《Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Age of Shadows》


 Prolouge: The Place Between Worlds

    Darkness. Nothing but darkness.


    That was the only thing that Hope Aberdeen could see right now. She could see herself just fine- her pale skin, her chocolate-brown hair resting on her shoulders- but everything else was pitch-black. She looked around anxiously, trying to find some hint, any hint, of a speck of light.


    Hope was well-known amongst her family and friends for having very vivid dreams. Her dreams were so detailed and organized that she could outline the basic events of one more than six hours after she had woken up. But this wasn¡¯t a dream. And if it was somehow a dream, it definitely wasn¡¯t a normal one.


    Is this what the afterlife is like?, she thought to herself. A shiver ran down her backbone as the idea came and went through her mind. But she couldn¡¯t be dead. She was an average, healthy, fifteen-year-old teenage human girl. And healthy teenage girls didn¡¯t just drop dead in their sleep.


    All of a sudden, a shrill laugh pierced through the infinite void. It sounded almost like a little girl, but the pitch and suddenness of the laugh was enough to make Hope¡¯s hairs stand on end.


    ¡°Heeheeheeheehee! Look at her, just standing there like a headless Torchic! She looks so funny!¡±


    Hope¡¯s head wildly whipped back and forth, trying to find the sound of the mysterious voice. But there was nothing to indicate another person there, not even the faint outline of a shadow. ¡°Hello?¡± she called out. ¡°Where are you?¡±


    The shrill voice echoed out again. ¡°Man, this is so fun! I love seeing humans so confused like this!¡±


    Hope barely had time to process those last sentences before a different voice rang out, this one serene and motherly.


    ¡°Oh, Lele, can you please knock it off? The poor girl¡¯s already confused out of her wits. She doesn¡¯t need you bullying her on top of that.¡±


    ¡°But Fini!¡± the first voice whined. ¡°This is the first time that we¡¯ve judged a human in over 800 years! Can¡¯t I have a little fun with her?¡±


    Judging humans? 800 years? Now Hope was just straight-out confused.


    A third, tired-sounding voice rang out. ¡°Can we please get to the quiz already? I want to go back to my shrine.¡± it whined.


    ¡°Bulu, stop complaining.¡±, a fourth voice, one tinged with a hint of arrogance, replied. ¡°But he¡¯s right: we should get to the quiz soon. We¡¯ve been keeping this girl waiting for far too long.¡±


    Now Hope was just fed up. ¡°What the hell is this ¡®quiz¡¯ you all keep on talking about? And who even are you guys, anyways?¡±


    For a few brief seconds, the deafening silence returned. Then the arrogant voice chuckled. ¡°Oh, have we been staying invisible all this time? Our bad. Just give us a second or two.¡±


    Suddenly, a large, multicolored burst of light engulfed the void. The brightness almost caused Hope to fall backwards. Then the light faded, and where the light came from, four creatures stood.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    They had shell-like markings in bright colors and vaguely resembled real-world animals: a rooster, a butterfly, a bull, and a dolphin, respectively. Hope didn¡¯t know exactly who they were, but she had an idea of what they were.


    ¡°Are you guys¡­ Pokemon?¡± she asked them.


    The pink butterfly-like Pokemon let out another shrill laugh. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±


    Hope was astounded. She didn¡¯t have any connection to Pokemon herself, but she had seen her little brothers and their friends trade cards and watch the show enough times to know a little bit about them. ¡°B..but I thought you guys were just fictional¡± she stammered.


    The yellow rooster-like Pokemon made what Hope could only assume was a smirk of some sort. ¡°Well, we exist, alright. But not in this dimension. Which brings us to our main agenda.¡±


    ¡°Another dimension?¡± Hope raised one eyebrow. The purple dolphin-like Pokemon made a swishing motion with a skinny, small, hand-like appendage. ¡°That¡¯s right. But that dimension may soon be no more. And that¡¯s why we need your help.¡±


    ¡°My help? But why?¡± Hope exclaimed. The red bull-like Pokemon huffed. ¡°There¡¯s a prophecy that states that when the world of Pokemon is in danger of destruction, there will be a human who will turn into a Pokemon and stop the calamities. And you¡¯re that human, I guess.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the chosen one in a prophecy?¡± Hope said. ¡°I mean, that¡¯s actually kinda cool, I guess. A lot of my favorite books center around prophe-¡± A big realization suddenly struck Hope. ¡°Wait a minute, did you say ¡®TURN INTO A POKEMON¡¯?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± the pink Pokemon giggled. ¡°But why?¡± Hope protested. ¡°Why can¡¯t I stay a human¡±. ¡°Well, the thing is, the Pokemon world is only inhabited by Pokemon.¡± the purple Pokemon responded. ¡°You¡¯d kinda stick out like a sore paw if you were to stay a human.¡± the yellow one said.


    Hope looked down at her feet. That did make a lot of sense.


    ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯ve been sent here. We¡¯re going to give you the quiz that determines what Pokemon you¡¯ll become.¡± said the red one. ¡°Why a quiz? Why can¡¯t I just pick what Pokemon I¡¯ll become?¡± Hope asked. She didn¡¯t know many Pokemon, but Pikachu was really cute. She would love to be a Pikachu. ¡°Because it¡¯s more entertaining for us that way!¡± the pink Pokemon chortled.


    ¡°Alright, I think you¡¯ve got the gist of everything now. So are you ready to start the quiz?¡± Hope was about to reply, but the purple one interjected. ¡°Hold on! There¡¯s one more thing you should know before you start the quiz.¡± it cried out. ¡°And that is?¡± Hope asked.


    ¡°When you go to the Pokemon world, all of your memories except for your first name will be erased.¡± the purple one responded.


    Hope¡¯s eyes widened. Lose her memories? That was one of her biggest fears! But just before she could say anything, the purple one interjected again. ¡°I know, I know. It¡¯s scary. But we don¡¯t want your memories as a human conflicting with your duties as a Pokemon.¡±


    Why do these Pokemon have to make so much sense? Hope thought to herself. She looked into the eyes of the yellow one. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s start the quiz.¡± The purple one let out something that Hope assumed was a smile. ¡°I knew you¡¯d come through, honey.¡±


    The quiz that followed took probably only ten minutes, but for Hope, it felt like forever. She thought that half of these questions were nonsensical. What did her favorite ride at the carnival or what she would say to a new student at school have to do with what Pokemon she became, anyways?


    Just as she was about to fall asleep (while already being asleep), the pink one looked up and smirked. ¡°Alright. The quiz is over.¡± It snapped its ¡°fingers¡±, and a swirling portal opened up right in front of Hope¡¯s eyes. ¡°The portal to the world of Pokemon is right there. Hop in.¡±


    ¡°Right now? But you didn¡¯t even tell me what Pokemon I¡¯ll become!¡± Hope protested. The yellow one smirked. ¡°You won¡¯t know until you get there. Don¡¯t you love a good surprise?¡±


    Hope sighed. Well then. I guess this is it. she thought to herself. She walked up to the swirling, blue-and-purple portal. But just as her hand touched the portal, a question popped into her head.


    She turned back to the four Pokemon. ¡°Hold on a minute!¡± she called out. ¡°Who exactly are you guys?¡±


    The yellow one chuckled. ¡°We¡¯ll run into each other again eventually. We¡¯ll properly introduce ourselves to you when that time comes.¡±


    ¡°Hey, come on! That¡¯s not fair!¡± Hope yelled. She tried to run back towards the four Pokemon, but the force of gravity from the portal pulled her back. She struggled feebly, but soon she fell through the portal.


    And then she was falling, falling, falling¡­ Her head was becoming foggy- as if her memories were being leached out of her as she was falling- and a white light was slowly clouding over her field of vision.


    And then she blacked out.

 Chapter One: Klaw and Dewey

    The surrounding air was damp and musty. She could faintly hear the wind blowing, and the ruffling of some leaves caused by said wind. As the sun slowly rose over the horizon and the forest slowly came to life, so, too, did the young girl.


    The first thing she registered as she slowly opened her eyes was dirt. Dirt all around the walls and the soft mushiness of dirt clinging to her feet. It didn¡¯t take her long to realize that she was in a hole of some kind. But how did she even manage to get into a hole in the first place? After all, humans aren¡¯t supposed to sleep in holes. She was supposed to be sleeping in her bed in¡­ in¡­


    Wait a minute, she thought to herself. Why can¡¯t I remember where I live?


    She tried to rack her brain for any sort of memories that could indicate where she was or who could help her get back home. But whenever she tried to recall her past, a foggy feeling came over her. It was almost as if¡­


    ¡°Oh, my God!¡± she yelled aloud. ¡°My memories are gone!¡±


    Almost as soon as the words left her mouth, she felt a grave sense of danger wash over her, like some wild animal was going to come and eat her if she spoke a little louder. But there was no other way to explain her mental fogginess. Whatever caused her to fall down that hole must have also caused her to lose her memories.


    I have to figure out some way to get to the bottom of this, she thought, a rush of determination surging into her. But the second she sprung to her feet to start climbing out of the hole, she was faced with another problem. Directly above her head was a solid, shiny, smooth gray lump that covered the opening to the hole.


    Whoever had trapped her in here had put a large rock over the entrance to the hole, so she couldn¡¯t escape. She could definitely climb up to the rock, but she somehow knew that she wouldn¡¯t be able to push away the rock in the state she was in now.


    The rush of determination left her body almost as quickly as it had entered it. She sunk to the muddy ¡°floor¡± and laid her head down. Great. she thought to herself. I¡¯m going to die here all alone in this damp, musty hole. And I¡¯m going to do so without ever figuring out who I am or why my memories were lost.


    Just as those thoughts left her brain, however, a noise jolted her back to her feet.


    Crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch.


    It didn¡¯t sound exactly like footsteps, but it definitely sounded like someone was walking, crunching the leaves as they were walking. And it sounded that whomever was making those noises was coming closer and closer.


    Crunch, crunch, Crunch, crunch, Crunch, crunch.


    As a matter of fact¡­ it sounded like two people were walking towards her. One set of footsteps seemed more assured and confident, while the other sounded very light, almost as if they were trying not to alert anything else as well.


    Crunch, crunch, Crunch, crunch, Crunch, crunch.


    The sounds were very close now. Whoever was walking must almost be near the rock now. Maybe they came here to rescue me!, she thought, the rush of determination surging through her once more.


    For a few seconds, the footprints stopped.  What happened?, she thought to herself. Why did they stop? But she knew they were right above her. From how loud the footprints sounded just before they stopped, her saviors had to be right in front of the rock.


    Then one of them spoke.


    ¡°Seriously?! We travelled all this way, and all we found was a stupid rock?!¡±


    The young girl was blown away. She had been waiting for what felt like hours for any sort of help, and the first thing that her hero did was complain about just finding a rock? She wanted to yell at this insolent little brat, but before she could do that, the other one spoke.


    ¡°C-Come on, Klaw. I¡¯m s-sure the g-gear has to be around here s-somewhere. W-we followed the d-directions on the m-map almost exactly.¡±


    What kind of parent would name their child Klaw?, she thought to herself. And what do they mean by ¡°gear¡±?


    ¡°Nonsense, Dewey¡±, Klaw snapped. ¡°The map said that the gear would be right here, in this exact spot. So how come it isn¡¯t here?¡±


    ¡°M-maybe someone s-stole it?¡± Dewey stammered.


    ¡°That could be possible.¡± The girl noticed that Klaw¡¯s voice had become significantly duller. ¡°But if someone did steal it, I think that they would just make off with the goods and leave the area bare. Why is there a rock here in its place?¡¯


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Silence. Then Dewey  spoke up again, still stammering, but more curious now. ¡°W-what if the g-gear is b-buried underneath here, and the r-rock is b-blocking the w-way to it?¡±


    ¡°Hey, that makes a lot of sense! You always come up with the best ideas, little bro.¡± Klaw¡¯s voice perked up again. ¡°That is a pretty big rock, though. How are we going to break it?¡±


    They¡¯re going to break the rock., the girl realized. I¡¯m finally going to be free!


    ¡°T-that should be easy, big bro! I¡¯ll use my W-Water P-Pulse to weaken it, and then you can b-break it with your D-Double K-Kick!¡±


    Water Pulse? Double Kick? What in the world are these guys talking about?


    ¡°Now that¡¯s the spirit, Dewey! On the count of three?¡±


    ¡°Okay, Klaw!¡±


    ¡°One¡­¡±


    ¡°Two¡­¡±


    ¡°Three¡­¡±


    ¡°GO!¡±


    There was a huge woosh sound- the girl assumed that was the ¡°Water Pulse¡±- and something that sounded kicking. And then¡­


    BANG!!!!


    The rock blew apart in a wondrous burst, causing the pieces to shatter everywhere. Some of them fell down to the hole the girl was in, and a dim light began to shine through the hole.


    I¡¯m free! I¡¯m finally free! It was all the girl could do to not scream out her joys to the entire world. She looked up into the light to thank the boys who had rescued her, but what she saw were not boys at all.


    They were creatures of some kind. One was a small black cat with red stripes on its body, face, and paws, and the other was a small blue chameleon with a yellow head fin. From the looks on their faces, she could tell that she wasn¡¯t what they were expecting to find either.


    The creatures continued to look at her with puzzled expressions. Then they turned to each other and started whispering.


    ¡°Ok, is this some sick joke or something?¡± the cat whispered. ¡°Keeping a living thing hostage here and calling it ¡®gear¡¯ is not funny in the slightest.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t k-know¡± the chameleon whispered back. ¡°M-maybe the gear was stolen, and t-this is a h-hostage the t-thieves left here?¡±


    The girl shook herself off and looked up at the duo. ¡°Excuse me?¡± she called out. ¡°I¡¯m still in the hole! Can¡¯t I at least get out before you guys start whispering amongst yourselves?¡±


    The two creatures jumped at the sound of her voice, then turned their heads to look at each other again. After a moment of deliberation, the cat stepped a bit close to the hole and stuck his paw in.


    ¡°Grab on!¡± he called out.


    The girl grabbed on to the cat¡¯s paw, and the cat began to pull her up. It took a bit of straining, but with some help from the chameleon, the girl was finally able to get out of the hole.


    ¡°Phew!¡± she said, shaking herself off. ¡°That was a mess and a half.¡± She then turned towards the duo and smiled. ¡°Thanks for getting me out of there, you two. I have to ask, though¡­ what exactly are you two supposed to be?¡±


    The two stopped cleaning themselves off and squinted at her. After a few moments of silence, the cat turned towards her and asked ¡°You can¡¯t be serious, are you?¡±


    ¡°I am being serious,¡± she responded. ¡°What are you two?¡±


    The cat turned towards the chameleon and snickered. ¡°I think she hit her head a bit too hard when she fell down the hole.¡± He turned back to her. ¡°We¡¯re Pokemon, you silly Skiddo. Just like you!¡±


    The girl felt a wave of confusion wash over her. ¡°What do you mean?¡± she asked. ¡°I¡¯m not a Pokemon. I¡¯m a human!¡±


    For a few short seconds, the air filled with silence. Then the cat started snickering again, and the chameleon soon followed suit. Before long, the duo were rolling around in the leaves laughing their tails off.


    The girl began to feel annoyed. ¡°What the hell is wrong with you two?!¡± she snapped.


    The two Pokemon snapped out of their laughing fit and got back to their feet. ¡°I-it just sounds r-ridiculous¡± the chameleon said. ¡°Y-you¡¯re just a plain, n-normal Eevee, a-after all!¡±


    Wait¡­ what?


    For the first time since she had woken up, the girl got a proper look at herself. Where she expected her hands to be were instead two small, fuzzy, brown paws. Her legs were replaced by two more of those fuzzy brown paws, and she was now standing on all fours. From the corner of her vision she could see a big, bushy brown tail with a large, beige, heart-shaped marking on its end attached to the end of her body.


    There was no doubt about it.


    ¡°I-it¡¯s true!¡± she screeched. ¡°I¡¯ve actually turned into a Pokemon!¡±


    The other two Pokemon jumped into the air. ¡°B-be q-quiet!¡± the chameleon snapped at her. ¡°Y-you¡¯re going to wake up e-everything living in this f-forest!¡±


    The cat shook his head at the chameleon. ¡°You¡¯re such a paranoid Pidove.¡± He turned back to the Eevee. ¡°So even if you were a human, you¡¯re obviously an Eevee now. How the hell did that happen?¡±


    The Eevee¡¯s fur ears began to flop over as she was reminded of her other big problem ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡±


    The cat tilted his head to the side ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember anything¡± the Eevee sighed. ¡°I woke up here in this hole with no memories of who I was or where I came from.¡±


    ¡°N-none at a-all? N-not even your n-name?¡± the chameleon inquired.


    My name¡­ Suddenly it felt like a key had been inserted into the Eevee¡¯s brain, unlocking a hidden treasure chest. ¡°Hold on! I just remembered my name!¡± she cried out.


    The Pokemon raised their eyebrows. ¡°And that name is¡­?¡± the cat asked.


    The Eevee held her head high before she spoke. ¡°Hope. My name is Hope.¡±


    The cat smirked. ¡°Well, it¡¯s nice to meet you, Hope the Eevee/maybe-human.¡±


    ¡°Not maybe-human, human-human.¡¯ Hope interjected.


    The cat ignored her and continued to speak. ¡°I¡¯m a Litten, and my name is Klaw. And this over here¡± he said, turning to the chameleon, ¡°is my little brother. He¡¯s a Sobble, and his name is Dewey.¡±


    Brothers? Those two don¡¯t even look like they share an eighth of a relative, Hope thought to herself. But something told her that if she said that aloud, she would be in for a beating. Instead, she raised her head and responded ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you two as well, Klaw the Litten and Dewey the Sobble.¡±


    Dewey smiled. ¡°S-so Hope, I¡¯m g-guessing that y-you don¡¯t have a p-place to s-stay?¡±


    Hope shook her head. ¡°Nope¡±, she answered.


    Dewey began to shake. ¡°T-that m-means that y-you¡¯re g-going to h-have to c-come b-back to our h-home.¡±


    Klaw jumped and turned to face his brother. ¡°Are you kidding me, Dewey?¡± he hissed. ¡°We can¡¯t bring her back there! Our dads will tear her to shreds! And I can¡¯t even begin to think of how the boss will react¡­¡±


    What does he mean by ¡°the boss¡±? Hope wondered to herself. And why are they so scared to go back home? Don¡¯t they live there?


    ¡°B-but we don¡¯t h-have a c-choice K-Klaw.¡± Dewey stuttered. ¡°T-there aren¡¯t enough r-rations to s-support the three of us. W-we have to go b-back, or we¡¯ll a-all s-starve to d-death.¡±


    Klaw sighed. ¡°Fine.¡± He turned back to Hope and flicked his tail. ¡°Well, come along now, Hope. We have to leave now so that we can get back before sunset.¡±


    Hope felt scared. The way that Klaw and Dewey had spoken about their home made her feel uneasy. But she didn¡¯t have anywhere else to go, and Klaw and Dewey themselves seemed like nice Pokemon. After all, they had saved her from the hole in the first place, and they were kind enough to offer her a place to stay. So she began to follow the brothers out into the great wide world.

 Chapter Two: Meeting the Parents

    Hope followed Klaw and Dewey outside of the large tree hollow that she had apparently been inside of this whole time. The first thing she saw when she stepped outside was a row of trees with leaves hanging so low they almost touched her head. They stretched out for miles ahead, as far as her eyes could see. A soft layer of moss caressed her paw pads, and the surrounding air was thick and damp.


    Hope could feel her jaw drop loose with awe as she surveyed her surroundings. ¡°This place looks almost endless!¡± she exclaimed. She then turned towards Klaw and Dewey. ¡°How the hell are we going to get out of here?¡±


    The brothers looked at each other. ¡°W-where did y-you l-leave the b-bag, Klaw?¡± Dewey stammered.


    ¡°It should still be next to the Great Tree Hollow.¡± Klaw responded. He then flicked his tail and turned back, reappearing a few seconds later with the handle of a small brown leather knapsack clenched within his mouth.


    Dewey sighed in relief. ¡°T-thank Arceus you d-didn¡¯t f-forget it.¡±


    Klaw set the bag on the forest floor. ¡°You know that I don¡¯t tend to forget things easily¡± he replied with a small smirk on his face. He then reached into the bag and pulled out what appeared to be a very tiny piece of paper.


    Hope tilted her head. ¡°Seriously?¡± she asked. ¡°How can that tiny piece of paper tell us how to get out? You¡¯d have to have X-ray vision to read the print that can fit on a paper of that size.¡±


    Klaw and Dewey both turned towards Hope and squinted at her. ¡°I swear to Arceus, that girl¡¯s sass is going to get her killed someday.¡± Klaw mumbled under his breath. Then he turned back to Dewey. ¡°Help me unfold the map, Little Bro.¡±


    Dewey quickly compiled, and soon the tiny piece of paper was unfurled into a sprawling parchment. Klaw then gestured to Hope to come view the paper, which she then did. On the parchment was a detailed map of the entire forest. A large white line was drawn through the map, showing the pathway to what Hope assumed was the Great Tree Hollow.


    As she surveyed the map, Hope noticed a strange logo printed on the lower right corner of the paper. It appeared to be a snowflake, but the edges of the snowflake looked sharp, almost like small blades. A skull was positioned in the center of the snowflake.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s up with this logo?¡± she asked. ¡°Does it mean anything?¡±


    Klaw and Dewey shared an uneasy look. ¡°Y-you¡¯ll find o-out w-when we g-get h-home.¡± Dewey said, sounding even more nervous than he usually did.


    ¡°Anyways¡±, Klaw interjected. ¡°The map was meant to show us the way from home to the Great Tree Hollow. But it¡¯ll work for heading back as well.¡±


    Hope nodded. ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s head back, then!¡±, she responded. Just as she started to walk away, however, Dewey interjected again.


    ¡°W-wait a m-minute! T-there¡¯s o-one more t-thing we n-need to t-tell you.¡±


    ¡°And that would be?¡± Hope asked.


    ¡°W-well, t-this place is a-actually what w-we c-call a M-Mystery Dungeon.¡± Dewey responded.


    Hope tilted her head. ¡°What the hell is a Mystery Dungeon?¡±


    ¡°Mystery Dungeons are these really strange places that are scattered throughout our continent.¡± Klaw responded. ¡°Nobody knows how they¡¯re created, but they contain really cool treasures!¡±


    Hope¡¯s ears perked up. ¡°Treasures? You mean like, money and stuff?¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah!¡± Dewey nodded. ¡°B-but the s-strange t-thing about Mystery D-Dungeons is that the P-Pokemon that l-live in t-them tend t-to b-be¡­ feral.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, ¡®feral¡¯?¡± Hope asked.


    ¡°They a-attack every P-Pokemon they s-see. T-they can¡¯t d-distinguish between w-wild and n-normal P-Pokemon a-anymore.¡± Dewey responded.


    ¡°So it¡¯s very dangerous for many Pokemon to go into Mystery Dungeons, unless they¡¯ve learned how to fight.¡± Klaw said. ¡°Me and Dewey have been training since we hatched out of our eggs, so we¡¯re fine. But if what you said was true, you won¡¯t know how to use your moves at all. So you should just stay out of trouble and let the two of us take care of any feral Pokemon we come across.¡±


    Hope was now a bit confused. ¡°Why do these Pokemon become feral in the first place?¡± she asked.


    ¡°N-no one k-knows.¡± Dewey answered. ¡°B-but there a-are a l-lot of t-theories.¡±


    ¡°Some believe that they revert to their natural instincts when they live in a Mystery Dungeon for too long. Others believe that the dungeons have these powers that turn the Pokemon that live inside of them violent, so that they can protect the treasures within.¡± Klaw said. ¡°But we¡¯ve been talking for too long. We should start now, so we can get back before sunset.¡±


    Hope nodded, and the three began to set off. But just as they took their first steps, they heard a noise coming from the tree above them.


    Rustle, rustle, rustle¡­


    The fur on Klaw¡¯s back began to stand up. ¡°Get away!¡± he yelled at Hope.


    Hope barely had a second to question what was going on when a green blur dropped from the tree above them. It was another Pokemon, a green spider-like creature. It raised its abdomen, revealing a small pattern that looked like a frowning face, and hissed at the trio.


    Klaw growled lightly. ¡°Great. Another stupid Spinarak.¡± He then turned to Hope. ¡°Just stand back. We can handle this easily.¡±


    As Klaw turned back towards the Spinarak, his teeth began to glow a bright orange. Soon they were ablaze with a bright orange flame. ¡°Fire Fang!¡±, he called out as he charged towards the Spinarak. His teeth enclosed around the small spider, making a sound like the crackling of a firework.


    The Spinarak was sent flying back from the impact of Klaw¡¯s attack. A large burn mark was now present on its abdomen, covering up the majority of its frowny-face marks. It got up, let out another hiss, and discharged some sort of purple liquid from its mouth.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Klaw jumped out of the way, but the blob of liquid just barely hit his outstretched paw. He dropped to the ground, letting out a hiss of pain.


    ¡°Big Bro!¡± Dewey cried out. He then faced the Spinarak with a glint of anger in his eye. ¡°Y-you¡¯ll r-regret that! Water Pulse!¡± he cried. He then shot out a large ring of water from its mouth, nailing the Spinarak straight on its head.


    The Spinarak looked even more badly hurt now, but as it got to its feet, a light green aura began surrounding it. With an even louder hiss, it launched itself at Dewey. The Sobble tried to move away, but the Spinarak easily caught him, sinking its small orange teeth into his tail. As Dewey cried out in pain, a couple of the Spinarak¡¯s wounds disappeared, almost as if it was healing itself off of Dewey¡¯s damage.


    Hope stood there with a feeling of worry growing inside of her. What did they mean, they could handle it? They look like they¡¯re getting hurt pretty badly! Suddenly, a burst of adrenaline began to surge through Hope. Without even thinking, she tightened her muscles and began charging at the Spinarak, who was still attached to Dewey¡¯s tail.


    ¡°Tackle!¡± she cried out as her running turned into a leap.


    Just as the Spinarak turned to look at Hope, she crashed into it, sending the spider flying. It landed with a loud THUMP at the base of the Great Tree Hollow, then dropped to the ground. Its eyes were now swirls, and it wasn¡¯t moving anymore.


    Hope blinked a couple of times as the surge of adrenaline slowly left her body. ¡°What¡­ was that?¡± she asked, feeling slightly dazed.


    Klaw got back on his feet and shook himself off. ¡°That was a move.¡± he responded. ¡°How in the name of Giratina did you know how to do that?¡±


    Hope shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I was just watching you guys fight, and then I felt this adrenaline surge, and then¡­ that happened.¡± She looked between Klaw and Dewey. ¡°Are you two okay?¡±


    Dewey nodded. ¡°W-we¡¯re fine. That w-was a p-pretty w-weak Spinarak. W-we f-fought much s-stronger o-ones on our w-way to the G-Great Tree Hollow.¡±


    Hope turned back to look at the Spinarak, which still wasn¡¯t moving. ¡°Is it¡­ dead?¡± she asked. For some reason, the thought made her very uncomfortable. It was feral, but she still felt uneasy about potentially killing a living thing.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine.¡± Klaw responded with a flick of his tail. ¡°Pokemon don¡¯t usually tend to die from the attacks of other Pokemon unless the damage is really, really severe. It¡¯s just fainted. It should be back on its feet within the next hour.¡±


    ¡°W-well, n-now that you k-know how to a-attack, you s-should be a-able to h-help us h-handle any o-other w-wild Pokemon we c-come across!¡± Dewey exclaimed.


    ¡°Yes, yes, that¡¯s very good.¡± Klaw nodded. ¡°Now let¡¯s actually make it out of eyeshot from the Great Tree Hollow, shall we?¡±


    Hope nodded, and so the three began their trek through the forest. It was a long and arduous trek, and they had to fight numerous wild Pokemon along the way. But eventually they exited the forest, and they began heading towards Klaw and Dewey¡¯s home.


    As the trio walked across the dusty pathway, Hope turned to Klaw and Dewey. ¡°So, do you guys live alone, or do you live with your parents or something?¡±


    Klaw and Dewey came to a screeching halt upon hearing that question. ¡°W-why do y-you a-ask?¡± Dewey asked, shaking a little.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t really know how Pokemon live. And I remembered that you guys mentioned your dads earlier. I was just wondering if you lived with them, or if all Pokemon live on their own or something.¡± Hope responded.


    The brothers¡¯ eyes darted back and forth. The three were silent for a few minutes. Finally, Klaw spoke up. ¡°Yes, we do live with our dads.¡± he responded. ¡°But we also live with a few other Pokemon as well.¡±


    ¡°So do Pokemon live in like, groups or something?¡± Hope asked. ¡°And are you all of the same species, or is it a bunch of different species?¡± If she was going to be turned into a Pokemon, she might as well learn as much as she could about the ways that Pokemon lived.


    ¡°N-no. N-not usually. O-ours is a¡­ s-special case.¡± Dewey stammered.


    ¡°We¡¯ll explain it to you when we get you settled in, okay?¡± Klaw said tersely. ¡°Now let¡¯s get going. It should only be a few minutes from where we are now.¡±


    Sure enough, only a few minutes later, they had arrived at their destination. ¡°W-well, we¡¯re h-here¡± Dewey said nervously.


    Hope looked up in awe at the giant palace that stood in front of her. It looked like a cross between a mansion and a castle, and it was made of bright white, shimmering marble. The place appeared to have at least four floors, and the window frames were lined with gold. The roof of the center of the building seemed to resemble a moth. A large marble staircase reached down to Hope, almost inviting her to come walk up them and enter the building.


    ¡°You guys live here?¡± she exclaimed. ¡°This place looks amazing!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but only on the outside.¡± Klaw mumbled under his breath.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Hope asked.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Klaw turned towards Hope. ¡°Listen, Hope. Only Dewey and I can set off the doorbell, so we¡¯ll do that. Do not say a word to whoever opens the door. Dewey and I will explain everything to them, and then we¡¯ll have you settled in.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Hope asked.


    ¡°Just don¡¯t, okay?¡± Klaw hissed, causing Hope to jump back a little. Seeing this, Klaw softened. ¡°Sorry about that. It¡¯s just that these are some¡­ temperamental Pokemon we¡¯re dealing with. I just don¡¯t want you to say anything that might get them ticked off.¡±


    Hope was starting to feel uneasy. Now she was starting to understand why Klaw and Dewey were so anxious to return home. She didn¡¯t want to live in fear of scaring the people she lived with. But this was the only place she had for now. So she followed Klaw and Dewey up the glowing marble staircase.


    The doorbell was emblazoned with the same snowflake logo that Hope had seen on the corner of the map. Klaw swallowed and pressed it.


    DING-DONG! DING-DONG!


    The clanging of the bell made Hope¡¯s fur stand on end. For a few minutes, there was only silence. Then the door began to open.


    Two Pokemon stood at the entrance to the door. One was a large, bipedal, red-and-black tiger. He wore two spiked metal bracelets on his wrists and a spiked metal collar around his neck, and a large, nasty-looking scar ran across his huge, muscular chest. The other was a slender, bipedal, blue lizard with a large yellow head fin. He also wore two bracelets and a collar, but his were studded with rhinestones. Another large, nasty scar cut through his fin and ran down his face, just barely missing his right eye. They stared at Klaw and Dewey menacingly.


    Klaw and Dewey immediately flattened to the ground. ¡°O-oh, hi t-there, P-Papa and D-Daddy¡± Dewey stuttered.


    ¡°We weren¡¯t expecting you two to be on door-answering duty today.¡± Klaw said. His words sounded sarcastic, but Hope could detect a bit of fear on the edge of each word.


    ¡°Well, we wanted to be the ones to see our boys back from their big adventure.¡± the tiger spoke. His voice was incredibly deep and rough.


    ¡°Yes, indeed. This was your first big solo job, after all.¡± the lizard said, with a smooth, almost haughty voice. ¡°So come on, boys. Show your daddies the gear.¡±


    Klaw and Dewey looked at each other nervously. ¡°I-it w-wasn¡¯t t-there.¡± Dewey stammered.


    The larger Pokemon stared for a few seconds. Then the tiger roared. ¡°What in the name of Giratina do you mean, ¡®it wasn¡¯t there¡¯?¡±


    The lizard put a thin, black finger to the tiger¡¯s lips. ¡°Now, now, Scorch. What did I tell you about yelling at the kids?¡±


    The tiger looked back at the lizard. ¡°Sorry, Riptide.¡± But as he looked back at his sons, Hope could still see intense rage burning in his eyes.


    Riptide turned back and raised that same black finger in the air. ¡°Now, boys. Tell your daddies what you mean when you say that the gear wasn¡¯t there.¡±


    ¡°W-we¡¯re s-serious. I-it w-wasn¡¯t t-there.¡± Dewey stammered.


    ¡°We got inside the Great Tree Hollow just like you told us to. But the only thing we found inside was¡­ her.¡± Klaw said, gesturing to Hope.


    For the first time, the adults noticed that there was another Pokemon with their sons. ¡°Well, well, well. Who¡¯s this charming little lady?¡± Scorch purred.


    ¡°Her name is Hope.¡± Klaw answered. ¡°We found her inside the Great Tree Hollow, and she says that she doesn¡¯t have any memories. So we¡¯d thought we¡¯d offer her a place to stay.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Hope.¡± Riptide said, raising his head in the air. ¡°Now tell us, darling. Where did you put the gear?¡±


    Hope blinked. ¡°What did you just say?¡±


    ¡°Our boys are still young and gullible. But we know better than to fall for your tricks.¡± Scorch responded.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Hope asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite obvious, dearie.¡± Riptide crooned. ¡°You¡¯re obviously working for some rival gang, who stole the gear and planted you as a decoy to trick our precious boys.¡±


    ¡°Gang? Decoy? What the hell are you guys talking about?¡±. Hope was getting angry now.


    Scorch and Riptide¡¯s expressions darkened. ¡°Don¡¯t play dumb with us, honey.¡± Scorch growled. That gear is very important for our mission. So just tell us where it is and you won¡¯t get hurt.¡±


    Hope raised her head and stared Scorch and Riptide straight in the eyes. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, I don¡¯t know anything about your gear.¡± she snapped. ¡°I woke up in that tree hollow this morning with no memories except for my name and the fact I was a human once. So if you guys would please stop interrogating me, it would be ver-¡±


    Hope was cut off by Dewey slamming his hand against her mouth. She turned to look at him, and his eyes were now filled with fear.


    ¡°Why in the name of Giratina did you say that?!¡± Klaw hissed, his eyes also filled with fear.


    Hope turned to look back at Scorch and Riptide, whose faces were now filled with shock. ¡°Did you say you were once¡­ a human?¡± Scorch asked.


    Hope tried to answer, but no words came out of her mouth. She knew she had really gone and messed things up now.


    Two creepy smiles began to form across Scorch and Riptide¡¯s faces. Then, Scorch opened the door wider.


    ¡°Follow us, dearie.¡± Riptide sneered. ¡°I think that the boss would love to have a little chat with you.¡±

 Chapter Three: Polaris

    Hope found herself being shepherded through a maze of doors, rooms and staircases. It was a whirlwind of new sights: walls that appeared to be made out of pure crystal, staircases that were so shiny she could see her reflection in them, and doors ornately decorated with silver trimmings. She could hear a smooth waltz record being played faintly in the distance.


    The thing that stood out to Hope the most, though, was the occasional glimpses of other Pokemon she caught along the way. There was a black and red weasel Pokemon with a gigantic scar over its left eye, a red and black crocodile Pokemon wearing bright golden sunglasses, a red insectoid Pokemon with what appeared to be a wooden stick replacing its right leg, and a blue-and-yellow canine Pokemon wearing a diamond-studded collar. They all turned and stared at Hope as she made her way through, their hard, cold eyes piercing through her.


    The stark contrast of the threatening aura that these Pokemon gave off and the shining, pristine look of the mansion made chills run down Hope¡¯s spine.


    The single reassurance that Hope currently had was that Klaw and Dewey were closely tailing her. They still looked quite uneasy, but the simple fact that there were a couple of familiar faces nearby made Hope feel a tad bit better.


    After what felt like an eternity of walking, the group finally arrived at what must be the bottom floor of the mansion. There was only a single door there, and it was also the most ornately decorated. Both gold and silver lined its silhouette, and the trimmings were studded with a variety of precious gems; rubies, sapphires, diamonds, and pearls. Smack dab in the center of the door was the same snowflake logo that Hope had been seeing everywhere within the last thirty minutes. Right below the logo, there was a small golden plaque.


    BOSS POLARIS¡¯S ROOM, it read, in words so shiny it was almost like they were made out of wet ink.


    Scorch and Riptide turned towards Hope. ¡°Now, dearie. You better be good for the boss, you hear us?¡± Riptide trilled.


    ¡°Indeed, darling.¡± Scorch chimed in. ¡°The boss is the last Pokemon you¡¯d want to set off. So be a good girl for him, got it?¡±


    Hope had to fight off every urge in her cells to not tell Scorch and Riptide off for constantly calling her ¡®dearie¡¯ and ¡®darling¡¯. That stuff creeped her out to her core. But these were adult Pokemon, at least three times bigger than her. There was no telling what they would be able to do to her if she spoke out against them. So she simply looked up at them, swallowed, and nodded. ¡°Yes, sirs.¡±


    The adults nodded. Then they turned towards their sons. ¡°You know, you don¡¯t have to be here for this, boys.¡± Scorch purred.


    Dewey looked up at his father. ¡°N-no. W-we w-want to be h-here.¡±


    Riptide collapsed his hands together. ¡°Really? Why do you want to watch as Boss Polaris interrogates a girl you two just met?¡±


    Klaw looked down at the marble floor. ¡°Well¡­ we were the ones who found her. I guess that we just want to make sure that she¡¯s alright, you know?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very sweet of you two.¡± Scorch replied. ¡°But don¡¯t you worry. Boss Polaris is going to be real gentle with her.¡±


    And with those words, Scorch pressed the large silver buzzer near the edge of the door.


    Hope¡¯s heart began to beat extremely fast. What is this ¡®Boss Polaris¡¯ like?, she thought to herself. And more importantly, what does he want from me?


    ¡°Coming!¡± a thick, posh voice sounded from behind the door. There was some rustling of papers, then some hurried footsteps. Then the door slowly began to open.


    On the other side of the door was a bipedal purple Pokemon. It had upwards-turned spiral horns and some white markings on its upper chest, hands, and legs. It also wore a light blue tie and a silver belt studded with rhinestones. In its hands were a few sheets of paper. It surveyed the group with a solemn face before it noticed Klaw and Dewey. ¡°Oh! Young Masters Klaw and Dewey! Quite a pleasure to see you down here!¡±


    Klaw and Dewey also perked up upon seeing the purple Pokemon. But before they could say anything to it, Riptide interjected.


    ¡°Now, now, boys. There¡¯s no time to be chit-chatting with Mr. Norman right now. You can do that when we finish our business.¡±


    The purple Pokemon, whom Hope assumed was the aforementioned Mr. Norman, turned to face Scorch and Riptide, the solemn expression returning to his face. ¡°Good day to you too, Master Scorch and Master Riptide. Why are you here at Master Polaris¡¯s room?¡±


    ¡°Well, you see, Norman, it¡¯s about this little doll right here.¡± Scorch answered, gesturing to Hope. ¡°The boys found her in the Great Tree Hollow, and Riptide and I think that Boss Polaris would find her¡­. very, very interesting.¡±


    Norman looked at Hope, then back at Scorch and Riptide. ¡°So you want to bring in this Pokemon that you all have just met to converse with the boss? I must say, that sounds rather odd, especially coming from you two.¡±


    ¡°Trust us, Norman.¡± Riptide said. ¡°She will be very useful for Boss Polaris¡¯s plans.¡±


    Plans? What plans? Hope was beginning to feel very queasy.


    Norman nodded. ¡°Well, you two are Master Polaris¡¯s right-hand men for a reason.¡± He stepped aside and gestured to the inside of the room. ¡°Master Polaris is currently in the middle of his afternoon soak. But when he is done, I will bring him out to converse with this girl.¡±


    With that, Norman swiftly turned and reentered the room, with the group following suit.


    When she stepped into the room, Hope was nearly blinded by the glare of the crystals that the room seemed to be completely covered with. The walls, the floor, the bookshelf in the upper right hand corner of the room, the door that Hope assumed led to Boss Polaris¡¯s bath¡­ everything in this room seemed to be layered in snowflake-like crystals. Straight in the center of the room was a large throne, made of pure silver.


    A million questions were running through Hope¡¯s head. But she was unable to voice any of them. The queasy feeling was overtaking her entire body. The reminder that she would be ruining a very, very expensive carpet was the only thing stopping Hope from vomiting right then and there.


    She looked at Klaw and Dewey, hoping that they could maybe help ease the tension. But the looks on their faces told her that they were just as sick and nervous as she was. Scorch and Riptide clearly noticed the sour mood that was permeating from all three children. But they did nothing to dispel it. Instead, they just leaned against the crystal-studded wall and crossed their arms. It was almost like they were taking pleasure from the anxiety of the children.


    After what felt like ten centuries, the door at the far left edge of the room opened, and Norman peeked his head out. ¡°Master Polaris will be outside and ready to converse with you in a few seconds.¡± Then the door closed again.


    Hope was starting to enter a full-on panic attack. What kind of monstrous beast was this Boss Polaris going to look like? She tried her hardest to relax herself. She didn¡¯t want to be showing any kind of weakness near Boss Polaris.


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    The door opened again, and Norman stepped out. In his hands he was carrying a large, white, fluffy pillow. Seated upon the pillow was a small, white larva Pokemon. Its shell had a crystalline appearance, and it wore a small monocle that also appeared to be made out of crystal. Norman walked over to the throne and set the pillow down on top of it.


    You have got to be kidding me right now.


    A small guffaw escaped Hope¡¯s chest. The guffaws quickly increased in number, and the more her laughter increased, the more her anxiety and tension drained away. Soon she had descended into a full-on laughing fit.


    She knew that laughing in front of the boss could be a potentially fatal mistake. This was proven further by Klaw and Dewey staring at her like she had suddenly developed multicolored spots. But she couldn¡¯t help herself. How in the world was she supposed to take a barely-one-foot-tall grub Pokemon seriously?!


    Scorch and Riptide moved forward with their arms stretched out, clearly planning to stop her. But before they could do anything, Polaris spoke for the first time.


    ¡°Let her be.¡± the boss commanded. His voice was squeaky, but there was something about it that gave it an intimidating air. ¡°I have gotten used to the laughter by now. It gives me strength.¡±


    Scorch and Riptide turned to face Polaris. ¡°Are you sure, Boss? She¡¯s insulting you.¡± Scorch asked.


    Polaris did what Hope could only assume was a nod. ¡°When you are a weak, tiny little Snom such as myself, you tend to get laughed at a lot. Most of our species let it weigh them down. I, however, have learned to revel in the laughter. It¡¯s part of how I got to where I am today.¡± Polaris then turned towards Norman. ¡°Can you please pour me a glass of the Oran Brew?¡±


    Norman quickly ran over to one of the cabinets and pulled out a bottle of bluish-purple liquid and a curved, crystal-studded glass. He popped open the cork on the bottle and began to pour the liquid into the glass. It filled the room with a thick, pungent smell, causing Hope, Klaw, and Dewey to wrinkle their noses. Norman then closed the bottle, put it back, located a nearby stool, then returned to Polaris¡¯s throne, setting the glass on the stool and placing it in front of him.


    Polaris inched his tiny body halfway off of the pillow and halfway onto the stool. His front legs latched around the glass, pulled himself up to the rim, and took a long, hearty glug of the Oran Brew. When he was finished with his sip, he plopped back onto the pillow and let out a big sigh of contentment. ¡°Ah, that hits the spot.¡± He then turned back towards the group. ¡°So, what is the reason for this audience today?¡±


    ¡°Well, Polaris,¡± Riptide said. ¡°There¡¯s someone we¡¯d like to introduce to you. He then crouched down and poked Hope in the side of the chest with his elbow. ¡°Go on, sweetheart. Introduce yourself.¡±


    Hope looked up at the Snom gazing down on her from his throne of crystal. ¡°M-my name is Hope.¡±


    ¡°Hope. What a lovely-sounding name.¡± Polaris mused. ¡°Why have you come before me today, little Hope?¡±


    Scorch looked down at Hope. ¡°Tell him what you really are, sweetheart.¡±


    Polaris was now looking down at Hope with an icy glare. It made some of the queasiness return to her stomach. He¡¯s just a Snom. Just a weak larva Pokemon, she told herself. So she swallowed and looked back up at Polaris.


    ¡°T-the thing is¡­ I¡¯m actually a human.¡± Hope said. ¡°I don¡¯t know how or why I became a Pokemon, but I know for sure that I was once a human.¡±


    The silence in the room was deafening. Then, Polaris began to laugh. It was a horrible, awful-sounding laugh, at least two tones deeper than his regular voice. The booming laugh practically shook the walls.


    ¡°Excellent¡­ Oh, this is quite excellent indeed!¡± Polaris laughed. The laughter continued for what must have been a solid five minutes. Finally, he stopped and peered back down at Hope.


    ¡°Hope¡­ As you can see, I am not like other members of my species.¡± he intoned.


    I¡¯ve very much gotten that by now, thank you very much, Hope thought to herself. She didn¡¯t want to say that out loud, however. What came out of her mouth was ¡°Of course, sir¡±.


    ¡°Unlike others of my kind, I have thoroughly educated myself. As you can see,¡± Polaris said, gesturing to the bookshelf in the corner, ¡°, I have spent much time reading and learning about the oddities of our world. I specifically have done much research on humans.¡±


    Hope perked up. ¡°You have?! Do you know how this could have happened to me?¡±


    Maybe Polaris could help her figure out how she became this way. Maybe he could help her turn back into a human. Maybe he could help her figure out who she really was.


    ¡°No, I do not know how this could have happened to you.¡± Polaris answered.


    Hope¡¯s heart sank.


    ¡°What I do know, however,¡± Polaris continued, ¡°is that humans are extraordinarily powerful. Some records say that the potential they hold is up to seven times stronger than the average Pokemon. And to have all of this power right here in front of me, in this tiny little body¡­¡± Polaris made what looked like a smirk at Hope. ¡°You will be a very valuable asset for the Absolute Zero Syndicate.¡±


    ¡°The¡­ Absolute Zero Syndicate?¡± Hope tilted her head. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Polaris let out a small chuckle. Then he turned towards Scorch and Riptide. ¡°Scorch, Riptide. I¡¯m guessing that you didn¡¯t explain to Hope what exactly we do here?¡±


    Scorch and Riptide looked at each other, then at Klaw and Dewey. ¡°We thought that the boys would have explained it to her.¡± Scorch said with a sly smile. Klaw and Dewey looked like they were about to expel their lunches out of their stomachs.


    ¡°I see.¡± Polaris nodded. He then turned back to Hope. ¡°This place, my dear Hope,¡± he said, ¡°is the headquarters for the largest crime organization on the continent, the Absolute Zero Syndicate, or AZS for short. And I am but its humble leader.¡±


    Crime¡­ organization¡­?


    The most deafening silence that Hope had ever felt followed. Suddenly, a large chime went off:


    CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!


    Everybody jumped a little, but Polaris soon relaxed. ¡°Ah, that must be the nighttime bell.¡± He then faced the group again. ¡°It seems like it has become late. We must all head off to our beds now.¡± He then realized something. ¡°Do we have a room set up for our lovely guest?¡±


    Norman was about to answer, but Klaw and Dewey answered first.


    ¡°She can stay in our room.¡± Klaw answered.


    ¡°Y-yeah! W-we h-have p-plenty of s-space! W-we can d-definitely fit a-another b-bed in t-there.¡± Dewey said.


    Hope would have thanked them, but she was still trying to process the situation that she had just been dropped into. Instead, she gave a small nod of affirmation.


    ¡°Very well.¡± Polaris nodded. ¡°Norman, please set up a bed for Hope in Klaw and Dewey¡¯s room. And the boys can show her the way there themselves.¡±


    Norman nodded and quickly made his way out of the room. Hope was about to follow him, but Polaris called after her.


    ¡°Now, Hope. When you are meeting with me, you must wait for me to dismiss you.¡±


    A few awkward seconds passed. Then Polaris nodded. ¡°You all can leave now.¡± He then let out a small chuckle. ¡°Arceus, that always feels good.¡±


    Scorch and Riptide turned to Klaw and Dewey. ¡°Well then, boys. Show her the way.¡± Riptide trilled.


    ¡°Yes, Daddy.¡± Klaw replied.


    Scorch and Riptide smiled, then walked out of the room together. Klaw and Dewey turned towards the door next.


    ¡°F-follow us, H-Hope.¡± Dewey said.


    Hope complied silently, and the three were soon on their way. It was a very awkward and silent walk. Nobody knew what to say to each other. After what felt like forever, they finally reached Klaw and Dewey¡¯s room, which was on the topmost floor of the mansion.


    The door was already open, and Hope could see Norman inside, fluffing up a mass of bedding. Klaw cleared his throat.


    Norman turned and looked up with surprise. ¡°Oh! There you all are! I¡¯ve just finished setting up Hope¡¯s bedding.¡± He gestured to the inside of the room. ¡°Come on in.¡±


    The three children entered the room. There were a lot of toys in there. Some looked like they hadn¡¯t been touched at all, while others looked like they were about to fall apart.


    Norman nodded. ¡°You all should get to bed now. Young children like you need as much rest as possible.¡± He then began to head out of the room. ¡°Rest well, little ones.¡±


    Hope waited until Norman had closed the door and his footsteps were echoing far off in the distance. Then she turned to face Klaw and Dewey. ¡°What is wrong with you guys?!¡± she hissed, all of the anger and shock that had been accumulating inside of her for the past fifteen minutes pouring out.


    Klaw and Dewey just blinked at her. There were a lot of emotions in their eyes: fear, sadness, regret. But they said nothing.


    Hope continued, ¡°You guys seriously dragged me to the headquarters for a crime organization?! With someone who clearly wants to use me? Someone who could very easily put me in danger?!¡±


    Klaw and Dewey still said nothing.


    Hope was yelling now. ¡°I mean, this is a place for criminals! These Pokemon have probably done some nasty things! Why in your right mind do you think that I should be living here?¡± An awful thought entered her mind. ¡°Did you guys intend to send me to Polaris all along?! Did you guys even have any concern for me in the first place?!¡±


    Finally, Klaw regained his courage. He stepped forward and yelled, ¡°Well, what about us?! Do you think that we wanted to be a part of this?! Do you think we asked to be born to a couple of thugs?! Do you think we wanted to take part in robberies and other petty crimes?!¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah!¡± Dewey said, stepping forward to join his brother. ¡°D-do you t-think we w-wanted to l-live in a c-crime o-organization¡¯s h-headquarters?! N-No! B-but it¡¯s the o-only p-place we¡¯ve g-got. A-and for n-now, it¡¯s the o-only p-place you¡¯ve got, too.¡±


    Silence emanated through the room. Then, in perfect sync with each other, Klaw and Dewey each let out a great, big, yawn. They then looked at each other, then back at Hope.


    ¡°It¡¯s getting late.¡± Klaw said, rubbing his eyes. ¡°We don¡¯t have enough energy to continue this. We¡¯ll go into more detail in the morning. Good night.¡± And with another synchronized yawn, he and Dewey had plopped down face-first onto their beddings and were soon sound asleep.


    Hope stood there in stunned silence. A large wave of regret was washing over her. She badly wanted to apologize to Klaw and Dewey. But the wave of regret was receding, and in its place was an even larger, crashing wave of sleepiness.


    I¡¯ll apologize in the morning, she decided, letting out a large yawn herself.


    With that, she crashed into her bedding and let slumber overtake her.

 Chapter Four: Hopes Promise

    The rising sun shone blazingly bright through the thin curtains of the room. Its glare landed straight in Hope¡¯s eyes, giving her a very rude awakening. She rubbed her eyes and groggily got onto her paws.


    To Hope¡¯s surprise, Klaw and Dewey were already awake. They were sitting at the corner of the room, whispering to each other. Out of the corner of his eye, Dewey spotted Hope, and prodded Klaw to alert him of her presence.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake! Great!¡± Klaw said as he stepped forward towards Hope. ¡°We¡¯re going to get breakfast in a few minutes. Do you want to come with us?¡¯


    Hope¡¯s eyes were still heavy with sleepiness. ¡°Isn¡¯t it pretty early? I mean, the sun is still rising.¡± she mumbled, resisting the urge to plop back down on her bedding.


    ¡°W-we u-usually wake up a-around this t-time so that w-we can get b-breakfast e-early.¡± Dewey said. ¡°W-we r-really don¡¯t like e-eating with the o-other a-adults.¡±


    ¡°Will breakfast even be ready at this time?¡± Hope said through a big yawn.


    ¡°O-of c-course it w-will!¡± Dewey exclaimed. ¡°M-Mr.N-Norman k-knows that we d-don¡¯t like to e-eat with the a-adults, so he a-always gets up v-very e-early to m-make b-breakfast for us!¡±


    Hope badly wanted to go back to sleep. But the sun was so bright already. She wouldn¡¯t be able to go back to sleep with the sun shining right in her face. So she nodded. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll come get breakfast with you guys.¡±


    Klaw and Dewey both smiled. ¡°Great! Follow us. We¡¯ll show you the way to the dining hall.¡± Klaw said. And with that, the trio began making their way to the dining hall.


    Now that she knew the secrets behind this building, though, just the mere act of walking through the building sent a shiver down Hope¡¯s spine. She still couldn¡¯t believe that she was living in the headquarters of the continent¡¯s largest crime organization. But she had to remember what Dewey had told her last night. This was the only place she had for now. So unless another place miraculously popped up, she had to make do with what she had.


    Speaking of last night¡­


    Hope turned to Klaw and Dewey. ¡°Hey. I¡¯m sorry about what happened last night.¡±


    Klaw and Dewey turned to look at her. ¡°H-huh?¡± Dewey said.


    ¡°I really shouldn¡¯t have gone off on you guys like that.¡± Hope looked down at the floor, regret surging through her. ¡°I was just really shocked and I couldn¡¯t take my frustrations out on the adults. I shouldn¡¯t have snapped at you guys like that.¡±


    Klaw and Dewey both blinked slowly. A few seconds of silence followed. Then Klaw spoke up. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± he said. ¡°In fact, I think we should be the ones apologizing to you.¡±


    ¡°Huh? But I was the one that snapped at you for no reason at all!¡± Hope exclaimed.


    ¡°We were talking about it before you woke up, actually.¡± Klaw said. ¡°We should have told you about the AZS before you arrived. It was wrong of us to be hiding something that big from you.¡±


    ¡°Seriously, you guys. You don¡¯t have to apologize.¡± Hope responded. ¡°I completely understand why you guys didn¡¯t tell me.¡±


    Dewey tilted his head. ¡°P-pardon?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! I totally get it!¡± Hope smiled. ¡°You guys just didn¡¯t want to freak me out and make me run away, where I could have potentially gotten myself into more danger. I get that.¡±


    Once again, silence followed. Then, both brothers smiled. ¡°T-thanks.¡± Dewey said. ¡°L-let¡¯s c-continue to the d-dining h-hall.¡±


    The trio walked for another few minutes, until they finally reached the dining hall. It was a spectacularly massive place, with pure marble tables that stretched for miles, topped with bright silver plates that had been polished so much you could use them as a mirror. On the center-left side of the room was a large table covered with plates that were piled high with stacks of round, thin, yet fluffy-looking cakes. Norman stood at the edge of this table, pouring a bright red syrup into a serving bottle.


    Those cakes¡­


    Seeing those cakes brought a sudden tsunami of nostalgia over Hope. She couldn¡¯t explain why, but seeing those cakes made her feel warm and happy inside. She felt like she should know what these were. They were called¡­


    ¡°Pancakes!¡± Hope jumped with excitement. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that they had pancakes here!¡±


    Klaw and Dewey looked over at Hope, a mixture of confusion and amusement on their faces. ¡°Y-yeah, duh.¡± Dewey said. ¡°P-pancakes are the m-most c-common b-breakfast food here on o-our c-continent. T-they¡¯re p-practically a s-staple f-food.¡± Then he came to a realization. ¡°D-do you r-recognize these from the h-human w-world?¡±


    Hope nodded. ¡°I¡¯m almost sure of it.¡± She was getting really excited now. ¡°Come on, guys. Let¡¯s go eat some pancakes!¡±


    Hope practically bounced over to where Norman was standing. Klaw and Dewey were following closely behind, both having some very amused expressions plastered on their faces. Norman, too, became amused when he saw Hope coming towards him.


    ¡°My, my, Hope. You surely look very energetic today.¡± Norman said while trying to hold in a small chuckle. ¡°I assume this means you slept well last night?¡±


    ¡°I slept well last night, Mr. Norman.¡± Hope answered, still bouncing on her paws a little. ¡°But I¡¯m mainly excited for these pancakes!¡±


    Norman let out the chuckle. ¡°Please, do just call me Norman.¡± he said. ¡°And if pancakes are what you want, pancakes are what you¡¯ll get.¡± He then began loading up a stack of pancakes onto a new plate. ¡°We also have a variety of different syrups you can have with your pancakes.¡± he continued. ¡°We have oran, aspear, cheri, chesto, pecha, and rawst syrups. Which one would you like?¡±


    Hope blinked slowly. She understood the syrup part, but the rest of those words sounded almost made-up. ¡°Cheri¡± was the only one that sounded somewhat recognizable to her. ¡°I think I¡¯ll go with the cheri syrup.¡± she responded.


    Klaw and Dewey looked at each other. After a few seconds, they began whispering to each other. Hope could catch the words ¡°doesn¡¯t know¡±, ¡°reaction¡±, and ¡°hilarious¡±.


    ¡°What are you guys talking about?¡± Hope asked.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Klaw said, though he was now trying to suppress a mischievous smirk from forming on his face, as was Dewey.


    Norman blinked slowly. ¡°That wasn¡¯t what I was expecting from you, but very well.¡± He then turned to Klaw and Dewey. ¡°And you boys will have the usual?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please!¡±, both boys answered in unison.


    Norman nodded. ¡°Very well.¡± He finished loading up Hope¡¯s stack of pancakes, then poured the bright red syrup Hope had seen him dispensing earlier onto them. As quick as a flash, he loaded up two more plates with an equivalent amount of pancakes, topping one off with a pale yellow syrup and the other with an orangish-pink syrup. Then, with extreme care and precision, he moved his left arm underneath all three plates and carefully hoisted them up, precariously balancing them on his arm.


    Hope¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Wow! That looks really cool!¡± she exclaimed.


    Norman tried his best to keep a straight face, but a hint of pride started creeping over his face. ¡°Oh, my dear, this is practically nothing compared to what the other Pokemon here are capable of.¡± He then slowly lowered his arm and carefully placed the three plates of pancakes down in front of the children. ¡°Come on, now. Eat up, you three.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for the food, Norman!¡± the three called out in unison. With that, they proceeded to dig into their breakfast.


    As Hope leaned down to take her first bite, Klaw and Dewey side-eyed her, cheeky grins forming on their faces. She didn¡¯t think much of it, though; she was way too excited to eat.


    When she took her first bite, though, she quickly understood why Klaw and Dewey had been looking at her with those smug faces. The texture of the pancakes was just as she had expected them. They were warm and as fluffy as pillows. It was the syrup that was the problem. She was expecting it to be sweet for some reason, but that wasn¡¯t the case at all. It was more of a slow-burning smokiness. And the heat was slowly growing bigger, and bigger, until¡­


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    ¡°Ack!¡± Hope spit out the pancake piece, coughing and panting. ¡°That¡¯s so spicy! What in the world?¡±


    Klaw and Dewey immediately burst into a giggling fit. Hope glared at them. ¡°What¡­ the hell¡­ guys?¡± she asked, panting heavily in between words. ¡°That¡­ wasn¡¯t funny¡­ at all!¡±


    Norman furrowed his brows in mild concern. ¡°I was trying to warn you that the cheri syrup was spicy. But I suppose it can¡¯t be helped. Would you like a new batch? I¡¯ll put the pecha syrup on it this time. That¡¯s the sweet one.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ please.¡± Hope took a few deep breaths to let the heat go through her, then regained her composure. ¡°Who in the world would even think about putting that spicy stuff on a pancake?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s Papa¡¯s favorite pancake topping.¡± Klaw said in between snickers.


    Hope rolled her eyes. ¡°Figures that one of the worst guys here would like the worst pancake topping the most.¡± she said.


    Klaw, Dewey, and Norman looked at her in surprise. Hope immediately flattened her ears. ¡°Oh! I¡¯m sorry! I didn¡¯t mean to say that out loud!¡±


    Silence followed. Then Klaw and Dewey grinned. ¡°N-no n-need to a-apologize.¡± Dewey said. ¡°Y-you¡¯re not w-wrong, a-after all.¡±


    Hope blinked slowly. ¡°Huh?! But that¡¯s one of your dads!¡± she exclaimed.


    ¡°J-just b-because S-Scorch and R-Riptide our K-Klaw and I¡¯s f-fathers d-doesn¡¯t m-mean we have to l-like t-them¡± Dewey said.


    ¡°They¡¯re still conniving, malicious, good-for-nothing jackasses.¡± Klaw interjected. ¡°They¡¯ve always been conniving, malicious, good-for-nothing jackasses. And that hasn¡¯t changed since the day we were born.¡±


    ¡°Now, now, boys.¡± Norman scolded. ¡°What have I told you about using such harsh language when referring to your fathers? Especially in front of your new friend!¡±


    ¡°But Norman!¡± Klaw protested. ¡°You don¡¯t like them too!¡±


    Norman looked up from the new stack of pancakes that he was preparing for Hope. ¡°That much may be true,¡± he replied, ¡°but the language that you boys are using is still a bit harsh for me. A cheeky smile formed on his face. ¡°I, myself, prefer the term ¡®knobheads¡¯ to describe those two.¡±


    Klaw and Dewey giggled. ¡°K-knobheads! T-that¡¯s a g-good one!¡±


    Hope was more confused, however. ¡°How come you don¡¯t like them, Norman?¡± she asked. ¡°And why do you still work here if you don¡¯t like them?¡±


    Norman walked over and set the new plate of pancakes down for Hope. She took a bite and found the sweet, fruity, slightly floral syrup to be much more tasty than the spicy stuff. ¡°Well, young Hope, you¡¯ve met Scorch and Riptide already. It only takes a few minutes to discern why they are extremely putrid pokemon.¡± He stretched out his arms. ¡°But my family has been working for Boss Polaris¡¯s family since practically the creation of the world. If I were to say something against him, the livelihoods of my brothers and sisters will be shattered. I can¡¯t ruin their lives like that.¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Klaw chimed in. ¡°And besides, you love Dewey and I too much in order to leave us alone, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Norman looked at the floor, blushing bashfully. ¡°W-well, it is my duty to take care of you boys.¡±


    Klaw and Dewey snickered. Then Dewey turned to Hope. ¡°S-Scorch and R-Riptide may be our d-dads, but N-Norman¡¯s the one w-who¡¯s been c-caring for and l-looking a-after us s-since we h-hatched. I-if we h-have to c-call a-anyone a p-parental f-figure, it¡¯s him.¡±


    Norman put his hands behind his back, his cheeks now redder than a fresh rose. ¡°I-it¡¯s really not that big! I was just doing my job.¡± His eyes darted around the room. ¡°Would you three like a second serving of pancakes?¡±


    Hope finished off her plate of pancakes and licked a few sticky droplets of syrup off of the corners of her lips. ¡°I¡¯m pretty full right now, thank you.¡± she answered. ¡°But these pancakes are amazing!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Dewey and I are good too.¡± Klaw said.


    ¡°Excellent!¡± Norman smiled. ¡°I assume you three will be heading back to your room now.¡±


    ¡°Y-yup!¡± Dewey answered. Then both his and Klaw¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°O-oh, w-wait!¡± Then, both boys turned to Hope. ¡°W-we h-have s-something to s-share w-with you w-when we get b-back to the r-room.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really?¡± Hope said. ¡°Honestly, I feel like you guys have shared a lot about yourselves today.¡±


    Klaw and Dewey both rolled their eyes. ¡°We¡¯re being serious, Hope. It¡¯s something that is really important to us.¡± Klaw said.


    ¡°Alright, then.¡± Hope responded. ¡°Looking forward to it.¡±


    Norman raised an eyebrow. ¡°Are you boys planning on telling her what I think you are planning on telling her?¡±


    ¡°C-come on, N-Norman!¡± Dewey protested. ¡°I-it¡¯s b-been so l-long s-since we told a-anyone else a-about this. A-and H-Hope is r-really n-nice. S-she¡¯ll d-definitely u-understand!¡±


    Norman sighed. ¡°Well, I suppose it isn¡¯t the most harmful thing in the world.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡±, both boys cheered in unison. They then practically bolted out of the dining hall. Hope followed closely behind, grinning with amusement.


    As the trio began turning a corner, Hope turned to Klaw and Dewey. ¡°Can you give me a hint at what this special thing you guys are going to share with me is?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah.¡± Klaw said. ¡°Well, it¡¯s kind of this thing we¡¯ve been thinking about, ever since we wer-¡±


    Klaw and Dewey suddenly came to a screeching halt. Hope didn¡¯t notice, though, leading her to walk straight into the cause of their sudden halt.


    Thud!


    ¡°Hey!¡± Hope said, placing a paw to her forehead. ¡°What in the world was-¡± She then looked up and saw what was in front of her.


    It was a trio of pokemon. The one she had bumped into was a red insectoid pokemon with a wooden peg leg. Standing to its right was a black fox pokemon with a red ponytail and amethysts pierced into its ears Standing to its left was a purplish-blue frog pokemon with a red throat sac, a white bandana wrapped around its forehead, and a lazy eye. They all stared at Hope with gazes that could turn her into stone.


    ¡°Good morning, Crim, Shade, and Dart.¡± Klaw said. ¡°We weren¡¯t expecting you to be awake this early.¡±


    ¡°Good morning to you as well, boys.¡± the insectoid pokemon responded, his eyes never leaving Hope¡¯s. ¡°Care to tell me why you didn¡¯t tell your little friend to watch where she was going?¡±


    Hope flattened herself to the ground. ¡°S-so sorry, sir.¡± she stuttered. ¡°I d-didn¡¯t see you guys there.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Crim.¡± the fox pokemon said, nudging the insectoid one¡¯s hip. ¡°Isn¡¯t this that girl you were telling Dart and I about last night? The one who you saw Scorch and Riptide taking to Boss Polaris¡¯s room?¡±


    Crim squinted at Hope. ¡°Oh, yes, Shade. I did see a little eevee being taken to Boss Polaris¡¯s room last afternoon.¡±


    Suddenly, the frog pokemon let out an awful-sounding cackle. It was incredibly high-pitched and very nasally. It sent chills down Hope¡¯s smile. It also made Klaw and Dewey flatten their bodies to the ground.


    Crim and Shade, on the other hand, seemed completely unphased by the laugh. Instead, Crim turned to the frog pokemon. ¡°Oh, of course, Dart.¡± he said, his tone making him sound like he was talking to a small child. ¡°We¡¯re wasting our time, aren¡¯t we? We¡¯ve got to leave sooner so that we can bash in that naughty deserter¡¯s head in faster!¡±


    Dart responded with another high-pitched cackle. Crim slapped Dart on the shoulder while smiling softly. ¡°Attaboy, Dart! Let¡¯s get this show on the road!¡±


    Shade and Dart began to walk away. Crim, however, lingered for a little bit longer. He leaned down and whispered into Hope¡¯s ear. ¡°I don¡¯t know what the boss sees in you. But make no mistake, little one. I¡¯ve got my eye on you.¡± He then went to catch up with his partners, and in the blink of an eye, all three of them were gone.


    Hope blinked slowly before turning to Klaw and Dewey. ¡°Who were those guys?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Those were the Pursuers.¡± Klaw answered.


    Hope tilted her head. ¡°The Pursuers?¡±


    ¡°They specialize in tracking down pokemon.¡± Klaw continued. ¡°Clients who won¡¯t give up their goods, defectors from the AZS¡­ if someone tries to get away with getting on Boss Polaris¡¯s bad side, the Pursuers are on their tail.¡±


    ¡°T-they¡¯re real n-nasty f-folk.¡± Dewey said. ¡°O-of course, e-everyone h-here is p-pretty n-nasty, but those t-three are s-some of the n-nastiest. W-we a-always try to s-stay as f-far away f-from t-them as we c-can. Y-you s-should too.¡±


    Hope shook herself off. ¡°Yeah, I agree. Those guys give me the creeps.¡± She glanced around warily. ¡°Come on, guys. You said that you had something to show me, right?¡±


    The brothers looked at each other, slowly starting to perk up. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right!¡¯ Klaw said. And with that, the trio continued to make their way back to Klaw and Dewey¡¯s room.


    Once they reached the room, Klaw and Dewey instantly made a beeline for the upper-left corner. They began to rifle through a giant stack of plush toys, most of which were of the same character, a green dinosaur-like creature with a placid expression. Eventually, they pulled out a large, poorly binded book.


    ¡°This is it!¡± Klaw exclaimed, Dewey walked over and set the book down in front of Hope.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Hope asked.


    ¡°Y-you know h-how w-we h-had to go t-through a m-mystery d-dungeon to g-get back h-home?¡± Dewey said.


    ¡°Yeah¡±


    ¡°W-well, t-there are some p-pokemon t-that m-make a l-living out of g-going through m-mystery d-dungeons!¡± Dewey exclaimed.


    ¡°But didn¡¯t you tell me that those places were super dangerous?¡± Hope asked. ¡°Why would someone want to do that voluntarily?¡±


    ¡°To help pokemon!¡± Klaw responded, his whole body vibrating with excitement. ¡°They retrieve lost items, save pokemon that have gotten lost, escort other pokemon to their friends¡­ They¡¯re just the coolest.¡±


    Dewey opened up the book. ¡°T-this b-book has i-information on every r-rescue t-team in the c-continent. W-we¡¯ve been k-keeping it ever s-since we were v-very l-little.¡±


    Hope began leafing through the book. There were pictures of various groups of pokemon that had appeared to have been cut out of newspapers and books. Beside each picture was some childlike scrawling detailing the team name of those Pokemon, their individual names, and the moves that they knew. Hope kept on flipping, entranced by the sheer dedication that was put into the book.


    One page did not show a group of pokemon, but a building. It was shaped like an elephant¡¯s head, with a large row of stairs leading through the ¡°trunk¡±. The building was made of pure steel, and just looking at it made Hope¡¯s jaw go slack from awe.


    Klaw and Dewey noticed Hope looking at that particular page and grinned. ¡°That¡¯s the Ironheart Guild.¡± Klaw said. ¡°It¡¯s the greatest guild on the continent. It¡¯s always been our dream to work there.¡±


    Hope¡¯s ears shot up. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±, she asked.


    Klaw and Dewey looked at each other nervously. Dewey made a small gulp before turning back to Hope. ¡°W-well, y-you see, for as l-long as we c-can r-remember, K-klaw and I h-have w-wanted to f-form our own r-rescue t-team.¡±


    ¡°Really?!¡± Hope exclaimed. ¡°But your dads are criminals! Wouldn¡¯t they not approve of you two doing something like this?¡±


    ¡°T-that¡¯s e-exactly why we w-want to f-form a r-rescue t-team!¡± Dewey said loudly. Hope cringed slightly from the noise, which made Dewey rub the back of his head sheepishly. ¡°S-sorry¡­¡± he said, ¡°but t-that¡¯s t-truly the c-case. W-we¡¯ve s-spent our w-whole lives b-being t-trained to f-follow in P-papa and D-daddy¡¯s footsteps. W-we d-don¡¯t w-want to be l-like t-them. W-we w-want to h-help pokemon.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t wrong though, Hope.¡± Klaw interjected, his ears slightly flattened with sadness. ¡°If Papa and Daddy found out about this, they¡¯d kill us. We can¡¯t even try to run away. They catch us every time.¡±


    Dewey sighed sadly. ¡°Y-yeah. K-klaw¡¯s right. B-besides, you c-can¡¯t form a r-rescue t-team u-unless y-you have a g-group of t-three p-pokemon. P-papa and D-daddy n-never let us h-hang out w-with o-others kids, so w-we w-won¡¯t be a-able to f-form a g-group even on t-the o-off chance we e-escape.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true! You have me now. I can be your third.¡±


    The words fell out of Hope¡¯s mouth before she even properly registered that she was saying them. Klaw and Dewey¡¯s mouths dropped to the floor.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Klaw asked.


    Hope blinked slowly. She wasn¡¯t really the kind of person to make decisions on a whim like this. But Klaw and Dewey were different. They had a goodness to them that seemed genuine. They badly wanted to break free of the circumstances they had been born in and do good things for other pokemon. And she wanted to help them do that.


    Hope grinned. ¡°Yeah, I will be your third. We can escape from this place together. And after we escape this place, we¡¯ll go to the Ironheart Guild and form our own rescue team.¡±


    Klaw and Dewey looked at each other, the tiniest of smiles starting to form on their faces. ¡°You promise?¡±


    Hope stuck her paw out, extending it in a gesture of confidence. ¡°I promise.¡±


    The tiny smiles on Klaw and Dewey¡¯s faces broke out into grins that covered their whole faces. ¡°YEAH!!!!¡±, both boys cheered, slapping their appendages onto Hope¡¯s paw.


    Looking at Klaw and Dewey¡¯s excitement gave Hope an intense feeling of confidence. She still had no idea how or why she became a pokemon, and she was still determined to find a way to become a human again. But whoever had done this to her had also given her two awesome new friends, and an opportunity to do good for the inhabitants of the pokemon world. And until she could figure out why this happened to her, she was determined to make the most of that opportunity.

 Chapter Five: Errand Day

    KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!


    Hope, Klaw, and Dewey jumped apart at the loud knocking. Klaw and Dewey immediately began to scramble, desperately trying to shove their rescue team encyclopedia underneath the mountain of stuffed toys they had been hiding it under.


    ¡°Hope!¡± Klaw called out. ¡°Mind helping us out here?¡±


    Hope immediately sprang into action, rushing over and helping Klaw and Dewey pile stuffed toy after stuffed toy onto the forbidden book.


    ¡°Boys!¡± a sickly smooth voice called out. ¡°I know you''re awake!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± a gruff, deep voice rang. ¡°We both know that you¡¯re awake, so why have you boys not opened the door yet?¡±


    Klaw and Dewey looked at each other with alarm. ¡°I-it¡¯s P-papa and D-daddy!¡± Dewey exclaimed. ¡°W-we g-gotta h-hurry up!¡±


    The knocking continued, this time even louder.


    ¡°Come on, you guys! We gotta go faster!¡± Hope yelled.


    ¡°We¡¯re trying! Can¡¯t you see that?¡± Klaw snapped back


    ¡°We¡¯re going to count to ten, and if this door isn¡¯t opened by then, you¡¯re going to get the special treatment¡± the smooth voice crooned. ¡°Got it?¡±


    Klaw and Dewey looked at each other, their bodies trembling. ¡°Not the special treatment¡± they whispered in unison.


    Hope didn¡¯t know what exactly they meant by the ¡°special treatment¡±, but from the looks in Klaw and Dewey¡¯s eyes and the trembling of their voices made it sound terrible.


    ¡°Ten¡­¡±


    The trio glanced at each other quickly before springing into action, each grabbing two or three stuffed toys at once and throwing them on top of the pile.


    ¡°Nine¡­ Eight¡­¡±


    ¡°J-just a f-few m-more to g-go!¡± Dewey called, struggling to carry two stuffed toys over to the pile.


    ¡°Seven¡­ six¡­¡±


    Hope grabbed the final stuffed toy in her mouth.¡±Almost there!¡± she called out, her voice muffled.


    ¡°Five¡­ four¡­¡±


    With all of her remaining strength, Hope threw the last stuffed toy on top of the pile.


    Klaw and Dewey looked at Hope gratefully. ¡°T-thanks¡­¡± Dewey said, still heavily panting.


    ¡°You¡­ really saved¡­ our butts¡­ there¡± Klaw said, also still heavily panting.


    ¡°Three¡­ two¡­¡±


    The three friends instantly jumped at the continued countdown. Hope immediately ran to the door and flung it open.


    Sure enough, Scorch and Riptide were standing on the other side of the door. They looked down at her, their creepy smirks sending chills down Hope¡¯s spine.


    ¡°About time you opened the door, honey¡± Riptide murmured.


    ¡°Indeed¡± Scorch chuckled. ¡°The boys would not have had a lot of fun today if you hadn¡¯t opened the door when you did¡±


    Klaw and Dewey flattened their bodies to the ground.


    ¡°Anyways, boys,¡± Scorch said. ¡°Do you remember what day it is today?¡±


    Klaw and Dewey blinked. A few seconds of silence passed. Then, in unison, both boys let out a loud groan.


    ¡°Oh no¡­¡± Klaw mumbled. ¡°It¡¯s Errand Day, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Scorch and Riptide¡¯s smiles grew wider. ¡°That¡¯s our boy!¡± Riptide cooed. ¡°Come now. You boys have to leave right now if we¡¯re going to get the supplies on time.¡±


    ¡°C-can we t-take H-hope w-with us?¡± Dewey asked.


    Scorch and Riptide looked at each other with surprise. They turned to each other and began whispering.


    Klaw looked at Dewey with surprise. ¡°Why did you ask that?¡± he hissed. ¡°Now we¡¯re all going to get the special treatment!¡±


    ¡°S-sorry¡­¡± Dewey whispered. ¡°I j-just t-thought E-errand D-day w-would be a l-lot l-less b-boring if we t-took H-hope with u-us.¡± Dewey whispered


    Klaw softened noticeably. ¡°You do make a very good point¡­¡± he mumbled, staring at his paws. ¡°Errand Day would be more fun if we brought Hope with us. I¡¯m just worried since it¡¯s the first time that we¡¯ve asked to take another person with us and Hope is a¡­ you know.¡±


    Just as Hope was about to ask Klaw what he meant, Scorch and Riptide turned back to the trio. ¡°Why not?¡± Scorch said. ¡°At least it will allow our little guest to stretch her paws for a bit.¡±


    ¡°Just make sure she doesn¡¯t get a scratch on her, OK?¡± Riptide chimed in.


    Klaw, Dewey, and Hope stared at each other, eyes widened. After a few seconds of stunned silence, Klaw and Dewey turned towards Scorch and Riptide. ¡°Thank you, Papa and Daddy!¡± they said together in unison. Though there was a tinge of excitement in their voices, Hope could easily tell that it was somewhat forced. They were excited to have her along, but they didn¡¯t feel comfortable enough to express the full extent of their passion, like how they reacted when Norman allowed them to share their dream with her.


    ¡°Well now,¡± Scorch said, jolting Hope out of her thoughts. ¡°You three better get going if you want to be back by sundown. Because if you don¡¯t get back by sundown, the special treatment is still on the table.¡±


    The two adults began to crack up, their horrible laughs echoing throughout the room. Hope simply stood there, her mouth agape with horror. Scorch and Riptide noticed her terrified expression and stopped laughing. ¡°Honey, don¡¯t get your tail in a twist. It was just a joke.¡± Riptide sneered. ¡°Now run along, you three.¡±


    And with that, the trio started to head on their way. Before they walked out of the room, Dewey came up next to Hope and leaned into her ear. ¡°T-that w-wasn¡¯t a j-joke.¡± he whispered.


    The trio headed towards the front gate of the AZS, where they were greeted by Norman, who was holding a small piece of paper in his hand. When he saw Hope, he smiled softly. ¡°Ah, Hope! Are you joining Klaw and Dewey on Errand Day?¡±


    ¡°She is!¡± Klaw answered.


    Norman clapped his hands together. ¡°Very good! I am quite surprised that Scorch and Riptide were willing to let you two take Hope along, but it is a welcome surprise indeed.¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah, we w-were s-surprised that P-papa and D-daddy a-agreed as well.¡± Dewey said.


    Norman let out a small chuckle and handed Dewey the small piece of paper. ¡°Here¡¯s the list of objects that you¡¯re going to get today.¡± he said. ¡°Now have fun!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll try,¡± Klaw responded, rolling his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s gonna be really hard, though.¡±


    Norman let out another small chuckle before opening the door and gestured to the open world. ¡°Run along now, you three!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± all three kids answered in unison. And with that, the trio was on the road.


    Once they were far enough from the AZS, Hope turned to Klaw and Dewey. ¡°So, what exactly is ¡®Errand Day¡¯?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Errand Day is when we go to Dead Space and pick up the necessary supplies for the month.¡± Klaw answered. ¡°It¡¯s basically just a grocery run. And it¡¯s really boring?¡±


    Hope tilted her head. ¡°Dead Space? What¡¯s that?¡± she inquired.


    ¡°Oh! My bad!¡± Klaw exclaimed. ¡°Dead Space is the local black market.¡±


    Hope¡¯s ears shot up. ¡°A black market?!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°How can that be boring?!¡±


    ¡°T-trust us, H-hope. I-it¡¯s r-really n-nothing s-special;¡± Dewey sighed.


    ¡°Yeah, it really isn¡¯t.¡± Klaw said. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just because we¡¯ve been there so many times, but it¡¯s really just like your average store. Just a little more¡­ secluded.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s probably because you¡¯ve been there so many times.¡± Hope replied. She was quickly becoming more excited about this trip. Not only would she be seeing what a black market looked like in the pokemon world, she would be going to a black market for the first time ever! She wasn¡¯t sure how she knew exactly, but she had a very strong feeling that going to a black market was not something she would be inclined to do as a human. Then again, she wouldn¡¯t be inclined to be a guest in the continent¡¯s largest crime syndicate as a human, too. But here she was.


    Speaking of that...


    Hope turned towards Klaw and Dewey. ¡°While we¡¯re walking, let¡¯s start planning our escape method.¡±


    Klaw and Dewey immediately lit up. ¡°Now we¡¯re getting to something that¡¯s actually fun!¡± Klaw cheered.


    ¡°So, do you guys know of any secret exits within the building or something?¡± Hope asked.


    Klaw and Dewey immediately became a bit crestfallen. ¡°We¡¯ve looked everywhere.¡± Klaw said. ¡°There¡¯s absolutely nothing that could even be turned into an exit. It¡¯s crazy.¡±


    I kind of already expected that, but it didn¡¯t hurt to ask. Hope thought to herself. ¡°What about the main door? Is it usually guarded at night? Is it locked?¡±


    ¡°T-they a-always have at l-least two p-pokemon g-guarding the m-main d-door at n-night.¡± Dewey answered. ¡°W-we¡¯ve n-never been a-able to get c-close e-enough to the d-door to s-see if it¡¯s l-locked or n-not.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a bummer.¡± Hope said. An idea suddenly popped into her head. ¡°What if, instead of coming back to the guild, we just take the supplies and head straight to the Ironheart Guild?¡±


    Klaw and Dewey looked at each other uneasily. ¡°Well¡­ we did try that already¡­ Not after Errand Day, but after a mission¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± Hope asked. Then it dawned on her. ¡°But you ended up finding me and had to bring me back, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Klaw and Dewey said in unison, hanging their heads down.


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    Hope stopped walking and stared at the ground. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about that¡­¡±


    Klaw and Dewey immediately perked their heads back up. ¡°No, it¡¯s not your fault!¡± Klaw exclaimed.


    ¡°Y-yeah!¡± Dewey said. ¡°I-it w-wasn¡¯t your f-fault at a-all. A-and b-besides, w-we w-would have h-had to h-have g-gone p-past the AZS to g-get f-from the G-great Tre H-hollow to the I-ironheart G-guild. S-so we w-would have b-been c-caught a-anyways.¡±


    At this point, the trio was no longer walking on the dusty, light tan dirt roads that they walked to to get Hope to the AZS for the first time. The roads were now made of a dark purple mud-like substance, sticky and damp like it had just been raining, even though there wasn¡¯t a cloud in the sky. It was sticking to Hope¡¯s paws, leaving small bits of it clumped on to her fur. There were trees now, too, but not normal trees. Both the bark and the leaves of these trees were as black as a starless night. An odd smell, somewhere between oil and rotten eggs, wafted from them, causing a slight burning sensation within Hope¡¯s nose.


    Hope looked at Klaw and Dewey. ¡°Are those trees OK?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Dead Space has a lot of pollution.¡± Klaw answered. ¡°It¡¯s gotten better in recent times, but back in the day, it was so bad that the pollution spread to the nearby roads and the trees. They neutralized the roads, but they¡¯ve never been able to neutralize the trees. It¡¯s best if you stay away from them.¡±


    Hope was now starting to feel very uneasy. ¡°But you said that Dead Space is a black market, right?¡± she asked. ¡°That must mean other pokemon live there. How can they put up with so much pollution?¡±


    ¡°L-like K-klaw said, the p-pollution l-levels in D-dead S-space i-itself have b-been g-greatly r-reduced¡± Dewey said. ¡°B-but t-those who w-work t-there t-tend to i-ignore it. F-for s-some of these p-pokemon, i-it¡¯s their o-only s-source of l-livelihood.¡±


    By now an extremely thick fog was settling in over the path that the trio was walkin on. It was so thick that it was touching Hope¡¯s paws, slightly misting them. After walking through the sticky neutralized sludge for a while, the mist from the fog felt very refreshing.


    ¡°W-we s-should be t-there in a-about t-thirty m-minutes.¡± Dewey said. ¡°T-this fog o-only o-occurs r-really close to D-dead S-space.¡±


    ¡°It feels like we¡¯ve been walking for forever¡± Hope groaned.


    The long walk continued. All the while, Hope was still trying to come up with a way that her, Klaw, and Dewey could escape. All of a sudden, a thought came to her. She turned towards Klaw and Dewey. ¡°Can I ask you two a weird question?¡±


    ¡°G-go a-ahead¡± Dewey responded.


    ¡°Reproduction between pokemon can only occur between a male and a female, right?¡±


    Klaw and Dewey nearly tripped over each other¡¯s feet.


    ¡®Why would you ask something like that?!¡± Klaw exclaimed. ¡°I mean, yes, of course¡­ but why?!¡±


    ¡°I warned you that it was going to be a weird question.¡± Hope chuckled. ¡°Anyways, that means that you guys have mothers out there somewhere, right? Maybe we could try and ask them for help escaping? Possibly even go stay with them after we¡¯ve escaped?¡±


    Klaw and Dewey came to a screeching halt. They both tried to say something, but no words were coming out of their agape mouths.


    ¡°...Is there anything wrong?¡± Hope asked.


    There was what felt like an extremely long period of silence, The fog seemed to be pressing down on Klaw and Dewey. Finally, Klaw opened his mouth. ¡°Papa and Daddy never told us who our mother was. We know that we share the same mother, but that¡¯s all Papa and Daddy have ever let out about her. And that was by accident. Every other time we asked about her, they would immediately give us the special treatment.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Hope tried to find something else to say, but she couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°O-oh! W-we¡¯re h-here¡± Dewey said suddenly.


    They had come in front of an extremely large fence made of very rusted metal. The bars of the fence were wide, so Hope could already see the rows and rows of stalls hawking merchandise that lay beyond it.


    Klaw gently pushed the bottom of the fence with its paw.


    CREEEEEEEAAAAAK!


    The fence swung wide open, unwrapping the world of Dead Space for everyone to see.


    The first thing that registered in Hope¡¯s mind was the smell. It was the same oil/rotten eggs scent from the trees, but it was at least four times stronger. Klaw and Dewey definitely weren¡¯t kidding when they said this place had a pollution problem, she thought to herself.


    The dark purple muck from the road had been turned into semi-solid bricks, which made walking on the roads a little more comfortable. As she, Klaw, and Dewey started walking down the long pathway, she looked around in awe at just how many stalls were there. There were stalls selling paw-crafted bowls, carved wooden toys, various party favors¡­ There seems to be just about everything here!


    Though the items that were in stock were radically different, the one thing that was the same was the looks on the faces of these pokemon. Many of them were extremely dirty, with the brown from the dirt covering up the natural body color on some of them. Their eyes all had giant bags underneath them, and their faces were completely expressionless. The looks on their faces were the same as those pokemon that had lived hundreds of years, even if they were relatively younger on average


    ¡°Momma, Momma, look! It¡¯s Klaw and Dewey!¡±


    Hope was jolted out of her thoughts by an incredibly cheery, high-pitched voice. Turning around, she saw a small purple and white cat pokemon walking on two legs towards her. A larger purple and yellow cat pokemon, whom Hope assumed was the smaller pokemon¡¯s mother, was following closer behind. The smaller one wore two bracelets with purple flowers on them, while the mother wore a large necklace with white flowers on them.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Violet and Daisy.¡± Klaw murmured. ¡°Hello, guys.¡±


    ¡°Hi Klaw! Hi Dewey!¡± the younger pokemon, whom Hope assumed to be Violet, chirped excitedly. Then she turned towards Hope. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you around here? What¡¯s your name? Where did you come from? Are you a friend of Klaw and Dewey?¡±


    ¡°Now, now, Violet. Don¡¯t bother the poor girl.¡± her mother, whom Hope assumed was Daisy, scolded.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s fine.¡± Hope smiled. ¡°My name is Hope¡±


    ¡°Hope¡­¡± Violet murmured, staring at Hope with extremely wise eyes. ¡°That¡¯s such a pretty name! I wish my name was as pretty as yours!¡±


    Hope let out a small chuckle. ¡°Nonsense! Your name is really pretty!¡± She didn¡¯t know why, but talking to this young girl made her feel incredibly relaxed. It felt almost natural to her.


    ¡°Yes, Violet, Hope is right. Your name is very pretty.¡± Daisy mused. ¡°But your name is also very pretty. Reminds me of a specific piece of amethyst jewelry I have in my collection. Would you like to come and look at it?¡±


    Hope was about to agree when Klaw grabbed her by the cuff of her neck. ¡°We would love to see this piece of jewelry, Daisy, but we have to get the order in.¡± he said hurriedly. ¡°So I guess we¡¯ll be seeing you soon.¡± And with that, he was dragging Hope off, with Dewey closely behind.


    ¡°Bye Klaw! Bye Dewey! Bye Hope!¡± Violet called cheerily.


    Hope struggled to get free of Klaw¡¯s sharp talons. Turning slightly, she hissed ¡°What did you do that for?!¡±


    ¡°Daisy sells fake jewelry.¡± Klaw hissed back. ¡°And she sells it for a very high price, too. We wouldn¡¯t have enough money to pay for the order if you had stopped by her stall.¡±


    ¡°Fake jewelry?¡± Hope stopped struggling and stared at Klaw with confusion. ¡°But she seems so nice! Why would she do that?¡±


    ¡°S-she is v-very n-nice¡± Dewey answered. ¡°B-but s-she¡¯s a-also a s-single m-mother with a s-small c-child. S-she has to p-put f-food on the t-table s-somehow.¡±


    Klaw finally released Hope, who got to her feet and shook the pollution brick dust off of herself. ¡°I guess that makes sense¡­¡± Hope mumbled softly.


    ¡°Sorry for grabbing you like that, Hope. But this is a black market. You always have to stay vigilant in a place like this.¡± Klaw said.


    ¡°And you were the one who said that this place was super boring.¡± Hope said, rolling her eyes.


    ¡°Shut up¡± Klaw said, batting Hope lightly with his paw. ¡°Let¡¯s keep going. We¡¯re almost at the shop we need to be at.¡±


    A few more minutes of walking later and they arrived at the stall in question. It was probably the largest stall in the entire market, loaded from one end to another with an extreme variety of items. One end had normal items like berries, vegetables, and other foodstuffs, while the other end had what looked to be weapons. There were some brass knuckles, some small clubs, and Hope could even swear she could make out what looked to be tiny switchblades.


    Behind the stall, wiping down a worn out crate, was a large lavender dog pokemon. It had two gigantic teeth jutting out from its lower jaw, which Hope could see clearly even with its back turned to them. A pipe loosely hung from the right side of its mouth. It had a black collar-like pattern on its neck, and its back appeared to be covered with scars.The most jarring thing about this particular pokemon, though, was its right arm, or lack thereof. Where the arm should have been was instead a small stump, coated with an entangled mass of dried blood.


    Klaw got on his hind legs and tapped the rim of the stall. ¡°Hello there, Spike.¡± he said.


    Spike turned around to look at the trio. His lower jaw teeth looked even more massive when he was facing forward. He was wearing an eyepatch over his left eye, which was encrusted with a rim of more dried blood. He glowered down at them, his eyes filled with hatred.


    ¡°Well, well, well. If it isn¡¯t the little AZS goons.¡± Spike snarled. ¡°Your daddies sent you out to do their dirty work for them again?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes s-sir¡± Dewey said sheepishly, handing over the receipt in the process.


    Spike ripped the receipt out of Dewey¡¯s hand. After glancing at it for a few seconds, he looked back down at them. ¡°I see that you two have a little guest with you this time.¡± he growled. ¡°A new recruit to get dragged into the depths of the underbelly to never return, huh?¡±


    ¡°No, sir! I¡¯m just a friend!¡± Hope exclaimed.


    Spike squinted his eyes at her. ¡°Yeah, right. As if career criminals like them would be able to make friends.¡± With that, he turned his backs on them once again, placing the list on the table behind him.


    Hope blinked slowly. ¡°What¡¯s his problem?¡± she whispered to Klaw and Dewey.


    ¡°H-he j-just hates e-everyone f-from the c-crime s-syndicates. H-hates us e-especially hard b-because we w-were b-born in the b-biggest c-crime s-syndicate.¡± Dewey whispered back. ¡°D-doesn¡¯t h-help that he h-has to s-sell s-stuff to c-crime s-syndicates to k-keep h-himself from s-starving to d-death.¡±


    Hope didn¡¯t really know how to respond to that, so she just glanced around the surrounding area. Out of the corner of her eye, however, she noticed something peering at them from around the corner of the pollution-brick wall. It looked like a face, but it didn¡¯t appear to be a real one. It had black eyes, red cheeks, and a squiggly line for a mouth. Two long ¡°ears¡± with black tips hung from its ¡°head¡±, and a small red beanie hung from the end of the right ear.


    Hope softly nudged Klaw and Dewey. ¡°I think that something¡¯s staring at us.¡± she whispered very softly, gesturing towards the face.


    Klaw and Dewey turned in the direction Hope was gesturing in. When they saw what she had noticed, their faces instantly lit up.


    ¡°Hey, Spike,¡± Klaw called out. ¡°We¡¯re going to step away for a little bit, OK?¡±


    Spike simply grunted.


    ¡°Alright! See you later!¡± Klaw called out. And with that, he and Dewey scurried away, with Hope following behind closely.


    They walked up to the corner of the wall where the face was. As they got closer and closer, it was revealed that the face was attached to a body- the body of a pokemon. The pokemon¡¯s body was almost completely obscured by a tan rag. The ¡°face¡± had been haphazardly scribbled on the top of the rag. Its real eyes, which darted around quickly and nervously, appeared to actually be on the bottom half of the rag, visible through small, cut-out holes on the center. A small stick that looked somewhat like a lightning bolt hung out from the bottom of the rag.


    ¡°Sneaks!¡± Klaw greeted the odd pokemon. ¡°We thought you wouldn¡¯t be showing up until next month!¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ usually not¡­ but I got some extra money¡­. so I was able to get my hands on the goods a bit early..¡± Sneaks¡¯s beady black eyes kept darting around as they spoke. ¡°Come on¡­ get them quick before Spike finishes up¡­¡± A black arm extended from the bottom of the rag, gesturing around the corner of the wall.


    Hope¡¯s stomach was starting to turn a little. ¡°Are you sure this guy isn¡¯t going to do anything to us?¡± she whispered very quietly to Klaw and Dewey.


    ¡°N-no! S-sneaks is v-very n-nice! T-they s-sell us c-candy and c-chips and all s-sorts of y-yummy s-snacks!¡± Dewey whispered back.


    ¡°Candy? Chips?¡± Hope stared at Deqey incredulously. ¡°Are you sure that those aren¡¯t slang words?¡±


    ¡°P-positively s-sure.¡± Dewey responded.


    Hope shook her head with exasperation as they rounded the corner.


    ¡°By the way¡­ I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen that eevee with you before¡­ New friend of yours?¡± Sneaks asked as they started slinking down the alleyway.


    ¡°Yup! This is Hope!¡± Klaw responded, a wide grin on his face.


    ¡°Hope¡­ nice to meet you¡­¡± Sneaks murmured. ¡°Good to see that your dads are finally letting you meet other kids¡­¡±


    Eventually they reached a large, slightly damp cardboard box leaning up against the middle of the wall. A large stack of plastic bags were next to it. Sneaks went over to the cardboard box and tipped it over. A large number of freshly sealed foil bags came tumbling out. They came in an assortment of neon colors and showed the same green character that Klaw and Dewey¡¯s stuffed toys were of, along with pictures of various candies, chocolates, chips, and corn puffs.¡±


    ¡°Take however much you want¡­ and put them in the bags¡­ be careful not to tear them though¡­ don¡¯t want your dads catching you¡­¡± Sneaks said.


    Klaw and Dewey immediately changed to the pile of goodies and began shoving them into the plastic bags. Hope followed them closely, her cheeks a little flushed with embarrassment. I guess I shouldn¡¯t have been so distrustful of them, she thought to herself. She began pawing through the pile, picking out one of each kind of treat before putting them into her own bag.


    ¡°So...Have you told Hope about your plans to join the Ironheart Guild?¡± Sneaks asked.


    Hope looked over at Sneaks with surprise. ¡°They did.¡± she answered.


    ¡°I suppose they did¡­ After all, you are their friend¡­¡± Sneaks sighed. ¡°I guess I can tell you about the incident on Power Pass, then¡­¡±


    Klaw and Dewey¡¯s heads perked up. ¡°W-what h-happened at P-power P-pass?¡± Dewey asked.


    ¡°From what I heard¡­ a pokemon suddenly grew gigantic and started rampaging when exploring Power Pass with its friends¡­ the guild members had to come and take it down together¡­¡±


    The three friends'' heads immediately turned to Sneaks. ¡°Get real, Sneaks!¡± Klaw chuckled. ¡°I know you tell some wild stories, but this one is far from reasonable. Pokemon growing gigantic? How does that even happen?¡±


    ¡°I know it sounds crazy¡­ but I¡¯m friends with some of the witnesses¡­ they swear that this happened.¡± Sneaks shook his fake head.


    ¡°Y-you c-can¡¯t be s-serious.¡± Dewey snorted. ¡°T-the I-ironheart G-guild are e-extremely cool, they r-rescue p-pokemon all the t-time, but a p-pokemon g-growing g-gigantic is j-just too a-absurd.¡±


    ¡°I have a newspaper article of the situation in my base¡­ I can get it for you right now if you really don¡¯t believe me¡­¡±


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± Klaw said, flicking his tail. ¡°At least if it¡¯s real, we¡¯ll have a pretty good headline to add to our encyclopedia.¡±


    Sneaks nodded his head and turned to head to his base. But before he could move a step, a loud cry rang out throughout the area.


    ¡°HELLLLLLLLPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!¡±


    Hope, Klaw, Dewey, and Sneaks immediately turned around and rushed back into the main plaza to see where the cry came from. From the corner of her eye, Hope could see Spike and Daisy, as well as a slew of other stall owners, jump out from behind their stalls to rush to the source of the cry as well.


    Standing smack dab in the middle of the plaza was a long, turquoise, serpentine dragon pokemon. It had a mop of white hair on its head and a small clump of white hair resembling a beard on its lower jaw, giving it the appearance of an old man. It wore pink horned-rimmed glasses and walked with a small limp. It had a large white fluffy tail, and its arms were also covered with white fur. One of the arms, however, had a large gash on it. Unlike Spike¡¯s long-gone arm, this wound was fresh. It was seeping blood that created a trail from where he had been running from, and a small pool was beginning to form where he was standing.


    ¡°Solomon! What happened to you?!¡± Daisy called out. Violet was trailing closely behind her, her eyes wide with shock.


    ¡°Mah grandbabies! Dey¡¯ve been kidnapped! Taken!¡± Solomon cried out, struggling to hold back giant sobs.


    By now, a large group of pokemon, including Hope, Klaw, and Dewey, had formed around Solomon.  Daisy put her paw on Solomon¡¯s blood-soaked shoulder. ¡°Calm down, Solomon. Tell us what happened.¡±


    Solomon took a few heavy, heaving breaths. After a few seconds, he continued speaking. ¡°Me and mah three grandchildren were takin¡¯ a walk along the Magikarp Jump River¡­ it was so beautiful outside¡­ we were havin¡¯ such a good time¡­¡± He heaved a little bit more, still trying to hold back sobs. ¡°But then a feral gliscor swooped down out of nowhere and made off with mah grandchildren!¡±


    A commotion immediately broke out, with pokemon whispering amongst each other. Spike glowered down at Solomon. ¡°A feral gliscor?¡± he growled. ¡°At Magikarp Jump River? That¡¯s nonsense! Everyone knows that feral pokemon are nonexistent outside of mystery dungeons.¡±


    Solomon was trembling incredibly hard now, desperately trying to make some words come out of his mouth. But before he could say anything, Daisy stepped forward.


    ¡°Spike, Solomon and I know each other very well.¡± Daisy spoke, a sudden sternness in her eyes. ¡°His two older grandchildren come over to play with Violet all the time. He is one of the kindest and most loving pokemon I know. And he loves his grandchildren more than anything in the world. He never lies when it comes to them.¡±


    Spike looked at the floor for a few seconds, his eyes filled with shame. Then he walked over to Solomon, took hold of his arm, and inspected the gash. ¡°Well, this wound does look like it was caused by a pincer¡­ It¡¯s very possible a gliscor could have made it.¡±


    Solomon was finally able to speak again. ¡°Yes! I tried to fight the ruffian off, but it jus¡¯ cut through mah arm like it was nothin¡¯! All I could do after that was jus¡¯ watch it fly off with mah grandbabies! I remembered that Daisy works nearby, so I ran ovah here fer help!¡± Tears were starting to well up in his eyes. ¡°One of dem¡¯s only five months old¡­ still jus¡¯ a wee baby¡­¡± And with that, he finally broke into massive sobs.


    Looking at Solomon, now crumpled to the floor in a screaming fit of despair, with Spike, Daisy, Sneaks and the other stall owners trying their hardest to comfort him, made a surge of emotions rise through Hope¡¯s chest. Without a second though, she stepped forward. ¡°My friends and I will rescue your grandchildren.¡± she said.


    Every pokemon in the area stopped and turned to look at Hope with surprise. Even Klaw and Dewey were staring at her in shock. Spike stepped forward and snarled. ¡°You three? The career criminals? Save someone? Over my left arm.¡±


    Klaw and Dewey suddenly shook off their shock and turned towards Hope. ¡°Just because our dads are psychopaths doesn¡¯t mean we are too.¡± Klaw snarled.


    ¡°Y-yeah!¡± Dewey joined in. ¡°W-we¡¯re n-not like t-them! W-we¡¯re g-gonna h-help p-pokemon! A-and we¡¯ll s-start with S-solomon¡¯s g-grandchildren!¡±


    Hope looked between her friends, grinning ear to ear with gratitude. Spike, meanwhile, simply just blinked, reeling from the shock of being stood up to twice in the span of eight minutes.


    Solomon looked at Hope, Klaw and Dewey behind tear-clouded glasses, his eyes brimming with more of them. But this time, they were tears of happiness. ¡°Thank you! Thank you so much!¡± he cried out. ¡°The gliscor went t¡¯wards Silicon Cave. I bet bones to buckets that¡¯s where mah grandbabies will be.¡±


    ¡°Silicon Cave¡­ guess it did come from a mystery dungeon after all.¡± Spike murmured. He then turned towards Hope, Klaw, and Dewey. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll be escorting you three there¡­ But you better know that this is going to get mine and your asses whooped by your daddies, alright?¡±


    ¡°We know.¡± Klaw responded calmly.


    ¡°Y-yeah, we k-know.¡± Dewey chimed in.


    Hope looked at her friends and smiled. ¡°Yup, we know. Take us there.¡± As Hope spoke, she felt intense surge of excitement rush through her. And it was completely understandable as to why. She, Klaw, and Dewey were about to get their first taste of being a rescue team.

 Chapter Six: Silicon Cave

    Hope, Klaw, and Dewey were led out of Dead Space and through an endless amount of roads. They walked through the pollution-filled roads of the areas near Dead Space into grassy, rolling hills dotted with beautiful flowers of all sorts of colors. At the bottom of the hills, Hope could faintly see a small, bubbling river, which she assumed was the Magikarp Jump River that Solomon had been talking about earlier. The transition was incredibly jarring for Hope. She didn¡¯t want to say anything, though, because she didn¡¯t want to distract herself from her mission.


    Aside from Klaw and Dewey, a whole slew of pokemon from Dead Space had come to escort them to Silicon Cave, There was Spike, Daisy, Violet (who had tagged along despite her mother trying to convince her not to), Solomon, Sneaks, and a few other stall owners from Dead Space. Among the wide assortment of characters was a red-and-blue dragon pokemon with a deformed arm, a large white bear pokemon with a beard made of ice wearing a short black jacket vest, a large furry yellow and black pokemon wearing a leather belt around its waist, and a large, monstrous purple scorpion pokemon with a yellow bandana wrapped around its giant tail.


    Spike had insisted that he and Solomon be the only ones to escort Hope, Klaw, and Dewey to Silicon Cave, but many insisted on going anyway. Many of the shop owners were simply curious about the situation and how the three children would handle it, but Daisy and Sneaks insisted on coming to keep an eye on them.


    Sneaks in particular was incredibly worried. He kept weaving in between Klaw and Dewey, his eyes shifting and his body quivering. ¡°Are you sure you are up to this?... Are you sure you can handle this?...¡± he kept repeating, a small quiver making his voice reverberate.


    Klaw rolled his eyes. ¡°We¡¯re going to be fine, Sneaks. Stop worrying.¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah!¡± Dewey chimed in. ¡°W-we¡¯re g-going to be f-fine! W-we w-wouldn¡¯t have a-agreed to do t-this if we t-tough we w-wouldn¡¯t c-come o-out of it o-okay!¡±


    ¡°Seriously?...You sure?...¡± Sneaks said.


    Daisy gently swiped at Sneaks with her paw. ¡°Sneaks, you need to stop worrying. Klaw and Dewey are very tough kids.¡± she said.


    Sneaks calmed down noticeably. ¡°You¡¯re right, Daisy...I shouldn¡¯t be so worried¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡± Daisy chuckled. Immediately afterwards, however, she kneeled down next to Hope. ¡°Are you going to be okay?¡± she whispered.


    Hope almost tripped over her own feet. ¡°Y-yes! Why do you think I won¡¯t be fine?¡± she whispered back.


    Daisy shook her head. ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m just more worried about you since I really don¡¯t know much about your fighting skills. Klaw and Dewey have been fighting from a very young age, so I know they¡¯ll be fine. But you¡­ I¡¯m not very sure.¡±


    Hope began to shake a little. ¡°I should be fine¡­¡±


    Daisy let out a small sigh. ¡°I guess I shouldn¡¯t get too worried, though. If you¡¯re friends with Klaw and Dewey, you should be able to handle yourself just fine. They¡¯re tough kids, and they tend to gravitate towards other tough kids. Seeing as you¡¯re with them, you should be fine.¡±


    Hope let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. I just let the nerves get to me for a minute there.¡±


    ¡°Speaking about you being friends with Klaw and Dewey¡­¡± Daisy flicked her tail. ¡°How did you meet them?¡±


    Once again, Hope tripped over her own feet. ¡°Umm...I...Well...We met....Urgh¡­¡± she stuttered.


    Daisy tilted her head. ¡°Is something wrong?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m fine!¡± Hope protested. This is not fine at all!, she thought to herself. I can¡¯t let her know I¡¯m actually a human! Who knows what she¡¯ll think of me then?


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to talk about it, huh?¡± Daisy sighed. ¡°I understand. Must have been some traumatic situations that forced you to come to the Absolute Zero Syndicate.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Hope swiveled her head around.


    ¡°It¡¯s sad, really.¡± Daisy looked at her own paws. ¡°Most pokemon who join the Absolute Zero Syndicate have been through some real messed-up things in their lifetime. They¡¯re broken kids with nowhere else to go in the world. Polaris knows this. He¡¯s a master manipulator. And he manipulates these kids, tells them they¡¯ll be safe in the Absolute Zero Syndicate, that he¡¯ll be the one to take them in. And then he breaks them- turns them into heartless killing machines.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± All Hope could do was nod and listen.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite a miracle Klaw and Dewey are as nice as they are.¡± Daisy continued talking. ¡°They¡¯ve been witness to what¡¯s been going on at the Absolute Zero Syndicate since they took their first breath. And their fathers¡­¡± She took a deep breath. ¡°Polaris is calculating and cold. But Scorch and Riptide are straight-up psychopaths. They delight in seeing other pokemon going through pain and torture. They derive happiness from the suffering of others. And yet Klaw and Dewey are the exact opposite of them. They¡¯re so nice and just love helping others. I¡¯m actually kind of surprised that you volunteered to help save Solomon¡¯s grandchildren before they did.¡± she chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s no wonder that you became friends with them. You¡¯re very similar. That same determination, the same sense of justice, the same desire to help pokemon¡­¡±


    Hope let out a weak chuckle. ¡°Yeah¡­ I guess¡­¡±


    Thankfully, at that moment, Klaw and Dewey noticed Hope talking to Daisy and walked over to her. ¡°Come on, Hope!¡± Klaw said, nudging her playfully. ¡°Let¡¯s go talk about our rescue plans!¡±


    Hope nodded gratefully and went over to join them. Once they were a good distance away from Daisy, Klaw leaned into her ear. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell her that you¡¯re actually a human, did you?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Oh course not!¡± Hope said, making sure that she was keeping her voice down. ¡°I would never tell these pokemon that!¡±


    ¡°G-good¡± Dewey said. ¡°Y-you r-really shouldn¡¯t t-tell t-these pokemon t-that y-you¡¯re a h-human. I-it c-could put y-you in s-serious d-danger.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Hope asked. ¡°I mean, I already had that feeling, but why?¡±


    As she talked, the party started to ascend a particularly large hill. It too was dotted with flowers, but it was also dotted with strange, almost crystalline rock formations. The rock formations were incredibly shiny, to the point where Hope could see her reflection in them. Upon seeing the rock formations, Spike turned to the trio.


    ¡°Silicon Cave shouldn¡¯t be too far away now.¡± he growled. ¡°If you want to start putting on your hero masks, now would be a great time to do so.¡±


    Hope rolled her eyes. ¡°Jeez. That guy really needs to get those sticks out of his ass.¡± she whispered to Klaw and Dewey.


    ¡°I know, right? Even after getting shut down twice, he still acts so petty.¡± Klaw whispered back.


    The three children giggled.


    ¡°Are you three getting into any funny business?¡± Spike snarled.


    Hope, Klaw, and Dewey immediately snapped back to attention. ¡°No, Spike. No funny business here.¡± Hope responded.


    ¡°Y-yes! N-no f-funny b-business to be s-seen h-here!¡± Dewey chimed in.


    Spike let out a heavy sigh and turned his back again. ¡°If you say so.¡± he huffed under his breath.


    The three children exchanged sly smirks.


    ¡°Anyways,¡± Hope said. ¡°What were you about to say about my being a human putting me in danger?¡±


    Klaw and Dewey glanced around themselves to make sure that nobody was paying attention. As soon as they confirmed that the coast was clear, Klaw turned to her. ¡°The thing about humans is¡­ they have special powers.¡± he whispered extremely quietly.


    Hope snorted. ¡°Get out of here.¡± she whispered back, just as quietly as Klaw had.


    ¡°W-we¡¯re not k-kidding.¡± Dewey responded, also speaking in a hushed whisper. ¡°H-humans are s-said to h-have the p-power to c-control p-pokemon with t-their m-minds. T-there have b-been s-stories of h-humans d-destroying entire c-continents by p-putting p-pokemon under their c-control. T-there h-have been s-stories of h-humans w-waging war a-against each o-other through the u-use of p-pokemon.¡±


    ¡°Those can¡¯t be true.¡± Hope whispered, flicking her tail. ¡°You¡¯re implying that pokemon and humans used to live together in the same universe. And as far as I can tell, I¡¯m the only human here.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the thing, though.¡± Klaw murmured. ¡°One day, all of the humans suddenly¡­ disappeared.¡±


    Hope¡¯s ears shot up. ¡°Huh?!¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Klaw whispered back. ¡°One day, hundreds of thousands of years ago, all the humans in the world just suddenly vanished. They were there one minute, gone the next.¡± Flicking his tail, he continued, ¡°At least, that¡¯s what Boss Polaris says.¡±


    ¡°Polaris?!¡± Hope yelped.


    Spike turned around and glowered at the trio.


    ¡°Sorry¡± Hope murmured, flattening her ears before turning back to Klaw and Dewey. ¡°Seriously, though, Polaris?¡± she whispered. ¡°Why would you believe anything that guy says?¡±


    ¡°T-the t-thing about B-boss P-polaris is, he¡¯s i-incredibly well r-read.¡± Dewey whispered back. ¡°Y-you saw h-his r-room, right? T-that m-massive b-bookshelf he h-has? I-it¡¯s f-filled to the b-brim with b-books from e-every c-continent.¡±


    ¡°And a good majority of those books are on the history of humans in our world.¡± Klaw interjected. ¡°He has a bit of an... obsession with them. ¡°


    ¡°C-calling it an o-obsession w-would be an u-understatement.¡± Dewey chimed back in. ¡°H-he¡¯s a-absolutely c-crazy about h-humans. A-all of his p-plans u-ultimately r-revolve a-around bringing h-humans b-back. I-if he h-hadn¡¯t done so m-much r-research, we w-would c-certainly think he¡¯s c-crazy. B-but he¡¯s g-got the e-education to p-prove it.¡±


    A realization suddenly came to Hope. ¡°So that¡¯s why you guys and your parents were so quick to believe that I was a human.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Klaw said under his breath. ¡°Our dads have completely bought into Polaris¡¯s propaganda, and they''ve drilled into our heads all our lives. I will admit that we didn¡¯t really buy into it. A lot of the stuff that our dads tell us is pure nonsense anyways. But when we found you, and you told us that you were a human¡­ something inside of us just knew that you were telling the truth. Just this strong feeling of genuinity.¡±


    Hope smiled softly. ¡°Thanks, guys,¡± she murmured softly. Immediately afterwards, however, something hit her.


    ¡°What I do know, however, is that humans are extraordinarily powerful.¡± Polaris¡¯s words from their first meeting rang through Hope¡¯s ears. ¡°And to have all of this power right here in front of me, in this tiny little body¡­ You will be a very valuable asset for the Absolute Zero Syndicate.¡±


    ¡°What does Polaris want from me?¡± Hope whispered quietly.


    She didn¡¯t whisper quietly enough, though, because Klaw and Dewey quickly turned to her. ¡°What did you say?¡± Klaw asked.


    ¡°What does Polaris want from me?¡± Hope repeated, this time directing it towards Klaw and Dewey.


    Klaw and Dewey looked at each other uneasily.


    ¡°W-we don¡¯t k-know for s-sure,¡± Dewey said, ¡°b-but w-whatever it is, i-it can¡¯t be good. P-papa and D-daddy k-keep s-saying that if P-polaris¡¯s p-plans s-succeed, he¡¯ll be a-able to t-take o-over the e-entire c-continent. W-we don¡¯t k-know how e-exactly he¡¯s g-going to u-use y-you to g-get what h-he w-wants. W-we do k-know, h-however, that w-we¡¯re g-going to do e-everything in our p-power to m-make s-sure he d-doesn¡¯t a-accomplish it.¡±


    Hope fluffed up her tail in determination. ¡°All the more reason for us to escape from the AZS!¡± she declared, making sure to keep her voice low so that the Dead Space members couldn¡¯t hear her.


    The group had finally finished descending down the large hill. Spike leaned down to the trio and nudged Hope with his nub of a right arm. The dried blood coating felt rough and scratchy against her fur. ¡°Look over there¡±, he growled, using his good arm to point into the distance.


    Hope turned her head to the left and peered off into the distance. She could just barely make out a small hole situated at the bottom of a small hill, surrounded by large masses of translucent crystals.


    ¡°That¡¯s Silicon Cave.¡± Spike grunted. ¡°Let¡¯s get going now.¡±


    Hope, Klaw, and Dewey looked at each other with excitement. The trio began to bound ahead of everyone else, up and down smaller, sloping hills, until they finally reached Silicon Cave.


    The trio peered into the near-darkness of the cave. The crystals were dotted along the walls of the cave as well. These crystals seemed to be slightly luminescent, creating a dim trail of light that just vaguely exposed the surroundings of the cave. Hope, Klaw, and Dewey looked at each other with determination.


    ¡°Here we are.¡± Spike said, tilting his head. ¡°You know, it¡¯s still not too late to back out of this. A lot of the guys here are combat experts. They can handle this well enough. Certainly better than¡­ kids like you.¡±


    Spike tried to soften his words at the end, to make it seem like he was just concerned about the trio being fairly young themselves and their well-being. But there was the slightest tinge of malice underneath that betrayed his true intentions. Kids like you. Thugs. Criminals.


    Hope fluffed up her tail and raised her head. ¡°We¡¯re not backing out of this.¡± she said. ¡°We volunteered for this because we were sure that we could handle it. Being¡­ kids¡­ isn¡¯t going to stop us one bit.¡± Hope made sure to add the same tinge of malice that Spike had used at the end of his sentence.


    Spike furrowed his brows together. ¡°If you say so,¡± he muttered softly.


    From beside him, Solomon clasped his hands together in joy. ¡°I really don¡¯t know if I can probably find da words to thank you three enough for what y¡¯all did.¡± he exclaimed, a wide smile on his face. ¡°If y¡¯all were brave enough to volunteer to save mah grandbabies, y¡¯all are definitely capable enough to save ¡®em.¡±


    From beside Hope, Klaw and Dewey smirked. Hope couldn¡¯t help but turn towards them and smirk as well. They were finally getting the chance to go on their very first rescue! Hope knew just how much Klaw and Dewey wanted to accomplish something like this. Even though she wasn¡¯t all too familiar with this world and its inhabitants, she would do anything to help them. She wanted to pay back Klaw and Dewey- they had saved her when she first came to this world, and now she was going to help them in return.


    A small whimper snapped Hope out of her thoughts. Violet stepped forward, her eyes brimming with tears. ¡°You¡¯ll bring my friends back, right?¡± she whispered, her eyes brimming with tears.


    Hope¡¯s heart immediately softened. She stepped forward and pressed her nose softly to the top of Violet¡¯s head. ¡°Oh course we¡¯ll bring them back.¡± she murmured.


    Violet tried to shift her expression to a more sassy one, but she also began to sniffle. ¡°You better bring them back.¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯d die of boredom if I wasn¡¯t able to play with Cobalt and Tesla anymore.¡±


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Hope tilted her head, preparing herself to ask who Cobalt and Tesla were, but Solomon beat her to the punch. ¡°Those are mah two older grandbabies.¡± he said, the happy expression on his face being replaced with a more crestfallen one.


    Before Hope could formulate a response, Klaw and Dewey stepped forward. ¡°You¡¯ll be playing with your friends again in no time.¡± he declared proudly, puffing up his chest.


    Dewey also puffed out his chest. ¡°We¡¯ll make sure of it!¡± he said with determination.


    ¡°That¡¯s very nice,¡± Spike¡¯s voice rumbled, ¡°but if you three keep standing there wasting time making boastful declarations, you may not be able to make good on those declarations.¡±


    Hope, Klaw, and Dewey looked up sheepishly. ¡°...You do have a point, Spike.¡± Hope mumbled after a bit. ¡°We¡¯ll be going now.¡±


    ¡°Stay safe, you three!¡± Daisy called out, using her tail to pull Violet back at the same time.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do anything too risky now¡­¡± Sneaks murmured from beside her.


    ¡°We won¡¯t! Don¡¯t worry!¡± Hope called out. And with that, the trio turned around and entered Silicon Cave.


    Hope¡¯s jaw dropped as they stepped inside the cave. There were so many crystals! All along the walls and floors of the cave were the same crystals that had been dotting the trail to the cave. They came in all sorts of colors and almost seemed to glow in the dark. They seemed to wind through the cave, creating a pathway of some sorts.


    ¡°It looks like the crystals form a kind of path.¡± Klaw whispered. ¡°Do you think that maybe it¡¯s showing us where we¡¯re supposed to go?¡±


    ¡°P-probably.¡± Dewey whispered back. ¡°M-mystery d-dungeons are s-strange like that.¡±


    ¡°What are we waiting for, then?¡± Hope said. ¡°Let¡¯s follow that path.¡±


    ¡°BURRRRRR!¡±


    ¡°RAHRAHROGGG!¡±


    Two feral pokemon suddenly materialized from the shadows of the cave. The first was a gray bipedal pokemon with pink bulges resembling muscles protruding from its body. It also carried a square log underneath its right arm. The second was a spherical blue rock pokemon with an oval rock on the top of its head and two more on the bottom acting as feet. In its center was a yellow hexagonal artifice with a dark opening in its center.


    ¡°A timburr and a roggenrola, huh?¡± Klaw remarked.


    ¡°F-fitting for a p=place s-such as t-this.¡± Dewey nodded.


    The timburr and roggenrola snarled at the trio before launching themselves forward. Hope, Klaw, and Dewey immediately retaliated, with Dewey firing a Water Pulse from his mouth at the roggenrola, Klaw leaping towards the timburr and smacking it straight in the face with a Double Kick, and Hope also slamming into the timburr with her Tackle.


    The roggenrola immediately crumpled to the floor from Dewey¡¯s attack, the hexagonal opening in its face being replaced with a swirl similar to the spinarak from the Great Treehollow. The timburr, on the other hand, still seemed to be relatively stable. It stumbled back onto its feet, just barely managing to keep its hold on its log, before launching itself at Hope.


    Hope tried to dodge the attack, but she was still trying to rebalance herself after her Tackle. The timburr¡¯s log connected with the center of her chest.


    ¡°Hope!¡± Klaw and Dewey cried out simultaneously as Hope flew back, landing just a few inches away from the edge of the wall.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± Hope called out as she struggled to get back onto her feet. The timburr spun its log around deftly with one hand, let out a roar, and launched itself at Hope once more. Hope was still trying to regain her balance, so all she could do was stare at the timburr intently, making direct eye contact with it.


    All of a sudden, a purplish-pink aura enveloped the timburr. Hope looked around, trying to figure out where the aura was coming from. But as she moved, the timburr moved with her, as if she was dragging it around with her mind.


    ¡°What in the¡­?¡± Hope mumbled to herself. Klaw and Dewey, meanwhile, had their jaws dropped to the floor.


    A realization suddenly struck Hope. She lifted her head up, and the timburr raised a few inches off the ground with it. Then she dropped her head down with all the force she could muster.


    The timburr crashed to the floor, a small dust cloud puffing up around it. When the dust cleared, the timburr¡¯s eyes had become swirls, and it too was knocked out.


    Now that the attack had finished, Hope¡¯s head was starting to feel fuzzy. She dropped to her feet, the edges of her vision clouding up.


    ¡°H-here! E-eat this.¡± Dewey said, rushing over to her. He then pulled out a round, plump, purplish-blue  berry from the knapsack that Sneaks had given them before they left Dead Space. Hope took a bite out of the berry and immediately felt much better.


    ¡°How in the name of Giratina were you able to use that move?!¡± Klaw demanded, also coming over to Hope¡¯s side. ¡°You aren¡¯t supposed to be able to use that move until you evolve.¡±


    Hope blinked slowly. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± she asked.


    ¡°O-oh!¡± Dewey exclaimed. ¡°A-as p-pokemon grow o-older, they u-undergo a p-process called e-evolution where they u-undergo e-extreme changes in t-their b-bodies and become d-different s-species.¡± he explained.


    ¡°This process changes major parts of their body, such as their type and what moves they can use.¡± Klaw chimed in. ¡°You¡¯re an eevee, which is a particularly curious species in that it has eight possible species that it can evolve into, all with different types.¡±


    Hope¡¯s eyes lit up, probably shining brighter than the crystals in the cave. ¡°That¡¯s so cool!¡± she squealed.


    ¡°Y-yeah. T-that m-move you j-just used- C-confusion- is n-normally e-exclusive to your s-species¡¯s P-psychic type e-evolution.¡± Dewey continued. ¡°W-we h-have no i-idea how y-you¡¯re a-able to use t-that m-move, though.¡±


    The trio stood there in silence, the darkness of the cave amplifying the awkwardness tenfold.


    ¡°Is this perhaps some weird side effect of you transforming from a human into a pokemon?¡± Klaw finally broke the silence, saying what Hope herself was just about to say.


    ¡°P-possibly. W-we¡¯ll have to o-observe you m-more as you b-battle, H-hope. S-see if you k-know m-more m-moves of your f-future e-evolutionary types.¡± Dewey murmured. A small smile then began to cross his face. ¡°Y-you¡¯re really i-interesting, Hope.¡± he said.


    ¡°In a good way, of course.¡± Klaw said, the same small smile also crossing his face.


    Hope blushed and looked down at the smooth, shiny cave floor. ¡°We should probably keep going now.¡± she mumbled. ¡°Follow the crystal path.¡±


    Klaw and Dewey nodded, and then they were on their way, making sure to follow the light of the crystals.


    As the trio continued to dispatch the feral pokemon that impeded their path, Hope tried her best to stick to using Tackle. On the few occasions when she was forced to use Confusion, she found that it would give her a pulsating headache for the next few minutes. Klaw and Dewey still kept their eyes sharply on her, though, trying to figure out if her knowledge of that move was just a coincidence or perhaps something more.


    Soon enough, Dewey¡¯s suspicions were confirmed when, during one confrontation, a feral light pink slug pokemon (Klaw and Dewey called it a ¡®shellos¡¯) launched itself at Hope, sticking to her back with its slimy, mucus-covered chest. Hope instinctively fluffed out her fur to try to detach the shellos, but as she did so, a tingly sensation spread throughout her whole body.


    Bzzzap!


    Sparks of electricity burst from Hope¡¯s body, surrounding the shellos and electrocuting it. Its grip on Hope¡¯s fur loosened, and it slunk to the floor with swirly eyes.


    ¡°ThunderShock, huh?¡± Klaw remarked. ¡°That move¡¯s exclusive to your Electric-type evolution.¡±


    Hope, meanwhile, was jumping from paw to paw, desperately trying to shake off the severe itch that had just consumed her entire body.


    ¡°I-it s-seems like you a-also d-develop side e-effects after u-using those m-moves.¡± Dewey muttered as he watched Hope flail around like a patch of sunflowers getting struck with a powerful gust of wind.


    Klaw took out another Oran Berry and gave it to Hope. Another thing they had figured out during their trek through the cave was that, thankfully, Hope¡¯s headaches could be cured using the juicy, sweet-sour berries. If she used her Confusion too many times, the headaches would become stronger, so she would have to eat more Oran Berries to get rid of them, but at least they had already found a treatment method.


    ¡°Thanks, Klaw.¡± Hope murmured.


    ~~~~~~~~


    ¡°We¡¯ve gotten pretty far down.¡± Hope murmured. ¡°I think we might be at the bottom of the cave.¡±


    The trio had been navigating the cave for at least an hour at this point. It had been a long and difficult trek, but they had finally reached what seemed to be the deepest point of the cave, following the path of crystals the whole while. The air had been getting increasingly more damp and musty, and it was causing Hope¡¯s eyes and nose to water.


    ¡°Still no sign of that feral gliscor though¡­¡± Klaw muttered. ¡°Or any younger pokemon¡­¡±


    ¡°WAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!¡±


    Hope, Klaw, and Dewey simultaneously jumped. ¡°O-over t-there!¡± Dewey cried, pointing into the shadows. The three friends immediately took off.


    The sight that greeted them when they properly located the sound was a sight that none of them could have been prepared for. A strange formation of crystals, glowing an eerie, almost blood-like shade of red, spiraled in the center of the cave. It looked almost like an altar of some sorts. Cowering just behind the altar were three small pokemon. The first was a silver quadrupedal pokemon with bright blue eyes, short stubby legs, and a dark blue bow tie on its chest. The second was a fluffy, cream-colored sheep pokemon with a blue face and legs, as well as two pink bows on its conical ears. They were desperately trying to shield the third pokemon- a much smaller blue dinosaur-like pokemon with fuzzy black fur that covered its head and neck, obscuring its vision. It wore only a white napkin-like cloth that was wrapped around its lower body (the pokemon equivalent of a diaper?, Hope thought to herself), and it was wailing its tiny head off.


    A much larger pokemon was looming over the three children. It looked like a cross between a bat and a scorpion, with large bat-like wings and a bat-like head, but a tail that closely resembled a scorpion¡¯s stinger and two pincers. Its eyes glowed a blood red, and an ethereal blue aura was swirling around it.


    Hope couldn¡¯t place it, but something about that larger pokemon felt¡­ off. Its glowing crimson eyes, that odd blue aura¡­ that didn¡¯t feel natural.


    ¡°We found them.¡± Klaw whispered very quietly.


    ¡°Now, now, little ones. You don¡¯t have to make such a ruckus.¡± the feral gliscor murmured. ¡°Just stand down and let me do the job. It will only hurt for a little bit, and the Great Ones will be very pleased with your sacrifice.¡± Its voice sounded strangely warped, as if it was underwater. Yet another oddity, Hope thought to herself. All of the other feral pokemon she had come across were only able to make animalistic noises, so the fact that this one was speaking words at all, let alone full-on sentences, was odd in of itself. The warped quality just made it even more odd. Something has to be up with this gliscor...


    ¡°W-we¡¯re not letting you kill us!¡± the small silver pokemon cried out, his voice shaky.


    ¡°Y-yeah!¡± the fluffy sheep pokemon chimed in. ¡°W-we¡¯re staying alive, y-you hear us, y-you big freak?¡± she said, her voice also shaky.


    The blue dinosaur pokemon¡¯s wailing increased in pitch by at least an octave.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± The feral gliscor¡¯s mouth stretched out into a sickening smile. It raised up one of its pincers, which began to glow a bright red. ¡°How cute.¡± It began to lower its pincer, preparing to strike.


    All three young pokemon cried out in fear.


    ¡°Stop right there!¡± Hope called out, jumping out of the shadows. Klaw and Dewey quickly flanked her sides.


    The gliscor let its pincer relax, and it and the two older kids turned to face them. ¡°What do we have here?¡± the gliscor mused, gently flapping its wings so it could come closer to the new faces. ¡°Are you three trying to play heroes? I picked the most far-out altar I could think of, so I didn¡¯t think anyone but that feeble old man would be privy to what I was going to do.¡±


    ¡°You underestimated that ¡®feeble old man¡¯.¡± Hope said. Klaw and Dewey nodded from beside her. ¡°Seriously, you thought that he wouldn¡¯t at least try to seek out help?¡±


    The gliscor let out a loud sigh, the odd warping effect causing the sigh to echo throughout the room. ¡°Insolent brats.¡± It then spread out its wings and shot out its tail like a whip. Hope barely managed to dodge it. ¡°Looks like I¡¯ll have to take a little detour before I can appease the Great Ones.¡±


    Hope would have asked the gliscor what those ¡°Great Ones¡± it kept on talking about were exactly, but before she could do so, the gliscor let out a loud screech and swooped down. And just like that, the battle was on.


    The gliscor¡¯s pincer glowed blood red, just like it had done when threatening the children. It opened the pincer and slammed it down on the ground with reckless abandon, completely missing the trio by at least a whole foot.


    Klaw and Dewey¡¯s eyes widened upon seeing the attack. ¡°T-that¡¯s a G-guillotine!¡± Dewey cried out. ¡°I-if t-that hits a-any of u-us, w-we¡¯ll be d-done f-for!¡±


    The gliscor simply hissed and tried to land another Guillotine. It landed a bit closer to Hope this time, but still nowhere close to connecting successfully.


    Dewey jumped to the side and began to hold out his hands. Small ice crystals began to form in the center of his palms. They slowly built up, growing in his hands, until they resembled small shards. ¡°N-never t-thought that I w-would be g-grateful that D-daddy f-forced me to l-learn this m-move.¡± he muttered before firing the shards from his hands at the gliscor. They struck it straight in the right wing, causing it to screech in pain.


    From beside him, Klaw opened his mouth, and his teeth began to glow a bright white. He then leaped towards the gliscor, sinking his fangs into its left ear and jumping off only when the gliscor let out another screech of pain.. Hope rushed forward and slammed into the gliscor with her Tackle.


    Once again, the gliscor tried to land a Guillotine, this time aiming for Dewey. It missed by at least a mile. Hissing, it once again attempted to score a hit, focusing on Klaw, but missed yet again.


    Dewey fired off a Water Pulse, while Klaw once again leaped forward, this time using a Fire Fang. Both attacks connected squarely with the gliscor, which was now heavily beaten and bruised.


    Hope, meanwhile, was observing the gliscor¡¯s movements intently. Why has it only used Guillotine so far?, she thought to herself. Sure, the attack would have knocked any of them out instantly, but that was only if it landed, and this gliscor was terrible at aiming. The only way that attack could hit any of them was if they stood there and waited for it to hit them.


    And then an idea struck Hope.


    ¡°Hey, bat-brain!¡± she called out, jumping in front of the largest crystal in the altar. ¡°Over here!¡±


    The gliscor immediately turned its head toward her. With an increasingly warped screech, it swooped towards her, pincer glowing.


    ¡°Hope!¡± Klaw cried out.


    ¡°W-what in the n-name of G-giratina is s-she d-doing?¡± Dewey exclaimed. ¡°S-she¡¯s d-definitely g-going to g-get h-hit!¡±


    Hope simply stood there, her chest puffed up, watching the gliscor approach.


    Five¡­ four¡­ three¡­ two¡­


    Just before the Guillotine could strike Hope, she deftly jumped away, leaving the gliscor to collide into the crystal head-first. With a sickening thump, it hit the crystal, and then immediately collapsed. As it crumpled to the cave floor, the blue aura surrounding it dissipated like the morning fog.


    Klaw and Dewey stared at the gliscor, their mouths slack. Then, they turned to Hope.


    ¡°That was so cool.¡± Klaw said, a wide grin on his face.


    ¡°S-seriously, t-that was a-amazing.¡± Dewey said, also grinning.


    Hope smiled cheekily. She would have told them that it was nothing, but loud, gulping sobs snapped her attention back to the main focus of their mission.


    She turned around and faced the kids. The baby was still sobbing, but the two older ones had stopped trembling and were now looking at Hope, Klaw, and Dewey, eyes wide with wonder.


    ¡°Are you three alright?¡± she called out, walking towards them. Klaw and Dewey quickly joined her. ¡°That gliscor didn¡¯t hurt you at all, did it?¡±


    After a few moments of silence, the sheep pokemon finally spoke. ¡°N-no¡­¡± she said, her voice tiny. ¡°W-we¡¯re fine¡­¡±


    ¡°Did Grampappy really send you to save us?¡± the silver pokemon spoke next, narrowing his eyes.


    ¡°He sure did!¡± Klaw declared, swishing his tail back and forth.


    A few more moments of silence passed, the two older kids immediately leaped on the trio, babbling almost incoherent variations of ¡°thank you¡±. Even the baby somehow seemed to register that it was now safe, as it had finally stopped bawling and was now looking up at Hope with the cutest little eyes she had ever seen. Hope had tried to lean down to nuzzle it, her heart melting, but as soon as she did so, it bit her nose.


    The children giggled as Hope recoiled in shock. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. That¡¯s just how Nibbles shows affection.¡± the sheep pokemon snickered. ¡°That¡¯s why my uncle named him Nibbles. He bites everything.¡±


    Hope looked down at Nibbles, who was now squealing playfully, trying to get another nuzzle out of her. ¡°Fitting name.¡± she smiled. ¡°And you two are¡­ Cobalt and Tesla, right?¡± she asked, pointing to the silver pokemon and the sheep pokemon respectively.


    Cobalt and Tesla gaped at her. ¡°How do you know our names?¡± Cobalt asked.


    ¡°Violet told me.¡± Hope said softly.


    ¡°You guys know Violet?!¡± Tesla squealed.


    Hope nodded. ¡°She¡¯s waiting for you guys right now, outside of the cave.¡± she murmured.


    The children were now vibrating with excitement. Tesla was only able to still herself just long enough to ask, ¡°What are your names?¡±


    ¡°Us?¡± Hope smiled, placing a paw to her chest. ¡°I¡¯m Hope.¡± she said, before turning and nodding at her friends. ¡°And these are Klaw and Dewey.¡± Both Klaw and Dewey smirked and waved slightly in greeting.


    Admiration was seeping through Cobalt and Tesla¡¯s eyes now. ¡°Are you three in a rescue team?¡± Cobalt asked.


    Immediately, Hope, Klaw, and Dewey¡¯s moods took a downturn. ¡°N-no¡­¡± Hope said, trying her best to force a smile. ¡°But we hope to form one soon.¡±


    ¡°You guys are amazing!¡± Cobalt squealed.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to be the best rescue team ever! We just know it!¡± Tesla chimed in.


    Hope, Klaw, and Dewey immediately regained their smiles as the children started clambering over them again. But then a noise emanated from near the altar.


    ¡°Murrrrggggghhhh¡­¡±


    Hope, Klaw, and Dewey immediately snapped their heads around. Sure enough, the gliscor was stirring, slowly starting to shift around and get back up. ¡°Stay back,¡± Hope ordered the kids, her, Klaw, and Dewey immediately shifting back into their battle positions. The kids complied, their eyes fearful again.


    When the gliscor opened its eyes- which were now a bright yellow instead of crimson red- and steadied itself, it did not hiss at them or try to attack them again. Instead, it simply blinked dazedly, trying to scan the room. ¡°W¡­.where am I?¡± it muttered softly. The warping in its voice was gone, and it now sounded more feminine.


    Hope, Klaw, and Dewey blinked in confusion. ¡°Are you being serious right now?¡± Hope asked.


    The gliscor returned their blinks of confusion. ¡°Yes¡­ I am being serious. Where am I? And who are all of you?¡± it- she asked.


    ¡°These three,¡± Klaw said, gesturing to the children, ¡°are the kids you just kidnapped and tried to sacrifice to some weird ¡®Great Ones¡¯ in a cave. And we are the ones who are saving them.¡±


    Silence. Then the gliscor¡¯s face slowly contorted into an expression of horror.


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± she asked. ¡°Did I really do that?¡±


    Hope, Klaw and Dewey nodded.


    Suddenly, tears began to fall down the gliscor¡¯s face, and she stared at her own pincers in horror. ¡°Oh my Arceus¡­¡± she murmured in shock.


    This reaction convinced Hope, Klaw, and Dewey that the gliscor was no longer a threat, and they dropped their stances and slowly reached out to her. ¡°W-what h-happened?¡± Dewey asked. ¡°W-what c-caused you to a-attack these k-kids?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember¡­¡± the gliscor whispered, still staring at her pincers.


    ¡°What?!¡± Klaw exclaimed. ¡°What do you mean, you don¡¯t remember?¡±


    The gliscor blinked, as if it had just come to a realization. ¡°I was outside in my garden, picking some tamato berries to put in my salad,¡± she explained. ¡°But then, I heard a weird rumbling noise, and the sky¡­ cracked open.¡±


    ¡°Cracked open?¡± Hope asked in slight disbelief.


    ¡°Yes. A weird ripple just¡­ opened up in the sky.¡± the gliscor continued. ¡°I was curious about why it appeared, and it looked kind of pretty, so I flew up to investigate it. But when I touched it, a whole slew of voices started echoing in my head at once. That was the last thing I remembered before I blacked out¡­ and when I came to¡­ I was here.¡± she murmured. ¡°My name¡¯s Jupiter, by the way.¡± she said suddenly, almost as if it was an afterthought.


    Hope, Klaw, and Dewey stood there, speechless. Then they turned to each other.


    ¡°So this gliscor- sorry, Jupiter- kidnapped three kids because a cosmic ripple possessed her and told her to do so?¡± Klaw hissed.


    ¡°She seems genuine enough.¡± Hope murmured. ¡°And it would explain a lot about her appearance and behavior before we defeated her. Did you guys not notice that blue aura surrounding her? That must have been from the ripple.¡± Hope said.


    ¡°W-why w-would a r-ripple open up i-in the s-sky, t-though? A-and w-why would it p-possess p-pokemon?¡± Dewey asked.


    The trio considered this for a bit before a loud cry caught their attention. They turned around to see Nibbles crying out again, with Cobalt and Tesla shielding him from Jupiter. She was trying to pat their heads, mumbling faint apologies, but every time she tried to touch them, they recoiled further back.


    Jupiter looked at Hope with tears clouding her eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I did this.¡± she murmured. ¡°I love children. I would never dream of hurting them. I didn¡¯t mean to hurt them. I¡­¡± A loud choking sob escaped her body, and she buried her face in her pincers.


    Hope turned to her friends. ¡°I think we should go.¡± she murmured. ¡°The others might start to get worried if we take any longer.¡±


    ~~~~~~~~~~


    ¡°GRAMPAPPY!¡± Cobalt and Tesla squealed.


    The two bounded forward, crossing the entrance of the cave in just two strides and leaping towards their grandfather. From his perch upon Hope¡¯s back (where he had climbed on as soon as the group started to leave and had refused to let go for the entire hour-long trek back), Nibbles squealed in joy.


    ¡°Cobalt! Tesla!¡± Solomon cried out in joy.


    Hope caught up to the two children, a wide grin forming on her face. She gently laid down and allowed Nibbles to roll off of her back. ¡°I think that¡¯s all of them.¡± she said.


    ¡°Nibbles! Mah babies! You brought them back!¡± Solomon cried. ¡°Thank you! From the bottom of my heart, thank you!¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be an aipom¡¯s uncle.¡± a gruff voice boomed from behind her. Hope turned around to see Spike walking towards her. ¡°You actually brought them back.¡± he muttered, looking around. ¡°Don¡¯t see your little pals, though¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re here!¡± a more distant voice sounded out.


    Hope and Spike turned to see Klaw and Dewey emerge from the cave, dragging Jupiter by her tail behind them. The poor pokemon had become so inconsolable that she refused to budge from her spot in the cave, forcing Klaw and Dewey to drag her.


    Spike¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You brought the feral gliscor back with you????¡± he roared, causing Cobalt, Tesla, and Violet (who had immediately ran over and was now eagerly chatting with her friends) to jump.


    Hope¡¯s ears flattened. ¡°Actually....¡± she murmured, before telling Jupiter¡¯s story to Spike.


    When she was finished, Spike narrowed his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s the biggest load of tauros shit I¡¯ve ever heard.¡± he growled.


    Hope opened her mouth to respond, but movement from the corner of her eyes distracted her. She turned to see that Jupiter had waddled over to Solomon and his grandchildren.


    ¡°You¡¯re the grandfather of these kids, right?¡± Jupiter asked.


    ¡°That I am.¡± Solomon responded distrustfully, his grandchildren cowering behind him.


    ¡°I just wanted to say¡­ that I¡¯m sorry.¡± Jupiter breathed. ¡°I swear I didn¡¯t mean to do what I did to them. I know you¡¯ll never forgive me, but it would eat me up if I didn¡¯t at least say it.¡± A stream of tears was running down her face.


    Solomon¡¯s eyes softened, and he reached out a hand to pat Jupiter on the head as she sobbed again.


    ¡°Well, at least he buys it.¡± Spike murmured. But his eyes had softened a little as well.


    ¡°SPIKE! SPIKE!¡±


    A loud yelling noise began to echo down the hill. Hope, Klaw, and Dewey watched as the red and blue dragon pokemon with the deformed arm who had accompanied them bolted down the slope, panting heavily.


    ¡°What is it, Private?¡± Spike asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s them!¡± Private panted. ¡°They¡¯re here! They came back to fetch their kids!¡±


    Spike¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°For the love of Arceus...¡± he muttered.


    ¡°Who¡¯s the-¡± Hope cut herself off when she looked at Klaw and Dewey¡¯s faces. They were frozen in place, staring up at the top of the hill, their faces covered in fear.


    And when Hope followed their gazes up to the top of the hill, she, too, froze in fear.


    Because there was no mistaking those two silhouettes, towering above them, faces contorted in malicious glee.


    Scorch and Riptide had found them.

 Chapter Seven: The Homosapien-Inator 5000

    The ¡°trip¡± back to the Absolute Zero Syndicate was almost a complete blur for Hope. She could just barely remember Sneaks trying to lunge at Scorch and Riptide, missing clear by a mile. She could remember the stunned looks on Cobalt, Tesla, and Violet¡¯s faces as their newfound heroes were suddenly whisked away by two big, scary looking pokemon.


    Strangely, Hope could remember Spike¡¯s confrontation with Scorch and Riptide much better. She could clearly hear his roar as he sauntered up to Scorch and Riptide, face contorting into a snarl. ¡°Let those kids go!¡± he had roared.


    ¡°And why should we?¡± Scorch had purred, a sickening smile crossing his face.


    ¡°Because they did nothing wrong, that¡¯s why!¡± Spike snarled.


    ¡°Why should you be the one to decide whether what they did was right or wrong?¡± Riptide cooed. ¡°That¡¯s not your responsibility. That¡¯s our responsibility as their parents.¡±


    Spike clenched his fist and let out a long, low growl. He looked like he was trying to say something, but it seemed like something was holding him back. His livelihood was dependent on the AZS, after all, and speaking out against two of their highest-ranking members was a surefire way to lose that livelihood.


    The thing she remembered most clearly, though, were Klaw and Dewey¡¯s reactions. It was almost like they had reverted into infants, their pleading and begging slowly devolving into straight-up sobbing and wailing. Her heart ached for her friends, but she knew that she was powerless to help them. After all, there was no telling what Scorch and Riptide, let alone Polaris, would do to her if she spoke up. So she simply kept quiet, letting their screeches wash over her like waves crashing particularly hard onto a beach during a very violent storm.


    Hope didn¡¯t know how long it took for them to reach the syndicate. It might have been just a few minutes, or it might have taken almost a week. Everything just bled into each other, lines blurring into each other so much that Hope could barely distinguish what was around her. However long it took, they did eventually arrive back at the Absolute Zero Syndicate.


    The first thing Hope noticed as they reentered the building were three familiar figures. The Pursuers were waiting in the main lobby for them, their arms crossed in anticipation.


    Scorch and Riptide grabbed onto Hope simultaneously and flung her down on the ground in front of the Pursuers. She crashed to the floor with a thud!, immediately sending a ripple of pain up her right front leg. Hope tried to regain her footing, but the pain was so strong that she immediately fell back down to the floor again. Seeing this caused Scorch and Riptide to let out loud, maniacal laughs.


    Crim looked down at Hope, his eyes narrowed. ¡°So we¡¯re just supposed to take her to the boss¡¯s room, right?¡± he asked.


    The boss being mentioned was enough to finally break Hope, and tears started falling down her face. She remembered what Klaw and Dewey had told her during their mission about Polaris¡¯s obsession with humans and their supposed mystical powers. Now she was going to be at his mercy.


    ¡°What about the boys?¡± Shade asked, pointing to Klaw and Dewey with a sadistic smirk on her face. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be easier for you to punish all three of them at the same time? Why bother the boss?¡±


    ¡°The boss personally requested us to let him handle the girl¡¯s punishment.¡± Riptide responded.


    ¡°And besides, she isn¡¯t our child.¡± Scorch chimed in. ¡°So having her in the mix might mess up our¡­ father-son bonding time.¡± he continued, looking over his shoulder at said sons.


    Klaw and Dewey had cried and thrashed around so much during the return back that it had expanded their energy, effectively causing them to pass out. Dewey was slung over Scorch¡¯s right shoulder, and Klaw was slung over Riptide¡¯s left shoulder. Their eyes were closed, but still very puffy from all of the crying they had been doing, and their bodies were limper than worn-out dolls.


    Seeing her friends in this state made even more tears fall down Hope¡¯s face. Klaw and Dewey had mentioned their fathers giving them the ¡°special treatment¡± many times in the past, and now it seemed like they were about to go through it again. And she would be powerless to help them.


    Dart let out a high pitched, nasally cackle, pointing to Hope as he did so. Crim looked over at Dart before looking back at Hope. ¡°Dart says that you need to stop acting like a baby and suck those tears back into your eyes,¡± he said. ¡°His words, not mine.¡±


    Hope badly wanted to say something snarky to Dart, but she knew that even if she was in good shape, talking back would result in her losing a body part or two. All she could do was stare down at her front paws- one of which was now severely swollen from the fracture she had sustained earlier- with tears continuing to flow down her face.


    Crim picked Hope up by the leg using one of his pincers. The leg that Crim just so happened to choose, though, was the one that had been broken. Another cracking noise resounded through the lobby, and another ripple of pain shot up Hope¡¯s leg. She let out a small whimper as she tried to curl up and shield her leg from any more damage, but the way Crim was letting her dangle (watching her with amusement like she was a toy he was playing with all the while) made it impossible for her to do so.


    ¡°What are we waiting for, friends?¡± Crim asked Shade and Dart. ¡°Let¡¯s take her down to the boss¡¯s room.¡±


    Hope tried to straighten herself up again, but her efforts were immediately made for naught when Crim whipped around and began walking, Hope still dangling from his claw and Shade and Dart not too far behind.


    Scorch and Riptide began walking away as well with Klaw and Dewey still slung over their shoulders, talking excitedly and letting out the occasional maniacal laugh the whole while. All Hope could do was stare in horror and sadness as her two best friends were taken around the corner and soon disappeared, heading off to have who-knows-what done to them by their own fathers.


    As Hope was being carried down the stairs and through the hall, Crim lifted his pincer so that Hope could make eye contact with him. ¡°I do have to say, it¡¯s rare that someone goes against Scorch and Riptide¡¯s orders within their first day at the syndicate. I unfortunately must give you credit for that.¡± he muttered, his eyes narrowing intensely. ¡°But I still don¡¯t get why the boss is paying so much attention to you out of all pokemon. First you having an audience with him when you first arrived, and now he insists that he should be the one to punish you alone¡­¡±


    As he kept walking, Crim¡¯s eyes narrowed even more, to the point where they were practically slits. He kept on staring at Hope intently, looking her up and down. ¡°Now that I think about it, Scorch and Riptide never told us where you came from.¡± he murmured. He tried to make his tone sound friendly, like a teacher asking a new student to share some fun facts about themself, but there was a slight edge to his tone that betrayed his true intentions- his intentions to dig deep into Hope¡¯s psyche and expose all of her deepest, darkest secrets.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    Hope remembered what Klaw and Dewey had said about Polaris and his obsession with humans. It was safe to assume that every other pokemon within the Absolute Zero Syndicate had bought into Polaris¡¯s conspiracy theories about humans and their special powers. And that included Crim and the rest of the Pursuers.


    Considering that Polaris already knew her secret, it may have been futile for Hope to keep hiding that she was a human from the other members of the Absolute Zero Syndicate. But she didn¡¯t want to give up the last semblance of freedom that she had. She didn¡¯t want everyone in the Absolute Zero Syndicate to have control over her life.


    Crim¡¯s gaze still remained firmly trained on Hope. His eyes never broke contact with hers, piercing into every part of her psyche.


    After what felt like four eternities, Crim finally opened his mouth.


    ¡°...Guess we¡¯ll just have to wait and see what happens to her after the boss is done with her.¡± Crim said, looking at Shade and Dart. ¡°Don¡¯t want to¡­ jump to conclusions just yet.¡±


    Dart let out a grotesque cackle of affirmation, and the Pursuers continued their navigation.


    Hope had no idea how to feel about these new developments. At least Crim had stopped staring her down, but what he said about ¡®waiting until after the boss was done with her¡¯ made her feel even more queasy. And from the part about ¡®not jumping to conclusions¡¯ made it seem that he had an idea of what she really was.


    The group was fast approaching Polaris¡¯s room now, walking through the same hallways that Scorch and Riptide had led Hope down just a day ago. She had been very uneasy that first day, but there had at least been a dash of curiosity about the situation sprinkled in. Now all she felt was dread, swirling around and sticking to the edges of every organ in her body like the pollution tar puddles in Dead Space.


    The massive crystal door with the giant AZS symbol emblazoned on it was fast approaching now. Hope was becoming even more anxious now. Thoughts of what Polaris would do to her were now swirling through her mind, each successive one more gruesome than the last. The fear was almost enough to make the throbbing pain in her leg completely disappear. She curled up as tightly as she could, trying her best to make the bad thoughts go away.


    The anxiety had gotten so strong that Hope didn¡¯t even notice that they had actually reached the door, and that Crim had grabbed on to the door handle and swung it open.


    When Hope next looked up, they were standing in the middle of Polaris¡¯s room. The boss himself was sitting on his throne, sipping a glass of Oran Brew and looking very pleased with himself. Next to him was a large machine of some sort. It appeared to be made out of pure steel and had three major parts. The bottom was perfectly cube shaped and had two buttons on it- one white and one black- and an odd appendage extended from the frontmost side of the cube, looking like a large human hand. On the top side of the cube was a flat rectangular monitor.


    ¡°Lovely to see you again, Hope.¡± Polaris¡¯s eyes narrowed with delight. ¡°Let¡¯s begin, shall we? Crim, place her down next to the machine.¡±


    Crim silently did as told, placing Hope down (gently this time, thankfully) next to the machine¡¯s hand-like appendage.


    ¡°This,¡± Polaris said, inching his grubby little body forward so he could ¡°gesture¡± to the machine, ¡°is the Homosapien-inator 5000. My pride and joy.¡± A sick ¡°smile¡± crossed his tiny mouth. ¡°The Homosapien-inator 5000, when attached to the head of any pokemon, can read and manipulate their brain waves. You may not know this, young Hope, but my research shows that humans are-¡±


    ¡°Extremely special and have special powers that let them control other pokemon.¡± The words fell out of Hope¡¯s mouth without her even realizing, but at this point she didn¡¯t even care. She was tired and in pain. So, so much pain.


    Polaris¡¯s eyes widened, but they quickly narrowed as he ¡°smiled¡± again. ¡°I see that Klaw and Dewey have told you what my work is about. Foolish little whelps.¡±


    If Hope was in better shape, she would have tackled Polaris right then and there for insulting her friends. But alas, she was not in good shape, so all she could do was lay there.


    Polaris continued, ¡°Anyways, I am going to use the Homosapien-inator 5000 to see if I can activate your latent human powers by manipulating your brain waves. And when I do¡­¡± An odd expression crossed Polaris¡¯s face. ¡°I can control you and use your powers for myself! I will finally be able to take over the continent, rule it as its supreme overlord, and finally fulfill my birthright! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!¡±


    Polaris continued laughing maniacally while Hope, Crim, Shade, and Dart simply stared at him. The expressions of Crim, Shade, and Dart¡¯s faces were more akin to amusement. Hope¡¯s expression, on the other hand, was filled with nothing but terror. That machine can control my mind?!, she thought to herself. This was bad. This was really, really bad.


    ¡°So she was a human after all¡­¡± Shade whispered to Crim and Dart.


    Dart let out another sickeningly high-pitched laugh.


    ¡°Dart¡¯s right. Let¡¯s wait until the Homosapien-inator 5000 has been tested.¡± Crim whispered back. He wasn¡¯t looking at Shade and Dart, though; he was looking straight at Hope, his eyes narrowed in a mixture of disgust, anger, and¡­ fear? If all of this propaganda was true, then Crim being scared would actually make a lot of sense, but regardless, it was still a bit funny to Hope that someone as powerful and scary as Crim would be afraid of her.


    Polaris¡¯s expression had hardened. ¡°Crim, move the probe onto the girl¡¯s head.¡± he ordered, his voice suddenly becoming flat and dropping down an octave. ¡°Shade, Dart, go over to the side of the machine.¡±


    The Pursuers quickly complied with Polaris¡¯s instructions. When Crim pushed the probe onto Hope¡¯s head, it immediately dug into her fur and tightened, causing her head to pulse with pain.


    ¡°Now, Dart. Press the white button.¡± Polaris commanded.


    With a nasally cackle, Dart raised his long red claw and jabbed it into the button.


    Hope¡¯s skull was immediately filled with pain. Her vision became like a disco ball- bright colors were constantly flashing. A fuzzy feeling began to pervade her entire head, like she was a stuffed toy being filled to the brim with cotton, and her non-broken legs began to shake violently.


    Then, everything began to fade out. A bright white light began to glow brighter in the center of her vision. It drew closer and closer to Hope, and it seemed to be¡­ speaking.


    Give up, little one, it seemed to be saying. Just look right into me and all of this pain will be over.


    That sounded so tempting to Hope. Between the probe digging into her head, her broken leg, and the thought of what Scorch and Riptide were doing to Klaw and Dewey, she was in a lot of pain, both physically and mentally. She just wanted it to be over more than anything.


    She relaxed her body and let the light inch closer and closer.


    Wait a minute!


    A voice suddenly started yelling. It sounded like Hope, but it was also definitely not Hope. The voice sounded a bit deeper- like an adult woman¡¯s voice instead of a girl¡¯s voice- and it had a distinct reverbnation to it.


    That ¡°light¡± is Polaris trying to take control of your mind!, the voice cried out. Don¡¯t go toward it! Fight back and break free, no matter how painful it may be!


    Hope¡¯s resignation quickly disappeared upon hearing these words, and in its place was a fiery determination to resist the light. She started to push back the light. It was incredibly painful, but she tried her hardest.


    The light began to fade away slowly. It became smaller and smaller, shrinking back farther and farther.


    Finally, the light disappeared, and Hope dropped to her feet, panting heavily.


    She was back in Polaris¡¯s room, with Polaris and the Pursuers staring down at her. The Pursuers looked stunned, but Polaris¡¯s expression was very neutral.


    A drop of red liquid splattered onto the floor, landing down right in front of Hope. Stunned, Hope gingerly raised and pressed her right paw to her forehead. It was damp and sticky. When she removed her paw from her forehead and looked at it, she saw that it was now covered in the same red sticky liquid.


    Blood.


    Seeing her paw all bloody made an intense wave of fear shoot through Hope¡¯s body, even more intense than the one that had gripped her when Polaris revealed the intentions behind the Homosapien-inator 5000. Hope was absolutely terrified of blood. She didn¡¯t know how exactly she knew that, but some primordial instinct within her was telling her to be terrified of the metallic smelling red liquid.


    ¡°...You¡¯re more resilient than I thought you would be.¡± Polaris finally said after a long period of silence. ¡°That¡¯s just fine by me, though. This is the first time this machine has been put to use, after all. And besides, we¡¯ll have plenty more opportunities to break you yet.¡±


    Hope blinked slowly. ¡°W...what do you mean by that?¡± she asked, her voice still groggy from what she had just gone through.


    ¡°Oh? Did Scorch and Riptide not tell you? How rude of them.¡± Polaris chuckled. ¡°After that little stunt you and the runts pulled, we decided that it would be best to permanently isolate you from them.¡±


    The world seemed to stop spinning right then and there.


    ¡°I have prepared an unused guest room where I will be keeping you while we conduct more trial runs.¡± Polaris continued. ¡°Meanwhile, those boys will finally be molded into the enforcers that they were born to be! Everybody wins!¡±


    Polaris kept on rambling deliriously, but his words just sounded like white noise to Hope. She was going to have to go through this pain again and again and again. And she would have to go through it in complete isolation, without her friends there to support her through it. And they would be going through just as pain as she would.


    It almost made her wish that she had gone into the light.

 Chapter Eight: Normans Gambit

    The passage of time had become almost nonexistent to Hope. She had no idea how long she had spent under Polaris¡¯s thumb. The days just seemed to bleed together: the sunrises and the sunsets seemed to be the same thing now. Or not. After all, Hope hadn¡¯t been outside since her return from Silicon Cave. She had no idea if the sun was even around anymore. Wouldn¡¯t put it past the Absolute Zero Syndicate to have created a freaky machine to pluck it out of the sky or something. Just like the machine that they had been using to completely wreck her body for who knows how long.


    Polaris had refined, rebuilt, and retested the Homosapien-inator 5000 on Hope way too many times for her to be able to count. Time and time again she had been subjected to the pain and suffering that the machine wrought against her, and yet somehow, she still managed to resist its calls every time. There were times when she just wanted to let the torment end and give into the light, but through sheer stubbornness and perseverance, she bore her way through the pain and made it out on the other side every single time.


    She had mentally muscled through the effects of the Homosapien-inator 5000 so many times that the fur around her head had been completely seared off. Where the fur should have been was now a ringlike scar circling her head, filled with a thick layer of partially clotted blood. The sight of all that blood disgusted Hope so much that she was barely able to look into the shiny, reflective surfaces of all the crystal objects in Polaris¡¯s room, which were the closest thing to mirrors within the prison that was the bottom floor of the Absolute Zero Syndicate. Seeing how basically everything in Polaris¡¯s room was made out of crystals, it was almost impossible to avoid her own reflection.


    The rest of her body wasn¡¯t in much better condition. Her right leg was still broken, and the lack of treatment had caused it to swell up considerably. It had gotten to the point where she was forced to drag her leg around instead of limping on it. The friction between the floor and her injured leg caused the fur on her leg to be rubbed clean off. Without the fur to protect her, Hope could clearly see the broken blood vessels peeking through her exposed skin, and it made her sick.


    Even worse than her physical state, though, were the conditions she was being kept in and the resulting effects they had on her mental state. The room Polaris said that he had ¡°set up for her¡± turned out to be an abandoned, decrepit storage room all the way at the far end of the hallway. The walls and floor were damp and covered in mold. Puddles of who knows what pooled in the corner. Hope was only given a large, clear plastic lid covering to serve as her ¡°bed¡±, and the coldness of the floor seeped through the plastic and shot through her body, sending chills throughout the center of her bones. The room didn¡¯t have a light switch (or it did and Polaris was purposefully telling his goons to not turn it on), so at all hours of the day, Hope was completely shrouded in darkness.


    The worst part about her conditions, though, was how thin the ceiling was. It seemed as if Polaris had deliberately thinned the ceiling of the room on purpose, as the room was directly below wherever Klaw and Dewey were being kept by Scorch and Riptide. Every day and every night, Hope had to listen to Scorch and Riptide savagely beating their own children- her best friends. Meaty thwacks and echoing popping noises reverberated throughout the room, intermingled with peals of psychopathic laughter from Scorch and Riptide and loud, hiccuping sobs from Klaw and Dewey.


    ¡°Papa, Daddy, please stop¡­¡±


    ¡°I-it hurts¡­ it h-hurts so much¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re sorry¡­ we¡¯re so, so sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°W-we w-won¡¯t do s-something l-like that ever a-again¡­¡±


    ¡°Just stop doing this to us¡­ stop hurting us¡­¡±


    Sentences like those wafted down from the room above through the ceiling into Hope¡¯s ears. They kept her up into the wee hours of the night and provided constant background noise for whenever she wasn¡¯t being tested on during the day. There were no tall structures (or many structures at all) within the room, so Hope had no way to climb towards the ceiling and reassure Klaw and Dewey that things would get better. All she could do was lay there, her legs awkwardly and painfully splayed out on the plastic lid, and sob profusely at the plight of her friends and her own plight.


    At least, that¡¯s what she did at the beginning. She had been crying for so long that her eyes were completely dry now, and no matter how sad she felt, she couldn¡¯t force a single droplet of slightly salty water from them. So now instead of sobbing, she just laid on that stupid lid and swam silently in her infinite pain and sadness.


    The sole bright spot in Hope¡¯s life right now was that, three times a day, Norman would come visit her to deliver food and water. It wasn¡¯t good food and water in the slightest-  the water was tepid and heavily metallic tasting, while the food was just some strange meat-like substance, some wilted vegetables, and some disgusting-smelling ¡°sauce¡± mixed together to form a sloppy gruel that strongly resembled poop in both smell and texture. But Norman¡¯s presence was soothing to Hope. Now that she was being kept separate from Klaw and Dewey, Norman was the only pokemon in this prison of a mansion to still treat her with kindness and respect.


    Whenever he came to drop off Hope''s sustenance, he would lean down onto the dirty floor and gently wrap his arms around Hope in a loving embrace. ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­ it¡¯s okay¡­¡± he would murmur as Hope would bury her head into his short yet downy fur.


    When Norman first showed up to give Hope her meal, back when she still had some spunk remaining in her, she had demanded with vigor to know why he wouldn¡¯t help her escape. ¡°You¡¯re on my side, aren¡¯t you?¡± she had asked with tears filling her eyes.


    Norman¡¯s expression had hardened as he turned his attention to a spot of dirt on the floor that looked strikingly similar to a mango. There was a mixed range of emotions in his eyes; there was some sadness, but there was also a bit of anger. ¡°I wish I could, young Hope¡± he had murmured softly. ¡°But my family depends on me to bring in money. My parents are very elderly and sick, and they dearly need the support from this job.¡± As Noman spoke, though, a conflicted shadow loomed over his face, as if he was trying to convince himself that what he was doing truly was the right thing to do. ¡°If I go against Polaris, then I will most certainly be killed, and then my parents won¡¯t have enough money to continue their medical treatments¡­¡± he continued, his voice strained.


    At first, Hope had been angry at Norman¡¯s reluctance to help her. He disliked the AZS as much as she did, after all! But as the passage of time became more and more indistinguishable to her, she became more understanding. Norman was his own pokemon, with his own personal needs and desires. Why would he want to devote his time to helping out a useless child like her?


    Now, as she lay uncomfortably on the plastic lid and stared at the blank walls, Hope came to the conclusion that the situation she was currently in was inescapable. Almost everybody within the AZS was completely on Polaris¡¯s side, and the few who were sympathetic to her were either getting tortured themselves or would be risking the safety of their family if they dared to help her. It was futile to resist any longer, Hope had decided. The next time that Polaris used the Homosapien-inator 5000 on her would be the last time that he would need to use it on her. She was finally going to give into the light and become Polaris¡¯s paw.


    Sure, whatever Polaris might do to other pokemon using her body could be disastrous. But it was a much better alternative to continuing to live in endless pain.


    Creeeaaaak¡­


    Out of the corner of her eye, Hope could faintly see the shoddy, half-broken door struggling to be forced open. ¡°Right on time¡± she whispered to herself dryly.


    The door finally gave into the resistance pushing against it, and it swung open with a loud THUD!


    Standing on the other side of the door were three pokemon. They were all older than Hope, but they weren¡¯t quite adults just yet.The first was a quadrupedal, bluish-green dinosaur-like pokemon with darker green patches all over its body. On its back was a large pink flower bud that closely resembled a tulip. Three large, somewhat jagged leaves kept the bud rooted in place. Around its neck was a large necklace made of dark purple gems that dragged on the floor a bit, and across its short, pudgy snout was a thin scar.


    The second pokemon was a bipedal, dark blue pokemon that resembled a cross between a dragon and a shark. The majority of its underside, extending from its lower jaw to its abdomen, was a bright red. The rest was a pale baby blue. It had four fins on its arms, back, and tail respectively, and two appendages resembling jet engines extended from the sides of its head. It wore a dark purple choker and had a thick scar across its stomach.


    The third and final pokemon was an orange and black bird pokemon. Its black beak was thin and sharp, and its belly was a pale gray. It had long black tail feathers with two white V-shaped markings on them, and the underside of its wings were a bright yellow. It wore a bright yellow bandana on its head, and part of its left wing had been torn off.


    All three pokemon stared at Hope with expressions of an indeterminable emotion.


    Hope found the strength to right herself up and look at the three pokemon. ¡°Hello Belladonna. Hello Atlas. Hello Phoenix.¡± she slurred slightly.


    Belladonna, Atlas, and Phoenix were junior members of the Absolute Zero Syndicate. According to Norman, they were the organization¡¯s most recent recruits, having joined the organization just a month before Hope had arrived in this world. They had been put in charge of escorting Hope to and from Polaris¡¯s room, as well as helping him operate the Homosapien-inator 5000.


    ¡°This will provide vital first-hand experience for what you will do as you rise the ranks of this glorious syndicate.¡± Polaris had explained.


    The trio was an¡­ interesting group. When Hope had first met them, they had seemed like every other member of the AZS.  The first time they had escorted Hope to Polaris¡¯s room, they spent the entire walk there whispering in hushed but excited voices about getting to see the ¡°great Polaris¡± in person for the first time ever. Upon hearing that they not only would get a front-row seat to the testing of Polaris¡¯s newest invention but would have a hand on carrying out said testing, their eyes had widened and became starry. They had ogled the machine with wonder and awe, looking at every button as if it was some kind of precious jewel. Just making eye contact with Polaris would cause this trio to start stuttering.


    But the moment Atlas first pressed the white button and the Homosapien-inator 5000 began to do its job on Hope, something changed. When Hope came to after resisting the light and her eyes trailed over to the new recruits, she was stunned to see that the expressions on their faces were now expressions of horror. Their feet were planted rigidly to the floor, and it appeared that their breaths had gotten caught inside of their lungs. As Hope absentmindedly raised her good front paw to her head and wiped the mixture of fresh blood and clotted scar tissue away from her forehead, Belladonna let out an audible gasp of horror. This caused Polaris to send an icy glare in Belladonna¡¯s direction, after which she changed her expression to a wide but uneasy smile.


    Since then, the trio of new recruits had become much more uneasy around both Polaris and Hope. Now, instead of whispering about how cool Polaris was and how much of a dream come true it was to work with him, they whispered about how they weren¡¯t expecting the methods he used to be so cruel.


    ¡°All of the recruitment posters said that Polaris¡¯s interrogation methods were some of the least violent out of all the crime syndicates on the continent.¡± Phoenix had whispered, his tail feathers fluffed out in discomfort.


    ¡°It was foolish of us to believe that.¡± Atlas responded, grinding his arm fins together as he spoke. ¡°Come on now, this is supposed to be the strongest crime syndicate in the world! The definitely didn¡¯t get that reputation by talking with their prisoners over sitrus tea and lum cookies.¡±


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    For a moment, Hope thought that maybe someone would finally be willing to be in her corner again. But then Belladonna spoke.


    ¡°Maybe¡­ this eevee here is just a¡­ special case.¡± she murmured softly, the leaves on her back drooping slightly. ¡°Since she was once a human, Polaris just treats her harshly to unlock her potential. I¡¯m sure he doesn¡¯t do that to all of the actual pokemon.¡±


    Atlas and Phoenix looked at Belladonna, their eyes narrowed in suspicion.


    ¡°Come on, guys! We¡¯ve spent our entire lives preparing to join this syndicate. Backing out after watching just one torture session would make us seem like wimps. Don¡¯t you think we should stick it out a bit longer?¡± Belladonna continued.


    After a few tense seconds of silence, Atlas and Phoenix finally relaxed. ¡°Guess you¡¯re right, Bella...¡± Phoenix muttered.


    ¡°We¡¯ve only been here a few weeks. Let¡¯s wait and see how bad it gets.¡± Atlas said quietly.


    And just like that, all of Hope¡¯s raised expectations were instantly dashed. She had been foolish to even get her hopes up in the first place. They¡¯ve probably been entrenched in Polaris¡¯s propaganda even before coming to the syndicate, she thought to herself. It won¡¯t take a single random pokemon being tortured to snap them out of it.


    From then on, Hope had become completely indifferent to Belladonna, Atlas, and Phoenix. It didn¡¯t matter how sometimes, after a torture session had been finished, that she would catch a glimpse of one, two, or sometimes all three members of the trio shedding light tears. It didn¡¯t matter how, sometimes on the walks to and from Polaris¡¯s room, Belladonna would extend a vine outward from her back and stroke it gently along Hope¡¯s fur in a gesture of comfort, or that Phoenix would always walk a little closer to Hope so that his naturally increased body head would keep her warmer, or that Atlas would sometimes make weird faces that Hope thinks are supposed to make her laugh. They would always fall back into what they felt was more comfortable in the end, which was to keep following the propaganda that had been drilled into their heads.


    Today, however, she was actually excited to see them. This time, they would be leading her to her freedom.


    Belladonna, Atlas, and Phoenix seemed a bit shocked to see Hope greeting them so readily. Belladonna smiled uneasily. ¡°Hello to you as well, Hope.¡± she responded. ¡°You seem¡­ brighter than usual today.¡±


    Hope tried her hardest to stand up, but the extreme swelling in her leg caused it to buckle and her to crash back down. ¡°Yes, I am brighter than usual. It¡¯s nice of you to notice. This is the last day I am going to have to deal with this, after all.¡±


    Belladonna, Atlas, and Phoenix looked at each other nervously. They then started whispering amongst each other in hushed yet agitated voices. Hope could hear the words ¡°okay¡±, ¡°deal¡±, and ¡°regret¡± in there, but couldn¡¯t make out anything else.


    After what felt like an eternity, the trio turned back and stepped forward towards Hope, with Belladonna gently extending a vine from the side of her body and using it to help Hope get to her feet. ¡°...Let¡¯s go, then.¡± she said.


    And with that, the trio and Hope were on their way to Polaris¡¯s room for the final time.


    When they made it to Polaris¡¯s room, Hope wrestled herself free from Belladonna¡¯s vines and limped towards the Homosapien-inator 5000, holding her head as high as she possibly could.


    ¡°My my my, Hope. You certainly look chipper today.¡± Polaris remarked from atop his crystal throne. Hope nodded happily in response.


    Belladonna, Atlas, and Phoenix walked over to the other side of the machine, each of them trembling a little with every step they took.


    Hope sat on the cold floor and straightened herself out as much as possible. Using one of her vines, Belladonna lowered the Homosapien-inator 5000¡¯s claw attachment onto Hope¡¯s head. Then, Atlas pressed the white button.


    The throbbing pain instantly returned, but Hope didn¡¯t care anymore. As she closed her eyes, she smiled softly and let the light draw closer and closer.  Finally, this would all be over.


    At least, that¡¯s what she thought, until suddenly a voice rang in her head.


    ¡°Hope! You must not give up like this! Stay strong!¡±


    Hope was immediately taken out of her bliss. That voice definitely wasn¡¯t hers. It was more adult-like, and sounded calm and motherly. She was sure it didn¡¯t belong to anyone she knew, but at the same time it felt¡­ so familiar.


    Then, another voice rang in her head.


    ¡°Yeah, come on, kid. We chose you for a reason. You aren¡¯t supposed to go down so quickly.¡±


    Okay, now that voice was most certainly not Hope¡¯s. That was a male voice. She might have assumed that she was hallucinating Klaw¡¯s voice due to the similar tinges of confidence in both of the voices, but this voice was an adult voice. Yet again, it was a voice that was unfamiliar yet faintly recognizable to Hope.


    And what was that the voice was saying about having chosen her? That definitely made it seem like it belonged to someone she was familiar with. But she couldn¡¯t for the life of her place where the voice came from.


    Suddenly, a tsunami of determination surged through Hope. Whoever these mysterious pokemon were, they had her back. They were rooting for her not to fail. So with all her might, she pushed back against the light.


    Soon, she had broken through the pain, and she was back in Polaris¡¯s room, with the boss looking down at her with a neutral expression. ¡°I thought these modifications would be the ones.¡± he murmured. ¡°Ah, no problem. We will get there eventually. Now go along now. Back to your room.¡±


    Polaris tried to keep his voice cheery, but a layer of fury was bubbling potently beneath the surface of his words.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it will work out next time, Sir Polaris!¡± Belladonna interjected, wrapping one of her vines around Hope¡¯s good front leg. ¡°We¡¯ll be on our way now!¡±


    Polaris¡¯s expression softened slightly. ¡°I guess you are right, Belladonna.¡± he crooned. ¡°You, Atlas, and Phoenix have been doing phenomenal work helping me test out this machine. This will prove to be quite useful for your future at the syndicate.¡±


    The expressions on the trio¡¯s face could only be described as true neutral.


    ¡°...T-thank you, Sir Polaris.¡± Belladonna stammered out. And just like that, she, along with her friends and Hope, left the room.


    ~~~~~~~


    Later that night, Hope lay on her plastic lid and listened to the sickening sounds of Klaw and Dewey being tortured by their fathers again. For the first time in a long time, an emotion other than sadness and hopelessness surged through her while listening to the cries of her friends. She had to get out of here somehow- not only to save her friends, but also to help out whoever had helped her get her courage back. She truly did owe them.


    But how was she going to do that?


    Just as she pondered that, the door upstairs creaked faintly, and the horrible noises stopped.


    Hope scrambled to her feet (ignoring how much her leg hurt in the process) and tilted her head upwards so that she could better hear what was going on. She couldn¡¯t quite make out what exactly was going on, but she could definitely hear whispering. After a while, loud footsteps sounded as multiple pokemon exited the room.


    It seemed as if whoever came into the room had asked Scorch and Riptide to come along with them for something. What that something was, Hope was unsure of. But with them out of the room, this was a perfect opportunity for her to go rescue Klaw and Dewey!


    Hope jumped up and dragged her broken leg across the floor in an attempt to reach the door. But before she could attempt to open it, it swung open on its own.


    ¡°Norman!¡± Hope exclaimed, flattening her body to the ground upon seeing the humanoid pokemon¡¯s stern eyes. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry! I wasn¡¯t intending on going anywhere. I-¡±


    Norman didn¡¯t say a single word. He just extended his right arm forward. A pink aura began to emanate from his palm, and a calming sensation consumed Hope.


    ¡°Norman¡­?¡± Hope asked, her voice trembling. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Suddenly, a feeling of pure rejuvenation began to surge through Hope.


    ¡°What¡¯s¡­¡± Hope was cut off by a clicking sensation in her broken leg. She lifted it up to her face to see that it was now good as new. It was no longer swollen and broken, and the fur on it had regrown. Stunned, Hope gingerly lifted her paw to her head and pressed it against where her ring-shaped scar should have been. She removed her paw from her head. No dried blood came with it.


    ¡°Norman¡­?¡± Hope asked


    ¡°I have never been more thankful that my mother forced me to learn Heal Pulse when I was a child.¡± Norman sighed. Then he smiled softly and looked down at Hope. ¡°Let¡¯s go now, Hope. I believe we have some friends to rescue.¡±


    A wide smile took over Hope¡¯s face, and without even thinking she jumped up and knocked Norman over.  ¡°Thank you, thank you, thank you¡­¡± she kept repeating.


    Norman grunted before pushing Hope off of him gently and standing back up. ¡°I truly don¡¯t deserve those thanks. I should have done this much sooner, and I was a coward to not act faster. All that matters now is saving young masters Klaw and Dewey and getting all three of you out of here.¡±


    Hope tried to say something, but was completely unable to. She had completely given up on Norman before this moment, after all. She simply just nodded and stepped out of the room, her tail held high in excitement. Norman dusted off his fur and followed her shortly after.


    ¡°Remember, Hope. You must be as quiet as possible right now. We don¡¯t want to alert anyone to our presence.¡± Norman said calmly as they tiptoed up the stairs and winded softly through the corridors.


    Hope tried her best to keep in line with Norman¡¯s advice, but she was so excited about finally getting to see her friends again and just having a shot at freedom that she unintentionally stomped around a bit climbing up the stairs, earning a harsh glare of disapproval from Norman in the process. Thankfully, they were able to make it to Scorch and Riptide¡¯s room without anyone noticing them.


    When they finally reached the room, which was on the far right side of the top floor, they gently pushed the door back and peeked around the corner. The room was filled with a vast number of machines, many of them having blades of some kind attached to them. There were also a few weights and a few targets strewn about the room. A large pull-out sofa was situated in the upper left corner of the room, and two very familiar shapes were laying on top of it.


    ¡°Klaw! Dewey!¡± Hope called out in worry, bounding over to the sofa. Norman followed closely behind.


    At the sound of Hope¡¯s voice, Klaw and Dewey gingerly lifted their heads up. Their faces were littered with poorly-healed scars that came in all shapes and sizes. Some of them were as small as pebbles, while others were as big as unripe oran berries. From what she could see in the dim light, caused by a half-working lamp nearby, the scars were also located across their entire bodies, staining them like sick-looking marker stains.


    The sight was almost enough to make Hope vomit up whatever little she had eaten that day.


    Klaw and Dewey tried to say something, but the simple act of opening their mouths just a little bit caused them to recoil in severe pain. Thankfully, Norman was there. He held out both of his arms this time so that he could use his Heal Pulse on both brothers at the same time, and though it took a bit of straining to deal with the severity of the wounds, eventually Klaw and Dewey were as good as new.


    ¡°HOPE!¡±, the two brothers yelled, jumping off of the sofa and tackling Hope in joy.


    ¡°Boys!¡± Norman scolded quietly. ¡°I get that you¡¯re excited, but please don¡¯t yell. We don¡¯t want to let your fathers know that you¡¯ve been healed.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± both brothers mumbled in unison. Then they both turned back towards Hope, their bodies trembling in excitement. ¡°I c-can¡¯t b-believe that you a-actually c-came to s-save us!¡± Dewey exclaimed, his voice more hushed this time.


    Hope¡¯s face fell. ¡°I¡­ was only able to do so because of Norman.¡± she admitted. ¡°Polaris really banged me up, both physically and mentally. I had almost given up hope, if I¡¯m being honest. But then Norman healed me, and I¡­¡± Tears began to stream down Hope¡¯s face.


    Klaw and Dewey brushed their tails across Hope¡¯s face comfortingly, not saying anything else. Then they turned back to Norman. ¡°Thank you so much, Norman.¡± Klaw and Dewey whispered in unison.


    Norman smiled softly and was about to say something, but was cut off by small footsteps pattering towards them.


    Hope whirled around to see three faces that had become all too familiar to her: Belladonna, Atlas, and Phoenix. They each had a medium-sized knapsack slung over their backs.


    Hope immediately fluffed out her tail and flattened her body to the ground, preparing for an attack, with Klaw and Dewey copying her out of instinct. Norman, however, simply nodded softly.


    ¡°Did you prepare the rations exactly how I asked you to?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Y-yes, Sir Norman.¡± Belladonna responded. ¡°Ten oran berries, five elixirs, and 1000 Poke each, right?¡±


    Norman nodded curtly in response, causing all three junior recruits to sigh with relief simultaneously.


    Hope was stunned. She relaxed herself and asked ¡°Are you three¡­?¡±


    Norman chuckled. ¡°Yes, they¡¯ve been helping me with this plan for a couple of weeks now.¡±


    Belladonna, Atlas, and Phoenix stepped forward and placed a knapsack in front of Hope, Klaw, and Dewey respectively. As she placed down her knapsack, Belladonna began to speak. ¡°Listen, we really regret helping Polaris out with your torture.¡± she spoke quietly and rapidly. ¡°We really regret joining the syndicate in general. If we knew what exactly they did to pokemon like you, we never would have joined. I know you¡¯ll probably never be able to forgive us, but-¡±


    Belladonna was cut off by Hope taking the pack and slinging it over her back. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I understand.¡± she said with a genuine smile on her face. I guess they are different from the other members after all, she thought to herself.


    Belladonna¡¯s eyes widened, and she nodded rapidly. Then, she and her friends turned around and disappeared into the darkness of the empty halls.


    Norman turned towards Hope, Klaw and Dewey and motioned to the halls himself. Klaw and Dewey slung their own packs over their backs, and the group began to make their way down to the entrance.


    When they finally reached the magnificent front doors, Hope was surprised to find that nobody was guarding them. ¡°I had Atlas and Phoenix distract the guards.¡± Norman explained before pressing a white button and letting the doors open.


    Klaw and Dewey looked up at Norman with wide eyes. ¡°I¡¯m really going to miss you, Norman.¡± Klaw murmured, with Dewey nodding beside him in agreement.


    Norman¡¯s eyes began to water. ¡°I am truly going to miss you both as well.¡± he murmured while wiping his eyes. ¡°But at the same time, I am so happy that you two are finally going to be able to achieve your dreams. I just know that the three of you are going to make a great rescue team, and I wish you nothing but the best of luck on your jour-¡±


    ¡°WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU¡¯RE DOING, NORMAN?!¡±


    Hope, Klaw and Dewey whirled around to see Scorch and Riptide charging down the hall, their eyes wide with fury. Hope could just barely make out Belladonna, Atlas, and Phoenix being dragged behind them and cowering in fear.


    Without even a second though, Norman stretched out his right hand. Sparks of bright light emanated from it, striking Scorch and Riptide straight in the eyes and causing them to stop in their tracks and grab their heads, yelling out in pain.


    ¡°Run! Now!¡± Norman called out, turning back to face Hope, Klaw, and Dewey.


    ¡°But-¡± Hope tried to say, not wanting anything bad to happen to Norman or the new recruits, but she was cut off.


    ¡°Just run!¡± Norman yelled.


    Hope swallowed and nodded quickly before turning around and dashing out of the doors, Klaw and Dewey following closely behind her.


    As she ran, she looked up at the full moon shining in the sky above her and felt the breeze going through her fur, and she smiled. She didn¡¯t even think to look back. She was finally free.

 Chapter Nine: Power Pass

    Hope had no idea how long she had been running for. Everything seemed to be a blur to her. As she zoomed by the endless amount of trees and rocks, she took a moment to process what had just happened.


    She couldn¡¯t believe that she had actually been able to escape from the Absolute Zero Syndicate. It wouldn¡¯t have even been possible if not for Norman, Belladonna, Atlas, and Phoenix, but at least she was finally free.


    The thought of Norman, Belladonna, Atlas, and Phoenix made her stomach twist into knots. They had all taken a major gambit to help her and her friends escape. The gambit had worked for them, but all four of them had been caught by Scorch and Riptide right at the very end.  She didn¡¯t even want to think about what was happening to them right now. At best, they were probably being tortured as brutally as she, Klaw, and Dewey had been just days ago. At worst, they were¡­


    No, Hope told herself, swallowing thick mucus back into her throat. Don¡¯t even think about that. It¡¯ll just end up distracting you. We have a place to go to now.


    A sharp blush rushed to Hope¡¯s cheeks. In all of the anxiety of the escape, she had nearly forgotten the reason for her escape- to go to the Ironheart Guild and form a rescue team with Klaw and Dewey.


    She turned to Klaw and Dewey, who were following closely behind her and running just as fast. ¡°Do we even know where we¡¯re going?¡± she inquired while tilting her head.


    Klaw and Dewey came to a screeching halt. ¡°U-ummmmm¡­ a-actually, we d-don¡¯t.¡± Dewey said, rubbing his head sheepishly.


    ¡°How are we going to know where the guild is then?¡± Hope demanded.


    Klaw and Dewey flinched and shrunk back upon hearing Hope¡¯s slightly raised tone. ¡°S-sorry¡­¡± Hope said apologetically, immediately flattening her ears. Scorch and Riptide must have done a real number on them.


    Fuck those guys, she thought to herself, surprising herself with her harsh language. I wish I was stronger or could find out how to undergo that ¡®evolution¡¯ process Klaw and Dewey were talking about during our mission in Silicon Cave. Then I could go back and beat their asses. Make them pay for what they did to my friends.


    A strong twinge of sympathy had also been struck in Hope¡¯s body at that moment. After all, after what Polaris had put her through at the Absolute Zero Syndicate, she didn¡¯t think she could look at anything with a claw-like appendage on it or anything resembling a robot again without shaking and vomiting profusely.


    Hope simply sighed and took her bag off of her back. ¡°Let¡¯s see if Belladonna put a map in here.¡± she murmured, ignoring the jolt of anxiety that shot through her stomach upon saying the dinosaur pokemon¡¯s name.


    After spending a bit of time pawing through the bag gently, Hope felt something thin and crinkly at the very bottom of the knapsack. ¡°Is this it?¡± she wondered aloud to herself as she carefully pulled the object out of the bag. It appeared to be a rolled-up sheet of paper, but when Hope unfurled it, she found that it was indeed a map, very similar to the one that Klaw and Dewey had used when they had first rescued her, even having the same AZS logo printed on the lower right corner of the map. That might end up being a problem later, a tiny voice in the back of Hope¡¯s head whispered. Right now, however, Hope didn¡¯t care. ¡°It is! There is a map in here!¡±, she cheered.


    Klaw and Dewey immediately perked up. ¡°Great!¡± Klaw cheered. ¡°Let¡¯s take a look!¡±


    The two friends walked over to Hope and peered down at the map. This map was considerably larger in scope than the map that Klaw and Dewey had used earlier- instead of showing a single area, it appeared to show an entire continent. A white line made of ink had been hastily drawn through the map, curving and twisting through the continent until finally stopping at an area marked with a giant star.


    Klaw and Dewey surveyed the map with strong intent. ¡°It looks like we¡¯re going the right way, at least.¡± Klaw said while smiling softly.


    Dewey nodded, but his small smile quickly turned into a frown. ¡°I-it l-looks like we h-have to go t-through P-power P-pass.¡± he said, pointing at a large dot on the map labeled Power Pass and marked with a red exclamation point.


    ¡°What¡¯s Power Pass?¡± Hope inquired while tilting her head.


    ¡°A Mystery Dungeon.¡± Klaw responded. ¡°And it''s supposed to be a pretty dangerous one at that. Not even the Pursuers like going in there.¡±


    ¡°But we went through Silicon Cave, right?¡± Hope said, her tail swishing back and forth. ¡°We have some experience! We shouldn¡¯t have too much trouble going through Power Pass.¡±


    Something in Hope¡¯s mind was telling her that the name Power Pass was important somehow, but she shook it off. They didn¡¯t have any more time to waste.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, guys!¡± Hope said cheerily. And with that, the trio began to set off.


    For the first time in a while, Hope was able to get a good look at her surroundings. The ground appeared to be heavily elevated, and rocks of all kinds littered the ground. As she walked, the ground became higher and higher, and the rocks were digging into her paw pads, cutting into them slightly. Hope grimaced as she felt tiny drops of blood ooze out of her body and onto the sharp stones. It reminded her too much of what she had gone through at the AZS, how that machine had torn into her head, ripped out all the fur, and made her bleed dry until there was nothing but scab tissue left, made her-


    Hope shook herself out of the sharp feeling of dread that had encroached on her suddenly. She didn¡¯t want to dwell on that feeling. The past was in the past. She was free now, and she was going to make it to the Ironheart Guild, and she was going to form a rescue team with Klaw and Dewey. That was all that mattered now.


    So Hope decided to change the subject. She turned to Klaw and Dewey and said ¡°Geez, what¡¯s up with this terrain? It¡¯s so¡­¡± Hope hesitated, struggling to find the right word to finish off her sentence.


    ¡°So¡­ what?¡± Klaw asked, tilting his head and giving Hope a playful grin.


    ¡°W-what are you t-trying to s-say?¡± Dewey said, his head also tilted and also with a smile on his face, though his was more encouraging.


    ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m just trying to think of the correct word.¡± Hope said. ¡°The ground is just so¡­ rocky? That¡¯s the best way I can describe it, at least.¡±


    Both Klaw and Dewey simultaneously let out small snorts. ¡°Well, duh. This place is called the Mountain Continent for a reason.¡± Klaw chuckles.


    Hope was now more confused than ever. ¡°Mountain Continent?¡± she inquired.


    A few seconds of silence passed before Klaw flattened his ears sheepishly. ¡°Sorry about that. I keep forgetting that you still don¡¯t know a lot about our world. With everything that¡¯s happened, I feel like you¡¯ve been here a lot longer than you actually have.¡±


    Hope¡¯s ears drooped at those words. After all that she had gone through recently, she had almost forgotten that she had only become a pokemon a few weeks ago. She was born and had spent most of her life as a human, but she felt as if she had been a pokemon for her entire life.


    The thought terrified her. She couldn¡¯t forget about her human life. Klaw and Dewey were incredibly nice, and she was excited to go to the guild and see more of this strange and wonderful world. But she couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that she had multiple people back in the human world who valued her presence and desperately missed her.


    Hope had to get back to them, no matter what the cost was.


    ¡°A-are you o-okay, H-hope? Y-you l-look like you j-just s-saw a g-ghost type p-pokemon.¡±


    Dewey¡¯s words jolted Hope out of her thoughts. Klaw and Dewey were looking at her with their heads tilted and quizzical expressions on their faces. Out of the corner of her eye, she could barely see her tail, which was fluffed up and bristling.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Hope lied. After what they had just been through, she didn¡¯t want to stress out Klaw and Dewey. They had sacrificed so much for her, and she was truly grateful for them. She didn¡¯t want them to think that she was just using them to get back to the human world.


    Klaw and Dewey seemed unconvinced by her statement. ¡°Are you sure, Hope?¡± Klaw asked, his tail swishing back and forth.


    Hope hesitated briefly. Then again, Klaw and Dewey were her friends for a reason. Out of all of the pokemon she had met during her time in this world, they were the most understanding of her being a human. For every other pokemon, her being a human literally gave them a good excuse to torture her for their own plans and wishes.


    If there was going to be anyone who would be willing to help her get back to the human world, it would be Klaw and Dewey.


    ¡°...I¡¯ll tell you two a little bit later. You guys should finish whatever you were about to explain to me first.¡± Hope finally said. Yeah, that seemed like a good course to take. She needed a bit more time to process all of this, and (to her embarrassment) she had probably interrupted Klaw and Dewey right before they were to start explaining what this ¡®Mountain Continent¡¯ was.


    Klaw and Dewey traded surprised looks with each other. ¡°Oh, right!¡± Klaw yelped. He and Dewey returned to their knapsacks and grabbed the map. ¡°This world is made up of multiple continents.¡± Klaw began to explain.


    ¡°T-they e-each have t-their own d-differences in the t-terrain.¡± Dewey continued. ¡°T-this c-continent, for e-example, is v-very r-rocky and h-highly e-elevated. S-so we c-call it the M-mountain C-continent.¡±


    Hope nodded. ¡°That makes sense. I think that the human world has something similar.¡± She wasn¡¯t even thinking as she spoke, which surprised her.


    Klaw and Dewey blinked in surprise. ¡°R-really?¡± Dewey said, his eyes wide.


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty interesting.¡± Klaw said, his tail swishing back and forth.


    Hope blinked slowly. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t even know how I knew that.¡± she mumbled softly, looking down at the rocky ground. It was pretty beautiful, she had to admit. The rocks came in several different shades, from a dull, almost yellowish brown to a gray that shone like silver when it caught the light.


    Klaw and Dewey furrowed their eyebrows quizzically. They looked like they were about to open their mouths, but then they looked at each other, and then back at Hope.


    ¡°...Never mind.¡± Klaw said after a long time.


    This made Hope very curious. She wasn¡¯t the only one who was feeling uneasy about something right now. The thing that worried her, though, was what exactly Klaw and Dewey were feeling uneasy about. They were definitely going to need to have to talk later.


    Now, however, they had to move forwards. So Hope turned back around and flicked her tail. Klaw and Dewey immediately understood. They nodded and began to follow her.


    The journey was long and arduous. The trio had to walk through steep hills and on unstable terrain. Hope found herself tripping over her own feet numerous times, and her feet were constantly being cut up from the sharp rocks. Klaw and Dewey were able to traverse the terrain much more easily, but sometimes they too would end up tripping over the sharp rocks or each other¡¯s tails. No matter who was tripping or what they were tripping on, they would always get back up, and the trip would always share some laughs before continuing on the long road ahead.


    Having Klaw and Dewey with her made the travelling extremely fun, and soon, Hope forgot about the troubles that had been plaguing her earlier.


    It took three days and two nights of almost nonstop travelling to even get close to the guild. Eventually, however, the trio arrived at an interesting place.


    It looked like the ground had been split into two. A long crack split the road ahead of them in two. Large circular rocks were suspended in midair at random parts throughout the ravine, almost as if something was telekinetically pulling them into the air. Two large mountain ridges blanketed the edges of the ravine, providing solid borders.


    A wooden sign was placed near the edge of one of the mountain ridges, ¡°POWER PASS¡± was written on it in black ink. Whoever had done the writing appeared to have been in a rush when doing so, as the handwriting was messy and the letters almost bled into each other.


    Looking at this sight, Hope could easily tell why even Crim, Shade, and Dart didn¡¯t like going near this place.


    ¡°This is Power Pass?!¡± Hope exclaimed. ¡°How are we supposed to cross this?¡±


    Klaw and Dewey gazed out over the expanse, their eyes narrowed slightly with worry. ¡°I-i t-think we¡¯re s-supposed to u-use those r-rocks. L-look. T-they a-appear to be f-forming a p-path of s-some k-kind.¡±


    Hope squinted and peered out. Sure enough, she could see that the rocks appeared to form a path of some kind, snaking off faintly into the distance. That didn¡¯t answer Hope¡¯s bigger question, though.


    ¡°But how are we supposed to cross these rocks without falling off of them?¡± Hope asked. ¡°They¡¯re literally floating in midair. If we take one wrong step, we¡¯ll be done for!¡±


    Klaw and Dewey looked at each other uneasily. After a short while, Klaw spoke up. ¡°Well, if the guild really is on the other side of this place, that means that many other explorers have crossed this dungeon before. If they can do it, why can¡¯t we?¡±


    Hope smiled. Her friends always knew exactly what to say to cheer her up. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll just have to be very careful, huh?¡± she remarked.


    ¡°Y-yeah! W-we¡¯ll s-spot each o-other so t-that we d-don¡¯t f-fall!¡± Dewey exclaimed


    With renewed and heightened confidence, Hope began to walk forward, Klaw and Dewey closely trailing behind her. After a little bit of walking, they reached the first of many suspended stones. Hope hesitated for a split second before turning to Klaw and Dewey.


    The brothers nodded before lowering themselves to the ground. Hope gently climbed on top of them, using their bodies as stepping stools before reaching out to grab the rock with her front paws. Using all of her upper body strength, she was able to pull herself onto the rock.


    Then, she turned back around and stretched out both of her front paws, extending them to Klaw and Dewey. Each brother took one of Hope¡¯s paws, and she began to pull them up. It took a fair bit of struggling, but Hope was just able to pull them up safely onto the floating rock.


    ¡°Phew!¡± Hope sighed as she finished her task. ¡°Now we just have to do that¡­¡± she trailed off, squinting into the distance to see how many more floating rocks there were. ¡°...at least twenty more times.¡± she finished.


    Klaw and Dewey snickered at her blase tone, and Hope quickly found herself chortling along with them. After a little bit, the laughter began to die down, and Hope opened her eyes again. As they opened, they naturally shifted to the left, closer to the mountain range.


    And that was when Hope saw the shadow.


    It was barely visible from the top of the mountain range, but it was definitely there. Hope could just barely make out the silhouettes of what looked like four legs and what appeared to be antlers on the top of its head.


    Hope didn¡¯t know exactly why, but she had the strangest yet strongest feeling that whatever that shadow was was watching her every move.


    She turned to Klaw and Dewey. ¡°Look over there.¡± she said uneasily, flicking her tail towards the mountain range.


    Klaw and Dewey looked towards where Hope was pointing at, but their brows quickly furrowed. ¡°Are you trying to prank us, Hope? There¡¯s nothing. Just the mountains.¡± Klaw said.


    Hope whipped her head around. Sure enough, the shadow was gone. Her fur began to stand up on all ends.


    ¡°N-nothing¡­ I just thought for a moment I saw a shadow of some kind¡­ Must have been my eyes playing tricks on me.¡± Hope mumbled.


    Klaw and Dewey¡¯s eyes dilated with worry. ¡°T-that¡¯s not g-good.¡± Dewey murmured. ¡°W-what if  s-someone from the s-syndicate is t-tracking us d-down?¡±


    Hope¡¯s heart plummeted into her stomach. Dewey had voiced her exact thoughts. She didn¡¯t remember seeing any pokemon with antlers during her stay at the syndicate, but she couldn¡¯t rule out the possibility. Scorch and Riptide had seen them escape, after all. They would have certainly told Polaris, and he would have certainly sent syndicate members after them.


    They needed to keep going, and fast.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Klaw and Dewey seemed to be able to read her mind, because they immediately began to walk forward much faster than they had before. Hope immediately turned to follow them, relieved to have such supportive friends on her side. So they continued walking forward.


    The trio took turns helping each other jump off and grab on to the floating rocks. Klaw grabbed Hope and Dewey the second time, and Dewey grabbed Hope and Klaw the third time. Hope noticed that Klaw and Dewey were able to pull her and their respective brother up with much less difficulty than she did.


    After Hope got on the third rock and regained her footing, she was distracted by a loud rumbling in her stomach. ¡°Do you guys want to take a quick snack break?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Sure!¡± Klaw replied cheerily. Saliva was beginning to form a ring around both his and Dewey¡¯s mouths- Hope guessed that they were probably just as hungry as she was.


    The trio took a moment to sit down on the floating rocks and dug into their packs. Belladonna, Atlas, and Phoenix had packed a wide variety of food into their packs. Hope was particularly fond of one of the types of sandwiches that had been packed in- a crunchy bread base filled with stringy cheese, sharp onions, sour pickled peppers, and dry yet crisp slices of chesto berry. As she took a bite into the sandwich and felt the juice of the ingredients bleed into her mouth, she heard a distant sound echoing from the edges of the mountains.


    Clack, clack, clack¡­


    Hope whirled around. Sure enough, the shadow was back, standing in the center of the mountains. Hope could now make out the shape of its head, which was very oblong and seemed to be pointed in Hope¡¯s direction.


    Hope choked down whatever was left of her sandwich and jumped to her feet. Klaw and Dewey, seeing her sudden shock, dropped their own sandwiches and whipped around to where Hope was staring at.


    ¡°Y-you were r-right, H-hope!¡± Dewey gasped. ¡°T-there is a-another p-pokemon here!¡±


    ¡°Is that really another AZS goon?¡± Klaw hissed, his back arched and his hackles raised.


    The mysterious pokemon quickly registered that the trio had noticed its presence, because it turned and began to trot away, its hooves clacking on the mountains the whole while.


    ¡°Hey! Get back here!¡± Hope called out frantically.


    She was too late, though, as the mysterious shadow had soon disappeared.


    Hope turned back to Klaw and Dewey, grumbling all the while. ¡°We¡¯re going to have to keep an eye out for that guy.¡± she grumbled.


    Klaw and Dewey, however, weren¡¯t paying any attention to her. Instead, they were looking into the deep void below them, their eyes as wide as saucers.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Hope asked. Then, she noticed a deep rumbling sound echoing from the depths of the ravine.


    A bright purple light began to emanate from the bottom of the cavern. It rose up higher and higher, slowly morphing into a large column. A large orange antlion pokemon was at the top of the column. It jumped down from the column and made a strange, animalistic noise.


    Hope was so caught off guard that she nearly fell off of the rock, but thankfully Klaw and Dewey were able to catch her.


    ¡°How in the world did that thing show up?!¡± Hope exclaimed.


    ¡°That thing is called a trapinch¡± Klaw growled.


    ¡°A-and we¡¯ll s-show y-you a-after we d-defeat this t-thing.¡± Dewey added.


    Hope nodded and got into a fighting stance. The trapinch raised itself on its hind legs, then slammed back down into the rock. The force of the impact caused Klaw and Dewey to slide down and almost fall off of the rock. Thankfully, they were just barely able to grab onto the edge of the rock.


    ¡°Klaw! Dewey!¡± Hope cried out. ¡°Are you guys okay?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re fine!¡± Klaw responded. ¡°We¡¯ll get back on our feet soon.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Hope asked.


    ¡°W-we¡¯re sure!¡± Dewey answered.


    Nodding, Hope turned back around and was immediately greeted with a sharp pain shooting up her right front leg. The trapinch had leaped forward and bitten her leg. The feeling was way too similar to when Scorch and Riptide had broken that very same leg, thrown her against the floor with absolutely no remorse, and it hurts it hurts so bad make it stop make it sto-


    Hope shook herself out of her thoughts and shook her leg, successfully getting the trapinch to dislodge itself from her leg. As she did so, she felt something strange come over her. The sides of her abdomen were beginning to ache, almost as if something was going to burst out of them¡­


    Suddenly, sharp leaves began to launch themselves from Hope¡¯s body, firing at the trapinch. They struck it straight on its mouth, causing it to stumble and collapse on its own legs. It still wasn¡¯t knocked out yet, though, and was able to shakily get back onto its feet.


    Before the trapinch could attack again, however, two simultaneous blasts of fire and water struck it. The trapinch stumbled back once again and fell into the endless void, screeching all the while.


    Hope whipped her head around to see Klaw and Dewey coming back to join her. ¡°Nice!¡± Klaw remarked. ¡°That¡¯s Razor Leaf! Now we know all four of your moves!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by-¡± Hope¡¯s question was cut off by a burning, tingling sensation building up within her nose. ¡°ACHOO!¡± she sneezed, the sheer force of the sneeze causing Klaw and Dewey to jump back a little.


    ¡°P-pokemon can only l-learn four m-moves at a t-time.¡± Dewey began to explain. ¡°S-so your m-moveset is Tackle, C-confusion, ThunderShock, and R-razor L-leaf.¡±


    ¡°In-achoo!-teresting¡± Hope said thickly as a small droplet of snot trickled down her face. That Razor Leaf attack seemed to give her some nasty congestion.


    Klaw and Dewey dug through their packs, pulled out an Oran Berry each, and handed them to Hope. Hope immediately dug into them and could practically feel all of the snot going back up her nose and dissipating.


    ¡°Where did that trapinch come from, anyways?¡± Hope asked.


    At this, Klaw and Dewey¡¯s faces darkened. ¡°L-look down.¡± Dewey said.


    Hope shot the brothers an uneasy look, but she walked over to the edge of the rock and peered precariously over the edge. What she saw stunned her.


    At the bottom of the ravine were several feral pokemon. They paced around the hard rock floor restlessly, occasionally snapping and snarling at their companions. At some spots on the ground, circles of pale purple light shone vividly. Sometimes, a feral pokemon would step onto one of these circles, after which the circle would transform into a column and lift the feral pokemon out of the ravine.


    Strange red crystals were also dotted along the bottom of the ravine, located eerily closely to the circles of purple light. The red crystals gave off a strange aura, enticing yet deadly. For some reason, it reminded Hope of the aura that had surrounded Jupiter while she had been possessed by the strange cosmic ripple.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ strange.¡± was all Hope could say.


    Klaw and Dewey also looked uneasy, but they quickly recovered, as did Hope. ¡°Let¡¯s keep on moving.¡± Hope said. And with that, the trio continued their trek through the mystery dungeon.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    ¡°Look!¡± Hope cried out. ¡°I think we¡¯re almost at the end of the dungeon!¡±


    The trio had been traversing through Power Pass for what seemed like an eternity. It had been a long and arduous trip, filled with many battles against feral pokemon and quite a few close calls where they almost fell off the rocks. But now they appeared to be near the end. The rocks were becoming more and more sparse, and appeared to be reforming back into another road just ahead of them.


    ¡°Looks like we only have one more jump to go!¡± Klaw remarked.


    ¡°D-do you guys w-want to do the j-jump at the same time?¡± Dewey asked, a rare glint of mischief sparkling in his eyes.


    Klaw immediately gained the same glint of mischief in his eyes. ¡°Why not?¡± he asked. ¡°What do you say, Hope?¡±


    Hope took a few seconds to think. While it might be dangerous, it would be pretty fun, and the gap to the road was much shorter than the gaps between the floating stones.


    Hope grinned slyly. ¡°On the count of three?¡±


    Klaw and Dewey also grinned slyly before lowering their bodies to the ground. Hope did the same, and the three stared ahead at the road.


    ¡°T-three¡­¡± Dewey started.


    ¡°Two¡­¡± Klaw continued.


    ¡°One¡­ GO!¡± Hope finished. As soon as the final word left her mouth, the trio leapt off of the rock. They practically soared through the air, feeling the cool late afternoon breeze on their skin.


    The other side was fast approaching now. Hope was starting to get really excited. After they had made this jump, she and her friends could finally head to the Ironheart Guild and form a rescue team! They would be heroes!


    Just as Hope, Klaw, and Dewey were about to land safely on the other side, however, two dark colored streaks zoomed down from the land beyond, on the same path as Klaw and Dewey.


    THUD!


    Klaw and Dewey crashed into the two dark streaks, sending all parties involved slamming down to the dusty floor. Hope was thankfully able to avoid this fate and landed on her paws. She skidded slightly before turning back around where her friends had ¡°landed¡±.


    ¡°Klaw! Dewey! Are you two okay?¡± Hope called out in concern.


    ¡°We¡¯re good!¡± Klaw responded. He and Dewey had shaken themselves rather easily and had jumped off of the things they had knocked over.


    The things also began to stir and got onto their feet fairly quickly. Hope¡¯s ears shot up in surprise.


    The ¡°things¡± that Klaw and Dewey had crashed into were pokemon. They looked almost identical to each other- they were both bipedal bear pokemon with long gray, black, and white fur covering the majority of their bodies, with the exception of their muzzles, which were covered in shorter, yellow fur. The only difference between the two, base appearance wise, was the direction in which their fur flowed. The one on the left had fur that flowed upwards and was very spiky on the top of its head, while the one on the right had fur that flowed downwards and was more flat on the top of its head.


    The most surprising thing to Hope, though, was that these two pokemon were wearing clothes. Both pokemon wore karate uniforms, and the outfits were also nearly identical, with the only distinguishing feature between the two being their colors. The pokemon on the left wore a crimson karate uniform, while the pokemon on the right wore a navy blue karate uniform.


    Feral pokemon didn¡¯t wear clothes. That meant that neither of these two pokemon were feral, thank goodness. But who were they, what were they doing here, and what had caused them to crash into Klaw and Dewey?


    The two bear pokemon were surveying Hope, Klaw, and Dewey with quizzical, slightly amused looks on their faces. After a while, the one on the left spoke. ¡°Hey there, kids.¡± he said. His voice was deep and gruff, but it was also friendly. ¡°What are you three doing out here in a place like this?¡±


    ¡°We could ask you the same question.¡± Hope responded coyly. She didn¡¯t feel like she had anything to worry about bantering with these pokemon. She didn¡¯t remember seeing any pokemon resembling them at the syndicate, and they seemed friendly enough.


    Small smiles tugged at the edges of the bear pokemons¡¯ muzzles at Hope¡¯s comment, but they quickly disappeared as they glanced nervously behind them. ¡°Never mind that.¡± the one on the right said. His voice was also deep, gruff, and friendly, but a quiver of nervousness was laced into it. ¡°You kids gotta turn back now. There¡¯s something terrifying up ahead. We don¡¯t want you guys getting crushed by it.¡±


    Hope¡¯s tail bristled warily. They couldn¡¯t turn back, because that would mean having to return to the syndicate. ¡°Getting crushed by what?¡± she asked harshly.


    THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!


    A loud booming sound began to echo, and a deep red light began to shine over the group. Hope, Klaw, and Dewey whirled around to see an absolutely gigantic pokemon stomping towards them.


    This pokemon had to be at least ninety feet tall. It was a centipede pokemon, dark magenta in color, similar to the light that was completely bathing it. Its segments had purple circular markings on them, long horns protruded from its head, and its eyes were a pure crimson. It stared down at the group with pure rage brimming in its eyes.


    ¡°That.¡± the bear pokemon wearing the red uniform said, its voice quivering slightly. ¡°That was what we didn¡¯t want you three getting crushed by.¡±


    ¡°YOU COWARDS.¡± the centipede pokemon spoke. Its oddly warped voice reverberated across the dungeon, loud enough to create cracks within the ground. ¡°I TOLD YOU TWO IT WOULD JUST BE EASIER TO GIVE UP AND LET ME CONSUME YOU. BUT YOU DIDN¡¯T LISTEN. AT LEAST NOW I GET TO HAVE SOME QUICK SNACKS BEFORE YOU BECOME FUEL FOR THE GREAT ONES.¡±


    The centipede pokemon looked down at Hope, Klaw, and Dewey while it was saying that last sentence. Klaw and Dewey¡¯s eyes burned with anger.


    ¡°Oh yeah?¡± Hope said, lowering her body to the ground in an attack position. ¡°Well you better be ready, because we won¡¯t go down without a fight.¡±


    The centipede pokemon laughed a harsh, horrible laugh that made the trio¡¯s tails straighten out in shock. ¡°WELL, I ALWAYS DID ENJOY PLAYING WITH MY FOOD.¡± it rumbled. Then, it let out a battle cry, and the fight was on.


    The centipede pokemon leaned down and fired a stream of foul smelling purple liquid from its mouth. The liquid struck Hope straight in the chest, burning her like acid.


    Hope yelped in pain, gritting her teeth to try and lessen the pain from the acid. As the pain dissipated, she glared at the centipede pokemon and focused strongly on it, attempting to use her Confusion attack. She didn¡¯t know if she could lift it up in the air since it was absolutely gigantic, but it wouldn¡¯t hurt to try.


    A bright pink light exploded like a firework from the centipede pokemon¡¯s body, and it let out a cry of pain. Good. It worked! Hope thought to herself, ignoring the slight throbbing feeling in her head brought upon by the use of the move.


    Klaw and Dewey quickly followed up with attacks of their own. Klaw¡¯s fangs glowed bright orange and became coated in flames, and he bit down on the air. Dewey, meanwhile, held out his hands and concentrated. Mud began to form in between his hands, which he then shot out at the centipede pokemon. Both attacks connected with the centipede pokemon. Explosions of orange and brown light erupted from its body and it let out an even louder cry of pain.


    Still, the foe was not done just yet. Light green orbs of energy began to form around its body, and it fired them at Hope. They struck her head on, and she went flying.


    Klaw and Dewey cried out to her, but their voices were muffled. Hope¡¯s head was spinning, and her entire body was hurting. This pokemon was way too strong. Her eyes began to flutter shut, but before they could shut close, a voice cried out.


    ¡°Hey, kid! Don¡¯t die on us, you hear me?¡±


    Hope groggily looked up to see one of the bear twins (the one with the blue uniform) rustling through a backpack with a matching color. He pulled out a small yellow seed and ran over to Hope, before kneeling down and crushing it in his long-clawed hands.


    The bright, herbaceous, slightly bitter smell of the seed was like magic. Hope had just barely taken a whiff of it when energy suddenly coursed through her body like a tsunami. She quickly got back onto her feet, and it felt like she hadn¡¯t even been hit at all.


    ¡°You good, kid?¡± the bear pokemon asked.


    ¡°Never better!¡± Hope said brightly.


    ¡°Excellent!¡± Hope turned around to see the twin in the red uniform coming towards them, rubbing his hands together in excitement. ¡°Are you ready to continue squashing that bug?¡±


    The twin in the blue uniform got back to his feet and smiled cunningly while giving a thumbs up.


    ¡°Never felt more ready in my life!¡± Hope said. And with that, she bounded forward, the twins close on her heels.


    Klaw and Dewey had been doing a good job of holding the centipede pokemon off while Hope was busy getting healed. Its chest was littered with tiny burns and mud stains, and it was breathing heavily. It let out a roar before firing dark tendrils of energy from its horns.


    The twin in the red uniform leaped to intercept the attack. When the smoke cleared, small scuffs of dirt were present on the bear pokemon¡¯s crimson uniform, but he was completely unhurt physically. A sly smile crossed his face as he inhaled, crossed his arms, and took a deep breath. He flexed his arms, and as he did so, a dark purple aura fired up around his body. He then leaped at the centipede pokemon and struck it incredibly hard with a single punch, causing the insect to howl in pain.


    The twin in the blue uniform also inhaled, crossed his arms, and took a deep breath. He too flexed his arms, and an aura fired up around his body as well, but this aura was light blue. He then struck at the centipede pokemon with three precisely timed series of punches and kicks. Once again, the centipede pokemon was left reeling and panting for the pain.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s almost down!¡± the twin in the red uniform called out.


    ¡°You three want to deal the final blow together?¡± the twin in the blue uniform asked.


    Hope. Klaw, and Dewey smiled simultaneously. Then they turned back towards the centipede pokemon and attacked simultaneously. Hope launched herself forward with a Tackle, Klaw chomped down with fangs ablaze, and Dewey fired mud out of his palms like a grenade launcher. All three attacks connected with the centipede pokemon simultaneously, and it let out a final screech of pain as large explosions erupted from around its body and it started to¡­ shrink?!


    Hope watched in awe as the centipede pokemon slowly decreased in size, foot by foot. The red light surrounding it slowly disappeared as it became smaller and smaller.


    Eventually, the centipede pokemon had returned to its normal size. It was still quite large, at about eight feet long, but that was much better than the almost hundred feet it had been before being defeated. It shakily stumbled around for a bit before regaining its balance and groggily blinking.


    Hope, Klaw, Dewey, and the bear twins kept up their attack positions, not wanting to let their guards down in case the centipede pokemon decided to attack again. But the centipede pokemon didn¡¯t attack. It simply opened its eyes (which were now yellow instead of crimson) and looked around in confusion.


    ¡°...What in the distortion world just happened?¡± it- he asked after a long period of silence. ¡°Who are you guys?¡±


    The group dropped their attack positions, but still maintained their wary expressions. This was giving Hope a major sense of deja vu.


    ¡°S-seriously, dude?¡± Dewey asked incredulously. ¡°Y-you really d-don¡¯t r-remember turning g-giant and literally t-threatening to e-eat us?!¡±


    The centipede pokemon blinked slowly. ¡°For the love of Rayquaza on a stick.¡± it huffed. ¡°You sure you ain¡¯t pullin¡¯ one of my segments right now?¡±


    The group dropped their wary expressions. ¡°Ummm¡­. No?¡± Klaw said.


    ¡°Seriously, dude. You were literally chasing me and my brother halfway down the road screaming about our blood being ¡®ripe for sacrificing¡¯. And you also said you would turn these kids into snacks.¡± the bear twin in the red uniform said, crossing his arms together.


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me dude.¡± the centipede pokemon snorted. ¡°Call me Dionysus.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Dionysus.¡± Hope said coyly. ¡°So why did you chase down those two and threaten to eat me and my friends.¡±


    Dionysus looked at the ground abashedly. ¡°...I wasn¡¯t in control of myself when I said those things.¡± he mumbled after a period of silence.


    Yet again, Hope was hit with a major wave of deja vu. And judging by the odd expressions on Klaw and Dewey¡¯s faces, she wasn¡¯t the only one with deja vu.


    ¡°Are you serious right now?!¡± the red-uniformed bear twin roared.


    His blue uniformed brother stepped forward and placed a hand on the other¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Calm down, brother.¡± His voice was calm as he spoke, but his eyes, which were focusing on Dionysus, burned with distrust. ¡°But you better tell us what you mean by that before I lose my temper as well.¡±


    Dionysus shifted uneasily. ¡°Well, you see, I¡¯m a jeweler, and my cousin told me that he was going to propose to his girlfriend soon.¡±


    ¡°And that relates to this how exactly?¡± Hope asked. ¡°I mean, congrats to your cousin and all that, but I don¡¯t think that excuses you for threatening to eat us.¡±


    Klaw, Dewey, and the bear twins snorted audibly at this sentence.


    Dionysus glowered at Hope. ¡°Damn. You¡¯re one sassy kid.¡± he remarked. ¡°This relates to the current situation because he wanted me to make his engagement band, and he specifically wanted an amethyst from this mystery dungeon to be placed in the center of the band.¡±


    The red-uniformed twin had calmed down a bit now. ¡°Yeah, I have heard stories of there being unusually high deposits of precious gems at the bottom of this dungeon¡¯s ravine.¡± he said, scratching his head.


    ¡°Those aren¡¯t just stories. I¡¯ve gone down and collected some of those gems myself.¡± Dionysus smirked as he said this. ¡°So I went down thinking that this was going to be a routine collection. But while I was down there, I noticed that these red crystals had suddenly sprouted out of nowhere.¡±


    Hope¡¯s ears shot up. ¡°My friends and I actually saw those crystals while we were crossing the dungeon.¡± she said, her voice tense.


    At Hope¡¯s sentence, Dionysus relaxed visibly. ¡°Good. You believe me.¡± he said, his tone a bit friendlier. ¡°I¡¯d never seen those crystals before today, but they looked absolutely gorgeous, and I wanted to see if I could get a better look at them. Maybe take one of them home and experiment with making a necklace out of it or something. So I went up to one of them and touched it¡­¡±


    Dionysus stopped speaking and looked at the ground, his body trembling slightly.


    ¡°Go on. It¡¯s OK.¡± the blue-uniformed bear twin prompted gently.


    Dionysus narrowed his eyes, but he continued speaking. ¡°As soon as I touched the crystal, it kind of¡­ took over my body. I don¡¯t really know how to explain it. I felt like a puppet, like my brain was tangled up in strings. I was kind of aware of seeing you all, but the things I said and chasing you down? That wasn¡¯t me. I¡¯m genuinely sorry about that.¡± Tiny tears were starting to leak out of his eyes.


    Hope walked up to Dionysus and batted his chest lightly with her paw. ¡°It¡¯s fine. We understand.¡± she said kindly.


    After all, this wasn¡¯t the first time she had encountered a pokemon who had done terrible things without being in control of their own body. First Jupiter, now Dionysus¡­ What is this force that is possessing all of these innocent pokemon?, she thought to herself.


    Dionysus blinked, looked down at Hope, and smiled softly. ¡°Thank you, kid.¡± he murmured softly. His eyes then slowly traveled upwards, where they met the sun, which was halfway through setting at this point. ¡°Shit! I told my cousin I would be back before sunset!¡± he yelped, before looking down at the ground shamefully. ¡°He¡¯s gonna be so pissed with me when I tell him that I wasn¡¯t able to get an amethyst for the band¡­¡±


    ¡°W-well, he¡¯s not getting m-married after s-sunset, r-right? Y-you can go b-back t-tomorrow and get the a-amethyst then!¡± Dewey said perkily.


    ¡°Just tell him you kept having to fend off the ferals, alright?¡± Klaw chimed in.


    Dionysus laughed heartily. ¡°You¡¯re good kids, you hear me?¡± he said, causing Klaw and Dewey to blush profusely. ¡°Well, I¡¯d best be going now.¡±


    As Dionysus began to walk away, the twins opened their mouths, but Dionysus simply chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± he said. ¡°As long as I don¡¯t touch those crystals I¡¯ll be fine. It¡¯s a shame, though. They really would have made for some beautiful jewelry.¡± He blinked quickly, shook his head, and then continued walking. ¡°Farewell!¡± he called out.


    ¡°Bye!¡± the kids called out simultaneously as they watched Dionysus scuttle over the rocks (he was so long that he didn¡¯t need to jump) and disappear over the horizon.


    As soon as Dionysus¡¯s long magenta body had disappeared, the bear twins turned to the kids and sighed audibly. ¡°Well, that sure was something, wasn¡¯t it?¡± the one with the blue uniform said.


    ¡°Gonna be real with you kids, you three are surprisingly strong.¡± the twin in the red uniform smirked. ¡°We kinda freaked out at first ourselves. Me and my bro, we have bad history with pokemon going crazy like that. It¡¯s a good thing you three are so brave and so strong! You were able to do a number on it before we even stepped in. So thank you¡­¡± The bear pokemon stopped before blushing profusely. ¡°I just realized that this whole situation escalated so quickly, we never got to tell each other our names.¡± he said sheepishly.


    ¡°I¡¯m Hope!¡± Hope said enthusiastically, before gesturing to her friends. ¡°And these are Klaw and Dewey.¡±


    Klaw and Dewey nodded politely.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Hope, Klaw, and Dewey.¡± the red-uniformed twin said. ¡°I¡¯m Hei¡¯an, and this is my twin brother Shui.¡±


    Shui ruffled his head bashfully. ¡°Now¡­ what are you three kids doing out here alone? You¡¯re the youngest pokemon I¡¯ve ever seen crossing Power Pass alone. I mean¡­ you are strong and all, but most younger pokemon come with their parents, if they have to come at all.¡± he said quietly.


    Upon hearing the word parents, Klaw and Dewey¡¯s eyes dilated, and they began to shake profusely. Hei¡¯an and Shui quickly caught onto this, and their expressions became downtrodden.


    Hope stepped forward. ¡°Actually, we were on our way to the Ironheart Guild.¡± she explained. ¡°We want to form a rescue team, and according to our map, we had to go through this dungeon to get there.¡±


    Silence followed this. Then, suddenly, small smiles appeared on Hei¡¯an and Shui¡¯s faces, and they began to chortle.


    ¡°Do you think this is funny?¡± Klaw demanded.


    ¡°Y-yeah! J-just because we¡¯re k-kids means we c-can¡¯t form a r-rescue t-team?¡± Dewey chimed in.


    Hei¡¯an and Shui quickly stopped laughing. ¡°Oh no! Not at all!¡± Hei¡¯an said, his eyes (as well as those of his brother) filled with apology. ¡°It¡¯s just a strange coincidence. You see, Shui and I actually work and live in the town where the guild is located!¡±


    Hope, Klaw, and Dewey¡¯s eyes lit up so brightly at that sentence that one might have thought someone was hanging up holiday decorations around the mystery dungeon.


    ¡°Really?!¡± the three friends squealed simultaneously.


    Shui grinned. ¡°Do you three want to tag along with us on our way back? We¡¯re going to the same place anyways.¡± he said.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Hope cheered. Klaw and Dewey nodded and babbled words of agreement.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s get going, shall we?¡± Hei¡¯an said warmly.


    The three kids cheered once again. Hei¡¯an and Shui smirked, turned around, and motioned for the kids to follow them. And so the group went off on the final leg of their long journey.


    What the group didn¡¯t realize, however, was that for the entirety of that final interaction, they were being watched.


    From the edges of the mountain range, a pokemon stood, watching the quintet disappear into the sunset-kissed horizon.


    The pokemon was quite a strange figure. It was a deer pokemon, with incredibly pale gray (almost white) fur, white legs and a white tail, and long golden antlers that almost looked like antennae. A large, fuzzy, white mane that resembled a beard hung from its oblong face, and around its neck was a strange necklace with a golden cross-like wheel ornament attached to it. The condition of the pokemon¡¯s fur and hooves made it look young, but its eyes were stony and hardened, belying years and years worth of time spent on this planet.


    It watched Hope bounce away cheerily, and it smiled.


    ¡°So the Chosen One is safe after all.¡± it mused to itself calmly. ¡°My Lord will certainly be pleased with this news.¡±


    And with that, it began to clamber down the mountain range, heading in the same direction that the quintet had just gone off to.

 Chapter Ten: Welcome to Honor Town

    Hope had never had a harder time trying to sleep in her life. She wasn¡¯t dealing with insomnia or nightmares, though. It was the complete opposite, as a matter of fact. It was sheer excitement that was keeping her from falling asleep.


    It was completely understandable why she would have so much trouble falling asleep. After all, come tomorrow morning, she would finally reach the Ironheart Guild and get the chance to form a rescue team with Klaw and Dewey!


    She wasn¡¯t the only one who was feeling anxious. Klaw and Dewey were also wide awake, pacing rapidly on the floor of their flimsy tent. Hei¡¯an and Shui just so happened to have a spare tent for the trio to sleep in for the night, which Hope was very grateful for, as sleeping on dirt and stones for the past week or so had really done a number on her back. However, the tent that the twins had given them was fairly small. It was most likely meant for one larger child rather than three smaller ones. Because of the size of the tent, it was very crowded there. She was constantly getting stepped on by Klaw and Dewey, and while it didn¡¯t hurt very much, it was still a bit uncomfortable.


    ¡°That¡¯s my tail, guys.¡± Hope grumbled tiredly yet good-naturedly.


    Klaw and Dewey yelped simultaneously. ¡°Sorry!¡± they both exclaimed.


    Hope simply chuckled. ¡°No, I understand. This tent is way too small for the three of us. And the excitement is too much for me to handle!¡±


    Klaw and Dewey smiled at this. ¡°Same here.¡± Klaw responded cheerily.


    ¡°I j-just can¡¯t b-believe it, K-klaw! W-we¡¯ve been d-dreaming of this our e-entire lives! A-and t-tomorrow, we¡¯ll finally be at the I-ironheart G-guild!¡± Dewey stuttered excitedly.


    Klaw lit up. ¡°I know!¡± he squealed. ¡°We¡¯re really almost there, Dewey!¡±


    As the brothers chattered joyfully, Hope blinked slowly and yawned loudly. She rolled over and stretched out her legs, her paw pads rubbing up against the fabric of the tent. As she stretched, she took a moment to reflect on everything she had gone through to get to this point.


    It had been probably only a couple months at most since she had woken up at the bottom of that hole in the Great Treehollow. And yet, it felt like she had been living in the world of pokemon for an eternity. Granted, she had Polaris and his claw machine hand of doom to blame for that.


    Still, though, in the span of those few months, she had been taken into a crime syndicate, escaped said crime syndicate, foiled a supposed kidnapping attempt, and saved two strangers from getting eaten alive. Despite all of the weirdness and wackiness that had occurred, Hope found herself having fun throughout most of it. And she had met some interesting people along the way. Some of them were bad, but a lot of them were great. Especially Klaw and Dewey. While she had only known them for a few months, she was already struggling to imagine a life without them.


    And yet, there was an emptiness constantly stirring at the very bottom of Hope''s stomach, one that she couldn¡¯t shake, no matter how hard she tried. There was still a part of her that yearned to go back to the human world. Something within her craved to see people she couldn¡¯t even remember anymore.


    But how would she be able to get back? She barely had any idea how she had managed to reach this world in the first place. She had absolutely zero clue on how she was going to be able to get back to her own world.


    Maybe she would be able to find an answer if she joined the guild? From what Klaw and Dewey had told her, the guild was responsible for dealing with the problems of pokemon all over the continent. Surely they would be able to help her?


    ¡­Yes, that seemed like a good idea. When she reached the guild, she could talk to whoever was in charge and ask them if they knew how she had ended up in this world. But would they even believe her? The only reason Klaw and Dewey believed her was because of Polaris¡¯s research. Other pokemon may not be as knowledgeable about humans as those from the syndicate. What if they didn¡¯t believe her?


    What if¡­


    ¡°Hope! Hope!¡±


    Hope was startled back to her senses by Klaw and Dewey calling out to her. The brothers were staring at her, amusement contorting their expressions.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Hope mumbled.


    ¡°So much for not being able to sleep, huh?¡± Klaw remarked, grinning coyly.


    ¡°What do you me-¡± Hope was snapped out of her thoughts by a ray of deep orange sunlight hitting her right in the eyes. Klaw and Dewey giggled at seeing this.


    ¡°Did I really fall asleep?¡± Hope exclaimed. ¡°I was just taking a moment to think!¡±


    ¡°W-we were s-surprised as well.¡± Dewey chuckled. ¡°O-one m-moment you were wide a-awake and t-talking with us, and the n-next you were d-dead to the w-world!¡±


    Hope blinked slowly. She shakily got to her feet and looked around groggily. ¡°W¡­wow¡­¡± was all that she could say.


    Klaw and Dewey stepped forward, the fabric of the tent making tiny crinkling noises as they did so. ¡°H-hey, at l-least you got some s-sleep, r-right? M-my bro and I, we s-still feel l-like we¡¯re g-going to f-fall over at any m-minute.¡± The brothers did have slightly darkened half moon shaped bags underneath their lower eyelids.


    Hope opened her mouth to make a cheeky response, but as she did so, a strong smell struck her nose. It was a very rich and pungent smell, and as soon as the smell grazed Hope¡¯s nostrils, it made her mouth water.


    Klaw and Dewey also perked up, their eyes dilating and small drops of saliva exiting the corners of their mouth. ¡°Hei¡¯an and Shui must be making breakfast!¡± Klaw exclaimed. ¡°We better go out and get some!¡±


    Hope nodded, her stomach rumbling at the same time. ¡°Sure thing!¡± she responded. Klaw and Dewey nodded in response.


    Hope walked over to the edge of the tent and pulled on the large, tight knots that had been tied at the base of the zipper (¡°Keeps ferals from breaking in¡± Hei¡¯an had explained). It took a bit of tugging, but they eventually came undone. Then, Hope reached up and pulled the zipper down. As the zipper was pulled down and the tent was slowly unfurled open, the trio stepped outside.


    Sure enough, Hei¡¯an and Shui had already woken up and gotten out of their tents, and were now preparing breakfast. The urshifu brothers were standing over a medium-large pot, which was filled to the brim and bubbling with what looked like a yellowish-white liquid. When they noticed Hope, Klaw, and Dewey, the fur on the tops of their heads perked up.


    ¡°Morning, kiddos!¡± Hei¡¯an called out, grinning widely. ¡°Did you three sleep well?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡± Klaw chuckled.


    ¡°H-hope got a few h-hours of s-sleep.¡± Dewey said, ¡°b-but my b-brother and I b-barely got even a s-single hour of r-rest!¡±


    Hei¡¯an and Shui laughed, loud, deep, booming laughs that made Hope feel both comforted and strangely sad. For some reason, the urshifu twins¡¯ laughs felt deeply familiar to her and her forgotten past.


    ¡°Excitement got the better of you, huh?¡± Shui remarked. ¡°Well, hopefully this savory rice porridge here gives you three enough energy to get to town. It always helps Hei¡¯an and I perk up, that¡¯s for sure.¡±


    ¡°I know kids usually don¡¯t like this stuff, but it¡¯s all we have.¡± Hei¡¯an said, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. ¡°We weren¡¯t expecting to get three extra mouths to feed on the way back, much less kids. So, we¡¯re sorry if you don¡¯t like it.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine, Hei¡¯an!¡± Klaw exclaimed. ¡°Dewey and I are perfectly fine with rice porridge!¡±


    Hei¡¯an and Shui raised their eyebrows. ¡°...What about you, Hope?¡± Shui asked.


    Hope took a moment to think. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t exactly say that I¡¯m the biggest fan of rice.¡± she admitted. ¡°But I do like savory stuff, and I do like porridge, so I think that I¡¯d like eating this!¡± She didn¡¯t exactly remember where her dislike of rice came from, but she felt it very strongly in her stomach. Hope didn¡¯t want to turn down the rice porridge, though, partially because it was the only thing available to eat currently, partially because Hei¡¯an and Shui were incredibly nice and she didn¡¯t want to turn them down. And she did like porridge a lot, so maybe it would even out.


    Hei¡¯an and Shui¡¯s expressions brightened. ¡°That¡¯s good!¡± Hei¡¯an said. He then reached down and grabbed a gray and white ceramic bowl and a ladle. He began to spoon the rice porridge into the bowl until it was so full that tiny bits of it were oozing down the sides of the bowl. When he was done, he handed the bowl to Hope.


    Hope kneeled down and began lapping at the rice porridge with her tongue. She found the rice porridge to be surprisingly pleasant. There were a vast variety of toppings in the porridge, from raisins to hot pepper slices and even what appeared to be small pieces of some kind of seafood. The range of flavors was strange yet satisfying, and Hope found herself finishing off the entire bowl within minutes.


    Klaw, Dewey, Hei¡¯an, and Shui had also received their servings and finished their breakfast. When he had finished licking the bowl clean, Shui turned to the group and smiled. ¡°Good food as always, brother!¡± he boomed.


    Hei¡¯an grinned and flashed a thumbs-up at Shui before turning to Hope, Klaw, and Dewey. ¡°Now, are you three ready to finish the journey?¡± he asked. ¡°We are not very far away now. The sooner we start, the sooner we¡¯ll get there!¡±


    Hope, Klaw and Dewey¡¯s bodies were vibrating so quickly one might have thought that they were about to explode. ¡°Yes!¡± the younger set of brothers cried out simultaneously.


    Hei¡¯an and Shui laughed loudly again. ¡°You two are quite enthusiastic¡­ Reminds me a lot of our little charge, don¡¯t you think, Shui?¡± Hei¡¯an said. Shui nodded affirmatively in response.


    Little charge? Were Hei¡¯an and Shui taking care of a kid? It would explain why they were so kind and patient with Hope and her friends. That made them even more likeable to Hope.


    ¡°Anyways,¡± Shui said, ¡°We better pack up all of this stuff if we want to start now.¡±


    Hope, Klaw, Dewey, and Hei¡¯an nodded in response. The group quickly got to cleaning up the cooking equipment, taking down and folding up the tents, and packing everything neatly into Hei¡¯an and Shui¡¯s large backpacks.


    Hope looked back at the now empty campgrounds. This is it, she thought to herself. In just a few more hours, I¡¯m finally going to be at the guild.


    ¡°Ready?¡± Hei¡¯an called out.


    ¡°Yup!¡± the trio cheered. And with that, they turned around and began walking off into the distance.


    After about half an hour of walking, Klaw and Dewey turned to Hei¡¯an and Shui.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the guild town like?¡± Klaw asked excitedly.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just like any old town.¡± Shui responded cheerfully. ¡°Pretty busy, and some of the rescue team guys can get a little rowdy sometimes, but the residents are good folk.¡±


    ¡°The other shop owners are great guys too!¡± Hei¡¯an exclaimed. ¡°When we get there, we¡¯re going to give you a big tour of all the shops. As a burgeoning rescue team, it¡¯s important for you three to know where all the goods are located, and these guys just love meeting the trainees!¡±


    ¡°A-awesome!¡± Dewey squealed.


    Hei¡¯an and Shui laughed again. Hope really like how their laughs sounded.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to meet them! And the guild pokemon! I wonder what they¡¯re like?¡± Hope wondered aloud.


    ¡°It¡­ depends.¡± Shui said. ¡°Some of them are really nice. Some of them¡­ Let¡¯s just say they have major sticks up their asses.¡± He then noticed that his words had made Klaw and Dewey look panic stricken. ¡°T-they¡¯re nice to the trainees, though!¡± he said sheepishly, raising his paws into the air.


    It was then that Hope realized something about Hei¡¯an and Shui¡¯s wording. ¡°So are we only going to be trainees?¡± she asked, her ears flopping downwards dejectedly. If I¡¯m just a trainee, then they may not let me find out why I¡¯ve come to this world. They would probably want the fully fledged rescue teams to investigate something as important as that.


    Hei¡¯an opened his mouth to say something, but Klaw quickly interrupted him.


    ¡°For a rescue team to operate independently from a guild and legally be considered ¡®fully fledged¡¯, all of its members have to be fully evolved.¡± Klaw explained.


    ¡°B-but t-trainees are a-allowed to take on big m-missions too!¡± Dewey chimed in. ¡°T-they just have to c-confirm t-things with the g-guildmaster! S-sometimes fully f-fledged rescue teams may s-supervise the t-trainees, but that¡¯s o-only for p-particularly d-dangerous missions.¡±


    Hei¡¯an and Shui cocked their heads quizically before chuckling. ¡°You boys sure have done your research!¡± Hei¡¯an laughed. ¡°But yes, the ¡®trainee¡¯ term is just legal jargon that applies to teams with unevolved pokemon. As long as they¡¯re associated with a guild, they can do the same rescue missions as fully evolved pokemon.¡±


    Hope immediately perked back up again. ¡°That¡¯s good!¡± she responded cheerily, her tail wagging back and forth. Man, evolving sounds so cool, she thought to herself. You get a cool new form, you become so much more powerful, and you get all of these new freedoms¡­ If there¡¯s one thing I want to do before leaving this world, it¡¯s to evolve. Just to see what it feels like.


    ¡°The guildmaster of the Ironheart Guild is particularly lenient about these sorts of things. Says it ¡®builds character¡¯ and that it¡¯s ¡®good for kids to get first hand experience¡¯. ¡° Hei¡¯an said, letting out another booming laugh. ¡°Arceus, I love that big metal lug.¡±


    ¡°He looks big and tough,¡± Shui added, ¡°but he¡¯s really just a ginormous softie. Got the skills to back up his position, though.¡±


    The more Hei¡¯an and Shui talked about the guildmaster, the more excited Hope grew to meet him. If he really was as kind as they were saying, surely he would understand her circumstances and help her return to the human world!


    The area where the group had first been camping out at had been in a moderately wooded area with soft, earthy soil and lots of leaves littering the ground. The roads the group had been travelling were very similar. But now, the trees and leaves were starting to disappear, and more traditional roads, paved and made of stone, replaced them.


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t be too far now.¡± Shui informed the children. ¡°Just about half an hour now.¡±


    Klaw and Dewey were shaking in excitement so much that they looked like they were about to fall over.


    The group kept on walking, and the road became wider and wider. It seemed like it was leading up to something.


    After some more time walking, the road began to widen and turn into a large clearing. The voices of pokemon started to echo from further down in the clearing, and large metallic poles with flags in all colors of the rainbow started lining the edges of the roads.


    Klaw and Dewey gasped with excitement and started charging forward. Hope was right on their heels, and Hei¡¯an and Shui followed them, laughing all the while.


    The clearing grew large and larger, eventually forming into a small settlement. When Hope, Klaw, and Dewey saw the settlement, they skidded to a stop, their mouths agape with amazement.


    Large tent-like structures loomed over them, casting shadows big enough to swallow them up. Pokemon milled to and fro from these structures, talking cheerily with figures obscured by the hoods of the tents. Pokemon seemed to be everywhere- talking with vendors, eating food, or just sitting on benches and talking with their friends.


    The ground appeared to be made out of pure steel bricks, which shone blindingly bright as the sun¡¯s rays kissed them. Smack dab in the middle of this plaza was a large, worn copper statue, at least fifty feet tall, depicting a strange pokemon that looked like a cross between a rabbit and a deer, with long, dangly legs and what appeared to be a massive flower bud atop its head.


    Just beyond the plaza was a small hill, covered in evergreen shrubs and neon flowers. And atop that small hill was a building that Hope had only seen in pictures, yet was intensely familiar to her. A building shaped like an elephant¡¯s head, made of pure steel, mostly dark green with some copper markings, and a long row of stairs leading through the elephant¡¯s ¡°trunk¡±. Their destination. The Ironheart Guild.


    ¡°Well, kids,¡± Hei¡¯an said, grinning widely. ¡°Welcome to Honor Town.¡±


    Hope surveyed the area with wide eyes, trying to drink in all of her surroundings visually. After the coldness and gloom of the Absolute Zero Syndicate¡¯s headquarters and how emotionless all the pokemon that lived there seemed, the idea that pokemon could live like this, happily in a place that was vibrant, peaceful, and filled with color, was just¡­ astounding to her.


    Quick glances to her sides quickly informed her that she was not the only one who was feeling this way. Klaw and Dewey were craning their necks so much that they kind of looked like bobble head toys.


    The excitement became too much for Hope, Klaw, and Dewey, and they started to step forward, eager to explore Honor Town. But before they could do so, clawed hands reached out and grabbed the napes of Klaw and Dewey¡¯s necks.


    ¡°Slow down, speedsters.¡± Hei¡¯an joked. ¡°Before we let you loose to explore the town, we¡¯re gonna take you to our workplace first. Just so you know where we are if you need us.¡±


    ¡°And to make sure that little troublemaker nephew of ours hasn¡¯t completely wrecked the place.¡± Shui chuckled weakly.


    So the pokemon Hei¡¯an and Shui are taking care of is their nephew, Hope thought to herself with interest. I wonder if he¡¯s around our age? That confirms why they were so patient with us.


    ¡°Come along now.¡± Hei¡¯an called. ¡°You better follow us, or you might get lost in the crowd.¡±


    Hope, Klaw, and Dewey nodded eagerly, and they followed Hei¡¯an and Shui into the plaza. It was even more vibrant and colorful than Hope could have ever imagined. She found herself being bombarded sensually from all angles- the eagerly chatting voices of the pokemon, the smells coming from the various food stalls, and the bright colors of the vendors'' stalls.


    Stolen story; please report.


    Many of the stalls were shaped in the likeness of various pokemon''s heads. One looked like a black dog, another looked like a mole with a drill on its head, and one looked like a blue bird. Hope''s curiosity was peaked by all these stalls, and she longed to meet the pokemon that ran them.


    "Well, here it is, kiddos."


    Shui''s words jolted Hope out of her thoughts. The group was standing in front of a building shaped in the likeness of a bear, similar in appearance to Hei¡¯an and Shui. Instead of the twins'' black fur, the stall was primarily painted white. The left half of the building had crimson red stripes on it, while the right half had navy blue stripes. The "mouth" of the building was opened in a snarl that led to the inside of the building.


    "Welcome to our pride and joy. The Xiong Dojo." Hei¡¯an said, spreading his arms out wide with a massive grin on his face.


    "If you ever need to refine your techniques, this is the place to come to." Shui added. "We''ve got training equipment of all sorts here, as well as special drinks to boost your stats. Sometimes we even set up mazes that act as replicas of mystery dungeons, which make for good prac-"


    CRASH!!!


    Hei''an and Shui¡¯s heads immediately whipped around upon hearing the sound, which came from the inside of the dojo. "Arceus damn it." Hei¡¯an cursed under his breath.. He and Shui then darted inside of the dojo, with Hope, Klaw, and Dewey hot on their heels.


    The room directly behind the Xiong Dojo¡¯s door was its lobby¡­ or at least, that¡¯s what Hope assumed it was originally supposed to be. Right now the room was buried underneath a massive pile of soil and uprooted berry trees. Pieces of leftover food, broken plates, and torn up napkins were littered all over the soil pile.


    It was, to put it lightly, a mess.


    Standing in the middle of the chaos, smirking as if it ruled the world, was a small, dark gray bear cub pokemon, which appeared to be about five to six years younger than Klaw and Dewey. It had a large patch of white hair just above its eyebrows, a yellow mouth with a small black nose, and a white mark shaped like a bowtie just above its collarbone. It wore what Hope assumed was a simple white karate shirt and a matching belt, though right now both of them looked brown thanks to all of the dirt covering them.


    ¡°Bai! What in the name of Arceus have you done?¡± Shui exclaimed as he and Hei¡¯an surveyed the mess in shock.


    At the sound of Shui¡¯s voice, the bear cub pokemon, whom Hope assumed was named Bai, turned around. ¡°Uncle Hei¡¯an! Uncle Shui!¡± he chirped with a large smile on his face, seemingly oblivious to the situation that he had been caught red-handed in. ¡°I was just practicing my Rock Smash attack, and I think I¡¯m getting really good at it! Look!¡± he cheered, gesturing to the large mess that he had created.


    Hei¡¯an graped his snout with his long, clawed hands and sighed. ¡°Bai,¡± he said calmly yet sternly. ¡°How many times have we told you not to practice your moves in the lobby? This is the fourth time we¡¯ve had to replace those berry trees!¡±


    Bai wasn¡¯t paying attention to Hei¡¯an¡¯s words, however. He had noticed Hope, Klaw, and Dewey, and his expression had changed into a childish glower. After a short pause, he stuck out his tongue, blew a raspberry, and darted away through an open door that Hope assumed led to the rest of the dojo, disappearing in a matter of seconds.


    ¡°Bai! Come back here now!¡± Hei¡¯an bellowed fruitlessly.


    Shui massaged his temple and let out a long, low, growl before turning to Hope, Klaw, and Dewey. ¡°We¡¯re really sorry about Bai,¡± he said. ¡°He¡¯s a good kid. He just has a lot of energy, and he doesn¡¯t quite know how to let it out in a respectable manner yet.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t help that he¡¯s not the best at regulating his own emotions.¡± Hei¡¯an added softly. ¡°Especially after what happened to his mother¡­ our sister¡­¡± He then looked up and blinked rapidly. ¡°Sorry about that. Was just thinking out loud.¡± he chuckled sheepishly. ¡°We¡¯ve got to clean this mess up and talk to Bai. Would you three please wait outside the dojo for us to finish up?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re so, so sorry about this.¡± Shui added, looking down at the ground. ¡°We thought since Bai¡¯s a little older now, he would be fine without our supervision. It¡¯ll take half an hour at most, OK?¡±


    After witnessing that interaction, Hope was at a loss for words. So she, Klaw, and Dewey simply turned around and exited the dojo, being careful not to step in any dirt.


    ¡°So¡­ that was something, right guys?¡± Hope asked, trying her best to lighten the mood.


    ¡°I¡¯m just wondering why he was staring at us like that.¡± Klaw replied, his tail swishing back and forth.


    ¡°Y-yeah! He l-looked really mad!¡± Dewey exclaimed.  ¡°H-he barely even k-knows us! W-why would he g-get so m-mad?¡±


    ¡°I have no clue.¡± Hope sighed. ¡°It¡¯s a really strange situation all around.¡±


    The trio sat there for a while in the blazing sun, silently contemplating the situation that had just taken place, when suddenly, a light, cheery voice rang out.


    ¡°Hey! Never seen you three around here before!¡±


    Hope looked up in surprise to see a pokemon standing in front of her and her friends. The pokemon was small and vaguely humanoid, with a mostly pink body and an absolutely humongous baby blue hairdo atop its head that resembled a witch¡¯s hat. Its arms and legs were incredibly tiny, and it instead appeared to support itself by walking on its own ponytails. Two purple flower clips were attached to each of these ponytails, and there was what appeared to be a faint touch of mascara over its eyes. It smiled coyly at the trio.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± The mysterious pokemon paused for a moment before her eyes widened. ¡°You lot are a wannabe rescue team, right?¡±


    Klaw and Dewey¡¯s eyes narrowed at the use of the term ¡°wannabe¡±, and they stepped forward, but Hope quickly blocked their path, not wanting to start a fight.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ we are hoping to form a rescue team¡­¡± Hope said uneasily.


    The strange pokemon laughed, a nasally high yet mirthful laugh. ¡°Oh! And I assume you guys lost your way?¡± She then relaxed her posture and winked teasingly at them. ¡°Well, don¡¯t fear! I¡¯m very experienced with this town and the shops. I¡¯ll show you the way!¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± Hope exclaimed, her ears standing up in alarm. ¡°We already met people who agreed to show us around! They¡¯re just inside the dojo dealing with a personal situation! Just be pai-¡±


    Alas, Hope¡¯s pleas to the odd pokemon fell on deaf ears, as she, Klaw, and Dewey quickly found their front legs being tangled by locks of the pokemon¡¯s surprisingly long hair. They were then dragged away from the entrance of the Xiong Dojo and back into the main plaza.


    As the strange pokemon dragged them away, she turned back to them and smiled sweetly. ¡°By the way, my name¡¯s Candy.¡± she chirped, looking way too innocent for the action that she was currently performing. ¡°What about you guys?¡±


    ¡°...Nice to meet you, Candy.¡± Hope said uneasily. ¡°I¡¯m Hope, and this is Klaw and Dewey.¡± Even if this Candy was a bit¡­ forward, she did owe her for being willing to show them around the plaza in place of Hei¡¯an and Shui. And something about Candy seemed¡­ alluring. Like she had to cooperate with her or else something¡­ bad would happen.


    Hope could have sworn that Candy flinched slightly upon hearing the names ¡°Klaw¡± and ¡°Dewey¡±, but if she did, she quickly got over it. She began dragging them over north to a wooden stall shaped like a pink and black teddy bear. Behind the desk of the stall was yet another bear pokemon. This one, however, looked completely different from Hei¡¯an and Shui. It had a pink head and black arms and limbs. It had a white band of fur on its forehead, a short white muzzle with a triangular nose, and small, beady eyes. It wore a baseball cap and a bowtie with matching colors- red, blue, yellow, and green stripes. It giggled cheerily as it sifted through some turquoise orbs.


    ¡°Our first stop is the Hugs-A-Lot Shop!¡± she announced proudly. ¡°This is where you¡¯ll find all the basics. From oran berries to reviver seeds to orbs to wands, if you need the essentials, this is the place!¡± She then gestured to the bear pokemon. ¡°Teddy! We got some new guys here! Say hi to them, won¡¯t you? No hugging, though.¡±


    Teddy turned around quickly and began flailing his arms in excitement. ¡°New fweinds! Hewwo!¡± he cheered, immediately lunging at Hope, Klaw, and Dewey with his giant arms. Thankfully, Candy quickly shot out her ponytails, causing a burst of psychic energy to suspend Teddy in midair.


    ¡°Teddy! I just told you not to hug them!¡± she scolded, similarly to a mother scolding her child for sneaking some ice cream before bed, before dropping Teddy onto the ground. ¡°You know what your species¡¯s hugs do to other pokemon!¡±


    Teddy immediately hung his head low in shame. ¡°Sowwy about that.¡± he said sheepishly. ¡°I wouwd wove to get to know you thwee, but i have to finish a vewy impowtant owdew. Pwease come back hewe when it''s finished!¡±


    Candy¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Teddy¡­ please don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re selling stuff to them, are you?¡±


    Teddy immediately threw his hands up in the air. ¡°Oh no! i''m done deawing with them! just got a wescue team fwom anothew town coming in and i want to get theiw owdew pewfect! It¡¯s nothing bad, ma¡¯am!¡±


    Despite his pleading, though, sweat was starting to trickle down his fuzzy forehead.


    Candy continued to squint at Teddy suspiciously, but she eventually relaxed. ¡°If you say so, Teddy.¡± she said tersely. ¡°I¡¯ve got to show these three the other four shops, so we¡¯ll do that and come back afterwards.¡±


    ¡°Okay! bye bye fow now!¡± Teddy called. Candy waved with her ponytails one more time, and then she led Hope, Klaw and Dewey outside of the Hugs-a-Lot shop.


    The entire encounter was making Hope¡¯s head spin. Teddy seemed really nice, but what was Candy saying about not dealing with ¡°them¡±?


    It seemed as if Klaw and Dewey were having the same thoughts as her, as Klaw turned towards Candy. ¡°Candy¡­ Teddy isn¡¯t doing anything¡­ illegal, is he?¡± he asked, making sure to lace his words with the intended meaning- He doesn¡¯t work with the syndicate, does he?


    Candy stopped for a moment, then laughed her light and airy laugh. ¡°Oh, no no no. Just a local group of ruffians.¡± she said calmly. ¡°Teddy¡¯s a really nice guy, but he¡¯s also¡­ really naive sometimes. He¡¯ll sell anything to anyone if they just fake a smile. Still, if you want your wares, he¡¯s your guy. One of the best vendors in town.¡±


    Hope, Klaw, and Dewey let out sighs of relief that they didn¡¯t know they were holding.


    Candy glanced back at them with a soft smile, seemingly pondering something. Her glance then travelled a couple of feet away. ¡°Speaking of vendors¡­¡±


    Candy led the trio southeast, to a black metal building shaped like a dog¡¯s head that was adorned with decorations in the shape of coins. Lounging lazily behind the counter of this stall was a pokemon that looked something in between a dog and a wolf. Most of its body was black, save for its long orange muzzle and belly. It had a long pair of curved gray horns on the top of its head, and it wore a golden collar with a large piece of obsidian in its centers around its neck. It began to stir and lifted its head up as the quartet approached.


    ¡°Hello there, Candy.¡± the dog pokemon purred slickly. ¡°Strange to not see you at work right now.¡±


    ¡°Today¡¯s a slow day, Wolfram.¡± Candy replied cheerfully. ¡°Did meet some guys who are hoping to join the guild, though. Wolfram, meet Hope, Klaw, and Dewey.¡±


    Wolfram blinked slowly for a little bit before smiling devilishly at Hope, Klaw, and Dewey. ¡°Well, hello, you three. It¡¯s so very nice to meet you. I hope you become a great rescue team so you can deposit lots and lots of money into my pockets.¡±


    Hope, Klaw, and Dewey immediately took a step back.


    ¡°Wolfram!¡± Candy admonished. ¡°Please don¡¯t freak them out like that.¡±


    Wolfram¡¯s expression softened, and he chuckled. ¡°Very sorry, my dear. Old habits die hard, you know?¡± He then turned to the trio and lowered his head. ¡°This is Underworld Banking, where you can deposit the money you receive as rewards from rescue missions for safekeeping. I very much look forward to your future patronage.¡± he explained.


    ¡°Thanks, Wolfram!¡± Candy exclaimed. She then turned around and noticed something to the west of them. ¡°Oh! I think our next stop already noticed us!¡± she joked.


    Wolfram chuckled. ¡°If it¡¯s who I think it is, it really isn¡¯t a surprise at all.¡± he said. He then waved at Hope, Klaw, and Dewey with his paw. ¡°Run along, now,¡± he said.


    ¡°Bye, Wolfram!¡± Candy called before turning around and motioning to Hope and her friends to follow her.


    The quartet headed over to a blue building shaped like a bird¡¯s head with white puffs resembling clouds as decorations. Standing in front of the stall was a bird pokemon. Its body was blue, but most of it was obscured by white, puffy feathers that resembled clouds, leaving only its head and feet showing. A dark gray scarf was wrapped around its left wing, which it was now waving at Candy and the trio.


    ¡°Candy! Are these new guild recruits?¡± she asked excitedly.


    ¡°Not yet, Nimbus, but hopefully soon!¡± Candy chuckled. ¡°Meet Hope, Klaw, and Dewey.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you three!¡± Nimbus chirped. ¡°Welcome to Cloudy Postal Services! If you find yourself in a far off mystery dungeon needing help, you can request our services! Or you can just send letters to your family back home if you¡¯re feeling homesick!¡±


    Nimbus¡¯s last sentence made all of Klaw and Dewey¡¯s joints straighten out from fear. Nimbus cocked her head in confusion, which made Candy run up to her and whisper something in her ear. Nimbus¡¯s eyes widened as Candy spoke, and as the latter stepped away, the former looked at Klaw and Dewey pitifully.


    ¡°Or don¡¯t send letters to your family¡­ it¡¯s okay¡­¡± Nimbus was getting really flustered now. ¡°I-I¡¯m really looking forward to seeing you around!¡± she finished, bowing down


    That was pretty confusing, Hope thought to herself. But she didn¡¯t have any more time to contemplate that, because Candy was leading her and her friends off to the next stall, a stone building shaped like a strange cell that looked like it had deep purple drops of poison dripping down specially placed orifices. The stall of this building was blocked by a large, hastily placed door.


    Candy, however, wasn¡¯t deterred by the blockage. She simply raised her ponytail up to the door and knocked. ¡°Hey, Doc, open up!¡± she yelled.


    Hope could hear loud banging noises and grumbling from the other side of the door. The banging and grumbling got louder and louder until the door swung open with a loud CREAK!


    On the other side of the door was an extremely odd pokemon. It was of indeterminable resemblance, with a mostly pink body, a purple upper body, and dark purple spots on its hands and tail. It had a large, dark purple, frilly collar around its neck. But the most disturbing thing about it was its head. It was almost completely obscured by a large, dark purplish-gray shell, with two purple horns on its side and a green orb and two tiny eyes in its center. The only part of the actual pokemon¡¯s head that was visible was its mouth, which was shadowed by the large shell. It wore a dark gray bow tie, it was leaning on a brown wooden cane, and a burnt-out cigarette hung from the edge of its mouth.


    ¡°Doc! You actually opened the door this time!¡± Candy squeaked cheerfully.


    Doc squinted at Candy and the trio distrustfully. ¡°Vat do vu vant from me, Candy?¡± he asked, his accent thick and deep. It shook Hope to the bone.


    Candy, however, remained unphased by Doc¡¯s manner. ¡°I just want to introduce you to these newbies-to-be!¡± she said cheerfully. ¡°Hope, Klaw, Dewey, this is Doc. He runs Voodoo Apothecary, which sells herbs and alternative medicine. If you get a really bad injury or sickness, he¡¯s your guy!¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t zat your job, Candy?¡± Doc asked the younger pokemon suspiciously.


    This question immediately made Candy begin to sweat bullets. She looked around uneasily. ¡°Umm¡­ well¡­ Gotta go, Doc, bye!¡± She then grabbed Hope, Klaw, and Dewey and began dragging them away from the apothecary.


    ¡°Figures¡­¡± Doc said as they left, before slamming the door.


    ¡°What was that all about, Candy?¡± Hope asked. The more time she spent with Candy, she couldn¡¯t help but start to like her. She was knowledgeable about the town, willing to give a hand to newcomers like her, nice, and a little eccentric.


    Candy had recovered from her shock and turned to Hope, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. ¡°You¡¯ll find out when we finish the tour.¡± she replied mysteriously before brightening up again. ¡°That won¡¯t be long now! Only two more vendors to go!¡± she cheered, before dragging Hope, Klaw, and Dewey back northwest.


    Candy next led them to a building made of clay that was shaped like a mole¡¯s head. Standing at the desk of this stall was a dark brown bipedal mole pokemon. Its body was covered in red splotches that resembled scars, and there was a large metal drill on top of its head. Its claws were large and made of pure steel, and it wore black square-shaped glasses and a brown tie.


    ¡°Hello there, Candy.¡± the mole pokemon said politely as the small group approached. ¡°Who are your new friends?¡±


    ¡°These are Hope, Klaw, and Dewey.¡± Candy said, gesturing to the trio. ¡°They¡¯re soon-to-be newbies at the guild.¡±


    ¡°It is ever so nice to meet you three.¡± the mole pokemon said while bowing. ¡°My name is Monty, and I run Grand Tunnel Storage, where you can keep your leftover items from expeditions for safekeeping. I look forward to serving you¡­¡± He looked up from his glasses, his expression harsh. ¡°Though I will warn you, I have no patience for those who don¡¯t take their rescue team work seriously.¡±


    ¡°No, sir! We¡¯re very serious about our work!¡± Hope exclaimed.


    Monty¡¯s expression immediately softened. ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± he said calmly. ¡°How many more shops do you have left to show them, Candy? I assume you will have to get back to work very soon.¡±


    ¡°Just one more!¡± Candy said cheerfully. ¡°Come along now, guys!¡± She didn¡¯t grab them this time- she simply walked away, gesturing for Hope, Klaw, and Dewey to follow her, which they did willingly.


    As they approached the final building, though, Hope realized that it looked very familiar. They were heading back towards the Xiong Dojo.


    ¡°Umm, Candy?¡± Hope said softly. ¡°We¡¯ve kind of already been here before¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, because you got lost and took shelter under the entrance, right?¡± Candy said.


    ¡°No, because we met the-¡± Hope tried to explain, but Candy cut her off.


    ¡°This is the Xiong Dojo, where you can-¡± It was now Candy¡¯s turn to be interrupted, this time by two familiar faces.


    ¡°Hope! Klaw! Dewey! There you are!¡±


    Hei¡¯an and Shui had just exited the dojo and were now running towards the trio, concern in their eyes. Upon reaching them, they immediately dropped to their knees. ¡°Thank Arceus you didn¡¯t leave the plaza!¡± they cried out simultaneously.


    ¡°Why would we leave the plaza?¡± Klaw chuckled.


    ¡°Y-yeah! A-after we f-finally reached the p-place of our d-dreams, you think that w-we¡¯re just going to a-abandon it?¡± Dewey giggled.


    Candy tilted her head in confusion. ¡°Wait¡­ you guys already know Hei¡¯an and Shui?¡± she asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s what we were trying to tell you when we met you.¡± Hope said, swishing her tail coyly.


    Hei¡¯an and Shui then turned towards Candy. ¡°So you found them, huh?¡± Hei¡¯an chuckled. ¡°There you go again, being so eager and wanting to be the one to show all the newbies around. That¡¯s just like you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks¡­¡± Candy tried to put on a smile, but it was clear that she was still confused by this whole situation. ¡°So, um¡­ Do you mind explaining to me how you two ended up meeting these three?¡±


    Hope, Klaw, Dewey, Hei¡¯an, and Shui immediately launched into their tale, of how the younger kids had helped them fight off a particularly aggressive pokemon at Power Pass. They didn¡¯t mention what exactly had caused said pokemon to go berserk. When Hope had tried to talk about it, Hei¡¯an and Shui had glared at her.


    When the quintet had finished with their story, Candy took a few steps back, her mouth agape. ¡°Wow¡­¡± she said. ¡°You three really are strong. Being able to help Hei¡¯an and Shui, some of the strongest fighters in town, who literally train others in improving their fighting skills¡­¡± She then smiled mischievously. ¡°I knew my gut feeling was right. My boss is going to love you three.¡±


    ¡°Your¡­ boss?¡± Hope asked in confusion. ¡°Candy, who¡¯s your boss?¡±


    Hei¡¯an and Shui blinked in surprise. ¡°Candy, you didn¡¯t tell them what your job is?¡±


    Candy giggled. ¡°I wanted to surprise them at the end of the tour.¡± she said sweetly yet mischievously.


    Hei¡¯an and Shui sighed simultaneously. ¡°Candy, Candy, Candy.¡± Shui chuckled. He then turned to Hope, Klaw, and Dewey. ¡°You see, Candy is the-¡±


    All of a sudden, Shui stopped talking. He began sniffing the air, the fur on his back stood up, and he let out a long, low growl. Hei¡¯an did the same, with some added mumbling of ¡°These fuckers again?¡± under his breath. Candy, too, had gone stiff, and she was looking around uneasily.


    ¡°Guys? What¡¯s going on?¡± Hope asked worriedly.


    Hei¡¯an, Shui, and Candy didn¡¯t say a word. They darted straight back into the center of the plaza, their expressions filled with fury. Hope, Klaw, and Dewey were right on their heels.


    As they got closer to the center of the plaza, Hope saw that a lot of the other business owners were also rushing to the center of the plaza. Wolfram, Doc, and Monty glared furiously as they charged, while Nimbus, flapping her wings haphazardly, looked just as confused as Hope, Klaw, and Dewey. Hope could also hear the various store patrons mumbling in annoyance about ¡°petty criminals¡±, ¡°delinquets¡± and ¡°ruffians¡±.


    The moment that the group reached the center of the square, Hope immediately realized what was going on. Teddy was standing in front of the statue of the strange rabbit/hare pokemon, holding a large box that seemed to be filled with various kinds of weapons. He was chatting with four dirty-looking pokemon.


    The first of these was a bipedal wolf pokemon. Its fur was mostly red, with white streaks on its lower legs, face, underbelly, and tail. It had black tips on its ears and three black claws on each paw. Its back and shoulders were covered by a large, bushy, white mane, with a sharp, jagged stone at its end. More of these stones covered its body, and its eyes were a deep crimson red. It wore an orange spiked collar, there was what looked like a purple tattoo on its left arm, and though its mouth was closed right now, its tongue was still sticking out.


    The second of these was a bipedal purple lizard pokemon. It had a yellow underbelly and yellow markings on its palms and legs. Frills of pure electricity rippled from its nose to its neck, it had six of what looked to be organs on its chest, and its wrists and hips were covered in spikes. It wore a blue spiked collar, there was what looked like a tan tattoo on its right arm, and like the wolf pokemon, its tongue was sticking out despite its closed mouth.


    Next there was a smaller lizard pokemon. Its body was dark gray, and its head and feet were black. An orange line ran down its tail and back, and its eyes were a deep lavender. It wore a thick, bright pink chain necklace.


    Finally, there was a small bipedal cat pokemon. Its fur was greyish-brown, and it looked especially ragged. The fur underneath its mouth was especially long, making it resemble a beard. Its eyes were a deep yellow, and there was a pure black coin atop its head. It wore a brown helmet.


    ¡°Hewe¡¯s youw stuff, okay?¡± Teddy was saying. ¡°Just twy not to awewt anyone on the way out. I bewieve in you!¡±


    The wolf pokemon and the larger lizard pokemon nodded eagerly. The small lizard pokemon and the cat pokemon, however, were looking at the large crowd that had now surrounded them. ¡°Um, Teddy?¡± the small lizard pokemon said. ¡°I think it¡¯s a little too late for that.¡±


    All five pokemon turned to look at the crowd.


    ¡°Uh oh¡­¡± Teddy said fearfully.


    The wolf pokemon and the large lizard pokemon, on the other hand, were not phased at all by the sudden arrival of the onlookers. They both simply stretched their arms out, large grins on their faces.


    ¡°Hello, Honawh Town!¡± the wolf pokemon said proudly.


    ¡°Bet you lot missed us, didn¡¯t yer?¡± the large lizard pokemon added just as proudly.


    ¡°Nobody missed your schtinky, good for nothing clique.¡± Doc grumbled angrily, banging his cane on the ground.


    ¡°We thought we told you to stay out the last time you came over here.¡± Monty added callously.


    Hope, Klaw, and Dewey were watching this all play out with pure confusion. ¡°Who are these pokemon?¡± Hope whispered into Candy¡¯s ear.


    ¡°Those are the Raiders.¡± Candy whispered back. ¡°They consider themselves this big-time crime group on par with the syndicates, and they come in to annoy the townsmon every once in a while. But they¡¯re really just a bunch of buffoons. They just make a ruckus, harass the shopkeepers, sometimes try to break into the guild, and leave.¡±


    ¡°If they¡¯re criminals, why is Teddy selling stuff to them?¡± Hope asked.


    ¡°Like I said earlier. Teddy¡¯s way too naive for his own good.¡± Candy replied. ¡°They keep coming back with some sob story about how they¡¯ve changed and will use those weapons for good every single time, and the poor guy always buys into it and sells the stuff to them.¡± A smirk tugged at the edge of her lips. ¡°I mean, ninety-five percent of the time they just end up hurting themselves with those weapons, so it¡¯s not too bad, but still¡­¡±


    Hope giggled at Candy¡¯s last remark. Unfortunately, this caught the attention of the Raiders.


    ¡°Hey, look at dis, Sal!¡± the wolf pokemon said. ¡°Dere¡¯s a new face in town!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yor right, Lupo!¡± the lizard pokemon said in response. ¡°That¡¯s the first eevee I¡¯ve ever seen in this tahn!¡±


    ¡°...Thank you?¡± Hope said, genuinely feeling a tiny bit flattered by that statement.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name, little eevee?¡± the cat pokemon asked.


    ¡°Hope.¡± Hope responded calmly.


    ¡°Pretty name.¡± the wolf pokemon said. ¡°I am Lupo, de second-strongest membuh of de Raiders!¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m Sal,¡± the lizard pokemon said, ¡°the second-strongest member o'' the Raiders!¡±


    Both Lupo and Sal stopped for a minute at this, looked at each other, and blushed. The small lizard and cat pokemon, standing beside them, looked like they wanted to uproot the statue from the ground and bang it into their heads.


    ¡°A-anyways,¡± Lupo said nervously, ignoring the giggling from the observing townspeople, ¡°Dis is my personal lackey, Medusa!¡± At this, he gestured to the small lizard pokemon, who smiled venomously.


    ¡°A-and dis is me personal lackey Odin!¡± Sal added nervously, gesturing to the cat pokemon, who flashed his claws at Hope.


    ¡°Together, we are the Raiders, the greatest crime group of all time!¡± all four of them shouted in unison. ¡°And we¡¯re going to take over this town!¡± They then each struck a pose that was supposed to look menacing, but instead looked absolutely ridiculous.


    Hope heard light laughter from behind her and turned around to see Klaw and Dewey giggling.


    ¡°¡®G-greatest crime group of a-all t-time?¡± Dewey chuckled. ¡°T-that¡¯s rich.¡±


    ¡°Believe me,¡± Klaw smirked. ¡°You guys probably wouldn¡¯t know real crime if it hit you guys upside the head.¡±


    For the first time, the Raiders noticed Klaw and Dewey, Lupo and Sal¡¯s jaws went slack upon seeing them.


    ¡°A litten and a sobble?¡± Sal whispered.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be. Right?¡± Lupo whispered back. ¡°Dey can¡¯t be. Right?¡±


    Lupo and Sal continued to stare at Klaw and Dewey like they were the second coming of some sort of deity. Some of the observing pokemon were whispering among themselves while staring at the litten and sobble, causing them to instinctually tense up every muscle in their body.


    ¡°Well, if they are who they most likely are, then this is a great opportunity to get them to notice you, boss!¡± Odin said eagerly to Sal.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, boss.¡± Medusa said slyly to Lupo. ¡°All you gotta do is subdue them, bring them back to the base, and put up a ransom notice. They¡¯ll come cruising right on down, and you can finally meet them!¡±


    Medusa and Odin¡¯s words caused Lupo and Sal to perk up with excitement. They began to approach Klaw and Dewey, practically drooling from excitement as they did so. Klaw and Dewey were doing their best to stare down Lupo and Sal, but their shaking limbs and the sweat drops rolling down their foreheads exposed the truth.


    Hope had had enough. She stepped in front of Klaw and Dewey and fluffed her tail out to make herself look bigger. ¡°Listen, I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re so interested in my friends.¡± she said sternly. ¡°But if you¡¯re going to ¡®hold them for ransom¡¯ or whatever, you¡¯re going to have to get through me first.¡±


    All of the Raiders threw their heads back and laughed simultaneously. ¡°Yuh? You¡¯re just a little eevee!¡± Lupo cackled.


    ¡°The distortion are yer gonna do, tackle us ter death, eh, luv?¡± Sal snarled.


    Hope didn¡¯t say a single word. She simply glared at Sal, narrowing her forehead as she concentrated.


    ¡°Wot in the world are yer do-¡± Sal was cut off by a purplish-pink aura surrounding him, which levitated into the air. Hope grunted, trying to push her way through the start of the throbbing headache, before slamming Sal into the ground.


    ¡°Sal!¡± Lupo cried out before turning to Hope. ¡°What¡¯s de deal wit¡¯ yuh? You¡¯re not supposed tuh know dat move ye-¡±


    Hope immediately whirled around to Lupo and fired off a Razor Leaf towards him. The sharp leaves took him by surprise, slashing his body and making him collapse on the floor in pain.


    ¡°Boss!¡± Medusa and Odin cried out simultaneously. They immediately prepared themselves to attack, but before they could, Klaw and Dewey sprung into action. Klaw leaped towards Odin and clamped on his beard with a Fire Fang, while Dewey shot a high pressure Water Pulse towards Medusa. The powerful attacks immediately caused Medusa and Odin to crumple to the ground, their eyes having changed into swirls.


    Lupo and Sal had recovered from Hope¡¯s attacks on them, though Lupo¡¯s body was now covered in cuts and Sal had a medium sized bump on his head. They stared at Medusa and Odin¡¯s unconscious bodies with horror, shock, and worry in their eyes.


    ¡°D-dis won¡¯t be de lastcha see of us!¡± Lupo cried as he scooped Medusa¡¯s body into his lanky arms.


    ¡°Y-yeah! We¡¯ll be back! And we¡¯ll beat you three up right good wen we do!¡± Sal whimpered, taking Odin¡¯s body into his arms.


    The so-called ¡°gang leaders¡± began to dart down the plaza, and in a matter of seconds, they were gone.


    Whispering once again began to break out amongst the townsmon, with them stealing additional glances at Hope, Klaw, and Dewey. They were mostly glances of wonder and admiration, but some of the glances towards Klaw and Dewey were also filled with apprehension.


    ¡°Oh my Diancie, that was just incredible!¡± Hope, Klaw, and Dewey turned around to see Candy beaming at them. ¡°You were able to send the Raiders packing with just one hit! I mean, it¡¯s not hard to do that at all, but those were some powerful attacks! And did you just use Confusion and Razor Leaf, Hope? Man, the guildmaster¡¯s really going to love you!¡±


    ¡°Thank y-¡± Hope started to say, but then the realization of Candy¡¯s last sentence hit her. ¡°Wait, did you just say guildmaster?!¡±


    Candy blinked slowly a few times. Then, she smiled mischievously. ¡°Oh, right. Where are my manners? I did say I¡¯d properly introduce myself after the tour.¡± She then reached out her ponytails for Hope, Klaw, and Dewey to shake. ¡°I am Candy von BonBon, the Ironheart Guild¡¯s official nurse. It¡¯s very nice to meet you three. Now, how about you guys follow me? My coworkers and bosses would love to meet you guys.¡±

 Chapter Eleven: Guildmaster Taj

    Hope¡¯s mind was spinning at a hundred miles per hour. So much was happening right now, and she was still struggling to process it all.


    Between meeting all of the Honor Town vendors, meeting and scaring off the Raiders, and learning that Candy was the Ironheart Guild¡¯s nurse, her brain was trying to process way too much information right now. It was as if her brain was a canal, and the events of the day were a giant cargo ship that was trying to push its way through said canal.


    But the day wasn¡¯t even done yet. Right now, Candy was leading Hope, Klaw, and Dewey up the large hill north of Honor Town that led to the Ironheart Guild. Hope could barely even begin to process it all. In just a matter of minutes, she would finally be at her destination. She would finally be able to form a rescue team with Klaw and Dewey.


    Speaking of Klaw and Dewey, if they were struggling to process the events of the day as well, they didn¡¯t show it. They were shaking incredibly hard with giant grins on their faces. Hope couldn¡¯t tell if they were excited or if they were about to throw up. Knowing them, it was probably a combination of the two.


    ¡°You guys alright?¡± Hope whispered quietly.


    Klaw and Dewey blinked in shock. ¡°Uh, yeah, we¡¯re good.¡± they whispered back simultaneously.


    Hope chuckled before repositioning herself. ¡°So, this is it, huh?¡± she murmured under her breath.


    ¡°I-i just can¡¯t b-believe this!¡± Dewey exclaimed. ¡°M-my b-bro and I have been d-dreaming a-about this place for y-years!¡±


    ¡°Stealing Papa and Daddy¡¯s newspapers from under their noses so we could read them and learn about the guild¡¯s latest rescue missions¡­ sneaking into Polaris¡¯s library to see if he had any books about the guild¡­¡± Klaw sighed dreamily, reminiscing on times long gone. ¡°We¡¯ve always dreamed of coming to this place, but we thought it was impossible. But now we¡¯re actually here! We¡¯re actually going to step foot in the Ironheart Guild!¡± he exclaimed.


    ¡°I-it¡¯s all t-thanks to you, H-hope.¡± Dewey murmured softly, flashing a giant grin at Hope in the process. ¡°I-if it wasn¡¯t for you, we w-would have-never gotten the courage to even a-attempt to l-leave the s-syndicate.¡±


    ¡°Seriously, Hope.¡± Klaw murmured. ¡°We owe you a lot.¡±


    Hope¡¯s ears straightened up from surprise, and a small blush formed on her cheeks. ¡°Thank you¡­¡± she murmured. She knew that she had had a majorly positive impact on Klaw and Dewey¡¯s life. There was a small part of her that had started to view them as her younger brothers. That made it hurt even more when she thought about returning to the human world. She desperately wanted to see her family again, but the thought of leaving Klaw and Dewey behind, when she had done so much for them, felt like a massive punch to the gut. And it would feel even worse for Klaw and Dewey. It would be a massive betrayal.


    She had to tell them about these conflicting feelings soon. It would help ease the pain. But how was she going to build up the courage to do so?


    ¡°Hey, I know you three are in the middle of a gratitude fest or whatever, but we have to go up this long set of stairs now, and I don¡¯t want you tripping and falling because you all got distracted. Seriously, these stairs can hurt.¡±


    Candy¡¯s words jolted Hope out of her thoughts. The quartet was now standing at the bottom of the large stairwell that led up to the Ironheart Guild. The building had looked large in photos, and it looked a bit larger when she was viewing it from Honor Town. But right now, Hope felt like a tick in comparison to the guild building. It was just that massive up close.


    Candy grinned slyly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, guys? Skitty got your tongue?¡± she asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s just even more beautiful up close¡­¡± Hope gasped in awe.


    Candy chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s what all the newbies say.¡± She then turned around. ¡°Let¡¯s go, guys! Remember to be careful- like I said, these stairs can hurt, and I do not want your first experience in the guild to be spent in my office getting a bunch of cuts and bruises bandaged up. It happened to the last trainee team to join, and that was not fun at all.¡±


    With that, Candy began to walk up the giant stairs, using her ponytails to balance herself like an acrobat.


    Hope shook herself off and began to follow her, careful to keep her balance. Klaw and Dewey were not far behind her, but due to their excitement, they were tripping over legs (both their own and each other¡¯s) almost constantly. They would have certainly fallen down the stairs if not for Hope¡¯s tail, which they constantly grabbed onto to regain balance.


    They were almost at the top of the stairs now. They were literally getting into the mouth of the beast- as the group got higher up, a round platform became more visible. It seemed to literally serve as the mouth of the building, attaching itself to both the stairwell and the inside of the building, and a shiny door made of pure steel was present at its edge.


    Hope¡¯s heartbeat began to quicken, and her tail started to wag involuntarily. Klaw and Dewey giggled when they saw her do this, but they weren¡¯t doing any better in regards to their own tails. Klaw¡¯s tail was sticking straight up in the air, while Dewey¡¯s tail was almost completely extended outwards, with only a slight curl at its tip. Hope didn¡¯t know how exactly, but she knew that this was their respective species¡¯ ways of showing happiness.


    They were on the last five steps now. But just as Hope, Klaw, and Dewey were about to begin taking those first five steps, a voice rang out.


    ¡°Intruder alert! Intruder alert!¡±


    Hope, Klaw, and Dewey stumbled back in surprise, only not falling down the stairs thanks to Candy quickly activating her psychic powers to hold them in place.


    Standing at the edge of the circular platform was a green-and-yellow canine pokemon wearing a spiked black collar. It glowered at Hope, Klaw, and Dewey with its fangs bared, electricity crackling from them, and a snarl rumbling lowly in its chest.


    Hope, Klaw, and Dewey immediately went into their fighting stances, ready to tell off the rude stranger by any means necessary. Candy, however, simply rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Flash, it¡¯s okay.¡± she sighed. ¡°These are just new recruits for the guild. You need to stop doing this every time we bring in new recruits.¡±


    The electricity disappeared from Flash¡¯s fangs, but he was still on guard. ¡°Better ask my partner to come over here and check, just to be safe.¡± He then craned his head over his shoulder. ¡°Grant! Get off your lazy butt and get over here!¡± he barked.


    Hope could hear a yawn from the other side of the platform, and then the shifting and stumbling of someone struggling to get to their feet. ¡°Gimme one second, Flash!¡± a very tired-sounding voice called out, followed by another yawn. Footsteps echoed softly from the other side of the platform.


    After a few seconds, another pokemon stumbled into view. This one was a tan-and-black striped bipedal crocodile pokemon. A pair of orange sunglasses were perched atop its forehead. It yawned loudly once more, stretching one arm and using the other to rub its eyes. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± it mumbled with exhaustion.


    ¡°Are you blind, Grant? There are intruders here!¡± Flash barked.


    Grant rubbed his eyes once more and squinted at Hope, Klaw, and Dewey. ¡°You serious right now, Flash?¡± he grumbled. ¡°These are just kids. Can¡¯t be older than fourteen.¡±


    ¡°Hey! I¡¯m fifteen!¡± Hope protested, the words falling out of her mouth without her even realizing.


    Grant, Flash, and Candy blinked slowly upon hearing this.  ¡°That¡¯s only a year older than fourteen, Hope.¡± Candy giggled childishly before turning to Klaw and Dewey. ¡°And how about you two?¡± she asked.


    Klaw and Dewey looked at the shimmering steel steps sheepishly. ¡°...Fourteen.¡± they mumbled sheepishly after a long pause.


    Hope¡¯s heart began to sink into her chest. What if they didn¡¯t turn out to be old enough to join the guild? Hei¡¯an and Shui had said that the evolution stage didn¡¯t matter when it came to joining the guild, but they had failed to mention if there were necessary age requirements. What if they were a few years too young and they were going to be stopped here?


    Candy, however, simply chuckled again and turned back to Grant and Flash. ¡°See? They¡¯re the average age of when a trainee would join the guild.¡± she said. ¡°They¡¯re obviously here to join the guild, not rob it or something.¡±


    Hope, Klaw, and Dewey let out barely audible exhales of relief.


    Grant laughed and slapped Flash on the back, causing the canine pokemon to let out a small yelp. ¡°You really need to chill out when it comes to judging visitors, buddy.¡± Grant chuckled.


    ¡°And you need to be more vigilant for when we do get robbed.¡± Flash grumbled before turning back to Candy and the trio. ¡°Anyways, Candy, who are these three?¡± he asked.


    ¡°These are Hope, Klaw, and Dewey.¡± Candy said cheerfully, gesturing to each member of the trio in turn.


    Upon hearing the names ¡°Klaw and Dewey¡±, Grant and Flash¡¯s eyes widened, and they lurched forward in shock, nearly tripping down the staircase as they did so.


    Candy cocked her head in confusion and worry. ¡°Are you two alright?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Y-yeah! We¡¯re fine!¡± Grant said hurriedly.


    ¡°J-just a really strong breeze there¡­¡± Flash added uneasily.


    Candy blinked a couple of times before regaining her chipper smile. ¡°That¡¯s why you don¡¯t stand too close to the edge of the stairs on windy days.¡± she joked. ¡°Now can you please let us through?¡±


    Grant and Flash quickly nodded, immediately scrambling to the side of the platform and leaning up against one of its walls. As they did this, though, their gazes remained fixed firmly on Klaw and Dewey, their eyes swirling with pity and¡­ fondness?


    Hope turned to Klaw and Dewey in confusion. ¡°What¡¯s up with those guys?¡± she whispered.


    Klaw and Dewey now had equally conflicted expressions on their faces. Klaw leaned closer to Hope. ¡°No idea.¡± he whispered back. ¡°But they seem¡­ familiar to us somehow.¡±


    Hope tilted her head. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± she asked.


    ¡°J-just¡­ e-everything about them f-feels¡­ l-like we¡¯ve seen them b-before.¡± Dewey murmured. ¡°K-knew them, even. B-but we c-can¡¯t place how we k-know them e-exactly for the life of us.¡±


    Hope blinked a couple of times. She opened her mouth to say something, but she was interrupted by Candy.


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there, guys!¡± Candy said in her typical cheery tone. There was, however, a strange edge to it, an edge containing an emotion that Hope couldn¡¯t quite describe. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there right when you¡¯re almost about to reach the finish line!¡±


    Klaw and Dewey almost instantly forgot about their conundrum. Their eyes brightened, and they launched themselves up the final five stairs, nearly knocking Hope over in the process.


    ¡°Wait for me, guys!¡± Hope protested playfully, quickly regaining her footing and clambering up the stairs, hot on their heels.


    Suddenly, Hope found herself being suspended in place, her feet hovering just above the ground. She looked over to find that Klaw and Dewey were also hanging in midair, their eyes wide with shock. A mirthful chuckle echoed behind her, and Hope turned around to see Candy giggling at her gleefully, her ponytails slightly lifted. ¡°This never gets old¡± she muttered to herself happily, before lowering her ponytails and gently releasing Hope, Klaw, and Dewey from the psychic hold. ¡°This is it, guys. Are you ready?¡± she asked.


    Klaw and Dewey nodded so rapidly, Hope thought they might end up breaking their necks. She let out a small chuckle under her breath and nodded more slowly. ¡°Of course we¡¯re ready.¡± she responded, fixing Candy with a determined look.


    Candy nodded with gusto. ¡°Then here goes nothing!¡± she cheered excitedly. She walked over to a small blue-gray switch on the left side of the building that almost blended in with the exterior and pressed it.


    Almost immediately, the walls began to shake.


    Hope watched in awe as the walls shifted, their steel blue color making them look like rippling ocean waves, and slowly break and spread apart. As the wall broke apart, the interior of the building was slowly revealed, with interior walls the same steel blue color as the exterior walls, a stormy gray floor, and a large silver carpet unfurled straight in front of Hope, Klaw, and Dewey, the plush fabric seemingly calling out to Hope, asking her to sink her paw pads into it.


    Candy stepped back towards the trio, letting out a small giggle as she did so. ¡°Pretty neat, huh?¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s a special modification we made to keep the Raiders out.¡± She then used her ponytails to gesture to the silver carpet. ¡°Now, are you ready?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Very ready!¡± Hope, Klaw, and Dewey cried out simultaneously.


    Candy didn¡¯t say another word. She simply stepped back and gestured to the hallway, inviting the trio to their new lives. Hope nodded in acceptance, extended a paw outwards, and placed it on the silver carpet. One after another, she took a step inside, placing paw after paw on the carpet, until she was a good length inside the building, with Klaw and Dewey right behind her.


    The first thing Hope noticed about the building was that it felt surprisingly warm. The colors of the walls, ceilings, floor, and decorations were all darker shades of blue, gray, and black, the same colors as a stormy sky. With a color palette like that, the place that should have made Hope feel nervous, or even downright sad. Instead, it made her feel hopeful, like the darker colors represented the last of the darkness, fear, and pain that had plagued Hope for the past month, and she was now repurposing them as a representation of her new, brighter future.


    A large number of the decorations were photo frames depicting a vast range of pokemon. They ranged in age, but there were three pokemon that were present the most within them. The first was the same deer-hare hybrid pokemon with the flower bud head that was also the subject of the statue in the center of town. Almost all of the photos with this pokemon in them were black and white, but Hope could barely make out a faded green replacing the black on the few, very old, and browned color photos there were.


    The other two pokemon were together in all of their photos. They were both canine pokemon, and both had golden fur so bright Hope swore that sparkles emanated from them, with black stripes breaking up the golden fur. One was quadrupedal with jagged black stripes, a very fluffy beige tail, and small, rounded ears, while the other was bipedal with more uniform black markings, long, pointy ears, and a shorter tail. The quadrupedal canine pokemon wore a fiery orange bandana around their neck, while the bipedal canine pokemon had a navy blue scarf wrapped around its left arm like a bandage. Photos of this duo were everywhere on the walls - they outnumbered photos of the deer-hare pokemon at least seven to one.


    Hope wasn¡¯t the only one taking an interest in the photos, as Klaw and Dewey had stopped a few feet in front of her, gazing in sheer awe at a portion of the wall that had a particularly high concentration of photos of the canine duo.


    Hope extended her stride a little bit to catch up to Klaw and Dewey, stopping beside them to get a better look at the photos. ¡°Who are those two?¡± she asked Klaw and Dewey.


    Klaw and Dewey whirled around to face her, looking at her like she had just sprouted another head from her tail, but they quickly relaxed. ¡°Sorry about that.¡± Klaw chuckled. ¡°We got a little surprised by you asking that, since everybody on this continent knows who those two are, but considering¡­ you know¡­¡± Klaw¡¯s pupils narrowed for a split second.. ¡°...it¡¯s more than understandable.¡± he finished with a cheery laugh.


    This piqued Hope¡¯s interest even further. ¡°Go on.¡± she said.


    ¡°T-those are T-team A-aurum!¡± Dewey exclaimed in pure excitement. ¡°T-they¡¯re the g-greatest rescue team to e-ever set f-foot on the c-continent! T-they¡¯re the y-youngest g-graduates from any g-guild ever, and t-they¡¯re also the f-first and o-only team in h-history to be a-allowed to have only two m-members! T-they¡¯re p-prodigies!¡±


    ¡°The really cool thing about them is that they¡¯re a sister and brother duo.¡± Klaw continued. ¡°And they¡¯re twins, just like Dewey and I. So they¡¯ve been our idols ever since we learned that there was a life outside of the¡­ you know what. The whole reason we wanted to come to the Ironheart Guild in the first place is because Team Aurum did their training here.¡±


    ¡°Team Aurum¡¯s the reason a lot of our newbies come here, in fact.¡±


    Hope jumped half a foot in the air as Candy approached the group, an extremely wide smile on her face. ¡°They¡¯re the pride and joy of Honor Town and of the Ironheart Guild. Especially the guildmaster. He personally mentored them himself, you know.¡±


    ¡°We know!¡± Klaw and Dewey cried out simultaneously.


    Candy giggled cheerfully, but Hope clearly noticed how her eyes drifted over to Hope, and how her eyebrows slightly furrowed together in confusion. Hope let out a light and airy laugh of her own and decided to change the topic. ¡°What about that pokemon? What¡¯s their significance?¡± she asked, gesturing with her tail to one of the few color photos of the deer-hare hybrid pokemon.


    Now it was Klaw and Dewey¡¯s turn to furrow their eyebrows, though they displayed much more confusion on their faces than Candy did. ¡°N-no c-clue.¡± Dewey murmured, him and Klaw turning to study the deer-hare hybrid pokemon.


    They must have been so focused on Team Aurum that they didn¡¯t even notice the pictures of that pokemon until now, Hope thought to herself with a light giggle.


    ¡°That¡­ is a story for when you are officially accepted in the guild.¡± Candy interjected from behind them. Her expression looked weirdly pained - while she still maintained her characteristic smile, its edges were extremely forced, and complex emotions swirled within her eyes. ¡°Now let¡¯s keep going. We have to meet with the receptionist soon so she can register you three.¡±


    Hope, Klaw, and Dewey exchanged excited looks, completely forgetting what had just transpired. They were going to be entered into the guild¡¯s databases! Would they be forming their team right there and then?!


    Hope didn¡¯t have any more time to ponder that question, because a weak psychic force took hold of her, Klaw, and Dewey and began slowly dragging them forward.


    ¡°Alright, Candy! We¡¯re coming! Just please put us down!¡± Hope protested, flailing her legs around. Candy laughed - a genuine laugh this time - wordlessly gestured further down the hall, and started walking again. Hope, Klaw, and Dewey quickly shook themselves off before continuing to follow her.


    As the group continued to walk down the hall, the pictures became less and less frequent, until there was only one picture per wall. All of these pictures were of Team Aurum, with some even showing them in smaller, cuter bodies that Hope assumed were their pre-evolved forms. She was really curious if she was going to meet this duo with how important they were to the guild. The colors also started to brighten as they got further down, with the navy blues and slate grays giving way to sky blues and glittering silvers. It only confirmed Hope¡¯s earlier thoughts that this was going to be a bright, colorful, and new beginning for her.


    The remainder of the hallway spanned about four feet. At its end, it split off in three directions. To the left was a staircase leading downstairs, and to the right was a staircase leading upstairs. In the center, the hallway trailed on a little longer before stopping at a beautiful antique desk carved from oak, maple, and birch wood, creating a beautiful swirling color palette of different shades of brown. A chair made of the same wood combination rested behind the desk, and a blocky computer, keyboard, and mousepad were perched on top of it, as well as a rainbow colored assortment of pencils, pens, and erasers, which were haphazardly scattered across the desk.


    Pacing back and forth nervously in front of the desk was a tall, thin, yellow, bipedal insectoid pokemon. Its body appeared to be covered in bright green leaves, with a large, bonnet-like leaf shading the back of its head. It wore a small, tight fitting white shirt with a pink, orange, and yellow floral pattern, which, combined with its summery color scheme, made it stick out like a sore thumb against the cool and professional interior palette of the guild. As soon as it locked eyes with Candy, it stopped its pacing and let out a sigh of relief loud enough to break open a window.


    ¡°Oh, Diancie¡­¡± Candy breathed, stopping and stiffening her body, as if bracing for impact.


    ¡°Candy!¡± the insectoid pokemon cried out, lunging forward with such force that Hope, Klaw, and Dewey jumped back a foot, and enveloping Candy in a crushing bear hug. ¡°Are you okay?! Grant and Flash told me that the Raiders came back to town, and that there was a fight between them and some kids. Did you get involved? Did you get hurt?¡± she asked rapidly. She had a very thick accent that for some reason reminded Hope of sprawling fields and large red barns.


    Hope could just barely see Candy roll her eyes from inside the insectoid pokemon¡¯s iron death grip. ¡°Miss Sunny, you know very well that I can handle myself.¡± she sighed, her voice slightly muffled from the shirt and the leaf covering Sunny¡¯s arm. A bright pink glow started to softly emanate from Candy, and she slipped out of Sunny¡¯s grasp smoothly and gracefully, like water flowing from a stream. Sunny¡¯s mouth opened again, but Candy quickly interrupted her. ¡°And before you ask about the kids that fought the Raiders, don¡¯t worry. They¡¯re completely fine. They wiped the floor with them without taking a single scratch! Not like that¡¯s very hard to do, but still¡­¡± She then stepped aside and gestured to the trio. ¡°Anyways, you¡¯re looking at these kids right now. Meet Hope, Klaw, and Dewey. They¡¯ve come to apply to the guild.¡±


    Sunny¡¯s eyes widened, and she immediately squatted down to get to eye level with the trio. ¡°Hello, you three!¡± she cooed. Klaw and Dewey flinched and stiffened up, causing Sunny to blink and take a few steps back. ¡°Very sorry about that, darlings.¡± she murmured. ¡°As Candy said, my name is Sunny, and I serve as the receptionist, chef, and maid of the Ironheart Guild.¡± She let out a hearty chuckle before continuing. ¡°I know it seems like a lot, but I do genuinely enjoy having a lot of work to do. I¡¯m very used to it. Anyways, Candy said your names were Hope, Klaw, and Dewey, right? Which one of you is which?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Hope!¡± Hope declared with confidence.


    ¡°I¡¯m Klaw.¡± Klaw purred, trying his best to sound cool, but letting a tinge of excitement slip through.


    ¡°And I¡¯m Dewey!¡± Dewey trilled with much more excitement than his brother.


    Something shifted in Sunny¡¯s eyes as the trio introduced themselves. It was as if she was putting the pieces together for a big realization, and whatever that big realization was was creating a large storm cloud of shock, fear, and worry in her eyes. Still, she managed to put on a smile that somehow seemed even more genuine than her previous smile and took a step back to her desk. She rummaged around in it for about five minutes, causing a small tornado of office supplies to swirl throughout the air. Finally, she pulled out a gray, worn Polaroid camera with a slightly smudged lens.


    They have those in the pokemon world? Hope thought to herself with confusion and amusement.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to need to take your photos for the guild database.¡± Sunny explained. ¡°Which one of you guys would you consider to be the leader of the group? We always start with the future team leaders.¡± she finished with a wink.


    Klaw and Dewey immediately turned their gazes onto Hope. ¡°...Are you sure about this?¡± Hope murmured. ¡°It was your wish to come here, after all.¡±


    ¡°Like we said, we never would have gathered the courage to come here without your help.¡± Klaw responded.


    ¡°I-if anyone d-deserves to be the l-leader of our t-team, it¡¯s c-certainly you, H-hope!¡± Dewey exclaimed.


    Hope blinked slowly. Now that she was thinking about it. She was the one who had taken the initiative on the group¡¯s biggest decisions. Vowing to get Klaw and Dewey to the Ironheart Guild, volunteering to save Cobalt, Tesla, and Nibbles¡­ those were all her doing.


    If that wasn¡¯t leaderlike, then what was?


    So she lifted up her tail and proudly declared ¡°Yes, I am the leader of this group.¡±


    Sunny laughed loudly and kneeled down to rub the top of Hope¡¯s head with one of her leaf hands. It made Hope feel warm and fuzzy, but there was another pang of sadness and longing buried within, a yearning for a person that Hope couldn¡¯t recall. ¡°Wonderful, honey! Now then¡­¡± Sunny turned to Candy. ¡°A little help here, my dear?¡±


    Candy nodded vigorously. ¡°Of course, Miss Sunny!¡± she exclaimed, before turning to the desk and the various items strewn all over it and narrowing her eyes in intense concentration. The desk soon became enveloped in a hot pink aura and lifted a few feet off of the ground. Candy then slowly and carefully telekinetically moved the desk and all of its contents a foot away, exposing the bare blue wall behind it.


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    ¡°Please stand over here, darling.¡± Sunny said to Hope while gesturing to the wall. Hope immediately complied. ¡°Now, sit down with your tail wrapped around your legs.¡± Sunny directed.


    Hope once again complied immediately, making sure to put the tip of her tail over her paws. As she did so, however, a sudden chill began to penetrate the air. Hope started and looked to both her left and right, but there was nothing around that could be causing the drop in temperature.


    ¡°Is it just me, or is it really cold all of a sudden?¡± Hope asked Klaw and Dewey.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s anything to worry about.¡± Sunny said in a reassuring tone. ¡°There¡¯s an air conditioner built inside of that wall. Sometimes the air gets cold or hot enough to seep through the wall.¡± A wide smile crossed her lips. ¡°Now, don¡¯t be shy, dearie. Give me a big smile!¡±


    Hope relaxed and straightened her back so that it touched the wall. Strangely, the wall itself seemed to be room temperature, but Hope didn¡¯t want to waste any more of Sunny¡¯s time over something so seemingly inconsequential. She simply smiled as widely as she could.


    ¡°Perfect!¡± Sunny exclaimed as she raised the camera up to her face and pressed the button. Hope¡¯s vision was momentarily obscured by a blinding flash of light, but she could have sworn that one of the shadows at the edge of her vision was larger than usual. Maybe the lens is a bit smudged, Hope thought to herself.


    "Wonderful!" Sunny gushed as the photo slid out of the Polaroid. "Oh, you look absolutely beautiful, darling!" She tenderly grasped the corner of the photo and showed it to Hope.


    ¡°...That does look nice.¡± Hope murmured as she gazed at the photo. Klaw and Dewey nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Eh, it¡¯s alright. Personally, I think that you could show less teeth when you smile.¡±


    Hope blinked slowly, trying to determine where the unfamiliar voice was coming from. When she opened her eyes again, she was greeted by two pairs of beady yellow eyes, one on top of the other, staring right at her.


    The shriek Hope let out at that moment was loud enough for the entire continent to hear.


    As the shock faded away, Hope was able to readjust her bearings and get a good look at the newcomer, or rather, newcomers. They were both bluish-green, slightly amorphous, amphibian-like pokemon with triangular heads and wispy tails. One of them was a bit bigger than Candy and wore a black bandana that obscured its mouth and neck, and the other one, which sat atop the first one''s head, was very small and wore two purple and white polka-dot hair clips on its horns.


    "Jason! Carrie!" Sunny scolded. "How many times have I told you two not to scare the newcomers like that?"


    "You''re not our mom, Sunny!", the smaller amphibian pokemon whined, crossing her tiny arms together and pouting childishly.


    "I had¡­ nothing to do¡­ with this." the larger amphibian pokemon muttered. His voice was very hoarse and raspy, with him stopping to gasp for breath in between words, and the bandana muffling his words didn¡¯t help much either. Hope had to strain her ears to make out what this pokemon was saying. ¡°It was¡­ all Carrie¡¯s¡­ idea.¡±


    ¡°You are the older brother, aren¡¯t you, Jason?¡± Sunny chided. ¡°It¡¯s your job to make sure that Carrie doesn¡¯t get into trouble.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t¡­ need to¡­ tell me that.¡± Jason growled. ¡°But you¡­ know how¡­ Carrie is. When she¡­ sets her mind¡­ to something¡­ it¡¯s hard for me¡­  to convince her¡­ not to do it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re such a pushover when it comes to Carrie, Jason.¡± Candy giggled playfully. ¡°You really can¡¯t say no to her, can you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m so adorable!¡± Carrie trilled, looking at her brother smugly. Jason sighed in defeat.


    ¡°...What is going on here?¡± Hope asked.


    Candy blinked a few times before turning back to face Hope. ¡°Oh! Sorry about that! I completely forgot you were there for a moment.¡± She then gestured to Jason and Carrie. ¡°These are Jason and Carrie. They work as the Linkers of our guild.¡±


    Klaw and Dewey¡¯s tails shot up in the air. ¡°Y-you two are L-linkers?!¡± Dewey exclaimed in shock.


    ¡°We thought those were just myths!¡± Klaw added.


    ¡°Nope! Not myths. Just super duper rare!¡± Carrie said proudly, lifting her head high. ¡°In fact, we¡¯re the first Linkers to be born in over one hundred years!¡±


    ¡°Please stop¡­ bragging, Carrie.¡± Jason said, his eyes firmly planted on the floor.


    ¡°Wow¡­¡± Klaw and Dewey breathed, sparkles in their eyes, causing Carrie to lift her head as high as her tiny neck could muster and Jason to stare even harder at the floor.


    Hope, on the other hand, was now even more confused than before. ¡°So¡­ what exactly is a Linker?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Only the coolest, most powerful pokemon in the world!¡± Carrie squealed loudly, causing Jason to flatten his horns against the sides of his head. Sunny shot Carrie a disapproving look, causing the young pokemon to lower her head in shame.


    ¡°You see, darling, when a pokemon uses a move, it emits strands of energy that are usually invisible to the naked eye.¡± Sunny explained. ¡°Linkers, however, can not only see this energy, but they can also manipulate and connect the strands together. With this power, they can not only strengthen the power of a move, but by linking energy strands produced from two different moves known by the same pokemon, they can make it so those moves can be used in combinations with each other.¡±


    Hope gaped in awe at Jason and Carrie. The former squinted back at her, a low buzzing sound emanating from his throat. After a pause, Jason¡¯s eyes drifted upwards to meet those of his sister¡¯s.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting¡­ tired¡­ Carrie¡­let¡¯s go¡­downstairs.¡± he wheezed, his voice sounding even more raspy than before.


    ¡°But Jasonnnnn!¡± Carrie whined, looking down at her brother with eyes the size of UFOs. ¡°I wanna spend more time with my new friends!¡± She turned her saucer eyes to Hope, Klaw, and Dewey, adding in a large pout for good measure.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have¡­ plenty of time¡­ to spend time¡­ with-¡± Jason suddenly erupted into a violent coughing fit, his body wracked with spasms.


    Hope¡¯s fur fluffed up, and she looked around wildly to find something that could help Jason. Jason, however, glowered at Hope and thumped his tail on the ground. A pool of pure shadow formed at Jason¡¯s feet, and before Hope could question what he was doing, he and Carrie had slipped through the pool and disappeared, just as suddenly as they had arrived.


    ¡°They¡¯re okay, don¡¯t worry.¡± Hope felt a light and comforting pressure on her shoulder, and looked up to see that Candy had come up beside her. ¡°Jason just used Phantom Force to teleport himself and Carrie back to their room.¡±


    ¡°What about all that coughing, though?¡± Hope asked.


    "Jason¡­" Candy hesitated. "His throat just gives out very easily. He''ll be fine with some water and rest."


    ¡°They¡¯re¡­ interesting.¡± Klaw muttered under his breath. ¡°Not how I imagined a Linker to be like.¡± Dewey nodded in agreement.


    ¡°That¡¯s just how Jason is.¡± Candy laughed. ¡°He takes a bit of time to warm up to new faces, but give him time and he¡¯ll become one of the nicest guys you¡¯ve ever met. Helps quite a bit if Carrie gets attached to you.¡± Candy got a faraway look in her eyes. ¡°Those two really are thick as thieves. There are some things Carrie knows about Jason that even I don¡¯t know, and I¡¯ve been friends with him since we were two years old!¡±


    ¡°Candy, you¡¯re holding them up.¡± Sunny called out. ¡°The guildmaster will return very soon, and I think these kids have been waiting quite a while to meet him.¡¯¡¯ As she finished that sentence, her eyes drifted down to Klaw and Dewey, her eyes brimming with a mixture of emotions.


    Candy¡¯s cheeks flushed in embarrassment. ¡°Sorry, guys!¡± she exclaimed.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize, sweetie.¡± Sunny murmured, stroking Candy¡¯s head with her hand and making the smaller pokemon blush even more furiously. ¡°Now, which one of you two want to go next?¡± she asked, turning back towards Klaw and Dewey.


    Klaw and Dewey immediately perked up. ¡°I¡¯ll go first.¡± Klaw volunteered while stepping forward.


    The brothers¡¯ photo sessions went a lot more quickly and smoothly than Hope¡¯s did, thanks to the lack of well-meaning interruptions. As soon as Sunny had finished snapping Dewey¡¯s photo, Klaw and Dewey immediately whirled around to face Candy. ¡°So, where¡¯s the guildmaster?¡± they exclaimed simultaneously, every cell in their body pulsing with pure excitement.


    Hope could have sworn that she saw Sunny flinch as Klaw and Dewey did this, but if she did, she was very good at hiding things like this from others, because she returned to her happy disposition in a matter of nanoseconds.


    Candy, on the other hand, simply laughed. ¡°The guildmaster¡¯s office is on the top floor.¡± she said as she began walking away from the desk. ¡°We have to go up this staircase. It takes some time to get up there, but I¡¯m sure you guys can handl-¡±


    Candy was cut off by two streaks, one black and red and one blue and yellow, zipping past her and launching themselves like rockets down the staircase leading to the lower floors of the guild.


    ¡°Um¡­ guys?!¡± Hope called out, rushing to the top of the downstairs staircase. ¡°Candy said the guildmaster is on the top floor, not the bottom floor.¡±


    Hope could very easily hear Klaw and Dewey come to a screeching halt. ¡°Sorry! That¡¯s our bad!¡± the brothers yelled simultaneously. They quickly zipped back to the top of the staircase and would have continued zipping around if Hope hadn¡¯t used her fluffy body to make them halt in their tracks.


    ¡°Don¡¯t leave me behind, guys.¡± Hope said, putting on the most exaggerated pouty face she could muster.


    Klaw and Dewey glanced at each other sheepishly before taking a couple steps back, turning their gazes towards Hope expectantly.


    Candy giggled. ¡°Ah, to be young and excitable again¡­¡± she sighed.


    ¡°You just turned twenty, Candy.¡± Sunny remarked. ¡°You¡¯re still a blooming flower yourself.¡±


    Candy pretended not to hear the older pokemon¡¯s words. She simply turned towards the upstairs staircase and began to walk up it, Hope, Klaw, and Dewey quickly bounding after her.


    Just like Candy had said, the walk up the stairs was indeed long and arduous. The staircase had to have been at least twelve flights long, and Hope had only managed to make it up three of those flights of stairs before her body finally registered that she had been walking since the early morning and her paws began to feel swollen and achy.


    Klaw and Dewey, on the other hand, weren¡¯t showing any signs of fatigue. They probably could have cleared all twelve flights of stairs in a single leap. Instead, they stuck close to Hope¡¯s side, chattering, bouncing around, and even singing at some points. Their energy was infectious, and though her paws still hurt, Hope perked up and engaged in their shenanigans. Even Candy joined in at some points, unable to resist the sheer positive energy radiating from the brothers.


    This playing made the walk up the stairs feel much shorter than it actually was. When they finally reached the top of the staircase, Hope was actually caught a little off guard.


    Another long hallway stretched out from the end of the staircase, the carpet covering it the color of rusted copper. At the end of this hallway was a large pair of doors the same color as the carpet. The decor on the doors, made of pure copper,  made it look like the face of an elephant, with its ¡°tusks¡± serving as the doorknobs.


    Hope couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer. She bolted forward, Klaw and Dewey hot on her heels.


    ¡°Guys!¡± Candy cried out. ¡°Slow down!¡±


    The trio paid her no attention. Hope flung herself at one of the doorknobs and flung the door open. Klaw and Dewey quickly crashed into her, and the three tumbled to the floor in a small pile.


    Darn it! We¡¯ve already made fools of ourselves in front of the guildmaster! Hope looked up sheepishly, preparing to apologize. But her apology ended up getting caught in her throat by what she saw.


    She was expecting there to be only one pokemon in the room, that being the guildmaster. Instead, there were six pokemon there, all staring at Hope, Klaw, and Dewey like they had just come out of a UFO.


    The first five pokemon were all standing in a semicircle facing the center of the room. There was a yellow, dark green, and white canine pokemon with long legs wearing a yellow collar with a lightning bolt charm attached to it, a huge, monstrous pokemon with sapphire blue scales so bright Hope swore she saw sparkles coming from them wearing a deep purple cape, a humanoid fruit pokemon wearing a lime green sash around its waist, a large, fat, blue and cream mammalian pokemon wearing a black apron, and a large ogre pokemon covered in black hair wearing a light blue armband on its left arm.


    In the center of the room, balancing on a perch made of pure copper, was a large avian pokemon. Its plumage was primarily black and white, with the exception of a dash of red at the end of a black crest of feathers that extended over its head. Long, thin scars criss crossed over its chest, and its right foot was missing a talon, though its other talons appeared to be sharper to make up for it. A pair of blue aviator goggles was perched atop its forehead.


    Is this the guildmaster?! Hope thought to herself.


    The two groups stared at each other for what felt like an eternity, the deafening silence permeating the room and sinking into the skin of every pokemon present.


    ¡°Are you three okay?¡± The silence was broken by Candy, who had finally caught up with Hope, Klaw, and Dewey. When she saw the six other pokemon, she stumbled forward in shock, but thankfully caught her balance before she could join Hope, Klaw, and Dewey on the floor. ¡°Oh my Diancie! I¡¯m so sorry! I completely forgot that today was the weekly meeting day!¡± she sputtered.


    Another pregnant pause followed. This time, it was the bird pokemon who broke the silence. ¡°Why are you apologizing, Candy?¡± he asked snidely, glowering at Hope, Klaw, and Dewey as he did so. ¡°It was these three brats that interrupted the meeting, not you.¡±


    Hope¡¯s heart sank into her stomach. He called us brats. If this really is the guildmaster, we¡¯re done for.


    Candy flinched, but quickly regained her composure. ¡°You see, these three want to join the guild.¡± she explained. ¡°So I brought them here thinking that the guildmaster would have returned already, but I forgot about the weekly meeting being today.¡±


    Upon hearing this, the dog pokemon¡¯s face split into a wide grin, complete with its tongue sticking out. ¡°Well, isn¡¯t that just swell!¡± he said. ¡°Always a pleasure seeing youngsters wanting to get into the rescue team business!¡±


    The humanoid fruit pokemon cupped a hand under its chin in thought. ¡°Well, if that is the case, then I cannot fault them for barging in.¡± she mused. ¡°They are young and excited to form a rescue team. Weren¡¯t we all like this when we first came to the guild?¡±


    ¡°I know I sure was!¡± the mammalian pokemon chuckled. ¡°And seeing newbies get so excited brings back a bit of that feeling!¡±


    Hope felt herself relaxing slightly. At least she hadn¡¯t embarrassed herself in front of everyone in the room.


    The monstrous pokemon and the ogre pokemon, on the other hand, didn¡¯t say a word. The ogre pokemon simply had its eyes fixed on the trio, but the monstrous pokemon¡¯s face was twisted in an ugly snarl, its eyes filled with pure hatred. The sheer sight of it made Hope feel like worms were crawling on her back.


    The monstrous pokemon opened its mouth to say something, but before it could, Candy interjected.


    ¡°Hold on! Let me introduce you guys first!¡± she cried, casting a nervous look at the monstrous pokemon.


    ¡°We are perfectly capable of introducing ourselves, thank you very much.¡± the ogre pokemon muttered, his voice so quiet that Hope had to strain her ears to be able to hear him.


    Candy ignored him, gesturing with her ponytails to the five pokemon standing in the semicircle. ¡°These are the leaders of the licensed rescue teams.¡± she explained before pointing to the canine pokemon. ¡°This is Sparky, leader of Team Revolvers.¡± she said.


    Sparky¡¯s tail wagged. ¡°Pleased to meet you!¡± he yipped.


    Candy smiled at Sparky before turning to the monstrous Pokemon. ¡°Henry, leader of Team Royals.¡± she said.


    ¡°For the last time, nurse,¡± Henry sneered. ¡°It¡¯s King Henry to all of you peasants. Treat me with the respect my royal status deserves.¡±


    Hope immediately decided that she hated Henry with every fiber of her being.


    Candy bowed her head. ¡°My apologies, King Henry.¡± she sighed. As she did so, however, she cast a quick glance at Hope, Klaw and Dewey and rolled her eyes. All three kids were just barely able to stifle their laughter.


    ¡°Moving on¡­¡± Candy turned and gestured to the humanoid fruit pokemon. ¡°This is Apricot, leader of Team Beauty¡­¡± She then pointed to the mammalian pokemon. ¡°Ramsey, the leader of Team Munchies¡­¡± She finished the semicircle turn by pointing to the ogre pokemon. ¡°And Oberon, leader of Team Nightstalkers.¡± she finished.


    Apricot nodded at the trio gracefully, while Ramsey waved at them. Oberon, once again, didn¡¯t move an inch, his gaze still trained on Hope, Klaw, and Dewey.


    Finally, Candy stepped a little closer to the center of the room and gestured to the bird pokemon. ¡°And this here¡­ is Jet.¡± she intoned dramatically. She was clearly having a lot of fun with this. ¡°He¡¯s the guildmaster¡¯s right-hand ¡®mon, and he¡¯s responsible for training the rookie rescue team members.¡±


    Hope didn¡¯t know if that revelation made her feel better or worse. On the one hand, Jet wasn¡¯t the guildmaster, but on the other hand, the bad first impression was made even worse by him being her and her friends¡¯ trainer.


    Jet ruffled his feathers. ¡°Thank you for that wonderful introduction, Candy.¡± he preened. ¡°Now, would you care to introduce these new¡­ recruits¡­ to us?¡±


    All of a sudden, Candy¡¯s smug expression dissipated off of her face, sweat started to drip down her face, and she started to fidget a lot. "Um¡­ Well¡­ T-this is Hope!" "S-she''s really nice, and smart, and super powerful! She can use moves that only her evol-"


    "That¡¯s wonderful." Jet cut Candy off, leaving her to tremor helplessly with her mouth agape. "However, I think I''m a bit more keen to hear about Hope¡¯s¡­ partners." Jet''s eyes swiveled towards Klaw and Dewey, his beady red pupils boring into their souls.


    Oh no. Hope realized. This isn''t about us interrupting the meeting at all.


    Hope was a fool. They all were fools, really. The AZS was the biggest crime syndicate on the Mountain Continent. She should have expected the guild members to recognize Klaw and Dewey.


    "The famous Bloodcrown twins, Klawthorne and Dewford." Henry growled, almost like a rabid dog. "You think we must be terrified to be in your presence, aren''t you?"


    If Hope hadn¡¯t been so scared, she might have laughed at the ridiculousness of those names.


    Klaw and Dewey, contrary to Henry¡¯s statement, looked absolutely terrified. All of the excitement had drained out of their bodies, and their bodies were flattened onto the floor like pancakes.


    ¡°Candy, I greatly appreciate your efforts to find and recruit new trainees.¡± Jet sighed. ¡°But sometimes, you can be really gullible. Both the litten and the sobble evolutionary families have almost gone extinct on our continent¡­ save for the enforcers of the Absolute Zero Syndicate and their¡­ spawn.¡±


    Klaw and Dewey flinched upon hearing the word spawn, but Jet was undeterred. ¡°And you see a litten and a sobble waltzing around the town plaza, and your first instinct is to bring them to the guild?! Those two are the most obvious spies that that freezer burnt grub could have chosen! You should have turned them away where they stood!¡± he squawked, fury blazing in his eyes.


    ¡°B-but Jet¡­ What about the eevee?¡± Sparky asked, his eyes round with confusion.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious, mutt?¡± She¡¯s the decoy.¡± Henry snorted. ¡°She¡¯s supposed to make us think that they¡¯re just a harmless rescue group while the vermin tear the guild apart from the inside out!¡±


    ¡°If these two are indeed AZS spies, then why wouldn¡¯t they be disguised as different species?¡± Apricot pondered. ¡°As Jet said, they are the only litten and sobble on the continent. They would be way too obvious as spies.¡±


    ¡°Yeah! Apricot¡¯s right!¡± Ramsey chimed in. ¡°They could very well be on our side! They could help us take down the syndicate!¡±


    Klaw and Dewey immediately brightened upon hearing this, and they got back on their feet. "T-that''s e-exactly why we c-came here. T-to take down the s-syndicate." Dewey stated.


    "We''re not our dads. We''re tired of standing by as they ruin the lives of innocent pokemon all over the continent. We want to help those pokemon and make our dads pay for what they''ve done." Klaw declared.


    Sparky. Apricot, and Ramsey exchanged impressed glances, first at each other, then at Klaw and Dewey.


    Hope exhaled a little bit. At least these three appeared to be firmly on their side now.


    Oberon cleared his throat. "I must admit, you two definitely sound passionate about this," he muttered.


    Hope, Klaw, and Dewey looked at each other with excitement. Maybe they would be able to win over the majority of the superiors after all!


    "However," Oberon continued. "If there¡¯s one thing I know about AZS members, it''s that they¡¯re very good at lying. They can sound like the most sincere, kind pokemon you''ve met one moment, and the next, they become vice, heartless criminals.¡± He narrowed his eyes. ¡°I cannot trust anything that comes out of the mouth of an Absolute Zero Syndicate member, past or present."


    Hope''s excitement immediately dissipated into thin air.


    "That''s right." Henry cackled. "Once a criminal, always a criminal. And as the great King of Honor Town, it is my duty to rid the town of scourges of peace and to keep my citizens safe!"


    Henry and Oberon were now looming over Hope, Klaw, and Dewey, their eyes filled with pure malice.


    In between them, Jet ruffled his feathers. "Candy, I am very sorry to do this," he began. He put on the most apologetic facial expression he could, but the sheer fury in his eyes when he looked at Klaw and Dewey betrayed his true emotions towards the situation.  "I am sure you only had the best interests for the guild in mind. But I cannot, in good conscience, allow anyone from the syndicates into our prestigious guild. Especially syndicate members as important as these two."


    Candy opened her mouth to object, but Jet continued, a large smirk on his beak. ¡°It is my¡­ displeasure¡­ to rejec-¡±


    ¡°What on earth is all of this commotion?!¡±


    A loud, booming voice echoed from the entrance of the room, causing Jet to cut his sentence off and everyone to jump out of their skins. Hope swiveled around to see who was talking, and her breath caught in her throat.


    Standing in the doorway was a large elephant pokemon. It appeared to be made of pure copper - most of its body was a rusted teal, but untarnished, orange-brown copper accents were present on its face, feet, and trunk. Its tusks were short and cuboidal, and its trunk was broad and muscular. It wore a pair of black, rectangle shaped glasses, a dark gray suit, and a light gray tie with a very dark gray diamond pattern on it.


    The elephant pokemon took another step into the room, causing Jet to erupt in a flurry of feathers. ¡°S-sir!¡± he squawked, ¡°I didn¡¯t see you there!¡±


    ¡°I did only just return, after all.¡± the elephant pokemon chuckled, his voice deep yet warm, like a cup of freshly roasted coffee. His eyes scanned the room until they landed on Hope, Klaw, and Dewey, at which they widened slightly. He recovered quickly, however, and bent his head down so that he would be eye level with the trio. ¡°Hello, young ones.¡± he said kindly. ¡°What are your names?¡±


    This pokemon¡¯s voice immediately caused all of the negative energy to drain from Hope¡¯s body. He was kind, soothing, and caring, and she could immediately tell that it was very genuine. So she returned the pokemon¡¯s gaze. ¡°I¡¯m Hope, and these are Klaw and Dewey.¡± she responded.


    ¡°Hope¡­ A very lovely name.¡± the elephant pokemon mused. ¡°Most call me Guildmaster Taj, the Ironheart Hero. I, however, prefer to simply be called Taj. Especially by new trainees.¡± he chortled.


    Hope, Klaw, and Dewey¡¯s eyes morphed into saucers as they looked into Taj¡¯s eyes. It was really him! The famous guildmaster, there, in person, right in front of their eyes!


    ¡°G-guildmaster!¡± Jet screeched. ¡°Did you just refer to them as trainees?! We can¡¯t accept these three into the guild! You heard the names of the litten and the sobble, didn¡¯t you? They¡¯re the heirs of The Panther and The Serpent! We can¡¯t trust them!¡±


    ¡°¡®Panther¡¯? ¡®Serpent¡¯?¡± Hope whispered under her breath.


    ¡°O-our d-dads¡¯ old s-syndicate nicknames.¡± Dewey whispered back.


    ¡°They think those names are too soft now. They hate them. They¡¯re still their most iconic nicknames, though.¡± Klaw added quietly.


    Taj let out a small laugh. ¡°Of course I heard their names, Jet.¡± he uttered, a twinkle in his eye. ¡°I¡¯m not that old yet. I won¡¯t be losing my hearing for a good while now.¡±


    Jet was immediately rendered speechless, his feathers fluffed out and his beak agape.


    "It is their names- their identities, rather- that interest me the most." Taj continued before turning to Klaw and Dewey. "I must say, it is quite the honor to finally meet you boys." Taj chortle. "You two are quite the celebrities in the rescue team business¡­ and quite the enigmas as well."


    Klaw and Dewey¡¯s faces were so red. Hope thought they might explode if they were touched even lightly.


    "Scorch and Riptide aren''t so keen on letting anything happen to their successors¡­" Taj mused to himself.To see them outside of Absolute Zero Syndicate territory is rare enough, but to see them here of all places¡­" Taj closed his eyes momentarily. "You must have come here all on your own without your father''s knowledge, haven''t you? That is proof enough to me that you come with good intentions." He then turned to Hope and smiled. "And this fine lady must have helped. Am I correct?"


    The high amount of praise left the trio completely speechless. They responded by nodding vigorously in affirmation.


    "Guildmaster!" Jet choked out. "You seriously can''t be willing to accept these syndicate scum into the guild!" Henry and Oberon nodded fervently besides him.


    "I understand that you have some concerns, Jet." Taj remarked. "And I know that there will be others with similar concerns. Therefore, I would like to offer a compromise. "


    "A¡­ compromise?" Hope questioned.


    "I will have you three take a quick examination tomorrow." Taj explained. "Nothing too complicated. Just a surefire way of confirming that you three have indeed abandoned the syndicate life for good¡­ and a chance for me to see what you three are capable of while we''re at it." Taj finished off his sentence with a playful wink.


    Hope''s head was really spinning now. No one told me that there was going to be an exam to get in the guild! By the stunned expressions on Klaw and Dewey¡¯s faces, she could tell that they weren¡¯t expecting this either.


    The rescue team leaders cast odd glances at each other, then at Taj. Sparky opened his mouth to say something,  but the guildmaster simply directed a knowing smile at him, causing the canine pokemon to clamp his mouth shut and nodded.


    Taj scanned the room, his eyes eventually landed on Candy. "Ah, Candy." he called. ¡°Can you please escort these youngsters to the Farmstead Inn? It¡¯s getting late, and they¡¯ll need their energy for tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow morning?!¡± Hope shrieked.


    Taj let out a loud and hearty laugh. ¡°Like I always say, the early pidgey gets the caterpie!¡± he chortled. ¡°Now, you¡¯d best be heading off now. I¡¯ll see you at eleven-o-clock.¡±


    Hope opened her mouth to protest, but before she could, she felt the now-familiar tug of weak psychic energy engulf her. She looked over to see that Klaw and Dewey had also been taken into the psychic hold.


    ¡°Sorry, guys.¡± Candy murmured as she came up behind them, her face and tone apologetic. ¡°But it is getting pretty late.¡±


    And with that, Hope, Klaw, Dewey, and Candy left the room, guided by the latter¡¯s gentle telekinesis.


    Hope¡¯s mind was swirling with more emotions than ever before. So much had happened today. She had met so many people, both good and bad, and she was still very confused on what exactly was going on. But she had to keep trucking onwards. After all, this exam was seemingly the final hurdle before she and her friends could become official members of the Ironheart Guild. One more day, and hopefully, their dreams would finally be able to be fulfilled.


    MEANWHILE, AT THE ABSOLUTE ZERO SYNDICATE¡­


    ¡°My, oh my.¡± Polaris sighed as he took a sip from his freshly-filled glass of Oran Brew. ¡°I must say, the betrayal I am feeling right now is very immeasurable.¡±


    The snom glanced over his dinner tray to take in his prisoners one more time. Norman, Belladonna, Atlas, and Phoenix were currently bound to cheap mattresses Scorch and Riptide had gotten from the old storage room and propped up against Polaris¡¯s wall, their limbs tied up very tightly to the mattresses with the roughest and coarsest rope his enforcers could find. They gazed up at him in pure horror, too soaked in fear to say anything. The sight made his blood run hot in joy.


    Scorch and Riptide were pacing back and forth in front of the prisoners, their faces contorted with the strongest anger Polaris had ever seen on them - and they got angry a lot. Not that he could blame them. They had spent years raising their sons up to be the best enforcers they could be, and now all that hard work had been torn down in a matter of seconds. Crim, Shade, and Dart were leaning on the wall across from them, looking like they had just woken up.


    ¡°I am not surprised to see this behavior from you three.¡± Polaris grumbled, glaring at Belladonna, Atlas, and Phoenix. ¡°There have been many a time where fresh recruits have pulled stunts like this. I do have to say, this is the largest stunt that has successfully been pulled off by rebelling newbies, so I will have to commend you for that. It showed a lot of potential from you three. Quite a shame that you had to waste that potential on something like this. Had you used it to be loyal to the guild, you could have truly become some of our strongest members.¡±


    Atlas and Phoenix tried their best to glare at Polaris, but all they could muster were pitiful stares. Belladonna instead stared at the floor, thick, delicious-smelling tears streaming down her face.


    ¡°But YOU!¡± Polaris roared, swiveling around in his throne to face Norman. ¡°You, who has served me faithfully since childhood! You, who stood by my side as I built this syndicate up from nothing! How could you turn on me like this?!¡± His voice had become deep, gravelly, and completely un-snom-like, and even Scorch and Riptide glanced up from their pacing in sheer shock at the sound of it.


    Norman took a few long, shaky breaths before lifting his head up to make eye contact with Polaris. ¡°This has been a long time coming, Master Polaris.¡± he stated, his face stony and emotionless. ¡°I have spent too long standing by and simply watching all of the atrocities you have committed. What you did to young Hope and young Masters Klaw and Dewey was simply the straw that broke the camerupt¡¯s back.¡± He took another, long, shaky breath before continuing. ¡°Fire me, beat me, kill me, do whatever punishment you want to me, but just know that I do not regret what I did in the slightest.¡±


    A long, pregnant pause followed as Polaris took in Norman¡¯s words. Eventually, he took another sip from his oran brew and exhaled audibly. ¡°No, Norman. I will not be punishing you directly.¡±


    The higher-ranking syndicate members in the room swiveled around to look at Polaris in shock. ¡°Master, what do you mean, you won¡¯t punish Norman?!¡± Scorch roared.


    ¡°He helped our sons get away! He deserves every ounce of anguish you can give him!¡± Riptide shrieked.


    Polaris took yet another sip of oran brew before answering. ¡°I have pondered how to punish Norman, and I have come to the unfortunate conclusion that I have grown too fond of him to inflict any of my usual punishments on him. We share a long history, after all.¡± Suddenly, a dark and sinister look crossed Polaris¡¯s face. ¡°But just because I am too sentimental to punish Norman directly does not mean I am too sentimental to punish him at all.¡±


    Norman¡¯s face was now twisted in confusion. ¡°W-what do you mean by that, M-master Polaris?¡± he asked weakly.


    Polaris narrowed his eyes at him and let out an evil chuckle before thumping his body on his throne.


    At the sound of the thump, the doors of Polaris¡¯s room swung open, and a crawdaunt and a durant scuttled into the room, wheeling along a small portable TV. They parked it right in front of Norman, their eyes filled with glee and malice.


    Polaris made another thumping motion on his throne, and the durant flicked the TV on, showing a fuzzy video of a very ornate living room and two elderly indeedee relaxing on its sole couch. The male was reading a book, while the female was knitting something. The word ¡°LIVE¡± was displayed on the bottom corner of the video in bright red letters.


    Norman¡¯s confusion transformed into pure terror in a matter of seconds. ¡°Wait just one moment¡­ Is that my childhood house?! Are those my parents?!¡± He started to struggle against the rope. ¡°What is the meaning of this?!¡± he cried out.


    ¡°Ah, yes¡­ your parents.¡± Polaris giggled. ¡°You love them so much, don¡¯t you? Everything you do is for them.¡± Polaris took another pause, drinking in Norman¡¯s terror, before continuing. ¡°I may be too sentimental to punish you directly, but I¡¯m not too sentimental to hurt your loved ones. So I thought I would have them bear the brunt of your punishment.¡±


    With that, Polaris made one more thumping noise, cackling as he did so. In response, the crawdaunt pressed a large red button on a walkie talkie it had been holding in its left pincer.


    The sound of doors being shattered suddenly echoed from the TV, followed by a stampede of footsteps. In a matter of seconds, at least thirty Absolute Zero Syndicate members had swarmed Norman¡¯s parents, instantly descending upon them with claws, teeth, and elemental attacks. The elderly indeedee only had time to scream in terror before their bodies were torn apart, causing a cascade of fur, blood, and ripped-up organs to splatter against the once-pristine walls of the living room.


    ¡°Mummy¡­ Daddy¡­ No, no, no¡­ This can¡¯t be happening¡­ This can¡¯t¡­¡± Norman moaned in shock and grief as he watched his parents get murdered right in front of his eyes. He suddenly burst into childlike tears, burying his face in his hands to obscure his vision from the horror he was watching.


    Polaris laughed mirthfully. ¡°Good work, you two. You can leave now.¡± he ordered the crawdaunt and the durant. They bowed and wheeled the TV, still streaming the grisly scene, out of the room. Norman moaned and reached out towards the TV, calling out for his parents weakly, but nobody paid him any attention.


    ¡°Now, then¡­¡± Polaris swiveled around to face Belladonna, Atlas, and Phoenix. ¡°Ready for your turn?¡± he giggled.


    The three new recruits had been watching Norman¡¯s punishment with wide, rounded eyes. Now they turned their gazes to Polaris, absolutely horrified at the thought of what he might do to them.


    ¡°You three should consider yourselves honored.¡±  Polaris hummed. ¡°I haven¡¯t had to use this punishment in almost four years. But as I said earlier, you three had genuine potential. And I like to save this punishment for those with genuine potential.¡±


    Scorch and Riptide suddenly started quivering with excitement. ¡°Are you gonna do what I think you¡¯re gonna do, boss?¡± Scorch asked.


    "Indeed I am." Polaris chuckled before fixing the three newcomers with an ice-cold stare. "Belladonna, Atlas, Phoenix. For the crimes of disloyalty to the syndicate resulting in the escape of multiple invaluable possessions, I sentence you to my Sheer Cold!¡±


    For the first time in a while, smiles cracked upon the faces of Belladonna, Atlas, and Phoenix. ¡°S-sheer Cold?¡± Belladonna laughed hoarsely. ¡°And I thought your human worship shtick was nonsensical.¡±


    Polaris narrowed his eyes. ¡°A common mistake¡­ and one that will cost you greatly.¡± he intoned, before squeezing his eyes shut and concentrating deeply.


    For a few long seconds, nothing happened. Belladonna, Atlas, and Phoenix looked at each other with mild amusement. Then, suddenly, Atlas¡¯s body stiffened.


    ¡°G-guys? D-did it just get like forty degrees c-colder in here, or is it just me?¡± he asked fearfully.


    Polaris chuckled as he slowly dropped the temperature of the air around Belladonna, Atlas, and Phoenix to largely negative levels. He waited for a few more seconds, until the temperature was just right, before contracting his body and exhaling as loudly as he could.


    Almost instantaneously, the bodies of the three new recruits started writhing in immense pain. They tried desperately to take in air, gasping heavily, but the more seconds that passed, the more they struggled to breathe. And soon, blood began to trickle out of their eyes, ears, noses, and mouths.


    After about two minutes, Atlas started grasping at his throat and choking even harder. Blood burst out of his throat in short waves, coating the rope and mattress a deep red. After this had happened three times, his eyes suddenly glazed over, and his arms and head went limp. His body gave one last jerk of pain, and then it went still.


    Belladonna attempted to cry out Atlas¡¯s name, but a wave of blood burst out of her mouth as she did so. This happened four more times before her eyes also glazed over, her body also went limp, and she also writhed one more time before going still.


    Phoenix stared at the bodies of his friends helplessly. He was clearly putting the most effort into fighting the Sheer Cold, evident by the very faint glow coming from his chest, a sign of his desperate attempts to melt away the cold.


    It wouldn¡¯t work, though. Not even the hottest of fires could stop a Sheer Cold. Especially not Polaris¡¯s Sheer Cold.


    Eventually, after about five more minutes, Phoenix¡¯s fire finally gave out, and he too began coughing out a torrent of blood. He locked eyes with Polaris one last time, his eyes burning with hatred. Then those eyes glazed over, and Phoenix¡¯s body went still.


    Norman stared at the corpses of the recruits, his mouth agape with pure terror. Some of Belladonna¡¯s blood had gotten onto his fur, and he habitually reached up to wipe it off.


    Scorch and Riptide let out loud whoops of excitement upon seeing the carnage. ¡°You¡¯ve still got it, boss!¡± Scorch cheered.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s get going, shall we, love?¡± Riptide asked affectionately, wrapping his thin arm around his husband¡¯s. ¡°I believe we have some misbehaving boys to go track down.¡± Scorch nuzzled Riptide affirmatively in response.


    ¡°Not so fast.¡± Polaris chided. ¡°I want you to stay behind at the syndicate.¡±


    Scorch and Riptide both stared at Polaris like he had suddenly sprouted wings. ¡°WHAT?!¡± they boomed simultaneously. ¡°Those are our sons! How can you not let us join in the search for them.¡±


    ¡°If this was like the Errand Day incident, I would absolutely have sent you two out on the search.¡± Polaris informed. ¡°However, I have an intuition that the boys and their little friend have gone to a very¡­ specific place. One that is impossible for you to enter.¡±


    Scorch and Riptide stared at Polaris for a little while longer, before their faces morphed into expressions of realization, then sheer fury.


    ¡°You get it now, don¡¯t you?¡± Polaris noted. ¡°If we want to get your boys and the human back, we¡¯re going to need a very particular set of skills. And that¡¯s where you three come in.¡±


    The entire time, Crim, Shade, and Dart had been leaning against the wall, almost half asleep as the punishments were carried out. But now, they were wide awake, their postures straight and their gazes directed at Polaris.


    ¡°Pursuers,¡± Polaris started. ¡°This is your most important job yet. The targets you will be tracking down are the most vital targets to the syndicate ever. Are you ready to take on this task?¡±


    Crim, Shade, and Dart immediately dropped to the ground, kneeling on some of the blood that had been spilled.


    ¡°We won¡¯t let you down, Boss.¡± Crim pledged.

 Chapter Twelve: The Entrance Examination

    ¡°H-hello?¡± Hope called out nervously, craning her head side to side as she did so. ¡°W-where am I? I-is anyone there?¡±


    She was standing in the center of a temple of sorts, which itself was high upon a cold and snowy mountain - at least, that¡¯s how it felt like, from the sub-zero wind that was blanketing her fur, creating a painful chill that seeped into each and every one of her organs, and the pressure that was slowly building up within her eardrums, bringing with it a dull yet furious pain. The temple itself was made of pure white marble, with extremely long pillars shooting up from the floors like spears planted from the ground stabbing into the air.


    Ten statues lined the center of the temple, two rows of five creating a pathway to the center. All of the statues were of pokemon - the first row had statues of a deer, bear, fish, weasel, and eagle pokemon, while the second row had statues of a mantis, plant, dog, sphere, and iceberg pokemon. Hope cautiously stepped forward to inspect the statues, her curiosity briefly overtaking her confusion. There was a lot of detail on the statues - she could easily make out the texture of the bird pokemon''s feathers, the fish pokemon''s scales, the bear and dog pokemon''s fur, the combined stone and ice textures on the iceberg pokemon. She could even notice that the sphere pokemon was made out of some kind of wood, even though its statue was pure marble.


    As Hope''s gaze passed over the statue of the mantis pokemon, she instinctively fluffed out her tail and flinched. Its insectoid body and angular eyes, combined with the sharp stone axes at the end of its arms, reminded her way too much of Crim. At least this pokemon couldn''t grab her by the leg, snap it like a twig, and oh God it hurts it hurts so so much please make it stop make it stop make it go awa-


    "HOPE."


    A deep, booming voice resonated from the sky itself, creating shock waves so powerful that the force it created sent Hope flying into the humanoid plant pokemon statue. Strangely, the impact didn¡¯t hurt at all. She shook herself off and stood up, looking around wildly for the source of the voice.


    ¡°HOPE KATHERINE ABERDEEN. I AM GLAD TO SEE THAT YOU ARE WELL. DO NOT BE SCARED. I AM HERE TO HELP YOU.¡±


    How the hell does this thing know my middle name? Hope thought to herself, trying to resist the second round of sound waves pelting her body as she did so.


    She didn¡¯t have time to ponder that further, however, as a bright light suddenly pierced her pupils. Hope squinted harshly and tried her best to look up at the source of the light.


    A large orb of pure light was floating directly above her. It looked very similar to a sun, with seventeen rays of light sticking out from the main ball, each in a different color, giving it the appearance of a rainbow. The rays changed color every few seconds, creating a strobe effect of sorts. The orb slowly descended from the sky, inching down closer and closer until it was eye level with Hope.


    ¡°I COMMEND YOU ON DOING THIS WELL.¡± the orb of light boomed. ¡°I WILL BE HONEST, I WAS VERY FEARFUL WHEN YOU WERE LOCKED AWAY AFTER YOUR FIRST MISSION. I WAS EXPECTING THE WORST. I WAS QUITE RELIEVED WHEN MY LOYAL SERVANT TOLD ME THAT YOU HAD MADE IT OUT SAFELY. I KNEW I WAS RIGHT TO HAVE CHOSEN YOU.¡±


    It sounded like it was trying to comfort her, but Hope felt the complete opposite of comforted right now.


    ¡°W-who are you?!¡± Hope screeched, her tail all fluffed out. ¡°What do you want from me?¡±


    The orb¡­ chuckled??? ¡°DO NOT BE AFRAID.¡± it repeated. ¡°I AM THE ONE WHO CREATED THIS WORLD, THE ONE WHO OVERSEES IT, AND THE ONE WHO MAINTAINS ITS FUTURE. I WAS THE ONE WHO CHOSE YOU TO HELP MAINTAIN THE FUTURE. I AM SIMPLY HERE TO OFFER YOU SOME ADVICE FOR THE DAYS TO COME.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ chose me?¡± Hope stood there in silence for a few seconds before the realization hit her. ¡°Were you the one who turned me into a Pokemon?!¡± she cried out. ¡°Why did you do this? Why did you take my memories?"


    The orb''s rays stopped changing color for a few seconds, giving Hope¡¯s eyes a much-needed respite, and it tilted downwards slightly. ¡°...IT IS FOR THE GOOD OF THE WORLD OF POKEMON, HOPE." it intoned sorrowfully. ¡°YOU WERE SENT TO THIS WORLD TO FULFILL A GRAND DESTINY. IN ORDER TO FULFILL THAT DESTINY, YOU WILL NEED SOME ADVICE. I AM HERE TO DISPENSE THAT ADVICE TO YOU.¡±


    Hope opened her mouth to reply, but the orb cut her off. ¡°WHEN YOU FIND YOURSELF LACKING KNOWLEDGE FOR THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS AHEAD, THE GLOWING ANTLERS WILL LIGHT THE WAY FOR YOU.¡±


    ¡°What does that even mean???¡± Hope wailed.


    ¡°YOU WILL KNOW VERY SOON.¡± the orb stated. ¡°I WISH YOU NOTHING BUT THE BEST OF LUCK FOR THE TRIALS THAT AWAIT YOU. FAREWELL, HOPE.¡±


    And with that, the orb began rising back up into the clear blue sky.


    ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Hope screeched, futilely charging forward towards the orb. ¡°Come back here right now! I want some answers, and you¡¯re not leaving until I get them!¡±


    ¡°HOPE¡­¡± the orb murmured. Somehow, its voice was now much higher in pitch.


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Hope snapped. ¡°What do you have to say for yourself?¡±


    ¡°HOPE¡­ Hope¡­ Hope? Hope!¡±


    Hope suddenly jolted upwards, panting heavily as she did so. Her vision slowly unblurred, revealing that she was now in a room with rustic wooden walls, lying on a bed made of soft, fluffy wool. Judging by the faint amount of sunlight in the room, just enough to provide color vision, it was still extremely early in the morning. Two blurry round shapes were directly in front of her, and as her vision unblurred even further, the shapes slowly morphed into the very confused faces of Klaw and Dewey.


    ¡°Hope!¡± Klaw cried out. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Y-you were t-thrashing around in your s-sleep a lot.¡± Dewey murmured.


    ¡°In¡­ my¡­ sleep?¡± Hope muttered. The obvious realization sunk into her slowly at first, but as the fuzz in her brain cleared and her thinking became more logical, the slow drip turned into a sudden downpour. ¡°That was a dream?!¡± she cried out. But it felt so real! It was like I was actually there!


    Small smiles appeared on the edges of Klaw and Dewey¡¯s faces. ¡°Must have been one heck of a dream, then.¡± Klaw chuckled. ¡°Did last night¡¯s pizza get to you?¡±


    ¡°Hey! If anyone were to get weird dreams from last night¡¯s pizza, it should have been you two!¡± Hope protested playfully, jumping to her feet. ¡°I didn¡¯t order the pizza topped with calamari, mozzarella sticks, and garlic knots!¡± Just thinking of that abomination made her stomach twist up.


    Dewey grinned. ¡°M-man, was it good, though.¡± he gushed. Klaw nodded fervently beside him, both brothers¡¯ eyes glazed over and small amounts of drool coming from the edges of their mouths. Hope rolled her eyes and lightly swiped her tail across their faces, snapping them both back to reality.


    ¡°Seriously, Hope, what were you dreaming about?¡± Klaw chuckled. ¡°You were really thrashing around.¡±


    ¡°W-we thought that you were going to b-break the c-clock!¡± Dewey giggled, gesturing to the blocky gray digital clock directly next to Hope¡¯s bed.


    Hope flinched as the events of the dream replayed in her memory. The more she thought about it, the more she felt like it wasn''t a dream at all. It felt much too realistic. The chill of the wind, the smoothness of the stone floor, the sound of that strange orb''s voice¡­ It lingered a little too strongly within her brain, almost like it had actually happened to her.


    THE GLOWING ANTLERS WILL LIGHT THE WAY FOR YOU¡­ The phrase kept echoing within Hope¡¯s mind. "What could it possibly mean?"


    "H-hope? W-what are you t-talking about?"


    Hope snapped her head up to see that Klaw and Dewey were now staring at her with looks of concern.


    ¡°What does what mean, Hope?¡± Klaw asked softly.


    Hope blinked slowly. ¡°Did¡­ I say that out loud?¡± she squeaked, staring at a particularly intriguing strand of wool sticking out from the edge of her bed.


    Klaw and Dewey sat down and curled their tails over their feet, staring at Hope expectantly yet encouragingly. Hope exhaled loudly. Guess there¡¯s no way around this. She explained what had happened in the dream to Klaw and Dewey.


    When she finished, Klaw and Dewey furrowed their eyebrows and looked at each other with worry. The silence was long and uncomfortable.


    ¡°...I¡¯m going to be real with you, Hope.¡± Klaw whispered. ¡°What you¡¯re describing sounds scarily similar to Polaris¡¯s¡­ ¡®teachings¡¯.¡±


    Every bone and organ within Hope¡¯s body suddenly turned to ice. ¡°W-what?¡± she exhaled.


    ¡°I-it was the very f-first l-lecture of P-polaris¡¯s that we ever a-attended.¡± Dewey swallowed. ¡°H-he b-believes that h-humans can connect with d-deities with their m-minds. O-of course, we thought it was all r-rubbish, but what you d-described¡­¡± Dewey looked at his brother and inhaled deeply before turning back to Hope and continuing. ¡°I-it just s-sounds too s-similar to what he was t-talking about to be a c-coincidence.¡±


    Hope¡¯s mind was spinning at a million miles per second. She opened her mouth to say something, but she was cut off by a voice.


    ¡°Mah Arceus, whut¡¯s gotten into yawl kids? Yawl three look like you¡¯ve been licked by uh haunter!¡±


    Hope, Klaw, and Dewey whirled around to see a slightly small light brown bull pokemon with black dappling covering its body, three tails, and a white bandana wrapped around its thick brown neck mane staring at the trio with a mix of curiosity and concern.


    Upon noticing them, the bull pokemon stepped back and laughed. ¡°Oh, sorry bout thet! Should hav¡¯ given yawl three uh head¡¯s up.¡± he chuckled sheepishly. ¡°Mah name¡¯s Billy. Ahm Esther¡¯s grandson. Sorry ah wasn¡¯t able tuh meet yawl last night - had tuh fetch supplies fawr breakfast an¡¯ all that. Speakin¡¯ uh thet, Grandmumma told me to come fetch yawl for breakfast. Come down soon - Grandmumma¡¯s cookin¡¯ iz best when it¡¯s pipin¡¯ hot! Nuthin¡¯ beats Grandmumma¡¯s Mountain Continental breakfast!¡± Billy gave the trio an awkward smile before slowly backing away and scurrying away.


    Hope, Klaw, and Dewey looked at each other quizzically. ¡°He seems like an interesting character.¡± Hope joked, trying to lighten the mood.


    Thankfully, it worked, as Klaw and Dewey immediately relaxed their shoulders and smiled. ¡°He¡¯s not at all like the other tauros we¡¯ve met.¡± Klaw grinned.


    ¡°P-pokemon really are n-nicer outside of the s-syndicate, huh?¡± Dewey agreed with a chuckle.


    The mention of the syndicate made Hope¡¯s muscles stiffen, so she once again decided to change the topic. ¡°What time is it?¡± she asked. ¡°Billy said breakfast is ready, but it looks like the sun is only just coming out.¡±


    ¡°I-it¡¯s a-about¡­ six-thirty in the m-morning?¡± Dewey mumbled, scurrying over to the alarm clock besides Hope¡¯s bed to double check. ¡°Y-yep, six-thirty in the m-morning.¡±


    ¡°Hold on¡­ But you guys were awake before me¡­¡± Hope pointed a paw towards Klaw and Dewey. ¡°Did you guys not get any sleep again?¡± she asked, raising her eyebrow playfully.¡±


    Klaw and Dewey¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°We got some sleep!¡± Klaw protested. ¡°We woke up only two hours ago!¡±


    ¡°That would be four-thirty in the morning, right?¡± Hope probed the brothers. ¡°And what time did we get here?¡±


    Dewey looked down sheepishly. ¡°...M-midnight.¡± he muttered after a short pause.


    Klaw stepped forward and playfully cuffed Hope¡¯s ear with his paw. ¡°If you¡¯re going to chide us for getting less than eight hours of sleep, stop right there, because so did you.¡± he snorted.


    Dewey looked at his brother in surprise. Klaw simply smirked and flicked his ears backwards. Dewey¡¯s eyes widened for a couple of seconds, after which he nodded at Klaw with a matching smirk.


    Oh no. Are they doing the silent twin communication thing again? Hope sighed and rolled her eyes playfully before stepping forward. ¡°Let¡¯s just go have breakfast, alright?¡± she said, flicking her tail towards the slightly ajar door of the room. ¡°We don¡¯t want the food to get cold. And besides, the faster we eat, the more time we have to prepare for the entrance exam!¡± she finished with a wink.


    At the last two words, Klaw and Dewey¡¯s eyes became as round as globes, and within a few seconds they had disappeared from the room, the loud whack of the door hitting the wall echoing after them.


    Hope exhaled lightly and chuckled. Those two really are a riot, aren¡¯t they?, she thought to herself. She really didn¡¯t know what she¡¯d do without those two, antics and all.


    Yet, something about the interaction made Hope¡¯s heart overflow with longing - longing for something she couldn¡¯t even remember. It all felt so real, as if she had lived through a very similar interaction before, just in a different body.


    ¡°What kind of ¡®grand destiny¡¯ makes up for taking a girl away from her family?¡± Hope spat, quietly but with enough force to send small droplets of spit splashing onto the floor.


    Hope stared at the spit droplets for a few seconds, her ears pricked intently as she did so. If Klaw and Dewey were right, and the orb pokemon that spoke to her in her dream was indeed some kind of deity, she didn¡¯t want that deity - or the ¡°loyal servant¡± it had mentioned - to hear her.


    If that happened, her chances of going back to the human world would have been immediately reduced to zero.


    No point in dwelling on it right now, at least. Hope thought to herself, letting out a long sigh as she did so. She shook herself off and padded towards the ajar door. But that so-called deity has a lot of questions it needs to answer the next time I see it.


    The hotel corridors were painted with scenes of lush farmland, depicting crops of all kinds and colors growing and flourishing. That, combined with the calming classical music playing on low volume further down, drifting quietly into Hope¡¯s ears, made her relax somewhat. As she continued down the hallway, the music became intermingled with the sound of lively banter, with Klaw and Dewey¡¯s voices clearly recognizable. As she got closer, those sounds became mixed even further with the sound of hooves scraping on wood. Hope quickly started speeding up, stiffening her muscles in case she had to tackle someone.


    ¡°Hey, watch where yore goin¡¯, kid! Yawl almost ran right into may!¡±


    Hope came to a screeching halt, looking up to see a very pale pink and black cow pokemon wearing a heavily grease-stained apron staring down at her, its bottom lip curled in annoyance. The smells of cinnamon and sausage wafted off of the apron, making Hope salivate a little.


    The cow pokemon raised her eyebrow. ¡°Ah can see yawl droolin¡¯, y¡¯know.¡± she spat. ¡°If you really wanna eat so badly, snap out uh it an¡¯ head down tuh thuh dinin¡¯ room as fast as yawl can! Othahwise, yur maniac friends are probably gunna eat thuh food an¡¯ thuh containers at thuh same time!¡±


    ¡°S-sorry, Esther.¡± Hope mumbled, slowly slinking backwards.


    ¡°¡®Sorry¡¯ don¡¯t git yawl fed.¡± Esther huffed. ¡°Walkin¡¯ tuh thuh kitchen as calmly an¡¯ normally as possible duz. So yawl better start now!¡±


    Hope quickly nodded and straightened back up, quickly walking around Esther and down to the kitchen. Esther glared back at her as she did so.


    Laughter echoed from down the hallway, causing Hope to roll her eyes. ¡°Very funny, guys.¡± she muttered good-naturedly, loud enough that Klaw and Dewey could hear her, but also quiet enough that Esther couldn¡¯t hear her. She turned the corner and stepped into the dining room.


    The hallways of the Farmstead Inn already gave off a comforting feel, but the dining room took that feeling and magnified it tenfold. The walls were painted a deep red and textured to look like wood, giving them a very similar appearance to a classic farmyard barn. Small, round stools lined the edges of the walls, with bowls filled to the brim with fake fruits and vegetables placed upon them. The atmosphere was quite rustic - the only thing that gave away the modernness of the building was the thin flat screen television positioned directly above the room¡¯s sole window, which was currently displaying some sort of extreme sports competition.


    The fake food looked pretty, but it had nothing on the actual food, whose varying smells immediately bombarded Hope¡¯s nose as soon as she stepped into the room. Notes of all five basic tastes traveled through her nose and onto her taste buds, making her mouth water even more heavily than it had before.


    Hope¡¯s eyes drifted, trying to find where the food could possibly be, when suddenly, a voice caught her attention.


    ¡°Hope! Over here!¡±


    Hope¡¯s ears perked up, and she turned around to see Klaw and Dewey waving her over, standing next to a long, large table covered with several different food containers at the far end of the room. The brothers were somehow already on their third serving of breakfast, their previous plates lying on the table closest to them as they piled piping-hot scrambled eggs, strips of bacon, pancakes drenched in maple syrup, and cream-cheese covered bagels onto their newest plates.


    They definitely didn''t eat this much when we were all at the syndicate¡­ Hope thought to herself, her eyebrows slightly creased with worry.


    Two more bull pokemon were standing next to them. They both looked very similar to Billy, but their fur was completely black, and they were both fairly larger than him. The bull pokemon standing next to Klaw had red lines on its mane, a small rock with bright pink crystals jutting out of it tied to its left horn, and flame tattoos covering its left flank, while the bull pokemon standing next to Dewey had blue lines on its mane, a small rock encased in a deep turquoise crystal tied to its right horn, and storm cloud tattoos covering its right flank.


    As Hope approached them, the two bull pokemon rolled their eyes, huffed, and scraped their hooves on the ground, all in perfect unison, before fixing their gazes onto Hope.


    ¡°This is the leader of your rescue team?¡± the red-lined tauros snorted at Klaw.


    ¡°Not gonna lie, little dude, you and your bro can do way better.¡± the blue-lined tauros sneered at Dewey.


    So this is what Klaw and Dewey meant earlier when they said Billy was different from other tauros, Hope thought to herself with a quiet, exasperated sigh. She padded up to the far end of the table and grabbed a plate before going to stand next to Klaw and Dewey, making sure to lightly bump against the two black tauros'' front legs as she did so. She was very pleased to hear them emit tiny cries of displeasure as she did so.


    "Hey! What do you think you¡¯re doing, pipsqueak?!" the black bull brothers shrieked simultaneously.


    "Oops. Sorry." Hope mockingly apologized. "Just being a little clumsy."


    Klaw and Dewey scrunched their faces up and bit down on their cheeks, trying their hardest to suppress their laughter and somewhat succeeding, though not without sounding like deflated balloons. In response, the black tauroses looked at Klaw and Dewey with pure betrayal on their faces.


    ¡°A-anyways,¡± Dewey sputtered, grabbing a napkin to wipe the built-up spit off the side of his mouth as he did so. ¡°T-these are¡­¡± He trailed off briefly, looking to the black tauroses, who continued to glare at Hope silently. Seeing this, Dewey cleared his throat and continued. ¡°T-these are M-mateo and D-diego.¡± he began, gesturing to the red-lined tauros first and the blue-lined tauros second. ¡°T-they¡¯re Esther¡¯s g-grandnephews, and they c-come to the inn straight from c-college on w-weekends, so that¡¯s why t-they weren¡¯t here last n-night.¡±


    Hope stuck a paw out and smiled coyly at Mateo and Diego. ¡°Nice to meet you two.¡± she snickered. Mateo and Diego stared at Hope for a few seconds before exhaling loudly and stomping aside. Hope pranced up to the buffet and gingerly picked up a plate with her teeth, before scurrying over to the main table and surveying the wide variety of food available.


    Eventually, she settled on a little bit of some of the more filling yet healthier items she could find - a large scoop of baked beans, some fried mushrooms, a bunch of small fried tomatoes still attached to the vine, some grilled potatoes, and a slice of whole wheat toast with a spoonful of bright red berry jam. Hope then grabbed a spoon, fork and knife and gently set it on the plate before carrying the plate over to where Klaw and Dewey were sitting and placing it down gently in front of them.


    ¡°Thanks a lot for that, Hope.¡± Klaw whispered as Hope sat down.


    ¡°Thanks for what?¡± Hope mumbled in confusion.


    ¡°Getting Mateo and Diego off our backs.¡± Klaw explained quietly, shooting a discreet glance over to the two twin bulls to make sure they weren¡¯t listening. ¡°They were pretty funny¡­ but they were also making us feel really uncomfortable. They were talking about our dads a lot, saying stuff about how they thought they were so cool and tough and how they envied us being their kids¡­" Klaw trailed off, his tail slowly swishing and his claws unsheathed. Next to him, Dewey chewed his lip uncomfortably.


    Hope was surprised she didn''t break her fork with how hard she squeezed it. "No problem." she choked out, shifting in her seat so Mateo and Diego couldn''t see her fluffed-out tail. I knew those two were trouble, but this? She stabbed her fork into a tomato, getting a few droplets of its juices onto her toast before stuffing it into her mouth.


    The negative feelings almost immediately dissipated at the taste. The tomato had been cooked just long enough to break the juices down into sugars, but not long enough to remove all of the acidity. The tiny salt crystals on the tomato''s skin combined with this to create the perfect blend of sweet, sour, and salty.


    The experience made a powerful wave of nostalgia wash over Hope. She could faintly smell mothballs and old tea and faintly hear quiet soft rock music, not from within the room itself, but from somewhere deep within her memories. She lowered her head so Klaw and Dewey couldn¡¯t see the tears that were beginning to well up within her eyes.


    "Yawl like that, huh?"


    Hope choked down the tomato and looked up to see Esther and Billy standing over her, the former smirking proudly and the latter smiling widely and awkwardly. "That''s no surprise - mah cookin''s da best in all da'' continent." Esther drawled smugly. "Much better thun that fish-sniffer Kory, dat''s fo'' sure!"


    Hope opened her mouth to ask who this ¡®Kory¡¯ was, but Esther cut her off. ¡°Ah, naw need tuh thank may.¡± she crooned. ¡°Ah know how good ah ahm. Now, if yuh excuse may, ahv gotta git thuh cinnamon rolls frum out of thuh oven.¡±


    Hearing the words cinnamon roll caused what felt like a cup¡¯s worth of saliva to well up underneath Hope¡¯s tongue. A quick sideways glance told her that Klaw and Dewey weren¡¯t much better, the saliva actually cascading out of their mouths like a rushing river, Esther let out a scratchy, hoarse cackle of pride before turning and walking back around the corner.


    ¡°Yawl three are rilly in for uh treat!¡± Billy exclaimed. ¡°Grandmumma¡¯s cinnamon rolls are thuh best! Shay only makes them on Wednesdays, too, so yawl guys got lucky comin¡¯ when yawl did!¡± Judging by the repetitive, energetic kicking movements he was making with his back hooves, he was just as excited for the cinnamon rolls as the trio was.


    Hope leaned down and began to dig into the rest of her meal, the buried remnants of her memories once again being lost to the void. Klaw and Dewey quickly and eagerly followed suit.


    ¡°Hey, kids, slow down!¡± Billy cried out. ¡°Yore all gonna choke!¡±


    ¡°Knock it off, you big crybaby!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, why are you so sensitive all the time? Grow a spine.¡±


    Hope¡¯s ears pricked up, and she glanced over to see Mateo and Diego standing at the other end of the table, grinning at Billy maliciously. Billy shrunk back and tucked his tails between his legs, a low and guttural groan of primal fear emanating from his throat. This only succeeded in making Mateo and Diego erupt into laughter.


    Hope immediately leaped out of her seat and padded towards Mateo and Diego. The two black tauros immediately lost their grins upon seeing her, backing up so quickly their tails lashed against each other¡¯s flanks.


    ¡°Who¡¯s sensitive now, jackasses?¡± Klaw whispered triumphantly. Beside him, Dewey pretended to wipe his mouth so he could hide his giggling.


    Hope let out a satisfied chuckle and hopped back into her seat, picking her fork back up, stabbing it into a mushroom, and popping it into her mouth.


    Billy exhaled in relief. ¡°Thanks fer that, kiddo.¡± he mumbled. ¡°Ah really hate tuh have tuh force yawl tuh handle it, but ahm not very good at standin¡¯ up fer mahself¡­¡± He trailed off nervously, glancing back at Mateo and Diego, who were whispering amongst themselves and glowering at Hope. ¡°Ahm older than them by uh long shot, but ahv never been able tuh stop them frum pushin'' may around. Been like thus since calfhood. It wuz better when ah only saw them durin'' holidays, but now thet thay''re livin'' with may an Grandmumma full time so thay can go tuh college¡­¡± Billy blinked slowly. ¡°Oh, sorry. Hav ah been ramblin¡¯ too much?¡± he squeaked, staring down at his hooves.


    ¡°You¡¯re alright.¡± Hope said, her ears twitching.


    Billy¡¯s chest deflated like a balloon, the exhale of relief that came out of his mouth being as loud as a freight train¡¯s whistle. ¡°...Thank you, kid.¡± he squeaked. ¡°Ah thank I¡¯ll leave yawl an¡¯ chur friends tuh hav¡¯ chur breakfast now.¡± He flashed one more uncomfortable smile at the trio before scampering away, nearly knocking over Mateo and Diego as he did so. The black bull twins scrambled back to their feet, looked at each other, and huffed before stomping out of the room themselves.


    Hope, Klaw, and Dewey stared at each other in silence for a few seconds. ¡°...Interesting characters, huh, guys?¡± Hope joked feebly.


    Klaw and Dewey nodded absentmindedly, but they were both now staring at the television.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Hope craned her neck over to see what they were so transfixed on and was greeted with a truly fantastical sight: a green and black lizard pokemon darting to and fro on a skateboard ramp so fast it looked like a speeding motorcycle, the illusion being furthered by its tail being curled up and its throat sac being puffed up in a way that resembled wheels. The lizard pokemon charged to the other end of the ramp and sprung up, spinning its body elegantly in midair four times before landing back down on its hind feet, rearing up, uncurling its tail, striking a pose, and sticking its tongue out cockily.


    ¡°So cool¡­¡± Hope exhaled.


    ¡°I know, right?¡± Klaw murmured, his eyes still locked firmly onto the screen. ¡°We¡¯ve heard about sports stars like that cyclizar before, but we¡¯ve never been able to see them in action, you know?¡± He took his bagel and bit into it, cream cheese oozing out of its sides.


    ¡°P-papa and D-daddy didn¡¯t a-allow us to watch t-television.¡± Dewey explained tersely, cutting off a piece of pancake and popping it into his mouth as he did so.


    Hope scooped up a large portion of baked beans and stuffed them into her mouth so she could keep the string of expletives she felt bubbling up inside of her at bay. She choked them down before deciding to change the subject. ¡°So, what do you guys think is going to be on the guild exam?¡± she asked.


    Klaw and Dewey looked at each other in confusion. ¡°W-we have no i-idea.¡± Dewey faltered.


    ¡°We¡¯ve done so much research on the guild and the requirements to join, but they never said anything about an examination.¡± Klaw explained. ¡°It does make sense, but we have no idea what to expect.¡±


    ¡°Well, from what I can understand, the guild mainly focuses on expeditions into mystery dungeons to save pokemon, right?¡± Hope inquired. Seeing Klaw and Dewey nod affirmatively, she continued. ¡°We¡¯ve already gone through two of those mystery dungeons already - two of the most dangerous ones in the continent! We¡¯ll be more than fine.¡±


    She made sure to smile as widely as possible, hiding her own anxieties. After all, she, the leader of the group, was still quite new to being a pokemon. That lack of experience would surely come to bite her in the tail during the examination. And if she failed, Klaw and Dewey would certainly be failed as well, no matter how well they did.


    What would happen to them if they failed? Would they be sent back to the syndicate? What would Polaris, Scorch, Riptide, and the Pursuers do to them? What kind of painful punishment would be inflicted on th-


    ¡°Hey! Kids! Cinnamon rolls are ready! Come git them quick before mah grandnephews eat ¡®em all!¡±


    Upon hearing Esther¡¯s words, Hope sprung to her feet, her fears momentarily dissipating in the wind, as she scurried towards the back room, Klaw and Dewey hot on her heels.


    The next few hours went by in what felt like a manner of minutes, the tastes of the cinnamon rolls and the baked beans and the toast topped with what Esther proudly referred to as her ¡°homemade mago berry preserve¡± all mixing together within Hope¡¯s mind.


    It was all so good, but the closer the clock got to ten thirty, the more her anxiety over the examination grew. Judging by Klaw and Dewey¡¯s pacing - they must have made four laps around the entire perimeter of The Farmstead Inn in a single half hour - they shared her anxiety.


    They all knew what was at stake. They couldn¡¯t afford to fail. Somehow, that only made the fear of failing that much stronger.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Hope? Klaw? Dewey?¡±


    Hope looked up to see that Billy had returned. ¡°The guildsfolk are here to tuh take yawl tuh thuh exam room. Let¡¯s go - ah don''t wanna keep ¡®em waitin¡¯ for too long.¡± He turned back towards the dining room entrance and flicked his tail, encouraging the trio to follow him.


    Well, this is it. Hope swallowed uncomfortably. It¡¯s now or never.


    Hope, Klaw, and Dewey followed Billy through the rustic halls of the Farmstead Inn all the way to the main lobby, which was painted bright red to resemble the interior of a barn. Three pokemon were standing in the center of the lobby, laughing heartily while sipping coffee. Hope immediately relaxed when she saw the first member of the group - Sparky the boltund. He had been the nicest of the rescue team leaders by far last night, so she was very thankful that he was one of the guild members who had come to pick her and her friends up.


    The two pokemon beside him were completely unfamiliar to her. The first was a large, draconic, black and purple bat pokemon, a pair of turquoise mirrored sunglasses perched beneath its gigantic ears, which looked a lot like loudspeakers. The second was a slender white and purple ermine pokemon with long arms, a red shawl draped across its body. The group looked up as Billy led Hope, Klaw, and Dewey to them.


    ¡°Hey, guys! How are you doing? Did you sleep well?¡± Sparky yipped cheerily as he came up to meet the trio.


    ¡°We slept as well as we could.¡± Hope admitted, staring at the ground bashfully.


    ¡°I get it.¡± the bat pokemon laughed heartily, adjusting his glasses as he did so. ¡°Nerves from anticipating the exam, huh?¡±


    ¡°...Pretty much.¡± Hope chuckled. That was only half of the reason, at least for her.


    ¡°Happens to the best of us.¡± the ermine pokemon murmured calmly. ¡°I know these two goofballs were shaking in their boots when we had to take the exam.¡± She lightly swatted at the bat pokemon¡¯s belly, who responded with a shrill squeak of indignation.


    ¡°Guys! Knock it off!¡± Sparky protested feebly before turning back to Hope, Klaw, and Dewey. ¡°These are my teammates.¡± he explained. ¡°Sir Squeaks-A-Lot to my left is Soren, and Miss Flappy Hands to my right is Tai.¡±


    Soren and Tai looked up at Sparky and narrowed their eyes indignantly, causing the boltund to suppress a laugh. ¡°We¡¯re Team Revolvers, the fastest rescue team around! Outlaws don¡¯t stand a chance at escaping from us!¡± he finished with a howl.


    ¡°And who are you kids?¡± Tai inquired.


    ¡°I¡¯m Hope, and these are Klaw and Dewey.¡± Hope said. She could have sworn that she saw Soren and Tai stiffen for just a few seconds upon hearing Klaw and Dewey¡¯s names, but they relaxed soon after.


    ¡°Nice to meet you three.¡± Soren laughed, extending his wing out to Hope, who placed her paw in the fingers at its edge and shook it. ¡°Let¡¯s get going now, shall we? I don¡¯t know about my buddies here, but I, for one, am very excited to see what you three are capable of.¡± he quipped.


    ¡°I, too, am excited to see what you three have in store for the guild.¡± Tai smiled softly.


    ¡°If we wanna see what these guys have going for them, we¡¯ve got to go now. Otherwise Jet¡¯s gonna chew us out.¡± Sparky reminded his companions. Soren and Tai nodded.


    Billy scrambled to the wooden door and headbutted it, causing it to swing open with a loud thud as it hit the side of the wall. ¡°G-g-g-good luck, guys!¡± he stammered. The smile on his face was large, but he was shaking like a leaf.


    ¡°Thank you, Billy.¡± Hope smiled.


    Sparky, Soren, and Tai looked at each other and nodded before walking out the door, Hope, Klaw, and Dewey following directly behind them.


    The group began walking across the Honor Town plaza, passing by many of the shops that Candy had introduced them to during their tour yesterday. Hope recognized Underworld Banking, Cloudy Postal Service, and Grand Tunnel Storage among the rows and rows of shops she walked by.


    Was it really only yesterday? So much has happened since, Hope thought to herself. She looked up and realized that she was walking past the Xiong Dojo. Hei¡¯an and Shui were currently standing outside the building, talking to each other in hushed tones. Hope stopped and waved at them, but they seemed too distracted by their own conversation to notice her.


    ¡°Um¡­ Hope? Are you okay? Why did you stop?¡± Sparky asked, his head tilted and a concerned look on his face.


    ¡°Sorry, Sparky!¡± Hope yelped, immediately resuming walking at a much faster pace than before. ¡°Was just trying to say hello to someone, that¡¯s all!¡±


    "You can say hello to them after the exam." Tai murmured gently. Besides her, Soren nodded in agreement.


    "I guess." Hope agreed half-heartedly. I hope they''re alright, though¡­


    A thought suddenly struck her. Does it have something to do with Bai? She remembered the child''s sudden mood swing from yesterday, the way he had looked at her, Klaw, and Dewey with anger she couldn''t begin to imagine a child his age had the capability to carry within him. I hope he''s doing alright¡­


    "Well, here we are, kids."


    Hope¡¯s head snapped up, and she screeched to a halt. The group had arrived in front of a simple stone building painted in a glimmering metallic silver, nestled snugly away from the hustle and bustle of the main plaza. Sparky stepped forward and twisted the doorknob.


    The door opened with a loud creak, and Hope, Klaw, and Dewey stepped in the building with trepidation.


    The interior of the building was just as simple as its exterior, being painted the same metallic silver. Rows of metal desks filled the singular room, and a chalkboard was hammered onto the front-facing wall of the room, a wooden desk positioned directly in front of the chalkboard.


    Is this¡­ an old schoolhouse? Hope thought to herself incredulously.


    "Sparky, Soren, Tai. Thank you so much. I''ll take it from here."


    Hope whirled around to see Taj step into the schoolhouse, his giant feet clinking against the metal floor and his giant body just barely not skimming the ceiling. He held a stack of papers and a bundle of pencils in his trunk.


    "You''ve got to be kidding me." Klaw whispered. "I didn''t think they meant a literal pen-and-paper exam."


    Suddenly, all of Hope¡¯s worries were drained from her body. This was the best possible scenario! She didn''t know exactly why, but something deep within her was telling her she was made for this.


    "Dewey Bloodcrown. Klaw Bloodcrown. Hope¡­" Taj trailed off, squinting at Hope.


    "Aberdeen. Hope Aberdeen." Hope quickly jumped in.


    Taj¡¯s eyes brightened, and he nodded. "Hope Aberdeen." he finished, his voice professional yet warm. "Welcome. My name is Taj Toughfoot, and you are now beginning the Ironheart Guild entrance examination. This is the first of three parts: the mental examination."


    Three parts?! Hope could feel her anxiety returning.


    Taj continued. "In the mental examination, you will take a written exam. This exam has sixty multiple choice questions and will test your knowledge on literature, math, history, and science. After all, knowledge is the seed from which all good rescuers bloom." He chuckled before continuing, "There will be twenty questions for each subject. You will have ninety minutes to complete this exam. Please take your seats, and I will pass out the exams to you. As soon as you receive your exam, you may begin."


    Hope, Klaw, and Dewey quickly leaped into three of the desks in the front row. Taj chuckled heartily and plopped an exam and a pencil in front of each of the trio.


    Hope grabbed her pencil eagerly and wrote her name on the top, before flipping the page. As soon as she saw the first question, however, she froze.


    Ironheart Guild Entrance Examination, Part One: Literature


    <ol>


    <li> In the classic 17th century novel "Sunset Over Fogbound Lake", what is the species of protagonist Laura Waterwood''s love interest, the misunderstood "sea monster" Typhoon?</li>


    </ol>


    A: Dondozo


    B: Basculegion


    C: Swampert


    D: Toxapex


    Hope¡¯s head began to spin, and she had to grip her desk to prevent herself from sliding off of it. She thumbed through the rest of the literature section, praying desperately to see a familiar book title, but they were all books unique to this world. Ascending Sky Tower, Secrets of Revelation Mountain, Flowerbeds, The Tale of the Sierra Ten, Stalwart Souls, To the Break of Dawn¡­ all books she had never heard of before in her life.


    There was no hope of her passing this test.


    Hope began to look around wildly, begging someone, anyone, to somehow give her the answers, to help her pass this test. It was the only thing keeping her, Klaw, and Dewey from guaranteed safety. Her gaze trailed over to the window directly across from her desk¡­ only to see a face there.


    Hope blinked, almost certain that her anxiety was causing her mind to play tricks on her. But when she opened her eyes, the face was still then. It was the face of a cervid pokemon, its fur pale gray like a light rain cloud and a beard as white as snow. Two golden antlers sprouted from the top of its head, shimmering in the early morning light.


    The deer pokemon¡¯s eyes glowed, and a flash of white light completely obscured Hope¡¯s vision for a singular second.


    When the light cleared, Hope looked down at her paper. Her mouth nearly crashed through the floor at the sight that greeted her.


    All of the literature and history questions and about half of the science questions - the ones relating to important pokemon scientists - had been answered already. Hope picked up her pencil shakily and stared at the tip. It had clearly been worn down somewhat, and faint paw pad marks were visible on the wood, so she had definitely answered all of those questions herself.


    WHEN YOU FIND YOURSELF LACKING KNOWLEDGE FOR THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS AHEAD, THE GLOWING ANTLERS WILL LIGHT THE WAY FOR YOU¡­


    The memory of the loud, echoing voice boomed into Hope¡¯s ears, almost making her fall out of her seat. That voice was being literal. The glowing antlers really were glowing antlers. Bits and pieces of her conversation with the otherworldly being began to fall back into her head. It mentioned being told she had escaped from the syndicate¡¯s clutches by a loyal servant¡­ Could that pokemon have been that loyal servant? And something about the pokemon¡¯s face felt so familiar to Hope. She felt like she had definitely seen it before¡­


    Hope looked over at Klaw and Dewey, her eyes wide and begging for answers, but they were laser focused on their exams. She then looked over at Taj, but he too was distracted, reading a magazine and sipping some black tea. Was I the only one who saw that pokemon?!, she thought to herself before looking back down at her test. I can¡¯t focus on that now. Running out of time with only sixty percent of the questions answered would be just as bad as getting all those questions I was struggling on wrong.


    She sighed and picked up her pencil once again.


    Thankfully, the rest of the exam went by without much trouble. Math was never Hope¡¯s strong suit, but at least she already had an understanding of how to work out the problems. It seemed that no matter what world she was in, math would always be a constant. And the rest of the science questions were very easy - biology had always been Hope¡¯s favorite subject. Still, she ended up being the last of the group to finish - Klaw and Dewey had turned in their exams a solid ten minutes before her, and they were now staring at her expectantly.


    With a sigh, Hope finished working out the last math problem, circled her answer, hopped out of her chair, and turned the exam into Taj.


    ¡°All finished now, are we?¡± Taj smiled. He reached into his suit pocket with his trunk and pulled out a bright red marker.


    Is he going to grade them right now?! In front of us?! Hope prayed for the deer pokemon to come back and open up a black hole to suck her away right there and then.


    Taj took only ten minutes in total to grade all of the exams, but for Hope, Klaw, and Dewey, it felt like ten hours. A large pool of sweat had formed beneath the two by the five-minute mark, and Hope swore that she saw Dewey¡¯s tail become transparent around the eight-minute mark.


    Finally, Taj turned to the trio, who sucked in their breaths in bated anticipation.


    ¡°My, my, my!¡± Taj chortled. ¡°It seems that we have a truly bright trio on our hands! All of you received eighty percent or higher!¡±


    Hope, Klaw, and Dewey exhaled simultaneously.


    ¡°I do have to give special attention to you, little lady.¡± Taj continued, kneeling down in front of Hope. ¡°You got every single question right on the literature, history, and science portions of the exam! Must have been studying hard, hm?¡± he winked.


    Hope felt her stomach drop into her chest. ¡°Y-yes sir.¡± she said through gritted teeth. She hated lying more than anything else in the world, but if she told him the truth, she and her friends would certainly be disqualified. Besides, it wasn¡¯t like Taj would believe her explanation even if she did tell the truth.


    ¡°Could have studied a little harder on the math section - you only got ten questions right there.¡± Taj winked at Hope teasingly before turning to Klaw and Dewey. ¡°You boys should be proud too.¡± he continued. ¡°You both got a ninety four percent - the highest score I¡¯ve seen on any written exam in eighteen years!¡±


    ¡°Congratulations!¡± Hope squealed, knocking over Klaw and Dewey in joy.


    ¡°T-thanks, Hope.¡± Dewey trilled with delight.


    ¡°You know, if you wanted to, you could have just asked us permission to let us look at our answers.¡± Klaw whispered smugly. ¡°We know you¡¯re unfamiliar with most of the subject material. We would have been more than willing to help.¡±


    Hope looked away guiltily and blushed. ¡°T-thanks, guys.¡± she muttered. The fact that Klaw and Dewey would have been willing to sacrifice their freedom in exchange for helping her both warmed and chilled her heart.


    ¡°Ah, to be young and to have fun with your friends again.¡± Taj chuckled. Hope could have sworn she saw tears forming at the edges of the guildmaster¡¯s eyes. ¡°Now, let¡¯s move on to the second part of the examination, shall we?¡±


    The trio nodded in agreement, and Taj opened the door with his trunk and stepped outside, beckoning for the trio to follow him. Hope, Klaw and Dewey quickly obliged.


    They followed the guildmaster a little further off the outskirts of town to a large arena made out of cobblestone, surrounded by a large chain-link fence, multicolored chalk lines traced neatly to indicate the boundaries of the arena.


    Hope¡¯s stomach dropped when she saw Jet standing in front of the chain-link fence, preening his feathers. As the group approached, Jet looked up at them, and his eyes narrowed.


    ¡°Well, well, well. You actually managed to get past the first part of the exam.¡± Jet sneered.


    ¡°They all passed with flying colors, in fact.¡± Taj corrected. ¡°Klaw and Dewey here got the highest scores we¡¯ve seen since Team Aurum, in fact!¡± Klaw and Dewey puffed out with pride upon hearing the comparison to Team Aurum.


    ¡°W-w-whaaaaaaattttttt?!?!?!?!¡± Jet squawked, his carefully preened feathers puffing out and flying all over the ground. ¡°That¡¯s impossible! Those two surely have to have cheated!¡±


    Hope¡¯s spine stiffened, but Taj simply shook his head. ¡°I watched them with my own eyes, Jet. They all passed fair and square.¡± Hope exhaled in relief.


    ¡°O-o-o-of course, Guildmaster. My apologies.¡± Jet apologized, though there was a clear veneer of insincerity atop his tone. ¡°I am certain that they will not pass my portion of the exam, however.¡± he bragged, before spreading out his wings. ¡°My name is Jet Hawker, and you are now entering the second part of the Ironheart Guild entrance examination¡­ the battle examination!¡±


    Klaw and Dewey immediately relaxed upon hearing this, looking at each other and smirking like they had already passed. Hope definitely wasn¡¯t feeling as confident as she was when she heard about the written examination part, but she wasn¡¯t feeling completely hopeless¡­ at least until another worry popped into her head.


    Didn¡¯t Klaw and Dewey say that I shouldn¡¯t be able to learn most of my moves until I evolve?!, she thought to herself, digging her paws into the dirt. Jet¡¯s not as kind as Taj. He¡¯s definitely going to think that me using those moves is cheating!


    ¡°For this portion of the examination,¡± Jet continued. ¡°I will pair you up with members from our newest trainee team in three one-on-one battles. If you three can defeat all three of our trainees, you pass the battle exam.¡± He then swept his left wing outwards. ¡°Come, Team Legends!¡± he cried.


    The chain keeping the arena closed unlocked with a clink, and it swung open, revealing three pokemon standing behind the door. Hope had no idea how she didn¡¯t notice them sooner.


    The pokemon in the center resembled an owl, with white and dark brown plumage covering most of its body, two reddish-orange leaves curled around its head, and a scarlet bowtie pinned neatly to its chest. Its eyes were closed, and it smiled smugly at her. To the owl pokemon¡¯s left was a quadrupedal mustelid pokemon with dark purple fur, a cream colored underbelly, wispy purple flames erupting from its forehead and rear, and a purple bandana tied around its neck. To the owl pokemon¡¯s right was a bipedal otter pokemon with dark blue fur, red whiskers, a black fur fringe around its waist with two red and black scallops attached to it, and a black scarf wrapped around its neck. They stared at Hope, Klaw, and Dewey with curiosity.


    ¡°These are Douglas, Cinder, and Storm of Team Legends.¡± Jet crowed, gesturing to the owl pokemon, the mustelid pokemon, and the otter pokemon in turn. ¡°They are our newest rescue team, and our strongest, if I do say so myself.¡± A twisted sneer formed on Jet¡¯s beak. ¡°Let¡¯s see how you stack up against them, shall w-?¡±


    ¡°Y-you three are H-hisui morphs.¡± Dewey interrupted, staring at Douglas, Cinder, and Storm in pure shock and awe. Klaw was doing the same thing besides him.


    ¡°Hisui morph?¡± Hope intoned, tilting her head to the side in confusion.


    Jet, Klaw, and Dewey opened their mouths to answer, but Douglas beat them all to the punch. ¡°I¡¯m glad you asked.¡± he crooned, running his feathers through his leaves. ¡°Hisui morphs are reserved for those few species of pokemon who first came to this continent and braved the harsh climates, taming this land into the paradise it is today.¡± He continued to preen at his feathers before continuing. ¡°The deities of space and time themselves granted us the Hisui morphs to signify that we had been blessed by the mountains themselves - Hisui means mountain in the ancient tongue. Over time, the land grew calmer, and the need for Hisui morphs diminished. But every few generations, a pokemon is lucky enough to be blessed with the Hisui morph¡­ and my friends and I are three of those lucky souls.¡±


    Douglas finished by stretching out his wings and pulling Cinder and Storm into an embrace. Cinder looked away and blushed, while Storm grunted indignantly and struggled to escape from the embrace.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what they are! Let¡¯s just get this part of the exam over with!¡± Jet screeched indignantly.


    Douglas released Cinder and Storm, the latter two immediately shaking themselves off. ¡°Sorry, Sensei.¡± Douglas apologized, facing Jet and bowing. ¡°I just cannot help but be proud of my lineage. It is what my father taught me, after all, and as the greatest philanthropist on the continent, his wisdom must be spread.¡±


    Jet slapped his face with his left wing and let out a long, loud sigh. ¡°Let¡¯s just begin now.¡± he groaned, before dropping his wing and scanning the crowd. ¡°For Round One¡­ I think I¡¯ll pit the younger Bloodcrown twin against Storm.¡± he mused.


    Hope stepped aside so Dewey could step forward, the sobble¡¯s normal uneasy look replaced by an expression of sheer determination. Storm stepped forward as well, his face remaining completely emotionless.


    The two pokemon headed into the center of the ring, standing on opposite sides of the yellow chalk barrier.


    ¡°Give me a good fight, Son of Bloodcrown.¡± Storm intoned, sliding his scallops off of his fringe and spinning them in his hands while assuming a fighting position.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ll get a good fight!¡± Dewey explained, flattening his body to the ground and stiffening his tail.


    He¡¯s not stuttering?! He must be really passionate about this, Hope realized.


    ¡°You can do this, bro!¡± Klaw cheered.


    ¡°Teach this ruffian a thing or two, eh, Storm?¡± Douglas crowed.


    ¡°Round One of the Ironheart Guild Battle Examination: Storm Rainpelt of Team Legends versus Dewey Bloodcrown. Three, two, one¡­ begin!¡± Jet boomed.


    Storm looked at Douglas and nodded determinedly. Then he launched himself at Dewey, charging towards him at the speed of light. As Storm ran, water began to surround his body, and he leaped forward like a rocket at Dewey.


    ¡°Going right on the offensive with Aqua Jet, eh?¡± Klaw remarked, sitting down and curling his tail over his paws.


    Hope held her breath, but Dewey simply smirked and rolled out of the way, causing Storm to instead crash into the chain-link fence. He got to his feet and regained his balance, but Dewey immediately took advantage of those few seconds of weakness, firing a Mud Shot directly into Storm¡¯s face.


    The otter pokemon grunted in anger, trying to rub the mud off of his face, but it was too late. Dewey¡¯s body became surrounded in a light green aura, and he leaped at Storm with lightning-fast speed, smacking him in the face with his tail before returning to his starting position just as quickly as he had initiated the attack.


    Storm tried his best to stay upright, swaying back and forth, but he eventually crashed onto the ground, creating a large dust cloud. When the dust cleared, his eyes had become swirls.


    ¡°S-storm R-rainpelt of Team Legends is unable to battle. Dewey Bloodcrown is the winner of Round One.¡± Jet announced, his eyes darting around with fear.


    ¡°Alright! I knew you could do it, bro!¡± Klaw cheered. Dewey bolted out of the arena, and the two brothers exchanged a high-five. Hope ran up to Dewey and pressed her forehead against his in congratulations.


    ¡°Storm! Are you okay?¡± Douglas called out, flapping over to his friend. Cinder glanced over at them, chewing on the edge of her paw anxiously.


    Storm¡¯s eyes slowly returned to normal, and he groaned before slowly forcing himself into an upright position. ¡°I am alright, Master Firwood.¡± he groaned before turning his gaze onto Dewey. ¡°Excellent job, Son of Bloodcrown.¡± he praised, causing Dewey to straighten out his tail in pride.


    ¡°I told you, Storm, don¡¯t call me Master.¡± Douglas admonished, though he was doing an incredibly poor job of hiding the pleased look on his face.


    ¡°Enough dillydallying!¡± Jet screeched.


    Taj covered his mouth with his trunk, stifling back a very obvious laugh.


    Jet glanced at his superior with betrayal before turning back to the group. ¡°For Round Two, the matchup will be the older Bloodcrown twin against Cinder! Take your places, now!¡± he squalled.


    Klaw smirked and swaggered his way onto the center of the field. Cinder gulped and trailed after him, taking her place on the opposite side of the border.


    ¡°Ummm¡­ Just so you know¡­ I¡¯m not the best at battling¡­ So, please, go easy on me, okay?¡± Cinder pleaded, clasping her paws, blushing, and looking away.


    ¡°I can¡¯t promise that. My ¡®going easy¡¯ is still pretty good.¡± Klaw taunted, lowering his body to the ground and wiggling his hindquarters as if preparing to pounce.


    ¡°Y-you can do this, b-bro! I-i know you can!¡± Dewey cheered.


    ¡°Stay calm and relaxed, Cinder. I have faith that you can beat this scoundrel.¡± Douglas asserted, his voice much softer than before.


    ¡°Round Two of the Ironheart Guild Battle Examination: Cinder Sparkwhisker of Team Legends versus Klaw Bloodcrown. Three, two, one¡­ begin!¡± Jet declared.


    Cinder¡¯s head snapped upwards upon hearing Jet¡¯s announcement, and she took a deep breath before curling herself up into a ball and lighting entire body aflame. She then began to spin around in a circle, though oddly, she stayed in place.


    ¡°S-she¡¯s using F-flame W-wheel to p-prevent Klaw from coming c-close to her.¡± Dewey observed. ¡°A-a more d-defensive s-strategy than Storm. T-that¡¯s interesting.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s he going to hit her, then?¡± Hope asked.


    ¡°Just watch and see.¡± Dewey smirked.


    He didn¡¯t stutter again! He must really be confident in his brother.


    Klaw simply stood still, watching Cinder spin around and spray purple embers everywhere, still maintaining his pouncing position. Eventually, Cinder began to tire out, the flames slowly flickering away.


    Klaw immediately took his chance and pounced, springing towards Cinder and striking her with a Double Kick to the chest. Cinder cried out and staggered backwards, but Klaw was onto her, sinking his teeth into her outstretched right arm with a Crunch.


    Cinder cried out in pain as Klaw sprung away from her, but she steadied herself, arching her back and preparing for another Flame Wheel.


    This time, however, Klaw was ready for her. His body became surrounded with the same light green aura that surrounded Dewey before, and he lunged at her, slashing her in the face before returning to his starting position near instantaneously, just like Dewey had before. Cinder immediately crashed onto the ground, and when the dust cleared, her eyes had become swirls.


    ¡°C-cinder S-sparkwhisker of Team L-legends is unable to battle. Klaw Bloodcrown is the winner of Round Two.¡± Jet stammered, looking like he was about to throw up. ¡°Sweet mother of Shaymin, those two are strong!¡± he whispered to himself fearfully.


    ¡°Awesome job, bro!¡± Dewey cheered as Klaw raced towards them, the two then repeating their high-five from the end of the previous round. Once again, Hope ran up to Klaw and pressed her forehead against his in congratulations.


    ¡°C-cinder?! Are you alright?!¡± Douglas squawked, some of his feathers flying off of him as he raced over to Cinder. Storm was hot on his heels, a hint of desperation shining through his usual stoic expression.


    Cinder¡¯s eyes slowly returned to normal, and she slowly stood up, using Douglas¡¯s outstretched wing to help balance herself. ¡°I¡¯m alright, Douglas. Kind of expected this outcome anyways.¡± she muttered dejectedly. Her eyes then scanned the room, and when they landed on Klaw, she perked up. ¡°That was really cool, though! I spent a lot of time working on that technique, so it was awesome to see how you broke through it! H-honestly!¡± she complimented. Klaw purred pridefully in response.


    Jet was now pacing back and forth in front of the arena entrance. ¡°This is bad¡­ This is bad¡­ I can¡¯t let them get into the guild¡­ I can¡¯t!¡± he muttered to himself fearfully. Taj looked over and raised an eyebrow at him, causing the bird pokemon to freeze and quickly begin preening his fluffed-up feathers back into order.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fret, Sensei.¡± Douglas quipped, flapping over to him and plucking a loose feather from his right wing. ¡°There¡¯s still one more matchup left to go, am I correct?¡± he finished, sneering confidently.


    Jet looked down at the owl pokemon and blinked, quickly regaining his cocky composure. ¡°Indeed, my young disciple, you are correct.¡± he trilled, causing Douglas to squawk in surprise and almost fall over. ¡°The matchup for the Final Round of the Ironheart Guild Battle Examination will be¡­ Douglas Firwood IV of Team Legends versus¡­¡± He squinted at Hope. ¡°I apologize, but I seem to have forgotten your name.¡± he sneered crudely.


    ¡°Hope. My name is Hope.¡± Hope reminded Jet firmly.


    Jet blinked in mock regret. ¡°Ah, yes, it was Hope! My apologies.¡± he mocked. ¡°Take your places.¡±


    Hope swallowed and got up to head for the arena, but she was stopped by the gentle touch of cold metal on her shoulder. She looked up to see Taj smiling down at her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about Jet,¡± Taj chuckled, ¡°but I, for one, am very curious to see what you can do in battle. Good luck, young Hope.¡±


    ¡°T-thank you so much, Guildmaster!¡± Hope stammered gratefully.


    ¡°No need to thank me. I just want to make sure that my students know that I see potential in them.¡± Taj proclaimed warmly, a twinkle in his eye. ¡°Now run along, won¡¯t you? I don¡¯t want to give Jet an aneurysm.¡± he joked.


    Hope blushed furiously at the further praise before scurrying off into the arena and taking her place on the right side of the battlefield. Douglas had already taken his place, preening his feathers for what seemed like the millionth time in that hour alone. He looked up at Hope and smirked confidently.


    ¡°Go, Hope, go! Show them what you can do!¡± Klaw and Dewey cheered as loudly as possible.


    ¡°You got this, Douglas!¡± Cinder called out encouragingly.


    ¡°I have nothing but faith in you, Master Firwood.¡± Storm added calmly, crossing his arms.


    ¡°Final Round of the Ironheart Guild Battle Examination: Douglas Firwood IV versus Hope. Three, two, one¡­ BEGIN!¡± Jet cawed loudly.


    Hope immediately charged towards Douglas, leaping towards him and preparing to launch a Tackle. The owl pokemon stood still, watching her get closer and closer to him with a smug smile on his face. Just as Hope sprung into the air and prepared to strike him, Douglas unfurled his right wing, revealing a set of reddish orange leaves intermingled with his feathers. He launched the feathers at Hope without even blinking, striking her straight on the stomach.


    Hope cried out and dropped to the floor. Douglas immediately took his chance, unfurling his left wing and slashing Hope on the cheek with it. She hissed at the sensation. It felt like she had just gotten five paper cuts from five pieces of paper at once.


    ¡°Hope!¡± Klaw and Dewey cried out.


    ¡°That¡¯s it, Douglas! Keep going!¡± Cinder and Storm cheered.


    Hope slowly got to her feet and growled. Douglas was staring at her confidently, polishing his inner wing feathers, no doubt preparing to launch them again. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, used up all your tricks already?¡± he taunted her.


    Hope stood there for a few seconds before smirking. ¡°Actually, I think I¡¯m just getting started.¡± she responded cockily. She really didn¡¯t want to have to do this, but it was her best shot at winning. She started at Douglas and concentrated as hard as she could.


    ¡°What are you doing? Trying to stare me to dea-¡± Douglas was cut off by the purple-pink aura of Confusion surrounding him, lifting him up into the air. Hope continued to keep her gaze on him, trying her hardest to ignore the headache building up inside of her.


    ¡°W-W-W-WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!?!?!?!? THAT¡¯S IMPOSSIBLE!¡± Jet screeched in horror, flapping his wings around like he had just had his head cut off.


    ¡°...Interesting. Very, very interesting indeed.¡± Taj mused, pulling his glasses out of his vest pocket with his trunk and putting them on, squinting at the scene unfolding in front of him.


    ¡°Yeah! That¡¯s it, Hope! He never saw it coming!¡± Klaw and Dewey gushed happily. Cinder and Storm simply stared at Hope and Douglas, their jaws slack with shock.


    Douglas¡¯s body was frozen in midair by the psychic energy, but he had an expression on his face that Hope could only describe as flabbergasted. Hope grinned before releasing her psychic hold, dropping Douglas to the ground with a loud THUD! Then, she fluffed out her and inhaled, sending a Thunder Shock directly towards Douglas, hitting him straight on the wing.


    ¡°WHAT KIND OF GIRATINA-INDUCED SORCERY IS THIS?!¡± Jet shouted. His face was pale, and he looked like he was about to faint. Taj simply stepped forward to get a better look, his eyes brimming with curiosity.


    Douglas moaned and tried to straighten himself up, but Hope was already on the attack, charging towards him with another Tackle. She crashed into him, falling on the ground herself from the impact. Douglas¡¯s body immediately went slack, and his eyes morphed into swirls.


    Jet stared at the scene that had just unfolded, opening and closing his beak repeatedly without making a single sound. Taj looked over at his coworker¡¯s stunned silence, chuckled, and took over. ¡°Douglas Firwood IV of Team Legends is unable to battle.¡± he announced, looking at Hope proudly. ¡°The winner of the Final Round is Hope Aberdeen. Hope, Klaw, Dewey, congratulations. You have all passed the Battle Examination.¡±


    Hope turned towards Klaw and Dewey, but her knees buckled before she could, her head pounding and her entire body feeling scratchy and itchy. Klaw and Dewey bolted towards her, yammering indeterminable words of congratulations.


    ¡°Do you need this, by any chance?¡±


    Hope looked up to see Taj standing over her, extending his trunk out to her, grasping an oran berry gently.


    ¡°Yes¡­ Thank you so much¡­¡± Hope rasped, leaning forward and taking a large bite out of the berry. Her weakness immediately dissipated, and was quickly replaced with the sheer joy of what she had just accomplished. ¡°We did it!¡± she squealed, bouncing up and down like a toddler. Klaw and Dewey quickly joined her.


    Douglas was still lying on the ground, but his eyes had returned to normal, and he was now staring at Hope, his beak agape with wonder and admiration. Cinder and Storm bolted over to him.


    ¡°Master¡­ are you alright?¡± Storm inquired, his voice quivering. Cinder nodded anxiously in agreement.


    ¡°I¡¯m alright¡­¡± Douglas rasped, continuing to stare at Hope like she was a star that had fallen down from the sky itself. ¡°That was¡­ incredible¡­¡± he muttered weakly. Cinder and Storm simply looked at each other exasperatedly before taking one wing each and dragging Douglas away.


    ¡°Good battles, guys!¡± Hope called out cheerfully. Cinder and Storm looked at her, with Storm nodding in agreement and Cinder flashing a thumbs up at her.


    ¡°So¡­ pretty¡­¡± Douglas mumbled quietly, his gaze remaining locked on Hope as he was dragged out of the arena and out of sight.


    Jet had been watching the entire interaction speechlessly, but as soon as Team Legends left, he regained his composure and whirled to face the trio. ¡°Don¡¯t think you¡¯ve won just yet!¡± he spat, his eyes burning with fury. ¡°You¡¯ve still got one more part of the examination, and with your past, you¡¯re certainly not passing it!¡±


    Hope, Klaw, and Dewey stared at each other quizzically.


    ¡°Ah, thank you for reminding me, Jet.¡± Taj chuckled before turning back to the trio. ¡°The third and final part of the Ironheart Guild Entrance Examination is the so-¡±


    ¡°TAJ! TAJ! TAJ!¡±


    The entire group whirled around in confusion to see Hei¡¯an and Shui bolting down the path directly towards them, their faces twisted with anxiety. Shui had a piece of paper tightly clasped in his hands.


    ¡°Hei¡¯an! Shui! What happened?¡± Jet called out, genuine worry on his face as he flapped over to meet them, the other four not too far behind.


    ¡°Jet! Taj! There you are! We¡¯ve been looking all over for you two!¡± Hei¡¯an panted. Then, his gaze landed on the trio. ¡°Hope? Klaw? Dewey? You¡¯re here too! This is perfect!¡± he cried out.


    ¡°Of course they would be here. They were taking their examination.¡± Jet explained.


    ¡°...Hei¡¯an? Shui? What happened?¡± Hope asked fearfully. She had an idea of what was going on, and it was not good.


    ¡°Go on, you two.¡± Taj encouraged.


    Hei¡¯an and Shui¡¯s faces became even more panicky. ¡°I-it¡¯s Bai! He¡¯s been kidnapped!¡± Shui wailed.


    Hope, Klaw, and Dewey looked at each other with shock. They figured Bai was a troublesome child, the kind of child to run away from home once or twice. But kidnapped?!


    ¡°With all due respect, how can you be so sure that he has been kidnapped?¡± Jet asked. ¡°Bai is a brilliant child, and one I greatly look forward to teaching, but he¡¯s also¡­ mischievous, for lack of a better word. How do you know he hasn¡¯t run away?¡±


    The anxiety on Hei¡¯an and Shui¡¯s faces was quickly replaced with anger. ¡°Because we found this on our front lobby desk first thing in the morning.¡± Hei¡¯an snarled. He gestured to Shui, who placed the letter into Taj¡¯s outstretched trunk.


    Taj gently uncrumpled the letter with his trunk and began to read. Jet fluttered down beside him and leaned over to get a better view. Both pokemons¡¯ eyes widened as they read further.


    ¡°What does it say?¡± Hope asked.


    Taj and Jet looked over at Hope with uncertainty. ¡°I think it¡¯s best if you three read the letter for yourselves.¡± Taj murmured, setting the letter in front of her.


    Klaw and Dewey quickly crowded around Hope, and the trio began to read.


    Dear Dojo Masters,


    You might have noticed that your nephew Bai is missing. How do we know this? Because he has been kidnapped by us - the Raiders! We are currently holding him hostage in our evil lair, which is located in the depths of Aipom Puzzle Forest. We will return him to you on one condition - if, and ONLY if, you send the trio of little twerps who beat our asses up in the plaza yesterday to rescue him! You know the ones - the sons of Scorch and Riptide and that pesky little eevee who used moves she shouldn¡¯t be able to learn! We¡¯ve got a score to settle with that cheating little brat, and some words for those boys as well!


    We expect to see them at our lair no more than twenty four hours from now. NO MORE, you hear us? Otherwise, that little brat¡¯s gonna GET IT! So we better be seeing those twerps at our doorstep sooner rather than later!


    Looking forward to doing business with you ;) ;P


    ~Lupo Duskfang and Sal Thunderscream, Co-Leaders Of The Raiders, The Greatest Up-and-Coming Crime Group Of All Time!


    The letter was emblazoned with an image of a half-red half-purple skull and crossbones, crudely drawn in crayon. Hope assumed that was meant to be the Raiders¡¯ logo.


    ¡°The Raiders?!¡± Klaw questioned, his eyebrow arched. ¡°I thought they were just petty criminals!¡± Dewey nodded in agreement besides him.


    ¡°That¡¯s what we thought, too, until they took our Bai from right under our noses!¡± Shui snarled.


    ¡°Petty criminals they may be, but they¡¯ve committed their most dastardly crime yet.¡± Taj mused, turning to the trio expectantly. ¡°And it seems like you¡¯re the only ones who can stop them.¡±


    ¡°G-guildmaster! You can¡¯t send them out! What about the third part of the exam?!¡± Jet squawked.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Taj tapped his trunk to his face in deep thought before turning to Jet. ¡°You mean the fourth part of the exam. This rescue mission is the third part of the exam.¡±


    ¡°ARE YOU SERIOUS?!?!?!?!? THAT¡¯S AGAINST THE GUILDMASTER¡¯S CODE!!!!¡± Jet howled, looking like he was about to keel over from a heart attack at any moment.


    ¡°The Guildmaster¡¯s Code only states that a Guildmaster cannot remove sections from an entrance examination. There is nothing about adding sections to an exam.¡± Taj reminded Jet coyly.


    ¡°B-b-b-b-bu-bu-bu-¡± Jet spluttered.


    ¡°No but¡¯s or if¡¯s, Jet.¡± Taj scolded gently. Jet promptly exploded into a coughing fit.


    Hei¡¯an and Shui looked up at Hope, Klaw, and Dewey hopefully. ¡°So you¡¯ll do it?¡± Shui asked.


    ¡°You saved our pelts once before. I¡¯m certain you can save Bai¡¯s.¡± Hei¡¯an chuckled.


    Hope stepped forward and smiled confidently. ¡°Of course we can!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°Let¡¯s head over to Aipom Puzzle Forest, pronto!¡±

 Chapter Thirteen: Aipom Puzzle Forest

    ¡°Ugh! This sucks! When are we gonna get to the crime part?!¡± Bai complained loudly. He turned to face his friends, a scowl on his face. ¡°Medusa, Odin, can we do a crime right now? Pleaaaaaaaaaaaaaase?¡± he begged.


    Medusa and Odin looked at each other, then back at Bai. ¡°Wow. You really are a feisty one, aren¡¯t you?¡± Odin purred in amusement.


    ¡°You officially moved in here¡­ what, four hours ago?¡± Medusa looked up at the old, dusty clock, which was dangling for dear life off of the wall behind Bai, and turned back to the kubfu. ¡°You¡¯ve gotta be patient, kiddo.¡± she trilled playfully.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t wanna wait! I wanna do crimes right now!!!¡± Bai whined, jumping up on the old, ratty couch. He looked at Medusa and Odin with the widest, teariest eyes he could muster and pouted so hard the skin on his lip almost split.


    When Lupo and Sal had invited Bai to join the Raiders, he expected it to be a nonstop rollercoaster of fun. That was the only reason he accepted their offer in the first place.


    It wasn¡¯t just because he was lonely and had no friends at school and his uncles were so overbearing and he missed his mommy and daddy and uncle and auntie so much and he just wanted someone to be friends with him, even if those someones were the misfit wannabe criminals that his uncles were always warning him to stay away from! No! Absolutely not! Not in the slightest!


    No, it was because this was what he was born for. Daddy and Uncle Kashu and Auntie Mingo were heroes, yes, They were well respected, loved by the whole town, idolized even. They were kind and loyal and caring, and some of the best people Bai ever knew.


    And what did it get them?


    It got them all killed. It got his mommy killed. It got his old friends and teachers killed. It got his old hometown wiped off of the map. And it got him stuck in this stupid town with his stupid uncles who never let him do anything fun anymore.


    Daddy and Uncle Kashu and Auntie Mingo were good and noble and brave, yes. But they were also weak. They wouldn¡¯t have been killed if they weren¡¯t weak.


    Villains weren¡¯t weak. They were strong. They always won. Bai was going to become a Raider and bring the group to greatness so that he could become strong. So he wouldn¡¯t succumb to the same fate his parents and his uncle and his auntie had succumbed to.


    Before he even realized it was happening, images began to flash in his head. Images he tried so hard to forget but couldn¡¯t, images that were permanently ingrained into his brain.


    The sky tearing open, hundreds of strange purple creatures, pokemon-like but also not pokemon at all, descending upon his peaceful village


    That purple, beedrill-like thing, the leader of the creatures, looming over him, its smile twisted and literally dripping with venom¡­


    Mommy lying on the ground in front of him, the stab wound right on top of her heart bubbling with a sticky purple fluid, stroking his cheek weakly with her hand before it slid down, never to caress him again¡­


    Daddy charging forward to attack the purple thing, only for the thing to cackle and dive down to meet him, impaling him right through the eye and into the brain with its stinger¡­


    Daddy looking towards him, his face twisted with terror for the first and only time in his life, and choking out the word ¡°Run¡± before the purple thing ejected its stinger and he crumpled to the floor, dead¡­


    Only getting a few feet away before the purple thing turned towards a stunned Uncle Kashu and Auntie Mingo, cackling and spitting out more of the sticky purple liquid into their faces, dissolving fur, feathers, and skin covering it, causing the muscles and bones of their faces to melt together¡­


    Still being able to hear their screams as the poison took its toll, regardless of how far he ran¡­


    ¡°Er¡­ Bai? Bai? Bai! Earth to Bai?! You good there, buddy? Hey, what are you doi- Ow! Fuck!¡±


    Bai¡¯s vision slowly unblurred, though his head was still pounding, and his nose felt like it was stuffed with an entire bottle of whipped cream. His fists were also sore, and as his vision cleared up, the reason for that also cleared up. Medusa and Odin were standing in front of him, grinning awkwardly while massaging huge, swollen bumps on the tops of their heads.


    Bai wasn¡¯t stupid. He knew he hit them. But he was already feeling crappy enough as it was. He didn¡¯t want to acknowledge it. He would just end up feeling worse. He looked at the ground, tears once again clouding his vision. A hiccup escaped from his throat, and his head started to spin.


    ¡°Fuck! It¡¯s okay, Bai, we know you didn¡¯t mean to hit us¡­ there, there¡­¡± Odin reached out to pat Bai reassuringly on the head, but the kubfu simply shoved him away, more and more tears gushing out of his eyes.


    Odin stepped back, looking at Medusa helplessly.


    Medusa sighed and rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll get the juice boxes.¡± she grumbled, slinking out of the room and closing the door behind her as gently as she could.


    Juice boxes! Bai immediately began to feel better, lifting his head up and wiping away the tears in one long motion. The downside to this was that he hated how the fur on his arm felt after wiping away tears, the sticky sogginess of the tears clinging to his fur. There weren¡¯t any paper towels or tissue boxes in the room, but Mommy always told him that it was rude to wipe his hands on furniture, so all he could do was just sit there uncomfortably.


    Grunting echoed from the other room. Eventually, the door opened again, and Medusa poked her face back into the room. ¡°Odie!¡± she panted. ¡°Can you help me move the juice box container?¡±


    ¡°How many times have I told you to not call me Odie?¡± Odin hissed, his metallic fur fluffed up.


    Medusa rolled her eyes. ¡°Can you please help me move the juice box container?¡± she repeated.


    A sinister grin formed on Odin¡¯s face. ¡°That¡¯s better, Dusie-Loosie.¡± he crooned mischievously.


    The door swung wide open, and Medusa darted forward, her eyes alight with indignation. ¡°STOP CALLING ME DUSIE-LOOSIE!!!¡± she screeched furiously.


    ¡°Only if you stop calling me Odie.¡± Odin cackled, stepping forward to meet the salandit.


    ¡°ODIE¡¯S A CUTE NICKNAME!!!!¡± Medusa hissed. ¡°DUSIE-LOOSIE JUST SOUNDS SO STUPID AND CHILDISH!!!¡± She thumped her tail on the floor, snorted out a small puff of smoke, and sighed. ¡°Ugh, can you just come and help me get this done already?!¡±


    ¡°Alriiiiiiiiight.¡± Odin drawled cheekily, his grin so wide Bai thought it might fall off of his face. ¡°I¡¯ll come, I¡¯ll come.¡±


    Medusa sighed and began grumbling under her breath. Odin let out a loud and hearty laugh. The salandit and the steel meowth headed out of the room, mumbling and chuckling all the way there until the door closed behind them both.


    The exchange was amusing, but it also stoked feelings of sadness and jealousy within Bai. He had always wanted a bunch of younger brothers and sisters, but his Mommy and Daddy couldn¡¯t have any more biological kids - something about Daddy¡¯s species not being able to breed normally and it being a miracle Bai was born as healthy as he was - but they had begun discussing adopting a couple of children from a local orphanage near his grandpop¡¯s birthplace.


    Bai had been so excited¡­ but then that thing had attacked¡­ and then¡­ and then¡­


    Stop it!, Bai thought to himself. He grabbed the ends of his white hair tufts and pulled on them as hard as he could, trying his best to keep the thoughts at bay. However, he only succeeded in making his head hurt even more. The wetness of his own tears soaking into his arm didn¡¯t help matters much either.


    Bai looked towards the door, checking to make sure Medusa and Odin couldn¡¯t see them, before wiping his arm on the arm of the couch. It left a very visible trail of wetness behind, but hopefully they didn¡¯t mind - that couch was so old and ratty anyways!


    His eyes trailed over to the small tableside desk to the right of the couch, where a small lamp and an even smaller photo frame sat. The lamp was nothing special - it was covered in dust and the lightbulb was covered in tiny cracks - but the photograph caught his eye.


    It showed eight pokemon. On the left side, a floatzel with one missing tail and a pangoro with a misaligned jaw lounged on a couch very similar to the one Bai was sitting on currently, disinterestedly watching a rockruff and a toxel wrestle at the foot of the couch. On the right side, a tiny salandit and steel meowth, both wearing diapers, looked at the rockruff and toxel with expressions of pure childlike delight. A sceptile with shriveled seeds and a scar across his left eye and a cinderace with yellow-tinted fur and a twisted right foot sat in chairs directly behind the infants, holding bottles of what Bai assumed to be alcohol (He was a big kid! He knew what the stuff looked like!), looking at each other with sour expressions.


    Bai tilted the photo towards him, trying to drink in as much of it as he could. He assumed that these other pokemon were family members of the Raiders, and boy, did he crave that family. He craved the large happy family he had before, with a mommy and a daddy and three uncles and one auntie. All he had now were two uncles who buried themselves in their work to forget what they once had.


    Sure, the floatzel and the pangoro didn¡¯t look very happy, and the sceptile and the cinderace looked even more unhappy. But that was just one picture! It couldn¡¯t have been like that all the time, right?


    ¡°Bai? You doin¡¯ alright in there, kiddo?¡±


    At the sound of Odin¡¯s voice, Bai immediately straightened up and put the photo back into place as neatly as he could. The Raiders were his best and only friends in the whole wide world, so he didn¡¯t want to accidentally break something they treasured.


    ¡°I¡¯m alright!¡± Bai called back.


    ¡°Great!¡± Medusa responded. ¡°Just give us one more second, buddy.¡±


    Grunting began to echo from the other room, slowly growing louder and louder, until finally the door swung open, and Medusa and Odin pulled in the largest container of juice boxes Bai had ever seen, huffing and puffing as they dragged it to the center of the room.


    Bai could hardly contain his excitement. He jumped off the couch and made a beeline for the juice box container, his hands outstretched eagerly.


    Then, a painfully familiar voice began to echo in his head.


    ¡°Bai! What did I tell you about taking food and drink from other people? Always wait to be served!¡±


    His mom¡¯s voice sounded the same as it did on the day she was killed.


    Bai immediately screeched to a halt, biting his lip so hard he could start to taste blood on the inside. Medusa and Odin looked up at him, then at each other, with confusion and worry clouding their eyes. They tugged at the edges of the cardboard container, letting it open with a satisfying riiiiiip before turning back to Bai.


    ¡°Soooooo¡­ What flavor of juice would you like, kid?¡± Odin asked sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got oran, lum, rawst, grepa, pinap, cheri, pecha, and blue razz.¡± Medusa added, her tail flicking back and forth.


    Bai¡¯s sadness dissipated almost instantaneously. ¡°Blue razz?????¡± he squealed with delight. Blue razz was his favorite flavor of juice, and he hadn¡¯t had it in so long!


    Medusa and Odin looked at each other and chuckled. Odin reached into the juice box container and pulled out a deep blue juice box, throwing it to Bai. Bai was so excited that the juice box almost fell through his hands, but thankfully, he was able to grasp it in his claws, almost puncturing it with how hard he held onto it. He pulled the straw off and stabbed it into the silver hole on top of the juice box before taking the largest gulp he possibly could.


    ¡°Hey, Bai! Slow down! I don¡¯t want you to-¡± Odin started.


    A slow burning sensation began to build up within Bai¡¯s nose, growing stronger and stronger, almost like the little droplets of acid that he had inhaled while escaping from that thing, causing him to lurch over in pain.


    ¡°...get the juice up your nose.¡± Medusa finished with an exasperated sigh, her and Odin looking at each other with a similarly exasperated expression.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m fine!¡± Bai protested. He pinched his nose shut and mentally counted to ten, a trick his Daddy had taught him. The burning feeling slowly went away, and soon, Bai felt like he could breathe again. He took a slower sip of the blue razz juice and found it to be just as delicious as he remembered. ¡°Anyways, when are we going to get to the crime part?¡± he asked cheerfully. ¡°I like it in this secret treehouse, but I¡¯m bored! I wanna go and break things and spray paint swear words on the side of Voodumb Apothecary or whatever it¡¯s called!¡±


    Medusa and Odin looked at each other and chuckled. They each reached into the juice box container and pulled out a box of juice - Medusa pulled out a pinap juice box, while Odin pulled out a grepa juice box. They then both hopped on the couch, Medusa on the left and Odin on the right, and tapped the seat in the middle, gesturing for Bai to join them. The kubfu quickly obliged, jumping onto the couch and sipping his juice box as happily as a clamperl.


    For the first time since Bai lost his family, he felt¡­ at peace. He wasn¡¯t surrounded by people who weren¡¯t bossing him around and expecting him to suck it up and forget everything that happened to him. Instead, he was with people who just wanted to kick back and relax, who just wanted to have fun, and who appreciated Bai enough to want to invite him to join in the fun.


    Bai didn¡¯t understand why Uncle Hei¡¯an, Uncle Shui, and everyone else in Honor Town seemed to despise the Raiders so much. They were the nicest people he had met since moving to this stuck-up town.


    ¡°Um¡­ Bai? Did you hear us?¡±


    Bai was snapped back to reality by a light tap on his shoulder, and he looked up to see Odin looking at him quizzically.


    ¡°Sorry, sorry!¡± Bai yelped. ¡°I was just doin¡¯ some thinking!¡±


    Bai felt the softer sensation of a tail resting gently on his other shoulder, and he turned his head to see Medusa smiling at him. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Bai.¡± she said gently.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s on us, kiddo.¡± Odin chuckled sheepishly. ¡°Anyways, we do things a little differently here in the Raiders. We don¡¯t do crime on a schedule or plan anything out. We strike whenever we want, wherever we want.¡± His expression turned into a devious grin, and he unsheathed his claws. ¡°Unlimited chaos, baby! That¡¯s our motto!¡± he purred.


    Medusa cackled loudly at this before turning to Bai. ¡°What Odie said.¡± she smirked, causing the steel meowth to make a noise not too far off from coughing up a hairball. ¡°But also, we¡¯ve gotta wait for Lupo and Sal to come back. They¡¯re the leaders, after all, so they¡¯re the ones who decide what we do.¡±


    Medusa and Odin both took big sips from their juice boxes.


    ¡°Oh, right!¡± Bai perked up. ¡°They¡¯re on a date, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    Medusa and Odin proceeded to spit out their juice all over the couch.


    Bai immediately sprung to his feet, dropping his juice box in the process, and began to rub the backs of the choking Medusa and Odin, a trick that his Auntie Mingo had taught him. A few minutes passed before the hacking and coughing finally slowed down, and Medusa and Odin were able to lift their heads up and turn to look at Bai. ¡°Wha- no- did you- are you seri-¡± they spluttered simultaneously.


    Bai began to grow anxious. Did he do something wrong? He was just stating something he thought was obvious!


    ¡°Did I do something wrong? I just thought it was obvious!¡± he said, pulling on his head tuft to relieve the panic. Unfortunately, this only sent poor Medusa and Odin into yet another coughing fit, and the panic set in all over again.


    I really hope I didn¡¯t do anything wrong! Bai thought to himself as he resumed rubbing Medusa and Odin¡¯s backs. These are the first friends I¡¯ve made in two years! I can¡¯t lose them!


    Medusa and Odin once again slowly recovered from the coughing fit, inhaling and exhaling deeply as they regained their bearings.


    ¡°Are you guys okay?¡± Bai asked, his eyes as round as a rowlet.


    Medusa and Odin looked at each other awkwardly, their breaths returning to a normal pace. As soon as they had recovered, they looked over at Bai awkwardly, then back at each other.


    Bai began to shake. I¡¯ve definitely messed everything up¡­ ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± he whimpered repeatedly, pulling his hair tufts like the cord on a windup toy.


    ¡°Bai.¡±


    Bai felt light pressure on each shoulder, immediately dragging him back down to reality. He looked up to see that Medusa and Odin had jumped off the couch and had placed their hands on his shoulders - Medusa on his left, Odin on his right - to help calm him down.


    ¡°You need to stop doing that, kiddo.¡± Medusa sighed. ¡°You did nothing wrong. It¡¯s just¡­¡± She flicked her tail back and forth hesitantly.


    ¡°You see, the four of us have been friends for like, forever.¡± Odin chuckled. ¡°You see, our¡­¡± He trailed off, his eyes narrowing into slits and his claws sliding in and out of their sheaths.


    Medusa¡¯s tail was flicking even faster now, and Bai swore he saw sparks flicking off of the reddish-orange pattern on her back. ¡°...You see that photo over there, Bai?¡± she finally said after what felt like an eternity.


    Bai followed Medusa and Odin¡¯s gazes over to the same photo he had been looking at earlier. ¡°Yup!¡± he squeaked, unable to hold in his excitement. I¡¯m finally going to know what¡¯s up with that picture!


    But then he looked back at Medusa and Odin¡¯s faces, which were now twisted with fury. Bai¡¯s smile drooped - he had made a huge mistake, hadn¡¯t he? He didn¡¯t want Medusa and Odin to think that he was excited about something that they clearly had bad memories of - that would be insulting!


    But thankfully, they didn¡¯t say anything else.


    ¡°Well, you see, Bai, those are our dads.¡± Medusa sighed. ¡°Lupo, Sal, and us, we¡¯ve known each other since we were in diapers, because our dads were all best friends.¡± She started pointing at each pokemon in the photo with her tail. ¡°The floatzel is Lupo¡¯s dad Cyrus, the pangoro is Sal¡¯s dad Lysander¡­¡± Medusa jabbed her tail at the sceptile, her eyes and the pattern on her back suddenly blazing with fury. ¡°The sceptile is my bastard father, Basil¡­¡±


    ¡°And the cinderace is my scumbag father, Maverick.¡± Odin finished with a hiss, swiping at the cinderace with unsheathed claws. His eyes had narrowed so much the slits were barely visible, and his expression was as cold as steel.


    The pit in Bai¡¯s stomach grew even deeper. He was definitely bringing up bad memories for both Medusa and Odin, and he definitely did not want to do that. He opened his mouth to say so, but he was cut off by Odin.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Bai.¡± Odin said softly. ¡°You¡¯re the first person we¡¯ve told the story of our dads to, actually. Feels good to get it off of our chests.¡± He looked away, blushing with embarrassment.


    Bai¡¯s face immediately turned razz berry red with gratitude.


    ¡°A-anyways,¡± Medusa continued, also blushing with embarrassment, ¡°Our dads knew each other since they were little, so when Lupo and Sal¡¯s moms were killed by ferals, and our shitbag sires got divorced and saddled with us, they all ended up moving into this treehouse and raising us together. We became best friends ourselves really quickly, but our dads¡­¡± Medusa looked at Odin uneasily. ¡°Odie, how¡­ in-depth are we allowed to get here?¡±


    Odin didn¡¯t even object to the use of Medusa¡¯s silly nickname, so Bai knew they were being really serious now. He looked back at Bai, scanning him carefully. ¡°The kid¡¯s definitely seen some stuff, Medusa.¡± he responded. ¡°I think we can be a bit more open with him.¡±


    They weren¡¯t wrong. Bai had definitely seen some stuff in his eight short years of life.


    ¡°Our dads¡­ were all complete and total douches.¡± Odin hissed, his claws having been unsheathed so far they looked like they would pop off of his fingers. ¡°They were all nasty, neglectful, alcoholic, abusive pieces of shit, but Basil and Maverick were especially nasty, neglectful, alcoholic, abusive pieces of shit.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Cyrus and Uncle Lysander¡­¡± Medusa¡¯s eyes narrowed, and her tail twitched. ¡°...They were more alcoholic and neglectful than straight up abusive, but they definitely weren¡¯t the best of parents. And they¡­ weren¡¯t exactly the fondest of what they considered¡­ untraditional.¡±


    ¡°Untraditional?¡± Bai¡¯s eyebrows narrowed in confusion for a few seconds, before widening in realization. ¡°Like¡­ having pie at a wedding instead of cake? That¡¯s no fun! All of the best weddings have pies instead of cakes!¡±


    Medusa and Odin blinked in shock before looking at each other, both of them clearly trying to hold back laughter. ¡°Not quite.¡± Odin chuckled. For just a moment, he and Medusa looked a bit more relaxed, but their expressions became uncharacteristically serious once more just a few seconds later. ¡°But you are remarkably close with it being wedding related.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say¡­ they weren¡¯t the biggest fans of¡­ changes in who could get married.¡± Medusa mumbled.


    Bai sat there for a few seconds, sipping his juice as he racked his brain, trying to figure out what Odin could be referring to. The commune where he has grown up in was filled with rarer Pokemon with a closer connection to their gods, so attending ceremonies of all sorts was as much a part of his daily routine as school was. This included a fair share of weddings of all kinds - marriages between normal pokemon, marriages between normal pokemon and rarer pokemon like him, marriages between pokemon of the same gend-


    ¡°Ohhhhhhhhhhhh.¡± Bai exhaled, looking down at his feet in embarrassment.


    Odin let out a sound that sounded like a mix between coughing up a hairball and laughing.


    ¡°You really are one smart kid, Bai.¡± Medusa chortled. She was biting her lips, clearly trying to suppress a massive laugh as well.


    Bai continued to look down at his feet. He was aware that he hadn¡¯t done anything wrong, but he still felt so stupid.


    ¡°So¡­ yeah.¡± Medusa trailed off. ¡°I think you can probably guess where this is going now. Lupo and Sal started developing crushes on each other when they were around¡­ I wanna say eleven or twelve?¡± She scrunched up her face in thought. ¡°Maybe thirteen?¡±


    ¡°Twel- I mean, thirteen.¡± Odin confirmed beside her, putting his hands behind his head and grinning playfully. ¡°Trust me, I¡¯ve been keeping track.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, deeeeeeefinitely thirteen.¡± Medusa confirmed with an air of superiority, shooting Odin a smug grin that caused the steel meowth¡¯s fur to briefly bristle. Unfazed, Medusa continued to talk. ¡°So yeah, Lupo and Sal obviously liked each other, but they were too afraid of Cyrus and Lysander to confess to each other. It just kept going and going, and the more time passed, the more they just¡­ bottled their feelings up.¡±


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Bai narrowed his eyebrows, wanting to ask something but knowing full well that his question would be a stupid one. Medusa and Odin, however, caught onto the conflicted expression in his eyes almost immediately, though.


    ¡°Basil and Maverick were shitty in every possible way. But the worst thing about them is that if they didn¡¯t like you, they held grudges. And though they hated us, they absolutely despised Lupo and Sal.¡± Medusa hissed, flames flickering off of the edge of her teeth.


    ¡°Something to do with them ¡®distracting¡¯ Cyrus and Lysander.¡± Odin scoffed. ¡°Which is complete and utter Miltank-shit, because they all were equally disinterested in our well beings¡­ but Basil and Maverick used that excuse at any possible opportunity to¡­¡± He looked around nervously and swallowed. ¡°...shout at and even try to attack Lupo and Sal.¡± He growled out the last part. ¡°So Lupo and Sal trying to open up to them would have been like sticking their hands right into a steel stunfisk¡¯s mouth.¡±


    ¡°Eventually, they all drunk themselves to death, leaving us with this treehouse.¡± Medusa murmured. ¡°By that time, though, Lupo and Sal had convinced themselves that their feelings weren¡¯t reciprocated, that the other had become just as prejudiced as Cyrus and Lysander, and that the friendship would be ruined if they tried to confess. So they¡¯ve¡­ just continued to stew in their feelings.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s our story, we guess.¡± Odin finished with a somber look.


    Bai felt a white-hot rage bubbling inside him. It was a feeling he had become quite familiar with in the years following the deaths of his family. But this time, the rage was directed at pokemon he would never know, pokemon who had hurt his friends so deeply, pokemon who had left wounds that still hadn¡¯t healed, pokemon who would never face consequences for what they had done to his best friends.


    He opened his mouth to say something, but before he could do so, the familiar WHOOSH of the door swinging open echoed behind him.


    Bai whirled around to see none other than Lupo and Sal strut through the door like they owned the place, grins bigger than a Wailord plastered on their faces, a massive grocery bag in each hand¡­ and casually holding hands.


    Medusa and Odin looked like they wanted to jump headfirst into the deepest ocean possible.


    ¡°Hey, wee mate! Wot¡¯s up!¡± Sal chortled. ¡°Got all o¡¯ yor things unpacked?¡±


    ¡°Are yuh adjustin¡¯ fine?¡± Lupo asked. ¡°How do yuh like de treehouse?¡±


    For a brief moment, they squeezed each other¡¯s hands even harder, and Bai even swore that he saw their cheeks rub up against each other. It kind of reminded Bai of how his Mommy and Daddy would act during family gatherings.


    But just as quickly, their cheeks turned a bright red, and they let go of each other¡¯s hands.


    A small pit began to form in Bai¡¯s stomach - a pit of sadness and longing for his friends to be happy.


    ¡°A-anyways,¡± Sal stammered,¡±We¡¯re back wiv the snacks!¡±


    ¡°We couldn¡¯t find de exact ones yuh wanted, little buddy, but we tink we got close enough.¡± Lupo muttered, his eyes darting back and forth.


    Bai badly wanted to say something, but his thoughts mostly dissipated when Lupo and Sal emptying out the contents of the grocery bags, a wave of snacks flooding the floor.


    ¡°Hopefully dese are good enough.¡± Lupo sheepishly rubbed the back of his mane. ¡°Again, we couldn¡¯t find de exact ones yuh wanted, but we tried tuh find things wit¡¯ similar flavors.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s wot Teddy had in stock.¡± Sal rubbed his hands together. ¡°He ¡®elped us pick the snacks out - he likes a lot o¡¯ the same foods yer do.¡±


    Bai started to rummage through the pile of snacks, quickly fishing up the substitute snacks Lupo and Sal were referring to - dried barboach jerky, cookies glazed with beedrill honey, and flapple juice gummies. He hadn¡¯t tried any of this stuff before, but fish, honey, and apples were still some of his favorite foods, and he was tickled pink that Lupo and Sal remembered that. Not to mention the other goodies he saw lying in the pile - curry-cheese bread, chocolate-caramel-cookie bars, fruit gelatin cups, even a box of onigiri! So many of his favorite foods!


    ¡°These are perfect. Thank you so, so, so much, Lupo and Sal!¡± Bai squealed, scooping up all of his favorites into his arms.


    Lupo and Sal both blinked in shock, and their cheeks turned a bright red. ¡°I-it¡¯s no big deal, little buddy.¡± they both muttered in unison.


    Medusa and Odin both rolled their eyes and snorted before heading over to the pile and swiping some snacks of their own, both types of jerky - Medusa took a bug jerky with nymble, grubbin, and yanma, while Odin took another fish jerky, this one made with clauncher, remoraid, and carvanha.


    Bai jumped back up onto the couch and ripped open one of the chocolate bars. He bit into it, savoring the combined flavors of rich chocolate, sticky sweet caramel, and crispy vanilla flavored cookies. He closed his eyes for a brief second, but was quickly snapped out of his candy-induced bliss by Medusa¡¯s voice.


    ¡°So, Lupo, Sal, what¡¯s the plan for today?¡± the salandit asked, leaning in with interest sparkling in her eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s gotta be a special one, after all. It¡¯s Bai¡¯s first outing with us!¡± Odin interjected gleefully, also leaning in with interest.


    Bai flung his chocolate bar aside with so much force it hit the wall with a loud THUD! He scurried up to the group and tried to lean in with the same amount of coolness as Medusa and Odin. Instead, however, he just ended up tripping over his own legs, only staying on his own feet thanks to his training.


    All of the Raiders immediately tried to hold back loud laughs. Bai normally would have been insulted, but he couldn¡¯t help but giggle along. The Raiders just had that effect on him - no matter what, they would somehow find a way to cheer him up.


    After a little bit, Lupo was able to stave away the giggling fit long enough to form actual words. ¡°Anyways, little buddy,¡± he exhaled. ¡°Yuh gotta be a bit more patient for dis one. We¡¯re lettin¡¯ de chaos come tuh us today!¡±


    Bai tilted his head in confusion, opening his mouth to ask what Lupo meant by that, but Sal beat him to the punch.


    ¡°Today, we¡¯re gonna ¡®ave ourselves some sweet revenge.¡± he hissed with glee. ¡°The Bloodcrown boys and their cheating eevee friend¡­ They embarrased us yesterday, and we¡¯re not gonna ¡®ave that lyin¡¯ down!¡±


    Bai felt his ears burn with anger, and his fingers curled in so tightly he almost broke the bones in his hands. The memory of the eevee, litten, and sobble standing in the dojo waiting room, chatting cheerily with his uncles without a care in the world - like they weren¡¯t obviously replacing him - still stung. It stung even worse than the poison of that naganadel.


    ¡°Okay.¡± he muttered, his voice suddenly cold. ¡°Let¡¯s hear this plan, then.¡±


    The Raiders blinked with shock at the sudden change in Bai¡¯s tone, but they quickly recovered, devious smiles forming on their faces.


    ¡°Awright, wee buddy.¡± Sal grinned. ¡°I knew yer was up for this!¡±


    ¡°So de plan¡¯s gonna go like dis¡­¡± Lupo muttered sinisterly.


    MEANWHILE¡­


    Hope looked down at her front paws and grimaced, leaning down once more to pick the bits of moss and mud out of her fur. She normally wasn¡¯t one to continually stop and fix herself up, but she just couldn¡¯t help it this time. The wet moss and mud just felt so¡­ bleurgh! And the way that it stained her fur an unsightly dark brown and dark green! And the smell¡­ oh, God, the smell¡­


    What the hell is wrong with you, Hope? she silently scolded herself before shaking out her fur and straightening herself up. You¡¯re on a mission to rescue an innocent child! Why in the world are you worrying about your appearance?


    Still, Hope couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something wasn¡¯t quite right with this whole situation. Everything she had heard and seen about the Raiders thus far painted them as nothing more than petty troublemakers at best and completely, utterly incompetent at worst. She couldn¡¯t quite wrap her head around the idea of them actually being able to carry out a kidnapping.


    And she still couldn¡¯t get the way Bai had glowered at her, Klaw, and Dewey out of her head. Even though he was young, his eyes had been filled with so much pain and rage. He clearly wasn¡¯t the most well adjusted of children, and Hope definitely felt like his penchant for trouble extended far beyond making messes in his uncles¡¯ dojo.


    Speaking of Bai¡¯s uncles, Hei¡¯an and Shui were walking ahead of her, not even turning their heads to ask why she was constantly stopping. They had insisted on coming along, but not because they believed that Hope, Klaw, and Dewey weren¡¯t capable of handling the situation. Quite the opposite, in fact - they were the first adults in Honor Town to see how capable the trio was firsthand. They simply had been overcome with worry for their nephew.


    Hei¡¯an and Shui¡¯s demeanor currently was the exact opposite from how it was when Hope had met the urshifu brothers in Power Pass, and it honestly scared her a little. There, they were fighting for their lives against a hundred-feet tall scolipede who had been possessed by mysterious red crystals, and they still somehow found the time to crack jokes and offer support. Now, however, their faces were devoid of any real emotion - only pure focus and determination. Their backs were completely straightened, and they walked in complete unison, never falling out of step with one another.


    Though it was a little unnerving, Hei¡¯an and Shui¡¯s demeanor made Hope realize that they truly did love their nephew. They would go to the ends of the earth and do anything to save him, whether it be from a pokemon possessed by supernatural forces or four of the most incompetent criminals Hope had met in her life.


    It almost brought a tear to her eye. She couldn¡¯t quite explain the feeling, but she was sure that she had people in her human life that she would fight anything and anyone to keep safe, just like Hei¡¯an and Shui were willing to do for Bai. It both warmed her heart and crushed her soul.


    Klaw and Dewey, meanwhile, were sticking close to Hei¡¯an and Shui - Klaw to Hei¡¯an¡¯s left and Dewey to Shui¡¯s right. They had done the majority of feral fighting within the dungeon thus far - something that the Raiders had forgotten to mention in their letter was that Aipom Puzzle Forest was, in fact, a mystery dungeon. Hope had to give them credit for setting up their base in a forest swarming with ferals and somehow still being alive.


    To be fair, the feral pokemon in the forest were pretty weak. The ¡°Aipom¡± in the forest¡¯s name was a bit of a misnomer, as Hope had not seen a single aipom throughout the entire forest. The denizens of the forest mainly seemed to be weak normal, flying, and bug types. Klaw and Dewey had been giving her a crash course in the names of the various species as they had traversed the dungeon - the purple rats were called rattata, the round eyed, adorable looking ladybugs were called ledyba, the pretty plain looking pigeons were called pidove, and so on and so forth. Hope had even caught a few glimpses of spinarak - the first ever pokemon she had fought when she had arrived in the world of pokemon. It kind of made her a little bit nostalgic.


    Upon further reflection, she realized that Klaw and Dewey taking so much time to tell her the names of such common pokemon might raise some strong suspicions within Hei¡¯an and Shui. But if they did have such suspicions, they didn¡¯t voice them at all. They seemed to be too focused on their mission right now.


    The forest was starting to open up a bit more, with the trees becoming less densely packed together, letting more of the wind blow through and letting rays of sunlight shine through the leafy canopy. Hope couldn¡¯t help wondering just how further they would have to go until they found the Raiders¡¯ headquarters. Lupo and Sal had said they were ¡°hiding him in their evil lair¡±, and from Hope¡¯s very fuzzy memories of human media, she knew that evil lairs tended to be very over the top. And though the Raiders weren¡¯t at all confident, one thing they were was flashy. Hope had honestly expected to see the Raiders¡¯ headquarters from ten miles away.


    A rustling sound in the bushes behind Hope snapped her out of her thoughts. She turned around nonchalantly, expecting another ledyba or pidove to pop out for her to easily take care of. Instead, she was greeted by a light brown and dark blue blur shooting out of a bush behind her, slamming into her and knocking her into the ground.


    Her head spun briefly, but as her vision cleared, she could make out the features of her attacker - a scruffy looking, light brown dog pokemon with cream colored fur on its face that resembled a mustache and dark blue fur covering its back. The feral bared its teeth at her and snapped, flecks of drool coming off its tongue and landing on her face.


    Hope grimaced and fluffed up her fur, launching a Thunder Shock at the dog pokemon. The dog yelped at the shock, lifting its front paws off of her. The momentary respite gave her the opportunity she needed to jump back to her feet and glare at the dog with intense concentration, lifting it up into the air with a Confusion. The dog landed to the ground with a loud thud, but it only kept it down for a few seconds, as it too quickly jumped back to its feet, shaking the dust off its fur and snarling at Hope viciously. Hope shook herself off and glowered back at the feral, trying her best to ignore the now-familiar headache and itchiness that were starting to build up.


    ¡°O-oh shit!¡±


    ¡°Hope! Are you okay?¡±


    Klaw and Dewey had noticed her predicament and turned back, rushing over to help her. Just as they reached her side, however, more rustling echoed from the bushes. Klaw and Dewey had only just turned their heads towards the noises when two more ferals jumped out of the bushes next to the feral dog pokemon - a white-furred pokemon that looked like a cross between a sloth and a monkey and a black bird pokemon with a long, multicolored beak. The trio of ferals stared down the group with ferocious glares.


    Klaw and Dewey¡¯s muscles tensed up, and their eyes narrowed, both motions Hope was all too familiar with by now.


    ¡°You take the trumbeak, and I take the vigoroth?¡± Klaw asked his brother.


    ¡°E-exactly what I was t-thinking.¡± Dewey grinned.


    ¡°And what does that leave me with?¡± Hope smirked playfully, trying her best to ignore the putrid smell of the dog pokemon¡¯s breath.


    ¡°The h-herdier.¡± Dewey answered without missing a beat.


    Hope quickly nodded in gratitude, turning to face her foe once more. The ferals had quickly gotten sick of the trio¡¯s banter - the vigoroth launched itself at Klaw with a loud screech, its claws glowing a very dark purple, while the trumbeak inhaled deeply and started launching rocks out of its beak in quick succession at Dewey.


    The herdier, meanwhile, started digging into the ground, kicking up dust and grass everywhere as it did so. Hope lunged forward, hoping to strike it with a Tackle while it was digging, but just as she was about to do so, the herdier looked up at her with the biggest puppy dog eyes she had seen in her entire life.


    Hope came to a screeching halt. Something deep inside of her told her that this was an obvious ruse, but how could she hurt something as cute as that? She barely had time to process this before a rumbling sound echoed from the ground beneath her, followed by a blurry shape bursting from the ground and slamming directly right into her stomach.


    I can¡¯t believe I fell for that!, a small voice in Hope¡¯s head echoed. But that wasn¡¯t the only thing that was echoing - the pain in her stomach was reverberating, and she swore she could taste a little bit of blood in the back of her throat.


    The herdier wasn¡¯t quite done yet, though. It flipped its body around, and its fangs began to crackle with electricity. It chomped down directly onto her one white paw, the combination of the sharp teeth and the high-voltage electricity causing Hope to scream out in pain.


    Once again, Hope and the herdier went crashing to the ground. Hope groaned in pain and grit her teeth. Not even Jupiter or Dionysus hurt me this bad, and they were straight up possessed!


    As her vision cleared once more, she twisted her head back and forth to see how Klaw and Dewey were doing. They did seem to be doing a bit better than her, but the vigoroth and trumbeak were also proving to be tough opponents for them. Dewey was backed up against one of the trees, shooting Water Pulses at the trumbeak while trying to dodge the combined assault of seeds being spat from its beak and strikes from its wings. Klaw, meanwhile, was being chased around by the vigoroth, trying to land Fire Fangs on it while the vigoroth lashed out at him with claws that alternated between being coated in metal and poison.


    They needed help, and fast.


    ¡°Hei¡¯an! Shui!¡± Hope called out, struggling against the herdier¡¯s grip.


    There was no response.


    The herdier snarled, fangs crackling with electricity once more, and lunged forward for another bite.


    Come on, Hope! You can do it!


    The voices that echoed in her head seemed both familiar and foreign to her. Regardless of who they belonged to, she knew they didn¡¯t want her to give up.


    With a snarl of her own, Hope fluffed up her fur and launched another ThunderShock straight at the Herdier. With a yelp, the herdier stumbled back, allowing Hope to get back onto her feet. She focused on the herdier, lifting it into the air and slamming in back down with a Confusion. The herdier groaned in pain and tried to stand back up, but before it could do so, Hope shot a Razor Leaf at it. The leaves dug into the herdier¡¯s fur like small knives, and it let out a howl of pain before slumping onto the hole it had dug earlier, its eyes turned into swirls.


    The vigoroth and trumbeak happened to look over at this moment, and their demeanors immediately changed. The vigoroth stumbled back in shock, while the trumbeak let out a trill of surprise. Both of them were now completely still, their gazes locked on the herdier¡¯s unconscious body in shock.


    Klaw and Dewey took no time in making sure that this sudden opportunity didn¡¯t go to waste. Klaw lunged at the vigoroth, biting into it with a Fire Fang while simultaneously striking it with multiple Double Kicks at once, while Dewey fired simultaneous Water Pulses and Ice Shards at the trumbeak. The sudden assault was too much for the two ferals, who crumpled to the ground with swirly eyes just like that fallen leader


    Man, that was way closer than it needed to be. Hope let out a sigh of relief, before immediately feeling her knees buckle. She had gotten a bit used to the individual side effects of each of her special moves, and she was slowly adjusting to the combinations of two of them together. But the combination of all three side effects was something else altogether.


    Thankfully, Klaw and Dewey quickly came to her side, each of them holding an oran berry. She gratefully tore into the berries, savoring the way the juices were absorbed into her tongue and the way her symptoms practically disappeared into thin air. As she finished the berries, though, she remembered something.


    She whirled around in anger. ¡°Hei¡¯an, Shui, what the hell is wrong with you guys?¡± she spat. ¡°We were actually struggling there! We could have been seriously hurt, possibly ev-¡±


    ¡°Hei¡¯an?¡±


    ¡°S-shui?¡±


    ¡°Are you two¡­ okay?¡±


    Hope¡¯s tirade was cut off by Klaw and Dewey pressing their sides into hers. Their eyes were filled with worry and concern, and for a moment, Hope was filled with confusion.


    But then, she got a better look at Hei¡¯an and Shui herself.


    Their eyes kept darting between the herdier, vigoroth, and trumbeak with a mixture of emotions Hope couldn¡¯t quite describe. Instinctively, however, she could tell that these emotions weren¡¯t all happy ones. Their mouths were slightly agape, their hands trembled slightly, and tears started to build up at the corners of their eyes.


    Oh, fuck. Something is really wrong here.


    Hope opened and closed her mouth again like a fish out of water. Finally, she got the ability to speak back.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sor-¡±


    However, this ability to speak was cut off once again, this time by Hei¡¯an and Shui.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re right.¡± Shui sighed. ¡°We¡¯re so sorry. We shouldn¡¯t have left you helpless like that. We didn¡¯t mean to. Not in the slightest It¡¯s just¡­¡± He looked at his brother and sighed again. Hope could tell that there was a buildup of tears behind that sigh.


    Hei¡¯an squeezed his eyes shut for a few seconds, before opening them again. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to make up for this, but I think¡­ we should tell you guys our story.¡± he murmured.


    Shui blinked at his brother in surprise, but quickly relaxed and nodded in agreement. ¡°It¡¯ll feel good to get this off of our chests,¡± he said quietly.


    Hei¡¯an reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a worn photograph. He sat down on the forest floor, with Shui sitting down beside him, and laid the photograph out in front of him. The urshifu brothers gestured for Hope, Klaw, and Dewey to follow suit, and they quickly did so.


    Hope peered down at the photograph in front of her. It depicted quite a few pokemon, but she could clearly recognize some of them. A younger Hei¡¯an and Shui were on the rightmost side of the photograph, both wearing school uniforms instead of their karate gi, but those uniforms were still in the same dark crimson and navy blue that Hope had come to differentiate them by. They both had smirks on their faces that resembled the ones Klaw and Dewey would get on their faces when they were about to make some mischief. On their left was a pokemon that looked very similar to them, but with a hairstyle that looked to be split between Hei¡¯an and Shui¡¯s hairstyles. They were also wearing a purple karate gi, and they were looking at the next two subjects of the photograph with a mix of amusement and fondness.


    In the center of the photograph was a muscular black-furred canine pokemon with green markings. An odd purple chain was wrapped around its neck, but that didn¡¯t seem to bother the pokemon that was sitting on the canine pokemon¡¯s shoulders - a toddler-age Bai, with fluffier fur, a simple t-shirt instead of his karate gear, and a smile so bright Hope could feel her eyes hurt just looking at it. The canine pokemon was looking up at Bai with an expression that was both playful and filled with an intense amount of love.


    The other two pokemon in the photograph shared the same odd purple chain - they looked very different from it, but they were clearly related to it in some way. Most likely siblings - Klaw and Dewey were proof that even blood-related siblings could look very different in the pokemon world. The first of these two was a small black-furred monkey pokemon with blue markings, the purple chain wrapped around its head. The second was a black-feathered bird pokemon with the chain wrapped around its chest. The monkey pokemon sat on the bird pokemon¡¯s back, and they both appeared to be laughing deliriously at the shenanigans Bai and their sibling were getting up to.


    Suddenly, Hope remembered a couple of things that Hei¡¯an and Shui had said to the trio during some of their previous encounters.


    ¡°We kinda freaked out at first ourselves. Me and my bro, we have bad history with pokemon going crazy like that.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t help that he¡¯s not the best at regulating his own emotions. Especially after what happened to his mother¡­ our sister¡­¡±


    Hope felt all of the moisture evaporate from her mouth right then and there.


    Oh no. Oh noooooooooooo.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ our family¡­¡± Shui said softly, his voice quivering just like the breeze.


    ¡°That¡¯s our older sister, Tongyi,¡± Hei¡¯an murmured, pointing at the bear pokemon that looked almost like them. His breathing already sounded a bit heavier, and he rubbed his eyes briefly. ¡°And that¡¯s her husband Ori¡­¡± he continued, pointing to the black canine pokemon with the strange purple chain. ¡°They¡¯re - or, rather, they were Bai¡¯s parents.¡±


    Those two words confirmed Hope¡¯s worst fears in one fell swoop.


    ¡°The other two are Ori¡¯s brother and sister, Kashu and Mingo.¡± Shui continued, the quivering in his voice getting stronger and stronger. ¡°They were basically¡­ for lack of a better word, the superhero force for our village. Protected it from any outside threats. They were actually pretty mean in their youths - bullied us a fair bit, actually.¡± He let out a hollow laugh.


    ¡°They softened up after they helped us defend the village from an outlaw gang, and they realized they liked doing good more than bad.¡± Hei¡¯an ran his claws absentmindedly through the nearby moss. ¡°Ori being head over heels for Tongyi also helped out a ton!¡± he cackled dryly. ¡°She didn¡¯t like him or his siblings that much first, but she warmed up after the outlaw situation. One thing led to another, and before we knew it, they had gotten married and had Bai.¡±


    The tears were starting to fall down both brothers¡¯ cheeks now.


    ¡°Tongyi ran the dojo in town while Ori, Kashu, and Mingo defended the village and Bai¡­ got to be a normal kid.¡± Hei¡¯an gulped. ¡°Meanwhile, we were attending college overseas, training to become official dojo masters. The original plan was that we would take over the dojo from Tongyi when we graduated so she could focus on her family - the dojo in our village is a family run village, after all. But then, two years ago, we were returning home for spring break, when¡­¡± The tears started to fall even faster, and Hei¡¯an instinctively pushed the photograph forward so that it wouldn¡¯t get stained by the tears.


    ¡°...We weren¡¯t there, of course, so we only know what happened from what the few other survivors told us.¡± Shui sniffled. ¡°Apparently, a giant hole opened up in the sky, and this strange¡­ creature came out of it. We¡¯re not even sure if it was even a Pokemon - it was described as this giant purple thing - over one hundred feet tall - insectoid in appearance, with a huge stinger, surrounded in blue and red auras.¡±


    Hope suddenly felt like she had just been hit in the stomach with a giant rock. More memories of past interactions suddenly flashed into her head - this time of Jupiter and Dionysus, freshly defeated, utterly shaken, not quite all there.


    ¡°Yes. A weird ripple just¡­ opened up in the sky. I was curious about why it appeared, and it looked kind of pretty, so I flew up to investigate it. But when I touched it, a whole slew of voices started echoing in my head at once. That was the last thing I remembered before I blacked out¡­¡±


    ¡°As soon as I touched the crystal, it kind of¡­ took over my body. I don¡¯t really know how to explain it. I felt like a puppet, like my brain was tangled up in strings.¡±


    Something in Hope¡¯s head was screaming at her that this was much more than a series of strange coincidences. The red and blue auras, the pokemon growing to gigantic size, rippling holes suddenly opening up in the sky¡­ there were far too many similarities between these incidents.


    She didn¡¯t have time to dwell on that further, though.


    ¡°...I can still remember the smell.¡± Hei¡¯an mumbled. ¡°I can¡¯t even grill feebas anymore without being reminded of the smell. We had to burn the clothes we were wearing that day, because no matter how hard we washed them, no matter what kind of detergent we used, the smell remained.¡± Indeed, he looked like he wanted to vomit.


    Hope felt something wet at the edges of her paw pads. She looked over to see tears rolling down Klaw and Dewey¡¯s cheeks. She instinctively stroked their backs comfortingly with her tail.


    ¡°That monster almost wiped out our entire village in one go.¡± Shui snarled, digging his claws into the dirt. ¡°It went from bustling with life to a ghost town in the blink of an eye. So many of our childhood friends¡­ our teachers... our¡­ our¡­¡± He swallowed thickly. ¡°Our family¡­ All gone. And we didn¡¯t even get the chance to say goodbye! W-w-we never c-c-c-c-considered the possi-¡±


    Shui finally broke down, a low, guttural sob emanating from his throat. The pure grief emanating from it made Hope feel like she had been dunked in a bucket of ice water. Hei¡¯an pulled his brother close to him in a warm embrace, allowing him to sob into the sleeve of his uniform.


    ¡°...We found them in the dojo.¡± Hei¡¯an whispered. ¡°We thought that they were all dead at first. We had almost lost all hope. But then¡­ we found Bai in the garden. I¡¯ll never forget the way he jumped into Shui¡¯s arms when he saw us¡­ the way he just sobbed and sobbed and sobbed¡­¡± He took a deep breath. ¡°Tongyi¡­ Ori¡­ Kashu¡­ Mingo¡­ They gave their lives to save Bai. And he saw it happen. He saw them all die in front of his eyes.¡± His lips suddenly twisted into a furious snarl. ¡°He was six¡­ he was only six¡­ and that fucking monster tore his innocence out of his chest and spat on it!¡±


    Hei¡¯an slammed his left hand into the ground with such force that Hope, Klaw, and Dewey instinctively jumped back a little. The photograph fluttered into the air and floated down softly, landing lopsidedly next to Hope. She gingerly picked it up and carefully moved it back into the center of the group, being as careful as humanly possible to not accidentally ruin it.


    Shui finally regained the energy to speak, lifting his head from his brother¡¯s shoulder and rubbing his eyes wearily. ¡°After that, we took permanent guardianship of Bai. He came back to college with us overseas and lived with us during the remainder of our schooling. A couple months after we graduated, the previous dojo owners of Honor Town passed away. They were good family friends of ours, so they recommended us as their successors.¡± His eyes trailed away, and his hand began to shake. ¡°We¡¯re still not sure if we even deserve it, to be honest. If we couldn¡¯t protect our family, how could we ever hope to protect the people of Honor Town?¡±


    Hope wanted to scream at the top of her lungs. She wanted nothing more than to tell Hei¡¯an and Shui that even though they were the only dojo masters she had met, she was sure that they were the best ones in the entire world, that they were some of the best pokemon she had met during her short time in this world, that they surely were the best uncles that Bai could have asked for.


    But the thought of the little kubfu, and the story of the trauma he had been through in his extremely short life, slapped Hope in the face with a cruel reminder of why they were even in this forest to begin with.


    ¡°The two of us¡­ have never been the best at expressing our feelings.¡± Hei¡¯an mumbled. ¡°Tongyi was always the most emotional one of the three of us, the one who was the most open with her feelings and the one who encouraged us to be open with ourselves. For the love of Arceus, you three are the first pokemon we¡¯ve even told the full story to.¡± He let out a hollow, hoarse laugh. ¡°But that means that we¡¯ve never really¡­ Talked to Bai about what happened. Sure, there was a lot going on afterwards, between finishing our dojo master certifications, moving to Honor Town, and becoming the official dojo masters there¡­¡±


    ¡°But also, we just¡­ couldn¡¯t bring ourselves to talk to him about it.¡± Shui murmured. ¡°The pain was just¡­ too much. We carry copies of that photograph everywhere, but this is the first time we¡¯ve really looked at it since the incident. Being reminded of their faces is too painful to think about. Bai, though¡­ I don¡¯t think he took it that way. He wasn¡¯t too bad when we were finishing college, but after we moved to Honor Town and became dojo masters, and started working with the other guild trainees, he became so¡­ angry. I think¡­ he felt like we were moving on, that we were trying to replace the family we had lost. I think¡­ I think¡­¡±


    Both urshifu brothers trailed off, staring ahead into the emptiness of the forest pathway. Even though they didn¡¯t say a single word, Hope could understand what they wanted to say loud and clear.


    ¡°We think that this is all our fault.¡±


    Hei¡¯an and Shui blinked and stood up, with Hei¡¯an gently picking up the photograph and tucking it back into his shirt. ¡°Well¡­ now you guys know our story.¡± Hei¡¯an chuckled weakly. ¡°We should start going aga-¡±


    He was cut off by two blurs racing towards him and his brother. Hope whipped around, thinking it was another group of ferals, but then she quickly realized that Klaw and Dewey were no longer by her side. She looked forward to see that Klaw and Dewey had grabbed onto Hei¡¯an and Shui¡¯s legs in extremely tight hugs. They didn¡¯t say a single world - they just simply held onto the urshifu brothers, their actions speaking so much louder than words ever could.


    Hei¡¯an and Shui looked down. At first, when they noticed the younger pair of brothers clinging to their legs, their eyes widened in shock, but then, they started to tear up again. This time, though, they were also smiling.


    ¡°...It¡¯s never too late, you know.¡± Hope murmured, stepping forward. ¡°To fix things, I mean. So let¡¯s go. I think this will be a good start.¡±


    Klaw and Dewey both hopped off of Hei¡¯an and Shui¡¯s legs and ran back to Hope, before turning once more to face the urshifu brothers.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t have said it better, Hope.¡± Klaw smirked.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go save Bai!¡± Dewey cheered.


    Hope swore she could see tears at the edges of their eyes as well.


    Hei¡¯an and Shui blinked in surprise. Then, they smiled, and turned forward and motioned for the kids to continue following them.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s get going.¡± Shui grinned.


    ¡°The Raiders¡¯ treehouse isn¡¯t too far from here.¡± Hei¡¯an chuckled. ¡°Now let¡¯s go save our nephew!¡±


    ~~~


    ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know what exactly I was expecting.¡± Hope murmured, feeling a slight pull in her neck from how high she had to tilt her head up to look. ¡°But I think that this is pretty close.¡±


    Just like Hei¡¯an and Shui had said, it didn¡¯t take long after their talk for the group to reach the Raiders¡¯ treehouse headquarters. It was in a pretty tall birch tree, high enough that the treehouse wasn¡¯t visible to the eyes of ferals and low enough so that the Raiders didn¡¯t trip on their own feet and fall out of the windows to a certain death. The treehouse itself was painted a deep charcoal black, which completely contradicted the little bit of camouflage that the Raiders had attempted to do with the positioning, as the black paint stood out like a sore thumb against the white bark of the birch tree. The streaks of red and purple crayon graffiti on the outside of the treehouse certainly didn¡¯t help in this regard. Hope was even able to catch a glimpse of the same crude crayon logo that had been drawn on the letter right next to the doorbell, though it also looked to be surrounded by what looked like¡­ red and purple crayon hearts????


    Hope didn¡¯t have time to dwell on that, however. There was the more pressing matter of figuring out where the Raiders themselves - as well as Bai - were. There was a ladder lined up at the base of the tree trunk, but other than that, there was no other way to get it. It didn¡¯t even go all the way up to the treehouse door itself!


    Hope assumed that the Raiders, having made this treehouse their home, at least had developed some tree climbing skills over the years that made it so they were actually able to get up to that tree house. She, however, did not have those skills, and she assumed that Scorch and Riptide couldn¡¯t be bothered to teach their kids tree climbing skills as well. And Hei¡¯an and Shui would almost certainly break the tree branches with their weight. So how would they¡­?


    As she continued to ponder this, her eyes moved down to the branches - and that¡¯s when she caught glimpses of the slightly obscured forms of a midnight lycanroc, an amped toxtricity, a salandit, and a steel meowth, clinging onto the branches like a hawk¡¯s talons, their pinprick pupils glimmering with excitement in the darkness.


    Or they can just come to us. That makes it a lot easier.


    ¡°Well, well, well! Look what de glameow dragged in!¡±


    ¡°Yer kept us waitin¡¯ a wile! I almost fell asleep!¡±


    The Raiders moved out of the shadows and into full view. If Hope hadn¡¯t seen what they were capable for herself, she might have been a little intimidated.


    Instead, she held her head high and stared right at them.


    ¡°Save the tough guy act.¡± she huffed. ¡°Where¡¯s Bai?¡±


    The Raiders¡¯ grins¡­ simply grew wider.


    ¡°Yuh wanna know where Bai is dat badly?¡± Lupo cackled.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll show yer where he is¡± Sal giggled gleefully.


    Exactly in sync, almost as if they had been rehearsing this, Medusa and Odin let out a long, high whistle.


    ¡°Comiiiiiiiiing!¡±


    Bai poked his head out of the treehouse, an extremely wide grin on his face. He sprinted out the door, grabbing onto the closest tree branch with one hand. Like a circus acrobat, he swung from branch to branch effortlessly, not even taking so much as a second to glance at the ground, until he had reached a center branch within the tree, right in the middle of the Raiders. He joined the wannabe criminals in glowering menacingly at the group, which Hope would have found adorable if not for the sinking pit that had suddenly developed in her chest.


    Deep down, she had had a feeling that this was the case from the moment Hei¡¯an and Shui had shown them the letter. It still didn¡¯t make it feel any better to have it confirmed, though.


    ¡°B-bai?!¡± Shui exclaimed.


    ¡°What is the meaning of this?!¡± Hei¡¯an demanded.


    ¡°Ain¡¯t it obvious?¡± Sal cackled gleefully. ¡°You¡¯ve fallen right into our trap, mates!¡±


    ¡°We nevuh kidnapped Bai, ya dig?¡± Lupo snarled, a twinkle of joy and pride in his eyes. ¡°He was sick and tired of your goody two-shoes act, so he joined us willingly!¡±


    Bai smirked pridefully. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± he cheered. Hei¡¯an and Shui, meanwhile, looked quite a bit like fish in a koi pond, their mouths opening and closing helplessly. Either they genuinely didn¡¯t expect this, or they had been in even more denial than Hope was.


    ¡­Based on what Hope had just learned about the family, it was most certainly the latter.


    She shook off the unsettling feeling that had pooled within her stomach and glared at the Raiders, reminding herself mentally that in the end, they really were just petty criminals. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®your trap?¡¯¡± she demanded. ¡°If Bai really did join your group willingly, then why did you bring us all the way out here?¡±


    At her words, Lupo and Sal turned their gazes towards¡­ Klaw and Dewey????


    ¡°Oh, de trap¡¯s not quite for yuh, dear.¡± Lupo snarled again, this time with a lot more malice. ¡°Yuh got me so far?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d luv ter make a fool out o¡¯ yer after that wee stunt yer pulled yesterday.¡± Sal sneered. ¡°But right now, our focus is on yer two.¡±


    Klaw and Dewey tilted their heads in confusion.


    ¡°We¡¯re not stupid, right, yer know?¡± Sal growled. ¡°We know exactly who yer two are. The Bloodcrown twins!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re de sons of Scorch and Riptide¡± Lupo spat. ¡°De two greatest criminals to evuh step foot on this Marshadow-damned continent!¡±


    Hei¡¯an and Shui raised their eyebrows curiously, but they didn¡¯t say anything else. Klaw and Dewey continued to glare at the Raiders head on, but Hope could see the uneasiness in their facial expressions.


    She, however, was just extremely confused to what exactly Lupo and Sal were getting at here.


    ¡°Yuh two are obviously huge assets to de Absolute Zero Syndicate.¡± Lupo jeered. ¡°Honestly, I doan know why in de world you¡¯re bummin¡¯ around wit¡¯ dat pathetic runt of an eevee.¡±


    Hope was about to let out an equally insulting response, but Sal cut her off.


    ¡°Regardless, right, we made a deal wiv Bai.¡± Sal sneered. ¡°He¡¯d go back ¡®ome, on one condition¡­¡±


    With acrobatic skill far above Hope¡¯s expectations, Lupo and Sal leaped off of the tree branches they were perched on, did a few flips in the air, and landed on the ground in front of Klaw and Dewey¡­ in a pleading position.


    ¡°PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE JOIN OUR GROUP PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH WE LOOK UP TO YOUR DADS YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW COOL BEING ABLE TO WORK WITH YOU GUYS WOULD BE MAYBE YOU COULD EVEN INTRODUCE US TO SCORCH AND RIPTIDE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE¡± they begged, looking up at Klaw and Dewey with the biggest puppy dog eyes Hope had seen in her entire life.


    The forest suddenly became so quiet, one could hear even the tiniest of water droplets hit the ground.


    After what felt like four consecutive eternities, the uneasiness on Klaw and Dewey¡¯s faces faded away, and was quickly replaced with amusement. Before Hope knew it, they were both doubled over with laughter on the forest floor.


    ¡°Oh, man.¡± Klaw exhaled after a while, getting back on his feet. ¡°Thanks for that. My brother and I haven¡¯t laughed that hard in months.¡±


    ¡°In what universe do you two live in?¡± Dewey cackled, still trying to catch his breath. ¡°You seriously thought that would work?!¡±


    Lupo and Sal started at the ground. Was it Hope¡¯s imagination, or were they starting to tear up?


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re gonna regret that!¡±


    Hope, Klaw, and Dewey looked up in surprise to see Bai jump off the branch and storm towards them with fiery anger burning in his eyes. Hei¡¯an and Shui took a step back, clearly shocked at the sheer fury in his eyes.


    ¡°You hurt my best friends¡¯ feelings! Nobody hurts my best friends and gets away with it!¡± Bai snarled, flexing his arms and getting into a battle stance.


    Seeing this, Medusa and Odin jumped off of the tree branches they were on and rushed to Lupo and Sal¡¯s sides, also striking battle poses. Lupo and Sal looked up at Medusa and Odin in shock, before smiling eagerly, getting back up, and joining the rest of the group in striking battle poses.


    ¡°And for that¡­ we¡¯re gonna take you down!¡± Bai declared.