Welcome to Gaia! ::

This totals up to about 18 pages. I really have to start taking longer missions.

Lyn yawned sleepily from her position upright on the bed. She was exhausted. Ever since Steven had joined the team a few days ago, an urge had been building in Chelsea that finally unleashed itself upon the rest of the team last night. That urge had been, of course, curiousity. When Steven had gotten everyone together to talk about their lives before the rescue team, most of the answers had been both brief and vague. It wasn't that anyone disliked or hated where they had come from; they just didn't see it as anything really important.

So, when the desire finally peaked, Chelsea unleashed a torrent of questions upon each and every team member. She started with Steven and then moved through the other team mates (she even spent a brief period of time on Quack, not that she learned anything) before ending with Gwendolyn. By the time she reached the Snorunt, her curiousity had been only piqued by her previous interrogations. The result was that a series of questions that started fairly late at night and ended much, much later on.

She fell backwards into the bed and began to dose off beside Chelsea. The two had taken the same bed in order to help deal with the shortage which resulted from suddenly taking in two extra members. Steven himself had elected to simply sleep inside of his shell (he said it was how he always slept) and had wanted only a blanket to nestle himself into.

Either way, the two girls of the team were effectively out. So when Steven suggested they take a mission and all three guys agreed, the next course of action was obvious. “Dennis, would you mind leaving a note on the door explaining our absence? We'll come back for you once we have a mission.” It would likely be a rather harrowing experience for the Snorunt if she were to wake up later in the afternoon only to find that her entire team was missing without a trace. Dennis gave a silent nod in reply. “Thanks. Come on, Urist. Let's go grab a mission.”

Urist let out a stifled yawn; he had been the one before Lyn. “Yeah, sure.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The three reached the bulletin board. Steven led the way with Urist beside him and Quack following behind. Both the Psyduck and the Mankey constantly looked about the area, although for entirely different reasons. Quack... Quack didn't seem to know what was going on. He spent the walk trying to absorb as much of the area as he could... probably. Urist, on the other hand, was on the lookout for a much different reason; one that called out to him quite quickly.

“YOU!” The Farfetch'd practically flew off his desk towards the Mankey. Urist stepped back and got ready for what he viewed to be an inevitable fight against the angry, angry creature that sought his blood.

Steven stepped between the two. “Hey, hey now. Calm down.” The Farfetch'd ground to a halt just in front of the Squirtle, his leek still waving wildly in the air. “We're just here for a mission, alright? We'll just take one and go.” He had half anticipated this situation. After all; he had been here before. Placing the mission had put him in direct contact with the Farfetch'd, as well as a muttering about some “stupid Mankey” that stuck out acutely in his memory. And, well, two and two weren't hard to put together.

The Farfetch'd (who, incidentally was also named Steven) glared at the Squirtle. Well, he had been a good enough client. Orderly, fast. Maybe a bit crass, but he was certainly well-meaning. It had been, at least comparatively, a pleasure to take his mission and place it on the board. “Alright. Just be quick about it. If I see him start desecrating my board again, I'll be after both of your heads.” He spun his leek idly in his hand as he headed back to his desk.

Steven watched as his name-companion left, then glanced back at Urist. “What the hell did you do to him?” The guy seemed to really be holding a grudge for some reason.

“Hell if I know.” Quack let out the cry of his namesake in some sort of strange agreement.

Steven merely shrugged. “Whatever. Let's go get a mission.” It was what they were here for after all.

Urist's eyes crawled from mission to mission as he evaluated goals and rewards. None of them, at least from what he saw, seemed very interesting. He looked back at his two... well, one companion. “Any preference?”

Steven gave yet another non-committal shrug. “You're the leader. I'm just a member, right? Take whatever works.” It wasn't that Steven didn't care about the job so much. In fact, it was quite the opposite; he cared quite dearly. Jobs with better risk/reward ratios were obviously more desirable and the Squirtle wanted, more than anything else, money. But unlike the rest of the team, he actually approached being a member of a rescue team as work. Ultimately, he was a recruit into a pre-established team. And as such, he took orders from those above him. Or he would until it was shown to him his opinions or input were necessary or equally valuable. So, he left the decision to Urist. Urist was the co-captain of the team and the highest ranking member of the mission. So, it was his call.

Fortunately for Urist, the answer came to him in a flash. A flash of white, white paper that Quack smacked against his face repeatedly until he grabbed and read it. It was a request from (or for?) an Altaria who had been kidnapped by a Kingler. That was, in and of itself, a worthy request. But there was nothing specifically phenomenal about it, either. Plenty of people were kidnapped or attacked and surely there were other missions on the board of the same strain but much, much more urgent.

What piqued the Mankey's interest was the listed reward. An Energy Ball TM. The move held a special place in his heart, and perhaps the heart of all Mankey. You see, having lived in the wild, Urist did not get such luxuries as television. He did not get regular publications of dramas, nor did he get novels. The one thing his clan did get, however, was a certain comic. One release every week. One of his clan would always venture forth to get it, and it would be passed around his group as if it were a sacred object.

You see, these comics detailed a legend. An amazing, unstoppable Mankey who went by the name of **ku (name redacted for copyright reasons.) **ku travelled the lands, fighting battles and gathering allies. At one point, he met a wise Wartortle master who taught him much in the ways of combat. Through harsh training that **ku breezed through, he finally attained his move that would remain his signature for the rest of the series; Energy Ball.

So of course the move held a place in his heart. It was the ability of his childhood hero. Even though he had known the adventures were mere fiction from a young age, they were still very real to him in value. So the mission was one he would take in an instant, without any sort of regret or consideration. He patted the Psyduck on the head. “Good job, Quack.” The Psyduck let out a cry, although it might have been slightly happy? Although, now that Urist actually thought about it...

He looked back up at the board, his thoughts being pulled away for a moment... He pulled another mission down from the board. He glanced over to the Farfetch'd. “Hey! Can we take two missions at once?”

“No way! Even if it was standard you're just a new team. There's no way we're letting you take two missions at once, it's too dangerous. Take one.” The only way a team could take multiple missions at once was if the acting Guildmaster gave them explicit permission. If it weren't for that, an unbelievable amount of teams would try to take on two or even three missions at once and most of those teams wouldn't be coming back. It wasn't safe.

“So we've got one? Pass it here.” He snapped his fingers to punctuate the request. Urist glanced at both missions before handing Steven the original one to read. Energy Ball, huh? It was the only guaranteed reward and it wasn't very lucrative. But the move itself was extremely powerful and highly useful. For a team that was largely weak in combat, a highly powerful ranged ability like Energy Ball could be useful. Especially if it was placed on one of the weaker members like Chelsea or Dennis. He began to walk towards the desk as he waved it back and forth in the air. “I'll see you back at the team room. I'm just going to register this real quick.”

The other mission was simply tacked back on the board and left there.

Client: Altaria
Culprit: Kingler
Victim: Altaria
My daughter has been kidnapped by a Kingler. I believe he's gone to Pilgrim's Mountain. Rewards will be discussed upon completion. Please bring both of them back if possible, however I would be pleased to simply have my Daughter returned to me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Urist returned to the team room on his own. Quack had stayed behind with Steven for... whatever reason. Urist did not know, nor did he care. Quack was a strange little guy to say the least and the Mankey didn't feel the need to try and understand a creature who made only animalistic baby noises as a means of communication. It was like trying to understand a newborn.

He opened the door to be greeted by Dennis, who was looking down at the sheet of paper in front of him. Urist gestured briefly towards the door and got a very fast, simple response from the shroomish. “I don't have any arms.” Urist promptly smacked himself and picked up the sheet. A small sliver of tape had already been placed on the one end, so all he had to do is stick it on the door.

“Sometimes I forget I need arms here.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The walk to the mountain had been short. It was actually quite close to the guild and was something of a tourist spot for the people who lived there. The mountain had a history of granting wishes for those who climbed it, so it was a fairly common trip for people to make. People would come and pray for a lot of things, whether it was for good fortune with an upcoming event or the wellness of another.

A building sat at the bottom of the mountain. A well-maintained but roughly painted sign stood at the front just above the door. “Pilgrim's Dojo, visitors welcome.” It had been constructed entirely of wooden boards with patchwork visible all over. Small parts of the walls had been burnt by electrical discharges and tiny holes were present all over. One part of the building was clearly much newer than the rest, as if part of the Dojo had been destroyed at some point and rebuilt.

It was, however, a good place to start. “Let's head on in.” Steven moved ahead of the rest of the party towards the pair of sliding doors that marked the front. “It'd be good to talk to the locals before we start climbing the mountain.” Steven placed one hand lightly against the door before looking back at his leader. “Right, Urist?”

The Mankey let a flustered response slip out. “Yeah, of course!” His plan had essentially boiled down to “Let's just climb the mountain until we find them” but this was the obvious and much more logical plan. The locals may have heard something about the attack and even if they hadn't, Kingler and Altaria weren't exactly local here. There was a good chance someone knew about one of the two.

Steven opened the door with a nod and quickly stumbled backwards. A Medicham was sitting cross-legged at the other side, stuck in deep meditation. And he wasn't the only one. A fair group of Meditite sat beside him, each one similarly stuck in meditation. Steven took a deep breath as he watched the silent group. “Holy hell, that surprised me.” He stood back up and stepped quietly over to the Medicham and began waving his hand in front of it's face. “Hey, anyone home?” He whispered quietly.

Urist however would have none of the Squirtle's tact. He proceeded to walk straight up to the Medicham. “Hello?” He waved his hand quickly in front of the Medicham's face. “Anyone home?” The speaking continued for a minute as the waving shifted to idle poking. Finally, Urist's frustration became apparent and he positioned himself directly in front of the Medicham's ear. “WAKE UP.” Steven began to wave his arms in a vain attempt to get the Mankey to stop, but it was too late. One eye flicked open. He spoke in a calm tone, although it was clear he was annoyed.

“Yes? What do you need?”

Before the Squirtle could intervene, Urist continued down the path of destruction by speaking. “There was a mission on the board that said an Altaria had been kidnapped here. Know anything about it?” Oh, well, that actually wasn't that bad. “We're here because we thought you might know something.”

The Medicham's eyes flickered open and his face registered a slight slip of surprise. He loudly clapped his hands twice. The Meditite all throughout the room began to wake from their trance. “Everyone, break time. Please head outside and stretch for the next few minutes and then we'll resume training. Steve, would you please fetch Clarissa?” The Meditite gave a bow with their hands held together along with a quiet “Yes, master.” A lone Meditite went deeper into the building as the rest left through the door the party entered by. “Now then, you came about the mission I posted?”

“Your mission?” Dennis piped up from his silence. The Medicham nodded in response. “So then you know what happened?”

The Medicham shook his head. “It's a bit more complicated than that... To be precise, the mission was one that one of my students requested. She claimed she witnessed an Altaria being held captive on the mountain a few days ago and asked if I would fund a request.” He gave a slight shrug. He was the one that put up the mission, but he didn't know all that much about it in truth. One of his students had been the one to request and write the mission, so there was little help to be had from him.

Dennis looked at the Medicham and then the exit the sole Meditite had taken earlier. Something struck him as odd. “You help travellers, don't you? That's why the sign is up. You guide people up the mountain on a pilgrimage.”

He nodded. “Yes. Part of our training is more than just having a clear, serene mind. We must also be pious and live to offer our aid to whoever needs it; that is our firmest belief. Any who come to this dojo are offered simple food and a simple room to stay in at no charge should they need it. We also offer guides to any individuals travelling up the mountain. We're well acquainted with the more wild pokemon here and they tend to avoid attacking any group with one of us present.” The reason behind their hesitance to attack was subtle but well-implied; there was easily enough pokemon within the dojo to do some serious damage. If a group of pokemon aggravated them, it would be bad for both sides.

“Then...” They had the numbers, right? Why not? “Couldn't your dojo climb the mountain in order to save the Altaria? If you believe in helping people, wouldn't be one of the things your tenants command you to do?” Be pious? Offer aid? The Altaria needed it more than any random traveller did, that's for sure.

The Medicham known only as “master” scratched the back of his head awkwardly. “That is... somewhat of a difficult thing to explain. Clarissa is... not well liked here.” He gestured towards the rebuilt part of the dojo. “Things... happen whenever she meditates. She's something of a problem child that way, although it's certainly not intentional on her part. For this reason, most of my other students are extremely wary of her. Many of my students believe the Altaria is merely a trick by her... although it doesn't help that she can be unreliable at times. I could force my students to act, but it would only breed more hatred and dislike for her if I did so. I'm hoping that, by working with you, she will be able to regain the trust of her peers.” Saving random pokemon usually counted for something on the “good” scale. It would, in all likelihood, repair her status in the eyes of her fellow students.

A Clefairy stepped out of the hallway along with the Meditite that had been formerly addressed as “Steve”. She clapped both hands together and gave a bow to the Medicham. “Master.” Returning to her posture, she looked back at the team. Her eyes gleamed as she noticed the rescue team badges pinned on them. “Hi there!” Her voice bounced with a cheery tone as she spoke. “You must be the rescue team that took my mission.” She extended a hand forward to the team, with Steven meeting it in a firm handshake. “My name's Clarissa. Please, call me Clare if you wish. I'm the one who noticed the Kingler a few days ago.”

“I'm Steven.” The Squirtle released the handshake to gesture back to the rest of the team. “My friends here are Dennis, Urist and... Quack.” He said the last name with a touch of disdain and exasperation. He wasn't really sure how the Psyduck had ended up staying with them, or how he had gotten the name. They both just kind of... happened. “Urist is the team's co-captain.”

Clarissa nodded. “Well then, I'm happy to meet you all. I assume you're the captain then, Steven?” He seemed to be the most calm, collected and forward individual of the group. He was also giving out introductions as well as accepting handshakes, all of which were qualities and actions one would expect from a captain.

“Oh, no, no.” He waved his hands back and forth as if denying an accusation. “I'm just a member. Our captain is back at home today. This is actually my first mission with the team.” Steven was, in actuality, the lowest ranking member of the team. Well... Quack was, probably, if you wanted to really consider him a “member”. It's not like he had the kind of intelligence or speech necessary to sway the team's decisions or actions, so...

Clarissa let on a sly smile. “Oh, is that so? I could have sworn...” She looked at the team as a whole. Urist seemed probably the least professional of them all, judging by his posture and the fact that he wasn't taking charge. Steven, on the other hand, acted as if he had considerable experience in the matter. She chuckled as she spoke. “Oh well, never mind then.” She turned back to her master and clasped her hands once more as she bowed. “Well then, Master. I'll be going.”

The Master clasped his hands and returned the bow. “Very well then. Good luck with your mission, Clarissa. Make sure to return by nightfall.” It didn't need to be said why. Nightfall was never a safe time.

They door rattled as Clarissa pulled it open and then shut it behind the party. The strange Clefairy hopped down the steps and jogged onto the path ahead of everyone. “Come on guys, let's go!” She waved at the party from the path, ushering them to hurry up in the process.

Dennis walked beside the rest of the group and called to her. “Do we have any idea where the Kingler is? It wouldn't be a good idea to just run up the mountain without any idea as to where we're going.” Urist's eyebrow twitched slightly. It didn't seem like a comment aimed at him, but it still touched on a nerve all the same.

Clarissa shook her head. “Nope! I saw them a few days ago and I was a bit lost at the time! Even if we found out where I was before, they'd be loooooooong gone!” After two or three days there was no way the Kingler was in the same spot. He would have moved by now, since he was likely making an active attempt to avoid people.

Dennis stopped in his tracks, his face showing obvious signs of confusion. “Then how the hell are we going to find them!?” They couldn't just wander around the mountain! Not only would that be stupid, but it would be suicide. Going around the mountain long enough would inevitably get them ambushed.

Clarissa responded by pointing up the mountain and shouting back. “There's a tour group up there! They left three hours or so ago, if we run we should be able to meet them on the way down. There's a good chance they've seen something by now~!” While the dojo itself wasn't that open to the idea of the Kingler, it was quite possible someone in the group saw something. It wasn't like they had a better place to look, anyways. The actual travel of the mountain itself wasn't that significant, but the group would move slowly. If anyone noticed something out of place, it would probably be them.

Dennis picked his stride back up to match the rest of the group's. “Oh. Then let's go! The sooner we reach them the better.” If they took too long, chances were the tour group would be more likely to forget anything they had seen on the way down.

Clarissa nodded from where she stood. “My sentiments exactly!” Without waiting for the rest of the party, the Clefairy began to sprint directly up the path, her speed easily doubling that of the Mankey and Squirtle. Dennis suddenly leaned forward as his jog turned into a fall on dash, taking him well beyond Urist and Steven. Quack wasn't far behind, his small body rocketing up the mountain with a motion that could best be called “skipping”.

Urist and Steven stopped in their tracks as they watched the rest of the group speed up ahead of them. Although Squirtle's were not renown for their speed, Mankey's were quite fast. It was unbelievable to see, of all pokemon, three that have feet without real legs moving so fast. “Sh... s**t! They're getting ahead of us!” He fell onto all fours and began to ran up the mountain as fast as he could with Urist matching his pace while the three others ran out of sight.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Clarissa, Dennis and Quack continued running up the mountain well into the distance. The more barren, rocky mountain began to grow with life. Although rainfall was hardly plentiful in the area, small trees and shrubs sprung up in clusters all over the mountain. Especially wherever the rainfall pooled.

The Clefairy's steps slowed to a halt at the sight of a small, pink creature in the distance. Clarissa slowed to a trot as she lightly palmed her face and muttered under her breath. “Her again...” She called to the Jigglypuff who stood resolute and in their way. “What do you want this time Mill?”

The Jigglypuff shook back and forth whilst waving her arms in annoyance. “[j]I told you! It's not Mill, it's Milly! And come back home already! You should live back with your family, not with those Meditite! It isn't normal!”

The Clefairy sighed as she walked closer to Milly. “Look Mills, I made my decision. I'm staying with the dojo. I want to learn to control it.” Her voice was firm. She had made the decision a long time ago.

The Jigglypuff let out a childish scream of annoyance. “[j]Ahhhh! You're not supposed to control it! It's supposed to be random! Whatever, I'm taking you back by force if I have to!” Her hands and feet retreated into her body. Milly bounced upwards and started rotating quickly, her body running forwards in a Rollout the moment it landed.

Clarissa only sighed. “Not again...” She planted her left foot firmly into the ground and dragged her right foot back through the dirt. With both legs firmly planted, she waited. Her fingers curled against her hand, forming a make-shift fist. Milly spun faster and faster, the downward slope of the mountain increasing her momentum as she got closer.

Finally, Clarissa's entire body rotated on her left leg. Her right fist came in from the side, smashing into the Jigglypuff. Her left hand stayed forward and open as the Jigglypuff rolled straight into her, pushing her back through the earth a few inches. Milly's body spun uselessly against Clarissa's hand until the momentum finally collapsed. The Clefairy raised her right hand, punching the Jigglypuff again. Each punch literally bounced the Jigglypuff around as the assault continued. A punch came back with a backhanded slap, followed immediately by her body turning to use the left arm.

Clarissa has been trained. That much was obvious. Every time an attack might push her opponent out of range or give them a chance to retreat, the Clefairy pivoted on her nearest foot. The act changed which arm she used and slid her entire body forward, once more bringing her into range. The assault continued for a full minute before she finally smashed the Jigglypuff down with her left hand. Her right leg spun around and her fist followed, blasting the Jigglypuff backwards. ((Mega Punch)). Milly flew backwards and collided into the tree a few feet behind her, where she crumpled to the ground fully unconscious.

“Holy hell.” That was impressive, to say the least. “You beat the crap out of her.” Quack toned in in kind from a short ways back. She completely destroyed that little pink powder puff! It was like watching the main character in a TV show or something.

“Naww. She's a Jigglypuff, she can take a beating.” Clarissa grabbed the Jigglypuff by the cheeks and began to stretch Milly's face in weird ways. She pulled them out as far as she could and then let then fly back into place with a literal snap noise. “See? She's basically rubber. The only reason she fell unconscious is because she's weak in a fight and she's not good with pain.” Which made sense. The Jigglypuff didn't exactly seem the strongest or the most battle-hardened.

“But... still... That was really impressive. Where did you learn to do that?” He spoke with a tone of genuine curiousity. Most Clefairy couldn't do that.

“Duh. I live in a dojo. Hello? A dojo full of Medatite? When you're surrounded by fighting types constantly and sparring is regular, you pick up a few things.” Any dojo worth it's salt practised combat as a form of physical meditation. Also, given what her master had said about her relationship with the other students, it would hardly be surprising if more than a few people challenged her quite often. “It's why I run so fast, too. I gotta train, you know.”

Fast? Well, fast was one way to put it. Dennis looked back behind him to look at the small blots that he could half make out quite a ways down the mountain. They had managed to scale the path at an unreal speed and had left the rest of the team well behind in the process. “...Didn't think I could run this fast.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Urist and Steven continued their ascent of the mountain by chasing only a few faint dots further up. A small cluster of trees quickly eclipsed their view of the rest of the mountain, leaving only the path for them to follow upwards. The slight, constant metallic jingle of Steven's belt was the only thing that made their movement apparent, even to them.

The pair stopped when a small pink line became apparent over the horizon. Their run turned into a meandering walk as the pink cluster became closer and closer. The sea of deep pink was only interrupted by a much larger, lighter pink colour that was collapsed against a tree. Urist stepped towards the pink sea tentatively.

The entire ocean turned to him, revealing a mass of bright red eyes. The mass of eyes quickly locked onto Urist's who stepped back slowly. “Wha... What the hell...?” He was very clearly afraid. And, unfortunately for him, the swarm decided to take this as a sign of weakness. Each one cried out it's name as the twenty-some Igglybuff all leaped at the Mankey.

Urist began waving his arms frantically. He didn't know how to fight off this many things! Especially not this many little things! He felt his arms collide with the pink balls whose insignificant weight offered little resistance. He simply kept flailing his arms in the general direction of the crowd until he finally felt a small poke on his back, at which point he turned to flail wildly at Steven. “U... Urist! Stop that!” Steven smacked the Mankey's hands away. “Urist, they're all unconscious. You can stop that now.”

Urist stopped flailing to look back at the crowd. They had all been beaten into unconsciousness, somehow or another. He bent over and poised his hand to flick one of the K.O'd Igglybuff. The small creature went flying several meters. “Oh. Well... then...” He scratched the top of his head in confusion.

The Squirtle offered his suggestion. “Let's keep going?”

“Yeah.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Still, that was really impressive.”

The Clefairy waved her hand as is to dismiss the motion. “Naww. She's just a Jigglypuff. She doesn't know how to fight. I was full of openings during that entire battle. If she had had any real combat experience, I would've gotten blasted for sure. I'm normally not that aggressive inside of the dojo, but she's weak and she keeps picking fights with me.” The Clefairy gave a sort of odd shrug as she dashed up the mountain alongside Dennis.

“Why?” Clarissa glanced down at him inquisitively. “I mean, why does she keep picking fights with you? There's no way she's going to win so there has to be a reason, right?” One does not simply continue throwing themselves at an undefeatable enemy for no reason. It was stupid, dangerous and a waste of time.

“Oh, well. We used to be friends.” This time, it was Dennis's turn for an inquisitive glance. “Back before I joined the dojo, we spent a lot of time together. When I decided to leave, she was alright with that. She came to the dojo occasionally and I ventured out to visit her occasionally. It was good. But then, she met a man. He's a good guy, I guess. They fell in love, got married and had kids. Now she barely has time to visit me and I hardly have time to visit her. Every time I see her she picks a fight with me to try and force me out of the dojo, but I always win.”

She looked further up the mountain while Dennis contemplated the situation. It was kind of sad, really; they were friends, yet every time they met they fought. It was hard to say if either of them was at fault, really; it seemed as if Clarissa had hardly been considerate of her friend's feelings, but going by the earlier exchange between the two... Milly was probably ignoring Clarissa's reason for being at the dojo. “We're nearly there.” The Clefairy chimed up, pulling Dennis from his thoughts. “The group's just ahead. We'll be there in no time.”

The Psyduck that ran along behind them let out an agreeing “Quack”.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Urist held onto the tree with his feet and his tail. The tree he was on had been cracked and splintered as if something strong and heavy has snapped it to get by. And from the looks of the prints he was staring at, something had indeed gone through there. Four long, spindly legs left tracks in the soft ground. A smooth underbelly had coasted along the earth, leaving the almost muddy ground perfectly smooth. “He went this way.”

Steven looked at the Mankey. His arms were crossed and he was tapping his foot impatiently. The longer they spent here, the more likely it was that they would lose a lead or that the rest of the group would move off the path. “Who went that way? How d'you know?”

Urist pointed down at the tracks. “The Kingler. There's four, distinct legs. The pattern of movement is sideways. The mud was made recently but there's no signs of rain. Whatever passed over this is what made it.” He swung back around the tree and landed back on the ground beside Steven. The Squirtle's posture had relaxed over the explanation and had shifted from one of annoyance to one of appreciation.

“That's pretty impressive.” It took talent to be able to read tracks like that. Any observant idiot could tell you “pokemon went this way”, but it took some real understanding to be able to figure out the approximate type or species. “Let's follow 'em.”

Urist nodded his agreement.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Clarissa!” The Meditite waved at the trio as they ascended the mountain before turning back to the group of fifteen pokemon behind him. “Everyone, we're going to take a break from the hike for now. Please feel free to relax and inspect the nature to your leisure, but please do not move too far from the road.” The group listened in and then shifted quickly to small talk among the group. A few strayed to the sides of the road and a few simply sat down, muttering about pained feet. The Meditite turned back to the ascending group that had nearly arrived. “Clarissa, how are you? Is there anything you need?” He walked forward and gave the Clefairy a friendly hug which she returned in kind.

“I was wondering if we could have a chat with the tour group. Would you mind if I called them together?”

“No, go right ahead. It's fine.”

The Clefairy nodded then raised her hands in the air to draw attention to herself. “Everyone, could I have your attention please? We're conducting a search of the mountain and any information you would be willing to provide would be most helpful.” The group as a whole looked at her, giving her varying levels of attention. “Thank you, everyone. We're looking for a Kingler. We believe that he was involved in a kidnapping and is staying somewhere on the mountain. Has anyone seen or heard anything that might be helpful?” A few individuals simply went back to their business while the majority shook their heads.

“Clarissa, is this about the Altaria?”

The ears of a certain Tauros within the group flickered at the mention. “An Altaria?” He walked towards the pair. “You're looking for an Altaria? I saw one earlier, what's the matter?”

Clarissa quickly turned her attention to the Tauros. “You did? Where?”

“Ah, it was back down the mountain a ways...” He shifted uncertainly. “It was probably... 20 minutes down from here? We took a break and I wandered a little off the path. I met an Altaria floating along a very small trail that was headed out. She seemed fine. In fact, she seemed quite happy; she said she was going back to the cave where she was staying for the time being. Is something wrong?” His words carried a tone of concern for the Altaria.

“Thank you very much for your help, I know exactly where she is now.” Clarissa was often a tour guide. And she had lived here before that. She knew the mountain like the back of her hand. “...We believe she may have been involved in a kidnapping, so we're investigating for the time being.” Well, he did ask. And he was quite helpful.

The Tauros nodded. “Good luck, then. I hope everything goes well.”

“I'm sure it will. Thank you very much for your help.” She pulled her attention back to the Meditite beside her. “Thank you for stopping your tour group, Mark. It was a big help. He would've been running around blind without this.”

Mark nodded. “It's not problem. Good luck on your search.” He stood tall and clapped his hands a few times to gather the general attention of the group. “Now, everyone. Let's get going. We're still quite close to the top and we've got a long hike back down...”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Urist hopped off the branch, using his falling momentum to launch himself forward as his hands left go. “He's probably in there.” Urist glanced back at the trail they had walked along. The mud had cut out some time ago after it fed into a smaller game trail. The footprints from the Kingler were still present, but they were barely distinguishable due to the harder earth and the other prints. The trail fed straight into a small cavern.

Steven nodded. “Well, no sense in fighting him in there.” The Squirtle braced his body firmly with one foot. Urist could hear the water sloshing around inside of his mouth as the jet of water shot into the cave and was quickly followed by a feminine cry. He grinned sheepishly as he realized what he had hit. “Oops.”

The Kingler was quick to make his appearance. “What do you two want?” His voice had the underlying tone of a threat that was marked by clear annoyance.

“We're on a mission. You kidnapped an Altaria, give her back.”

Any semblance of the Kingler's civility quickly vanished. “No! She's not going back with you, just give it up! I'm not letting you take her back!” He shifted forward, his body taking up the entirety of the cave entrance. He put his small claw forward, ready to fend off any attacks.

Urist responded in kind by running forward and attacking. “Urist, wait!” But, it was too late. The Mankey was quick to charge into the fight and just as quick to get smacked away by the Kingler's claw. Even though it was tiny in comparison to the larger of the two, it was still more than large enough to carry the weight necessary to send Urist flying.

Urist, of course, did little more than get angry. “Ukiii! Give her back!” He recklessly charged forward once more with little thought for his own safety. This time, however, Steven was ready. The Squirtle charged forward in kind and hopped into the air, his body quickly retreating into it's shell. The now-projectile spun deftly into the Kingler's raised claw, bouncing it back. Urist leaped onto the face of his enemy and through fist and claw attacked.

“Stop that! Stop that this instant!” The blue and white puff flew out of the cave and began pecking at Urist. Urist's grip slackened when the Altaria placed her beak inside of his ear and let out a gentle tone. The Mankey fell onto his back, unharmed and unconscious. The Altaria burst into a fit of coughing that only ceased as she gasped for air.

“Hey, wait, we're here to...” And then as the Kingler's larger claw descended, everything went black.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Clarissa pushed the branch out of the way as the three went down the trail. It whipped back, smacking Quack in the face. “Psy!” Clarissa chuckled apologetically at the Psyduck's cry of pain.

“Sorry about that.” She ducked under another branch and around the mud puddle nearby. It hadn't taken them long to find the path after they had set out for it; Clarissa has already known where it was. One often knew the place they grew up in. Few actually guided tours through it. “It should be just right over here.”

The trees and foliage began to thin as the cave came into view. She quickly raised one arm to call the group to a stop. Urist and Steven were plainly visible on the ground with both the Kingler and the Altaria only a few feet away. The Altaria has settled onto the ground and seemed to be having trouble breathing. Unfortunately, there was no other way to get to the cave. They would have to face the pair head on.

“I'll go first.” Dennis shuffled through the undergrowth and out into plain view. Before there was even a chance to be noticed, he fired a small seed at each of the enemies. After all, what else could the Altaria be?

The seeds found their home on each of the pokemon and quickly sprouted. Clarissa dashed into the fray to try and engage the Kingler before he could get his bearings. The assault was thwarted just as quickly as it had begun. The sharp and accurate beak of the Altaria ripped the seed out from it's host and quickly did the same for it's partner. The Clefairy's strength, although significant for her kind, was not nearly enough to debilitate the Kingler in a single strike.

“Just leave us alone! We don't...” Her voice stopped as her cough took it's place. “...want to go back!” The Altaria began crying amidst her coughs in the middle of the fight. Instead of what should have been a quick, easy fight, they were in a bad position. Dennis was useless in direct combat and Clarissa was massively outmatched by the much physically stronger Kingler.

Quack began to cry out to the accompaniment of a dull, repeated thud. “Psy psy psy psy psy psy psy psy psy psy psy psy...” Dennis looked over and dismissed it quickly. It was irrelevant. The Psyduck was never expected to be useful, so why did it matter?

Of course, that changed when it let out an ear-splitting scream. An unusual energy pulsed within that scream as the pain overwhelmed them all. Each pokemon had their senses assaulted. All sense of balance was destroyed and thought became a privilege as the consciousness of each pokemon sealed itself to hide from the pain.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“...ey.”

“...ake up.”

“Take one of these, it'll help.”

Urist's eyes flickered open to be greeted by the stare of Quack. He crawled back, startled, until he noticed that he was among the only two that were conscious. The Psyduck was rubbing his head idly with one hand and the other was... holding Oran Berries?

Urist took one and popped it into his mouth. The wellness consumed the tired feeling that was within his body. He felt fine, otherwise. Aside from a few small cuts where he had been pecked, he was entirely unhurt.

Urist quickly and quietly set about waking the rest of his allies with liberal use of the Oran fruit. Each one woke up with a terrible headache and a general stiffness, but each one was otherwise unharmed. Steven rubbed his head with care at the large, rectangular bruise that had appeared, but thankfully it hadn't been accompanied by blood.

So, they looked at the two unconscious creatures in front of them. How the hell were they gonna move these two? A Kingler weighed over a hundred pounds, and dragging one wasn't exactly feasible.

Clarissa hovered carefully over the Altaria. “What's wrong?” The Clefairy pulled her hands away from the Altaria's body as she ceased her examination.

“She's rather haggard, isn't she?” Clarissa explained as she felt the Altaria's face. “It doesn't look like she's been eating much.”

“Well... That's something we can deal with later. For now, I have an idea. We'll take the Altaria back, and the Kingler will come to us.” Steven pulled out a small (literally small) pencil and sheet of paper. He began writing at it, even as Urist questioned his announcement.

“What?”

Steven handed him the note. “We have the Altaria. If you wish to see her again, you'll have to come down to the dojo at the base of the mountain and meet us there. She's unharmed and you're free to talk to her if you meet us there. We'll be leaving by nightfall.”

“This could work.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The hushed but critical memories stirred within the Kingler's mind as he slept. The Altaria was beside him as they worked their way up the mountain. It was a tough walk, but it wasn't impossible. Not for someone healthy, anyways.

She was on the verge of passing out. They had only moved about a third of the way up the mountain, but she was already completely exhausted. And it made sense. She was ill. Very ill. The mountain was a tough thing to climb in it's entirety if you were healthy. But she was sick; she was very nearly dead. He looked at her with uncertainty in his eyes. Was this the right thing to do?

“I'll carry you.”

She shook her head. “I'll... I'll be fine. It's just a little further, right?”

“Liar” was all he could think to himself. Not that he didn't appreciate it. “It's fine. I'll hold onto you, just get some rest.”

“...Are you sure?”

“Yeah. I'll be fine, don't worry.” He wouldn't let her go anymore. Not on her own. Her breathing was so... laboured. So fragile.

“Thank you...” The Altaria slipped into his large claw. He clenched her as gently as possible as he continued up the mountain.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

His dreams brought him back earlier.

“I won't allow it! This is ridiculous, go back to bed!” The Altaria's father spoke out of anger. He wouldn't accept it.

“Father, he's a good man! He cares for me. Isn't that...” She broke into a fit of coughing against her own will.

“No! It's not. Not when you're so ill! Now go back to sleep, before your condition worsens.” He was strict and stern in his position. He wasn't willing to give it up.

“Please, if you would only let me...”

“Leave at once! I won't have you sullying my family name or my property any longer. Leave before I have you forced to leave.”

He looked over at the one he loved. “I'm... I'm sorry, I'll talk to him about it.” She whispered to him quietly.

He left, that day, then. He would be back later. And it would be the last time.

Enemies Defeated
Jigglypuff
Igglybuff Army
Kingler
Altaria

((What's that? This mission was done two months ago? Don't care! What's that, this isn't Shawn's ending! Don't care! What's that, this is super long? HELL YERRR))

The Medicham's foot was held above the Kingler's arm. His heavy claw had been smashed down into the floor with an expert strike, leaving his easily broken arm defenseless. "I will have no more violence in this dojo!" He pulled his foot up and took a few steps back from the Kingler. "If you wish to see your partner, you may. She is resting in one of the rooms, my students shall guide you there."

Team Shatter watched as the Kingler began to walk towards the rooms, only to be met by the one he sought so dearly then and there. The brief fight had resulted in a single, loud bang that had brought the team from their room, and apparently the Altaria from hers. The two rushed towards one another, the Altaria's wings unfolding to hold the Kingler and his claws moving around behind to do the same. "Y-You're okay? You aren't hurt?"

"No, no. I'm fine." Tears streamed down the Altaria's eyes as she spoke.

It was a long time before the two finally parted. A brief, awkward silence held the space until the Kingler finally spoke. "I... I think we should go back." Back to the city. Back to your home. Back to where I am hated and may not see you.

The Altaria's tears doubled and she gave a slight, stifled nod. "I... I know." She was sick. They had been fine so far, but there was only so long they could go on. "But..." She paused for just a moment and her cheeks slowly turned a bright red colour. "T... Tonight... could we..."

The Medicham cleared his throat loudly to break the silence. "It sounds as if you plan to head for the city in the morning, but I cannot in good conscience allow you to leave. We will provide you with a room tonight and I will send for a doctor. Provided you are in good health, you may leave in the morning. My students can accompany you, if need be."

The Kingler quickly turned around. "Y-yes! Thank you. That would be... great, thank you." The Kingler's face seemed to have shifted about three shades towards red.

"Then, the room shall be prepared. We shall have a meal prepared for the dojo within the hour, someone will bring you your share." The Medicham then quickly turned to the team that had brought them both in. "As for you all, I insist that you stay a short time. One of my students shall give you all a full medical examination. From what I understand, you were all knocked unconscious. We must check for any internal damage before you leave, or else you may fall ill on the journey home."

Steven and Dennis quickly stepped forward before anyone else could speak, although the former was the one who accepted. "Thank you. We accept your offer and we appreciate it. We will rest for the next half hour before departing." He clapped his hands together as the students had earlier and gave a bow that was quickly returned by the Master.

"Your reward will be prepared while you rest. In the mean time, please try to relax and allow a proper examination." He beckoned to one of the Meditite. He quickly leaned over and whispered something into his student's ear, who spoke quietly to two other student's before one of them broke off and began to usher the team elsewhere. "Clarissa, if I could speak to you for a moment?"

"Yes, master? What is it?"

He cleared his throat slightly and the Meditite began to move faster. When the room was finally cleared completely, he spoke. "I believe you should consider going back to the guild with them."

Clarissa was shocked. "You're..."

The Master quickly shook his head. Clarissa sighed in relief. "No. I'm not, but I ask that you consider it. There is nothing more we can do here for you besides provide you with the environment you seek. There is little more for you to learn. Your martial combat is excellent, especially for a Clefairy. But as we get further and further, you will be able to learn less and less. This Dojo was created for Meditite, it teaches Meditite and it uses Meditite practices. You should have felt it by now, the plateau you have hit. Your fellow students will continue to grow, but you shall not. Not if you stay here."

Clarissa nodded. "I... hit that 'plateau' some time ago. I continue to win almost all of my matches, but each one is harder than the last. Each time they seem to move a little bit better."

"That..." The Medicham put a hand on her head and rubbed it lightly. "Is because you are a Clefairy. None of your kind could have done as well as you have. And I am sure you will continue to grow. You will become stronger and stronger. But here is not the place to do so. If you wish to continue to grow and to train, you must meet and fight others. You must explore the abilities that you have ignored for so long. You are a being whose body radiates a special energy that you have ignored for years. We Meditite are among the strongest of our kind in that respect, but our abilities pale in comparison to yours."

Clarissa closed her eyes as the warm hand rested on her head. "I'm... not sure I want to leave. This... this is all I know."

"We must all make the journey some day, Clarissa. I made it myself, long ago. It seeks us all out, somehow. And we get only one chance to answer that call. And I believe you must, if you wish to progress. If you wish to move forward with who you are. The guilds will be able to help you better than I and acting in an exploration team may help you find yourself. You can explore your abilities without fear of reprimand or disdain." The Medicham pulled his hand back. "That is why you refuse to use them, is it not?"

Clarissa gave a short, almost invisible nod. "Then you have a half hour before they leave. Take a moment to consider the decision. And remember, you will always have a home here even should you choose to depart."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When the team finally collected themselves once more, there were only two to see them off. A single Meditite along with the Master. "We'll be going. Thank you for your hospitality."

"Ah... If you could wait just a moment, please." The Master looked off to the side at one of the hallways. The team was tempted to spoke, but his concentrated stare elsewhere enforced the patience necessary to wait.

It wasn't long before Clarissa popped out with a small but fully packed bag on her back. "Heya!"

The Medicham smiled. "Clarissa will be heading into the city. She'll be looking to join a rescue team when she gets there, but traveling alone can be dangerous and she does not know the route. Would it be fine if she traveled with you all?"

"Why doesn't she just join us?" Dennis quickly piped up. "Would that be alright, Urist?"

Urist shrugged. "I don't mind." In truth, he had barely seen anything of the Clefairy. He had only had any time to talk to her briefly at the start and again on their way down the mountain, but the head ache the group shared was not conducive of casual conversation. Dennis was the one that knew her best. And there was trust there, between the two of them. Trust enough to accept Clarissa partially on the word of his team.

"Ah... If you wouldn't mind, I would be happy to join." She smiled and stepped forward, offering her hand to Urist.

Urist returned in kind. "We're glad to have you." Well, he didn't particularly care, but the rest of the team seemed to like her. Chelsea and Lyn were unlikely to mind, all things considered, so chances are everyone BUT Urist would be very glad to have her as a part of the team. Urist himself didn't really mind.

Clarissa released her grip and then walked over and hugged the Meditite firmly. "I'll be going, Mark. Thank you for all your help here."

Mark returned the strong squeeze. "It's fine. Have a good time in the guilds and don't forget to visit sometime."

"Of course. I'll come back here and beat everyone up some day." She let on a wide smile and laughed before quieting down and turning to her master. "I'll be going."

"Have a good trip, Clarissa."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Clarissa managed to integrate herself into the team seamlessly. Her attitude was unshakably bright on the walk as well as at arrival. Chelsea immediately launched into her usual barrage of "Where are you from?" "What's it like there?" "What was the Dojo like?"

The only thing of note to happen that night was a very light, singular tap on the door. The team was almost sure they had imagined it at first, but Chelsea checked it out herself. "Hey! There's a basket here for us!"

She nudged the massive basket inside of the room before closing the door behind it. She quickly picked up one of the golden rocks and began looking at it, enjoying the shining quality it had.

What stood out much more than that, however, was the lone egg. It had been meticulously nestled into a mess of feathers that offered it protection. A small note was attached. "I'm sorry."

Steven picked up the note and read it before dropping it and quickly seizing the rock from Chelsea's hands. "Hey! I was looking at that!" He held one finger up to silence her and began heaving it up and down as he carefully examined the weight and shine.

"This... This is gold. Real gold. This is worth a small fortune." He set it down back in the basket before looking at the egg again. "You... You don't think...?"

Dennis simply stared at the egg in silence.

((Not proofread yet))


-ightings are rare but the existence of such a creature has been confirmed. A few individuals have been known to help explorers and the guild, although records of these interactions are few and incomplete. From all that we have gathered from those who have come in contact with this elusive Pokemon, it seems that the Original has something to do with the Millennium Comet which enters our atmosphere for one week every thousand years. It is said that a piece of the comet broke off and crashed at the peak of Pilgrim's Mountain many years ago and there is rumours that within the crater it made resides the sleeping form of-" Atra's ears flicked in irritation as the sound of the small library's door creaked open. He tried to block out the noise to concentrate before he realized- Ohgodsomeone'scoming.

In a panic he shut the book titled "Legends of Eclipse: An Analysis of Legendaries, Semilegendaries and their Offsprings", his fur flaring at his excitement. As he stood up he realized that the covering of the book under his paw was now smouldering slightly, turning black. Cursing, his eyes darted around for a hiding place as he heard muffled footsteps on the carpet; whoever it was it was big.

Picking the book up in his mouth so he did not leave the evidence behind, the Flareon darted around the bookshelf and threw himself under a table.

"-oh, how will we ever find him?" A voice -Lillium's voice, Atra recognized- whimpered, and the Flareon was alarmed to hear that she was crying.

Did something happen?

"Don't worry Lily. I'm setting out right away after I find those documents..." A second voice, this one deep and powerful, replied. There was the sound of books being pushed aside on the shelf.

"Oh, but the funeral's tomorrow. Atra needs to be there. Minerva's devastated, the poor girl."

Atra felt his heart jump into his throat. A funeral? Tomorrow? His mind raced to try and put the pieces together, too distracted to notice that his teeth had burnt small holes almost all the way through his book.

"Yes, no one can get through a loss like that easily, especially with her son-"

A terrible, frightening thought came to Atra's mind then and he spat out the black remains of the book, bounding out from under the desk.

"What happened to Albus?!" He was around the bookshelf a moment later to see a large Salamence standing up on his hind legs, reaching up the bookshelf for boxes on the top shelf that contained loose documents. Lilium the Cyndaquil stood by his side. Both looked shocked to see him there.

"Master Eclipse- when did you get back?" The Salemence -whom Atra now recognized as Leonard, the captain of Pluto's guards and the father of Sherman- asked in shock. Atra ignored him as Lilium composed herself much more quickly.

"No- no, your brother's fine. He's...he's fine." The Cyndaquil answered, and then looked down to hide her face as her voice began to crack at the last words.

"Then why are you- you mentioned- who's the funeral-?" Atra asked, finding it hard to force out the question, dreading the answer. Leonard got back down to his feet, exchanging worried glances with Lilium.

"Oh, I didn't want to tell you like this..." Lilium began, taking deep gasping breaths in an attempt to hold back the crying. "But...Your father's dead." At this she broke down sobbing, and Leonard patted her carefully with surprisingly gentle paws.

Atra stared back at her in shock, unable to respond as Leonard dipped his head.

"Come, let's go somewhere more appropriate. You need to know what happened."

------

Atra ran down the hall, tears streaming from his eyes. He no longer held back his tears, allowing the crying to escape his throat, a high-pitched, ugly sound of mourning and grief. He ran away from the Graveyard where his father now lay, and he hardly cared where he was going. He wished for a moment that his mother was here and he could press himself against her side, for her to wrap her protective arms around him and shield him from the world.

But he ran and ran until he finally looked up to see where he had ended up. The door was plain, unlabelled, but he knew what it was. It was Absolute Indignation's room. He pushed himself in, and Zosee looked up in surprise.

"Are you-"

"I'm fine." Atra answered hoarsely, looking around the plain dark room. Zero's pokeball laid in a corner of the room, while the Glaceon was curled up beside it, asleep. Zosee was lying beside Zora, giving the Umbreon a grooming.

"Do you mind if I stay here for the night? I-...I don't feel like being with my Team...or going back to the manor..."

"Of course." Zosee replied with understanding. "If you're not up for it you don't have to come with us tomorrow-"

"I said I'm fine. I'll come." Atra murmured, going to a corner of the room and settling down. He laid his head down, trying to hide his face under his outstretched paws.

"I talked to Anna after the funeral. My little sister will be coming with us." Zosee began to talk, hoping that maybe she could help get his mind off of things. Zora growled in annoyance as her mother's tongue washed over the top of her head.

"I'm coming as well." She declared. Atra just grunt noncommittally in response. Zosee stared at Atra sadly, shaking her head. There was too much going on with that kid, and she saw how unwilling he was to let anyone get close. She couldn't help but feel that perhaps he had lost something dear before, and was terrified to love and lose again.

---

They set out early the next morning. Atra helped Zerointo the pokeball machine as Zora watched on sulkily, not liking the sight of her father vanishing in a ray of red light. Atra volunteered to pull the machine first, and Zosee allowed the Flareon to don the harness. Morana came to their room just before they were scheduled to leave.

"Anna! You look beautiful!" Zosee commented on her little sister's evolution as the Houndoom approached, and the two nuzzled each other affectionately. "I had always wondered when you'd finally evolve."

"Thanks sis. It's not as bad as I thought." Morana replied, looking over the the assembled canines. Her voice dropped to a hopeful whisper. "You really think we'll be able to bring big brother back?"

Zosee nodded.

"Positive. Now let's get that flute."

Atra felt himself freeze as he remembered this step of their plan. Of course he had to retrieve the Golden Flute. It was the only way for their chance to meet the Original. But he didn't feel like facing his team.

The small party set off down the halls, a rumbling sound following them as Zero's Pokeball machine rolled along on wheels. They stopped at the door of Team Azalea, and Atra stood before it, frozen.

"Give me a minute." he murmured, unclasping the harness and stepping out of the leather straps. Zosee had expected that Atra could simply ask a teammate to bring the flute, but didn't pursue. Atra quietly opened the door and slipped in.

It smelled like home. He had lived here for more than a year, and all the smells that seemed to define his stay here lingered. There was always the slight tinge of burning, mixed with a peculiar metallic smell from Katara, the incense and perfume Lillium liked to leave around, and the fresh scent of...rain? A forest?... that he always associated with Molly and her sister Melissa.

It was quiet. Usually Lillium would be up now to cook breakfast for the team but she was probably still mourning. Atra slipped down the hall and into the first room- his room. It was exactly as he had left it, with its large bed and the fireproof sheets. He walked over to his bed and with a claw carefully lifted his mattress. Some of his psychic power glowed around the bed, helping him lift the significant weight.

Under the mattress and above the bed's frame laid a beautiful, sparkling golden flute. It seemed to glow as Atra swiped it with a claw and lowered the mattress back down. With the flute in his mouth he left his room and went back outside, closing the door behind him.

"Ehhs go" He told the others around the flute in his mouth. They carefully placed the artifact in Zosee's explorer's bag and set off. As they left the guild behind them the run rose before them, silhouetting the mountains in the distance.

---

When they first arrived at the base of the mountain it was much more crowded than they would have expected for such hours. But many people were making their way up the mountain, some with guides, some without, some looking ready for the hike, others not so much. There seemed to be a look of panic, of desperation on many of their faces.

The trail was narrow, and they found it difficult to pull the Pokeball machine up the slopes with them. Other Pokemon who were trapped behind them became irritated, and eventually one family had enough and tried to cut past them.

A very irritated-looking Medicham forced his way past, shoving Atra aside as his wife and three kids followed hurried along behind them, all looking scared.

"Watch it!" Atra snarled, catching himself before he could fell off the side of the steep trail and took Zero's Pokeball with him. The meditite turned on him angrily.

"Look kid, you're not the only one's who's hoping for a miracle. Did you see the nutcases who attacked the guild? Bloody obliterated and killed the Guildmaster as well. If you have any consideration at all for others you should leave that chunk of metal somewhere it won't be a-" He didn't get to finished as a full blast of water come out of the Flareon's mouth to drench him. Before he had the time to sputter with indignation, the water froze over. Her family shrieked, the wife flinging herself onto her husband in an attempt to pry the ice off before he suffocated. The children began to wail.

"Shut up!" Atra snapped at them, and they promptly turned tail and ran the other way down the trail.

"Oh I'm so sorry." Morana apologized profusely, helping the female Medicham thaw out the male as Atra continued to trudge up the trail, Zosee following him uncertainly and Zora with a look close to respect on her face. Morana caught up to them a few minutes later, looking rather miserable as all the others on the trail gave them a wide berth.

"That wasn't very nice." Morana scolded Atra softly, disapproval in her voice.

"Yeah, well, the world isn't always nice now is it?" He answered savagely, and Morana shrunk back at the response. At lunch the four stopped for a break. When Atra mentioned having lunch the others all decided it was better not to, except for Zora who watched some of the passing Pokemon hungrily. After the conflict they had already started they didn't think it would be very appreciated if they started hunting. Atra, who had thought more along the lines of apples, didn't comment further.

When they got back onto a trail there was a different group of Pokemon with them than those they had been walking with before. It was even more crowded, with barely any room between groups. It felt more like a lineup than a public trail. Tempers were running high, and arguments broke out easily. Not all that surprisingly, the over-agitated Atra could not contain himself.

"Look, will you please shut up already!?" The Flareon turned and yelled in the face of a Jigglypuff who had spent the last ten minutes complaining about how some people were holding everyone up by blocking the trail. The Jigglypuff puffed up in indignation, her fur ruffling.

"I'm sorry oh high-and-mighty, did I offend you and your tiny incompetent-" Zosee had to grab Atra, holding him back while murmuring the entire time, "Leave it, just leave it- Zora! No!"

The Umbreon seemed to have taken Atra's agitation as an invitation to attack. She sprung forward, and a split second later a screaming Jigglypuff was bouncing down the sleep mountainside. There was a shocked pause as everyone on the trail turned to see her bowl right through the Pokemon at the last switchback and keep on going.

Slowly all the stares came to collect on Zora, who still stared down at the Jigglypuff with her ears flat against her head. She had been hoping for a meal. Angry shouts came at them.

"What the hell was that for!?"

"She was right you know! Someone oughta'-"

"That was hardly acceptable conduct, if I were you I'd-"

"@#$%^&* you!"

Morana shrank back under the barrage of insults and Zosee continued her attempt to kept Atra reigned back. Zora had turned her gaze to the crowd, her eyes narrowing as one Magnemite buzzed angrily.

A jolt of electricity cut through the air then, between the startled crowds towards Zora. It veered halfway there, turning sharply instead to be absorbed harmlessly by Zosee. At the attack Zora jumped into the crowd, and mass panic broke out.

The Magnemite buzzed loudly in alarm as jaws closed down around it. Fire heated its metal to a cherry red and Zora shook her head vigorously as she would normal prey. Many of the Pokemon backed away, while others came forward angrily.

Zora tossed the Magnemite down the slope and crouched dangerously at an approaching Medicham.

"No, please! We didn't mean to-" Morana's pleas were drowned out as Zora and the Medicham began a rather violent fight, the Umbreon trying to get her jaws around its throat as it tried to break her leg.

A rock flew at them and struck the Pokeball machine and Zosee turned to see a Lunatone and Solrock pair levitating more ammunition. Her fur bristled and she summoned the electricity stored in her body, blasting a Thunderbolt at the Lunatone.

Somehow a Wigglytuff was on Morana then, and from the rage on its face and the swearing it was doing Morana figured it was probably related to the Jigglypuff somehow. She apologized even as she ducked under a punch. Sparks danced along her fur as she headbutted the normal-type, trying to get the both of them away from the dangerous edge.

Zora struggled with the Medicham, who was extraordinarily strong. It resisted her efforts to knock him down, and retaliated with a powerful punch. Her bones ridges took a portion of the blow as she yelped, flung aside where she dug claws deep into a tree to prevent going down the path of the Jigglypuff. The fur that had made contact began to frost over from the effects of the Ice punch, but Zora shook it off and leaped back into the fray, where the Medicham prepared himself for an attack. Zora disappeared halfway through.

Atra muttered angrily as the fight broke out all around him, lending energy to Zosee's attack before falling into his own spellcasting. As the Lunatone recovered from the Thunderbolt, looking as angry as a rock with eyes could, several small glowing leaves flew through the air towards it. They shattered against a psychic barrier and Atra suddenly felt an intrusion in his mind, trying to force its way in.

Zosee snarled as she felt a similar attack from the Solrock and shook it off the best she could as electricity covered her fur once more and she leaped forward into the Solrock. Her claws dug in as her sparks paralyzed it, and she dragged it down to the ground with her considerable weight.

Furious, the Lunatone abandoned its mental attack and dove into a different spell.

The Wigglytuff flailed as Morana tried her best to keep it pinned, which was hard considering how round and and bouncy it was. Morana sent a powerful bolt of electricity into it in an attempt to paralyze the normal-type, but this seemed to just make it more furious, slapping Morana hard with its stubby little arms. The force behind it stunned the Houndoom, allowing the Wigglytuff to scramble to its feet and lunge at the dark type again.

The Medicham was tensed as its eyes darted all around for signs of the large Umbreon he was fighting. He did not see his shadow darken under him though, and a moment later he felt Zora burst up from under him, jaws clamped around his ankle. He struck down reflexively, his palm slamming into Zora right in the middle of her forehead. Her Houndoom heritage seemed to have given her tougher bones than normal -or maybe it didn't take that much focus for her to be in murder mode- because her bite did not loosen and she sent a powerful jolt of electricity up through his leg.

Atra was too late in realizing what the Lunatone was doing and countering it. He yelped as the earth beneath him heaved, throwing apart the rocks used as steps. Zosee was thrown off of the Solrock which shakily got back into the air. A earth beneath Atra gave a particularly powerful heave and-

"Zero!" Zosee cried as the pokeball machine tipped precariously. Atra felt the weight jerk at his harness, and he lurched to the side. The Flareon dug his paws into the ground the best he could as the ground settled down, the leather harnesses groaning under the strain.

Zosee had gotten to her feet and was running towards Atra when a loud, irritated voice boomed out above them. Zosee ran head-first into a psychic barrier, and the fight around them abruptly stopped as the sky darkened. A large Pokemon landed near them, its eyes narrowed in anger, its wings flared in warning. It was a Salamence, and a Chimecho hovered next to it.

"What is the meaning of this!?" The dragon demanded, looking down at each of them in turn. Morana, who was struggling to get out from under the Wigglytuff replied.

"I'm so sorry sir. I-I don't know how it started-"

"You pushed my child off the mountain!" The Wigglytuff cried shrilly, attempting to attacking the Houndoom again. A Psychic glow surrounded it, holding it firmly in place.

"Calm down miss. We have found your child and she is safe. You may pick her up at the dojo. I can fly you down if you wish."

"If I wish? If I wish! I came here to pray with my daughter! I want her to be brought back up here right now!"

"Ma'am I'm afraid I can't do that. Now, will someone please tell me what was going on h-"

"Can we talk about this later!?" Atra practically screamed, one claws hooked on an exposed root, the other one desperately trying to keep a grip on what remained of the rock steps. The Pokeball machine was on its side now, half on the trail, half hanging precariously over several feet of air.

A small physic push from the Chimecho got the Pokeball machine back onto the trail. The Flareon got up to his feet, trying to regain what dignity he could by looking extremely angry and self-righteous.

"They wouldn't shut up and kept insulting us." Atra declared accusingly at the Wigglytuff.

"That's because you don't have the mind to keep that- that, thing off the trail!" She replied back vehemently, pointing to the Pokeball machine. The Salamence studied Atra closely, looking at the harness that attached him to the machine.

"What is that, boy?" He asked quietly, a hint of suspicion creeping into his voice. Atra ruffed her fur indignantly.

"That's none of your business. Who the hell are you anyways?" Atra responded, and before the dragon could give a reply there was a high-pitched squeal from the Wigglytuff. Everyone turned to see Zora attempting to bite at the normal-type, as the Chimecho did its best to hold her off with a psychic barrier. Being dark type, Umbreon had little difficulty in getting through it.

"That's enough!" The Salamence roared, swiping a claw at the Umbreon. Zora jumped back, ears pressed flat against her head and growling at the Dragon. "I am Officer Salamence from the police force. Pilgrim's Mountain has seen a surge in visitors in the past weeks and I've been assigned here to keep the peace. I will now escort your group down to the bottom of the mountain where you will answer all questions honestly before I release you. You are not to approach this area any more-"

"No!" Zosee blurted out, drawing everyone's attention to her.

"I have to get to the top. I need to see Jirachi." There was murmurings all around her at those words. The Salamence shook his head.

"You may offer prayers to the God or Gods you worship at the bottom of the mountain. There is a shrine erected there for those who can not-"

"You don't understand sir." Morana cut in. "We're an exploration team." She had pulled out her Explorer's badge and offered it for the Salamence to examine.

"We're here on a mission to help Mr.Eclipse here to get to the top. He said he wanted to leave an offering for the safe passage of his father's soul." She explained, and Zosee marvelled at how confident Morana sounded. If she wasn't expecting to hear it, she would not have noticed the nervousness in the Houndoom's voice.

"I see." Officer Salamence murmured, examining the badge for a moment. "I know this Team crest. Polaris is it? Champion ranked I believe...helped us with that Garchomp a while back..."

He looked up to examine the Flareon.

"Yes, I can see the resemblance. They said the mother had the shiny ruff, poor girl...is what the houndoom says true?"

Atra, amazed at the fact Morana had been able to come up with such a story, took a second to gather himself.

"Y-yes...this is one of my father's medical machines sir. I thought- I thought maybe he would need it." Gods was he ever thankful of the fact they were blessed by Arceus now- he could very easily pass off as being religious. Well, Atra did believe in Arceus, though he's been more than a little annoyed at the god recently.

The salamence studied the badge for another second before walking out onto the trail and suddenly getting down onto his knees.

"Sir, I do not appreciate your disruption of the peace but your grief I can well understand, though I wish you would not translate it into violence. I will fly you up to the top so you can honour the memory of your father, and then you are to leave immediately with the Houndoom's badge to avoid further conflict. Is this acceptable for everyone?"

Some of the others on the trail seemed about to object to the unfairness that the ones who had started the fight would get a free ride, but then they took a second look at the large powerful Salemence and the assembly of well-trained fighters and decided against it.

"T-thank you so much Officer Salamence." Zosee inclined her head slightly, amazed at their turn in luck. She looked over at Zora, Who had stopped growling and looked very grumpy indeed.

"My gratitude." Atra added, hoping to sound a bit more...royal. The Salamence raised an eye at the change and either dismissed it or attributed it to his unstable grieving mind. Zosee's family helped Atra onto the Salamence's back, and got the Pokeball Machine up surprisingly easy with the help of the Chimecho. Then the rest of them hopped on and Officer Salamence claws his way up the slope to get off the trail. The Chimecho kept them all secured on his back with psychic ropes.

"I am sorry for the disruption everyone. Please feel free to continue your journey. Miss Wigglytuff, I will be back shortly to reunite you with your daughter." And with that the Salamence spread his wing and jumped into the air with surprising ease considering he had four mid-sized Pokemon and the Pokeball Machine on his back. The Dragon seemed used to carrying heavy loads.

"Mr.Eclipse, I am truly sorry for your loss. Your father was a great leader."

"Thanks." Atra murmured in reply, suddenly feeling rather guilty that he was using his father as a lie to manipulate the police. The mountain trail steadily dwindled under them as the Chimecho settled down on the Salamence's back.

"So you've heard about Jirachi huh? I've always wanted to meet it if it exists." It talked to them happily, the sound of his bell jingling scarcely heard over the wind. "So what brings you to find Jirachi? I figured the Eclipse family would be bigger with Arceus, with the whole blessing from The Original One thing."

"I'm here for Jirachi." Zosee explained. "Atra here is going to offer a prayer to Arceus, but I'm hoping to find Jirachi myself."

"Ah, hoping to make a wish huh? Well good luck. If you don't meet Jirachi you can always leave a prayer flag." The Chimecho cheerfully explained, as the Salamence suddenly angled his wings. The flight hadn't taken more than a few minutes, and before they knew it they were back onto solid ground. The top of the mountain was bare and rocky, and they could see all around at the surrounding mountains and valleys. Everyone got off and the Salamence wished them luck.

"The main string of Prayer flags is over there-" He gestured with a paw behind them. "I hope you find peace Mr. Eclipse. Goodbye Team Polaris." And with that he got back into the air and took off down the mountainside.

It was extremely windy, all of their furs snapping back and forth as they turned and headed towards the prayer flags.

"Good one Morana." Zosee told her little sister with a grin, who replied with a sheepish smile. Before them loomed a tall, firm pole, standing defiant against the screaming winds. From the top of this pole several ropes came down, anchored to the ground around it in a large circle. Upon these ropes were hundreds upon hundreds of colourful flags, each bearing the prayers and wishes of all the Pokemon that have come here. Some had been torn off the rope by the winds and managed to be caught by the rocks before the wind blew it away. Zosee picked up one red flag and read the childish, young handwriting scrawled upon it.

Please make mommy OK. Daddy says if I believe then Mommy will be better again. I just want to tell you that I believe very much so please bring Mommy back quickly.

It was old and torn, having endured the elements for many years before it finally came free. She wondered if the wish ever came true.

"Where to from here?" Morana asked, having to raise her voice to be heard above the howling wind. Behind her Atra was struggling with pulling the Pokeball Machine up to where they were- the wheels kept getting caught between rocks strewn all about the ground.

"It's best if we can find the crater. We want Jirachi to hear the flute as clearly as possible to have the greatest effect." Atra shouted over the wind, and Zosee nodded in agreement. The Manectric walked forward to a Clefairy who was trying her best to tie her flag as far up as she possibly could. She tapped the normal type with a paw on the shoulder.

"Excuse me, but would you know where the crater is /around here?" She asked loudly. The Clefairy looked back at her briefly, then pointed wordlessly in the right direction.

"Thank you."

Zosee trotted back to Atra's side and helped him unstuck the Pokeball machine. Then they made their way slowly across the flat expanse, trying their best not to start any conflicts like they have successfully done twice already. Zosee was anxious to finally reach their destination, to find out if everything had been for naught.

There was a large crowd in front of them which they had some difficulty pushing their way through. In the front was a tall railing that held the Pokemon back, with warning signs prohibiting anyone from going beyond it. The reason was clear; two feet past the railing the ground suddenly dropped away steeply down into the earth, which seemed to open up into a large cavern.

People mumbled in annoyance as they made way for Atra and the machine, and he quickly read the information sign that had been put up for tourists.

"This crater was formed when a piece of the Millennium Comet crashed down into the peak of Pilgrim's Mountain many years ago, right into the caverns system below. While what remains of the comet disintegrated, the crater remains. Some people claim that the large rock found at the bottom is the body of a God that came down from the heavens, and rumours were increased in magnitude when its composition baffles scientists. It seems to be metallic, and shares a different composition than others rocks from the area. The crater is now closed to the public as the caverns system is unstable and falling rocks are a common hazard. Please respect the rules and stay behind the railing."

As Atra finished reading Zosee had already forced her way to the section of the railing which had a locked door. She fiddled with the lock for a few seconds with her claw before simply bending down, taking the lock between her teeth and biting down hard with flame leaking out. It slowly melted and shattered, and the Manectric pushed the gate open.

The crowd stared in confusion and anger as she pushed them aside to allow Atra through.

"We're from the Guild. It's none of your business, keep staring and taking your pictures like usual." She told them as Atra looked carefully down, trying to think of the best way down safely.

"Zora, can you shadow-walk?" He asked the Umbreon, who growled an affirmative.

"Ever brought anyone with you before?"

There was a pause, and she shrugged.

"Right...not the safest time and place to learn it then." Atra closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and drew power from the Earth Plate on his back, the way a normal Pokemon would call upon its power.

"Zora, wait for us at the bottom. Zosee, Morana, get near me." The two sisters shuffled in a little closer to him as the ground beneath them trembled, and slowly moved outwards over the crater. The crowds were pointing at them and talking, taking pictures. Atra tried his best to ignore the distraction as he slowly lowered the rock down against the side of the crater, with him, the Pokeball, Zosee, and Morana on it.

Zora disappeared in a dark smear of shadows, and two glowing red eyes waited for them at the bottom.

The temperature was dropping as they went down lower, but none of them minded; they were all at least part fire type. Finally the piece of hard ground they had rode down like an elevator stopped with a splash; there was a thin layer of water at the bottom of the crater, barely deep enough to go over Atra's paw.

He winced as he stepped off of it, the water hissing at his touch. He and Zosee helped pull the machine off the rock and Morana bounded after them, the faint shimmer of an Aqua Ring around her paws to protect herself from the water. Zora was waiting for them next to a large rock that was the only identifiable feature in the room; the rest of the chamber was eerily still and the water made it flat, like a mirror of the world above.

The land around the rock was dry and they quickly made their way onto it. Zosee padded quietly up to the rock, examining its unremarkable black surface. It was shiny, like obsidian and she could see a faint reflection of herself in it with the sunlight streaming down from above.

"Let's try it now." Morana told her sister, who nodded and dug one paw deep into her Explorer's bag. Out came the flute. It was golden and seemed to be radiating its own light. Its mouthpiece was more like a recorder than an actual flute, which Zosee was very happy about as she grasped the flute firmly with one paw and brought it up to her mouth. She clamped down around it and blew.

Music came out though she did not touch the holes. A staccato tune with a low, mournful undercurrent. All of those assembled, even Zora, stared at the flute, mesmerized as its golden colour seemed to peel away, pouring itself out into the music. With the last note the final drops of gold disappeared, leaving the chamber once more in silence, without even the lingering echoes of the song.

Zosee came out of her daze with a start, staring at the rock with her throat in her mouth.

Please work, please work... She pleaded.

"You called?" Zosee nearly jumped at the voice and spun around to see a small Pokemon hovering above the group. Everyone else's attention was drawn immediately. The voice had been small but powerful, a slight echo in it that made it hard to put a gender on it.



It waited calmly for an answer, its eyes scanning each of them quietly in turn.

"Y-yes Jir- You are Jirachi...right?" Zosee asked hopefully. The small pokemon nodded its head solemnly.

"Yes. It was a beautiful tune that woke me. Was that a- yes, I see it, just as I suspected. A Golden Flute. How did you manage to get one?"

Atra opened his mouth to explain, but was cut off she it continued to speak.

"No matter. I do not have much time. Even the power of the Golden Flute can not ward off the curse for long. Speak, adventurers, and tell me why you have awoken me." She looked down at Zosee, feeling her yearning the greatest.

"They say you can grant wishes." She began, and the Jirachi gave a nod.

"My mate has lost his sanity. My wish is to restore him." Zosee's heart thumped against her ribcage as she waited for the legendary's next words.

"Let me see him." It demanded quietly, its eyes darting to the Pokeball machine as if she knew where Zero was. Atra pulled the machine a little bit away, faced it towards the rock, and pressed the button. A red light shot out of the machine, solidifying into the form of a Glaceon. As the red faded, Zero sat before the rock, looking calm and rather serious.

"Don't worry Zosee, we'll get out of here fine...just don't give up, never give up..." He was murmuring. Zosee felt her heart give a painful lurch. The Jirachi floated down gently in front of Zero, who did not seem to see it. She tapped him on the forehead, and a slight glow enveloped them both. She pulled back thoughtfully as Zero closed his eyes and yawned. He seemed to collapse but a psychic hand lowered him carefully to the ground.

"Don't worry, I've just put him to sleep." Jirachi assured Zosee at her worried face. "And I can fix him."

The Manectric couldn't hide her absolute relief. Her legs suddenly felt like jelly.

"R-really?"

"Yes. But I need you to do something for me in exchange."

Zosee didn't hesitated at all.

"Of course, anything."

The Jirachi turned back to Zero and landed beside him, placing one white hand on his side. Nothing seemed to happen for several long, agonizing moments when-

Crack!

"Did someone ask for me?"



A shiny Celebi was suddenly floating beside the Jirachi, looking confused but rather cheerful at the same time. Its face seemed to light up at the sight of the Jirachi, and she did a flip in midair with excitement.

"Ohh, a Jirachi! What do you need me for?"

The Jirachi looked back to the Celebi seriously, beckoning for the grass-type to join her. Mia floated down beside the Jirachi, looking rather confused as the steel-type grabbed one of her hands and placed it on Zero's forehead.

"Ah! His time's out of joint!" She exclaimed immediately and Jirachi nodded.

"Yes, this man's mind does not flow in time as it should. If you don't mind, here, take this memory and anchor it for me...yes, that's it. Please hold it in place. Now, I am going to try and rearrange his mind in chronological order, like this...now please hold that in place as well..."

The two Legendaries worked for many long minutes, stretching into a half hour...an hour...finally, the glowing stopped and both of them floated off of Zero's body, looking exhausted. Zosee stared at them anxiously the entire time. Atra was lying down on his belly, staring blankly at the legendaries work as Morana and Zora took a nap side-by-side. They woke as it finally finished.

"I'm glad I could have helped!" Mia offered happily, before disappearing in another loud crack! that echoed around the empty room.

"Is it- are you done?" Zosee asked and the Jirachi nodded, a tired smile on her face.

"Yes. Everything important is back in order, and we have anchored him to time. When he wakes up he will wake up in the state he was at the moment his mind had slipped. It was a rather violent occasion, so I have put a condition on the sleep so you can break it when you are ready to introduce him back into our world. All you have to do Zosee, is to tell him that you love him and he will wake."

"Thank you, thank you so much." There were tears in Zosee's eyes.

"Now about your promise..." The Jirachi began, perching on top of the rock. "I had been cursed many many years ago, before even the creation of this world. I am forced to sleep for a thousand years and only wake for seven days whenever the millennium comet passes the sky."

It stared upwards into the small circle of sky above, which was starting to be tinged with the colours of sunset. Zosee resisted the urge to ask what it meant by 'before this world'.

"Some Pokemon died because of my absence. Many's dreams were shattered. I was a Pokemon who did what I could to help those in the world, and the curse prevented me from doing so." It looked back down sadly. "I can not provide for the people the way I am. I need someone to do it in my stead."

It stared intently at Zosee, who began to open her mouth to argue.

"Oh no, no, I'm not asking you to do it. You are but mortal, and my blessings need to last forever. Take this child and raise her, teach her what it means to live and be happy and free. Teach her to save this world."

There was a blinding flash of light and the Jirachi vanished. At the foot of the rock was now a small yellow bundle that looked suspiciously like a-

My time is up, go with my blessings. Morana, you will find your courage. Zosee, your undying love will be rewarded. Zora, you will learn what is truly important. And Atra- you will learn to hope again.

Morana quietly padded forward to nose open the yellow wrappings. Inside, a small white child slept, a star-shaped yellow headdress upon her head, blue wish tags hanging from them. Zosee came up next to Morana.

"A fitting name." She whispered, and as Morana looked to her curiously the manectric clarified. "Hope. We all need some hope in these dark times."

And thus was the story of how Hope the Jirachi came to be.

Client: Electrike
Mission:
"I've been sent from my tribe to climb the mountain as a means to prove my worth! I'm not..the best of fighters though but they don't understand. Could you escort me to the top? Just don't tell them I asked you to!"
Dungeon: Pilgrim's Mountain
Floors: 21
Rewards:
Charge TM + Spark TM + ???

Finally! A mission that's not claimed by anyone else! Yay!

>>>Claimed by TeamFireThorn