Chapter 10: The Heartiest to Hearts
by NikelEzera, Litleo, and Team Punker plopped onto the sand. Team Punker unceremoniously piled on top of each other, both still unconscious.
Ezera cupped his hands over his eyes, examining the sky. ‘It’s definitely past noon. And we still have to make it all the way back to the guild.‘ He winced thinking about it. His body moved like bricks right now, which wasn’t helped by the guilt for the entire chain of events they went through today being his fault. ‘Litleo almost killed Morgrem back there. If the guild members think she did something to Rockruff… with the behavior I just saw, does that mean they’re right?‘ Ezera stared at Litleo, who fiddled with her scarves. ‘No. I already told myself I’d trust her. I’m not breaking it. Besides, why would she keep up this pretense of pretending to care for him?‘
Litleo tapped the Linkbead. “Hey Watchog, you there?”
“Litleo? Oh, glad am I to hear your voice. Is Ezera there with you?” Watchog responded.
She glared daggers at Ezera. “He is.”
“Thank heavens! The deadline for his test has already passed. I feared the worst when you didn’t report, and was about to send out a team to look for you. Is everything alright?“
“It’s… complicated, but we’re fine. Could you send some officers to Turntop Cave’s entrance at Atlas Coast? We have some trash that needs to be collected.”
“Turntop Cave? Weren’t you instructed to navigate Free Frolick Field? Ah, never mind. I’ll know the details when you get back. I will send some right away. Be sure to return soon.“
“Yeah.” Litleo tapped the Linkbead off.
They listened to the ebb and flow of the sea. A breeze came by, blowing the scent of salt into their noses. Ezera fidgeted with his hands, not being able to enjoy the short reprieve. He had to say something. Surprisingly though, Litleo broke the silence first.
“Is this the part where you’re going to apologize?” she said, not looking at him.
“Um, kinda?” Ezera answered.
She turned her back toward him. “Tough luck. You can shove it where you came from.”
“Wuh- hold on, why?” he replied, mouth agape. ‘I get it, I messed up pretty bad but this is a bit much…‘
“Why?” Litleo scoffed, shaking her head. “I don’t know, maybe because I’m sick of your antics?”
“That’s what my actions are to you?” Ezera said. He wanted to step closer. Could he even approach? She looked like she’d kill him right where he stood.
“Yes, and nothing else.”
Ezera frowned, folding his arms. If she was going to be like this, maybe he shouldn’t apologize at all. “Well, you can’t shut off your ears-“
“Lalalala! Not listening!” Litleo shouted, raising her head upward.
“Seriously, that’s such an old-“
“Lalalalala!”
“Okay, you made your point.”
“Lalalalala!”
“My God, grow up!” Ezera finally snapped.
“No, you grow up!” Litleo flared, standing up and crossing to him. “You want to live some delusion of being gracious and caring, go join a charity. But don’t come here and put the rest of us at risk!”
“I’m sorry this turned out the way it did, but how was I supposed to know Wooloo worked with them?” Ezera retorted, pointing to Team Punker’s sleeping bodies.
“By listening to me before we left the plaza, idiot!” Litleo said, getting in his face.
Ezera stood his ground. “And if Wooloo and his dad really were in danger, the other team might’ve been too late! Frankly, it was a fifty-fifty chance Wooloo was telling the truth, and it happened to be a lie. But I will not turn down someone in need.”
“There it is again! Your savior attitude. What is it you’re so desperately trying to prove?”
His anger faltered for a second. Ezera searched for an answer among the multitudes of reasons he had. “I’m- I’m not looking to prove anything!”
“Don’t give me that crap. You can hide behind your helping reason,” Litleo said, putting extra disgust on ‘helping’, “but there’s always some other motive. Money, fame, even freaking friendship. Or is it something else for you?”
Ezera’s stomach twisted in on itself. ‘This is the most bitter I’ve ever seen her. Would telling her the truth do anything?‘ He maintained eye contact with her. “Oh yeah? Then what about you? What are you doing all this for? Why even be in the guild?”
Litleo furrowed her brow, looking at the floor. “I didn’t really care to join. Rockruff promised there’d be fighting and alright pay. And you know, it wasn’t half bad. Doing things with him, it was nice. But…” She turned her head back up, narrowing her eyes. “I asked you.”
“Uh, you said before that bad things happen to good pokemon, right?” Ezera stammered. “Why can’t I-“
Heat surged into Litleo’s mane and she blew a Flamethrower to her right, scattering the sand. Ezera took a step back, dumbstruck. “Will you shut UP about that?! You keep going on about the good this and good that, but what have you actually done?”
“Well, no-not much because I’m still new here! How can I do anything if I don’t know this place? This freaking world?”
“Oh really? Then what about when you were a ‘human?’ Hm?”
Ezera went wide eyed. Litleo took note of his reaction and went in for the kill.
“I knew it! If you really believed in what you say, you’d have gone and escorted Flin through the cave the other day not caring about the consequences. No, I think you like the idea of being some altruistic pokémon, but don’t have the guts to actually act on it! You. Are. Fake!”
Litleo spat the last of her words full of venom. She froze, not intending for it to be so hostile. Ezera’s mouth hung open, looking like he’d just been Double Slapped. His tail fell to the sand as he processed what she said. He opened and closed his mouth, yet words failed to form.
“I’m right, aren’t I?” Litleo went on, dropping her voice to a hush.
Ezera stared at his feet. What was there to say? Litleo slowly backed off, taking her items and sitting next to Team Punker. She kept her gaze there for the remainder of time they waited.
“Hey there!” an upbeat voice eventually called.
They turned their attention further along the coast. Officers Electrike and Manectric jogged to them, followed by a pair of magnemite. Electrike padded to a stop in front of Litleo.
“We meet again, you two,” he stated. “Remember me?”
“From Alcremie’s Bakery?” Litleo said.
“The very same!” Electrike said. He peeked at Morgrem and Zigzagoon. “Say, is that the Team Punker you were telling me about?”
Litleo nodded.
“Ha! They got punked themselves.”
“Sheriff Manectric, why are you all the way out here?” Litleo asked.
“I have to take care of business too,” Manectric said, full of confidence. “If my subordinates do all the work, what use am I? “
“And we tell you it’s fine leaving smaller matters to us…” Electrike murmured.
Manectric waved a forepaw dismissively. “Enough. We’re here to take these criminals in. I won’t hear anymore about it. Litleo, Axew, thank you for your work.”
“Of course…” Litleo replied, grabbing her items with her mouth.
“Glameow got your tongue, Axew?” Electrike asked. “You were quite chatty when we met.”
Ezera hugged himself, inhaling shakily. “Nah. It’s been a tiring few days,” he lied. “Just taking a breather.”
“No rest for the wicked,” Manectric chimed in. He turned to the magnemite levitating Team Punker off the floor. “Are we good to go?”
“Zzt! Yes sir,” one magnemite said.
“Will you be accompanying us to town?” Manectric asked Litleo and Ezera.
“Yup,” Litleo said, her speech muffled by the fabric. “The guild is waiting for us.”
Ezera had to turn away momentarily to blink moisture forming in his eyes. ‘What’s the point in even going back there? Maybe Dad was right. I’m… I’m weak after all.’
Ezera and Litleo arrived back at the guild in the late afternoon. They went straight to the commission center, and it only took a few minutes for Watchog to call the guild leaders over. The five pokémon stood in the middle of the building as Ezera explained their story.
“So, dears, to get this straight…” Rapidash said, frowning, “you added an extra objective to your mission, which turned out to be a trick, resulting in Litleo’s bag getting stolen. And instead of pursuing the main assignment, you went to get it back. You then defeated the thieves whom you encountered a few days back. Am I missing anything?” she summarized.
Ezera rubbed the back of his head. “Er… that’s basically it.”
“A peculiar twist of events. If I may ask, what made you decide to aid this particular wooloo, sir?” Watchog said, holding some slips of paper and a quill.
“I, um, thought he looked desperate enough. And it was on the way, so I figured I could knock out two birds with one stone.” The four pokémon raised their eyebrows at the phrase. “Sorry, it’s a saying where I’m from,” Ezera quickly amended.
“And, Litleo, you didn’t object to this decision?” Rapidash said.
“I did. I told him I could call another team, but he didn’t want to,” Litleo answered.
“But you still could have gone against his wishes. You are a guild member in charge of his test, and that gives you the power to determine whether or not it’s safe.”
Litleo let her tail curl around her body. She rubbed a foreleg, knowing Rapidash was right.
“So I see no blame can be placed on one ‘mon,” Rapidash deemed, flipping her mane to one side. “It is fortunate Meditite was never in any real danger. However, I suppose she will be angry for waiting in the dungeon longer than expected.”
“Wait, ‘real danger?’ Are you saying Meditite didn’t need rescuing all this time?” Ezera asked, covering his face with his hands.
“Precisely, Electross!” Sirfetch’d replied, too cheerily for Ezera’s liking. He patted Ezera’ head with the tip of his sword. “While we do trust our potential recruits abilities, leaving a real rescue in your hands might do more harm than good.”
“Which is why we stage one, much like today. Admittedly, this is the first time our precaution has been needed,” Rapidash stated.
“Gotcha…” Ezera wanted to sink into the floor. Shame burned in all corners of his body. Not only did he botch his test, he was also the FIRST person to need the failsafe. Just how much more evidence did he need to know he sucked?
“We do commend your spirit for taking on an extra load. It does follow the essence of our work,” Sirfetch’d said, pointing his sword high.
Rapidash tapped a hoof in thought. “Unfortunately it doesn’t dismiss the fact that orders were ignored. You put personal matters at the forefront instead. A costly choice.”
“I guess that’s it, then? I didn’t make it.” Ezera hung his head.
“That’s not quite it, sir,” Watchog said, shuffling the papers in his hand.
“Huh?”
“You may have failed today’s test, but it doesn’t mean you failed the exam.”
“Isn’t… isn’t that the same thing?”
“The Guildmaster and I will require some time to deliberate and make an overall appraisal,” Rapidash explained. “We may expect a perfect performance, but you made it this far and it’s only fair we consider your efforts in return. We shall call you when we reach a consensus.”
Sirfetch’d and Rapidash nodded to each other, then left the room. Ezera rubbed his fingers together rapidly. ‘I have a chance?‘ He tried finding comfort in that news. ‘Even if I somehow get in, what would I even do? Litleo despises me,‘ Ezera wondered, stealing a look at her.
“I don’t need to wait around, do I?” Litleo asked, picking herself up.
“No. Neither of you do. Feel free to occupy yourselves in the meantime,” Watchog said.
Litleo grabbed the scarves and took her leave. Watchog looked on curiously, then returned to his place behind the counter. An increasing sense of loneliness grabbed Ezera. He had no one to comfort him. He dragged his feet out of the commission center, not really caring where it would take him.
Back home, at least he had people to talk to. They didn’t have to be close relation wise either. Being human was enough. Here, being a pokémon was a whole new ball game. Ezera sat to the left of the bridge connecting to the mainland. He slid down the incline and stopped at the edge of the water. His reflection peered back at him. He pinched his right cheek, watching the reflection pinch itself.
‘I can’t believe I thought it would be easier here. Stupid, stupid, stupid!‘ Ezera thought, lightly smacking his forehead. He hunched into a ball. ‘This isn’t a video game. I don’t have cheats. And I don’t have…‘ He squeezed his legs tight. ‘Mom or Dad.‘
“…Mom, Dad, I hope you guys aren’t worried or looking for me right now,” Ezera said to the sky. “With any luck, it’ll be like those time freeze things in movies where you won’t even notice I’m gone. You’ll act all surprised when I come back and randomly tell you- tell you how much I miss you… both…” A tear fell from his left eye. Then his right. Then his left again. Ezera wiped them and inhaled deeply. He could really go for a hug.
He stared at the lush trees on the other end of the lake. ‘In a way, Litleo was right. I can’t stay here. I should be focused on getting back, not trying to live out a dream in a place I clearly don’t belong in. Or… a fantasy I don’t have the guts for, as she kindly put it.‘ Ezera faintly smiled at his new plan, but it fell as fast as it appeared. ‘Still, I don’t want to go back yet. I need to prove, at least to myself, that I’m capable… unlike Dad’s beliefs. But how can I do that? On second thought, how can I even go home?‘ He had no hints on how to answer it.
“UGH!” he exclaimed.
Footsteps scattered behind him. Ezera swiveled and caught a flash of blue. Dewott blinked, waving meekly.
“Bad time?” Dewott signed, awkwardly flashing a grin.
“Oh, hey Dewott,” Ezera glumly greeted, relaxing and turning back. “Bad day more like.”
Dewott walked down and sat away from him. He air wrote something before putting a thumbs down. “Your test didn’t go so well?“
“Not really… all because I made a dumb decision.”
“I might know a thing or two about dumb decisions,” he signed, pointing to himself, then to his head, and holding up two paw digits.
“Did it involve getting tricked and almost losing someone else’s valuables?”
“Maybe not, but I can relate.” Dewott waited for Ezera to continue.
Ezera sighed. With the barrier broken, words flowed right out of him. “I mean, it’s not like I regret my decision. I’d do it again if it came to it. It’s just- I wish Litleo wasn’t so angry with me. A part of me really did want to show her the world isn’t as bleak as she likes to believe… All I did was confirm her view AND make her hate me.”
Dewott’s expression didn’t waver as he thought about how to respond. After a few moments, he signed, “I’m not sure I understand the whole context of this, but I don’t think she hates you.“
“Trust me, have you seen her? She’s about ready to roast me with a million Embers.”
After moving a thumbs up past his shoulder, Dewott mimicked a huge explosion. “Which is better than the million and one Embers she wants to give everyone else.“
Ezera laughed. “Sorry. You didn’t need all this. I have a habit of ranting whenever I’m troubled.”
Dewott acknowledged with a simple nod and smile.
“What are you doing out here?” Ezera asked, leaning back on his palms.
“Taking a break from the kitchen heat. Applin’s been intense today. I was going to walk some laps around the guild when I saw you. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop.“
“If it’s you, I don’t mind,” Ezera said, shrugging. “I like hanging around you. Which is not to say I don’t enjoy being around Litleo sometimes…”
Dewott blushed and fiddled with his scarf.
“How well do you know her?” Ezera continued, picking at the grass.
“Litleo? A little. She joined the guild a bit after me.“
“And from that you think she doesn’t hate me?”
“Do you know about the situation with her and her partner?” Dewott signed by pointing to Ezera’s head and holding up one digit on each hand.
Ezera nodded.
“When Litleo showed up alone, she was furious. Lashing out at every ‘mon and everything. We were ordered to give her space, but she only drifted further apart from us. She’s gotten better over the months, though not completely healed.” Dewott glanced at the still water in the lake. “After meeting you, her temper has been flaring less. I think you are influencing her, even if you don’t see it.“
Ezera tried imagining Litleo being crankier than she was now. ‘Scary.‘ He smiled, grateful for Dewott’s words. “Thank you, Dewott. You’re a good pokémon.”
Dewott used his scarf to cover his face. “What makes you say that?“
“You took an entire, sudden rant from me. And you give solid advice. I find it hard to believe you don’t have your own team, or aren’t on one either.”
“It’s… probably for the best,” Dewott signed, waving his paws in front of himself.
“Hey. You listened to me, so I’ll do the same for anything that troubles you, if you ever need an ear,” Ezera stated, scooting over.
“I’ll keep that in mind.“
Ezera held out his right hand. “I guess this officially makes us buddies?”
Dewott hesitated for a second, then scooted closer and shook it. “I guess it does,” he signed, grinning. They stayed quiet, enjoying the brief moment of each other’s company. Dewott got up. “I think I’m going to take my walk now. Hang in there, okay?“
“Will do. I’m gonna sit here for a bit,” Ezera said. His breath came in steady intervals, the stress from earlier having subsided for the present. Even if things didn’t look up, at least Dewott came out of it. And that alone was worth it. “If I make it in the guild after all, hopefully I’ll see you around?”
“You will.“
Ezera waved as Dewott went up the slope. He disappeared out of view. Once far enough, Dewott gazed at his scalchop, tapping it slowly.
“And… I’d like that very much.“
Inside the guild, Litleo set the scarves on the empty pillow in her quarters. A slim ray of light touched them, causing little glimmers of gold to appear. ‘If Ezera was right about one thing, it’s that these are too valuable to carry,’ she thought. ‘Where on the continents did Rockruff get these anyway?’ She decided to tuck them underneath the pillow, hidden from sight. ‘I have to leave them here.’ She stepped back from the cushions. ‘Ezera. Hmph. I told him what he needed to hear. Now he won’t go and get himself hurt, or worse.‘
‘Was that the only way to go about it?‘ an inner voice said.
Litleo shook her head and hopped onto her cushion. It happened, and that was that. She didn’t have to babysit him anymore. Tomorrow she would resume her search for clues about her partner. Litleo laid her head on her paws. A nap sounded good. Real good…
Knock knock!
Tapping from the archway reached her ears. Litleo perked up about to express her annoyance, but stuffed it upon seeing the Guildmaster. Sirfetch’d lowered his shield and walked in.
“Am I disturbing you?” he said, standing in the middle of her room.
“If I said yes, would it matter?” Litleo replied, keeping her tone neutral. ‘Why is he in here? Just when I thought I’d get some peace…‘
“Not one bit.”
“Then yes, you are.”
“That’s too bad. I’m not leaving anyhow,” Sirfetch’d continued, staring her down.
“Is something wrong?” Litleo asked, swiping her mane away.
Sirfetch’d set his sword and shield, earning surprise from Litleo. He never was seen without them physically on him. “The Vicemaster and I have almost concluded our discussion. She will be delivering the news soon.”
“And you’re telling me this because…?”
“You aren’t curious about the fate of Electric, the ‘mon you’ve been overseeing?” he asked, cocking an eyebrow.
“It’s Ezera.”
“That’s what I said.”
Litleo rolled her eyes. “He almost lost me my items. You’ll forgive me if I’m not particularly fond of him.”
“Items you purposely bring along. Is that no fault of your own?” Sirfetch’d countered. His words dug into Litleo’s skin. She held back a snappy retort, flicking her tail instead. “It’s just as the Vicemaster suspected. She mentioned feeling a rift in your relationship with him.”
“You two never cared about how I fared with the other members. Why does it matter so much this time?” Litleo said, burying her face into the cushion.
“Oy! We do care,” Sirfetch’d argued, standing taller. He came closer to the counter. “We don’t say anything in hopes you come to your senses.”
“I am at my senses,” Litleo said, scowling.
Sirfetch’d rapped the top of her head. “Hush. You are not. Even I can see it, and I can’t see!”
She picked her head back up. “Okay, then I don’t know what else to tell you.”
“Of course you don’t. I’m going to tell you a cle-fable so you do.”
“That’s not really necess-“
“When I was a sterling Fledgling,” Sirfetch’d began, eliciting a groan from Litleo, “my guildmaster at the time liked to ensure every member knew their limitations. I myself still remember the day I came to terms with mine.”
“How is this a fable? This is a story about yourself.”
“Fable, story. Semantics.” He retrieved his leek and bopped Litleo with it. “No more interruptions!”
Litleo used both forepaws to rub her head. “Ow…”
“Now, my guildmaster once said, ‘A weakness is seen as something to hide or protect. But the truth is exposing it to the right pokémon will protect you far better than you can yourself.’ If it doesn’t make sense, good. My Fledgling self didn’t understand either.”
“I’m assuming you get it now?”
“If I didn’t, would I be as great as I am?” Sirfetch’d boasted, puffing his chest.
‘I did expose myself. And look what happened in the end,‘ Litleo thought. It was too much work only to end up with hurt.
“Eh-hrm. I understood my guildmaster’s words on the day I took my team inside the depths of Durendel Caverns.”
An actual, new story from Sirfetch’d? One not filled with lame puns or jokes?
“Aren’t those caverns the entrance to Bladed Peaks? That mystery dungeon is all the way up north. What were you doing over there?” Litleo said, sitting up.
“I’ve grabbed your attention now, hrm? My team, containing my trusted friends Blitzle and Kirlia, was on its promotion quest for Veteran rank. We were to retrieve a scarlet ruby gem,” he explained, holding a wing out dramatically.
Litleo raised an eyebrow. “They’re actually Blitzle and Kirlia, right? Not some other pokémon?”
“Why wouldn’t they be Blitzle and Kirlia?” Sirfetch’d asked, looking incredulous.
“Nevermind… Were you a farfetch’d at the time?”
“I was.” Sirfetch’d started marching side to side. “In new places, I rely on others to be my eyes. Doing this in a mystery dungeon can be challenging depending on the danger, and Durendel Caverns is among the top. Steep ledges every way you turn, hot magma flowing all around. And you can’t forget the ferocious wildmon! We were never in one place long enough for me to picture the environment. I was well and truly blind.”
“Yet as the team leader, I wanted all decisions to land on me. I insisted on being in charge. I had led until this point, why should I stop?” Sirfetch’d halted his pacing, resting his sword on his shoulder. “The dreaded monster house was upon us near the end of our trek. We were close to the scarlet ruby gem. Our choices were to flee, or risk battling the wildmon.”
“You battled them, didn’t you?” Litleo asked.
“Of course! It sadly wasn’t wise. My panic ended in the three of us knocking out, but not before I luckily got an Escape Orb off. Blitzle suffered from a broken hind leg when we awoke.”
Litleo winced hearing that. She’d never broken a bone before, nor did she ever want to find out what it felt like. “Did you go back to the guild to recover?”
“For quite a while we did. I had a lot of thinking to do,” Sirfetch’d replied. “What do you think my weakness is, Lotad?”
“Your weakness…?” Litleo repeated. “My normal answer would be none, since you always talk about how good you are. Seeing as you’re seriously asking me, would it be your eyes?”
Sirfetch’d shook his head. “A good guess, but no.”
“Wouldn’t it be one of them?”
“It is a minor inconvenience, but never a weakness.”
Litleo frowned, thinking about other possibilities. Names? Sirfetch’d always got those wrong. ‘No, that’s silly. Plus, he can recall his teammates’ names just fine for whatever reason.‘ “Okay, you’ve got me. What is it?”
“Listening. And leadership,” Sirfetch’d stated, leaning in. “Inside those caverns, I learned I didn’t have the slightest clue on how to lead.”
“But you’re leading the guild now. That doesn’t make sense.”
“And would you believe me when I say I have no idea what I’m doing? And that my guildmaster told me, ‘Does anymon?'”
‘I’d say we’re all doomed if even the Guildmaster doesn’t have a plan.‘
“After my team recouped at the guild, I understood my limits,” Sirfetch’d carried on. He walked to the arch, grabbing his shield on the way. “Blitzle and Kirlia could pick up where I fell. They could guard my weakness for and with me, using the abilities I didn’t have. Is that not what friends are for, but to pick up your slack and protect it at the same time?” He let that sink in for a couple moments. “Capiche?”
“I somewhat do,” Litleo responded. She jumped down from the counter. “I’m only not sure I agree with it.”
Sirfetch’d met her gaze. “I won’t claim to know your weakness. That is for you to answer. The question I ask is, how long are you willing to run around until it kills you?”
Litleo flinched, shuffling her paws. “Your point relies on so much trust for each other. What if I’m afraid of it?”
“You have it with your other partner, Roggenrola, do you not? I am sure you can find the strength to do it again. There is a pokémon waiting that would be delighted to receive it.”
“It’s Rockruff. But… I see what you’re saying, Guildmaster.”
“Good. I expect you know what to do.”
The day had come and gone when Watchog finally took Ezera to the Guildmaster’s chamber. In the time before then, Ezera had eaten, or tried to, in the mess hall with the other members. His stomach tied itself back into knots to not digest much. ‘And unsurprisingly, Litleo didn’t show up. I wonder if she’s already sleeping like nothing happened.‘
“Vicemaster Rapidash, I’ve brought Ezera,” Watchog announced, knocking on the door.
“Come in,” Rapidash called.
Watchog opened the door and motioned Ezera through. He then closed it, leaving Ezera and Rapidash alone inside the chamber. Ezera approached her, resisting the urge to do any of his habits. He climbed onto the seat placed in front of the desk. ‘Why do I feel like Rapidash is staring into my soul? Has she always been this imposing?‘
“Ezera, the Guildmaster and I have come to an agreement about your exam. Are you ready to hear our verdict?” she said.
Ezera’s heart accelerated. He searched Rapidash’s face for any telling hints, but found none. “Ye- yeah.”
“Dear… it is with a heavy heart I say you did not meet the requirements for the guild.”
His body slumped into the chair. ‘Well, I kind of expected it. I did go off-‘
“But after observing your etiquette, we were convinced you belong with us regardless. Welcome aboard to the Kaiyo Adventurers’ Guild.”
That was the fastest case of whiplash Ezera ever experienced. He readjusted himself, blinking. “I’m- I’m in? For real?”
“You are, dear. Congratulations,” Rapidash said, smiling.
Ezera couldn’t control his tiny tail from wagging. He had done it! There was a chance he had potential after all. ‘And prove I’m not weak.‘ Ezera cleared his throat. “I- I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t need to say anything. We’d be glad to have you.”
“Wait, your reasoning didn’t have anything to do with me being human, did it?” he clarified, frowning.
“No. We only took into account your actions and behaviors,” she answered, glimpsing at the papers in front of her. “Rest assured we have no bias, human or not.”
“Okay, then… thank you. For changing your mind.”
“No need. It is always nice to have new faces,” Rapidash said.
“Oh, I just realized, where’s Guildmaster Sirfetch’d?” Ezera asked, glancing around the room.
“I believe he went to pay a visit to Litleo after we finished here. I presume he was checking in with her. Now, it is time you become situated,” Rapidash answered. She pushed a paper and ink jar forward with her hoof. “Put a handprint here. This will officiate you into the guild.”
Ezera dipped his hand in the ink and set it on the bottom of the paper.
“Perfect. Here are your beginner supplies.” Rapidash levitated a small, blue chest forward. She presented a miniature version of the guild emblem in bronze, as well as a plain navy scarf. “Like the others, you will start out as a Fledgling. Next,” she pulled out a Linkbead, “is your Linkbead. Simply tap it if you want to speak. But please, dear, be aware of it. The last thing you want is to broadcast your… private talk.”
Ezera pinned the badge to the side of the scarf, then tacked the bead onto the side of the badge.
“For this final question, you will probably require some time to answer. Will you be forming your own team, or joining an existing one?”
“Ah… I hadn’t really thought that far ahead.”
“It is alright. You can deliver your answer to us in the morning.” Rapidash closed the chest’s lid. “Another thing. Have you had any strange dreams or visions as of late?”
“Uh, none that qualify as strange. Should I be getting some?” Ezera said.
“It would be helpful in finding some answers for your appearance, but do not worry about it. We will solve what we can for now. That is all, dear. We will see you at roll call as an official member tomorrow.”
Ezera got down from the chair, supplies in hand. “Thanks again. Have a good night, Vicemaster.”
“You too.”
Ezera left the room and breathed out, shutting the door. His exhaustion caught up to his body as the nerves drained out of him. ‘Whew. The hard part is over. All that’s left is deciding on a team…‘ He ascended the staircase to the second floor as he pondered his choices. A soft white hue bathed the hallway from the moon’s light. ‘If I made my own, would Dewott want to join? He’s not a Fledgling though. Would that even work?‘ Ezera rounded the entrance to his room and almost screamed.
“Jeez!” he yelped, putting his free hand over his heart. Litleo stared at him a few feet away, obviously amused. “What are you doing here? I thought you would’ve preferred to never see me again.”
“You made it in. Congratulations,” she remarked, ignoring his question and eyeing his other hand.
“Thanks. Didn’t think you’d care.”
“Look, I’m not entirely heartless, as much as I’d like to be. I’m still a pokémon too, so…” Litleo glanced down, shuffling her paws. “I take back what I said earlier. About you. You didn’t deserve that.”
“Is this an apology I’m hearing?” Ezera said, hands on his hips. “Something genuine for once?”
“I deserve that smugness, don’t I?”
“A little.”
“Yeah… I still think my anger was justified, but my words-“
“To be honest, you were right in some areas,” Ezera interrupted, eyes cast toward his fidgeting fingers.
“Stop,” Litleo said, scrunching both eyebrows.
“Seriously, I was half using this as an excuse for myself, because-“
“I said stop,” Litleo said, louder this time. She glared at him, but there was something else in her eyes besides anger. Was it worry? “You can’t find ways to justify my behavior to you, no matter how big or small it is.” She closed her eyes tight. “So just be quiet, take my apology, and leave it at that.”
“Erm, gotcha.” A few seconds of silence followed. “Um, I heard Sirfetch’d went to see you.”
“He did.”
“Is he the reason you’re here?”
Litleo sighed, flexing a claw. “You pieced that together fast. He gave me a pep talk of sorts. I’ve been thinking about it these past few hours. As much as I hate to admit it, he had a point. You and him both.”
“Which is… what?”
“Being open. I don’t know how you do it. I don’t want to do it. Rockruff is my only friend right now, but he’s not here.” Her mane started burning. “I hate the feeling of not knowing how he is. And that’s only him. If I had to go through this with other friends… I’d choose to sleep forever than wake up and deal with it.”
Ezera walked to his pillow and sat down. “I know how you feel.”
Litleo looked at him skeptically. “Do you?”
“I do. I had a friend like that back home. A girl. We texted each other everyday.” Litleo opened her mouth to ask what that was when Ezera quickly continued. “Think about the Linkbead but in reading form. We talked about anything and everything, even though we never met or saw what each other looked like.”
“Doesn’t that make her a stranger?”
“It didn’t feel like it. We shared a lot of secrets, comforted each other when we needed it.” He unfolded the scarf, gazing at the fabric. “We even made a plan to eventually meet.”
She sat down on the other cushion, narrowing her eyes. “And then?”
“I’m not sure. We texted each other goodnight like usual, and I never heard from her again. I don’t know if it was because I did something, or something bad happened to her. She just never responded. And the weird thing is, she only told me her nickname. Never her real name, and that I’d get to know it when we meet.”
“That’s… just like me. The missing part, at least.”
“Yeah. Weird twist of fate, huh?” Ezera said. “After she disappeared, I thought it was because I didn’t help her enough. That I was too one sided, too focused on getting things off my chest. She helped me a lot, and I’ve been wanting to try doing the same… but I guess we’ve seen how my attempts ended up.” Ezera wanted to say more but stopped. As well as they both technically “knew” each other, revealing to Litleo anything deeper might make it awkward. They weren’t that kind of close.
“I suppose this is my turn to tell my story, but you already know it, don’t you?” Litleo commented.
“How’d you-“
“I’ve seen the way you look at me sometimes. I noticed days ago. Who told you? Rapidash?”
“Uh, it was Purrloin.”
“Purrloin?! Ugh, I bet she walked around doing a performance telling it, didn’t she? That drama queen.” Litleo got on her hind legs trying to do an impression of her.
Ezera chuckled as Litleo struggled to walk. “Yeah, pretty close. But I think she was more like this.” He tiptoed across the room, greatly exaggerating his chest and flinging his arms.
Now it was Litleo’s turn to giggle.
Ezera smiled and returned to his pillow, facing her. “Is it true you really…” His smile faded. “Don’t remember what happened out there? To you and Rockruff?”
“…I don’t. Not a single thing. Believe me, I know how stupid that sounds.”
“I can tell you I don’t believe what they say about you. I think you’re telling the truth.”
Litleo’s tail curled inward. “They can say whatever. I don’t care what they think. But… thanks.” They fell silent again, and after a couple seconds she sucked in a breath. “I’m not keen on this, but I’m willing to try again to trust somemon. If only a tiny bit. And… it sounds weird admitting it, but I’d rather it be you than the others.”
“Does that mean you’ll give me your Kin name?” Ezera said, grinning.
“Not a chance.”
“Darn.” Ezera gasped. “Wait, does this mean I can join your team?”
Litleo’s tail swished for a brief second before she stilled it. “Okay, first, you’re not my rank so it wouldn’t work. Second, why the sudden interest?”
Ezera tapped his fingers together. “I know what you’re going through. It makes sense for me to help you. And who knows? Maybe I’ll get lucky and find some answers on how to get home at the same time.”
Litleo frowned. “You’re making me instantly regret my decision.”
“Think about it. You need someone to watch your back, and it won’t be as dangerous going alone. Plus, when we do find him, that would give me hope I can find my friend too.”
“Even if you want to join me, it might take a while for you to become an Apprentice. Unless…” Litleo tilted her head. “You create your own team, but tag along with me. That might work.”
“Like a team partnership? I’m okay with that,” Ezera said. “I can ask about it.”
“Fine. I guess it wouldn’t hurt…”
“Great!” He held out his hand. Litleo stared at it, then picking up what he meant, held her paw out. Ezera shook it once, then picked up his scarf and held it around his neck. “In the meantime, how do you think this looks on me?”
Litleo stepped back, raising an eyebrow. “Not bad. It would be better if you didn’t have it folded all wrong.”
“You just don’t understand my complex style of fashion.” Ezera let the scarf fall to the floor, suddenly frowning in thought. “I’m gonna need a team name, huh? And actually, it just hit me… I don’t know your team name. What is it?”
“I would’ve thought you’d hear it once from the other guild members.”
“Surprisingly, no,” Ezera said, shaking his head. “You’re not gonna keep this a secret too?”
“Of course not. It’s… Ardor,” Litleo said, expression softening. A tinge of sweetness accompanied the words. “Rockruff and I went by Team Ardor.”
In the empty quarters next to them, Sirfetch’d nodded to himself. He walked out into the hallway, knowing Ezera and Litleo’s rift was mended for now. And hopefully… it would stay that way.
End of Arc 1
A/N: A bonus, non-canon little thing I made. Ezera and Litleo may not be buddy-buddy like this yet, but maybe they will soon. This is my interpretation of what behind the guild looks like.
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