A serpentine tail stuck out from the bushes. Blitzer and George froze upon spotting it. They weren’t alone out here, and it wasn’t long before their presence went noticed. A scaled head arose from the bushes, a hawkish glare aimed straight at the two.

“...What are you kids doing out here?”

A Druddigon walked into view, an annoyed growl rumbling in his throat. He too had a basket in his hands, filled to the brim with berries sporting a rainbow of colours.

“Wait, Lance?” Blitzer’s arms hung in disbelief. “Is that you?”

The corners of the Druddigon’s mouth went up, revealing the largest teeth in his mouth. “Of course it’s me, you little fool! Who else do you think I was, your grandma?”

Blitzer almost bit his tongue. “N-no, of course not, I just-”

“You just what?”

“Well, ehrm, I’m just uh, just surprised to see you out here? Heheh…”

“Could say the same about you kids myself,” Lance spat at the ground beside him. “I’m a full grown adult. See these claws and teeth? Half the Pokemon living here won’t even dare get close to me. Meanwhile, you kids get attacked by just about everything that moves. So again, why did you come here? Your parents not teachin’ you right?”

“N-no, we’re not, our parents, uhhh, let us…” Blitzer stammered. George shrank back out of embarrassment, trying his damndest to distract himself by scraping the ground with his foot. The less he had to explain himself to any authority figures, the better.

Lance wheezed out a laugh. “Hah! Kid, I know more about you than you realise. You’re Blitzer. That Charmander lad Nero and Nera found in the woods several years back. Oh, we all know about the trouble you’ve been causin’ the whole town ever since. Only reason they let you out is ‘cause you wouldn’t take no for an answer. Ever. Doesn’t matter what. You’d jump off a cliff if you thought it was cool.”

“Hey! I wouldn’t do that!”

“Yes you would.”

“No I wouldn’t!!” Blitzer stomped a foot.

“Kid, do you know how many bulletins I’ve had to write because you got lost in the middle of nowhere?” asked Lance.

“No.”

Lance shrugged. “Me neither.”

Blitzer leaned back, his tongue pressing into his cheek. “Okay, but that’s when I was younger and weak! I’m stronger now! I can breathe fire, and I’m not afraid to use my claws, so I’ll be fine!”

Lance rolled his eyes towards George. “Suuuure. And apparently you can breathe water too, since it definitely was that Oshawott kid I heard screamin’ for help just now.” He leaned in closer. “Listen kid, my ears work fine, and I’m not a fool. You might be capable of defending yourself a little, but you’re still not much. And neither is that Oshawott kid, for that matter. Let the grownups handle things, alright? Place is too dangerous for kids.”

“Not for me!”

“Yes it is.”

“I can handle myself!”

“No you can’t.”

“Yes I can!”

“Yeah, in your dreams maybe, kid. Damn Charmanders…”

As Blitzer and Lance went on a back and forth tangent, a sigh came from the quiet party in all of this. ‘I shouldn’t be quiet. This’ll go nowhere otherwise.’ “Sir?” The bickering ceased for a moment, as George opened his mouth. “We’re not trying to cause trouble. We just wanted to help with gathering food,” he meekly said, to which the Druddigon raised a claw.

“Lad, that’s noble of you and all, but get real. You’re kids. You should be playing with your friends, not going out in the wild. You have any idea how dangerous the world is? Imagine how your parents would feel if you didn’t come home one day. Don’t be reckless.”

It was a simple thing to say, and yet it struck like a hammer onto a nail. George’s face shrivelled up. His parents. Ever since that fateful day at the doorstep of the foster’s home, they were more distant than ever. Where they were, how they were doing, it was all a blur.

“...what’s with that face?”

Lance had folded his arms. George attempted to bury the sinking look on his face by appearing brave. “Nothing, sir. My parents just… You’re right, I shouldn’t be reckless.”

“Who are your parents, anyway, lad?”

George swallowed. “They don’t live in the village. It’s complicated. But I’m staying with George’s parents in the meantime.” He glanced at Blitzer, and got a smirk in return.

The Druddigon grunted. “Fine by me. So yes, you’re here to gather berries. Like I said, yes there is a crisis. No, it’s not your job, not your responsibility, not something you kids should be doing. But since you’re here, might as well.”

“You’re saying that we can join you?” asked Blitzer with beaming eyes.

“Yes, yes, you little scamp,” Lance grumbled, fiddling with the dark green scarf wrapped around his neck. “Wouldn’t put much value in that if I were you. Only reason I’m even bothering is because you’re here already. Now, if you just follow me, we’ll get that basket filled up in no time, and then we get out of this dump.”

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Blitzer pumped his fist. “Yes, yes!! We’re really going to do it! We’re really going to help people out, George!” he cheered, with a celebratory flare of his tail to boot.

“What did I tell you, kid?! No fiddling around!”

“Ah!”

George clicked his tongue. ‘Aren’t we heroes.’

* * *

True to his word, Lance guided the children through the Azure Hills until their baskets were filled. All Blitzer and George did was follow him; directions and ferals were dealt with by the Druddigon at the front. It didn’t take long for George to get bored, Blitzer to get annoyed, and both to be disappointed. All that boasting and fantasising about heroism and strength, only to stand and watch as Lance swatted everything out of the way, without even having to put his own basket down. Not to mention the silence; no one said anything. George was certain that talking would annoy Lance even further, and thus kept to himself, picking berries and throwing them into his basket.

The good news is their baskets were full in no time at all. Lance had a nose and a knack for finding berries, it turned out. George couldn’t see or smell the berries, and Blitzer said he couldn’t, either. Lance insisted that this wasn’t his first time here, and that there was a trick to it. He also insisted that the children shut up, which they did.

At last, after having harvested enough, they were led out of the Mystery Dungeon. Their feet were weary, their arms were strained, and nothing sounded or felt nicer than the warmth of their beds, but they were out at last.

“Phew…” Blitzer sat down under a tree. “Can we rest here for a while? We still have to walk all the way back.”

George grimaced ‘Uuughh… I forgot how far out we are.’

Lance rolled his eyes, his tongue hanging out of his mouth. “Not for too long. It’s already past noon, and I’d like to get back home before it’s dark. You hear?”

“Sure,” Blitzer said. “How long do we have?”

“Five to ten minutes.”

“What?”

“You heard me, five to ten minutes.”

“But I’m tired!”

“And that’s why you shouldn’t play hero, laddie.” Lance shook his head. “Always the Chars.”

“h-Hey! What do you mean, always the Chars?! What does me being a Charmander have to do with anything?” Blitzer was flabbergasted, his eyes going back and forth between his cream coloured belly, which he now shielded with his arms, and Lance standing in front of him. The Druddigon grinned, letting his oddly shaped wings flutter in the wind.

“Kid, pay attention, ‘cause I’ll say it once. I’m a well travelled man. Went all over Eravate in my youth, and got to meet many different Pokemon in those days. Let me tell you, Chars have a penchant for startin’ all sorts of trouble. Always stubborn, always making themselves out to be tough, always spoilin’ for a fight, always wanting to be big damn heroes. ‘Tis in your kin’s blood to be that way, I swear.”

George struggled to hold in a snicker. ‘That explains a lot, actually.’

“But we’re not all like that,” Blitzer said. He didn’t sound convinced himself. “And why is wanting to be heroic a bad thing?”

“‘Cause most of the people who want to end up in trouble. Stubbornly charging into things headfirst with brute force never ends so well. Kind of like you and your little trip out here. Just because you can fight off some bugs doesn’t mean you’re ready to go toe to toe with other creatures, kid,” Lance said.

Blitzer let out a soft groan, and resorted to playing with his fingers. George waddled over to a tree, not letting the Charmander out of his sight for a moment. A soft breeze brushed up against his fur, carrying a grassy scent. As it teemed in his nostrils, George looked down; his scalchop had found its way into his hands.

‘This isn’t funny. I shouldn’t be laughing. Why did I find it funny in the first place? That’s not fair to Blitzer... I’m supposed to be on his side.’

Lance kneeled down in front of Blitzer and placed a claw on his shoulder. “Again, lad, I’m not saying you’re bad. Especially now that there’s a food shortage. But look. I’ve seen many people end up gettin’ far more than they bargained for, all ‘cause of their hero fantasies. That’s bad enough in better times. But now, with the Soldiers around? You have to be even more careful. They can do whatever they want, as long as the Queen’s got no problem with it. And she’s no friend of ours. We wouldn’t be here if she was.”

“...Yeah,” whispered Blitzer.

“Exactly. Don’t take any of this too harshly, kid. We live in difficult times, and we’ll have to live with ‘em. I sure would love things to be better, but I’m afraid that’s not going to happen.” Lance’s head pitched up at the skies, his eyes gleaming with a longing spectre.

“But, if no one does anything, who will?” Blitzer stammered.

Lance cut Blitzer off. “Oh, there’s some people that are doing things. But you know what? It’s unlikely their efforts will bear fruit. Trust me, you don’t wanna know. You really do not,” he said with a dire glint in his eye.

“...Okay,” Blitzer said, trying to shuffle away.

“...is everything really that bad?” George pondered out loud. Lance turned his head. “I mean, they took our food-”

“That’s only the beginning, lad. Calm before the storm, mark my words. Those Soldiers will be back for more. I fear appeasement will only get us so far. But we have no choice. Whatever they’re planning, we can’t resist much”

George leaned back against the tree, gulping. Lance spoke in a dull, serious tone. It sounded as if all his emotions had been sucked out of him. No, his eyes told another story. One filled with agony and suffering, fire, and worse.

“Can we not talk about this any longer? ” Blitzer asked. He too looked sad. The Druddigon gave a nod in his direction.

“Yes, as a matter of fact, we’ve wasted enough time around these parts. Let’s go back, shall we? Sooner we hit the road, the sooner we’ve got this done and over with.”

And with that, Lance turned tail and made his way back. While Blitzer got up to follow, George carefully raised his back against the tree, one hand on his basket, worrying.

‘Why does no one want to talk? What are these soldiers even doing that no one wants to say anything about them?’ “Maybe I’d understand you better, right?” he said out loud.

“Oi, Oshawott kid, get over here! I’m not waiting for you to get those legs up!”

“Aaah!”

Swift on his feet, George sprinted back towards Blitzer’s side, with whom he followed Lance back to the bridge, once again not saying much on the way. At the bridge, however, two strange Pokemon with green scarves wrapped around their necks leaned against the guard rail, watching the stream flow into the horizon. A slight grumble from Lance and a meek ‘hi’ from Blitzer failed to get any response out of them. George stared at the back of Blitzer’s head as they passed, and didn’t look back.

‘They’re a creepy bunch. Know ‘em when I see ‘em…’

It wasn’t until after they had passed that George’s ears caught wind of them talking.

“So, Sergeant Machoke. The criminals should be close by.”

“Yeah, and there’s no tracks anywhere. Great.”

“Damn criminals. Must’ve ran off in the water. Or hiding out in Azure Hills. One of the two.”

“Yeah, that’s not stopping you though, is it, Sergeant Crawdaunt. We’re catching those sons of vermin.”

“Hey, hurry up, you!” Lance growled.

“Huh?”

George’s attention had been so focused on the two strangers that he had failed to notice Blitzer having walked ahead, and not just a little bit either. He hurried his way back to Blitzer’s side, bit his lip, then poked the Charmander on the shoulder.

“Those two Pokemon, who are they? They don’t look like ordinary folk.” ‘They look like criminals, alright.’

Blitzer winced out loud. “Hng, yeah, you’re right. Those were Soldiers.”

George almost jumped out of surprise. “How do you know?”

“Did you see what they were wearing?”

“No? To be honest, I didn’t want to look at them. They just had this… aura around them, or something.”

Blitzer nodded. “That’s for the better. I’ll tell you more about it later. Can you pretend you didn’t see anything until we get back home? Trust me, that’ll make the trip back a little easier.”

George frowned. “If you say so…”

“I mean it, George.”

“Yes, yes I understand.”

“Alright then. You’ll feel better soon. It’s about time we got back home, anyway. I’m starving!” Blitzer rubbed his stomach. George felt a growl come out of his own stomach, and forced a smile to his face.

“Yeah, me too.”

And so, they walked back home, spending the time spotting wild Pokemon and having Blitzer tell stories about his experiences with said Pokemon. It was a fun little distraction from all the worries about the Soldiers, which George appreciated. Of course, the longing for information persisted, but it would come in due time. For now, it was time to go back home and get some well deserved rest.

* * *

“Ya think that’s ‘im?”

“No doubt about it. The energy coming off that little Oshawott is unmistakable. Whether he’s ready, though…”

“...’s another matter, ya mean to say.”

“Yes, Skal. Let me finish before you yammer over me.”

“Blegh. Don’t need any psychic powers t’know what I’m lookin’ at. Feels like this whole mission was a waste of time. Ya think Artanouk’ll accept him?”

“Give it time. He’ll get there. He has to.”

“We ain’t got forever, Terez.”

“Yes, I’m more than aware of that. But don’t worry. One day he’ll be ready… Whether he believes that himself or whether he will be forced is none of my concern. That child has a great role to play. You know this. That’s why we’re keeping an eye on him. And I’m not about to turn my back.”

“Sure hope you ain’t jokin’.”

“I’m not a jokester. Especially not about these things.”

“Have it your way then.”