The Secret of Wither Woods

by Skorupi-anon

I can hear many faint voices chattering in the distance. I open my eyes to find the source of the noise, but all I can see is blackness. A strange, ticklish sensation spreads across my back and the top of my head. I'm left in the dark, both figuratively and literally. In a groggy state, I rise to my feet, and out of nowhere, blinding light hits my eyes. Simultaneously, the tickling on my back sweeps away, and the sudden shock to my system leaves me frozen in place for a moment, trying to readjust. Once I can see clearly again, I find myself sitting in a messy pile of hay, with bits of dead grass scattered wildly all over the floor. It seems like while I was asleep, I had ended up burying myself underneath the hay that had comprised my bed. I don't think I've ever moved around this much before in my sleep... does this have something to do with my new body?

Last night, as now-official Clover Guild members, Furret and I had been assigned this bedroom. Besides just the beds, the dorm also features several cabinets, and a large chest, ensuring that we'll have plenty of space to keep our belongings. She still wasn't a big fan of the beds, complaining about their roughness and comparing them to the ones at the Blue Claw Inn. Personally, I'm just grateful that we were given anything at all, considering we don't even need to pay rent to stay here, and in my eyes, anything is still better than dirt.

Speaking of Furret, I look over to the other end of the room to wish her a good morning, but her bed is unoccupied; she's nowhere to be found. Knowing her, she probably had some energy leftover from yesterday, and ended up leaving without remembering to wake me up. I'm not fully awake yet, but two things are motivating me not to sleep in today: getting straight to work, and finding Furret. I open up the chest, which Furret had apparently stored her accessories, and drop my leather pouch into it, before adjusting the pink ribbon on my head, and making my way to the ground floor.

(music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_eesznyCIM) The muffled sounds of conversation become more and more clear as I step down the spiral staircase in the center of the building, and when I reach the ground floor, I notice a crowd of Pokemon, all bunched up near the two bulletin boards. Many engage in idle chitchat, while others seem to be planning strategies, or pondering the requests posted to the boards. On the outer edge of the group, I see Furret talking to two Pokemon, a Chespin and a Wooper, both of them wearing their own clover-shaped badges. Everyone was out doing jobs yesterday, and we hadn't gotten a chance to mingle very much, so it figures that she would take the opportunity to do so in the morning.

I approach the group, and when Furret notices me, she perks up and says, “Oh, good morning, little buddy! Sorry that I didn't wake you up, it's just, I really wanted to meet some of the Pokemon here before everyone left for their jobs!” She turns to face the duo, and introduces me to them. “This is my little buddy that I was just telling you about! He's super tough, trust me!”

Bearing a wide smile, the Wooper stares at me, and rather than introduce himself, he cheerily declares, “Hey, you! You lost!”

I don't know how to react initially. I "lost"? Lost what? And why is he so happy about it? Cautiously, I ask, “...What did I lose?”.

“The game!”

For a split second, I don't have any idea what he means, but as soon as the realization hits me, it hits as hard as a truck going a hundred miles an hour down the freeway. On one hand, I feel incredibly stupid for having fallen for something so juvenile, but on the other, hearing someone say that out loud, without a twinge of irony, makes my blood run cold from cringing so hard. While I'm busy recoiling, my mind goes blank, unable to process that this is actually happening, in real life. How does this kind of stuff keep happening to me...?

Apparently, the Wooper takes pure delight in my suffering, his eyes sparkling with joy and excitement. “Ooh, ooh! From that look on your face, I can tell right away, you're a hu--!”

The Chespin covers his axolotl companion's mouth and pulls him to the side, while loudly clearing his throat. “Inside jokes, you know how it is, am I right? You guys are new here so you wouldn't get them yet, which means I guess there's no point in bothering you with them, ha ha!” he interjects, hastily. Peeking from around the edges of the Chespin's hand, I can still see the corners of the Wooper's wide smile.

Furret doesn't seem to know what to make of the scene unfolding before her at first, her expression blank. But, before long, she puts on a friendly grin, and starts laughing. “Ha ha ha, you guys are too funny! Say, what're your names?”

Forcing another chuckle, the Chespin withdraws his hand from his partner's mouth, and formally says, “You can just call me Chespin, and this is Wooper.”

Wooper nods in confirmation. “Yup! Together, we make Team Cozy!” he announces, happily.

Furret's face beams amicably, and she responds, “My name's Furret! Together with my little buddy, we're Team Miracle Lucky Golden! But for short, you can just call us Team M--”

This time, it's my turn to do the interrupting. I snap out of my cringe-induced coma and softly bump my tail against her chest, making her pause. Loudly, I say, “Anyways, it's nice to meet you two, but we've gotta get to work. And, uh, by the way, my name is Smith.”

“Right,” Chespin affirms, “welcome to the Clover Guild, Team...” He connects the dots in his head, and when he realizes what our team's name abbreviates to, he stifles a genuine chuckle under his breath. I roll my eyes, but to be honest, it is kinda funny, so I don't think I can blame him. Our partners, however, both seem totally oblivious to its true meaning.

Furret says, “Yeah, it's great meeting you guys! Now, let's go check those boards, little buddy!” She waves farewell to Team Cozy, and heads deeper into the crowd of guild members.

I move to follow her, but Chespin pulls me aside and quietly requests, “Hey, Smith, can I ask you something?”

Curious, I walk closer to him while still keeping an eye on Furret, and I ask, “What?”

Bluntly, the Grass-type guesses, “You're a human too, aren't you?”

His unexpected prediction is dead on, catching me off guard. “...H-how did you know?”

“Wooper here is pretty good at sniffing out humans,” he explains.

“Sure am! Humans always act all funny when I tell them stuff like that!” Wooper chimes in.

Chespin nods, and says, “Anyways, sorry if you didn't want your friend to know about the whole 'human' thing, we'll be more careful next time.”

It's pretty relieving to meet another human who I can call my peer. Feeling calmer than I was a minute ago, I say, “It's alright, it's not a big deal...”

Before I can return to Furret, Chespin points to my ribbon, and adds, “By the way... did she rope you into wearing that thing?”

I grimace out of embarrassment for a split second, and, slightly flustered, I look away and reply, “Uh, yeah. She really likes this kinda stuff. Especially when I'm wearing it... a-anyway... I should get going, um, good luck with... whatever you're doing today.” I awkwardly “wave” my tail goodbye and enter the crowd in pursuit of my partner. Chespin seems nice, but I'm more interested in his friend, Wooper, at the moment... the Water-type seems pretty energetic, just like Furret. I can't help but wonder if Chespin can relate to me in that regard.

I catch up to Furret, who stands before the yellow bulletin board, gazing intently at the notices that have been posted. Occasionally, she'll pull one off of the wall and skim its contents, but never for long before she puts it back and takes a different one down. It looks like she's putting a lot of care into picking our first mission.

While she's busy with that, my eyes slowly wander to the orange bulletin board, but before I can get too invested, she notices me and exclaims, “Oh, there you are, little buddy! Here, take a look at this one real quick!”

My attention turns back to Furret, and in her hands, I see a piece of paper, covered with text written in this world's language. Both of us get close to each other, and she starts reading the note out loud.

“Explorers wanted! They say there are ruins of a lost civilization of humans deep within the Wither Woods! I really want to take home some ancient relics, for archival purposes, but the landscape is far too treacherous for me to traverse safely! Only a Pokemon that could fly, or one that is immune to poison, could make it past those terrible, polluted rivers. To any Pokemon that can safely reach the ruins, please, bring back any treasure that you find, and give it to me! You'll be rewarded handsomely for your efforts!

“...That sounds... awesome! A lost civilization of humans?! It sounds so, so... historical! And there's supposed to be treasure, there, too! Just imagine how awesome it would be to see something like that in person!”

I'm not totally convinced at first. It sounds too good to be true... but, the idea of finding evidence of even more humans is just too promising to pass up. What if it turns out there really is proof that a forgotten human society existed? ...If humans did exist in the past, then what implications would that have for my own situation?

Furret takes another look at the request, and reads part of it aloud once more. “'Only a Pokemon that could fly, or one that is immune to poison, could make it past those terrible, polluted rivers.' ...If that's true, then it sounds pretty dangerous. Do you still wanna try this job, little buddy? I won't force you to do anything scary like that if you don't want to, there's still plenty of other jobs to look at.”

As a Skorupi, it would stand to reason that I could survive entering a poisonous river, seeing as how I'm a Poison-type myself, but that doesn't stop me from hesitating at the idea of plunging into what would essentially be a vat of toxic refuse. Besides that, I don't know if I'm ready to go swimming again any time soon, after my attempt at bathing the other day. Only complicating matters further, there's another major issue; if the terrain is anything like how the request describes it, then she might not be able to safely come with me at all. I'm not too sure of this yet, but regardless, I say, “I think I'm okay with crossing any rivers if I have to, but, shouldn't you be more worried about yourself? What if there's no safe way for you to follow me?”

She puffs her chest proudly, and declares, “Don't you go stressing about that! I've visited all sorts of different continents on my travels, remember? Believe me when I say, nothing has ever stopped me from reaching my destination before, no matter how impossible it might have seemed at first! We'll definitely be able to figure something out!”

Her “strategy” is reckless and shortsighted on paper, but strangely enough, I think she's actually onto something. We don't know much about the area, other than what was detailed in the request, so the best plan of action might be to just head straight there with an open mind, and react accordingly. It's far from a flawless plan, but it's not like I can come up with anything better.

Uncertainty still lingers in my thoughts, but once I recall the lesson that she had taught me yesterday, I erase my doubts. “...If you spend your whole life being afraid to try new things, just think of all the fun stuff you'll end up missing out on!” Those words have resonated in the back of my mind ever since.

Her optimism continues to rub off on me, and I can't resist it. I decide to stop worrying and put my faith in her, just like I had done the other night, when we overlooked Capim Town from the rooftops.

“Okay, okay, I believe you. If we're gonna do this, then we should start getting ready to leave.”

“Alright! Let's head to the storeroom and get some supplies! Team M.L.G.'s gonna knock their debut mission out of the park!” she shouts, her face aglow with happiness.

I'm glad she's so excited, it's just, I wish she would stop saying our team's name so loudly.

...

The two of us walk down the spiral staircase and into the basement. The room is illuminated by several oil lamps suspended along each wall via sconces. In between the lights, there are also wooden shelves, each one stocked full with many containers of varying sizes cramped together. There are large crates and cardboard boxes in a corner of the room, though their contents are a mystery to me, save for one box, labeled “cotton”. Does the guild use that to produce its own equipment? I imagine Furret would be ecstatic to hear that.

...Wait a minute. I can read the label? I double check it to make sure I'm not losing my mind, and, sure enough, I can still read it perfectly fine. In fact, looking at the containers on the shelves, I can see that they, too, are labeled in a language that I can understand. Weren't all of the job requests written in a completely different language?

Upon closer inspection, I notice that underneath the text that I can read, there's more writing, this time in the area's native language, presumably. If the guild is populated by humans and Pokemon, then I guess it would make sense that the storage containers are labeled in both languages. As long as I can read it, I probably shouldn't overthink it.

Furret reaches up to one of the shelves and pulls down a box, this one labeled “Orbs”. She pulls out one, and holds it out in front of me. From a distance, it appears to be a bright blue color, but when I get closer, its hue shifts, losing saturation until it transitions into a dark gray. However, in the center of the darkness, a white light shines brilliantly, its rays reaching to the edges of the orb. It's as if I'm looking at a miniature galaxy, encapsulated within a small sphere. Utterly fascinated by the glass ball, I ask, “What is this?”

She stares at me with disbelief. “Whaddya mean, 'What is this'? It's an Escape Orb! Don't tell me you didn't know that! This is vital for explorers!”

“I, uh... didn't. I'm not very good with items.”

“Really?! That's terrible! Gosh, it's no wonder you had such a hard time on your own! You poor thing...” She paces back and forth, scratching her chin in contemplation, before deciding, “Hmm... looks like I'll just have to show you all about how great and important items are. Watch and learn, little buddy!”

(music: https://soundcloud.com/copcake/blazblue-ost-mistletoe) She stuffs the orb into her bag and reaches into another box, this one labeled “Wands”. From inside it, she produces what looks like an ordinary tree branch, with three growths coming out from its side. “This,” she explains, “is a Pounce Wand! If you wave it at a wall, then you and your friends can all warp directly to it, like magic! It's great for crossing gaps.”

I can sort of see what she's saying, but I don't know if I'll understand until I see it in action. “That sounds pretty useful...”

“'Useful' is an understatement! With this bad boy, nothing can stop us from getting to those treasures! Now, follow me, the rest of the things we'll want should be in the pantry.”

She leads me into a small room connected to the main storage area. There are more shelves in here, each one lined with a wide selection of fruits and seeds. Just like in the human world, they come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. A few of them resemble fruits from my world, especially the apples, but most others are unlike anything I'd seen before. Furret takes a blue berry from the shelf, and tells me, “This is an Oran Berry! I gave you one of these before, remember? If you're injured and in pain, eating one of these will make you feel a lot better right away! They're super, extra important, so we'll take a few of them!”

I'm familiar with Oran Berries already, as I've encountered them commonly in dungeons, although I won't whine about her explaining it anyway. I nod in understanding, eager to hear more.

Next, she grabs two pink fruits, resembling peaches. “Here's a Pecha Berry! If you eat one, it'll totally clear any poison out of your system! You won't ever need to worry about that situation, because you're immune to poison, but I'll definitely want some for myself on this trip.”

Again, she's right. Thinking back to my adventure in the forest dungeon, a feral Shroomish tried to attack me with poisonous spores, but they had no effect on me at all. Sometimes I forget that she isn't just some airhead... I should probably give her more credit.

Moving on to the seeds, she takes a small yellow one, with a peculiar, heart-shaped sprout growing from within. “Now, this seed here is super, duper, EXTRA important, so pay attention! This one's a Reviver Seed! In the worst-case scenario that one of us gets knocked out, eating this will bring you back to your feet, good as new! Hopefully, we won't have to use it at all, but it never hurts to have at least one!”

It's hard to believe that mere foods, with the power to instantly cure injuries, eliminate toxins, and raise someone from unconsciousness, exist in this world. For not being as technologically advanced as humans, Pokemon certainly have some potent medicines. I'd be more skeptical of her claims, but I've seen how effective Oran Berries are, so I'm willing to take her word for it. Thanks to her lessons, I feel smarter already!

...

By now, Furret's bag is stocked with a decent amount of items. “Alrighty then, I think that's everything! Did you get all that, little buddy?”

“I think so.”

“That's great! You shouldn't worry about it too much right now, by the way, I'm sure we'll get plenty of chances to practice with items in the future. Now that that's out of the way... I think we're good to go! Are you ready for this, little buddy?”

A smirk forms on my face, and confidently, I say, “Yeah, I know we can do it. Let's get out there already.”

Delighted, she squeals, “You took the words right out of my mouth! Let's go!”

...

We set out for Wither Woods, and the rest of our morning is spent making our way there. Most of the trip is uneventful, and with fair weather. The gentle breeze sweeping across my body, combined with the quiet atmosphere, brings back that familiar, nostalgic sensation that I've experienced several times by now. It's the same one I felt when I first woke up, and when I had prepared to go hunting for food the other day. As a human, I spent a lot of my time indoors, only going for the occasional walk, but I've been liking my new surroundings a lot more than I had expected I would.

The pleasant, natural scene doesn't last forever, unfortunately. The once clear blue skies slowly become obfuscated by massive black clouds. Actually, at this point, they're more akin to masses of smoke, billowing out of a factory. Above the smog, the sky itself looks like it's changing in color gradually, into a bizarre, unnatural orange. Thanks to the sudden overcast blocking the sun's warmth, the air cools down, and a chill runs up my spine. Barren, dead trees stand feebly in all directions, much of their husks having rotted away over time. Beneath our feet, much of the grass has died, leaving behind nothing but dry, tainted soil, incapable of sustaining life. The little bit of grass that has survived the harsh conditions has turned a sickly purple in color.

~Wither Woods~

(music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1Ofs3Xz8uQ) Furret is heartbroken at the sight of the forest's desolate remains. Wistfully, she sighs, “I knew this place wouldn't be pretty, but this is just... depressing. What happened here?”

Feeling similarly upset by the forest's current state, I suggest, “The pollution must have been out of control for a really long time for it to get this bad.”

From the darkness of the forest, a disembodied voice calls out. “Who knows...?”

By instinct, I dash in front of Furret and enter a defensive stance, my chin low to the grind and my tail raised. “Stay behind me, and be ready to run if you have to,” I whisper. Taken aback by my sudden command, she nods taciturnly and arches her back, prepared to sprint.

The voice remains silent. I shout, “Who's there? Come out!”

From above, I hear a response. “Up here, dummies!”

We look up to the treetops, and see a lone Grafaiai, squatting atop of the branches. Peering down at us, he remarks, “You two look like a couple a' wimps. What are ya, lost? Ha ha ha.”

Ignoring his taunts, I respond, “This is Wither Woods, right? We're here on a job.”

Furret chimes in, unbothered by the monkey's rudeness. “That's right! We're looking for the ruins!”

The Grafaiai rolls his eyes in disgust. “Ugh, more explorers... stupid kids never know when to quit... ha ha. Didn't your mommies ever tell you not to come out to dangerous places like this? There are some real crazy punks out here, don'cha know...?”

My patience slowly but surely being tested, I ask, “What do you want?”

“What do I want? I just wanna tell you a lil' something, hehe. Wanna know what happened to the last two explorers I saw out here? ...They got robbed blind! Took everything they had! And you two are gonna be next, ha ha!”

He leaps down from the branch, and as soon as he touches the ground, he sprints towards us at full speed. Furret gasps, and cowers in fear, while I stand my ground. As the petty thief charges, I can tell that he isn't aiming for me... he's going after Furret's bag! But, I don't move an inch; I continue holding my ground, just like when I fought against the feral Breloom.

Furret shouts, “He's headed straight for us! Oh geez, oh geez, do something, little buddy!”

“Don't worry. This guy won't be a problem,” I assure her. He's not a feral, but if he's just gonna run straight at us, then he's not much smarter than one.

The Grafaiai closes in on us, and he steers to my left, targeting Furret. Once he's within a few feet of me... I spin around, and, using my tail, I sweep his legs out from under him. From this range, he can't react in time, and my tail catches his ankle, sending him careening into the ground face-first, where he skids to a stop. As he scrambles to his feet, I approach from behind and grab him by the neck with my tail claws before he can run away.

He flails his limbs wildly, trying vainly to free himself from my grip. “Ack! Let go a' me or I'll kick your ass!! I'm not scared a' you, y'hear me?! You look like such a damn sissy wearing that girly bow--”

I squeeze his neck harder, causing him to start coughing. Taking labored breaths, he begs, “Okay, I-I'm sorry, I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry!! Just let me go already! I'll leave you two alone, I-I promise!”

He continues pleading to be freed, but we tune him out, and Furret lets out a sigh of relief. “Gosh, nobody said anything about bandits being out here! Thank you for protecting me, little buddy, you did great!”

“Ahh, well, it was nothing, really...” I say, flustered by her praise.

The Grafaiai continues struggling in my grasp, but the tighter I grip him, the less resistance he shows. “P-please, you're strangling me... let go a' me...”

Concerned, Furret looks at him and says, “Is he gonna be alright? You're being a bit rough with him.”

“I won't hurt him, as long as he cooperates,” I tell her. Now's the perfect chance to get some information. Addressing the Grafaiai, I ask, “Do you know anything about the ruins in this forest?”

“Th-that dump? Yeah, I know about it... there's n-nothing but a bunch a' crap there. I dunno why you explorers are so obsessed with finding it...”

Sternly, I say, “Yeah, whatever. Just show us the way there and I'll let you go. And don't try to trick us, or you'll regret it.”

“Fine, fine... t-the forest isn't that big, so we won't have to go that far. I'll just let you two s-suckers know ahead a' time... even once we find the place... y-your friend will never be able to reach it,” the bandit jeers.

Furret's ears perk up and twitch. “Are you talking about the polluted rivers? Because we came well prepared. No poison is gonna be stopping either of us today, you big jerk!”

“I-Is that right? He he he... w-well, if that's the case... then, don't let me stop you, girlie, ha ha,” the thief chuckles mischievously.

I'm having a hard time believing he won't try to mess with us anymore, but regardless, I slightly loosen my grip around his neck, while still holding him firmly enough that he won't be able to escape. “Lead the way,” I demand.

...

As we venture through the depths of the decayed woodland, the two (now three) of us are forced to weave through dozens of tightly packed trees, while the Grafaiai gives us intentionally vague directions along the way. There's barely any space to move around, and we're frequently pushing sticks and branches out of our way, slowing us down. As we progress further into the woods, the air becomes decidedly thicker, muggier, and more foul-smelling, though the source of the stench is unclear. It's like we're trudging through a murky swamp, except there isn't any water. The offensive atmosphere looks like it's already getting to Furret, not that I can blame her. For once, she's the one who's having a hard time keeping up me, which I find worrisome. “Are you okay, Furret? We can rest if you don't feel good,” I propose.

“I'll be fine, little buddy... I've put up with way worse than this in the past, trust me. It takes more than just some humidity to keep this girl down!” As she says this, she grabs the white bandana around her neck and pulls it up so it covers her nostrils and mouth. “Although, I certainly wouldn't mind if this place smelled nicer,” she adds. When she wears her bandana like that, it makes her look like some sort of gangster... but I keep that thought to myself.

The Grafaiai snickers. “How dumb are ya to come out here, girlie? What did you think would happen? Weaklings like you cou-- ACK!!”

I squeeze his throat again. “Shut up, unless you're telling us which way to go.” Turning to Furret, I remind her, “If you need to rest, just let me know. Don't overexert yourself, please.”

She smiles from behind her bandana, and says, “As long as we keep moving forward, everything will turn out fine, I'm sure! Let's keep our chins up!”

...

The dead trees begin to spread out more, and their numbers dwindle, giving us plenty of room to walk comfortably. Eventually, there are hardly any trees left, save for the occasional solitary trunk, and all that lies before us is just wastelands, stretching as far as the eye can see. Additionally, countless puddles are scattered across the area. We approach one of the indentations in the ground, and inside, we're met with the sight of a mysterious, slimy-looking purple substance. Curling her nose and squinting, Furret comments, “These puddles must be where the awful smell is coming from... my eyes are watering just being this close to one of them...”

Feeling curious, I pick up a nearby stick with my mouth and slowly dip its tip into the liquid. I let it sit submerged for a few moments, and when I withdraw it from the puddle...

The stick is visibly shorter, and where it once had a pointed tip, all that remains in its place is a smoking, festering blob of rotted, half-melted... something. Furret gasps in disgust and fear, and puts her hands over her mouth. Whatever the hell this toxic solution is, it's clearly extremely dangerous. Spitting out what's left of the stick into the puddle, I remark, “No wonder the job called for a Poison-type. Imagine what this stuff would do to...” I pause. Seeing Furret's anxious expression, it's probably for the best that I don't entertain the thought any further. “Uh... let's just keep going.”

Recovering from the shock of witnessing the stick's untimely demise, she says, “Y-yeah, that's not a bad idea, little buddy.”

Our captive breaks into a cackling fit in reaction to the whole scene. “See that stick? That's what happens to lousy explorers like yourselves who try to make it through the woods! It's such a riot, seeing losers cry out in pain as they're dissolved by the poison!”

Once more, I grip tightly around his neck, but this time I shake him around a little, too. “I told you to shut up, didn't I, you little creep? Furret, don't let him scare you.”

He continues, despite his struggle to breathe, paired with his newfound dizziness. “I-I don't even need to scare her myself, a-anymore, that's, that's the best part. W-we're already here... ha...”

Furret and I look forward, and sure enough, in the distance we see a grand, imposing fortress... at least, I assume it was one in the past. Right now, all that's left is the disintegrated, rust-covered remains of the structure's metal exterior. Honestly, even calling it a “structure” would be generous at this point. The only intact parts of the building are a few walls, forming a single room. Dozens of large holes have been rusted into the walls at ground level, although from this distance, it's impossible to tell what's inside by looking through them. Some more dead trees surround the ruins, though not nearly as many as the thicker parts of the forest. As well, they're in significantly worse shape than the trees we saw before, possibly due to their proximity to the ruins.

“S-see? There it is. Go on... ha ha,” the Grafaiai suggests.

Furret beams with excitement, and exclaims, “What are we waiting for, little buddy? Let's go find some treasures!” She runs off, eager to get a closer look, but I stay still. I can tell that it's not just a straight shot for the ruins... there's a steep slope up ahead!

I drop my prisoner, and shout, “Furret, stop!” as I chase after her at full speed. Luckily, she heeds my warning in time, and she comes screeching to a halt near inches before the decline. At the bottom lies a shallow river, likely no more than a few feet in depth, but rather than water, it's comprised of the mysterious toxic sludge we had seen in the puddles from before. Furret and I gawk at the terrifying sight, though the powerful odor makes us hesitate to get any closer.

With a worried expression, Furret says, “Oh my... that's pretty scary looking...” However, she quickly adopts a confident smile, and declares, “Luckily, we came prepared, isn't that right, little buddy? Here's the perfect chance for a lesson on items. See that tree over there?” She gestures towards a dead tree on the other end of the river, several feet from the edge of the bank.

I'm more than thankful for her commitment to teaching me, but I change the subject anyways, as at the moment, we have a more pressing issue. “Hey, uh Furret? Can that wai--”

I turn around to check on our bandit companion, and I'm greeted by the sight of him sprinting towards Furret at full speed. Before I can react, he snatches her bag from around her neck, and leaps a great distance, crossing the river. Then, he scurries up the tree until he's far beyond our reach, and dangles the bag precariously above the ground, taunting us once again. “Suckers!! I can't believe you two idiots were stupid enough to take your eyes off me!” He can hardly breathe, except this time it's from laughing at us so hard, rather than being choked.

“H-hey! Come back here! That's mine!” Furret shouts. Angry tears well up in her eyes, and she tries to keep her composure.

This obnoxious cretin had already been getting on my nerves the entire way here, but him messing with Furret was the last straw. I can't control my anger anymore, and I shout, “You little bastard! I'm gonna kick the crap out of you!!”

Furret jumps in surprise at my yell, but the Grafaiai doesn't seem to take it seriously at all. “You'll never catch me, moron! Tell you what, maybe once I've gone through all your stuff, I'll let you keep the empty bag, ha ha!”

Beyond rational reasoning, I rush forward and dive into the fetid river. The liquid is thick and it takes effort to move through it, but it's strangely comforting to swim through, probably because of my Poison typing. Unfortunately, that doesn't do anything to quell my rage right now. As I trudge through the slime, I can feel my pink ribbon begin to disintegrate around my neck, but I'm too angry to care. It slips off of my head and falls into the river, and in mere seconds, the poison devours it completely. All it does is piss me off even more.

I reach the opposite end of the decline, and quickly scurry my way up the ledge. At the top, I can see the Grafaiai, still perched up in his tree, and I hurry over to the base of the trunk. He peers down at me, and yells, “Having fun down there, dummy? Cuz I'm having a hell of a time up here!” I'm far past the point of entertaining his insults with verbal responses. This time, I think a more aggressive approach is warranted.

“What's wrong? Not gonna do anyth--!!” His gloating is cut short when, with as much force as I can muster, I slam my tail into the base of the tree. Chunks of decayed bark fly in all directions, and a massive crack marks the point of impact. Confused, he shouts, “Wh-what are you d--!” He's cut off a second time when my tail collides with the brittle tree once more. The crack grows even larger, spreading all across the wooden pillar, while the damage causes it to begin tilting ever-so-slightly.

While the tree doesn't move much near the bottom, at the top, the lean is far more noticeable, and the Grafaiai desperately hugs a branch, hanging on for dear life. His initial mocking tone has turned into one of panic and horror. “H-holy shit! You can have your stuff back already, just leave me alone, you monster!” The thief scrambles his way down the tree and drops the bag a few feet away from me, before fleeing into the distance at full speed. Before long, he's a mere speck on the horizon. I ignore him for now, and instead choose to unleash more of my frustration on the poor tree. With a loud CRASH, my tail collides with the wood one final time. Destroyed beyond recognition, the tree collapses with an agonized groan, followed by it landing into the toxic refuse with a heavy and wet splat. I can hear the corrosive river begin eating away at the fallen log, though, despite its frailty, it will likely survive for a little while, thanks to its sheer size.

I'm glad to have the bag back in our possession, but I'm so upset that the victory feels bittersweet. Venting the last bit of my fury, I face the direction the Grafaiai ran in, and scream, “Come back here, you freak! I'm not finished with you yet!”

I angrily begin stomping towards the bandit, but Furret dashes across the makeshift bridge and grabs my tail from behind, saying, “Settle down, little buddy, you already scared him off! We got our stuff back, so it's fine now, right?”

I prepare to raise my voice again without thinking, but I take a deep breath, and exhale, trying to calm myself. After taking a moment to cool off, I tell her, “I'm sorry, Furret, it's just, I got carried away. Him stealing your stuff like that really set me off...” I feel too embarrassed to look at her.

“Yeah, it was kinda shocking seeing you get so mad all of a sudden, but who cares? The way you tore down that tree was totally awesome! You seriously taught that bully a lesson! I bet he won't be stealing anyone's stuff again for a long time!”

“But...” I trail off, and more guilt sets in as I think about the late ribbon. “I lost the ribbon you got for me...”

She sighs, and says, “I see that. That one was so cute on you... but, it'll be okay. We'll just have to get you something else to wear once we're done with this mission~”

Her trademark optimism lifts my spirits, just like it always does. “You already have ten more things you want me to try on, don't you,” I tease, chuckling under my breath.

With a cheeky grin, she jests, “Good guess! But it's closer to twenty.”

Both of us start laughing, and I can feel my stress being washed away, positivity taking its place. It's hard to put myself down whenever she's around to help cheer me up. As our laughter dies down, Furret steps towards the corroded building, and says, “C'mon, the ruins are right over there! Let's nab those treasures and finish the job!”

~???~

(music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghIl6Bl2ef8) I take the lead, and the two of us enter the metallic structure. It's my duty to check carefully for holes, puddles of poison, and other hazards. It's pretty dark in here, save for the areas where the ceiling or walls have rotted away so severely that light can shine through unobstructed. While the entrance room is fairly small, a doorway leads into the much larger main room. The ceiling reaches so high, I can barely even bend my neck back far enough to see it. Droplets of an unidentifiable liquid occasionally drops down from somewhere above. While the room is spacious, it doesn't look like there's anything here of note at first glance.

Furret, mesmerized by the ruins, states, “It's kinda creepy in here. What do you think this place was before it fell apart?”

“I'm not sure, but something here feels off,” I reply. The imposing atmosphere is unnerving, like we've stepped into an entirely different world. I'm not surprised that she hasn't seen anything like this. The contrast between the ruins and the wooden, natural architecture of Capim Town and the guild headquarters is night and day. Nothing I had seen up to this point looked very artificial, while this place feels like some sort of factory had been ripped straight from the human world and brought into this one.

We continue to examine the room, a mood of unease hanging in the air. Nothing stands out to me at first, but as my eyes adjust to the darker corners of the room, I notice something wide, covered by what appears to be a tarp made of cloth. The tarp is lined with holes, similar to the walls and ceiling, suggesting that it, too, has been here long enough to succumb to the environment. I can't tell what's under the tarp just from looking, so I pinch a corner of it between my claws and gently pull it to the floor. Underneath it...

...There's a wide desk. A row of old computer terminals, with monitors and keyboards built into them, rests atop its surface. The shells of the computers have yellowed over time, and are in generally poor condition. Much like the tarp and walls, they've suffered heavy erosion, and a thick layer of dust coats each one. Most of the screens have been cracked, or broken entirely, while one has been left comparatively unscathed. It's unlikely any of them still function, however.

...Wait a minute. How could these possibly exist here? Who made these? I thought this world wasn't technologically advanced enough to create functioning computers? What were these for? Is there a power source somewhere? If there is, then why is Capim Town still so primitive? Do other societies exist that are closer to modern human civilization? What does any of this mean?

Furret notices my confusion, and asks, “Did you find something, little buddy?” She comes over to inspect the workstation herself, and ends up looking just as puzzled as I am, although likely for different reasons. Her curiosity quickly turns into excitement, and with starry eyes, she exclaims, “Oh my gosh, these must be some of those human relics! The rumors were true!”

I'm too deep in thought to celebrate yet. A billion questions are swarming my mind, trying desperately to deduce the origin and purpose of the terminals, though there isn't enough information to get any answers. My brain feels like it's going to short circuit, but thankfully, Furret brings me back into reality when she asks, “Are you okay? You look like you're thinking really hard about something.”

“Do you know what these are, Furret?” I ask, gesturing to the monitors.

“No, I've never seen anything like this before. Do you?”

“...No, I don't either. I'm just, uh, excited to find some treasure, you know?”

I'm not sure if she believes my lie, but if she doesn't, she keeps it to herself. “...Me too! Let's bring one of these back with us!”

“Sure, but first, let's look around some more.”

She nods in approval, and the two of us resume our search of the premises. I choose to investigate the desk more closely, while she goes near one of the corners of the room. Beneath the desk, there are bits and pieces of chewed, frayed wires. It's not much, but it may be worth grabbing some of them and showing the other guild members. Other than that, there's nothing but dust on the floor.

...I'm still fixated on the computers. Their existence is an anomaly. Maybe this could even be the key to discovering why I, and others, were sent to this world? I'm too short to easily see on top of the desk from up close, and there's nothing to stand on top of to get a better view, though if I strain myself, I can just barely reach the surface with my tail. Standing as tall as I can in front of the only computer without a broken monitor, I blindly reach up to the terminal, and brush my tail across the keys, trying to get a feel for the keyboard's layout. Unfortunately, it's too hard to determine without seeing it, so I decide to just hit a button at random.

I clumsily press the key, and... nothing happens. Not that I really expected anything, these computers look like they--

Somewhere in the room, a short jingle plays, causing both of us to flinch in surprise. Both of us sprint towards the center of the room, pressing our backs against each other's, and scanning our surroundings. Nothing is moving, and there are no signs of life. Silence. Warily, Furret whispers, “What was that?”

“I don't know... be on guard,” I murmur back.

The silence is short lived, as a mysterious whirring noise begins without warning, followed by a dull blue light illuminating a part of the wall next to the computers. We look in the direction of the disturbance, and see another tarp lying on the floor, covering a small object. Whatever made that light and sound must be underneath it.

I slowly walk towards the tarp, my tail primed to attack, while Furret follows from a short distance behind me. “Be careful,” she whispers. I nod and continue forward.

The whirring gets louder as I inch closer and closer. The loud sound reminds me of a fan that hasn't been cleaned in years. Eventually, I find myself right next to the tarp, and my heartbeat accelerates in anticipation. Slowly, I lean down and grab the cloth. I take a deep breath... and then yank it away!

Underneath the tattered covering lies a curious, almost cartoonish-looking entity. It resembles a featherless duck that has had its form simplified, reduced to the most basic of shapes. Its smooth body is a bright red, though it looks worn, like the paint is chipping off. Its blue legs, beak, tail, and underbelly are likewise rounded, forming odd ovals. On its head are two goofy-looking eyes, each one emitting a shining blue light.

Even though I'm this close to it, it doesn't seem to notice me. In fact, it's totally unresponsive to any external stimuli, resting on the floor motionlessly, although it continues emitting a droning whir. I try stepping in front of it, but it still doesn't react in any way. Unsure of what to do next, I call out to the strange entity.

“Hello?”

No response.

I glance over at Furret, but she simply shrugs, just as lost as I am.

Just as I'm all out of ideas, the whirring sound abruptly stops, and the light disappears from its eyes. I didn't expect it to function properly, but I still feel disappointed.

However, before I have time to move on, its eyes glow anew, this time white, and even brighter than before. I'm forced to squint and peek at it from the side, now that my eyes have adjusted to the darkness. Brief, high-pitched beeping noises play from the mysterious being's body, and it gradually begins levitating off of the ground. The dust accumulated on its back slides off onto the cold floor as it rises into the air.

It now floats several feet off the ground, roughly at eye level with Furret, if she were to stand on her hind legs. Enraptured by the bizarre, duck-esque being, she asks, “What is it...?”

In response, a cold, synthesized voice calls out from within the machine.

“MODEL NAME: (Porygon2).”

The sudden voice startles us both. Rattled, she gasps, “I-it's alive?!”

“Porygon2”, as it calls itself, speaks again. “NEGATIVE. THIS UNIT IS NOT AN ORGANIC BEING. IT IS AN AUTOMATON CREATED BY DOCTOR--” Its speech is cut off by distorted, garbled static, impossible for us to comprehend.

We're talking to an honest-to-god robot. This isn't exactly what I had imagined we would be doing today, but I guess it's happening. But where did it come from? Who's this “doctor”? Intrigued, I start by asking the machine, “How long have you been here?”

Its eyes flicker, as if it's buffering, and after a short delay, it responds, “TIME SINCE UNIT WAS LAST POWERED ON: (476,155 hours).”

“H-how many hours?!” Furret sputters, wide-eyed. “This thing must have been sitting here for decades!”

“AFFIRMATIVE,” it beeps.

I turn to face her, and I say, “It seems stable... should we keep talking to it?”

“Are you crazy? Of course we're gonna talk to it! I have no clue what it is, exactly, but whatever it is, it's incredible!” She thinks for a moment, and playfully asks the Porygon2, “What do you do out here, all by yourself?”

“PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: COLLECT DATA ON MYSTERY DUNGEONS. RELAY DATA TO EXPLORERS.”

Furret looks lost. “Um, um... I'm not sure what that means, but it's probably good, right?”

“I think it's saying it'll tell you about Mystery Dungeons,” I explain.

Her eyes beam almost at brightly as the Porygon2's. “No way! That's amazing! Hey, hey, Pory-whatever your name is, can you tell us about, um... Serenity River?”

“LOADING DATA ON DUNGEON (Serenity River). PLEASE WAIT...” It begins buffering again, this time longer than before. As it loads information, I can hear more whirring noises, and it remains absolutely still, as if frozen in time. After around twenty seconds, it begins moving and speaking again. “DUNGEON NAME: (Serenity River). APPROXIMATE DEPTH: (Eight floors). COMMON ENEMY TYPES: (Water). EXPECTED WEATHER CONDITIONS: (Rainy). (Cloudy). RECOMMENDED TEAM COMPOSITION: (Grass-type). (Electric-type).”

Both of us are blown away by the robot's vast wealth of information. Starstruck, Furret exclaims, “This is huge, little buddy! Just think of how useful this could be for everyone back at the guild!”

I can't deny that I'm excited, but it sounds too good to be true. “I have my doubts. If it hasn't been turned on in decades, then what if its information is out of date?”

“Well, it's still better than nothing, I think. Besides, maybe it can do more than just talk about dungeons?” Now addressing the Porygon2, she asks, “What other kind of stuff can you do?”

“SECONDARY OBJECTIVE: PROVIDE ENTERTAINMENT.”

“Oooohh... what kind of entertainment?”

“THIS UNIT FEATURES (Audio programming) AND (Audio playback) FUNCTIONALITY.”

She looks back to me with a joyous expression, and declares, “See? I think that means it can play music! Hey, Pory-something-or-other, can you play us a song?”

“AFFIRMATIVE. RUNNING PROGRAM (daisy).”

The machine begins to play back a melody of soft beeps and boops, leading into singing with synthesized speech, although this time, its voice sounds different. The song evokes feelings of melancholy, yet at the same time, hope and comfort. It's hard to make out the lyrics, but I recognize it as a classical love song that I had heard before in the human world. Specifically, this song was the first to ever be sang by a synthesized voice. First, the computers, then, the weird robot, and now, this human song, and one of cultural relevance, at that? The mystery behind its origins just goes deeper and deeper... what does any of this mean? How does it exist?

Furret closes her eyes and bobs her head softly to the tune. “What a lovely song. I've never heard it before... it's really sweet-sounding.”

Hearing the familiar composition sparks a fire of resolve deep inside me. “Furret, let's take it back to the guild.” It's true that I was skeptical at first, and I still am, but if this machine can teach us humans anything about our transformation, then I have no choice but to take it.

“Alright! Everyone's gonna love this thing, I just know it!” she exclaims. “But, wait. If we keep it for ourselves, then... what are we gonna give our client? There's no way we can just give away something as important as this, right? ...Would it be wrong of us to keep it?”

Rather than answer her question, I think for a second, and ask the Porygon2, “You said that you were created by somebody, right?”

“AFFIRMATIVE. THIS UNIT IS AN AUTOMATON CREATED BY DOCTOR--” Again, its speech is cut short by a harsh static screech. Its response is nearly the same as when it had initially introduced itself, verbatim. However, more importantly, this isn't the first time it has mentioned a “doctor”, which is odd, considering nobody else is here. And, this thing has been sleeping undisturbed for decades, apparently... I'm not sure I like the implication.

“Do you have an owner?”

As if trapped in a loop, it parrots, “MODEL NAME: (Porygon2). THIS UNIT IS AN AUTOMATON CREATED BY DOCTOR--” before again being cut off by static. “DOCTOR--. DOCTOR--. DOC--.” The loud, repeated noises cause us both to cover our ears. After repeating itself some more, it stops, falling silent briefly, before emanating an equally grating sound. Eventually, the sound fades, and the Porygon2 is frozen in place once more. The light in its eyes falters occasionally.

Panicked, Furret asks, “I-Is it broken? Did we... kill it?!”

I hesitate, and ask the machine, “...Who is this 'doctor'?”

Following a short delay, it begins moving, and producing its usual idle, mechanical noises, although its eyes have changed from a bright white to a dull yellow. Robotically, it states, “CONSULT MAIN TERMINAL.” From across the room, the screen of the terminal that had activated Porygon2 lights up, and a lengthy wall of text appears on the display, written in my native language.

Furret complains, “I think this is the same weird writing on those labels back at the guild! Though, I've never even seen that language anywhere else before, so I can't read it...”

“...I can,” I admit. I hope it doesn't come off as suspicious that I can understand this, but not the common dialect, somehow.

“Oh, really? That's awesome!” she beams. “Where'd you learn to do that? Is it some sort of secret code or something?”

“Uh, don't worry about it. I'll explain later,” I say sheepishly. Before she gets a chance to protest, I clear my throat and hurriedly begin to read the document aloud.

“This is my magnum opus. Five years of nonstop labor, toil, and sleepless nights have finally culminated in the creation of what may be this world's only piece of sophisticated, high-tech machinery. It wasn't easy gathering the materials, especially in my current form, and with this land's lack of resources... there were so many moments where I wanted to give up, where I wanted to curse God for trapping me in this hostile world. Where I wanted to die. But, if my work here will help save any souls unfortunate enough to find themselves in my shoes, then, well, being sent here may have been my duty, in a way.

“Over the years, the once lush, green forest that housed my laboratory decayed due to rampant pollution, and in turn, so did I. I can feel my body rapidly deteriorating from the effects of illness, and I lack the medical expertise to properly treat myself. I don't know if I ever had a chance at being cured, but if I did, that window of opportunity has long since closed.

“I had everything I ever wanted when I was still human. Friends, a big family, a nice house, a prestigious career, good health. I lost it all. I'll never forget the horror, the terror, of waking up alone in a world that was vaguely familiar, yet different, in a body that was vaguely humanoid, yet not human. The existential dread. The pain of eventually realizing deep down that I would never see my family ever again.

“Enough about myself... back to the machine. This model, 'Porygon2', as I have dubbed it, was created for the purpose of archiving information about this world, its inhabitants, geography, wildlife, everything that I have observed during my time here, and to preserve that knowledge for future generations. It is the successor to the original model, 'Porygon', which had its development discontinued due to its limited processing speed and power. Porygon2's specs are vastly improved from its predecessor, and its shell is highly resistant to damage and general wear. This is likely the most advanced machine I will be able to create with my current resources.

“As stated earlier, I have created Porygon2 to catalog information, with a primary focus on the countless labyrinths, 'mystery dungeons' as they are supposedly called, that I have found in this world, and their supernatural properties, such as their unnatural weather patterns, and the variety of monsters roaming their maze-like halls. I've spent years traveling the lands, exploring caverns, mountains, meadows, forests, deserts... the mazes exist everywhere. However, I am but one man, so progress hasn't been fast, to say the least. Thankfully, Porygon2 is much more intelligent than I had originally anticipated; I'm clueless as to how, but it appears to be capable of learning from its environment, albeit slowly, and updating its internal databases automatically. The labyrinths are unpredictable, their very airs uncanny; it's possible that they may have influenced the machine somehow...

“Now then... to whoever this message reaches... I entrust my work to you. Across our travels, it has developed a broad range of knowledge about this world. If another human finds themselves here, and happens to hear my story, then please, do not lose hope. Use Porygon2, and survive. It should continue operating for multiple lifetimes, thanks to my current body's ability to generate electricity. I guess this form turned out to be good for something after all, ha ha... anyway... prior to writing this message, I've expended the last of my energy powering Porygon2, in the hopes that it will remain functional for long enough to be of use to whoever finds it. The illness has ravaged my body beyond repair, and after powering the machine, I no longer possess the strength to move. All I can do now is pray.

“Porygon2 will still operate under the assumption that I am its owner long after my imminent passing, and it is programmed to not leave the laboratory without permission, so I have included a method to transfer ownership over the machine to he who utters a specific word. It responds to 'Porygon2' normally, however, if you address it as 'Terry', in memory of my beloved son back home, it will understand that you are its new owner.

“My vitality has been fully exhausted, and I think I've made my peace. Inherit this gift, and use it to thrive in this cruel, unforgiving world. This is the last wish of Doctor...”

...The message ends there, and shortly after I finish reading, the computer turns off. In unison, the yellow light from Porygon2's eyes is snuffed, before returning to white, like nothing had ever happened.

Neither of us say anything for what feels like an eternity. What are we supposed to say? My thoughts are completely overwhelmed with questions and strange emotions. I feel confused, hopeful, and sorrowful all at once, and I have no idea how to properly parse the contents of the late doctor's message.

Furret adopts a serious tone, unbecoming of her typical demeanor, as she tries to understand what she had just heard. “What...? Um, what's this about humans from another world, and, and who is this 'God', and... does any of this make sense to you, little buddy? I-I'm so lost...”

While she doesn't understand anything, I understand too much. There are way too many questions right now, and not nearly enough answers. If I try figuring it out by myself, then I think my head will explode... although, there is one thing that I gathered from the message. The once small flame that Porygon2's song had kindled inside of me has now ignited into a towering bonfire of hope for the future. This machine was specifically designed to assist humans who had transformed into Pokemon, and just as its designer had felt it was his duty to create it, I feel as if the torch had been passed on to me, and it is now my duty to spread Porygon2's knowledge to my fellow guild members, human or native.

Choosing my words carefully, I softly say, “Furret... there's a lot going on here, and again, I promise I'll try to explain it later. For now, let me keep it simple... we need to take Porygon2 with us. Trust me on this, please.”

Still confused, she says, “I'm glad that you want to take it home too, but, uh, I'm still kinda in the dark here... you had better remember to tell me what's going on once we get home. And, again, what are we gonna do about the client's request?”

Glancing back to the stray wires lying near the desk, I suggest with a wink, “There's other, smaller valuables here. Let's just grab whatever we can find. Porygon2 can be our little secret.”

She notices the wires, and asks, “Are those valuable?”

“No," I reply, candidly. "But our client probably won't know that."

When she catches on to my plan, a mischievous, playful grin creeps onto her face. “This feels wrong, but... what they don't know wont hurt them, right? Hehe...” She takes the wires and places them into her bag. “Let's grab that Porygon2 and get out of here, so we can turn in this request!”

Nervous, I approach Porygon2, and say, “Hello... Terry.”

Following a short pause, it says, “OWNERSHIP TRANSFER ACKNOWLEDGED. REBOOTING UNIT.” The light fades from its eyes one final time, and it gently descends, until it's touching the ground. Then, it seems to undergo its “startup process”, or whatever it would call it, again, beeping and booping as its body levitates into the air, and its eyes turn blue. Once it's finished rebooting, it drones, “MODEL NAME: (Porygon2). THIS UNIT IS AN AUTOMATON UNDER THE OWNERSHIP OF (Unknown). NAME INPUT REQUESTED.”

Furret and I exchange glances, and we nod to each other. I look at Porygon2 again and say, “Smith.”

“NAME INPUT ACKNOWLEDGED. THIS UNIT IS AN AUTOMATON UNDER THE OWNERSHIP OF (Smith). AWAITING COMMAND INPUT.”

I feel a bizarre sense of pride and warmth welling inside me. “Okay, Porygon2, I command you to... come with us.”

“AFFIRMATIVE. INITIATING FOLLOW ROUTINE.”

The robot floats towards us, and once it's in close proximity, it stops. Curious, I begin walking around the room, and it follows me automatically, maintaining a distance of no more or less than 6 feet from me.

Furret laughs, and she remarks, “The way it follows you around is kinda cute, little buddy! You're like its dad or something!” This thing doesn't just resemble a duck physically, apparently it's imprinted on me like one, too. I hope this doesn't become a problem.

“Yeah, I guess it's pretty loyal,” I confirm. “Anyway, there's something else I wanna grab while we're here. Can you help me on top of this desk?”

“Gotcha! Hop on!” Furret rushes over and lets me climb up onto the back of her head, and once I'm on top of her, she stands as tall as she can. From there, I can easily step onto the desk's surface, level with the row of computers. I grab the one that had previously displayed the message, and awkwardly lug it onto my back. It's not as heavy as I expected, but there's no comfortable way to hold it, due to my unconventional anatomy.

Struggling to get a grip on the computer, I say, “Al-alright... now... how are we gonna get out of here?”

“With this!” she declares proudly, producing an orb from her bag. “This is an Escape Orb, remember, from earlier? If you use it, it instantly teleports your whole group back home, safe and sound!”

“Really?” I ask, bashfully. “How do you... um... use that orb?”

“Oh boy, you've still got a lot to learn with items... you just throw it on the ground so it breaks apart!”

It's really that simple? Now I feel really retarded for somehow not figuring that out just from some simple experimentation. I groan to myself, and mutter, “Well, whatever, let's go home.”

Furret holds the orb high in the air, and throws it at the floor at full force. It shatters into a million piece, and blinding rays of light extend in all directions, illuminating the entire room and beaming through the holes in the walls and ceiling, piercing through the clouds and into the sky above.

~Capim Town, Evening~

(music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4HXKlJRn-U) After sneaking my way through the guild's headquarters and putting Porygon2 and the computer in our bedroom, we meet up with our client, a young Trubbish, somewhere in the middle of Capim Town. He speaks with a noticeable lisp, like a stereotypical nerdy kid whose braces were put on too tightly. Filled with gratitude, he rapidly shakes Furret's hands using his strange “arms”, and says, “Oh, thank you two so much! I am forever in your debt!”

Furret, feeling slightly grossed out, yet still accepting of the living garbage bag, politely says, “It was nothing, kid, really! But, um, you're a Poison-type, right? Why did you have to get someone else to go out to the woods for you?”

“Oh... um, my mom says that I'm not allowed to go out to dangerous places like that by myself...”

“You're a good kid for listening to your mom. Anyway, we brought something back from the ruins for you, just liked you asked!” She withdraws the mangled wires from her bag and gives them to the child.

He holds them in his hands, and with stars in his eyes, shouts, “Wow... there really were treasures left there by humans! I don't know what these are, but they're so cool... I bet the humans used these to upgrade their bodies, or something cool like that! Thank you two so, so much!!” Then, he puts a small stack of coins into Furret's palm, and says, “Take this for your reward, it's my allowance. I've been saving up for half a year, all for this moment!”

Furret counts up the coins, and the stack totals to 500 Poke. She tells me, “Would you look at that, little buddy! We really did make some good money from doing this!”

Jumping into the conversation, I ask the Trubbish, “So, what are you gonna do with your treasure?”

He closes his eyes and thinks long and hard, before taking the wires... and popping them into his mouth! We're both floored witnessing him casually chew on something he had just hyped up as some ancient, mystical treasure. Furret yells, “Why the heck did you go and do that?! Didn't you say you wanted to keep those for, like, historical purposes?!”

Still chewing on his meal, the Trubbish absentmindedly responds, “Mmm... yeah, I did... but, when something interests me... I get too excited, and I just can't help but eat it!” When he finishes snacking on the “treasure”, he rubs his stomach, and says, “That was delicious... well, I've gotta get home now, or my mom will be mad. Again, thank both of you for bringing me that!” He turns around and runs down the street, until he's out of sight. We're speechless.

Furret sighs. “I don't know how what to say... it's good that he liked it, I guess? But, we still lied to him. Um... well, good call on deciding not to give him the other stuff we found, little buddy.” She shudders dramatically at the thought of him eating something actually important.

“Well, uh, look at the bright side,” I recommend. “We got some money, and we brought home some cool stuff, too.”

She lets her worries disappear, and excitedly, she cheers, “Right! Team Miracle Lucky Golden's first ever job as an official exploration team was a smashing success! Now, let's go home and celebrate! I bet Porygon2 is super excited to meet the rest of the guild members!” As we walk down the bustling streets of Capim Town, Furret pipes up again. “Oh, and don't think I forgot about you losing your ribbon during all that excitement, earlier... we'll need to replace that tonight!”

Yeah, I didn't expect her to let that one go easily. I chuckle softly, and embrace my fate.