Light Lord

Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon: Crossroads of Time [Full]

Devon the Totodile and Brick the Poliwrath

[Glyph's Guild - Spare Room]

@Ninian@Shiny Keldeo
Drumming a finger towards Selena, Brick nodded and grunted. "Teamwork is an aspect of it. As well as precision. But no, the greatest skill an Explorer can have....is understanding." Pulling his arms out from behind his back, the Poliwrath reached out his hand to show the four Explorers a rolled piece of paper gripped in his fist. "Working as a team requires one to learn about and understand their partners. Having precision demands that you understand all of the factors that could effect your actions and figuring out how to deal with them. And, even courage, requires understanding a situation, knowing what the task is, and pushing oneself to complete it without fear. You can only get better at this one skill, by applying it."

Unfurling the paper in his hands, the Fighter pointed proudly at the scribbled writing and large 'Help Wanted!' text at the top of the page. "This, is your first official mission request. All you need to do is deliver a bag of fruit to a Chansey named Aloutette in Gerudo Town, just west of here."

Devon seemed a bit caught off guard by the sudden job, staring up at Brick with confusion. "Our first job? Already? Well, it seems simple enough. We can do it."

"Course ya guys can, but this is gonna be the real training. You'll be learning the ins and outs of Guild work, surviving in the desert, and surviving in a dungeon all in one go. We usually call these little training sessions 'The Gauntlet'." Reaching out to grab an over sized orange out of the basket, the Poliwrath brought it up to his face. A tiny mouth forming under his eyes just for a split moment to take a chunk out of the fruit. "Now, unless you guys got any other question, we're gonna power through another lesson or two, then we're gonna get out there and get into the thick of it."

The Totodile's slit brown eyes went wide, his maw going agape at the sight of a Poliwrath actually eating. Blinking, he shook his head. "Uh...I don't got any other questions. Not any more at least."

Raiden the Feraligatr

[Glyph's Guild]

@Shiny Keldeo
As the seemingly uninterested Luxio discussed his rather vague feelings about the world around them, the Feraligatr's gaze lingered on Fuse for a moment, before turning back to the cork board. "Yeah, maybe."

Letting out a rather loud yawn and showing off rows of razor sharp fangs, Raiden reached his arms in the air to stretch. "Anyways, do you know if Pyrrha is awake yet? I wanted to talk to her."

Stein the Scizor and Teth the Nidoqueen

[Folio Town - Outside the Guild]

@Shiny Keldeo
The smile quickly began to fade from Teth's creamy muzzle as the Absol went on. Standing back up straight, the Nidoqueen crossed her arms and looked away with a bitten lip. "Oh....well. That does sound rather dire..."

"Teth." The Scizor next to her suddenly spoke up, causing her to quickly look over in surprise. Stein tapped his claw on the frame of door a bit, before standing aside. The Nidoqueen copying his actions. The metal bug looking down at the urgent faces of the duo with a cloudy gaze. "Go right in, but don't be surprised if you've already been beaten to the punch."

Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon: Crossroads of Time [Full]

Devon the Totodile and Brick the Poliwrath

[Glyph's Guild - Spare Room]

@Ninian@Shiny Keldeo
When Lilisette tried to offer up some ideas for what Moves he might be capable of, Devon leaned over to stare at the Kirlia in confusion. "Uh....Maybe. I'll try em out." His head tilted downwards as the little croc stared at his own hand. His facial features beginning to strain as he narrowed his eyes and flexed his claws. Alright....focus. Energy, going into my hand....I can do this.

Ember and Selena discussed their own variety of skills, as well as their proficiency and views. The area under Brick's eyes visibly dipped in a sort of lipless frown as he eyed the pacifistic Bayleef. "That's right. And it was very wise of them to teach you. But think of it this way Selena; you'll be fighting to make this world a better place, by helping Pokémon far and wide."

Lilisette listed off her moves and her tendency to rarely use them. This comment caused the Totodile siting nearby to finally lower his hand let go his breath. Panting a bit, he then turned to give a flat, unimpressed frown to the Psychic Fairy. "Hey, you've used Draining Kiss before. That's what you used when you practically sucked the life out of me yesterday."

Raising his gloved hand to silence the Water-type, the Fighter paused for a few moments before speaking up. "Hm....Alright. It's time to kick it up a notch."

Brick's raised hand curled slowly into a fist, and then descended down to go behind his back. The other hand being the same. The mentors beady gaze scrolling across the members of Team Horizon once again as he lowered his voice a bit. "What, is the most important skill that an Explorer can have?"

The question caused the bandaged Big Jaw Pokémon to tilt his head, and cross his arms over his chest. "'The most important skill'....." Tapping his tail on the floor a bit, he soon raised up his hand and snapped a claw. "Courage!"

"No." The muscled tadpole retorted. "Courage, while important in it's own right, is not a skill. Courage isn't something you can improve, it is simply something you express when facing a task head on with no doubts. Anyone else?"

Raiden the Feraligatr

[Glyph's Guild]

@Shiny Keldeo
"It's strange, isn't it?"

The ground beneath the lion's feet would shudder slightly as the blue giant lumbered up beside him. A large satchel bag hanging from his shoulder, with a dented silver egg badge clipped to the strap. Raiden crossed his arms over his chest and scanned the empty cork board with intense orange eyes. "Seeing a request board totally empty. Either you guys don't get very much work around here, or this is the hardest working Guild I've even seen."

The red scar gracing the Feraligatr's left eye clashed with his blue scales as he turned his head to look down at Fuse with a plain face. "I don't think I ever got your name. I'm Raiden, from the Air Continent."

Stein the Scizor and Teth the Nidoqueen

[Folio Town - Outside the Guild]

@Shiny Keldeo
Upon the rather abrupt command, the steely red Bug standing at the door traded a glance with the blue beast beside him, before crossing his arms and looking down at the Absol with a slight frown. "Sorry, but the Guildmaster is in a very important meeting right now. If you want to see him, you'll need to come back later."

Trying her best to smile, the Nidoqueen crouched a bit to beam at the four legged duo. "Oh but I'm sure he won't be long. If I may ask, what is it you need to see him for?"

Datsu the Toxicroak

[Thirsty Desert - F13]

@Ninian
When prompted for if anyone else was aware of the Mew's true identity, the frog shook his head slowly and shot an unsettling grin. "No, it appears even those closest to him, such as that obsessive compulsive Guildmaster, don't have the slightest clue to his true form."

The thief's slit gaze panned back down to the flattened Salandit recovering at the black lizard's feet. "Indeed, but even so, imbeciles can serve a very useful purpose. I've used them on many occasions."

The Salazzle brought her concerns back to the shape shifter, while Datsu began to slowly stroll across the room towards her and closed his eyes. "Perhaps. It's a very strong possibility given the curious nature of the species. It's possible he's laid in wait for years living life as Glyph's close friend, waiting for an...Opportunity, such as this."

Lids flinging open, the Toxicroak looked over Toxica's form for a moment, before gazing up at her face. "I, as you know, am also what one would call an opportunist. Many Pokémon such as your Salandit here are becoming quite tense lately. And when Pokémon become tense, they become paranoid. And when they become paranoid," A croaking chuckle left his throat as he brought a hand up to curl it. "They become as moldable as clay. So easy to deceive their unfocused brains with such ploys as petty thievery. In response, I've set up plans to raid various towns in the Folio area, some of which have proved to be very profitable in execution."

Offering his open barbed hand to the evolved Poison-Fire type, Datsu flashed a charming grin at her as he bowed slightly. "Would you like to join me on a little heist in Gerudo today, my dear?~ Your wonderful pheromones would make short work of their paranoid minds, and I can promise you a hefty percentage of the pay, as well as a nice private dinner at my humble abode."

Pokemon: Legendary Guardians [V2]

Devon Lyton

Shock the Ampharos, Cyan the Azumarill, Quill the Monferno, Missy the Mismagius, Nasir the Zoroark, Ace the Starly
[Route 701 - Pokémon Center Exterior]

@Ninian@Shiny Keldeo
Tilting his head to look up at the victor, Devon pushed a few stray brown hairs out of his face. "I had fun too man. You're on a whole other level!" The teen's bark colored eyes panned over to the offered bottle, staring at the leafy herb inside with interest. His hand raised up to catch the bottle in mid-air, and then smile at the denim dressed Trainer. "Thanks Brooks. This'll help a lot."

As Brooks walked away and spoke of a rematch, Devon grasped the bottle tight and brought his fist to his chest. The red hooded boy giving a firm nod and a confident smirk in response. "I'm holding ya to that! You're going down next time!" And with that, the man was gone. Devon watched the Noivern's form fade off into the sky for a moment as he waved, looking to his side as his friends rushed out to him. Shock, Quill, and Missy coming up along with them.

A happy grin overtook the scarred teenager's expression as he gently patted the tired Azumarill in his arms. "Heheh, thanks guys. Cyan's something else alright. I never doubted her." At the nice comment, the rabbit smiled gently.

Shock stood up beside his Trainer, tugging lightly at Cyan's new, longer ears and smirking. <That was pretty intense Cyan. You even got an upgrade out of it! You're almost taller than Quill now!>

Quill raised a brow at the comment comparing the two's height, the Azumarill's eyes opening slowly as they both traded glances, before smiling at each other. <It looks like she is.>

Missy hovered close to the injured Fairy, clasping her ribbons together and giving a crooked smile. <You did absolutely amazing Cyan. Your durability is so stunning!>

Giggling a bit, the Water-type finally spoke up. <Thank you! And I know I can only get better! We all can!>

Devon shrugged at Brent's comment, standing up and quickly popping the top off of the herb bottle while snickering. "Well, if we do, they'll probably track us down and nail us with the bill later. Anyways, once I get Cyan patched up, we should head out again. Vertigo City, here we come!" The teen stated with a small fist pump.

Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon: Crossroads of Time [Full]

Devon the Totodile and Brick the Poliwrath

[Glyph's Guild - Spare Room]

@Ninian@Shiny Keldeo
The way Ember spoke of Selena's disposition during the fight of the previous day made the smile on Devon's blue maw dip a bit. Sitting back up straight, he took another large chomp of his apple. Brown eyes trailing down to stare at the seeds nestled in the core of the fruit. How could it not be her? What does she mean by that?.....If Selena's really that scared of thinking like that....We need to find someway to help her with it....It's not like we can stop her from doing it, we're going to be getting mixed up in a lot of fights no matter what....

Brick focused on the Kirlia dancer, crossing his arms and tapping his biceps. "Well, I'd like to know a bit more about you all before we move on to the next stage of today's training. Are you all aware of the Moves you can do? What do you all use them for in your day-to-day lives? I know most of you guys aren't that old yet, so it's fine if you can't do anything fancy like Hydro Pump or Flamethrower. That'll all come later."

Devon stifled a burp, wiping the juice from his lips as he put the absolutely massacred remains of the apple to his side and raised his hand. "Excuse me, and uh, I don't know what my Moves are. I only how to do Water Gun. How do I figure out what my other ones are?"

The Poliwrath simply shrugged at the inexperienced Totodile's question. "As cheap as it sounds Devon, I can't really tell you. Your Moves are your own, and the only way you'll be able to figure out which ones you have and how to pull them off would be to experiment. Clear your mind, and focus your thoughts on certain areas of your body, and picture your energy all rushing to, or out of that point. With Water Gun for example, you felt a weird 'tug' in your stomach before it happened, am I right?"

Nodding slowly, the blue croc rubbed at his scaly stomach and let out a bit of breath. "Yeah. It feels like someone reaches their hand down my throat and pulls on my stomach. Then, my mouth just sort of opens on it's own, and water blasts out."

The gloved Water-type held a thumb up. "And that's how Water Gun is activated. Focusing on water, rushing out of your mouth. The water you use for your attacks doesn't just come out of thin air, it comes from the energy actually inside of your body. Your natural 'pool' of power. If you focus in different ways, you'll find your other attacks in no time. You'll have chances to practice soon."

Letho the Sableye and Furno the Blaziken

[Folio Town]

@Shiny Keldeo
The Blaziken simply smiled and nodded at the two as they seemed stunned by his trustfulness. "Well part of being a Guildie is to have trust and good judge of character, and you guys seem alright."

And just as fast as they had came, the Dark and Fairy typed duo were gone. Letting out a sigh, Furno rubbed his beak a bit as he turned around to continue walking. Letho trailing closely behind him. "Eh, I'm not worried too much about those two, but we got door guards for a reason. Ay Letho, you still alive back there? You sure you don't want me to come with?" The bird asked as he looked behind him to gaze at the Sableye questioningly.

The imp simply nodded, and looked up at his companion with an intense, stern face. "Yeah. I gotta do this Furno. I need to go face my problems, before I can solve them."

Datsu the Toxicroak

[Thirsty Desert - F13]

@Ninian
Watching the display of subordinate being crushed, the Poison Fighter chuckled to himself a bit. His glowing yellow eyes meeting the other Poison-type's as he shook his head. "Oh no, not of one that's black like shadow. I only know of a Psychic-type, that happens to be rather....Pink."

Tucking his arms back under the cloak, he continued. "One of the high ranking Explorers at the Folio Guild, the Heliolisk named Robel, is actually a rare species of Pokémon dubbed 'Mew'. They're very powerful, as you could probably assume from their ability to Transform into different species with none of the faults or prerequisites that shape shifters like Ditto face. He was actually the one that I obtained the information about the Tyranitar's death from. Who knows, perhaps he plays a factor in this prophecy as well?"

Raising his chin up, he waved a hand and smiled. "Oh but where are my manors? How have you been Toxica? It's been far too long, and I've missed you quite a bit. I must say, you're looking as beautiful as ever."

Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon: Crossroads of Time [Full]

Devon the Totodile and Brick the Poliwrath

[Glyph's Guild - Spare Room]

@Ninian@Shiny Keldeo
Nodding firmly, Brick met the red eyes of the unsure Quilava. "That's defiantly a strength Ember. Trusting, having faith in your friends, is one of the most important things about working together." Scanning the other Pokémon before him, he chuckled. "And I think they feel the same."

At the Poliwrath's comment, Devon swallowed another gulp of fruity flesh and leaned over to grin at Ember. "Of course we do! I'll always trust you Ember. I have faith in all of you guys."

When Selena spoke up about her feelings of her 'tactical mind', that caused the mentor to simply shaking his head and grunt as he put his black beady eyes on the doubtful Grass-type. "A tactical mind is only a danger if it is used wrong, doesn't consider all the factors such as allies, civilians, and the environment around them. I personally believe that you'll utilize it well Selena, you're a nice kid."

After Lilisette gave her stuttering answer, the Totodile gained a knowing smirk as he shifted his brown eyes to the Bayleef and put a hand on his bandaged chest. "They're right Selena. If you didn't step up with that Solar Beam trick yesterday, I would have been totally fried. You shouldn't be scared of your tactical thinking, because I know you can use it to be a hero."

Letho the Sableye and Furno the Blaziken

[Folio Town]

@Shiny Keldeo
The duo consisting of the tall Blaziken and minuscule Sableye turned at the sound of the voices approaching them. The Sableye simply smiling at the Absol and Sylveon as his partner did the talking, though, occasionally his head turned slightly, as if distracted by something. The Blaziken put a talon on his hip and waved his free hand while grinning like an idiot. "No offence taken miss! If you guys are looking for the Guild,"

He pointed a talon behind them to a wide stretch of branch, with multiple smaller branches splitting off from it into different tiny streets. "Just do a 180, and take the first side street on your right. Follow through the neighbourhood until you get back to the Plaza with all the shops, then the Guild is the largest building at the back of the plaza, it's got blue shingles, white walls, alotta windows, and some tiny trees that grow around the door. Ya can't miss it."

Datsu the Toxicroak

[Thirsty Desert - F13]

@Ninian
"Oh, it's anything but nonsense, my dear."

A smooth voice that echoed around the sandstone cave chimed in. A cloaked, skinny figure casually strolling into the room and removing it's ragged hood, to reveal the face of a Toxicroak. The frog put one of his gloved hands up to his chin and offered up an unsettling grin to the Mistress and the messenger. "In fact, it's already begun. The Tyranitar that protects the giant tree in the desert is dead, due to some rather strange injuries. Ones that make it appear like the poor giant was attacked by his own shadow."

Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon: Crossroads of Time [Full]

Devon the Totodile and Brick the Poliwrath

[Glyph's Guild - Main Hall]

@Ninian@Shiny Keldeo
The Flygon's speech of the precautions that were being put in place due to the appearance of the winged Gardevoir caused Devon to shift uncomfortably where he stood, biting his lip a bit as he stole a glance over at Ember and Selena. Before he was about to unearth those disturbing memories, the Totodile grunted and began clenching his fists. No. I won't let her get to me. I need to stay strong. We, need to stay strong.

Putting on a smile as he looked over the party, he nodded at Lilisette's observation about breakfast. "I'd be up for grabbing food first. We can probably just swing by the dinning room and get something from Dia."

"No need guys."

The rather gruff voice of the Poliwrath pounded out above the four novice Explorers, a tall shadow befalling them as they would be met with Brick standing before them. A wicker basket with various different fruits inside of it resting on his right shoulder. Gesturing with a white gloved hand, the Water Fighter tapped the basket. "Follow me and I'll take you to where we'll be starting your lessons. And yes, you'll get breakfast first."

---

[Glyph's Guild - Spare Room]

After following the veteran Explorer down on of the short halls of the wood building, the five of them emerged into what looked to be an unused room. It was mostly empty, save for a few crates, boxes and chests stuffed away in a corner near a rather large, sunny window. Like the rest of the Guild, the walls were a rough reddish wood, the floor styled like the inside of a tree stump, rings and everything. Though in the middle of the room was a large, plush blue carpet. It, unlike the rest of the room, seemed to be put there recently judging by it's fresh scent and clean bristles.

The Poliwrath with satchel bag around his torso and shiny badge on the strap 'smiled' as he stepped into the room, and placed the fruit basket on the carpet before taking a seat beside it. He then crossed his legs and spread his hands before him. "Sit down and grab a fruit. Then we can get started."

Devon's eyes wandered around the tiny room as he waddled onto the carpet, stopping in front of the basket to pick up a large apple before plopping down on his butt and looking to his 'trainer'. "So, what are we doing first?"

The large muscly tadpole eyed up the Totodile for a moment, before crossing his arms and sitting up straight. "We're just gonna talk for bit. You guys are all smart kids, and you're some pretty capable in a fight if that whole scuffle yesterday is any proof. Though, that doesn't mean you know it all, so don't start getting ahead of yourselves. We'll at least skip the whole intro part. You all know what your job is at this Guild and our purpose by now, so no need to dwell on it for longer than we need to."

Locking eyes with each of the members of Team Horizon one after the other, Brick nodded before speaking again. "I wanna know your strengths. What do each of you think you're good at?"

The question caused the young Water-type before him to pause mid-bite. Devon blinked a bit as he froze next to the hole in his apple, slowly pulling his head away to chew and ponder the question a bit. "My strengths huh?.....They'd be way easier to pin down if I could actually remember them....

Tilting his head back to swallow, the croc tilted his head, tail beginning to sway behind him a bit. "I feel like I'm pretty good at thinking in the moment, and focusing on goals."

The answer caused Brick to murmur as he brought a hand to his 'chin'. "Quick thinking, and determined. Good Devon. Good. Those are defiantly strengths that'll help out if you use them right. Anyone else got any they want to share?"

Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon: Crossroads of Time [Full]

Devon the Totodile

[Glyph's Guild - Guild Member's Quarters]

Looking back up at Lilisette as she once again doubted the mysterious messenger's existence, the doubtful Totodile sighed. "I guess you're right..."

After the Luxio left, and the blue Kirlia asked about his feelings about the day ahead, Devon flashed a confident smile and pumped his fists. "Definitively! I'll finally have the chance to learn how Guild work really works."

The sounds of footsteps against hard wood caused the former human to shuffle in his bed a bit to face the door. Devon suddenly beaming at his two friends standing in the doorway. "Hey guys! It's not as bad as it looks. The beds were way better than I expected."

The Water-type watched Selena, Ember, and Lilisette as they all pondered what training had in store for them. His deep brown eyes lingering on the Quilava and Bayleef duo as time felt like it began to slow around him. The happy smile on his face ebbing away as the ghastly scene of the broken bodies flashed in his vision, the same chilling voice echoing in the back of his mind.

"Why bother, Devon...? You'll fail everyone. Everyone you have ever cared for will have died, all because of you."

The tiny croc's eyes closed as he lightly shook his head. Devon forcing the disturbing thought to the back of his head as he leaned on his side to reach over and collect his bag and badge. A visible scowl coming up on his face. You wish. Just watch me, I'll get through training, and then we're gonna come over there and kick your butt....

Pulling the long, soft strap over top his head, Devon fiddled with the tiny golden tree's pin for a moment, a raspy gasp coming from his maw when he felt his left hand being jerked away from him. "Wha!? Hey! What gives!?" The disoriented Totodile flailed a bit as he tumbled over onto back, and began to squirm in the Pyschic's grip as he felt his bottom half being roughly dragged across the hard floor. "At least let me stand up first before you start dragging me everywhere! He-OW! Watch my tail!"

---

Devon the Totodile and Glyph the Flygon

[Glyph's Guild - Main Hall]

@Ninian@Shiny Keldeo
Finally managing to wiggle his clawed hand out of the Kirlia's surprisingly strong grip, Devon got to his feet and rubbed at his stubby tail. An annoyed glare being shot towards Lilisette before he changed his focus to the rest of the room. The main hall of the Guild was a long, oval shaped room. Two large cork boards hung on the soft beige walls at the front of the room, many notes of paper with what looked like clusters of scribbles on them pinned to them in an organized fashion. The Totodile's eyes then swept past the large crowd in the rooms center to the eastern wall, which had columns of squares carved into the wood. Devon squinted his eyes some to see that the rows upon rows of squares were actually small doors. Brass tags with various names stamped on each of them. Are they....Mail boxes?

The reason why the Water-type was busying himself with the details of the room, was the crowd of various Pokémon standing before him. Each one of them barring the same yellow badge as him and his companions as they chatted with each other. The sheer number of Mon including a Nidoqueen, Scizor, Altaria, and Skiploom, all talking at once made the room quite noisy, that is, until a green Dragon stepped out from one of the side hallways and strode towards the front of the room.

All of the chit chat immediately started to die down as Glyph made his way past the crowd of Explorers. Standing just to the side of the crowd with the rest of his Team, the Totodile had to stand slightly on his toes in order to just barely see overtop of many of the much taller Pokémon and get a glimpse of the Guildmaster. Glyph turned the opposite corner of the crowd, marching at a brisk pace with head held high and eyes closed. The wise old Flygon stomped at the front of the crowd, doing a quick spin on the carpet to face the Guild Members and nod with arms behind his back.

"Good morning everyone! I hope you all aren't too exhausted after the party last night?"

A swift reply ripped across the room as dozens of voices chimed in at once. "No, Guildmaster sir!"

A soft, pleasant chuckle came from the Mystic Pokémon as he gave the crowd a proud grin. "Wonderful, for we have much work to do today. Firstly!" A long roll of paper tumbled out of the Flygon's claws as he held it up to his face. Clearing his throat before reading aloud.

"I would like to personally and formally thank everyone for their combined efforts yesterday. Your swift and expert handling of the surprise thievery spree impressed me greatly, and I urge you all to continue the amazing work you do for this town and it's citizens in the future. Great job, all of you. You're one of the most impressive groups of Explorers I've seen in a long time."

A roar of applause and cheering broke through the silence again, but went away just as fast as it had came when Glyph held up a claw.

"Secondly! The patrol protocol, effective yesterday on the account of the dangerous Gardevoir Outlaw spotted in Folio's Trunk, will continue to be in effect for the rest of the week. But as you should expect, I want you all, even those not on assigned patrol duty, on high alert for any suspicious activity in town, the surrounding desert, and the Mystery Dungeons within it. Anything notable must be brought to the attention of myself or Robel A.S.A.P. I also ask that the Teams and Members I requested to meet me in my office before dinner yesterday do so after the announcements."

Murmuring began to arise from the ground, a few Guildies trading glances and shrugs with each other before the room fell silence once again.

"Thirdly! I have decided to semi-restrict access to Folio's Roots until further notice. This is unrelated to the thieves that appeared yesterday, but has relations to the Gardevoir Outlaw. It has come to my attention recently that female may have interfered with the residents of the Dungeon, causing unrest and unease among them. In order to avoid worsening the issue, Mission Requests of urgency level two and below cannot be taken for that Dungeon. Urgency level three and above requests can still be taken for the Dungeon, and all other Dungeon jobs will proceed as normal. We must always remember that we of Folio Town do not hold any ill will towards the Manifest and her followers, and that saving lives will always be our top priority. Please treat these Pokémon and their home with kindness and respect if your work leads you down there."

More whispers and voices spread around, before being quickly shushed by the large green Dragon-type.

"ahem, and finally, I would like to welcome some new members to the Folio Guild. Devon, Selena, Lilisette, and Ember as of yesterday, became official Explorers, and will be starting their training this morning. You may have met them at the party yesterday, but if you have not, feel free to introduce yourselves and welcome them when you are not busy."

Rolling up the paper in his claws, the Flygon finally took a moment to catch his breath, and then gave a polite bow to the crowd. "That is all for today. Good luck everyone, and happy exploring!"

A final HOORAY! echoed through the room as the crowd began to disperse. All the Pokémon preparing to start the day of work ahead of them.

Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon: Crossroads of Time [Full]

Devon the Totodile

[Glyph's Guild - Guild Member's Quarters]

@Ninian@Shiny Keldeo
At the Kirlia's doubt of the note's existence, the Totodile rolled onto his side and looked over at her to give a stern faced nod. "It wasn't a dream, I know it. I remember everything that was written on it too."

The Totodile craned his neck over his shoulder to look upon the Luxio standing in the doorway. Lilisette was quick to introduce herself, leaving Devon to simply smile and wave. "I think the nicknames cool. I'm Devon."

Lilisette than began to (mockingly) ask the nicknamed lion for assistance in finding the lost paper, causing the Water-type to groan and push himself back up into a sit and narrow his eyes at his Psychic friend in slight irritation. "The note's real! What it basically said was....To not give up, because I have friends that I can count on, just like they're counting on me."

Crossing his arms, his face twisted in confusion as he stared at the hay on the ground. "It said it was from someone named 'Cipher', but that might be some sort of nickname too. Aw well. If we can't find it, I'll live."

Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon: Crossroads of Time [Full]

Devon the Totodile

[Glyph's Guild - Guild Member's Quarters]

@Ninian
A low snort escaped the drowsy Totodile as he was poked. Devon's eyes creaked open as he lightly shook his head, and blinked a bit before craning his neck to look at Lilisette from his curled position. "Uh...For about...half the night, yeah." he mumbled, still clearly half asleep.

Untucking his tiny blue body, the base staged Pokémon raised his arms above his head, wiggled his toes, and stuck out his tail to stretch himself out on the hay stack while groaning. He rolled onto his stomach before pushing himself up into a sitting position and facing Lilisette with a weak smile. The Kirlia getting a good sight of a bit of dry mucus on his snout. "Thanks for getting me up. I didn't really get to sleep much until way later because of a crazy dream I had, and this note that someone left for me."

Looking down at the floor to his left, the Totodile raised a brow. Where the note once lay only a few hours ago, was nothing but bare oak wood flooring. Going onto his tummy again, Devon felt around in the area near his bed, even sticking his hands under the haypile a bit as he wore a confused frown. "I swear I left it right near my bed after I read it...Where'd it go? Did you see a little piece of paper around when you woke up?"

Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon: Crossroads of Time [Full]

Devon the Totodile

[Glyph's Guild - Guild Member's Quarters]

@Ninian
Nodding at Lilisette's observation, the former human nestled himself a bit deeper into the hay as he closed his eyes gently. "Yeah....It's really soft."

Keeping an...earhole out for his Psychic room mate's ramblings, Devon opened his eyes again and attempted to shake his head. Though, it was a bit awkward due to his position. "Don't beat yourself up about it. It was Ember's choice to go, and I think she's really brave for doing it. Once we get some money from guild work, we could find places to eat out with just the four of us. But we're probably gonna be stuck with the guild dinners for awhile. It'll be good for both me and Ember if we all at least went to a few of them."

When the blue Kirlia began to speak about the odd Feraligatr, the Totodile opened his maw to speak, but slowly closed it as she went on. He also, pushed himself up into a sitting position to stare over at her. Raiden...I still don't know what to think about him....He seems to show up around us alot.....I'll keep an eye on him. At least didn't try to kill me on the first meeting...

Lilisette's form seemed to flatten, her words causing Devon to look off at the small glowing flame atop of the large red candle in the corner. "I know. It's not gonna be easy. Saving the world isn't exactly something I've done before, but..." Looking back to his friend, the croc's face hardened with a determined frown. Brown eyes drilling into Lilisette's red ones. "I'm going to give it my all. I'll learn how to use my new body to save as many as I can, and I'll always have your guy's backs. I promise."

Looking back to the candle again, the Water-type's wide eyes narrowed. Drawing his head back a bit, he flung it forwards to spit a small burst of water across the room and onto the tiny flame. The liquid extinguishing the light source with a low fizzle, leaving the room almost completely dark save for the bit of moonlight escaping through the northern windows curtain. A sharp toothed grin spread over Devon's maw as he flopped back into the hay on his belly, Tail wagging a bit. "See? I'm already getting better with shooting water. I can be a Totodile, no problem."

A cute little yawn forced the young Big Jaw Pokémon's mouth wide open, his eye lids and mouth closing shortly after as he nestled into the hay and began to drift into the unconscious void. "Anyways, you're right. Sleep sounds good to me. Good night Lilisette."

---

Huh?....Am I still asleep?

Blinking, the only thing that greeted Devon's eyes was an odd, inky blackness. The confused and sleep dazed Totodile pushed himself up into a sitting position, craning his head through the empty area, before looking down at himself. His clawed blue hand touching against his bare, scaled chest. My bandages are gone....But I don't remember taking them off?

"There you are... I've finally found you."

A wispy vision of the winged Gardevoir appeared before Devon's ethereal interpretation of himself. Cackling escaped her lips, "I'm sure you still have not the slightest idea of why you were sent here. No matter, let me show you your failure."

The sight of the Gardevoir stunned the Totodile, simply staring at the phantom before him with wide eyes filled with fear. Many actions went through his mind. Running, attacking, speaking up, but all these commands seemed to fall deaf to his mind. The Gardevoir...! Lilith! What does she even mean?....Why can't I move or talk!?

In an instant, a vision of a horrific future flooded the forefront of Devon's mind. Death, destruction. Ruined, empty villages, all across the four continents. A large, dark fortress towered above all, remaining shrouded in the northern most part of the Mist Continent. Hoards of feral Pokémon stood guard, each one fully evolved.

That's the army Lilisette was talking about!? They....They did all this destruction....But why? It's insane...

Inside of the Keep, a dark, sleek figure stood before him, as well as three other Pokémon. The shattered bodies of Selena and Ember laid at Devon's feet, their bodies being consumed by a dark aura. Kneeling before the towering creature was a nearly dead Totodile, bloody wounds and dark bruises decorated it's body. Tears streamed down it's face as the menacing being began to lift it's limp body with an invisible force.

The shocked blue crocodile stared down at the near lifeless corpses before him, with an expression that can only be described as pure terror. The sight was awful, but no matter how much he seemed to struggle, he couldn't seem to take his pin pricked eyes off of his defeated friends, or his own bloodied clone.

No! NO! That's not gonna happen! I won't let it! I won't! Stop showing me this!

"Why bother, Devon...? You'll fail everyone. Everyone you have ever cared for will have died, all because of you."

A silent snarl came from the tortured Totodile as his hands flew to his head. A painful headache cracking down on his skull as his eyes slammed tightly shut.

LEAVE ME ALONE! I DON'T BELIEVE ANY OF THIS! I HAVE TO TRY! I....have to....because....t-they're....

---

The small blue reptile's eyes fluttered back open. However, instead of being met with the castle and corpses, all he seen was a rough wooden ceiling. Devon laid on his back in silence as he stared blankly into space. A cold wet feeling trailing from his eyes, a pain in the base of his tail, and some sort of odd dribble of yellow falling down the side of his snout. "C-Counting on me..." He whispered.

A low snort came from the depressed Totodile as he sat up in the hay. The moon light pouring in from the cracks in the curtains shining a dull pale light on his form. His stubby blue arm reaching up to wipe away some of the snot from his nose as he snivelled quietly, and tilted his head to the floor. Am I really gonna be able to do this? I've never had so many Pokémon depend on me before....I already almost died twice today....I know I have my friends but....Do I really want to lead them into this? If I screw this up they....

More tears rolled down his scaled face and fell to the dampened hay below. Devon sniffled a bit more as he glanced to his right; Lilisette still sleeping soundly in her own little bed.....But something caught the Water-type's gaze. A small, flat yellow rectangle laid out on the floor between him and Lilisette. Curiosity got the best of the human-turned-Pokémon as he stifled a cry, and reached out to pick up the sheet of paper. He turned it over in his claws a bit, and then squinted at the pages scribbled contents.


Devon,

I know what you're going through. It's tough to have the weight of the world on your shoulders. I wrote
this letter to tell you that you can't let it get to you. No matter what, you need to stay strong.
Not only for the world....But your friends too. That's the key to staying confident. Your friends are,
without a doubt, your greatest treasure. I know, that even though you just met, you care greatly for them.
They care for you too. In moment's like this, you need to be brave, and they will return the favor.


You will not lead them to ruin if you simply remind yourself that you have the power to do this.


~Cipher

Devon's wide eyes went even wider as he finished reading the note. His arms lowering as he looked out into the darkened hall of the Guild, and spotted nothing. Looking back down at Lilisette, his eyes drifted back to the note.

They're right...If I doubt myself, they'll notice.....And they'll start giving up too....I won't let it get to me. I'll just focus on training with Lilisette, Ember, and Selena, there's nothing that can keep us down as long as we give it our best....But, I wonder who wrote this?

Gently laying down the note next to the hay pile, Devon wiped away his remaining tears and rolled back onto his side to curl into a tight ball. His eye lids locking him away into a peaceful, dreamless slumber.