Buckle Up, Part 1
A Clover Guild Story
By Ribombee-anon
Chapter 1: New Arrivals
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTm3UR0I3wk (BGM: Illusory Holehills)
One summer morning, Team Misfits set out on a special mission. The Exploration Team Federation had sent an urgent request to their guildmaster, Lliam, asking for the Clover Guild to research the mystery dungeon of Giant Stone Meadow. It had undergone an immense shift overnight, and it was crucial to discover what kinds of changes, if any, had occurred.
Before setting out, the team of four humans-turned-Pokemon—or humons—had met with the guild’s researcher, fellow humon Booker the Ribombee. After obtaining a copy of his notes on the dungeon, they gathered a selection of useful items and called upon Percival the Corviknight to ferry them to the site. The giant bird often brought his guildmates to distant dungeons using a large basket similar to that of a hot air balloon, and he had the strength to lift all of Team Misfits without too much effort.
In less than an hour, they arrived at their destination. It was a warm and sunny mountainous area with a mix of rocks, grass, and sparse trees. A strong wind blew as Phanpy, Torchic, Totodile, and Cyndaquil disembarked. Percival flew to a nearby outcropping to rest his wings and watch the landscape.
“I shall wait here until you return,” the armored crow said in his usual prim manner. “I wish you luck on your quest.”
“We shouldn’t take too long,” Phanpy replied as he led his team into the shimmering patch of air that marked the dungeon entrance. “It’s not a long dungeon.”
Totodile was currently holding the little piece of parchment with Booker’s notes on it. He held it in front of his face and squinted to read the tiny handwriting. “Not too long,” he agreed, “but not too short either. It’s 15 floors. Pretty standard length, I think.”
As Totodile stowed the notes away in Phanpy’s saddlebag for safekeeping, Cyndaquil grumbled, “Yeah, but I bet every floor is full of dangerous monsters. And they’re probably all ugly too. I’m fine with getting beaten up by something sexy like a Tsareena, but—”
“Please stay focused,” Torchic cut him off. “Let’s just investigate the dungeon, see what the shift did, and get out. I’d rather not stay in a dungeon any longer than I have to.”
“Well, I don’t mind these missions,” said Phanpy. “I’m better suited for desk work, but it can be nice to take a break and get outside every now and then.”
Totodile shrugged. “I’d rather be drinking than tackling a dungeon, personally. Luckily, I can do both at the same time,” he added as he patted his bandolier of beer bottles, his favorite piece of gear.
“Lucky you,” said Cyndaquil. “I wish I could multitask like that, but woe is me, I can’t find any lovely ladies out here. I’d rather be back in town, picking up chicks.”
“Which reminds me,” said Phanpy, using his trunk to help Torchic get onto his back.
She perched up there and began looking all around like a turret, keeping her head on a swivel. The four Pokemon progressed through the dungeon, fighting enemies and collecting items along the way. Though none of the teammates were particularly strong battlers, they were able to work together to defeat all the feral Pokemon they met, and their type coverage was sufficient to defeat most foes without too much effort. They made use of various items as well, especially Blast Seeds.
As they went, they observed their surroundings and compared the dungeon to Booker’s notes. They easily saw some differences: there were some out-of-place Dark-type Pokemon in addition to the expected Normal-, Fire-, Rock-, and Ground-types; vibrant green shrubs and trees were plentiful; and the many huge rocks scattered around were strangely jagged and deformed instead of relatively smooth like the older notes said. Every so often, they stopped to let Phanpy write in a notebook of his own, keeping track of the changes.
“We’re learning some things,” he said as they reached the end of the third floor and paused by the stairs. “The dungeon is clearly different. But there aren’t any huge changes. Not like it’s a totally different biome or anything like that.”
“Wonder if we’ll find anything interesting deeper in,” Totodile said.
“Maybe a hot babe in need of rescue?” asked Cyndaquil. When everyone glared at him, he added, “A guy can dream, can’t he?”
“We probably won’t find that,” said Phanpy. “But Booker’s notes did mention there are some legends about strange golden fossils deep inside this dungeon. But he also said they might just be rumors, and it’s also possible the shift took them away.”
“I hope we find them,” said Totodile, rubbing his hands together. “We can be rich!”
Cyndaquil nodded eagerly. “Yeah, and girls can’t resist a guy with money!”
“You’ve got such a one-track mind,” Torchic grumbled.
Cyndaquil would have retorted, but everyone froze and went silent as they heard what seemed like a distant shout and an explosion.
“What was that?” Torchic asked.
“Whatever it was, I don’t wanna meet it,” said Cyndaquil, inching closer to the stairs.
“Hang on—someone might be in trouble,” said Totodile. “Let’s check it out.”
Phanpy nodded in agreement and pointed down a hallway with his trunk. “It came from other there. Come on!”
The team rushed down the corridor and into another room. This one was much like all the others in the dungeon, though it had an unusually large and crooked rock rising from the ground in the middle. Two Pokemon were sitting at its base. One was a Squirtle wearing a red bandanna around her neck and a brown messenger bag over her shoulder. Her bandanna and the bag both had a certain badge pinned to them, resembling a shiny white egg with wings. She also wore a sort of cloth armband around her right arm. It was blue with white spots, and appeared to be an Efficiency Bandanna.
The other Pokemon was a Torchic, like Phanpy’s partner. However, this one was male and had purple eyes. He wore a strip of cloth tied around the base of his crest, its two ends hanging behind his head. The cloth was mainly red, and the ends were white; Phanpy’s team recognized it as a Detect Band.
The Squirtle was feeding an Oran Berry to the Torchic. He seemed a bit winded, and smoke was drifting from his nostrils as well, suggesting he just used a powerful Fire-type move—potentially explaining the explosion and yell from before.
“Don’t say anything, Cyndaquil,” Phanpy whispered to his teammate. “You’re no good at making first impressions. Let us handle it.”
“Alright, fine—I’ll try to stay quiet,” Cyndaquil whispered back. “But you better not take too long. I can’t contain my burning love forever, you know.”
The Torchic and Squirtle noticed Phanpy’s team right after they entered the room, and watched them as they approached. The Torchic regarded them with squinted eyes and a frown, while the Squirtle greeted them warmly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-1GMW2mYPk (BGM: Awakening)
“Hey there!” she said with a smile. “Who are you guys? Are you a rescue team, like us?”
“Not necessarily a rescue team,” said Phanpy, “but we are a team. We’re here to investigate a shift that just happened in this dungeon.”
“A shift? Oh, that’s probably the same one that brought us here. We were exploring a dungeon like usual, and it suddenly changed, and we blacked out. Then we woke up here, around ten minutes ago. This is obviously a different dungeon than the one we were in, but I don’t recognize it. Anyway, who are you guys?”
“We’re with the Clover Guild in Capim Town,” Totodile replied. “We’re kind of a big deal. Ever heard of us?”
“No,” said the male Torchic flatly.
“Me neither,” said the Squirtle. “But any guild that recruits a Torchic is good in my book!”
She winked at the bird on Phanpy’s back. Torchic smiled back and said, “So... do you guys need any help?”
The other Torchic quickly shook his head. He hadn’t stopped glaring at Phanpy’s team.
The Squirtle prodded him with a claw and chided, “Hey, don’t be so grumpy all the time. We could use some help, since we don’t even know where we are, and it’s nice that these guys are offering, right?”
“No,” said her partner. “I don’t trust some random Pokemon to help us. We’ll deal with this ourselves.”
“Are you sure?” asked Phanpy.
“Yeah,” the male Torchic snapped. “Now go away.”
The Squirtle rolled her eyes exaggeratedly. “Fiiiiine, guess I’ve gotta do the talking, as usual. Thanks for offering to help, you guys. First things first: can you tell us what this place is called?”
“Giant Stone Meadow,” answered Phanpy.
The Squirtle and Torchic looked blankly at each other, then slowly back at Phanpy’s team. The Torchic looked irritated. The Squirtle looked nervous.
“This is kind of a dumb question,” asked the Water-type quietly, “but what continent is that dungeon on?”
Phanpy braced himself before replying, “Grass Continent.”
The Torchic groaned loudly and slumped back against the huge stone. “Great. Just great. We’re on a whole different continent now!”
“Hey, I’m sure we can find a way back!” said the Squirtle, her bout of nervousness replaced with upbeat optimism. “We’ve been through a lot worse.”
“But we don’t have any money,” said her partner. “All our cash is back home, remember? How can we pay for the trip?”
“Oh,” said the Squirtle sheepishly. “Right... well, we can think of something. Hey, maybe can do some jobs here until we earn enough cash! I’m sure there are plenty of Pokemon we could rescue here.”
“I mean... I guess we could do that. But it better not take too long. I won’t be happy until I’m back home at the Square.”
“The Square?” asked Totodile.
“He means Pokemon Square,” Squirtle explained to Phanpy’s team. “It’s on the Air Continent.“
“Neat,” said Totodile. “I’ve never visited Pokemon Square before. Any good bars?”
“Any sexy babes?” Cyndaquil asked with a big grin. “If a pair of hotties like you came from that town, I bet there’s plenty more where you came from, eh?”
A palpably awkward silence filled the room. The male Torchic got up and walked away without a word. The Squirtle scrambled to bring him back, despite his struggles.
Meanwhile, Phanpy smacked Cyndaquil with his trunk and said, “I told you to stay quiet.”
“Yeah,” Cyndaquil said with a chuckle, “but you know I’m not the best at following directions.”
“Just ignore him,” Phanpy said to the Torchic and Squirtle partners once they returned. “You get used to him—eventually. Anyway... I had an idea about what you two can do. You need money, and you’re a rescue team, and the Clover Guild is always hiring. So how about you join our guild as temporary members until you earn enough money? We have plenty of nice services, and we get tons of job—”
“No,” the Torchic interrupted. “No. We’re good. We don’t need to join a guild. I already told you we can handle ourselves.”
His partner sighed. “Come on, don’t be like that. I think it’s a good idea. It could be hard to find jobs as an independent team. And we’d have to spend lots of money on food, supplies, and a room at an inn. Working with an official guild would solve all those problems. And we only have to stay with them until we earn enough money to go home. It’s a good plan, right? Right?”
She lightly poked and prodded her partner, trying to urge him to agree. He ignored her. He was eying Phanpy’s crew as if trying to glare into their souls. They fidgeted under his withering gaze, feeling like he was shooting red-hot daggers at them.
“For the last time: I’m not joining a guild,” he said in a low voice. “I prefer to work alone.”
“Um... But you’ve got a partner,” Torchic said.
“She’s special,” said the other Torchic. “You’re not. Neither is your guild. Now leave us alone.”
Before anyone on Team Misfits could snap back at those remarks, the Squirtle spoke up. “In that case, I’ve got another idea,” she said, trying to maintain a cheerful tone to lighten the mood. “How about we meet in the middle, and only stay with these guys during the rest of the dungeon? Then we can go our own way when we get out of here.”
“I’m okay with that plan,” said Phanpy, and his teammates nodded in agreement. “We understand if you don’t want to join the guild, but all six of us will be safer and get through the dungeon more quickly if we work together. I think we should do that.”
The foreign Torchic seemed about to continue arguing, but everyone was interrupted by a roar. The six Pokemon turned towards another hallway, opposite the one from which Phanpy’s team had emerged. A large Rhydon was stomping towards them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkQZ-V9fkDs (BGM: There’s Trouble)
“Hold that thought,” said the Torchic. “Cover me.”
The Squirtle’s normally cheerful expression hardened. She nodded, and white mist formed around her beak as she faced the enemy. Her partner rushed at the foe, while she shot a thin beam of icy energy over his head. The attack flew far and hit the Rhydon, making it roar in pain. Its movements slowed as ice formed on its body. The Squirtle stopped the attack after a couple seconds, just when her partner had reached the enemy. The Torchic’s legs and feet flashed with orange light as he kicked the Rhydon in the shins. He hopped out of the way as the huge Pokemon’s legs gave out, causing it to stagger and drop to all fours. Before it could recover, the Torchic leaped at the feral. His talons were shining brightly now, and blades of purple energy extended out as he violently clawed at the Rhydon’s face over and over.
The moment he landed, the Squirtle shot another Ice Beam over his head, striking the Rhydon in its heavily injured face. Its arms gave out like this legs had, and after this combination of moves, it finally collapsed to the ground and turned into smoke.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLA_OJ3CuRk (BGM: At Just Such a Moment)
The Torchic ruffled his feathers. He returned to his partner’s side near Phanpy and friends, who were staring at the foreigners.
“Huh, you’re pretty good,” said Totodile.
“That’s the power of a Platinum Rank team for you,” said the Squirtle, tapping her shiny badge. “We’ve been doing this for a while. Ordinary ferals are no match for us.”
“Good work,” said Phanpy. “Well, now I’m really hoping you’ll join us for this dungeon. We could use some support from a strong team like you. Admittedly, we’re not the best at exploring dungeons.”
“See?” the Squirtle said, once again poking her partner. “They need us. We can’t let them down, can we?”
The Torchic glared at her. Upon seeing her big pleading eyes, though, his expression softened. “Fine,” he said. “You win. You know I can’t say no to those eyes. We’ll team up till the end of this dungeon—but no longer than that. This is a totally new place, so it would be smart to get some help... as much as I hate to admit it.”
“Great!” his partner said. “Thanks, Phanpy and pals. Wait, do you guys have given names?”
The Ground-type shook his head. “All four of us just use our species names.”
Cyndaquil hopped forward and added, “And our team name is OnlyP—“
“Misfits!” Phanpy interrupted loudly. “Just... call us Team Misfits.”
“That’s not a very nice name,” said the Squirtle.
“Maybe not, but it’s fitting.”
“How about you two?” Cyndaquil asked the newcomers. “Got beautiful names to match your beautiful faces?”
After another long and awkward silence, the Torchic whispered to his partner, “Um... please don’t tell them our names.”
“No, it’s fine,” said the Squirtle. She addressed Phanpy’s team (while making a point to avoid eye contact with Cyndaquil) and declared, “We are the shield that saves those in need: Team Buckler!”
“She made the catchphrase,” the Torchic mumbled. “Not me.”
The Squirtle giggled. “He always mopes and grumbles when I use our slogan... but I think it’s a cool one. Anyway, like I mentioned before, we’re a rescue team. My name’s Testa, and my partn—”
She was cut off by a loud feline roar. A pair of Liepard were prowling out of the same corridor as the Rhydon, slowly approaching the two teams.
“Here we go again,” Testa groaned.
“Actually, we already found the stairs on this floor,” said Phanpy. “We can run and get out of here.”
“Sure! If we know where the stairs are, we might as well get going. Dunno what we’ll run into later—we should save our energy while we can.”
The Torchic nodded and launched a quick blast of flame at the grass between him and the two Liepard. As the ferals reeled back from the burning grass, Team Buckler and Team Misfits retreated to the nearby stairs. They hurried to the next floor together, hopeful that they would complete the dungeon without incident.
* * *
Chapter 2: Revelations
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTm3UR0I3wk (BGM: Illusory Holehills)
The team of two and the team of four traveled through the dungeon as one. The next several floors were all unremarkable, and indistinguishable from those Phanpy’s team had traversed before meeting Team Buckler. It was looking more and more like the only major change caused by the massive shift was Team Buckler’s arrival.
Whenever they met enemies, Team Buckler easily dispatched them, fighting cohesively and using strong moves with a variety of types. They relied on Ice Beam and Flamethrower at a distance and unleashed close-quarters moves like Shadow Claw or Bite when enemies drew close. The Squirtle typically stayed by her partner and used her sturdy shell to protect him, while he occasionally darted out to strike enemies with powerful kicks in a fluid fighting style. He also dodged enemy attacks well, thanks to his light weight and Detect Band. Team Misfits tried to help the duo, but they could only offer small amounts of assistance, as the Platinum Rank team defeated most enemies too quickly. Testa thanked them nonetheless, happy to have even a little support.
They paused every so often to record some notes. After reaching the seventh floor, about the halfway point of the dungeon, they took a longer break to rest and eat some apples. Team Buckler chatted quietly, Cyndaquil lay down and gazed at the sky, Totodile finished off his current bottle of beer and started a new one, and Team Misfits’ Torchic dismounted Phanpy and approached a cluster of brightly colored flowers. She examined them, then began plucking some out of the ground with her beak and putting them in Phanpy’s bag.
The other Torchic stopped talking with Testa and started watching his counterpart. “What are you doing?” he asked.
She spat her current flower into the bag and went back for more. “Picking flowers,” she replied. She glanced over at him. “Hey—I see you scoffing. What’s wrong with flowers?”
“Flowers are dumb.”
“To each their own. Anyway, I’m not actually getting them for myself. One of our guildmates is a Ribombee, and he eats the nectar and pollen from flowers. When we met him this morning to get some notes for this dungeon, he asked me to grab some for him.”
Testa grinned. “A Ribombee? We’ve never seen one of those. I heard they’re cute.”
“Cute Pokemon are dumb too,” said the Torchic.
“Why you gotta be so grumpy all the time?” Testa said with a laugh.
“Well, sorry for being upset when I just found out we’re trapped on a different continent for who knows how long.”
“Look on the bright side! We can see all sorts of new places and Pokemon while we’re here. If there’s something like a Ribombee here, imagine how many other kinds of Pokemon we can find! And I know you’re not interested in befriending them or anything, but just seeing so many brand new species will be neat, right?”
Her partner sighed. “Look, Testa... I know you’re trying to cheer me up, and I appreciate it, but... I’m still not happy about being stuck here.”
“Me neither. But I know we’ll get back home in no time. I promise.”
“I hope you’re right.”
When Misfits’ Torchic finished gathering her flowers, the teams set off once again. They explored until finding yet another flight of stairs, then ascended and went to the next floor. They expected to see more of the same scenery. They were wrong.
The eighth floor of the dungeon looked completely different. Huge stones remained, but they were mixed with towering pine trees bearing strange blue needles. Pure white snow covered everything, and snowflakes gently drifted down. The sky had the color of a vibrant sunset, orange and purple visible through large gaps in the gray cloud layer. The latter half of the dungeon had transformed into a new biome. Giant Stone Meadow was unrecognizable.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAC8pcr_XAU (BGM: Frosty Forest)
Everyone grimaced as they saw the snow. Testa immediately groaned and slouched. Her eyelids drooped as well, and she looked pleadingly at her partner.
“Ugh. I hate... the cold,” she said, her voice beginning to slur. “Hey... mind if I—”
“Sure,” the Torchic said. He moved close to her side and leaned up against her. She wrapped an arm around him and held him close.
They glanced over to see Phanpy’s team staring at them with expressions of amusement and endearment—and jealousy from Cyndaquil.
“Aww, that’s cute,” Totodile said.
“C-cute?” the Torchic stammered. “Hey, sh-shut up. Squirtle don’t do well in the cold. I’m just helping her warm up. Got that?”
“It is... kinda cute, though,” said Testa in a quiet voice, as she chuckled and squeezed him tighter. Her partner groaned and looked down at the ground, avoiding making eye contact with anyone as the group resumed walking through the now-snowy dungeon.
“I guess we spoke too soon when we said the dungeon hadn’t changed very much,” Phanpy said as he kicked at the snow with his hooves. “The changes were backloaded.”
“Yeah,” said Torchic. “Hope you’re not too chilly.”
“I can manage,” Phanpy said. He looked over at the Squirtle and asked, “So, Testa... you don’t like the cold?”
“Nope,” Testa replied. Her voice was still a bit slurred and low, like she was on the verge of sleep, but she was able to resist dozing off with her warm partner at her side. “I’m cold-blooded. Cold weather... makes me all tired. Actually, wait. Totodile should be cold-blooded, too... but he looks fine. Why?”
He tapped one of the bottles on his bandolier. “This does the trick. Swig some of this wonderful stuff and you’re good to go. You oughta try it sometime.”
As he removed one bottle and took another sip, Testa said, “Not a... no, not a fan.” She asked her partner, “You like booze, though, right?”
“Yeah,” he said. “I hope this ‘Capim Town’ of theirs has a good bar.”
“Well, there’s the Blue Claw Inn,” said Phanpy, “but we’re not allowed there. Not anymore. Not after the incident.”
The Torchic smirked. Testa would have scolded him, but she was too chilly to bother.
As they continued though the snow, they unsurprisingly began to encounter Ice-type Pokemon. Cyndaquil had a type advantage, but was a poor fighter, so the two Torchic took charge of battle. Testa helped as well, since she knew Brick Break, though she immediately grew sluggish due to the cold whenever she was not in contact with her partner. Since Team Buckler’s Torchic was noticeably stronger than Team Misfits’ Torchic, the latter watched her counterpart closely to try and determine how he used his fire attacks so well. As a human transformed into a Torchic, she still had not mastered her new elemental powers. She frequently asked him for advice (without revealing her true nature as a human). He gave it—albeit curtly, and only after Testa convinced him to be nice to his fellow Torchic.
When they reached the next floor, a wonderful sight greeted them: a beautiful aurora shining in the sky. The clouds and snowfall were gone, replaced with giant ribbons of blue and yellow. They gently waved around far above the dungeon, contrasting sharply against the orange and purple sunset sky. The entire group stopped and stared for a while, awed by the eerie yet entrancing display.
Totodile eventually broke the silence by chuckling. He pointed upward and exclaimed, “Good lord, what is happening up there?”
“Aurora Borealis,” his three teammates replied as one, with varying levels of annoyance.
“Aurora Borealis!” Totodile repeated. “At this time of year, at this time of day, in this part of the continent, localized entirely within this dungeon?”
He burst out in laughter. Phanpy and Cyndaquil cracked a smile, and Torchic rolled her eyes.
The other Torchic had a completely different reaction: utter bewilderment. He stifled a gasp and stared at Team Misfits, his beak clacking open and shut as he tried and failed to form any words.
Testa noticed her partner struggling. “Something wrong?” she asked.
Her partner gulped. He slipped away from Testa’s arm and drew closer to Team Misfits. “Here’s a question, Pokemon,” he murmured. “Where did you hear that? Who told you those quotes?”
“The Internet,” Totodile replied matter-of-factly.
“H-how do YOU know what the Internet is?” the Torchic shouted. “You’re Pokemon! You’re not huma—oh no.”
Team Misfits’ faces lit up. Totodile laughed and ran to the Torchic, giving him a powerful hug. The Torchic yelled and squirmed, but Totodile only hugged him tighter.
“Yo, I can’t believe it!” Totodile yelled. “We found another human! This is awesome!”
“Wait, what... what’s going... on?” asked Testa, now stumbling and drowsy without her partner at her side. “Another...? You’re all... humans too?”
“Yeah, we are,” said Phanpy. “We were taken away from Earth and transformed into Pokemon somehow, and ended up near Treasure Town south of here. And we’re not the only ones. Believe it or not, the Clover Guild includes a lot of humans—there are native Pokemon too, but I’d say over half of the members are human.”
Buckler’s Torchic’s eyes went wide, and he stopped struggling against Totodile’s bear hug. “W-wait, really?” he murmured. “It’s n-not just you four? There’s... more of us?”
“That’s right,” said Misfits’ Torchic. She looked over at Testa and asked, “Hey, how about you? Are you a human too, or just your partner?”
The Squirtle shook her head weakly, and slightly raised an arm to gesture at her partner. “No... just him. I didn’t wanna reveal that... not till I knew we could... trust you guys. But I guess the... secret is out, huh?”
The foreign Torchic abruptly squirmed again, catching Totodile off guard and breaking free of his hug. He hopped back to Testa, letting her put an arm around him to warm up once more.
“Yeah,” he said, looking back at Team Misfits. “I really wish I’d been able to keep it hidden, since I’m still not sure you can be trusted with a secret like this. But it’s too late now. At least you’re all humans too, so I guess it’s not as bad as it could be. Anyway, there’s no use hiding it now: I’m not really a Torchic. Like you, I’m a human who came to this world and turned into a Pokemon, about two years ago. But listen carefully: under no circumstances can you reveal my secret to any Pokemon. Please... this needs to stay between us.”
“Absolutely,” said Phanpy. “We understand. The guild members all hide our secrets from random Pokemon too—we pretend we’re just human lore enthusiasts, instead of actually being humans. We know trouble can crop up if certain Pokemon learn about real humans being around.”
“That’s right!” Totodile said. “So we’ll never tell anyone! We promise!”
“Good,” said Buckler’s Torchic. His face grew serious as he continued, “As much as I hate to say it, I’ll just have to take your word for it. I seriously can’t let my secret get out. See… Testa and I ran into major trouble the last time some Pokemon learned I was a human. Everyone hated us. They even tried to kill us.”
Totodile gasped. “What? That’s awful!”
“‘Awful’ is putting it lightly. It was so traumatic, I sort of... lost the ability to trust people, except for Testa. That’s why I was acting kind of rude to you when we met. Um... sorry about that.”
“Apology accepted,” said Cyndaquil. “So, does that mean you trust us now?”
“Not really,” said the Torchic. “Especially not you.”
Cyndaquil slouched and exhaled in disappointment.
Misfits’ Torchic stood up tall on Phanpy’s back. “Then are you still planning on leaving at the end of the dungeon?” she asked. “Now you know the guild has humans like you... but is that not enough to convince you to join us? I can guarantee nobody in the guild is going to hate you for being a human, since so many of us are humans too.”
Her counterpart hesitated before replying, “I’ll admit, it’s tempting. Even with Testa at my side, I’ve felt lonely being the only human around—well, there was actually one other human I met, but he was a jerk, and we didn’t work together at all. So it would be nice to interact with some friendly humans again, but... like I said, I just can’t allow myself to trust strangers. Not after what happened last time. You may be fine with me being human, but there’s always the risk the guild members might turn against me for any other reason. And I can’t take that sort of risk. It would just be safer if Testa and I remained independent.”
“If you ask me,” said Testa, “I still think joining the guild until we earn enough money to get home is the right idea. But I won’t force you to join. I know this sort of thing makes you uncomfortable.”
“Thanks,” said the Torchic. “Misfits, I’ll give the guild more consideration as we go through the rest of this dungeon. For now, we’ll take point.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItyauR8iGvw (BGM: Frosty Grotto)
The teams resumed their march, with Buckler in the lead. Between bouts of combat with feral Pokemon, Team Misfits excitedly asked the foreign Torchic about his human life, as well as his thoughts about his transformation and the new world. He was more talkative than when he first met the team, since he now knew he was dealing with fellow humans. Even so, he only gave vague answers, clearly wishing to avoid revealing everything about his personal life. In turn, Testa asked Phanpy’s team about their human lives as well. She was eager to learn more about humans, as she had only ever known two—and only one of them closely. Phanpy’s team acquiesced and answered her questions. They also discussed some of their experiences with the guild. However, they deftly skirted around two subjects: the massive forest fire they accidentally caused, and Cyndaquil’s most lecherous exploits.
As they delved deeper into the dungeon, the temperature gradually plummeted, and the frigid winds blew harder. As if to emphasize this dismal turn of events, the marvelous aurora vanished, replaced by dense dull clouds that filled the sky and dumped snowflakes on the dungeon again. Everyone’s breath began to condense into mist before their faces, except the cold-blooded Testa and Totodile. Meanwhile, the dungeon’s Ice-type feral Pokemon were unaffected by the frigidity, which made them all the more threatening. The teams’ conversation faltered, and their spirits sank lower again, as they trudged on through the snow.
Phanpy shivered constantly. Torchic sat down on his back and tried to warm him up, like how her counterpart was warming up Testa. Totodile was struggling as well, his trusty alcohol now insufficient to override his body’s natural aversion to cold. All of Team Misfits wished they still had the winter clothes they once obtained from Capim’s Ariados tailor. As conditions worsened, Cyndaquil finally ignited his back flame. His companions drew closer around him to take in the soothing heat. He also offered to cuddle with them for extra warmth. Everyone immediately refused.
Ahead of them, Testa grunted and stumbled along. Her eyes were half-shut, and her tail hung limp and dragged through the snow. Her partner nuzzled closer to her and tried to stoke his internal flame even more, offering as much body heat as he could.
“Hey, don’t worry,” he said. “Just a bit longer, and we’ll be out of the snow. This isn’t as bad as Frosty Forest and Mt. Freeze. We can do it.”
Phanpy’s ears perked up. “Mt. Freeze?” he yelled over a sudden gust of cold wind. “You’ve been to Mt. Freeze?”
The Torchic glanced back. “Yeah—but how do you know that place? It’s over on the Air Continent.”
“We have a guildmate,” said Phanpy. “Tybo the Skitty. He said he visited that mountain a year or so ago, before he joined the guild. He had an interesting story to tell about it.”
“Oh, right,” Totodile mumbled. He was feeling lethargic due to the freezing chill, though Cyndaquil’s fire prevented him from getting too cold. “Gee, that was a... crazy story. He said he met a Pikachu and a Totodile... like me! And they were with an Absol... and they were fighting another rescue team...“
Cyndaquil nodded. “Yeah, and it turned out that the Pikachu was a transformed human. And then they met a hot Ninetales that told them some sort of legend. Pretty crazy, huh?”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YO_O47Hms-s (BGM: Escape Through the Snow)
As Team Misfits spoke, Team Buckler slowed and ground to a halt. They stood stock still, as if frozen solid. Phanpy and friends watched them curiously.
“Is... is something wrong?” asked Phanpy.
The foreigners turned around. Their faces bore a mixture of horror and abject confusion as they stared intently at Team Misfits.
“I... I m-must’ve misheard you,” the Torchic stuttered. His voice was low and serious, just as when he asked about the Aurora Borealis joke before. “Tell me that story. The whole thing. As precisely as you can. Now.”
The team was taken aback by his demanding tone and piercing glare, but they did as he asked. Between all four of them, they could recount a highly accurate rendition of Tybo’s tale. As they spoke, Team Buckler grew ever more distraught. By the end of the story, they both looked like they were suffering existential crises. Team Misfits regretted telling the story.
“What... what is going on...” the Torchic stammered. “What... n-no, that d-doesn’t make any sense. I-it’s impossible. How...”
“Th-there’s gotta be some explanation,” Testa said to him.
Phanpy’s team looked at each other, perplexed and concerned. “What’s wrong?” Phanpy asked Team Buckler.
The Torchic was lost in thought, so Testa took over for him, though her voice grew gradually louder and more frantic as she spoke: “The story you just told... the same thing happened to us! The Pikachu and Totodile that Tybo met—we went through literally the exact same thing! Literally! We lived in Pokemon Square, and we got falsely accused of causing disasters, and we became fugitives, and we met an Absol, and we went to Mt. Freeze, and we fought Alakazam and Charizard and Tyranitar, and we met the Ninetales, and... HOW?! How come another pair of Pokemon did the same thing? How did the same thing happen twice?!”
She was shouting by the end, and had to take some deep shaky breaths of frigid air to calm down. Nobody said anything. They were all equally confused by this turn of events. But eventually, Testa’s partner spoke up—quietly, as if he regretted what he was about say.
“I don’t think it happened twice,” he said. “At least, not twice... in this world we’re in right now.”
“This world?” asked Testa. She gasped. “No... you don’t mean...”
“I do,” he said in a grave voice. “You know how I started out in my own world—the human world—and then came to the Pokemon world and met you, Testa? That proves there are two worlds out there, right? Two alternate universes. And if that’s the case, who says there aren’t more worlds too? And maybe some of those universes are almost exactly like certain others, only with some differences. For example... one where a human became a Torchic and adventured with a Squirtle... and another where a human became a Pikachu and adventured with a Totodile.”
Testa was dead silent. Team Misfits murmured amongst themselves, until Phanpy nodded slowly.
“I get what you’re saying,” he said. “It’s hard to believe, but... it’s the only explanation that makes sense. In that big shift this morning, you didn’t just move to another continent—you moved to another universe.”
“E-exactly,” the Torchic said weakly. His legs gave out, and he fell to the snowy ground, bowing his head in despair. Testa sat beside him, hugging him close and rubbing his head reassuringly. But despite comforting him, she was clearly disturbed by this news as well, judging by her downcast eyes and slouched posture.
“N-now what?” the Torchic stammered, his voice shaky and cracking. “It was... it was bad enough how that shift brought us to another part of the planet. B-but now we’re not even in our own universe anymore! How... how are we supposed t-to get back? We lost our home, our money, our items... your family, Testa... we lost everything! What do we do?”
“I d-don’t know,” Testa murmured. “I’m sure we can... figure something out, but for now... I just don’t know...”
A long and painful silence followed. Team Misfits wanted to offer some support, but nothing came to mind. They had all been taken from Earth and brought to this world, so they could commiserate with Team Buckler’s plight. But they had no idea how the pair could find a way home, so they felt that any encouragement would sound hollow.
Eventually, Testa leaned closer to her partner and whispered in his ear. Only Phanpy, with his sensitive ears, could overhear what she said: “Listen. We lost everything, but we still have each other. And that’s enough. Just like when we were fugitives... we lost everything and suffered so much then, but we came out on top because we stayed together. Together... we can do anything. I trust you with my life, and I know you feel the same way for me. So let’s believe in each other and never give up. Okay?”
Testa’s words seemed to be exactly what the Torchic needed to hear. He finally looked up, and his beak curved into a slight smile. He nuzzled his partner’s cheek affectionately, then rose to his feet at last. Testa stood with him, and they looked over at Team Misfits.
“Sorry you had to see us getting sad like that,” the Torchic said. “This is just... really heavy, y’know?”
“We understand,” said Phanpy. “You don’t need to apologize for it.”
“I’m sorry we can’t really offer any advice,” said Misfits’ Torchic, “but we’ll do what we can to help you.”
“Exactly!” Cyndaquil exclaimed, his flame rising up even higher in his excitement. “I’ll do whatever it takes to help you guys get home! You can count on me!”
“Why are you so peppy all of a sudden?” asked Totodile.
Their partner Torchic sighed. “Probably because he hopes they’ll bang him as a reward if he manages to help them.”
“How’d you read my mind?” Cyndaquil asked with a grin. “I didn’t know you were a Psychic-type.”
“We are absolutely not banging you,” Buckler’s Torchic snapped.
“But we’re still glad that you guys are willing to help us,” said Testa. “That means a lot to us.“
“Sure thing,” said Phanpy. “I’ll admit, we don’t know any way to freely travel to other worlds, so we can’t send you back anytime soon. But we’ll see what we can do. Of course, before we do any of that, we still need to finish this dungeon. I think we’re on the 13th floor, right?”
“Right,” Misfits’ Torchic replied. “And the notes said there are only 15 floors here.”
“Almost done?” Cyndaquil said. “Great. I’ll be glad when we’re outta here.”
Totodile gave a toothy grin, then took a mostly-empty bottle from his bandolier and swung it forward. “Onward, teams! We’re gonna get through this dungeon in no time!”
* * *
Chapter 3: Icy Hearts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItyauR8iGvw (BGM: Frosty Grotto)
The 14th floor of the shifted Giant Stone Meadow was nothing special. It contained yet more snow, Ice-type feral Pokemon, and agonizingly cold weather. The teams proceeded in a routine way. Team Buckler was rather quiet the whole way through, contemplating their new situation. Team Misfits left them in peace.
Once they climbed the last set of stairs, they found the final floor was quite remarkable. It consisted solely of a circular room, surrounded by jagged walls of gray rock, looming what looked like hundreds of feet into the air. Visible beyond the round opening at the top was a pitch black sky bearing a massive aurora, even bigger than the last one. It shifted through every color of the rainbow, casting its vibrant spectrum of bright light over the entire room. The floor was covered in a thin layer of snow, and in the very center was a towering spire of ice with a blue light inside its peak. The room was noticeably not as cold as the previous ones, but still very chilly, so Testa remained close to her partner.
“There’s something wrong with that pillar,” the Squirtle said, pointing at the ice column. “The top’s glowing, see?”
“You sure it’s not just catching the aurora’s light?” her partner asked.
“Yeah—it’s not changing color with the aurora. It’s just plain blue. It’s got its own light, and I bet that means there’s something inside.
“Some sort of enemy—or a boss, more like it.”
“Whatever it is,” Totodile said, “I’m sure you guys can handle it. I’ll just sit back and drink.”
“Give me a bottle too,” said Cyndaquil. “This is gonna be good.”
“No you don’t,” Phanpy snapped. “We’re all helping them fight.”
“And it looks like the fight’s about to start,” said Misfits’ Torchic, still perched on Phanpy’s back, as she peered up at the ice pillar. “Something’s happening up there.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4T0YLL1WBU (BGM: Danger)
Within the top of the icy tower, the blue light grew brighter by the second, pulsing with power. The surface began to fracture and trace out a large jagged shape. Then the entire peak exploded into mist and shards of ice, and out from the cloud flew a huge living snowflake. From within a long crack on its front side, two blue eyes glowed brightly and glared down at the six intruders.
“Who dares disturb my slumber?!” the chunk of ice bellowed.
“A Cryogonal?” Phanpy said, instinctively shying away from the strong Ice-type. “So... guess this is the boss, huh?”
The snowflake laughed and boomed, “I am indeed Cryogonal, puny mortals! Cower before my name! And you—wait.”
The hostile creature floated closer, while still keeping its distance. Its eyes were hard to read, but it seemed to be staring at Phanpy’s team specifically.
“Those badges...” it grumbled. “I know those clover badges you wear. I’ve seen them before. You’re with that new guild... with that awful Chespin! You’ll pay for what he did to me!”
The snowflake flew upwards and roared with anger. Phanpy’s team stood their ground. Testa and her partner moved closer to them and glared up at the ice monster.
“I don’t know what Chespin you’re talking about,” Testa yelled at the boss, “but these are our new friends! You mess with them, you mess with us too! Cuz we’re Team Buckler—the shield that saves those in need!”
“I really wish you’d stop saying that slogan,” her partner grumbled. “And these guys are more like our acquaintances than friends, so...”
Phanpy stomped the ground with his front hooves, kicking up snow. “You should just let us go!” he told Cryogonal. “This is a fight you can’t win! It’s six against one, after all.”
“Six on one?” Cryogonal laughed. “Fools! Who said I was alone?”
As if on command, the ice spire began to shudder and crack. One by one, fragments broke off and tumbled into the snow. Then they rose up again, floating with some unknown power. The ice chunks had become partially covered in snow, causing them to take on a set of familiar forms: Vanillite, Vanillish, and Vanilluxe. And there were a lot of them. In moments, the team of six was surrounded by a swarm of icy enemies, all laughing mockingly.
Cryogonal unfurled a pair of icy chains from a mouth-like crack on its face. It swung them around threateningly as it flew up high. It glared down at the teams and hissed, “I wish I could have met your filthy Chespin friend instead. I would have loved to get another chance to put him on ice. But I suppose slaying his guildmates will have to do. Perhaps I will freeze your bodies and keep you as trophies of my triumph over that wretched guild? Oh—and I could devise a way to trick that Chespin into coming here, so he can witness the frozen remains of his friends, and know true despair before I finish him as well! Oh, I can imagine the horrified look on his ugly little face! What a perfect plan!”
As the Cryogonal ranted, Buckler’s Torchic whispered to Phanpy’s team, “Can you guys hit that loudmouth from here?”
“It’s too high,” said the other Torchic. “Our attacks and items won’t go that far.”
“Then leave it to me. I can reach him. But I need to focus. You guys take the small fries out, so I don’t get distracted.”
“I’m not sure we can take all these guys at once!” said Phanpy.
“I believe in you!” said Testa. “C’mon! Team Buckler, Team Misfits—let’s do it!”
She could barely finish talking before Cryogonal stopped blustering and finally boomed, “Now, minions! Freeze these fools solid!”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-a3utRCm3j4 (BGM: Boss Battle)
The icy foes closed in, and the fight broke out. Totodile raised an empty bottle, let out a war cry, and rushed at the nearest Vanillite. He swung madly and glassed the enemy, shattering both it and the bottle into countless fragments. Meanwhile, Cyndaquil ignited his flames and spat small fireballs at any foes he noticed charging up ice attacks. Phanpy charged at a nearby feral for a tackle, while his partner Torchic shot fireballs from her perch his back, acting much like a tank’s cannon.
Meanwhile, Team Buckler fired off a powerful Flamethrower and Scald in unison, blowing away multiple foes at once and opening up a hole in the ring. They rushed out get some breathing room, while Team Misfits continued to distract, draw in, and defeat the weaker enemies.
Testa planted her feet as her partner hopped onto her shell. It was a strategy they had used many times before. The Torchic was adept at dodging, especially when equipped with his trusty Detect Band, but he was locked in place while charging up his strongest attack. In these situations, Testa was actually faster than her partner, despite being a slow Pokemon. As such, this combination allowed them to dodge enemy attacks to a certain extent. Once they got in position, Testa stood her ground and kept an eye on the Cryogonal, while her partner gripped the edges of her shell tightly with his talons. He opened his beak wide and took aim at the boss. A bright red glow and hissing sound emanated from inside him, while a faint heat haze rippled around his body.
Cryogonal had been watching the fight scene from above, laughing constantly. But as it noticed the Torchic preparing a big move, it stopped abruptly.
“No you don’t!” the ice monster yelled. “Ice Beam!”
It launched its attack at Team Buckler. Testa instantly scrambled to the side, moving as nimbly as a Squirtle could, while her partner held on to her shell. The Ice Beam struck the snow and formed a short pillar of ice where the pair had been a moment earlier.
Once she regained her footing, Testa dropped to all fours and sunk her claws into the snow to brace herself as her partner finally unleashed his attack upward. A concentrated Flamethrower, taking the form of a thin beam of white-hot flame, erupted from his mouth with a screech. It struck Cryogonal near-instantly, and lanced straight through its body as if it didn’t even exist. The move only lasted a second, but dealt critical damage. The enemy howled in pain as it spun in the air. Steam billowed from the hole that had been blown through its body. It was already starting to melt.
“F-fools!” it shouted. “You... can’t defeat me so easily! Freeze!”
Cryogonal stirred up an icy wind and flung it down at Team Buckler. Unable to dodge the broad attack, the pair decided to tank it. Buckler’s Torchic hopped off Testa’s shell and lay on the snow as flat as possible, while Testa got on top of him to shield him with her armored body. The icy energy struck her shell and spread out around her, fading into frigid mist. She stumbled, but held firm. Once it ended, they got right back into their previous position, and her partner charged a second attack.
The boss tried to use another Ice Beam, but it faltered as its damaged body continued to fall apart. Before Cryogonal could recover, the Torchic released his own move. A second laser-like fire beam shot out of his beak, barely missing the enemy. The Torchic wasted no time in sweeping the beam to the side, slicing straight across Cryogonal’s body. The boss was cleanly bisected.
Cryogonal’s two halves drifted to the ground. One melted away into vapor, while the other remained mostly intact. The boss somehow still managed to talk, declaring, “Useless, useless! I am immortal! I merely fade to water and freeze again! I shall be reborn!”
“I don’t care,” said the Torchic.
He jumped up high and kicked the snowflake hard. It cracked and plummeted to the ground, shattering on impact. The Torchic landed among the tiny fragments of ice that used to be the boss. He stumbled and grunted, trying to recover from the exertion of using two powerful attacks in quick succession. His beak was glowing red-hot, and dense smoke billowed from his nostrils. He felt his internal flame reduced to smolders, and it would take some time to revive it.
Testa came over and gave him a pat on the back, saying, “And that’s how it’s done. Teamwork makes the dream work.”
“Please... stop staying that all the time,” the Torchic muttered as his beak slowly returned to normal and the smoke faded away. “It sounds so dumb.”
They were interrupted by Team Misfits shouting for help. The quartet had defeated most of the icy enemies, but were beginning to get exhausted and overwhelmed. Team Buckler hurried to help them finish the job. Despite the Torchic’s temporary lack of fire, he and Testa worked together to help Team Misfits defeat the few remaining foes quickly.
With that, a calm settled over the room once more. The teams stood together and congratulated each other on a job well done.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkSPOXLKsp4 (BGM: At the End of the Road)
All smiles, the six of them explored the area for a way out. They found a gap in the rock wall encircling the room, leading to a dark tunnel. As soon as they entered, they were abruptly warped back outside, at the entrance of the dungeon. They gasped as warm air and bright sunshine suddenly replaced the freezing air from the dungeon’s depths. The cold-blooded Totodile and Squirtle lay down in the grass and sighed, basking in the sun. Their teammates sat together as well, glad to finally have a chance to relax after the frigid dungeon and the intense battle.
Phanpy didn’t rest for long. He looked around and saw Percival in the distance, in the same spot where they left him. He was still surveying the landscape—either that, or he was fast asleep on his perch. Once he confirmed their guildmate was still there, Phanpy took out his notebook and began writing down some data about the dungeon, trying to record as much info as he could for the team’s report before they returned to the guildhall. The others helped him remember information—except Totodile, who was now focused on drinking from yet another bottle, his mind already grown hazy with alcohol. Together, the two teams compiled a good set of notes about the changes caused by the shift.
“Shame we didn’t find any of those golden fossils,” said Torchic.
“Golden what?” asked Testa.
“The notes we got for this dungeon said there might be treasure at the end. But I guess the shift took them away.”
“Still, we got a good amount of data,” said Phanpy. “Great work, everyone.”
“Thanks!” said Testa. “You did well, too, Team Misfits. You said before that you’re not the best at handling dungeons, but I think you’ve got potential to be a good team.”
“Good enough to earn a kiss?” asked Cyndaquil.
“In your dreams,” she snapped with a frown.
“Exactly,” Cyndaquil said with a grin, a light blush showing through his cheek fur.
Testa’s partner shot a small fireball at Cyndaquil’s face. It did little damage, but made him flinch and yelp. Totodile laughed and took another swig from his bottle.
“Team Buckler MVP,” he said. “We couldn’t have done it without you, Testa and... other Torchic.” He laughed once again and added, “Hey, you never told us your name, dude.”
“Oh, right,” said Buckler’s Torchic. “Sorry. I’m Booker.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cCaQbyqu-0 (BGM: Personality Quiz)
Totodile spat out his drink. He and his teammates all stared with wide eyes at the foreign Torchic, who shied away. Testa hopped up and stood beside her partner protectively.
“What’s the big idea?” she asked. “Got a problem with his name?”
“N-no,” said Phanpy. “It’s okay. But... this is weird.”
“How?” asked Testa. “What’s weird about it?”
“We... Well, in the guild, we have a friend called Booker too. But he’s a Ribombee.”
“Yeah, he’s the Ribombee I mentioned earlier,” Torchic said. “The one I was gathering flowers for, remember?”
“He’s the one who gave us the notes for the dungeon,” Phanpy added. “And he’s also a human, just like you—I don’t think we mentioned that yet.”
“Huh,” Totodile grumbled, absentmindedly tapping a finger against his bottle. “Weird that you guys are both humans-turned-Pokemon, and you have the same name. What are the odds of that? And ‘Booker’ isn’t a very common name to begin with, is it?”
“That... is pretty weird,” said Booker the Torchic. “Now I’m very curious about your guild. At the very least, I’d like to visit and meet this other Booker of yours.”
“Sounds like a good plan,” said Cyndaquil. “We’ve got plenty of hotties in the guild, so I can definitely recommend visiting us. But... what about joining? Made up your mind yet?”
“That... is still up in the air,” Booker replied.
Phanpy scribbled a few more notes in his notebook and stored his things away. “Well, this job was significantly more interesting than I thought it would be,” he said. “We learned a lot, and it’s a lot to take in. I think we should recap.”
Everyone nodded, so Phanpy looked over at Buckler’s Torchic and said, “So, you’re a human named... Booker. A year or two ago, you warped to a world of Pokemon and mystery dungeons and transformed into a Torchic. You met this Squirtle named Testa, and you made a rescue team called Buckler. You lived in Pokemon Square on the Air Continent. Some Pokemon learned you were a human, and tried to kill you as a result, but you met a Ninetales who saved you and convinced everyone to leave you alone. Eventually, you two were caught in a dungeon shift that warped you here. This place is another universe, almost exactly like the one you came from. The major difference is that in this world, a human-turned-Pikachu and a Totodile took the place of you and Testa, and had all the same experiences that you had in your own universe. Is that correct?”
“That’s right,” said Booker. “And our main goal right now is to get back to our world.”
“It sure does sound like a crazy story, huh?” Testa said. Her face fell as she continued, “And it’s kind of sad too. It’s... it’s awful that we lost our home and all our belongings, and I can’t see my... m-my family again. And I really don’t know how we can get back home...” She huffed and managed to force a smile, then went on: “But I know it’ll work out. And we can explore a new continent in the meantime, and help tons of Pokemon in need. So there’s a silver lining, right, Booker?”
Her partner looked down. “Yeah... I guess. But that brings us back to the whole guild issue, huh? I agree we should continue our work as a rescue team, but should we stay independent or join the Clover Guild? I’m conflicted. After what we’ve learned... we’re in a really tough spot right now, Testa. Tougher than we could’ve ever imagined. We’re completely broke, and we’re all alone in a different world. Joining the guild could definitely make things easier for us. Not only that, it would be nice to finally get the chance to be around some other humans again.”
“So you’re leaning towards joining the guild?” Testa said, barely hiding her excitement.
“I never said that,” Booker said quickly. “It’s a whole guild full of people. People that might... hurt us. Betray us. Like before. We’d have to put our trust in them and believe in them if we’re going to work with them, and... I just don’t know if I can do that.”
Phanpy said softly, “What happened before must have been terrible if you still can’t trust others.”
“It was,” said Booker. He stared down at the grass, hiding his eyes as he continued, “It was the worst thing that ever happened to us. Testa and I spent so much time doing so much good work for those townsfolk, and then they betrayed us in an instant, all because of some stupid rumors and lies about us that got spread around.”
“There were tons of natural disasters going on,” Testa explained. “People were getting desperate for a solution. And if they couldn’t get a solution, they wanted a scapegoat. So some rumors started to spread, saying that Booker was causing the disasters since he was the only human around.”
“And they believed the rumors. We completely trusted those townsfolk and risked our lives doing jobs for them, and in return, they formed a literal lynch mob and hunted us down. We were chased all the way across the continent, through dangerous caves and active volcanoes and freezing forests, always fighting for our lives against brutal feral Pokemon... suffering so much, all because we were betrayed.”
Testa sat beside Booker and put a comforting arm around him again. “The townsfolk all apologized once they learned the rumors were fake,” she told Team Misfits. “And they never betrayed us again. I forgave them. Booker... not so much. It’s like his heart froze over and never thawed out. That’s why he can’t get close to anyone anymore—except me. He knows there’s always a risk we’ll be betrayed again.“
“Testa... she’s been trying to get me to change,” Booker added as his voice grew shaky. “I... I know she has good intentions, but it’s just so hard for me. So hard. No matter how I try, I can’t shake that fear, that... t-terror. Every time I look at a stranger, I get all shaky and anxious about what they might do to us. So I always try to keep my distance or push them away, like I did with you guys at the start of the dungeon. After what I went through before, I... I can’t be hurt like that again. I can’t let Testa be hurt like that again.”
As Booker continued staring at the ground, Phanpy considered his next words carefully. “We won’t make you do what you don’t want to do,” he said at last. “But we’ve been with the guild for a little while now, and I can definitely vouch for them. Based on what I’ve seen, and what all the guild members have told us... they always look out for each other. Always. Even in cases where our lives are at risk, we’re all there for each other. So, I understand your fear... but I think you’ll love the guild if you just give it a chance.”
His teammates nodded, then watched Team Buckler’s reaction. The foreigners said nothing to them for a while. The only sound was the warm breeze rustling the grass. Booker kept his eyes lowered, and Testa whispered to him, so quiet that not even Phanpy could eavesdrop. Booker whispered back, and their private talk went on.
Finally, Booker the Torchic stood up. His face was stern and stoic. Casting his gaze over each member of Team Misfits, he told them, “I’ll give it a chance. Take us to the Clover Guild. I want to know if your guildmates really can be trusted.”
Next part: https://rentry.org/RibombeeBuckler2