A Find in the Forest
After a long day of walking, Wooper and I start to set up camp near the edge of the forest, next to a small pond. With the wood gathered, I wince from the taste and spice of my Blast Seed as I use it to light tonight's campfire, flames pouring out of my mouth. Wooper and I are taking on a longer mission than usual, and it'll be another day before we reach where our client is waiting for us. I take a long drink of water, trying to wash out the spiciness, but it doesn't help much at all.
“Ugh, never did like spicy foods,” I say, sitting down next to the fire. “How you holding up, Wooper?”
Wooper takes a seat nearby, saying, “Bit tired, but I'll live!”
I reach for my bag for some berries to eat, but as I turn my head, I spot something staring at me from the shadows of the forest. I quickly jump up and let out my vines, shouting, “Who are you?!”
A nervous sounding voice responds to me, saying, “I don't know where I am... I've been lost in the forest for weeks...”
“We can help you!” Wooper exclaims. “Come sit by the fire!”
The source of the voice steps out of the shadows, revealing it to be a Buneary, who wears a golden ribbon. The ribbon looks pretty rare, the sort I've only seen inside of dungeons. “Thanks, at least it'll beat sleeping in fear again...”
I retract my vines, saying, “Sorry about that, you never know how people will act when you come across them. So, how'd a girl like you get lost in the forest, anyways?”
The Buneary glares at me. “I'm not a girl, it's just this stupid voice. I just woke up in the woods one morning like this.”
The pieces quickly fall into place, but before I can say anything, Wooper chimes in. “Oh! Were you human before?”
The Buneary pauses before responding, as if considering his words. “Yeah, but how'd you guess it so easily?”
Wooper looks over to me, and I nod. Wooper looks back at him, saying, “That's easy. Chespin here, and a ton of the others back at the guild? Former humans!”
Buneary's eyes go wide, saying, “Really? You've gotta take me there, then!”
Something feels a little familiar about this all. “Funny thing, we've actually recruited a guild member this same exact way, only we found him during a rainstorm.” Thinking about it a little more, I say,” But if you were formerly human, you must have a human name, right?”
The Buneary bluntly says, “Mark. It's Mark. What about you?”
His name seems normal enough to me. “I'm Arthur, but everybody calls me Chespin now.”
Mark seems to think about something for a moment. “Heh, I used to know a guy named Arthur.”
That's strange... “I knew someone named Mark, too.” An idea begins to form in my head, one that makes me a little sick. Hoping that my hunch is wrong, I ask, “Where did you go to school?”
“That's easy, was a dump called Graywall High.”
The name of both this Buneary and the school he went to, there's no doubt about it! I clench my fist, memories flooding back, quickly followed by anger. I stand up once more, glaring at him. “You... I knew you before all this. You were that scumbag friend I had that would lie to me all the time, get me into trouble all the time, and even borrow my things and never return them! You've got SOME nerve trying to ask ME for help, you know that?!”
Mark shoots worried glances towards Wooper, as if asking for backup. “W-what?! I wasn't like that! Not intentionally, anyways!”
Starring daggers into him, I continue with, “I might have been too timid to stand up for myself back then, but I'm not like that anymore. I oughta kick your ass for all the garbage you've pulled while we were growing up!”
Wooper speaks up, saying, “Um, can you walk away for a little bit, Mark? We've gotta talk for a little bit.”
Once my degenerate former friend gives us some distance, Wooper speaks to me in a hushed voice. “He's got nowhere else to go, Arthur.”
I scoff, saying, “He's got the rest of the continent to go and get lost in, if you ask me.”
“But you said it yourself, you changed after you arrived in this world! He's your old friend, right? Maybe he's changed since all of that stuff happened?”
Wooper might have a point... “I had been hoping I left that part of my life behind, but it followed me here.”
“We've gotta show him the guild, at least!”
“No way, the last place I want him is living under the same roof as me.” Seeing Wooper's face, I relent a little, saying, “He can come with us for now, but after we finish this mission, we can send him along to a small town somewhere else, alright?”
“Well, okay, Arthur. But try to keep an open mind about it, okay? I don't know everything about what he was like before, but he could have changed!”
“No matter what, be wary about him, alright Wooper? This could all be a trick.”
Wooper nods. “I remember what you used to say about your old friends. But you never know, right?”
Turning my attention back to Mark, I say, “Okay, you can tag along for now.” I open my mouth to say something more, but keep myself from making the situation more tense. He's lucky that Wooper's so convincing. Tossing a couple berries at him, I say, “Here, eat up.”
Mark catches the berries, nibbling them down quickly. “Thanks, I was starving!”
I look over at the fire, which is beginning to die down. “Getting late, we'd better get some sleep. Got a lot of ground to cover tomorrow.”
“G'night, Chepsin!” With that, Wooper hops into the nearby pond.
Now that it's just the two of us, I begin speaking to Mark once again. “You're...” I hold myself back once again. Just seeing him in this world is getting me a little heated. “You're lucky I have a blanket.” Handing him the blanket, I say, “Don't make us regret this.”
“I never knew you were so angry at me...” A sad look crosses his face. “I'm different now, honest.”
Different because we're all he knows in this world, maybe. “When we wake up, we're going to have a small breakfast and then we're off. Good night.” With that, I use my vines to climb up to a high tree branch, taking my bag with me. Hanging my bag on a high branch, I settle into an especially leafy part of the tree. It might not be as cozy as the bed back at the guild, but it'll do for tonight.
I think on the situation sprung upon us tonight. My former friend has backstabbed me once before in my old life. If he tries it again, I'll be ready this time around. Wooper thinks he could have changed, and part of me hopes he has, but it's hard to forget about the past.
The next morning, I awaken to some quiet talking near the remains of the campfire. Rubbing the sleepiness out of my eyes, I climb down from the tree, finding Wooper and Mark chatting.
“G'morning Chespin! He was just telling me about how you two first met! By the way, what's a summer camp?”
I feel my blood run cold, what did he tell Wooper?! …Wait, Wooper wouldn't care about the details, so why am I worried about it? “Don't worry your big blue head over it, alright?”
I shoot a glare over at Mark, who responds with, “What? That's all in the past, right? All in another world, even. I didn't even tell him anything bad!”
“Let's just hurry up and eat so we can do this mission.”
After eating breakfast, the three of us begin the walk towards where our mission will take place. I keep shooting glances over at Mark, not feeling comfortable with him around. The mood definitely feels a whole lot less happy than when it's just Wooper and I. I look up at the sky, trying to cheer myself up with some sunlight. After some time of walking in silence, Mark is the first to speak up. “So, Wooper, want to know more about where we come from?”
Wooper thinks for a bit, and says, “Umm, I already asked Chespin all the questions I ever had about it.”
“Trust me,” I say, “When I first came here, he bombarded me with a mountain of questions. What humans are like, their special powers, anything you can think of.”
“Oh.” Shaking his head, Mark asks, “So, what is all this about, anyways? Why the hell am I a bunny now?”
Now's my turn to get one on him. “Beats me, but I hope you like looking like a little girl's stuffed animal for the rest of your life, because there ain't no going back to your old life now!”
“What?! There's really no way back, I'm stuck like this? What about my life?” Mark looks around, worry on his face.
After the past we've had, seeing him start to sweat over something filled me with a sense of schadenfreude. “What're you talking about, you still have your life. Just in a different form.”
“But what am I gonna do?!” In his panic, his furled-up ear shoots forward, smacking Wooper and knocking him down!
“Wooper!” I quickly pick him back up, and once he assures me he'll be fine, I turn my attention towards Mark. In the blink of an eye, I'm filled with an immense rage. “YOU.”
I shoot my vines out, wrapping them around Mark. “Give me a single reason why I shouldn't slam you into the ground this instant!”
He struggles against my vines, shouting out, “It was an accident, man! How was I supposed to know my ear would suddenly punch him? What the hell are these things around me, anyways?!”
“Please, you 'accidentally' punched him? I should cho-”
“Chespin, let him go!” Wooper steps in front of me, saying, “Shortly after I met you, you accidentally let out those vines, remember? He was pretty concerned just now, so it doesn't seem impossible for him to do something similar, right?”
After taking a very deep breath, I retract my vines, freeing Mark. “You're very lucky Wooper managed to convince me to release you. I hope for your sake that was truly an accident.”
After brushing himself off, Mark says, “You know what? I can already tell this won't work out. Even if I wasn't that good a friend in the past, I thought I could rely on someone I knew since I was a kid, but I guess not. Guess I'll just try and find a town on my own...” Looking sad, he turns around and begins to walk away.
Shaking his head, Wooper says, “Chespin, we've gotta help those in need, remember? Isn't that what the guild is meant to do? It isn't like he hurt me that much!”
Praying I won't regret this, I say, “Alright, fine. As long as you swear that you'll be more careful, I'll stop going so hard on you.”
Turning around nearly instantly, Mark says, “Really? I'll be more careful, don't worry!”
We continue walking towards our destination. Mark seems more talkative now, but seems to talk to Wooper more often. I can't say I blame him, Wooper seems to get along with almost anybody he meets. Wooper gladly tells him about how we met, the adventures we've been on, and things we've done in between all of that. Even if he's just retelling old stories, it helps make the trek go by faster. Finally, we stand outside our destination, a cave that goes by the name of Cobble Crag.
“Alright,” I say, looking at the others. “It shouldn't be too hard to get through this cave. Mark, have you ever been inside a dungeon before?”
Mark shakes his head. “No, are you sure we'll be okay?”
I nod, saying, “Of course, Wooper and I have done this a whole bunch of times. Since you probably can't fight very well, you should just keep an eye out for enemies.”
Looking unsure, Mark says, “Uh, sure, but how are we going to light up that cave? We don't have flashlights or lanterns, right?”
“Like this!” With that, Wooper's body begins to glow a bright blue.
Mark gasps in surprise, saying, “How's he doing that?”
“Wooper's full of surprises, don't let his looks deceive you!” I say. “Time to get in there.” Wooper leads the way for everybody as we enter Cobble Crag.
Once we walk inside, the light from the entrance quickly vanishes behind us, causing Mark to speak up once more. “The entrance is gone now!”
“Yeah, that's just how these places are. You get used to them!” Wooper says.
“No way out without going all the way through,” I say. “Let's make short work of this cave.”
We begin our descent into Cobble Crag, the only light being that coming off of Wooper. A few Arons and Roggenrolas try to fight us, but they're all pretty weak and Wooper and I make short work of them, only taking a few scratches during the battling. Mark hangs back, not knowing how to fight and not wanting to get anywhere near our foes. Along the way, I spot him grabbing a few rocks, stuffing them into his fluff.
Eventually we hit a lull in the enemies, and Mark speaks up, saying, “You guys seem like you've been doing this for awhile.”
“That's right!” Wooper says.
“Ever since day one, we've fought side by side,” I say. “I don't know what I'd do without him around!”
“He seems like a nice guy,” Mark says. “Wonder if I'll ever find someone to hang around...” He lets his words trail off, sounding sad.
“Oh, there's probably someone that'll want to team up with you, don't lose hope!” Wooper exclaims. “Maybe after this mission's done we can help you find someone?”
“It'd beat wandering around the forest, that's for sure! You'd really do that?” Mark asks.
“Well, yeah! I brought Chespin with me to town once he found me! 'Course, we just teamed up right away.”
“I suppose we can give it a shot,” I say. “For now, let's just get through the rest of this cave.”
The cave twists and turns, but ultimately ends up being pretty easy to get through. Rounding one final corner, we spot a scared-looking Illumise hiding near a rock. Upon seeing Wooper's light, she picks her head up. “H-hello? Are you hear to save me?”
“You betcha!” Wooper says. “What're you doing down here, anyways?”
Standing up, Illumise approaches us. “There was someone who stole the ribbon my father gave to me before he went away. I thought the thief came in here to hide but I was too weak to get back out...”
“That's awful! Who would steal something like that?” Wooper says. “We could help you find him!”
“He seemed a little nervous, but swiped it right off of me and ran off,” Illumise informs us. “It was a B-...” Squinting at us, she shouts, “That's him! Behind you, the Buneary! He's got my ribbon!”
“Wha-” Before I can get my words out, I feel something hard collide with the back of my head, followed by something else yanking my scarf off! Whirling around, I spot Mark running away, reaching into his fluff! I bolt after him, wrapping my vines around him just as he pulls out an orb, which he smashes on the ground!
A bright flash envelops me, and I find myself outside of the cave. Once I get my bearings, I frantically look around for Mark, spotting him in the grass not far from me. Upon seeing me, his eyes go wide and he starts trying to run, but trips over a nearby tree root, rocks tumbling out from within his fluff. Seizing my chance, I snatch him up with my vines, staring him down.
“I should have went with my gut. Once a backstabber, always a backstabber.”
Mark kicks and thrashes, trying to free himself. “But I threw that rock at you as hard as I could! How come you aren't even hurt?!”
“How are you going to backstab someone with an ARMORED back, huh?” I shake him around like a ragdoll, angry that he had betrayed me yet again, but more than that, I'm angry at myself for agreeing to let him come with. “You could have actually changed your ways when you came to this world, but you just had to keep to your old ways. What the hell is your problem?”
“Ugh... You were always such a pushover growing up, never standing up for yourself.” Struggling some more, he says, “Guess you...ugh...really have changed since then.”
“Thought I'd be an easy target, huh? Well, from where I'm standing, you look like one to me.” I clench my fist, electricity beginning to crackle as sparks fly off it.”
“Y-you wouldn't attack someone who's tied up, right? That's cheap!” Mark struggles harder, but my grip holds true.
I shake my head dismissively. “You didn't have any problem with that when you tried to cave my head in with a rock. The least I can do is return the favor.”
I quickly yank my vines backward, reeling Mark in as I throw an electrified uppercut, knocking him to the ground! I stand over him, watching as he tries to stand back up, but it looks like my attack has paralyzed him. Kneeling down, I remove the ribbon he stole, putting it in my bag. “Considering you a friend was the biggest mistake of my life.”
Leaving him laying there, I look around for my swiped scarf, finding it in the grass nearby. Just as I tie it back on, Wooper comes running out of the cave with Illumise behind him. “Chespin! Are you okay?”
Nodding, I say, “I even recovered that girl's ribbon!”
Illumise gratefully accepts her ribbon, putting it on. “Thank you, but why was the thief with you? Is he your friend?”
I look back at Mark, who still can't seem to stand back up. “Someone like that? You'd have to be stupid to befriend someone like that.”
“Well, now that I've gotten out of that cave and got my dad's ribbon back, I'm gonna go back home.” Illumise bows towards us, saying, “Sorry I don't have a reward for you right now, but I'll send it to your guild, honest.”
“Okay!” Wooper says. “Take care, miss!”
Once she's out of sight, I turn back towards Mark. “Maybe someday you'll realize how awful you've been to everybody. Goodbye, and I hope we never meet again.”
Still unable to stand up, Mark says, “Agh... C'mon man, you can't just leave me here! I can barely move!”
Wooper and I share a look, and I reach into my bag, throwing a Cheri Berry near his mouth. “This should be enough to get you to a town, but that's all you'll get. Eat it and you'll be able to move properly once more. Come on, Wooper, let's go home.”
The two of us walk for a couple minutes before Wooper starts to speak up “Um, Arthur? I'm sorry I convinced you to take him along. I really thought he could change!”
“It's not your fault, Wooper. I had a little bit of hope myself, and yet... He just spit all over it.”
“I've been meaning to ask... Why were you friends with him in the first place?”
I let out a small sigh. “He was the only other kid my age in the neighborhood. At first it wasn't that bad, but then he kept trying to get me to do things that'd get me into trouble. I never wanted to do them, but he said he wouldn't be my friend if I didn't.”
“That's horrible!”
Frowning, I say, “Even when he wasn't, he always had such an awful attitude over everything. Back in the human world, we have a saying. 'Better to be alone than in bad company.' I wish I had listened to that. I don't know if it's the same way in this world, but some humans, Wooper? They're just born bad, and nothing will ever turn them good.”
“But everybody deserves a second chance, right Arthur?” Wooper looks a little worried at my line of thinking. “Even if Mark was a bad one, that doesn't mean you should instantly give up on everybody!”
“Yeah, you're right. That one Smeargle we caught seems to have genuinely changed, remember? But man... It hurts, y'know? Being backstabbed after giving someone a second chance.”
“It must be pretty hard for you, Arthur...” Wooper looks sad, hearing my words.
“If there's a bright side to it all, I think it's people like him that make me appreciate the friends I've made here even more.” Thinking about it more, I continue with, “Y'know, Wooper... Before I came to this world, I didn't know what it felt like to have a true friend. Someone who'll always be there for you with a smile on their face.” Feeling a smile begin to form on my own face, I pull Wooper into a hug. “Thanks for being such a great friend!”
“You're welcome, Arthur! Don't worry, I ain't going anywhere!”
Looking off at the horizon, I say, “I think Team Cozy's gonna be around for a long time, don't you think?”
“You bet!”
Turning westward, I begin the long walk back to Capim, feeling more thankful than ever that I have Wooper as my friend.