Private/Closed Closed

[x0jackie0x]

OOC THREAD: http://pokecharms.com/threads/mystery-dungeon-joint-missions-read-thoroughly-please.13554/ (Open - Mystery Dungeon Joint Missions! (read thoroughly, please))

Current Character Roles and Locations:

Spoiler

~~Good~~
Jackie: Team Chub......../Job board
Spinda: Team Chub........Job board
Mallory: No team........job board
Venator: No team........job board

~~Bad/Greedy~~
Stormer: No team........outskirts of the town
Swain: No team........Cave outside of town

~~Otherwise Neutral~~
Octavia: No team........Job board
Dusk: No team........Outside of guild, near Stormer

Current happenings and conditions:

Spoiler

Weather: Cloudy, with a chance of rain. 65 degrees Fahrenheit.
Time/Date: 10 am, on the 4th day of summer.

Places:

Spoiler

Hazy Valley - Town - The town where the story starts out. Mainly character interactions between missions.
Crescent Lake - A large lake past the woods that's home to many a grass and water type. Relatively peaceful. You'll mainly run deliveries here.
Misty Acres - Dungeon - A wide open area that's even foggier than Hazy Valley. It's very easy to get turned around here. All types of jobs.
Caves of Endless Echoes - Dungeon - A network of caves home to rock, ice, ghost and dark types. A veritable maze, if there ever was one. All types of jobs.
River Gorge - Dungeon - Home to flying, water and rock types. A scenic area constantly running with shallow water. Plenty of rocks dot the way to make your way through, if you don't wanna get wet. All types of jobs.
Mt. Overlook - Dungeon - The tallest mountain this side of the country. Flying, rock, ground and lightning types are here. All types of jobs.

More to come!


Hazy Valley. A rather busy town, this small settlement rests at 5,600 feet above sea level. It is nestled between two large mountains, almost cut off from civilization, yet boasting quite the active community. The town itself was founded only fifty years ago, as an attempt to secure resources without needing to travel a great distance in order to obtain them.

The mountains provide more than enough shade to keep the town cool and quite chilly. The climate is quite mild, rarely getting very warm, even in the summer months. The moist air allows for plenty of vegetation to grow. Forests of evergreen trees blanket the mountain sides and most of the valley.

The town itself is made up primarily of those that would benefit from such a climate, to include water types, grass types, dark types and ghost types. Electric types find their powers a bit amplified, thanks to the cloudy weather. Rock, ground and fire types don't seem to thrive, but that doesn't stop them from visiting.

Should you come to visit Hazy Valley, you can expect the finest accomodations, as well as all the usual necessities. Drowzee runs the general goods store right in the middle of town. Swalot can store your items for you. Grumpig runs the bank. Zangoose and Lickitung run a cafe that caters to all types. Leavanny and Scolipede run a berry farm and should you ever feel in need of an accessory to help you in your dungeon crawling, stop by Glameow's Boutique. The hotel is run by Chandelure and his family. The lake, for those that can handle the weather, is perfect for swimming.

As it usually is with every town, the guild is the veritable hub of activity, ran by the powerful and strict duo, Lapras and Mienshao. The surrounding mountains are a fond destination for many avid out-of-town hikers. Just as you would think, these hikers are often in need of a rescue, as rock slides and bandits are common along the trails. Just as well, the hazy weather can make it easy to get lost in the woods.

Just as well, guilds are often sent requests for help to rescue those outside the border of their small town. It is the guild's duty to rescue those in need and it simply wouldn't do to assume some other team would handle the job.
As time went on, Hazy Valley seemed to be getting more and more jobs that required teams to travel and each one seemed to be more dangerous than the last. While it would be crazy to think that trouble didn't exist in the world, there never used to be this much...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was a perfectly cloudy day in Hazy Valley; the kind that Jackie lived for. The soft, chilly breeze enveloped her, making her shiver pleasantly. She moved here just a little over two years ago and did her best not to leave, save for random out-of-town mission that she accepted. It wasn't long after she arrived that she met and fell in love with Lire, a Spinda that she got teamed up soon after she joined the guild. Of course, their relationship was a bit rocky starting off, as most can be.

Jackie made her way into Drowzee's store, looking over the various snacks and drinks that were available. She picked up a small pack of cookies, only to feel something smack her softly on the top of her head.

"No, not that one! Those taste terrible. Get the shortbread ones next to them!" Lire, the aforementioned Spinda, crawled onto Jackie's shoulder, holding onto her horns for stability.

Jackie shook her head lightly. "You always get those, hun. Try something else for once."

"Nope! I like what I like. Can't blame me for sticking to my strengths, after all."

Jackie raised her hoof and bobbed it a bit, mocking Lire and earning herself another soft smack on the noggin. A small jerk of her shoulder sent the Spinda tumbling back into the basket that was positioned perfectly on Jackie's back, affixed by a harness. "You're lucky I carry you around."

"Yeah? You're lucky I do that thing with my-"

"Shortbread cookies it is!" Jackie dumped the cookies into the store basket, along with some drinks and small box of candy. Lire was snickering, having gotten her way yet again. Jackie didn't know why she ever bothered to argue with the small bear.

They paid at the counter and left the store, pushing past a few tourists and headed towards the guild. They always made the trip twice a day, to make sure the good missions wouldn't slip between the cracks. Sure, they could go more often, but... well, they weren't that ambitious.

The guild's building was rather plain compared to the ones in other towns. Usually, they would be adorned with all sorts of decorations and trophies. To be honest, if it wasn't for the sign, you wouldn't be able to tell this underwhelming establishment was the town's hub. Lapras and Mienshao simply weren't ones to show off.

Just as well, the schedule here was very loose. There were no morning meetings (always a plus) and there wasn't a mission quota to fill. However,any money you made from a mission is stored in the guild and given to you on a weekly basis, depending on how many missions you completed. The more missions you complete, the larger your cut.

As Jackie and Lire entered the building, they were met with a large crowd. Initiates, veterans, visitors and the like all bustled around the large room, going about their business. Jackie climbed the stairs on the far side of the room, Lire in tow, and unlocked the door to their room. It was small and somewhat bare; they didn't need much, after all. Still, they dropped off the snacks and drinks they bought and left once more, headed towards the job board.

Time to make some money.

 

[Blue moon]

There was a time when Stormer had met the world beyond Hazy Valley, where had flown between stormy winds on her trainer's Skarmory and tasted the salty water of the sea during one of his journeys. His lifestyle met no limits. He had seen thousands of Pokemon and humans, he ran through mountains, deserts and fields. And even though, some dared to say that his lifestyle was no freedom. But they didn't understand. There were things wild Pokemon would never understand.

They would never taste a human meal or feel the softness of their huge beds, things Stormer enjoyed to no end...

Until everything fell apart.

He was one of Jenny's favourite's: the one she showed off, the one she used in her hardest battles. The way she pet him on his head was something that would stay deep in his memory until the end of times, chasing him like a ghost as he wandered alone in the Valley. The sensation of her thin fingers still tickling his forehead, even though he could no longer feel it.

He felt an electrifying shiver run through his spine. It was happening again, his body reacting to his strong and unstoppable emotions, begging for them to be released. The spines in his body started raising because of the static, becoming sharper and dangerous. Tears were starting to gather in his eyes, begging for freedom. His breaths were now getting agitated. The electricity in his back started getting stronger, until filling his body with small sparks that grew and grew, until they starting to reclaim more space. An electrifying energy surrounded his body and, before he could take control of hisself, it was happening again.

Electroshocks. He couldn't control them, at least not when he remembered the past. They just came out of his body and threw small thunders all over the place, sometimes hitting Pokemon or buildings.

Fortunately, this time, he was considerable far from the Alley. Enough not to make any damage.

He let his body fall to the grass. Tired. It was a waste of energy, for it didn't make him stronger, it didn't protect him and it didn't get anything for him. Even though, it was to big to be kept in his body, just like all the memories that refused to go.

He stood up. He needed to get something to eat. Something sweet, if possible, that would always bring life back to his body. But he would have to entered the Valley; he would never get used to the Valley. It was a place of wildness, where a parody of the human system took place. An aberration. Pokemon earning money, Pokemon giving money to other Pokemon. Pokemon living from the money a human could get for them!

It was the place where he lived now, his only option. But he refused to call it home. It definately wasn't. There was nothing in Hazy Valley to make him belong there.

Or at least, nothing he had found.

 

[Hisseki]

Eyes. Attention. Things that normally one would want on them, but there are exceptions.

Mallory walked through the shaded paths of Hazy Valley, attempting to avoid contact with others. The surrounding villagers all stared. Some backed away, some ran, some simply sat still. An Absol's life isn't the easiest life. The reputation she gathered by simply being what she was wasn't positive. Absols were thought to bring disaster. Mallory knew that to be false, she could only predict and warn about disaster, but there was no convincing anyone at this point. Several times, bad things have happened around her, and she wasn't willing to make it happen again. Rather than warning anyone, she chose to stay away from disaster, and to do that, she chose to stay away from the rest of Hazy Valley's inhabitants. She has to make frequent exceptions, one major one being work. Though, work was quite different today.

"Wait, what?"

"You heard me. You can't do jobs without a team anymore. You can't bend the rules forever, Mallory. Find yourself a team, or get nothing from us."

"B-But, I... I understand."

Mallory sulked and walked in no particular direction, thinking to herself. I need a team... I need to find or make a team, but I... nobody will... I sense something. Something minor, though... It would probably be best if I just went ba-

Snapped out of her own thoughts, Mallory realized that she had just hit her horn on the job board, getting herself stuck. Nobody around her seemed to have noticed, or at least nobody she could see. She heard two other Pokemon talking to each other, followed by footsteps towards the job board. Darting her eyes towards the ground and blushing, she prepared herself for one of two things: humiliation or a good scolding.

After all, when disaster occurs near an Absol, those are really the only two viable options. That's what they have been, and so far, that's what they continue to be. Mallory accepts this as fate now, the fate of the Disaster Pokemon.

 

[Guido0]

¿Berries or money? ¿Berries or money? Swain was standing in front of Scollipede's berries farm. He was so hungry. But he hadn't much money and didn't want to spend it all in eating. His stomach make that noise again. Just a tiny little one would be enough right?
"An Oran Berry, please" he mumbled.
"Ten poké, sir" said the Scollipede.
The pain in his greediness almost made him not buy the Berry but he was so hungry. He handled the money to the bug pokemon and ate the berry in one nanosecond.

He was empty again.

He ran to the mountains near the Valley and hided in his cave. Swain called it "his cave" but lots of pokemon lived there. That's why he didn't like it. He wanted to live alone with all his money out of all those thieves. But he needed money to protect his money.
Damn, one of those rock-type pokemon was approaching him. ¡Not in a single lifetime!
He ran away again, saying to himself that he wouldn't come back.

He headed to the Pokebank. But Grumpig was there watching everyone who walked near there. A shiny thing called's Swain attention. The sun was making all the Poké coins shine. They were beautiful. But Grumpig was there.

His stomach made that noise again. Hunger, what's that?
He needed money.
He needed to get back to the guild.

 

[Cpt. Surplus]

The wind and cold... that was all she remembered as she traversed the mountains back to the Valley, a small precious orb grasped by one her claw. Nick nacks that would sell for a good sum of money that she had found while hunting for shinies in a far away ruin. She may or may not have scared off some pokemon for it, causing her to smirk abit as she landed in the town, infront of the store.

When she was a Staravia, she was with a team of other flying pokemon. One of their main specialties was search and rescue jobs and missions. Earning a reputable status as one of the lead teams in Hazy Valley. They soon disbanded when she evolved into her current stage as she was the backbone of the team. She considered the team as a flock, and when she got to her evolved form, she left the team as would any Staraptor in a flock. That meant she no longer worked at the guild anymore, but was still open if she joined a team.

She was what you would call a freelancer now, collecting shinies to collect or sell to garner a sizable wealth. Octavia spent most of her time now relaxing and going on the usual adventure out of town to increase her horde.

Octavia ruffled her feathers as she made her into the store to sell her orb to Drowzee. She was surprised at the orbs worth and quickly rushed to deposit her earnings to Grumpig, who happily took the money off of her.

She walked out into the hub of activity. 'Huh, there's way more pokemons now..." She had left for her adventure a couple weeks before and had just returned. The town had grew a bit more with more travelers coming in. Looking towards the Guild, it seemed like it was bustling with way more activity than when she worked there. 'Must be a higher demand for teams now... shame Altaria and Swellow moved away, can't bring back the old team.' Intrigued, she went to the guild, pokemon who knew her when she was still in the guild knew she was a formidable Pokemon and a veteran. She held a Master ★ Rank in the guild, giving her many benefits if she were to rejoin.

Her eyes scanned inside the guild and picked up the job board... curiously with an Absol with her horn stuck in the board. A Miltank with a Spinda on top approached the job board, coming from the stairs. She snickered abit at the Absol, approaching the board, making sure her Comb was perfect.

 

[Semper Iuvenis]

Life was great for Ven. The privilege of being the hometown man was something special. The ability to casually stroll down the street and be constantly plagued by comments like "Yo Ven how ya doing?" or "Sup Ven, thanks for helping my little bro learn that new move" or "Top o' the morning to ya Ven, here, take an apple for helping me paint my store yesterday" definitely made him feel important, like he was fulfilling his duty to his fellow citizens. But whenever he saw the Guild Building, he felt disappointed in himself, like he wasn't doing enough to help. Others were risking lives to serve and protect, yet, he wasn't. Every time he tried to form a team, his partner chickened out on the first mission.

That day was try number five on forming a team in order to fulfill what Ven considered the call to serve. After he helped a Houndour find his parents and talking to a few friends to see if they wanted to join him-which they all graciously answered in the negative- he was forced to look for a teammate in the Guild itself.

Oh the Guild, the building was so, well, unfulfilling. For a building that housed a great amount of hope and peace, it didn't look too much like one. They really needed to paint it, at least according to Ven. He entered the outwardly depressing building to once again see the magic at work. Everything looked as he expected, well, except for an Absol stuck in the bulletin board. It didn't look like anybody was going to help the Absol, even with some other people approaching, so naturally he rushed over to the Absol.

"Hey, need some help? You look pretty stuck!"

 

[_Umbreon_]

Dusk watched the scene through a window. Watching. Always watching. Hardly ever making a sound. He looked down. 'No one wants you. You're a coward. You're a disgrace.' The voices echoed in his mind. They plagued him. He knew the voices were right. He was a shameful pathetic waste. Nothing more. Nothing less. No purpose, no drive. And yet, he was attracted, almost magnetically. He pressed his face up against the glass with a loud thunk, and nearly fell over off the wall.

 

[x0jackie0x]

As Jackie pushed through the crowd, she was secretly hoping that all the good jobs were still there. Sure, it wasn't exactly a 'secret' that others rushed for the good jobs, but you generally had three types of guild members: Ones who took jobs purely out of their good nature, ones who took it purely for the money, and then those in between. She wasn't going to lie; both her and Lire were a well-balanced mixture sitting right in the middle of the spectrum. If it was a fetch mission, chances are Jackie would pass it up, unless it would make them a bundle. Legitimate rescue missions, though, were never turned down. A pokemon's life couldn't be measured by money.

To an extent. Let's be realistic here.

"Jackie, look!" Lire certainly had the better vantage point, so when her grubby little paw pointed towards the job board, all Jackie could see was the pokemon in her way.

"What, is it a kick ass job? How can you even see it from here?" Jackie only heard laughter from the small bear, which only served to confuse her. She pushed ahead a bit harder, catching the eye of a Mightyena rushing the board. "Crap! There IS a good job!" But then the Mightyena stops short and starts talking. Jackie couldn't make it out.

Lire was still laughing, almost having trouble breathing. "Oh wow, I've NEVER seen something like that before!"

One final squeeze finally got Jackie to the job board and to... an Absol stuck in the board? How even...

"I mean, come on! Absol warn of trouble to others, but who warns Absol!?" Lire rolled backwards into her basket, as Jackie shook said basket to keep her quiet.

Sure enough, she was stuck good, but the Mightyena was already on it. Jackie had to admit, it was a little funny, but the Absol was clearly upset. She spoke, humor in her voice, loud enough to make sure she was heard by the dark-type. "I have to say, hun, this makes me think twice about being in a hurry for a job. If I got stuck, my girlfriend would NEVER let me live it down."

 

[Blue moon]

He walked to the small forest he was at. Everything was less chaotic there. No beasts pretending to be citizens, no savages following his steps. Some baby Pidgeys flew through that calm sky, accompained by experienced Pidgeots trying to teach them how to fly. They lost the balance constantly as they made their way through the breeze trying to keep their equilibrium, but they didn't really know how to control their wings properly. It was fun to think that, with just a small spark, he could paralyze their muscles and make them fall. Their first experience in the sky becoming a fearful memory.

Stormer took a last glance at the bird Pokemon and walked away, his back still electrified because of the last electroshock. It took a few minutes for his cells to return to their normal state after they prepared for a battle, but this time there was something stopping them from doing so. He felt tension. The need to stay put, like someone was following his steps.

He looked around him to find nothing, not even a Wurmple.

But it was still there, like he had someone's stare right upon his back. It could come from the trees, or the grass. Maybe a Digglet, following him right under his feet, or a Ghost Type, hiding beyond his sight.

"Where are you?!" he asked, mostly to prove himself he wasn't crazy, waiting for a response.

He continued to walk in circles, searching for whatever was after him. He was going mad. He needed someone to guide him, and not savage. He needed someone superior, someone who could figure out the complex puzzle life was. He needed Jenny. She would fastly find a way to discover the spy. Like asking Silver, the Skarmory, to search for it from the sky. Or maybe using Sora's radar to search for something in the woods, her Venomoth antennas were able to detect anything.

Yes... Jenny could do so many things. She guided all her Team to victory. She would always come up with the best strategies and, even when she lost, she learned something. She never made the same mistake twice, and once he managed to meet her again, she would never let him go again.

But for the moment, he had to figure out how to survive as a wild Pokemon.

A disgusting, mad and wild Pokemon.

 

[Hisseki]

Mallory heard laughing and hung her head - er... her gaze. Her head didn't exactly want to move much, considering the situation.

"I have to say, hun, this makes me think twice about being in a hurry for a job. If I got stuck, my girlfriend would NEVER let me live it down."

A voice spoke, overwhelming the laughter. She looked in the voice's direction to see a Miltank carrying a laughing Spinda in a bucket. Mallory was going to say something, but she didn't want a larger crowd gathering around her. She turned to address another voice.

"Hey, need some help? You look pretty stuck!"

Mallory's gaze shifted to the Mightyena, the only one to actually offer help rather than either trying to make light of the given situation or simply to laughing at her. Rather than confirming her need for help, she nodded slightly, or as much as she could with her horn in the board, then blushed and looked down again. Gah, I look stupid... I can't believe this. I sensed a disaster, a minor one... I didn't think it related to me... She thought, embarrassed more now than before due to the others noticing her.

All throughout this fiasco, she couldn't help but remember that she still needed a team. She wasn't allowed to do jobs unless she had a team... and as of the moment, there were quite a few Pokemon who presumably had no teams, although the Spinda and the Miltank looked like partners already. If Mallory was to form a team, she would at least have to introduce herself.

"M-Mal...Mallory..." That was all she could say at the moment, but her thoughts would've spoken more if they could be heard.

Oh no, that Spinda is still laughing at me, this isn't good. She thinks I look foolish, doesn't she? She commented on me, I know it, I heard it! This isn't good... and the Miltank probably thinks I'm a fool too! Why did this happen to me? Why? It could've easily happened to anyone else, but it had to be me. That Mightyena seems like a good individual, but I can't assume. I would've thought the Spinda was nice too, but there she is, laughing her head off. They all probably think I look dumb! Gah, why is this happening to me now?!

Mallory's thought process was fueled by embarrassment and paranoia, which was evident on her face if anyone looked hard enough. Her paws shook slightly, but then stabilized as she calmed down. She made one final attempt to pull herself free, but failed. Geez, how did this even happen? I really got myself stuck here... Ugh, I look so dumb... She thought, regretting coming to the job board today. Curse me, and my disaster curse...

 

[Guido0]

Damn pokeguild. Why in hell someone thought it would be a good idea that that thing even exists? Why needed Swain to go to the Board to get a mission? Couldn't he just do that stuff and get money from the clients? And why were there so many pokemon?

In addition to all the weirdos from the cave and the ones who had business outside the guild, he had to deal with all the swindler bureaucracy that let you work but kept a ninety percent of the money you earned. Oh god, Swain couldn't even think about it.

He walked quickly trough all the stages to get to the board. There were some pokemon there. A Miltank had a basket... ¿with a Spinda? Swain didn't even want to know.
An Absol and a Mightyena where in front of the board, keeping it out of sight...

Swain had to, argh, socialize.

"Excuse me, could you move so I can see the board?" he asked.

 

[Cpt. Surplus]

Octavia tightened her blue scarf as she made her way to the board. The veterans and long timers in the crowd quickly parted in the crowd as she made her move. Her claws making a clacking sound as she walked across the guild floor.

She grinned even more as she got a closer view of the Absol with her horn stuck in the board. Her ears picked up the sound of a female Spinda bear laughing and saying something related to her girlfriend.

Octavia side stepped a mamoswine and a Mightyena, approaching the Absol. She jumped up and flapped her wings to keep her in the air next to Absol's head. She wrapped one of her claws around the base of the Absol's horn, making sure not to hold the sharp part before yanking the horn out. The Absol's head jerked back from the pull.

"Becareful there hun, you got your horn real stuck in the board." She looked around seeing the laughing Spinda ontop of a Milktank in a basket, the Mightyena and Swine she had sidestepped around, and the crowd inside the guild.

'Can't believe it, there's way more teams now...'

 

[Semper Iuvenis]

Ven saw the Absol nod as best as it could in the current situation. He barely made out the name uttered, Mallory. "Alright Mallory, that is what you said your name was right, this might hurt a little but I'm going to pull you out of the board, ok? I am going to need you to lean your head a bit so to minimize the damage to both you and the board. On 3, 1, 2, -"

Ven jumped back as a Staraptor came in and jerked the horn out of the board rather roughly, sending wooden splinters flying. After a few seconds of processing what just happened, he began to feel a bit ticked off. "Thanks for getting her out, but next time do it carefully so that you don't put someone at risk of injury!" Ven said in an accusatory tone to the Staraptor. Ven then turned his attention to Mallory and addressed her in a much more caring voice in comparison. "Hey, doesn't everyone here have to have a team in order to take a job? Where is yours, your partner should have been there for you! Wh-"

"Excuse me, could you move so I can see the board?"

Ven turned towards the voice to see a Mamoswine that looked a bit annoyed, along with a Spinda and a Miltank all waiting for them to move out of the way. "I apologize for her and I, we will just move out of the way now." Ven started to move to the side of the room, turning to talk to Mallory,"Come with me over to the side so that I can look if your horn got damaged. I have a bunch of experience with minor injuries so I should be able to help you."

 

[x0jackie0x]

Lire's laughter died down after the Mamoswine, a large beast of a pokemon, came rumbling in to the guild and right up to the job board. The pokemon certainly made Jackie feel literally small, which was very rare for her. Something about him actually intimidated her... Regardless, she stepped out of the way quickly and made her way around him, keeping a wary eye out in case he decided to back up. She certainly didn't want to be a pancake.

In all reality, though, she wanted to talk to Mallory. Jackie always believed in 'laughing at yourself', but she often had trouble remembering that this point of view wasn't shared by everyone. Lire, on the other hand, didn't seem to care, or even notice, which often got the little bear in minor trouble. Lucky enough for the both of them, Swain's sudden appearance seemed to shake her.

Jackie squeezed by and approached the Absol, hoping that her initial response to the incident wouldn't keep her from being able to talk to Mallory. She was only a few feet away, with both Ven and Octavia nearby. She leaned over and noticed the Mightyena was examining the horn. She didn't want to bother him while he was focused, but something came over her.

Jackie lightly poked Ven, a concerned look on her face. "She didn't hurt herself, did she?"

 

[Blue moon]

Stormer sighed. Yes, he was going crazy. No one seemed to appear there, no one was stalking him. It was probably his own nervousness, making him lose his mind, maybe electrified by its own cells.

He continued to walk to the alley, his stomach now more desesperated for a dosis of energy. It growled, he could feel it demanding something. The taste of Pokepuffs came to his mouth as he licked his lips, a thin line of skin inmediatly surrounded by his yellow fur.

He walked through the Valley in an attempt to find a place to eat, not so sure about where to go. Stormer still wasn't familiar with the place, he avoided visiting it the most he could and therefore, he still got lost in it oftenly.

Drowzee's store was around that corner... or was it that one? he questioned hisself as he made his way, to finally step into a curious building that definately wasn't Drowzee store "G-Guild?"

He just took a glance from the door, still without daring to enter the place. From there, he could notice a board, lots of posters hanging from it, Pokemon of all species gathering around it to read what they said.

He entered the building nervously. He had the feeling not everyone could enter there, specially not him.

Once he had gotten close enough, he found himself in the middle of the group chatting around it. A Spinda, a Militank, an Absol, a Mightyena... Ah, there were so many. He just ignored the noise they were doing and just read some of the posters.

'I got lost...' 'I need this...' 'Find this guy...' those were the phrases that most of the announcements had written.

"What is going on here?" he accidentaly asked out loud.

 

[Hisseki]

Mallory was quite thankful that she was freed from the board, but she wasn't freed from embarrassment quite yet. There were still other Pokemon, and they were watching, laughing, probably thinking ill thoughts of her. A Mamoswine had approached and asked everyone to move, which scared Mallory a little bit. A Jolteon had read some of the posters not currently obscured by Mallory's presence, asking a question aloud to nobody in particular. Skittishly, she crouched down slightly. The Mightyena had asked her to go closer to him, so she did. The Miltank from earlier, still accompanied by the Spinda, wanted to know if she was okay. She rubbed her horn, which stung a bit from the Staraptor yanking her out of the board, as well as her neck. Other than those minor pains, she was fine, more or less. That's probably why it was so minor of an alert... but that was still immensely humiliating! The Spinda was laughing, the Miltank was joking around, and... Mallory let her mind run free, thinking of all the things that the other Pokemon around her could've been thinking.

Confusion swept over her like a mist when she realized something about those who gathered around her. They weren't afraid. They probably knew what Absol's were always thought to have done, bring disaster, but they didn't immediately run and hide. These Pokemon were... different. It created a warm feeling in her heart, something she didn't want to let go. A soft smile spread across her face. These Pokemon cared about her, and didn't hide in her presence. Speaking of caring, there were questions floating around about whether or not she was okay. "Y-yes, I'm fine... My horn and neck... hurt a little, b-but aside from that, I'm f-fine..." She told the concerned Mightyena and Miltank in a slightly-louder-than-previously tone of voice.

She shot a quick glance at the Spinda who was laughing it's head off before, a soft pink blush appearing on her face. Her shyness slowly took over once again, and she bowed her head in apology. She didn't speak, rather she simply moved. Her paws shook slightly as she stood, not wanting to look like a fool.

Once again, the thought of needing to form a team crossed her mind, assisted by the memory of one of the Mightyena's questions.

"Hey, doesn't everyone here have to have a team in order to take a job? Where is yours, your partner should have been there for you!"

"N-no... team..." She failed to form a complete sentence, her reserved and shy shell of an attitude regaining control.

She couldn't help but wonder if the others were on teams as well. She was pretty sure the Spinda and Miltank were partners, but everyone else didn't seem to be accompanied by anyone in particular. They just seemed to gather around Mallory's spectacle of sheer stupidity. She lifted her head up slightly before realizing they were looking at her, which made her shoot her head back down to it's previous bowing position. She whispered an almost inaudible "sorry", but she knew not whether it was noticed by anyone.

 

[Guido0]

All the Pokemon moved when Swain asked them to... <<Wow, what a power>> he thought. But then, all of them started to talk and shout and gather around an Absol and the Mamoswine felt nervous. He hated being with other people. In that situation he could be easily robbed. He felt some static in his hair when a Jolteon shouted out loud.

He felt awkward there.

He forced himself to read the board, scanning all the missions. Things like "I lost my berry in the forest" "I need help climbing a mountain" and "Would you please help me go to the bathroom?" were so stupid to him that he didn't understand why people would pay others for doing such easy tasks. Of course, he wouldn't do it and he wouldn't do those missions either. Not only because he was strong enough to battle a Dragonite but because they were so bad payed that he would need to do one million of them to earn a good amount of Poké.

But he had to decide quickly before someone else picked a good mission or all the pokemon around him got mad because of him taking so long. A sign in the board said:

"Hi Pokeguild, I've been robbed my most precious item by an Skarmory. I'm wealthy enough to pay for a good service and maybe I'll give the team another prize if they're fast.
Murkrow"

When he saw wealthy enough, Swain inmediatly signed the mission with his paw. But then he regreted it... It was a team mission and he was alone. There were three other posts to fill with other three pokemon. He had to wait.

He had to share the money with others...

 

[Cpt. Surplus]

Octavia scoffed at the Yena's accusations, looking at him, "It's Ven right? Mister helper around town? What are you doing in here anyways?" She looked at him inquisitively as she moved away from the board and towards him.

"I'm pretty sure the rule still stands that only Guild Memers are allowed in the main room. And unless you have one of these," The Staraptor pulled out a badge from her blue scarf. The badge was a dark metallic piece with two golden feathers on the side and an emerald right in the center. "This badge represents my ability to rescue, save, avenge, and help other pokemon. Where's yours, hmm?"

She grinned as she wanted to get all eyes on this Mightyena. Her ears picked up a pokemon saying, 'What is going on here?" She quickly looked over to see a Jolteon looking clueless near one of the walls. Then to a Mamoswine taking a job at the board. She turned her attention back to the Mightyena, hoping to get answer.

"So unless you have a badge from a Rescue Guild which we're in right now. I suggest you leave now before I kick you out myself." She looked over at the Absol, looking at her horn.

"Your horn is okay, it was solid and not soft so you should be able to go on your way." She tapped the Absol's horn to show that it was solid. "There should be relatively little pain from the pull. Your horn was really stuck in the wood, thankfully there wasn't any more damage."

 

[Semper Iuvenis]

Ven face palmed mentally. This Staraptor was nothing new and as such it didn't really bother him. Ven had personally gone through the constant lashing of the prideful, the misunderstanding, and the predugice of others. When in his youth, the community didn't particularly like him. He was cast aside as lower citizen, a criminal, just because of his typing. He was born into a lower class family, so even the other dark types had an excuse to mess with him. But it was not time for his past, not now anyway.

"Yes I am Ven, I am here to see if there are any applicants wishing for a partner, and the only way to do that is to check in to the office which is connected to the main room. Besides, I was allowed entrance by the guild, or how else would I be here? As for the badge, yes I do not have one as of now. But alas, one doesn't need a badge to prove that one has the ability to help others. I believe the fact that you already know me by my good deeds proves this. However, I don't believe I have ever heard of you, perhaps that has some meaning to it."

Ven threw in the last part with a bit of smugness because everynow and then you needed to fight fire with fire. Ven noticed the Staraptor turn its attention to Mallory, saying that she was fine and that there was little pain. This perplexed Ven a bit, as he saw a bit of a abrasion wound on the horn, although it was easy to miss.

"I can understand you missing it, as I almost did, but there is a small abrasion wound on the horn, and while this might be a minor injury for others, an Absol senses disaster using its horn, so even a small alteration could hinder the 'sixth sense'. I know this because one of the younger Absols in town had gained a similar injury while playing, and as such I also know the treatment. It's simple really, just a ointment comprised of a few different types of berries. Luckily I had my first aid kit on me as earlier I helped a small Rattata with a few small cuts." Ven said as he pulled out the ointment, " Here we go, I'm just going to apply a bit on the wound, it will help it heal while avoiding any permanent damage. However, my previous patients have said that it feels a bit cold".

Ven gently applied the ointment, saying the last bit with a chuckle. After he was done and he put his equipment away except for the ointment.

Ven turned his attention to a new voice as he was tapped by the Milktank carrying a Spinda he had seen earlier, asking if Mallory was alright. Finally, some decent people. "Yes, she just got a few scratches here and there, nothing major, although I think that more damage was done out of embarresment than that of a physical nature. I'm sure she appreciates your concern".

He turned back to Mallory, placing it on the ground in front of her.

"Here, you can keep this free of charge. Just remember to apply it every morning and night ok? Nice meeting you Mallory" He said as he began his way to the guild office just before something clicked in his head.

He immediately turned back to Mallory. "Wait, didn't you say that you don't have a partner? I'm looking for a partner currently, how about we sign up to be a team? It would be awesome to have another dark type around, what do you say? I'll even let you pick the name!"

 

[_Umbreon_]

Dusk pressed his face up against the window. It had begun to rain and he Leaned up against it underneath the overhang. However this did nothing to stop the unrelenting bite of the icy rain, like teeth falling from the sky. He yelped as suddenly the glass gave way and he tumbled into the room, filled with Pokemon . He backed up defensively, snapping at of those who got too close. Most of all he felt confused and scared. He hadn't ever really come into contact with Pokemon in a long time. Well face to face that is. He couldn't remember how to read, or even write. He barely spoke, being barely a ghost of his former self.

 

[x0jackie0x]

Lire was starting to get bored. After the initial hubbub and shock, there was nothing left to ultimately pay attention to. However, she certainly didn't feel like sleeping. She leaned over on Jackie's head, seeing that she was still quite occupied with the Absol and huffed a bit. That cow would always get herself wrapped up in something that wasn't her business. Way too nice and mainly why she fell for her in the first place. However, she remembered that they didn't come here to chat or socialize. They needed some work and all the good ones were being taken!

She hopped out of the basket and weaved around the much taller creatures around her until she was at the board once more. Lire saw the spot where Mallory had gotten herself stuck and forced herself to stifle a giggle. She began to quickly glance over the postings, keeping an eye on the type of job and reward it gave. It didn't really matter who was posting it. All she was really worried about was if it was worth their time. Well, her time. Jackie was far more eager to take other jobs that Lire felt might be a waste of time, but she found it best not to argue about this kind of thing.

Was she standing there for too long? Her body began to feel to bit strange, as if her fur was standing on its end. She rubbed her fur and sure enough, she felt a bit of static. Looking over to her right revealed the source. A jolteon, who seemed a tad bit annoyed. Or, just maybe, that was his normal look?

"Hey. Hey, you. Spike." There she went again, tempting fate by using possibly insulting nicknames. "You and your partner better not take all the good jobs. Electric type like you has an easy day out here, after all."

 

[Blue moon]

Rythmic steps could be heard from Stormer's back as he studied the situation. They didn't sound like somemone walking, it was more like a dance, with feet constantly hitting the floor, almost without going forward. They took quite long to stop, and he could tell whoever was... dancing through the crowded hall was now right beside him.

"Hey. Hey, you. Spike." and there it was. A small, dizzy and clumsy bear standing by his side, his spiral eyes looking at him as if trying to intimidate him. Oh Arceus, Spinda's couldn't be taken seriously "You and your partner better not take all the good jobs. Electric type like you has an easy day out here, after all."

Partner? Jobs?

He looked at the bear confusedly, as if it had just spoken in a foreign language.

And then everything became crystal clear.

The guild, the place were Rescue Teams were formed, were failed attempts of civilized Pokemon asked for help to other like theirs. They played to be wild in the forest and ended up lost, being awful at to they should be! Wild!

"Didn't your mother taught you not to talk to strangers?" he asked the Spinda "Now, with your permission..."

He fastly took four announcements from the board, without even reading them. He had found something to do...

And to get money from.

And no, he wasn't going to rescue those Pokemon.

 

[Hisseki]

Ven, huh?... Neat name... Mallory thought to herself as the Mightyena examined her horn before pointing out an abrasion. The Staraptor had said she wasn't injured, but Ven knew differently somehow. He pointed the small wound out to the Staraptor and grabbed an ointment for it.

"Here we go, I'm just going to apply a bit on the wound, it will help it heal while avoiding any permanent damage. However, my previous patients have said that it feels a bit cold."

He wasn't kidding, it was cold. Mallory shivered a bit as the ointment touched her horn, but stopped eventually as she got used to it. Even though it was very nice of him, Mallory couldn't help but wonder why these others bothered to help her. Normally, it would be up to her to get herself out of bad situations, but here she was, practically surrounded by strangers who wanted to help. One even knew about Absols, and still he helped. She resisted the urge to cry, but if she did, they wouldn't be tears of sadness.

Ven was about to leave when he stopped and turned back to Mallory.

"Wait, didn't you say that you don't have a partner? I'm looking for a partner currently, how about we sign up to be a team? It would be awesome to have another dark type around, what do you say? I'll even let you pick the name!"

She looked back up, meeting Ven's gaze with her own. Is he really serious? Is this a joke? No, this is a joke. He's gonna backstab me when he gets the chance... but... he helped me, and... Mallory was about to turn heel and run away in shame, but knowing that she had others here who cared dulled that immediate response, and Ven's offer to form a team completely shattered that option. Her mouth curved into a small smile as she thought for a few seconds. "You know a lot about Absols, huh... and you're a dark type yourself..." she muttered, her quiet voice again gaining a bit of volume. "I think... yeah, lets form a team. Though, if we're naming it something, I don't wanna pick the name... you can pick it. Go ahead."

Mallory bowed her head, her gaze still focused on Ven. This time, she bowed not out of shame, but out of respect. After the bow, she looked around the guild hall. The Miltank was still there, but she didn't have the Spinda with her, which would explain the lack of laughter. A static buildup ran through her body, making some of her fur stand up on end, but she sensed no danger in it. This simply meant an electric type was somewhere - and after a few seconds of scanning, she saw a Jolteon, along with the aforementioned Spinda. The Staraptor was still there, as was the Mamoswine. An Umbreon tumbled into the room from a window, and immediately she could tell he didn't want to be in the building. Honestly, up until now, neither did she.

"I think introductions are in order here, but first... well, Ven? Would you want me on your team?" Mallory pointed out, looking at the Pokemon immediately surrounding but directing her dialogue at Ven.

She was comfortable around him. He knew about Absols, and didn't run away. He was nice to her, and it wasn't out of sarcasm or backstabbing plans. He was actually nice to her, for real. Mallory's small smile and blush both became a big, close-eyed smile as she waited to hear his response.

 

[Guido0]

Swain felt some static in his fur and inmediatly backed off the board. A Jolteon had passed right next to him angrily and was watching the jobs. The Mamoswine got furious.

How dare him?

He was a huge mamooth and that tiny thing thought that could just make him jump like he just did?
He felt the anger building inside of him. Oh, he could destroy that Jolteon with his Earthquake. He could make all the guild crumble like a cake and he would be alive over the ashes of destruction. And that Jolteon wouldn't bother him anymore.

Then he got back to reallity. He couldn't do that, he wasn't strong enough and he didn't think the pokemon around him would let him. But also he couldn't let that Jolteon take his job or even be part of that team.

"Hey, you" he shouted with the best 'Imabadboy' voice he managed to do "What do you think you're doing?"

 

[Semper Iuvenis]

"I think introductions are in order here, but first... well, Ven? Would you want me on your team?"

"I would love to have you as a partner, a little chaos in my life would be great! As for the name, what about Team Malum (latin for chaos)? I think it would be appropriate given the current team members."

Well this turned out better than expected. Joining a team with another dark-type? Heck ya! Not to mention Mallory seemed really nice, it would be refreshing to spend time with her.

"Well, we should sign-up for a team but before that I would like to know some people, well, if a certain Staraptor will let me as I don't have a badge."