FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter 2: An Adventure by your Side.

"Are you really sure you don't mind me?" The Pichu asked the Eevee, who was leading them away from the house.

"Yup. Don't worry about it. I'm sure we'll make a great team, even if I'm not the most capable one around haha..." Dylan laughed nervously, but the smile on his face was still genuine. That sight alone was enough to calm Leon's nerves.

The duo was on their way to Treasure Town, the biggest congregation of Pokémon on the whole continent according to Dylan. It was closer to noon when they departed, mostly because Leon, after taking a good look at a mirror, decided he wanted to at least do something with his hair. After an hour of trying several different styles, he stuck with a simple cowlick. It wasn't too much, and he thought it looked cool, even more so for a small Pokémon like he was now.

After so long spent in the bathroom, Dylan was worried they'd be too late, and the leader would be out for lunch when they arrived. The moment he stepped out of the room the Eevee grabbed his hand and they both quickly made their way out of the house.

It was complicated because his house wasn't that near, to begin with. The Guild would be on top of the mountain surrounding the town, which they'd have to climb up through the main road if they wanted to access.

But that wasn't a big worry for Leon. Back at High School, he was the fastest runner there and he had lots of stamina, so just a little steep climbing wouldn't hurt him at all.

His worry was actually getting into the guild proper. "Say, is there anything I should know beforehand? Should I prepare a speech or some kind of introduction?"

"No need. The Guildmaster has a pretty good eye for recruits, and can easily tell where their strengths lie and where to assign them. I've heard of recruits gaining ranks super fast because of her great skill detection." Just like yesterday, Dylan seemed to shine whenever he was talking about the guild. Leon knew he was from around these parts, but still found it adorable with how much he looked up to them. Gosh, he was cute.

"Okay okay. I'll trust you!" Leon smiled back. "I'll do my best, and I'm sure we'll be seen as amazing recruits. Soon enough people might even know us as elite members!!" Enthusiasm took the better of the Pichu as they reached the base of the mountain. They climbed the forty degree road, seemingly unbothered by the change in pace.

After a couple minutes and lots of steps into the mountain, it was finally in sight. "Wow..." Leon gazed into the town, his eyes shimmering at the sight. Dozens and dozens of houses rose from the ground, each one with at least three stories, with the more colorful ones, most likely shops and important places Leon thought, even bigger than the adjacent ones, with at least 5 stories each. "It's huge!!!" The star-struck Pichu said.

"Mmhmmm! It's much bigger than when my grandparents got here. They told me stories about how there were only a couple shops and a café around here." Dylan stopped at an intersection where one road led deep into the town while the other led even further up the mountain. "We can take a tour later if you want, but we'd need more time for it, so I think we should go to the Guild first." He pointed to the rising road.

Leon nodded, not in any stance to complain considering he didn't have a coin to his name. As he followed the Eevee even further up, he looked back, this time his eyes resting on the several Pokémon walking around.

It caught his attention that certain ones were as nude as Dylan and Leon were, but some were wearing some accessories, like jackets, glasses, rings, necklaces, and all sorts of different things to stand out.

"Dylan, is it normal for Pokémon to wear clothes? I'm seeing some people down there that do, and others that don't use it."

"Oh, yeah, it's very normal. I don't know about you humans, but most of our bodies hide our private bits well enough. Furred ones like us both usually have a thick cover of fur between our legs to hide it, the same thing for ones with feathers, while the ones with scales already store it inside, so they don't have to try and hide anything."

"So is there a point to wearing stuff, like, at all?" He asked while remembering how strict human society was about it, albeit justifiably, and the number of rules integrated to make sure it was the case.

"Nope, but there's a lot that wants to add something to their style. Some do it with their hair, while others just use things like jackets and accessories. There's nothing wrong with wanting to look a bit different, right?" Dylan said while smiling.

"Mhmm, you're right. So people express their feelings in a different way here, huh?" He put his arms behind his head, thinking back on his world. Even if everyone wore clothes, people used different styles for different people and different occasions. Here people could be barer, but could also get whatever they wanted. It was different, but also the same in a way. The thought made him smile a bit.

"Say, Dylan. Is there a reason you never joined the guild before? I'm sure you'd be plenty capable already without me." Wanting the conversation to keep going, Leon changed the subject as he kept a steady pace like he did while in marathons as a human.

The question caught Dylan by surprise, his eyes darting right in front of him to avoid eye contact with his new friend. "O-Oh! N-Not in particular, I just wasn't very interested in joining until recently. I'd have probably joined a little later either way if you hadn't shown up, but going together is more fun hahaha..."

Leon wasn't that naive. He had enough friendships until that point to notice his tone of voice was clearly concealing something. He was about to open his mouth and ask what was wrong, but he stopped himself. He shook his head, knowing full well that, if Dylan really didn't want to talk about it, there must have been a reason, and he should not pry further if that were the case.

Instead, he grinned from ear to ear and darted towards the front of the Eevee. "Well, it doesn't matter. Soon enough we'll be famous! Local Explorer Dylan and Human-Turned-Pokémon Leon! The world will never see it coming!" He had a cocky grin, but one clearly out of eagerness instead of conceit.

"O-Oh. Actually, there was one thing you should probably avoid talking about during the interview, or the whole time after joining, for that matter." A little more concern showed in his voice.

"Oh? Even after the interview? I'm sure it can't be that big of a deal, right? I'm a no name human after all." He was joking around, but he was still paying attention to what his friend had to say, not wanting to dismiss any kind of advice.

"So, ummm... How do I put this..." Dylan's paws fidgeted around while his brain twisted to find a way to say it. "I think it'd be for the best if you... didn't mention you were human."

"Huh? But why? I mean, I imagine humans turning into Pokémon can't be exactly common, but to the point of me not telling anyone?"

"It's not like that, Leon. It's more so... I don't know, what if it brings you the bad kind of attention? What if people distrust you because you're human? I'm just... worried something might happen to you." A little blush formed on his cheeks.

The blush was mutual, and a caring smile formed into Leon's cheeks. He approached Dylan and tenderly patted his head with his tiny paws. "There's nothing to worry, buddy. But, just in case, I'll try and keep my lips shut, okay?"

The Eevee just gingerly smiled as a response, content with the two resuming their path towards their destination.

The rest of the walk up the hill was quiet, with neither of them really chatting at all. It was quite awkward, if Leon were to say anything, so instead he kept his eyes forward. The road didn't have any bumps or rocks to trip someone up, so the walk was pretty calm, and soothing at that, with the breeze blowing against their faces.

Before long, they had taken their final step up the hill. "Leon, I'm pleased to introduce you to the greatest guild of all time: Audino's Guild!" He extended his paws so the Pichu would look directly at the building. And what a building it was.

Leon's hands went directly to his cheeks as his eyes took in the amazing visage. The largest building he had seen so far, not in terms of stories, but with how long it went for. The building had three stories, but it went far back until it barely touched the edge of the mountain. He was new to this world so he couldn't properly measure sizes yet, but if he had to estimate, it should be around a hundred meters long. It. Was. Huge.

"Oh my wooooooooooow!" His eyes shined like stars in the sky, completely taken aback. The coolest part in his opinion was that, right on top of the pink building, it had a pair of windows to simulate eyes, similar to Dylan's house in that regard, and it had swirly ears protruding from the top. It added a hint of cuteness that was to die for.

"Right? I've been to this place my whole life and I still get goosebumps! But enough about the outside, you gotta see the inside, it's so cool!" In his enthusiasm, Dylan grabbed Leon by his paw, making the Pichu blush from suddenly holding each other like that. But he couldn't find the inner strength in him to pull back, even more with how soft his paw and beans were.

Content with letting the adorable fluffy friend guide him, the two friends made their way toward the pair of glass doors, who opened automatically as they got closer. On seeing that, Leon got very excited. "A-Automatic doors?! I didn't know you guys had such advanced technology here in the Pokémon world!" He stared in both awe and nostalgia.

"Oh! Do you guys have those back in the Human world as well? That... makes sense." Dylan turned his head to the side, staring at seemingly nothing. "There aren't many of these as far as I know. An older member of the guild created them some time ago, but they were very expensive to make and sustain. But with how much money they make, keeping it up isn't all that hard."

"Incredible! The guild members must be amazing then!" Leon hoped with excitement.

"Yup. E-Either way, let's go inside." Dylan led him through the open doors, with them closing just after walking through them.

The inside was just as amazing as Leon imagined it to be. It was so different from Dylan's small rustic house. It was made out of solid rock, perhaps marble with how much it shone, and it had electrical lights on the ceiling, to the Pichu's surprise. The whole place reminded him of hotels his class would go to while on field trips, fancy and completely out of this world, in both meanings of the phrase. But definitely what grabbed his attention the most was the enormous wooden door a few meters behind the counter. He was never there before, but Leon knew that behind that door lay a place super important.

"Welcome, welcome! How can I help you- Oh! It's you, Dylan!" A feminine voice spoke in front of them. At the reception counter, a Venosaur with a pair of pink leaves for hair beckoned them with her vines. "It's been a while, honey. Do you need anything today?"

"Good morning, Margaret. Ummmm, I gotta talk with Audrey, if she isn't too busy." The duo approached the counter, and all the while Leon couldn't help but eye every single detail of the hall, from the smooth surface of it to several decorations of paintings, and flowers, to relics behind glass frames.

"You're in luck. Guildmaster Audrey should be up in her office room. I'll contact her right away while you go there. You remember it, right?" She turned to her side and used her vines to grab a bell connected to a string, playing it and letting the harmonious sound ring.

"I do remember. Thanks, Margaret, we'll be on our way." Dylan made a gesture with his head for Leon to follow him, which he did pronto. The two soon left the hall, climbing a pristine spiral staircase with golden handles.

While on yet another climb, a thought gnawed at the Pichu's head. "Dylan, do you know the Guildmaster? The receptionist seemed to know you very well."

"A-Ah, that? Yeah, I guess they all do. It's a long story, but I'll tell you after we join up." He tried to disregard it, climbing up the stairs at a quicker pace.

Leon once again decided to respect Dylan's privacy, resigning to take in how smooth the stairs were, and how pretty the remainder of the hall looked from up there.

They eventually reached the middle floor, with Dylan not stopping climbing as Leon followed, until the both of them reached the upper floor. It felt smaller than the reception and the big corridor that was the previous one, with only a single room with a door standing alone, ornate with jewels and some kind of letters carved into the pristine wood.

"This is it. You ready, Leon?" Dylan turned to the side, smiling as brightly as he could toward his friend.

Leon answered with a likewise smile. "As ready as I'll ever be."

Dylan knocked with his front paw on the door, waiting until they heard a feminine voice from the other side. "You may come in." The two partners pushed it together, entering the room.

Inside, it was much more akin to a library rather than an office room. Dozens upon dozens of shelves completely stacked with a myriad of books and notes. The walls were mostly covered with those and other wooden lockers on the ground, filled with piles of documents, maps, writing material, and all sorts of important writing stuff. Those kinds of places would usually be very dark, but the two gigantic windows on the opposite side of the room made it beaming with light, leaving barely any crevices unattended by the sun.

But with how impressive the room seemed, the thing that seemed to draw the most attention was the Pokémon sitting behind the large wooden desk. A pink-and-cream bipedal Pokémon, with feelers adorned with caramel laces and small bells on her head, alongside very pretty ruby eyes, slightly covered by a pair of glasses. Besides that, she was also rocking a red jacket, complimenting her pink and white fur perfectly. All in all, she seemed to have an aura of both a stern and caring person.

"What a surprise, Dylan. It's rare for you to come by in person." She removed the glasses from her face and grinned at the younger Pokémon. "Last time you were here you needed extra wood for your house, but I imagine you have some other reason today?" She eventually noticed Leon standing beside him. "And who might this young cutie be?"

Leon realized she was referring to him. "I-I'm not a cutie! I'm the manly Leon! Dylan and I came to talk to you." He said, puffing up his chest in an attempt to look more manly.

"O-Oh, I see. My bad, Leon. Hahaha." She laughed as she put away some documents she had been working on. "My name is Audrey, and I welcome you to Audino's Guild. I happen to be the Audino in the name." She said in a proud tone, reaching up her hand to shake Leon's.

He approached and gripped her hand as hard as he could, which wasn't much as she didn't even flinch from his grip. Instead, she giggled at his attempt, before redirecting her face to Dylan's once more. "But what is this visit about, hun? Is everything alright?"

"Y-Yes, Audrey. Everything's great, actually! We just have some business with you." He insisted, bringing them both closer to her desk.

"Is that so? Alright then, I'm listening." She rested her arms on the table, supporting her chin against her hands as she listened carefully to what he had to say.

"O-Okay here goes..." Dylan took a deep breath, clearly sweating under his fur as he maintained eye contact with the Guild Leader. "Miss Audrey, me and Leon wish to create a team together!!!" He half-yelled towards her, closing his eyes all the while, succeeding in both spooking the Pichu with his volume and making the leader's eyes widen in apparent surprise.

"W-What?" She lightly slapped her hands against her cheeks and shook her head before opening her eyes again. "I must have misheard, I thought you said you wanted to create a team." She said in an embarrassed tone.

"T-That's exactly what I said! Leon and I want to form a team together!!!" He rushed to the desk and put his front paws on it. "We want to do it. Real bad. Please let us." He smashed his head against the wooden surface, remaining there as Audrey looked at him with something akin to confusion if Leon were to guess.

"R-Really?" She forced a cough and tried to recompose herself. "Wow, that's wonderful, dearie. After so long you've decided to join us?" She sincerely smiled towards the Eevee, her face softening up as the surprise passed.

"Yes! I want to be part of the Guild, please, please, please!" His eyes met hers, and soon Leon's followed suit, staring at the Audino with the best puppy eyes they could muster.

"W-Well... That's some news I wasn't expecting to get today. Haha..." She laughed and adjusted her seat on the chair she was on, getting a better view of the small team. "Are you sure?"

Dylan just nodded in affirmation.

"Very well. But if you want to join, you need to be interviewed first. Not so much you Dylan, with your history with the guild and all, but more so your fluffy new friend. I've never seen you around before, Leon. Are you new to these parts?

"Y-You could say that..." The Pichu hesitated, remembering Dylan's earlier words about not sharing his human past. "I just got here the other day, and Dylan and I seemed to hit it off. I wasn't sure what I was going to do, but coming here and getting a chance to do some proper work seemed like the best choice!"

"Mhmm. I see..." She was noting down something on a piece of paper with the fancy feather in her hands. "So you arrived yesterday? If you don't mind me asking, where did you come from, Leon?"

"..."

Silence permeated the room for a couple of seconds, which Audrey took notice of before shaking her head.

Meanwhile, in Leon's head, he was cursing himself to no end. He forgot to come up with a backstory that didn't involve him being human. Crap, on that note, he didn't ask Dylan for a map or anything so he'd pass as a traveler or some other kind. "I... Uhh..."

"Look, Leon..." She put down her feather. "I trust Dylan very much with his decisions, but it's my job as Guildmaster to not only select recruits, but also make sure everyone's safe. I can't just let anyone in, especially if they seem to be hiding something from us."

"I know... I... I just..."

"LEON HAS AMNESIA!!!" Dylan screamed.

"Huh?" Both Pokémon asked, although Leon subconsciously did it much quieter.

"I-I found him yesterday by the lake and saved him from drowning! When he came to, he only remembered his name and some rudimentary stuff. We didn't want to upset you with that story so we didn't share it with you. We're sorry." The Eevee bowed his head, and so did Leon to play into the role.

"I see... I'm the one sorry here, Leon. I shouldn't have pushed you too far." She rubbed her fingers against her forehead. "Sometimes I forget these kinds of circumstances happen. I'll try to avoid such blunders in the future."

Very sneakily, Dylan sighed in relief, but that situation wasn't exactly good for Leon's inner morals. He didn't like lying, especially to someone who seemed so intent on protecting who she cared about. That wasn't the right thing to do.

"Okay, things check out then. But I'm very happy with how honest you two both were in the matter. Let's just make some personality questions for team allocation matters and we can slot you both somewhere-"

"I'm human." The Pichu said it plainly.

Once more, silence permeated the room, but this time instead of hesitation, there was a source of worry and two sources of processing confusion.

"..." It took a second for the words to go through for Audrey, but once they did, her eyes widened from the shock. "YOU'RE WHAT?!?"

"L-Leon? What are you talking about?" He feigned as best he could a laugh, but the Pichu had a suspicion that wouldn't fool the Guildmaster, even more so now.

"It's okay Dylan. If I'm gonna be a part of the guild and ask for their trust, it's only fair I'm one hundred percent honest with them." He turned to Audrey. "Yeah, so that's the truth. Until yesterday morning I was a human, but when I came to I was falling from the sky when Dylan saved me."

"A-A human? In the flesh?" Her legs were wobbly from the feelings in her chest as she stared at the yellow rodent in a new light. "I never thought I'd get to see another human in my lifetime."

"Another?" Leon's ears turned due to confusion. "S-So I wasn't the only human here? From what Dylan told me we're rare here, but I was under the impression it was mostly mythical stuff."

"N-No, Leon. I-It's a bit more complicated than that." She took a deep breath and sat on her seat once more. "Humans are fabled beings in our world, yes. But not because they're rare or something of the sort, but because they come in our time of need. To save the world."

"T-To save the world?" He could feel a pit in his stomach form, the task alone giving fear to his heart. "I-I don't think I'd be able to handle that. I-I'm not much of a fighter, you see?"

"You shouldn't have to worry about that... At the last big incident nearly a century ago, two Pokémon, a human-turned-Pokémon and his partner, managed to restore the flow of time and protect the world from all evil for centuries to come. We know we have no conflict to fear for a long time." Her lost stare returned to Leon. "Which is why you being a human is so... odd. If there's nothing to protect us from, why are you here?"

"I-I..." He didn't know. He hadn't thought about it but he couldn't think of why he'd suddenly had his body changed and taken to an unfamiliar place like that. "I don't know... I..."

As tears started forming around his eyes, Dylan put his paw on his shoulder. "Hey. Hey. It's okay." Leon turned to gaze into his friend's eyes, so shiny and beautiful. "I'm here for you. You don't gotta worry about anything. Even if more people find out about you being human, I'll be with you. Okay?"

Although newfound worry still existed in his bosom, those words helped in lifting the weight in his body. "T-Thanks..." He sobbed and rubbed his arms against his eyes, drying off the tears. "I'm sorry about lying Audrey, but I indeed wanna join the guild! Please let me!" He bowed just like in those foreign cartoons he used to watch in his world, his torso nearing 50 degrees facing the ground.

She sighed, but eventually, her face lit up a bit. "It's okay, Leon. It's a big thing to just share around. Honestly, I'd prefer it if you confided this secret with me and Dylan alone. I doubt there'd be ones actively seeking harm for one of your kind, but after some... stuff that happened in the past, grudges, and prejudice might still exist, so I advise keeping it to us alone."

"Yes... which is why I didn't want you to tell her..." Leon could hear in Dylan's voice how crestfallen he was, not in a disappointed tone, but more so in a worried tone.

"I-I'm sorry, Dylan. I thought I had to be brave but I think I didn't stop to think about the consequences..." He felt somewhat disappointed in himself. Not because of telling his secret, but because he went against what his friend had advised him.

"Haha... It's okay, Leon. As long as it's between me and Audrey, I'm sure no one will find out." His sight, once on Leon, slowly started to face the ground. "Besides, you're not the only one that is hiding things from the world.

The Audino seemed to pick up on something, as the Pichu noticed her eyes widening a little and gazing into her old acquaintance. "Dylan, you don't have to-"

"But I want to!" He said back. His voice didn't bring an ounce of rashness or rude behavior, only determination. "Leon, listen. Like you, I'm different from all other Pokémon, although maybe in a different way..."

"What do you mean? Like you were born somehow different from the others?" Although his friend seemed determined, Leon could still feel an ounce of nervousness in his voice.

"In a way, I guess. Hahaha..." He scratched his head with his paws and was clicking his tongue before saying anything. "For Pokémon, our main means of self-defense and offense are Moves. It's what defines Pokémon as Pokémon, but..." He sighed heavily and took a heavy breath onto himself. "Since I was born, I was never able to use any kind of move." He looked to the side, the importance of what he said weighing on his mind and spirit, Leon could tell from his eyes alone.

He knew how important that sounded, but he still couldn't quite grasp it because of how new he was to this world. "So... Pokémon use superpowers normally? And you can't use them? I mean, that doesn't sound that bad! If you see a baddie you can still punch'em, right?"

"No, he can't." Audrey responded with some weight in her voice. "Even for melee combat we still need moves to attack. It's... ingrained into our being, you can say. Without a move, we can't do anything to protect ourselves. He could physically try to tackle anyone, but it wouldn't have the same kind of weight compared to someone using the move Tackle."

"But why? The way you're saying it sounds like he's the only one ever that can't use moves. Why would that happen to you, Dylan?" He turned to his friend, rubbing his paw against his shoulder.

"Do you remember when I said the last human appeared nearly a century ago?" Audrey grabbed Leon's attention once more. "The two Pokémon saved the world, and after that even fell in love with each other. Those two Pokémon..."

"...Were my Grandfather and Grandmother." Dylan completed, looking directly at Audrey as she nodded.

"W-What?" Leon turned to face Dylan, who was now staring at the floor. "D-Dylan, but that means you're-"

"I'm a human's descendant, yes." He smiled faintly. but his voice was somber, with a tint of sadness in his tone. "My grandfather could use moves fine as a Pokémon, but perhaps his human blood was what made neither me nor my father capable of using moves..."

"That's our theory, at least. Still, with Dylan not being able to use any moves, we can't assign him to a Rescue Team or any sort of team that could put him in combat." Audrey patted Dylan on the head, who was looking crestfallen.

Leon rushed to his side, looking up to the Guildmaster with pleading eyes. "I-Isn't there any way for Dylan to join, either way? He's pretty capable and very determined, I'm sure he'd be a great member of the Guild!"

It took a little while for Audrey to answer his question, her eyes blinking and pondering stuff. "Actually, Leon, I offered Dylan a spot in the guild a few years ago."

"What?" Leon asked with confusion plain in his voice.

"It's true. Some smaller teams can choose to do more menial tasks like collecting herbs and labor around the region, but... I didn't feel confident enough at that time. Heck, I still don't, if I'm being honest here, hahaha..." Dylan tried to smile at his Pichu friend, but this time Leon wasn't buying it.

"Dylan..." Leon grabbed the Eevee's paw, feeling the soft beans against his palm. "Are you sure you wanna do this? I know I'm new to this place and I'm not qualified for many options, but I don't wanna force you to do something you feel like you can't."

The forced smile on the brown-furred Pokémon turned a bit softer and more genuine. "Oh, you don't have to worry about it, Leon. I've always wanted to be part of the Guild, but much hasn't changed... I just..." He breathed in, his cheeks getting a bit more color. "...Yesterday, when we were talking, I suddenly felt like I could do it. I felt that, as long as I was by your side, things should go well... Ahahaha, wow, that must feel weird coming from someone you just met, right?" Dylan tried retreating his paw, but Leon held it firmly and carefully on his own.

"No, it doesn't feel weird, Dylan. I... felt the same way yesterday." It was Leon's turn to get embarrassed and blush at his own words. "I got here and almost died, and I was beginning to feel like I'd die or stay alone for the rest of my days, but then you appeared. We might have just met, but I know that it must have been destiny, because I feel very comfortable around you, something I rarely felt back when I was human." He smiled from ear to ear, comforting his friend but still talking truthfully. "If you feel like we can do it as long as I'm with you, then I'll stay with you as much as you want! You can't use moves? Who cares? With enough hard work on our part, I'm sure we'll still climb the ranks and be the best guild members around here!"

For any other Pokémon, they may have thought that was the cheesiest thing possible to say, but for Dylan, it seemed to ring inside for soon tears formed at the bottom of his eyes, but not some humble ones, as they soon turned into a small stream flowing down his face.

"D-Dylan?! D-Did I say something wrong?" He let go of his paw, scared he had hurt his friend.

"N-No. On the contrary, Leon. You said just the r-right thing." He sniffled and hiccuped as he smiled through the tears. "I-It's been so long since I felt so comfy around s-someone. I'm s-so happy." He took a couple of steps forward and hugged the Pichu with his front paws, forcing a deeper blush into the Pichu's face. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."

Although he was a bit hesitant, the feeling of Dylan embracing him warmed up the Pichu's heart, giving him enough confidence to reach out his arms to pay back the hug. "Haha, it's nothing to worry about. We are partners, and we'll keep being partners, forever. I promise you."

The duo hugged for what seemed hours, enjoying each other's warmth as they giggled away in the mess of feelings each of them was enveloped by. It was a bit embarrassing for Leon to be holding onto the one he had just developed a crush on, but he tried to push those thoughts away for now. Dylan was his primary concern and focus as of now.

"Ah, youth. Makes me feel like a not-so-old Audino as well~." The unnecessary comment made both partners blush, and they promptly broke the hug, each blushing, and coughing, poorly trying to act as if nothing had happened. "Hahaha... Oh! Leon, would you mind if I asked one last question about you being human?"

"Not at all! What is it?"

"Do you remember or know anything about being human at all? Your memories or other concepts?" She grabbed another piece of paper and rested her hand against it with the feather.

"I think so? Until yesterday morning I was a human back at home, and then when I woke up again I was falling from the sky before Dylan helped me by the lake. I'm pretty sure I remember all that I could naturally remember until that point." He answered truthfully, relieved knowing there was another one he could confide with that information.

"So you remember your time as a human, huh? Hmmmm..." The Audino turned and made her way to her desk once more, sitting down and grabbing some papers from the lowest drawer. "That's very unusual... All humans-turned-Pokémon tell that they lost their memory before arriving here. It's pretty unusual to find one with... memories intact, I'd guess?"

Audrey sighed, shaking her head before grabbing a new set of papers. "Be that as it may, I shouldn't prod too much into your life, so I'll help you with what you two came for. You want to join the Guild as a Helping Team, correct?"

"Yes, we do!" The two fluffy partners said in unison.

She smiled at the display of cuteness. "Very well." She grabbed a nearby pen and started scribing on the piece of paper. Less than a minute later, she handed it out to both of them. "Alright, I need you both to sign here, here, and here!" She pointed towards the spots, allowing Leon and Dylan to sign the paper. Or at least that's what Leon tried.

"Urgh... I-It's so hard to write with these little hands!" While Dylan had already finished, the Pichu was struggling to just hold the pen in his paws, and what derived from his attempt at writing was an amorphous-looking signature, with so many curves it looked like a rollercoaster. "S-Sorry, I'm not used to my body yet..."

"It's okay, dear. That'll do." She stood up, smiling at the recruits. "But before we can let you join, I need you both to name your team. No team is complete without a name to call their own!"

"A name?" The fluffy duo looked at each other, their eyes meeting and realizing the same thing. "We didn't think of one." They said in unison, laughing at the silly situation.

"Well, that's a pickle, ain't it?" Audrey said while smiling. "Well, how about this? I can give you a provisional license so you can do some smaller requests as trials, and when you come up with the name I'll register you both officially. Deal?"

Leon and Dylan nodded to each other. "Deal!" They answered with enthusiasm.

And so with glee in their hearts, and weights lifted from their shoulders, the duo made their way out of the Guildmaster's quarters, waving her goodbye on the way out. As they followed their way down the stairs, the newly-turned Pokémon had more time to take in the middle floor he previously ignored. It was a long hall, the walls filled with similar-looking doors as far as the eye could see.

Dylan looked back at the curious Pichu and answered his silent curiosities. "These are personal quarters from the guild. Many teams opt to live here instead of in a house like mine. It's cheaper, you get benefits like free food and access to the library and other places you can scavenge for info, and it's closer to the action, so you don't gotta walk from your far away home to come to work."

"Wow! But this many? It feels like there are enough doors here to accommodate dozens, no, maybe a hundred teams!" His imagination wandered into several images of glorious teams and powerful Pokémon, all resting here before getting to their next adventures.

"Mhmm! Back in my Grandpa's time, the guild was so small they, I mean, we barely had enough space for discussion meetings. It must have been a mess haha." He took his place next to the yellow rodent as he also basked in how big the corridor was. "But after his and everyone's big achievements back then, their reputation and income exploded, allowing us to expand. Now, this must be the biggest guild on the entire continent."

"You must have been proud of your grandparents, huh?" He teased as he lightly bumped his paw against Dylan's fluffy shoulder.

"Mhmm. Especially when Grandpa. Grandma passed away when I was still very young so I don't remember her that well, but Grandpa taught me all he could about the world while he was still kicking. Helped me memorize every continental map and every drawing, and he tried to beef me up in case I managed to pull out some Moves. Although I guess that one didn't quite work out." If it were earlier, Dylan might have said that with sadness and melancholy, but now it seemed he was mostly just frustrated with it, or at least that's what Leon got from observing his face. Although with how much the Pichu was staring, it didn't take long for the Eevee to notice as well. "Leon?"

"O-Oh, It's nothing." Leon turned his face, laughing to distract his friend from his blushing face. "A-Anyway, we gotta go to the quest hall, right? Let's go!" He grabbed his teammate by the arm and they made their way down.

Soon enough they were back at the reception, with Margaret the Ivysaur noticing their return. "Oh, welcome dears! Did everything go well?"

"Yup! Quite well, with nothing to worry about whatsoever." Dylan said, making Leon laugh by his side. He noticed his new friend wasn't that good of a liar or concealer. "Guildmaster Audrey told us to grab some small non-combat related requests as a provisory team. Said we should do it while we come up with a name."

"Oh, that's wonderful dear! I wasn't aware you were making a team. I'm so happy my leaves could bloom into flowers right now!" She smiled from ear to ear, with her two pink accentuating her pretty smile. "Here, let me grab the provisory name tags so you two can head toward the hub."

The frog receptionist shifted her height a bit so she could scrounge beneath her desk, grabbing two blank cards and a simple pen with her dextrous vines. "Okay, huns. I know how to spell your name Dylan, but I don't think I still know your friend's name, to begin with." She chuckled sweetly as she looked towards the Pichu.

"Oh, it's Leon! L-E-O-N. I'm gonna be the greatest partner and soon everyone will know our names!" He puffed up his chest as he proclaimed that, drawing a giggle from the observing Ivysaur.

"Haha, you sure got the spirit. Okay, let me finish these up then." Her vine was so fast that before Leon could realize it, both of their names were already written on it. Maybe he was just not paying attention, but he couldn't follow the pen with his eyes. "Here we go, boys. These should do. Just go past the door towards the Hall and you should get some nice options there. I hope you get something safe for your first one!"

"We will Margaret, thanks!" Dylan made a quick bow and walked past the reception desk, and so did Leon after he saw his partner doing it, and they made their way to a large wooden door sitting just a few meters behind Margaret.

They both stood before it for a couple of seconds, looked at each other, and together forced the passage open with their arms, creaking deep and heavily, but thankfully not loud to bother anyone inside.

As the door opened, light poured out from the inside, briefly making Leon's eyes flinch before his eyes got used to the brighter environment, and what an environment it was.

Dozens upon dozens of Pokémon were gathered in that single room if not more than a hundred. The room was as tall as the reception, but it went much deeper. Leon's eyes couldn't properly tell for how long the walls went with so many Pokémon walking and chatting across his view, but he guessed that it was around 40 meters or so. And it wasn't just a big empty room, the place had so many stunning decorations and furniture.

There were dozens of boards stuck to the walls, each one with several papers stuck to it, its contents detailing several kinds of requests that guild members could take upon and try to earn their keep. At the west center of the hall, stood a bar with a bartender taking care of it, with a couple of Pokémon sitting on it while ordering something to drink. And it wasn't only drinking, throughout the hall, several pristine wooden tables with lower seats attached to them stood, where many members were feasting on a variety of plates and dishes Leon could not properly recognize, most likely food exclusive to this world.

It was so much to take in that it took a while for Leon to feel Dylan poking against his arm. "Leon? Leon? Are you with me?"

"O-Oh!" He quickly shook his head. "Sorry, Dylan. T-This place is very big, huh? hahaha."

"It sure is. The Quest Hall is the most popular place in the guild. Most requests from all around the continent gather in this one room, so not only it's where both us and any other guild member will look for the next jobs, but also a great spot to gather good food and drinks. Nothing better than a good meal before and after hard work, right?"

"Yeah!" Leon could hardly try and pretend he wasn't interested in the food. His eyes were fixated on a plate with a selection of berries covered by some thick cream, all displayed in a manner that resembled an Alcremie. Some drool escaped from his lips, and he promptly used his arm to clean it up, hoping Dylan didn't notice such an unsightly display of him. Although he was sure he'd most likely just giggle at it. "A-Anyway, we should get a request, right? What should we look out for?

"Hmmm..." Dylan pressed his brown paws against his white mane, pondering. "I can't use moves so my strength isn't on par with most members or enemies, so no combat ones. We could go for some manual labor requests, but I don't think you're used to your Pichu body yet, right?"

"Yeah, you have a good point." Leon looked over his body, clenching his paw and unclenching soon after. "I can walk and all, but I might trip on my tail if I'm carrying something heavy."

Dylan nodded. "Which leaves us with item gathering and non-manual labor, like counter service or something of the sort."

The newfound team approached one of the wooden boards that seemed to be mostly left alone. There were a decent amount of papers hanging from it, all with pictures of reference, the name of the contractor, and the reward they could expect from it.

"Hmmm..." Leon's eyes scanned the wall, reading each content to see if he could find any job that would fit what they were looking for, but all of them seemed to be either about exploration or beating up bad guys. "Wait..." Leon blinked twice, rubbing his eyes and taking a look at the wall. "I didn't notice at Audrey's office, but... I can read this."

Dylan turned to his friend. "Oh! It didn't cross my mind, but the writing in the-." He cut himself and spoke in a lower tone. "-human world must be different, right?"

Leon nodded. "Yes, definitely not the same letters and stuff, but, I can read it either way, that's weird."

The Eevee returned to his regular tone. "It's the same for our language, right? Maybe when you turned your body you got the knowledge about it."

"Perhaps..." His face turned to the board again. "Either way, I can't see any request for beginners like us, maybe we could try another boa-"

"Hey, newbies!!!" A voice came from their right, an enthusiastic shout that grabbed the attention of both Leon and Dylan. Their faces turned towards the bar, where a single Pokémon holding a glass with some brown liquid inside stood. He seemed to be quadrupedal like his Eevee friend, but his fur was blue and dark, with a cowlick standing alone on the top of his head, and a star at the end of his tail. A Luxio, if Leon's memory served correctly. "Y'all looking for some quests? Your faces tell me you found squat to work with, huh?"

"Y-Yeah. We're newcomers and we were trying to find something that we wouldn't have to fight, but it seems most have been taken already." Dylan told the stranger.

"Well, you don't gotta worry about it, then. The request deliverer comes every three hours or so to pin more quests. I'm sure there'll be something easy for you two." He gulped down his drink and left the glass at the surface of the bar. He hopped off and walked towards the pair. "Name's Zack, but my friends call me Zack the Zap. Pleased to meet ya, newbies."

"I'm Dylan! This is Leon. The Guildmaster told us to do something before we become official members. So, we just gotta wait for whoever brings more requests in?" He asked Zack, looking up towards the slightly taller male.

"Mhmm! The town always needs some help here and there, so I'm sure you'll find something." He patted the Eevee on his head, ruffling his fur in the process.

Just as Zack was done talking, a Swanna entered the hall through an open window on the far corner, bringing with her a bag full of sheets of paper.

She didn't speak a word, her eyes seemed to be focused only on the billboards ahead of her. With her practiced wings, the tip of her feathers grabbed the contents from the bag elegantly, not making a sound as one by one the requests were stuck to that grainy surface.

She only spent a couple of seconds on each board before moving to the next one, each of them being filled and drawing the attention of vacant teams in the vicinity. Before long, she arrived at the last one, where Dylan and Leon stood looking toward her. "Excuse me, little ones. Time's of the essence." She waited a second before they moved and let her pass, allowing her to pin a dozen new sheets. "Thank you. Have a nice day, everyone!" She shouted before opening her wings and taking flight, leaving the place in the same way that she came.

"Impressive, huh? Vivian works hard like that every day, with requests being oh so important." Zack said while eyeing up the newcomers. "Make sure to reward her for her efforts now and then, okay boys? Now, with that out of the way, there should be something on the lighter side for you to choose." The Luxio opened the way and let the two short Pokémon approach the conglomeration of words.

Both Dylan and Leon's eyes darted around as they analyzed every one of them, with Leon not giving up even after most of the new ones were rescue requests or challenges from reckless Pokémon.

"There it is!" Dylan exclaimed as he forced himself onto his hind paws and grabbed one of the papers with his paws. "What do you think about this one?"

Leon got close to his friend and lowered his head to read the request.

"Help needed. One of our employees called in sick, while we have a huge order of cakes and sweets for tomorrow morning. Some of our workers can step up to cook, but we won't have anyone to serve the clients. Two charismatic members with decent social skills are required. If interested, notify one of our employees at Marri's Sweet Delights. Please make haste.

Reward: 800 Poké and a basket of Nanab berries.

-Requester: Chef Marri."

Both of their eyes shined in the face of opportunity. "This is it! We can do this!" Leon said with sheer enthusiasm in his voice.

"Y-Yes! I might not have much experience with customer service, but I'm sure I'll manage somehow!" Said the Eevee, brimming with much more confidence compared to earlier that morning.

"Haha. See? Nothing you guys had to be worried about. As long as you do a good job, you shouldn't have trouble getting other requests after this one." He raised his paw to pat Leon's head, rubbing it real good until his head fur was a mess. He quickly used his paws to try and put his cowlick back up, it didn't come off as good as when he just exited the bathroom, but it'd do for the rest of the day.

Afterward, Zack's paw hovered towards Dylan's, and he proceeded to do the same with his poor fur. "Hahaha. Well, I can see in your eyes that you've got this, but in case you need any help, Just look for The Zap! Who will help you in a flash!" He laughed at his joke as he turned towards the bar again. "Well, I'll be here cheering for your success and wishing you luck on your horizon! Break a leg!" He said and left the two, soon after shouting some orders to the bartender for more of the 'strong stuff', as he called it.

Both of them giggled, with Dylan rolling up the paper and storing it inside his tail, which surprised Leon when he witnessed the request form slowly sink and disappear into the floof. "W-Wow, how did it fit in there?" Leon asked, his brain not comprehending how that even worked.

"Family secret, Leon~." He teased, and so the two boys made their way towards the front entrance, waving goodbye to Margaret as they took the sunshine into their skin. "Wow. It's almost midday already. We should hurry, Master Marri's probably in need of us."

Leon nodded affirmatively, and the two walked toward the bottom of the hill. But before starting their way down, Leon stopped to take in the sight from high above. A town so big with enormous buildings, but they looked so small from up here. But what his sights settled as the most beautiful thing was the ocean. He hadn't noticed last night while inside Dylan's house, but it was beautiful.

Leon had never witnessed the ocean with his own eyes, only seeing it in movies and geography lessons. The real thing blew the images and films out of the water. The way the waves broke upon the shore, the foam, it was all beautiful. But something else was there, not something he was expecting to see there. Bubbles.

"It's something of a tradition here. Krabby and Kinglers let out some stress after a hard day's work by blowing bubbles into the sky. It has always been this way, even before my Grandfather arrived into this world." Dylan anticipated Leon's curiosity and explained it in advance, a clear soft smile ruling his face. "We'd always sit by the sand and just watch the bubbles fly away, far into the horizon."

"The horizon, huh... I like it." Leon's eyes fixated on the line that divided the sea and the sky. "Horizon is a clear divide between heaven and earth, but it also signifies the limit of someone, something each individual is always pushing to overcome and broaden. Or at least that's what my English teacher used to tell us, haha."

"W-What?" Dylan asked, mostly confused by what his friend was saying.

"What do you think? You broadened your courage and me getting used to a new body and uncovering a whole new world. I think Team Horizon would fit us well."

Some seconds of silence followed it, but to break it Dylan bumped his shoulder into Leon's. "I didn't take you for the bookish kind of guy, haha! But I like it. Has a good ring to it and I liked your explanation, even if I didn't fully get it."

With such praise, the Pichu couldn't help but smug a bit. "Hehe. I guess my name game is still strong. So from now on, we're Team Horizon!" He reached out his palm, which Dylan soon followed suit, putting it over him.

When pressed together, the pair threw them into the air and screamed. "Let's do it!!!"

And so, with their names realized and their first request in hand, the newcomer team made their way into the city.

It had been only a day since he came to this place, but already it didn't seem so bad. For the first time in a good while, even back in the human world, he felt hopeful for the future. Everything was going to work out.