Gone

A Clover Guild Story
By Ribombee-anon

My partner Sneasel and I had been part of the Clover Guild for over four months at this point, and we had grown accustomed to the routine of our work. Most of our days involved traveling out to the countless mystery dungeons around the land, completing a variety of missions. So it was today, as we ventured into the caves of Mt. Bristle on yet another unassuming job to recover a lost item. Sneasel explored the rocky tunnels while I rode along in her belt pouch at her right hip, ready to deliver whatever items she needed. I expected this job to bring nothing special, but I had a brief moment of muted excitement when I spotted something uncommonly interesting on the ground. I stood up in the pouch and leaned over the edge to get a better look, then called Sneasel’s attention to it, making her pause. She had almost walked right by the thing, but now went and crouched over it.

“A rock,” she said flatly. “Really, Booker? What’s so special about this?”

“It’s not just a rock,” I replied. “It’s a Geo Pebble. Look at that shape, those curves—it’s beautiful!”

Sneasel smirked. “Never knew you were into rocks, partner.”

“I-I’m not, I... Look, just pick up the rock.”

With a chuckle, Sneasel reached down and plucked the round stone off the ground. Holding it in front of her face, she said, “Sure doesn’t look special to me.”

“It’s the perfect shape and weight for throwing,” I explained. “Well, a Ribombee like me wouldn’t be able to toss it, but it’s perfect for a normal-sized Pokemon like you. You should hang on to it. It could be useful.”

“I guess. But if you ask me, it still just looks like a totally norm...al...”

She trailed off, and I frowned up at her. Tapping her side, I asked, “Sneasel? What’s wrong?”

She shuddered and looked up at nothing. Then, in a quivering voice, she whispered something I definitely didn’t expect to hear: “Mom? Dad?”

I was flummoxed. “What? Sneasel, a-are you okay?”

She ignored me, looking all around as if surrounded by a crowd. “E-everyone!” she cried. “Guys, y-you’re all here! I... I’m back home?”

“Home? Sneasel, what’s going on? Snap out of it!”

I tapped her in the side with increasing speed and force, but she still didn’t respond to me. With a nervous gulp, I looked around. Maybe there was a psychic Pokemon lurking in the shadows, using its powers to trap Sneasel in an illusion. But we were alone in the room. During my scan of the area, though, I happened to glance at the rock still held in Sneasel’s claws—and then it hit me. That must be the problem. The stone wasn’t a Geo Pebble. I’d been tricked by a “lookalike item”: a Gone Pebble, which had the strange ability to overwhelm people with nostalgia.

I frowned deeper and hit her side harder, hoping to knock her out of her hallucination. Unsurprisingly, she didn’t seem to notice my little punches, and she didn’t react in the slightest. I yelled at her as well, but she still paid me no mind.

I could guess why: the stone was showing her an image of her homeland and her tribe, and she was utterly trapped inside it. She had been born and raised on a distant island far to the north, but came here to the Grass Continent after being caught in a massive dungeon shift. It warped her away from her tribe and family, traumatizing her. After this, she became determined to find a way back home. However, without any knowledge of her island’s location, or even its general shape, it seemed impossible to locate it on a map.

“I missed you guys so much,” Sneasel said to the invisible Pokemon, her voice shaky. “That one dungeon, it sent me super far away, and I thought... thought I’d never see you again.”

She sniffed and wiped her eyes with an arm, fighting back tears. I sighed and gave up on trying to snap her out of her reverie. I slumped in her pouch, trying to kill time by reviewing and rearranging our items. She continued speaking with people only she could see or hear, occasionally sniffling and laughing. She talked about her time on the Grass Continent, and spoke quite positively about me; I couldn’t help but smile sheepishly at that. Strangely, I seemed to be present in her hallucination, and the fake me was apparently talking with her, due to the fact she seemed to be conversing with me and responding to things I was saying. That likely added more realism to the illusion and helped cover up the pleas of the real me.

With another exasperated sigh, I stood up in the pouch and looked around, keeping an eye out for any feral Pokemon. I wasn’t sure how long Sneasel would be stuck in this state, but I was unable to free her from it, so I hoped she would recover before any danger arrived.

Unfortunately, my hopes were dashed when I saw a feral Doduo emerge from the darkness of a nearby corridor. Its sharp talons clacked on the stone ground, and its four eyes glowed red as they aimed right at my partner’s back.

“Sneasel,” I said shakily. My voice grew more frantic, and I began punching her with all my might. “Sneasel, w-wake up. Come on, th-there’s a feral! Sneasel! Help! I need you!”

The Doduo lunged. Its two heads slammed into Sneasel’s back, knocking her over. She gasped and grunted in pain and surprise. I held tight to the edge of the pouch as she fell forward, but her impact with the ground caused a huge quake that shook me badly, launching me (and various items) clean out of the bag. I was luckily unharmed. Sneasel, on the other hand, groaned and grimaced as she slowly pushed herself up.

“W-what...” she stammered. She blinked and looked around in a daze, then winced as she slowly came out of her stupor and felt the pain from the bird’s attack.

“Sneasel!” I yelled. “Doduo behind you! Look out!”

Sneasel’s gaze snapped over to me. I could see the lingering effects of the Gone Pebble’s nostalgic attack: her eyes were watery and a bit bloodshot, and some of her dark cheek fur was stained darker from tears. However, she was now fully aware and present, and she was clearly surprised to see me on the ground instead of in her bag. Fortunately, she reacted to my warning quickly. She hopped up, locked on to the feral, then lunged and slew it with two swift slashes of her claws. The enemy faded into smoke.

Sneasel sighed. Keeping her back turned on me, she sniffed and rubbed her eyes, trying to wipe away the last of the tears the Gone Pebble had drawn out of her. Once she composed herself, she walked towards me, asking, “You okay, Booker? Ain’t hurt, are you?”

“I’m alright,” I said, sitting upright. “How about you?”

Sneasel sat down in front of me, rubbed her injured back, and muttered, “Kinda sore cuz of that dumb bird, but it’s fine. What the hell just happened? I remember picking up that rock, and then I... I was... back home.”

“It was just a vision,” I said, leaning back and supporting myself with my arms to look up at my partner. “A hallucination. The stone did that to you. I made a mistake—it was a Gone Pebble, not a Geo Pebble. I’m really sorry.”

Sneasel crossed her arms. “Huh. Never heard of a Gone Pebble. But if it can give you a super real vision like that... that’s kinda scary. Good thing I didn’t get caught by something like that in a tougher dungeon.”

“Exactly. I’m glad you’re okay.”

Sneasel nodded, and a small smirk appeared on her face. “Well, I think we oughta make a new rule. From now on, every time I pick up a strange rock, I’m gonna give it to you so you can test it.”

“Hey, wait—“

“What? I’m serious. It’s a good plan. If you get a hallo... halluso...”

“Hallucination.”

“Yeah, that. If that happens, I’ll just close up the pouch and give you some alone time to get over it. Think about it: if I get tricked, we could both be screwed, but if it only happens to you, I can still fight and take care of things while you’re out of it.”

“I guess...” I mumbled. “Well, in that case, I’ll have to learn how to tell the difference between a Geo and Gone Pebble. I definitely don’t want to get tricked by one of those myself. And... sorry again for making you pick that up. I didn’t know that was going to happen, and—“

“Hey, it’s alright,” said Sneasel. “Don’t worry about it. It was actually kinda nice to see my family again, even if it was fake. Hopefully I’ll be able to see them for real soon. Ready to go?”

I nodded, and we quickly gathered up the scattered items and returned them to Sneasel’s pouch. Then my partner scooped me up and prepared to put me back in her pouch as well, but a sudden thought struck me, and I asked her to stop. She paused, then held me before her face in her cupped hands.

“What’s up?” she asked.

I hesitated and averted my eyes. Seeing Sneasel’s reaction to the Gone Pebble had caused a question to invade my mind. I wanted to ask it, but something took my voice away, because I wasn’t sure I was ready to hear the answer. Even so, I braced myself and forced the words out.

“I know you really want to get back home,” I began, “but h-have you thought about what you’ll do if we actually do find your island again? I mean... will you m-move back in and live with the tribe, or stay here with the Clover Guild?”

Sneasel seemed surprised by my question. Like me, she hesitated before saying anything. “Well... I’m gonna be honest: when I first came to this continent, I really hated it here. I just wanted to get back home. I didn’t wanna be so far away, in some weird place, away from my tribe and my family. And even after meeting you, I still wanted to get back home and stay there, even if it meant leaving you behind.”

That stung a little, but I could understand. Back in the early days, before we got closer, it made sense that she would prioritize reuniting with her family over staying with a guy she only just met. The idea of needing to split up made me confused, though, so I asked her, “Why would I have to stay behind? Couldn’t I go with you and live in the tribe with you?”

“Nuh-uh,” Sneasel said quickly. “Bad idea. It’s super cold, and I know you don’t handle crazy temperatures too well. Also, the tribe would bully you like there’s no tomorrow. You’re different from them, and you’re also tiny, and... well, not a great fighter. Strength is everything in the tribe, so you’d be treated pretty bad.”

“But I’d have you to protect me, right?”

“Well, duh. Obviously. But it still wouldn’t be fun for you. With all the cold and the bullying, I wouldn’t want you to live in a place like that.”

“Alright. I guess that makes sense. So if you move in with the tribe again... I’ll have to... st-stay behind.”

My voice trailed off so much by the end, I thought Sneasel wouldn’t hear the last few words. But her sensitive hearing proved me wrong.

“Wait a sec,” she said. “Don’t get all sad. Yeah, it’s true that I wanted to move back in with my tribe at first, but now... I’ve been rethinking things. Being in the guild is so fun. It’s cool to explore around and fight all kinds of new Pokemon I never saw on the Island. And I love hanging out with everyone in the guild... especially you.”

“Oh, th-thanks,” I said with a start. “I, uh... I really do e-enjoy spending time with you too. I mean, y-you’re my best friend.”

Sneasel winked. “Right back at you, partner. But that kinda causes a problem. The Island was rough, yeah, but I liked living there and being part of the tribe. But I also like being with the guild and you. And I can’t do both.”

She sighed and hung her head, probably trying to determine which way her heart was leaning. As for me, I glanced around and fidgeted restlessly in her hands, wondering what to say. This was a big question, after all—a decision that would affect me and Sneasel alike. It didn’t have to be made right away, but it was important for both of us to collect our thoughts and consider how we felt about this idea. And after pondering it for a while longer, I realized what I needed to say. It would hurt to say it out loud, but I knew my partner needed to hear it.

“Sneasel,” I said gently, “I want you to be happy. So if you’d be happiest moving back in with the tribe, I... I could say goodbye to you. It would hurt to l-lose you, but... I’ll be okay, as long as I know you’re where you want to be.”

I was being honest when I said I wanted her to be happy. However, the mere thought of losing my dear partner made my heart sink. I knew this was the most ethical position to take—it would be selfish to force her to stay away from her family, after all—but I still didn’t want her to leave me. I cared about her too much.

I remembered how we almost lost each other in the treacherous Thunder Dome, and how overjoyed we were to reunite. I remembered how she dropped her tough facade and cried when my slingshot backfired and almost killed me. I remembered the first day we met in Oran Forest—even then, she was already looking out for me, allowing me to ride on her head and encouraging me to get stronger so I could overcome my weaknesses.

She kept me motivated during my ongoing struggles to work out and learn how to fly. She cheered me up when I was feeling sad or upset. She protected me from enemies and stood up for me when I needed it. And overall, crucially, she helped me overcome the limitations of my new body. Being stuck in this tiny and weak form, I desperately needed someone who was genuinely willing to help me and support me without taking advantage of me or bullying me. And in that regard, I was so lucky to meet someone like Sneasel... but this was yet another reason why I felt sick to my stomach when I imagined we may go our separate ways someday. I had no idea what I would do if she were gone.

All these thoughts ran chaotically around my mind, while Sneasel sat still and silently thought about what I had said. After a few moments, she raised her head again to look at me, saying, “Oh, really? You’re happy when I’m happy, huh?”

“Y-yes,” I replied. “That’s right.”

“So, you’d be fine if I left? I was thinking you wouldn’t want me to leave you.”

“Well, that’s true. I’d rather we stay together. But like I said... I’ll support whatever you decide. Don’t force yourself to stay just for my sake. Do what you want to do.”

My partner still seemed surprised by what I was saying. After mulling over my words briefly, her expression softened into something warm and gentle—a face I’d rarely seen her make.

“Gotta say, I’m glad you care about me like that,” she said with unusual softness. “That means a lot, y’know. But, the thing is... I’m happiest when I’m with you.”

That floored me. I knew the two of us were close, especially after spending months as partners working and living together. But she’d never said this before. It made my heart flutter like it never had before, and made all my worries melt away in an instant.

I couldn’t avoid stammering for a bit, but I finally managed to blurt out, “You mean it?”

“Totally,” Sneasel replied. “You’re always looking out for me, you give me advice, you help me with my items, you remind me to chill out when I’m getting mad, and you’re just fun to chat with. I just like hanging out and talking with you. Never had anyone like you back in the tribe. We helped each other, sure, but I never got this close with any of them.”

In spite of myself, I felt tears welling up in my eyes. Sneasel furrowed her brow, and I looked away to hide my face from her before she could poke fun at my reaction. I was too late, and heard her snort and start chuckling.

“Got something in your eye?” she teased.

Ignoring her, I murmured breathlessly, “I d-don’t know what to say... No one’s e-ever said that kind of stuff to me before. I don’t...”

I shut my eyes tight and wiped them with my arm. My chitin armor didn’t help much, so I used my scarf instead. Meanwhile, I noticed Sneasel’s hands shift under me, and then felt something—one of her claws—patting the top of my head.

“Didn’t expect to break the dam with that compliment,” she said as I dried my eyes. “You okay?”

“Y-yeah, I’ll be fine.”

“Right. Um... did I mess up? Was that too much? I’m no good at that kinda mushy talk...”

“No, no, not at all,” I said. I finally looked at Sneasel and smiled. “It was nice to hear. So... thank you, Sneasel.”

My partner nodded. She continued to pet my head absentmindedly as she said, “Yeah, no prob. I usually hate getting real like that, but I’ve had that thought on my mind for a while, and I guess this was a good time to spill it. I mean, you brought up a good point before, about the Island and my tribe, and what we oughta do about it. Don’t get me wrong—I still wanna find the Island. Once we figure out where it is, I’m gonna visit as soon as I can, and I’m taking you with me. But I won’t stay there if it means I’ll have to leave you behind. So you’re stuck with me. We’ll never stop being partners.”

I reached up and put a hand on her claw. A huge smile grew on my face. “Sneasel, I... I’m so happy to hear that!” I exclaimed. “I hope we stay together for a long time.”

Sneasel returned the smile and stopped the petting. “We will. I know it’s hard to think about us splitting up and me going home, but don’t worry about...”

Her smile faltered quickly, turning into a frown. I cocked my head to the side.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Wait a sec,” she grumbled. “Going home... huh. That reminds me of something.”

“What do you mean?”

“Think about it: I can ask you the same kinda thing you asked me, huh? You’re just like me. This place ain’t your home either. You’re from the human world—Earth, right?”

It was such an obvious thing, but it still caught me by surprise and forced a gasp out of me. Somehow, I had been so caught up in my own question and Sneasel’s response to it that I hadn’t considered the parallels between her situation and mine. The exact same conundrum of “family vs. partner” also applied to me.

“So, how about you? What are you gonna do if we find a way back to Earth?” Sneasel asked me, voicing the predictable question. “You gonna head on back to your family and leave the guild behind?”

I hesitated for a while, staring blankly into Sneasel’s eyes as the question echoed in my mind, strangling me with indecision. What was the right answer? It was a difficult question, one that lay with a crushing weight upon almost every single human-turned-Pokemon in the Clover Guild. True, some of us had already made up our minds: some wanted to get back home at any cost, while others had decided their old lives were worth abandoning. However, most of us were undecided, and ever since my first day as a Pokemon, I had fallen into that category.

But not anymore.

The time I’d spent at Sneasel’s side, combined with this one serious conversation here in this rocky dungeon, taught me everything I needed to know. I stood upright on my partner’s palms, looked her in the eye, and gave her my answer.

“I need to find a way home,” I said, trying my best to keep my voice from shaking. “I need to see my family again. I need to tell them I’m okay, and let them know what happened to me. But once I can take care of that, I... I w-want... to stay. I can’t abandon you—or the guild. Just like you said, I enjoy being with you, and I want us to keep being partners in the guild, Sneasel. So, th-that’s my answer.”

I felt like a train that just passed a switch, forced to roll down one track with no going back. And a voice kept telling me this was a bad idea, that my human life—my original life—was waiting for me, and it was where I belonged. But I pushed down any worries that rose up. My old life was decent enough, but this new life was more enjoyable and fulfilling. And best of all, this life had Sneasel in it. I needed to see Earth one more time, true, but I knew I couldn’t simply return to my old life after all I’d been through here. This was where I belonged now: here in this strange world of Pokemon, as part of the Clover Guild, together with Sneasel.

As I gave my reply and mulled all of this over in my head, Sneasel smiled warmly. “So we’re in agreement,” she said. “Good to know. I know we don’t agree on everything, but at least we’re in the same boat where it counts. I’m glad you’re my partner.”

“S-s-same,” I squeaked, briefly giving in to my anxiety. But this was the right choice. It had to be.

Sneasel finally put me back in the pouch on her belt, then stood up straight and began to stretch. “Well, now that we’ve got all that out of our systems, let’s get going,” she said, “We spent enough time on that stupid mushy stuff. We’ve still gotta finish our mission here, right?”

“R-right,” I said, smiling and patting her side. “Let’s go... partner.”

Together, we traveled through the rest of the dungeon, searching for the lost item we came here to retrieve. I barely considered the actual mission, though. Nearly all my thoughts were devoted to the heavy discussion Sneasel and I just had, the decisions we both made, and our vows to stay with one another.

It was there, deep in the stone galleries of the mountain, that I made another vow. It was a silent promise to myself: I’d make sure Sneasel never regretted her decision to stay with me. I would be the best partner she could ever ask for.