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Silvally was always a light sleeper. He wasn't sure if it was natural, his body fine-tuned to specific sounds, or something learned on the run. Whatever the reason, it saved him countless times in the wilderness. Whether it was wild Pokémon hoping to make an easy meal of him, or Exploration Teams trying to catch him off guard, he'd been able to turn the tables and gain the upper hand. Upper talon? Paw? Claw?

Normally he was thankful for this ability, not to mention the time it saved. It didn't bother him in the guild either—the door muffled most of the noise, and he was getting used to the little shuffles and the soft breathing of Artemis. It was the sudden changes that had him awake in an instant, ears perked, muscles tense, ready to spring into action.

Unfortunately, his unwilling roommate had trouble sleeping. She'd drift off, only to jolt awake, startling him as well. This repeated almost every hour through the night, and, finally, when Artemis had managed to fall asleep for good, he'd only been able to get a couple of hours rest.

Still, he'd managed to fend off several Exploration Teams with only two hours of sleep in three days before. In comparison, this was trivial. All he had to do was follow someone who frequently wound up in his nightmares because of how much more vicious and relentless she was. Simple.

He huffed through his nose, the irony of the situation not lost on him.

Silvally's steps were gentle, following the much more exhausted and uncoordinated Ninetales. Artemis, normally graceful and lithe, was far from it. The first thing she'd said when she woke wasn't a greeting, or even some grumbling about having to get up. The only thing she'd said was "tea", and staggered to her paws. Somehow, she managed to get her Treasure Bag secured—somewhat messily—to her side.

How Artemis managed to drag herself up the guild steps and down the large staircase was beyond him. He'd half expected her to trip and slide to the bottom completely limp. Thankfully, they'd arrived in Treasure Town without incident, though it was busy due to the late hour.

Despite the people bustling around Treasure Town, the atmosphere was light. Pokémon were smiling and chatting with one another, walking in their own little groups, all going about their day. No one was actively negative toward him either! That helped improve his mood and eased the discomfort of being around so many people.

His worry about being in town gradually dropped. It was weird–some Pokémon greeted Silvally by name alongside Artemis. They didn't call him names, they just referred to him normally and treated him like anyone else, as if he'd been here for ages.

Was that all it took? Just working alongside a beloved member of the community and suddenly he was treated differently? It's not as if the tasks were that difficult, and seemed like the kind of thing a responsible community member should do anyway. At least, he thought they should be. It seemed relatively important that people had food and medicine.

Of course, Silvally also received the same glares and angry mutters from before, but that started to die down. Before, almost every Pokémon regarded him with suspicion or anger, clenching with fear or hurling insults his way. Then, it dropped to little mutters and the occasional scathing look. Now, after everything, they merely glared but seemed loathe to say anything.

At least, it seemed that way so far. As far as he'd overheard, he was following behind one of the most well-known and revered explorers in town. If she looked exhausted and upset, it was smart to avoid saying anything negative toward the Pokémon she was working with.

He knew first-hand how terrifying an angry Artemis was.

It was an oddly sobering experience, looking at all these Pokémon living their lives. Lives just as filled with excitement, people, and unique experiences, all different than his own. All this life, all these new things around him, contained to a tiny area of the world.

In the wilderness, his only concern was himself and his day-to-day needs. All there was to worry about was keeping away from Explorers and getting food, water, and rest. He'd wanted answers too but had no leads, and thus no time to start looking while running for his life.

Here, everything was so interconnected it was dizzying. In less than a minute Silvally witnessed an interaction that involved numerous Pokémon. A dock worker delivered a crate to a merchant's stand. The Pokémon running the stand opened the crate and set some sort of wooden figure on their table. Someone else purchased the figure and turned to hand it to their child, who clutched it tight to their chest. Four heavily interconnected lives, relying on one another in a chain of events that none of the others had a part in.

A glance revealed a similar scene all over Kecleon Market–strangers meeting strangers, exchanging words, goods, and smiles. The atmosphere was light, sounds of joy filled the air, and the scent of various baked goods, meats, and other fruits mingled with one another. A gentle breeze rolled off the ocean, and the sun cast a soothing warmth on Treasure Town.

The instinctual part of his mind hated this—there were too many unknown variables around him. Pokémon, he didn't know, and many of them used to or still hated him. Treasure Bags seemed to be on almost every Pokémon, potentially filled with dozens of items to be used against him. He could be jumped from any direction, and the thought made his skin crawl.

The logical part of his mind recognized a peaceful open-air market with people just going about their lives and having a good time. There was no shouting or screaming, no one angry or causing a fight. Everyone was focused on their own things, interacting with all manner of Pokémon without issue. The only negativity was the occasional glare, and the wide berth given to himself and Artemis.

That could very well be due to Artemis's mood, however.

Leafeon didn't seem to be improving it at all, much to Silvally's concern.

"Well, good almost afternoon… Arceus, you look like shit." Leafeon's blunt commentary and deadpan expression managed to break through Artemis's exhausted state. Barely—she huffed a laugh through her nose.

"Tea." Artemis used a paw to slam coins down on the table, followed by her head dropping to the surface with a thump. "Please," she added, almost an afterthought.

"Do I look like a barista to you?" Artemis's glare encouraged Leafeon to snap his jaw shut. "Oh, it's one of those days, eh?" A wry chuckle rolled from the farmer and he turned, hopping down from the crate he stood on. "I see Kangaskhan made good on her word. I'll have to give 'er another bag as thanks."

"You make it sound like a drug deal," Artemis mumbled.

"Ha, I wish! There's probably more money in that." Leafeon laughed and turned around, holding up a little cloth sack with a vine, flashing Artemis a grin. "Why, ya want some?"

Artemis narrowed her eyes and a low growl rolled from her jaws. It wasn't like her normal growl, it was more subdued and relaxed, almost playful. That didn't keep Silvally's heart from skipping a beat. He tensed and jerked away from her, not expecting the rush of adrenaline. Sharp talons sank into the stone below, carving out grooves as he took a breath. He shook his head, snapping himself out of that little rush.

Leafeon noticed the reaction—his gaze flicked over to Silvally, then to Artemis, his eyes widening.

"Ey, easy." Leafeon stepped on the crate and plopped the bag on the table in front of Artemis. "I wouldn't sell to ya anyway. You're already strung out enough for the three of us." Leafeon leaned across the table toward Silvally, who'd distanced himself from Artemis, attempting to involve him in the conversation. "Keep an eye on 'er for me, will ya? Make sure she doesn't collapse from lack of caffeine; she lives on the stuff- ack!"

One of Artemis's tails bonked Leafeon over the head, knocking his sunhat askew. He cursed under his breath and grumbled, using a paw to fix his hat, the leaf between his ears flopping about.

Artemis rolled her eyes. "He's kidding, that's not going to happen," she huffed.

"Killjoy," Leafeon grumbled, rubbing a paw on the back of his head. "It's nice to meet ya properly, Silvally." He dipped his head in greeting. "I've heard a lot of good things about ya. I'm Leafeon, the best farmer at this table."

Silvally blinked, caught off-guard. It took a moment before he remembered to return the gesture, dipping his head toward the farmer. He just needed to remember to match the manners shown.

"You're the only farmer at this table," Artemis huffed. "Thanks, Leafeon. I think we should get going, we're already behind today."

A pink glow enveloped the pouch, and a quick flick of a tail shot it into her Treasure Bag, which closed with the snap of a latch. She seemed much more alert and awake than when they'd arrived. Silvally idly noted that an ability like that would be easier to use than trying to be delicate with his talons–unwieldy things.

"Oh! Right. Well, don't let lil ol' me stop you two." Leafeon slipped into his false accent and bowed to the Ninetales. "My deepest apologies Lady Artemis. I humbly- ack!" Artemis's tail smacked the back of his head a second time, knocking his hat forward.

Silvally blinked, a little smile forming, unable to help his amusement at the display. The feeling faded as Artemis turned to face him. Her ears twitched forward and flicked back, as if unsure where to settle. Her tails gave that hesitant swirl again, giving away something that Silvally couldn't place.

Then, she slipped by without a word, maintaining the respected distance between one another. Silvally pushed down the curiosity that bubbled up, remaining quiet. Instead, he turned to follow after the fox, his back to the farmer still struggling with his hat. Silvally followed behind Artemis at his regular distance, careful to avoid running into any of the other Pokémon.

A shout from behind caught their attention.

"Ey, Artemis!" Leafeon called. The two looked back at the farmer. "You overpaid! Come back-" The sharp glare Artemis sent him had the farmer fall silent. A wry smile made its way onto his face. "Right, right, one of those days," Leafeon chuckled. "You two take care now."

"Oh, Leafeon." Artemis stopped in her tracks and faced the farmer properly. "Thank you," she tilted her head toward Silvally, "for everything."

Some sort of understanding seemed to pass between the two, leaving Silvally with only more unanswered questions. He looked between the two Pokémon, one of his ears cocked to the side in confusion.

"Come on, let's go get this not-coffee made. I wanna get a job request and finish it up quickly. We've got work to do." Artemis looked at him for a moment, fixing him with a gaze that he was unable to place.

Without a word, she turned away and began her walk through the streets. Silvally fell into step behind her, lost as to what had just happened. What had Leafeon said or done for Artemis? That seemed like more than just a normal thanks.

The grass type had been pleasant; Silvally decided he liked the farmer. Leafeon was slotted into that 'maybe friends' category alongside Kangaskhan, Lucario, and Wigglytuff. If things went well and he got his freedom back, he would visit them whenever he returned from the wilderness to get supplies. Silvally wasn't expecting to find people in town he would get along with. He thought it would have been full of awful Pokémon.

It was an oddly pleasant surprise.

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

Artemis still wasn't in the right state of mind when she stepped into the café. Sure, she perked up from the conversation with Leafeon, and being able to talk with others made her feel a little better overall; however, it didn't erase yesterday's jarring realization or the lost sleep. It still weighed heavily on her.

Being an explorer of high renown, she often found herself rushing to perform more work and inspire others. There was no time to stop and chat when there were criminals to catch, new dungeons to explore, and Pokémon to rescue. Social bonds weren't exactly high on Artemis's priority list anyway. Of the friends she could count on her tails, almost all of them were through connections with her parents, or her work in the guild. People knew of her, but no one really knew her.

She was fine with that. No one harassed her where explorers frequented, and other than civilians asking for autographs or wanting to talk, there was little in the way of her job. No team wanted to fight her for the jobs she took. No one sought her attention because there was none to give—she was busy.

The only time she stepped into the café was to get herself a coffee, and maybe a small bite to eat before she was off. The last two years were repetitive: grab a drink, eat a snack, be polite to the people who said "hello," and leave. Always alone, and only recently with Dugtrio, Exploud, and Bibarel to catch Silvally.

Artemis didn't really stop to take in the types of Pokémon that frequented the café. Yes, it was for explorers, rescue teams and the like; not guild teams. Guilds had certain rules to abide by, or there were certain appearances and social cues that had to be upheld.

An Explorer Cafe tended to fit a broader type. There were mission requests that no one else would take; bounties for Pokémon that committed provable crime; freelance muscle for any reason; even the occasional not-so-legal crew that worked under the guise of being a legit exploration team.

Guild missions had to fit within certain criteria. Here? Under-the-table work wasn't infrequent. Nothing criminal of course, but certainly questionable and morally grey on a good day.

So, as Artemis and Silvally walked into the café, it slipped her mind that the more aggressive teams spent time there—especially near the afternoon, as they would be the ones to work through the night. These were Pokémon that sought their wealth through other avenues than guild work.

Artemis's presence wasn't unusual, and she got the occasional look or greeting from the more polite individuals within the café—respect among explorers as it were. Silvally's presence brought about a whole other set of issues, ones that Artemis didn't take into consideration when they walked through the entrance of the brightly lit, comfortable café.

Eyes lit up when Artemis stepped inside, and some waved, while others glanced at her and then returned to their work. Silvally followed behind, and the nearest tables immediately quieted, eyes on the newcomer.

Normally, the music playing in the café was hard to hear over the background noise of teams talking and people moving about. Life tended to have a certain sound to it that overwhelmed others.

But, as Artemis walked through the café, Silvally behind her, the voices and sounds gradually drew quiet. Little nudges and whispers passed around, and all too soon, the music that played from the machine in the corner was the only thing audible.

The change in atmosphere caught Artemis off guard, and she glanced around, finding all those eyes on her and her ward. The negative attention kicked in muscle memory, her head high, her tails flowing proudly, gliding forward without even thinking about it. She just had to hold herself up and let them know they didn't bother her in the slightest—she was better than what they thought.

A glance over her shoulder told her just how nervous Silvally was. He looked all around the room, eyes flicking from one Pokémon to another. With his fur raised, the feathers on his head spread higher, and his ears twitching at the smallest noise in the room, Silvally looked like he was ready to jump the next person who blinked.

Artemis stepped up to the counter and shook off the unpleasant feeling that rolled down her spine. Her gaze fell on the Braixen behind the counter, the familiar employee flashing her a practiced smile. A smile that fell briefly when she glanced at Silvally. The flash of teeth returned when she looked around the room, teeth bright as always.

The chatter around the room fell back into place as if it had never left. Artemis could still feel the lingering eyes and hear the hushed whispers, however.

"Good morn- er, afternoon Artemis." Flare, the ever-pleasant café employee, smiled. "Good news, I've heard the dock is fixed! They should be shipping out our supply in a few days."

"Good afternoon, Flare," Artemis replied. "Don't worry, I'm not here to harass you about coffee this time." A little smile made its way to the front, and Artemis tilted her head to gesture toward Silvally. "We're just hoping you can make us some tea with this. I don't have anything to make it right now."

A pink glow lit up her Treasure Bag, and the pouch Leafeon gave her drifted through the air, landing on the counter with a dull thump. The Braixen grabbed it, peered inside, and sniffed at the contents.

"Leafeon's?" Flare asked. Artemis nodded. "We get a lot of requests for this—he's running a good side business." She let out a little laugh and leaned forward slightly, her eyes flicking back to Silvally. "Are… you two staying long?"

"Just for the drink," Artemis replied. She frowned and her tails gave a little swirl. "Is there a problem?" Artemis narrowed her eyes, not missing the subtle looks at Silvally, nor the glances around the room.

"No, nothing with you two." Flare leaned forward over the counter, lowering her voice, motioning for Artemis to come closer. "I don't mind the both of you staying here. The others might be a problem."

"What do you mean?" Artemis asked.

Flare let out a soft sigh, and grimaced. "A lot of the teams here tried to go after him. They complained about it whenever they came back beaten or empty-handed. Some folks aren't happy he's wandering around town with you—they get loud about it. Most just grumble, but… some talk about 'handling it themselves'."

A confusing variety of emotions shot through Artemis:

Anger—did they think she couldn't do her job? That she was inadequate? They were the ones who lost to Silvally and couldn't catch him. She could handle the job just fine on her own, thank you.

Concern—how did she not notice? She knew that there were teams that didn't like Silvally–some civilians too–but the guild Pokémon were restrained and calm. Some even liked him! How did she not think about the groups outside of the guild? What about the other city?

Defensiveness—they were going to hurt him? For what? He didn't do anything to them beyond defending himself. She and him were helping out around town with jobs that were needed, some pretty dangerous. They were making everyone's lives easier. Was she going to have to protect him so that Pokémon didn't mix up self-defence with assault?

Guilt—she felt the same way at first. Just ignore the law, knock him out, and send him to jail. No risks to the public, it was better that way. She learned though. Silvally wasn't any risk to the civilians, he was almost comically restrained and quiet compared to his reputation. The exploration teams probably didn't know. They just needed to read the files and listen to the people around them, like she did.

Then, a little moment of confusion.

Did she only worry because she felt guilty? Did she really care or was it just because she'd traumatized Silvally beyond any reasonable measure? A burden of responsibility to fix what happened? To keep him safe from people who thought exactly like she had?

None of this showed on the surface, save for a little spasm of her tails.

"I see. Thank you. Don't worry, we'll be fine." Artemis pulled away, resisting the urge to see who was still watching them to narrow down the threats. "We'll go get seated," she said.

"Of course! I'll be right over with your drinks, and whatever is left of this," Flare held up the little cloth bag, shaking it. "I'll just be a few minutes." The Braixen leapt off the platform she stood on, disappearing behind the counter.

"Well, let's go find a table." Artemis turned, eyes darting around the room, before settling on Silvally. "There's a spot near the wall, off to the right."

Silvally's ears twitched and he nodded. He didn't look at her though, his gaze still roaming the room. His talons had gouged clear chunks out of the floor, wood shavings scattered about on the floor. Hesitantly, he stepped forward, leading the way toward the table Artemis pointed out.

As they made their way between tables and Pokémon, Artemis idly wondered how Silvally felt about her following him. He looked over his shoulder often in dungeons, but didn't react like he had the first couple days. Did he trust her not to hurt him, or was he just too focused on the job?

She sure as hell wasn't going to ask though. That'd be creepy.

What would even say if she were to ask? 'Do you feel nervous with your back exposed to me?' That's something a serial killer would say. And, also, would probably terrify Silvally beyond measure. He was already jumpy enough.

Her eyes flicked down as they walked, and another thought came to mind. She really hoped that she and Silvally wouldn't be fined for damage to public property. The stones in Kecleon Market, the ground in the Guild, and the wooden floor here. His grip strength was impressive, she had to give him that.

Silvally sat at the table, and Artemis noticed a little bit of a problem. He sat with his back to the wall. It was smart, she'd have done the same thing too—never turn your back on a potential enemy. That, and having her back toward an open room made her beyond uncomfortable.

The problem wasn't that he sat like that, or that it was some behaviour thing she'd have to break him out of. Nothing like that–much simpler, actually.

She wanted that spot.

She really wanted that spot. Exposing her back to a room full of potential enemies? No, she wasn't suicidal, thank you very much. That was just inviting someone to come up behind her and stick a poisoned knife through her ribs. And sure, that hadn't happened yet. But once would be one time too many and she wasn't going to risk it.

Artemis hesitantly stepped forward, eyes on Silvally–he was still focused on everyone else in the cafe. She turned, and sat down on the bench at the very corner of the table, managing to get her back to the wall as well. Her tails bunched up awkwardly behind her and spread across the wall.

Clearly, it was much too close for Silvally, who shifted over, matching Artemis's position at the other corner of the table. The two glanced at one another, blinked, and turned away, refusing to acknowledge it. They settled for perching awkwardly over the corners, having met a mutual agreement.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Artemis settled in and adjusted, allowing her tails to fall to the left and drape over the bench. Comfortable, she turned her gaze to the room once again, catching several groups of Pokémon watching them. She narrowed her eyes, and the other Pokémon eventually turned to their teammates. This was going to be annoying.

She looked back at Silvally, his reaction to the negative attention rather telling. His jaw muscles were clenched, ears alert, and body tense. He trembled with what had to be pure adrenaline, muscles twitchy, ready to respond in an instant. Silvally didn't look scared, just… intense.

"Are… are you alright?" Artemis asked quietly. She almost immediately wished she hadn't. Was that too soon to ask? Was she acting out of character?

He turned toward her and blinked as if he hadn't expected her to ask. Silvally replied with a slow, hesitant nod, his gaze focused on a spot over her shoulder. He took a breath, and then another, his ears still perked and alert.

Artemis took a break to let Silvally recenter himself, the twitches of his body slowing. She noticed he did this often—focus on something far off and breathe to keep his emotions or fears in check. It was best to not interrupt him like this. Artemis needed silence to deal with emotions sometimes—usually by breaking the silence with shouting—so she'd give him the same courtesy.

Several minutes passed like that. Just silence between the two, the sound of breathing punctuating the quiet. Other tables of Pokémon would glance at them but seemed to grow bored of glaring. Finally, once the tremors in Silvally's muscles eased, she spoke up again.

"… Would you like to leave now? We don't have to stay." Again, Artemis regretted her words. She was being weird, she had to be. It had to be stressing him out further. Why was this so difficult?

Silvally's eyes shifted back to her, and for a moment seemed to really look at her—look through her. Trying to find something he couldn't see, or perhaps, understand her change in behaviour. Artemis returned his gaze, silver and red eyes meeting for what had to be the longest five seconds of her life.

Then, they flicked away again, and Silvally nodded. He seemed to pause, and blinked, appearing to change his mind. A talon tapped on the table and he shook his head, remaining rooted to the spot.

It looked like they were staying after all.

Artemis hated this. The careful words, the balancing act, and her actions that led to this whole problem in the first place. This was torture, trying to keep from worrying Silvally while also changing how she acted. An innocent Pokémon was lost and confused and needed her help, and dammit, she was going to try.

Another moment of silence hovered in the air, making the table feel more cramped than it actually was. Or maybe it had to do with them both sitting at the corners of the table. Artemis's tails steadily thumped and flicked against the bench, while Silvally was content with sitting perfectly still. Neither looked at the other, instead choosing to focus on various things around the room: the tables, the lights, the stairs, the Pokémon. They received far fewer looks than when they'd walked in, but it was impossible to miss the glares or little sneers.

"Do you recognize any of them?" she asked quietly. She could feel the vibrations through the bench as Silvally startled.

"Twelve," he replied.

"Twelve? Teams, or Pokémon?"

"Teams."

There were only twenty tables in the room—fifteen of them were occupied by various Pokémon. Almost everyone in the cafe had gone after Silvally at some point, confirmed by Flare, and now Silvally. No wonder he was so tense. Her presence wasn't helping either, she was sure of it.

"Are you…" She sighed, and took a breath, hesitating. "Are you worried they might hurt you?" Artemis asked. She could feel her tails rolling with anxiety, hoping her constant questions weren't throwing things off.

It was Silvally's turn to pause. He blinked, and turned his head to regard the room, eyes flickering over everyone and everything present. Silvally's ears twitched and his body tensed faintly whenever he met another Pokémon's gaze, but the reactions were minimal. Finally, he turned back to face her, looking over her shoulder to talk to her.

"No," Silvally stated.

"You don't think they'd be upset enough to attack you?" Artemis asked.

Flare wasn't the kind of Pokémon to spread false rumours. Artemis sometimes relied on her for information; to see if she'd overheard anything before she'd started hunting Silvally. The Braixen was always spot on with her hints or advice. Her help even wound up leading to multiple arrests.

"Not that." Silvally raised a talon and grimaced, rubbing at his neck. "They won't hurt me," he explained.

"What do you mean?"

"I beat them," he stated.

They won't hurt me because I already fought them off. They aren't a threat–they've failed once before. I can beat them again if I have to, and I won't get hurt doing it.

The words weren't there but the sentiment was. Artemis froze, her mind reeling. Not only was this the longest conversation they'd had willingly, but the previously discarded thoughts about Silvally came rushing back.

She'd been so caught up in her guilt and worry over making things worse that she forgot something: Silvally lived in the wilderness and had been on the run for two years. He'd fought off dozens of exploration teams and won every single time. This wasn't just some helpless Pokémon that couldn't get by without her. He was a lost and confused Pokémon that could very well fend for himself; he followed the rules set out for him because he had to. Because he chose to cooperate and could make things much worse if he was pushed too far.

Was he a hardened survivalist? A Pokémon in need of saving? Someone who chose to be better than others were to him? Was it all just the most convenient path? What did he think of all the Pokémon around him? What did he think of her?

And despite all these questions, the constant back and forth between 'innocent Pokémon' and 'dangerous enemy', it came back to one thing. It was all Silvally. Her sudden realization of his innocence didn't remove the last two years of his life, as trauma-filled as they were. He was still the Pokémon that was capable of fighting her to a standstill and outsmarting her with dirty tricks.

Right now, he just chose not to be. He decided to cooperate and be kind, despite everything he'd been through.

Artemis was so caught up in her thoughts that she completely missed Flare's approach. The thud of the clay cups on the table startled her, tails flailing about for a moment, knocking a painting on the wall askew. Flare gave a startled gasp and lunged toward the painting, arms outstretched in anticipation.

Thankfully, nothing fell.

"Whew… You alright?" Flare asked. She stood on her toes and reached up, the small fox barely able to touch the painting.

"I am. Just distracted is all." Artemis's psychic-type abilities flared, and a small stack of coins flew from her bag and landed in a stack on the table. "There. Thank you, Flare."

"Anytime." Flare simply flashed the two of them a smile. She scooped up the coins from the table and tucked them into a little pouch at her hip. "If you need anything I'll be at the counter. Thanks for coming, you two." She tossed the bag of remaining tea leaves onto the table and returned to the counter, leaving Silvally and Artemis alone.

Artemis looked down at her steaming cup, then glanced up at Silvally, who was busy studying the new material. He wrapped his talons around it as best he could, the smooth surfaces slipping against one another. Artemis looked away before he noticed her.

Instead of worrying about the other Pokémon in the café, she set about having her drink. They weren't really in a rush, despite the late hour. After all, she'd slept in, and Silvally had allowed her some much-needed rest. Last night she couldn't stop thinking back to those encounters with Silvally.

What could she have done differently had she known?

Artemis leaned in and blew frosty breath over her cup, cooling the drink—she didn't need the extreme temperature to distract her, unlike last night. She caught Silvally looking at the cooled cup before glancing away, sipping at his scalding drink to the best of his abilities. It seemed difficult with that metal upper jaw.

The minutes passed in silence, the atmosphere gradually growing more relaxed as the other Pokémon started to settle back into their normal activities. It was still incredibly awkward, the heavy silence held between them. Silvally avoided meeting her gaze and the eyes of everyone else. Artemis did her best to keep from looking at him—she didn't want to stress him further.

Pokémon came and went from the café, but nothing out of the ordinary occurred. Some that entered froze and stared at the duo. They continued on their way when they noticed no one else really cared, at least for the time being.

Silvally had already long since drained his cup. His nervousness fell, reduced to his normal tense posture, though his ears remained perked, his eyes darting around at any new sound. A single talon followed along the little grooves of their table, careful to avoid scratching it.

Artemis blinked, realizing something. It made sense, him finishing his drink early. It was probably habitual–finishing meals and drinks fast so competition couldn't take it from him, or so he could run.

She idly sipped at her drink and took her time, not to keep Silvally here, but because she didn't want to leave too soon. Rushing might make them look nervous, and if others were thinking of being violent, that wouldn't do. It was a mind game. She and Silvally had to act like they didn't care they were outnumbered—they had as much right to be there as anyone else.

It also seemed to be helping Silvally. Occasionally, he would look up to examine the room again, checking for differences, before returning to looking at the paintings on the walls or inspecting the structure of the clay cup. He was just doing whatever he could to avoid looking at Artemis. By now he'd calmed, his ears were more relaxed, and his breathing steady and soft. After such a long period of nothing happening, and the naturally soothing atmosphere, it wasn't surprising.

"How long were you up before me?" Artemis asked.

Silvally jolted, his talons curling and carving grooves into the tabletop. Artemis bit back a frustrated growl—she forgot she needed to get his attention before trying to talk to him. Treating this casually wouldn't work.

"Four hours," Silvally replied after a moment.

"You… you know you're allowed to go around the guild without me, right?" Artemis asked. "You don't have to stay in the room if you don't want to, or wait for me to get up."

Silvally blinked at her, confused. He looked genuinely stunned, like he'd been told something completely unexpected. Did he think he was her prisoner or something? That he was confined to her side or the room?

He might, she realized.

"I saw the writing in the dirt. The room at the end of the hall has paper and ink, and some books. There's easier reading for Pokémon who are from, uh, out of town," Artemis explained, picking her words carefully. "It might be better than waiting for me and using the floor."

Again, nothing but silence met her words. The quiet between herself and Silvally felt louder than the Pokémon around them laughing and talking. His gaze flicked up to hers again, staring, searching, analyzing her with those piercing silver eyes.

Then, he looked away again, merely nodding to her words, acknowledging them.

She knew it. She was being weird and acting out of character. What was wrong with her? Why couldn't she do this right? She was trying-

"Thank you," Silvally said. The words were soft and smooth, likely a result of the tea. It wasn't that rough scratchy voice anymore, but something close to normal. There was no wincing, nor growling in frustration.

Artemis made a mental note to start coming back daily. She'd get her wanted, and definitely not needed caffeine, and Silvally wouldn't hurt when talking.

Maybe she wasn't fucking this up after all.

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

Artemis was being weird.

Silvally noticed the small changes the day before. Her ears twitched and swivelled constantly; she glanced at him when she thought he wasn't looking; her words seemed less sure, and more carefully spoken; she hesitated.

In the months he'd known Artemis as his pursuer, and the small number of days as an 'ally' of sorts, one thing she never did was hesitate. She was confident and leapt into action without fear. She chased him with certainty and spoke to him firmly.

Something changed. He didn't know what it was, but it had to have been when she and Mew left him alone. But what had she read that caused it? What was so important that it threw her off this badly?

It set Silvally's nerves on end. The change of behaviour was unknown, and that made it dangerous. He wanted to ask, but he didn't want to ask her. Maybe it was fear of retaliation, or anger, or something else, but asking anything of Artemis was entirely off the table. All he had to do was follow her instructions, and make sure he didn't break any rules, or cause trouble.

It used to be simple.

But now she was asking him if he was okay; asked if he wanted to leave the café when he was shaking with adrenaline, ready to defend himself. She was talking to him and picking her words carefully–treating him as if she hadn't hunted him down a short time ago.

And nothing bad happened. It was driving him crazy! There should be some reason for the change, and Silvally was certain he'd not done anything to warrant it. He was acting properly, using whatever manners he thought was appropriate, and didn't try to cause issues.

So why? It didn't make sense.

Silvally let himself slip from his thoughts, glancing at the nine-tailed fox he was following. To an outside observer, Artemis would be nothing but a streak of white, followed closely by the blur of gray that was himself.

Say what he will about his body and all the horrendous downsides, the benefits that came with it were thrilling. He could use that weird flowing 'energy' within himself to perform feats he normally couldn't: hit harder, run faster, shift the type of energy to make himself lighter, or swim fluidly through the water. It was incredible!

He kept a healthy distance behind Artemis, the duo racing across the open plains, making for their destination with haste. Silvally didn't mind—it was one of those rare times where he didn't ache at all, and he strongly suspected it had to do with the tea they'd had. It was probably those magic properties some berries had, like the Oran ones that healed wounds, or the light blue ones for burns.

… He'd have to keep an eye out for those if he was stuck with Artemis for a while. Keeping a few extras in his bag wouldn't hurt.

Honestly, Silvally felt like he could go faster, even when he'd pushed as much 'energy' into his running speed as he could. But how he ran improved. Longer strides he couldn't normally make; smooth movements that were usually hindered by pain. He knew Artemis was holding back for his benefit as well—she was fast, and he'd never been able to outrun her no matter how hard he'd tried. It was why he eventually stopped running when he ran into her. There was no point.

Now though, if he ignored the huntress ahead of him, the run through the wilderness was exhilarating and freeing. Without the normal pain and horrific stabbing feeling in his joints, it was exciting! It felt like he could go anywhere—not literally though. If he strayed Artemis would be on him in an instant.

With all that nervous, pent-up energy from Kecleon Market, and then the rather tense situation in Spinda's Café, Silvally needed this exercise. The chance to bleed off all that energy and stretch his legs was very welcome. He could feel the stress and anxiety melting away with every stride, leaving him in a clear headspace.

Unfortunately, their destination loomed in the distance, and Silvally realized where they had to go. It hadn't been long since he'd last been to this particular forest, and that time had been rather… rough. But he would be fine this time. He wasn't being chased; he wasn't on the run. They were just there to do a job.

A job that had been thrust upon them when Chatot ambushed them at the mission boards. He'd hopped up to Artemis—ignored Silvally entirely—and insisted that they "take the mission, it's of the utmost importance" and that they complete it quickly. Then the bird left, no explanation, and still not a glance toward Silvally.

It did solve the dilemma of choosing a task for the day.

The job was simple, or so it appeared—rescue a Pokémon that had gotten lost in the woods. They both had an Escape Orb from previous missions and were ready to rescue the missing Pokémon.

But as the trees grew closer, Artemis started to slow down. Her strides shortened, and the shimmering purple haze about her legs faded from sight. Silvally followed her lead, gradually slowing down from the high-speed sprint down to a flat-out run, to a jog, and then a walk.

Artemis and Silvally were both breathing and panting hard. The run from Treasure Town to the outskirts of Treeshroud Forest was rather taxing. A normal run to the forest without Agility would have taken over two hours. They managed the trip in less than a quarter of that.

Artemis sat down in the grass with a loud huff, clenching and curling her paws to get the feeling back into them. Steam rolled off her body in heavy wisps, and every breath shot out a hot cloud of vapour. Silvally followed her lead, clenching and relaxing his talons, and shaking out his legs.

"Hah… Thought we'd be faster. That's exhausting," Artemis breathed. She turned to look at Silvally, her eyes scanning over him. "You good?" she asked between panting breaths.

Silvally shrugged, breathing through an open mouth. His muscles ached and burned in a good way, that feeling of freedom setting his nerves at ease. He was so relaxed from exerting himself—or too tired to react—that Silvally didn't flinch when Artemis looked at him, or when she spoke. Instead of that thrill of fear, all he felt was that pleasant rush and warmth after pushing himself.

"If you're okay we'll rest for a minute. We don't wanna go in tired." Artemis got to all fours and began to pace, her tails swishing over the grass. "Not that it's that dangerous," she tacked on, tossing her head to the forest line.

Silvally had to agree. Other than the long-range psychic attacks, the Pokémon within the dungeon were mildly difficult at best. Sure, they were pretty strong compared to his early days, but now that he knew how to fight, there was little here that threatened him.

"I know I probably should have asked sooner, but are you going to be okay in there?" Artemis asked, turning from her pacing to look at him. "The last time we were in there wasn't, well, great."

Silvally blinked and cocked his head. His eyes flicked up, watching Artemis's ears twitch about, and her tails give a little swirl. There it was again. She was acting different and she knew it too—those little reactions gave it away.

"… I'll be fine," Silvally finally replied. Silvally's confusion grew as Artemis breathed a sigh, almost relieved.

"Alright." Artemis huffed and shook out her legs again. She flexed her paws, flared out her tails, and took a breath, looking far more alert and recovered. "You ready?"

Silvally nodded, talons and paws gliding through the lush grass as he fell into his normal spot to the side—and out of reach—of Artemis. It didn't matter if he was properly recovered or feeling a little apprehension about coming back to this place. The job was important, and there was someone that needed help.

That's what mattered.

Artemis and Silvally stepped forward, the cool shade of the trees falling over them. They made their way through the sparse forest, starting to see signs of wild Pokémon: claw marks on trees; berry bushes stripped bare; and little tufts of fur snagged on thorns.

Silvally looked ahead, through the trees, and spotted the entrance to the dungeon: a shimmering translucent barrier spanning between two tall, dark trees. The forest to either side looked dull and twisted–it would lead into the dungeon eventually if they chose to go around. Using the entrance and exit was the better choice, however.

If a Pokémon were to skip the entrance and try to go around, they'd find themselves in a random portion of the dungeon. There was no way to tell which direction was forward and what was backward. At least when going through the main 'entrance' to the dungeon they'd have a defined start and finish to avoid getting lost.

Silvally stepped forward, the world rippling and shifting like fluid around him. Disoriented and dizzy, he continued nonetheless, straight into the dungeon. Finally, the world solidified around him, displaying a much brighter, if more enclosed forest. Sunbeams filtered in through the leaves overhead, the light tinged a shifting kaleidoscope of colours due to the ever-changing nature of the dungeon. The grass was lush, the trees healthy, and the air fresh as could be. It felt like home.

Artemis came in after him, her eyes darting around the immediate area, likely checking for threats. There was nothing nearby, however. Just a calm, empty clearing—he'd already checked.

Silvally stepped forward to give her more room, and they fell into their familiar positions. Artemis covered their rear while Silvally forged ahead. He was the more physical fighter, it only made sense. Artemis could help at a distance.

The fact that she was behind him set his nerves on end. But, she had yet to attack him and was surprisingly careful with how she aimed and angled her attacks. He pushed the concern from his mind and focused on the task at hand. His eyes swept through the trees and ahead on their current path.

The wavy, wandering passages of the forest always meant blind corners were risky. Silvally was used to them though. He used all his senses to spot even the slightest hint that something might be nearby. A patch of fur, an off scent, a shift in the wind, maybe even soft breathing.

They seemed to be alone for the moment.

"Right, so, we're looking for a Grimer," Artemis explained. "Do you know what they look like?"

Silvally shook his head. He knew what a lot of Pokémon looked like, but had no names to apply to them. Odds were high that he'd encountered one before, but nothing came to mind with just the word "Grimer."

"They're kind of like a big living pile of sludge," Artemis explained with a grimace. "Some of them are green and a little more tolerable. The ones that live here are usually purple and smell awful. And they're poisonous. They're great." Her deadpan voice didn't convince Silvally.

His mind snapped to an interaction he'd had over a year ago. He'd encountered something foul-smelling that tried to consume him by spreading over his body. There'd been some fur lost that day, and it took a week to scrape that awful scent off of himself. He'd quite literally bled trying to get rid of that horrific smell.

A full-body shudder rolled over him, his hackles rising. He knew exactly what Artemis was referring to. Silvally turned to look over his shoulder and grimaced, his eyes closed and teeth bared.

Artemis laughed and nodded in sympathy. "So, you know what I'm talking about, then. Keep an eye out for a trail of dead grass, weird goo, or something that smells like it died… Several times."

Silvally nodded, and huffed through his nose. He was very much not looking forward to this. It wasn't the Pokémon's fault for how it naturally was, he just really didn't want to relive that horrendous smell. He'd still do it though. It was the job they had to do, and someone needed help, so he'd do his best.

The two continued through the woods, alert, searching for both ferals and any sign of the missing Pokémon. It was oddly silent though. They explored every inch of each 'floor' they went through, finding no wild Pokémon, and no sign of the Grimer.

Each branching path had absolutely nothing to show for it. There weren't even any items scattered around on the ground. There was nothing at all. The only sign that they were even still inside the Mystery Dungeon was the heavy darkness outside of the designated paths, and the weird shimmering light that poured in through the leaves.

Where were all the Pokémon?

"Something's wrong," Artemis murmured. Silvally nodded.

Something was very wrong. No Pokémon, no items, no sound save for the gentle shift of the leaves in the breeze and the grass underfoot. If there was nothing weird happening inside a Mystery Dungeon, then something was very strange about it. Oddities were normal. This? None of this was right.

Silvally's heart rate rose, his body alert, watching for anything even slightly unique. He and Artemis picked up their pace, going from a quick walk to a steady jog, their ears perked as they searched.

As they went through, section after section, each chunk of the forest was the same. The same emptiness, over and over again. Something was going on. Where were the Pokémon? Where was Grimer?

Nothing but oppressive silence and emptiness met their questions. Each step, each word, every breath was countered with absolutely nothing. An oppressive silence void of the sounds of nature hovered around them like a thick fog.

The only time Silvally had seen anything like this was when an absurdly powerful Pokémon decided to make a safe haven for weaker Pokémon its new home. The weak Pokémon had run from the tall shark-like creature, giving up their home in exchange for their lives.

This felt eerily similar. Had something strong decided to clear out the dungeon and take over? If it had, that Pokémon would have to be incredibly powerful to drive out everything here. Normal Pokémon avoided this place due to the risks the ferals possessed. If something were dangerous enough to force them out…

"Look!" Artemis hissed.

Silvally jumped, his eyes snapping to the left where Artemis gestured.

There, off to the side of the clearing, was a Cherrim. It was dancing along what looked to be a horrendously burned and decayed trail of grass. The flower-like Pokémon was in full bloom, walking along, cleaning up the dead grass one step at a time. That was likely why they couldn't find the trail and were having difficulty.

It didn't explain the lack of Pokémon or items, however. Something else was going on.

"Let's go!" Artemis darted forward and leapt over the small grass Pokémon, who squeaked in terror. Silvally followed after her, running forward and clearing the Cherrim, bounding after Artemis.

The trail of dead and sickly grass led in a wandering path across the dungeon floor, angling sharply out of the way, before returning to whatever path it had been following. Everything seemed fine, nothing was out of the ordinary.

Until they passed through the threshold into the next section of Treeshroud Forest. Nothing could have prepared Silvally or Artemis for the assault to come. It was instant.

Silvally staggered, reeling back as if he'd been punched, eyes watering and talons curling. He whipped his head side to side, trying to rid himself of the sensation to no avail.

Artemis tripped over her paws and staggered, unbalanced. Her eyes clenched and she immediately hunched over, a disgusting gagging noise escaping her. All nine of her tails spasmed with every open-mouthed heave.

The smell was overwhelming. A horrendous, sickly, rotting scent that seeped into the nose, tickled behind the eyes, and made itself very welcome to anything that could detect it. It was terrible, horrific, disgusting, and any other word that could be used to describe something "really fucking bad."

"Oh, fuck!" Artemis wheezed. Silvally had to agree–it felt like he had dozens of insects crawling around his sinuses.

It took about twenty seconds for Silvally to recover from the terrible smell—going from clean forest air to that was awful. It also helped confirm that every section of the dungeon was airtight. With watery eyes he turned his attention to Artemis, who seemed to be-

Silvally had to look away, grimacing as Artemis heaved once again, her body spasming with the motion. A sickly retching noise forced itself from the fox, followed by strained, wet panting.

"Fuck this…" Artemis wheezed. She managed to stand upright again, bringing a paw up to wipe the spit from her lips. "Chatot's getting his ass beat."

Silvally, against his better judgement—and compelled by the job they had to do—followed Artemis's lead. They turned into the wind to follow both the trail of dead plants and that wretched smell. Each step felt like a battle of wills, and every little bit of progress caused the scent to grow stronger. Silvally was so distracted by the ongoing struggle that he didn't realize he was following much closer to Artemis than intended, almost running into her tails several times.

Rounding a corner, Artemis and Silvally stepped into a clearing. They both staggered to a halt—that fear-inducing scent sucker-punched their sinuses once more. It took effort to keep his composure, and Artemis managed to as well. Barely.

Thankfully, they found the Pokémon they were sent to rescue, so that was debatably positive. Silvally's eyes settled on the Grimer, looking over that small moving pile of goop. It was about as Artemis described, and he remembered.

Awful.

A glance to the right revealed something else. They'd found where all the Pokémon went: away. Upwind. Deeper into the dungeon to avoid the horrendous smell, and Silvally wished he could follow their lead. There had to be at least fifteen Pokémon all retreating from the small creature. Various Ninetales, Houndoom, Kirlia, and even a Kadabra watched the Grimer from just outside of the clearing, doing their best to avoid detection.

Clearly, they wanted nothing to do with the Grimer either.

"Oh, shiny!" the baby Grimer exclaimed, and slid its way forward to a stack of coins strewn about on the ground. The tiny Pokémon oozed over the coins, which vanished into its body, likely to never be seen again.

Of course, as an Explorer of high renown, Artemis needed to remain professional. So, she took a breath—and gagged—before stepping forward, followed shortly by Silvally.

"Hey, are you okay?" Artemis asked—her voice had a very strangled sound to it. "Are you lost? Your dad is looking for you."

The tiny Pokémon whirled around, its eyes lighting up with wonder and glee. It let out a gasp and surged forward, its tiny arms outstretched. "Pretty fox!"

Oh no.

It was a hugger.

The strangled sound Artemis made when the pile of sludge slopped itself onto her foreleg was… certainly something. Silvally had never heard that string of noises before. It was definitely unique, that was for sure.

The horrified, disgusted, pleading expression on Artemis's face as she slowly turned to face him was also a first. He wasn't sure what it was about that particular combination that caused him to smile.

Or maybe it was the full body heave Artemis tried to hold back as the Grimer settled in and hugged her foreleg tighter. It had to thank its saviour after all.

Oh, the joys of being a famous explorer. Silvally didn't envy her.

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Shortly after posting the chapter I was given some amazing fan art by Vetu Asaber. Thank you so much for the art and visualization <3

Help Me - Vetu Asaber [https://i.imgur.com/3DDaytd.jpeg]