Buckle Up, Part 2
A Clover Guild Story
By Ribombee-anon
Previous part: https://rentry.org/RibombeeBuckler1
Chapter 1: The Guild
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QOv9MuQeEA (BGM: Capim Town)
Team Buckler and Team Misfits arrived at Capim Town in the afternoon. Percival swooped down from a sunny, slightly cloudy sky, carrying the two teams in his basket. He landed a short distance outside the Clover Guildhall, formally welcomed Booker and Testa to the town, then brought his basket up to the building’s roof and took a much-needed rest after the long flight.
The newcomers looked one way at the town made of massive ancient tree stumps, then the other way at the guildhall standing apart. It had the appearance of a pair of wide tree trunks merged together. The larger one was three stories tall, while the smaller one, affixed to the left side, was two stories. Off to the right side, there was a ramp dug out and going down to the building’s basement. Beyond the ramp lay a quaint and peaceful garden. Over the building’s front door hung a wooden sign painted with a symbol of a four-leaf clover. The sign also bore text written in both the native Pokemon language and English, located above and below the symbol. Both lines read simply “Clover Guild”.
“So, this is my bachelor pad,” Cyndaquil said, gesturing with his stubby arms. “What do you think?”
“It’s cool!” said Testa.
“It’s... big,” said Booker.
“Well, it does have to house an entire guild,” said Phanpy. “Anyway, before we go in, let’s discuss some things.”
The six Pokemon huddled together. Phanpy looked at Team Buckler and said, “So, to recap: your plan is to meet Booker the Ribombee, and you also want to tour the building and learn more about the guild, so you can decide whether or not you should join us. However, my team will be too busy writing our report about the changes that happened to Giant Stone Meadow, so we can’t give you the tour ourselves. But I have another idea, and it lets us kill two birds with one stone.”
The pair of Torchic glared at Phanpy. He cleared his throat awkwardly and murmured, “Er... bad choice of words. What I’m saying is... we’ll introduce you to our Booker, and we’ll see if he can show you around the guildhall instead of us. That way, you can talk with him and get a tour as well.”
“Sounds good to me,” said Booker. “But there’s one problem. If I go in there and get introduced to everyone as Booker, everyone will get confused.”
“And it’ll draw a lot of attention,” said Testa.
“Exactly,” said Phanpy. “Luckily, on the flight over, I thought of a fake name you could use: Cooper.”
“Cooper?” asked Buckler’s Torchic. “Why Cooper?”
“It combines Booker and coop. Since you’re a chicken, and... chickens live in coops? It sounded better in my head.”
Totodile chuckled, but Booker said, “Actually, it doesn’t sound too bad. I’d be okay with using it. What about you, Testa?”
“Whatever you wanna do,” she said. “I still wanna call you Booker when we’re alone, but I can call you Cooper in public.”
Phanpy gave a nod. “In that case, you’ll go by Cooper in public from now on, unless you feel comfortable revealing your real name. As for my team and I, we won’t tell anyone your real name. We won’t reveal your other secrets either.”
“Yeah—we won’t turn our backs on a fellow human!” Totodile added with a nod.
“You...” the newly-nicknamed Cooper paused, and his beak curved into a tiny smile. “I’ll admit, it feels nice to hear you all say that. It’s... reassuring. But I can’t really bring myself to believe you just yet.”
Testa gave him a friendly pat on his head. “Well, I’m sure meeting the guild members will put your mind at ease. Judging by how Team Misfits has treated us, I just know their guildmates will be good people.”
Cooper was nowhere near as confident as his partner. He looked at the guildhall and shuddered. To him, the building seemed a lot bigger and more intimidating than it did at first. “I’m not looking forward to this,” he muttered, “but I know we have to do it. J-just stay with me, okay, Testa? If anything goes wrong, I’ll need you.”
“You got it, partner,” she said. “You don’t even have to ask.”
* * *
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odv6lu-Or34 (BGM: Do Your Best as Always)
The six Pokemon walked through the front door and into a large, quiet, empty lobby carved into the giant tree stump. As Team Buckler looked around the space, Phanpy went down a hallway to the right, saying he would check the dojo for Booker and his partner Sneasel. While they waited, Team Misfits curiously checked the two job boards on the right wall, and Cooper wandered around the lobby to take in the sights. Aside from the hallway down which Phanpy had gone, he saw tapestries with a variety of designs hanging from the walls; an open doorway to the left leading to a big mess hall; a round stairwell containing a grand spiral staircase in the very center of the building; and a door to the left of the stairs labeled “Clinic”, written bilingually.
Having gotten his bearings, Cooper looked over at Testa. She was fiddling with something inside her bag. A faint blue light came from inside. He recognized it, though he had not seen it for a while. It was the glow of the Teleport Gem, a unique device they acquired at the end of a long and grueling quest back on the Air Continent. The user could make it remember a position, and using the gem would open a portal to that place. It had previously been calibrated to their home on the outskirts of Pokemon Square, but this was much too far away to reach now, being on another continent in a different universe. Testa was probably recalibrating it to warp to the guildhall, which Cooper agreed would be a more useful position for now.
As Testa worked with the gem, Cooper took one more look around and noticed several wicker baskets close to Team Misfits and the bulletin boards. They were full of stacked papers, and he assumed it was a pile of announcements or job requests not yet posted on the board. He came closer to check out of curiosity, then took the top sheet of one stack in his talons and examined it. He gasped as he saw a crudely-drawn rendition of an iconic image he hadn’t seen in two years: a trollface. Digging through the rest of the pile showed the other papers all had a wide variety of memes drawn and written on them.
Torchic looked over and saw him perusing the guild’s works of art. “Like what you see?” she asked with a smirk.
“I never thought I’d see this stuff again,” Cooper muttered.
Testa came over to see what Cooper was doing. She stared in complete confusion at all the papers he was examining.
“Uh... what’s all this?” she asked.
“It would take way too long to explain,” Cooper replied flatly. “It’s a human thing. Suffice it to say, I feel like this guild is going to be a lot goofier than I expected.”
Around this time, Phanpy returned from the dojo with two Pokemon in tow: a Sneasel with a blue bandanna and notched ear, and a tiny Ribombee sitting on her head.
“There you are,” Totodile said to them, waving and smiling. “Glad you could join us!”
“And I’m glad you’re all safe, Team Misfits!” the Ribombee said. “I hope your mission went well. Oh, and... a-are these the Pokemon you wanted us to meet, Phanpy?”
Cooper said nothing, watching these new Pokemon cautiously, so Testa waved at them and said, “Hey there! I’m Testa, and this is... Cooper. We’re Team Buckler, from the Air Continent. We were in a dungeon there, but then got shifted to Giant Stone Meadow, and Team Misfits found us. So we came here to...”
She poked her partner, prompting him to continue now that she had broken the ice. He gave a start, but then cleared his throat and said, “Um... yes. That’s right. We came here because we’re not sure what to do now. We’re out of money and in an unfamiliar spot, so we were considering joining the guild. Maybe not forever, but for a bit, at least. To help us decide, Team Misfits said we could tour the guildhall and learn more about you all.”
Sneasel grinned. “Hope you join. It’s always awesome to get new blood around here. Anyway, nice to meetcha. You can just call me Sneasel. And this big guy’s my partner, Booker.”
She pointed up at the Ribombee, who nodded down at Team Buckler and said, “Um... I hope you enjoy your visit. And I hope you can get back home soon.”
“Thanks,” said Testa. She came closer, squinting up at Booker. “So you’re a Ribombee, huh? Phanpy’s team told us about you. This is my first time seeing one of you... you’re as cute as I thought you’d be, hehe.”
Booker stuttered a bit and cleared his throat. “Uh... th-thanks...”
“Call him cute as much as you want,” Sneasel said. “He loves it.”
“N-n-no,” Booker stammered, waving his hands. “You d-don’t need to do that. I get enough of that from Furret... and Cassie... and Pika... and Minun...” With a shudder, he added, “A-and Cyndaquil...”
Cooper glanced over at Cyndaquil, who had a big smile on his face. Despite his squinty eyes, he appeared to be staring longingly at Booker. Cooper resisted the urge to spit fire at Cyndaquil.
Meanwhile, Testa giggled and shrugged at Booker. “Alright, I get it. Not all cute Pokemon like being cute. I’ll leave you alone, Booker. Anyway, I’m glad we got to meet you, because there’s actually something we wanted to talk with you about—it doesn’t have to be right away, but at some point.”
“Um... y-yeah,” said Cooper. “That’s right.”
“Not only that,” Phanpy interjected, “I was hoping you two could give them a tour of the guildhall, Team Brave. My team and I would do it, but we need to write our mission report.”
“You want us to give a tour?” asked Booker. “Well, I don’t... I don’t think we’ve ever done that before. But if you two need your help, Team Buckler, then we can’t let you down. We can help you.”
“Do we have to?” Sneasel moaned. “I was busy training.”
“You can do that later. These Pokemon need our help. If you don’t come, I’ll... I’ll t-try to do it myself.”
The uncertainty in his shaky voice was clear, and it convinced Sneasel to give in. “Alright, fine,” she said. “I know better than to let you try talking to strangers by yourself. Don’t want these guys getting driven off by your stammering. I’ll go with you.”
As they talked, gears were turning in Cooper’s head. Booker’s timidity and desire to help those in need reminded Cooper of someone: himself. Or more precisely, himself from two years ago. He had acted like Booker during his time as a human, and also during his first few months as a Pokemon before he was jaded by becoming a fugitive. He and this Ribombee shared a name, they were both humans-turned Pokemon, and now this... just how similar were they? Was this all a coincidence, or—
He was snapped out of his thoughts as Phanpy went over to his partners and announced, “Now that we’ve all been introduced, my team and I should really get going. We have to get this report written.”
As they began to leave, Torchic said to Booker, “By the way, thanks again for giving us your notes on the dungeon. They were very helpful.”
“You’re welcome!” Booker replied. “I’m just... h-happy to be useful.”
“Also, almost forgot—I got some flowers for you, like you asked. You’ll be busy with Team Buckler, so I won’t dump them on you right now. I’ll see if Minun can put them in a vase for the time being.”
“Oh, g-good! Thanks. I’m looking forward to seeing what you found over there.”
As Torchic caught up with her team and climbed the stairs, Sneasel gestured for Team Buckler. “Alright, we can show you around the place,” she said. “Like Booker said, we’ve never given a tour before, but I know this place like the back of my claw by now, so how hard can it be?”
“We should introduce them to the guildmaster first,” Booker noted. “He should know there are newcomers visiting.“
At that, Sneasel led the way upstairs to the third floor. Team Buckler—especially Cooper—couldn’t help but feel nervous about meeting the guild’s boss. Their interactions with Teams Misfits and Brave had gone well so far, but Cooper knew everything could change in an instant. He stayed on guard and sidled closer to Testa as they ascended the stairs.
* * *
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhxH5E3bwr4 (BGM: Candid Friend—Jazz)
At the third and final floor of the guildhall, the two teams approached a large set of double doors carved with a clover insignia. A nameplate by the door, written in both English and the Pokemon language, said “Guildmaster Lliam’s Office”.
Sneasel knocked on the door. “Hey Lliam, got a minute?”
A sing-song voice replied, “Yes, Sneasel. Come in~!”
Sneasel opened the door, and everyone entered. The office was stately, with a fancy desk, a bookshelf and display case holding various items, and a large window providing a view of the forest outside of town. A Meowstic sat at the desk, poring over some paperwork, but he looked up and smiled at the four Pokemon coming in.
“Ah, Team Brave,” he said. “Nice to see you two. And you’ve brought some friends, I see. Who might you be?”
Testa stepped forward. “We’re Team Buckler,” she said. “I’m Testa, and this is Cooper. Nice to meet you, sir.”
“The pleasure’s all mine~” he replied. Squinting slightly, he added, “Hmm... your badges don’t look like any in the Federation. I presume you’re independent?”
“Yes, sir. We’re from the Air Continent. We got warped here during a dungeon shift, and Phanpy’s team found us and let us come visit the guildhall.”
“Yes, I remember sending them on that mission this morning,” Lliam said with a nod. “Looks like they got more than they bargained for—it isn’t often that Pokemon get warped in a shift. Though it has happened before.”
He shot a very quick glance at Sneasel as he spoke. She stood stoically, trying to suppress the painful memory of being taken away from her homeland. Booker could sense the gloom in her Aura, though, and rubbed her head reassuringly.
“In any case,” Lliam continued, “were you planning to return home soon? Or will you perhaps stay longer? If you need help or support, the guild is here—you can even join us if you’d like. We’re always happy to get new members, kyukyukyu~”
“We were actually considering that,” Testa said. She nudged Cooper, and he gulped and stepped forward.
“Um... y-yes, sir,” he said. “We were. But I... I’ll admit, I have trouble trusting new people because of some... past trauma. So before we make our decision, I’d like to take a tour of the guildhall and talk to your guild members, so I can decide if I’m comfortable being with them. Um... are you okay with that, sir? I’d understand if you don’t want strangers roaming your guildhall.”
Lliam set his elbows on his desk and steepled his hands, staring intently at Cooper with his bright blue/green eyes. Cooper couldn’t decide if the Meowstic was trying to look thoughtful or devious, but it did the job of making Cooper nervous.
“Hmm... you’re worried I don’t trust strangers like you?” Lliam asked.
“Y-yes, s-sir... I mean, I w-wouldn’t if I were you,” Cooper said. As he continued, his voice grew somewhat more frantic. “For all you know, we c-could be thieves. We could be studying th-this place, planning to loot it. Or... or we could be spies who hate your guild, and we’re trying to find out your secrets. Or assassins, or—”
Lliam intervened by holding up a hand, stopping Cooper’s rambling in its tracks. “You have a point,” said Lliam quietly. “You could be evil. You could be scheming. It would be safest for me to turn you away.”
Testa interjected, “Wait, we’re not evil—”
“One moment, please,” said Lliam. “As I said, it would be safest for me to not trust you, and not let you explore my guild. But that wouldn’t be very nice of me, would it?”
Cooper blinked. “Huh?”
“You can’t always doubt people. You need to have faith in strangers. I believe not everyone is out to get me. So I choose to have faith in you two, even though I’ve never met you. That’s how you build up good relationships and live a happier life, right?”
“But w-what if you trust someone and then they b-betray you?”
“Well, that’s always a risk. I know there are dangerous people out there who might turn against me and take advantage of me. So it’s true that some caution is a good idea. But don’t take it so far that you start worrying over every single person you meet.”
“Yeah, I agree,” said Testa. “You get it... sir.”
“Just ‘Lliam’ is fine,” said the Meowstic with a chuckle. “I’m glad you agree, though, Testa. I understand your partner’s fears, but as the leader of this guild, I can assure you there’s nothing to fear here. There are a lot of us here in this guild, and we all come from different walks of life—the only way we’d be able to come together like this is if we knew how to trust each other. It’s been like that since the Gathering, and I think it’ll continue for a long time.”
Cooper was silent for a bit, mulling over the guildmaster’s words. “You’re painting a good picture of your guild,” said the Torchic at last. “By that, I mean... it sounds like you’re a friendly group.”
“We try to be~”
“Team Misfits said the same thing,” Testa pointed out.
“And they’re right,” Sneasel said.
From his perch atop Sneasel, Booker nodded at the newcomers. “I love it here, and so does Sneasel. Everyone is really nice. I think you’d like it here too. But the choice to join is yours, after all. I hope seeing the building and meeting our guildmates will help you make up your mind.”
“I think... I think it will,” Cooper said. “Guildmaster—sir—I mean, Lliam... thanks for the kind words. It’s a lot different from my mindset, and I can’t totally agree with it, but I have to admit it’s a nice... ideal. I’ll try to keep an open mind when I meet your guild members.”
Lliam smiled and leaned back in his chair. “Excellent,” he said. He waved a hand. His office door opened telekinetically, and he smiled at the two teams. “Good luck with your analysis of the guild, Cooper and Testa. I think my friends will pass your test.”
“I hope so!” Testa said. “It would be nice to join a guild and get some reliable friends and support, and all that good stuff. Ready to go, partner?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Cooper replied as he turned to the door. “Get ready, Clover Guild... let the test begin.”
* * *
Chapter 2: Meetings
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKpAKobNPKE (BGM: Rescue Team Base)
The tour of the guildhall began at the guildmaster’s door. The top floor of the building mainly contained dorm rooms, situated in a ring along the edge of the building so they would all have windows. They didn’t knock on any dorm doors, though; the quartet decided to hold off on meeting guild members until after they checked out the public spaces and rooms of the guildhall. Aside from dorms, there were various other rooms on the floor, but they were all empty and not yet set up for any purpose.
A door on one side of the building led to an outdoor landing atop the guildhall’s side trunk. Wicker furniture was arranged around the space, along with flowerpots and planter boxes, while a trio of tall wooden poles held up a large triangle of cloth that offered some decent shade. They briefly took in the breeze and waved up at Percival (who peered down at them from his perch on the adjacent roof and saluted with a wing).
Before they turned to head inside again, Cooper noticed Booker gazing at a nearby planter box, and he remembered Torchic’s flowers. “So, Booker,” said Cooper. “About those flowers Torchic got for you: I saw her picking them, and she explained you asked her to get some so you could drink their nectar, right?”
“Yes, that’s right,” said Booker.
“Sounds like you two are friends, if she’d do you a favor like that.”
“We are. A-at least, I’d say we are. She’s sad about not having arms, and I’m sad about being tiny, so we, uh... commiserate.”
“Are all the guildmates on good terms like that?”
“More or less. We have our ups and downs, but we all support each other in the end.”
Cooper considered those words as they entered the guildhall again. As they descended the stairs, Sneasel glanced back at Cooper and asked, “Hey, you wanted to talk with Booker about something, right? Wanna talk now?”
“Maybe not yet,” Cooper said. “Maybe we should look at more of the guildhall, and... do you hear something?”
They had reached the second floor and stepped out into a large unoccupied lounge with a variety of comfy furniture. The coziness of the room was diminished somewhat by the faint yelling from a door along the hallway to the left.
“Oh... what’s-s going on there?” asked Booker.
“Sounds like an argument,” said Testa. “Should we check it out?”
“It would be the right thing to do. I mean... even if we don’t know what they’re arguing about, we should p-probably try to break it up, right?”
“I was thinking the same thing,” said Cooper. “But what is this room, anyway?”
“This here’s the treasury,” Sneasel said as they approached the door. “By the way, don’t even think about stealing money. We got great security.”
Booker nodded. “Trust her. She... she knows from experience.”
“Hey, lay off it. I just wanted to borrow some money one time.”
“Without telling anyone?”
“Well, I didn’t wanna bother anyone. I figured nobody would mind if I just swiped a few coins. I mean, we got plenty.”
“That’s not... whatever. Let’s just head inside and see what’s going on.”
They opened the door and stepped into a room smaller than the guildmaster’s office, containing two desks and plenty of storage. Chests and lockboxes were scattered around, and the walls bore many shelves and deposit boxes. An iron vault door was installed at the far end of the room. Where there were no shelves or boxes, the walls bore lanterns or tapestries like the lobby.
One desk had a large pile of coins on it, and a smiling Charmander with a yellow scarf leaned back in this desk’s chair, putting her hands casually behind her head. A tiny Gimmighoul only a little smaller than Booker stomped around on the desk itself. They were in the middle of a shouting match as the two teams entered the room.
“—totally harmless!” the Charmander said with a laugh.
“It’s not harmless!” the Gimmighoul yelled. “You got my hopes up and dashed them! I’m never gonna forgive you! Never!”
They were so caught up in the argument that they didn’t notice the newcomers until Sneasel cleared her throat.
“Oh, hey, guys,” said the Charmander, casting a curious look at Team Buckler.
“Hi, Charm,” said Booker. “And Jimmy. Um... sorry to b-bother you two... is this a bad time?”
“Nah, don’t worry about it,” said Charm. “Who are these new guys?”
“Team Buckler—Cooper and Testa,” Sneasel explained, gesturing at them. “An outside team. We’re showing them around the guildhall. What are you two up to?”
Charm shrugged. “Just having a talk. Jimmy here is all upset about a harmless little prank.”
“Stop calling it harmless!” Jimmy snapped. He ran over to the pile of coins and fished out one, which was almost as big as his whole body. It was different than a regular Poke coin, engraved with an emblem of three circles instead of a large P.
“See this?” he said to Brave and Buckler, hoisting the coin over his head. “This is a Gimmighoul coin, got it? I need these coins to get stronger. But they’re so rare, and I need so many. It’ll take forever! That’s why I get so happy whenever I find one.”
He suddenly chucked the coin away and pointed a fingerless hand at Charm. “But then this stupid lizard decides to play a prank and give me a counterfeit earlier today! I made a fool of myself dancing around and celebrating over it in front of everyone, and she just now told me it’s a fake!“
“C’mon, it was fun to watch you celebrate,” said Charm. “It was good entertainment for everyone. And you gotta admit, I did a good job making a fake coin, right?”
Jimmy had given up on saying anything. He just crossed his arms and narrowed his golden eyes at the Charmander, giving her a death glare. Cooper looked between them both, frowning as he did. Booker frowned as well, nervously. His Aura powers let him sense a mix of emotions welling up in the Torchic. His Aura was oddly dull and hard to sense, as if it was only in grayscale, but Booker could pick up disappointment, frustration... distrust? It was clear that his opinion of the guild was soured after hearing about this prank.
Fortunately, the mood in the room soon softened. Charm’s mischievous smile faded, and she let out a long sigh. “Alright, I’m sorry, Jimmy,” she said. “I didn’t know these coins were that important to you. I won’t prank you like that again. And if I find any more coins—legit ones—I’ll let you have them.”
“Good,” Jimmy snapped. His antennae drooped, and he looked down at the desk. “Um... Sorry for yelling at you. I said I’d never forgive you, but maybe I’ll change my mind... since you apologized.”
“Thanks,” said Charm. Looking over at the visitors, she added, “Sorry you had to walk in on that. Kinda awkward, huh?”
“Not the most awkward thing that we could’ve walked in on,” Sneasel said. “Anyway, I guess it’s good you two made up. I kinda wanted to see how long you’d keep the shouting match on, but I guess it’s best to stop before someone gets hurt.”
“Definitely,” said Testa. “Anyway, we came here because we’re considering joining the guild, but we wanna learn about you guys first, and see if this is a good group.”
“Oh—bet Charm and I were making a bad impression, huh?” Jimmy asked sheepishly. “Well, trust me, things between us guildmates are usually smoother than that. The guild’s helped me collect plenty of coins, so I really owe them a lot. And Booker’s helped me not feel so bad about being so tiny. This is a pretty sweet group, overall.”
Charm gave a nod and added, “That said, as you can tell from that argument Jimmy and I just had, we sometimes have our disagreements. And we’ve got some pranksters in the guild—especially me and Sneasel. But we’re all on the same team when it comes down to it.”
“That’s right,” said Sneasel. “Especially when the going gets tough. Remember the Thunder Dome, Charm?”
Booker shuddered atop Sneasel’s head, while Charm whistled. “Hoo boy, that was a rough mission,” she said. “Me, my partner Natu, and Team Brave went on a really hard mission a little while back. Sneasel and I actually didn’t really like each other at first, so we kept butting heads. It got worse as we realized the job was a lot harder than any of us expected. But because the mission was so crazy difficult, we learned to get over our differences and pull through in the end.”
“Good for you,” said Testa with a smile. “Thanks for telling us all that, you two. We’re getting a better picture of the guild already, right, partner?”
“I think so,” Cooper said. “Thanks, Charm and Jimmy.”
Booker reached out to Cooper’s Aura again. His trepidation was fading away. Booker cracked a smile. He could still sense a veil of distrust hanging over Cooper, but holes were beginning to form, letting light and vague color shine through.
“Okay, we’re off,” said Testa. “Where to next?”
“Wait!” Charm said. She reached into one of her desk’s drawers and withdrew a small brown pouch sealed with a drawstring. “If you’re going around and chatting with the guildmates, can you give this to Ross when you visit him? This is his money pouch. He left it behind when he stopped by earlier today.”
“Sure,” said Testa, taking the pouch. “Can we do that right away, Team Brave? Sounds like a good excuse to chat with this Ross guy.”
Sneasel nodded, and after everyone said goodbye to Charm and Jimmy, they set out.
* * *
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8x5FdL2qr8 (BGM: Interlude—The Joy of Painting)
After a brief walk through the guildhall, they reached a door bilingually labeled “Ross—Smeargle”. They knocked on the door of a dorm, and the occupant let them in. The room had basic furnishing and was designed for one person, so it felt a bit cramped with Teams Brave and Buckler inside, but they still could fit. A Smeargle stood at one end of the room, his back turned to the door. He wore a fanny pack with his paintbrush-like tail tucked into the rear of the belt, and a green bandanna around his neck. He was crossing his arms and staring at a wall, which was covered in a landscape painting of a huge mountain rising above a lush forest.
“Hi, Ross,” said Booker. He gasped as she saw the mural. “Wow, th-that’s a beautiful painting! Reminds me of Sky Peak. Your art is really improving!”
“Thanks, Booker,” said Ross, without taking his eyes off the art. “But... I can’t take credit for it. I made it while sleepwalking. Again. I’m still trying to figure out how I made this. I don’t know why I can only make good art when I’m asleep.”
“Oh... well, i-if you keep practicing, I’m sure you can become a great painter! And you can try asking other people for advice. There’s an art shop in town, so... maybe you can visit there.”
Ross sighed and finally looked at his visitors. “Well, thanks for the kind words, but—oh, hi Torchic. You got a new headband, huh? And, uh... I haven’t seen your friend before. A new Team Misfits member?”
“Huh?” Cooper asked. After a pause, he continued, “Oh. I think you’re mistaking me for Team Misfits’ Torchic.”
He explained the basics of who he and his partner were, and Ross nodded. “Okay,” said the Smeargle. “Sorry, it’s still a bit hard for me to tell Pokemon of the same species apart. Wait, did that sound racist? Sorry, I didn’t mean to say all Torchic look the same—it’s just... uh...”
“It’s okay,” said Cooper. “Don’t worry about it. Anyway, I hope we’re not bothering you and your art study. We had two reasons for coming here.”
“First, you left this at the treasury,” Testa said, handing the coin pouch to Ross. Ross sheepishly mumbled his thanks and stowed it in his fanny pack.
“Also,” Cooper continued, “we’ve been considering joining the guild, so we wanted to get the members’ opinions on the group. Can you share your thoughts, please?”
Ross’s ears perked up a little bit. “Yeah, it’s a nice place,” he said with a nod. “I’ve been here for a little while, so I’m still getting to know people. But... hold on, did Lliam send you here to question me? He’s not going to kick me out if I say the wrong thing about the guild, is he? Is he?”
“How did you know?” Sneasel asked with a smirk. “So you better answer these questions right, buster, or—”
“Please don’t kick me out!” Ross yelled.
“Sneasel!” Booker yelled as well, though not as loud as Ross. “What are you doing? Please, leave him alone!”
Sneasel rolled her eyes. “C’mon, I’m just messing with you, Ross. We’re never gonna kick you out! We like you. Plus, I still gotta spar with you some more. You said we’d have a rematch sometime, and I’m still waiting.”
“Nobody sent us to ask you questions, Ross,” Testa said. “Cooper and I are just curious about what the guild members think about each other. That’s all. As for you... judging by that little outburst, we can tell you really care about the guild.”
“Of course I do!” said Ross. “They took me in when I was lost and confused, and they keep helping me out all the time. I really appreciate that, especially since it’s been kind of rough for me since I ended up here. It got really bad a little while back, when I first learned how to use a move. Doing that for the first time was... freaky. I’d rather not talk about it too much, but... point is, the guild’s always been there for me when I need it. I remember one time Kaiji helped me when a merchant was giving me trouble, and Elm picked me up when I was feeling really down. And Toge gave me this fanny pack—it’s ugly, but it helps me keep my tail from dragging and leaving paint trails everywhere. Honestly, I don’t know what I’d do without the guild.”
“Aww,” Testa cooed. “It’s so nice to hear everyone cares about each other here!”
“It sure seems that way,” Cooper said. “Thanks for talking with us, Ross. It’s... it’s helpful.”
“Yeah, thanks!” said Testa. “See ya!”
Ross waved goodbye and went back to analyzing his sleepwalk-art. Team Buckler followed Team Brave outside again, and they gathered in the hall close to Ross’s door.
“So, what do you think of the guild so far?” Testa asked her partner. “I know we’ve only met a few people, but...”
“I’m still not sure I want to join them,” Cooper replied, “but hearing how everyone supports each other and helps each other out... it’s nice. I guess you can say my icy heart’s warming up.”
Cooper’s Aura backed up his words, making Booker smile. The dreariness it had before was slowly disintegrating, and color was returning to it. Though Booker still couldn’t read the exact hues, aside from a hint of mint green, it felt quite a bit more warm and cozy—which gave him an idea.
Booker cleared his throat and said, “Um, guys... next up, I was thinking maybe we can visit Team Cozy? I mean, out of all the teams in the guild, they’re probably number one when it comes to having faith in each other. I think seeing them will do a lot to boost your opinion of the guild, Cooper.”
“I still think the two of us are closer than Team Cozy, partner,” Sneasel said.
“It isn’t a contest.”
“That’s what a loser would say.”
Booker rolled his eyes. “Well, we should visit them anyway. If you want to see how much we guildmates care about each other, Team Buckler, you should definitely meet Chespin and Wooper.”
“Team Cozy is such a cute name,” Testa said with a grin. “I’d love to meet them. You know the deal: lead the way, Sneasel!”
* * *
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQDF1k3gHr8 (BGM: Quilty Square)
The quartet went to Team Cozy’s dorm, and Sneasel knocked on the door. “You guys in there?” she asked.
“Oh, Sneasel!” came a cheery voice from the other side of the door. “Come in!”
This was followed by another voice adding, “Yeah, come on in.”
Teams Brave and Buckler entered the room and shut the door behind them. Since this was a two-person dorm, the visitors didn’t feel as cramped as they had in Ross’s room. Like every other dorm in the guildhall, this one was decorated with several pieces of wooden furniture. Unlike any other dorm, though, its floor was dominated by a huge and comfortable-looking blanket, which seemed to double as a rug. Simply looking at the blanket and feeling it underfoot was enough to soothe the visitors. Two lumps at two separate points hinted at the pair of makeshift cotton mattresses underneath, and two pillows made of cotton and leaves poked out from under the blanket. Off to one side, Chespin and Wooper sat at a table with a book containing maps of some sort.
“Hey,” Chespin said, waving at Booker and Sneasel. “What’s up—oh, who’s with you? Are you new guild members?”
Testa introduced herself and her partner again, then looked over at Cooper and swept a hand towards him, encouraging him to speak as well. He explained their plan, and Team Cozy nodded in understanding.
“So,” said Chespin, “you want to be extra sure you can trust us? Do you have trust issues? Sorry if that’s a personal question, but...”
“I... I d-do, yes,” Cooper said. “There was one time where Testa and I... were badly betrayed. So we need to make sure we can believe in the guild before we team up with you all. So... can you two vouch for the guild? Can you tell me about some times when it pulled through for you? Any times where your guildmates proved they could be trusted?”
“Sounds like an interview,” Chespin grumbled. “But that’s okay. I definitely love it here at the guild. I may even like it better than my human life. And Wooper’s the best friend I could ask for.”
“I can say the same thing about you, Chespin!” said Wooper. “Chespin’s always there to cover me in a fight. I’m not great at taking hits, so he’s always there to keep me safe. His back’s real tough, like a shell—hey, kinda like you and your Squirtle shell, Testa!”
“So he shields you against enemies?” Testa said. She looked over at Cooper and smiled. “Hey, they’re just like us.”
“In a way,” Cooper said quietly. Focusing his attention on Chespin, he asked, “Wooper’s your best friend? So it goes without saying that you trust him?”
Chespin immediately nodded. “Absolutely! Case in point, not too long ago, he learned...” he shivered and gulped before finishing his sentence: “...Ice Beam.”
“That’s cool,” said Cooper.
“No, it’s not! W-well, it’s nice to have extra type coverage, but... I really, really don’t like ice.”
“Understatement of the century,” Sneasel said with a smirk.
“When Wooper learned that move,” Chespin murmured, “I was... terrified, worried I’d end up getting hit with it by accident. But because Wooper’s my best friend, I realized I had nothing to worry about.”
“He didn’t get over it right away,” Sneasel clarified, “but we’ve been dealing with the problem. Me, Booker, and Wooper gave him some help, and it’s been working. I’d even say your guys’ friendship is stronger than ever now.”
From his perch on Sneasel’s head, Booker smiled down at Team Buckler. “No matter what,” he said, “Chespin and Wooper put their faith in each other.”
“And that’s what it means to be partners,” Cooper said. “You were about to say that, right?”
“Exactly.”
“Well, it makes sense partners would look out for each other. But what about your guildmates, Team Cozy? How do you feel about them?”
“Same thing,” Chespin said. He pointed at Sneasel and said, “Like she mentioned, Sneasel’s been helping me get over my fear of ice, and I really appreciate that.”
“And we’ve worked with Booker before too,” Wooper added. “He helped us make the guild’s garden, and all three of us love that place—it’s so comfy! Oh, and we’re close to Toge too! Remember that time in Serenity River, Chespin? He was just about to give up, but we stood up for him! We fought for him and made sure all three of us made it back!”
“Barely,” said Sneasel, glancing at Chespin.
He winced and reached for his back. “Yeah. It’s a miracle I don’t have scars from that fight. That Dewott was nuts.”
Testa cocked her head to the side. “Dewott?”
“An old friend of Toge’s, apparently. But he’s insane. He kept trying to kidnap Toge—and even kill me and Wooper.”
“Oh no... That’s terrible! Hope Cooper and I never bump into him. Glad you two got out alive, Team Cozy.”
As they spoke, Booker noticed something odd: a familiar Aura was now lurking outside the dorm. He abruptly looked over his shoulder and began staring at the door. “Um... speaking of Toge...” he said, “I sense him. Is he eavesdropping?”
Sneasel hurried over and threw the door open. Just as Booker suspected, there floated a Togetic with a blue bandanna around his neck and a bandage on his head. As soon as Sneasel caught him, he yelped and drifted back.
“Thought you could sneak up on me, huh?” asked Sneasel with a smirk.
“Actually, I’m the one who noticed you,” Booker said to his fellow fairy.
“Shut up,” Sneasel said, still smirking. “Anyway, what’s up, Toge?”
Toge was shivering. He landed on the floor, and his lips quivered until he finally managed to stammer, “Um... I’m s-s-sorry, I... d-d-didn’t m-mean-n to b-bother you guys... F-forgot you c-can... um... sense... sense p-people’s Aura, B-Booker...”
“Don’t worry about it,” Booker said softly. “We’re not bothered. Um... were you curious what we’re talking about?”
“Well, I w-was p-passing by, and... and I h-heard voices from... T-Team Cozy’s d-dorm... Just w-w-wondering what’s g-going on.”
“We were talking about you,” Sneasel said. “Revealing all your darkest secrets.”
Toge immediately began to hyperventilate, so Booker quickly said, “No! We w-weren’t saying anything bad! Quite the opposite, in fact. So... would you like to come in?”
Sneasel stepped aside, and a now-calmer Toge entered the increasingly-crowded room. Once he did, he noticed Team Buckler and stared curiously at them. After being introduced to them, he asked, “S-so you two w-wanna learn a-about Team C-Cozy? You... d-don’t trust them y-yet?
Sneasel suddenly smirked. “Nah, they don’t. Not yet. So, if it ain’t too much trouble, mind giving ’em a few pointers about Team Cozy?”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WY_-MK0XBGc (BGM: Helter Skelter)
In a split second, the Togetic’s demeanor changed utterly and completely. His face lit up. He seemed to grow taller. His eyes grew wide and wild, and he shook with barely-contained energy.
“Oh no,” Booker squeaked. “Wait—”
Toge easily drowned out the little Ribombee as he unleashed an overwhelming torrent of words: “Can I?! Man, I could talk all day about them! They’re the best team in the entire guild! No, the entire continent! No, the entire world! Nobody else can even hope to come close to the levels of comfy camaraderie emanating from every single fiber of their being! Together, they are an infinite beacon of light and warmth and hope gleaming in the dark and cold and cruel world! The sparkling epitome of perfect harmony! Their friendship is the most precious and wholesome thing that exists, has ever existed, and will ever exist—in this universe and all other universes! It will add years to your life and cure your diseases just by looking at it, and will enlighten you to the true meaning of brotherly platonic love, and I must reiterate it is PLATONIC and absolutely NOT lewd in any conceivable way, and anyone who thinks otherwise is a complete and total DEGENERATE who does not deserve to share this planet with Chespin and Wooper! Their iron-clad bond of flawless compassion must be preserved and protected for all eternity, at all costs, and I will not rest until every single Pokemon in the world bows down to THE ABSOLUTE MIRACLE THAT IS TEAM COZY!”
The awkwardness of the ensuing silence was palpable.
It lasted until Sneasel snorted, then let out a loud belly laugh and fell backward onto the blanket covering the floor. Booker was upset from his perch, sending him tumbling down to land softly on the blanket a short distance from Sneasel’s head.
A bright blush showed through the feathers of Toge’s face. He muttered and stuttered incoherently for several seconds. Then he rapidly scurried out of the room, leaving the door open behind him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQDF1k3gHr8 (BGM: Quilty Square)
Sneasel sat upright, wiping tears from her eyes as she snorted and snickered. “Th-that was great,” she said. “I never get tired of his rants. Peak comedy. Ah, I love that guy.”
Booker came over to Sneasel’s side and lightly punched her leg. “Sneasel... please leave him alone,” he scolded her. “Don’t goad him like that.”
“Well, Buckler wanted to see the bonds between us guildmates, right?” Sneasel asked. “I think this did the trick. You heard Toge. That was all stream of consciousness, no filter, raw—those were his real thoughts right there, so you know he really loves Team Cozy.”
Team Buckler glanced over at Chespin and Wooper. Chespin was looking away in embarrassment, but Wooper was smiling and said, “Yeah, Toge likes us, and we like Toge! He’s our biggest fan!”
“I can see that,” Cooper said, unable to hide his smile.
“Actually,” said Chespin, “on top of that, we’re the ones who found Toge and brought him to the guild. He was lost and alone, and he needed help. We couldn’t leave him like that. That’s part of why he’s so close to us.”
“And you’re alone too, right?” Wooper asked Team Buckler, his usual smile faltering only slightly. “We’d be happy to take you in too, just like we did with Toge! Then we can all be friends together!”
Wooper’s undying cheerfulness made Cooper smile wider in spite of himself. “I think... I think I’d like that,” the Torchic said wistfully. But after a moment, he seemed to catch himself. His smile vanished, and he took on a more serious expression. “A-anyway, I don’t want to be too hasty. We should keep checking out the guild and learning more before making our final choice, right, Testa?”
“Whatever you wanna do,” she said. “Better safe than sorry, right? Let’s be extra sure about the guild before we decide. But I’m totally leaning towards joining these guys. They all look like great friends.”
Teams Brave and Buckler prepared to leave, but first, Testa said, “Wait! I just remembered something. Chespin... we fought a boss Pokemon in a dungeon before coming here. It was a Cryogonal, and it seemed to really hate a certain Chespin. Are you him?”
Despite his fur, everyone could see the color drain from Chespin’s face. His quills drooped, and he gulped and stammered, “Y-y-yeah... p-probably.”
“Well, don’t you worry,” Testa continued, pulling Cooper to her side. “We took that big bad snowflake out. It’s not dead, but it’s melted, and it’s not coming back anytime soon.”
In a split second, Chespin perked up. He beamed and leaped from his chair. He took Testa’s hand and shook it vigorously, then tried to do the same to Cooper before realizing he had no arms. Cooper made up for it by balancing on one foot and raising a talon, and Chespin shook it in lieu of a hand.
“I can’t thank you enough!” Chespin exclaimed with a laugh. “That Cryogonal... it’s my archenemy! If you melted that dirty rotten chiller, I’m forever in your debt! You hear that, Wooper? Score one for the good guys!”
Wooper was bouncing up and down in his seat. “Yeah! Great work, Team Buckler! That Cryogonal’s a real meanie. Glad you taught him a lesson!”
Team Buckler, with some slight awkwardness, accepted Team Cozy’s surge of gratitude and took their leave. As they followed Team Brave out of the dorm and resumed their tour of the guildhall, Cooper and Testa had only one question: “What the heck is a ‘chiller’?”
* * *
Chapter 3: A Choice
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CP6D4KHRPO8 (BGM: File Select)
It was subtle at first, but Cooper certainly felt a change come over him as he and Testa continued their tour, meeting various guild members and hearing their stories. Confronted by such positivity and camaraderie, Cooper’s anxiety seemed to melt away. However, a dark core of fear lingered, clinging to his heart and refusing to let him relax entirely. Without warning, any of these Pokemon could turn on him. He had to be vigilant. But Lliam’s words echoed in his mind. As the guildmaster had said, vigilance was wise, but perhaps it was better to have a little faith in strangers instead of being outright afraid at all times.
He gave careful consideration to this mindset. He was unsure if he could actually embrace it. But based on all the data he was collecting, he leaned decidedly towards trying it, and he couldn’t stop himself from holding his head higher, stepping more lightly, and greeting the guild members with a friendliness that was no longer forced.
Testa easily noticed that her partner seemed more accepting of the guild. She kept sending warm smiles his way. Though the tour was not yet over, she had already made up her mind that joining the guild would be the best decision. The fact that Cooper seemed to be coming to the same conclusion made her heart soar. By nightfall, the two of them might officially become part of this guild. Instead of living by themselves, fending for themselves, and trying to earn a living in this unfamiliar continent, they might actually acquire new friends with whom they could work—and in whom they could trust.
But it would all depend on Cooper’s choice. Testa perfectly understood his trust issues, and wanted him to be comfortable with whatever choice he made. Still, the possibility that Cooper might finally let go of his deep-rooted fear, after all this time, made her shake with excitement.
As they neared the end of the tour, they found themselves in the lobby again. They caught a glimpse of Totodile in the mess hall, likely retrieving some refreshments for his team to have while they worked upstairs. In the lobby itself, a gray-furred Meowth and a broken-horned Absol were speaking with a Makuhita. The Fighting-type seemed to be talking with them about a job. Teams Brave and Buckler intended to pass by the trio without bothering them, but Makuhita noticed them and called attention to them.
“Excuse me,” he said. “Those badges... you’re not with this guild, huh?”
“N-no, we’re not,” Cooper said.
“I thought so. Got a cousin in the Air Continent. He told me that’s the kind of badge some teams use over there.”
“Ooh, the Air Continent!” the Absol said with a big smile. “You’re from all the way over there? That’s so cool! Are you two visiting our guildhall?”
“Yes,” said Cooper. “We’re actually considering joining, too. We’ve been meeting your guildmates to learn more about them, and... I haven’t made my mind up yet, but it’s definitely a possibility.”
“Cool,” said the Meowth. “Ain’t never seen you two around, but you look like you can handle yourselves in a scrap—especially with those items you got. Detect Band and Efficiency Bandanna, right?”
“Yep!” said Testa, adjusting the cloth on her arm. “You know your items, huh?”
“I know a lot. The name’s Kaiji.”
“And I’m Kris!” said the Absol. “I hope you two...”
Kris suddenly stopped. His mouth hung open, and his eyes grew oddly glassy and unfocused. Everyone looked at him curiously, except the Meowth, who groaned.
“Not again,” he grumbled. “Alright, brace yourselves. It’s another one of this bozo’s ‘predictions’.”
He added exaggerated air quotes around the last word. Booker frowned down at him. “Kaiji, he isn’t a bozo,” he said. “Please be nice. I think he—”
He was interrupted by a loud yelp from Kris. The Absol’s eyes went wide, and he stumbled back, bumping into the wall behind him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_grFAreCaU (BGM: Friend Area Cave)
“Y-you two!” the Absol yelled at Team Buckler. “N-no! Stay back!”
The duo stumbled back as well. “W-what?” Testa stammered. “Hang on, what are—”
“I see fire, water...” Kris babbled. “The shield and dual blades... blood... no!”
“Kris, t-take a d-deep breath,” Booker stammered.
Kris ignored him. He turned and ran across the lobby to the spiral staircase, yelling, “No! I’ve gotta change the future! I’ve gotta warn Toooooooge!”
His cry faded away as he ran up the stairs. Kaiji groaned again and shook his head. “Just ignore him,” he said to Makuhita and Team Buckler. “That horn of his don’t work right, so he always keeps blabbin’ about wack predictions.”
“You sure?” asked Makuhita, now giving Team Buckler a wary look. “He talked about fire, water, a shield—and your team name, ‘buckler’, is a type of shield. Sounds like these two are evil.”
Cooper’s breath hitched as he stepped back. “N-no,” he stuttered. “W-we’re not...”
“Hey, that ain’t nice,” Sneasel said to Makuhita. “Don’t go around calling guys evil.”
“It’s alright,” Kaiji said. “We both know Kris is always wrong with his predictions, but Makuhita here just met Kris. He don’t know what Kris is like. Let’s cut ’im some slack, alright? Anyway, sorry about this, Makuhita, but I gotta go get my partner and make him chill out. You can wait in here, or outside if you’d like. We’ve got a great li’l garden you can hang out in. I’ll be back in a minute, and we can keep chattin’ about your job then.”
Without waiting for a reply, Kaiji dashed up the stairs. Makuhita was still watching Team Buckler warily, but seemed willing to step outside and wait in the garden as Kaiji asked. He turned to go outside. He barely took one step before bumping right into Totodile, who had emerged from the mess hall to see what the commotion was. He had a box tucked under one arm, while his other hand held a bottle of some sort of strong drink. It was nearly empty, and it was clearly not the first drink he had consumed recently, as he stumbled drunkenly.
“Sorry, pal,” he said, wobbling away from Makuhita. “Didn’t see ya there!”
“It’s okay,” said Makuhita. “I was just on my way out. ’Scuse me.”
“Aw, stay a bit longer!” Totodile said. He hiccuped, then looked over at Cooper and Testa with unfocused eyes. “Hey, Buckler’s here! You met Team Buckler, huh, Makuhita? They’re great guys! Great guys. Oh, hey—see how they got a Torchic? I got a Torchic on my team too.”
“Interesting,” said Makuhita, though his tone of voice made plain his disinterest.
“Oh ho, but that ain’t the most interestin’ part,” Totodile said. “Get this—the two Torchic, they’re both human!”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCr0hlo90vA (BGM: Dream Eater)
Time stopped for Cooper. The guildhall vanished, and all that was left was him, Totodile, and Makuhita. Cooper stared at Totodile in complete, abject, unspeakable disbelief. Though his body was frozen, his heart and mind raced like a raging fire in a windstorm. Earlier, Totodile had made a solemn vow to keep Cooper’s secrets—only to break it mere hours later. Even worse, this secret was Cooper’s most important one, and most volatile. The last time his humanity was revealed without his permission, both he and his partner were attacked by a human-hating lynch mob and chased all across the Air Continent. And as Cooper looked into the narrow eyes of Makuhita, he saw the same disdain and hate that filled the eyes of the mob two years ago, on the worst day of his life. It was almost too much to bear.
The nightmare was repeating itself.
Makuhita frowned deeply and shook his head, muttering, “Human... no kidding?”
Cooper tried to deny it. All that came out was a tiny whimper, barely audible.
One look at Cooper’s reaction made Sneasel step in to assist. With a forced laugh, she said, “H-hey, Totodile, quit that crazy talk. C’mon, we ain’t got any humans here. Guess that drink’s getting to your head—didja forget the human thing is just us playing pretend?”
“Pretend?” Makuhita asked. His squinty eyes narrowed even further as he glared at Cooper. “No, nothing pretend about it. Just look at him. Look at how he’s acting. He’s a filthy human, and he got found out. And considering the prediction that Absol made... I guess humans really are bad news, just like that smart old Alakazam said. Isn’t that right?”
Cooper’s surroundings flashed. He was back in Pokemon Square. In the place of Makuhita and Totodile loomed a madly grinning Gengar, and all around stood an angry crowd, frowning, snarling, grumbling, growling.
“If the world’s balance is upset by a human becoming a Pokemon,” Gengar hissed, “then, if that human is gone, then everything should return to normal, correct? Isn’t that right, Booker? Let’s get rid of Booker and regain peace!”
The mob closed in. Gengar cackled. Booker the Torchic screamed and fled.
* * *
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkMhdj4x5_E (BGM: My Friend and the Setting Sun—Music Box)
Cooper ran blindly and aimlessly, leaving behind the guild, leaving behind his partner, wishing he could leave behind the entire world. He paid no mind to his surroundings. He finally stumbled and scrambled behind a big tree. He collapsed to one side, curled up, and squeezed his eyes shut as tight as he could. His breath came fast and shallow. The image of the cruel Gengar and the swarm of enraged Pokemon loomed large in his mind. They all laughed and yelled at him, their eyes glowing an evil red. He winced and shuddered as he felt echoes of stabbing rock, searing heat, biting cold—all the memories of his panicked escape with Testa were tumbling down on him.
Testa—was she still back there? Had she come looking for him? As if to answer the question, Cooper heard somewhat heavy steps approaching. He opened one eye slightly. He saw his partner peeking around the tree trunk at him, worry etched on her face.
“Bo—Cooper,” she murmured. “It’s okay. Sneasel’s calming down that Makuhita, defusing things. You have nothing to worry about. C-can we talk about it?”
Cooper merely moaned and opened his eye a bit wider. As Testa stepped more into view, Cooper saw Booker peeking around her head. The little Ribombee was seated on her shell, holding on to her red bandanna. Testa sat down close to Cooper, and Booker slid off her shell and stood beside Team Buckler, wringing his fingerless hands as he forced himself to look at Cooper.
“Th-that wasn’t...” Booker stammered. “T-Totodile didn’t... he didn’t mean to reveal that s-secret. He was drunk—he wasn’t in c-control of himself.”
“You can forgive Totodile, right, partner?” Testa asked.
Cooper shook his head, rubbing his feathery cheek against the dirt. “He promised... he promised. Totodile said he’d keep it a secret. Back in the dungeon... he s-specifically said he wouldn’t t-tell anyone... how could he?”
“It was a m-mistake,” Booker said.
“That doesn’t matter! The s-secret’s out! This is ex-exactly what I was a-afraid of! If I can’t t-trust the guild, completely, all the way, I... I can’t join.”
Booker stifled a gasp. “No... please, can you just... give us another chance?”
“I can’t. I just can’t.”
“B-but you said you have no money, and you’re stuck here for now! Please, I d-don’t want you to go out on your own, all alone... I’m w-worried about you. Both of you.”
“We can manage,” Cooper said.
“We definitely can,” said Testa. “We spent plenty of time living on our own in the wilds before. But I’d rather not do it again. Can you reconsider, partner?”
“I’m sorry, Testa. I’m so sorry, but... we can’t stay with the guild. Not after what happened there. Not after I was just... betrayed again. That Totodile, he broke his promise. He revealed my biggest secret, and that Makuhita... you saw how he hated me. Just like in the Square, just like all those other Pokemon that betrayed us before, hating me for being human. I can’t go through that sort of thing again.”
Testa sidled over and gave Cooper a hug. Booker’s wings and antennae drooped, and he hung his head. He started and stopped speaking a couple times, before finally collecting his thoughts.
“I can’t force you to join us,” he said, speaking deliberately to try and avoid stuttering. “It’s all up to you. But I think you should give us another chance. You saw what we were all like—everyone was friendly, and you heard how we all support each other. I think you got all the info you need to know the truth. I don’t think you should let one bad experience override everything else.”
“Exactly,” said Testa. “But like you said, Booker, it’s up to us—and I’ll do whatever makes Cooper most comfortable. So, for now... Booker, could you give us some time alone, please? We have to talk this over.”
“Y-yes,” said the Ribombee. “I understand. I’ll go. I can walk back to the guildhall on my own. It’ll take a little while at my size, but it’s not too far away.”
“Thanks,” said Testa. “And thanks for coming out here with me. I’m glad you care about us two. But don’t worry about us. We’ll be fine on our own.”
“I h-hope so. Will I... will we ever see you again?”
“Maybe. We might visit the guildhall again later. Or we might leave and never come back. I hope we can meet again sometime, though. You’re a nice guy.”
“Oh, th-thanks,” Booker said. “Well, then... I guess this is goodbye, Cooper... Testa. Be safe... please.”
The Ribombee waved and jogged away. Testa leaned and peered around the tree trunk to watch him go, until she couldn’t see him anymore. A while after he vanished from view, and surely after he was out of earshot, Testa felt Cooper begin shuddering in her arms. His head rested against her armored chest, but his face was downturned, so she couldn’t look him in the eye or see his expression. But his sniffling told her all she needed to know.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQr3SddX-5g (BGM: Run Away Fugitives)
“Booker, what’s wrong?” she asked.
“Why...?” her partner moaned quietly, his throat tight. “Why... why can’t I be brave?”
Testa cocked her head to the side. “Huh? What are you saying? You’re really brave! We’ve been through so much together, and—”
“No, I... I get what you mean, but that’s not what I’m talking about. I know we defeated Legendaries, we stopped a falling star, we even saved the entire world. I j-just don’t get... why am I strong enough to do all that, but I can’t get over my fear? This should be easy compared to that! Why can’t I stop being af-afraid of everyone? Why can’t I make myself t-t-trust people again? I’m so sick of b-being frightened all the time!”
Testa faintly felt wetness on her armor where Cooper’s head lay. His voice was shaking along with his body. She held him tighter.
“I want to make friends again!” he said through tears. “I want to be p-part of a group l-like that guild! I don’t w-want to be alone!”
Cooper’s voice fell apart, and he wept. Testa rocked back and forth, hugging him close and fighting back her own tears. She had never seen her partner so distraught. Even during their time as fugitives, he mostly put on a brave face and tried to motivate her—and she motivated him as well whenever he began to waver. They had shared emotional moments before, but not like this. She racked her brain to determine the right kinds of things to say to him.
Eventfully, she patted the back of his head and whispered this: “Booker, you’re not alone. You’ve got me. Like I said, we’ve been through so much together, and I’m gonna keep sticking with you and supporting you. I know getting betrayed by Totodile—even if it was an accident—was scary for you. It was your worst fear. But I’m here for you. You’ve got nothing to fear when I’m with you, got that? Even if we trust someone, and they turn against us, I’ll help you. And if you can just remember that... I think that’s the secret to solving your problem. If you wanna start trusting people again, just do it. Just trust them. And if things go bad, I’ll protect you just like I’ve always done.”
She noticed her partner’s sobbing diminish as she spoke. By the end, he was mostly calm and quiet. He said nothing to her, though he continued to shiver and sniffle. Aside from that, the only sound was the gentle summer wind rustling the broad leafy canopy above.
Finally, Cooper moved. He pushed himself away from Testa so he could look at her face-to-face. His purple eyes were bloodshot, but his beak was curved into a slight quivering smile.
“Th-thank you,” he said. “Thanks for a-always helping me feel b-better. Here... back in that dungeon... even when we w-were fugitives...”
“Don’t mention it,” said Testa, smiling back at him. “You’re always there for me, so I’ve gotta be there for you too, right?”
Cooper nodded, still smiling. They separated and sat together, staring wordlessly at the scattered clouds beyond the shuddering leaves above. The forest edge seemed so peaceful, as if telling Cooper that he would make it through this. Cooper gradually composed himself and took some deep breaths.
As Testa saw her partner relax and recover from his emotional breakdown, she finally asked him softly, “So, do you wanna give the guild another shot? Like the other Booker said, I think it’s worth trying again. Also, speaking of Booker, we still need to talk with him about how you share a name, and all that.”
“You’re right,” Cooper replied. “Not for a while, though. A few days, maybe a week... I want to wait a bit longer, but at some point, I do want to visit and talk to them again.”
“Good! That’s brave of you! See? You are brave.”
“Thanks... again.” After a long pause spent watching the sky again, Cooper decided it was time to change the subject and discuss some pressing matters. “Alright... first of all, we really need to decide what we’re going to do right now. We need to figure out where we’re going to stay and how we’re going to earn money.”
“Yeah. And thinking about all that stuff should take your mind off the guild. We still have items in our bag, so I guess we can sell them and get enough to rent a room for tonight.”
“I hate getting rid of our items, but I guess we’ve got no choice. Let’s keep our hold items, though. They’re useful.”
Testa nodded. Her Efficiency Bandanna and Cooper’s Detect Band had served them well, and she was unwilling to sacrifice them. “Got it. Then tomorrow, we can see if the town has a job board, and try taking some missions. If not, then we can at least ask around to learn where some dungeons are, then start gathering more items in them. Selling them can be a decent source of income.”
“Good plan,” Cooper said. “Better than camping out in the wilds, at least. Still, I wish we had a way to earn money more quickly.”
“Maybe I can help,” an unfamiliar voice cut in.
Cooper and Testa jumped. They scrambled to their feet and stood close together, searching for the source of the unexpected sound.
“Who’s there?” asked Testa.
“Settle down,” the unknown Pokemon replied. “Didn’t mean to scare you. I’m over here.”
Team Buckler tracked the voice to a darker patch of the forest, shaded under a dense part of the canopy. A shadowy figure about a foot taller than Testa or Cooper emerged from behind a tree. It seemed to be a Pokemon wearing a black hooded cloak. It moved closer and removed its hood as it stepped into a sunny spot, revealing its identity: a Dewott.
“Hope I ain’t interruptin’ anything,” he said. “But like I said, I think I can help you. And at the same time, I bet you two can help me. Let’s talk.”
Next part: https://rentry.org/RibombeeBuckler3