>CHAPTER 4
Forever in Green Part 1
Another night had come and gone, signified by radiant beams of light encroaching through the window of Alphonse and Bethel's dormitory. The sunlight and summer air wafted in through the window, warming the bedroom comfortably and giving the duo even less reason to get up and face the new day. However, despite the comfort the two were basking in, they stirred about, lazily psyching themselves up to take on the new challenges that awaited them. They knew today would prove to be an interesting day—the day they would be presented in front of the entire Clover Guild, paraded about like contest toys, as their audience eagerly awaited their debut onto the proverbial runway to "ooh and ahh" at the very sight of the two curious newbies. Although neither of them was entirely comfortable being in the spotlight, regardless of the reason why, they figured there would be no way out and no shirking their destiny any longer.
Alphonse was the first to wake, as he rubbed the dust out of his eyes in a haze. Looking at the corner of the room where Bethel's bed was, he found a great sense of relief wash over him to see she was present in bed at the same time as him for once. It was a welcome change to Alphonse: a nice, easy awakening, no wondering where Bethel had already run off to, no feverishly guessing where he had woken up, and, most importantly, no disturbances in his slumber leading up to him waking now.
"No dreams this time, it seems," Alphonse thought.
"Good."
Breathing a sigh of relief, he took another deep inhale, breathing in the fresh morning air that had mixed nicely with the ancient wooden scent of the hollow tree-trunk room he was occupying. The medley of the two proved to be quite serene indeed. As he rolled out of his cloak, he carefully straightened it back out before fastening it once again in his favorite place for it, right alongside his shoulders, flowing off his back.
Meanwhile, Bethel's soft snoring had ceased, as she too had begun to slowly uncurl herself from the ball-like position she was asleep in, stretching her paws out back and forth, and blinking gently to get the sleeping dust out of her own eyes. After scratching her ear for a good few seconds, she sat up, pulled her bandana off the nightstand next to her, and fastened it around her neck, while leaving the usual excess portion of fabric flowing behind her like a sort of scarf.
Once the duo had finished getting dressed for the new day, they looked towards each other and exchanged good mornings.
"Morning, Al," Bethel said with a yawn.
"Did you sleep alright?"
"Actually, yeah. How about you?" Alphonse yawned back.
"No complaints." Bethel gave one last stretch before assuming her usual four-legged posture.
"Nice to see you actually wake up on time, too."
Alphonse chuckled.
"Well... today's the day, after all."
"Yeah. No turning back, huh?" Bethel said.
"No turning back," Alphonse agreed.
"Well, up and at 'em. Let's see if there's anything ready for breakfast yet," Bethel said, beginning to walk towards the door.
But Alphonse hesitated and stood still. Bethel could sense his hesitation, and just before she nudged the door open, she glanced over her shoulder, looking back at her partner.
"Hey, Beth..."
"Mm, yeah?" Bethel meowed.
"What are we going to say?" Alphonse said.
"I mean, about ourselves. Are we really going to go before the guild and lie that we're just like them?"
"..."
Bethel stared back, without a word.
"It's just that... I mean, given our conversation yesterday, with Team Misfits..."
"I don't know yet, Al. I'll decide how we're going to sell things once I get some food in my stomach," Bethel said.
As she noticed Alphonse was still standing there, lost in thought, rather than following behind him, she decided it was up to her to coax him further.
"C'mon, Al. Let's go eat."
"Mm..." Alphonse sighed as he slowly trudged up to Bethel.
Bethel, who was beginning to get annoyed with the lagging of Alphonse, decided she'd have to be a bit more stern in her speech with him.
"Alright, what's up?"
"What do you mean?" Alphonse said, puzzled.
"You've clearly got some stuff on you're mind. Spill."
"Nah, it's fine. We should get breakfast, you're right."
"We should, but if you keep up the pace you're currently going, it'll be lunchtime. C'mon Al, out with it," Bethel said.
"It's just..."
"Still having second thoughts on the ruse?"
"Yeah, but... there's been something else on my mind. From earlier in the week."
Bethel sighed and sat down on the floor, suspecting that she wasn't going to be able to get her breakfast any time soon. Turning her body towards Alphonse to give him her full attention, she impatiently tapped a paw on the ground rhythmically, hoping he would be quick with his exposition for once.
"Remember we were having breakfast with Team Cozy and Team MLG? When they asked about what we would end up becoming here," Alphonse said.
"Of course," Bethel said.
"Well, I don't know about you, but I've been thinking about that a lot, especially the part about being a rescue team and all."
Bethel shot back an uninterested look, but Alphonse continued his explanation.
"I think we'd do a pretty good job at it, and besides, we could finally have some honest pay for honest work. We'd probably have to speak to the guildmaster about it and work our way through the ranks, but hey, I think we could certainly give it a try."
"Mm," Bethel said, half listening.
"Just... think about it, will you? Please?" Alphonse begged.
"I don't need an answer right now, but I would really like to hear your thoughts on the matter..."
"Alright, maybe I'll give you my thoughts. But that's all I'm agreeing to for now, got it?" Bethel said.
"Good enough for me," Alphonse said with an internal smile.
"Now, can we finally get some breakfast? I'm starving, and I can smell something good coming from the kitchen that I know I don't want to miss out on," Bethel moaned.
"Of course, lead the way," Alphonse said.
Now that Bethel could finally sense Alphonse trailing behind her, she leapt out the door and began an all-out sprint, following her nose to the dining area. Alphonse jogged briskly to keep up with her rapidly escalating pace while still grappling with his thoughts on the matter. He could tell that it would be anything but an easy conversation with his partner, but he also fully expected it. After all, he had grown quite complacent with having to coax Bethel out of her shell to try new things, just as she would constantly have done with him, and just as often.
As the pair settled themselves at a nearby table that was vacant of anything other than several large plates and bowls of food, Bethel spared no time to begin digging into the feast laid before her. Stopping her crunching and munching for nobody, Alphonse, by contrast, ate much more slowly, savoring every bite and carefully observing every flavor that exploded against his taste buds. Alphonse, despite still being enamored with his thoughts, made a mental note that the dining room was noticeably empty. It was just the two of them enjoying breakfast together, which felt odd given how chaotic things tended to get later in the day at the Guild. A calm before the storm, especially considering their official debut that would take place later in the day. Rather than feeling even more anxious about the introductions, Alphonse focused as much of his energy as he could on eating and living in the moment.
After breakfast was finished, Bethel led the way down the halls back to her and Alphonse's dormitory. Before long, they would run into a familiar face, none other than KFC, who was posted up right outside their room.
"Morning, you two," KFC said.
"Good morning," they said in unison.
"You're both up early. Eager to start the day, huh?" KFC said.
"That's one way to put it," Alphonse murmured.
"KFC, what time will we be performing our introduction before the guild?"
"Well, given that we have some Pokemon travelling back up here for it, we all decided it would be best saved until after dinner," KFC replied.
"Unless Toge had anything else for you two to do today, consider the rest of the day yours. Feel free to wander about, but be back here in time tonight."
The duo nodded.
"We could definitely take advantage of the free time," Bethel said.
"Hold on, Alphonse, I'll be right back."
As Bethel disappeared into the dorm room, Alphonse and KFC stared each other down inquisitively. Alphonse didn't know how to pose the question, but sensing that neither time nor wit was on his side for this, he decided to just come out and say it.
"KFC, I'm not sure about what to do about this whole 'human' thing."
"You mean your little game with Lliam?" KFC asked.
"Yeah," Alphonse admitted.
"I just don't feel right about going before the guild and lying to everyone like that."
"Then don't. I can't say I approve of the whole plot, either," KFC said bluntly.
"Right... it's just that, well, I'm afraid that me and Bethel won't fit—"
"Alright, let's go!" Bethel said, returning from the room.
She had come equipped with a large saddlebag, one that she and Alphonse had acquired the day before while exploring the outskirts of Capim Town. The same bag that previously belonged to an Espeon, Beau, who had wanted nothing to do with it.
"Remember that gear store that Beau fellow told us about? Why don't we head over there?"
"Oh? You two know Beau?" KFC said.
"Yeah, we met him yesterday on the outskirts of town," Alphonse said.
"I see. Did he not mention to you two that he's part of our guild?" KFC asked.
"Nope," Alphonse said, concealing his surprise.
He had figured that he was just a local, not a guild member like them. After the realization of that sunk in, he began to feel a bit guilty for bartering with a fellow guild member rather than offering to help him out for free. Hoping he hadn't just made him and Bethel contrast even more with their guildmates, he decided that he would seek out Beau to apologize, who would hopefully be found near the gear store as well.
"Interesting. Well, I won't keep you two any longer. Farewell," KFC said.
As KFC wandered off to tend to his own duties for the day, Alphonse couldn't help but lock eyes with him once more as the two parties went their separate ways. The look KFC shot him was inquisitive but also humble. He knew the significance of the look; it was a look that told Alphonse to take a breath, consider his choices, and decide what the "right" thing to do would be before making any further actions. The silent exchange between the two lingered in Alphonse's mind as he began to further question what he would do come the introduction. Would he tell the truth, or would he keep up his and Bethel's facade? On one hand, what the Clover Guild doesn't know won't necessarily hurt them, but on the other, it could definitely sour relationships further in the future.
He thought back to his encounters with Team MLG, Team Cozy, and Toge and wondered how they would react to the truth, sensing most of them already knew what it was. They hadn't done anything wrong to him, so did they really deserve to continue being lied to in such a brazen way? Or was the damage already done with little chance for redemption, leading any admissions at this point to be pointless? The thoughts maddened in Alphonse's mind and drove him into a restless trance.
Meanwhile, he and Bethel walked out of the Clover Guild, down the path into Capim Town, through the bustling, winding streets, and out into the outskirts of the town.
As the two only occasionally spoke to make side comments to one another, Alphonse continued grappling with his thoughts until he came across a new distraction.
A hearty laughter echoed throughout the treeline, purely jovial in nature. As Alphonse and Bethel looked up and around to find the source of the laughter, while hoping it wasn't directed at them, they noticed a sweet, tender voice accompanying the joyful chuckling.
"Careful, hon! Don't lose your balance up there!" The sweet voice said.
"Don't worry, Deb, I've been practicing this all week!" The jovial voice said.
"I'm telling you, after getting this strategy down pat, I'm able to beat you in any race around the area, any time!"
As Alphonse and Bethel continued darting their sights across the treeline as various branches and leaves fell rhythmically onto the forest floor below, an extra loud snap and crack of branches resounded right over their heads.
"Kaz, look out! Hoot!"
"Argh, TIMBERRRRR!!!"
On cue with the command, Bethel sidestepped out of the way, taking Alphonse with her. Right where they had once stood, a giant sack filled with letters had broken through the canopy of trees, collapsing onto the ground below, spilling out the contents all over the forest floor. Next to the spilled bag of letters lay a Linoone, slightly roughed up from the descent but clearly not injured thanks to the bag of letters breaking his fall.
"Oh my goodness, Kaz, are you alright?"
As the sweet voice yelled out, a hardy Delibird flew through the new hole in the ceiling of trees toward the spilled bag of mail and the downed Linoone beside it. Too perplexed with the mess from above to notice Alphonse and Bethel standing off to the side, she began to scramble letters back into the bag with one wing while gently helping up the Linoone with the other.
"I'm fine, I'm fine! Didn't notice how weak that branch was, unfortunately. Wasn't the first time, won't be the last." The Linoone, presumed to be Kaz, chuckled softly while he shook himself about, removing the dirt and twigs from his fur coat.
"See, good as new! And besides, you saw how fast I was going, right? I'm telling you, jumping across the treeline easily doubles my speed, and I don't have to worry about tripping up over anything on the ground!"
"Yup, at least 'til ya hit another weak branch, huh?" Debby chuckled.
As Debby and Kaz continued chuckling and organizing letters back into Kaz's mailbag, Alphonse cleared his throat, causing the two pairs of Pokemon to meet each others gaze, now mutually aware of the other's presence.
"Oh, some locals! Sorry for the scare there! Y'all didn't get hit by anything, right?" Debby asked, concerned.
Kaz the Linoone looked up from his hastened gathering of papers, now noticing the duo as well.
"Sorry for the scare! I was showing my friend here a new technique I've created for getting around faster around these parts..." Kaz explained.
"It's fine," Alphonse said.
"Besides, nobody ended up getting hurt, right?"
"That's a huge sack of letters there," Bethel said.
"Did you two just get back from robbing the Pelipper Post?"
Kaz and Debby both gave a hearty laugh in reply.
"Naw, but I reckon that'd be a great way to deal with the competition," Debby smiled.
"We're couriers too!" Kaz explained.
"We're part of Delibird Deliveries, and we're just doing our usual mail route."
"Couriers, huh?" Alphonse said.
"We're new around here ourselves. We're, uh, with the Clover Guild."
"Oh, is that so?" Debby said, her face lighting up.
"Are ya the new arrivals? I reckon we've heard rumors about you two coming!"
"Rumors, huh..." Bethel grumbled.
"Don't worry, it's been nothing but good things," Kaz assured with a smile.
"In fact, we're planning on attending your introduction tonight!" Debby added.
"Just gotta get work done first, though."
"Ah, in that case, we can help you clean things up a bit," Alphonse said.
"Right, Bethel?"
"Eh, whatever," Bethel said with a shrug.
As Alphonse and Bethel knelt over to help gather the sprawled-out letters back into the mailbag, Bethel was quick with a follow-up question.
"You two couriers wouldn't happen to know where the new gear shop is, would you?"
"Ah, we already delivered the mail there!" Debby said.
Debby extended a wing to point in the direction of the shop.
"Just follow the path that way; you can't miss it! Should only be a few more paces along the road."
"It shouldn't be long at all, and we're still close enough to Capim Town to not have to worry about any thieves or ferals," Kaz added.
As the final stack of letters was neatly tucked back into the bag, Kaz secured the flap of the mailbag shut, making sure it would stay in place and survive any more falls from above.
"Thanks for the help, you two. It was very kind of both of ya!" Debby beamed.
"Of course," Alphonse smiled.
"By the way, we didn't happen to catch your names," Kaz said.
"Oh. I'm Alphonse, and this is..." Alphonse said, motioning over to Bethel.
"Bethel," she added.
Alphonse smiled from ear to ear at seeing Bethel give her name without a hint of hesitation.
"Mighty nice to meet you both! You can call me Debby," Debby exclaimed.
"And I'm Kaz, but I'm partial to Solid Linoone as well," Kaz said proudly.
"We'd love to chat more, but this mail ain't gonna deliver itself! We'll see you folks tonight!" Debby said.
"Nice to meet you as well," Alphonse said.
"Good luck with your work. We'll catch you later."
And after the two pairs exchanged salutations, they both went their separate ways, eager to continue on their own duties for the day.
Continuing along the side path on the outskirts of Capim Town, Alphonse and Bethel stopped at a nearby pool of water to catch a drink. It was an especially warm summer day, and all the walking about had them work up quite a thirst. After a brief respite, the two continued on the path towards the gear shop, or at least, what they thought was the road towards it.
After fewer and fewer signs of civilization began popping up along the road, the two began to wonder if they had misunderstood the directions provided by Kaz and Debby or somehow gone off course during the brief recess at the pond. The grass got longer, the forest got shadier, and the temperature got colder, further signifying to the two that they had been misplaced.
"Uh, Beth, do you have any idea where we are?" Alphonse asked.
"I figured you knew," Bethel grumbled.
"So we're lost now, are we?"
"Now hold on, I think I can get us back on course. We just need to retrace our steps and go backwards," Alphonse deducted.
"See that trampled brush of leaves and bushes? That looks familiar, doesn't it?"
"No," Bethel said bluntly.
"The vegetation out here is way too thick to tell where we've been. Let me burn some of it down; that should help."
"I don't think we should start any fires, especially if we're close enough to Capim Town. That could get really bad really fast," Alphonse gulped.
"So what do you suggest we do instead?" Bethel grumbled.
"Uh..." Alphonse pondered.
"Wait, shut up for a second," Bethel said.
"I'm sorry?" Alphonse stammered.
"Don't you hear that? Focus," Bethel instructed.
Alphonse listened for a good few seconds but couldn't make out anything.
"I don't hear any—"
"SHH! There's something... out in the distance. It sounds like another duo of Pokemon."
Bethel focused diligently, whipping her head and ears around in all sorts of directions. As her ears twitched wildly, she extended a claw to the left of her.
"Walk slowly with me, and walk lightly. I can scarcely hear them this way," Bethel said.
Alphonse nodded silently as the two tiptoed along the forest floor. Aside from the occasional snapping of a twig and crunch of a leaf, things were almost completely silent, at least to Alphonse. He wondered just what Bethel was hearing, and better yet, how she was hearing it so acutely. But rather than invoke her wrath with further questions, he kindly kept his mouth shut and followed her directions.
After several minutes of pacing, Alphonse too could occasionally hear the other pair of Pokemon. Their voices were faint but apparent. Getting closer and closer, the voices grew louder and louder, up until they were almost within a distance to make out the words of the unknown pair.
Bethel held Alphonse back to instruct him to act carefully, stopping the duo in their tracks as they prepared their next move.
"We're in wild country, Al. Be prepared to fight, if needed. Got it?"
"Got it," Alphonse whispered back.
As they emerged through the brush, the other two stopped talking as well, now having noticed Alphonse and Bethel's presence.
"Hold on. We're not alone," a mature, accented voice said.
"Right... just like we've planned..." said a younger, innocent voice.
Bethel stopped creeping about and began to ready herself into an attack stance. Alphonse, taking note of her posture, focused his mind on the task at hand and did the same.
"There are two of us, and only one of you. Stand down, and we can promise you no harm," the older voice reprimanded.
Bethel growled.
"Actually, we're evenly matched. But nice try; how about you two stand down first?"
"Fat chance," the mature voice growled back.
"Al, on my mark, get ready to attack. I'll cover the front, you get the sides," Bethel whispered.
"Wait, are we sure about this? Let me try something," Alphonse said.
Bethel stared inquisitively at Alphonse but decided to give him a chance to perform whatever act he was thinking of.
"Alright, you're up."
Alphonse cleared his throat, speaking at a louder volume than before.
"We're with the Clover Guild. Unless you two want to make an enemy of that, we suggest you stand down."
Bethel gave a surprised look to Alphonse, silently approving of his display.
"...The Clover Guild, huh?" The younger voice said, matching Alphonse's volume
"What's your team name, then?"
"We don't have one yet. We're apprentices," Alphonse proclaimed.
A moment of silence ensued as the two unknown Pokemon discussed the reply out of earshot.
"Fine. Come out with your arms up, and we'll talk," the older voice instructed.
"Come out with yours, instead," Bethel fired back.
"We're not falling for that," the older voice growled.
"How about we both walk out, on three?" Alphonse replied.
"That'll work. Count down with us," replied the younger voice.
"One... two..."
"THREE!"
Upon reaching the count together, the vegetation surrounding Alphonse and Bethel suddenly receded back into the ground, as if it was never there in the first place. Now that sights were clearer, the two observed their other party—a Sceptile with a series of jewelry laid about his head and a purple bandana affixed around his neck. Alongside him was a Shinx, sporting a radiant pink flower on her ear and a matching purple bandana on her own neck. Everyone involved stared each other down, arms and paws still affixed up in the air in a manner of shaky neutrality. But as the two groups observed each eachother further, the Shinx and Sceptile lowered their guard upon observing the Clover Guild badges affixed upon Alphonse and Bethel.
"Well, it looks like you two were telling the truth," the Sceptile said.
"Good call, Sara; things probably would've gotten ugly fast had it not been for you."
The Shinx smiled up at the Sceptile, happy to have received the compliment.
"Likewise, Jung. Had it not been for your lead, we could've easily been ambushed."
Alphonse and Bethel, in turn, lowered their guards and receded into a much more relaxed stance.
"Sorry for the intrusion, we happen to be lost out here. You two wouldn't happen to know the way back towards Capim Town, would you?" Alphonse asked.
"We definitely do. What are your names?" Sara said.
"I'm Bethel, and that's Alphonse," Bethel said.
"Nice to meet friendly faces. I'm Jung, and that's Sara," Jung said.
"Clover Guild, huh? We're something of members as well."
"I see. In that case, I'm very glad to make your acquaintance. We're still meeting everyone," Alphonse said.
"Ah. Well, we're sorry that it wasn't the warmest welcome, but we have to be careful out here. There's been an uptick of crime and rowdy Pokemon, so we can't take any chances," Jung explained.
"No offense taken. We're glad to have met a pair that knows the feeling," Bethel replied.
"Should we take them to the inn first, Jung?" Sara asked.
After asking the question, she turned back towards Alphonse and Bethel.
"You two look exhausted. We can get you set up with a warm meal and some refreshments, if you'd like."
"We'll save that gesture for later and certainly take you up on that some other time," Bethel grinned.
"Agreed. And thanks," Alphonse added on.
"Of course. Well, in that case, follow us. We can lead you back to Capim Town in a jiffy," Jung said.
As the four continued through wildlands and dark forests, they continued their conversations, hoping to get to know more about one another.
"So you mentioned you're the two newbies, right? Are you the same pair giving an introduction speech tonight?" Sara asked graciously.
"Yeah, that'd be us," Alphonse said.
"We're a bit on edge about that too, so sorry for the harsh encounter from before."
"Don't sweat it," Jung said.
"We're pretty new to the guild ourselves, but it's a nice enough place. You'll learn to love it."
"Good to know. Jung, was it?" Alphonse asked.
Jung gave a hearty nod to affirm.
"Do you two run into a lot of criminals out here?" Alphonse said.
"Lately, yeah. It's too bad; things used to be a lot safer out here," Jung said wistfully.
"It's a shame that so many Pokemon have turned to crime..." Sara admitted.
"Agreed. Unfortunately for so many of them, they rarely have a choice," Bethel said.
The three stopped to look at Bethel, perplexed at her admission.
"What do you mean?" Sara asked cautiously, hoping not to upset.
"Well, not everyone is born into a happy, healthy life. A lot of u- erm, a lot of Pokemon, especially these days, tend to be given the short stick, and they have to fight for everything they can get," Bethel explained.
"It's not as black and white as the old stories and fairy tales make it out to be."
Alphonse gently stood beside his partner, making sure to comfort her with his presence.
"She's right. A lot of honest folk can be forced into dishonest practices. It's, sadly, all too common."
Bethel smiled back at Alphonse, obviously touched by his words.
"I see... that definitely makes sense when it's put that way," Sara said.
"It's definitely a struggle out here at times. You've gotta watch your and your friends backs, because nobody else is going to do it for you," Jung said.
"Exactly," Bethel said.
Before she and Alphonse knew it, they were already approaching the outskirts of Capim Town again. Signs of civilization began to dot the landscape once more, and the unknowns of the wilderness had been promptly replaced in full.
"Well, here we are," Jung said, stretching his arms out.
"It was nice to meet you two before the introduction, even if things were brief."
"Agreed! It'll be fun to be working alongside you," Sara said, flashing a warm smile at the two.
Bethel and Alphonse were quick to return the gesture.
"Thanks again for getting us set straight. And we're looking forward to working with you, too," Alphonse said earnestly.
"Totally," Bethel appended.
"Jung, we've got some time to kill before we're due at the guild. How about we spend the day around Capim Town ourselves?" Sara asked.
"I don't see why not," Jung said, smiling at his partner.
"Take care, you two. See you around."
"Likewise!" Alphonse and Bethel said in unison.
After waving towards one another, the two groups once again departed from each other's presence, left with eagerness to learn more about one another, but figuring it could wait until later, as they'd have plenty of time to get to know one another on the field.
With no further distractions or chances to get lost, Alphonse and Bethel reached the gear shop in due time. The signs advertising the grand opening of the shop certainly helped things as well, in that they were placed graciously around the streets and bulletin boards of the Capim Town markets.
Every sign was identically printed: "St. Summer's Gear and Tailor" the signs read, in big cursive letters on top, with carefully modeled sketches of several bags and knapsacks below. And as Bethel, trailed by Alphonse, had come closer and closer to their destination, they noticed several waves of Pokemon also heading in the same direction, eager to take advantage of patronizing the new business in town. Business was booming so heavily that there was a line of customers coiled around the entire building. As Bethel sighed at having to wait in line, she held her impatience as long as she could, while Alphonse stood alongside simply gazing out at the crowd of Pokemon, all shapes and sizes. The Pokemon kept coming and coming, and the line would continue to grow behind Alphonse and Bethel as happy customers slowly exited the store, new bags in hands, claws, paws, and wings alike.
Once it was finally their turn, they came face-to-face with the sole proprietor of the business, a mild-mannered and casually natured Gardevoir, as she greeted the pair across the wooden counter.
"Welcome, folks! What can I do for ya?" the Gardevoir said.
A twangy country accent accompanied her warm smile.
"We're here to shop!" Bethel sang with glee.
Alphonse’s eyes darted around the shop as he tried to piece together the vibe of the environment. Slowly, he turned his gaze to the Gardevoir behind the counter.
"Are you Summer?" Alphonse asked cautiously.
The warmth of the Gardevoir's smile flickered for a moment but then grew ever brighter than before as she delivered her explanation.
"Ah, y'all ain't the first to confuse things."
She closed her eyes briefly, reminiscing over fond memories.
"Summer was my momma's name; I figured I'd do her proud and name the store after her."
"Was she also a tailor?" Bethel wondered.
"Not necessarily," the Gardevoir replied.
"My momma always said that good people were called saints, and I think she's one of the best people I know."
For a moment, it seemed like she was lost in thought about days gone by; though after a short recess, she brought herself back to reality to continue introducing herself to the Litten and Abra.
"Anyway, the name's Charlotte. What were you two in the market for?"
"We're looking at getting a better fit for my saddlebag here,”
Bethel said as she gestured toward the saddlebag.
“Oh, and some general browsing for accessories," Bethel explained.
The Gardevoir glances over the table to take a look at the bag. The two noticed something shift in her.
"Would you mind if I took a closer look?" Charlotte asked.
The cheeriness and twang of her tone had taken on a more somber melody, and her eyes refused to let the saddlebag out of her sight.
Alphonse carefully helped Bethel remove her saddlebag and passed it up onto the counter. Charlotte studied the bag for a few seconds, checking inside the empty pockets, before confirming her suspicions internally.
"Where did you two happen upon this bag?" she asked with slight pain in her voice.
"We got it the other day from an Espeon in town," Alphonse said.
"I see..." Charlotte said wistfully.
After a few moments of awkward silence, Charlotte diverted her gaze from the bag to a nearby creaking door behind her, seemingly leading into the backrooms of the shop where the inventory was held. Out walked two Pokemon of differing sizes and postures, a tall and proud Blaziken with a shorter set of feathers atop his head than the usual, and a stout and stalwart Munchlax, who, for the most part, looked more like any other Munchlax, half-open eyes, stubby legs, the works.
"Is something wrong, Charlotte?" the Blaziken said, cocking his head.
"Ah, Dav, it's nothing... just, come here, look at this bag, would you?" Charlotte asked.
Dav nodded and walked carefully up toward the counter, observing the bag for himself. It took him around the same amount of time to realize which bag this was, as the Munchlax toured behind him to also get a look.
"Pst... Mako... this is..." Dav whispered to the Munchlax.
"...Yeah, that's just..." Mako whispered back.
"Hm... well, if..." Dav whispered to Charlotte.
After several more rounds of whispering and murmuring, the three behind the counter looked down at Bethel, who expressed a curious look right back.
"And before you ask, we DIDN’T steal it," Alphonse interrupted.
Bethel shot an awkward look at Alphonse, as if to say, "way to make things more awkward," and then nodded back at Charlotte, Dav, and Mako.
The business owner and her cohorts resumed their huddle, now speaking at a volume that was easier for Alphonse and Bethel to listen in on.
"It wasn't right of him to give the bag up so easily. Giving a homemade gift away so callously shouldn't be so eagerly forgiven."
Dav frowned as he scratched his chin with his talon.
"It also ain't right to treat him like yah do, He made that clear enough." Charlotte said with concern.
"…he's been trying to make it up to us. He knows he acted inappropriately; it's not right to keep holding a grudge about it," Mako sighed.
"He really won you back so easily, huh?" Dav grumbled.
"Hey man, that apple crisp was divine. He could do whatever he wants, and as long as he makes more of that stuff as an apology, I'll forgive him," Mako said with a shrug and a slight laugh.
"Two wrongs don't make a right. Just because we treated him the way he didn't want to be treated doesn't mean he was justified in his retaliation." Dav grimaced.
"Holding grudges doesn't make things better, neither," Charlotte said, staring genuinely into Dav's eyes.
"It's fine, Dav; Momma raised me to be tough. I'm not keen on wallowing on it further, especially after hearing his side of things."
"And hey, we're still all friends, right? It'd be stupid for us to ruin things over a misunderstanding like this," Mako cheered.
Dav's gaze wavered a bit as he pondered the dilemma further. Charlotte gave him a subtle nod while putting her hands in his talons, as if to instruct him to let go of his anger. Her soothing gesture paid off, as Dav closed his eyes, let out a sigh, and smiled gratefully right back at her.
"You're right, Charlotte,” he decided.
With that admission, the three turned back towards their customers and delivered their verdict on what to do with the bag.
"Would y'all be willing to trade for it?" Charlotte asked cautiously.
Alphonse and Bethel exchanged puzzled looks and took a brief moment to begin whispering amongst themselves.
"Well, it's up to you," Alphonse said.
"I do like it... and it does seem very well made... but these three seem to have a history with it. Hold tight, I've got an idea," Bethel murmured.
Turning back to face the clerks, Bethel nudged the bag slightly farther away from her and gave her bartering pitch.
"Sure. But I expect a bag of equal or greater value," Bethel said with a confident wink.
"Makes sense to me," Mako said.
"Of course, that's only fair! Tell you folks what, I reckon I'll apply a buy-one-get-one discount as well. Y'all can have two free bags, so long as you buy one other thing!" Charlotte said happily.
Bethel returned a sly yet kind smile.
"Sounds good to me. I'll take a shoulder bag, and how about a nice big backpack for my friend here?"
Alphonse grinned awkwardly while whispering to Bethel under his breath.
"So I have to be the chief burden bearer again, huh?"
"I'd never deny you your true calling, Al," Bethel purred.
"Excellent! Mako, Dav, can y'all check in the back if we have anything approximately their sizes?" Charlotte said to her partners.
Mako and Dav smiled, nodded, and walked back toward the supply rooms.
Once they had departed, Charlotte leapt over the counter with a small sectioned ribbon, clearly used to perform measurements. As Bethel stood up on two legs, then four again, Charlotte would carefully measure and inspect her dimensions, performing diligent calculations in her head. After Bethel was done, Charlotte began to measure Alphonse, who shuffled around awkwardly and occasionally flinched at the sudden movement and inspection of the Gardevoir.
"Well, just as I expected! One large and one extra-extra large!" Charlotte grinned.
"Extra-extra large?!" Alphonse stammered.
Bethel began cracking up with laughter, seizing the opportunity.
"Well, Al, looks like someone has to lay off the Perfect Apples!"
Alphonse blushed.
"I couldn't be that large, could I? I mean..."
Charlotte shook her head while trying not to join in on the laughter.
"Well... I suppose I have been eating more, at least compared to the springtime... and especially since I've gotten here... but really? Extra extra large?" Alphonse moaned.
"Those late-night pantry raids have really caught up to you!" Bethel teased as she wiped tears from her eyes.
"What are you talking about? I've been eating the exact same number of meals as you!" Alphonse said.
"Ah, you mean you don't know? You're a chronic sleep-eater, Al, real bad. Lurching around the dining room in the dead of the night, devouring anything you can get your hands on..." Bethel said.
"Ah, don't tease him so much; he's just a bit more substantial, is all," Charlotte chuckled, unable to hold back her laughter any longer.
As the two girls gossiped and laughed about Alphonse's weight, Alphonse's face flushed a wicked shade of bright red as he began to cover it up with his hands.
"Oh, all right, maybe just a singular extra. Besides, I reckon it's mostly water weight," Charlotte chuckled.
Dav and Mako would come in and out for several rounds, bringing bags of all shapes, sizes, and forms with them every time. As Alphonse and Bethel would try them on and observe themselves at a nearby mirror off at the side of the counter, they would go through rounds and rounds of trying on and showing off their bags. As Alphonse continued to worry about his appearance, Charlotte would cautiously sneak in questions about Beau's former saddlebag as she got Bethel's opinion on her selections.
"So, Beau really just gave y'all the bag, huh?" Charlotte said in a pained tone.
"Yeah. I didn't know it was so specially made. His loss, for sure," Bethel sighed.
"Honestly, it was very well crafted. If I didn't have Al here to carry my things, I would've requested another".
"Well, that's very kind of him to do that for you," Charlotte smiled.
"I'll say. He's definitely an obedient one," Bethel smirked.
"Are you two still talking about me?" Alphonse hollered off to the side as he inspected himself with a sleek black knapsack that blended in quite nicely under his cloak.
"Oh, not at all, dear," Charlotte said, getting a warm smile from Bethel in response.
"I'm sure he didn't mean any harm, honestly. Men can be really clueless sometimes. It takes them longer than normal to realize kind gestures," Bethel sighed.
"I... appreciate that. Thank you," Charlotte said sincerely.
"So, you're all a rescue team too, huh?" Bethel added.
"Well, I ain't, but Dav, Mako, and Beau are. They're all part of a team; Team Crusader," Charlotte explained.
"I see," Bethel said.
"Interesting."
As time passed and more bags were tried on, the other customers would grow increasingly impatient. Charlotte could sense their eagerness getting the best of them, to which she helped the peculiar Abra and Litten duo make their final decisions at last.
"And don't forget, y'all still got one accessory left for the discount!" Charlotte reminded.
"Al, if you'll excuse us, I'll go ahead and get our order wrapped up," Bethel said.
"Huh?" Alphonse flashed a puzzled look at his partner.
"It's going to be a surprise. Can't spoil it," Bethel cackled.
Awkwardly, Alphonse shuffled away, now donning his new backpack. As he waddled out along the ever-growing crowd of eager Pokemon wanting to get their own accessories purchased, he tried to look back at Bethel and Charlotte, but the crowd had already grown too thick, and he couldn't see any further into the shop.
He sat near the entrance of the shop off to the side for a good ten minutes, occasionally grabbing an inquisitive glance from a passerby who would mistake him for an employee. After some time had passed, Charlotte and Bethel would walk out together, giggling secretively about their transaction. As gratitudes were exchanged, Charlotte snuck through the crowd funneling into the shop with grace, turning back once more to deliver a final farewell.
"Y'all come back real soon!" Charlotte waved.
"We'll be able to fulfill custom orders for accessories in the coming weeks! Anything you can think of, we can make it!"
"Will do!" Bethel said, waving a forepaw back in the distance.
After a rather uneventful rest of the afternoon, Bethel and Alphonse made their way back from the markets of Capim Town to the good old Clover Guild headquarters, with empty, new bags and heavy, anxious hearts. Since they were already out on the town, they figured they'd stay a little later and grab dinner out there rather than run into anyone else at the Clover Guild hoping to ask them any last-minute questions before their "grand" debut.
After foraging some nearby apples and berries from a nearby grove, the two sat down beside a babbling brook as they hastily enjoyed their dinner. The dinner would also serve as a last-minute rendezvous, as they made last-minute plans about what they'd say about themselves in their introductions, as well as how they would say it.
"So we're clear then—we'll keep our pasts as vague as possible. We don't want these guys thinking we're trouble, what with being ex-convicts and everything," Bethel said.
Alphonse ceased chewing his dinner and gave his response.
"Crystal clear."
Bethel smiled slyly before resuming her own feasting. But right as she brought the food up to her mouth, she stopped suddenly, as a strange pall settled around the two.
Alphonse looked over at the anxious Bethel, while his own anxieties continued to grow.
"Everything alright?" he asked.
"Mm. Yeah. Just nerves," Bethel sighed.
"Me too," Alphonse replied. Suddenly, the apple he was eating didn't seem as appetizing. He haphazardly tossed his leftovers to the side, leading Bethel to do the same.
The two Pokemon stared at each other in a tense silence.
"Well... should we head back?" Alphonse asked.
"Yeah, might as well face the music," Bethel said, rising from her seated position.
"But... there's something I have to tell you first."
"What's up?" Alphonse said.
His casual way of asking thinly veiled his genuine concern for his partner's well-being.
"Do you know why I wanted us to pretend to once be humans?" Bethel said.
Alphonse blinked.
"Um, to establish trust, right? So we could get in on their secrets?"
"Well, yeah, that's part of it," Bethel sighed.
"We've both heard the legends before. Rifts in space and time appearing from thin air, humans coming from other worlds after being transformed into Pokemon, going on life-changing adventures, all that nonsense..."
"Right," Alphonse said.
"It's definitely an unusual phenomenon."
"And all of those stories of heroism..." Bethel paused.
"Whatever. It's stupid; forget it. Let's go."
"Hold on, Beth. I want to hear your thoughts," Alphonse said patiently.
"...Alright, fine. But only because we're partners."
"I guess... I assumed that if we played our cards right, maybe we could learn something from them about that. Fake it until you make it, and all that."
Bethel stared intensely at Alphonse's squinted gaze, who stared right back with equal regard. Then, hastily, she turned away.
"Plus, if they knew we're just a couple of, well, 'natives,' as they call it, or even worse, they knew we used to be criminals, they'd surely find reason to hate us. Or worse yet, find new reasons to be against us."
"Yeah. I don't think anything good would come of them knowing all our struggles, at least at this time," Alphonse sighed.
"So, instead of us being a pair of ruffians, we'd strive to be heroes like the legends say, huh?"
"Right," Bethel stated.
"We're not going to get very far here if we don't fit in. So we have to blend in, no matter the cost."
"Hm. I never saw it that way before. The 'secret' to being a hero. And to being a good Pokemon."
Alphonse looked up at the sky.
"You really think we can find those answers here?"
"If I didn't, I would've never walked through the door." Bethel also turned her gaze towards the clouds.
"I know my sense of heroism had been, well, misguided in the past. I thought what we were doing as thieves was the right thing to do, but we were just as rotten as the Pokemon we swore to fight against."
"I'm not implying that Del was a bad teacher, but if I had some truly legendary heroes to learn from, I'm certain that I won't make that mistake again." Bethel sighed wearily.
"Redemption is a hard thing to find. And if we have to cut a few corners and tell a few white lies to get it..."
"But what if we don't have to do that?"
Alphonse continued staring up at the sky, which was a brilliant display of oranges, purples, and blues. The sun had already begun to set into the horizon.
"I think we should be candid. Sometimes..."
Bethel continued to face the sky but shuffled ever so slightly towards Alphonse.
"Sometimes we have to just do the 'right' thing, no matter how insurmountable it may seem. After all, that's what a hero does, right?"
Alphonse blinked softly before turning his gaze back toward Bethel, who was right next to him.
"And in this case, the right thing would be to come clean about being natives. We can't establish trust by lying about once being human."
"...Yeah. No, you're right. You're absolutely right."
Bethel and Alphonse locked eyes once more.
"And I can tell you've given a lot of thought to this too..." Bethel said.
"...I'm leaving this in your hands, Al. I trust you'll lead us through this."
"I won't let you down, Beth. I promise," Alphonse assured.
The two shared in a hug, tenderly accepting one another's embrace. After a good few seconds, they receded back from each eachother, mutually nodded, and proceeded back on their way to face their destinies.
While they walked through the grand doors of the Guild once more, they noticed things were eerily quiet. Figuring everyone was already waiting for them up in the second-floor common room for the show to begin. As they carefully ascended the stairs, their suspicion was somewhat confirmed, as a large crowd had already begun to gather. Large, but not complete.
Before either of them could fully approach the crowd, they were in turn approached once more by KFC and Lliam, who were both wearing their usual expressions, but with just a pinch more energy than normal.
"There you two are~" Lliam purred.
"I was afraid you two would've run off! Luckily, I see my suspicions were false, fufufu~"
"Are you two ready?" KFC asked.
"As ready as we'll ever be," Alphonse sighed.
"So, should we just call over and introduce ourselves?"
KFC held up a patient talon to Alphonse, instructing him to hold on. Calling over for the attention of the other guild members, he stopped the commotion quickly and began to speak.
"We'll be doing things outside as we wait for a few more stragglers to show up. Everyone, follow me to the entrance," KFC instructed, as he began to walk off with Lliam.
Alphonse and Bethel hurried along, making sure to stay close to KFC and Lliam while dodging the more eager folk who had already assembled. There would be more than enough time for questions and introductions, they figured, so the less they had to share, the better. It had been so long since they were both the center of attention in such a way, and their nerves were already getting the best of both of them, as they fidgeted about during the walk. Throughout the jog, they could overhear several questions already being discussed amongst the crowd.
"Is that really them? I expected Pokemon a little more..."
"They seem interesting... I wonder if..."
"Looks aren't everything. We'll have to see..."
"More newfriends? Delightful!"
The barrage of questions and curiosities would be ignored by Alphonse and Bethel as best as they could, save for one especially grating voice with an equally grating statement.
"Hehe... I hope they're single and ready to mingle..."
Thankfully, a good amount of jeers and shared voices of disapproval would choke that last one out rather quickly.
As everyone stood on the lawn, a few new faces, of all shapes and sizes, would join the commotion. Pokemon from all sorts of species would assemble in a fine half circle, sprawled across the front lawn of the Clover Guild. There would be a Mareep, a Corviknight, a Duskull, a Smeargle, a Trubbish and Joltik, a Pikachu...
And even amongst the crowd of new faces, there were several already-familiar ones. Team MLG, Team Misfits, Team Cozy and Toge, Team Crusader, Team Emerald Spark, Solid Linoone, and Debby of Delibird Deliveries...
The count was cut short by KFC, once again gathering the attention of his peers. All eyes turned to him, Alphonse, and Bethel.
"Just speak as you normally would. Don't sweat the small stuff. You'll do just fine," KFC said, looking directly at Alphonse.
Alphonse nodded and gulped as he looked towards Bethel. Bethel gave an uneasy nod back and gestured at him to kick things off, to which he would receive the memo.
He observed the Pokemon. They all stood silent and wide-eyed, looking right back at him, inspecting him up and down. Alphonse felt as alien as ever in the moment; he was never one for being in the spotlight, and here it was, shining right down on him. But at the same time, a calmness would come over him. These Pokemon, at the end of the day, were just like him in at least one way, shape, or form. They lived, breathed, laughed, and cried. They all were like him once: new, wide-eyed, lost, curious, and looking for belonging. There was a silent kinship he could feel even as early on, even before he could say any words that might jeopardize him further or make him seem even more strange, awkward, or undesirable than he might've already been. In that moment, all eyes were on him, but they weren't judging; they were waiting patiently, relieved at the sight of the newest member of their wacky band of degenerates that they called family.
And that was able to ease his stress, even if only by a tiny bit.
As Alphonse gazed across the sea of Pokemon before him, he counted his lucky stars once more, gave a gentle prayer, and began to think on how he'd address the crowd.