"Good morning! It's time to start the day!"

The familiar eighty-decibel greeting of Noibat woke the members of Team Floof up with a jolt. The Growlithe, Zorua, Eevee, and Rockruff all rolled to turn and face the door, giving various greetings, scowls, and groans at being woken up so early.

Well, it wasn't early per se, just that the four had been awake far later than normal last night. They had been talking—small things initially, their mission the previous day, how good dinner was, the plans for tomorrow…

The Outlaw.

They couldn't believe it at first. They thought they had glimpsed the large Pokémon being led into Wigglytuff's office the night prior, but weren't able to get a close look. Toxicroak had all but confirmed it when everyone had been called for dinner, however. Chatot and Wigglytuff didn't address the situation, even though they probably heard the whispers from the apprentices all through the meal. In fact, both seemed relatively focused and quiet. Well, Chatot had. Wigglytuff was just… Wigglytuff. But more intense.

The Guildmaster was difficult to read, even when he told people exactly how he felt.

Regardless of the lack of sleep, Team Floof had to perform the daily ritual, or else they suffered the wrath of an angry Chatot and a sad Wigglytuff. Truly, Wigglytuff was the worst of the two options. Not only would he scare someone so badly that they scrambled to appease him, but he would make them feel bad about it too!

No one wanted to make the Guildmaster cry.

The four stumbled their way into the common area of the lowest floor within the guild. They kept themselves to the left, making room for Chatot to hop by deeper into the living area. Each gave a passing glance to the Guildmaster's right-hand-Pokémon, wondering just why he was heading down the hallway.

Team Floof filtered into the room, and looked around. All of the apprentices in the guild were muttering among one another and shuffling around on the grass, worry evident from their actions. Words such as "criminal," and "Artemis" were thrown around, but no one was brave enough to raise their voices. The four members took their standard positions in the common area and faced one another.

"G-guys… Everyone's acting weird. You don't think Toxicroak was serious, d-do you?" Zorua asked and shuffled closer toward Growlithe, her hackles raised.

"Of course he was! I told you I saw Miss Artemis too!" Growlithe was considerably less quiet, whisper-yelling to the group. The rest of his team rolled their eyes at him.

"Figures you'd focus on the pretty fox, and not the behemoth beside her," Eevee ribbed, shaking his head.

"I'm not sure if anyone else noticed, but look at the stairs…" Rockruff chimed in. She used her nose to subtly gesture toward the entrance to the bottom floor. Eevee and Zorua were quick in their little glances. Growlithe, however, whipped himself around with all the subtlety of a Rhydon, obviously staring at the duo who appeared to be guarding the exit.

A Mienshao and a Delphox stood just around the corner on the spiral stairs, watching the proceedings with set expressions. Fire flickered on the Delphox's wand, while the Mienshao curled and relaxed her paws. The pair were known around the guild, coming by early in the morning to pick jobs and then leaving once more. They must have been asked to stay for a moment.

Turning their gaze further left, they noticed that Toxicroak had abandoned his cauldron altogether. Instead, the poison frog was leaning against the back wall, those sharp claws oozing a nasty-looking poison that hissed when it dripped to the ground below. The grass the poison landed on bubbled and turned an unhealthy black in an instant.

The four very quickly realized just why everyone was being quiet, and why the Guildmaster was already out. It seemed as if Toxicroak's words and the mutterings of the other guild members were accurate after all. All too quickly, the early morning atmosphere felt thick, despite the open windows. There was an underlying tension they hadn't quite noticed in their tired state. Now, however, their nerves were on edge.

Everyone in the room could feel it, that odd tension in the air. Even with the sea breeze filtering in from the edge of town, the heavy weight that sat on the shoulders of the young apprentices seemed to muffle the usual excitable morning energy.

Chatot hopped his way out of the hallway and into the common area, distracting everyone from their thoughts, the mutters dying down in an instant. The soft hops the bird made were the only noticeable sound in the room, save the slight whistle of the wind coming in through the windows. The bird came to a stop at the front of the room and cleared his throat.

"Ahem! Good morning! Before our morning cheer, I have an announcement to make," Chatot shifted in place, looking a little nervous. "For the newer members, I'll have to explain this once more. As a guild, we house you, apprentices, and others as well. I'm sure you've noticed them, the exploration teams visiting Treasure Town, or the various Pokémon that come and go from the guild, living here, taking missions and the like."

A short wave of murmurs and nods came from the apprentices within the group, tails flicking or paws tapping on the grass below. Chatot's anxious little movements were putting the rest of them on edge.

"We house and rehabilitate Pokémon as well. I'm sure you remember the Kadabra that left several months ago, or the Mightyena and Salazzle from last year. These were Pokémon who made mistakes in life, and we helped them get back on the right track." Some concerned noises arose from the newer apprentices. "Th-They're all cleared to ensure they're no danger to you beforehand, so there are no worries there! You're completely safe!" Chatot hurried to reassure the members, giving a little laugh to wave away their worries.

"That being said, these Pokémon we help tend to be staying for a time, so we thought it best to let you know. You may have noticed two Pokémon last night. The, uh, ones in question you're probably aware of," Chatot cleared his throat, and flapped his wings in agitation. "Er, Artemis, you two can come forward."

Every apprentice in the room whipped their focus from Chatot to the hallway that led to the barracks. The world seemed to come to a standstill at that moment, the soft breaths and anxious noises all coming to a stop. No one dared speak as the subject of conversation stepped from the hallway and into view.

He was massive in every sense of the word. Large talons sank into the grass below, tearing up chunks of it as he made his way forward. Muscles rippled and flexed visibly through his legs and sides with every step. That bright metal upper jaw and those large teeth glimmered in the early morning light. The limping motion while walking did little to reduce the intimidating presence of Silvally, those silver eyes flickering about the room, taking in everyone and everything, analyzing them, cold and calculating. The mismatched body parts looked grotesque and wrong, setting every instinct within the Pokémon present screaming. This thing wasn't normal. The outline of ribs along his sides did little to aid that, the creature looking at once too large yet too small. Back paws larger than some of their heads plodded forward on the ground, and that out-of-place tail stood out.

It was all looked so wrong.

The air was thick with tension as Silvally came to the front of the room and stopped beside Chatot. The salty sea breeze floating in through the windows was unnaturally heavy, weighing everyone down as they stared at the former criminal.

Silvally towered over Chatot and Wigglytuff, that crest reaching high enough that some of the apprentices had to crane their heads back to see the top. Those sharp talons sank into the earth below, kneading at it, crushing up pebbles and dirt as he looked out upon the crowd, eyes darting between everyone.

Despite looking intimidating and dangerous, Silvally was nervous. He didn't like how everyone was looking at him. From what he understood, these were the next generation of explorers and were still in training. They didn't have proper situational awareness or might be more likely to react poorly to surprises.

Surprises like him.

There was a long moment of silence as the former outlaw stood at the front of the room; no one dared to breathe. The tension in the room faded as a comforting warmth rolled in soon after, drifting in from the hallway. Another set of footsteps, far lighter, came from out of the hallway seconds after Silvally left. They were smooth, flowing, and practiced, every bit as elegant as their owner.

Artemis made her way to the front of the room, the thinnest layer of steam wisping from her fur and settling on the ground around her like mist. The cloying ocean air was quickly replaced by that fresh, soothing warmth radiating from the fox, her deity-like appearance radiating the calm and sureness they all needed at that moment.

There was a collective sigh, several Pokémon relaxing as the Ninetales came to stand on the opposite side of Silvally, between him and the stairs. Her tails rippled and flowed in the breeze rolling in from the windows, giving the apprentices something to focus on other than the large Pokémon looming over them.

"I'm sure you're all familiar with these two, so introductions will be skipped," Chatot said. "Artemis is going to be here helping us rehabilitate the Pokémon and getting him back into the world. I'd like to ask you not to bother the two, and treat them like you would the other exploration teams that reside within the guild." Chatot flapped his wings, emphasizing the importance of the other explorers who were also here. The apprentices didn't have a reason to be afraid with all the explorers nearby.

Silvally didn't miss how Chatot referred to him as 'the Pokémon.' It was still better than being called the "Outlaw" like last night. Still, he hoped it wouldn't be a common occurrence. He had a name, kind of. At least, he thought Silvally was his name. He'd never really thought about it too hard, just accepted that title. Should he come up with his own name?

"Now I know it's all exciting, and you want autographs from Miss Ninetales, but I'd again like you to just carry on with your normal duties. Just because we have a famous explorer here doesn't mean you get to ignore your tasks!" Chatot gave a little laugh, acting as if this were a normal day.

No one else laughed. Chatot cleared his throat and looked around.

"…W-well, I don't have much else to add! Does anyone have any questions?"

Silence.

"I, uh… Ah, Guildmaster!" Chatot tried to direct the silent stares elsewhere. "Do you have anything you want to add? I believe I covered it all fairly well, but please feel free to bring up anything I forgot!"

Chatot turned toward Wigglytuff and tilted his head. The Guildmaster merely stared out upon the apprentices, eyes locked on something, not breaking his focus.

…

"Er, Guildmaster?" Chatot hopped forward, leaning in a little. He gazed at Wigglytuff and raised a wing to interrupt his staring contest with the wall. "Guildmaster? Are you-"

A deep, rumbling snore escaped the pink Pokémon. Chatot squawked and flapped backward, his violent reaction sending the bird Pokémon right into the forelegs of Silvally. The large Pokémon lifted his talon and reared back in surprise, while Chatot bounced off and stumbled forward, their size difference causing the bird to ragdoll onto the grass.

Silvally settled back down and winced when cold washed over his side, the chill radiating from Artemis. Still, he didn't look at her, pretending it was the breeze, and focused on the downed Chatot.

Chatot gave an indignant huff and pushed himself upright again, grumbling under his breath. He was tired of these surprises and shenanigans of the highest degree. The brief contact with the former outlaw also had his feathers ruffled most uncomfortably.

Silvally shook off his front leg, the brief contact with someone else making his skin crawl. That wasn't a feeling he was used to at all, and he hoped he wouldn't have to repeat it anytime soon.

"Guildmaster! Guildmaster! Wake up!" Chatot hopped forward and fluttered his wings at the pink Pokémon. All this accomplished was ruffling Wigglytuff's fur and causing him to lean to the left. There was still no conscious response as another snore rolled from the wide-eyed Wigglytuff, causing snickers to escape the gathered apprentices. "I swear, I'm going to- Squawk!"

A large, wet snowball was lobbed over Silvally, from Artemis, and landed flat on Wigglytuff's head. The snow exploded outward, catching Chatot in the beak and making the bird reel back in disgust and surprise, flapping his wings indignantly. The apprentices laughed a bit more, the tension in the air rapidly dissipating.

Luckily, that snowball was exactly what Wigglytuff needed to wake up. He snapped upright and stared at the gathered Pokémon. He raised an arm into the air, paws curled, and belted out a cry, energy radiating from the older Guildmaster in waves.

"Okay, Pokémon! Let's get to work!" Wigglytuff cried out with all the energy in the world, trying to motivate the guild. It was inspiring, powerful, and meant to stir the very souls of his guild apprentices, to encourage them to do good and make the world a better place.

…

The remnants of snow on top of Wigglytuff's head slowly crept down his cheek and fell to the floor. Wigglytuff didn't even flinch, as if completely unaware it was even there.

Chatot blinked and looked at the Guildmaster. Then to the stunned apprentices. Back to the still-posing Wigglytuff. Then to the snickering apprentices again.

"Wh-what kind of response was that? Do better, all of you! Let me hear it! With feeling!" Chatot cried out, gesturing with his wings to encourage the gathered Pokémon. "Let's get to work!"

"HOORAY!" The cry sounded out from the apprentices in the room, the complete change in mood throwing them all off.

Chatot turned to face the duo on the stairs, giving the Delphox and the Mienshao a little wave with his wing. They took off soon after, and Toxicroak returned to his position at his cauldron, cackling to himself.

The assembled Pokémon quickly dispersed, not wanting to gather Chatot's ire, nor be forced near the horrific Pokémon at the front of the room any longer. They all vanished up the stairs or took off deeper into the guild, moving to do their regular tasks as per routine.

Silvally, however, just stood still, confused as ever, wondering what exactly he had been voluntold to do for three months. If this was to be the start of their morning, he was dreading what the rest of the day would look like.

Artemis sighed and gave a wistful smile. She did miss the guild's antics sometimes—it was kind of nice to be back.

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

Silvally followed Artemis up the stairs inside the guild. He kept himself close to the wall to give as much space on the other side of himself as possible and allowed other Pokémon to pass by on the stairs. The others never failed to give him a look; fear and or weariness seemed to be the most common ones.

Upon reaching the next floor Artemis took a sharp right. She weaved her way around a pair of Pokémon with graceful steps and came to a stop in front of a board. In front of a series of boards, to be precise. The wooden backboards were set up in a sprawl that looped along the wide walls and wrapped around to the back. The number of papers on each board dwindled the further to the back of the room they reached. The other side of the room was structured similarly, only going right instead of left.

"Okay… Just treat this like you would a new apprentice. Nothing complicated, you've done this plenty of times before…" Artemis muttered to herself.

Silvally caught the words and flicked his ears forward, tilting his head in confusion. The Ninetales sent him a glare and frowned as if he was forcing her to do something she hated.

"Alright, I'm going to keep this simple. The left side of the room is for rescue requests, item retrievals, and whatnot. The missions go up in rank the closer to the back of the room you go. The other side of the room is a similar setup but for criminals and outlaws." She glanced at Silvally. When she received no reaction to her words, Artemis huffed and flourished her tails in dismissal.

"Whatever… Normally you'd be restricted to a specific rank of missions by the Expedition Society, but since we're 'working together', you can pick anything in here. I'm gonna grab an easy mission this time around, just to show you how things are done. After today, though…" Artemis gave a little smirk and glanced at the boards again. She gave a little hum and raised a paw to point at the middle of the side wall. "Nothing below an 'S' rank. I'm going to put you to work and make sure you get the proper explorer experience. None of this tame stuff the others get, got it?"

Silvally leaned to the side a touch, shifting his weight to his properly healed side. His front talons worked at the dirt beneath his feet, trying to stave off the anxiety of the passive-aggressive fox trying to rile him up. He kept his gaze on the wall and nodded. Artemis merely responded with another huff. She got to her feet and approached the board, looking over it. She hummed and then flared her powers a little to pluck a page off the board with psychic energy. Silvally took a slight step back from the display, placing his injured leg on the floor and leaning on it a little too hard. He winced but otherwise remained collected.

"Here, this one's super easy. Some kids in town decided to go exploring. They wandered into the Drenched Bluff dungeon, and one lost their scarf. All we have to do is find it and bring it back," Artemis explained. She took the paper into her paw and shoved it toward Silvally, hitting his shoulder through the paper. "Take it."

Unfortunately, that was the same shoulder just days prior she had bitten into and seared with her Flamethrower. While it was healed, if a little sore, the contact still caused the memory of the attack to flare up. The sharp teeth gripping him as they hurtled through the air. That firey breath melting his flesh, burning him deeper and deeper no matter how hard he thrashed. The feeling of being burned and then frozen over and over and over-

"Hey, you paying attention? I'm not explaining this again."

Artemis's voice cut through the unwanted memories, jolting him out of them. Silvally pushed himself away from her, the jump sending him in a barely controlled spin to the center of the room. He landed hard, his injured back leg crumpling under him from the landing, causing him to stumble. He winced and lifted his leg, hobbling back a couple of steps, his eyes locked on the fox. His heartbeat was too loud, and he swore the Ninetales would be able to hear it from across the room.

Artemis darted forward, frost already rolling from her jaws, freezing the grass below as she came to a halt a body length away from Silvally. He took short breaths, his muscles tense, trying to control the adrenaline running through his system. Artemis was moving her mouth. She was saying something, but he couldn't quite hear her—it sounded like his head was underwater. He forced his eyes closed and faced the floor, his talons and paws clenching at the ground below hard enough to dig furrows into the rock.

The rest of the Pokémon in the room looked on in concern, edging toward the stairs. Luckily no one had been in the back corner where the higher-ranked missions were, but the sudden and violent move had startled everyone present. Still, they didn't retreat completely, as Artemis was standing in front of Silvally, energy radiating off of her in waves that frosted the grass below. They trusted her to protect them and deal with the reactive Pokémon.

Silvally clenched his jaw, his teeth grinding on metal in a displeasing screech. He forced himself to take deep, drawn-out breaths, even as his lungs tried to force them out. His ribs ached from the deep breathing, but he kept at it.

Slowly, he relaxed, his heartbeat dropping from a thundering rhythm to a steady march. He shook his head, and kept his eyes on the ground, just able to see the white paws of the fox at the edge of his vision.

"Are you done? What the actual fuck was that? Don't try to—"

"Don't touch me," Silvally ground out.

His rough voice interrupted Artemis, catching the explorer off guard. She had been expecting him to remain silent toward her like normal. The fox took a breath to begin her verbal tirade, only to stop as Silvally looked at her.

"Please," he added.

Artemis stood still for a long moment, just watching. The tall form of Silvally wasn't imposing and towering over others. At this moment, he looked small. His eyes darted back and forth, not able to fully look at her, but getting close, before flicking away again. He was shaking, from what Artemis assumed was pure adrenaline. Still, he did his best to draw himself upright, even as his legs quivered with the effort, and his teeth ground so hard against the metal that she thought they would shatter.

For a brief moment, she felt proud. She was happy that she was able to terrify criminals and had them shaking in fear. The very idea caused her mood to soar. She was so strong, so skilled, that she had high-level criminals trembling before her. Proof of her hard work and her efforts was standing right before her.

That was immediately followed with regret. Disgust. Shame and an unsettling amount of guilt gnawed at her insides, causing her tails to droop. She had promised Mew she would give him a chance, hadn't she? The thought of being able to instill fear into criminals was wonderous, but…

At this moment, Silvally didn't look like a criminal. He looked nervous, on edge, trying his best to keep himself calm.

It was a familiar sight to Artemis, having seen it on many rescue missions into mystery dungeons. Managing to find the Pokémon that had gone missing, who were trying valiantly to stand in the face of fear and hostile environments; to keep themselves moving forward despite the hopeless odds. That grim, horrific knowledge that they had to force themselves onward, or their life was forfeit.

The Pokémon she rescued usually ended up crying tears of relief when they managed to get out of the dungeon, a few even doing so when they saw her approaching them. She brought hope to terrified and lost Pokémon who had been so sure they were going to die out in the wilderness or suffer a worse fate. She recognized the shaking and shuddering, the forced breaths, and the fake posture. The strained speech and weak attempts to look normal despite the situation. Artemis found comfort in being able to reassure Pokémon that they were finally safe and allowed them to cling to her until they got it out of their system.

But here she was, feeling proud of herself and ready to attack someone suffering those same feelings. Her ears folded back and her tails fell further. She wasn't acting like some big, impressive hero. She had been ready to assault someone trying to work through their fear. From what, she wasn't sure, but a question lingered in the back of her mind, causing a ball of unwanted guilt to settle in her chest.

What was wrong with her?

"I… Alright. Okay, I won't." Her voice was soft. She took several steps back, and sat down, just observing for now. The visible relief Silvally displayed at that caused Artemis to frown. She waited for a long moment, glancing to the left, catching a few of the guild members and an exploration team whispering among themselves. They were too far away to make out what they were saying from their position near the stairs.

Silvally finally took a deep, loud breath, drawing Artemis's gaze back to him once more. He blinked, and clenched his paws and talons, muscles tensing, before relaxing again. Then, he was back to normal, looking like nothing had even occurred. If she hadn't been there to witness the event, she could have easily believed he had faked it.

Silvally took a step forward, and then another, moving closer to Artemis and pausing only two body lengths away. He looked at her and nodded the smallest amount, letting her know that whatever had caused him to panic had passed.

She would have to find out what caused it later, she didn't want to have to deal with it during a mission. The touch seemed to have done it, but why?

Questions for later, not that it mattered to her in the slightest. The fox tugged the paper that had fallen to the floor toward herself with a brief use of psychic power. The paper floated over, covered in a thin pink outline, and settled itself right between the duo.

"Here, you hold onto this. It's still technically your work, even if I'm leading it today," she explained.

Artemis pushed herself back to all fours and turned, her tails flourishing as she made her way toward the stairs. The small crowd parted before the majestic fox, silent as she moved by. She turned her head and looked over her shoulder at Silvally.

"Let's go, I still need to go to town before we head out. You're gonna get lost without me."

Silvally grabbed the paper and stuffed it into his Treasure Bag, limping his way forward to catch up to Artemis. He balked at the little corridor between the Pokémon that were staring at him but set his sights on the waiting fox and continued. Little murmurs and whispers sounded around him as he walked by, but he ignored them. Instead, he made his way up the stairs, following after Artemis.

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Before long they had reached the top, exited the guild, and came to a stop at the peak of another long set of stairs. Artemis stood on the left side, while Silvally was on the right. They remained still for a long moment, not looking at one another, but instead gazing out at the view from high up.

Straight south of them was the staircase that led to the crossroads, and what looked like a cafe. Beyond that, more stairs, and then a forest. There were some small houses along the path toward the beach, bordering the right side of the path. To the left, out of view, was the path that led to the jail he had visited the day prior.

To the west lay Treasure Town in all its glory. The bustling town had a variety of structures of numerous colours, and all the Pokémon down there didn't help with the visual noise. Beyond that lay a cliff, and then an open ocean. Behind them to the north was the guild, and behind that, tall dispersed rock formations like the one the guild sat on, surrounded by a sea of trees. They continued far into the distance. Then, to the east, was the wilderness. The rest of the continent, and the open expanses Silvally had been calling home since he swam here.

Already he missed the simplicity and calm feeling of everything. It was a far different lifestyle than the one he was being introduced to.

Unfortunately, he wouldn't have the chance to escape. He wasn't sure he would be able to in the first place, and if he did, they would be after him again in a heartbeat. No, with his injured leg, it wasn't a great plan. To add to the issue of leaving, Artemis had set herself on his left, blocking him from darting for the open plains.

He put the thoughts of potential escape out of his mind for now. It was a poor idea, and he'd rather not shred any goodwill he had with some Pokémon here. Mew would be disappointed in him, but maybe she'd understand. Metagross had cleared him, kind of. That was another partial point in his favour. Wigglytuff seemed to like him, though that Pokémon was a wall of mystery and impossible to read. Not nearly enough to guarantee his safety in escaping.

Silvally and Artemis made their way down the stairs, neither talking to the other during the long descent. Silvally occasionally stumbled when his back leg flared up in pain, causing him to put more force on his talons. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, they took a right turn and angled toward the town.

The feeling of dread that crept through Silvally when they turned into town caused some of his fur to stand.

"I'm not going to show you everything, just the main things we'll be using," Artemis explained.

Immediately Silvally was set upon by looks. Pokémon turned their heads, looking at him with varying degrees of hostility or fear. Artemis didn't seem to notice or just didn't care as the two walked side-by-side, a healthy distance spacing the pair.

"The first building on the right is Dusknoir Bank. You can store money and valuable possessions there. It's full of ghost-types, so if you die, they can personally guarantee your stuff goes to your children or whoever you told them to," Artemis explained.

Silvally wasn't exactly appreciative of the idea of death being brought up so soon. He looked upon the squat black and grey building, with what looked like a Dusknoir's stomach mouth as the entrance. A cold draft oozed from the building, setting Silvally's fur on end.

"On the left is the Dojo, but don't bother with that one. See the big building there? The one spanning across the river? That's Blissy Hospital. Used to be just a daycare, but with more Pokémon, the town needed a proper place for explorers to recover."

There were two additional paths to the left and the right. The one going to the right led past a short grey building with electric yellow highlights. Beyond that were several more buildings, but Artemis didn't seem too concerned about explaining those. To the left was a set of stairs that looked like it led to the same general path that the prison had been located on, and angled down toward the beach. It seemed relatively busy; the number of Pokémon coming up or going down didn't seem to be decreasing any.

The two continued through town, Artemis shuffling over to the side so that Silvally was on the grass and she was on the path, allowing for more Pokémon to walk by without running into them. Receptions to the two were mixed, with people growing excited or waving to Artemis. Then in almost the same instant, they'd look at Silvally and recoil, or pretend they hadn't been about to speak, and hurried on their way.

He wished he were back in the wild. Those Pokémon were all equally defensive and treated one another with respect. It was all about survival. Here, they looked at him with anger and disgust, showing off how cruel these 'civilized' Pokémon were.

Silvally glanced down as he and Artemis crossed over a wooden bridge. He kept away from the railings and looked through at the water rushing below his feet, separated by just those thin wooden boards. He knew he would be able to break them if he flexed his talons hard enough. Still, he did his best not to think of falling into the swift, clear water. Instead, he looked ahead, still ignoring those whispers and weird looks the Pokémon in town gave him.

"Alright, tour is almost done. On the left is Kadabra's Magical Emporium, it's just a rare object buy-and-sell business. More stairs, the port elevator, cliff, whatever," Artemis waved away that side entirely, and turned her attention to the right, padding forward. "This is Kangaskhan Storage Depot."

She weaved around a few Pokémon and came to a stop before a large hut made of rocks. It was formed to look like the owner, an older Pokémon who was turned around and speaking with someone in the back.

"Good morning, Miss. K," Artemis greeted.

"Oh? Why, that sounds like Artemis! How are you this morning, dear?" The older Pokémon was still fiddling with something in the back.

Silvally stood a distance from the Ninetales, keeping his gaze locked forward, examining the rocky hut, and then the large stone-walled section behind that. Tall containers and square buildings filled the walled-off section, but it was difficult to get a good look behind the wall.

"Exhausted," Artemis replied, glancing over her shoulder to give Silvally a look, "I had a long night. Easy job today though, just a retrieval mission. I'm just hoping to pull a few Oran Berries from storage."

"Oran Berries? Of course, I'll get my son to check." She spoke to someone out of view a moment later. The older Kangaskhan finally turned around, fixing the white fox with a bright smile. "I'm so glad you're finally able to take a break and do some easy work, dear. I even heard you caught that nasty outlaw, I'm so happy for you!" The Pokémon leaned in and cupped Artemis's cheeks, and planted a kiss on her forehead.

"Well, about that…" Artemis pulled her head away from those strong, shaky hands, and shook her head. She couldn't get in another word before the Kangaskhan continued, looking like she hadn't heard the fox.

"I was always worried when you went out after him, especially with all the teams he beat. But I figured if anyone could put a criminal like that away, it would be you," Kangaskhan praised. Artemis shifted uncomfortably. "You know, I'm kind of hoping they ship him off. We don't want someone like that locked up here, after all. Too dangerous, I think, especially after all the grief he's been giving everyone for the last couple of years... Bah, ignore me. I'm so happy for you, hun."

Silvally's ears twitched at that. It was obvious the older Pokémon hadn't noticed him yet, the grey film covering her eyes making her vision problems apparent. He kept himself still, however, not wanting to alert the older woman to his presence. Instead, he grimaced and began kneading at the ground with his talons. Those powerful digits raked through hard-packed dirt and rock as if it were sand.

Artemis didn't say anything to correct the older Pokémon at all, merely thanking her, and chatting away about how nice the weather was, or how the Depot was doing. Her tails swayed side to side as they spoke about this and that, while Silvally was left to stand there in silence.

Had he been wrong to defend himself? How could he have been hurting people here when he was all the way out there? It made no sense, he specifically made sure to avoid this place, and the people within. He put in effort to actively avoid fights if he could. Was his restraint for nothing?

"Hey, Mama, no luck. She's got no Oran Berries in the back." A younger Pokémon, similar in appearance to the elderly one, stepped out of the back. His eyes locked on the Ninetales with his head poking around the corner. Then, his eyes shifted to the left, and the Pokémon froze.

Silvally met his gaze with intense silver eyes. He didn't mean to stare, but the look of confusion, anger, fear, and plain hostility sent him reeling.

"Hey… Mama? Could I talk with ya in the back, please?" Her son's speech was drawn out. It was as if he were trying not to move too suddenly in an attempt to avoid setting off a predator.

"Hm? Oh, sure sweetie, let me just finish up," she replied. The older Kangaskhan turned from her son, and back to Artemis. "I'm sorry, dear, looks like you're out at the moment. Oh! I did see Farmer Leafeon with Oran Berries in the market this morning, I'm sure he's still got some for you."

"Thank you, I appreciate it" Artemis replied. She stood up and shook out her tails, turning to the side. "I hope you two have a wonderful morning!" The Ninetales spoke as she began making her way by Silvally.

He stood and watched for a moment as the elderly Pokémon hobbled down the steps from the stand and moved to the back. A pair of hands grabbed the Kangaskhan's shoulders and pulled her out of view, replaced by the wide shoulders of her son. There was some frantic whispering and some hand gestures.

Silvally moved to follow Artemis, looking over his shoulder at the storage hut. The older Pokémon ducked her head out from around the corner and squinted right at Silvally. Then, she gasped and raised her hands to her mouth. Her son pushed her out of view shortly after, the duo vanishing around the corner. A wooden gate slammed shut at the front of the building, locking anyone and everyone out. The action pulled some unwanted attention to the area.

"Hey, c'mon, we've gotta go to Kecleon Market," Artemis said impatiently, breaking Silvally's gaze on the building.

He limped forward a little faster to keep up, falling into step behind the fox, making sure to keep at least a body length between himself and the hybrid Ninetales. The duo took a left and turned up a gravel path. The little rocks beneath their feet quickly turned to stone blocks, the flat surface extending onward a fair distance.

Artemis and Silvally stepped into what looked to be an open-air market. Multiple rows of wooden carts and stalls lined the stone footpath, each with its products that were being sold. Several of the stands had a colourful cloth spread over the top to shade the Pokémon running them, while others were open to the sun. There were so many smells, sounds, and colours that washed over one another and created a mess that was difficult to take in. The constant chatter and the numerous voices filled the air with a low, unintelligible rumble. Trying to pick any one voice out of it was a near-impossible task.

Artemis weaved her way through the Pokémon like a dancer, smooth and sinuous in her motions. Silvally attempted to follow, pushing away his immense discomfort of walking through so many Pokémon. They were far too close and there were too many for his liking; it made his fur stand on end. He had to stop several times to avoid trampling the much smaller Pokémon.

Occasionally he would glance up and notice a tall Pokémon looking at him, but other than that was focusing his attention downward to follow Artemis. Finally, she stopped before a series of tables. A Leafeon stood upon a tree stump, standing behind the tables, and was busy sorting through many berries, fruits, and vegetables, arranging his display.

"Good morning, Leafeon," Artemis greeted. She made her way a little closer to the stall and flashed a smile to the leafy Pokémon.

Silvally tried his best to get closer without running into anyone, his unease at all the close Pokémon sent his skin crawling.

"Ah, Lady Ninetales, lovely for you to deign me with your presence. Please refrain from freezing my products, they're all I have in this world," the Leafeon begged, bowing low on the tree stump. Artemis raised a brow, then rolled her eyes, and bonked the Pokémon over the head with a tail.

"Knock that off you goof, none of this fancy talk," Artemis pulled back and used her nose to point at some Oran Berries on the table. "Just need four of those for the moment, I ran out over the last few days."

"Ah, yes, chasing down that criminal. Hope you didn't- Is that him?" Leafeon blinked, and turned his head to the right, staring at the large Pokémon.

Silvally was standing off to the side, as close as he could get to the stall. He towered over the other Pokémon in the market, save for a few of the taller species. He tried to ignore the looks Pokémon gave him when passing by or tensed up when they got too close for comfort, brushing against his legs with just a hair between them. It was all too close, and he was against the whole concept of the crowded market.

"Yeah, that's the one," Artemis replied, narrowing her eyes as she looked at the Pokémon.

"Why isn't he locked up?" The Leafeon asked.

"Community service," she replied.

"Ah…" He frowned. "That's a horrible idea."

"Yup," Artemis popped the P at the end.

"So you're… what, looking after him? Making sure he doesn't hurt anyone?"

"That's the plan. Making sure no innocents are hurt, that kind of thing. Reporting everything to Wigglytuff. Three months of this, starting today."

"…That sounds like something Wigglytuff would do," Leafeon admitted.

"Yup," she popped the P once again.

"Well, shoot. You have my sympathies; I wish you luck with all that. Arceus, I swear things get weirder every day," Farmer Leafeon cleared his throat and moved over a little. He used an under-powered Vine Whip to extend two vines and pushed four Oran Berries and a Pecha Berry toward Artemis. "Here, for free. I still owe you for chasing off those ferals that were raiding my farm."

"…That was years ago, I can't—"

"Oh, just shut up and take the damn berries." Leafeon pushed them closer to the edge, threatening to spill them to the ground. Artemis rolled her eyes and used a paw to scoop them into her Treasure Bag. "Go on now, it looks like your new friend is attracting a bit too much attention." Artemis thanked the Leafeon and turned her gaze back to Silvally once more.

She hadn't noticed it when she was talking with Leafeon, but Kecleon Market had grown quiet. The usual chatter and constant sound of paws and feet on the stone were gone. Replacing it was the sound of hushed whispers and harsh comments, all coming from around the former outlaw, who had a semi-circle of Pokémon just facing him. Silvally was doing his best to avoid looking at anyone, instead keeping his eyes forward and on the little table of fruits near Artemis and Leafeon.

The hybrid Ninetales made her way forward, nudging herself in between Pokémon or clearing her throat, working her way through toward Silvally. The comments grew louder, and she couldn't help but hear a few of them.

"What's wrong with it? What happened to its face?" a Pokémon whispered.

"That's the criminal, the one that's been evading capture for two years," one replied.

"He's an ugly piece of work," another commented. A round of agreements sounded out.

Artemis's ear twitched at that, and she walked forward a little faster. She was hampered by the tightly packed crowd, doing her best to politely make her way through without shoving them to the ground. Still, she was making progress, step by step.

"Should we jump him and get an officer? Can we take him?"

"That freak has taken on a bunch of teams, I doubt it."

"It's all so wrong. Why does it look like that? What happened to its tail?"

Artemis's tails twitched at the comment, the differently coloured appendages flaring out and bumping into several different Pokémon. Several angry grumbles sounded out before they realized just who those tails belonged to. Apologies were quick to follow, Pokémon already starting to back up when they noticed the white Ninetales approaching.

"Shh, back up, it's Artemis!"

"Oh, Arceus, are they going to fight? Should we run?"

"No need to run, she'll end this quickly."

Artemis stepped into the semi-circle surrounding Silvally and ignored the crowd. She turned to face him, glancing down at the furrows his talons were digging into the solid stone. She looked up again, noticing the clenched jaw and the intent stare he was giving the fruit display.

"Let's go, we've still got a mission to do. Can't waste all day here," Artemis announced, a little louder than necessary.

She made sure she kept herself from contacting Silvally as she curled a tail around and blocked his view of the table, startling the Pokémon. Silvally pulled away from the tail, and shook his head, giving Artemis the quickest glance, before nodding.

The Ninetales turned away from Silvally and made her way toward the edge of the crowd, angling south once again. She stepped forward, not at all hesitating as she approached the Pokémon standing in the way. Like usual they parted before her, not stopping her progression at all as she took her even and graceful strides through them. She kept her head held high and tried to ignore the voices around her. Around them.

"Wait, what's happening? Are they working together?"

"I think I heard something about community service…"

"With that thing? No way! We've gotta kick it outta here."

"Hopefully it'll end like Salazzle, and not that Mightyena…"

"You're seriously considering it? A dangerous criminal like that just being allowed to do a few missions and then live in peace? No way."

"Look at that thing. What a freak."

Artemis frowned a little at the comments but continued. She would do what she always did in these situations and kept walking. One foot in front of the other. Strong, confident, and sure of herself. Every movement was calculated, and every look careful. She kept them in the corner of her vision as her strides carried her, just in case any of them decided to attack. Finally, she broke free of the crowd. The jeers and taunts and comments stung, but they didn't—

Artemis blinked and shook her head, casting out unwanted memories. She glanced over her shoulder and made sure Silvally was following her, before facing forward once more. The Ninetales mentally berated herself for spacing out. She took a left once she exited the open-air market, heading east once more. She shifted herself to the side of the path and slowed down, allowing Silvally to walk nearer to her side, a body length still between the pair.

Neither of them mentioned what had happened. They remained silent as they walked through town, both of them occasionally glancing back to see if any Pokémon had decided to follow them out of the market. It didn't look like anyone did, leaving the two free to wander their way back through town.

"That, er, that was Kecleon Market. Pokémon can set up stands to sell their goods there…" Artemis explained, avoiding the previous situation entirely. They crossed the wooden bridge once more, just facing forward during the walk. "There's usually someone selling whatever you're looking for, it just depends on how badly you want it, and how much you're willing to pay."

Silvally sent the fox a glance, and gave her a nod, a sound of acknowledgement escaping him. Nothing else was said as they walked toward the crossroads. Pokémon were passed on their walk, little comments and various expressions ignored. Eventually, the two came upon the crossroads, passing by the café.

"Need anything before we go?" Artemis finally asked, standing at the edge of civilization. She looked at the former outlaw, who stood a decent distance away from her, looking wistfully out into the open wilderness.

Silvally shook his head in reply, not even looking at the Ninetales. Artemis flicked an ear in annoyance at that but left it alone. She stepped forward, Silvally following her a moment later, the duo making their way down the packed dirt road.

"…Alright, let's go then. Onward to Drenched Bluff."

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

The sound of waves crashing against the beach crept through the air. The occasional cries of the wild Pokémon accented the natural noises. The humid air weighed the pair down, making the area feel warmer than it had any right to, but the cool breeze rolling off the ocean was a very welcome comfort. The sand and rocks they traversed were rough, and unbalanced, with large stone walls bordering the edges of the dungeon.

The atmosphere was uncomfortable to say the least, especially with Artemis glancing back constantly to make sure Silvally didn't take off, or pick up some item to use against her.

Silvally kept himself a small distance away from the Ninetales guiding him through the dungeon. He remained quiet—he had no questions, nor any desire to speak with the nine-tailed fox before him. She seemed tense and unhappy, her tails stiff in their movements and her gaze sharp. Instead, he just kept lookout, watching for traps and wild Pokémon, putting his time living within the dungeons to good use.

Unfortunately, Drenched Bluff was such a basic and boring dungeon that there was no need. The only thing of minor note was the pair of apples the two found. Artemis passed one back to him to share, only for the large Pokémon to eat the whole thing in an instant. It silenced some of the annoying growling in his stomach, not that Artemis heard or noticed.

Other than the occasional item find, things were quiet. Wild Pokémon ran from them as soon as they were spotted. It made sense to Silvally. Why would these weaker Pokémon want to take on these tall, powerful beings that wandered through the dungeon without care? If it was for pure survival, their best chance would be to hide and come out later on.

Unfortunately, one rather annoying Chingling didn't seem to have any of these survival instincts that almost all Pokémon possessed. This little ball of yellow hopped along after the two explorers, attempting to fight or chase them off. Silvally admired the Pokémon's willingness to chase powerful opponents, while Artemis merely snorted and shot a weak Ember at the thing.

Despite being hit and skidding across the ground, the Pokémon shook itself and began hopping after the pair at an increased pace. Every little hop produced another sharp jingle from the Chingling's body. At first, it was endearing watching the Pokémon struggling after the duo, trailing smoke from its body. It was determined and wasn't willing to let go.

Jingle. Jingle. Jingle. Jingle. Jingle.

Every hop made that noise.

Every single one.

Silvally very quickly grew from appreciative of the Pokémon's courage, to mildly annoyed at the constant noise. He didn't want to hurt the poor thing, and Artemis was far enough ahead to not hear the faint sound the creature made.

Jingle. Jingle. Jingle. Jingle. Jingle. Jingle. Jingle.

Silvally huffed, and turned, his jaw clenched in annoyance. He scooped up some rocks and gravel in his talons and threw it at the pursuing Pokémon, in an attempt to get it to leave. It was determined, ignoring the gravel and sand in order to approach.

Silvally growled at it in response, trying to intimidate the small Chingling. It still hopped onward, approaching certain death fearlessly.

"Hey, what's the hold-up? Let's go," Artemis barked from further up. Silvally turned to look at the approaching fox, taking his eyes off the Chingling for a single moment.

The tiny bell Pokémon decided it would be the perfect time to attack. Silvally was in the middle of turning around when he was pelted in the chest by an energy-infused Tackle. The Chingling struck with all its' might, aiming to incapacitate the mighty intruders.

The small Pokémon bounded off of Silvally and rolled to the ground. Silvally shifted the slightest amount back, the hit from the tackle feeling like someone had flicked him. He looked down at the staggered Pokémon, then to Artemis. The fox had a small smirk on her muzzle, having seen the whole thing.

Silvally was merciful, turning from the still struggling, smoking Chingling, and approached the awaiting Artemis once more. He was growing nearer when…

Jingle… Jingle… Jingle…

Silvally's eye twitched and his talons curled up. In a swift movement, a Quick-Attack infused his body and sent the chimera hurtling toward the small Pokémon that just wouldn't give up. He skidded to a stop, his hind end sliding a little ahead of his front. He planted his good back leg and turned, whipping himself around with great speed. His open claw caught the Chingling with a powerful crack of talons on metal as he swung in from the side.

Silvally and Artemis both watched as the Chingling rocketed off into the distance, over the walls of the mystery dungeon. Its small form grew further away. Chingling's shrill cry faded with distance as it trailed smoke from its burns, and its ribbons flailed behind it in the wind. Then, it was gone, over the walls. A faint splash was heard, and then blissful silence.

Silvally turned back to face Artemis, who was still staring out over the walls to where the Pokémon had vanished. Then, she started laughing. It was a quiet, soft sound, the breathy laugh not at all fitting with the violent and aggressive, or dismissive attitude the fox displayed toward him. Then again, when Silvally had managed to look and listen to the fox while she interacted with others in Treasure Town, she was far more polite.

The moment of peace was over soon enough. Artemis took a deep breath and sighed, the tension in her form and the stiff swaying of her tails relaxed. The sharp, calculating gaze in her eyes faded somewhat, allowing for a softer look for a brief moment. She then turned to face Silvally once more. Her tails gave a little flick, and she huffed softly. The Ninetales tilted her head and gestured deeper into the dungeon, encouraging Silvally to follow once more.

The heavy atmosphere within the dungeon seemed to lift a little.

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

Artemis sat across from Silvally at one of the back tables in the mess hall. The fox was jealous of the guild improvements that occurred shortly after she graduated. She hadn't enjoyed being crammed into the small room with thirty other Pokémon and struggling for space. This open area was far nicer, and the number of windows through the room allowed an ample amount of air so it never felt stuffy.

The two sat on the floor, the table at an appropriate height for quadrupedal Pokémon to sit and eat without hassle. Artemis had no troubles, though Silvally had to lean down pretty far to get at his food. Artemis watched the chimera eat, sharp teeth and powerful jaws shredding the meat and various fruits with ease. He had looked confused at first, as if he hadn't ever had meat before, but quickly took to it.

Artemis took a bite of her food and huffed, still annoyed at this whole situation. What was Wigglytuff thinking? Honestly, this whole thing was still a waste of time, and it would still be safer just to lock him up, and make sure he was away from the townspeople.

She was surprised at how careful he was regularly though, considering his effortless launch of the Chingling earlier. After they found the scarf in Drenched Bluff, the duo headed back to town. It had been quieter in the evening, so their walk was mostly free of town residents as they made their way down to the police station. Silvally had balked when looking up at the building but followed Artemis all the same.

They'd been brought to a small side room, where a Lucario and his son, a Riolu, were waiting. Silvally pulled the scarf out of his Treasure Bag, and set it on the table in front of the two. While the Riolu had been uncomfortable and the Lucario tense, a quick pulse of blue from both of their eyes had the two relax. The use of aura was easily apparent.

The formerly skittish and frightened Riolu walked right up to the table and snatched his scarf back, securing it around his neck in a single motion. Then, the little one walked right up to Silvally and thanked him. Silvally hadn't replied—he didn't seem to like talking much—and instead inclined his head to the child, and then looked up to the parent and did the same. Just a soft, slight motion, to not startle skittish Pokémon, but those two didn't appear frightened at all.

The parent and child duo thanked both Artemis and Silvally, much to the fox's surprise, and left the room without so much as a negative expression toward the former outlaw. That was a much different reaction than Artemis had expected them to have. Then again, the Lucario line were relatively secretive in how their aura use worked, so they could have just used a calming technique.

Following the meeting with the clients, they went to the front counter of the building to collect their reward, and then, left for the guild. That was how Artemis found herself just watching Silvally, contemplating the day.

Silvally had managed to finish his meal in the brief moment Artemis had been thinking. She blinked and then went in for another bite, keeping an eye on the large Pokémon across from her. He glanced down at his empty plate, then briefly flicked his eyes to hers. He didn't linger long, looking back to his plate and using a single talon to pick at whatever crumbs were left. Artemis finished her meal relatively quickly after that, concerned Silvally would attempt to take her dinner.

It was difficult to miss the murmuring and quiet voices of the number of apprentices and other exploration teams that resided within the guild. A glance over her shoulder to the rest of the room made it very clear just which table was the topic of conversation. They would attempt to look away quickly when Artemis caught their gaze though, as if they were afraid of being discovered.

Artemis was used to attention, of course. Being a famous explorer had its perks, one of which was that everyone knew who you were and was quick to assist you or offer their assistance. She supposed it was the opposite for Silvally. Being such a well-known criminal for his escapes and long-running freedom from the law brought with it many unhappy Pokémon who knew exactly who he was. None of them knew his name; Artemis didn't know his name until yesterday. It wouldn't be long until that information got out though. 'The Outlaw' would have a name to put to the face.

After the duo had finished dinner, they poked into Wigglytuff's office for Artemis to relay the events of today. She brought up how she showed him around town, explored the market, and the details of the mission.

Artemis, however, did not bring up Silvally's panic in the mission room, nor the negative reception the town had toward him. She was certain they would be one-off instances. Besides, she didn't want to bring up that the very first day of her task had issues. Artemis would let it sit for a little, and if they became important to deal with, she would mention them. Just not this early. Despite her dislike of Silvally, she would much rather watch over him than some other Pokémon that would get mauled by the powerful criminal.

After dinner and the first of ninety daily reviews—Artemis rolled her eyes when Chatot reminded her how many times they had to do this—Silvally and Artemis made their way to their shared room. Silvally was in front this time, Artemis following behind him. She noticed how he tensed slightly when she slipped in behind him, the reaction from the former outlaw bringing with it that weird swell of mixed emotions from earlier in the day.

She brushed off the mess of thoughts and boxed them all up, shoving them into a corner of her mind to forget about. They didn't matter anyway. She just had to focus on making sure Silvally behaved himself, did his work, and managed a proper integration into society.

After the results of today, Artemis realized it was going to be a little more difficult than she had hoped. The discomfort around large numbers of Pokémon, the hatred of being touched, and his general unwillingness to speak didn't spark much confidence in Artemis. She'd need to figure out how much he learned before he took off into the wilderness two years ago.

The hybrid fox huffed as she settled down on her bed, giving a sharp yawn. She stretched out her tails and flexed her paws, laying her head on them, watching Silvally in the bed across from her. Silvally did the same, though without the theatrics, lowering himself down and being careful not to lay on his injured side.

The two faced one another, the beds a fair distance apart. Silvally eventually lowered his head to rest on the edge of the bed, angled toward the fox. Artemis huffed and shifted herself a little, angling her head to the left, so she wouldn't have to deal with those unnerving and bright eyes on her all night.

Neither spoke to the other, as per usual. Instead, they lay there in the darkness, listening to the sound of the wind through the window. Leaves rustled far below, and in the distance, the sounds of the ocean were able to be heard.

Artemis was the first to close her eyes. She didn't sleep. Instead, she gradually slowed her breathing and kept her ears angled toward Silvally. She reasoned that if he was going to make a move, he would do so when she was asleep.

So, she waited.

Ten minutes… twenty minutes… thirty… She continued to keep her breathing deep and slow, emulating sleep.

Her ear flicked when she noticed a change in the breathing pattern of the Pokémon on the opposite side of the room. His normally shorter breaths were replaced by deep, heavy breathing. Still, she waited another five minutes, before cracking an eye open and glancing toward Silvally.

He was asleep. No movements or twitching, nor any half-open eyelids or faked breaths. He was out, normally tense muscles relaxed, and powerful paws and talons limp on the bed. Artemis watched him for a long moment, just waiting.

Another fifteen minutes went by, and nothing changed, he was still out.

Artemis took a deep breath, releasing the tension she didn't realize she was holding. She settled down on the bed once more and closed her eyes. This time, she did sleep, listening to the sounds of the breeze, the leaves, the ocean, and the deep, soft breaths of the other Pokémon in the room.