Chapter 6: Preparation

Alec stepped out of the guild into the morning sun. A bright, clear blue sky accompanied by a calm autumn breeze provided him with a sense of zen. For once, his mind was at ease.

Before long, however, Shannah came running out of the building as well. “Hey! We’re a team now, dummy, we gotta stick together like a team!”

“Woah, easy there. I was just taking in the morning sun. We don’t have anywhere to be, do we?” 

Shannah was jittering with excitement. “No, not yet, but we got to get our team scarf! We aren’t a team without a scarf!”

Alec returned with a puzzled expression. “Scarves?”

Shannah crossed her arms. “Oh come on, you had to have scarves in the human world, did you?” 

“Well yeah, of course. I just didn’t think it was all that necessary, considering the fact that we have badges.”

“The badges go on the scarves! We don’t all have fur like you, you know.”

“Hey, I didn’t ask for this.” Alec chuckled. “But where do we go to get these scarves?” 

“I know a place. Come on!” She darted down the stairs without hesitation. 

Alec took a deep breath. “Something tells me I won’t get my quiet mornings back for a while.” He began his descent down the stairs.

*

Alec followed Shannah into a small shop that was down the road from the Duskull bank. Inside, an Ariados was quietly spindling something into a corner. 

“Dante! Dante! Guess what?”

The Ariados, Dante, turned around. His expression lit up. “Shannah! Good to see you. What’s with all the excitement?”

“Me and my friend Alec over here are a team now!” she beamed. 

The Ariados shifted his gaze to Alec. “Oh how wonderful! Well, let me introduce myself. Names Dante, I run the sewing shop around these parts.” He held out one of his legs. Alec, still somewhat traumatized by the Galvantula experience, warily shook it. Dante chuckled. “What’s with the hesitation bub? I won’t hurt ya.”

“Sorry, still kind of tired. Woke up a bit too fast.” Alec chuckled. Dante smiled, and turned back to Shannah. 

“Well, you must be here for a reason then. Just show me your badges, and I’ll see what I can do for ya.”

Shanna proudly displayed the badge that was in her grasp for what seemed like the entire morning. Alec reached into the bag and showed Dante the same.

“Good enough! Follow me.” Dante scuttled to the back of the building, and pushed aside some drapes to reveal a back room.

Alec and Shannah were in shock to see shelves upon shelves of various types of cloth, some finished, some still unformed. 

“So, tell me your team name.” Dante said as he led them farther into the back room. 

“Starshots!” Shannah piped up.

“Starshots! Now that’s a good name.”

Shannah beamed.

Dante stopped and turned to a shelf on his right. He scanned up and down, until he seemed to lock his gaze on something near the top. Without hesitation, he climbed up the shelf effortlessly, grabbed a pair of dark-blue scarves, and walked right back down the shelf.

“Take a look at these bad boys.” He sat them down, gesturing for Alec and Shannah to inspect them. 

Alec looked thoroughly through the scarf. Upon the initial glance, it was a regular, midnight blue scarf, but looking closer, white paint speckles dappled the design.

Shannah was in awe. “Dante, this is perfect! How did you even know?”

He shrugged. “I got a lot of designs, just so happens that I had one that exactly corresponded with what you were looking for.”

Alec was a bit puzzled. “I like this and all, it’s great, but I’m already kind of warm.”

Dante nodded. “I got ya, little dude.” He scuttled right back up to the top shelf, and rummaged around the same shelf. He tossed down something a bit smaller. Alec took another look at it. A small bow-tie along the same design was what he was presented with.

“That’s… perfect, actually. You’re crazy good at this.”

Dante chuckled. “Well, you got all day to make designs, so I have backup plans.” 

Shannah was quick to throw the scarf around her neck. “So, how much do we have to pay you?”

Dante shook his head. “No need guys. The Guild pays me to help you guys out like this. Just be sure to stop by whenever you get new members added to your team. I’ll be working on more of those designs for you in a jiffy.”

“Thank you so much, Dante! You’re the best!” Shannah rushed over and gave him a hug. 

“Woah! You’re welcome. No need to get too excited” He laughed once again.

Alec adjusted the bow tie right around his neck. He then slid the badge right into the center of it. By the time he was done, Shannah and Dante were already back in the front of the shop. 

Alec rushed ahead to join up with Shannah, who was already waving goodbye. Dante returned the gesture. 

“Alright, take care, you two! I’ll see you around!” Dante returned to the corner to his work.

Shannah was still observing the scarf. “I just look so official! ” 

Alec smiled. “Yeah, I guess we do look kinda cool, huh?” He admired the intricate details on the bowtie. 

Their excitement was soon interrupted, however, as they bumped into Eva. 

“Oh Arceus, I am so sorry, Ms. Eva!” 

Her stalwart expression remained unchanged. “Oh, pay it no mind. I actually came to find you two.”

“Oh! By all means then, what do you need?” Shannah stepped back.

“Nothing much. I see that you two already got your team scarves, which is a step ahead of schedule. It’s just that the town elder wishes to speak with you. She always likes seeing the new teams prosper, and seems to have some words of wisdom she would like to pass onto you two.” 

Alec gave a puzzled expression. “Town elder?” 

Eva nodded her head. “Yes. We don’t know name, but she goes by Wigglytuff. To my understanding, she ran the guild here at one point, before Roy Robin took over. She lives in the Sharpedo Bluff, to the west of town.”

“Sharpedo Bluff? Isn’t that place overgrown?” Shannah tilted her head in confusion.

“Yes, it is. If there is one thing I learned from Wigglytuff, it’s that I never question her motives. They ultimately just end up confusing me more.” She held a wing up to her head. “Just get there as soon as you can. No rush, but there is a mission waiting for you when you return.”

Alec nodded. “Makes sense to me. Come on Shannah, let’s go–” as he turned to face Shannah, she was already rushing to the west side of town. Alec sighed. “Thank you, Ms. Eva. I guess we will see you after we meet.”

Eva nodded, and began walking back to the guild.

*

Alec eventually caught up with Shannah, as they stood upon a patch of grass. Ahead of them, a group of tall weeds blocked the path, but beyond them stood a view of the ocean. Near the edge of the cliff stood what looked to be Wigglytuff. 

“Excuse me, Wigglytuff?” Shannah called out. No response.

“Ms. Wigglytuff?” Shannah tried again, this time a bit louder. No response. 

Alec, a bit frustrated, pushed through the weeds. “Hey, Wigglytuff!” He yelled. No response.

Shannah joined up with Alec, and walked around to Wigglytuff. Her eyes were open, and she was smiling. 

Shannah waved in front of her eyes. Nothing.

“Is she… ok?” Alec whispered. Suddenly, the Wigglytuff turned around in an instant, causing Alec to nearly be knocked off his feet. 

“Hiya!” Wigglytuff called out. Her voice was somewhat raspy, but still carried a lot of energy. The tips of her ears were graying, alongside the tuft of fur on the top of her head. 

“I’m Wigglytuff. I heard that you two were the new team in town! That’s great, great, great!” 

Shannah and Alec were speechless. Wigglytuff carried on.

“You gotta forgive me. I was just sleeping!” 

Shannah and Alec exchanged a puzzled look, both knowing well that her eyes were open as they possibly could be just mere moments ago. Once again, Wigglytuff didn’t take any time for them to respond.
“So, your names are Alec and Shannah, right? Team Starshots?”

“How… did you…?” Alec raised an eyebrow.

“Oh silly! Once a guildmaster, always a guildmaster!” Her joyful expression remained unchanged. Alec was somewhat disturbed by this.

“I just wanted to tell you some words of advice before you go out on your very first mission!” She took a step forward and got a good look at both of them.

“Hmm… oh! It’s you two! I actually got something very, very important to tell you guys!”

Shannah regained composure. “Oh! What is it then?” 

They stood in silence. Wigglytuff just started past them, smile ever present. 

Alec waved his paw in a circle. “Go on…?”

Wigglytuff continued to just stand there. Smiling. They stood there for a solid minute to Alec’s estimate. Eventually, he heard a small snoring noise. It was coming from Wigglytuff.

He gave Wigglytuff a quick shake on the shoulder. “You awake?”

“Yep! Sorry, I just took a quick nap.” Wigglytuff replied immediately. 

Alec was getting a bit frustrated once again. “So, what do you have to tell us?”

“Oh yeah! I meant to tell you guys that I forgot what I wanted to tell you.” 

Alec rubbed his temple. “So, can we leave now, because you forgot?”

“Oh no! I remember now!” Wigglytuff piped up. “I just need to communicate with the higher beings for a bit.” With no room to question, she reached into the weeds and pulled out a bright pink rock. 

Shannah leaned over and whispered to Alec. “I have absolutely zero idea what is going on, for the record.”

Alec nodded slowly. Wigglytuff was now polishing the rock off.

“This is my oracle rock! I was entrusted with it after I retired.” 

“C-cool…” Alec muttered. He still was in shock by the pure strangeness of this Pokemon. It’s like he was transported into a late 2000s meme comic. 

Wigglytuff put the rock on top of her head, and resumed staring out to the distance. Alec’s expression slowly morphed from that of shock to one of slight concern. “Is she… ok?”

Shannah shrugged. “I told you, I have no idea what’s going on.”

As soon as Shannah finished her sentence, Wigglytuff’s eyes began to glow blue. Her unwavering smile soon turned into a neutral expression. 

“W-Wigglytuff…?” Shannah walked up to her, but was immediately interrupted.

“Boy lost in an unfamiliar world, your quest will be unfurled. Met you have with the girl of the guild, in her future blood will be spilled. Travel with the boy of the field, before his fate is sealed. Find the thief of the shadows, whom once hid within the willows. Protect the princess of the east, from the royal beast. Her protector will give care, in a battle that you must share. The saviors, the saviors! Hear my prophecy! The saviors, the saviors! Gather all once again in this place, so be my decree!”

Alec and Shannah stood in disbelief. They couldn’t quite comprehend what had just happened. Wigglytuff’s eyes returned to their normal state, and she happily took the stone off her head and threw it back into the weeds behind. 

“Yup yup yup! That’s what I wanted to tell you guys!”

Shannah gulped and replied with a shaky voice. “Uh… care to repeat what you just told us?”

Wigglytuff shook her head. “Nope! No can do. But what I can tell you guys is that you should probably keep that in mind while you’re off exploring. Usually the higher spirits have a reason for telling you guys these things!”

“Do you even know who these higher spirits are?” Alec piped up.

“Nope! The stone just showed up one day and told me to put it on my head. And here we are!” Wigglytuff’s gaze pierced through their souls.

“R-right… well, we better get going…” Alec started to slowly back away. Shannah nodded, with a nervous laugh.

Wigglytuff started waving. “Bye-bye! Don’t be a stranger now!” She then turned around past the weeds and took her spot at the edge of the cliff, staring out to the ocean.

Alec and Shannah returned to the outskirts of town. Shannah, despite being mostly covered in white, looked pale. 

“What… do you think that means?” She said, turning to Alec. Concern filled her eyes.

“I don’t know. Should we even trust her? I mean, like, come on. Most of the time she was asleep, the rest of the time she was forgetting what she had to say. Didn’t Eva say she used to be the guildmaster before Roy Robin? It could very well be that she was just trying to scare us, only because we’re new.”

Shannah shook her head. “No… My dad told me that despite her bubbly personality, she always meant what she said. Although, I never was told about her little prophecy rock, or whatever.” 

Alec looked past to the bluff. “It’s still strange that she knew who we were. And our team name. But look, anyone can claim to know the future. Who knows? Maybe those “higher spirits” got us mixed up with someone else.”

Shannah shook her head. “Sorry, Alec. I just can’t seem to shake off what she said. What did she mean by “blood will be spilled”? It just rattles me to my core.” 

Alec would be lying if he said he wasn’t shaken by this, either. It wasn’t every day you were just given a cryptic prophecy. Then again, it wasn’t the strangest thing that had happened to him in recent memory. 

“Hey! Are you two done?” Eva flew in and landed right in front of them. “Did you meet with Wigglytuff?”

They nodded, then Alec spoke up. “Yeah. She said something rather strange…” 

Eva made a shushing noise. “Guildmaster’s words are only for the team members to hear. She gets angry when they’re gossiped around. Come now, your first mission waits for you.”

Shannah gave Alec one last look. “Let’s not worry about it for now. I’m sure it will start to make sense as time goes on.” He whispered. Shannah’s expression loosened up a bit, but Alec could still tell she was concerned. 

The three of them began to walk back to the guild, with the prophecy still burdening their mind.