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"We'll be helping a poliwag today~" said Crystal, looking over a job list.
"I can see that." said Jadin, looking over her shoulder.
Crystal shrugged. "So, shall we take it today?"
"i don't see why not." he said.
"Well, then let's go." She grabbed him by one of his star... horn... things, with her beak, and tried todrag him. IT wouldn't have worked had he not been willing to go, and he followed her out to the west.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"So this is the Mystic Woods?" Jadin looked around curiously. Crystal nodded enthusiastically. "The mystc water is on the twentieth floor! So let's get moving, Jay-Jay~!" Crystal jumped up and down excitedly, and plunged into the woods. "Do not call me that." said Jadin as he wriggled after his partner.
(will finish this later)

Era fidgeted nervously beside her partner as he looked over the Bulletin Board. It had been a few days that they had been together now, but she still couldn’t grow used to his constant silence. He never spoke unless she said something to him, and then it was normally only a few words that she got in return. Ethfael was unnerving, but he was going to be her partner, the co-captain of Team MistMelody for a long time. Trying to gather her courage, the Pichu looked up at the board as well, wondering which mission would be the best for their first outing as a rescue team. I hope we do well, she thought nervously as she looked at the large number of daunting missions on the board.
“That one.” Ethfael’s voice seemed to echo in Era’s ears as the Dratini pointed his tail at a certain mission notice. It was near the bottom of the board, so Era reached up and pulled it off, reading through it as she did so.
“A Pidgeot?” she said questioningly when she had finished reading. Ethfael nodded an affirmative but said nothing. “Well,” Era said after an uncomfortable moment of silence, “I think we can handle it. The Mystic Woods sounds like as good a place as any to visit.”
“We'll need more apples,” Ethfael commented as he looked through their bag.
Era nodded, “Alright, I'll take care of it.”
Ethfael held Era's gaze for a few long seconds before nodding. “Very well. Meet me back here in one hour and we will set out.”

~~~~

Sunflora's Garden

Era slipped into the shop, greeted by the sweet scent of berries and apples. "Hello," the shop owner greeted her. Smiling, Era nodded to the Sunflora, and then began to look around the shop for what she needed. Today was a big day, she and Ethfael were headed off on their first mission, and they needed to be ready for it. "Let's see..." she said, skimming the merchandise. As tempted as she was to look at the luscious-looking gummis over on the shelves, Era knew that it wasn't what she needed. They needed apples for their long journey, and just as the thought came to her, she spotted the apples in a barrel beside the counter.
Tentatively, Era reached up towards the top of the barrel, to short to see over it, and attempted to grab an apple by feel. When she got a good grip on one she pulled and it came plummeting down. Era just barely got a hold of the apple before it touched the floor, finding it much bigger than she had expected it to be. "Do you need a hand?" the Sunflora asked kindly, taking the apple from her and setting it on the counter.
Era looked down, embarrassed, "Thank you, I need four apples."
The Sunflora picked out three more apples from the barrel and then placed the four apples in the bag. "There you are," she said, "That will be 100PD."
Era took the money out of the sack that she was carrying and handed it to the Sunflora. "Thanks again," she said as the shopkeeper handed her the bag.
"Take care!" the Sunflora called as Era left. She nodded in response to the shopkeepers words as she walked out and then hurried to return to the guild.

~~~~

Standing at the border of the great woods, Ethfael felt a sense of awe for the sheer size of the place. It was no wonder that a legendary Celebi was said to make its home here, for the natural beauty of the forest was more stunning than anything he had seen before. “Amazing...” he murmured, gazing upon the trees. Era standing next to him seemed to share the same emotions, the Pichu’s eyes glistening in wonderment at the sight. It seemed to have rendered her speechless as she stared out at the trees looming over them.
“Do we have everything that we need?” Ethfael said at last, breaking the silence which had taken up residence in the clearing.
Seemingly startled, the Pichu opened the bag draped over her shoulder to check the contents. After a moment she looked up and nodded an affirmative to Ethfael. “Yes,” she said, “We have everything that we need in here.” Era gave a small bounce of joy, “Aren’t you excited Ethfael?” she said suddenly, “It’s our very first mission!”
Slightly thrown off by her comment, Ethfael nodded slowly, and then again with purpose. “Yes,” he said, “I am excited.” It was a strange feeling to Ethfael to be able to talk to someone about anything, but that was simply the way that Era was. The little Pichu was so easy to talk to that he found himself having a conversation with her instead of keeping to himself as he normally did. Still though, she was his partner and co-captain, so that was how it was supposed to be, right?
“Well then,” Ethfael said, “Shall we go?” Era nodded, her gaze filled with determination, and together they stepped forward into the shadow of the trees of the Mystic Woods.
~~~~
Before too long, and much faster than it seemed should be possible, the entrance to the woods had vanished, leaving the two Pokemon alone under the trees. Despite the fact that they couldn’t leave however, there was a deep sense of peace about the woods which cause both Era and Ethfael some peace of mind. The sound of running water could be heard faintly up ahead and the trees swayed lightly in a breeze which came from high above the path in the forest.
Era took in a deep breath of air, smiling as the scent of blooming flowers greeted her. “It’s nice here, isn’t it?” she said to Ethfael who nodded, seeming to be lost in his own thoughts. The one odd thing was that no Pokemon aside from themselves were about. It seemed strange to Era that the Pokemon who lived in this place wouldn’t be around, especially since the weather was fine and it was as close to a perfect day as you could get. After a few more moments of this, Era felt it necessary to say something to Ethfael, if only to ease the unsettling feeling that was growing in her mind. “Ethfael,” she said nervously, “Is it just me, or does it seem a bit strange to you too that no one else is around?”
The Dratini nodded slowly, the same thought having been on his mind. “Yes,” he said, “I was thinking the same thing.”
A shiver went down Era's spine as she looked around, suddenly feeling very small as she thought of what could be causing it. Ethfael sensed his partner's unease and patted her on the back with his tail. “Calm down Era,” he said reassuringly, “We'll be fine.” Era felt slightly better as he spoke, and did her best to comply to his words.
As the two continued to wander along through the woods, the chatter of the stream grew louder, although there were still no other Pokemon in sight. “I wonder what's keeping them all away?” Era said to break the endless silence. “Someone has to be around here somewhere, don't they? I mean, in a place of this size there can't just be no Pokemon, can there?”
Ethfael shook his head, reciting what he had read about this place. “The Mystic Woods is a beautiful forest with large amounts of plants and Pokemon who make their home there. It is also the location of a shrine to the time-traveling Pokemon Celebi, who is rumored to make its home there. Sightings of Celebi are rare, but not unheard of, and many Pokemon visit the shrine to honor this remarkable legend. A reminder to travelers, the peaceful atmosphere of these woods can be deceiving, for the Pokemon who live there strongly dislike the presence of others in their home.” He laughed when he saw the puzzled look on Era's face as she tried to process all of the information he had said. “In other words,” Ethfael said, “There should be other Pokemon here, although they won't necessarily be friendly when we meet them.”
A look of comprehension registered on Era's face as she pieced it all together. “Okay!” she said with a smile. “Of course...That does mean that something's wrong then...” The smile faded and Era looked around cautiously for any sign of hostile Pokemon. “You don't think that some powerful Pokemon is causing this,” she said, “Do you?”
Ethfael considered the thought, “Well I suppose it could be,” he said, “But the odds of something like that happening are very unlikely, aren't they?”
“Not as unlikely as you think,” said an unknown voice behind them, and both Era and Ethfael spun around to face the hostile newcomer. Before them stood a haughty-looking Stantler who stared down at them as if contemplating which would be the first to go.
“Who are you?” Era challenged, keeping the quaver out of her voice as she stared the much larger Pokemon in the eye.
“Who am I?” the Stantler asked, looking offended. “Why, I am Therrin, the most feared Stantler around the Mystic Woods! Who might you two eyesores be?”
Era drew herself up to her full height, doing her best to appear intimidating. “We are Team MistMelody of the Guild of the Sun, and we will not let you terrorize innocent Pokemon!” she announced proudly.
Without warning, the Stantler burst into laughter. “The two of you are a rescue team?” he said through his chuckles, “I'm sure. Next you'll be telling me that Arceus is going to come and punish me for my evil deeds or some nonsense like that.”
Ethfael had had about enough of the Stantler by this point and stared him down coldly. “I doubt that Arceus would bless someone like you with his presence,” he said icily, “However we'll be happy to teach you not to torment other Pokemon.”
The Stantler recovered quickly and then blew off Ethfael's comment. “The Pokemon in this part of the woods don't so much as take a step without my permission. I'm a king!” he declared, “And two puny pests such as yourselves are not going to take that away from me!”
Era simmered with anger until at last she couldn't hold it in any longer, she charged at the Stantler, and Headbutted him in his front legs. The Stantler stumbled, caught off guard by the powerful attack and then he brayed in anger, preparing to charge at Era. Ethfael, spotting the move, leaped forward in the Pichu's defense, using Extremespeed on their foe, directly to his side. The Stantler gasped, feeling the wind knocked out of him, which left ample opportunity for Era to send her Thundershock at him. The Stantler fell to his knees as the volts sizzled through him painfully. He struggled to stand but was instantly doused by water accompanied by a painful whack as Ethfael used Aqua Tail. The remaining electricity sparked again, causing the last of the Stantler's fighting spirit to be crushed. “How could two mites like you...” he panted, “Beat me?”
Era stood defiantly before him, her confidence bolstered by their success. “We're not just anyone,” she said, “We are Team MistMelody. A Pokemon rescue team who will stop at nothing to protect all that is good!” Perhaps a bit of what she said registered to the Stantler, because he looked at them with a bit of respect before Ethfael gestured for them to head off.
Era followed her partner as they left the Stantler behind. As soon as he was out of earshot, Era turned to Ethfael. “We make such a great team!” she said brightly, “Look how fast we took out that Stantler back there!” Looking down modestly, she added, “You were great back there Ethfael, and so brave.”
Ethfael felt quite flattered by Era's comment, but protested. “If it's bravery we're talking about, you were the braver, standing up to that villain with more confidence than I could ever have.” Now it was Era's turn to feel flattered, but she smiled walking with a bit of a skip in her step.
As the two continued traveling forward, they saw notable change in the atmosphere of the woods. Ever so slowly other Pokemon began to appear, cautiously at first, and then surging forward with joy that they no longer were in danger. A timid-looking Paras came forward with admiration in his eyes and wariness in his step. “Th-Thank you,” he whispered softly. “Therrin was very cruel to us, and some of us even feared that we would never be able to go where we chose again.”
Era smiled kindly at the young Pokemon. “It was no trouble,” she said to the Paras, reaching her paw out to shake his claw and show that they meant no harm. “What's your name?” she asked.
“I-I'm Erinn,” he said in the same cautious voice.
“Well then Erinn,” she said, “It's a pleasure to have help you and the others out. Take care and never give up and maybe someday you'll be able to protect others too.” The Paras nodded, before retreating away to the shadows and leaving her and Ethfael alone again. Looking over at Ethfael who had been silent the entire time, Era smiled, “It's good to know that we're doing some good, isn't it?” she said. Ethfael nodded, but had retreated into silence again. Puzzled Era continued on beside him, wondering if something was troubling him.
After a short period of time, the two came across the river, running rapidly in a northern direction. Ethfael watched the river progress and followed its path as it disappeared into the trees. “I think we should-” he started, but found his voice cut off into a splutter as he was doused with water. Era, who had been examining an interesting flower by the river, turned to see what was wrong, only to be hit by a glob herself just as she was about to ask how the Dratini had gotten so wet. Angrily, Ethfael searched looked around for the culprit, but only heard irritating giggles coming from the river. “Poliwag,” he said angrily. Again the giggles started up, this time with higher intensity.
By this time, Era had managed to recover from her own dousing and scurried over to the river to examine the situation. “Where are they?” she asked in confusion. “You can't see them at all.” As she peered over, Era's eyes began to droop, and then without warning she fell, unconscious, into the river. Ethfael watched this occur in terror, and then in a burst of Agility, he dove into the river after Era.
Submerged underneath the water, the Poliwag became visible, staring spitefully at Ethfael and Pounding him from all sides to try to impede his progress. More annoyed than hurt by the attacks, Ethfael turned and used Icy Wind. The result was a group of frozen Poliwag drifting in the river, and Ethfael turned to try and find Era. There, the thought rang through his mind as he swam rapidly after his friend. Aided by his Agility, he was able to reach her before she sank too far, and he wrapped himself around her and swam towards the surface, his lungs crying out for air. At last they broke the surface and Ethfael gasped for air while desperately pressing against the current towards the riverbank. He searched around in desperation for a spot for him to climb up onto, but to no avail, for the sides of the river were steep and without edges to grab onto. Looking back at Era, he saw that she wasn't faring so well, swallowing as much water as she coughed up in her sleep. Ethfael did his best to keep her and himself above the water's surface as he scanned the sides, waiting for the first chance that he could get onto dry land.
After what seemed like ages, Ethfael spotted an incline up the side of the river. Going forth with all his strength he made it to the side and slithered up it, only releasing Era when they were both safely on the grass by the river. The moment he let go of her, Ethfael pressed on her stomach, causing her to spit up the water that she had swallowed. The Pichu's breathing returned to normal, and Ethfael kept watch beside her until she awoke.
When Era blinked open her eyes, she looked quite confused, “Ethfael?” she said, looking at him, “What happened? I was looking in the water a moment ago and now I feel as if I've swallowed an ocean.”
“Hypnosis,” was Ethfael's response. “They used that on you, and I dove in after you. I took care of them and then brought us back up to the shore, although I have no idea where we are now.”
Era listened, and then looked at Ethfael with gratefulness. “You saved my life,” she said in surprise.
The Dratini looked away, embarrassed by the praise. “It was nothing, really.” Era shook her head disbelievingly, but said nothing so as not to make him more uncomfortable.
With their bearings entirely lost, the two agreed that their wisest course of action was to follow the river, so that is what they did. There was a new understanding between them now that something so perilous had happened and it seemed to allow them to get along better than before. As they walked along beside the river, Era started up a conversation. “Hey Ethfael, I have a question for you,” she said. He nodded for her to continue, and so she did. “Why did you join the Guild?”
Ethfael pondered how best to answer the question, and then decided that the truth, however painful would be the easiest. “I came to the Central Territory several years back out of curiosity, and I left my family behind. When I came back to visit, I found out that they all had left our home leaving no hint as to where they could have gone. I went to the Guild because I hoped that one day I might find my family somewhere again.”
Era's eyes shone with tears. “That's such a sad story,” she said, “I went exploring too, but I came back to my family, who then sent me on to the Guild because they said that it was best for me. If they had been gone when I came back...I...I...” Her sentence trailed off.
Ethfael smiled gently at the little Pichu and patted her on the back with his tail. “It's alright,” he said. “I'm sure I'll find them.”
Era nodded, wiping a tear from her eye. “I'll help,” she said. “We'll search for them together on our missions. I'm sure we'll find them some time.”
“Thank you,” Ethfael said. “I appreciate it.”
At that point, Era heard her stomach grumble and blushed in embarrassment. Ethfael smiled at the Pichu and stopped, “Maybe we should stop and have something to eat,” he said, “I was getting a little hungry myself.” Gratefully, Era nodded and removed the bag from her shoulder, setting it down on the ground and removing some apples. Together they ate enough to sate their hunger for a while, and then packed up again before continuing onward.
They walked on beside the stream, which wound around flowing ever onward. The scenery, although beautiful was remarkably repetitive, and Era couldn’t shake the feeling that they might be going in circles. “Are you sure we’re going the right way?” she asked finally. “It’s like everything keeps repeating itself.”
“We can’t be going in circles,” Ethfael responded, “A stream doesn’t circle around. It flows forward and onward.” Era remained quiet then but he caught her glancing at the trees intently, and he tried to reassure her. “Really Era,” he said, “We’re not going in circles.”
The Pichu shook her head. “It’s not that,” she said, “I think that we’re being followed.” Era’s ear twitched as she heard the noise again; the sound of twigs crunching underneath a light step of someone. “Who’s there?” she said. “Show yourself!” She was met by silence, broken only by the sound of rustling ferns.
Ethfael raised his tail in front of Era to stop her from moving. He caught her eyes in a silent signal saying Wait. Without warning a pair of razor sharp leaves burst out of the foliage straight towards the unsuspecting rescue team. Shoving Era to the side with his tail and leaping to the side himself, Ethfael managed to help Era avoid the attack while only being nipped by the sharp leaves himself. “Oddish,” he called to Era, “It’s hiding so that we can’t attack it!”
Era stared into the trees trying to separate the green of the trees from the fronds on the Oddish’s head. As she looked more razor sharp leaves spun towards her and she barely managed to duck in time. At that moment Ethfael breathed out a cloud of frigid wind towards the trees. A shudder seemed to come from the shadows as an Oddish tumbled out, quivering from cold with ice clinging to its fronds. The Pokemon glared at them hatefully and spat up a glob of poison toward Ethfael. Deftly he dodged it, and occupied the Oddish's attention as it continued to try and hit him with the poison. This gave Era ample time to charge up her Thundershock and fire it at the wild Pokemon. The Oddish went reeling back and fell into the stream and quickly it was swept away by the ever rushing water. Era and Ethfael watched until it disappeared from sight before continuing onward.
They walked along without mishap for quite some time after that until they came across a large stone slab with words inscribed in it. Moss grew on it's top and flowers grew all around it, some were even placed on the ledge at the bottom of the slab. “What's this?” Era asked in a hushed voice. “Could it be...?”
Ethfael nodded, “Yes, it must be the shrine to Celebi.” The Dratini went over to the shrine and bowed his head in reverence. “Celebi is such a great Pokemon,” he said to Era as she came over beside him. “Celebi travels through time whenever it chooses in order to maintain the peace of the forests. If there is any trouble threatening a forest, you can bet that Celebi won't be too far away trying to stop it. Celebi has done so many things for the good of all Pokemon, which is why there is a shrine to honor it here.”
Era nodded as she listened to Ethfael's explanation. “Thank you Celebi,” Era said softly. “May Arceus be with you on your travels.” Ethfael bowed his head in silent agreement and they stood there honoring Celebi. After a time, Ethfael gently nudged Era gestured that they should head off. She nodded, and they left the shrine in silence.
When they left the shrine, they continued to follow the river until at last Ethfael decided that they had followed it long enough. “If we keep following this river for much longer, we'll just end up on the other side of the forest,” he said, “We have to turn off of this path at some point, so I think that now is as good as ever.”
Weighing the options, Era found that she had to agree with Ethfael. It would do them no good to go all the way through the woods to the other side, because that was not their mission. It was a rescue, not an exploration. “Well,” she said, after a pause, “You've got a point. Whatever happens though, I think we're bound to run into the Pidgeot at some point in this forest. We've already seen a Stantler with serious issues, and if he wasn't bothering someone before he probably would have gotten a complaint sent in about him sooner or later. If we find someone like that just after we arrive, then this Pidgeot can't avoid us forever.”
So, diverting from the path of the river, they pushed through the trees. The thickness of the woods made this a rather cumbersome task but they managed it somehow. “It's almost like the trees are trying to keep us from going this way,” Era said jokingly after the fifth time she'd picked herself up from the ground after being hit by a wayward branch.
“I wouldn't be surprised if it was something like that,” Ethfael said seriously, draining the laughter from Era's expression. “After all, there have been stranger things.” A large gust of wind blew towards them, and Era grabbed onto a nearby branch to keep herself from blowing away. It succeeded to that effect, but ended up bringing the Pichu with it as it swung back up through the air. She clung on for dear life as she ended up ten feet off the ground. “Hang on!” Ethfael called from below. “I'll figure out a way to get you down!”
As Era stared down at her partner, she found that she was less scared than pleased to be up in the air again. Sitting there on the branch, she looked out into the sea of branches bemusedly. Then she got an idea; perhaps she could be of more assistance up here than she was on the ground. “Ethfael!” she called down to her partner, “Since I'm up here, do you want me to get a better view? Maybe I can find out where we should be going!”
Ethfael stared up at her in surprise. “Are you sure?” he asked, “You don't have to if you don't want to!”
“I'm sure!” was Era's eager response, and quickly she scampered up the tree. Higher and higher she climbed until she was at the very top of the tree, so high that the entire forest was visible and the sky seemed close enough to touch. Era smiled at the breeze which brushed past her, wishing that she could fly, but then she let her fantasies go, returning to the mission at hand.
Scanning the tops of the trees for any signs of disturbance, Era spotted a clearing to the far left of where she was. A strong gust of wind suddenly burst forth from it, causing the tops of the trees to bend in it's wake, and Era caught sight of the wingtips of a Pidgeot as they righted again. “There we are,” she whispered, and turned to head back down the tree.
On her way down she encountered several Seedot bustling around a hole in the tree. Intrigued, Era looked down trying to catch a glimpse of what was inside, but at that moment, one of the Seedot spotted her. It shrieked in alarm and before Era knew it Bullet Seed was being fired at her from all sides. “Hey!” Era said indignantly as a few of the seeds skimmed her head. “Stop that!” Instead this seemed to increase the attacks. Tired of being attacked by every other Pokemon she met, Era leaped down to the branch where the Seedot were and used Headbutt to knock the closest one off the branch. The other Seedot were stunned into silence, and Era stared them down. “Who's next?” she said, her cheeks sparking dangerously. Wisely, the rest of the Seedot fled for cover. Era peeked into the hole which had started the trouble with interest, inside was a Leaf Stone tucked in moss. “I wonder how that got there,” she mused, but left it alone, and hurried back down the tree.
When she reached the ground, Ethfael was waiting for her. “What took you so long?” he asked as soon as she was safely on the ground. “I was afraid you'd fallen.”
Era laughed, “Nothing like that,” she said, “I just ran into some Seedot who decided that I was a threat. I took care of one of them and the rest ran off, so I was able to make it the rest of the way.” Ethfael looked surprised, and she laughed again. “I found our Pidgeot while I was up there,” she added, “It was over that way, come on.” She bounded off into the woods leaving Ethfael to catch up.
The trees grew more and more close together, so, on Ethfael's suggestion, they circled around the area. “It's amazing how dense the woods grow here,” the Dratini commented as they wound back and forth around tree trucks. “Even for having been around for so many years, you would think that it wouldn't be this thick.”
“It might be Celebi,” Era said, her voice slightly muffled, “You said that Celebi helps forests grow, so maybe this is some sort of defense of the forest?”
Ethfael shrugged, “I wouldn't know, but it's a good defense if that was its intended purpose,” he said, “I can hardly see you even though you're right in front of me.”
“Look!” was Era's response. “A clearing!”
They walked out of the thick foliage to find themselves on a path of sorts once again. “Darn,” said Era, “I thought for sure we'd made it.” Then she perked up again, “Oh well, it has to be close to the end of this path, right?”
“I suppose,” Ethfael said with a sigh, there were so many dead ends in this place.
Together they headed off down the path, in hopes that it would lead to their destination. More soon than later however, they came to another dead end. “That's weird,” Era said, “Let's go back.” However, when they went back, there was a fork in the path. “This is really weird,” Era said, “This definitely wasn't there before.”
“A labyrinth?” Ethfael said in disbelief. “Really?” Era shrugged, still trying to figure out which path to take. “Wait,” Ethfael said, “Listen.” From a path to the right the sound of a harsh wind could be heard which stirred the trees. Ethfael nodded, “That's where we're headed.”
As they headed down the path the wind grew stronger until they reached a clearing where a Pidgeot was hovering over a group of Rattata. “I've just got one left to add to my collection,” he said menacingly to the tiny Pokemon. “Then you'll get your father back.” The little Rattata squeaked helplessly as the enormous bird Pokemon glared at them. “And don't even think about trying to escape when I'm gone. You know that I can eat any of you whenever I feel like it.”
Era glared in anger at the Pidgeot. “How could he torment those poor children!” she whispered furiously, “It's not right!” Ethfael hushed Era with a look and pointed to the Pidgeot who had begun to look around.
When he had turned around again, Ethfael responded, “We should surprise him. You go left and I'll go right.” Era nodded and then they split up to prepare to attack the evil Pidgeot.
After a moment Ethfael stepped out into the clearing behind the Pidgeot. “Hey you!” he called out sharply to the much larger Pokemon, “Stop that!”
The Pidgeot whirled around and then chuckled at the sight of Ethfael. “Oh,” he taunted. “And I suppose that you intend to stop me?”
“Yes,” Ethfael said defiantly, “Yes I do.” The Pidgeot advanced on him, and Ethfael came forward to meet him.
Just then, as they were about to begin battle, a bright light appeared from the far end of the field. Just as the Pidgeot turned around Era slammed into him, knocking him over with the powerful force of her Volt Tackle. The Pidgeot shrieked in agony as the volts ran through him and he aimed a Drill Peck at Era. She leaped back and forth trying to avoid the sharp beak as Ethfael used Icy Wind on the Pidgeot. “You fiends!” the monster shrieked, and clipped Ethfael into the air with a Wing Attack. The Dratini winced with pain but made the best of his predicament, using his vantage in the air to use Extremespeed on the Pidgeot from the side. The Pidgeot grunted from the impact and turned its rage on the much smaller Pichu. “Come here you little mite!” he said, “I’ll turn you to dust!” He took off into the air and flew straight at Era, snatching her up in his talons.
Era for once was horrified as she rose up into the air, afraid of what the Pidgeot would do to her. Then she got an idea and shouted down to Ethfael, “Look out!” She turned around as the Pidgeot dove down, certain to drop her any moment. This is going to hurt, she thought, and then shouted at the Pidgeot, “Hey!” she shouted at him, causing him to look down at her. When he locked eyes with her she gathered as much excess electricity within her as she could find and hit the Pidgeot with a close range Thundershock of incredible power. The Pidgeot cried out in pain as he felt the lightning flare through him, dropping Era from his claws as he did so. She fell towards the ground with ever increasing speed, bracing herself for the painful impact. The Pidgeot fared less well as he thrashed about, only to go still, wings locked as the remainer of the electricity paralyzed him. In a thunderous crash he hit the ground which Era watched with a hint of satisfaction that their job was complete.
The Pichu was rocketing towards the ground by this point and she closed her eyes so that she wouldn't have to watch the ground speeding towards her. Then suddenly something hit her with enormous speed, causing her decent to angle sideways and slowing her down. Ethfael had hit her to the side so that she would fall in the bushes, much softer than the hard ground. He raced to the place where he heard a much smaller shaking of the bushes as Era hit them. There he found her, pale, battered, and bruised but still conscious with her eyes squeezed shut. “Era,” Ethfael said softly, “You're alright now.” Pulling an Oran Berry out of the bag, he placed it in her paw. “Eat this, it will make you feel better.” Era tentatively took a bit, still with her eyes closed, and then opened them as a bit of color came to her cheeks, to look at the Oran Berry. Then she smiled slightly and ate the rest of it, still lying in the bush. “Can you get up?” Ethfael asked her nervously.
“I think so,” was Era's response, and she sat up slowly, testing to make sure that nothing was badly injured. “I think...” she said slowly with surprise lighting her face, “That I'm alright.”
Ethfael breathed a sigh, the worry dissipating from him and being replaced with relief. “I'm so glad,” he said.
Era tentatively stood up and then jumped out of the bushes into the clearing. She wobbled a bit on her landing, but turned around to face Ethfael with a smile. “Come on,” she said, “We have to help those children now.” The two made their way over to the little Rattata which were watching them both nervously. “Hello,” said Era, smiling at the young ones. “We came here to help you, your father sent us. That Pidgeot will think twice before bothering anyone else again.”
The Rattata looked on and finally a small one came forward and spoke. “Daddy sent you?” he asked in a quavery voice.
“That's right,” said Era, “You don't need to be afraid of us. We're your friends. We'll take you back to your father if you'd like.”
The Rattata chattered nervously, and they huddled in a group to discuss what they should do. When they broke up their chat, the little one from before spoke again, this time with less quavering in his voice. “We'll trust you,” he said, “But you have to promise to take us back.”
“We promise,” Era said, and Ethfael nodded solemnly from behind.
After that the Rattata swarmed on them, much more friendly now that they believed that they could trust them.
“It was so cool how you zapped that Pidgeot!”
“And then you were like POW!”
“Are you a rescue team?”
“Are you super heroes?”
“When will we get to go home?”
Slightly overwhelmed by the five children, Era held up her paw for them to stop. “Alright,” she said, “Let's get you back where you belong.” She opened the bag at Ethfael's side and removed their badge which glistened in the sun. The young Rattata looked on in amazement and huddled around. “Now,” Era said, “Let's go back to the Guild.” The badge shone brilliantly, and then they were gone.

Era and Ethfael looked over the three quietly, as they bickered, trying to decide which to take. "Ethfael," Era said quietly, "How do we choose? I can't pick favorites."

Ethfael looked them over, "Well I can't accept the Poliwag," he said. "They almost killed you. That leaves the Paras or the Rattata."

"They have names you know," Era said indignantly. "Don't talk about them as if they're not there." Looking from Erinn to the young Rattata she sighed, "I can't do this," she said at last.

"If I may," Ethfael said, "Might I remind you of the hopes that you planted in Erinn's mind? I think we owe it to him to accept him to our team. Not to mention that our little Rattata friend is still a bit young to be joining a rescue team."

Era saw the reasoning in this immediately and found that she quite agreed with him. "Alright," she said to Ethfael. Then she turned to the still bickering trio. "Excuse me," she said, drawing their attention to her again. "We've decided. Errin, welcome to Team MistMelody. The Paras' expression lit up while the faces of the other two fell. "I'm sorry," she said to them, "But we're only allowed to take one new member at a time."

The Poliwag wandered off dejectedly, but the Rattata remained, looking crestfallen. "Did I do something wrong?" he asked.

"No!" Era said shaking her head, "You didn't do anything wrong, it's only that your father just got you back, and I don't think he would want you to leave again so soon. Maybe if you come back when you're a bit older we'll be able to take you in.

"Alright," he said, looking a bit more hopeful. "Bye superheroes! See you again!

They waved as the Rattata left, and then Era turned to Errin. "Welcome to the team Errin," she said with a smile, "It's great to have you with us."

(Thanks for the advice! ^ ^ I really need to come up with names starting with letters other than E...)

TEAM THUNDERCLOUD

Floor 0: Meeting The Client
”Elly! Let’s take on a mission today! I’m feeling…” Bel started, before his partner cut him off. ”Stupid? Idiotic? Overly excited? Rambunctious? I can go all day, Bel.” The Swablu replied, un-amused. She rolled her eyes as Bel looked at her convincingly, begging her with his eyes until she finally gave in. ”Let’s hurry up and get this over with, I wanna get back and take a nap while it’s still light out!” She said, sighing. With a light plop, she landed on Bel’s head, their bag around her neck. ”Yes! Our first mission! Let’s go to the Guild Exchange!” The Elekid cried, charging out of his room and in the direction of the Exchange.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ”Alright, this looks like a good one. It’s in the Mystic Woods, and the client is a Wigglytuff. Says we’ve got to get her some “Perfect Apples”. Think we can handle it?” Elly asked Bel, reading the request posted on the board. Her partner nodded vigorously. ”Alright then, let’s find this Wigglytuff and get started!” Elly chanted. Bel’s enthusiasm was beginning to rub off on her a bit, and she was pumped and primed for the mission because of it. Grabbing the mission request in her beak, she took up her previous perch atop her partner’s dome and together, the two began to search for their client.
The Wigglytuff in question was easy enough to find, and the explanation of the mission was even simpler. It seemed that she had a craving for the ummy, nummy Perfect Apples and they were all the way on the 10th floor of the Mystic forest. Without sticking around to hear the reward details, Bel ran off, Elly still hanging out on top of his head. Their destination: The Mystic Forest.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ “So this is the Mystic Forest, huh? Looks…” Once again, Elly cut off her partner by reminding him why they were there. ”Let’s go! We won’t get ANY apples by just sticking around outside!” She shouted, already flying into the forest. Not wanting to be shown up, Bel raced after her, catching up with her just as she reached the first floor

Floor 1: Arrival
Belly Slots: 5

The two young Pokémon ran without heed, and before long found themselves lost within the forest. Before they had time to argue over who was at fault however, they found themselves in a particularly awkward situation…
It seemed that the sound of their movement throughout the forest had awakened a herd of 4 Stantler, and they didn’t seem too happy about it! The Stantler closed in on the two young adventurers, but Bel and Elly weren’t going to stand there and take it! Because they were at fault, Bel and Elly put the two back to sleep, with a well-placed flash from Bel, followed by Elly’s singing. Walking away with a stride in his step, Bel didn’t notice that the Flash he’d made attracted a Spinarak! The young Bug-type hissed at Team Thundercloud, then began to speak. ”Explain why the two of you have decided to encroach on my domain, and I may let you pass!” It said, Bel replying with a confused face. He looked to Elly, hoping for a translation, who groaned before saying to him: ”He wants to know why we’re in his territory. He’s threatening to beat us up if we don’t tell him. Punch his lights out so we can keep moving.” She explained rather dryly. Bel obliged. With one minor obstacle out of the way, the duo continued on to the next floor.


Floor: 2
Belly Slots: 4.5

Their trek continuing onward, they met no opposition on the second floor, instead meeting a surprisingly helpful young Turtwig named Wreath who pointed them in the direction of the next floor, adding a bit of caution as well. ”There’s a rather defensive Munchlax in this forest, and she LOVES perfect apples. Don’t take any, or she’ll flip out!”. When Elly explained the reason why they were there, Wreath gasped in disbelief. ”Good luck getting past him, he’s tough! Then again, you must be too if you’re in an exploration team. Maybe I’ll be in one someday too…” She said, gazing at the treetops. The two adventurers bid farewell to their new friend before continuing onward.

Floor: 3
Belly Slots: 4

Once more, the two met little opposition on their journey deep into the forest. Deciding that now was a great time for a break; they stopped by the stream and decided to rest for a bit. ”So Bel, what was it like when you fought that jerk Garchomp?” She asked, regretting it immediately. Bel thought for a moment, then said with a smirk: ”Satisfying.” Glad that she didn’t offend her partner, the two continued to chat before deciding to continue on with the mission.

Floor: 4
Belly Slots: 3.5

”Alright “Beef Burrito”, tell me about this “Munchlax” that guards the perfect apples.” Bel threatened a Polywag. Said Polywag had been accompanied by a Budew, which Elly took out with a well-placed “Fly”. ”I-I’ll talk! The Munchlax lives on the 10th floor, and she LOVES perfect apples. She loves them so much, she lives near the tree, and pulverizes anyone who goes to pick any! We’d be pretty grateful if you could DO something about her…” the Polywag confessed, to which Elly replied: ”No promises, but we’ll try and talk some sense into her.” The Polywag bounced away happily, pointing them in the direction of the next floor with his tail. Just before they left, he shouted one last thing at them: ”The name’s Koh. I want to help you guys out again sometime!” With that, he bounced into the distance, and Team Thundercloud left for the 5th floor.

Floor: 5
Belly Slots: 3

Expecting yet another cakewalk, Bel and Elly were instead surprised to find a single Treecko blocking the way to the next floor. Without a word, Bel stepped forward and began to speak. ”I see you followed me here, Guy.” The Treecko grinned at hearing his name mentioned. He then replied in a gruff voice. ”I follow no one. I’m just living my life in this forest. That Munchlax gives me apples to keep intruders away from her, you know.” Bel continued to look at Guy. ”You know I need to get past you, right? Wigglytuff wants those apples BAD.” Once again, Guy grinned. ”Anything for the hero of our village. But remember Bel, you owe me a duel. I’ll be waiting for that day…” And with that, the Treecko jumped into a tree behind him, disappearing from sight. Silently, the two made their way to the next floor.


Floor: 6
Belly Slots: 2.5

Following the path of the river, Bel and Elly continued their Trek onward, calmed by the sound of the flowing water. ”Bel… who was that Treecko we met?” She asked, cautiously. Bel simply answered: ”It’s complicated Elly. I’ll explain some other time. Let’s just get this mission done. I’ve got things to think about when we get back to the guild…” he answered seriously, a rarity for him. The two continued walking, before meeting a Metapod, being followed by two caterpie. ”Ah ha! You must be those two intruders that beat up Spinarak! Well, I won’t- He was interrupted. Hitting him with an Ice Punch, Bel knocked out the Metapod without much difficulty. The two Caterpie looked at their fallen comrade, then looked at Bel, then turned the other way and ran. Still silent, Bel continued onward, a worried Elly in tow.

Floor: 7
Belly Slots: 2

Bel was happy once more as the twosome arrived on the 7th floor. “Not too much longer ‘till we get to that Munchlax…” He began, Elly once more perching on his head. ”Are you back to normal again? I thought you were gonna go Primeape on somebody back there…” She said, voicing her concerns. Bel nodded. ”Let’s hurry up and get those apples! I’d hate to keep the client waiting too long, she looks STARVING!” he said sarcastically. Glad her partner was in good spirits once more, Elly shifted around a bit, finding a comfortable position. ”Keep it up, we’re almost there! I can see the satisfied look on Wigglytuff’s face!” With that, the two continued on to the 8th floor.

Floor: 8
Belly Slots: 1.5

Not encountering much for the majority of the floor, the team was surprised when they encountered a Paras guarding the entrance to the next floor. Not feeling like wasting time, Bel moved in for an Ice Punch, only to strike the ground in surprise! The Paras jumped back, releasing a stun spore immediately afterward that had Bel Paralyzed. ”Bel! Hang on; I’ll take care of this!” Elly said, flying just under the tree line, up and away from Paras’s range. Wasting no time, Paras began to attack the defenseless Elekid, wounding his leg. Just before he landed the blow that would knock him unconscious, Elly swiped at him with her beak, all of the momentum from her descent behind her attack. The Paras didn’t stand a chance. He was knocked out instantly upon impact, and Elly triumphed for a moment before going to go see Bel. Waiting for him to be able to move again, the two traveled to the next floor.

Floor: 9
Belly Slots: 1

As they neared the apple tree, team Thundercloud hurried to the next floor, only for Bel to give out a sharp cry! He grabbed his leg in pain as he fell to the ground, screeching in pain. It seemed that during the last battle, the Paras had done some serious damage to his leg. ”Bel? Are you okay? Can you go on?” She asked. Bel grimaced, using his macho nature to play off the pain he was experiencing. ”Yeah. Don’t worry so much. It’s only a little further to the apple tree, right?” He chuckled, standing weakly. Elly looked worried, but continued onward, looking back at her partner constantly. He followed, step by step, until she couldn’t take it anymore. She went into the bag and pulled out an apple, rolling over to hum with her beak. ”Here. Take it. You can’t fight anyone on an empty stomach, can you?” Bel chuckled a bit at her concern, taking it and eating half, rolling the remainder over to her. ”Bel… You MACHO JERKWAD! EAT THAT APPLE HALF! YOU NEED THE ENERGY!”She yelled, hitting the apple back at him. He laughed again, this time eating the rest. ”Stop trying to be all heroic and come on! We’re almost done with the mission!” Elly said, flying through the entrance to the last floor. Bel followed behind, a bit quicker than before.

Floor 10: Destination
Belly Slots: 2

Bel and Elly strolled to the tree, seeing a sleeping Munchlax at its base. Without a sound, Elly flew up into the tree and plucked an apple. Just as she was about to fly from the tree, she was knocked off balance by a powerful blow! She fell from the tree, the apple rolling away from her and to the feet of the newly-awoken Munchlax! ”So, Trying to steal my apples, huh? I grow these apples from this tree myself, water it, prune it, and pick the old fruits and throw them away, and you try and steal the fruits of my labors! I should take you down now!” She said, picking up the apple and taking a bite. ”But… your “Electrifying” friend over there is kind of cute, so if you let me get a smooch from him, I’ll let you leave with a few apples…” She offered, Elly nodding happily. She began to collect apples, and when enough of them were in her bag, she flew up into the tree line, waiting for the perfect moment. Meanwhile, the Munchlax was closing in on Bel, puckering her lips in anticipation. Just as she was moving in on his face, Elly struck! She delivered a quick blow to the back of the head with a steel wing, followed by a thunder punch from Bel. Before the Munchlax had time to retaliate, Elly began to sing. Soon, the Munchlax was asleep again, and Bel had their badge in hand. Clasping it to the best of his ability, they were transported back in a flash of light.

(Yay! Thanks for the input!)

Being surprised by the reward, Bel was completely thrown off by the two pokemon seeking to join their team afterward. Looking back and forth between the two, he couldn't really come to a decision on his own. Stepping in as she usually did, Elly landed in front of the Paras, and pointed (Difficult when you have no hands...) at it, exclaiming: "You messed Bel up pretty good, and you seem interesting enough... What's your name?". The Paras looked surprised, then spoke up:"Fon." Elly, wanting to make sure she made the right decision, hopped over to the caterpie and asked it's name, which was Nayu. She was ready for adventure, and she seemed eager to help out in any way possible. A little too eager. Flying back to where Bel was standing, they conferred out of earshot of the hopefuls, reaching a decision a few moments later. "Fon, consider yourself part of Team Thundercloud! As for you Nayu, well, we're sorry, but we can only pick one. Maybe if we meet up again though, things can be different!" Bel said, walking over to pat the Pokemon on it's back. Disheartened, she walked away as the Team embraced it's newest member, making him carry the reward as an initiation!