Chapter 2 – Day 1, Part 2: The Queen

Chapter 2 – Day 1, Part 2: The Queen

“Do you need a refresher on some things?”

I was so busy marinating in my daydreams that I didn’t hear Dahlia’s question at first. She was still perched on my head as I walked quite the distance behind Holly, Pink, and the Persian they were still lugging around. The flower fields weren’t that far behind us as we walked down to the base of a hill.

Dahlia hadn’t said much since we started the trip, and I had almost forgotten she was there. Because honestly, I was more focused on how I was going to introduce myself to this Anemone character. Who was she? Will she be able to help me? Can she at least help me get started?

I had a lot to think about, so when the Murkrow started talking, I panicked and nearly tripped on my own feet. Thankfully, Dahlia didn’t react to me spacing out so hard.

“Oh, u-um,” I stuttered. “Yeah sure. I can’t remember anything specific besides my name.” I kept walking as we talked, careful to make sure that Pink and Holly were still in my sight. They didn’t bother looking back to make sure I was actually there at any point during the walk. I pointed at the two of them. “You mentioned you’re on a team with them? What kind of team? What do you guys do besides kidnap pokemon?”

“Know what a ‘rescue team’ is?” Dahlia asked, probably rolling her eyes.

“No,” I said.

“Know about Kebia’s castle guild?”

“No.”

“…Do you know what a mystery dungeon is?”

“N-no. Should I?”

I could feel Dahlia shift uncomfortably atop my head. “Oh Arceus,” she uttered. “I don’t even know where to begin.” She sounded exasperated.

It can’t be that different here compared to where I originate from, right?

Dahlia fluffed her feathers. “Alright I’ll start with this: there’s a lot you should know, but I can’t be your guide. And I’m not getting paid for this, so I’ll keep it brief.

“Me, Pink, and Holly are on a team, that’s correct. We’re also not the only team like us around. A ‘rescue team’ is a subset of pokemon that work together to make our communities safer while keeping the peace. There are also explorers that follow the same team structure but focus on finding treasure and scouting the land. The team I’m on is neither of these but works under the same conditions.

“We’re bounty hunters. We hunt down criminals and turn them in for profit, but we also explore and do other jobs from time to time. Am I making sense so far?”

“I guess so,” I acknowledged with a shrug of my shoulders. “Pokemon band together to solve problems and earn a living. I can wrap my head around that. Is ‘rescue team’ a catch-all term then? Or is ‘explorers’ better?” It wasn’t like it mattered much, but I needed to make sure I wouldn’t offend anybody somehow.

“Sort of,” Dahlia affirmed slowly. “Every team around here works at the same location: Kebia castle.” I could barely see the wing she was pointing at the large spires in the distance. “That’s where pokemon submit their requests for help and where all of the teams in the guild live. It’s also where we’re headed right now. I should also mention that it’s pretty loose in terms of what you can actually do. My team can take any job, as long as we turn in our report later. You can even scrub the floors if you want.”

I went to nod, only to stop myself when I remembered that Dahlia was still on my head. “Who’s in charge?” I inquired. “I mean, you get paid, right? Was it that Anemone person you keep mentioning?” I had plenty of questions I wanted to ask, and I needed to figure out more about the circumstances behind me showing up out of nowhere, so finding out who to talk to first would be best.

She was silent for a moment. “We do have a few pokemon in charge actually,” Dahlia told me. “But we don’t really take orders from them. Their main goal is just to keep things organized. Anemone is one of them, yeah. She does all of the paperwork and basically runs the castle on her own. She gets final say in what gets built and who gets to live in the town, but I wouldn’t really call her a leader exactly.”

I frowned. “She sounds like one. I might not remember much, but I think I know what a ‘leader’ is.”

“Well she’s not the only one.” Dahlia made a clicking sound with her beak. “There’s Marigold too. She’s like the town bard and entertainer. Pokemon often go talk to her if they want the latest gossip. Everybody knows her and she’s good at remembering names. If you need advice on what to do she’ll probably know. Heck, that’s how we got the job to catch that Persian.

“There’s also Calluna. She and her ghosts act as Kebia’s security in many ways. They stay out of sight and make sure nothing goes wrong. That’s pretty much their main function, but they also work as the castle staff and own all of the businesses in town. Calluna is apparently supposed to be a solid business ‘mon. I wouldn’t really know, though. I never see her around.

“Those three meet up regularly to discuss the guild and the town. So really, all three of them are in charge.”

Ah, now I was starting to get a decent idea of what to expect from Kebia. A castle town under the guidance of three matriarchs. A solid structure, I guess. But is there not any…royalty? It was a castle, and castles are usually all prim and proper. Is Kebia not that kind of place?

Either way, I was going to need to go there. Thankfully, that didn’t seem like an issue I had to worry about. But there was one more thing that Dahlia mentioned that was bothering me…

“What’s a mystery dungeon?” I asked.

“Nothing you need to worry about, Oswald,” Dahlia assured me sternly. “If you’re lucky you won’t have to deal with one anytime soon.” She suddenly lifted herself off of my head and landed in front of me further up the path. “We’re almost there.” Dahlia tilted her head in the direction that I was still walking towards. “You can ask another pokemon some more questions when we get there. Not me though.”

I sighed. “Well, thanks anyway. Every bit counts.”

She tipped her hat at me before lifting Herself off of the ground and flying off, quickly catching up to the other two pokemon further up the path.

Now alone, I contemplated my situation for a bit. It was a lot easier because my headache had started to subside during that last conversation. I was starting to get worried that I would have to deal with it when we got to Kebia. For a brief moment, I considered asking Dahlia if she could do anything to help. Though I ultimately decided to not bother her anymore at the moment. My new limb sticking out behind me was hurting too, but I tried to ignore that. I didn’t even want to acknowledge it.

I still felt disoriented. None of this seemed real, even though I knew that it was. What I really needed now was to just catch my bearings once I got settled in Kebia. With nothing else to do but walk and think, I began to mentally write out what I needed to do once I got there.

I neededto find out why I’m here. And more importantly, find out who I even am. With how I am now, I had no money nor a place to stay. I was hoping that I would be able to solve both of those issues when I got to Kebia.

I also needed to learn how to use my abilities as a Dewott. For some reason…I had a vague idea of how pokemon work. I don’t know how I knew, but I did.

Pokemon fight, and I have no idea how to do a basic water gun. Maybe I could solve that issue at Kebia as well? I had no idea. It didn’t help that considering all of this left me with a pang of dread in my stomach. Or maybe I was just hungry. Putting that on the list too.

It didn’t take long before the forest path I was walking down opened up.

Now, I was in a meadow. The green grass was expansive and surprisingly well kept. Not a weed or trampled blade of grass in sight.

Holly and Pink were still at each other’s sides as they waded through the grass not too far ahead of me. Meanwhile, Dahlia cast a shadow down from above. Trying to look up only ended up with me staring at the sun and ending up with spots in my vision.

Further up ahead I could see the very first signs of civilization I had seen since I woke up: log cabins of varying sizes and shapes. As I ventured closer, following behind the two female pokemon ahead of me, I noticed they were all very well kept and constructed with care as well. They appeared to be made of the same wood as the trees that surrounded the open field I was in.

I also saw other pokemon amongst the cabins. A Simisage tended to their garden, a satisfied grin on their face. A Feraligator and their children lounged by a pond nearby, happily splashing about in the water. A Tauros trotted past me as they carted a carriage out of the village. There were a few smaller pokemon, presumably children, running about playing a game of some sort.

All the while, the light wind caused windchimes to collide with one another, creating a very melodic tune. It was hard to understate just how peaceful it all was. As a way to calm myself, I stopped in my tracks for a moment to take in the atmosphere. My shoulders relaxed as I let out a sigh.

If the rest of the world is like this then maybe I have nothing to worry about, I thought. I’d imagine that if I didn’t have my own hangups I might’ve even liked to live here. Though that thought only brought up thoughts of home and what it was like, leading to my mood souring immediately.

Is there anybody waiting for me back home? Can I…even go back? What if I…can’t…?

The sinking feeling in my stomach returned. I might’ve broken down on the spot had Dahlia not landed a few feet in front of me again.

“What’s up?” she asked.

“Ah! N-nothing,” I answered, nearly jumping out of my fur. “Just uh…thinking about my own mortality or whatever.” That was my attempt at dry humor, and it was just as bad as it sounded. To distract away from what I just said, I swung my arm in front of me from left to right in a sweeping motion, signaling to all of the cabins and pokemon around me. “Is this what Kebia is like? We haven’t gotten to the castle yet…”

Dahlia shook her head. “Nope. That’s further ahead.” She raised a wing. “Well, technically, it is. These houses are on the outskirts of town, but they still count as a part of Kebia.”

I nodded, smiling sheepishly. “Alright, I understand. This place must be pretty big then?”

“Yeah, it is. Don’t wait around for too long.” Before I had the chance to argue, Dahlia flew off again.

Geez. Are we really in that much of a hurry?

Oh well, I thought ruefully. I doubt those three will have to deal with me for much longer. Good for them, I guess.

After that, I got right back to walking. I even picked up the pace so I wouldn’t get left behind. None of the pokemon I passed by seemed to pay me any mind, thankfully. Some saw me and gave me a friendly smile, to which I would awkwardly wave back. There was something so…weird about being accepted into this alien world without even trying.

Eventually, I caught up to Holly and Pink just as they were walking beneath a large wooden sign marking the entrance into Kebia proper. The overhanging sign was labeled in a language I didn’t recognize…or, at least I think it was a language. The text consisted of footprints of varying shapes and sizes; none of which made any sense to me. Am I gonna have to learn how to read that?

I mentally added “learn how to read footprints” to my list.

Entering the town myself behind the two pokemon, I was immediately struck by how busy it was. The buildings here lined the edges of the wide dirt path and were larger—more ornate. There were even more pokemon here than on the outskirts. Some were walking the street, going from place to place, while others manned booths, presumably selling an assortment of items.

Trying my best to avoid running into any pokemon in my way, I took a few peeks at some of the shops on the street. It was pretty much what I would’ve expected from a bazaar like this. Most booths seemed to be selling food, but then I would catch a glimpse of something more unique. Like a glass orb with some sort of substance flowing through it. Or a booth selling nothing but multicolor discs.

Or a booth selling…meat. Okay, not even gonna try and understand that right now.

Stuffing the thought that pokemon eat one another in the back of my mind, I looked down the path. Within the center of town was a large fountain, its centerpiece being a sizable statue of a bipedal pokemon. It was gigantic, or at least it was gigantic to me. The pokemon it was depicting stood proudly with one bladed arm on its hip and the other pointing towards the sky ahead of it. It’s cape flowed behind it, frozen in time.

And then there were the eyes. Strong and determined, with no trace of maliciousness or ill-intent. There was a sense of innocence to the pokemon depicted, and I recognized the pokemon as a Gallade. But not as one I’ve ever seen. The statue emanated a strength I could feel even from the distance I was at. No scratches or blemishes either. Whoever this pokemon was, I could only imagine how respected they must’ve been to deserve such a flattering depiction.

Far behind the statue was the castle. It was even more grandiose than I could’ve possibly expected. While the statue might’ve made me feel small, this castle made me feel microscopic! Actually excited to get inside, I walked faster, dodging as many pokemon as I could.

But then I realized relatively quickly that I still hadn’t gotten grips with this new body of mine yet.

I tripped on some loose stone, and fell forward. I never reached the ground however. My landing was softened when I fell face first into a furry pokemon my size and knocked them over. The two of us tumbled over with me on top and the other pokemon falling back onto the stone, eliciting a high pitched squealing sound from them. My cheeks red with embarrassment, I was about to stand up and apologize…

But then the softness of the pokemon’s fur gave me pause and looked into their eyes. Clearly just as flustered, they looked back. Their eyes were a striking crimson—kind and good-hearted, staring back at me with an idle look of harmlessness. Even when given an apt opportunity to exhibit some amount of anger or frustration, the pokemon below me didn’t give off any signs that they were upset. They simply stared back at me, unmoving.

They hesitated to move and so did I.

Eventually I realized that I was making things awkward and crawled off of the furry pokemon, my face flushing a bright red. “I’m really sorry about that. U-um,” I stammered. I reached down and grabbed hold of the pokemon’s paw. “Here, let me help.”

The pokemon loosely grabbed onto my hand before slowly setting themself upright, saying nothing in the process. Now that the pokemon stood at their full height in front of me I got a good look at them. A simple creature with a sleek frame, a tan lower half and a blueish upper half encompassing its head and back, and two pointy ears.

A Quilava.

“I wasn’t watching where I was going and tripped,” I said, continuing from where I left off. “You’re not hurt are you? You must’ve hit the ground pretty hard.” I softened my voice to come off as pleasant as possible. I wasn’t sure if it worked since their expression didn’t change, maintaining the same look of bewilderment. Their body didn’t even catch fire like how Quilava bodies usually would.

“I-I’m fine, thank you,” the Quilava responded softly. I could barely hear it, but I was sure now that this Quilava was a male. He stared back at me, clearly not knowing where to go with this conversation after what happened.

“Are you sure you’re not mad with me?” I asked, scratching the back of my head. “I mean I could help you with something or…”

“N-no,” he muttered in a voice close to a whisper. “You’re fine.” He looked to the left and right. “U-uh…I need to…get going. Bye.” The Quilava walked past me while actively avoiding my gaze.

“Alright, see you around…” My voice trailed off as I waved at the Quilava walking away. Now that was…something. Hope I didn’t make the poor guy uncomfortable…

I shrugged it off and continued back towards the castle the same as before, now slightly less excited.

The entrance of the castle was incredibly extravagant. The path was layered with stone tiles and the edges of the path held potted trees cut to represent various pokemon. There were even some Scyther busy carving the leaves of trees closer to the entrance. Flowerbeds consisting of sunflowers and lilies painted the castle entrance in a wash of color. Bluebonnets and roses too.

Despite the neatness of the castle entrance, there were pokemon all over the place. Most were coming and going, walking past me, but there were a bunch of them sitting on the grass enjoying each other’s company and even playing games.

Seeing all of this caused me to feel out of place. The castle itself was intimidating, but seeing so many carefree souls hanging around while I’m just showing up with no memories didn’t sit right with me. I needed to catch up. This discussion I was gonna have with Anemone needed to work out or I might not get another chance.

At the entrance of the castle, in front of the towering doors leading inside slightly cracked ajar, were the three pokemon I had met after I had first woken up. Dahlia was perched on Holly’s horn as Holly conversed with a Pangoro holding the unconscious Persian over his shoulder. Pink was just standing off to the side, silent with her arms crossed. The Pangoro was saying something to them as I approached.

“So you got the Persian,” the Pangoro said in a manly, gravelly voice. “Fast as always. Wouldn’t expect any different from you, Holly.” He winked. Holly glared back. “Anyways,” he continued, ” if that’s all, I’ll take him to the cells and you can go relax for a while.”

Holly then turned around and looked me directly in the eyes. She frowned and I could’ve sworn I could detect some annoyance in her gaze. Almost as if she was annoyed that I was still here. I froze up, naturally, not sure what to do besides remain still. That Houndoom was scary, man.

“Yeah,” Holly added, “there was also this Dewott. He was around when we found the cat.” Now Pink, Dahlia, and the Pangoro had their gazes on me, causing me to shrink back a bit. “Apparently, he lost his memory and Dahlia thinks that he should talk to Anemone. What do you think, Crocus?”

Crocus the Pangoro looked me up and down with a scowl. I didn’t appreciate Holly making it seem like me and that Persian were related somehow, but I kept quiet. “You think this guy’s a criminal too, Holly?” Crocus asked her, looking away from me. “I know a wimp when I see one and this Dewott is a wimp through and through. Perfect for a thief.”

Well that’s not fair. I haven’t said anything yet! Or even the chance to prove myself! I could have some hidden talent for all they know! And I am not a thief! I know that for a fact!

“Nah, I don’t think so,” Dahlia abruptly added. “The thief part, I mean. He could be a wimp for all I know. Haven’t seen him fight yet.”

“I could beat his ass easy,” Pink said, cracking her knuckles. I winced at the sound.

Holly rolled her eyes. “Could you take him off our hands?” She turned to face Crocus. “It’s not our job to take care of things like this.”

The Pangoro glanced at me for a few seconds before answering. “It’s not my job, either. I’ll get somebody to take him up to Anemone. Hey Lilac!”

Crocus called out to somebody behind me. I turned around just in time to see a Gothitelle, Espeon, Beheeyem, and Hattrem—all of which seemed to be wearing a piece of teal cloth on their person—that were laying in the grass nearby perking up at the sound of Crocus’ voice. In particular, the Hattrem amongst them said a few words to their friends before hobbling over.

Hattrem is an…odd pokemon to put it lightly. It’s abnormally petite body coupled with its natural hat-head much like a Murkrow was strange enough on its own, but what really bothered me was the fact that it walked on its braids like they were legs. Stranger pokemon existed for sure, but at the moment I balked at the absurdity of it all.

The strange pokemon stopped in front of Crocus. “Need me for something?” she asked with a squeaky feminine sounding voice.

“Yeah, I do.” Crocus pointed at me. “This Dewott needs to see Anemone. Can you be a doll and escort him while I turn this outlaw in?” He tilted his head to indicate that he was talking about the Persian over his shoulder.

“Sure, I can do that.” Lilac the Hattrem nodded. Then she turned to me with a warm smile as her eyes glinted in the sun. I was surprised to find how pleasant that was to see. No other pokemon I met so far regarded me with anything more than mild disinterest, except for maybe Dahlia. It made me more relaxed to know that I wouldn’t have to worry so much about not dying during every conversation I would have here.

“That’s great,” Holly stated, her voice managing to be monotone but still coming across as sarcastic. “Thanks, Crocus. Mission accomplished,” she said to her teammates. “Let’s go get some food.”

Holly walked past me, not even bothering to look me in the eyes. Dahlia, still in Holly’s horn, tiled her hat at me as she left. Pink, meanwhile, got so close to my face I could feel her breath. “See you around, bluey,” she sneered.

I watched the three of them leave, wondering how I even got to this point.

Then I turned back around and Lilac was right next to me.

I nearly jumped out of my skin, causing the Hattrem to giggle at my antics. “Got a name?” she pondered in a cheery tone.

“O-oh,” I stammered. “Yeah. It’s Oswald.”

“Oswald.” Lilac laughed. “What a weird name! But I like it.” She waved her little arms around in a dramatic fashion. “How unique! How strange! Where are you from?”

Honestly, I wasn’t expecting to be asked that yet. I obviously couldn’t say that I’m from another world. I doubt anybody would believe that at face value. Amnesia isn’t a good answer because then they’d just think I’m lying outright. I didn’t know enough about this place to make up an effective lie either so my best option was just to keep my situation vague for now, even if Lilac seems friendly.

“Not here that’s for sure,” I answered. “I’d rather not talk about it though. I wanna…move on from that.” I looked away towards the distance to communicate that I was enraptured by some deep thoughts and lowered my voice to make myself seem more mysterious. Miraculously, it seemed to work.

Lilac nodded and swung in place. “I understand. We get pokemon like you all of the time. Kebia is a place for new beginnings after all.”

Crocus cleared his throat. Both Lilac and I turned our gazes to see the Pangoro holding the large castle doors open with one arm. He’s definitely strong, I thought. Best not to get on his bad side.

Lilac motioned for me to follow and the two of us stepped into the castle foyer.

The first thing I noticed when I walked in was the fact that there were no fewer pokemon in the castle entry hall than the outside garden. It was almost like the path I had been walking since I entered the town never ended. Except now there were carpets decorated with intricate designs, a set of stairs on both sides of the room leading up into a hallway extending left and right with a gated off balcony facing the entrance, a corridor at the bottom of each set of stairs, and a ceiling that seemed to never end.

A variety of pokemon conversed amongst themselves, filling up nearly every corner of the foyer. Towards the far end, just under the balcony, was a Leavanny and a Simipour behind a long desk almost as tall as me. There were no notable decorations on the walls aside from the occasional torch or glass window.

Again, nothing I was seeing was what I had been expecting. It was more like walking into a crowded inn with a high ceiling than an intricately designed castle. Even the carpets I had seen were torn and dirty. The place seemed well kept from a glance at least. It was notably stuffier inside than it was outside.

It was almost like the pokemon here found a castle, built a town around it, then ran their businesses and organizations without realizing the significance of it…

I was nudged out of my thoughts by Lilac just in time to see Crocus disappear down one of the ground floor corridors. “Let’s get a move on, Oswald,” she told me. “Anemone’s office is in the upper sections of the castle.”

I balked. “Geez. How many steps will that take?”

“Not many.” Lilac giggled. “We can take the elevator. It won’t take long.”

Elevator? They have those here? Well that’s good. I sighed in relief. All this walking was making me tired. This body I was in wasn’t out of shape, I don’t think. In fact, I’d go as far as to say I’m in better shape now than I ever have in my life. Not that I’d know or course, but I was still breaking a sweat.

Or…at least I think I was sweating. Do water type pokemon have a reason to sweat? Was it…something else…or…?

I don’t know. I was going to have to get a second opinion on this.

Lilac wasted no time walking up the steps of the foyers right hand staircase. I followed closely behind her, careful not to interrupt a conversation between a Smeargle and Prinplup on the bottom steps.

Lilac was quick for someone walking with her hair. Guess I have no excuse. This body isn’t even that different from my last one. I’m just shorter. Notably, I could still vaguely remember what humans were like. Bipedal, tall(er), no fur so they wear clothes-

Clothes. I hadn’t even thought about that. Every single pokemon I had seen so far had been naked. Or…mostly naked. I fell on top of that Quilava and neither of us were wearing anything. I was already cringing just thinking about it, but having to crawl up these steps on all fours only made me feel worse.

I was gonna need to get used to all of this if I’m going to accomplish anything of note here.

At the top of the stairs, Lilac waited for me before walking a short distance down the corridor and stopped in front of a metal scissor gate. It was the elevator, I was sure, but I was still curious about something…

“This elevator is pretty small,” I remarked, scratching the back of my head. “What about bigger pokemon like Aggron and Onix? Do they just not get to use the elevator?”

The Hattrem snickered. “What a silly question!” She waved her arm and a clicking sound played from the elevator door before it slid open. “There are more elevators for different sized pokemon. But Onix,” she scoffed, “I’ve never met a civil Onix. I’m sure there are some but I’ve never met any. Besides,” she stepped into the elevator, “Anemone wouldn’t allow it.”

I stepped in after her. The door closed on its own, making a grating screech in the process. “Why wouldn’t she allow it?” I asked somewhat jokingly. “Is she afraid the castle can’t maintain something so massive?”

A lever adjacent to the door turned on its own. Turning until it pointed to some writing I couldn’t understand. There were other words there as well, separated and spaced out on a copper plate shaped as a half circle. Must be how they select the floors they want to go to. That’s interesting, I wonder how it works…

Lilac scoffed. “I don’t blame her. This place is really old. Plus, it’s not built with an Onix in mind.” Once the elevator began it’s ascent, I stumbled briefly, my short legs nearly failing me as I struggled to keep steady during the first few seconds of the ride.

The Hattrem next to me didn’t seem bothered by it. She did laugh at me however. “You’ll get used to it.”

I managed to straighten myself out after a few moments, and the rest of the ride was smooth. Lilac and I were silent for a bit, the two of us just watching the wall behind the elevator gate move. To keep myself distracted, I let my mind wander. I had heard a decent amount about this Anemone figure up to this point, but I don’t even know what kind of pokemon she was. I didn’t know if she was going to be understanding of my situation or if she’d just kick me out onto the street. This could go really poorly if I wasn’t careful.

“Are you nervous?” Lilac suddenly asked.

“Hm? Oh. Uh…nah, I’ve…got under control…” I lied.

“Well, don’t be.” She chuckled, clearly not believing me. “Anemone’s very easy to talk to. I mean…it won’t really matter what you say, she’ll get everything out of you regardless.”

Wait, what? Every ounce of confidence in me was sapped out elevator then slowly came to a stop. “What do you mean by that?” I asked worriedly.

“You’ll know soon enough.”

Lilac didn’t hesitate to leave the elevator and me behind after the gate opened. Meanwhile, Lilac’s comments made me hesitate. What the hell did she mean? I was worried that this Anemone figure would know something I wouldn’t and arrest me. Or worse!

“What’s the holdup, Oswald?”

…Okay, there really is no turning back now. I must’ve passed out because I walked right into the house of someone that could potentially hurt me. Like, yeah, that was the plan, but I probably should have thought this through more.

How…I was even supposed to know what to expect is beyond me, and being on my own probably isn’t a good idea so…oh, whatever.

“Nothing, I’m coming!” I called back, stepping out of the elevator and into the hallway. Much like the foyer, the ceilings were high and sunshine flowed in through windows high above. Unlike the foyer however, there weren’t pokemon all over the place. The carpet beneath my feet was more well kept than before, extending from one end of the hall to the other. There still weren’t any decorations on the wall. Not a single painting in sight.

The room was a dead end too. Both ends of the hallway led to nothing. The only notable feature of the room was the large double doors about halfway in. It was completely silent when I walked up to Lilac watching me by the doors.

My paws were trembling. Alright…time to talk to the lady in charge. Really hope she doesn’t end up being a crazy person or…something.

“Good luck,” Lilac told me with a smile. “I’ll be out here when you’re done.”

With a wave of her arm, the doors screeched open inward. I nodded to her as I walked past the double doors, saying nothing in return.

The room I was now in was enormous to put it lightly. Much like the rest of the castle I had seen so far, there was a long, intricately designed carpet extending from the entrance of the room to the far end. Stained glass windows were set evenly on the walls to the left and right of me. Big and grand too. My attention was driven to the design of the windows; I was curious what they depicted.

Each one I could see depicted a different legendary pokemon. One window portrayed the powerful visage of a Palkia, controller of space as it was known. Another was crafted to represent Reshiram in all of it’s blazing glory.

The doors behind me slammed shut, shocking me enough to make me literally jump. I tore my eyes away from the now shut doors and looked to the back end of the spacious room. The back wall was also home to another stained glass window—that of which was larger than every other one in the room. The glass portrayed a heavenly figure, quadruped, basked in bright light, and surrounded by countless limbs sprouting from its back.

Arceus.

Below the window was a throne. Crimson cushions with a gold foundation. It was fit for a king, sure, but…it was empty. This room did seem to be a throne room of sorts. Golden chandeliers hung from the ceiling even though they seemed as though they hadn’t been maintained for years.

The room was just so…barren. What kind of castle was this? Like, I know I probably already asked that before, but I was genuinely confused. My muffled footsteps echoed faintly off of the walls as I walked further in. There was no one else in the room except for me.

Me and the Gardevoir sitting behind a desk situated in front of the throne.

The Gardevoir didn’t seem to notice me as I approached. They seemed preoccupied with their work, writing something down, keeping their eyes set on their papers. As I got closer, I began to take notice of just how sloppy the desk was compared to the rest of the room. It was plain wood and looked as though it fit better in a school classroom than the throne room of a castle. Papers were stacked on the desk that extended up twice my height. Near the desk itself were more papers and books, thrown about without much care.

And then there was the pokemon behind the desk themself: presumably Anemone. Maybe I was wrong? I didn’t know who else it could’ve been. But really…was this it? I was honestly expecting a bit more from someone so important. This castle had to be the most impressive piece of construction around and the pokemon in charge was using the throne room like an office. No security from what I could see, and no line for visits. Why was I so nervous again?

“Well I’m so sorry to disappoint you.”

I was really jumpy, apparently. Hearing Anemone’s voice so suddenly nearly made my heart leap out of my chest. The Gardevoir behind the desk wrote for a few more seconds before lifting up her head to look directly at me. Her eyes were an imposing red and the whites of her eyes were bloodshot, like she hadn’t slept in days.

“I haven’t,” she suddenly remarked. “But that’s not important right now. Hello, Oswald.”

I flinched. There was no way they could’ve known I was coming. Dahlia couldn’t have told anyone ahead of time, right? There was no time. Unless…this was a set-up! Oh goddammit! How could I have been so stupid? Of course coming to the most significant landmark around would get me into trouble! Now I was gonna get sent to the dungeon and have experiments done on me and-

“Would you calm down? This isn’t a set-up, Oswald. You’re overreacting.”

Wait…huh?

“…Hold on,” I said. “I wasn’t- you’re Anemone, right? How do you know my name?”

The Gardevoir tapped her left temple. “I can read minds,” she smiled. “That’s your security. I always make sure to read the minds of every new guild member so I don’t hire any criminals.

“So naturally, I already know about your little predicament and that you’re actually human.”

Oh. Well, there goes that.

“Indeed.”

And here I was thinking that I was going to need to approach this conversation with some semblance of tact and consideration. I wasn’t planning on starting with the human bit, but here we are.

“Yep,” Anemone affirmed. She stood up from her seat, pushing the seat back behind her. Stepping around the desk, she slid over to the other side until she was standing in front of both me and the desk. She towered over me, and I had to take a few steps back so that I wasn’t having to look directly up at her. How imposing.

She sighed and lifted herself up onto the desk, sitting with her legs dangling off the side. “This better?” she mused.

I frowned. “Are you going to be doing this the whole time?”

“Yes, I’m sorry. Reading minds has been an involuntary skill I’ve had since I was a kid. I unconsciously read the minds of every living creature with a brain within a certain radius.” She waved her arm horizontally in front of her. “That’s why my office is here in this throne room far away from anyone else. It’s also why I don’t have any guards. I value the silence I can get.”

Anemone shook her head. “But that’s neither here nor there. We’re getting off topic. In fact, let’s just start over. Hello, I’m Anemone. I’m one of the primary organizers of Kebia castle and Kebia as a whole. And you are?”

I raised an eyebrow at that. A bit silly since I already knew who she was, but I indulged in it anyway. I wanted a proper introduction, so here it was.

Anemone smiled and nodded.

I may as well just stop thinking at this point.

She kept smiling.

“Hello,” I started, holding up my hand awkwardly. “I’m Oswald. I’m a human. I’m…also a Dewott somehow and…I don’t know why…and I really need some help. Can you help me…please?”

The Gardevoir looked away and tapped the desk in thought. “Hm…I’m not entirely sure if I can…”

“Wha- are you serious?” I said in disbelief. “Why not?”

She tapped the desk again. “This whole situation is awkward for both of us, Oswald. You made the right choice in coming here, definitely. There’s not a single other place on the continent with as many resources. But I’m also a very busy woman. I don’t have the time to research humans and their complicated history.” She rubbed her chin, looking at anything but me. “I have no idea how you got here or why you just showed up out of nowhere.”

“W-wait,” I stammered. “You said you read minds? That means memories too…are you saying you couldn’t see any memories of me before I woke up?”

She looked back at me with a frown. “No, I couldn’t. Your memories…it’s like they were never there. There’s a wall preventing me from seeing anything before you woke up in that flower field. Which is strange. You know what pokemon are, what a throne room is, how an elevator works,” -she turned around and pointed at the window above the throne- “even some newcomers here don’t recognize that pokemon as Arceus.”

She turned back to me. “This is just as confusing for me as it is for you.”

“So…what do I do?” I asked. “I don’t even know where to start…”

“I’ll tell you this much, Oswald; there aren’t any humans here. They’re all gone. They’ve been gone for a long, long time. How you’re even here boggles my mind. And that’s an achievement.” Anemone lowered herself off of the desk. “But I’ll tell you what: I have a lot on my plate right now, but I’ll look into it as much as I can. I can’t guarantee results, but I’m going to try.

“Your situation really intrigues me, Oswald. I’ll do whatever it takes to solve this puzzle you’ve given me.”

And there was relief. The heavy weight on my shoulders was lifted off and I could finally breathe. It was so refreshing to hear that I nearly burst into tears right then and there. “You…really mean that, Anemone?”

She smiled warmly, “I do.”

Something still bothered me, however. “But…wait,” I said. “What will I do? I don’t even have a place to sleep tonight. It’s not like I know the area all that well either.”

Anemone crossed her arms and shot me a look of contemplation. “I suppose…there isn’t much of anything you can do. I would prefer it if you stayed here so I can keep an eye on you. Hm…”

She began pacing in front of me. Standing there in suspense, I fiddled with the scallops on my hips. I haven’t had the time to consider it yet, but how were they staying on? It made no sense to me, even as I tugged on one of them lightly; they stuck firm. Only when I put more force into my tugging did it begin to peel off. A sharp ripping sound rang out with each inch of separation until I was able to yank it free.

I looked at the scallop in my hand. It had a rough texture, and looking closer, I noticed tiny hooks protruding from the shell. I turned it around in my hand with some resistance, almost as if it was stuck to my hand somewhat. I planted the scallop back on my hip and, to my surprise, it latched on just like before. I ripped it off again, then stuck it back on. Off. On. Off. On.

So weird…

“Oswald.” Anemone’s piercing glare shot a shiver up my spine.

“O-oh. Sorry…” Just gonna…put that back on.

Anemone sighed. “I don’t know what to do with you, so I’ll just do with you what I do with every loner that shows up here with nowhere else to go.”

“What’s that?” I asked.

“Oswald, from this day forward, you’re an honorary member of the Kebia Castle Guild. Congratulations.”

It took me a moment to take in what she had just said. “Really? Just like that?”

“Yep.” She nodded. “I need time to figure this out. In the meantime, may as well make yourself useful, eh?”

I didn’t know how to feel, or what to say. I suppose it was a good thing that I had a place to stay and a job now. But wasn’t guild work dangerous? Didn’t Dahlia mention rescues and bounty hunting and dungeons? Judging by how that Persian nearly got the jump on me, I could safely assume that I would be dead in a ditch within a week. Hell, I don’t even know how to spit water yet! And I still have to figure out how I got here!

“You’ll be fine. I’ll handle everything related to how you got here.”

Oops. Forgot about the mind reading.

“In any case, I’m not giving you a choice. Whatever your deal is, it has to be important in the grand scheme of things. You need my help, and I can’t help you if you’re out and about with no sense of direction.”

She leaned down, arms crossed, furrowed brow, and with an intense stare told me, “and I know you don’t have any sense of direction. You can’t lie to me, human.”

Damn.

“Now with that out of the way,” she straightened back up, “I need to get back to work. I’ll make sure you get a room in the castle and someone to guide you.” She pointed towards the entrance of the room. “When you leave, Lilac will still be there. She’ll know what to do. Stick with her until she says otherwise.

“Now get moving, I have a lot of work to do.” She rubbed her temples as she turned around to face her desk. “Ugh…I need a break.”

Not one to argue after a conversation such as the one that just transpired, I followed Anemone’s orders and started walking to the entrance of the throne room. I didn’t get far before Anemone called out to me, though. “Oswald! One more thing!”

I stopped and turned around to face her. She walked on the carpet in my direction with both grace and haste. She stopped a decent distance away from me and looked down at me with a serious expression. “I can’t control what you’ll say to other pokemon. And even if I’m certain that you’re good at keeping secrets, I’m not a soothsayer. So listen closely because this is important: keep the fact that you’re human to yourself and me. Do you understand?”

I blinked. “Um…sure I guess. I’m not entirely sure why it matters. Didn’t you say that humans haven’t been around for a while? Can I not tell anyone?”

Anemone’s expression seemed to sour as she leaned down lower to better meet my gaze. “Oswald, That wasn’t a suggestion. Do not, under any circumstances, tell any other pokemon about your humanity. Do you understand?“

“Y-yes, ma’am.” I gulped, my whole body shaking. Geez, Anemone was scary when she wanted to be.

She stood up again, keeping her piercing eyes trained on me. “Good. Now get out of my office. You’re giving me a headache.”

“R-right.” I nodded and scurried for the door.