Fandom To Be an Explorer (Pokemon Mystery Dungeon)

[Lost]

Soren
Green Forest Conference Hall​

Soren squinted as the dust began to dissipate. Had his plan actually worked? Was Mao down? Between his throbbing headache and blurry vision he couldn't tell if the form on the ground was unconcious or not. Perhaps the shape wasn't Mao at all; she'd tricked him once with the wide lens, after all. Maybe this, too, was a distraction. The thought made him grimace - Well, it's been a good life, he privately joked - and he tensed in preparation for what would surely be a world of pain.

No blow ever came, much to Soren's surprise. Instead a voice rang out - Avery's, from the sound of it - announcing him as the victor. His eyes darted back to the form, now confirmed to be the unconscious Mao, and he let out a loud sigh of relief. "Music to my ears, Avery," he called back with a strained voice.

With the battle officially ended, Soren limped over to the rest of the team. "Word of advice: do NOT tick that squid off," he grinned, trying to cover up a wince. "Those tentacles hit harder than a Tauros." Though he kid, Soren was seriously impressed with Mao's strength. He had thought the battle would be much easier than it was, expecting to fire off a few Embers and wrap it up quickly. What he got was a hard-fought - and barely achieved - victory, with quite a few wounds to show for it. The Inkay may not have won the leadership position, but she had certainly won Soren's respect.

Avery's comments returned Soren's attention to the group, and he nodded in response. "Yeah, I'll take her over to Belle. We could both use some pick-me-ups after that battle. In the meantime, the rest of you can finish up any personal business you have in town, whether that be letting your families know about the mission or stocking up on supplies. We don't know how long we'll be gone yet, so I recommend you pack well." he paused, then added, "An hour should be more than enough time to get all of that done. After that, let's meet back here to discuss the finer points of our gameplan." Soren started to walk away before he realized that as far as endings went, that was rather abrupt. Shoot, what is it that Luca always says? "Er, dismissed."

Once that was said and done, Soren carried on over to Mao. She didn't look all that heavy, but then again, he hadn't thought she looked like she could split his head in two with a tentacle, so there was that. He tried to find a good position to lift her on his back, but a few failed attempts and a flare of pain from his wounds told him that wasn't going to happen. With a sigh, he turned to look at Turmy. "That offer still stand, Turmy? Much as I hate to admit it, I don't know if I'm strong enough to take Mao on my own."

Kylesar1 dae mec Ace Cream Gravitational Force

 

[dae mec]

Turmy nodded along with Soren's words. She'd tell her mother, brother's, and a few of her extended family about her mission. By the end of the day, everyone would know Turmy would be unavailable to help and the schedules would get shifted around as needed. Turmy privately, maybe selfishly hoped that they'd be back before her dad came so she could greet him. Well, maybe it wasn't completely selfish. The sooner they got home, the sooner they'd have saved the young Pokemon.

She watched with concern as Soren tried to pick up Mao, but before she could offer, Soren asked.

Turmy nodded. "Yes, I'll help. I can carry you too if you want." Turmy hurried down to Mao, and gently, carefully, situated the Inkay on her back. (So soft! So light! And still so strong!) She followed after Soren, keeping an eye on him, prepared to lend a shoulder if needed. At the same time, Turmy tried to make sure Mao was comfortable. (And trying to make sure that her pouch with the Sea Temple book was safe. She was still a little terrified of damaging it.)

"Good?" she asked quietly to Soren once they were a little further away, the single word a soft query asking if he'd be alright—both after the battle and for the future mission.

 

[PopcornPie]

Hirano the Glameow
Hirano woke up slowly. She rubbed the goop away from her eyes, then got to work licking the crud off her flank, shoulders, and wrists. Her pretty curled tail came last; She stuck the base in her mouth, then let her tail slither across her lips until she made it to the fluffy tip.

When her morning bath was over, the glossy cat Pokémon stepped into the streets. Catching her eye was a Sandshrew who looked to be in a hurry. Her whiskers twitching, she padded after the stranger.

 

[Kylesar1]

Avery
GFHQ ----------->Square -----------> Library​

Avery went along the square, buying what he needed as fast as he could. However, he kept noticing a Glameow behind him. He paid it no mind until he finished his shopping and started heading towards the Library, and noticed that the Glameow was STILL following him. That was intent. Avery stopped and turned to the Glameow. "I've noticed you following me. Sorry, but I'm in quite the rush. I'm leaving on mission soon. Is there something I can help you with?" Avery had probably seen her around Casim before, but he knew absolutely nothing about her. She was probably in the Training Cell with them, but if he ever worked with her, he didn't remember. Maybe she was entirely new to everything. Who knew?

She was quite pretty, Avery would admit, as were most Glameow. They were the type who took heavy pride in their appearance. She certainly looked more groomed than his dusty scratched scarred hide. The shrew was pretty confused as to why this absolute stranger of a Pokemon was following him of all Pokemon around.
P PopcornPie

 

[PopcornPie]

Hirano had followed the Sandshrew all across town, running her own errands while she was at it. While he was buying his own things, she filled her bags with apples and gummies. She had her ears turned towards him the whole time, which did seem to creep out the shopkeepers.

It wasn't until they neared the library that her new subject finally caught onto her, and whirled around to confront her. "My apologies. I was just quite bored this morning." She meowed, as she licked apple juice off her paw. "I haven't found much to do since I woke up on the shores back there. A whole couple weeks of naps, then foraging for money, then buying food, then napping. You're willing to focus on the most mundane things after a while, just to stimulate. And that's not even getting into all the times I had to pull back and regroup, because some dumb Pokémon in scarves decided to beat on me until I blacked out."

Kylesar1

 

[Lost]

Soren
Green Forest Conference Hall———>Path To Belle’s Office​

At Turmy's question, Soren paused, his grin faltering ever so slightly. Truth be told, he was a great many things, none of them good. Worried about leaving his siblings alone for so long - Will Sunny be able to handle it? What if Cinder and Blaze start fighting again? - guilty over wishing for a mission this long in spite of that fact - How very selfish, hoping for an expedition while they still need you. - and perhaps most of all, anxious that his confidence was misplaced - What if I mess this up? What if we fail to save these kids, all because I was cocky enough to think I could lead? Soren shared none of this with Turmy, however. Instead, he forced a laugh. "Oh, I'm great. There's nothing quite like a trauma-induced headache to start the day off well!"

"How about you?" he asked with a glance at his companion. "Mao's not too heavy, is she?"

dae mec

 

[dae mec]

"A trauma-induced headache isn't a good way to—" Turmy paused. "Oh, yes, that's funny!" She frowned. "But also painful."

She thought of giving Soren a companionable shoulder nudge, but he looked so battered that she didn't want to make it worse. What if she misjudged the force and sent him bowling over? Instead, Turmy gave him a strong nod of solidarity.

"I am good," she answered warmly. "I can carry very heavy things up the mountain. I will keep Mao and the book safe."

Turmy didn't know much about Soren's family, only that he was the one who took care of his siblings. So they were probably young then, right? Did Soren have any aunts or uncles or cousins to keep an eye on them? Turmy couldn't walk past the mines or her family's mountains without running into someone related to her somehow. She could probably lend one of them to Soren.

... that didn't come out right. She couldn't give away family members. But when her parents were both away, someone would drop by to check on them. Turmy could ask one of them to do the same, if Soren wanted. (Turmy would offer subtly. She could do subtle. Maybe.)

"Do you want anything or anyone checked up on while we're gone? I could ask someone. Cousin Mia has fur." His family probably had fur, right? (Mia was a Flaafy and her second cousin once removed or something.) But wait. What if offering implied that Soren couldn't take care of his family? Or fur? She didn't want to offend him!

They were at the entrance to the office, and Turmy tried to keep from visibly panicking. "Book!" she announced, hoping to change the subject (and giving him an out if he wanted to ignore... everything.) "I can read the book, the book about the temple. And I'll report back, Team Leader."

 

[Ace Cream]

Mao

"I- I am not that heavy!" From the depth of her unconsciousnes, Mao emerged back to the real world after a few minutes of resting. She's obviously hasn't been fully recovered as she shakily floats unsteadily by herself on Turmy's back, but her pride wouldn't let her to admit it. She pointed at Soren.

"Soren, since you win then you will be the leader! Let us all hastily start the investigation right away. I'm not gonna pass up a good investigation!" Mao reached into her bag where she usually put her wide lens and planned to do her usual detective pose, but found nothing in that place. Ah, she forgot she broke that. She wouldn't be able to mimic Shellos Holmes until she buy another wide lens from that shady shiftry. Giving up on the pose for now, she decided to just mask it by rushing into the office.

"I need healing!! I mean, we need healing!!"

Lost dae mec

 

[Lost]

Soren
Belle’s Office​

"Oh, I wouldn't want to-" Soren hesitated. It might not be a bad idea to let someone help for a change, instead of worrying about everything yourself. If he was being honest, having someone to check up on his siblings would definitely ease his concerns. Besides, if Turmy's family was anything like her, they would be in good hands. "On second thought, I'd appreciate it if you could find someone to pop in my den every now and then while we're gone, just to check on my siblings. Though I do feel the need to stress," he added, amused, "that fur is not a requirement."

The mention of the book drew Soren's thoughts away from his family, however briefly. "Ah, the book! If you really don't mind giving it a look, I'd certainly be grateful. And, uh, thanks. For your earlier offer, I mean," he finished awkwardly. Yikes; you aren't very good at being genuine, are you?

Thankfully, Soren was saved from any further awkwardness when their newly-awakened Inkay companion awoke in protest. "I don't know Mao, you looked pretty heavy to me," he teased with a grin as he followed her into the room. Soren had been here plenty of times before, given his frequent sparring, so he was no stranger to either the healer or her office. "Hey Belle, I'm back again," Soren called, voice tinged with sarcasm as he stepped in beside Mao, "and this time I brought friends!"


dae mec Ace Cream Kylesar1

 

[Kylesar1]

Avery
Library
"What are you even on about?"​

Avery didn't want to be rude, but this was an absolute stranger of a Pokemon he was now certain he'd never seen before following him specifically for no reason. Did felines eat shrews? He was feeling a bit targeted right now. "Er......well I'm about to go out on a serious mission. I'm not sure if you're a member of Guild Green Forest, but they always have work for anyone willing to do it, from sorting paperwork to delivering mail to actually going out on missions." He walked in the library, presumably with her following. "I'm Avery, a member of Guild Green Forest's Training Cell. What was that about scarved Pokemon beating you up?"

P PopcornPie

Belle
Sunlight Support Office​

Belle looked up upon the Pokemon barging into her office. The Wigglytuff was the Deputy Leader of Sunlight Support's Medic Team. Since Rachel was ALWAYS at the hospital, Belle was essentially the co-leader of the SS Medic Team. Also in the room was the leader of Sunlight Support's Battlefield Team, Iris, who was a beautiful Ledian. Behind her was a tapestry of a guild that wasn't Green Forest, telling from all the unfamiliar Pokemon present in it except for Iris herself. Belle's tapestry looked a lot more familiar to the trio though. "You need healing, don't you?" she repeated their request. "You were right, Iris. There was a battle," she said with a bit of a giggle. The Blissey was known for her incredible kindness and maternal nature. She was very soft-spoken, yet firm in her diagnosis and strict to enforce her orders and any other doctor's orders. "I expect nothing less from Luca's bunch. Always hurting yourselves."

The Ledian's wings started buzzing and she floated out of her chair. "I thought I heard racket from the Conference Hall and from Avery. Glorious battle between fellow members of the Guild," Her big blue eyes began to shine with passion. This bug LOVED battle. The myriad of awards and belts present in her side of the office was proof enough of that. Black Belts, Tournament Awards, and 2 Guild Badges, one of them matching that on her tapestry. "This is something that Lance disapproved of when I was in the Hoenn High Flyers. What was this battle about? Since it was sanctioned, it definitely wasn't a sparring match." She had a look of wanting to hear all the details, almost like she was awaiting to latest gossip.
dae mec Lost Ace Cream

 

[dae mec]

Turmy
Sunlight Support Office​

Turmy almost sagged with relief when Soren didn't seem at all offended. "I will ask them." It was good to know that fur wasn't a requirement; that opened up more people to ask. She'd probably still ask her cousin Mia, though. The Flaafy was great with kids. " And I will read the book," she added, her eyes curving in a pleased smile. "I'm always glad to help. We're a team! No need to thank me. But welcome!"

It took a second—the second before Mao announced that she wasn't heavy—for Turmy to realize that Mao wasn't on her back anymore. "You are not heavy!" agreed Turmy. "You are very light! And strong!" she repeated her compliment now that Mao was awake.

Turmy walked into the support office after her team, a bit starry eyed. She'd only been here maybe once, and it was quite a sight. (Too bad that she couldn't learn any healing moves and that she was awful at diplomacy... it might've been interesting to be support. But Turmy was still pretty happy with who she was and what she could do.)

She looked between the gorgeous Iris and the gentle Belle. "Good battle," Turmy said, wide-eyed and a little overwhelmed.

 

[Ace Cream]

Mao

"It was a heated battle." Mao replied with a rather serious tone. She wanted to brag about the battle and the mission, but it's supposed to be classified so she zipped her mouth shut. "We're fighting over the last kelp drink in the cafetaria. Me and Soren grabbed the last one at the same time so we decided to settle it with a battle. Fair and square."

dae mec Kylesar1 Lost

 

[PopcornPie]

Avery didn't want to be rude, but this was an absolute stranger of a Pokemon he was now certain he'd never seen before following him specifically for no reason. Did felines eat shrews? He was feeling a bit targeted right now. "Er......well I'm about to go out on a serious mission. I'm not sure if you're a member of Guild Green Forest, but they always have work for anyone willing to do it, from sorting paperwork to delivering mail to actually going out on missions." He walked in the library, presumably with her following. "I'm Avery, a member of Guild Green Forest's Training Cell. What was that about scarved Pokemon beating you up?

"Serious mission, huh?...What?" Guild Green Forest? What Guild Green Forest? Sounded more like the name of a place than the name of a team. "Never heard of them. Of course, I've only been a Glameow for a couple weeks, a few at most." Hinaro flicked her ear, trotting after Avery to the library. Maybe there was information about this guild sitting on a shelf inside.

"Oh, yeah, those Pokémon." Hinaro pumped a little anger into her voice. "I was only minding my own business, looking for gummies and money in this cave, when some little scraps crossed my path. A Torchic and a Squirtle, with these scarves on. The Squirtle used Water Gun on me, I used Scratch in self defense, and then the Torchic scratched back with enough force to knock me out. When I woke up, the money I found was gone." She growled.

 

[Lost]

Soren
Belle’s Office​

As they walked into the office, Soren's eyes were immediately drawn to Iris' tapestry, as they were on all his other visits. It wasn't the foreign guild markings that attracted his attention, though he was curious about those. Rather, the inhabitants of the said guild were what really caught his eye. There were so many different Pokemon in it, most of which he'd never seen before. And yet they were out there, as sure as Iris was here at Green Forest. Makes you realize how small Casim Town really is, despite all its hustle and bustle.

Mao's comment interrupted Soren's awestruck wonderings, and he turned to the Sunlight support pair with a dry look. "You know me," he chimed in, voice comically deadpan. "I just can't resist a good kelp drink."


dae mec Ace Cream Kylesar1

 

[Gravitational Force]

Zero:
GFHQ ----------->Square -----------> Library​

Zero realized he didn't know what he was doing next right as the rest of his team headed out. His lack of initiative on his own was one of his reasons for seeking to join a team, a fact he was once again reminded of. He thought it best to find one member of the group to follow and so he ran down his options.

Healer Pokemon tended not to want Ghost types around because they didn't want their clients' souls getting eaten. Which was an unfair stereotype in Zero's opinion. That left following following Avery as the best option. Shadowing the Sandshrew, Zero saw his interaction with the Glameow and kept following them. Zero was always up for more support, but this one looked like they'd want a cut of their take and that simply wasn't an option. His tongue lolled out as he imagined the money and gummies the Temple must hold. He could eat as much as he wanted in there and might finally get to eat souls! Nobody told him they tasted better than apples and he looked forward to finding out.

Right now he'd stay out of sight and see what was happening. Information was useful and Zero's Timid Nature made him naturally gravitate towards not rushing into confrontations without knowing what was going on.

 

[Kylesar1]

Avery
Library
"Am I speaking to Cheshire's daughter?"​

She's been a Glameow for only a couple of weeks? What did that mean? Was she actually a Ditto? Looking at her eyes, that didn't seem to be the case. "The town you've been in is pretty much the HQ for Guild Green Forest," Avery said to her, "Unless you took a Rock Wrecker to the head, there's no way you've been in this town that long and HAVEN'T heard of Guild Green Forest." This Glameow was a strange Pokemon for sure. Did she just show up in town? Was she in this town for a week? Where did she stay at during this time? "But I can teach you what you need to know about the Guild and town." Not that he had the time to, but he may as well

"Hello hello, young shrew, young ghost, and unfamiliar kitten." The duo of Ninetails approached the trio. "What brings you here to our archives today?"
"I need information about the Sea Temple as well as the most up to date map you have."
"Of course," The golden orange Ninetails said, "Your turn, Bryce. Water is more your thing than mine."
"Yes yes, Rubia. Follow." The white Ninetails began leading them through the library. "So, young kitten. I'm familiar with Avery and Zero, but not yourself. Mind introducing yourself?" Bryce said to them, not turning around or stopping his forward motion through the massive city of books. His tails shimmered almost silver in the light and made him look like a cloud when viewed from behind, or like a moving shroud of mist.

Avery fell back behind the Glameow to speak to Zero. "This is all very weird," Avery said to him in a low voice. "She's saying she wasn't always a Glameow. She doesn't know anything about Casim or Guild Green Forest, and she was knocked out in what sounds like an easy to win battle." Against a Torchic and a Squirtle with scarves on. Well they certainly weren't Guild Green Forest since they didn't have a Blaziken or a Blastoise anywhere in Casim, but the scarves meant they were probably in a guild.

P PopcornPie Gravitational Force

Iris and Belle
Sunlight Support Office
"Look Iris, we have visitors."
"And they're Training Cell too. Nice to see what the kiddies are up to with Luca."
​

As Soren looked at the Tapestry between Iris and Belle, he DID notice that only 1 Pokemon matched: a Salamence-M was present in both of those Tapestries. Also, when he looked at Belle's Tapestry, he noticed that many of the Pokemon who had unfamiliar faces there looked...........different. Gardevoir didn't look like any Gardevoir he had ever seen. Metagross either. Blaziken, Ampharos, Pinsir. Of all of those ones that brimmed strength, the only one that looked familiar was Quincy and Guildmaster Terrus himself

The rest looked like how they expected them to look. Some faces were familiar. Belle herself, Lenora. Others were younger. Luca was a Growlithe, Lynx was an Eevee, Avery's mother Nala was a Drilbur. Iris wasn't present, Misha wasn't present. Not a single one of them in the Training Cell were present. When was this tapestry made? Soren could ponder that later.


Iris laughed. "Sanctions, Mao. Sanctions, sanctions. Sanctioned battles are official business, not for cafeteria squabbles," she said. She knew when Mao said it that she was lying. "We're not gonna probe you about your mission details...........Plus I heard what Avery said. It's for the position of mission leader." Avery did have a loud authoritative voice when he was declaring a battle, but there was no way she heard the mission details. The battle wasn't classified. Only the mission details were.
"No need to lie to keep classified information a secret." Belle chided her, albeit gently. "You know the rules. Lying is bad. Lying to a leader is worse."
"Don't be too harsh, Belle," Iris said quickly, "You can just say it's classified and we'll understand. Soren looks like he'd rather take a Hydro Pump than drink a Kelp Shake."
Belle put her hands together. She glowed and unleashed a Heal Pulse throughout the office. Everyone felt the pain-numbing soothing waves flow through their whole body. Soren and Mao felt their battle wounds drift away, while Turmy felt incredibly relaxed and suddenly at ease and homely in the office.
Belle took a breath. "There you go. All healed up. Maybe the next time you come, it'll be just to say hi," she teased them.
dae mec Lost Ace Cream

 

[Ace Cream]

Mao

"Ehehehe..." Mao just replied with an weak laugh at Belle's scolding. Seems like the inkay overestimating her own ability to lie even though she's quite proud of her intelligence. Kelp drink? Who would fall for that! Only sea-dweller might like it anyway.

Belle's healing pulse ran through Mao's body. It washed all her wounds and gave a pleasant refreshing sensation. Mao danced around to check her movement. Smooth and no pain! Her healing was incredible as usual!

"The next time I come here, only my opponent would need the treatment!" Mao declared confidently. Out of habit, she ruffled through her bag again, planning to take her wide lens, only to find none. "Hm, I will go to my base to retrieve something. You two go ahead to the library, allright? See you two there! And thank you for the healing!" Without waiting for a reply the inkay propelled away at the direction of her home.

Kylesar1 dae mec Lost

 

[dae mec]

"... bye," said Turmy belatedly, long after the Inkay fled. She turned to the Sunlight Support leaders and, feeling much too relaxed, thanked them with a side-to-side wiggle of her head, the way she'd thank a member of her family—not verbally, like she was supposed to. But Turmy was still too at ease to worry about that.

"Good?" she asked Soren, feeling like she'd eaten a bucket of quartz, taken a hot sand bath, and basked in sunlight at the top of the mountain. Hah. Maybe that was why they called it the Sunlight Support. Her eyes curved again into a pleased smile at her internal joke, and Turmy nudged his shoulder companionably. (Perhaps not as gently as she should have: not enough to hurt or even bruise, but maybe enough to cause a stumble.) She glanced back at the tapestry he'd been looking at and with a sigh, said, "Pretty..."

The supernatural calm began to fade a little. She wasn't self-conscious yet, but her usual steadiness trickled in. Wait. What was she supposed to be doing? Turmy wracked her mind for her tasks. "Oh. Right. I'll go read the book, ask my cousin, and tell my family. I live by the mountains. You in that direction? Want me to walk with you?" she offered.

Lost Kylesar1

 

[PopcornPie]

Avery
Library
"Am I speaking to Cheshire's daughter?"​

She's been a Glameow for only a couple of weeks? What did that mean? Was she actually a Ditto? Looking at her eyes, that didn't seem to be the case. "The town you've been in is pretty much the HQ for Guild Green Forest," Avery said to her, "Unless you took a Rock Wrecker to the head, there's no way you've been in this town that long and HAVEN'T heard of Guild Green Forest." This Glameow was a strange Pokemon for sure. Did she just show up in town? Was she in this town for a week? Where did she stay at during this time? "But I can teach you what you need to know about the Guild and town." Not that he had the time to, but he may as well

"Hello hello, young shrew, young ghost, and unfamiliar kitten." The duo of Ninetails approached the trio. "What brings you here to our archives today?"
"I need information about the Sea Temple as well as the most up to date map you have."
"Of course," The golden orange Ninetails said, "Your turn, Bryce. Water is more your thing than mine."
"Yes yes, Rubia. Follow." The white Ninetails began leading them through the library. "So, young kitten. I'm familiar with Avery and Zero, but not yourself. Mind introducing yourself?" Bryce said to them, not turning around or stopping his forward motion through the massive city of books. His tails shimmered almost silver in the light and made him look like a cloud when viewed from behind, or like a moving shroud of mist.

Avery fell back behind the Glameow to speak to Zero. "This is all very weird," Avery said to him in a low voice. "She's saying she wasn't always a Glameow. She doesn't know anything about Casim or Guild Green Forest, and she was knocked out in what sounds like an easy to win battle." Against a Torchic and a Squirtle with scarves on. Well they certainly weren't Guild Green Forest since they didn't have a Blaziken or a Blastoise anywhere in Casim, but the scarves meant they were probably in a guild.

"I don't pay attention to those kinds of things." Hinaro exlained flatly. "All I know is, I had a weird dream, and woke up as a Glameow."

A pair of Ninetales came to greet them as they entered the library, and Hinaro bowed her head cordially. "I'm fairly sure that I'm an adult Glameow, not a kitten." She purred, padding obediently behind the librarians. There was also a Gastly following them, who made her feel uneasy. She just didn't like the look of those fangs.

"Ah, that I remember. My name is Hinaro." She sweetly answered the paler fox, flicking her tail.

 

[Lost]

Soren
Belle’s Office———>Path from the Guild​

As the wave of healing washed over him Soren let out an involuntary sigh. He had never quite gotten used to the sensation despite his many trips for healing; it felt entirely too odd, too unnatural, to have his aches and pains vanish in a matter of seconds. Still, it was certainly better than spending the rest of the day with a headache and a limp.

Turmy had taken the process much better than he had, from the relaxed sound of her voice. I wonder if this is her first time, he thought, with a glance at his companion. Had he ever seen her spar with another Pokemon? He didn’t think so, not in the guild at least. Not that she really needed the practice. She was already strong, a lot stronger than he was, at least physically. No doubt her work in the mines was to thank for that. Maybe I should give the mines a look. If Turmy's strength is any indication, it would certainly help decrease my reliance on intangible attacks. He didn’t know if they took volunteers – with his guild work, a full-time job was out of the question – but it wouldn’t hurt to ask.

In any case, that would have to wait until after the mission. Which, if we move at Mao’s pace, he mused with a smile as the she bolted from the room, shouldn’t be too far off. “With the way she’s acting, you’d think I was the one who lost that battle,” he laughed.

Turmy's one-word question filled the void of Mao's departure. "You know, I'm actually starting to miss the constant pain," Soren quipped in response, smile turning to flippant grin. It quickly faltered into an expression of surprise, however, when Turmy's nudge sent him stumbling a few steps. A look over at the Aron, who was now dreamily gazing at the tapestry, told him the force was not intentional. "Wow, looks like that healing did more for you than it did for me," he joked.

It wasn't too much longer until Turmy seemed to snap out of her stupor, reciting aloud her list of tasks. To her two questions Soren nodded. "Yeah, I live out that way. And I'd be glad for the company." The walk would certainly be more enjoyable with Turmy around.

With a quick 'thank you' to Belle, Soren set out the door with his teammate.

dae mec Ace Cream Kylesar1

 

[dae mec]

Turmy
Path from Guild​

As they walked, Turmy started humming a work song—the lyrics were gravel, gravel, gravel, and it was basically one note repeated in different patterns. She was happy with the companionable silence (or humming, rather), but Turmy should probably be a good conversationalist.

"Sisters and brothers?" she asked. That was a safe topic, right? "I have three, all brothers. Evenly spaced. It feels like when one grows big, I get another." Still cheerful, Turmy nodded. "They are cute. We are all pink." Well, they were pink in comparison to the gleaming silver of usual Arons: Turmy and her siblings probably looked gray without that contrast.

Unusually chatty, Turmy also repeated the question Soren had asked her this morning. "Oh! Same question for you. Why did you join the guild?"

She abruptly came to a stop as the last vestiges of the Heal Pulse faded. Turmy looked at Soren, eyes wide, with growing embarrassment as she recalled the events in the clinic (and even now, considering how she didn't usually hum or talk so much when not working). "N-Not used..." she stammered as she started walking again. "Usually berries and medicine. Uh. Sorry. Didn't mean..." Turmy trailed off.

Lost

 

[Lost]

Soren
Path from the Guild​

Soren smiled at her question; he was always happy to talk about his family. "Yeah, four of them; three sisters and one brother. Though with the way they act, it usually feels like double the number."

Turmy's comment about her color surprised him - he'd never noticed the subtle hue of pink - but he brushed it off quickly. "Three brothers, huh? Are any of them interested in joining the guild like you?" The thought made him grin; three little versions of Turmy, all lined up in the Conference Hall, conversing with one-word answers. Heh, I'd pay to see that.

Her second query made him hesitate. "Oh, you know; money, glory, power," he lied. "The usual stuff."

Soren quieted after that, lost in thought as he walked alongside his companion. It wasn't that his motive was horrible, or that he was deeply ashamed of it. Well, maybe he was ashamed, but that wasn't why he kept it to himself. It was just difficult to share, requiring an explanation that was altogether too long. And too personal, I suppose, he added reluctantly.

Turmy's sudden embarrassment gave him pause as he shook off his melancholy. "Oh, I'm glad you finally apologized. After all, you've spent all day being nothing but helpful and friendly," he shook his head in mock disappointment. "Truly unacceptable behavior."

He held the act for a minute more, then broke into a grin. "You have nothing to be sorry for, Turmy. Besides, even if it was move-induced, it was nice to see you so talkative and relaxed. Kinda cute, actually," he teased.


dae mec

 

[Ace Cream]

Mao

"Not this one, not this one, not this one too." Mao was back inside her base and she just threw things all over the place. Most of the items she collected over the years here were junks or part of a disassembled device, and while Mao was sure she did store one or two useful items other than her wide lens here, she seems to forget where she placed those items so she had no choice but to turns her base upside down.

She stumbled upon a small purple ball with a single hole on it. Mao didn't remember about this item, probably because she bought it in bulk along with the wide lens from the shady shiftry. She tried to fiddle around with the ball, only to horrifiedly found the ball start leaking out thick smoke inside the workshop. Panicked, she threw the ball out into the backyard. Letting the smoke fizzled out before picking it up again.

"Yeah, this looks useful for the mission." She decided to bring the item with her.

"Mao, stop playing underground and get back to the guild. You said you have a mission, right?" Mao's grandmother came out of the kitchen with a big colorful package of muffin. "Then take this with you. Share it with other too."

"It's a secret mission, not a picnic!" Mao's grandmother tends to worry too much about her little granddaughter. While she knew that the old malamar did it out of love, sometimes Mao find it kind of overbearing. She just wanted to be treated as if she can handle herself!

"Yes, yes. A very secret and dangerous mission. All the more reason to have full stomach. Here."

"That is... a sound reason." Mao was ready to refuse the muffins, but her grandmother was right. Starting a mission with full stomach sounds good, and there's also Zero. She reluctantly accepted the package.

"Now that is my good Mao. Be safe out there, allright?"

Spoiler: Note

Mao's item: smokeball
Mao's next destination: the library

 

[dae mec]

Turmy smiled at Soren's comment about his siblings. He clearly cared for them very much. "Little siblings," she sighed, commiserating as only the eldest ones could do. "Trouble." She looked at him and nodded. "A good big brother."

She shook her head. "They all want to do construction." Sometimes Turmy wished she wasn't the only one in her immediate family to do something so different. It could be a little isolating... but she had her squad to help with that! "Yours?"

She tilted her head at his answer. A lot of people did join the guild for that, it was true. And Soren was pretty smart and strong; he'd be able to get the glory, power, and fame he wanted, no doubt!

At first, Turmy thought his disappointment was real. "I will be... less helpful and friendly?" she said hesitantly. Others didn't usually tell her to do that. Most thought she wasn't friendly enough. Wait... this was probably a joke! Turmy narrowed her eyes at him. When Soren broke his act, she huffed, a little amused and rather pleased she'd figured it out.

"Thank you. I am glad," Turmy said, relieved, until the last part of his compliment caught up with her. What? No one had called her cute before! Strong, maybe, or shiny, or reliable, but cute? This was completely uncharted territory. How was she supposed to respond to that? She had no prepared statements! Turmy stared at him for a rather long time, trying to make sense of it. Hmm... think, think... Ah. She'd just repeat it back to him. Yes. That would work. It worked for most long conversations.

"You are cute too," she said firmly, probably a little louder than she needed to. Excellent.

Lost

 

[Kylesar1]

Avery
Library​

Avery was starting to get a little peeved. It wasn't at Hirano's ignorance at pretty much everything about herself. It was her seeming lack of care at trying to figure it all out. She said she was a Glameow for only a few weeks and has been in this town for most that time, yet doesn't know the name of the town or the guild that runs the town. It was like she was content being a Pokemon she claimed she wasn't and content being at an unknown place without even bothering learning the name of it. Bryce led them to a book shelf and there down the aisle was an Espurr, one that Avery found insanely cute. She was walking along the shelves, using Confusion to move the books to make a sort of staircase and bridge to reach the greater heights. Normally he would go talk to her, as she was pretty shy, but he was on a time crunch right now.

Bryce led them to the shelves and pulled off 2 books using Psychic and pushed them over to Avery. "I've been around for a long time, Hirano. Adult, you are not. You have no more experience than Green Forest's Training Cell and no more survival skill than a nursing pup. As far as I'm concerned, you're a kitten," Bryce said to her decisively.



Avery gave his thanks to Bryce for the books. "What can you tell me about the Sea Temple?"
"After decades of fighting between Kyogre and Groudon, Arceus granted Rayquaza permission to do what he needed to stop the fight. Thus, the dragon descended from the atmosphere. He knocked them both out and took their primal essence to seal into orbs, then put them both to sleep. Groudon asleep in magma under Mt. Pyre, and Kyogre asleep in the Mariana Trench."
That all sounded incredibly.......mythological. Avery had never heard of the names of Kyogre, Groudon, or Rayquaza, but then again, he wasn't really big on learning the world's mythology. Giant books of legend put him to sleep. Avery had no real reason to doubt Bryce's words though. "Where does the Sea Temple come in?"
Bryce nodded. "Patience, Avery. It all comes together. Groudon's Primal Essence is the Red Orb, said to be hidden in an unknown place only accessible through the Cave of Origin. Kyogre's Primal Essence is the Blue Orb. Rayquaza formed the Sea Temple to be camouflaged with the ocean and placed the orb in the temple to drift along the ocean floor. Arceus agreed that Primal Essence had to be rescinded and Rayquaza voluntarily had his Primal Essence sealed in the Jade Orb, placed into the Embedded Tower."
Avery's eyes widened. So Kyogre's Primal Essence was placed in the Sea Temple..........where the pokemon were missing. "So what happens with the orbs."
"If the Blue or Red Orb is activated, Kyogre awakens and torrents the world with rain to expand the sea. Groudon awakens and blazes the world with heat to evaporate the rain and then the ocean to expand the land. They battle again and the whole region is caught in the crossfire. Should they actually come in contact with their respective orb, it will get worse as they'll go into Primal Reversion. Boiling heat that makes water moves completely unusable, evaporated the moment it is launched. Everything in a drought. Rain so strong is fizzles out even the strongest of flames. Imagine what it'd do to Fire Types."
That story sounded like the end times, an apocalypse waiting to happen. Either they drown from Kyogre or, if they don't outright burn from the heat, they'll eventually die of thirst from how the heat evaporates the water. It was awful. Bryce saw the look of horror on Avery's face. "Not to worry, young shrew. Each of those places are guarded incredibly well by legions of Pokemon who would die to protect those orbs. There have been cults of Pokemon who have once attempted to get the orbs. It's in that book as well." Avery looked at the book. It was a book named Pokemon of Legend: The Weather Trio and Primal Essence.
Still, it didn't sounds good. "If there are legions of Pokemon to protect the Blue Orb, they wouldn't respond well to intruders, would they?"
"Definitely not," Bryce said with a vigorous shake of his head, releasing a bit of mist around them. "They'll capture you and eject when the temple surfaces..............IF and only IF you're lucky. Usually they just kill and feed the Pokemon to the ravenous Feraligatr, Carvhana, and Sharpedo there." That statement made Avery's stomach churn and he wasn't sure if it was the visualization of his innocent friends being torn to ribbons or the nonchalant almost pleasant tone Bryce took in explaining something so morbid. Anything to protect the orb. It was understandable, but it immediately solidified to Avery that this mission was maybe a little bit bigger than Luca let on. Did the Arcanine even bother to do basic research?
"We need to get to that temple ASAP, Zero," Avery said to the ghost.
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