Chapter 7
- Thread starter
- #21
My apologies for not updating this last week... and my general lack of activity (though I get the feeling no one noticed). There was a death in the family, so things have been pretty slow going for me as of late. I'm slowly trying to resume my normal routine. Here's the next chapter, from September 7th, 2017.
"Are you serious, here? Umbry and I bumped into that dinky little Riolu a few days back. She's totally worthless!" Espy spat, pacing back and forth along a dirt trail. "What makes her so important, huh?" She stopped and look at Umbry. "If she was really that important, then why didn't we know about her earlier?"
"That's a good question," Umbry growled. He directed his fierce red eyes toward a nearby tree. At its base floated a spectral bat about three times as tall as Umbreon. The bat's luminescent blue wings were wrapped over his body. "You sure took your sweet time telling us about her. Any particular reason?"
"Don't give me that look. I'm just the messenger here," the bat sneered. "I'm not a fan of this either, you know. I'm wasting valuable energy coming here for something so stupid and insignificant. Oh, how I'd love to replenish some of my light." He opened his mouth wide and licked his upper lip. "Especially when you two look so vibrant. Brimming with energy to siphon off!"
Umbry's furrow brow momentarily faltered. He shrank back toward Espy. "Shut it, Lunala!" he growled. "We're part of the same team, remember?"
Lunala vanished in a cloud of black smoke, only to reappear hunched over beside Umbry. His fur stood up on end and his tail ducked between his legs. "That all depends on how well you two can do your jobs. I've been promised every last drop of your light if you two fail to live up to expectations," he whispered, smacking his lips in eager anticipation. "If I were you, I'd consider getting a move on. You're burning daylight... for all of us." The red eyes nestled underneath his black, armored helmet flashed. "And you know how much I hate losing out on light."
Lunala straightened back up and looked over his shoulder. The bushes behind him rustled. Lunala opened his right wing and stuck out a black, crystallized arm. A Shadow Ball shot forward, striking the bush. An alarmed yowl rang out and a Meowth tumbled out of the bushes. Its blue-gray fur stuck out against the black dirt. "Here. Since I'm feeling generous, I'll offer up a 'willing volunteer' to help with your work. Enjoy!"
Meowth looked up in horror as Lunala melted into a puddle of shadows. Espy and Umbry slowly crept toward it, smiles spreading across their faces. "Yes... I think this little fella will do just fine," Espy declared, forehead gem crackling with red and black energy.
"Settle down, y'all," Braviary called, quieting down the assembly area. "Now then, I'm hearing some murmurs 'round these parts. So, the Guildmaster and I want to set the record straight here."
He turned to Metagross. The Guildmaster stepped forward. Fact: the guild will engage in an expedition to Sunset Shoals. Reasoning: to search for the cause of the rising tide.
"Oh wow, a big expedition. It's been two months since the last one," Growlithe barked.
"Well, if it's to Sunset Shoals I'll obviiiiiiooooously be going," Bruxish declared, flashing the group a toothy smile.
"I sure hope I'm picked to go this time," Togedemaru harrumphed. The metallic bolts were still fastened to her head. "Last time was a whole week sitting by the Pokénector. I was pretty much bashing my head against the wall in boredom by day two!"
"Is that why there are dents? I was wondering where that came from," Trapinch chuckled.
"Excuse me? Did you just insinuate I'm fat?" Togedemaru growled.
Sweat droplets popped up on Trapinch's head. "O-Of course not! I know they're from Null. It was just a joke!"
"Fat? Nah. Swell-headed is more like it…" Shane muttered.
"I heard that, human!" Togedemaru hissed.
'Crap… crap… inner monologue, Shane. Inner monologue!'
"Now, now, keep yer yammering to yerselves. This here's assembly time," Braviary scolded. "We're gonna be doing things a bit different with this here expedition. Yes sir, the Guildmaster and I talked it over, and we'll be having all y'all apprentices coming with us. And all the staff, too."
"Alright, finally!" Togedemaru cheered.
"What did I just tell ya? No interrupting!" Braviary barked. He turned to Magearna. "Mags, ya sure yer okay leaving yer lab behind for this?"
Of course. There are a few things I wish to studicate in that area, Magearna exclaimed. Togedemaru, you will assist me, yes?
Togedemaru rolled her eyes. "Do I really have a say in the matter?"
No. I was simply engaging a courteous professionality script, Magearna chuckled. I think it worked out nicely.
"Err… right. Anyway, Team Specter has generously agreed to stick around while we're gone to keep an eye on the place," Braviary continued. He then turned to Team Radiance. "Which means y'all are gonna take orders from them while we're away, got it?"
Shane ears drooped. "Wait, we don't get to go with you?"
Fact: only apprentices can accompany. Fact: you are novice rank. Conclusion: you will remain at the guild to continue training, Metagross replied.
"Are you serious?" Shane tilted his head up and bellowed, "LAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAME!"
"If'n ya don't want to be on cleanup duty in the mess hall I suggest ya drop the attitude there, rookie," Braviary warned. Tessa shot Shane an annoyed look. "Besides, Null's still a novice too. So y'all will have him around for company."
Team Radiance glanced toward the south hallway. Null brushed the side of his helmet against the wall, hissing. Shane dropped his head and poked at the ground with a forepaw. "Okay, I would like to rescind my earlier 'Laaaaaaaaaaaame,' and amend it to a 'major bogus,'" he whispered.
"We do have work to do to prepare for this trip," Braviary continued. "But y'all will get more detailed instructions tomorrow. For now, get any supplies ya think y'all need. Remember, we're dealing with pretty wet terrain here. So, plan accordingly." He nodded slowly. "That'll be all for now. Dismissed!"
"Hoooo-rah!" the apprentices shouted in unison and started breaking off. Braviary fluttered over to Shane and Tessa.
"Don't go runnin' off now, you two," he said.
Tessa stepped toward Braviary. "Look, if this is about Vulpix's outburst, I–"
"I didn't mean it!" Shane protested.
"I'm assigning y'all to sentry duty today," Braviary declared. "Now that y'all have gotten yer bearings, it's about time y'all contributed to the inner workings of the guild. We can't expect the same folks to do the same things day in and day out. Would get mighty boring, ya hear?"
Tessa nodded. "Of course."
"Seriously? Couldn't we start with something more interest– oof!" Shane grunted as Tessa elbowed his rib cage, abruptly cutting out his complaint.
"Ignore him," Tessa said. "He didn't sleep well last night, so he's been complaining nonstop since he woke up."
Shane shot Tessa an annoyed look as the Riolu followed Braviary down the south hallway. They arrived in the Pokénector room to find Trapinch and Null already settling in. The latter lay down beside the Pokénector's giant, glowing globe while the former fiddled with a dusty binder. "Look alive. Y'all got rookies to teach today," Braviary announced. He stepped to the side and shoved Team Radiance forward with a wing. "Show these two how to do sentry duty so we can count on them to take a turn every so often."
"You got it, Braviary," Trapinch replied, giving the best salute he could manage with his stubby foreleg.
"Good. Now, I've got work to do to prepare for this expedition. So, don't y'all go disturbing me unless it's an absolute emergency, understand?"
"Yes, sir," Trapinch and Tessa replied in unison. Null nodded from his spot.
"… whatever," Shane muttered under his breath. He watched Braviary leave out of the corner of his eye. When he was confident Braviary was out of eyesight, he sauntered over to one of the cushions. "Okay," he said, yawning. "So, what, we just lay around and twiddle our paws then? Or, let me guess, that globe thing will light up and we got to do some kind of timing minigame to open the gates properly?"
Trapinch gave Shane a blank look. But that paled in comparison to the glare he received from Null. 'Cripes… what's that guy's problem? You'd think I just broke his favorite toy or something…' Shane thought. Null growled and tensed his talons against the ground. He immediately turned away.
"Look, I have no idea what you're talking about," Trapinch said. "Please, just pay attention. I really don't want to have to explain this more than once." He walked over to the Pokénector. "Whenever someone steps on the pedestal outside, the base of this structure will glow. If it's blue, it's a registered guild member. If it's green, it's a non-guild Pokémon we've synced in the Pokénector."
At that moment, the base of the structure lit up bright blue. Null looked up at the spinning globe. "Okay, so there's a guild member outside," Trapinch said.
"Thanks. I never would have gotten that, Captain Obvious," Shane deadpanned.
Tessa gave him another disapproving look. Trapinch ignored him. "So, we don't have to sound any alert when it's a guild Pokémon. But we do need to make a record of it." At that, the spinning globe started glowing even brighter. Tessa narrowed her eyes and immediately made out an image of Milotic in the center of the globe.
Trapinch grabbed the binder he had opened, along with an ink pad. "I'll just record Milotic's return in our log book here," Trapinch said as he pressed an ink-covered foreleg to the page, "and Null over there will open up the door so Milotic can pass." He nodded to his partner. Null pressed a switch on the floor. The room trembled under Team Radiance's paws. They heard metal grating against metal up above them.
"When the glow fades, the Pokémon's inside the guild, and we're safe to shut the door," Trapinch continued. As if on cue, the blue light faded from the Pokénector's base. Null pressed the switch again and Team Radiance heard more grating noises.
"So, those are the basics," Trapinch exclaimed. "A couple of final points. If you see the base of the Pokénector glow yellow, then it's someone we don't have records of. So, you need to ask them to state their name and business. Then you contact Magearna and have her proceed up to the entrance. But that almost never happens. Although… I guess it did happen when you showed up, Vulpix."
"Is that everything?" Tessa asked.
"Not quite. There's one more color: red," Trapinch said. "But, uh, none of us apprentices have ever seen that on sentry duty. I don't know what it's for. Only that I'm supposed to ring up Guildmaster Metagross, or whoever's in charge if he's out."
"So, I was right. We are just gonna sit here and twiddle our paws," Shane scoffed. He let out another yawn and started back toward the cushion he found.
"Hey, don't start slacking on me now," Trapinch scolded. "Some days we can get a pretty high volume of traffic. And with an expedition coming up, there might be a lot of movement today."
"Wait, so what happens if multiple Pokémon show up at once?" Tessa asked.
"No worries. The Pokénector can identify up to five Pokémon with one scan," Trapinch replied, "Any more than that, and we usually just tell them to break into groups. So, think you can give it a try?"
"Sure." Tessa nodded. "I guess… I can do the identifying and log book stuff, first. Vulpix, you want to operate the door?"
Shane froze with a forepaw hovering over the pillow. "Do I have to?"
"Yes," Tessa replied. "Look, we're not getting out of this. Even if you don't like it, you've got to put up with this. I'm offering you the easier task. So, just go over by Null already!"
"Okay, okay. Sheesh." Shane dragged the pillow across the room toward the door switch. "Hey, uh, mind giving a 'mon some space, big guy?"
Null continued to look at Shane while he scooted back toward the wall. His expression was unreadable behind his mask. Shane's fur bristled as he took his position lying next to the Pokénector. 'Does this guy have some sort secret crush on me or something? I can practically feel him boring holes in the back of my head,' Shane thought. Just to be safe, he relaxed his tails to cover up his flanks.
As Shane predicted, the sentry duty process turned out to be slow going. There were a few instances of the Pokénector's base flashing blue. But then a quiet lull occurred. The entire time, Shane kept stealing glances at the chimera lounging behind him. He expected Null to pass out at some point, but he continued inspecting Shane like he was some sort of alien creature.
"... beast."
Shane's ears twitched. He turned around and looked accusingly at Null. "What did you just call me?"
Null immediately looked away. Before Shane could press further, a flash of green drew his attention. "Oh!" Tessa gasped, jumping up and scrambling toward the wall. A speaker sat mounted a few inches above her head. It ran up toward the ceiling. "U-Um… ahem…" Tessa cleared her throat. "Registered Pokémon identified! The Pokémon is…" She looked over her shoulder and watched the image of a Magnezone appear. "… Magnezone!" Tessa finished. She nodded to Shane who lazily pressed the door switch. "Please proceed inside."
Tessa then grabbed the log book off the floor, pressed a digit to the inkpad, and scribbled along the bottom of the page. "Um, what should I do when I run out of space? That was the last page in this binder."
"Oh, that's an easy one." Trapinch walked over toward the room's far wall. He pressed a circular button and part of the wall slid away to reveal a storage closet. Trapinch grabbed a stack of parchment and walked it back to Tessa. "Here you go. Just add it into the binder. I'll take the old pages over to Togedemaru to file away."
While Tessa and Trapinch attended to the logbook, Shane shifted uneasily on his cushion. The fur on his neck stood on end. He immediately spun around. "Okay, Null. What's your deal, huh? You've been eyeing me like I'm a criminal since I set foot in here," he hissed in a whisper.
Null's gray, heavyset eyes narrowed at Shane. A growl rumbled in his throat. Shane momentarily lost his nerve, but took a deep breath and furrowed his brow at Null. "What's the matter, too afraid to say what's on your mind? Or does that ridiculous helmet of yours block your mouth?" Shane growled. "Why are you even wearing it anyway? If it's to make a fashion statement, I can tell you right now that it's not working."
"Vulpix!"
Shane glanced over his shoulder to see Tessa frowning at him. "Are you trying to pick a fight with Null? What is wrong with you?"
"Me?" Shane looked hurt. "He's the one looking at me like I killed his best friend. Talk to him! Because he sure won't talk to me."
Tessa crossed her arms. "Null hasn't said a word since we got here. I'm sure he's just concentrating on the Pokénector and you're just jumping to conclusions, as per usual."
Shane was on his feet at this point. "I am not jumping to conclusions!" he growled. "All I want to know is why this guy…" He jerked his head in Null's direction. "… is making me feel so uncomfortable!"
"… you didn't… close the door…"
Shane's blood ran cold. 'His voice… it's so… raspy.' He slid a hind paw back and hit the switch. "Okay, there, it's closed. But that only just happened. You've been staring at me all day."
Null shrugged his shoulders.
"Don't you just shrug at me," Shane growled.
"Vulpix… drop it." Tessa said.
"No, I won't just drop it," Shane said. "What's the matter? Is it because I'm human? Is that it? Are you human? Is that why you're studying me so intently? I get it... you're probably jealous. I got turned into a reasonably-normal looking Pokémon and you became a living jigsaw puzzle. Even by Pokémon standards, you're hideous!"
Tessa's eyes widened. "Stop it, Vulpix. That's totally uncalled for."
"No, it isn't. Think about it, Riolu." Shane whirled on Null. "The guy washed up in some waterfall with absolutely no memory and then he ends up in, of all places, an exploration guild. That sounds awfully familiar." He pointed a forepaw directly at his face. "Don't you think?"
Null merely cocked his head in confusion. "… human?" he muttered.
"Don't you go playing coy with me. This has got to–"
"Gyyyyyyyyyyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!"
Tessa stiffened. "Hey! That sounded like Yungoos!"
Crrrraaaaaaaaaaaaash!
Tessa's aura feelers tensed up. "I… I think something's going on upstairs."
"What, like a commotion? I just let Magnezone in, that's all," Shane stated. He yelped as a set of talons gripped his back. Next thing he knew, he sat on Null's scaly, furry back. Null lumbered down the hallway, with Tessa right beside him.
"… the Pokénector… doesn't reset… until the door is closed…" Null hissed. "Someone could've… snuck in… because your partner thought it was more important… to yell at me…"
"Seriously? Like that would really happen," Shane scoffed. Tessa didn't respond. Instead, she ran ahead and dashed up the stairs. Null had a bit of a tougher time. He had to tilt his head so the crest of feathers atop it didn't catch on a part of the stairs. Null and Shane had just about reached the entrance when they heard a startled yelp.
"Tessa!" Shane cried. He jumped off Null's back but the chimera stuck out a foreleg to block him.
"… you've done enough… for one day…" he growled. "Stay back here. Better yet… get Braviary…" Null shoved Shane backward and charged into the room. Shane poked his head forward and gasped at the sight before him.
Tessa stumbled to her feet, rubbing her head. Behind her, the outlaw board had been knocked off its posts. Yungoos was passed out next to Tessa. And in the middle of the room a blue and gray cat stood on two legs. It had a jet-black coin sitting atop its forehead. Its whiskers, however, were bright yellow and razor-sharp. And the cat's tail was bright white, resembling a scrap of paper. An inverted black triangle sat in its chest, with a red, winged heart glimmering in its center.
'What the–? That's no ordinary Meowth!' Shane realized. 'It looks totally possessed or something!'
Null ran over to Tessa to try and help her up. Meowth gave a furious hiss, unsheathed a set of white, razor-thin claws, and charged toward Null, swinging wildly. Shane watched Null swipe the air in front of him, sending wind blades racing forward. To Null's surprise, the Meowth leaped over the Air Slash with a feral screech. Null hefted up his head, hoping to catch his opponent with his helmet or feathery crest. But Meowth landed on Null's back. Shane's ears throbbed at the sounds of claws scraping scales. Null grunted in aggravation, trying to buck the feline off him.
Shane jumped out from the staircase. "Get off of him!" he shouted. His eyes flashed pink and wavy ripples raced across the room. Shane's jaw dropped, however, when the attack detonated, only to fizzle out harmlessly against Meowth. Instead, Meowth narrowed its glowing red eyes at Shane. It lunged from Null's back and sprinted toward him. "Th… That's impossible!" Shane cried. More psychic waves surged across the room, but Meowth ran right through the explosive pink bursts.
"Idiot!" Tessa barked. "Why would you use a psychic-type move on a Meowth? It's a dark-type!"
Meowth lunged for Shane, who dived to the floor. He flinched as Meowth slashed some of the fur off his leftmost tail. "Oww! A dark-type? Since when?"
"Since always!" Tessa shouted.
Null similarly hissed in pain, rattling his helmet about. He gathered up another ball of concentrated air in his foreleg and arced a long wind blade forward. This one speared Meowth in the back, causing it to stumble forward. Tessa then barreled into it with a burst of speed, slamming it against the wall. Meowth thrashed about in Tessa's grip, then leaned its head forward, trying to bite her. Tessa gasped and stumbled backward. Meowth scrambled for the door, only to slam up against it and bounce backward.
"… I told you… to get Braviary…" Null snarled. "… do as you're told…" He charged down Meowth, winding up to strike with his talons.
"No. That'll take too much time. You guys need my help!" Shane squeaked. Meowth got a frenzied look in its eyes and leaped upward. It dug its claws into the metal wall and climbed about. Tessa growled in frustration and ducked into the stairwell. Null turned around and slung air crescents forward while Shane fired a straight column of snow.
However, Meowth scurried quickly across the wall. Not that it was ever in danger. Because the two attacks collided, creating an explosive burst of frosty air. Null grunted and turned his head away. He hissed once again and thrashed his head around, letting out rasping coughs. His ice-cold gaze fell on Shane.
"I was just trying to help," Shane muttered. Meowth had managed to find a window. It shattered it with its claws and scurried out the newly-created hole. Null slammed a foreleg against the ground in frustration.
"What in tarnation happened up here?"
Braviary flew into the room, with Tessa positioned on his back. She stole a glance at the broken window. "Did Meowth get out through there?" she gasped.
"… yes. Because he," Null pointed an accusatory talon at Shane, ",wouldn't follow directions…"
Braviary's eyes narrowed. Shane found his gaze drifting toward the bird's razor-sharp claws. "Mind explaining this one to me, rookie?" Braviary asked.
"He wouldn't stop staring at me!" Shane blurted out, pointing back at Null. "Null was making me uncomfortable and I just wanted to know why."
"And you neglected your responsibilities so you could harass him about that," Tessa cut in. "Then, when something did go wrong, rather than listening to Null's order to get Braviary, you simply jumped into the fray." She turned to Braviary. "He tried using his psychic-type move on a Meowth."
"Meowths are supposed to be normal-types!" Shane huffed.
"Not in Horizon, they ain't," Braviary scolded. "Null, were you really bothering Shane?"
"… sometimes I just… seem to space out. I was having… one of those moments…" Null muttered.
"Oh, come on. He's lying!" Shane accused. "That's way too convenient to be true."
"Really?" Braviary raised an eyebrow. "Cause based on yer attitude this morning, it sounds to me more like you were bored and tried to take yer frustrations out on yer senior guild member. And that not only caused you to be careless, but to completely ignore his instructions."
Shane winced. "No," he whimpered. "I just... made an honest mistake."
"That may be, but it was a completely preventable mistake, if'n you were acting maturely as an explorer should," Braviary lectured. "I'm sorry to have to do this, but I can't just write this off. Ya won't be getting supper tonight, rookie. And that goes for yer pardner, too."
A wild look appeared in Tessa's eyes. "What?!"
"Y'all are a team. That means ya both need to take responsibility for each other's poor decisions," Braviary stated. "And now that you know this, Riolu, maybe you'll try a bit harder in the future to keep yer pardner in line if'n he keeps getting testy." He turned back to Shane. "Now, I believe ya owe Null here an apology."
"But I didn't do anything wrong!" Shane protested. "Tell him to say sorry for creeping me out." He noticed Tessa glaring daggers at him and quickly fixed his gaze on Null, who stared off into space.
"… hrmph. I don't have time to stand around waiting." Braviary turned toward the staircase. "Null, if'n Shane here don't give ya an apology, let me know tomorrow morning. I'm sure I can think of something appropriate fer him." Braviary flapped his wings and drifted toward the stairs.
Null stared directly at Shane. "… well?"
"I'll apologize when you apologize," Shane growled, but he was clearly squirming under the combination of Null's gaze and Tessa's piercing glare.
"… I'm sorry… if I made you… uncomfortable. I meant no harm. I really do… just space out sometimes…" Null wheezed.
Shane frowned. "That's supposed to be sincere?"
"Vulpix!" Tessa hissed.
"… fine. I'm sorry, too," Shane grumbled. "There, everything's cool." He turned toward Tessa. "Can we go now?"
Tessa stormed forward, thumping Shane with her shoulder. "Don't you say a word to me," she seethed. As she stomped toward the staircase, Shane's fur prickled.
'But… I didn't do anything wrong here,' he thought. '… right?'
Shane continued saying that thought to himself throughout the evening. But he had a harder time believing it with each repetition.
Grooooooooooooowl!
He flinched from the gurgling of his stomach. 'It's not like I never went long periods of time without eating as a human,' he thought. 'But, I don't know, something about this Pokémon body makes being hungry feel really bad.' He stole a glance at Tessa, who sat in the corner, boring holes into the floor. Shane hung his head shamefully and sighed. 'Everyone thinks I'm a screw up now, don't they? All I was trying to do was figure out what that Null guy's issue is. How could I have possibly known anything like this would happen?'
Shane heard shuffling beside him. He noticed Tessa walking out of the room. His temptation was to follow her and see if he could try to patch things up, but then he saw Dragonair meet her by the other end of the table. The two departed the dining area together. At that point, he figured Dragonair was escorting Tessa to her mom's room. 'And I'm not looking for a repeat of last night, that's for sure,' he figured.
Shane stood up and trudged off. He quietly padded through the empty halls until he reached his room. Shane crept onto his pillow and lay down, curling up into a ball. He just wanted to shut his mind off and go to sleep.
'Tomorrow's another day, right? This is a small-time thing. It'll all blow over by tomorrow,' he told himself. 'Time heals all wounds, after all.' But that hardly lifted his spirits. And the churning of appetite-stirring juices in his stomach only served to make him more restless. It wasn't long before Shane had uncurled, rolling onto his back. He kicked at the air with his paws, trying in desperation to generate enough fatigue to pass out.
It was in the midst of this bizarre routine that he glimpsed his partner in the doorway. She wore a dumfounded expression. "I cannot believe you!" she growled. "Fooling around in here like absolutely nothing happened."
Shane rolled onto his belly. "That wasn't… I was trying to fall asleep," he said.
"Did anything Braviary tell you this afternoon sink in?" Tessa huffed.
Shane frowned. "Don't you think you're being a bit harsh? I made a mistake. I won't do something like that again. That's it. Case closed."
Shane noticed Tessa shaking. "No, that isn't it!" she barked, stomping a foot on the ground. "Because you keep promising that you'll be more careful. But that hasn't happened yet! You haven't really made any effort to do that."
Tessa's accusation was a proverbial slap across Shane's face. "Now that's not true. What about, um, yesterday… with Solrock?"
"You seemed to have forgotten about that today," Tessa countered. "You think this is some sort of game? All you care about is doing whatever you want so you can have fun. And anyone who tries to be just a tad bit careful is ruining that fun. That's how it is, isn't it?"
Shane frowned. "No, of course not. I'm… I'm totally serious about trying to find a way home." He stood up. "But, I'm not gonna be a downer about the whole thing. I want to enjoy my time here. What's so wrong about that?"
'I knew it. Why did I get my hopes up over this guy?' Tessa thought. 'Figures someone with such a screwed-up life would find a screwed-up human to match her. This is... so humiliating.' Tessa teared up. "The fact that you're putting other Pokémon in danger to 'enjoy your time here.' That's what's wrong."
"It's not like I'm intending for that to happen," Shane insisted. "Trouble just keeps finding me. But you're from a family of experienced explorers and I'm a human. I'm pretty confident that that makes me stronger than your average Vulpix."
'There's that same old line again. What if I leave and he somehow turns things around and becomes a hero? I'll be an even bigger loser than I am now!' She shook her head. 'No... I can't show weakness here." Tessa bared her teeth at Shane. "Oh, step off it, will you! Just how swell of an ego can you get, huh? It's like you can't do anything wrong in your eyes."
"It's not ego. It's fact," Shane barked back, his temper starting to slip. "Check those stories of yours. Odds are they'll all say that pairs of Pokémon not much different from the two of us took on the likes of Rayquaza or Dialga and succeeded. If that's not special, then I don't know what is."
Tessa's paws had balled up into fists. "You're… just… so sure of everything, aren't you?" she seethed. "Well, answer me this, then. What if you're right? What if Null's a human?"
Shane's annoyed expression dissolved into one of shock. "Duh-don't try to change the subject!" he stammered.
Tessa wiped her eyes. "No," she whispered. "I'm on the right track, aren't I?" Her gaze sharpened. "You're worried Null's the human who's supposed to be here. Which would make your arrival an accident, just like I suggested the day we met!"
That did it. Tessa could see the fight drain from Shane's eyes. His mouth fell open and all he could do was weakly gasp for air. His fur stood up on end and his empty gaze fell to the floor.
Tessa unfurled her scarf and tossed it toward the floor. "I want some space, Vulpix. I'm going back to Sunrise Village to think through some things. If you have any respect for me as a Pokémon, you'll leave well enough alone and stay here," Tessa said. She turned and marched out of the room, leaving Shane sitting there.
"… please."
Tessa froze in the doorway.
"… please don't go."
Tessa narrowed her eyes at Shane. "I just can't deal with you right now," she whispered. Tessa quickly disappeared from the doorway. Shane sat on his cushion, ears twitching as his partner's footsteps grew ever more distant. He stared blankly at the exterior of his room for several seconds. Then, he shakily got to his feet, scooped up Tessa's scarf, and stumbled out of the room.
'This is for the best. I'm doing the right thing.'
Tessa stole a glance back at the dim glowing bulbs stemming from Aeon Town's buildings. She gulped down the saliva pooling her mouth. 'Vulpix was driving me up the wall. I needed to get away from him and reevaluate.'
She forced herself to look away and continue on the dirt path. It would be a bit of a walk to Sunrise Village, but she figured that she could make it to Sylveon's house before it got too late out. Despite this, she felt a small, nagging voice whispering in the back of her mind. Telling her she could still turn back. That she could patch things up.
'No, I've already made my decision,' she insisted. 'This was doomed from the start because it involved me. Everything I do turns into a lost cause. This is what's best for both of us.' She turned her attention toward the forest. 'I'm sure Gallian knows I joined the guild by now, anyway. If I stay there, I'd only end up dragging everyone into harm's way. There's no way Vulpix could take–'
A bright flash of light erupted around Tessa. Her body tensed up and she let out a cry of pain as she fell back to the ground. Her head throbbed and she threw her paws up over her eyes, trying to rub out the bright light. "What… what happened?"
"Uhuu huu huu! It's been a little while, my fluffy little Riolu. Did you miss me? Because I sure missed you."
Tessa sat up, the stars fading out from her vision. She found herself looking into Espy's sharp blue eyes. Her forked tail lazily drifted from side to side. Her grotesque forehead diamond sparked menacingly. "Oh... wait. You can't miss me. You don't even remember the last time we met." She traced a forepaw across the black choker around her neck. A winged heart, with demonic horns and a piercing eye sat in the center of the collar.
'Wait.' Tessa's eyes narrowed 'Why does that symbol seem familiar? Didn't I see something like that?' She met Espy's gaze. "Do I know you?" she stammered.
"Weren't you listening to me earlier? I already said I wiped your memories of the last time we met," Espy said, flicking her snout skyward. "Last time Umbry and I thought you were a useless nobody. But it turns out you're just the Riolu we're looking for!"
Tessa stiffened. 'Wait… is there someone else here?'
No sooner did she try to turn around than something swept her legs out from under her, sending her onto her back. The second she hit the ground, she found herself looking into a set of fierce red eyes. Umbry's black body blended into the twilight, save for bright red rings along his ears, tail, and limbs. The red ring on his forehead bore the same winged heart Espy had on her choker and the crystal armor around her chest.
"Wh… What do you want with me?" Tessa squeaked. "Don't… don't tell me an Absol sent you. I… I was just leaving the guild, I swear!"
Umbry raised a brow. "Absol? Can't say we know one. Hey, Espy, did you infect an Absol recently?"
"Nope!" Espy replied, shaking her head while Tessa pivoted toward her. "But boy would I looooooove to. That silky white fur… oh, and that curvy blade on its head. We could do some real interesting stuff with an Absol. We should totally find one to infect when we're done here, Umbry! I'll bet an Absol could wreak some havoc on these dungeons and draw the Tapus out of hiding."
"One step at a time, Espy," her partner cautioned. He fixed his gaze back on Tessa.
"Infect? What are you babbling about?" Tessa muttered. 'This is bad. This is worse than bad! I left the pouch with Shane at the guild. I've got nothing here to help me!'
"I wouldn't expect a dumb little puppy to know about the Prism Virus," Espy giggled. "Let's just say it can make you an ultra-fun Pokémon to be around." She crept toward Tessa, grinning mischievously. Tessa tried to slide away, only to bump into Umbry. She yipped in fright.
"I… don't want anything to do with you!"
"Aww, c'mon. Don't talk like that. I think you'll love being infected," Espy whispered. She brushed her hide up against Tessa and ran her forked tail along the Riolu's arm. Tessa's aura feelers immediately spasmed.
"No! Stay back!" Tessa shoved Espy to the side and bolted to her feet. She tried to run, but another bright flash of pink erupted around her. Next thing she knew, she was eating dirt.
"Uhuu huu huu! Yes! It's much more fun when you play hard to get," Espy giggled. "I can tell you're going to make a wonderful edition to our Prism Virus family."
"Stop wasting time, Espy. We're burning twilight here," Umbry growled.
"Ugh… fine. You're such a stick in the mud, Umbry. Is it any wonder Pokémon want me to infect them instead of you?" Espy sighed. Tessa's eyes widened as she saw Espy's forehead glow, along with the winged heart in her choker.
"Now, that'll be enough of that there nonsense!"
Espy's grin faded. She yelped as a wave of fire and snowflakes washed over her. Umbry's eyes widened seconds before the feathery form of Braviary barreled into him, knocking him clear across the trail. Tessa's heart hammered in her chest as she caught sight of a familiar set of six white tails in front of her. Shane looked over his shoulder at her. "Are you okay? Did they do anything to hurt you?" he asked, while Growlithe took up a defensive stance beside him.
"I… I'm fine," Tessa squeaked. 'He... he came back for me? Even after I chewed him out? This can't be right... no sensible Pokémon would stick their neck out for me like that.'
Across from the canines, Espy stumbled to her feet. "Nnnnnrrrghhhh… spoilsports!" she hissed. "You'll pay for this... jerks! C'mon, Umbry, we're done here." Espy turned and sprinted toward her companion.
"Oh no ya don't!" Braviary shouted. He bucked his wings and soared after the duo. But the moment Espy reached Umbry, their eyes flashed purple. Espy produced a strange, almost-mechanical card in her paw and slammed it to the ground. Braviary screeched to a halt as purple energy crackled around the two attackers. The guild members watched in shock as the energy dragged Espy and Umbry into the ground, leaving nothing but a patch of scorched grass behind.
Growlithe bounded over to help Braviary, while Shane turned and scrambled toward Tessa. She noticed he had the item pouch slung around his neck. Shane fumbled through it and pulled out her scarf. "I think this belongs to you," he said.
Tessa reached a shaky paw out and grabbed hold of it. "I… I told you not to come after me," she whispered.
"I know, I know," Shane said, lowering his head guiltily. "But I felt bad… like, really bad. I went to Braviary and he offered to fly me over to find you. And then we saw what was happening and, well, leaped into action." Tessa wanted to ask what Growlithe was doing with them, but she noticed Shane poking at the grass with a forepaw. "Um, are you, y'know, mad that I didn't listen to you again?" he stammered.
Her muzzle stiffened. This was definitely the most vulnerable she'd seen Shane since they met. And she was the one who had gotten attacked. "A little," she whispered, prompting Shane to wince. "But…" She gave him an exhausted smile. "… I don't think I'd be here if you did listen. So, thanks."
This immediately brought a relieved smile to Shane's face.
"What are partners for?" he replied, and offered a forepaw to help her to her feet.
XxX
~Dewdrop Woods~
~Dewdrop Woods~
"Are you serious, here? Umbry and I bumped into that dinky little Riolu a few days back. She's totally worthless!" Espy spat, pacing back and forth along a dirt trail. "What makes her so important, huh?" She stopped and look at Umbry. "If she was really that important, then why didn't we know about her earlier?"
"That's a good question," Umbry growled. He directed his fierce red eyes toward a nearby tree. At its base floated a spectral bat about three times as tall as Umbreon. The bat's luminescent blue wings were wrapped over his body. "You sure took your sweet time telling us about her. Any particular reason?"
"Don't give me that look. I'm just the messenger here," the bat sneered. "I'm not a fan of this either, you know. I'm wasting valuable energy coming here for something so stupid and insignificant. Oh, how I'd love to replenish some of my light." He opened his mouth wide and licked his upper lip. "Especially when you two look so vibrant. Brimming with energy to siphon off!"
Umbry's furrow brow momentarily faltered. He shrank back toward Espy. "Shut it, Lunala!" he growled. "We're part of the same team, remember?"
Lunala vanished in a cloud of black smoke, only to reappear hunched over beside Umbry. His fur stood up on end and his tail ducked between his legs. "That all depends on how well you two can do your jobs. I've been promised every last drop of your light if you two fail to live up to expectations," he whispered, smacking his lips in eager anticipation. "If I were you, I'd consider getting a move on. You're burning daylight... for all of us." The red eyes nestled underneath his black, armored helmet flashed. "And you know how much I hate losing out on light."
Lunala straightened back up and looked over his shoulder. The bushes behind him rustled. Lunala opened his right wing and stuck out a black, crystallized arm. A Shadow Ball shot forward, striking the bush. An alarmed yowl rang out and a Meowth tumbled out of the bushes. Its blue-gray fur stuck out against the black dirt. "Here. Since I'm feeling generous, I'll offer up a 'willing volunteer' to help with your work. Enjoy!"
Meowth looked up in horror as Lunala melted into a puddle of shadows. Espy and Umbry slowly crept toward it, smiles spreading across their faces. "Yes... I think this little fella will do just fine," Espy declared, forehead gem crackling with red and black energy.
XxX
Episode 4: Two Steps Back
Chapter 7: Sentry Struggles
XxX
~Aeon Observatory~
Episode 4: Two Steps Back
Chapter 7: Sentry Struggles
XxX
~Aeon Observatory~
"Settle down, y'all," Braviary called, quieting down the assembly area. "Now then, I'm hearing some murmurs 'round these parts. So, the Guildmaster and I want to set the record straight here."
He turned to Metagross. The Guildmaster stepped forward. Fact: the guild will engage in an expedition to Sunset Shoals. Reasoning: to search for the cause of the rising tide.
"Oh wow, a big expedition. It's been two months since the last one," Growlithe barked.
"Well, if it's to Sunset Shoals I'll obviiiiiiooooously be going," Bruxish declared, flashing the group a toothy smile.
"I sure hope I'm picked to go this time," Togedemaru harrumphed. The metallic bolts were still fastened to her head. "Last time was a whole week sitting by the Pokénector. I was pretty much bashing my head against the wall in boredom by day two!"
"Is that why there are dents? I was wondering where that came from," Trapinch chuckled.
"Excuse me? Did you just insinuate I'm fat?" Togedemaru growled.
Sweat droplets popped up on Trapinch's head. "O-Of course not! I know they're from Null. It was just a joke!"
"Fat? Nah. Swell-headed is more like it…" Shane muttered.
"I heard that, human!" Togedemaru hissed.
'Crap… crap… inner monologue, Shane. Inner monologue!'
"Now, now, keep yer yammering to yerselves. This here's assembly time," Braviary scolded. "We're gonna be doing things a bit different with this here expedition. Yes sir, the Guildmaster and I talked it over, and we'll be having all y'all apprentices coming with us. And all the staff, too."
"Alright, finally!" Togedemaru cheered.
"What did I just tell ya? No interrupting!" Braviary barked. He turned to Magearna. "Mags, ya sure yer okay leaving yer lab behind for this?"
Of course. There are a few things I wish to studicate in that area, Magearna exclaimed. Togedemaru, you will assist me, yes?
Togedemaru rolled her eyes. "Do I really have a say in the matter?"
No. I was simply engaging a courteous professionality script, Magearna chuckled. I think it worked out nicely.
"Err… right. Anyway, Team Specter has generously agreed to stick around while we're gone to keep an eye on the place," Braviary continued. He then turned to Team Radiance. "Which means y'all are gonna take orders from them while we're away, got it?"
Shane ears drooped. "Wait, we don't get to go with you?"
Fact: only apprentices can accompany. Fact: you are novice rank. Conclusion: you will remain at the guild to continue training, Metagross replied.
"Are you serious?" Shane tilted his head up and bellowed, "LAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAME!"
"If'n ya don't want to be on cleanup duty in the mess hall I suggest ya drop the attitude there, rookie," Braviary warned. Tessa shot Shane an annoyed look. "Besides, Null's still a novice too. So y'all will have him around for company."
Team Radiance glanced toward the south hallway. Null brushed the side of his helmet against the wall, hissing. Shane dropped his head and poked at the ground with a forepaw. "Okay, I would like to rescind my earlier 'Laaaaaaaaaaaame,' and amend it to a 'major bogus,'" he whispered.
"We do have work to do to prepare for this trip," Braviary continued. "But y'all will get more detailed instructions tomorrow. For now, get any supplies ya think y'all need. Remember, we're dealing with pretty wet terrain here. So, plan accordingly." He nodded slowly. "That'll be all for now. Dismissed!"
"Hoooo-rah!" the apprentices shouted in unison and started breaking off. Braviary fluttered over to Shane and Tessa.
"Don't go runnin' off now, you two," he said.
Tessa stepped toward Braviary. "Look, if this is about Vulpix's outburst, I–"
"I didn't mean it!" Shane protested.
"I'm assigning y'all to sentry duty today," Braviary declared. "Now that y'all have gotten yer bearings, it's about time y'all contributed to the inner workings of the guild. We can't expect the same folks to do the same things day in and day out. Would get mighty boring, ya hear?"
Tessa nodded. "Of course."
"Seriously? Couldn't we start with something more interest– oof!" Shane grunted as Tessa elbowed his rib cage, abruptly cutting out his complaint.
"Ignore him," Tessa said. "He didn't sleep well last night, so he's been complaining nonstop since he woke up."
Shane shot Tessa an annoyed look as the Riolu followed Braviary down the south hallway. They arrived in the Pokénector room to find Trapinch and Null already settling in. The latter lay down beside the Pokénector's giant, glowing globe while the former fiddled with a dusty binder. "Look alive. Y'all got rookies to teach today," Braviary announced. He stepped to the side and shoved Team Radiance forward with a wing. "Show these two how to do sentry duty so we can count on them to take a turn every so often."
"You got it, Braviary," Trapinch replied, giving the best salute he could manage with his stubby foreleg.
"Good. Now, I've got work to do to prepare for this expedition. So, don't y'all go disturbing me unless it's an absolute emergency, understand?"
"Yes, sir," Trapinch and Tessa replied in unison. Null nodded from his spot.
"… whatever," Shane muttered under his breath. He watched Braviary leave out of the corner of his eye. When he was confident Braviary was out of eyesight, he sauntered over to one of the cushions. "Okay," he said, yawning. "So, what, we just lay around and twiddle our paws then? Or, let me guess, that globe thing will light up and we got to do some kind of timing minigame to open the gates properly?"
Trapinch gave Shane a blank look. But that paled in comparison to the glare he received from Null. 'Cripes… what's that guy's problem? You'd think I just broke his favorite toy or something…' Shane thought. Null growled and tensed his talons against the ground. He immediately turned away.
"Look, I have no idea what you're talking about," Trapinch said. "Please, just pay attention. I really don't want to have to explain this more than once." He walked over to the Pokénector. "Whenever someone steps on the pedestal outside, the base of this structure will glow. If it's blue, it's a registered guild member. If it's green, it's a non-guild Pokémon we've synced in the Pokénector."
At that moment, the base of the structure lit up bright blue. Null looked up at the spinning globe. "Okay, so there's a guild member outside," Trapinch said.
"Thanks. I never would have gotten that, Captain Obvious," Shane deadpanned.
Tessa gave him another disapproving look. Trapinch ignored him. "So, we don't have to sound any alert when it's a guild Pokémon. But we do need to make a record of it." At that, the spinning globe started glowing even brighter. Tessa narrowed her eyes and immediately made out an image of Milotic in the center of the globe.
Trapinch grabbed the binder he had opened, along with an ink pad. "I'll just record Milotic's return in our log book here," Trapinch said as he pressed an ink-covered foreleg to the page, "and Null over there will open up the door so Milotic can pass." He nodded to his partner. Null pressed a switch on the floor. The room trembled under Team Radiance's paws. They heard metal grating against metal up above them.
"When the glow fades, the Pokémon's inside the guild, and we're safe to shut the door," Trapinch continued. As if on cue, the blue light faded from the Pokénector's base. Null pressed the switch again and Team Radiance heard more grating noises.
"So, those are the basics," Trapinch exclaimed. "A couple of final points. If you see the base of the Pokénector glow yellow, then it's someone we don't have records of. So, you need to ask them to state their name and business. Then you contact Magearna and have her proceed up to the entrance. But that almost never happens. Although… I guess it did happen when you showed up, Vulpix."
"Is that everything?" Tessa asked.
"Not quite. There's one more color: red," Trapinch said. "But, uh, none of us apprentices have ever seen that on sentry duty. I don't know what it's for. Only that I'm supposed to ring up Guildmaster Metagross, or whoever's in charge if he's out."
"So, I was right. We are just gonna sit here and twiddle our paws," Shane scoffed. He let out another yawn and started back toward the cushion he found.
"Hey, don't start slacking on me now," Trapinch scolded. "Some days we can get a pretty high volume of traffic. And with an expedition coming up, there might be a lot of movement today."
"Wait, so what happens if multiple Pokémon show up at once?" Tessa asked.
"No worries. The Pokénector can identify up to five Pokémon with one scan," Trapinch replied, "Any more than that, and we usually just tell them to break into groups. So, think you can give it a try?"
"Sure." Tessa nodded. "I guess… I can do the identifying and log book stuff, first. Vulpix, you want to operate the door?"
Shane froze with a forepaw hovering over the pillow. "Do I have to?"
"Yes," Tessa replied. "Look, we're not getting out of this. Even if you don't like it, you've got to put up with this. I'm offering you the easier task. So, just go over by Null already!"
"Okay, okay. Sheesh." Shane dragged the pillow across the room toward the door switch. "Hey, uh, mind giving a 'mon some space, big guy?"
Null continued to look at Shane while he scooted back toward the wall. His expression was unreadable behind his mask. Shane's fur bristled as he took his position lying next to the Pokénector. 'Does this guy have some sort secret crush on me or something? I can practically feel him boring holes in the back of my head,' Shane thought. Just to be safe, he relaxed his tails to cover up his flanks.
As Shane predicted, the sentry duty process turned out to be slow going. There were a few instances of the Pokénector's base flashing blue. But then a quiet lull occurred. The entire time, Shane kept stealing glances at the chimera lounging behind him. He expected Null to pass out at some point, but he continued inspecting Shane like he was some sort of alien creature.
"... beast."
Shane's ears twitched. He turned around and looked accusingly at Null. "What did you just call me?"
Null immediately looked away. Before Shane could press further, a flash of green drew his attention. "Oh!" Tessa gasped, jumping up and scrambling toward the wall. A speaker sat mounted a few inches above her head. It ran up toward the ceiling. "U-Um… ahem…" Tessa cleared her throat. "Registered Pokémon identified! The Pokémon is…" She looked over her shoulder and watched the image of a Magnezone appear. "… Magnezone!" Tessa finished. She nodded to Shane who lazily pressed the door switch. "Please proceed inside."
Tessa then grabbed the log book off the floor, pressed a digit to the inkpad, and scribbled along the bottom of the page. "Um, what should I do when I run out of space? That was the last page in this binder."
"Oh, that's an easy one." Trapinch walked over toward the room's far wall. He pressed a circular button and part of the wall slid away to reveal a storage closet. Trapinch grabbed a stack of parchment and walked it back to Tessa. "Here you go. Just add it into the binder. I'll take the old pages over to Togedemaru to file away."
While Tessa and Trapinch attended to the logbook, Shane shifted uneasily on his cushion. The fur on his neck stood on end. He immediately spun around. "Okay, Null. What's your deal, huh? You've been eyeing me like I'm a criminal since I set foot in here," he hissed in a whisper.
Null's gray, heavyset eyes narrowed at Shane. A growl rumbled in his throat. Shane momentarily lost his nerve, but took a deep breath and furrowed his brow at Null. "What's the matter, too afraid to say what's on your mind? Or does that ridiculous helmet of yours block your mouth?" Shane growled. "Why are you even wearing it anyway? If it's to make a fashion statement, I can tell you right now that it's not working."
"Vulpix!"
Shane glanced over his shoulder to see Tessa frowning at him. "Are you trying to pick a fight with Null? What is wrong with you?"
"Me?" Shane looked hurt. "He's the one looking at me like I killed his best friend. Talk to him! Because he sure won't talk to me."
Tessa crossed her arms. "Null hasn't said a word since we got here. I'm sure he's just concentrating on the Pokénector and you're just jumping to conclusions, as per usual."
Shane was on his feet at this point. "I am not jumping to conclusions!" he growled. "All I want to know is why this guy…" He jerked his head in Null's direction. "… is making me feel so uncomfortable!"
"… you didn't… close the door…"
Shane's blood ran cold. 'His voice… it's so… raspy.' He slid a hind paw back and hit the switch. "Okay, there, it's closed. But that only just happened. You've been staring at me all day."
Null shrugged his shoulders.
"Don't you just shrug at me," Shane growled.
"Vulpix… drop it." Tessa said.
"No, I won't just drop it," Shane said. "What's the matter? Is it because I'm human? Is that it? Are you human? Is that why you're studying me so intently? I get it... you're probably jealous. I got turned into a reasonably-normal looking Pokémon and you became a living jigsaw puzzle. Even by Pokémon standards, you're hideous!"
Tessa's eyes widened. "Stop it, Vulpix. That's totally uncalled for."
"No, it isn't. Think about it, Riolu." Shane whirled on Null. "The guy washed up in some waterfall with absolutely no memory and then he ends up in, of all places, an exploration guild. That sounds awfully familiar." He pointed a forepaw directly at his face. "Don't you think?"
Null merely cocked his head in confusion. "… human?" he muttered.
"Don't you go playing coy with me. This has got to–"
"Gyyyyyyyyyyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!"
Tessa stiffened. "Hey! That sounded like Yungoos!"
Crrrraaaaaaaaaaaaash!
Tessa's aura feelers tensed up. "I… I think something's going on upstairs."
"What, like a commotion? I just let Magnezone in, that's all," Shane stated. He yelped as a set of talons gripped his back. Next thing he knew, he sat on Null's scaly, furry back. Null lumbered down the hallway, with Tessa right beside him.
"… the Pokénector… doesn't reset… until the door is closed…" Null hissed. "Someone could've… snuck in… because your partner thought it was more important… to yell at me…"
"Seriously? Like that would really happen," Shane scoffed. Tessa didn't respond. Instead, she ran ahead and dashed up the stairs. Null had a bit of a tougher time. He had to tilt his head so the crest of feathers atop it didn't catch on a part of the stairs. Null and Shane had just about reached the entrance when they heard a startled yelp.
"Tessa!" Shane cried. He jumped off Null's back but the chimera stuck out a foreleg to block him.
"… you've done enough… for one day…" he growled. "Stay back here. Better yet… get Braviary…" Null shoved Shane backward and charged into the room. Shane poked his head forward and gasped at the sight before him.
Tessa stumbled to her feet, rubbing her head. Behind her, the outlaw board had been knocked off its posts. Yungoos was passed out next to Tessa. And in the middle of the room a blue and gray cat stood on two legs. It had a jet-black coin sitting atop its forehead. Its whiskers, however, were bright yellow and razor-sharp. And the cat's tail was bright white, resembling a scrap of paper. An inverted black triangle sat in its chest, with a red, winged heart glimmering in its center.
'What the–? That's no ordinary Meowth!' Shane realized. 'It looks totally possessed or something!'
Null ran over to Tessa to try and help her up. Meowth gave a furious hiss, unsheathed a set of white, razor-thin claws, and charged toward Null, swinging wildly. Shane watched Null swipe the air in front of him, sending wind blades racing forward. To Null's surprise, the Meowth leaped over the Air Slash with a feral screech. Null hefted up his head, hoping to catch his opponent with his helmet or feathery crest. But Meowth landed on Null's back. Shane's ears throbbed at the sounds of claws scraping scales. Null grunted in aggravation, trying to buck the feline off him.
Shane jumped out from the staircase. "Get off of him!" he shouted. His eyes flashed pink and wavy ripples raced across the room. Shane's jaw dropped, however, when the attack detonated, only to fizzle out harmlessly against Meowth. Instead, Meowth narrowed its glowing red eyes at Shane. It lunged from Null's back and sprinted toward him. "Th… That's impossible!" Shane cried. More psychic waves surged across the room, but Meowth ran right through the explosive pink bursts.
"Idiot!" Tessa barked. "Why would you use a psychic-type move on a Meowth? It's a dark-type!"
Meowth lunged for Shane, who dived to the floor. He flinched as Meowth slashed some of the fur off his leftmost tail. "Oww! A dark-type? Since when?"
"Since always!" Tessa shouted.
Null similarly hissed in pain, rattling his helmet about. He gathered up another ball of concentrated air in his foreleg and arced a long wind blade forward. This one speared Meowth in the back, causing it to stumble forward. Tessa then barreled into it with a burst of speed, slamming it against the wall. Meowth thrashed about in Tessa's grip, then leaned its head forward, trying to bite her. Tessa gasped and stumbled backward. Meowth scrambled for the door, only to slam up against it and bounce backward.
"… I told you… to get Braviary…" Null snarled. "… do as you're told…" He charged down Meowth, winding up to strike with his talons.
"No. That'll take too much time. You guys need my help!" Shane squeaked. Meowth got a frenzied look in its eyes and leaped upward. It dug its claws into the metal wall and climbed about. Tessa growled in frustration and ducked into the stairwell. Null turned around and slung air crescents forward while Shane fired a straight column of snow.
However, Meowth scurried quickly across the wall. Not that it was ever in danger. Because the two attacks collided, creating an explosive burst of frosty air. Null grunted and turned his head away. He hissed once again and thrashed his head around, letting out rasping coughs. His ice-cold gaze fell on Shane.
"I was just trying to help," Shane muttered. Meowth had managed to find a window. It shattered it with its claws and scurried out the newly-created hole. Null slammed a foreleg against the ground in frustration.
"What in tarnation happened up here?"
Braviary flew into the room, with Tessa positioned on his back. She stole a glance at the broken window. "Did Meowth get out through there?" she gasped.
"… yes. Because he," Null pointed an accusatory talon at Shane, ",wouldn't follow directions…"
Braviary's eyes narrowed. Shane found his gaze drifting toward the bird's razor-sharp claws. "Mind explaining this one to me, rookie?" Braviary asked.
"He wouldn't stop staring at me!" Shane blurted out, pointing back at Null. "Null was making me uncomfortable and I just wanted to know why."
"And you neglected your responsibilities so you could harass him about that," Tessa cut in. "Then, when something did go wrong, rather than listening to Null's order to get Braviary, you simply jumped into the fray." She turned to Braviary. "He tried using his psychic-type move on a Meowth."
"Meowths are supposed to be normal-types!" Shane huffed.
"Not in Horizon, they ain't," Braviary scolded. "Null, were you really bothering Shane?"
"… sometimes I just… seem to space out. I was having… one of those moments…" Null muttered.
"Oh, come on. He's lying!" Shane accused. "That's way too convenient to be true."
"Really?" Braviary raised an eyebrow. "Cause based on yer attitude this morning, it sounds to me more like you were bored and tried to take yer frustrations out on yer senior guild member. And that not only caused you to be careless, but to completely ignore his instructions."
Shane winced. "No," he whimpered. "I just... made an honest mistake."
"That may be, but it was a completely preventable mistake, if'n you were acting maturely as an explorer should," Braviary lectured. "I'm sorry to have to do this, but I can't just write this off. Ya won't be getting supper tonight, rookie. And that goes for yer pardner, too."
A wild look appeared in Tessa's eyes. "What?!"
"Y'all are a team. That means ya both need to take responsibility for each other's poor decisions," Braviary stated. "And now that you know this, Riolu, maybe you'll try a bit harder in the future to keep yer pardner in line if'n he keeps getting testy." He turned back to Shane. "Now, I believe ya owe Null here an apology."
"But I didn't do anything wrong!" Shane protested. "Tell him to say sorry for creeping me out." He noticed Tessa glaring daggers at him and quickly fixed his gaze on Null, who stared off into space.
"… hrmph. I don't have time to stand around waiting." Braviary turned toward the staircase. "Null, if'n Shane here don't give ya an apology, let me know tomorrow morning. I'm sure I can think of something appropriate fer him." Braviary flapped his wings and drifted toward the stairs.
Null stared directly at Shane. "… well?"
"I'll apologize when you apologize," Shane growled, but he was clearly squirming under the combination of Null's gaze and Tessa's piercing glare.
"… I'm sorry… if I made you… uncomfortable. I meant no harm. I really do… just space out sometimes…" Null wheezed.
Shane frowned. "That's supposed to be sincere?"
"Vulpix!" Tessa hissed.
"… fine. I'm sorry, too," Shane grumbled. "There, everything's cool." He turned toward Tessa. "Can we go now?"
Tessa stormed forward, thumping Shane with her shoulder. "Don't you say a word to me," she seethed. As she stomped toward the staircase, Shane's fur prickled.
'But… I didn't do anything wrong here,' he thought. '… right?'
XxX
Shane continued saying that thought to himself throughout the evening. But he had a harder time believing it with each repetition.
Grooooooooooooowl!
He flinched from the gurgling of his stomach. 'It's not like I never went long periods of time without eating as a human,' he thought. 'But, I don't know, something about this Pokémon body makes being hungry feel really bad.' He stole a glance at Tessa, who sat in the corner, boring holes into the floor. Shane hung his head shamefully and sighed. 'Everyone thinks I'm a screw up now, don't they? All I was trying to do was figure out what that Null guy's issue is. How could I have possibly known anything like this would happen?'
Shane heard shuffling beside him. He noticed Tessa walking out of the room. His temptation was to follow her and see if he could try to patch things up, but then he saw Dragonair meet her by the other end of the table. The two departed the dining area together. At that point, he figured Dragonair was escorting Tessa to her mom's room. 'And I'm not looking for a repeat of last night, that's for sure,' he figured.
Shane stood up and trudged off. He quietly padded through the empty halls until he reached his room. Shane crept onto his pillow and lay down, curling up into a ball. He just wanted to shut his mind off and go to sleep.
'Tomorrow's another day, right? This is a small-time thing. It'll all blow over by tomorrow,' he told himself. 'Time heals all wounds, after all.' But that hardly lifted his spirits. And the churning of appetite-stirring juices in his stomach only served to make him more restless. It wasn't long before Shane had uncurled, rolling onto his back. He kicked at the air with his paws, trying in desperation to generate enough fatigue to pass out.
It was in the midst of this bizarre routine that he glimpsed his partner in the doorway. She wore a dumfounded expression. "I cannot believe you!" she growled. "Fooling around in here like absolutely nothing happened."
Shane rolled onto his belly. "That wasn't… I was trying to fall asleep," he said.
"Did anything Braviary tell you this afternoon sink in?" Tessa huffed.
Shane frowned. "Don't you think you're being a bit harsh? I made a mistake. I won't do something like that again. That's it. Case closed."
Shane noticed Tessa shaking. "No, that isn't it!" she barked, stomping a foot on the ground. "Because you keep promising that you'll be more careful. But that hasn't happened yet! You haven't really made any effort to do that."
Tessa's accusation was a proverbial slap across Shane's face. "Now that's not true. What about, um, yesterday… with Solrock?"
"You seemed to have forgotten about that today," Tessa countered. "You think this is some sort of game? All you care about is doing whatever you want so you can have fun. And anyone who tries to be just a tad bit careful is ruining that fun. That's how it is, isn't it?"
Shane frowned. "No, of course not. I'm… I'm totally serious about trying to find a way home." He stood up. "But, I'm not gonna be a downer about the whole thing. I want to enjoy my time here. What's so wrong about that?"
'I knew it. Why did I get my hopes up over this guy?' Tessa thought. 'Figures someone with such a screwed-up life would find a screwed-up human to match her. This is... so humiliating.' Tessa teared up. "The fact that you're putting other Pokémon in danger to 'enjoy your time here.' That's what's wrong."
"It's not like I'm intending for that to happen," Shane insisted. "Trouble just keeps finding me. But you're from a family of experienced explorers and I'm a human. I'm pretty confident that that makes me stronger than your average Vulpix."
'There's that same old line again. What if I leave and he somehow turns things around and becomes a hero? I'll be an even bigger loser than I am now!' She shook her head. 'No... I can't show weakness here." Tessa bared her teeth at Shane. "Oh, step off it, will you! Just how swell of an ego can you get, huh? It's like you can't do anything wrong in your eyes."
"It's not ego. It's fact," Shane barked back, his temper starting to slip. "Check those stories of yours. Odds are they'll all say that pairs of Pokémon not much different from the two of us took on the likes of Rayquaza or Dialga and succeeded. If that's not special, then I don't know what is."
Tessa's paws had balled up into fists. "You're… just… so sure of everything, aren't you?" she seethed. "Well, answer me this, then. What if you're right? What if Null's a human?"
Shane's annoyed expression dissolved into one of shock. "Duh-don't try to change the subject!" he stammered.
Tessa wiped her eyes. "No," she whispered. "I'm on the right track, aren't I?" Her gaze sharpened. "You're worried Null's the human who's supposed to be here. Which would make your arrival an accident, just like I suggested the day we met!"
That did it. Tessa could see the fight drain from Shane's eyes. His mouth fell open and all he could do was weakly gasp for air. His fur stood up on end and his empty gaze fell to the floor.
Tessa unfurled her scarf and tossed it toward the floor. "I want some space, Vulpix. I'm going back to Sunrise Village to think through some things. If you have any respect for me as a Pokémon, you'll leave well enough alone and stay here," Tessa said. She turned and marched out of the room, leaving Shane sitting there.
"… please."
Tessa froze in the doorway.
"… please don't go."
Tessa narrowed her eyes at Shane. "I just can't deal with you right now," she whispered. Tessa quickly disappeared from the doorway. Shane sat on his cushion, ears twitching as his partner's footsteps grew ever more distant. He stared blankly at the exterior of his room for several seconds. Then, he shakily got to his feet, scooped up Tessa's scarf, and stumbled out of the room.
XxX
~Aeon Town~
~Aeon Town~
'This is for the best. I'm doing the right thing.'
Tessa stole a glance back at the dim glowing bulbs stemming from Aeon Town's buildings. She gulped down the saliva pooling her mouth. 'Vulpix was driving me up the wall. I needed to get away from him and reevaluate.'
She forced herself to look away and continue on the dirt path. It would be a bit of a walk to Sunrise Village, but she figured that she could make it to Sylveon's house before it got too late out. Despite this, she felt a small, nagging voice whispering in the back of her mind. Telling her she could still turn back. That she could patch things up.
'No, I've already made my decision,' she insisted. 'This was doomed from the start because it involved me. Everything I do turns into a lost cause. This is what's best for both of us.' She turned her attention toward the forest. 'I'm sure Gallian knows I joined the guild by now, anyway. If I stay there, I'd only end up dragging everyone into harm's way. There's no way Vulpix could take–'
A bright flash of light erupted around Tessa. Her body tensed up and she let out a cry of pain as she fell back to the ground. Her head throbbed and she threw her paws up over her eyes, trying to rub out the bright light. "What… what happened?"
"Uhuu huu huu! It's been a little while, my fluffy little Riolu. Did you miss me? Because I sure missed you."
Tessa sat up, the stars fading out from her vision. She found herself looking into Espy's sharp blue eyes. Her forked tail lazily drifted from side to side. Her grotesque forehead diamond sparked menacingly. "Oh... wait. You can't miss me. You don't even remember the last time we met." She traced a forepaw across the black choker around her neck. A winged heart, with demonic horns and a piercing eye sat in the center of the collar.
'Wait.' Tessa's eyes narrowed 'Why does that symbol seem familiar? Didn't I see something like that?' She met Espy's gaze. "Do I know you?" she stammered.
"Weren't you listening to me earlier? I already said I wiped your memories of the last time we met," Espy said, flicking her snout skyward. "Last time Umbry and I thought you were a useless nobody. But it turns out you're just the Riolu we're looking for!"
Tessa stiffened. 'Wait… is there someone else here?'
No sooner did she try to turn around than something swept her legs out from under her, sending her onto her back. The second she hit the ground, she found herself looking into a set of fierce red eyes. Umbry's black body blended into the twilight, save for bright red rings along his ears, tail, and limbs. The red ring on his forehead bore the same winged heart Espy had on her choker and the crystal armor around her chest.
"Wh… What do you want with me?" Tessa squeaked. "Don't… don't tell me an Absol sent you. I… I was just leaving the guild, I swear!"
Umbry raised a brow. "Absol? Can't say we know one. Hey, Espy, did you infect an Absol recently?"
"Nope!" Espy replied, shaking her head while Tessa pivoted toward her. "But boy would I looooooove to. That silky white fur… oh, and that curvy blade on its head. We could do some real interesting stuff with an Absol. We should totally find one to infect when we're done here, Umbry! I'll bet an Absol could wreak some havoc on these dungeons and draw the Tapus out of hiding."
"One step at a time, Espy," her partner cautioned. He fixed his gaze back on Tessa.
"Infect? What are you babbling about?" Tessa muttered. 'This is bad. This is worse than bad! I left the pouch with Shane at the guild. I've got nothing here to help me!'
"I wouldn't expect a dumb little puppy to know about the Prism Virus," Espy giggled. "Let's just say it can make you an ultra-fun Pokémon to be around." She crept toward Tessa, grinning mischievously. Tessa tried to slide away, only to bump into Umbry. She yipped in fright.
"I… don't want anything to do with you!"
"Aww, c'mon. Don't talk like that. I think you'll love being infected," Espy whispered. She brushed her hide up against Tessa and ran her forked tail along the Riolu's arm. Tessa's aura feelers immediately spasmed.
"No! Stay back!" Tessa shoved Espy to the side and bolted to her feet. She tried to run, but another bright flash of pink erupted around her. Next thing she knew, she was eating dirt.
"Uhuu huu huu! Yes! It's much more fun when you play hard to get," Espy giggled. "I can tell you're going to make a wonderful edition to our Prism Virus family."
"Stop wasting time, Espy. We're burning twilight here," Umbry growled.
"Ugh… fine. You're such a stick in the mud, Umbry. Is it any wonder Pokémon want me to infect them instead of you?" Espy sighed. Tessa's eyes widened as she saw Espy's forehead glow, along with the winged heart in her choker.
"Now, that'll be enough of that there nonsense!"
Espy's grin faded. She yelped as a wave of fire and snowflakes washed over her. Umbry's eyes widened seconds before the feathery form of Braviary barreled into him, knocking him clear across the trail. Tessa's heart hammered in her chest as she caught sight of a familiar set of six white tails in front of her. Shane looked over his shoulder at her. "Are you okay? Did they do anything to hurt you?" he asked, while Growlithe took up a defensive stance beside him.
"I… I'm fine," Tessa squeaked. 'He... he came back for me? Even after I chewed him out? This can't be right... no sensible Pokémon would stick their neck out for me like that.'
Across from the canines, Espy stumbled to her feet. "Nnnnnrrrghhhh… spoilsports!" she hissed. "You'll pay for this... jerks! C'mon, Umbry, we're done here." Espy turned and sprinted toward her companion.
"Oh no ya don't!" Braviary shouted. He bucked his wings and soared after the duo. But the moment Espy reached Umbry, their eyes flashed purple. Espy produced a strange, almost-mechanical card in her paw and slammed it to the ground. Braviary screeched to a halt as purple energy crackled around the two attackers. The guild members watched in shock as the energy dragged Espy and Umbry into the ground, leaving nothing but a patch of scorched grass behind.
Growlithe bounded over to help Braviary, while Shane turned and scrambled toward Tessa. She noticed he had the item pouch slung around his neck. Shane fumbled through it and pulled out her scarf. "I think this belongs to you," he said.
Tessa reached a shaky paw out and grabbed hold of it. "I… I told you not to come after me," she whispered.
"I know, I know," Shane said, lowering his head guiltily. "But I felt bad… like, really bad. I went to Braviary and he offered to fly me over to find you. And then we saw what was happening and, well, leaped into action." Tessa wanted to ask what Growlithe was doing with them, but she noticed Shane poking at the grass with a forepaw. "Um, are you, y'know, mad that I didn't listen to you again?" he stammered.
Her muzzle stiffened. This was definitely the most vulnerable she'd seen Shane since they met. And she was the one who had gotten attacked. "A little," she whispered, prompting Shane to wince. "But…" She gave him an exhausted smile. "… I don't think I'd be here if you did listen. So, thanks."
This immediately brought a relieved smile to Shane's face.
"What are partners for?" he replied, and offered a forepaw to help her to her feet.
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), so here goes!
