Silvally grit his teeth and launched himself to the side, desperately trying to avoid the attack. Hundreds of razor-sharp ice shards whistled by, tearing through the air, intent on slicing him to ribbons. Other than a slight nick on his tail, he escaped unscathed. The same couldn't be said about the trees behind him though—half frozen, chunks taken out of the bark, and at the edge of snapping in half.

Snow started to flutter to the ground, all because of the temperature change from the ice attack. His mismatched claws sank into the ground, tearing up the grass as he slid to a stop. There was no hesitation in the follow-up attack, and Silvally threw himself to the ground, eyes wide, as pure heat shot toward him. A powerful spiralling lance of fire screamed overhead, bathing him in a searing heat. The air started to shimmer from the intensity of the attack, giving him just a taste of what could have happened if he hadn't ducked.

Several thunderous crashes sounded out behind him, multiple trees toppling from the hole punched straight through them. Fire licked at the edges of the holes, and the fire dispersed against the trees further back. Flames crawled up along the trees that hadn't toppled, licking at the bark hungrily, setting the forest behind them ablaze.

Silvally ignored the aches and pains of his mismatched body, and forced himself upright once again. He narrowed his eyes and stared at his opponent, heart thrumming as he faced her down. Limping movements carried him around, and the two circled one another.

"What's the matter, getting tired already?" The Ninetales taunted. A wisp of flame slipped from between her jaws and rolled up into the air, vanishing a moment later. She was panting from the effort of the battle, but she continued. Each of her steps set the grass alight and left a sizzling pawprint on the ground; grass withered beneath her due to the heat radiating off the fox.

Suddenly, those pawprints swapped from burning hot to freezing cold, leaving frosty impressions on the ground. Silvally narrowed his eyes at the shift, and tensed, already aware of what she'd likely try next. He prepared his counter, feeling that energy thrumming through his body. Flying-type, he recalled one Pokémon saying, and it certainly felt accurate—he felt lighter than before.

Mist formed around the Ninetales, water vapour in the air condensing and freezing as she built up her attack. Hundreds of small, sharp snowflakes formed and began to swirl around her, wreathed around her body like a cloak.

The fox lunged forward without warning, her teeth glowing an icy-blue energy. The sharp snow cloak followed her close, rippling through the air as she attacked.

Silvally launched himself to the side and pulled on that energy within himself. His talons and paws were light on the ground, and he whipped around the fox with unnatural acceleration. Faster than one could possibly turn, he curled around and aimed to strike her from behind.

She had been expecting that, though. Just before he could slam into the Ninetales, the cloak of snow lurched toward him, cold winds and sharp ice careening toward him.

He aborted his attack and sank a front talon into the ground; the momentum from his failed move rotated his body around, far too fast for his liking, and wrenched his talon from the ground. He managed to avoid the ice attack, but his speed caused him to trip and sent him into a tumble across the clearing, his body rolling across the ground. The sprawl ended shortly against the base of a tree, leaving him on his side, groaning in pain. Discomfort and pain washed through him, both from his natural form, and from the fight.

"Pfft! What was that? You're losing your touch," the Ninetales laughed. She stalked over toward the downed Pokémon with a feral grin, frosty breath escaping from her jaws.

Artemis, Blizzard of the West, Sun of the South, (and a variety of other titles and accolades) loomed over him. Her red eyes blazed with a fury reserved for the worst of the worst. Numerous outlaws had fallen before her, the last sight before passing out being those haunting red eyes. Or so the others had said.

"I almost feel sorry for you, poor thing, all exhausted. Too many exploration teams after you?" The hybrid fox chuckled. She reared back, frost coating her jaws, readying an ice attack to finally bring down the wanted outlaw.

Silvally had to time this just right. He struggled and made an act to stand, only to fall again. Though he shut his eyes in actual pain, he was not at all helpless. He waited, readying himself, prepared for the attack.

Artemis lunged forward, fangs glittering in the light of Apple Woods, fully intending to knock out this threat to society and end his streak of escapes.

Silvally had other plans.

The shriek of metal on metal that erupted from his jaws rattled through the forest. Metal Sound drilled itself into Artemis's ears and sent her reeling back in pain. She pulled away with her ears flattened against her head. That wasn't enough, and she moved her paws up to cover them as well, struggling to muffle the agonizing sound.

With a quick push, Silvally leaped forward. Electricity sparked across his teeth and lower jaw, pulling on that ever-shifting energy within himself. A devastating Thunder Fang sank into the Ninetales, his jaws clamping down around her shoulder and foreleg. Artemis shrieked in pain as electricity flowed through her, muscles bunching and body locking up.

Silvally growled and wrenched his head to the side. The fox was ripped off her feet and sent hurtling toward a tree. He grimaced at the devastating smack and the sight of her body wrapping around the wood, but shook off his concern. She always got back up; she'd be fine.

Swift steps carried Silvally toward the convulsing fox. Her tails flared out and she tried to roll to her paws once again, already trying to get back into the fight. Silvally was having none of that. He shivered; his crest glowed a bright, dangerous yellow, and sparks danced along his fur. He raised an electricity-coated claw and brought it down hard on her head. The impact sent her down hard enough that her skull bounced off the ground with a sickening thump.

Silvally loomed over the downed Ninetales. His limbs quivered from the effort of the fight, and exhaustion, but he still stood. Artemis lay at the base of the tree, body twitching, and eyes rolled back. He needed to leave now. She'd be up again in mere moments, and he wasn't willing to cause more permanent injury to get her to leave him alone. He wasn't a monster, no matter what they thought of him.

Without a parting word to his pursuer, Silvally welled his energy inside himself, using Agility to enhance his movement speed repeatedly. His form blurred around the edges, and a faint shimmer of purple wrapped around his legs. He shot forward and zipped out of sight at an absurd velocity. He vanished into Apple Woods, out of reach of the Ninetales.

For now.

~{O}~{O}~{O}~

Silvally staggered forward into the little side corridor in Apple Woods. A talon reached out and pushed aside some bushes, revealing a little alcove. He had made this shelter himself in an attempt to hide from the exploration teams that had been hounding him. Talons wrapped around the strap of the Treasure Bag he had 'liberated' from a rather annoying exploration team, and in a practiced move, swung it over his head and secured it at his front.

He didn't normally take from the Pokémon pursuing him, but these ones had been particularly annoying. They ran into him multiple times and continued to throw seeds and rocks at him. So he just… took away their method of holding rocks and seeds after knocking them out. That he decided to keep it to carry food, berries, seeds, and his helmet was just a happy coincidence. And he even left them an Escape Orb and some food!

Now that the bag was easily accessible, he peered into it, ensuring that the most important item was still there. He looked into the depths of the seemingly impossible container and spotted his helmet. That cursed thing. He hated it; he needed it. It was all that he had left that might lead him to the answers he so desperately sought.

With the Treasure Bag secured, he took one last longing glance at the little hideout he had called home, then set off again. This Mystery Dungeon was no longer safe for him to hide in. The 'explorers' knew where he was, and they wouldn't stop coming after him. He had hoped that driving them away and vanishing would make them think he had left, but they continued to hunt him here.

His paws and talons carried him as quickly as he dared to go, trying to get away while still conserving energy. He hadn't been able to sleep for days. Being pursued, chased, and hunted by those exploration teams had been a constant annoyance, and though he managed to push these ones back, they'd always return soon after.

This newest group was particularly difficult and cunning. The Bibarel was a constant annoyance, waddling after him relentlessly. It wasn't difficult to outpace the Pokémon until it achieved a line of sight on him. Then, the Rollout attack would occur, and the Pokémon always went for his legs. Every hit made walking even more painful than it needed to be, and gradually slowed his progress. He supposed that was the point though.

The Exploud and the Dugtrio were just as awful. The purple Pokémon deafened Silvally and disrupted his orientation with explosions of noise. Then the Dugtrio would attack from the ground; take out his legs and knock him down. Then Exploud would jump in for an attack and hammer at Silvally with his fists or scream in his ears.

They called themselves explorers, but they were criminals. Serial assaulters. Harassers and liars and thieves. They attacked him first, then sent more to fight back harder when he defended himself!

Silvally emerged into a clearing, the light from above blinding him for a moment. There was a draft in the room and an odd feeling in the air that set his fur on end. He looked forward and spotted what he had been searching for: that little tear in reality that would lead to the next section of the dungeon.

Unfortunately, between himself and the shimmering hole in space-time was a massive insect. A Beedrill. The creature hovered in front of him menacingly, its stingers oozing venom, and its baleful red eyes locked onto him.

Silvally didn't want to fight it. Despite being exhausted and not in the mood for another confrontation, he just would rather not attack these Pokémon defending their homes. Instead, he kept his gaze locked on it, and side-stepped around it. The two Pokémon glared at one another, neither backing down, even as Silvally crept his way around toward the exit.

The Beedrill lunged!

Silvally shifted himself to one side, allowing the stinger to just brush by him, disturbing his fur with how close it came. He raised a talon and slammed it into the insect's abdomen. The insect screeched in pain, struggling to stab at him. Silvally was having none of that and tightened his talons on the insect, and slammed it into the ground.

Without a moment's rest, Silvally lunged forward, his jaws wreathed in flame. He clamped down on the wild Pokémon, and the devastating Fire Fang tore through its defences. The Beedrill screeched in agony and flailed, clawing at the ground to escape the horrific attack that charred its carapace.

With the Beedrill trying to escape, Silvally released his grip on the Pokémon and hopped backward. One of his talons buckled under him and he staggered, shifting his weight to the other leg to keep himself upright. His exhaustion was catching up to him. There was no time to take a break though, he needed to get far away from this place.

The Beedrill buzzed and flitted around the clearing to escape, before it finally managed to duck into one of the many paths in the maze-like forest. Now that he was alone again, Silvally turned to the shimmering tear in reality and stepped through it.

The forest around him seemed to shift and move, warping and spinning as the rules of reality seemed to fail in these dungeons. As much as it all changed, everything was still the same forest. It was all still Apple Woods, just with different paths and clearings.

He kept up his lope through the woods, occasionally diverting to the side to snag an apple, Oran Berry, or some kind of seed. Unfortunately, there was nothing fancy in a place like this, but he didn't mind that. He could stock up on supplies and food before changing locations once again, that much he was grateful for. If he had to go through another dungeon without any food for three days, he was going to snap.

The only thing that would make this situation better would be if the Expedition Society members would quit harassing him! They intentionally sought him out and attacked him, for absolutely no reason. Then, when he sent them home with their tails between their legs, they'd come back with stronger members the next time. It was absurd, in all honesty.

These newest ones were rather relentless, and the fox in particular was rather violent and determined. Even on nights when he was alone, he had trouble sleeping. Nightmares of those blazing red eyes watching him from the darkness before bathing him with fire or freezing him solid kept him awake.

Silvally caught a paw on an exposed tree root and tumbled, barely catching himself. He shut his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to fend off the exhaustion, and focus himself once again. He could sleep when he reached a new dungeon… He hoped.

It didn't take long for him to find the shimmering tear in reality once again. He glanced around the clearing to ensure he wouldn't be attacked, then continued forward. Stopped at the edge of the rift, he glanced behind himself at the forest he had called home for less than two weeks.

It had been nice while it lasted, at least.

A single step carried him through the rift in space-time, and he found himself back in normal Apple Woods again. The area no longer gave out an otherworldly feeling, and he could focus on trees in the distance instead of having them shift and move in the corner of his eye. The world seemed brighter than before—less oppressive and more like he was out for a stroll in the woods than he was navigating a maze.

A quick look up at the sky revealed the sun slowly working its way down toward the horizon. He decided to head north away from the more populated areas. The further he went, the less likely he would be to encounter those 'civilized' Pokémon that continued to hunt him.

Silvally wasn't really sure where he was headed, he just knew he needed to get away. The chimera clenched his jaw and limped forward, his body aching and limbs shaking from the effort, exhaustion trying to drag him down. He continued forward anyway, one foot in front of the other, and gradually worked his way through the forest.

The trees started to thin out, much to his disappointment. He knew it was necessary, but leaving the semi-enclosed area left him feeling open to attack. Still, he carried onward. He had a vague idea of where he wanted to go, but more importantly, he just knew he needed to get away. He continued his trek north. One foot in front of the other. That's all he needed to focus on. Just keep walking.

…

Hours slipped by, and at some point, he had angled himself toward the mountains in the distance. He could go around the base of the mountain if he needed to, but it would take too much valuable time. Why waste time when he could go in a straight line toward his destination instead? Plus, he had a vague semblance of a plan to hopefully lead his pursuers astray.

The base of the mountain came upon him soon enough. Silvally stumbled to a stop, and yawned, craning his head back to look up at the tall structure before him. The mountain was impressive. It was tall, relatively isolated, and unfortunately, in his way. His eyes flicked to the little outcroppings of stone across the mountain and narrowed his eyes.

A talon plunged into the Treasure Bag and fished around, finally managing to clamp down on something. Silvally pulled the Chesto Berry from his bag, and grimaced, before popping the entire thing in his mouth. He hated the things, but he 'borrowed' it from an exploration team for a reason.

Exhaustion seemed to melt away, and he became far more alert and energized. He took another moment to eat, scarfing down an Oran Berry to heal up his scrapes and restore his energy somewhat, and then an apple to quiet the gnawing sensation in his belly.

Narrowed eyes looked upon the mountain, and he shook out his limbs, warming himself up for the ascent. He had to make it to the peak of the mountain today. Then, he could finally sleep. If he stopped now, he had no doubt someone would catch up to him.

Silvally welled up the energy inside himself, feeling light once more. Flyting-type energy coursed through him and made his crest and tail change colours once more. He crouched, muscles tense, and leaped upward. His talons sank into the rock and his paws pounded the stone, allowing him to reposition himself on each outcropping.

He gradually sped up, bounding himself between clumps of rock, the side of the mountain, and whatever trees happened to be growing on the mountain. Higher and higher he climbed, hauling himself up the stone cliff face.

It didn't take for him to reach the top of the cliff—nearly a quarter of the time it would take someone else to walk the normal path up. He steadied himself and glanced around the plateau. With no one else in sight, he padded forward to the entrance of the Mystery Dungeon. He sighed, stepped through the tear in reality, and vanished into thin air.

~{O}~{O}~{O}~

"Woo! Let's go! Team Floof is off to save the day!" A young Growlithe cheered. He raced ahead of his teammates within the Mystery Dungeon, bounding along happily.

"H-hey! Wait up!" Another young voice cried out. Zorua darted forward after the confident fire-type, her little paws tapping along the stone beneath them.

"Come on, Fire-butt, you know we have to stick together!" Rockruff shouted after the leader. She growled under her breath and walked faster.

"You know they aren't going to listen," Eevee laughed from the side. His tail gave a playful flick, and he bounded ahead of the rock-type.

The four young Pokémon, affectionately known as Team Floof, were currently on a rescue mission. The four had been assigned to locate a Joltik that had been exploring Mt. Bristle when the electric-type had gotten lost, much to their partner's concern. It was a relatively low-level mission, not much more than training for beginner teams, but they were excited they were trusted to deal with it on their own.

So now their goal was to find Joltik and bring him home! A simple enough task for the budding exploration team!

"We're gonna find this lil Joltik so fast! I betcha Chatot will be impressed!" Growlithe exclaimed. He rushed forward, only to slide to a halt.

He scrambled backward with a yelp, and leaped toward his team, just avoiding a sharp beak that lunged around the corner. A Doduo strutted out around the blind corner of stone, both its heads focused on the young adventurers before them. Both beaks glowed bluish-white, and the tall bird lunged for Growlithe.

"Look out!" Zorua cried. She darted forward, little paws dashing across the stone. She leaped, and slammed herself head-first into the Doduo's side, sending the bird staggering to the right. Zorua hopped back, dodging a retaliatory strike, and distracted the Pokémon long enough for her team to surround it.

With all four of them against the one Pokémon, the Doduo didn't stand a chance. The battle was short—the bird Pokémon collapsed to the ground unconscious, sporting a litany of cuts, burns and scrapes. The children let out an enthusiastic cheer, having beaten back another enemy on the road to fame and fortune.

"I'm telling ya, guys! We're gonna be super famous one day!" Growlithe said. He pranced in place while the group took a moment to recover.

"More famous than Miss Artemis?" Eevee taunted. The prancing Growlithe stumbled over his paws and fell to the rocky surface below with a grunt.

"What!? N-no! That would be impossible, she's too amazing!" Growlithe rolled himself over to stare up at his teammates, sparkles in his eyes as he spoke praise of the hybrid fox. "She's strong and fast and fearless and smart and also really strong!"

"I mean, she's cool and all, but I dunno…" Rockruff said, sitting down and scratching behind her ear. "I think Ampharos is still cooler. The Dashing Wanderer! He's so humble too, and he made the Expedition Society."

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"Nuh-uh! Ninetales is the coolest! She fought off Moltress in that volcano, and she was so strong that she lit up Darkshroud Forest for those Pokémon to escape that tsunami!" Growlithe argued.

"You know… I don't think setting the whole forest on fire counts as 'lighting it up'," Eevee teased.

The group set off through Mt. Bristle again and continued their conversation. They had to stop every once in a while to flatten a wild Pokémon that decided it would be a good idea to challenge Team Floof. They truly were an unstoppable team, explorers of the highest order! They were sure to rise quickly in the ranks, and Growlithe told the team such constantly.

"I-I mean… I think th-that Empoleon and Infernape are the coolest explorers still!" Zorua squeaked. She watched from a distance as Rockruff used the heavy rocks in her fur to bludgeon a Machop and knock it out.

"Why those two? They've been gone for a while," Rockruff huffed. She stepped away from the unconscious Pokémon and rejoined the group.

"They're cool because they adopted Miss Artemis!" Growlithe exclaimed from up front. He led the team deeper into Mt. Bristle, fearlessly prancing ahead. The rest of the team struggled to catch up to the fire-type's energetic pace.

"N-no, I mean. They saved the world! A-and their story, it's so amazing! Memory loss, a-and friendship, and time travel, and romance! They saved the world at least twice, and probably more times since they've been gone!" Zorua preened. She sent glanced at Growlithe and blushed, before looking away. "M-Miss Artemis is really cool though…"

"Nah, I betcha all that stuff is made up. Chatot and Wigglytuff just say it's true to get more people to join the guild," Eevee dismissed.

Zorua deflated at hearing that.

"Speaking of Ninetales, did you see her when she came back to Treasure Town last night?" Eevee asked. "She looked a little angry…" His tail gave a little flick as he brushed by Growlithe.

The team descended deeper into the dungeon. Or, would it be higher? They were odd places; it was best not to ask.

"Mhm! She went after that freaky outlaw! With other guild graduates too!" Growlithe added. He jogged forward to pass Eevee once more and cement his place in the lead. "I bet she was doing all the hard work though."

"Fanboys…" Rockruff muttered and rolled her eyes. Eevee caught this and giggled, moving back to hang out with the rock-type once more, while Zorua darted forward to spend time near the fire-type.

"You know, I betcha the outlaw was too strong for even Artemis to beat," Eevee taunted.

"Oh yeah? I bet you'd faint if you saw how spooky he looked in real life! Miss Artemis is fearless! He probably used some tricks to escape," Growlithe retorted.

"O-or maybe she had to protect someone from the bad guy!" Zorua chimed in. She padded along beside the rambunctious fire-type, watching him closely.

"Mhm! I bet she had to protect a blushing fanboy from the big scary outlaw," Eevee teased Growlithe once again, and snickered when Rockruff nudged his shoulder with her head.

"Be nice," she whispered, before focusing her attention forward.

"Oh yeah? Well, I bet-" Growlithe had his retaliating shot interrupted. Zorua darted forward, her little paws tapping across the stone, and moved to the front of the group.

"H-hey! Guys, I think that's Joltik! We found him!" Zorua announced.

The entirety of Team Floof paused to look in the direction Zorua pointed. They cheered and raced toward the startled-looking Joltik, who quickly moved toward the approaching team. The four Pokémon surrounded the Joltik, ensuring he was alright. Once they were certain Joltik wasn't injured, Eevee fished around for the Escape Orb they brought along. There was a flash of light, and the Pokémon vanished, sent off to the entrance of the dungeon thanks to the reality-disrupting powers of the orb.

"We did it!" Growlithe cheered. He pranced on the spot, his tail a happy blur. Rockruff, Eevee, and Zorua cheered as well, quite pleased with themselves. Their tenth mission as guild apprentices had gone off without a problem! "Alright! Let's keep going!" Growlithe grinned and marched forward.

"W-wait, aren't we gonna go back to the guild now? It's getting k-kinda late…" Zorua trailed off. She sent a glance to Growlithe and tilted her head. "And-and we should escort J-Joltik back, right?"

"There's only a couple more floors. It would be good training." Rockruff reasoned, trying to sway the timid Zorua. "Besides, we'll absolutely make it back in time for dinner. Joltik doesn't have to wait for us if he doesn't want to."

"C'mon Zorua! This means you get to spend more time with Growlithe," Eevee teased.

The small fox Pokémon blushed and gave a quiet "Eep!" The fire-type was completely oblivious, however, and marched toward the maze-like hallways of the dungeon.

The rest of the team shared a glance, and after a timid nod from Zorua, they followed after Growlithe. Idle conversation flowed, interrupted by the occasional Pokémon that tried to attack them. They worked well, and the rest of the dungeon breezed by. No, not even the mightiest Mystery Dungeon could handle the combined might of Team Floof! They were truly on the path to becoming the greatest, or so Growlithe said.

The four stepped through the rift in reality and blinked at the cool breeze that hit them. The wind brushed through their fur as they walked onto the plateau. Growlithe turned toward the rest of the team, his tail whipping back and forth in excitement.

"We did it! We beat Mt. Bristle!" Growlithe cheered. He reared his head back and let out a little poof of flame into the air.

"Yeah, for the third time…" Rockruff rolled her eyes at their leader's antics. She still enjoyed every second she was with her team, however. She wouldn't trade this for anything. The freedom, fun antics, and silly conversations were always a joy. And the exploring? Oh, it was all just lovely.

"H-Hey, guys…" Zorua nudged Growlithe to try and get his attention, to no avail.

"I think Chatot will let us take on some outlaws now! Won't that be exciting?" Growlithe pranced in place. His tail was a blur from all the ideas running through his mind.

"Before we know it, you'll be adventuring with Ninetales and won't have time for us boring Pokémon!" Eevee laughed and poked his tongue out. Growlithe had the good graces to blush and turned to face Eevee with a firm shake of his head.

"Nuh-uh! I, uh, I'll convince her to bring us all! Yeah! Then we can take on all those bad guys together!" Growlithe replied, wagging a little faster.

"Guys, I think w-we need to go…" Zorua hit Growlithe a little harder, her small form quivering—she wasn't being paid any mind though.

"Come on, be realistic. None of us are going to be anywhere near her level anytime soon," Rockruff huffed and rolled her eyes. Her teammates were up to their usual fantasizing and antics once more.

"Nah, we'll be strong. We'll be the best! We'll be taking on outlaws and rescuing people like she does in no time!" Growlithe preened, ignoring the pessimistic rock-type. "Heck, I bet that we'd be able to help her with that ugly outlaw right now!"

"Seriously, you think you could take on a Pokémon that Artemis has been struggling to capture for the last while? I think you must have rocks in your head, not Rockruff!" Eevee taunted. A well-deserved hit to the side caused him to yelp, delivered by none other than Rockruff herself.

"G-Guys! Please, let's-"

"Easily! I bet he used some cheap tricks! But they wouldn't work on me! He's nothing but a lousy-"

Zorua gave an uncharacteristic growl and jumped, clamping her teeth down on Growlithe's ear. With a tug, she wrenched her head to the side, causing the fire-type to stumble. Growlithe yipped and jolted away; he scowled and rubbed a paw at his ear.

"Ow! Zorua, what do you think you're-" Growlithe froze. His jaw dropped, and his tail immediately curled back around between his legs. The rest of his companions were much the same, facing the edge of the mountaintop, quivering in place.

"I… I think we should go…" Eevee whispered. He started to back himself up the way the four had come.

"J-just don't m-make any loud s-s-sounds…" Zorua stuttered, stepping back.

Team Floof had found themselves at the peak of Mt. Bristle, with no backup, staring face-to-face with none other than the outlaw Artemis had been chasing.

The four looked at the chimera, who glared down at them. His steely silver eyes gazed into their souls and made them all shudder in pure fear and adrenaline. The massive Pokémon stared the four down, looking at them intently, as if daring them to come closer.

"Leave. Now," the outlaw growled.

The four quivered, the voice grating at their ears, rough and unused, yet still radiating a sense of presence and power that they couldn't hope to stand up to. This was too much. Far, far too much for them to even think of standing up to.

"We… We're sorry. We'll leave… P-please let us go." Rockruff begged. The rocks in her fur shook from her jitters, causing the rocks to grate against one another and produce a horrific noise.

The four apprentices backed away from the tall Pokémon, their nerves crawling as they looked upon him. He looked wrong. As if he was torn apart and stuck back together again with parts taken from different Pokémon. It set them on edge, almost as much as his reputation did.

Never caught. Never defeated. Every team that had been sent to catch him had been knocked out and sent packing. Strong enough to rival the Legendary Ninetales in combat and cunning, escaping her time and time again, and sometimes even sent her home defeated.

The four made their way to the edge of the mountaintop. Without a word, they all collectively turned tail and bolted. They sprinted through the shimmering tear in reality that led them back into the Mystery Dungeon.

~{O}~{O}~{O}~

Silvally watched the four leave with narrowed eyes, then gave a soft sigh. He raised a foreleg and pressed his claws against his throat, grimacing in pain, and shifted it further, his claws working against the metal hinge of his jaw. The pressure against those constantly sore areas provided some form of relief, though he still grumbled in discomfort. Talking hurt.

He sat for another minute, eyes locked onto the exit to the dungeon, ensuring that no one else would come stumbling through. It was growing late in the day, and those 'explorers' didn't tend to search new locations for him at night. Maybe it was just habitual, or maybe they had to return else they faced punishment. He didn't know and honestly didn't care. As long as they kept away from him, he was more than fine with whatever happened.

Now that he was confident he would be left alone for at least a few hours, he glanced around the plateau. Relatively flat, with rocky walls that lined a majority of the peak. A few sections here and there had crumbled away, leaving a rather quick shortcut down to the base of the mountain.

A rock stood near one of the edges, a pillar of granite that loomed above the rest. Silvally found that to be the most sheltered spot from the wind, and made his way over. He gently lowered himself to the ground, and adjusted the Treasure Bag, moving the softer container beneath his head. He sighed, and let his eyes slip closed.

Those kids would tell someone, he did not doubt it. Then this place would be swarming with violent and dangerous Pokémon intent on hurting him—hunting him down. He'd allow himself a short nap, before continuing on his path north.

Silvally mapped out the route he would take in his mind while drifting off. He'd just sleep for a few hours, then he'd be off again. Just long enough to recover his energy.

~{O}~{O}~{O}~

The ground hissed and melted beneath the angry strides of the ice-fire-fox. Artemis growled under her breath and made her way through Treasure Town, doing her best to avoid meeting the looks of the townsfolk. Coming back without the outlaw again? She could already tell what they were thinking about her. What kind of explorer was she? Her parents would be disappointed, and she knew it too. They didn't need to think it so loud.

Her body temperature spiked higher, anger bubbling beneath the surface. The build-up of ice in her fur—courtesy of her mother—began to hiss, steam literally rolling off her body. All combined, she looked like a vision of hate that crawled from the depths of Hell, leaving fiery steps in her wake.

"Hey! Hey! Artemis, how did the-" Crawdaunt snapped his jaws and claws with a clack. Despite being one of the Wigglytuff Guild graduates and Artemis's senior by nearly a decade, the look of pure venom that he received from her made his blood run cold. He wasn't about to tempt fate.

"Eek! She looks like she's had a rough day!" Sunflora whisper-yelled. The comment merely added to Artemis's ire, the temperature around her growing. Sunflora squeaked, whirled around with Crawdaunt, and the two pretended to look over the public notice board in town.

A low growl slipped from her lips, startling several of the townspeople around her. Luckily, the town wasn't too busy at this point in the night. The sun had just started to dip below the horizon and cast the world into various shades of orange, and signalled to the Pokémon of Treasure Town that it was time to turn in for the night.

Artemis stalked her way through town, weaving around a few people who didn't see her or couldn't move quite fast enough. The only goal running through her mind was to get home and have a bath. She needed to clean up after the events of the day. There was blood staining her shoulder and foreleg, grass and dirt in her pelt, and some of her fur was even sticking up in odd spots!

She hated being dirty. She hated electricity. She especially hated that damned outlaw.

Artemis came up to the door of her home and used her anger to direct the power flowing through her. The door glowed pink with psychic energy, and she wrenched it open. The door slammed open against the rock brace with a thunderous crash and dented the heavy door.

"Stupid outlaw," Artemis growled. She stalked down the stairs into her home and slammed the door shut behind her with psychic power once more. "We almost had him too! He was running for three days!" Artemis hurled her Treasure Bag into the corner.

She began pacing, but at least had the mind to direct her abilities away from her paws. She had learned the hard way that pawprints were hard to unmelt from stone. She stamped a paw on the ground, and her tails flicked angrily, writhing like a nest of snakes.

"We had him. We swapped out to keep him exhausted and everything. It was perfect!" She growled. Her anger wasn't directed at Dugtrio, Exploud, or Bibarel who had volunteered to help. Hell, her anger at the outlaw paled in comparison to who she was truly angry at.

Herself.

"You got cocky, Artemis. You did it again and messed it all up. Now he's gone. Again!" She grit her teeth and stomped toward the lip of the cave overlooking the sea, peering through the teeth of the Sharpedo. "You should have just gone for it, but you were showing off. Idiot." She gnashed her teeth together, flames rolling from her jaws as she worked herself up. "I should have just taken him down right there. I could have done it too! Stupid!"

She should have just done it. Burn him with a Flamethrower until he passed out. Or shredded him to pieces and froze him with Powder Snow. She could have trapped him with ice shards, or set fire to the exits of the clearing. She could have done so many things. But she got cocky and just had to show off that she was better than him.

Her paws tensed, and her tails thrashed. She took short breaths, huffing, fire rolling from her jaws.

Idiot! Moron! Failure! Her perfect record she struggled so hard for was being ripped apart by this outlaw. She should have tried harder. She should have been smarter. She could have done it if she wasn't so… so…

Useless!

She screamed out over the ocean, and a torrent of flame followed. The spiralling inferno erupted outwards from the jaws of Sharpedo Bluff and lit up the beach and docks below in a hellish orange. She pushed all her anger into it. All her doubts and flaws and insecurities and burned it all with that single shrieking lance of fire. Night turned into day outside of the bluff, leaving terrified Pokémon to watch in horror.

The Pelipper on the beach took off in a hurry, flying anywhere that wasn't near what looked like a fire-breathing shark. The Krabby and Kingler that blew bubbles on the beach skittered away, ducking under the water or vanishing into the bushes.

Gradually, Artemis ran out of breath. The stream of fire grew smaller and smaller before she cut it off entirely with a click of her jaws. The fiery hellscape from Sharpedo Bluff was no more.

Now thoroughly drained, Artemis stepped away from the open view over the ocean and retreated. She gave a tired sigh and dragged herself over to the pool of water in the corner of the cave. A paw dipped into the water, and she grimaced at the cold temperature. Still, she slunk into the pool and raised her body heat. The water around her started to bubble, and she sank herself in lower, doing her best to ignore the prickling of tears in her eyes.

"…Dammit, Artemis. You need to be better. Think of Mom and Dad. They're still out there, they're counting on you to find them," she whispered.

Artemis huffed, scrubbed the dirt from her fur, and worked the blood out of her coat. Her tails curled around to help where paws were useless and took a moment to just enjoy the warmth of the pool and the fresh water within.

Finally, when she felt she was ready, she turned around. Her gaze settled upon the wall near the entrance, where a painting hung. On the canvas was an Empoleon shoulder to shoulder with an Infernape, very much in love. Right in between the two, held up in the center, was a Vulpix. A white Vulpix, with tails that ended in alternating colours of ice-blue and gold.

Artemis sighed, and lowered her head to the edge of the pool, looking upon the painting. Her eyes roamed over the canvas—if she stared hard enough, maybe all the answers would appear.

"C'mon, it's been two years… I've gotta find something soon," she breathed.

Artemis finished cleaning herself and clambered out of the pool. A quick flare of heat was enough to flash-dry her fur, leaving it a little floofed up. She padded her way over to the shelves, and snagged a Sitrus Berry, nibbling on the expensive fruit.

Energy filled her body, and in an instant, the healing properties of the fruit went to work. The wound on her shoulder and foreleg sealed and vanished before her eyes, and the headache she had been nursing faded away.

Artemis crawled into bed and settled down on the pile of pillows. She shifted and wriggled to get comfy, and settled in for the night. Her tails curled around to drape over herself like a large blanket, keeping her insulated for the night.

She didn't dream that night. She was far too drained, physically and emotionally, to do anything other than rest.

~{O}~{O}~{O}~

Artemis walked her way through town, passing everyone with a smile or nod. Her mood had vastly improved after a good night's sleep, and her tails floated along behind her, flicking to-and-fro with her improved mood. Her walk toward the guild hall involved a stop at Kangaskhan Storage first.

"Oh, good morning, Artemis! How are you today, dear?" Kangaskhan asked. The older, motherly Pokémon greeted the Ninetales with a smile. Her son was behind her in the storage building, likely sorting through items and categorizing everything. He peeked his head out and waved to Artemis before he ducked back inside.

"Good morning, Miss Kangaskhan! I'm doing well, just recovering from yesterday is all," Artemis said. She approached the counter and fished around in her treasure bag. All the useless items she didn't need were handed over: a white gummi, a few big apples, and a TM she had no use for. Maybe she would sell it later.

"Rough day?" Kangaskhan asked. She passed the items back to her son.

"Mhm. That outlaw slipped by me. Again…" Artemis grumbled. A few unexpected pats to the head from the older Pokémon had her blink owlishly. The touch was nice though—comforting in a way she hadn't felt in two years.

"Don't worry, dear, I'm sure you'll get him eventually. Just one more outlaw to add to your record!" The motherly Pokémon smiled, and Artemis couldn't help but smile back.

Yeah, she's got this. Next time will be different. She knew what she was going to do differently.

Artemis bid farewell to the duo and began her way toward the guild once more. Her day had much improved just from that little chat. The stroll through Treasure Town was as nice as always, especially with the sun just starting to rise and warm everything up again. The atmosphere in town was lively and upbeat like usual, with Pokémon from all walks of life calling this place home.

Her stroll was interrupted when she spotted Crawdaunt and Sunflora, the duo actually looking over the town's notice board this time. Artemis approached, exchanged pleasantries, and she apologized for her mood last night. They understood, of course. There was always that one mission that slipped away, or that one bad day that ruined everything else.

With their short chat finished, she wished them luck with their tasks for the day, and continued her way to the guild. Her walk was occasionally interrupted by excited children, and of course, she was more than happy to burn a pawprint autograph into a notebook. She rather enjoyed the praise and attention if she was being honest. It was nice to have her hard work appreciated and acknowledged.

Eventually, she came upon the guild and found the front gates already open. There was no hesitation as she strode into the guild—they all knew her after all. Paws tapped down the spiral staircase and she descended deeper underground.

She wouldn't admit it to Wigglytuff, but she was incredibly glad they had finally replaced the ladders with this lovely staircase. Climbing ladders as a quadrupedal Pokémon was not the easiest thing in the world.

The familiar sounds of the morning routine rattled through the guild, and Artemis couldn't help the smile on her face, memories of growing up and training here flowing into her mind. She stepped onto the lowest floor of the guild—the basement storage hardly counted—and seated herself off to the side, trying to look inconspicuous.

An aged Wigglytuff and Chatot continued their morning routine, and Artemis couldn't help smiling as several of the recruits looked toward her. Chatot followed their gaze and looked over his shoulder at the seated fox.

Artemis raised a paw and waved. Chatot rolled his eyes and continued with the morning cheer.

"…THREE! SMILES GO FOR MILES!" The trainees chanted, following routine like usual.

"Ok, Pokémon! Get to work!" Chatot announced. The words flowed off his tongue naturally, years of the same routine coming as easily as breathing.

"HOORAY!" The apprentices cheered.

Now that the daily cheers and such were finished, the threat of angering Chatot-or worse, making Wigglytuff sad—disappeared. The trainees swarmed Artemis, clamoured for her attention, and asked question after question.

Did she really freeze a volcano? Of course.

How did she take down Moltress? Strength, skill, and plenty of training.

Did she have a boyfriend? Of course not, she was-

Artemis blinked and looked at the Growlithe that asked. He wagged hard and blushed at her. Three children around the Growlithe groaned, and an Eevee bonked him over the head with a paw. Artemis glanced over to Chatot for help.

"Alright, go on now! Shoo, all of you! You have work to do!" Chatot interrupted.

The gathering around the Ninetales sighed or grumbled at the Guildmaster's helper, but complied. They knew what happened when they didn't listen to Chatot. Everyone complied with the order to clear out and shuffled their way up the stairs.

"Meh-heh-heh! It never gets old watching those little scamps swarm a graduate." Toxicroak laughed from his side of the room, still fiddling around with his cauldron.

"Indeed! Good morning, Artemis! What brings you here?" Chatot asked. He fluttered his wings in greeting. The Pokémon was starting to look a little grey in his feathers around the eyes and the tips of his wings, but Chatot was still as lively and high-strung as ever.

"Good morning, Toxicroak, Chatot, and Wigglytuff," Artemis greeted, her tails giving a little wiggle. "I, uh… Need to ask for a little help… It's about that criminal I had asked Bibarel, Exploud, and Dugtrio to help with."

"Goodness! Are they okay?" Chatot asked. He started to pace in front of Artemis, already well on his way to his usual stress-talking episodes. She interrupted his little panic session before it turned into a full-on meltdown and rescue search attempt.

"Yes! Yes, don't worry, they're fine! They were a lot of help. They did their jobs perfectly and wore down the outlaw over a few days. They made it home fine. Unfortunately… I got careless and he slipped by me. Again." Artemis finished. She folded her ears back, embarrassed, and cleared her throat.

"Oh! Oh dear, that's no good at all!" Chatot muttered. He started pacing once more, much to Artemis's amusement. Some things really never did change.

"That's why I came to you and the Guild Master. I figured if we could corner that Pokémon again and get Wigglytuff to cut off his escape, we would be able to take him down," Artemis explained. She glanced up at the Guild Master, her eyes locking onto his own. Wigglytuff stared at Artemis, unblinking, intense and observant as always.

"Hmmm… I would have to cover for the Guild Master when that time comes, but that seems doable," Chatot thought aloud. He glanced between Artemis and Wigglytuff as if trying to decide what would be the best course of action. "I believe it should be acceptable. I take it you're going to get Exploud, Bibarel, and Dugtrio to help again?"

"Mhm, that was the plan. It worked well last time, just needed a little more help," Artemis explained.

Wigglytuff was still staring at her.

"I think that's a wonderful idea. Especially for a four-star outlaw like himself. His two-year reign of terror on exploration teams can come to an end! What do you think, Guild Master?" Chatot turned toward his long-time friend with a tilt of his head.

"…"

"…"

"…Guild Master?"

"…Zzzzzz…"

Artemis snorted and chuckled under her breath. Chatot reeled back in shock and embarrassment for the Guild Master. He hopped closer toward Wigglytuff and nudged him with his wing. Then he nudged him again, a little harder. Then a third time, and nearly sent Wigglytuff to the ground.

Chatot huffed and flapped his wings. He turned back to face Artemis and completely gave up on rousing the Guildmaster.

"Well, I think it's a great plan. I'll let the Guild Master know and—"

"YOOM-TAH!" Wigglytuff cried.

Artemis and Chatot both jumped, the latter flapping his wings so hard he flew several feet off the ground. Chatot slowly fluttered to the ground with an embarrassed squawk and glared at Wigglytuff. Artemis merely sat back down and smoothed her fur out with her paws and tail, acting as if she hadn't been startled at all.

"That sounds like a wonderful plan, Artemis!" Wigglytuff agreed. He gave her a rather unnerving smile. "We'll take down this outlaw so that he won't bother our friends again!" Wigglytuff cheered.

His cheering was unmatched by the rest of the room. The three other Pokémon watched Wigglytuff dance in a circle, dart into his room, and then slam the door shut.

…

"Er… So, I take it that's a yes?" Artemis finally asked. "I'll… just be on my way. I'll stock up and try to locate the Pokémon again so we can catch him," Artemis explained.

The Ninetales took another glance at the closed office door and shook her head. Despite the seriousness of the situation, she couldn't help the grin on her muzzle. She made her way up the stairs, memories of her time here flowing through her head.

After all the time that had passed, she was glad that some things never changed.