Chapter 4 - Crossing Paths

Stay strong, my wings. Don't let me go.

I can make it. I'm not on my own.

Keep flying on through the day.

On my love!

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"E-Eh?!"

Shiron just stared at Nick in silence. Joining a team. What was that all about? What team? There were no trainers there, so what just happened? More questions popped up, like what kind of team Nick was talking about, if Shiron should accept the invitation, and if that invitation was even good in the first place! But the most important of the questions was: why him?

"I'm sure you heard the first time," Nick grinned, his tail eagerly wagged. "C'mon, it'll be fun! We can be heroes, save and help others! Besides, you don't have anything to do, right? No memories!"

Drat, that was a good point. Well, except he did remember things, he just didn't know what to do now.

Shiron flopped his gills, frowning. "I-I mean… you, uh, you kinda dropped this on me. Don't think I can decide now, can I get some time to think about it?"

Though Nick tried to hide it, his disappointment was audible through his sad whine. Oh well, that wasn't a "no", just a "I'll think about it", which was better than outright denial.

"Okay…" Nick replied, rubbing the back of his head.

I feel kinda bad for him, but maybe this is the best choice. Whatever he's hoping to achieve, I'll just be in the way.

Nick, meanwhile, looked at the storm brewing right then. He forced a smile on his face and looked at the Marshtomp. "Guess I just gotta wait, then! Also, we should get home now. Gramps doesn't like when I get this wet."

"Yeah, sure…" Shiron sighed. The rain felt so good on his scales, like a cold shower after a hot day. So refreshing… why go away?

The reason was that he recognized those thoughts as probably belonging to his Marshtomp instincts. It managed to change his mind in the blink of an eye. "Okay, let's go!"

Shiron's stomach growled. Oh, I'm hungry too… great!

Good thing he managed to hide a sad face. Shiron then smiled at Nick. "Alright, lead the way!"

"We went there earlier today, do you really need a guide?"

"... I was trying to keep up the conversation."

Nick answered by sticking his tongue. "I know, just wanted to tease you! And don't worry about your stomach, Gramps knows how to cook! He even has some recipes I never heard of before!"

In response, his stomach grumbled. Shiron even felt himself drool at the thought of eating something, and his smile grew. Things weren't so bad in this world! Maybe someday he could even tell the truth about his humanity and memories. But not now. Shiron was far more interested in satisfying his empty stomach.

"Well, I am hungry, again. Lead the way, Nick!"

Nick smiled once again, and the sight of it was enough for Shiron's heart to melt.

"C'mon!" Nick hurried away.

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Good thing they did, the rain only got worse after they entered Nick's house. Since Shiron was away from the eye of the storm, his gills didn't pick up much of it but the whooshing of the wind and the thunder rumbling.

On the bright side, it's comfy here. Except… Shiron only realized he was basically naked then. And the heat appeared again. Looking down, he was glad to not see anything; being the species he was, it probably was hidden somewhere. Never mind, if anything, it was better that way. Genitals are gross. I don't know how people can be into that.

His thoughts were interrupted by a few splashes of water, courtesy of Nick wiggling around to dry himself. After he was done, the fur on his body seemed fluffier. "Can I get you a towel…? Gramps won't like if you go into the kitchen wet like that."

They had towels? Another detail that made Shiron giggle. "Sure."

"Any particular color?"

"Red."

"Aye!" Nick nodded before running away, Shiron could even see him go up a set of stairs, not remembering if he noticed the house having that earlier.

Oh. I didn't realize that this house looked so cozy. Shiron grunted. Knowing the place was like that should be nice, so why was his heart skipping a beat? Everything was fine. Unless… unless it was some kind of trick! What if the whole scenario was nothing other than his own delusions?

… Please tell me this is just in my head. I don't think I would ever get this comfortable. Not back home. A-And… why am I feeling comfortable here? These people, t-they, they can't be so nice? They barely know me!

His vision shifted to his arms. The fleshy scars were still there, but there was no blood, nothing. Shiron's stubby fingers twitched, while he took a deep breath.

Wait. If I slap myself and it hurts, then it means this isn't a dream!

Why didn't he think of that sooner? Shiron raised his right arm and gave his fishy face a nice, loud…

Slap!

And he instantly fell on his rear, grunting in pain. "What just happened?! Sure, it hurts, but I'm not this strong!"

Just then, Nick came back with a large, red towel. He deadpanned at the sight of the Marshtomp sitting on the floor. "Huh? Shiron? What's up?"

Shoot. Act dumb!

"Who's Shiron?"

Wait, not that dumb!

"... I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that," Nick rolled his eyes, throwing the towel at his friend. "Dry yourself. I'm gonna go to the kitchen, can I meet you there?"

"Sure, sure." He replied, rubbing the towel on himself. Turns out Shiron was more wet than he assumed. Probably due to his new biology.

It didn't take long until he was dry (or as dry as he could be), so Shiron made his way to the kitchen, tapping his belly in preparation for whatever meal he was about to eat. With how good things were going so far, the meal was probably as good as the cake.

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Terry covered himself with the blanket and yawned, looking at the lamp on the ceiling, the sphere inside it glowing.

I-I can't believe we're here! His tail started wagging, and the dragon smiled, his grasp on the blanket growing tighter.

"Liz? Are you still awake?"

"I am," she replied, not looking at him, but nodding along.

"Heh! We did it, Liz! We ran away, we actually ran away!" He giggled, tiny arms trembling. "It's like I imagined it! I'm finally free!"

Liz sighed, sitting on her bed. "Sir, is it wise to run? Your father or your brother might come to get you back. I believe they still want you as the heir to the throne."

"... It's not what I want," Terry whined. Why couldn't his family simply accept it? He was so far from them now! And they'd still follow him?

"Sorry."

Terry sighed and closed his eyes, grunting. In his mind, he pictured them: a big Tyrantrum and a Tyrunt like him, though the latter wore a blue cape instead, and his eyes were green. They stared at him with disapproving looks.

"I can still see them," Terry opened his eyes and whined. "Is it so hard for them to just respect me for who I am, instead of pressuring me with all these expectations?!"

"Parents tend to do that." Liz stated, sighing and eyeing Terry. "For what is worth… I am sorry that you have to deal with it. I wish there was another way."

"There is another way, it's what I'm doing right now!"

"Landing on an Arceus-forsaken town is not another way."

In response, the Tyrunt pouted. "You need to chill, alright? We're only alive because of that Marshtomp and Riolu's kindness!"

"Yes. Strangers decided to help us. I am thankful for it, as they saved you. You are more important."

Why? Just because he was a royal? Terry could never understand that line of thought, not when he was the same as her; a Pokémon just wanting to live his life.

"... I'm really not. Liz, forget about the prince thing! I'm just as important as you! We're here, we're alive! We have our whole lives to look up to!"

"I know. But I cannot, in good will, allow you to—"

The door in front of them opened and closed, as Audrey and Amelia entered, looking at them.

"You two seem to be recovering well." Amelia said, smiling. "That's good. I think by tomorrow, you'll be free to go."

"Which brings me to a question!" Audrey chirped. "Actually, tons of questions. What were you two doing at the beach? What are you here for? What will you two do now?"

"I'm not sure," Terry shook his head in denial. "There's a lot of things I want to do, but I don't know where to start…"

Liz agreed, and she simply nodded. "Indeed. We were planning a quick tour of this town tomorrow. We do not have any guides, but that should hardly matter."

Audrey smirked, her poofy tail swishing. "My, my… wonder who could guide you?"

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Sheltered from the rain, Nick sniffed the air inside his house, and his stomach grumbled. Better to take a shower first, as the other option was stay and listen to his grandpa's complaints.

"Shiron, I'll join you and gramps soon. Just, uh, lemme take a bath, alright? You can go ahead, don't think he's gonna yell at a guest…"

Lucky me! Shiron thought, musing about it, his gills perking up, while his own stomach was asking for more food, so he accepted the offer and made his way to the kitchen.

Though his nostrils didn't pick up much of a scent (Shiron hummed about not turning into a canine for a moment), he could still hear the sizzling of something cooking in a pan. Like he thought, the Pangoro from earlier was preparing their dinner, a big piece of steak, from what he could see.

"You likin' it, kid?" Rowan asked without turning around, moving the pan forward and backward so the oil would cover the roast. "High-quality Miltank fillet."

Hearing it just made his belly rumble more, and his gills drooped. "W-Well, it does sound good… can't say much about the smell, though."

"Heh. You don't have powerful noses like me or Nick," he turned the stove off and faced Shiron, scratching his furry chin. "I couldn't help but notice that you, how do I put it? Were staring at me for a while when we met. Are you alright?"

Crap. Shiron's immediate reaction was to gulp and stutter from the words Rowan said. Drops of sweat fell from his scales. What am I supposed to say?! And if I keep this up, I'll blow my secret! Think, Shiron, think!

Time almost crawled to a halt while he measured his options. Come clean? Pretend to be dumb? Whatever the case was, Shiron's increasing anxiety meant he needed to think of something fast.

Rowan cleared his throat, having waited long enough. His demeanor looked gruff and serious, he showed no signs of emotion other than mild annoyance, but Shiron also noticed a tint of kindness on the Pangoro's eyes. "Alright. If you don't want to talk about it, then we can leave it for later."

At least he was saved from discussing the human issue. Just then, something came up, clicking inside Shiron's mind like a button. Finally, something to change the subject! "U-Uh, question. You said this is Miltank meat, b-but… h-how, uh, how did you get it?"

"What do I look like? A butcher? I don't work with that. Just bought them at the market. And don't worry, it's safe to eat."

Well, did he have any other choice? Shiron's tummy was roaring again. Best to let it get some sustenance before thinking about such a moral problem, and since this place had no humans either, things were different, so maybe eating someone was… justified. Most of the time.

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It didn't mean that he was happy about it. He could see the blood dripping from the steak, and smoke coming out of it. Shiron held a fork and gulped. He kept wondering what was the catch, what would they want in return.

Except nothing happened. Nick was too busy swallowing his part to care, while Rowan was eating a roasted berry along with the fillet. They both looked so natural doing it, the only thing unnatural was him not doing the same.

Okay. Okay, Shiron. You can do this. You're hungry, just gotta eat the… meat. He thought, staring at the meal with wide eyes and gulping. Man, I know I'm not vegan, but this is making me reconsider it.

"Shiron, what's up? You barely touched the food!" Nick said, looking at him while drinking from a cup of water.

Rowan cleared his throat. "Now, now, what did I say about interrupting others when they're eating?"

"... Don't do it?"

A nod from his grandfather confirmed Nick's suspicions, who went back to eating. Shiron still hadn't taken a single bite, and his thumping heart only made things harder.

… Alright, lemme try it like this.

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The effort looked tamer than it was. Shiron closed his eyes, inhaled as much air as he could and cut off part of the meat, before swallowing it, not bothering to chew.

Hm? Hm?!

An assault of flavors made their way to his insides. So powerful that Shiron began wobbling around, nearly losing his balance on the chair. Where was this his whole life?!

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"You liked it, eh?" Nick grinned, his plate finished. "Gramps' is the best!"

"Noticed," the Marshtomp replied, now taking a larger piece. After chewing it, he smiled, eyes sparkling. "Thanks for the meal, you two. Haven't eaten something this good in… I dunno, a long time!"

"It's nothing, really!" Nick replied.

Rowan nodded. "Just hospitality, I suppose. And neither of you need to worry about the dishes. I'll handle them myself."

"Alright!" Nick jumped out of the chair, landing on his feet, before motioning for Shiron to go with him. "C'mon, I'm gonna show you my room! And… yours too, I guess?"

I got food, friends, and a house on the same day? Xerneas, if you can hear me, thank you.

A whistle alerted Shiron, and not long after he was pulled away from the kitchen by the ever-energetic Riolu. The helicopter tail and constant giggling coming from Nick melted the Marshtomp's heart, and he found himself giggling back.

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After crossing the hall and climbing the stairs, they stopped in front of a room that had soda cans under the door, and a large sign that said 'Keep Out'. If Shiron knew him any better, he'd think Nick was just pretending to be a delinquent teenager.

"This is your room, right?" Shiron kicked a can away from his feet. "Dude, you might wanna clean this place."

"Later." Nick opened the door and went inside first, letting Shiron take his time to join him.

Which wasn't long. But the Marshtomp was shocked to see a paper beneath his feet, along with several other papers scattered on the wooden floor, some with drawings, some with written notes.

Regardless of the intention, Nick quickly put them in a closet nearby, locking it and sighing in relief. "Phew! Sorry about that, those were my plans. Soooo, what do you think?"

Shiron stopped to look. Firstly, the bed. It was an actual bed! With a sheet and a mattress, and it looked so comfy! He could lay there and sleep through the whole day, honestly. Next to it was a smaller mattress, which he assumed was for him.

While his friend was busy being mesmerized by a simple bedroom, Nick opened the closet again, only to pull out a large, black blanket. Just then he realized that Shiron might not need one.

"Oh, I'm not sure how your body works. Do you need a blanket, or…?"

"Good question," Shiron replied. At times like this he hoped to have someone like professor Birch to help, but that guy was probably busy being chased by wild Zigzagoon. "... I don't think so, but I also don't wanna sleep in my birthday suit. That'd be weird."

Nick tilted his head. "What's a birthday suit?"

Of course they didn't have that concept.

"... Never mind that. Anything that I can wrap myself in other than the blanket?"

"Hold on," the canine answered, opening his closet and putting his head inside. His legs and tail twitched for a few seconds, before he left, carrying a red scarf. "Here! This should fit you!"

A scarf? Well, I always did like red, and it looks pretty… Shiron nodded, grabbing the accessory, putting it around his neck. Part of it remained next to his left arm. The scarf fit perfectly on him, like Shiron got hugged by a very fluffy Pokémon. "Hm, it's comfy! What's it made of?"

"Wooloo wool." Nick said with an especially large grin, like he was waiting to say exactly that.

"Pfft," the Marshtomp snorted in reply. Then, he burst out laughing, falling on his rear. "Wooloo wool! I'm just… hah! Nice one, Nick!"

"Normally my jokes don't land, so thanks for that!" Nick said, before hopping on his bed and yawning. "... And I'm beat."

Shiron did the same, but took the time to do a few stretches before falling on his mattress. How odd it was to not be wrapped in a blanket, or to wear clothes. It'd take some time to get used, for sure.

At least there were people there for him. He smiled, looking at the bed next to him. "Hey, Nick. I need to say thanks. For helping me, you didn't need to. I'm just some stranger, and yet you invited me in, showed me around."

What he heard in response was snoring. Nick was just as exhausted as him, if not more. Shiron clutched his scarf tightly.

Shiron blinked, then closed his eyes. I can't believe this really happened. It all feels like a dream. A good dream, but still… why? Why me of all people? I'm sure there's others that deserved this chance more than me.

Those thoughts were too familiar, so Shiron shook them off. Whether he deserved it or not, he was alive, and that was enough for him to smile, grateful for it. It wasn't long until he was rocked to sleep by the tiredness.

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The squawking of an early Pidove forced Terry to wake up. Due to not being used to waking up so early, the dragon was still groggy. He quietly sat on the bed and yawned, his tail swishing slowly.

Not long after he sat up, so did Liz, the Roselia looking at him with a soft smile. "Good morning, sire. It is with great joy that we both have survived that long journey."

"I mean… you didn't need to come with me. That was your choice. Not that I mind, you're the only good thing that place had," he giggled in reply, but then his expression hardened as he clutched the necklace. "... With maybe one exception."

"I am sorry, sire."

"It's fine, and also not your fault." Terry nodded, laying down again. "Again, I'm glad you came with me."

Liz turned her face away, but couldn't hide her smile. "You are welcome. Do you wish to know my plans for today?"

Knowing Liz, that meant one of two things: either she was going to have him train until he passed out, or plan for them to run away from the city, since she didn't like it.

The first option had him cringing. "Does it include training? Because I'm not in the mood for that."

"It is less of training and more of checking what this town has to offer," Liz explained, raising her head in a regal pose. "We should also look for our bag. You did bring one, right? We cannot afford to look for a job, it is unfit for a prince."

Hearing the entire sentence nearly made Terry's jaw drop. Not because he forgot, but because telling her that he never bothered to bring money with them would make things go south really soon.

"Terry?"

Unfortunately, his shocked expression only served to tell what was on his mind without Terry saying anything. Liz then took a long breath, containing all of her rage inside, but even so, a few petals dropped, while smoke came out of her mouth.

Deep breaths. In, out. In, out. Liz calmed herself down and crossed her arms. "Sire, I am choosing to believe you have a good reason for us to not have any money. Will you be so kind as to enlighten me?"

Though her face seemed calm and collected, Terry could feel his entire body shivering from fear.

"W-Well… I figured we could start over? G-Get a job of our own… make a business, do you get it?"

Liz grunted, shaking her head. The prince is unbelievable…

"Alright," she replied, shoving down all of her rage. Liz looked at him straight in the eye. "And when do you plan on looking for a job?"

"T-Today? We can try it today. I think."

They left their beds, quickly getting out of the house as well, ready for the day.

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Shiron had no idea how he managed to sleep like that, with the scarf covering most of his stomach, drool dripping from his mouth, and with contortions worthy of an athlete.

So it came as anything but a surprise that it was painful enough for the Marshtomp to wake up, yawning and rubbing his eyes.

"Hmm. That was the best night I had in ages!" Shiron yawned again. Still groggy, he sat on the mattress. "... Wait, where am I? What's this place all about?"

Then, he remembered. The meeting with Xerneas, the beach, everything came flooding back. It was all real. Shiron pinched his arm and grunted from the pain, confirming it again.

"... Right. Gotta say, it's a lot better than me waking up at home, with… them."

Unbeknownst to him, Nick was still in the room, laying in his bed. The canine's ear twitched, picking up what his friend was saying. He let Shiron talk to himself for a while, but soon Nick's curiosity forced him to peek his head out, grinning.

"Who's them?"

"W-Wah!" Shiron jumped back, falling on the cold floor.

"You're a scaredy Meowth, hm?" Nick jumped to the ground and stretched his arms. "G'morning, by the way."

"G-Good morning, Nick," Shiron pouted, standing up and adjusting his scarf properly. It was somewhat itchy because of his scales, but nevertheless, Shiron found the garment comfy.

"You hungry? 'Cause I wanna show you a place. It's important."

"I guess?" As if on cue, Shiron's stomach grumbled while he tapped it. Man, I don't remember my body doing this as a human. Must be some side effect.

Nick scratched his chin and then snapped a finger. "Well, I'll grab some apples from the fridge and we can eat on the way!"

He then began to walk towards the door, only to be interrupted by Shiron clearing his throat.

"What's… an apple?"

"How do you not know what an apple is?" Nick blinked, then snorted. "Aight. C'mon, you'll find out anyway."

"If you say so."

The Marshtomp yawned, rubbing his eyes, before he followed Nick out of their shared bedroom.

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Unlike the previous day, the town was more lively. Shiron saw more stores open on his way to the plaza, and more groups too. One of them included a Golem, a Beedrill, and a Charmeleon, who were heading to the bank, being the latest ones in a large line.

Not just that, but he also saw a few Timburr working on putting up decorations, like poles and flags. It reminded him of Christmas, considering that he saw a few red hats being sold to passerby Pokémon.

"We're celebrating holidays. Everyone will gather at the plaza today." Nick explained, chewing on the apple. "And before you ask, sorry, can't take you. I promised Audrey I'd go with her."

Shiron snorted, laughing a bit. "Didn't even think of that! Now, who am I gonna ask?"

The canine pondered, biting his lip. "I don't think I know you well enough to suggest anyone, but what do you like? Guys? Girls? Nobody? Both?"

"S-Straight to the point, huh?" He backed away, gulping and clutching his scarf. "... Both. I like both."

"Okay!" Nick cheered. "You could go with Amelia, the nurse. Remember her? She's nice, and got a nice behind to boot."

It felt like pretending to ignore that sentence was the best, if not the only option. Shiron even put both hands in his face, grunting.

"Right. So not her. In this case, why don't you try M—"

A puff of red smoke appeared in front of the two, before shaping into the form of a Zorua. To Nick, a familiar one, who glared at him with such an intense gaze he could feel it piercing his chest. She jumped at him, biting his tail and causing Nick to yelp.

"A-Audrey! H-Hi!" Nick replied, shaking to try to get her to go away. Meanwhile, Shiron suppressed a laugh, covering his mouth.

Audrey eventually jumped back, snarling, her fur standing on end. "Don't you "hi" me, mister! I heard your little talk about Amy! Shame on you!"

"Y-You got it all wrong, A-Audrey, I just said it to help my friend! H-He doesn't have anyone to go with!"

"Hmph," she turned to face Shiron. "Is that true?"

I didn't even say I wanted to go, but if I say no, they'll hate me for it… he nodded slowly. "Y-Yeah. It's true."

"Well, if that's the case…"

Audrey looked at Nick again, snarling, before strolling away from them. After getting far, she stared back at her boyfriend. "I'll let this slide! But if it happens again, the one that'll slide is you."

"S-Sure!" Nick waved at her, watching Audrey go.

"Where are we going anyway?" he asked, munching on the weird, red berry. It looked like a leppa, but was redder and tasted funny. Even the name (an anagram of leppa, for sure) was funny to him, so Shiron chuckled.

"Y'know how I mentioned that I wanted you on my team?"

Nick meant the big reveal Shiron heard yesterday, and of course he remembered. "Yup. What about it? I still haven't decided, if that's what you mean."

"I wanna show you my office," Nick replied, grinning and wagging his tail.

"You have an office?" Shiron stared, sighing while his gills lowered.

"What were you expecting?"

"Uh, something other than that…?" He smiled, trying to hide his embarrassment.

"Your lack of faith is astonishing." Nick laughed, turning around and walking.

"Gee, thanks," he rolled his eyes and followed his friend's lead. He wondered if he should ask that cute Quilladin to go with him, but quickly shrugged the idea off. They barely knew each other, anyway.

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Meanwhile, Terry and Elizabeth had arrived in town. Well, not just them. Amelia was following close behind, inspecting their every move.

Much to the Roselia's dismay. She rolled her eyes, looking back before turning to Terry. "Why did you allow her to stalk us? Frankly, it is preposterous. I am the only one that needs to take care of you."

"I didn't allow her. She has free will." Terry grunted. He took a look around, fascinated by the preparations, and saw a few children playing tag. His nostrils flared, smelling something sweet nearby.

"And she can hear you two," Amelia said, standing next to them with her arms crossed. "Look, I'm just here to check on how you guys are. You may as well pretend I'm not around. I don't mind."

Liz glared. "I was doing that already."

"Really?" Amelia began to laugh. "Because it looked like you were doing a terrible job."

"Is that so?" The grass-type forced vines out of her flowers and prepared to strike.

"Try me," Amelia's body began to glow, surrounded by a pink aura.

Seeing both of them about to go on an actual battle made Terry run and stand between the two girls, panting and extending his tiny arms in both directions.

"S-Stop! C'mon, we should be hanging out, having fun! Not getting at each other's throats!"

Liz raised a brow and retracted the vines, raising her head. "Hmph. If you say so, sire."

"Sorry that you have to deal with her," Amelia's aura faded as she scooted closer to them. "Do you two need help visiting the town?"

"Sure! This is my first time visiting other towns, I wanna see what this one's got!" Terry's tail wagged.

"Do I get a say in this?" Liz grunted.

"No," the Kirlia giggled, clapping her hands. "Okay. There are a lot of things to do and places to go. Where do you wanna start?"

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Starting off with whatever was assaulting his nostrils with a sweet scent, Terry told Amelia to lead them that way. They ended up in the middle of the plaza, where lots of shops and food stands could be seen.

"Oh, that's cool. So many places to check out!" Terry beamed, his tail wagging.

"Just be careful. If you go to the eastern exit of the plaza, you might end up in a mystery dungeon." the Kirlia pointed out.

Liz scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Fascinating, that is the first useful thing you said all day! And what kind of idiot builds a town around mystery dungeons?"

More strides at one another? Terry muttered, he didn't have time for this! Ignoring the two, the Tyrunt walked towards one of the stands, following the sweet smell to finally satiate his hunger.

This particular stand was decorated with cupcakes and ice cream cones. There were two receptionists, a Quilladin and a Sandslash that held a small Sandshrew in his arms, feeding him a bottle of milk. Behind the three came a Raticate, chewing on a slice of cheese while he waited for his turn.

"Hello, and good morning!" Sandslash smiled at the three, recognizing the Kirlia. "Oh, hello, Amelia, dear! How are you? How's your dad?"

"Good. Had to go to a seminar, so I'm taking care of our patients," she replied, eyeing Terry and Liz. "Which include these two."

"Hi, I'm Terrence, but all my friends call me Terry!"

"And I am Elizabeth," the Roselia added with a flick of her arms.

The Quilladin stepped forward, putting the bottle down before looking at the Sandslash. "Dad, I can take care of him now. Go talk with our clients, alright?"

Sandslash nodded, gently giving the small ground-type Pokémon to him. "Kids, eh? Have fun, Magnus. I'll switch with you in half an hour."

Magnus nodded and walked along the street, away from them. Sandslash then put an apron around his stomach and clapped his hands, smiling at his potential clients. "So! What can I get you?"

"I do not need to eat. I can synthesize my own nutrients by a process known as—"

Unbeknownst to them, the Raticate left the area as soon as Magnus did, running on all fours. Liz, however, kept a close eye on the rodent, frowning.

"Liz, not now," Terry pouted, stepping closer to see the treats. Inside the stand he could see various bowls of ice cream, each with a different color and smell.

"Seems you like sweets, kiddo." Sandslash beamed. "We have ice cream today. What flavor would you like? There's oran, pinap, aguav, lum… and you can even add gummies if you'd like!"

"Oh, let's see… I want lum ice cream with red gummies on top!" Terry almost jumped in joy, drool dripped from his snout.

"Of course! That'll be ten poké, please."

Just as quickly, Terry crashed down. He forgot to bring any money!

"... I'll pay," Amelia opened a purse, counting the coins before handing a few of them to the Sandslash. "That should do it."

Terry grabbed his ice cream cone and started eating immediately, walking away with Liz, who looked a lot more silent than usual. Too silent, he mused.

"Hey, Liz? What's wrong?"

Liz closed her eyes and sighed, looking at the prince. "Sire, I am afraid we might have a problem. That Raticate that was with us… he seemed suspicious. Left just as the Quilladin did. Perhaps we should investigate?"

"W-What do you mean?!" Terry gasped, almost dropping his dessert.

"I do not know… but we should check it, just in case." Liz nodded, before storming off with him.

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Magnus walked across the street, holding the baby Sandshrew in his arms. Every so often the child started booping the Quilladin's nose, which only served to make him giggle, his tail wagging.

"You're such a cute baby! Yes you are, yes you are~!" Magnus tickled the child, causing more laughs from the two of them.

And in the shadow of the stores behind Magnus, something crawled. A Raticate, snickering while he hid himself, getting closer and closer to the two.

It all happened in an instant. Magnus was too slow to react, being knocked to the ground with a loud thud, and was only able to look up to see his brother grabbed by the paws of a Raticate.

"W-Who are you?! G-Give my brother back!" Magnus stood up slowly, creating two vines from his arms. He moved them, trying to hit the rodent.

To no avail. Raticate stumbled back and snickered. "Hehe! The child is mine! I bet your dad will pay a fat load of money to give him back!"

Magnus snarled, lunging in with more vines, but stopped once he saw Raticate using his sibling as a shield.

"Na-ah-ah! If you want this baby back, you better meet me at the entrance to Leaf Valley!"

"L-Leaf Valley?!" He flinched, standing in place. Magnus tried moving again, but only managed to fall to the ground, watching Raticate run away.

----------------------------------------

On the way to the place Nick wanted to show him, Shiron had ordered a smoothie nearby, and it was made from rawst berry! He could already tell it was his favorite, given the multiple slurps on the cup.

"Someone has a sweet tooth."

"Hey, I gotta enjoy it while you're still paying for all my stuff," the Marshtomp blepped, before slurping more.

"You'll be the death of me."

"That's the plan!" Shiron raised an arm and chuckled.

Smiling sheepishly, Nick looked in front of him and whistled to get his friend's attention. As the Marshtomp got near, he could see what the office was: an old wooden house. Abandoned, from how there were pieces of wood on the ground and broken windows, along with a few mattresses scattered around the entrance.

Maybe a broken house is this world's equivalent of a mansion? Shiron sipped in silence, waiting for any possible explanation.

And Nick noticed the uneasiness in Shiron's eyes, walking towards him and smiling. "Now, I know it looks bad, but if we work on it, we might have ourselves a great base!"

"Got it," Shiron nodded. Well, he did have the strength to work on something as big as that, but what if he failed? Or worse…

"I-I could cause an accident if I'm not careful! Are you sure you need my help?!"

Still keeping his smile, Nick tapped the water-type's back and pointed to the house. "What matters is that we can have fun doing it, even if we fail!"

"Oh, then—"

"S-Shiron, N-Nick!"

Magnus came running like an athlete, stopping next to them to catch his shaky and raspy breath. The two looked and saw him crying, drop after drop of tears falling down on the ground, not to mention how shaky he looked.

"M-Magnus? What's wrong?" Shiron asked, running to his side and offering a hand. "Slow down, what happened?"

Magnus instantly accepted the hand and hugged Shiron. "M-My brother… h-he got kidnapped! I told dad about it, the whole town's deciding what to do!"

"Kid…napped?" Nick tilted his head and snarled. "Magnus, what did the kidnapper say?! Do you know where they are?!"

"T-They went to Leaf Valley…" he replied, still sobbing next to Shiron.

"What's Leaf Valley?" The Marshtomp asked.

"I-It's a mystery dungeon!" Nick replied, clenching his fists as his fur stood on end. "And dangerous, 'specially for a baby!"

Mystery dungeon…? Shiron thought about the words, though they held no meaning for him. Not that it mattered, considering that a child was in danger! He had to do something to help, despite not knowing how to fight, use moves or anything the other Pokémon could do. Way out of his depth, for sure. Shiron's gills drooped.

"... Nick. Do you know where this… Leaf Valley is?" The Marshtomp asked.

"Uh, yeah? We all do." He answered.

Nodding, Shiron pulled away from Magnus, looking directly at him. "I'm going there with Nick, and we will get your brother back, you have my word!"

Hearing that made the Riolu's ears perk up. "You will?"

"Of course. C'mon, lead the way!"

After giving one final hug to Magnus, the duo ran off towards the plaza, ready for their first mission.