Chapter 17 - First Day!

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"So, which of these quests do you want to do today? I think personally, we should do something small, but I'm fine with whatever you want to do. As long as I'm with you, we can do any quest!" Vulpix stated. We are currently looking over the quest boards, trying to decide what our first quest should be.

"Hmm, I think a good, simple, fetch quest would be a good start. Although I wouldn't mind bashing the face in of a criminal, but I would like an Oran berry or two before we do that. So grab us any quest that looks simple enough with a decent enough pay," I replied.

"Okay! Hmm… let's see…" Vulpix trailed off while looking over the quests. I would have helped, but gee-wiz, mister, I still can't read. So I was looking over the different Pokémon that are currently around the lobby area to get a feel for how they carried themselves. To be honest, besides my lack of sleep last night due to a weird nightmare, I felt good. I had a good hearty snack of sunlight this morning, so I'm beaming! We also had a proper breakfast, too. First week of breakfasts are on the house since the guild knew we most likely wouldn't have much, if any money.

"Hey! Stumpy legs!" And instantly my good mood was shattered.

"And I was having such a good morning, too. What do you want, Charmeleon?" I crabbily replied. It was way too early in the morning for this.

"I declare you as my rival!" she suddenly declared while pointing one of her claws at me. I was so caught off guard by this sudden declaration that all I could do was stare at her. "From now on, we are rivals, and you will do your best to beat me, while I will do my best to beat you. It won't be much of a challenge for me of course. So you better try your best!"

Brain shutting down- rebooting… Loading, done! Okay, assessment time. 'What?!'

"What?" I dumbly replied.

"Argh! What's to understand? You are the only newcomer with some actual stones, and I need a rival to help me become the number one at this guild! So that's what you will be, my stepping stone to greatness. Now, I hope you aren't choosing a wimpy quest for your first assignment. My team over there is going to crush a local criminal," she said while throwing her most thumb-like claw behind her shoulder towards her said team.

"See you back at the guild later today, or not, since I doubt you two wimps will manage to finish a quest in one day. And even if you do, I doubt it would be a cool quest anyway. Later, loser," Charmeleon self-dismissed while walking off with her teammates.

Staring at them walking away gave me an unwelcome flashback of my past back in school. This was before I met my first friend: Chriss. It was a lonely time back then. Strange thing is that even though Charmeleon reminded me of a terrible time from my past, I wasn't exactly angry. No, more excited if anything. Is it because I'm not alone?

"What was that about?" Vulpix asked.

"Change of plans, Vulpix," I said in a flat tone. "Grab us a criminal quest, would you?"

"Hmm? Are you sure? What about getting money for supplies, before we talk on a criminal quest?"

"Sometimes you must throw caution out the window when a challenge reveals itself. We will complete a mission today and it will be a criminal quest. I will not be seen as a pushover, not by that fake dragon," I replied, still not taking my eyes off the door.

"Okay, if you're sure." Vulpix went back to the bounty board like asked to fetch a new quest.

"Oh, Chameleon. If you want a rival, then you got one. I will destroy you," I muttered to myself. A small smile began to form on myself. I was beginning to feel a bit excited, for what is a Pokémon adventure without a rival? A boring one Pokémon adventure, that is.

"What was that?" Vulpix asked.

"Self-monologuing, don't worry."

"Riiight… Oh, found a quest!"

"Then a-questing, we shall go."

"What?"

"Then a-questing- never mind. Let's go catch a criminal!"

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So, after handing over the quest details to the Ambipom who was still holding a grudge on me, we left the guild and started to tread towards the town. Good news, I didn't get anything thrown at me from Ambipom. So that's nice.

We stopped by a nearby park bench just outside the guild for Vulpix to read the quest's notice paper. I could dangle the notice in front of her, but that seems more effort than it's worth.

Once Vulpix and I were seated, I handed her the notice from my backpack I always have on now. She rotated the paper so it was now facing her.

"So, what type of criminal did you pick? Bank robber? Arsonist? Ex-lover?" I asked. Vulpix gave me a concerned look.

"No, nothing like that," Vulpix replied. "A local punk has been spotted going around painting up buildings. A very upset Mudkip wants the culprit found and brought to justice as soon as possible, and is offering a bonus the sooner the quest can be done. I have to ask, why would an ex-lover put up a criminal quest?"

"Hey, you never know. Love can make people- I mean Pokémon- act weird. All's fair when it comes to the war of love," I said in a grizzly voice for dramatic flair.

"D-do you have a relationship back at your home?" Vulpix asked shyly.

"Nah, never had the time. I spent most of my time working so I could move away from my parents. Anyway, back on topic, what's the pay?"

"Right, um, let's see… the pay is four hundred gold coins. I'm surprised it's so much! Even if we only get twenty percent, that's still eighty gold coins for a simple mission!" she excitedly exclaimed. I stared at her not sharing her enthusiasm for not knowing the market value of items.

"Um, is that a lot?"

"Yep! Especially for a first time mission. I'm surprised this quest wasn't taken earlier. Guess we got lucky."

"Guess so. Anyway, let's head off to this Mudkip to ask some questions about our perp."

"Okay, lead on."

Packing the notice paper back into my bag, we set off again towards the town.

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Walking in town made me glad that someone knew where this Mudkip was located, for I would have never been able to find it. Vulpix said while we were walking that this Mudkip was the owner of the town's one and only bank. She said that I would instantly recognise the building, so I just went with the flow and followed her.

Feeling like a tourist, I continued to gawk at everything I could gawk at. Pokémon just doing their things like they aren't aware that another universe sells plushies of them. The more we walked to our destination: the town square, the more I realized that this town is going to be easier than I thought to memorize. It does help that most buildings look like they were coloured by a child.

I was continuing to admire the terrible color choice of a random building when I bumped into something fluffy.

"Pwof! Hey!" I exclaimed. Ah, it seems I brushed into Vulpix's tails. She had stopped moving and is currently sitting while staring into the town square. I moved to the front of Vulpix, taking note of her nervous expression. It seems that she hasn't noticed that I am in front of her. "Hello?" I asked, waving my paw in front of her face. "Earth to Vulpix? Or whatever this planet is called."

"S-sorry, but could we come back later? There are alot of Pokémon in the town center at the moment," Vulpix asked. Oh, that's right. When we first arrived, she seemed more nervous around the larger crowds, resulting in myself not being able to explore the town.

"Sorry, but I would like to get this quest done today if possible. Just point me in the direction and I'll talk with Mudkip," I offered.

"Um… I'm not sure about that…" Vulpix said, giving me a concerned look. Aww, nice to see she cares about my safety.

"Don't worry, Vulpix. If he gives me any trouble, I'll get the information- one way or another." I used my vines to punch each other to help emphasize my point. I was kidding of course… yeah, kidding.

"You know what? Haha, today is a nice day to conquer my fear of the town square," Vulpix replied. She suddenly bounced up from her sitting position.

"That's the spirit! Now let's get marching."

"It's okay, Vulpix. You can do this," Vulpix said to herself. "You will be there so Ace doesn't end up in jail. You can do this."

You know what? I'm starting to think that Vulpix is more concerned about that Mudkip than myself!

"I can hear you. Glad to know you have faith in me."

"Sorry, but you're not the most… gentle of Pokémon around. It's best if, when we get there, I do the talking."

I was about to retort, but then realized that this would only prove her point, so I just grumbled.

We entered the marketplace.

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Thirty minutes later and we were not even halfway there! Vulpix was currently taking cover behind a bench near a small stall with a confused looking Pidgeotto who was running is like the fifth time she has dove for cover while I wasn't looking. At first it was kinda cute, but now it's just annoying. I gave a sigh.

"What am I going to do with you?" I said.

"H-hey, that's my thing," Vulpix replied.

"This is getting old, and we're burning precious daylight. So either come out of there willingly, or I'm going to drag you out."

After a second of waiting, Vulpix came out of her hiding spot. As a precaution, I had one of my vines around her ankle. Good thing, too, for I caught her trying to make a bee-line for an empty bin along the way.

Vulpix really doesn't like crowds.

Finally reaching our destination, I couldn't help but give a small whistle. Vulpix was right, this building is very recognisable in belonging to Mudkip. It was literally in the shape of Mudkip's head, only it had a respectable looking top hat and a monocle that rested on its left eye.

Now, besides how smart the building looked, there was another bit of detail that really jumped out at you: it was a large pink mustache that was crudely drawn on. Guess we know why Mudkip posted that wanted notice.

"Well, we are here. Let's head inside, Vulpix. Vulpix?" I asked. Vulpix was next to me not two seconds ago. Where did she go? I looked around, yet I couldn't find her. How did she get away from my vines? A loud slamming noise brought my attention back towards the building. Did she run in when I wasn't looking?

In hopes that Vulpix ran inside, I went in after her. Entering the building, I spotted Vulpix huffing and puffing just shy of the door. Glad I don't have to find her.

The inside of the bank was actually quite nice looking. It had a large desk in front of an overly large, metallic safe door. The desk was a nice dark brown and was clearly the definition of colossal. The floor was a nice white marble color, with the walls being a nice baby blue. The only other thing of note, besides some minor furniture scattered around, was the single door that sat off to the side of the vault door.

"Ah, welcome, welcome," came from a really posh Slowking who was sitting behind the mammoth sized desk. "Come closer, would you, please? For all this loud talking is quite harsh on my throat. Oh, and please wipe your feet thoroughly on the mat. I would rather not clean mud off the floor again."

Vulpix and I both looked at each other. I guess Vulpix knew that I was brewing a whippy remark, since she shook her head towards me. I ignored her and walked inside after a very quick wiping of my feet. I hate the feeling of the strong straw that is used for floor mats.

This Slowking, I must say, is the pure spitting image of a posh snob. He is sitting behind his desk with his chin raised high while looking down on us. To be fair, if I was wearing a smart looking suit with a top hat and rocking a nice, neat mustache, then I too would be a bit snobbish. Could use some pants, though. Looks a bit silly without them.

Should I get a suit? Nah.

"Much better. I can get a look at you both now. My old eyes aren't quite what they used to be," he said while pulling out a Lorgnette. "How may I assist you, Miss Vulpix and Mister Bulbasaur?" Slowking asked while examining us both. At first, Vulpix was a bit caught up in the moment, but a small nudge got her speaking.

"Good even-morning, sir!" Vulpix stuttered, "Um w-we are from the guild, and, um, we are taking on this quest that was posted." Slowking had a complete look of disinterest on his face when Vulpix finished speaking. Or maybe he didn't believe her. Could be both, to be honest. Slowking sighed before speaking.

"And do you have the posting? Also, I will need to see your badges before continuing. Protocols and all that. I'm sure you understand."

"Y-yes, we have the posting and our badges. Ace, could you hand it to him, please?" Vulpix asked me.

Doing as asked, I handed over the notice and both Vulpix's and my badge to Slowking. He grabbed them both and gave them a small once-over. Satisfied, he handed them back. "Excellent. I shall notify Master Mudkip of your arrival now." Slowking left his seat, heading up towards the door. He closed it behind him.

"I'm surprised," said Vulpix.

"I know, this place must be a huge pain to keep clean. Like, there is literally trash Pokémon!" I replied.

"No, well sure, but not that. I'm surprised you haven't said anything condescending or rude. I'm proud of you," Vulpix said with a cheeky smile. I wasn't sure how to take that. So I resorted to the old reliable 'don't say anything,' tactic.

After what felt like an eternity of waiting in this silent room, Slowking finally re-emerged from the door. "Master Mudkip will see you now," Slowking said.

"Argh, finally! Guess they don't call you 'slow-king' for a reason," I said.

"My, how rude!" Slowking said, offended. I just ignored him and went up the door that led to a staircase, leading up to the second floor.

"And you were doing so well, too," Vulpix sighed behind me. Once we traversed the staircase with Slowking in tow, and passed through the single door that sat at the end of the staircase, we arrived at a decent sized office room. Like the floor below sat a singular desk at the end of the room with two smaller windows off to the side of them. If I were to guess, I'd imagine those windows would be where the eyes of the Mudkip building would be. Also like the floor below, there isn't much decor. Just a couple of small shelves with books or small sculptures on them. There were a couple of glass cases with various amounts of curious artifacts inside them. Like, I swear one of the small sculptures in one of the glass cases looks like a Rayquaza.

Now for the big kicker of the room. Off to the right of the room sat- and I'm not kidding- a huge self portrait of a Mudkip posing on a red rug in front of a fire pit. Talk about vain.

The Mudkip in question was sitting at his desk and had been eyeing Vulpix and I while we were looking around the room.

"Master, guild members Vulpix and Bulbasaur are here to see you about your quest notice," Slowking said. He really put some stank on saying my name. Geez, is everyone here easily offended? Eh, who cares.

"Ah, yes! Excellent. Thank you, Slowking. I will take it from here," Mudkip said in an equally posh, if more-so voice than Slowking.

"I will take my leave then, Sir," Slowking replied. He shot me a quick little glare before leaving. Mudkip signaled Vulpix and I to walk over, so we did.

"Nice place you have here," I said nonchalantly.

"Why thank you, sir," Mudkip replied with a smile. Vulpix had a look like she was watching someone walking over eggshells. "I took over the family business after it was clear to my father that I was better at banking than he was. So he is enjoying a nice, early retirement and I got my chance to shape this place to my image. Literally, too."

"Well, good for you. Anyway, we are here because you posted a bounty quest?"

"Ah, yes. As I'm sure you have noticed, some ruffian has painted a ghastly pink moostache on my newly constructed place of work. This criminal has also been seen painting other places of residences as of late, so this menace must be caught," Mudkip said. I loved the way he said mustache, like moostache just sounds so posh, you know?

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"There are a lot of Pokémon in this town, sir," Vulpix spoke up, "and this notice didn't mention a description. Do you know who the Pokémon is?"

"Why, not entirely. You see, It was a normal day like all others, when I heard a spraying-like noise coming from outside. Confused, I looked out my window to see nothing, yet the noise continued. I left outside to see for myself if something were afoot, and low and behold, a new pink mustache atop my new building!"

"I mean, that's unfortunate and all, but did you see the culprit?" I asked.

"Unfortunately, I was only able to catch a glimpse of a ball made of rock with two appendages coming off of it. They may be arms, but I'm not entirely sure. I do believe the fellow was able to float since I couldn't spy any legs when it escaped around the building's roof and out of sight. It's going to cost me a pretty penny to get that moostache cleaned up."

"A ball or rock that hovers? Hmm," Vulpix hummed while thinking. "Got any clue on who it might be, Ace?"

"I'm sorry about this useless bit of information I possess. If only I wasn't so startled by the moostache, then I might have gotten a better look," Mudkip said while looking down.

"Are you both messing with me?" I asked. I mean, they couldn't have made out who that Pokémon is any easier if they tried.

"What do you mean?" Vulpix asked.

"Yes, what do you mean?" Mudkip repeated. Looking between them two, I couldn't help but give a small chuckle that seemed to have confused them even further.

"Guess you two aren't kidding. Like, come on. Ball of rock that floats and only has two arms? It's clearly a…." I paused for dramatic effect. "A Geodude."

"A Geodude!" both Vulpix and Mudkip exclaimed at the same time.

"And it was so simple…" Mudkip said. "How long do you think it would take for you both to capture this criminal?"

"No clue, but hopefully by the end of the day. We have a challenge going on, after all," I said.

"A challenge? Good show, we all need a good, hearty bit of a challenge to help keep us from getting the old rusty elbows, as they say. I would like this criminal caught as soon as possible, so I will add to your 'challenge.' If you both capture this Geodude- assuming you are right- then I shall grant you both a small reward. Sounds good?"

"Hell yeah, bonus loot! You know what? You're a decent Pokémon. We shall have your criminal locked behind bars before the day is done, or my name isn't 'Ace!'" I said with enthusiasm.

"But are you not a Bulbasaur?"

"Come, Vulpix! There is daylight wasting!" I yelled out while running towards the exit, ignoring Mudkip's question.

"C-coming! Thank you for seeing us," Vulpix politely said. She then followed behind me.

We exploded out of the bank and another, annoying half an hour of getting Vulpix away from the majority of the crowd, we began our look around town. I was so focused on finding this Geodude that I forgot to admire the town. Town admiring can wait, when there is bonus loot on the line!

So, the vast majority of our time was spent asking around if they have seen this Geodude. Annoyingly, all the answers were either "no, sorry," or "yes, but not today." No one knew where his home was, either, so we were searching blind. Since Vulpix was more nimble then my stumpy body, she took to searching some of the more accessible building rooftops, while I searched the ground. Vulpix really liked this idea since she didn't have to be around any crowds.

Vulpix really doesn't like crowds.

We swung around Vulpix's foster parents' place to see if they knew anything and luckily for us they recalled this Geodude that liked to hang around the market area, in particular the alleyways that littered the area.

Finally, a lead.

Immediately leaving and heading over to where Geodude might be… is what I would have liked to have said, but instead we were basically forced to stay for lunch. Wobbuffet looked like she was going to commit a murder upon me if I declined. So for my safety, I ate the food. I even tried to explain that I don't really need that much food, but that fell on deaf ears, since Vulpix's stomach betrayed our mission by rumbling.

So a good, hearty lunch, we ate.

Food eaten, clue received, we left for the alleyways.

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"Where is this pesky Geodude?!" I shouted out loud. We had to have searched every alleyway at least twice by now! At least I think we have. To be honest, I can't tell one alleyway from another. Never really did have a good sense of direction, so that's not helping.

"I'm sure he will turn up eventually. We just have to keep looking," Vulpix answered while she was putting down a bin lid.

The bright golden, midday sun was now a more orange, amber colour. Meaning that it was starting to become night time. Or in other words, time running out for bonus loot!

"Can't you just, I don't know, sniff him out?" I asked.

"You want me to sniff out a rock? That's like asking me to sniff out the dirt or trees. Besides we don't have anything of Geodude even if it does have a unique smell. Don't worry, Ace. There is still a bit more daylight left. We can find him, I can feel it!"

We are currently searching in an alleyway that turns into a 'T' intersection. Our searching had us towards the intersection part of the alleyway.

"I'm all for optimism, but it's not like we're just going to turn the corner and it will be there. This isn't a cartoon or anything. Wait…"

"Well, I am," Vulpix turned the corner while I just watched while shaking my head. "Hey, Ace? Um, you aren't going to believe this," Vulpix whispered while her eyes were locked forwards towards something.

"If you're about to say what I think you are, then I'm going to scream."

"Well don't do that, you might scare it off."

Rounding the corner towards Vulpix did indeed show a Geodude drawing a large, pink face with a similar pink moustache on a brick wall to the one graffitied on Mudkip's building. I could feel myself dying inside for how this turned out. Didn't help that Vulpix was giving me a smug smile. I snuck over to where Vulpix was staying.

Lucky for Vulpix and I, this Geodude was so engrossed with his work that it hadn't noticed us.

"Okay," I whispered to Vulpix, "I'm going to sneak up on him and wrap him in my vines. If he catches note of us, and tries to make a run for it, It will be up to you to catch it, if it somehow manages to escape this alleyway if I miss. Send some embers up in the air like a flare if you manage to corner it, since there is no way I'll be able to keep up on a fast on foot chase."

"Sounds good," Vulpix agreed.

With our plan in play, we moved very quietly over towards the oblivious Geodude with myself taking the lead. One step after the other and I was now in range for my vines to shoot out to grab him. I unsheathed my vines, moving them as close over towards the Geodude as possible.

"Can't catch me!" came a very sudden and very loud voice from the corner Vulpix and I came from. A quick glimpse behind me and I could see a Poochyena turning the corner and running down the opposite alleyway from us with a Zigzagoon not too far behind it chasing after it.

"No fair!" The Zigzagoon yelled, trying to catch his friend. Of all times, they just had to be playing tag now!

Slowly turning my head back to Geodude, he had indeed noticed this noise and was looking at me. He looked towards my outreached vines, then to Vulpix, then towards myself.

"Uh, freeze?" I said.

Geodude, being rude and ignoring my request, threw one of his spray cans at my head that exploded in a pink smoke cloud, effectively blinding me. I shot my vines towards where I thought Geodude might be in a hopeful attempt to catch him. My vines 'thwacked' into something hard, but alas, not Geodude, but a wall.

Through my foggy, pink vision I could see Vulpix running over towards Geodude in an attempt to grab him. Vulpix made an attempt to tackle the Geodude, but the bugger simply just hopscotched over her, making Vulpix face plant into the brick wall Geodude was painting on earlier. She pulled her face back to reveal a new pink moustache that sat on her face just under her nose. I had to really force myself to focus on the mission instead of Vulpix's new facial hair highlights.

With both Vulpix and I out of the way, Geodude made his way quickly down the alley we came from. With my vision almost fully restored from whipping the vast majority of paint from my eyes with my legs, I shot my vines towards him, but he rounded the corner just in time. He's surprisingly quick for a floating head.

"Quick! After him, Vulpix!" I yelled.

"Where did he go?" asked Vulpix as she shook off the daze from face-planting into the wall.

"Around that corner we came from, go!" Vulpix stumbled a bit first, but once she found her bearings, she took off like a bullet. She rounded the corner after Geodude and was out of sight. I ran after them, even using stored energy to give me a speed boost, but even then I just didn't have the nimbleness they had. So I just tried my best to keep them in sight and made my way after them. Maybe Vulpix can corner him and send a flare like we discussed earlier. Curse you, stubby legs!

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POV Vulpix.

"Around that corner we came from, go!" Ace ordered. Ignoring my now throbbing head from literally headbutting a wall, I darted after that pesky Geodude. I almost tripped over since the world was still spinning, but I kept it together.

The Geodude was surprisingly quick, yet it was no match for my speed. As we continued to run down the alleyway, it was coming to a brisk end. I have you now! I was right on this Geodude when I went for a tackle. If I have the advantage of speed, then Geodude has the advantage of manoeuvrability since the Geodude was literally able to stop suddenly and turn ninety degrees in almost an instance, allowing it to dodge my tackle as we exited the alleyway.

With my target no longer within my grasp, I tried to catch myself, but I was so stunned by the suddenness of Geodudes' turn that I fell into the ground.

Shaking the stars from my vision- which only aggravated my headache- I came to realize that I was in the middle of a huge crowd that was watching me. The more they stared at me, the taller they seemed to get, before it seemed like they were literally giants looking down on me.

I felt so small, so weak, so pathetic. I tried to curl into as small a ball as possible, but it wasn't small enough. Help me, please! I hate this.

My breathing quickened to an uncontrollable rate, and the world around me blurred. My mind was filling with panic, and no matter how fast I was breathing, It did not feel like I was getting enough air. I felt like crying when I managed to catch a glimpse of Ace trying his best to keep after us. It was like somePokémon had placed a warm blanket of comfort over me seeing him. I can't let Ace down, not now. I recalled him being brave back at the mine against that Machoke. If Ace can stand tall against him, then I can handle a simple crowd. Even if they seem to be trying to suffocate me- Gah! No, I can't think that. Get up!

I got up on my shaky legs that wanted nothing to do but to collapse underneath me, and made my way through the crowd. Stealing a glimpse of Ace through the crowd, I was able to keep my courage high and broke free of the crowd.

I really hate crowds.

I spotted the Geodude floating over a series of stalls. Taking a deep breath, I focused on how to catch this pile of rock. I spied some boxes next to one of the stalls that made for a nice, convenient ramp up to the roofs of the stalls.

Again in a full sprint, I darted up the ramp and with help from my nimble paws and light nature, I was able to make some precise hops from the stalls supporting poles that held the fabric of the roof up. So I have to plan my steps, or else I might fall through into somePokémon's stall and I did not want to do that today.

Geodude continued its escape attempt when it arrived at the last shop in the line of shops. It looked around to the floor, trying to see if it lost us, when it turned around to spy me almost upon it. It made an 'eek!' noise before dodging a dive tackle from me.

Prepared this time, I landed on all fours and was ready for battle.

"Surrender yourself, criminal! For justice always catches up!" I say in the most confident voice I could muster. I felt like screaming for joy! I have always wanted to say something like that to a criminal.

Geodude looked around in a panic before seemingly giving up. He lowered himself down to the dirt below him with his hands slumped.

"Well, that was surprisingly easy. Now we will just wait for my friend to get here," I said to the Geodude.

"Hey, Red? Can I ask you a question?" Geodude requested. I was confused with what this criminal would ask. Maybe it was about the type of punishment he would get. Poor fella, I hope it isn't too harsh.

"Sure, I guess."

"Did you not see this coming?"

Geodude had waited until I was closer before grabbing a handful of dirt then threw it into my eyes. "See wha- Gaaah! Sand attack!" I shouted. I can't believe I fell for that!

"Later, chump!"

Trying desperately to rub the dirt out of my eyes, I was thankfully able to catch a very quick glimpse of Geodude running into an alleyway that Ace and I had searched earlier. Why is this bit of information important? Well, it's because I know for a fact that alleyway leads to a dead end.

"Are you alright?" asked a voice to my side. Startled, I looked to see who it was. It's a Caterpie.

"Oh, um, yes, thank you," I said to the polite Caterpie. "Sorry, but I have to catch a crook."

"Good luck!"

What a nice stranger.

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POV Ace

"Where did they go?" I asked myself. I did my best to follow Vulpix, but it was a fruitless endeavour. I was just not made for speed. I tried to ask around while I searched if they had seen a foxy gal run past, but as usual, useless.

I asked a Caterpie if she had seen Vulpix and surprisingly she did. She tried to direct me to where she had seen Vulpix, but I got lost after the first turn in this marketplace.

Keeping an eye to the sky, a flare of embers finally appeared. They seemed to be in an alleyway not too far from here. Psssh, no wonder I couldn't find them, they were in an alleyway we haven't searched yet! Or have we searched it? Yeah, I'm sure we haven't…yeah.

Finally arriving at said alleyway, I walked into it spying a frustrated Vulpix who was looking around sporadically. It was a closed off alleyway.

"How did he disappear?" I overheard Vulpix saying. "Did he leap the wall? No, his hover wasn't that strong. Did he dig? No, there isn't a hole anywhere- ah, Ace!" Vulpix exclaimed when she saw me.

"What happened? Where'd the Geodude go?" I asked after reaching her.

"That's just the thing, after recovering from a sand-attack, I followed Geodude into this alleyway and he just disappeared! I swear that he came down here. I knew how much you wanted to complete the mission in one day and I blew it. I'm so sorry, Ace!*" Vulpix was so upset about disappointing me, that she was actually starting to cry. It just ached my heart seeing her like this.

I was about to tell her that all that stuff can shove off, and how I didn't want to see her cry, when I couldn't help but notice a small rubbish pile. From my quick glance I was able to see a bit of pink on a grey surface.

I walked over to the pile of rubbish.

"Ace? Where are you going?" Vulpix asked in between hiccups from crying.

"You know, Vulpix. I know you don't like getting dirt, so I'm guessing you haven't searched this rubbish pile?" She shook her head, "Thought so." I wiped some of the pink paint from the grey surface with my vine staining my vine pink. Vulpix's blood shot eyes shot wide open. With my vines, I removed all the rubbish from the hidden rock.

"You made my partner sad. If you try to run, I will make you regret it," I whispered to the rock. I placed a few, small plants upon the rock's head.

The rock started to shake slightly, and low and behold, It was indeed the Geodude hiding as a rock. Man, what a reveal. Anyway, against my warning, the Geodude tried to run past Vulpix, but I already had thought ahead. For you see, when I put something nasty on his head, I neglected to mention that it was a combo of stun spores and some of my plants used for leech seed.

With spasms, the Geodude fell to the ground while a nice surge of energy got sent to me. Vulpix relaxed from her pounce stance she hopped in when I wasn't watching, and walked over to the collapsed Geodude who was writhing in pain.

"Gaah! Stop, stop! Okay! I surrender! Just make that pain stop!" Geodude begged. He did try to grab the leech seed bulbs of them, but he would continue to spasm at random times, halting his attempt.

I stood over the Geodude, looking down into his pained eyes.

Hurt him, make him suffer for upsetting your friend. A familiar voice said. It was the same voice that tried to make me go nuts on Sneasel. It's what he deserves after all. You did warn him. It's his fault for not listening!

"Nah," I said. "I did warn you not to run," I smiled at his suffering. It felt nice having someone else suffer and not me for once. Geodude gave a loud scream when the seeds fed me more energy. A warmth spread throughout my body.

"Uh, Ace?" Vulpix asked, taking my attention away from the Geodude. "I know he made me sad and all, but this seems to be a bit much. Could you please stop? This isn't heroic at all."

A fogginess that I wasn't aware of, started to fade away, allowing me to get a good look at Vulpix. She had a worried look in her eyes, towards me. Like someone had thrown a bucket of cold water over me, I felt my blood go cold when I realized what I was doing. I took all the bulbs off of the Geodude who, while still spasming since he was still paralyzed, relaxed on the floor.

"You are lucky the lady is here," I said.

"T-thank you, Red," Geodude said in between breaths. I walked off to a wall and headbutted it. Vulpix gasped loudly from my action, but I didn't care. Looking at the wall I stared at the small amount of blood I left behind.

Get it together. You can think about it later.

"Alright," I said, turning around to Vulpix. "Let's get this crook to jail and collect our rewards."

"Are you sure? What's wrong, Ace? Why did you headbutt the wall?" Vulpix asked.

"Later," I dismissed, "For now, let's just complete the mission." Vulpix thankful understood that I didn't want to discuss what had happened now, just gave a simple nod.

I tied up the criminal in my vines, and with Vulpix in the lead, we made our way to jail. Geodude must have been terrified of me, since he tried his best to stay as far as away from me while leashed. He didn't even try to escape once.

All the time while walking, I was in deep thought. What is happening to me?

Just another thing to add on top of the huge pile of crap I have to deal with. Oh well, at least I'm not alone.

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Something that deviates from the Mystery Dungeon games, is that you can simply bring the criminals straight to the local jail instead of the guild. For confirmation that you did indeed catch the crook and complete the mission, you receive a police badge token and your mission notice gets a big, red stamp on it.

The police station we were in was simple in design. The building looked like how police stations looked back at home. Inside was a receptionist with two doors either side of the room. One was locked behind an enclosed area, while the other led to the jail cells. There were other small details, but I wasn't really focusing on them, nor did I really care.

"Hand this to your receptionist or guildmaster and you will receive your reward," said a gigantic Magnezone. He spoke like a western style sheriff, combined with a very deep, mechanic voice.

"Yes, will do! Thank you, sir!" Vulpix replied, flinching from the sudden boominess of the Magnezone.

"Move the criminal to his cell," commanded Magnezone to a pair of nearby Magnemites. They got to either side of Geodude and through the power of magnetism, were able to lock up around the Geodude. They lifted him and began to move him to his cell.

"Um, sir?" Vulpix timidly asked.

"Mmm?"

"W…what will happen to Geodude? Nothing bad, I hope."

"The criminal will receive an appropriate punishment for his crime. He will be forced to…" Magnezone paused, "participate in community service!"

"Nooo! Not community service!" came the voice of Geodude from the cell room.

"Poor soul…" Vulpix replied. "At least that will teach him not to do it again. Right, Ace?" Vulpix asked me.

"Hmm? Oh sure," I half-heartily replied. I had been only half listening. Vulpix gave me a small look before turning back to Magnezone.

"Thank you for your hard work, sir. We better get going now. It's getting late." Vulpix said after giving a small nod.

"Justice is a thankless job. But the appreciation is welcomed. I look forward to your next visit, Miss Vulpix and Mister Bulbasaur. Unless it's for the wrong reason, then I don't hope to see you again. Goodbye." And with that, Magnezone floated off towards the jail cell. With our confirmation collected, we made our way back to the bank to collect our other reward.

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Nothing of note happened, just the same procedure as last time. Slowking only asked for my ID and not Vulpix's. Mudkip had told us to come back tomorrow to collect our reward, since the bank was closed and he didn't want to have to open the vault door again. So we left and made our way to the guild.

The entire trip back to the guild, I wasn't really thinking anymore, just kinda numbing my thoughts a bit. To be honest, I didn't want to think about what happened.

"Well, at least you can show up that loud Charmeleon, Ace," Vulpix said from beside me, startling me a bit from the sudden break in silence.

"What?" I replied.

"She challenged you that you couldn't complete a guild quest in one day and that you wouldn't choose a criminal quest. Yet here we are about to enter the guild after a successful day."

Wait, Vulpix is right! We not only completed our first quest, but It was a criminal quest. Even if it was admittingly easy, it adds up for our credit. Plus, the cash will be a good head start for even bigger quests! And best of all, I get to rub it in that Chameleon's nose!

"Yeah, you're right!" I said with a bit more pep in my voice. "Oh, I can't wait to see Chameleon's stupid face when I rub this quest notice in her nose."

"You might want to get the rewards first though. I don't know if we will be able to get it if she burns up the notice."

"Hey, when you're right, you're right. Wait, when did we get to the guild?" I asked. Gee, did I really tune out the entire walk? We had just arrived at the large guild doors. I sat down just in front, off to the side so I'm not in anyone's way while trying to remember the walk. Vulpix chuckled.

"Just now, silly. I'm glad you're talking again. I don't really like it when you're all brooding. Now, let's go and get our reward," Vulpix walked a couple of steps before turning around to face me again. "And when or if you want to talk about what is eating at you, I'll be here to listen," she smiled. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Look, I'm not really sure what's 'eating at me.' I don't really understand what's happening, but I'll keep it in mind that I can talk to you." I smiled at her that grew in size when I took note of a bit of pink that was still on her face. "Oh by the way, you are currently rocking a killer pink moustache."

"What?" she asked while whipping a bit of pink from her face. "How long has this been there?"

"Since you headbutted the wall when we were chasing Geodude." She was now furiously trying to get the paint off from her face. I couldn't help but smile at her antics.

"Yeah, well you have some paint on you too." Vulpix huffed, turning away from.

"Well how about that. Well then, how about we help each other get the paint off each other?"

"Deal," she said while turning her eyes to look at me.

"Don't worry, Vulpix. We will have you looking as good as new." Something took my attention just past Vulpix. I couldn't help but notice a certain someone who had declared herself as my rival.

I got up, trotting over towards Chameleon with a smug smile while holding up the notice. "Hey, scale face! Guess who aced his first quest!" I taunted.

"Wait, don't burn the notice!" Vulpix replied in a panic.

I can tell that, even if this weird voice is going to keep being an issue, I know Vulpix will have my back.

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End Chapter 17