Welcome to Gaia! ::

"Roger~"

--

The pitter patter of little paws against ancient, cracked tile echoed through the area, dissonance in this usually vacant place. Truth be told Jackal had made a small mistake with this one. When he heard castle he envisioned fine golden trinkets, porcelain toys and, well, surely something with more collectors value than ordinary rocks and overgrown vines. His nose led him here, however, so he persisted – his nose never failed to sniff out what he wanted, and what he wanted right now was to fetch a bow located somewhere he’d get something nice out of too. After all, he was being allowed to go anywhere he pleased to find it; a true opportunist would take this chance to get something for themselves too. Surely even an abandoned castle should have some kind of value in it.

That’s what he told himself anyway…this place was starting to seem like more trouble than it was worth. First and foremost, an incredible number of rooms would have to be explored to get the fullest from this, and the bow he was searching for could be in any one of them. Not to mention any other items of interest could have been pilfered by others seeking before him. Nevertheless, he already went through the trouble of coming here, right? Might as well give it a looksee; shake this place down for what little it’s worth.

His tail reached into one of his pouches and grasped a flattened wooden stick littered with toothy indents on its surface. As he reached to put it in his mouth, his ears would swivel to a perked upwards position, picking up the sound of a suction cupped underside moving along a hall ahead.
He stuffed the wood back in its respective pouch and practically pranced forwards in delight. He knew that sound! All too well, in fact. It was the sound of dinner, the sound of sweet, juicy, wriggling dinner. It was easy to find and even easier to catch, and at about a foot long it made for a filling dinner. You can’t blame him for being so excited to see a wurmp-

“…heeeeey”

Jackal sucked up the saliva starting to run down the side of his mouth and tilted his head curiously. The wurmple, now a mere few inches in front of him, stared at him wide-eyed and frozen in place. “Hey, hey, what’s that?” he cooed, bringing his head down and sniffing the little box the wurmple carried on his back only to be promptly met with white, sticky string shot at his face. The fox was hardly offended, much more interested in the little antique the other had. He’d bring up his paw and swipe the string off, continuing to sniff at the box. “Metal?” Red eyes scanned the surface of the box and observed it closer. There was a faded design on the top, some sort of fleur-de-lis esque design. Underneath chipped, grimy paint it was clear that the box was made from wood, so the metal had to be…

Bingo. In the center of the front, a little metal clasp. “Give it” he mumbled, though before the wurmple could even think of a reply he took the box with one of his tails and popped the clasp open using another. It opened up slowly, revealing half of a mirror on the inside of the top part (the other half must have broken off, evident from the cracks left on the remaining piece) and a little rusty spring popping out over some sort of metal contraption under it. Knowing all too well what this was, he couldn’t help but feel a little bad for the tiny, most likely plastic little dancer that used to sit at the top of the spring and twirl in circles as the wound-up box played its tune. She must have been far from her home now – though that only gave the music box more charm to him. Eagerly, he spun the knob sticking out the bottom, winding up the box as much as he could before letting go.

”ting~ ting ting~ ting~ ting tiiiiiiiiiIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII-“

“AMAZING!” Jackal yelled, the screech still playing in the back ground. He laughed joyfully as he relished his new treasure, what a treat this was indeed. “Give it back, it’s not yours!” The wurmple, silent until now, had enough of being trampled on like a doormat. He spat out another piece of long, sticky white string at the vulpix, only to watch it be burnt before it could hit. The vulpix was in too good of a mood now; he couldn’t help but let out a little giggle. “If it’s not mine, then whose is it?” he asked, almost mockingly. “It’s a gift!” the wurmple huffed. “It’s a gift for the king!”

The vulpix would only laugh in his face, taking the music box even further away. “What king? I don’t see a king.” He was already drawing his paw back before the wurmple could answer. Claws bared, he swiped at the wurmple with force harsh enough to knock it on its side. It was safe to say it wouldn’t be pestering him again anytime soon, though he’d still have his question answered.

Dirt was chucked into his eyes before he could see who had thrown it. “I am the king!” a haughty voice declared, though judging by the pitch it couldn't be more than a child. Through blurred, teary vision Jackal saw a purple figure standing before him, with its hands on its hips and some sort of colored object around its neck. The fire type scowled, bringing one of his free tails up to his eyes and wiping the dirt away.

“No king I know uses such cheap tricks” Jackal was less than pleased with the aipoms entry. Just who did he think he was! He saw no king before him, just a child with an old, ragged blanket tied around his neck and a colored bow pinned to the front.
Wait a minute.

“Where did you get that?” Jackal said, using a tail to point at the aipoms neck. The purple creature seemed almost offended at being asked. “I found it, just like someone found that box for me, and finders keepers!” Ah, the old finders keepers. It was a rule Jackal himself abused most of the time. But he just couldn't let it slide this time; he’d be damned if he failed his first mission because someone had played finders keepers on him.

Jackal waved the music box around behind him. “I’ll cut you a deal, a special little thing just for you.” He set the box in front of him. “I am known as the corner-trader, you know? Or, you don’t, I’m sure you don’t go out to street corners often. Nevertheless, trading is my life’s work, and I am willing to make a trade. That bow is but a cheap cloth, while this music box must have centuries of value on it by now. Surely you can see it is the most important of the two…but I am willing to trade it for your bow. Aren't I a generous man?” The aipom scoffed. He couldn't argue with his logic, however, and he really did want that music box. He unpinned the bow from the cloth and held it out using the hand on his tail, crossing his arms and looking at Jackal expectantly.

“Ah, ah! No, that won’t do at all” Jackal hissed. “Give me the bow first. As I mentioned, it’s of much lesser value, so I must be sure it’s in my hands before giving up this precious music box.” The aipom squinted, but complied. He’d toss the bow over to Jackal, who caught it with one of his free tails. He promptly stuffed it in one of his pouches, coiling the tail around the music box now. He gave the aipom a toothy grin as he held the box up, closing his eyes to complete his coy look. “Sucker.”

A swirling vortex of fire would burst up from underneath the aipoms feet, trapping him in. The walls of Jackals fire spin began to contract around the normal type, hurting him gradually as he tried to run out the sides before it was too late. Jackal was a busy man, though, and as fun as sitting here and watching this go on was he had things to attend to. He hummed to himself as he walked away, winding his new music box up every now and then and enjoying its magnificent screech
.
“Roasty toasty~! Toasty Roasty~! Roasty Roasty~! Toasty toasty~!...”

Neo shifted his gaze up to the towering castle before him, taking in the ivied walls and menacing spires without so much as a blink. It was somewhat unsettling honestly, seeing such an enormous place in this state of disarray, forgotten by the ancient giants that once created it. Who exactly those giants were he didn’t know, and he wasn’t entirely certain he wanted to: the mere thought of encountering one set his fur on end. This was definitely the place, the ruined castle he’d heard a fellow Guild member talking about. Guildmaster Veilmys had been awfully vague in his description, “each of the dungeons of our region” was a bit difficult to follow up on when you weren’t exactly familiar with the region. Fortunately he’d happened to overhear that conversation when he did, and set out immediately—he only hoped that the other member was already officially registered, fearing the guilt that would come from taking the ribbon someone else was after. It was a moot point now though, he’d just have to trust that the Guildmaster had planned for such events and keep going—having arrived at last, he knew there would be no turning back.

The Meowstic made his way into the building through a crack in its side, feeling it was a bit too audacious to enter through the gaping mouth of a doorway that opened into a courtyard. He had to feel his way through for a while, the walls proving to be thicker than he anticipated, and not opening up directly to the other side. Of course Neo knew he could always turn back and take the more obvious route, but there was something appealing about this path, something about the path less traveled that appealed to his primal nature and kept him moving forward. He was forced to rely on his sensitive hearing once the light faded behind him, tentatively sending clicks into the space around him and practicing the echolocation techniques of his Crobat cousin. He’d have to thank Kline for those lessons when he got the chance.

This carried on without further incident for some time, the Psychic making his way further and further along the space between the walls, when suddenly he noticed something strange. His clicks carried out as usual, but when they bounced back to him they were muted and wet, almost like they were hitting something soft…or covered in fur. Neo froze, unseeing eyes darting back and forth as they tried to make out some sort of figure. He couldn’t hear breathing, but that didn’t necessarily mean something living wasn’t there, Ghosts didn’t have to breathe if they didn’t want to—then again, Ghosts didn’t normally have fur. Deciding to take his chances, the Meowstic called out into the blackness: “Hello? Is anyone there?” He wasn’t met with a response, so he moved forward, clicking out gentle sounds to give him an idea of the other Pokemon’s image. As far as he could tell it was a quadruped, covered in fur like he’d originally thought, but he wasn’t good enough at forming the sound pictures to determine exactly what it was. One thing was for certain though: whatever it was, it wasn’t alive anymore.

Neo felt a chill run down his spine, backing away from the creature slowly. He didn’t want to touch it for fear of discovering it was less whole than it appeared to be, but he had to get past it somehow. A thrill of dread coursed through him as he realized it had to have been a fresh kill too, otherwise he should have noticed the smell. Arceus, what sort of monster was waiting up ahead? The Meowstic made up his mind to get through this path as quickly as possible, and not to look back. He felt sick to his stomach when he shuffled past the corpse, clicking weakly as he attempted to circumvent the obstacle without thinking about it too much. If he hadn’t seen this type of thing before he wouldn’t have been able to handle it—unfortunately it wasn’t his first experience with this sort of thing. “I’m sorry friend,” he murmured, eyes dark with regret as he glanced back once more before heading onward. This was why he had joined the Guild in the first place, so he could stop this sort of thing from happening altogether.

To his pleasant surprise, Neo found the passage begin to lighten after a time, he could make out individual pebbles on the ground, and he didn’t have to click in order to navigate any longer. At first he thought this was a sign that he’d reached a way out, but it turned out to be a false sign of hope as he soon found the source to be sunlight trickling in from a hole in the top of the wall. With a sigh, the Meowstic stared at the light wistfully, briefly pondering if he might be able to climb up the walls to either side of him. The walls were too smooth for such things though, as he quickly discovered, so he braced himself for the continued journey into the blackness once more. He was so preoccupied with attempting to memorize the area, his eyes hungry for the sights they’d been previously robbed of that his ears failed to pick up on the sudden sound of many scuttling legs far above.

One moment the Psychic was standing securely on the ground, the next he found himself knocked to the ground, covered in sticky threads of silk that forced his limbs to his sides and rendered him incapable of movement. He didn’t respond audibly, but his body tensed and his eyes narrowed: it seemed he’d stumbled across the monster from before, and it had him at a disadvantage. The Meowstic found himself being pulled upward off the ground, wincing as he felt the blood rush to his head from dangling upside-down. He needed to stay focused and alert, and not allow this thing to get the better of him—if he didn’t act quickly, he was sure to meet his end here and now, before he’d even begun. He closed his eyes, not wanting to give up his one advantage over his captor, and he waited.

After a short time Neo found his body resting on a flat surface, and he heard the heavy breathing of his captor. “Do you think we knocked it out?” a raspy voice asked, “I didn’t think I hit its head on the wall.”

He felt the prodding of a long leg, and forced himself to remain perfectly still. If these Pokemon were convinced that he wasn’t awake, he could get the advantage on them yet. “Looks like,” a different voice said, this one higher pitched and clearly irritated. “We’ll just have to bring it back and wait.” There was something fundamentally disturbing about the fact that they clearly wanted him to be awake for whatever they had planned, and Neo’s thoughts wandered to the unknown body from before. He hoped it had been quick, whatever they did.

The Meowstic was dragged along the ground for an undetermined period of time, and he stopped trying to keep track of the twists and turns after a while. He’d have to figure out how to leave this castle some other way, not to mention finding the bow he’d been sent for. It was all incredibly complicated, moreso than he’d anticipated: but that was life. When he finally stopped he listened closely, trying to make out any helpful noises, but all he could hear was the scuttling of legs all around him. He’d have to make his move soon, before they got suspicious.

Without warning, he found himself thrown across the room, eyes opening in shock as he felt a sudden pain in his abdomen. He stuck to the wall where he’d been thrown in his sticky cocoon, and spotted his captors watching him gleefully from below, two Ariados that clicked their mandibles together hungrily, ready for their long-awaited meal. “Nice of you to join us,” the female said, “Did you really think we’d fall for that trick of yours?”

“It was worth a try,” Neo replied impassively, wearing the expression of apathy his species was known for. “I didn’t want to hurt you, that was all.”

“Hurt us?” The male this time. “How could you possibly hurt us? We’ve got you right where we want you.”

Neo sighed, recognizing the stubbornness of a Pokemon who wouldn’t be convinced. He really hated violence, it was a shame when it couldn’t be avoided. “Alright, how about this? You come and get me down so you can eat me, and I’ll squirm and try to get away for a while, and then I’ll walk out of here and leave you both to go about your business, and I’ll go about mine.” He spoke in a bored monotone, not bothering to look at the Ariados while he did so, but taking in the sights of other things around the room. He’d only been doing it to contest their believed position of superiority to him, but that was when he spotted his prize—a crimson bow

It was tacked high up in the spider web that covered the other side of the room, invitingly waiting for someone to come and claim it. No way. The Guildmaster couldn’t have intended for him to find it there, could he? It was more likely that the Ariados had found it and brought it here on their own, but the Psychic couldn’t quite shake the thought that Veilmys had planned it all somehow. If that wasn’t spooky, he didn’t know what was.

When he glanced back at the Ariados they were seething, and he almost smiled at how easily he’d managed to win back the power. “You know you’ll die for that, don’t you?” the female hissed, when she could finally form words instead of clicks.

Neo turned his eyes on her and sealed his fate with a smile. “Then kill me.”

Everything seemed to shift into slow motion when she attacked, six legs launching her forward toward the wall and her intended prey. When she reached his side she lunged for his neck without a thought, mandibles crunching down on the silk around the soft white fur only to be met with something hard—so hard that it caused her to withdraw and cry out in pain after she tried to bite down. Neo gasped as the pressure around his neck was released, relieved to find that his bet had paid off; if she’d bit just a little higher things could have turned out very differently. The bite had caused the silk about his upper body to come undone, freeing his arms and giving him the leeway to squirm out and jump down to the floor, panting heavily.

Immediately he turned to the male and stared him down, shooting a crippling Confusion toward the unsuspecting Ariados and felling him instantly. His eyes locked on the bow that taunted him, just out of his reach and he scrambled over towards it, keeping one eye on the female Ariados as he went. She still seemed to be in shock, so he had to take his chance now or never. Eyes darting back and forth, he couldn’t find anything of use and so resorted to his claws, jumping and Scratching at the web to try and detangle the bow from its many strands. Just when he had managed to free one corner, he heard the sound of movement and quickly leaped out of the way, leaving the Ariados to crash into her own web when she didn’t manage to stop in time. She let out a series of angry clicks and turned on Neo, who found himself at an impasse, the furious Ariados between him and his objective.

In one last attempt at diplomacy, the Meowstic put his hands up peaceably. “It doesn’t have to be like this,” he told her, “I just need the bow, and then I won’t bother you again.”

“Oh you need the bow do you?” The Ariados said, her eyes narrowed spitefully. “Then you’ll have to take it from my dead body.” With a triumphant click, she tore the bow from the web and closed her mouth around it, causing Neo’s heart to sink with regret. It could’ve been utterly painless if she’d just cooperated.

As she sprang at him veiled in Night Shade, the Psychic put up a Light Screen, which she crashed through as she met him in attack. He shot a bolt of Confusion through her, but the Ariados was too enraged to register the pain, set on eliminating and devouring her prey once and for all. Spinning around, she began to shoot gobs of webbing at the Meowstic, forcing him into constant motion so as to avoid getting pinned down again. Whenever he had the chance he’d hit her with Confusion, but it worked to surprisingly little effect, fueled as she was by a fury that Neo could never understand. It wasn’t working and he needed that bow, which left the Psychic with one option remaining.

With a few quick steps, the Meowstic found himself face to face with his adversary, and took advantage of her surprise to slam into her face with a Covet. The Ariados spat the bow out and Neo was on it in and instant, grabbing it and sprinting for the door. He heard the Dual Type hurrying along behind him, and continued to bob and weave through the halls so he wouldn’t be hit by a stray bit of webbing; if he never touched that sticky stuff again it would be too soon. He briefly registered some noises from down the hall and caught a whiff of smoke, but he didn’t have time to look into it with the Ariados breathing down his neck. As the shrill sound of broken notes and a voice echoing “Roasty toasty~! Toasty Roasty~! Roasty Roasty~! Toasty toasty~!...” reverberated in his ears, the Meowstic deliberately tried to put it out of his mind, wishing that he could put his hands to his painfully sensitive ears. He had to find the way out, and he had to find it now, before this place offered him any more surprises.

Much to his relief, Neo spotted a hole in the wall soon after, letting in sunlight invitingly from the side of the castle. He raced over to it without a thought, only to come to a screeching halt when he realized the gap opened up to a several story drop: the bugs had dragged him up higher than he’d thought. As he heard the sound of the Ariados turning the corner, he found himself trapped—a dead end to his left and a furious Pokemon to his right. His eyes widened with fear as she charged toward him, and he raced to pin his back to far corner of the dead end wall; it didn’t alter her path much, but at least it made sure she couldn’t push him out the gap to his inevitable demise. Bracing himself for impact, he hardened his fur in a Mirror Coat, and then the Ariados was upon him.

He had no way of knowing it would be so effective. The Signal Beam she shot his way bounced back, and hit her square in the face, sending her flying backward into the wall across from them. The impact of the Ariados’s body sent a tremor through the stone wall, causing it to crack near its base. The Dual Type was out cold, having hit her head against the stone when she fell, and Neo didn’t need a second more to know he had to get out while he still could.

Fur standing on end, he didn’t stop running until he’d made his way down the stairs, across the courtyard, through the crumbling arch, and out of eyeshot of the castle walls. Finally pausing for breath, he took a moment to stare at the bow in his hand, its red made even deeper by the fact that it was slightly damp. Hopefully he didn’t lose points for that or anything, it had really been out of his control. With a sigh, he wiped a few strands of webbing from his fur and turned his sights toward the Guild once more, allowing himself a more leisurely walk home to make up for all the running from before.

((For Those Who Are Curious:
Question Mark Sound: 5:08-5:09 ?
Exclamation Point Sound: !))

“Be on the lookout for any Ariados,” Neo warned his partner, speaking up suddenly when he spotted the castle’s spires in the distance. They had set out on their first Rank One mission earlier this morning, and were set to meet their client at the castle itself, since Neo already knew the way. “On my first mission here I had to rough a couple of them up quite a bit,” the Meowstic continued, “So they probably won’t be too happy to see me again.” The Psychic prayed that they didn’t encounter the spiders on this mission, having no desire to relive his first experience at the castle. That pair was a menace, killing and eating innocent Pokemon, and they deserved to be punished, but he didn’t want to be the one to do it; the memory of the female’s mandibles at his throat was still all too real, and he didn’t want to give her the chance to learn from that mistake.

“Never fear,” Nyx said, eyes glittering with amusement, “I shan’t allow any harm to come to you on this mission.” Large bugs would be child’s play for him to deal with: if Ariados were the worst Pokemon awaiting them, then this mission would hardly have been worth their time. Unlike his partner, Nyx was unafraid to participate in battle when the need arose. Although he disliked the prospect of needlessly sullying his claws with the blood of another Pokemon, the Vulpix didn’t mind it when the bloodshed proved necessary, and made a point of being prepared for such occasions. Male Meowstic like Neo had never been known for their combat abilities, so Nyx was more than ready to make up for whatever his partner lacked. It was his job to be whatever his leader required of him, and it was his privilege to do so for the Pokemon he had sworn himself to.

Neo smiled at his partner gratefully, glad to have the Vulpix by his side this time around. They had gotten along quite well after he’d explained his misgivings from their first meeting, and Nyx seemed to take his job very seriously, always going on about responsibility and the protection of others. The Guild couldn’t have a better Rescuer; Neo only hoped that he’d be able to keep up with his partner’s dedication. “So, what was it that made you choose this mission?” the Meowstic asked, eyes bright with curiosity. Nyx had been persistent about taking it, even though it wasn’t a Rescue mission, and Neo had allowed himself to be persuaded since he felt he owed the Vulpix something after their initial rough patch.

“The client,” Nyx replied, his tails swishing back and forth in anticipation. “I’ve met a large number of Pokemon over the course of my travels, but never any Unknown. Their species is so diverse, filled with at least twenty-eight different body types, yet they’re remarkably difficult to find.” The Vulpix’s eyes gleamed. “They say that Unknown flock to the mysterious places of the world; it’s in their nature. I wanted to see for myself what sort of secret this Unknown is hiding.”
Neo could hear the fire in his partner’s voice, and was surprised to find himself feeling a bit of it as well by the time Nyx had finished. There was something exciting about the prospect of meeting a Pokemon so rarely seen, and the thought that it might want to lead them to some sort of mystery… It was enough to arouse the Meowstic’s curiosity, and overwhelm the dread that lingered from his first experience at the castle. “That does sound exciting,” he said, ears twitching in consent, “If I’d have known all that going in, I would have gone for this mission too!” He laughed, glancing over at his partner. “Next time be sure to fill me in, alright? I’d like to know what you’re thinking in there sometimes.”

The Vulpix smiled back and nodded. “I’ll be sure to take that into consideration in the future,” he replied, “Forgive me. Sometimes I become so preoccupied with my thoughts I fail to recount them to those around me.” He wouldn’t call it a fault so much as a precaution, since half of the time he kept his silence for personal reasons. Now that he was beginning to understand how Neo’s mind worked, he’d be able to filter his thoughts through to the Meowstic more effectively. It was all a matter of balance, keeping the differences and similarities between the two of them at a compatible level; a balance that Nyx was a master at maintaining.

“Don’t worry about it. I’ve been there before.” Neo dismissed the apology with a wave. He would have to break Nyx of that habit: it made him uncomfortable when other Pokemon apologized so much. The Vulpix nodded and the pair fell silent again, mentally steeling themselves for the job ahead of them. They were a rookie Team with a thirst to prove themselves, and now they’d been given their moment: both had something to prove to their Guild and to the other, and their mutual excitement stirred the air around them with its emotional charge. That was how A found them.

As the Meowstic and Vulpix pair approached the castle entrance, a Pokemon made its way forward from the gate to join them, eye staring unblinkingly at the two as they approached. Neo watched it warily, but Nyx smiled, recognizing their client from his picture. “Greetings,” the Fire Type said, nodding his head respectfully to the Unknown, “Am I correct in assuming you’re the one who sent for us?”

The oddly shaped Pokemon stared at the Vulpix intently, before swiveling around and turning its eye on the Meowstic beside him, its [removed](if you could call it that) never changing. “Arrivals,” it said after a moment, its voice resonating from somewhere indiscernible. “Accepted any announcements?” It floated gently in the air before them, a few inches off the ground, and it never looked away from them as it waited for their reply.

“Announcements?” Neo said, confused by the expression. “Well we accepted a mission request, if that’s what you mean. I’m Neo, leader of Team Essence, and this is my partner Nyx. We came on behalf of the Guild of Eclipse to help you with your problem, whatever it might be.”

The Unknown stared him down for a long moment before turning to Nyx. “And?”

“Nothing needs necessitating. No new naivety.” Neo shot him a look and Nyx returned the gaze calmly. “Don’t worry yourself Neo, I’m simply speaking to him in his own language, to make sure he understands. He’s speaking using the letter that shares his shape, and I with the letter that begins my name, since I have no ‘shape’ that’s comparable to his.” The Meowstic turned to look at the Unknown and began to see what Nyx was saying, recognizing the vague shape of the letter A in its form: it was both interesting and very strange to realize they were talking to a floating letter.

The strange Pokemon bobbed up and down rapidly. “Accepted. Analyzing Arrivals.” It squeezed its eye shut for a moment, and when it was reopened it glowed blue with Psychic energy. Neo felt the familiar tingle of another Psychic touching his own, and he tried not to fidget under the Unknown’s scrutiny. Its Psychic wasn’t terribly prying, but it certainly wasn’t comfortable--it was like the Pokemon was asking permission to look into his soul. It was over in a matter of moments, and the Unknown blinked again as the Psychic glow faded, uttering a soft chirping sound. “Analysis accomplished. Arrivals are Allies.”

The symbol’s gaze was gentler now that it had decided they weren’t enemies; Neo could almost swear that it looked happy--if that was possible when the Pokemon had no real face to speak of. “Appreciating Allies’ assistance,” it said, sounding almost eager now, “Allies are addressing A: advocate against alliteration and assistant adventurer.”

Neo stared at the Unknown, fascinated by its peculiar speech. The Pokemon was difficult to understand since his ideas didn’t always have access to so many words that Neo had always taken for granted. What must it have been like for him, missing out on so many words of their language? The Meowstic couldn’t even begin to imagine it. “Pleased to meet you A,” he said, hoping he was interpreting the other Pokemon’s words correctly.

“Appreciating Allies’ acquaintanceship also,” A replied, moving up and down in the bobbing motion that Neo was beginning to register as a nodding motion.

“Noting numerous niceties,” Nyx said, still mirroring the Unknown’s speech pattern. “Necessary?”

A shook its head vigorously. “Asking Allies avoid all alliteration, alright?” It’s tone was urgent, almost nervous, as though it expected something terrible to happen if Nyx continued.

“Apologies,” the Vulpix said, bowing his head in deference to the Psychic’s wishes. “You have no difficulty understanding our manner of speech then?”

“Absolutely.”

“Very well then, I will do as you’ve requested and refrain from using alliteration in your presence.”

“Appreciated.” The Unknown sounded satisfied, his worry completely gone in another instant. Neo could feel its absence like a hole in his surroundings: it had been so intense that even his mild Psychic had detected it when it came, and yet it was so easily gotten rid of. There was something unnatural about the way he could just...erase a fear of that magnitude, but the Meowstic did his best not to let it bother him too much. All Pokemon were different; maybe this was just something that was unique to Unknown.

The Psychic made a sound, a soft pinging that caused both Nyx’s and Neo’s ears to twitch reflexively, and then spoke up again. “Appropriate assisting area arrival anxiously anticipated. Allies also approach?”

Neo’s blank look caused Nyx to laugh, earning him odd looks from both of his companions. “Forgive me,” the Vulpix said, smile never fading. “You looked so lost in his commentary, I couldn’t help myself. Allow me to translate Neo, if I may?” The Meowstic gave a hesitant nod, reluctant to admit that he’d had no idea what the Unknown had been trying to say. “A is inviting us to follow him to the place he referenced in the mission request,” Nyx clarified, unable to keep the mirth out of his voice. “Apparently there are others eagerly awaiting our arrival.”

A gave a chirp that seemed to indicate a positive reaction. “Affirmed,” he said, nodding once again.

“O-Oh, is that it…” Neo said, smiling a little uncomfortably. It bothered him that he was the only one out of the loop again, with his partner putting him to shame in his ignorance. He knew that Nyx meant well, but it left his fur ruffled nonetheless. A good leader should be able to learn from his teammates, sure, but there was supposed to be a reason the leader was who he was. Right now Neo didn’t feel as though there was any reason he should be leading this team instead of Nyx, and that was a hard pill for the Meowstic to swallow. He resolved that he’d make up for it somehow along the way--the mission was just beginning after all, he hadn’t missed his chance. “In that case, lead the way!”

The trio set off through the enormous entryway, A floating ahead with the partner pair following behind him. Neo spared a glance for the crack in the wall, wondering if the body he’d found was still there, or if the Ariados had taken its meat by now. His fur stood on end and he forced the mental image back, doing his best not to dwell on it. Nyx noticed his partner’s unease, but said nothing, simply brushing against the Psychic ever so slightly to remind him he wasn’t alone. The Vulpix didn’t want his partner to be weighed down by his troubles when there was so much for them to discover up ahead; this was to be a happy occasion, their first mission as a team, and he’d made a promise that the Meowstic wouldn’t regret coming here with him. Nyx had every intent of living up to that promise, whatever it took.

The courtyard was vast, a sea of overgrown grass engulfed by the intimidating structure it led up to. There were a few other Pokemon to be seen, children mostly, who were playing quietly close to the walls. They didn’t spare anything more than a glance for the outsiders who watched them from afar, fully engrossed in their own interactions. Nyx noted the fact that no two of them were alike, in typing or in species, and yet they all seemed to be interacting on equal grounds with one another; it was possible that they were so unresponsive to the presence of himself and his partner because they expected to see all sorts of Pokemon on a regular basis, even those they didn’t recognize. “It seems they live quite the peaceful existence,” he remarked, to no one in particular.

“Assorted adolescents aren’t always as amiable,” the Unknown responded, its voice deadpan as though this was something entirely unremarkable. “Adults attempt avoiding animosity among Allies, and adolescents acquiesce. Any articulated argument amongst Allies allows animosity, antiquates alliances, adds apportionment.”

“Is that so?” Nyx replied, clinging to A’s every word. “So if this group were to encounter members of another group, they would express hostility toward one another?” The Unknown nodded, never looking back. “But how can they know who belongs to what group?”

“Area allotment,” the Unknown said, never missing a beat. “Allies are assigned areas. All alive are allowed any area’s access--accepting, always, Arrivals avoid animosity. Aid and acquaintanceship are acceptable among allies, and Arrivals acquire Allies appropriately after arriving. All are anticipated.”

So the other Pokemon were ignoring them because they weren’t their allies, but they were required to engage them in combat if they showed any signs of aggression or ill will. Nyx found it all quite interesting. “So, as we’ve been designated as your Allies, does that mean we can only expect you and your Allies to treat us as friends?”

“Affirmative.”

“But we’re allowed to pass through the designated areas of the other groups, and even interact with them so long as we don’t demonstrate any desire to harm the Pokemon in the other groups, and the same applies to you?”

“Affirmative. Ally acknowledges assessment as acceptable?”

“Certainly, I merely desired to know where my partner and I stand here.” Now that he’d learned the social hierarchy of the castle, Nyx felt fully prepared for any potential encounters they might have. With any luck, they wouldn’t have to do any fighting at all. Looking over at Neo, the Vulpix tried to get a read on the Psychic’s attitude toward the whole thing. The Meowstic looked considerably troubled, his deep green eyes dark with worry as he stared straight ahead. “Is something troubling you Neo?” he asked, lowering his voice so their client wouldn’t overhear, “You seem distressed.”

The Meowstic shook his head, unable to look at his partner. “No, no it’s fine,” he said, his voice doing nothing to hide his anxiety, “Very interesting social structure they have, huh?” He laughed nervously, eyes darting from left to right as they entered the castle’s main door, looking down the hallways that extended out of sight to either side before he turned his gaze on the enormous grand staircase just across the room. All of it was stone and crumbling, with faded fabrics scattering muted colors here and there about the place. There weren’t any Pokemon to be found here, by the entrance, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t be watching from someplace unseen.

“To be certain…” Nyx said, eyes boring into Neo with such intensity it forced the Meowstic to fidget uncomfortably. He didn’t need to trouble Nyx with his concerns, this wasn’t where he’d encountered the Ariados last time, so it couldn’t be a part of their designated area. The Psychic just hoped that they didn’t happen to cross into the spiders’ territory accidentally. At least so long as they were in someone else’s territory they’d be safe from any conflict, if he’d interpreted A’s explanation correctly.

The Unknown paused suddenly, almost causing Neo to crash into him. “A and Allies acknowledge area agreement,” the Pokemon intoned, “Apparitions also?” The Guild Pokemon both jumped, Nyx suppressing a growl and Neo a squeak of surprise as a Misdreavus and Shuppet phased into existence, giggling at the strangers’ reactions.

“Yes, you’re free to pass through here,” the Misdreavus said, eyes bright with mischief. “We just wanted to warn you of some trouble in the Northwest Tower, wouldn’t want you to run into any trouble when you have guests.”

“That, and we couldn’t resist a good scare,” the Shuppet said, spinning around delightedly. “You Unknown are so boring, I’m surprised you get visitors at all.” The Ghost Type turned his eyes on Nyx and Neo with interest. “Why are you here anyway?”

“Allies aren’t advised answering.” A’s tone was firm, and he refused to look at the ghostly pair. Neo looked at the Unknown with concern, wondering why it was so important for them to ignore these Pokemon, but accepted it without pressing the matter. He didn’t want to trouble their guide, since they were counting on him to complete whatever mission he’d brought them here for. Nyx, on the other hand, was not so compliant.

“It is none of your concern what we’re doing here,” the Vulpix said, eyes flashing in a way that chilled Neo to his core. “You would be best to get out of our way before I’m forced to remove you from it.”

“N-Nyx, calm down…” His partner’s warning fell on deaf ears: the Vulpix was already well and truly angered. Neo swallowed nervously, staring at his partner and trying to figure out what had prompted such a visceral reaction from him: sure it had been startling when they’d appeared out of nowhere, but was that really any reason to lash out so aggressively? Wait, aggressively? Hadn’t A just said... Neo’s heart fell as he realized the gravity of the situation--they’d broken the rules. The Unknown had turned its eye on him expectantly, clearly believing he could fix things, but the Meowstic didn’t have nearly as much faith in himself as the other Psychic did. “Hey Nyx, we’re here for a reason, remember? Let’s just move on and forget this, okay?” Neo placed a gentle paw on the Vulpix’s shoulder as he spoke, trying to radiate soothing Psychic energy toward the Fire Type and calm him down.

Nyx didn’t move, eyes locked on the Ghosts unblinkingly. “This does not concern you Neo. I suggest you refrain from interfering; it is my task to ensure no harm comes to you.”

“But they haven’t done anything to me!” The Meowstic protested, baffled by the explanation. “I was a little scared, sure, but that never hurt anybody. Please Nyx, please just let it go!” He was pleading and it hurt his pride to do so, but there was no other option he could think of at this point.

Then, unexpectedly, something in the atmosphere shifted. Neo’s fur prickled as he felt the air of hostility from the Ghost Types shift to one of shock, and then to the darker emotion of fear. None of them had moved, nothing visibly happened at all, but something was scaring them, and when he looked at them he saw that fear written on their faces. “W-We’re sorry,” the Misdreavus said, her voice quavering as she backed away from them, eyes wide with terror. “We’ll tell everyone to stay out of your way.”

“Y-Yeah,” the Shuppet stuttered, tripping over his words as he nodded in agreement. “You just go on ahead, we won’t trouble you again.” The two Ghosts faded out of sight without another word, and the trio was left to themselves and the encroaching silence.

Nyx’s posture relaxed, and his expression softened to something more pleasant. “Now then,” the Vulpix said, “Shall we continue on our way?”

Neo stared at him, wide-eyed, feeling the same rush of dread he’d felt on the day they’d first met. “What was that?” he said, his voice sounding pathetically weak in his ears. “Why did you get so angry?” Taking a step away from the Vulpix, he added in a whisper, “And why were they so scared of you?”

The Vulpix blinked at him in confusion before realizing his mistake. Of course. Neo was a Psychic, there was no chance he’d have missed it. If he weren’t so emotionally attuned Nyx would have claimed it was nothing more than a successful charade of intimidation, but that wouldn’t convince his partner, nor their client, who was regarding them both suspiciously. “Ah, I must apologize to you both,” he began, “You see it’s because--” Whatever he was going to say was cut off by a String Shot to the face, covering the Vulpix’s mouth and choking him on his own words. The coldness from before was back in an instant, and his maw blazed with the fire of his fury, but he never got the chance to release it: the Ariados that dropped onto his back forcing his jaws shut.

The Pokemon bit into the Vulpix’s neck, injecting him with venom that rendered him motionless, before turning her gaze to Neo and laughing softly. “So glad to have you back,” she said, staring at the Meowstic with a vicious delight, “I thought I’d never get the chance to repay you for last time.” The Meowstic’s eyes were wide with terror and he raised his paws defensively, but he didn’t get the chance to respond before he felt a sudden weight on his back, and a sudden pain that when his head smacked painfully against the stone floor, sending him reeling into unconsciousness.

----

The screaming woke him up. Terrible, horrible screaming that grated on his ears and made his head spin with the awful combination of pain and panic. He tried to move his hands to his ears, but found they were pinned to his sides by tightly spun threads. Arceus not again, this had all been an awful mistake. It took all Neo’s willpower to keep his ears folded to his head as the sound continued to bombard them, and he tried his best to block it out as he forced his eyes open, trying to get a bearing on the situation around him.

It was all blurs at first, meaningless shapes that were moving so quickly it made him feel sick, but when they came into focus Neo found himself wishing they hadn’t. So many Ariados, there were so many Ariados. He was hanging on the wall again, though it wasn’t the same room he’d found the bow in before, but one of considerably greater height and width. Below him was the horde of Ariados, all of their mouths moving in clicks and clatters that he couldn’t hear against the screams, and all of them watching something. At first he couldn’t see it through the mass of Pokemon, but then he something finally registered in his mind as wrong: he was smelling something strange--below him it smelled...of smoke.

His eyes widened as he watched the unmistakable figure of his Vulpix partner leap out from the center of the crowd, leaving behind him a ring of flames that faded to reveal the charred bodies of two Ariados. Neo found that the screaming had stopped, and his stomach twisted when he realized where it must have been coming from. Although his ears were still ringing with the after-effect of the scream, leaving him unable to detect any other sound, the Meowstic watched the commotion below with wide eyes, heart in his throat as he saw Nyx land painfully in the opposite corner, his leg dripping with freshly drawn blood. Although he must have been in pain, the Vulpix didn’t falter, more flames already forming in his mouth as the Ariados struggled to turn themselves around and face him. The Psychic turned his head, unable to watch, as the screaming began to penetrate his ears again. He didn’t know how Nyx had recovered from the female Ariados’ bite, but he was glad of it, since it had saved his partner’s life; he knew he had to get down to help the Vulpix, but he hadn’t the faintest idea how to accomplish that yet.

To his surprise, Neo’s shift in position revealed another cocoon beside him. It quickly dawned on him that it could only be their client, trussed up beside him all because he’d been associated with them. Oh Arceus, this was terrible. Not only was this his fault, but he’d endangered their client and his partner too; he was probably the worst leader in the history of the Guild system. He felt his lips form the word A, and he was pretty sure he shouted it, but the Psychic couldn’t hear anything but the screams below, let alone his own voice.

Ally awake? Articulate? Acknowledge. Neo’s ears twitched with surprise when he heard A’s voice clearly in his mind, as though the Pokemon’s words were his own thoughts. It was telepathy, like the type that his mother had demonstrated to him a long time ago, and it was a little unsettling. It had been a while, but if he remembered correctly he just had to think his responses.
I’m awake, the Meowstic thought, making a point to try and push the words out of his head and toward the cocoon that held the Unknown. Are you alright?

Appearance acceptable. Ariados ambush altered anticipated arrival.

He seemed totally unperturbed by the whole affair, much to Neo’s astonishment. How he could be thinking about this as an inconvenience to their mission rather than fearing for his life was a mystery to the Meowstic. We have to get out of here, Neo thought desperately towards A, Nyx is in trouble, we have to help him. Can you think of anything?

Assistance anticipated abruptly. Appropriate action: await Allies’ arrival. What was that supposed to mean? There were Pokemon coming to help them? But how long would they have to wait? He looked down at Nyx and grimaced as he saw the Vulpix take a nasty jab to the side from an Ariados’ horn. The Vulpix stumbled, but didn’t fall, throwing himself against the his attacker before jumping back just as quickly and spitting fire into the crowd once more. He was backed against the wall so no Ariados could sneak up behind him, but it made little difference: at every moment at least three sets of mandibles were grasping for his throat, hungering for the Fire Type’s blood. Neo desperately struggled against his binding, unclenching his claws to scratch at the strands, tugging them apart little by little. His partner needed him, and that was all he could think about.

It took him longer than he would have liked, the minutes ticking by as he fought the constriction of the webbing with Nyx desperately fighting down below, but eventually he forced his way out, the tear ripping down the side of the web and giving him an escape route. A, I hope your friends come soon. I’ll get you down once it’s safe, but I’ve got to help Nyx now. With that last message, the Meowstic finished sliced down the side of his silky prison, and immediately began to drop, his support gone. Neo dug his claws into the wall, using them to slow his fall despite the burning pain that shot through them as they clashed with the stone, and landed on his feet without too much trouble. His hearing was shot and his head was still spinning, making him long for the lovely silken ear plugs he’d left at the Guild, but his adrenaline was enough to keep him going here. The Meowstic knew what he had to do, and no Ariados was about to stand in his way.

With all the strength he could muster, Neo opened his mouth and shouted, the vibrating of his vocal chords affirming that he’d been successful: his voice, which he’d forced to its maximum volume already, was amplified in a disarming screech that caught the attention of every Ariados in the room. Just as they’d all faced Nyx before, they now turned on him, the Vulpix momentarily forgotten in the wake of Neo’s surprise appearance. The Meowstic almost immediately regretted his decision, with at least twenty pairs of eyes staring him down, but was quickly rewarded with the sight of yet another ring of spinning flames shooting through the center of the Ariados. The spiders were forced back, the unlucky ones who were closest to it receiving nasty burns on their legs, but Neo hardly noticed--he was too preoccupied with the sight of his partner bursting through the flames and jumping to his side, the Vulpix immediately positioning himself between his leader and the Ariados. Nyx’s mouth was moving, but Neo couldn’t make out the words, still deafened by the after-effects of all the screaming. It wouldn’t have mattered either way though, he couldn’t surpass the tightness of his throat as he fought back the sobs that longed to accompany the grateful tears streaking down his cheeks.

The attack began then, the Ariados enraged that their prey had managed to escape again. Neo spotted the detestable female from before toward the center of their ranks and met her eyes with utter hatred welling in his chest. He’d never resented a Pokemon so much in his entire life, but what she’d done--it was unforgivable. A brush of Nyx’s tails got his attention and he saw the Vulpix give him a look of concern, speaking words that he couldn’t hope to hear. Not now, there would be time for this later. Shaking his head, Neo pointed to the Ariados sending a burst of psychic energy at them to prove his point. The visible waves cut into the nearest one, causing it to crumple on its side in agony, and it was very quickly enveloped in flames as Nyx threw in his own attack to accompany his leader.

So it began. They worked together seamlessly, as though there had never been friction between them. Each was only concerned with looking out for the other’s well being, so they made up for one another’s oversights by default. If an Ariados approached Nyx, it would find its way barred by a barrier of light, which was inevitably followed up by a painful bout of confusion brought on by Neo’s Psychic energies; if an Ariados made a move toward Neo, Nyx would be at its throat in an instant, mercilessly overwhelming it with piercing rays that would disorient and confuse it, then leaving the creature to burn. Now and again they would attack together, the Meowstic giving his partner a helping hand by adding his power to the Vulpix’s fire, a combination that worked to a devastating effect.

Eventually there were more bodies than living Ariados left in the room. The spiders had persisted for a long time, but their dedication was beginning to falter. There was only one Ariados left who dared to approach them, and Neo recognized her prideful features in an instant. He put a paw up to keep Nyx at bay, and the Vulpix paused, panting heavily. The Psychic faced the Pokemon that had been the source of all his problems and then he smiled. “Remember how you said I’d have to take my bow from your dead body?” The Meowstic said. “I never got to take you up on that offer.” The Ariados gave a wrathful shriek, her eyes narrowed with rage, and she made to charge at Neo. The smirk on his face broadened as he sent a Psyshock straight into her, sending the spider flying back into the cluster of her companions. He stepped forward, intending to finish her off, but something beat him to it. Unbeknownst to the two Guild Pokemon, the room had gradually filled up with other Pokemon while they were preoccupied with the fight, and they chose that moment to reveal their presence. Twenty-seven eyes blinked open, glowing with blue light, and an enormous mass of energy was sent crashing down into the collection of Ariados: when the light faded, there was nothing left of the spiders at all.

Neo and Nyx stared in awe at the space where the Pokemon had been, neither one fully capable of processing what they’d just witnessed. Nyx fell to his knees, moaning, as he finally allowed the pain to wash over him, and Neo continued to stare, the sounds of the room gradually returning to his ears as his heartbeat began to steady itself. There was nothing left in the room but himself, his partner, and…

A floated down from above, accompanied by two other Pokemon that vaguely resembled him. “Accolades audacious Allies!” he said, his tone filled with something that resembled admiration. “Allies are absolutely amazing!”

“Hired helpers handle heroics heartily,” the one on the left agreed. “Harrowing handling huge hostility!” The one on the right didn’t say anything, but made a peculiar sound that seemed to express its surprise, and the other two responded in enthusiastic agreement. As they continued to chatter, the remaining Pokemon in the room came closer to join the conversation, throwing in their own responses now and then. When he got a closer look at them, Neo found that there was one for every letter of the alphabet, and two extras--the one that had made the sound, which resembled an exclamation point, and one that looked like a question mark, and continually made a different sound of its own. Maybe it was because they were symbols that didn’t have any corresponding sound like letters did; the Meowstic didn’t know, but he figured Nyx would have an opinion on the subject.

Neo turned to look back at his partner and immediately saw that something was wrong. Without hesitation he hurried over to the Fire Type’s side to get a closer look at his injuries, and his expression quickly shifted to dismay as he saw the damage that had been done. He’d never really gotten a good look at the Vulpix after they’d started to fight, but there were definitely more wounds than the Psychic had seen from afar. His side, his right leg, two of his tails, his cheek, the bite marks on the back of his neck--they all were bleeding, coloring his whitening fur red once more. All of the wounds were shallow enough that they shouldn’t have been so debilitating--it was a miracle that the Vulpix had made out as well as he did--but the Ariados poison that was running through his veins made them worse than they appeared. “Oh Nyx…” Neo murmured, kneeling down beside his partner, “Look what they’ve done to you…”

The Fire Type turned his gaze on the Meowstic, looking Neo over with wary, if pained, eyes. The Meowstic looked terribly concerned, but he seemed to be fine physically. There was dried blood on his paws, where the claws had been retracted, and he spotted a thin cut that ran along the Psychic’s side, but otherwise all seemed well with his partner. Nyx sighed, smiling for a moment before he cringed, body convulsing from the pain of the poison. “Thank goodness you’re alright,” the Vulpix said, doing his best to keep a steady tone. “You could have gotten yourself killed entering the battle as you did. I was rather concerned when you wouldn’t talk to me back then.”

Neo stared at his partner blankly, wondering how Nyx could possibly be thinking about him right now. “I couldn’t just leave you alone down there,” the Meowstic said, shaking his head, “No Pokemon can handle a battle like that on his own. Besides, you and I, we’re a team.” The Vulpix sighed, but nodded, expression somewhat distant. “Oh, and I’m sorry I didn’t say anything earlier,” Neo added, “It’s just I couldn’t hear anything. Loud noises kinda have that effect on me.”

Nyx shot up, then immediately crumpled back to the ground, biting his tongue to keep from crying out at the pain. “That… That shouldn’t happen,” he said through clenched teeth, “You’ve regained your hearing now though? Allow me to examine your ears.”

The Psychic shook his head, putting a paw on the Vulpix’s back to keep him from trying to get up again. “No, it’s fine really,” Neo told him, “I’m used to it. It even happened at that party back at the Guild. Remember? I think it was a Carbink?” Nyx nodded, recalling the event vividly. So that had been what had made him so uneasy; this time he’d thought it was just the poison troubling his ears but no--it was his partner who’d prompted the sympathetic responses. “See, and you didn’t even realize anything had happened back there,” Neo said, “It hurts a lot when it happens, but it hasn’t done any permanent damage so far. It just comes from having hyper-sensitive hearing.” The Meowstic looked down at his partner, frowning with worry. “But now isn’t really the time for this. We have to get you some help.”

As if on cue, an Unknown popped up beside them, eyeing the pair with concern. “Pokemon pressured pretty persistently,” it remarked, this one sounding slightly feminine. “Poking pressure points, placing poisonous pincers precisely?”

“Yes, yes, Nyx is hurt,” Neo said before his partner could protest, “Can you do anything to help him?”

“Presently,” she replied, bobbing up and down in a nod, “Plus partner.” The Unknown gave a knowing look at Neo’s head and the Meowstic laughed nervously, hoping that Nyx didn’t pick up on the glance. “Prompting Pokemon presently,” the Unknown said, and floated off to the others.

The group of twenty-eight made their way over in a matter of moments, A leading the bunch with the Unknown who had been speaking with them before beside him. “Allies accept accompaniment?” A said, looking from Nyx to Neo.

“Sure,” the Meowstic replied, “But could you guys maybe carry Nyx? I don’t think he should be walking on his own.”

“Neo, I assure you I’m perfectly--” the Vulpix began, cringing as another wave of pain crested over him and cut him off, “...fine.”

“Carrying comrades completely constructive,” an Unknown piped up, “Capable comrades can consent.” A series of Unknown added their voices to the mix, offering to help carry Nyx, and in the end a collection of seven gathered themselves around him and enlisted Neo to help them transfer the Vulpix to their heads, where he could be carried; it couldn’t have been comfortable for any involved, but it was functional at least.

The peculiar group set off through the castle, chattering with one another as they went. Nyx had fallen unconscious before too long, his breathing growing increasingly shallow as they walked, and Neo kept close watch over his partner as he walked along beside the group carrying him. The Meowstic kept his ears open as they walked, gathering from the group’s conversation that they were in a tower, probably the Northwest tower that the Ghost Types had mentioned before this whole mess happened. The Ariados they’d dealt with had been causing problems for a while now, and the Pokemon of the castle had been under constant threat ever since the spiders had started hunting within the castle grounds. Apparently there had been some sort of rule against it, but there were too many Ariados for any other single group to deal with by the time the problem had gotten really bad--Neo didn’t really get it, garbled as the information was in the Unknown’s alliterative language, but the important thing was that they’d somehow managed to do a service to the Pokemon of the castle.

They arrived at the Unknown’s section of the castle in good time, which Neo figured out when certain members of their group drifted off to go their own ways. “Um, where are they going?”

“Allies acquiring additional aid.”

“Neo, Nyx needs nursing.”

The Meowstic swallowed nervously, not liking the sound of the second Unknown’s tone. “He’ll be alright, won’t he?”

If they were going to respond at all, their chance was cut off by the appearance of the Unknown who’d first showed concern toward Nyx, several others behind her carrying various items intended for treating their wounds. “Procure patients!” she called, prompting the Unknown around Neo and Nyx to bring them forward, Neo being pushed along rather than carried. “Poisoned patient preceding please.” The seven Unknown carrying Nyx shifted him gently to the ground, prompting a small moan from the unconscious Vulpix, and then the procedure began.

Neo was amazed by the efficiency of the whole thing, particularly since the Pokemon in question had no appendages to speak of. Still the Unknown in charge of the affair--Physician P, she introduced herself when treating him--was incredible. She had them all patched up in no time, and had managed to get some Pecha juice down Nyx’s throat to abate the poison. She’d rubbed all of his cuts with a poultice made of the berries as well, and had insisted on using it on Neo as well, as a precaution. Fortunately P determined the Meowstic hadn’t gotten a concussion from his earlier fall, and his ears hadn’t received any lasting damage, but she cautioned him to stop going without his ear plugs, and to be very careful of his head for the next few days. All that remained when she was finished was to wait until the Vulpix woke up; then they would be back in business.

The Psychic sat beside his partner, waiting anxiously for Nyx to regain consciousness, and several Unknown huddled around the pair as well. Although he would have prefered to wait in silence by himself, to allow the headache to wear off, the Meowstic could tell that the Psychics were expecting something from him, so he turned to look at them with a weary smile. “Is...there something you need?”

The group shifted about uncertainly, a few of them mumbling incoherently before A spoke up. “Apologies Ally,” the Unknown said, sounding genuinely remorseful, “Alliteration’s abortion anticipated. A acquiring Ally’s assistance.”

Neo’s eyes widened, fur prickling with unease. They wanted him to help them with their problem? Without Nyx? “You want my help now?” the Meowstic asked disbelievingly.

“Affirmative,” A replied, bobbing up and down rapidly. “Alliteration accrues anarchy. Avid actions against alliteration are accurate actions.” The Unknown looked down at Nyx with a concerned eye, “Alternative ally aggrieved and asleep. Assistance aggravates ailments.”

At least they cared enough about Nyx to recognize that he was in no condition to carry on, not right now. It made sense, the more he thought about it, that he would have to take care of the situation on his own, given the circumstances. Neo wasn’t sure why exactly he’d been expecting otherwise, except that the Ariados issue had been so draining it had felt like a mission all its own. But A and his fellow Unknown were concerned about this “alliteration” issue, that apparently had nothing to do with the spiders, so there was still work to be done. “Alright, I’ll help you,” Neo said, rising to his feet reluctantly. “So long as someone’s looking after Nyx.”

“Please,” P said from her position on the other side of the Vulpix. “Patients possess pinnacle priority. Proper protection prerequisite.”

“Thank you,” Neo replied, voice warm with gratitude. The P Unknown nodded, but looked away without another word--if it wasn’t so unlikely, the Meowstic would almost have thought she was embarrassed. Turning back to the other Unknown, he closed the distance between them readily. “Alright, lead the way!”

A was the only one from the group who’d come to persuade him into action who remained with Neo as they headed off again, but several others came up to take the place of those who had stayed behind. When they finally departed the hall where they’d been resting, there were six others in their group: D, E, I, Q, the question mark, and the exclamation point. They’d introduced themselves (with Q and E introducing the symbols as Question and Exclamation respectively) beforehand, and the Meowstic decided not to ask about how those other than A had been chosen. The Unknown seemed very organized, so it must have been for a reason--he just couldn’t fathom what that might be.

They traveled the halls for a fair amount of time before the Unknown began to grow uneasy, indicating that they had stepped out of the group’s territory. Neo marveled at the change, wondering at what it would be like to never feel safe except in a place that belonged exclusively to you. He could hardly imagine it, so long had he lived among Pokemon who supported each other’s endeavors regardless of how well they knew one another. It was something to be grateful for, not having to worry about this sort of thing in his life, and after this mission he wasn’t likely to forget that.

“Halt!” A voice caught the Meowstic’s ears and he looked up to find himself standing several feet in front of the Unknown, face to face with a rather angry looking Manectric. “Are you deaf, Meowstic? I told you and your little friends to stop!” She clearly wasn’t very happy with him for ignoring her warning, and neither were the pair of Emolga who stood to either side of her.

“I-I’m sorry!” Neo said quickly, resisting the urge to step back and incite their wrath further. “I wasn’t thinking! Or, I mean, I was, which is why I didn’t hear you! My friends and I are trying to--”

“Listen pipsqueak,” she snapped, cutting him off. “I know what you’re trying to do and it’s wrong okay? Now I’ll forgive you for breaking the rules of our territory if you just turn around and leave.” She glared down at him with fiery eyes, and Neo fidgeted uncomfortably. It seemed like she was really serious about this, but what did she mean it was wrong?

“Incorrect!” I had finally found her voice and moved up to stand behind Neo. “It’s inexcusable! It incurs incongruity, injures innocents!”

“You watch your tongue!” the Emolga on the right said, cheeks sparking with indignation, “Nobody’s being hurt, and just because you don’t like it doesn’t mean it’s wrong!”

“That’s right!” the other chimed in, “Besides, you’re out of your area; you have no right to pass judgment here.”

“Quell querulous quipping!”

“Electrics exacerbating emotions!”

“Alliteration aggravates Allies, alarming and agonizing: actions aren’t arbitrary.”

With so many voices bubbling up behind him Neo was beginning to feel the pain of his headache again, and the looks on the Electric Types’ faces were beginning to worry him. When they started responding to the Unknown’s comments there were too many loud voices for him to handle: this wouldn’t do at all. As the arguments started to blend together and both sides began to show signs of aggression, the Meowstic decided he’d had enough. “Everyone quiet!” he shouted, startling even the Manectric into silence. “Thank you. Now let me explain.”

Veilmys
The report was in his paws seconds after the duo arrived back and returned to their team room.
It was only fair to give them some time to collect themselves before they reported to him and it gave him time to read the brief synapses of the completed mission.
Veilmys was a quick reader as well as a thorough one and he so enjoyed learning of his members exploits so much that he stole this particular team from Claudius and demanded the Auroros go and take himself a proper nap.

Generally speaking the Explorers missions were reviewed and marked by the head of that area, but his stubborn companion was stressing himself to death already. He couldn't have the big dummy not at his peak performance in the event of an emergency, now could he?

By the time Nyx and Neo arrived and stepped into the main hall he was positively ecstatic.
"Oh! I never knew Unown had such elaborate group dynamics! It does make sense, though, doesn't it? One for each letter of the alphabet! No wonder they got so upset, but you'd think they would permit a few more vowels though. Scrabble is terribly difficult without a few extras."
The Sylveon's enthusiastic tone trailed off into a soft laugh.
"Vanquished vile vagrant! Verily victory vivified!" Veilmys said with a smile, his ribbons passing a small box over to Neo.
Inside it were the conferred rewards for a job well done as well as something extra.
"That means you a great job, guys. Keep it up~" With a wink the Fairy type would take his leave.
"OH-and make sure you both get checked out in the infirmary to be safe. Ariados are such nasty business."


Obtained:
+2MP
5ooPD
Soothe Bell
During their explorations the team uncovered three items! Two of which will be donated to the guild, but they may have first pick of what to keep as an added reward!

Egg of Mysterious Origins (or) Hidden Power TM (or) Nugget

A Shuppet, forlorn Ditto and beaming Manectric, would arrive later and request to join Team Essence. Yet the team would only be permitted one.

Q looked at the mission request again as they approached the Ruined Castle, expression skeptical. “…You’re sure it isn’t her evil dad we’re rescuing her from?” he asked Guile for what had to be the hundredth time.

Guile rolled his eyes, though the action lacked its usual annoyed exasperation. “Yes, Q,” he answered patiently yet again, “I’m sure. We’re here to retrieve from the castle and bring her back to her father, that’s all.” He couldn’t exactly blame his partner for his skepticism, though – their client’s behavior disgusted even him, and when someone disgusted an ex-thief you just knew the guy in question was the scum of the earth.

Rika huffed, crossing her arms. “Do we really have to? I mean, it’s not like we’re expected to have a one-hundred-percent success rate, right? We can just find her, make sure she’s all right, and then lie to the scumbag.” The client had pushed all the Mawile’s wrong buttons – only Guile’s timely intervention had kept Rika from unloading large amounts of bodily harm on the Pidgeot. Even now, Rika’s false-mouth was twitching and snarling, hinting at the draconic rage boiling underneath the surface.

Up from atop his Daddy’s head, Stormageddon frowned slightly, examining his minions. He could certainly understand why they all seemed so angry with the client-peasant – from the sound of things, he certainly didn’t seem very nice. In addition, he’d insulted the Guild quite a bit. After a moment of thought, the Dark Lord of All nodded to himself decisively; once this mission was over, he’d have to see about inducting a new minion into his Inner Circle – not only would it bolster his forces, but the minion he had in mind would also boost his public image as a benevolent ruler. For now, though… “No fail-chu!” He would not tolerate failure in his ranks, even for a good cause!

Guile reluctantly nodded in agreement. “He’s right; we accepted the mission knowing what it would entail… not counting Q,” he amended, noticing the Elgyem about to speak. Once the albino in question had shut his mouth, Guile continued. “It would look bad for both us and the Guild if it ever got out that we deliberately failed a mission, scumbag client or not.”

Q nodded reluctantly, doing the obligatory goggle-snapping pose once again, albeit with far less enthusiasm than usual. “Team Oddball, mission start,” he mumbled with a sigh.

Guile frowned slightly at Q’s out of character behavior, but once again he couldn’t really blame the guy. “All right Q, let’s have the pictures of the daughter,” he told his friend.

Q blinked owlishly, turning to Guile. “Eh? Whaddaya mean? I thought you had the pictures - you’re the responsible one!”

Guile blinked before groaning, putting his face in his hands. “I was too busy trying to keep Rika from killing the client… how are we supposed to rescue Pidgeot’s daughter if we don’t even know what species she is?!?” They certainly didn’t know her name, since Pidgeot only referred to her via derogatory insults. For all they knew, the Pokémon they were looking for wasn’t even a Flying-type!

“Snakey-chu.”

Immediately three pairs of eyes snapped toward their youngest and arguably most unstable team member, who apparently knew something they didn’t… which likely suggested something negative about their observational skills. Q was the first to speak. “Eh, how do ya figure that, Stormy?”

Stormageddon smirked at the minions, more than happy to show off his bottomless repertoire of knowledge and obver… oberva… ability to notice stuff. “Client call hew no-flight wormy-chu,” he explained. “Wormy small snakey, so giwly must be snakey-chu.”

Q grinned up at the little guy, patting his head and causing the black Pichu to beam at him. “Attaboy, Stormy! I knew bringing you along was a good idea!”

“The logic’s a little flawed, but he still has a point. There’s only so many Pokémon with serpentine body types in existence – I’m sure that’ll narrow down our search considerably,” Guile agreed as they headed into the ruins.

Of course, even with a general idea of what they were looking for, finding Pidgeot’s daughter was easier said than done – the ruins were a complete and utter maze! After what had to be at least half an hour of searching the place, Q spoke up. “Hey, maybe the Pokémon we’re looking for is in a secret room somewhere? Castles have lots of secret rooms!”

Guile sighed. “Q, I highly doubt she’s in some secret room. Besides, if that was the case, then our job would be a lot harder.” Likely remembering what happened the last time he said something like that, he quickly glanced over at Q’s position.

Q blinked as he noticed Guile staring at him. “What? Do I have something on my head? …Besides Stormy, I mean?” Next to him, the aforementioned Pichu was examining the ruins analytically, the pint-sized megalomaniac likely trying to decide whether owning a sinister castle to rule from would be worth the absurd amount of time, effort, and Pokédollars it would take to fix it.

Deciding that the Elgyem wasn’t going to be falling through the floor anytime soon, Guile returned to looking ahead, continuing, “Besides, the odds of us just stumbling upon some hidden area like we did on the Stryker mission are ridiculously slim.”

Naturally, it was at this point Guile heard the distinct sound of centuries-old floor giving way behind him, followed by a familiar voice yelping. The Sableye stopped and wordlessly turned once more, already knowing what he’d see: a hole in the floor, Stormy looking down said hole, and no Q in sight. After a few moments of staring as his brain desperately tried to will the absurdity in front of him away (and failed miserably), Guile allowed himself a strangled whimper at the sheer insanity of the universe.

Rika patted her teammate on the shoulder comfortingly. “There there,” she murmured, “I’m sure the world will start making sense again soon. Now let’s follow the lunatic down the hole, okay?” The Ghost-type nodded mutely, calming from his momentary breakdown.

Down the hole, Q blinked dazedly, pulling his head out of the floor. “And once again, I fall down a hole and land on my head… is this gonna be a running gag?” Yes, yes it is. “Aw, man. Can we at least forgo the me-landing-on-my-head part?” No, that’s the funniest part. “…Sadist.” I resemble that remark.

Blatant obliteration of the fourth wall aside, Q looked around; apparently he’d fallen into a narrow hallway without any doors. One end of the hallway, the one behind him, was blocked by rubble. That left the other end of the hallway as his only viable exit… which, naturally, meant there was a rather intimidating-looking Machoke guarding it. Fortunately he hadn’t noticed Q yet.

Soon the others came down, Guile frowning slightly at the sight of their newest obstacle. “So now we have to go through this guy, too?” he mused. “All right, here’s the plan: I’ll draw his attention, since I’m immune to Fighting-type moves. Rika, Q, you attack him from the back and the sides…” He trailed off as he noticed a member of their team conspicuously missing. “…Stormageddon’s walking up to the guy, isn’t he?” At the pair of nods he got, he gave a long-suffering sigh, turning to confirm that yes, the little Pichu was waddling over to the musclebound guard without any regard for his own safety. The three found themselves unable to do anything but watch, too horrified to move but too morbidly fascinated to look away… sort of like a train wreck.

The Machoke blinked as he felt something tugging on his leg. Looking down, he found the source: a small, oddly colored Pichu with blood-red eyes, giving him the most adorable puppy-eyes he’d ever seen. “Well, heya little guy. How’d you get down here?” The Pichu tried to waddle past him, but Machoke moved, blocking his path. “Sorry little guy, but I’m not allowed to let anyone in; in fact, I’m supposed to capture or kill anyone who comes by. Best go home.” With that, he turned back to his vigil.

Stormageddon scowled adorably, fuming. How dare this… this peasant defy him?!? This moronic musclehead dared to tell the future ruler of the world what he could or could not do?!? He would eviscerate the brute’s very soul for this! For now, though, Stormageddon ignored the urge to slaughter the mindless peon in front of him, instead attempting to slip past the obvious guard once more.

The Machoke frowned at he noticed the little black Pichu try to get by him once more. “All right, little guy, that’s enough; you need to leave.” He reached down to pick the baby Pokémon up, only to yelp in pain as a Thundershock coursed through his arm, paralyzing him.

At the sound of the Machoke crying out, the other members of Team Oddball snapped out of their shock and rushed into action. Q reached the paralyzed Fighting-type first, Psycho Cut blade already formed. With a shout of, “The Force is with me, sucka!” he sliced his opponent across the chest with it, doing a fair amount of damage even as Stormy scurried out of the way.

Machoke grunted in pain, but nevertheless managed to overcome his paralysis, counterattacking with a Karate Chop that slammed into the Elgyem’s skull with considerable force. “Puny fool! I can handle anything you throw at me!”

“Oh yeah? Then handle THIS!”

Machoke blinked at the surprisingly dragonlike roar, only to get the wind knocked out of him as Rika slammed into him in a Dragon Rush, the draconic aura around her eerily resembling a Hydreigon.

Guile regarded the fighting-type in front of him with amusement, currently in a fighting pose as he began gathering ghostly energy. “I’d say you’re losing pretty badly here… how about you just let us through?” When the wounded Machoke only gave the Sableye a glare, the ex-thief shrugged and smirked. “All right… your loss.” With that, he fired off a Night Shade attack that the Fighting-type only barely dodged.

Q grinned. “All righty, time for the finisher! Guile, Night Daze, Rika, Fairy Wind! Stormy, give ‘im a Thundershock!” He himself fired off a Psybeam at the same time his friends fired off their respective attacks, resulting in a beam of twisting pink and black energy circled by lightning and sparkling wind. The attack slammed into their opponent with enough force to blast him through the door behind him; needless to say, he didn’t get back up.

Guile grimaced slightly at the amount of noise their combined attack made. “Well, I hope there isn’t anyone else around, because that probably alerted everyone in the building,” he noted dryly, heading through the resulting opening… and then freezing.

The others came in behind him and similarly froze, Stormy turning to give his jewel-eyed minion a look that said it all: “You just had to jinx it, didn’t you?” The group then dropped into guarded stances, eying the room they’d entered warily.

Before the quartet was a massive room that was likely the castle’s great hall. It was a fairly standard setup… that is, aside from the dozens of cages filled with captive Pokémon, the Duskull, Pawniard, and Murkrow guards, and the Dusclops and Honchkrow that had evidently been in some sort of conversation before Q and the others had busted in. Oh, and each and every one of them was staring at Team Oddball.

The Honchkrow scrutinized them with narrowed eyes. “Hmm… an albino Elgyem and a Sableye… you’re the ones Stryker mentioned, aren’t you?” he noted, his voice cultured with a posh accent. “Fancy meeting you here.” He smirked. “I suppose I should thank you for wrecking the operation at the power plant; it was expendable anyway, and it drew our attention to Stryker’s rather blatant misuse of the power. He was supposed to be collecting it, not hoarding it for himself in an attempt to overthrow me. Might I have the name of the group standing before me?”

Q tensed at the mention of the Zebstrika, eyes becoming calculating. “We’re Team Oddball. Who are you and how do you know Stryker?”

“Ah, a Team… a Rescue Team, from the look of things. That certainly explains it.” The Honchkrow chuckled, somehow managing to make the noise sound both cultured and sinister. “Ah, where are my manners? They call me Dusk, and I am one of the leaders of the Nightfall Syndicate. A pleasure to meet you.”

Q blinked, then turned and pointed to Guile. “Ah-hah! What’d I tell you? Criminal organization!” he declared triumphantly. His triumphant grin faltered slightly at the deadpan look his partner was giving him. “…Right, focus.” He turned back to Dusk. “So… what’s with all the captured Pokémon?” he asked, motioning to the cages around them. “Need ‘em for slave labor or something? Not that it matters; now that we know they’re here, we’re rescuing ‘em!”

Dusk smiled politely. “Well, you won’t be leaving here alive, so I suppose there’s no harm in telling you. They’re not labor; they’re test subjects – we simply haven’t shipped them out yet. Can’t go through with the plan without testing it on a smaller scale first, after all.” Then his smile faltered as he registered Q’s words. “…You mean you weren’t sent here to free the test subjects?”

Q shrugged. “Eh, honestly, we were sent here to find some jerk’s daughter,” he admitted cheerfully. “I just fell through a hole in the floor.“ He completely missed the deadpan look Guile was giving him and Rika’s exasperated expression – did he really have to tell this guy everything? “Sooo… what’s this plan of yours?”

“I see…“ Dusk recovered from his momentary surprise, heading over to a nearby windowsill before glancing over at them. “Well, I see no need to tell you the details of the plan. Not that you’d be able to tell anyone about them anyway, since frankly you’ll be dying here. I’d stay and watch, but frankly I have places to go, people to see. I’m a very busy Pokémon, after all. Ta.” With that, the Honchkrow flew off, and the guards converged around Team Oddball.

Immediately Q began snapping out orders, eyes glowing with psychic energy as he activated his Miracle Eye. “Rika, Guile, you handle the big guy. Stormageddon, we’re handling the rest.” With that, he burst into action, psychic blades awhirl as he cut down the mooks one by one.

Stormy complied, building up a fair amount of Nasty Plot energy in the form of a pitch-black aura. He then began firing off Thundershocks at those that attempted to assault himself and his minions. The boosted electrical attacks did a fair amount of damage against them and paralyzed more than a few enemies, allowing for Q to finish them off. However, there were far more guards than them, and most of them were much faster than Q.

Meanwhile, Rika and Guile were facing off with the Dusclops, both eying their opponent warily. The Dusclops, on the other hand, simply stared calmly before its eye glowed; the walls of the room became enveloped in a glowing blue energy. “…You are now within my Room.” With that, he suddenly vanished, only to reappear and slam a fiery fist into Rika’s gut, sending the Mawile flying.

Rika cried out in pain, but nevertheless managed to get to her feet, going into a Dragon Rush and going on the attack. Unfortunately, Dusclops’s Trick Room-based speed meant that he dodged the powerful attack easily, as well as her attempt to follow up with a Bite. Gritting her teeth, she released a Sweet Scent in an attempt to reduce her opponent’s ridiculous speed.

Off to the side, Guile tensed, thinking quickly as he scanned for attacks. After several moments, he instinctively leaped out of the way just in time to avoid a Thunder Punch. Realizing this was his chance, Guile concentrated, his eyes glowing.

The Dusclops froze in place as Guile’s Foresight activated, suddenly feeling vulnerable. Add that to the Sweet Scent attack Rika had used earlier, it hesitated. Granted, it was only for a split second…

“Rika, NOW!”

…But that split second was all that was needed, the Mawile slamming into Dusclops with another Dragon Rush even as Guile fired off a Night Daze. The two attacks met in the middle, dealing a fair amount of damage; in addition, the attacks’ respective effects activated, paralyzing the Dusclops and blinding it. The large Ghost-type grunted in pain, then began firing off rapid-fire Shadow Punches interspersed with spastic twitches, forcing Guile and Rika to either take cover or receive a whooping; however, several of the attacks made it around their cover anyway, forcing them to endure the punishment.

Back with the other two, Q was grinning like the maniac he was as he sliced and diced the remaining guards with far more speed than he should’ve been able to – he’d have to thank whoever put up that Trick Room! Nearby, Stormageddon had switched to using Sweet Kiss to create large amounts of anarchy among their opponents, the confused attackers turning upon their brethren. Eventually, the last of the guards ended up knocking himself out via confusion, and Q rushed off to help his other team members, Stormy staying there to take a break.

Eventually, the Dusclops managed to regain its sight, managing to overcome its paralysis enough to fire off a powerful Focus Punch in an attempt to crush the duo in front of him. Said Focus Punch was abruptly deflected by one of Q’s Psycho Cut blades; with a shout of “dual-wielding for the win!” the Elgyem then sliced his opponent with both his blades. Add in the large amount of damage the big guy had taken before from the Dragon Rush/Night Daze dual-attack earlier, and the Ghost-type toppled over, defeated.

Q grinned cheerfully and adjusted his goggles, listening to the cheers of the Pokémon in the cages. “Well, that was fun! …Now how do we get all these Pokémon out?” He examined the cages, noting the locks. “…I have no idea how to open these locks. Or any lock, for that matter. Hey Guile, you used to be a thief – can you pick these?”

Guile allowed himself a small smirk as he scrutinized the locks. “These? C’mon, I could pick them in my sleep – give me a challenge, at least.” One by one he began releasing groups of Pokémon from the cages, setting them free. Once the last of them was open, he turned and blinked. “…Where’d the Dusclops go?” Come to think of it, Stormy was missing too – no, wait, there he was, with a small, sharp, ectoplasm-stained rock in hand… wait a sec…

Unseen to the others, Stormageddon gave Guile a pointed stare, pointing at himself, then the diamond-eyed thief, then moving a finger across his throat, the message clear: “Rat me out, and you’re next.”

Guile hastily decided not to continue that line of thought for the sake of his health, instead turning to Q. “So… my guess is Pidgeot’s daughter is somewhere among this lot. Any idea how to find her?”

Q considered this a moment, then pulled out a megaphone and turned to the mass of released Pokémon looking for an exit. ”’SCUSE ME!” Everyone in the room cringed at the sheer volume, several of the Pokémon with more sensitive hearing tripping and falling due to having their eardrums burst. Still, it certainly got their attention. ”WOULD ANY OF THE FEMALES HERE HAPPEN TO BE THE DAUGHTER OF A JERKWAD PIDGEOT?”

Behind him, Guile was similarly cringing, and Rika was giving him an exasperated look for the volume level as she cleaned out her ear. Stormy, on the other hand, had gotten ideas from the demonstration and was now plotting an evil plot involving many eardrum-bursting items… of evilness.

After a moment’s pause, a small green head hesitantly poked out of the crowd. ”OKAY THEN, WE NEED TO TALK TO YOU. THE REST OF YOU CAN RESUME LEAVING.” The crowd of Pokémon was more than happy to do just that, most heading out the door, though a few lagged behind somewhat to help those with burst eardrums.

Their client’s daughter turned out to be a Caterpie, who was staring at them warily. Apparently when their client had called her a flightless worm he’d meant the phrase literally. “A-Are you here to take me back to my f-father? B-Because I’m warning you, I-I won’t go quietly!”

Q blinked, then nodded in understanding even as he put the megaphone away. “Oh… ‘Cause of the abuse, right?”

The Caterpie stiffened in fright. “H-H-How did you kn-know?” she squeaked. “H-He managed to hide it from everyone else!”

Q shrugged. “Then everyone else must be pretty dense; he wasn’t exactly subtle about it, after all. I mean, there was the constant calling you worthless, the regular instances of belittling you, the repeated and often redundant insults…” He promptly panicked when their rescuee burst into tears. “Gah! What’d I say this time?!?”

Guile palmed his face, and Rika shook her head in exasperation. Apparently her old friend was still just as useless in the face of a crying girl as always. Stormageddon just watched curiously, idly wondering why the green thing was crying. It wasn’t like Daddy had said anything mean to her, after all.

Their client calmed down after a few moments, allowing Q to speak again. “Sooo… I’m Q, the ex-thief is Guile, the violent Mawile is Rika, and the small, sparky ball of adorable is Stormageddon. Collectively, we go by the awesomely awesome name of Team Oddball!” Here he struck an exaggeratedly dramatic pose, probably trying to get the sniffling Bug-type to crack a smile… or maybe he was just that ridiculous. Actually, it was probably the second option.

Nevertheless, the Caterpie giggled slightly. “M-My name’s Pippa. N-Nice to meet you.” She was still rather nervous about the idea of going back to her Pidgeot father, though, and it showed – the poor girl looked ready to run any second now.

Q considered the dilemma before him; on the one hand, he was supposed to bring her back, but on the other hand, he wasn’t exactly inclined to leave her to the mercy of her douchebag father. “…Tell ya what… if your dad tries to hurt you or something for running away, I’ll sic Rika on him!” he declared, nodding matter-of-factly as if that solved everything… and to him, it probably did.

CHOMP! “How many times do I have to tell you that I’m not some pet for you to sic on people?!?” Rika snapped at the Elgyem now writhing in her false-mouth. She then turned to a wide-eyed Gemma. “That being said, he’s right this time: if your dad tries to hurt you, I’ll lay a world of hurt on him.”

Pippa hesitated before nodding shyly. “A-Alright.”

Q slipped out of Rika’s grip and grinned cheerfully. “All righty! Team Oddball, Mission… SUCCESS!” He then paused and added in that same cheerful tone, “Now how do we get out of here? ‘Cause I can’t levitate us out, I can’t teleport, and frankly I don’t feel like wandering around in here.”

Guile frowned slightly at that, going over to the window Dusk had flown out of either and looking out it. “Well, this way isn’t looking too good either,” he noted dryly, examining the large body of water right below the windowsill. He grabbed a stick and poked the water with it, and immediately a Sharpedo jumped out and tore the stick to shreds. “…Yeah, definitely not getting out that way.”

Q considered the question and then nodded to himself. “Then I guess there’s only one thing to do…” He then threw his arms up in the air and began running around like a headless Torchic while screaming. This caused him to run smack-dab into a Claydol.

The Claydol stared silently at Q, actually seeming a little surprised before it dissolved into amusement. He remembered meeting this peculiar little fellow back in the Desert Plains.

Q seemed to similarly recognize the Claydol and blinked, jumping to his feet with a cry of surprise. “It’s you! How’d you get here from those desert caverns?!? …Say, any chance you could teleport the five of us out of here?”

The large Ground-type considered it a moment before nodding, eyes glowing. The next thing the team knew, they were in front of the rendezvous point specified by the client.

Guile blinked in bemusement, shaking off his disorientation from the sudden Teleport. “Well, that was awfully convenient.” He turned to Q, whose head was currently embedded in the ground for some reason. “Come on, Q, let’s complete the mission.”

The albino Elgyem managed to yank his head out of the indent in the ground, pointing dramatically. “Right! Onward!” With that, Team Oddball and Pippa went to meet with the client. Still, the less carefree of the team couldn't help but wonder what the Nightfall Syndicate was - what exactly were they planning?

(And now I have an antagonistic group to integrate into longer missions! LET THERE BE PLOT! mrgreen
On a completely unrelated note, hope you don't mind me painting the client as an abusive jerk... because let's face it, the request gives off that kind of vibe. I also hope you don't mind that I made his daughter a Caterpie. sweatdrop )

(Well, to be fair we're talking about a world that is based off a world where a blob of toxic waste and a possessed chandelier can make eggs together... but with no Egg Groups. I'd say a Caterpie is positively tame compared to the other options I could've picked - for a few moments I actually considered making her a Trubbish just for the heck of it. xd
Dramatic tension, right. I'll try to remember that.)

Pidgeot's first action was to immediately glare and start shouting abuse at poor Pippa; naturally, he quickly quailed when he felt Rika glaring at him, the usual draconic aura of rage appearing around her. Nevertheless, he stupidly attempted to strike his daughter and got kicked out by the Bisharp. Then, because he'd promised Pippa, Q promptly sicced Rika on the Flying-type. Needless to say Team Oddball came back to their room satisfied and Pidgeot left a mass of bruised and bleeding flesh.
Upon seeing the new recruits, Q considered them all a moment, then turned to Guile for help. Guile then set up a rather odd screening session that basically consisted of locking both groups in a room with Stormageddon and seeing which ones didn't lose their nerve. Only time would tell who made the cut.

(Translation: too tired at the moment to pick which recruits to take, will figure it out in the morning. xd )

Guild Leaders
Serrin, Rescue Leader of Eclipse

Serrin would make his way down to the infirmary once he received the report. There would be a brief period of surprise and annoyance when he realized that Neo and Nyx hadn't participated in the mission. It would have been good if they had for a variety of reasons, but the brief and mild emotions quickly passed. Regardless of who had went, it was still good to see good work get done. The mother was back and everybody seemed relatively unharmed. That was enough. "Good job."

A few quick words were exchanged between Serrin and the various people present in order to get a clear image of the situation. Once he had a proper understanding of things, he nodded. "The reward was anted up by a relative. They should be arriving tomorrow and we'll see to it that both Sage and Cypress are taken care of. Head home and get some rest."

The following day, two pokemon would show up at Team Essence's door. Alexandru, of course, was looking for a new home. The relative of Sage and Cypress came with the reward and a similar request; they were enthralled as such with Sage's description of Air and Lux's heroic actions that they were interested in doing such good themselves. As a Rescue Team, Team Essence would have increased flexibility on how they handled the propositions.

Rewards!
- Two MP
- Heal Bell TM
- ??? (800 PD!)
- Zubat Recruit
Bonus! Kangaskhan Recruit

((The hold up on the grading was mostly me deciding how much I valued length vs. other factors. In the end, I decided that you accomplished enough in terms of density (the number of things that happened), change (developments in the characters) and interaction (how they communicated with one another) to deserve the two MP. It wasn't very long but it was certainly well-written and I think you did a good job in accomplishing your goal of relative minimalism.))