Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Chaotic Times Together
Chapter 6 - Test Your Skills
Vylet confidently and contentedly walked through the underground halls of the guild headquarters, holding in her claws a piece of parchment and a quill pen. She was masterfully writing down digits onto the page while seamlessly weaving through the other foot traffic and not getting in anyone's way. On the parchment she dutifully jotted down the amount of money she had been paid for the job she had just completed, as well as the calculated percentage of the guild's cut.
The numbers weren't very large, of course. That was to be expected from yet another D-Rank mission, obviously.
Another day, another simple and borderline boring item retrieval mission. Without an active partner, it was pretty much all she was permitted to do on her own. Vylet sighed softly to herself and organized her jumbled emotions. This was not the exciting life of a guildmember she had envisioned, but she reasoned to herself that it was way better than dismissal. And whatever the job may have been, she was proud of her work.
"Hey, Vylet!"
The Sneasel turned to see who had called out to her, and she smiled amicably in response. "Oh, hey Ketch."
The Donphan lumbered over to her, eying the parchment she was holding. "Back from another totally epic solo venture?"
Vylet laughed sardonically. "Oh my goodness, I think the guildmaster is going to explode."
Ketch chuckled at that. "Hey now, you're on track to set the record as the most successful singular adventurer in the partners-only Eclipse Guild. That's gotta be worth something, right?"
"I dunno…" Vylet shrugged. "I'm glad that I'm here and I'm glad I can do work, but it doesn't really feel very good that I'm just flaunting the rules via a technicality… Feels like I'm cheating."
"Nah, you're not cheating. Your partner's on sick leave. It's just an odd time for him to be on sick leave, that's all."
Vylet glanced at the Donphan for a moment. "…I guess that's… sort of a way of looking at it."
"You're probably right about the guildmaster exploding, though."
The Sneasel winced. "I'm sorry, Zarah, I swear I'm not doing it on purpose…" she said to the non-present guildmaster in a pleading tone.
"Well, just keep at it," Ketch commented, "Rise up in the ranks, and soon you guys can link up with me and my team for a joint mission."
Vylet looked at him in surprise. "Really?"
"Sure! We get great vibes from you two. It's always good to have someone your team can rely on, after all."
She smiled at him. "Thank you. I look forward to that as well."
Ketch nodded, and then asked, "So where is the fuzzball?"
"He's at the library again," Vylet replied, "I'm actually going to go pick him up right after I drop off this earnings report."
"That dude loves reading, huh?"
"He does! He really, really does," Vylet remarked, still with just a hint of astonishment.
"I guess when you travel as much as that guy was doing, all four paws are movin' all the time and you've got no chance to read anything b'sides the direction signs."
"I'm glad he's enjoying himself…but I am getting so tired of D-Rank missions. I hope he'll be ready for his physical soon…"
Ketch chuckled. "I'm sure he'll ace it once he's ready. Eevee are pretty nimble."
"He'd better," Vylet remarked jokingly, "My life practically depends on it."
A short time later, Vylet was out in the bright and sunny open air. She marched with purpose towards the library, a large but aesthetically dull building that she hadn't paid much mind since moving to Clover Town. The only indication that it was a library aside from a sign above the door saying so was a simple engraving of a book. Not a statue or a fresco, literally just an engraving.
The library sat at the top of a little hill, so Vylet made her way up the short set of stairs leading up to the library's main entrance. She reached the top and pulled open the somewhat heavy door. When she stepped through and the door closed behind her, all sounds of the city vanished entirely to be replaced by near silence. The city must have spent a ton on soundproofing this place.
It only took a bit of wandering around the library's interior before she found who she was looking for. Anrey was seated at one of the reading cubicles that was tucked away in a quiet corner of the building. She walked over to him and gave the Eevee a gentle tap on his shoulder.
"Oh, hey," Anrey whispered softly once he had turned back and saw who was there, "You're back!"
"Yup," she replied with a nod, "Another job done."
"How was it? Where'd you go?"
"A forest Mystery Dungeon to pick a ton of apples. Not the most interesting adventure, but at least it was calm and quiet. Anyway, you ready to go?"
Anrey nodded and closed the book he had been reading. "Sure."
"Have you been here reading all day?" she asked, even though she was sure she already knew the answer.
"I sure have!"
Vylet glanced over the Eevee's shoulder and looked at the contents of the cubicle's desk. There was a stack of books in the corner which looked like ones he had already finished reading. Almost all of them were nonfiction books, though there were one or two folk tale compilations. She then glanced at the book he had just closed and saw that it was a rather large world atlas.
"What time is it?" Anrey asked.
Vylet snickered as quietly as she could manage. "You don't even know? Gosh, I wish I could be as dedicated to reading as you seem to get."
Anrey just shrugged.
The two worked together to put the books back where they belonged, and before long the pair were walking out of the library and back into the outdoors. Vylet smiled and basked in the warm sunlight for a moment. "Beautiful day…" she commented.
"For real," Anrey agreed, "After it poured so hard yesterday."
"So, how ya feelin' today?" Vylet then asked. She had made it a point to regularly check up on the state of Anrey's recovery every couple of days.
As if to show off his answer, Anrey marched right past her and approached the stairs, whereupon he turned around to face her and grinned. "Y'know? I feel great, actually."
"Really?"
Anrey punctuated his point by skipping along the rest of the way to the stairs, hopping two paws at a time with a little bounce in his step. He giggled to himself as he jumped down the stairs two at a time before landing with a flourish that was only slightly clumsy.
Vylet, still at the top of the stairs, smiled brightly down at him. "That's awesome!" she complimented, "You're doing so much better than you were a week ago. D'you think you're finally over your concussion completely?"
"If not that, then very close to it," Anrey replied as she made her way down the stairs to join him, "I think the world finally stopped spinning. Feels pretty good, not gonna lie."
"I'm glad you finally feel better," Vylet said, "I couldn't imagine not being able to move around properly for so long. I'd go stir-crazy… But I'm relieved you're over it at last."
"Oh trust me," Anrey remarked, "It's a huge relief for me too."
Vylet then glanced up at the sky, taking a note of the sun's position. "We've still got a couple hours before sunset," she commented, and then turned to face him before asking, "You wanna hit the dojo?"
Anrey's eyebrows shot up. "Ah, is it time?"
"I dunno, what do you think? You feel well enough? Is it time for your training to truly begin?"
He didn't reply right away, and for a moment he just glanced down at the ground beneath his paws. "…Maybe?" he finally answered in a tiny voice, "I'm still kinda nervous. In an ideal world I'd like to wait until I'm super sure I was completely healed."
Vylet frowned. "I know, but I don't think the guildmaster's patience will stretch that thinly…"
After a bit more silence, a more determined look appeared on Anrey's face. "All right," he said, "It should be fine if we take it gradually, right? Learn along the way as I heal the last bit along the way as well."
"You'll be fine!" Vylet said, giving him an encouraging pat on the back, "There's no rock walls to slam into, and Pokémon resilience will take care of the rest. Plus, the rooms are padded."
"You're sending me to a padded room? Vylet, I trusted you," Anrey said in a snarky tone.
Vylet elbowed him. "Keep it up and I will have you committed," she joked right back.
"Well, all right then. Let's go check it out…"
"So, does this place have, like, memberships or something?" Anrey asked as they walked into the large, imposing building. The dojo, marked by the two crossed fists above the door, was pretty much always a hub of activity. The sights, sounds and, unfortunately, smells of rigorously training Pokémon hit the two full force once they stepped through the doors.
Vylet gave him a confused glance. "No… It's free, just like any city. The trainers cost money, of course, but the dojo's an open area for anybody to come and practice."
"Can I make it any more obvious that I've never been in one of these dojos before?" Anrey asked humbly.
"Honestly? You wouldn't know it just from looking at you. I guess traveling around by paw so much keeps you in shape."
"…Thanks?"
A main hallway led in from the front doors. At the far end, through a large set of glass doors, the main gymnasium area could be seen. It was the largest room in the dojo, and basically served as a large open area where many Pokémon could come to do whatever exercise or training they wanted. They could see plenty of Pokémon occupying the room already.
Vylet led Anrey down the hallway, explaining the purpose of the rooms they passed by on either side. Many of them led to smaller wings where the type specialists resided. She herself had only briefly met with the Fighting-Type trainer before. There were also the various rooms set aside for one-on-one training, a room with a pool for Water-Types, and of course the showers.
Instead of leading Anrey into the main room, however, Vylet instead entered the last room on the left before the main room's doors. Inside was another rather large room, though not as large as the main room. Vylet was happy to see that it was presently unoccupied.
"Whoa…" Anrey marveled. The room was filled with all manner of agility course equipment. There were balance beams, platforms, hanging ropes and rings, springboards, ramps and even a mesh of ropes that was meant to crawl under.
"I thought we'd start here," Vylet commented, "Y'know, before we get onto actual battling and stuff."
"Okay…" Anrey said with just a touch of wariness in his voice, "What do you want me to do?"
"Anything you want. Just get out there and use the equipment, test your limits, find your skills, yadda yadda… Just have fun with it."
Anrey studied the room's equipment for a few more moments, and then shrugged. He walked over towards one of the ramps.
Vylet was interested to see what his skill level was. Eevee were known for being rather quick and nimble, if a little clumsy at times. Anrey wasn't an experienced battler, but he was a traveler who had crossed the world. She had to imagine he'd had to do something like crossing a narrow log bridge before on his travels.
She then watched as Anrey started moving through the course. He moved remarkably slowly, going at a careful pace up and down the ramp, crossing the beam at a Slowpoke's pace, and carefully checking his balance after hopping onto the platforms. Vylet reasoned that he was just checking out the course to start off with. A smart move for someone with a calculating mind like his.
Once he had made a loop, testing out everything except the hanging parts, Anrey stated to pick up the pace. He quickly ran up and down one of the ramps without any trouble at all. Then he jumped up onto one of the balance beams and crossed it at a walking pace. Halfway across, he missed a step and fell to the padded floor below. "Oof!"
Vylet cringed. "Ya all right?"
"I'm good…"
"Do your best but be careful, okay?"
Vylet then took a step back and watched as Anrey practiced on the agility course for a while, remaining silent except to ask if he was okay whenever he fell. She let him run around for about 15 minutes.
The Eevee's performance was, to put it bluntly, clumsy. He fell or slipped quite a few times, got stuck under the crawling mesh twice, and never managed to hang onto the hanging ropes properly. Vylet had to remind herself that she hadn't come in here expecting to find Anrey to be an acrobat, but there was a little voice in her head that was expressing a bit of displeasure. Anrey's skills weren't terrible, of course, but they certainly left something to be desired.
Anrey trotted over once she had called to him, panting quite a bit but looking a touch proud of himself. "How'd I do?" he asked.
"For your first time?" she replied, "I'd say you did okay. Definitely room for improvement, though."
"Yeah, I guess that's to be expected. My muscles are still kinda achy from sitting still so much."
"It's fine, though. They don't expect a ton from you in the physical testing. They just wanna make sure you won't fail immediately in battle, y'know?"
"Heh heh…"
Vylet clapped her claws together and said, "So! Let's spend the rest of today getting started on battle practice. We won't do too much, we'll just get a feel for how things are. Sound good?"
"You're the boss," he said with a chuckle.
"All right, then. So, what moves to you know?"
Vylet was met with a blank stare.
"…Oh," she muttered, "…Wow. Really?"
About an hour later, Vylet was sitting quietly off to the side in one of the smaller side rooms. Thankfully, Clover Town's dojo had a move tutor employed on their staff. They charged a fee to teach new moves, but they were also experts in determining what moves a Pokémon could perform, even if they didn't yet realize it. Thankfully, they generally offered this service for free.
She watched as Anrey ran about, slamming into training dummies as hard as he could. Through a bunch of tribulations, they had eventually determined that Anrey knew how to perform Quick Attack. As it was a simple move, Anrey found it easy to perform. In fact, he was pleasantly surprised by his own speed. They had also figured out that he could perform Sand Attack, though he was anything but graceful in using that one. Sand Attack would require some practice before he could aim it properly.
Vylet wasn't quite sure what to think. Of course Anrey had said that he had no battle experience before, but he really had absolutely none. Most Pokémon at least learned how to perform a couple of moves while playing around as cubs. What did kids up in Nula even do for fun?!
"Keep doing Quick Attacks for a while," the move tutor said to Anrey. As Anrey practiced his move some more, the Sawk wandered over to where Vylet was waiting.
"Everything okay?" she asked him.
"His skills are at a most basic level. He has a lot of work ahead of him if he hopes to become an adept battler."
Vylet nodded softly. "We know. Are those his only moves, then? Just Quick Attack and Sand Attack?"
The Sawk gave her an unsure look. "Well, that's what I'm trying to figure out. Mister Anrey is not a cub or an adolescent, where it would make sense for him to only know two moves. Pokémon do gain access to new abilities even if they don't gain battle experience. It comes with age, but it's just marginally slower. He should know more than two moves. Three at the very least."
"Is that so?" Vylet asked. She hadn't known that fact about moves before.
"But I've checked and he doesn't know a proper Bite or Copycat, which would be the next logical moves he would learn. So…I'm honestly not sure. Maybe he does only know the two moves."
Vylet cringed once again. "That…would be a significant handicap for our team…"
"It's unusual, but it may very well be the case. Especially with how much difficulty he has aiming a simple Sand Attack."
The two then heard the sound of Anrey panting heavily and both turned to look at him. He looked like he was overheating quite a bit from the exertion.
"Take five, buddy," the move tutor called to him.
Anrey gave him a grateful look and then sauntered off to the side, promptly sitting down against the wall. He continued to pant.
Vylet regarded the Sawk again. "Thank you for your patience. We both really appreciate it."
"I am not busy right now, so it is no problem," the Sawk said with a shrug. He then wandered off to the other side of the room, so Vylet instead went to give Anrey some company.
"Make sure you don't use your head to do Quick Attack," she joked.
Anrey grinned at her, but was still panting too heavily to respond.
"Say," she then spoke up, "Since we're here, you wanna see what I can do?"
The Eevee nodded, so Vylet confidently walked over to one of the training dummies. "I can use Quick Attack too," she informed him, "But besides that…"
Vylet narrowed her gaze and set her stance, eying the dummy like it was an actual opponent. She brought up one of her arms, held it high, and then brought it down hard in a chopping motion. The dummy wobbled from her attack. She stepped back, paused, and then ducked down to deliver a sweeping kick. The Fighting-Type moves came easily to her. After all, she had been doing them since she had been a tiny cub.
"Brick Break…and Low Kick…" Anrey correctly identified through his panting, "…Nice!"
Vylet then stood before the dummy once again. It was time to show off her other typing. The most significant thing that made her different from most other Sneasel. She held both of her claws at her sides, open and facing forwards. By focusing parts of her inner body, she was able to course a certain substance through her and draw it to both of her claws. The sharp blade-like extremities began to glow a distinct purple colour.
As quickly as she could, Vylet lashed out at the dummy with both claws. Since the training dummies were designed to withstand Pokémon attacks, her claws did not pierce its fabric. A viscous purple liquid was excreted out of tiny, near-invisible holes at the ends of each claw. Instead of flowing into her target, as the move was intended to do, the poison simply dripped down the side of the dummy and eventually dripped onto the floor.
"…Poison Jab too…" Anrey commented, "That'll be…useful, huh?"
Vylet grinned back at him. "Sneasel poison weakens the muscles and inflicts fatigue. Makes opponents lethargic, and enough of it will make them pass out."
"I hate cleaning that stuff up…"
Vylet turned to regard the Sawk, and Mareepishly smiled at him. "Heh heh…Sorry."
He shrugged and simply said, "Comes with the job…"
Feeling slightly self-conscious, Vylet avoided his gaze and instead walked back over to Anrey. He still seemed just as winded as before. "Of course, my secret fifth move is 'Making dumb idiots think they have an advantage over me because they think I'm Dark-Type or Ice-Type', which is the move that was most instrumental to taking down your attackers."
Anrey looked like he wanted to laugh, but didn't have the breath to do so.
"All right," the move tutor called over to them, "Back on your paws, Mister Anrey. Let's get some more practice in."
"Muh?!" Anrey exclaimed in surprise, giving the Sawk a wide-eyed look. "I haven't…got my strength back yet…"
"I know, Anrey," Vylet said sympathetically, "but that's what battle training is all about. Ya gotta push through when you're feeling tired. It might just save your skin."
Anrey looked over at her, and it seemed like her words calmed his momentary panic. A couple moments passed, but then Anrey slowly stood up on his paws. "All right…"
"You can do it," Vylet cheered him on, "I know it sucks, but it's not gonna kill you. And then you can have a big ol' nap when we get back home."
"Okay, then," the move tutor said once he was in position. "Give it a few more Quick Attacks, then follow up with a Sand Attack."
Anrey groaned softly. He faced the dummy, still breathing heavily, and tensed up his paws. With a sudden burst of speed, Anrey dashed forward and slammed into the dummy at full force. He nearly stumbled and fell afterwards, but managed to stay on his paws.
"C'mon, another one," the Sawk commanded.
Anrey faced the dummy again, but his legs started to tremble. "I…I really don't think I can…"
"You're not passed out, which means you've still got fight in you. Let's go!"
The worn out Eevee grumbled to himself and prepared for another Quick Attack. When he started to run, though, that burst of speed didn't come. He rather clumsily stumbled towards the dummy and just ended up panting next to it.
Vylet bit her lip, hoping they weren't pushing Anrey too hard. He wasn't completely over his concussion just yet. "You can do it, Anrey!" she cheered, "Just give it one more attack, at least!"
"One more…?" Anrey panted. He backed off and then squared up against the dummy again, but almost instantly lost his posture. He shook his head, shoulders slumping. "I've got…nothin' left…" he muttered.
"…Anrey?" Vylet called out in concern, "It's okay. You can-" She was cut off, however, when something astounding started to happen.
Anrey was starting to glow. It started off faint at first but quickly grew to a bright, white glow that radiated from his fur. At the same time, he stood up straighter and immediately stopped his panting. He faced the dummy with a blazing glare, all tiredness seemingly gone from the Eevee entirely. Anrey then narrowed his gaze, set his stance, and took off running. The glow streaked behind him as he ran full force into the dummy as fast as he could.
The glow exploded outwards upon impact, and the dummy was sent hurtling across the room. Anrey had knocked it over, despite it being bolted to the floor. It clattered to the floor a fair distance away, while Anrey simply stood where it had once been. He was no longer glowing.
All of the Pokémon in the room, Anrey included, were staring at the smashed dummy in complete confusion. A bewildered silence filled the room for almost half a minute before someone finally spoke up.
"…What the heck was that?!" Vylet blurted out.
"I don't know…" Anrey replied, finally turning to look at her, "But I don't feel tired anymore."
"How the hell…?" the move tutor muttered. Both turned to look at him and saw that he was shaking his head.
"What?" Vylet asked, "Do you know what just happened?"
"Well, yes! Of course I do," he replied, "But I don't know how it happened."
"…Huh?"
The Sawk looked over at them both with a hardened gaze. "He just used Last Resort."
Vylet looked over at Anrey in surprise, then back to the tutor. "That's what Last Resort looks like?"
"But that shouldn't be possible. Given his lack of battle experience and his age, he should definitely not know how to perform Last Resort yet."
She looked at Anrey again. "That's right… Isn't Last Resort a higher level move?"
"Absolutely. It's usually the last move that an Eevee or their evolution would learn."
Both of the others were now looking at Anrey intently, and he wilted slightly under their gazes. "Uhh…" he muttered, "I'm just as surprised as you are. I didn't know I could do that…"
"Are you sure that's what that was?" Vylet asked, addressing the Sawk, "That'd be impossible, right?"
"Mister Anrey, who are your parents?"
Anrey blinked in confusion. "Huh? My parents?"
"Their species, if you please."
"Oh! Uh, an Umbreon and a Mightyena."
The move tutor shook his head. "Well then, Miss Vylet, yes it would be impossible. I had overlooked the possibility of Last Resort being an Egg Move, but Mightyena cannot learn the move."
Vylet and the tutor both looked at Anrey once again in confusion and expectation. All he could do was lift his forelegs and shrug.
"…Huh," Vylet remarked after an awkward period of silence. She still had a ton of questions rattling in her head about what she had just seen, including whether she had just imagined it or not. Then, a thought occurred to her and she started to softly laugh. "Well," she then said with a shrug of her own, "I'm not one to spit on life's Nomel Berries. If Anrey knows Last Resort, that's an amazing thing that can only be helpful for us!"
Anrey glanced at her, still a little concerned. "You think?"
"Well, of course! It's a very powerful move, and it's perfect to use in a pinch! Right?"
"I… Yeah, I guess so."
"Why question it?" Vylet said with a chuckle, "Maybe Arceus just likes you, or something."
The Sawk tutor seemed a little perturbed at how unperturbed Vylet was. "…Right, then," he eventually murmured and then faced Anrey once more. "I suppose we shall practice that move, then. I'll set up a studier training dummy so you won't break it. Well, c'mon then. On your paws."
Anrey's ears drooped. "Aw, crap…"
"This Friday, huh?" Anrey asked, a tinge of worry in his voice.
"Yeah, unfortunately," Vylet replied, "I guess the guildmaster caught wind that you've been training in the dojo, so in her eyes that means you're ready for the rest of your exam."
"I mean, I've only been training there for like three days," Anrey complained. The two of them were sitting in Vylet's home, relaxing after another taxing day for the Eevee at the dojo.
Vylet gave him an encouraging smile. "You've gotten a handle on your moves pretty well," she said to him, "It's just your eye-to-paw coordination that still needs work…"
"I dunno," Anrey shrugged, "It helps that they're all relatively simple moves. Easy mode stuff. If I had to learn something like Flamethrower or Extrasensory, I'd be having a lot more trouble I'm sure."
"You'll be fine," Vylet reassured him, "Like I told you, they don't expect you to be a super top-level fighter. They're mostly looking for competency."
"Even if I pass it-" Anrey started.
"When you pass it," Vylet interjected.
"…Even then, I hope it's okay if I rely more on you for beating up the bad guys in the dungeons…at least until I get better."
Vylet chuckled softly. "Of course, of course. You can always depend on your team leader."
The Eevee was quiet for a moment, then turned and gave her a look. "Our team has a 'leader' now?" he asked jokingly.
"What? You thought you were gonna be the leader?" she retorted, sticking out her tongue at him.
"Naw, I thought we'd approach this democratically and set up a panel of leadership to oversee-" Anrey was cut off when a throw pillow from his couch-slash-bed hit him in the head. He shook his head and looked off to the side as if someone else was standing there. "You see how she treats her subordinates? Unbelievable…"
Vylet was laughing quite a bit by this point. "Anrey, I love your snark! You're a riot. It's nice to spend time with someone who can find humour in things… A lot of Pokémon that work for the guild really work for the guild, y'know? Hardened, gritty, all business…"
"Don't they have stand-up night or anything?"
"Have what?"
"Nothin'." Anrey waved a paw dismissively. There was a short pause and then he spoke up again in a more subdued voice. "Do you really think this'll be okay?"
"Yeah, of course!" she replied eagerly, "I don't think you're gonna ace the exam, of course, but you'll pass!"
"No, not that… I mean afterwards. You and I as a team…going on missions…"
Vylet gazed at him thoughtfully. "What do you mean?"
"I dunno…" he said with a shrug, "Maybe I'm just feeling inadequate."
"Anrey," she cut in with a firm tone of voice, "You and I are going to be a fine team. I just know it. Anrey, I trust you and I enjoy spending time with you. I think those are two of the most important aspects of being on a team together. You and I could both be the strongest, most skilled Pokémon in the world on a team together, but if we didn't like each other or trust one another then we'd still be dead in the water." She then smiled at him and added, "In my eyes, you've already passed the test…You became my friend and showed me that I could trust you."
The Eevee gazed back at her with wide eyes, seeming caught off guard by that response. He looked like he wanted to say something but couldn't find the words.
"Don't you trust me as well?" she asked.
"W-well, yeah, of course. After all the kindness you've shown me, and how you took care of me when I was injured, of course I trust you."
Vylet smiled and nodded. "That's what's most important in a team, and honestly that's what the entrance exams should be about. It'd weed out nutcases like that Quagsire at least…"
Anrey turned his gaze down to the ground for a moment, still looking like he was lost in thought. "I'm just worried I'll let you down…" he eventually commented.
"You won't let me down, and I won't let you down. We'll both hold each other up."
"I do want to do this, and I want us both to chase our dreams," Anrey continued, "I just hope…"
Vylet reached over and gave the Eevee a side hug, causing him to yelp softly in surprise. "Stop worrying, okay?"
"Heh… Thanks, Vylet. You're way too kind."
"Eh," Vylet said with a shrug, "That kindness is gonna get me in trouble one of these days, but it hasn't yet!"
Anrey sat on the ground in the middle of guildmaster Zarah's office. He looked worried but not nervous, and was doing his best to keep from fidgeting. Vylet was standing just inside the doorway, politely and patiently waiting.
The imposing Floragato behind the large desk stared down impassively at the small Eevee. She held up a small folder that seemed to contain just a few sheets of paper. "Well, then…" she spoke in a neutral, yet somehow still very imposing tone, "I have received the results from the instructors of your exams…"
Vylet drummed her claws against her sides. She had the utmost faith that Anrey had passed, but the fact that she would be kicked out of the guild if he failed was simply too big to ignore.
Zarah continued to explain. "A score of less than 25% in either exam is an automatic failure. Barring that, your two scores will be combined together. A flawless exam is 200%. You need at least 110% to be accepted into the guild. Understand?"
Anrey nodded a few times.
For a brief moment, Zarah glanced at Vylet. "Your potential partner scored a total of 187%," she remarked, "A score like that is the main reason why I've even entertained all of this nonsense that breaks all the established protocols. I do not want to lose someone who scored so high."
Vylet smiled a little, feeling a sense of pride that she rarely felt from the hardened guildmaster.
"So…Let's not waste any more time," Zarah said promptly, "To remain impartial, I have not seen these results yet." She punctuated her statement by opening the folder. "Let's take a look, shall we?"
Inside of the folder were two sets of three pieces of paper, each held together with a paperclip. She picked up one of them and started to read it. Vylet didn't know which of the exams it was, and the guildmaster's exceptional poker face gave her no hints as to what the results were.
Finally, she placed the papers down onto her desk and looked down at Anrey again. "I must say…" Zarah said in an unimpressed tone, "The results of your physical examination leave…quite a lot to be desired."
Anrey wilted slightly, and Vylet felt a quick pang of worry in her heart. That didn't sound good.
"…Of course," Zarah continued, "You are still recovering from a serious injury. Being at the tail-end of the recovery process or otherwise, it does afford you a little bit of slack."
Vylet grumbled softly to herself, wishing that the guildmaster would just hurry up and say his score already.
"Your score on the physical exam…" Zarah finally continued, "…was a barely acceptable 30%."
The room fell deadly silent, and Vylet's eyes shot wide open. She bit her tongue to keep herself from letting out a shout of disbelief. With Anrey's injury and general lack of battle experience, she had expected his physical score to be rather low. To have only scored thirty percent, though?
At that moment, Vylet began to truly worry about her chances at getting into the guild. The fear that she had been ignoring and suppressing reared its ugly head from the moment she heard Anrey's low score. Would Anrey be able to enter the guild with such a low score? The dread hit her when she realized that Anrey needed to score at least eighty percent on his written exam to pass the 110% threshold.
She had done nothing but reinforce her belief to Anrey that he had passed his written exam, but was an eighty asking too much from him? Vylet bit her lip and stewed in her own anxiety as Zarah picked up the other collection of papers.
With the room so quiet, the sound of her turning over the papers to read the results hit their ears like an explosion. The silence then somehow became even more deafening as Zarah read the paper's contents. She arched an eyebrow at one point, but otherwise betrayed no emotion or hint as to what Anrey's score was.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she placed the papers down and turned her gaze to Anrey once more. "So then, Anrey," she spoke evenly, "I trust you can figure out how much you need to score in order to pass."
"Yes, of course," Anrey replied.
"25% may be the official cut-off point for automatic dismissal, but a score of 30% on your physical should still suggest that I raise questions. Even if you were to pass and be accepted in this guild, do you honestly believe you will be adept enough to handle the challenges of the job?"
Vylet also turned to look at Anrey, even though he was facing away from her. Though she still had faith in him, she had to admit she was curious as to what his answer would be.
The Eevee paused for a moment before answering. "Miss guildmaster, I… I do still blame my concussion for at least some of my shortcomings in that examination, but not all of them. I have told this to Vylet before and I will repeat it here, as I have no reason to hide it; I have little experience in this sort of stuff." He paused again, letting out a soft sigh. "But there are two reasons why I am still willing to go through with this."
Zarah stared at him for a moment, and then simply said, "Do tell."
"Firstly, I have always considered myself a fast learner," Anrey explained, "as well as having a strong sense of dedication and perseverance. I know how to problem-solve, and during my experiences in…well, my whole life…I have learned to adapt, practice, and figure out how to do what needs to be done."
The guildmaster didn't say anything in regards to this, but Vylet smiled. She had noticed that trait about Anrey already.
"And also…" Anrey continued, "The other reason is that I trust my partner. I trust Vylet completely, and I am confident in saying that I know I can depend on her. Ever since we first met, when she rescued me from attackers who very well may have killed me, she has been strong, dependable, skilled, and very brave. When it comes to combat, I know that Vylet will definitely be able to pick up any slack of mine. Guildmaster, I am willing to go through with this because…I am comfortable trusting Vylet with my life."
Once again, silence filled the room. While Zarah simply continued to gaze at Anrey impassively, Vylet was giving the Eevee a wide-eyed look with her jaw practically on the floor. She had not at all expected Anrey to say something so kind and touching. Vylet had known Anrey considered her a friend, but to hear him talk about how much he trusted her nearly made her cry. She had to resist the urge to rush over immediately and give him a hug.
Finally, Zarah nodded. "I see," she commented, "Indeed, I see. In all honestly, those are very compelling reasons to consider." She then briefly glanced at Vylet before looking back at Anrey and saying, "I have had many reservations about this proposed partnership. If your words just now are true, though, then you may just prove me wrong."
"I will do my best, guildmaster," Anrey politely proclaimed, "And if my best isn't good enough, we will do our best together."
Zarah's eyes glanced down at the papers on her desk once more, and Vylet only then realized that Zarah still hadn't revealed the rest of Anrey's score. If Anrey's written exam score was below 80, they would both be kicked out of the guild immediately. Vylet started to subconsciously nibble on one of her claws as she anxiously waited.
"You are an unusual little Eevee," Zarah commented frankly, "Although, to be honest, most of the Pokémon working here are unusual."
Vylet resisted the urge to scream out, 'Just say his score already!'
Finally, Zarah held up the bundle of papers with his written exam score on it, and fixed Anrey with an enigmatic look for a moment. "On the written exam," she spoke, "you scored…"
A few whole seconds of silence passed, and Vylet wondered if the Floragato was practicing to be a stage performer or something.
"…ninety percent."
Both Vylet and Anrey perked up, and it took a few moments for the realization to sink in. Vylet smiled brightly and barely suppressed a cheer of joy. He had done it. Anrey had passed the written exam with a very impressive score, and it was enough to push his combined score over the threshold. He had passed. Anrey would be accepted into the guild.
"…Impressive," Zarah commented, "Off the top of my head, I can only think of about two or three guildmembers during my tenure as guildmaster who scored higher than you." She lifted a paw and pointed behind him, adding, "One of them is standing back there."
Vylet blushed when Anrey turned to look at her, glancing away in embarrassment. "I, uh…" she stammered, "I scored…97% on the written exam. It's no big deal or anything, I just studied really hard and…y-yeah…"
Anrey smiled and then turned back to Zarah. "Thank you," he replied humbly, "I appreciate it."
Zarah replaced both groups of paper back into the folder and then stored them somewhere in her desk. "Well, then," she said as she clasped her paws together, "With a combined score of 120%, you have passed your entrance examinations, Anrey. As such, please allow me to formally welcome you to the Eclipse Guild as an official member. Congratulations. As you have already signed up with a partner, you are now a member of the Recruit Class. Your scarf and badge will be provided to you tomorrow."
Anrey's ears perked up, and his tail wagged a little bit. "Thank you so much, guildmaster. I promise to do my best, and I will continue to improve my physical skills as I learn and continue to recover."
"See that you do," Zarah said flatly. She then regarded Vylet and finally bade her to step closer. The Sneasel marched forward and took a stand right next to Anrey. "Vylet?" she spoke up, "You have a partner now. Finally. I trust there will be no more lollygagging and shenanigans going forward, and you will prove to be a valued member of this guild?"
Vylet cringed a little, feeling a rush of embarrassment at the veiled condescension in Zarah's words, but gave the Floragato a smile and nodded. "I am more than ready to truly begin my journey here."
Zarah nodded curtly, and then glanced down at some other papers that were on her desk as she continued to speak. "Access to D-Rank missions is granted to both of you, restrictions on consecutive working days is rescinded, and access to the guild's private merchandise from the Smeargle Brothers' shop is granted. Dismissed."
Seconds later, the door to Zarah's office slammed shut, leaving two mildly stunned Pokémon standing outside of it. After a moment of silence, Vylet and Anrey turned to look at one another. Another quiet moment passed, but then both of their faces lit up with bright smiles.
"You did it…!" Vylet said in quiet awe.
"I passed…" Anrey murmured, "I almost didn't, but…I did. I'm in the guild now."
"I'm not getting kicked out!" Vylet cheered, her excitement growing.
"And we…" Anrey continued, "We're a team now. Officially. For real."
Vylet's cheeks started to hurt as her smile grew even wider. She couldn't help herself and threw herself at Anrey, wrapping him up in a surprise hug. "I'm so happy!" she exclaimed, "Finally! Finally I'm truly in the guild! We're in the guild!"
"I still…can't quite believe it."
Vylet kept hugging him for a bit before finally releasing him. "Wow! Very impressive score on your written exam. That totally saved the day. I guess you weren't blowing smoke when you told me you learn better by listening than by writing stuff down."
"Ah, well… I couldn't've done it without you. You're a good teacher."
"You really are very smart. You've got a great brain in that head. I just know that'll be a huge help for our team."
"You think so?"
Vylet gave him a warm smile. "I truly believe I couldn't have asked for a better partner. I think you and I are gonna do great things, Anrey." She then broke out in a cheesy grin and added, "Thanks for helping me chase my dream!"
"Aw, you're welcome. I just hope I can keep up."
The two started to walk away from the guildmaster's doorway, and Vylet was barely able to keep herself from doing a little happy dance as she walked. "This is so exciting! I can't wait to start tomorrow!"
"That's that, then?" Anrey asked, "Right into the thick of things starting immediately tomorrow?"
"Absolutely!" Vylet proclaimed, holding up a clenched fist, "Tomorrow we start helping to make the world a better place!"