"As always." Shana padded the length of the beach and nudged me forward with her muzzle. "Come on. Get to lifting!"

"Just a sec." I frowned, grazing the poster with a white-tufted paw. "Think we're in for some kind of event? This poster has the same logo as the letter," I called back, pointing a digit at the wigglytuff watermark on the upper left corner.

Shana took a break and padded over to the dock to join me. "Huh… Certainly seems like it." She trailed a lavender and white paw along the poster's bold lettering. "This logo… Doesn't it look like a time gear?"

"A what?" I tilted my head, seemingly to the fennekin's annoyance.

"Should've expected as much." She sighed. "We'll talk about it later." She flung her head back toward Soul. "Now get to lifting!"

Warm, sickly gel coated my paws as I lifted the tired solosis. It wasn't sticky so much as it was hard to hold, like a water balloon that wasn't quite full. Nonetheless, she owed me! She wasn't quite as heavy as I expected, but there was only so much a pikachu could do. Arceus forbid she'd collapsed in her goodra form! "New rule! When we're traveling, keep it small." I huffed.

"I'm not that heavy!" Soul groaned in protest, almost heaving in the process. I swear, if the big lug lost her lunch on my shoulder, Flint was paying the price!

Nonetheless, we succeeded in leaving the beach. Golden sand turned to barren dust as we padded along a winding path flanked by trees. Large, mountain-like rocks jutted out from the surrounding landscape as we passed, accompanied by the roar of some unseen waterfall. A river, perhaps? There'd been an opening in the cliff below, but no waterfall on earth could compete with the structure's uncanny contours. As if chiseled by paw, the familiar visage of a sharpedo loomed over our heads as we arrived at the beach.

"Look alive, August!" Shana called from further down the path. A rock-cut staircase stood in our way, flanked by a rustic, wooden windmill, and a weathered sign marked with the runes for "café", along with a paw-painted spinda face. Beyond the clutter, a four-way split marked the beginnings of a crossroads, along with a dozen more stony steps.

"Finally!" I sighed. Crossroads had always been a good thing, at least in the square. They were a sign that home was near, or in this case, a fancy guild. And yet, the sinking feeling in my chest failed to relent. What were those stairs even for?

Once we crossed the first stony hurdle, Shana popped a squat and stared blankly up a hill marked by stairs that seemed to climb on endlessly. Had I still been human, I might've been able to see what awaited us at the top, but my shortened stature barely grazed the top of the second step. "There!" I pointed ahead. As luck would have it, fate had graced us with a water well, and so I relinquished hold of my squishy companion.

"Go ahead and drink up, Soul. That should help with the sea sickness." I pointed to the structure with my tail. The drinking well was equipped with a large, rectangular tent to shelter it from the rain, the inside of which was littered with the same posters from the docks.

"Like you have to tell me twice!" Eagerly, the solosis shifted into a form befitting a pichu and leapt from my shoulder to claim her prize. She waved her thanks with her stubby tail, leaving Shana and I to contemplate our ascent.

"No doubt that's the guild." Shana scratched at her chin with her hind leg. "At least there's stairs, but why a mountain?" The lavender-pelted fox did a once-over for our cake-ingredients, which, thankfully, had made the trip cross-continent. "Wonder if they'd mind us using their kitchen."

"Never mind the kitchen. I could use a bath." I sniffed at my blonde-ish tufts. I wasn't sure if pokemon could sweat, but the oily, wet-dog smell that returned wasn't all that reassuring. The whites of my underbelly and tail weren't looking too good either. Matted and covered in dust, they looked more beige than white!

Shana sniffed at the air, then made a face that spoke wonders of our bond. And by that, I mean she didn't push me down and run. "You might be onto something." She coughed. "Get going, I'll follow." She nudged me forward, then padded off to join Soul, who by then was filled to the brim with water. A veritable water balloon of a 'mon. How her body worked was by all means a scientific marvel, and I wasn't about to waste brain cells on figuring it out. Nonetheless, I took off. If the townsfolk chose to stare, by all means it was Shana's fault!

Wigglytuff's Guild

By the time I came to a rest at the top of the hill, a fire type was waiting for me. Just not the one I was looking for… nor was it a fire type. As I clambered once more onto level ground, I couldn't help but marvel at the anomaly. By all means a vulpix stood before me on the smooth, rock-ridden hill, its surface populated by an assortment of pokemon-headed totems and wooden stakes. The fox' pelt was anything but orange; however. Snow-white tufts covered them from tail to muzzle, save for a splash of winter blue atop their head. Similar hues tipped off their paws and dotted their cheeks like freckles, while their tails, which ran blue at the base, merged into a swirl of fluff on curly ends.

"Excuse me!" I called out to the ice type. The poor 'mon jumped at the sound and nearly tumbled as she half-turned to greet me. Nervous, gold-tinted eyes glittered with worry, masked only by blue framed glasses which glistened under the light of the sun.

"Oh!" She pressed an icy-blue paw to her chest and sighed. "Goodness, sorry!" The chilly fox sighed, then lifted her cheeks. A smile! "My bad. I must've zoned out." She tilted her head slightly. "I'm Flare, but… Who might you be? I'm certain I'd remember a pikachu with those markings."

"Markings?" I drew a paw up toward my unblemished ear. There, green, runic symbols wrapped their way around the conical limb. And, though I didn't need to, I squeezed it. The blasted things were like stress balls. Too tempting not to squeeze, and horribly addicting! "Right, those." I shook my head and plopped down against a nearby totem. "Would you believe me if I said they were dye?"

"Unlikely." The icy vixen obscured a chuckle. "New to town then?" She flipped around to face a large, wigglytuff-shaped tent. "If you're here for the guild, step up to the grate." She flicked her tails toward a hole in the center of the hill. A layer of wooden stakes had been driven into the opening, just far apart to peek through, but not so much as to trap ankles and paws. "Stand there and you'll be let in!"

I raised a brow. "Aren't you in line?" I glanced around the rocky hill. Nothing but the crackle of torch fire sounded in the absence of Flare's voice.

The ice type took a step back. "That's…"

"August! What's the hold up?" Shana called out as she scaled the rest of the stairs toting Soul on her back. Her frown said it all. The solosis didn't want to walk. "Oh!" She perked up on sight of the vulpix. "Not the 'mon I wanted to see, but close enough!" She shook her head. Things weren't looking good for Flint.

"Wait!" Shana gasped. "Are you joining the guild?"

I raised a paw. "Shana, I don't think—"

"Not exactly…" Flare paced back on fidgeting paws. The ice type seemed so shy, yet her wintery-blue short cloak implied a degree of prestige. Intricate, silvery patterns had been sewn along its surface, whilst its double-finned folds served as relief from the heat. A silver-chain necklace accompanied the cloak, sporting what looked to be a small, rune-inscribed stone. "Haven't worked up the courage, to be honest." She chuckled nervously.

"Goodness, girl! That's nonsense!" Shana whisked Soul onward and gripped at Flare's paw. Then, without so much as a nod of confirmation, she began searching the entrance. "Now how does this work? Hello?" She chirped. "Anyone here?"

It was a careless approach, yet I couldn't speak against its effectiveness. The fire type's persistence is how I'd ended up entangled in rescue work, and her optimistic lean was infectious. Not long after her paw had been grabbed, Flare was already dishing out instructions. Though… Shana was undoubtedly doing it wrong. Two 'mon on the grate at once couldn't have been safe.

"Pokemon… detected?" A voice called out from below the grate, followed by hushed whispers and angry grunts. "Um… Vulpix? Fennekin? One at a time, please!"

"Sorry!" Flare called back down the hole, then covered her face, as if that too could be seen. All the while, Soul refused to make her presence known. What an entrance! One could only hope that Flint would be less of a nuisance once he inevitably got tired of the sights. If, of course, we didn't get arrested first!

Wigglytuff's Guild - First Floor Lobby

The lobby was filled to the brim with chatter, so much so that I almost had to cover my ears. Even so, the atmosphere of the room was friendly enough not to mind. If only the effort it took to get here was worth it. I'd managed just fine, and Soul was able to shift her way to victory, so to speak, but Flare and Shana had it rough. Ladders weren't meant for quadrupeds, even more so when you were descending down a narrow tube of dirt! Just what was that about? I mean, I know this is a mountain, but could they not afford stairs?

"Oh my gosh! I can't believe I'm here!" Pelt now plastered with dirt from the climb, Flare gazed about the room in awe. I could see why. Despite the guild's peculiar construction, the designers were somehow able to lay out grass. Bountiful meadow flowers sprung up around the room, intermixed with a stepping stone platform in the center of the room. Leafy hedges and vines decorated the room's rocky walls, along with a series of posters similar to the one we'd spotted at the dock. Gentle, midsummer rays filtered in through windows built into the side of the cliff, while bulletin boards and job listings aplenty hung at the ready, ripe for the picking for any explorer in need! Speaking of which, despite our peculiar solosis companion, our entry had been accompanied with little fanfare. Not even a welcome from the supposed guards Shana argued with just moments before. Were these guys that used to strange guests?

"And who might you be?" A singsong voice chirped at us from behind, and I didn't even need to turn. In seconds, the four of us were accompanied by a gleeful chatot… perhaps too gleeful. It almost looked fake, but he seemed welcome enough! "Let's see… a pikachu and a fennekin?" The normal, flying type fluttered about, examining our team. "A most peculiar… solosis?" he mumbled. "And…" He paused. "I'm sorry. I don't believe we were expecting a vulpix." The bird tilted his head. "Do you have an appointment, young lady? I'm afraid we're far too busy to accept walk-ins at this time."

Flare, who until this point had likely been in fantasy land, took a step back in surprise. "Wait, huh?" She stuttered. "That's not—"

"—She's with us." I padded over to the ice type and placed a paw on her shoulder. "Met her on the way here. She's a guest to the team."

"Excuse m—"

Before Flare could properly interject, the Chatot gave a nod. "Ah, very well." He fluttered about, pleased. "Team Kilowatt, then?" He bowed respectfully. "Within these walls, I am known simply as Chatot, but you may call me Tremolo." He sighed. "It's a… branding thing. Our guildmaster has a rather… peculiar sense of humor." He shook his head. "Nonetheless, you simply must follow me. Atlas is waiting!" Pending a proper introduction, the flying type took his leave down yet another ladder. Rather hasty for a director, if you ask me.

"Ugh, another one?" Shana pawed at the entrance to the pit hesitantly. "Alright, who's gonna tell the guy? This place needs stairs!"

Soul bounced about eagerly, shifting from her pichu form into something a bit larger. A translucent snivy gripped onto the rungs of the ladder and grinned back at us. "Oh, don't be a baby, gurl! Let's not keep that Atlas guy waiting!" Without stopping to receive a lashing, the pseudo-snivy slid down the ladder and out of sight.

"Did you really have to do that?" Flare kneaded at the grass with worried paws. "What if he makes me participate?"

I shrugged. "What's the problem?" I stepped up to the ladder and peered back at the ice type. "We've had members in the past who don't travel with us on missions. You'll be fine!"

Shana nodded her agreement. "Come on. Take it as an opportunity to learn more about that thing around your neck!" The fire type dusted off her lavender pelt and offered a flick at the chained stone. "We promise to go easy on ya!"

Flare didn't seem to buy it, but she nodded all the same. "If it'll get you to hurry it up, then fine." She cracked a smile and padded up to the pit, placing a paw on the ladder herself. "Hurry before I freeze the thing." That was a quick turn. Sheesh!

"Alright, I'm going!" I descended a few steps, then popped my head back out of the hole. "But don't expect me to do what Soul did!"

Wigglytuff's Guild - Guildmaster's Chamber

It was a shame we didn't get to see more. The moment we reached the second floor, Tremolo had us by the paw! The guy really meant business! We weren't allowed so much as a glimpse of the second floor, even as the normal type paused to ask permission to open the wigglytuff-print door at the far right of the room.

"Yeah? Then what happened to Armaldo?" A familiar, gruff voice echoed throughout the room as we entered. There, at the far end of the hall, in the center of a plush, pink quilt, sat Flint. The fire type was chatting it up with the 'mon himself: a jolly-looking wigglytuff. Behind the duo, a large flag clung to the wall, marked with runes depicting the face of a wigglytuff, while two adjoining windows let in enough light to fill the entire room. Amongst the chatter, it seemed the two had been snacking on roasted berries, quite to Tremolo's dismay.

"Atlas, sir?" The chatot cleared his throat to little effect. "It appears the rest of Team Kilowatt is here!"

"Mmm?" The wigglytuff, tempted to continue his story, almost ignored his coworker's words. Nonetheless, his ears flicked upwards, signaling he'd heard, and the jig was up. "Goodness!" He shot up from the quilt with enough energy to light the adjoining torch and twirled our way with the youthfulness of a young kit. "Welcome, friends!" He bowed an apology. "I must apologize. Your friend here is quite the listener!" He cackled joyously. "Why, I almost finished a tale I haven't even told Tremolo!"

"Excuse me?" Tremolo took a step back, as if offended, but his complaints fell on deaf ears.

"Flint!" Shana paced the length of the room and pinched her fellow fire type's ear. "You'd better have a really good reason for abandoning us on the beach! We could've used your help with Soul's seasickness, you know?"

Flint swatted at Shana's paws to know avail, growling and whimpering all the while. What a shoddy first impression… "Sorry! I'm sorry!" he begged. "Please let me go…"

"Now now!" Atlas cut in, dismissing Shana's grip with a simple touch. "There'll be no fighting in this room! No sir!" His voice, though not loud, seemed to reverberate off the walls. It wasn't intimidating, per say, but it was just the right amount of commanding to get the two to stop bickering and join the rest of us in the center of the room.

"Right." Tremolo cleared his throat once more. "As I was saying. Atlas, the rest of Team Kilowatt has arrived. We may now begin our meeting."

Atlas seemed to frown. "Meeting is such a boring term…" He sighed. Was there even a serious bone in this guy's body? Or… wigglytuff were balloons, right? Did he even have bones? "Oh, right!" He slapped his paws together excitedly. "Welcome friends! I'm glad you could make it!" He began once more. "I'm sure you're wondering why we've invited you all the way down here on such short notice!" His expression seemed to sober up, and, from a bag at his side, he retrieved a folded up poster. The same poster we'd seen plastered all throughout town! Or, well. The parts we'd gotten to see at least.

"Are you familiar with Starglow?" The normal type asked in a singsong voice. "Rescue teams do such wonderful things, but they aren't always cultured." He covered his mouth with a paw. "Excuse me! That's not the term." He tilted his head. "Ah! Well traveled. That's it!"

Shana nodded along, despite the slight hiccup. While I was only familiar with the places we'd been, it seemed the white and purple fennekin had been places we'd never spoken about. "My parents and I traveled there on vacation before!" She bounced excitedly. "It's the one with the glowing trees, right?"

"Glowing what?" I eyed her curiously. Could trees really glow? Bioluminescence was a rare trait in nature, reserved for some species of moss, bugs and maybe mushrooms. I'd never heard of an entire forest doing such a thing, and the prospect of living in one didn't sound healthy. Radiation aside, surely something was poisonous! Life expectancy be damned!

Nonetheless, Flare nodded all the same. "It's where I'm from. The ETF, and consequently, their sister company, Axis, hires out of there quite frequently." She smiled to herself, as if lost in thought. "They have the most lovely cafes. Oh, and you should see their guild! It's enormous!"

Atlas pranced about his fancy quilt at the very idea. "Bingo!" He pointed a paw in her direction. "In fact, it's so fantastic that we've decided to partner with them for our annual expedition!" he declared proudly. "Normally these trips are exclusive to guild staff alone, but your team is certainly special. Not everyone gets to see a meteor up close and live to tell the tale!"

Chatot sighed. "As you might imagine, you've been invited, in part, due to your accomplishments. But mostly, I suspect our guildmaster's fascination is mostly to blame."

"I'll admit, I am curious." Atlas hummed joyously. "But saving the world is certainly an accomplishment, yup! I simply had to invite you along!" He cheered.

Wow. Not even an attempt to deny it. What a guy. "So… you want us to travel somewhere else? But we just got here!"

Tremolo fluttered about between us and the guildmaster, shaking his head in protest. "Goodness, no! You'll be provisioned rooms, and we'll feed you all the same." He sighed. Clearly he'd gotten the short end of the complaint stick one too many times. "We simply ask that you accompany us when the time is right. We won't be leaving for a month still."

"Precisely!" Atlas bounced in place before discarding his poster. "It'll give this young lady enough time to prepare! If she wants to be chosen, that is."

"Pardon me?" Flare took a step back. It seemed she'd been found out. This time by the 'mon in charge! "But I'm…"

"A guest of Team Kilowatt?" The wigglytuff threw out a guess. "I can see that clearly! But you're not as friendly with them as the rest." He twirled around and retrieved a small box with a golden exterior. "But it's all fine. We can fix that right now!"

"Um, guildmaster? Those were supposed to be for later once they had decided to join!" The chatot shook his head. "Certainly you can't mean to pressure them."

I took a step forward and examined the box. The front was marked with simple letters. Still runes, but these at least I could read. "Explorer starter kit," I mumbled. "So that's it. You want us to join." I shrugged. "I'm game, and Flint didn't seem to have a problem when he barged in here." I looked at Shana. "Shana, do you mind?"

Shana shrugged as well. "If you can keep up with a shapeshifter, I don't have a problem with it. What's another title?"

Soul cast a frown at the fox beneath her gel exterior. "Come on, I'm great!" She huffed. "Keep spreading lies and you'll get another hug from goodra Soul!"

Flare went quiet. "I… don't know. I'm not the most competent fighter," she admitted plainly.

Atlas' smile only seemed to grow; however. "That's what our training is for! We won't throw you into anything dangerous right away." He nudged the chest her way. "Until then, take this with you! It's full of all kinds of goodies!"

Flare hesitantly took possession of the chest. "Thank you!" She stammered.

"I believe that's enough for now." Tremolo intercepted the box and slung it over his back. "If all is good, I shall help you carry this to your room." He glanced eagerly about our group. "I suggest you take care of any business you might have outside of the guild before nightfall. Come dinner, you'll have enough introductions to take care of to last the remainder of the evening." He warned. "Now, if you'll follow me." Waving the guildmaster farewell, the chatot took his leave. Out into the lobby and down a corridor to the left. Again, not a word left the flying type's beak once he set out. A one-track mind, it seemed.

"Psst." Atlas whispered from behind us. "If you have the time, check out the cafe. I'm sure Helix would love to meet you!" He giggled. Then, with a pat to the back, we were off.

"Oi!" Flint nudged me the second we stepped out of the room, a clear grin plastered about his smoldering muzzle. "I think I'm gonna like it here!" He chirped, planting his paws in the grass excitedly like a newborn pup. "That Atlas guy's a riot! Became an explorer when he was five!" he exclaimed. "Five!"

"Shh!" Shana flicked the eager pooch across the nose and strolled on ahead toward the corridor. "I'm certain that was a secret. Don't go blabbing about it to every 'mon you see, yeah?"

"Oh he won't." Soul returned to her solosis form and hovered over the guy, looming over him with a steady glare. "You'll behave, won't you?"

"Gah!" The fire type tumbled back and retreated toward the corridor with Shana. "Back up, ye demon!" He sighed. "I'll keep my trap shut, you can bet on that!" He boasted. "Soon as I can hit the cafe, I'll take a load off. Maybe chat up some of Treasure Town's finest!"

Shana clamped down on his ear once more. "What was that?"

"Nothing!" The growlithe pleaded as the vixen led him down the dim corridor and out of sight. "Nothing I swear!"