Chapter 14: Dashing Hopes
by Nikel“Daddy, why don’t you have a job?” a young Ezera asked, suddenly looking up from his toys.
His father leaned into the couch, raising an eyebrow. “What do you mean? You are my job.”
“No, like… like… a real job.”
“Me taking care of you isn’t a real job? If anything, you’re even more work than a ‘real job’,” his father replied, chuckling.
“Oh. I’m sorry,” Ezera said, crestfallen.
“Hey, don’t be sorry. It’s not a bad thing. I mean it in a good way.”
Ezera’s face lit up. “Really?”
“Really,” his dad assured, getting off the couch. He picked Ezera up between the arms and swung him around. Ezera’s giggles reached every corner of the house. “Since I stay home, I get to teach you all I know.”
“…My classmates say they have babysitters.”
His dad set him down. “It’s common to have them.”
“I told them you take care of me. I don’t think they liked that.”
“Well, jealousy never benefited anyone.” His father knelt down. “Son, if there’s one thing I will tell you right now, it’s that you can’t worry about what someone else thinks. Their opinions have no hold on you. Manning up is a part of that.”
Ezera blinked, staying silent. Manning… up? What was that? He just wanted to go back to playing.
“But I’ll save this talk for when you’re older. You don’t understand much of what I’m saying now. Go play,” his dad said.
“Okay! I love you, daddy,” Ezera said, hugging him.
“Love you too, Ezera,” his dad replied, squeezing back.
Arc 2: Fickle Flames of Friendship
Several days after Ezera’s final test…
Having been given the okay from the Guildmaster and Vicemaster to work alongside Litleo, Ezera stood inside the commission center, rubbing his chin deep in thought and gazing at the cubbies. He’d been here for a good half hour already, patiently working through his mental block to find a team name he was comfortable with. Litleo on the other hand sat beside him, bored out of her mind. Watchog rhythmically tapped the quill he held on the counter. After several moments, Litleo let out an audible groan.
“Ugh, how is it possible to take this long to come up with a simple name?” she said, flicking her tail.
“Names symbolize many different things at once. It makes sense Ezera wants to be sure he’s picking the right one,” Watchog replied, seemingly unbothered by how long this was taking.
“Exactly that,” Ezera said, earning a bow from Watchog. “I can’t pick something random. How long did you take to come up with a name?”
“Rockruff already had it in mind before we joined, so not long at all,” Litleo replied matter-of-factly.
“Well good for you, but luckily I’ve just about made up my mind.” He took the paper from the counter and held it up. “I think I might go by Team Unforsaken!”
Litleo cringed. “That’s way too long, if I heard that I’d run in the opposite direction. What are you even trying to say with that name?”
Ezera brought the paper down and shot her a questioning look. “You think so? I thought not forsaking anyone sounded cool.” His brow furrowed once more. “I’m out of ideas.”
“Might I suggest thinking about what inspires you?” Watchog said. “I know many teams get their names from the things they feel passionate toward. Something that can help them bounce back in times of need.”
“Passionate? I’m passionate about video games but I doubt that’ll work as a team name…” Ezera’s eyes searched around the room. “Hmm… Wait, I got it! You said bounce back. I know there’s a word for that. Starts with an ‘r’…”
Litleo and Watchog exchanged confused glances. Ezera rubbed his fingers until it hit him.
“Rebound! I want to go by Team Rebound,” he proclaimed, grinning widely. “Short, simple, and sounds cool but also welcoming. Does that pass your name standards, critic Litleo?”
“It’s decent enough,” she huffed.
“An excellent choice, sir.” Watchog took the paper from Ezera and scribbled the name in the box. “Up next, a team motto, if you’d like to set one.”
“A motto? Like ‘Go, go, power rangers?'” Ezera asked, laughing to himself.
“‘Go, go, power rangers?’ Why does that sound like something Team Piksqueak would come up with?” Litleo remarked, scoffing.
“It’s, uh, a hu- home joke… Anyway, aren’t mottos kinda cheesy?”
“Not at all,” Watchog answered. “Having other pokémon know your team motto helps build popularity.”
“Interesting. Do you have a motto, Litleo?” Ezera said.
“Yeah,” Litleo mumbled, looking away.
“Care to share with the rest of the class?”
Litleo sighed and put on a fake smile. “We’re in a position to help, so let nothing stop us but skrelp,” she said, making her pitch higher.
“I thought a smile would look good on you, but maybe you should stick to frowning,” Ezera joked. He received a death stare from her in turn. “Ha… not funny I guess. What’s skrelp?”
“…Water-type pokémon. Their name rhymes and they’re super effe- Why am I even bothering to explain this?”
“Pretty good motto! I wonder if I could come up with something similar. Gonna need some more time to think though…”
“Oh please no,” Litleo protested, putting a paw to her head.
“May I suggest postponing the motto for another time? You can come back and tell me then,” Watchog said, winking at Litleo.
Ezera, oblivious, nodded. “Sure. I wouldn’t want to bore a particular someone anymore than I have today.”
“How gentlemonly of you,” Litleo mocked.
“Delivery! Delivery!”
A pelipper swooped in, carrying a bag stuffed to the brim with what Ezera assumed to be mail. They approached the mailbox that connected with the desk and dropped a letter into it, then promptly flew out. Watchog went over and unlocked the backside of the mailbox, pulling out a sand-colored envelope.
“Ah. This is addressed to you, Litleo,” he stated, walking back and extending his arm.
“Me?” Litleo grabbed the envelope with her mouth, setting it on the floor. Some writing had been scrawled on the front. She used a claw to tear the top open.
Ezera stood back waiting for her to speak. ‘Those symbols are probably her name… I should probably learn to read the language if I want to have a chance here. Could be a fun skill to troll people with at home too. Assuming… I do find a way home.‘
Litleo cleared her throat. “‘Yo yo, Little Leo,'” she began reading, “‘it’s Passimian from the pub. I remembered a few days back you…'” She faltered.
“What’s up?” Ezera prompted.
“Um, nothing.” She inhaled to read more but Ezera stopped her by holding a hand up.
“Remember what you said? You were going to trust me a little. I think you can prove that to me by saying what you’re thinking.”
Litleo exhaled sharply. “I forgot I asked Passimian for help. I’ve been distracted since I ran into you.”
“And?” Ezera said, crossing his arms.
“And if he’s sent a letter, it means he’s probably got info. About Rockruff.”
“O- oh. That’s good, isn’t it?”
“Not if it’s bad news…” She shook her head profusely. “Nevermind.” Litleo looked at the letter again. “‘A few days back you came in asking for a favor. I am figuratively there to tell you, I have something as interesting as ice cold Liechi Berry on the rocks mixed with…’ blah, blah, blah. Where’s the important info? ‘I had a ‘mon come in from Bubula Town. After a few rounds of drinks I overheard them talking about a rockruff who’s been lurking around the town for a bit. Check this, no pebbles around their neck. Could be your guy. That’s all I got. Best of luck, champ.'”
“Seems pretty promising!” Ezera commented.
“It… is.”
Ezera placed one hand on his hip, enthusiasm dropping from her reaction. “Buuuut… you’re not excited. If I was you I’d be running out of here already.”
“Good thing I’m not you.” Litleo’s eyebrows scrunched up. “I’ve never gone to check near Rugged Crags. His home isn’t too far from Bubula Town.”
“Then what are we waiting for?” Ezera asked.
“I’m not finished. If it’s not him, that rockruff the pokémon saw, it could be his twin sister instead,” she said, putting the letter into the envelope.
“He has a twin sister? Hm. Have you met her?”
“No.”
“Are you really going to give up this chance to see for sure if it’s him?”
“Obviously not.”
“Then? What’s the issue?” Ezera asked as he walked to the door. “Have some faith! This could really be him!”
“Childish thinking aside, you’re missing the point,” Litleo argued, ready to torch Ezera. She passed the mail to Watchog. “His sister and dad are in the dark about this.”
Ezera slowed, turning around. “Wait, you don’t mean…?”
“I’m saying… they don’t know Rockruff is missing.”
“Wha- seriously?” He blinked a few times. “And just how long has he been missing now?”
Litleo’s gaze stayed trained to the floor. “A few months.”
“Holy crap. Uh, sorry, but how could they not have been told by now? I could understand a week or something, but months?”
Watchog, who had been working some ways away, decided to speak up. “I know not the customs of your home, sir, but personal life is not a topic discussed often here. The guild does not require you to tell us your background either. Most ‘mon join the guild for a fresh start. If they wish to reveal parts of themselves, that is their choice.”
“So basically, none of you know anything about each other? Or in this case, Rockruff’s family? And couldn’t tell them even if you wanted to?” Ezera restated, rubbing his forehead.
“Except me,” Litleo muttered. “You tell me, Ezera. How do I break it to them that he’s missing, and I… don’t even know how?” She glanced at him.
Ezera could see, for the first time since he’d awoken here, the slightest bit of fear in her. ‘If Rockruff isn’t there, we’ll be like those cops who have to break the terrible news to families on T.V. Now I know why Litleo isn’t exactly excited to head out.‘
“If you are planning on heading to Rugged Crags, you may as well take this commission that came in this morning,” Watchog stated, handing Litleo a green slip of paper. “It will give you a reason to visit the settlement.”
“Machop was wandering in Rugged Crags when they lost their Pecha Scarf. And now we need to find it in an area called Pointed Pillar. Fine, I guess we can,” Litleo accepted, falling back to her neutral self.
“Excellent. And one more thing, your replacement bag.”
Ezera wondered how he missed the green toolbox on the counter. Watchog opened it and hauled out a satchel identical to the one Litleo had. A ziiiiip sounded as he fiddled with the strap to accommodate Litleo’s height.
“I must say, you are the only adventurer I’ve known to need replacements this quickly. Any more and we might have to charge you a fee,” Watchog commented as he gave it to her.
“It’s obviously not enough of a fee when you take most of the pay from the commissions,” Litleo replied. She slipped the satchel on and walked around with it. “The fabric feels a bit different.”
“Ah, you noticed the upgrades. This latest design makes it fire and waterproof, so you needn’t worry about torching it again. I will be surprised should you find another way to ruin it…”
“You can count on it, Watchog. I’m full of surprises.” She neared the door to the hallway. “You coming, Team Rebound?”
“Let’s get this show on the road,” Ezera said.
“Adieu, adventurers! Best of luck with your search,” Watchog said.
They left the commission building and were about to step out of the lobby when Litleo paused. “I need to grab something from my room real quick. Wait here,” she ordered. She departed for the stairs and returned a couple minutes later. “Okay. I’m ready now.”
“What’d you need to get?” Ezera asked, tilting his head.
“Some medicine so I can put up with you today. Come on,” Litleo replied.
“Ah, okay. Wait! Put up with me?!”
One stop to Sandygast’s Storage and a Drednaw Ferry later, Litleo and Ezera arrived at Bubula Cove. They bade goodbye to their ride and started their trek into the bluffs, clearing it and walking onto a stretch of open road.
Litleo fell into her thoughts. Every corner of her body jittered with nerves. ‘On the off chance it really is Rockruff, it doesn’t make sense. Why would he hang out here for so long and not send a message?‘ she debated. ‘And if it isn’t him, how am I going to tell his family when I don’t even know what happened? Ugh!‘ Litleo bit her lip. She thought about the memory that popped up after encountering Wooloo. ‘If I can get that to happen again…‘
Small, shiny glints in the distance grabbed Ezera’s attention. He squinted. “You know, for a second I thought those were- wait, those really are bubbles!”
Ezera gazed in awe at the countless bubbles floating above the clay white buildings. The bubbles rose into the sky for a couple brief moments, then popped. Structures that had chimneys streamed out more bubbles instead of smoke. The constant cycle gave the sky a soft but gentle rainbow glimmer.
“Pretty, isn’t it?” Litleo said. She waited to let him admire the view, then nudged him forward. “We could’ve looked at this longer if you didn’t take so much time this morning.”
“Uh, I can’t tell if you’re actually hung up about that or messing with me,” Ezera said, continuing ahead.
“Have fun figuring it out.”
Ezera shook his head, hands on his hips. “It’s never a straight answer with you.” He continued staring at the bubbles. “Jeez, and I thought Kaiyo Town would be the best looking place. Bubula Town blows it out of the water!”
Litleo elected to ignore his pun, intentional or not. “You need to see their academy.”
“They have a school? For combat or-?”
“Research. Reuniclus went there, I believe. Helin too.”
“That explains a lot about her actually,” Ezera said. “I’m guessing you didn’t go there? Or, actually, what town did you grow up in? Cause I remember you saying you were a townsmon.”
A small pit formed in Litleo’s stomach. She kept quiet.
“Uh, Litleo?”
“Look, I don’t- I’m not ready to share that, okay?” She could tell he was disappointed by that answer. ‘So what? I told him I’d trust a little. He can’t expect much.‘
They stepped onto Bubula Town’s grounds. The walkway changed to a grayish stone, and Litleo and Ezera were pleasantly surprised to find it cool to the touch despite how warm the sun was. Closer up, the clay structures’ simplicity became more apparent, sacrificing design for function. Some housed porches, balconies, or both. The tops of the structures were all rounded in similar forms. Blue and yellow accents popped out to disrupt the otherwise monotonous white, and planters containing lush flowers emitted a subtle strawberry scent.
Some downhill turns and a straightaway later, the pair made it to the populated town square. Litleo expected to hear Ezera’s usual marveling comment about the place. When it didn’t happen, she turned and caught him straying to the right. He peered through the store’s doorway next to them.
“Aw, this shop is cute! Look at all the little trinkets on the shelves. We should get something,” he said. He stepped back and glanced at the hanging sign. “Let’s see… What’s that say? Gonna make a mental note to come here later.”
“Kingler’s Knick-Knacks,” Litleo replied. “And we? I’m not spending my Poké on junk. I can’t even think about shopping right now.”
“”It’s not junk if they’re for keepsakes! But I guess you’re right, maybe we could browse another time.” Ezera pointed at the large, clear pipe with water in the center of the square. Fountains in the ground surrounding it burst forth occasionally, inducing playful screams from the little pokémon splashing around. “Is that the town’s idea for a centerpiece?”
“It’s water-type transportation. There’s an entire system of it below for them to get around town easier, and it connects to Bubula Lake. If you look on the map, it’s not far from here.”
“So that’s where the name comes from!”
“Wonderful deduction skills you have.”
Ezera bowed. “Thank you, I try my best.”
Litleo rolled her eyes, holding back a giggle. “Anyway, if Bubula Academy wasn’t on the other side of us this place would be much quieter.”
“Finally some familiar architecture. It looks just like a college where I’m from. Or… maybe a courthouse is more appropriate?”
Past the pipe, Bubula Academy’s ornate front stared at them. A line of square columns spanned the entrance, holding up a cross-gabled roof. The sides of the building jutted out to enclose it, giving it a deck feel. Plant covered balconies were built on the jutted sides.
“Are we going into the academy?” Ezera asked.
“We don’t have a reason to. Rockruff won’t be in there,” Litleo responded.
“Where to next, then?”
“This way.” She led them on a walkway to the northeast. “I was thinking of keeping watch near the part of town that exits to Rugged Crags. If that rockruff is going to hang around anywhere, it’d be there.”
“What about our commission? I think doing it first would give us the rest of the day to look. No need to worry about rushing to finish in time or anything.”
‘Crap, that’s true. I want to find them now, but getting this job out of the way would be better.‘ “Hm, helpful stuff can come out of your mouth after all. Five minutes here, then we’ll do the commission.”
Ezera nodded his agreement, beaming at the compliment. They settled outside a cafe and kept on the lookout.
“For future reference,” Litleo began, “rockruff are kinda short. They’re brown furred, bushy tailed, and have pebbles around their neck. Or at least, they normally do.”
“I think I might’ve seen what they look like once. They’re basically dogs,” Ezera replied.
“Dogs?”
“It’s uh, H-stuff. Don’t worry about it.”
‘When he says that I do want to worry about it. Whatever, focus! This is your closest chance for an answer.‘ Litleo inhaled, attempting to relax her tense muscles. No signs of a rockruff appeared as the minutes went by. She got up, motioning Ezera to stay put, and went to quickly check some spots on her own. Those bore no results as well. Litleo returned to the cafe and sighed.
“Nothing for now. Let’s get this commission done as quick as possible,” she stated.
“Hey, we could be lucky and run into them in the dungeon or the settlement! You never know,” Ezera consoled.
“That sort of stuff only happens in fairytales.”
“Your point?” he dismissed, pretending not to get what she meant.
Litleo had to give him some credit. Ezera could be naive, but it was nice to hear it sometimes. His contrast in thinking actually gave her some amusement, something she’d been missing the past few months. They reached the beginning of Rugged Crags where a rock arch going four ways greeted them.
Ezera held his hands over his eyes. “Seems like splitting up might work in our favor he-“
“I’m already having flashbacks to the last time I left you alone,” Litleo interrupted, instantly taking the lead. “No. Plus, I have the item bag.”
“Speaking of which, since I’m my own team, shouldn’t I get a bag?”
“Sure you could. But you don’t have any items to store and, do you even know how to tell the items apart?”
“You know… you bring up a good point,” Ezera admitted, rubbing the back of his head. “You’ll have to be my teacher then.”
Litleo plodded through the second arch. “You’re really stretching our agreement here. I agreed to working together, not babysitting.”
Ezera kept pace with her. “But you’ll still go through with it.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Because I’m pretty likable!”
“Please,” Litleo scoffed, snorting. “I’m this close to using Ember to see how well you like me afterward. Now help me find this Pointed Pillar place.”
Searching for the area would be easier said than done, however. The landscape consisted of jagged pillars and boulders everywhere they looked. All of them were pointed in a way, so did they have to look for the most pointed? Litleo hoped a sign would be set up along the pebbly trail to guide them in the right direction. Eventually the pair stopped at a crossroad. The paths to their left and in front sloped up a bit, while the right remained flat.
“Okay, I know if we go left we’ll be on the road toward the settlement. The commission slip mentioned Pointed Pillar would be easy to spot before then. What a lie…” Litleo muttered.
“Everything looking the same isn’t helping us much either,” Ezera added, pulling on his scarf to fan himself. “If only a guide would appear out of nowhere, that’d be great.”
“If that actually happened-“
Litleo paused, mouth hanging open. A faint aromatic and floral scent hit her. ‘This is… familiar!‘ She turned to the direction it originated from and took a few hesitant steps to the right path.
“Something that way, Litleo?” Ezera said.
“I smell something. It’s faint but somemon was just here,” she replied. “I think… I think it could be Rockruff.”
Ezera’s tail picked up. “Then let’s go!”
Taking the lead, Litleo tracked the smell into a narrow valley when it weakened and disappeared halfway through. ‘No, shoot, where could it go?!‘ Glancing up, the view was cut off by a formation of stones joining together. As to what they created, Litleo and Ezera needed to be up there to see. ‘Up there…‘ Her eyes trailed to a rock crevice wide enough to fit a small sized pokémon. She blew a brief fire into it and found a series of ledges leading upward. Litleo signaled with her tail for Ezera to follow and ascended. She poked her head out at the top, picking up the scent once more. ‘I know I’m close!‘ She hoisted herself out into the open, eyes peeled for anything standing out amidst the rocky terrain. ‘There!‘
At the base of the conjoined rocks, a furry figure stood on their hind legs, inspecting the formation. A rush of fear grabbed Litleo. Her legs refused to move further, like a ghost-type holding her in an iron Vice Grip. There was no denying it. The pokémon in front of her… ‘Brown fur. Bushy tail. No pebbles on the neck. That’s a rockruff. But-‘ She took a deep breath. ‘Is it him?‘
“Ruffers?” Litleo uttered, barely audible.
The rockruff paused, ears perking up. They pivoted toward Litleo’s direction. Her heart jumped in anticipation. Heat surged into her mane as she focused directly on the rockruff’s face. ‘It’s-!‘
“Crap! How did I not pick up their scent?” the rockruff muttered to herself. “Who are you and how did you find me?” she responded, her emerald green eyes meeting Litleo’s.
A mixture of crushing disappointment and anxiousness entered Litleo’s mind. On one hand, it wasn’t Rockruff, which she sort of expected. On the other hand, that meant the rockruff in front of her was no other than his sister, and that was hardly any better. ‘How do I face her?‘
“I’m not going to repeat myself,” the rockruff stated.
Litleo couldn’t find the words to respond. Ezera’s panting as he climbed up next to her provided a momentary break to gather her thoughts.
“How is it possible… for me to still be this out of shape. Must be nice having four legs to jump ledge to ledge,” he complained, hands on his knees. “I’ve got to freaking climb like- wait, is that Rockruff?!”
“It’s Roca,” Roca corrected, pointing her snout in a dignified manner. “Don’t mix me with the towners.”
“Oh, sorry. Didn’t mean to, uh, offend you.” Ezera leaned into Litleo’s ear, dropping his voice to a hush. “Um, I assume this is his sister?”
Litleo only nodded.
“Am I getting an answer soon?” Roca said.
Ezera looked expectantly at Litleo. ‘Suck it up,’ she thought. ‘This isn’t the first time you’ve been disappointed.‘
But none of them hurt as much as this one, another inner voice argued.
“I’m Litleo. This is Ezera. We’re with the guild,” Litleo finally answered.
Roca straightened up. “The guild…? So Ruffers is with you? You’re my brother’s partner?”
“I… I am. He’s told you about me?”
Roca closed the distance between them. “When he came to visit once. He spoke very highly of you, even though you’re one of them. I’ll let it slide since he likes you. If you’re here, he must be too, right?”
Another sting of disappointment. ‘He’s not here after all,‘ Litleo deduced. “He’s… he’s off, helping with another commission.”
Ezera choked on his saliva. “He is?”
“Yes, he is,” Litleo affirmed, flicking her tail to wack his arm.
“Sounds like him. Won’t ignore others but can’t even pay me a simple visit more often,” Roca sulked, swiping at the ground. She changed glances at Litleo and Ezera. “Are you two looking for me or what?”
“Not exactly. We have a commission to find a Pecha Scarf for a client. They claimed to have lost it around Pointed Pillar and we don’t know where that is.”
“Okay, good news. You’re standing right next to it.” Roca stepped aside for them to view the formation she had been examining. The bottom half was made up of larger stones stacked on each other. As the “pillar” rose higher into the sky, smaller ones were piled until a single rock remained at the top.
‘This was the thing blocking our view down there?‘ Litleo pondered. ‘How has it not collapsed and hurt somemon already? Ugh, whatever the case, our item is around here somewhere.‘
“On the bright side, the area is pretty small so we should find the scarf easy,” Ezera commented.
“You mean the pink one dangling up there?” Roca asked, pointing a paw at a fabric stuck several ways above them in the pillar.
“You’ve got to be kidding,” Litleo groaned.
“I for one am definitely NOT climbing that,” Ezera said, tapping his fingers.
“Like that was ever going to be an option. I barely trust you to take care of yourself, even less to climb a pillar of death. We need to find some other way to reach that high.”
“Um, I could get it for you,” Roca suggested, shifting about.
Litleo raised an eyebrow. “Would you?”
“Not that I’d ever let myself be seen helping towners but, it’s not about that. You’d have to do something for me.”
“And what’s that?”
“I’ll tell you after I get the item.” Roca approached the pillar and braced herself. While she did so, Ezera crossed his arms and spoke.
“I can’t believe you issued a lie straight to her face,” he whispered. “That’s gonna make telling the truth even harder.”
“Who said it wasn’t better if she keeps thinking he’s okay? She won’t have to worry. I’ll solve the problem and everything will be fine,” Litleo retorted.
Ezera remained unconvinced. “There’s no truth without trust and no trust without truth. That’s what my dad said to me once, no, a few times actually. We came here to tell his family, didn’t we? They deserve to know.”
‘Easier for you to say when you don’t have to break the news.‘ “I hate you for being sensible when you’re serious.” She let out a heavy sigh. “Look, I’m… nervous. Here and now is hardly the time to drop that info. Let’s finish the commission and I’ll see when’s a good time to talk.”
“As long as you do it today,” he said, satisfied.
The pair watched the ground beneath Roca rise due to her Rock Climb. She made herself level with the Pecha Scarf, and in a gentle motion tugged it out of the rocks.
“I wonder how the scarf got wedged in between the rocks. Seems deliberately put there if you ask me,” Ezera said, shielding his eyes as he gazed up.
“Coming down now!” Roca shouted.
“SKRAAAAWWWK! Leave Manda’s stuff alone!” a croaky voice cried out. A brown blur swooped above Roca, throwing slashes of air at her. With her concentration gone, Roca’s Rock Climb flooring crumbled and sent her into a free fall.
“Aaah!” Roca screamed.
Alarmed, Ezera held out his arms to catch her. Litleo swiftly positioned herself in front of him and braced her back. Roca crashed into them, the weight of her dropping all three to the floor. Grunts of pain arose in unison.
“Ah… everyone alright?” Ezera said.
Litleo pushed herself up. “Just fine.”
“Th- thanks for that,” Roca replied shakily. “Saved by his guild, how embarrassing if Ruffers found out…”
“SKRAWK! Manda found that scarf, Manda should keep!” their attacker called.
“Of course mandibuzz would live here,” Litleo grumbled under her breath.
“Manda, you ass, it’s Roca! How could you endanger me like that?!” Roca said, tail and ears pointed straight up.
“Roca steal Manda’s property. Manda take appropriate measure!” Manda answered, flying high into the sky. She extended her wings and plunged at them sending Air Slashes.
Roca launched chunks of boulders to disrupt the attack. Litleo spewed a wave of flames in tandem with Ezera’s Dragon Rage, causing the dragon fire to take on a blue and orange color. Manda squawked in fright as it blazed over her. She tumbled over the side and reappeared, flying unsteadily.
“The item belongs to someone else, sorry!” Ezera explained.
“Manda don’t care. Manda need it for fashion! Other mandibuzz think bones are pretty. No! Manda will upstage them with pretty cloth!” Manda argued. She flapped her wings to whip up a gust of wind. The Gust whirled into a miniature tornado and traveled forward.
The floor momentarily popped up in front of Roca, shielding the three from being blown off the edge. However, the cover hid Manda from their point of view. Manda sailed unnoticed over their heads, conjuring a bone club in her mouth and flinging it. The bone club smacked Litleo on the back of her skull. She yowled and covered the pained spot with her paws.
“Get down, Litleo!” Ezera exclaimed.
“No duh!” Litleo shouted back.
Ezera prepared his claws as two more bone clubs flew at them. He successfully Slashed them apart, dissolving them to nothing. Manda rose higher into the sky.
“There’s not a lot of space to move up here,” Litleo said, nibbling an Oran Berry to take away the slight throb in her head.
“And we don’t have any real ranged moves.” Ezera gasped. “Do you have one of those seeds? Like the one you used on Diglett?”
“No, but I have a Slumber Wand that’s for emergencies only.”
“Can this be called an emergency?”
“Not exactly.”
“Manda’s coming down on us!” Roca barked.
Manda fell at a breakneck pace, seeming to target Roca who still held the Pecha Scarf. Roca’s body blurred and copies of her fanned out among the terrain. Manda slammed into a copy, leaving a noticeable impact mark on the ground. Litleo engulfed her teeth with fire and chomped on Manda’s wing. Ezera joined in with a Scratch. Manda twirled rapidly to kick up gusts and force them back. Litleo skidded dangerously close to the edge. Her left hind leg lost footing and she scrambled inward. ‘Not letting that happen again!‘
Roca flung another Rock Tomb. “Stop making this hard, Manda!”
“No! Manda needs to be the prettiest!” Manda refuted, destroying the boulders with her Air Slashes. Flames scorched her backside a split second later. “SKRAWWWWWK!” She pivoted and chucked a bone club at Litleo. Litleo ducked in time to watch the club arc and come back around, bonking Ezera on the side of his head as he charged in. He stumbled and nosedived toward the floor.
“Oh jeez,” Litleo said, rushing to him.
Manda returned her attention to Roca, finishing off the Bone Rush by throwing three bones straight at her. Roca hopped over two and dashed under the third unscathed. The ground beneath Manda quivered. She took flight again, avoiding being slammed with hard earth. An aggressive roar echoed through the space. Manda halted mid-flight as she cringed. A chunk of rock struck her forehead and she dropped to ground level in a daze.
“Are you good yet?” Litleo asked impatiently, glancing to Ezera. ‘Thank goodness Roca picked up on my Noble Roar.‘
“Yeah, go help her,” Ezera responded, massaging his head.
Litleo bounded to Roca’s side in a quick beat.
“Heat my rocks up!” Roca said not a second later. A couple boulders materialized next to her.
Litleo’s Flamethrower torched the boulders. Red, hot spots appeared and Roca hurled the heated Rock Tomb at Manda. A short SIZZ sounded as they made contact with skin. Manda screeched before her eyes rolled up and she fainted.
“You’re what he described. Not bad,” Roca admitted, tossing the Pecha Scarf to Litleo.
Litleo caught it and stuffed it in her satchel. “Thanks, I suppose.”
Ezera walked over, side-eyeing Manda. “We’re gonna get going now, right?”
“Returning to the guild already?” Roca said.
Litleo wanted to say yes, but she knew Ezera would be against it. “Actually, we’d like to head to your settlement.”
“The settlement?” Roca opened her mouth but shut it. “Not my business to know. About the favor though…”
“I think I’ll consider that repaid for saving you a broken limb or two.”
Roca went wide eyed. “But that’s…” She looked down, whimpering. “Fair, to be honest.”
“Is my sarcasm that hard to detect?”
“Very, very hard,” Ezera answered, grinning. “See, even now I can’t tell if what you just said is sarcasm.”
Litleo frowned. “It wasn’t that time.”
“Right…” Roca cut in. “I’ll take you to the settlement.” The group retraced their steps down to the valley and the crossroad. Once there, they took the left path. “My favor is pretty small,” Roca stated after some time, smirking. She held her chest out. “Just tell my brother to get himself over here soon. Because I helped you, he can’t say no now.”
Litleo’s gaze stayed fixated on Roca’s confident smirk. ‘She has the same mannerisms, the same smile… they are twins. When I tell her, will she be angry? Worried? Both?‘
“You towners like to stare, huh? Is what I asked okay?” Roca repeated.
Litleo and Ezera shared a glance. “That’s fine,” she lied, glimpsing Ezera’s small shake of his head.
“Cool, hehe.” Roca’s tail danced on its own as she took them onto the settlement trail.
“One thing, we got a letter saying that the ‘mon of Bubula Town have been seeing a wildmon hanging around the past few days. Is that you?”
“What if it might be?” Roca said, not breaking her pace.
“Nothing. They’re only concerned this ‘mon is planning something shady.”
“‘Shady.’ Of course they’d resort to thinking that. I’m only looking, not doing or plotting anything evil.”
They reached the rock barrier and Roca slipped through first. Litleo and Ezera followed suit. Once through, Roca faced them.
“So, you do whatever it is you need to do. Say hi to Ruffers for me,” she said.
Litleo shuffled her paws. “Before you go, could you tell us where we can find your dad?”
Roca narrowed her eyes. “My pop is probably getting ready to perform in the story pit. Why do you need to see him?” She paused when a cranidos hurried by her. “Cranos!”
Cranos skidded to a stop, turning his yellow-colored head. “Roca! You’ve got to come. Something’s happening in the story pit!”
“Is- is Salna in there?”
“Not sure, but the others were pretty worried.”
Roca and Cranos took off without another word. Litleo stifled a groan, swiping at her mane. Ezera began walking a few steps.
“We should probably follow them,” he deduced. “Trouble, you think?”
“What else?” Litleo agreed. ‘And just what prize did we get from the pool of inconveniences today?‘
Ezera and Litleo tailed a few feet behind Roca and Cranos. They ran parallel to the wall with many holes in it, passing by an even larger hole on the way. The wall ended and they made a right, coming to a rounded pit. The pit was no bigger than the guild’s main lobby. Rows had been carved out for seating, and a slope led down to the middle.
“Pop!” Roca cried out, sliding to a stop at the beginning of the slope.
Salna glanced up from his spot in the center of the pit. A purple and reddish smoke seeped up all along the ground. “Roca! It’s too dangerous to be here! Whatever darn sorcery is going on, I don’t like it! My spikes are tingling all over!”
“Then get out! Why are you standing there?!”
Salna used his claws to urge out the two pokémon quivering behind him. “It’s the little ‘mons! They won’t move.”
Ezera recognized roggenrola, but the other pokémon was a mystery. Bunny shaped ears grew out from their head, and their body was a solid rock containing tiny blue minerals. A fluffy black collar surrounded their neck.
“Ronne, Carnik, you have to be brave. It’s only a few steps to the slope,” Salna soothed.
“But I’m- I’m- I’m not brave!” Carnik wailed.
“Remember the tale of Finneon and the Angry Sharpedo? Be like Finneon!”
“Finneon doesn’t make it out in that story!” Ronne chimed in, crying.
“He doesn’t? Right, he doesn’t. Lookie here, point is you have to un-Harden yourselves if you want to be out of danger,” Salna stated. He picked Ronne up in between his claws.
“Tell’ah Salna, what’re you doing?!”
“Swinging you to the slope. Un-Harden if you want to make it! Three, two, one!”
Salna tossed Ronne, managing to throw him right at the tip of the slope. Ronne stared fearfully behind and waddled up. Roca ushered him forward in the last few feet.
“Round two!” Salna said to himself, shaking out his arms. “Geepers, my strength isn’t what it used to be.” Before he had a chance to grab Carnik, the ground started to tremble.
Fissures split the ground open, increasing the amount of smoke pouring out. A dark red cloud brewed above the space. Salna held Carnik tight as the fissures threatened to swallow them. They grew wider and wider until the floor itself caved, taking both pokémon with it.
“POP!” Roca screamed, watching them fall into the new deep, dark pit. The rumbling halted, but the clouds continued to circle overhead. “He’s- he’s- he and Carnik-” she said, hyperventilating. Roca shot Litleo a pleading gaze. “You have to call Ruffers here now! He can help! Pop… he and I have to save him!”
Litleo’s face blanched. “He’ll be too far to get here in time.”
Ezera ignored the dread he felt inside hearing Litleo lie again. “She’s right. We need to do something ourselves, like… go down there.”
“How? With a rope? Only you can do that. We have paws.”
He frowned, rubbing his fingers together. ‘We don’t know if they survived at all.‘ He glanced at the sky. ‘If there’s something up there watching all the pokémon, please let Salna and the kid live. Rockruff is already missing.‘ Ezera turned his head down and gazed past the hole. A faint light pulsed on the other side.
“Hey, look at this! There’s a light,” Ezera announced, jogging to it.
“Careful, Ezera. The last thing I need is you becoming a problem too,” Litleo warned, staying beside him.
“Aw, I’m glad I’m not a problem to you now then.”
Litleo breathed out a little fire under her breath. “Stay that way.” They neared the light. The source of it came from a tile barely darker than the dirt ground. Swirling lines were inscribed in the middle. “This is a warp tile. How did it get here?”
“A warp tile?” Ezera asked.
“These are things you’d see in normal mystery dungeons. They take you to the next floor, or place.”
“Then… do you think it would take us down the hole?”
“If it does, that makes this a mystery dungeon inside a mystery dungeon.”
Ezera scratched his head in confusion. “No idea how that works, but okay.”
“Hey! If you’re going after my pop, I’m coming,” Roca shouted, shakily walking to them. “Even if you’re my brother’s partner, I- I can’t let towners be in charge of the whole thing.”
“You’re staying up here. You aren’t even in a state to rescue yourself,” Litleo said.
“I am!”
“You’re not. Town or whatever, we’re part of the guild. We’ll save your dad,” Litleo argued, stopping Roca. “I couldn’t sa-” She caught herself. “We’ll save him.”
Roca’s eyes darted between Litleo and the warp tile. Cranos spoke up.
“Any stories Salna told us about guild members was good. I think they can do it,” he encouraged.
A low whine sounded from Roca. “Then what do we do, sit and hope for the best?”
“Make sure your chief, chieftess, or whatever, knows what’s going on if they don’t already. And keep other ‘mon from going down,” Litleo ordered. She made eye contact with Ezera. “You ready?”
“Ye- yeah,” he replied.
They walked onto the warp tile together and were enveloped in a beam of light. Ezera glimpsed the last of Roca’s worried face before his senses were dulled.
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