~ Chapter 6 - First Day on the Job ~

~ Wayne Explorer's Guild ~

"So what job are we going to take as our first one?" Kruler asked

"Hopefully nothing too difficult…" Palla shuddered, "I can't deal with another Gyarados incident…"

Kroto tapped a sheet on the right wall, "Hey guys, how about this one? It's just a small town crime case."

"Nah," Traximus responded, "After the Excadrill Gang, I'll pass for now."

"Fair enough," Kroto relented, "Find anything that suits your fancy, Rico?"

"Hmm… How about this one?" Rico picked up a sheet from the left wall, "It's asking for help finding a lost Larvitar in Stout Canyon. Our client is a Rhydon named Jeralt." He looked up from the sheet, "Where and what is Stout Canyon?"

"I've heard of it, but never been there." The Passimian responded, "It's a small mining town just east of here. We can reach the place in about six hours on foot."

"Ugh… Walking? I hate walking…" Kruler moaned.

"Well, all in favor of going?" Traximus asked.

Everybody but Kruler raised their appendages. Under the pressure of the rest of her team, she relented. "Fine…" She rolled her eyes.

"Right then," Traximus puffed his chest out, "Alright team, let's move and meet our client!" He then gave a glance at Rico, "Speaking of which, where is our client waiting?"

"Supposedly at this place called Tradneer Outpost."

"Well…" Kroto opened the wonder map, "Tradneer Outpost is about halfway between our destination and us. We can reach it on our way there."

"Okay, hopefully we don't have to fight anything on our way there…" Palla mulled.

As Team Nova began making preparations to leave, they ran into Agent Wayne, who was discussing some things with another team. Upon their arrival, Wayne turned his attention to Team Nova.

"So have you decided on your first mission?" The Armarouge asked.

"Yes sir. We are to find a lost Larvitar in Stout Canyon." Traximus responded.

Wayne crossed his arms, "I see. It is a simple job. You should have no trouble, but if you get in danger, you have an emergency channel in your Connection Orb that will let you call for help. Don't forget that, rookies."

"Wait, why aren't you sending somebody to help us?" Palla asked, "It's our first day on the job, after all."

"I assume you have some experience with mystery dungeons since you came from the university. Especially with all the tomfoolery that it's been through since then. But if you truly need help, I could send somebody out with you."

"I-I suppose we could appreciate the help…" Kroto nervously muttered.

"Right. Beruka, you aren't doing anything at the moment," He turned to the Rillaboom he was talking to earlier, "Will you be willing to accompany these recruits on their first mission?"

"Sure thing!" The Rillaboom responded, "These cuties could use some muscle on their first mission!"

"Man, we're no short of characters here in this guild, huh?" Kruler rolled her eyes.

"Now that's no way to greet somebody! The name's Beruka, and I'm a certified member of Team Jungla, a Rescue Team!"

"Wow!" Palla exclaimed, "Are you guys as popular as Team Ventus?"

"Ha! No way! Those guys are the real deal, if not, a little fame hungry." Beruka laughed.

"Right," Traximus interjected, "We might as well get going then. Are there any mystery dungeons between here and the Tradneer Outpost?"

"Nope," Kroto confirmed, "It appears it's just a straight boring walk there."

"Then come on guys, let's go."

~ Northeast Windlass Plains ~

Team Nova found themselves strolling about the plains. As uneventful as it was, the team found it a breath of fresh air compared to the constant action that they're used to. Rico, however, found it quite boring, as he constantly yawned and nearly kept doubling over and nearly falling asleep.

"Man, are we there yet?" Rico asked, groaning.

Beruka merely looked back as she continued strolling along, "I see it over the hill. We'll be there soon, just try to hold on until then."

"Maybe we can take a break and stock up on supplies at the outpost?" Traximus suggested.

"Good idea," Beruka agreed, "We can let your Froakie friend rest his tired legs for a bit."

"Sounds like a plan," Rico yawned.

About a half hour later, Team Nova arrived at the outpost. It appeared to be a relatively calm day, seeing as most of the pokemon were going about their business in a leisurely pace and an orderly fashion. Fortune smiled upon them, seeing as their client as one of the pokemon that were standing guard on the outside.

"Excuse me, sir!" Rico called out.

"Hm? Who're- Oh! Are you the ones who answered my request?" The Rhydon asked.

"That'd be us," Traximus answered, "You needed help finding a Larvitar in Stout Canyon, right?"

"Yes." The Rhydon tilted his head downward, "That would be my son. Normally I'd take him to work with me, but he somehow got lost. He's been lost for some time and I looked all over for him! Please, explorers! Help me!"

"We'll find your son," Palla claimed, drawing surprised looks from her teammates, "He'll be safe, I know it!"

"Thank you," The Rhydon smiled, and handed over a batch of oran berries, "Arceus bless you. Here, take these. Just in case."

Kroto took the oran berries and placed them in the explorer bag, "Thanks. By the way, do you have any knowledge about the happenings in Stout Canyon?"

Jeralt tapped his finger to his chin, "The last thing I remember that was out of the ordinary was some suspicious activity happening in the vicinity of the town when we traveled through it. I hope that my son didn't get himself involved with those pokemon…"

"Hmm, that ought to help… somewhat…" Kruler noted.

"Right. Anything else?" Traximus asked.

"Yes. The last area where I remember my son being with me was in the market area."

"Okay, we have a lead," Kroto deduced, "Come on guys, we better go before our lead dries up."

"Sounds like a plan," Traximus agreed.

"Aww but what about our break?" Rico complained, annoying Kruler.

"Okay, how about this," Traximus turned to the group, "We first find the Larvitar, then once we have him secure, we can return him here and then rest up."

"Okay…Fine." Rico relented his point, but not before grumbling curses under his breath.

Team Nova nodded and continued on their way. Beruka hung towards the back of the crew, however. After a while, she became too quiet for the rest of the team to bear, causing Kroto to ask, "Why so quiet all of a sudden?"

Beruka crossed her arms, "Well, you guys seem to have the qualities of a well formed team already. It seems I might not even be needed!"

"What do you mean?" Palla asked.

"Let's see," Beruka began pointing at the members of Team Nova, "You have the heart, the spirit, the brains, and the budding leadership that a good team needs to survive. Most teams don't even have half of those starting out!"

"Huh." Kruler continued to walk aimlessly, "We'll see how well that holds up in combat."

"If it comes to that," The Rillaboom wagged her finger, "I'm sure you'll manage!"

"That doesn't sound very reassuring…" Rico moaned.

'Does this guy do anything other than complain?' Beruka thought as she continued her leisurely pace with the rest of the group.

Some more walking later, and the group came to a precipice of a steep drop. They moved closer to the side of the canyon, inspecting their findings below. Near the eastern side of the canyon lies a small town with a river extending through it. Spotting a set of stairs, Kroto guided the team over towards them, leading the team downward.

"So this is Stout Canyon?" Rico pondered, "I wonder, where the market is?"

"Supposedly in the center of town. We can start there." Beruka added.

~ Gullverian Command Center, Yesterday ~

"If Northrun is to be affected by Team Blackhand, do you believe neighboring cities may also be affected?" Prime Minister Ingasa inquired.

Alcryst stroked his mustache, "It could be possible, but I also believe that the other towns I've marked could be in extreme danger. We ought to send word to Talgeria in preparation for a potential conflict; maybe even a series of battles that will drive Team Blackhand out of hiding."

"I see. But there's also another problem. The sudden resurgence of Eternarifts and alphas simultaneously may provide a substantial threat to our operatives. This may require us to mobilize for a total war on Team Blackhand, should we find that these events are connected." The Slowking turned his back to the Alakazam, "That is, unless you have a better idea…"

"That, I do."

"Hmm? Speak it."

"For this plan to work, I will need all the top researchers and scientists in Gullveria to join me on this. I will also need access to my old laboratory, which resides in Talgeria. This plan is twofold. First, it will provide us with the technical knowledge on how Eternarifts function. This is a crucial step in the reversal process. Secondly, I will provide you with the resources and technical skills necessary to construct looplets like mine that can reverse them."

The Prime Minister went wide eyed, "But how? How do you know so much about Eternarifts if you're just a simple scientist? Do you know something we don't?"

"Remember, I've worked on an item that has the power to reverse them. I'd be a fool to not know about my targets…"

~ GCIB HQ, Present Day ~

'This is where the Prime Minister ordered me to go… So here we are' Alcryst descended upon the building, alerting the Gallade guards to his arrival.

"Halt! You are on restricted grounds. Leave now or be detained and prosecuted under-"

"I have special permission from Prime Minister Ingasa to be here!" Alcryst shouted, "You must understand!"

"Present proof or be detained!" The guards shouted back in unison.

Sighing, Alcryst presented an amulet that he had in his satchel. The guards inspected it thoroughly before handing it back to him.

"Looks legit. You may enter!" Both Gallade guards stepped aside and allowed Alcryst to pass through.

Passing through the headquarters, he found himself taking the stairs to his right, leading him to the lower floors. Passing through the place, he found himself inspecting numerous encampments under strange, artificially created environments. Inside those encampments were ferals of all kinds, including things ranging from flying pokemon to small critters. Alcryst found his curiosity piqued, but still cringed nonetheless.

'What are the Gullverians doing with ferals here? And why are there so many of them?' The Alakazam thought to himself as he continued moving downward.

Coming to a door on the lowest level, he entered with the expectation that he'd find somebody that would give him some sort of explanation. What he got when he opened the door was a Nidoqueen staring at one of the encampments in the left wall, just barely outside of view. When the door opened, it garnered the attention of the Nidoqueen.

"Hey! You aren't supposed to be here!" The Nidoqueen shouted.

Alcryst presented his amulet, "Yes, I am. Now can you explain to me what's happening here? I'm under orders by the Prime Minister to gather the top scientists in the country."

"Ah I see," The Nidoqueen turned back to her view, "Would you like to take a look at this?"

"Hmm?" Alcryst floated himself over to the encampment to inspect the cause of intrigue, "What am I to be looking at?"

"Him."

"The Charmeleon? What about him?"

The Nidoqueen tapped her clipboard, "This one evolved recently, but he has extreme potential to be just the weapon we need to take back what we've lost from Talgeria!"

"Using a feral as a weapon? I wouldn't recommend that…"

"You misunderstand, Alakazam," The Nidoqueen turned to him, "This is a sentient feral!"

"A… sentient feral? I haven't heard of something like that."

"Not only is he sentient, but he's also an alpha! Meaning that he can control ferals around him!"

Alcryst did a double take, "You can't be serious! Is such a thing truly possible? Who is this?!"

"Hmm… According to our notes, his name was dug up from our archives. A kid from Hakari Village."

"Well?! Can I get a name?"

"His name is Neltharios. Used to be a Charmander."

Alcryst felt a cold sweat run down his face. "That child! You need to release him to me now!"

"And give away our prized resource?" The Nidoqueen crossed her arms, "I think not."

"You must believe me!" The Alakazam pointed at Neltharios, "That one underwent an Eternarift-induced evolution! If he doesn't get the proper treatment, his mind will deteriorate and he will actually turn feral!"

The Nidoqueen looked to Alcryst, to Neltharios, and then back to the Alakazam, "I suppose you make an interesting argument, but we can't just release him to you. Teach us how to treat him and we'll do it instead."

"How do I know you just won't let him suffer!"

An argument broke out right outside Neltharios's encampment. All the noise made had awakened the slumbering Charmeleon, who nearly immediately woke up, causing the ambient temperature to rise significantly.

"Oh shit…" The Nidoqueen mumbled.

Alcryst sprinted up to the glass of the encampment immediately. He placed both hands on the glass and began trying to reason with the waking pokemon. "Neltharios!" He began, "You must retain control of yourself. I will help you, but you must fight the raging demon inside you!"

Alcryst turned to the Nidoqueen, "How long has he been here?!"

"A few days, if that. He was brought here just before the university went up in smoke." The Nidoqueen chided.

"So there's potentially a civilian in there and you did nothing to help them?!" Alcryst didn't let the Nidoqueen answer before he turned back to the Charmeleon.

'Okay. You have a civilian in there. He's in danger of himself and potentially everything around him. I have no choice! I have to go into his mind!' Alcryst's eyes turned a light blue and the light engulfing his eyes eventually came to outline himself. After a while, the Charmeleon also began glowing the same color. 'Let's go!'

~ Inside Neltharios's Mind ~

Warping into the mind of the Charmeleon, Alcryst landed in the center of the university commons. He gave quick glances around his surroundings, finding numerous, smaller serpentine like creatures swarming around a distorted version of the university. Seeing no reason to hesitate, he moved inward towards the source of the disturbance.

'This… Is unlike anything I've ever seen!' Alcryst floated past some of the serpentine creatures, their gazes falling upon him as he passed through the distorted space. 'I've investigated the minds of pokemon before, but this is something else!'

Floating towards one of the university halls, Alcryst found his target: the Charmeleon floating in a mass of black and purple. The Alakazam immediately propelled himself towards him, but noticed something else in the background. A larger version of the smaller serpentine creatures appeared to be devouring the sky itself. That one, however, appeared to be coiled and have a portion of its body stuck out, almost like a hand.

'What is that thing?' Alcryst thought to himself, 'Is that… What's causing this disturbance? Forget it! I have a pokemon to save!'

Approaching the Charmeleon, Alcryst immediately noticed that the black and purple mass was pouring into Neltharios. 'Okay Alcryst, you got this!' Taking a deep breath, the Alakazam focused all his psychic power into Neltharios, causing the entire realm inside to begin to rumble. Still, he persisted, eventually making the realm distort. Just when the amount of psychic energies became unbearable for Alcryst to handle, he managed to disconnect Neltharios from the mass of energy, lifting him upwards.

As Neltharios gradually descended, Alcryst caught the Charmeleon in his arms and came to a landing on the roof of one of the lecture halls. The Alakazam stood the Charmeleon upright and shook him psionically until he woke up.

"Ugh… What's happening?" The Charmeleon asked, "...Wait, Alcryst? What are you doing here?"

Alcryst breathed a sigh of relief, "Oh thank goodness. Your consciousness is still intact."

"My consciousness? What's happening to me?"

"You were turning feral due to the influence of the Eternarift. I had to travel into your mind in order to stop it, although it appears your mind still retains elements of your primality, however." The Alakazam pointed upwards towards the serpentine creatures, "I'm not sure if those are manifestations of your mind or an effect of being under the influence, but they most definitely seem unnatural."

"What?!" Neltharios screamed, "Do you mean I'm gonna stay like this forever?!"

Alcryst placed his open hand on the Charmeleon's shoulder, "I'm not sure. This may be something you will have to live with for the rest of your life." He noticed Neltharios begin to sulk and positioned himself to make direct eye contact, "But don't despair, I will help you no matter how much it costs me. All I need from you is to fight the influence. Can I get that from you?"

All it took was a nod from the Charmeleon for Alcryst to give a smile back.