Chapter 8

Ley Lines

The weather was absolutely perfect, a spotless clear blue sky without a single white cloud in sight. He could feel the cool grass swishing beneath his hind paws as he jogged through the grassland. The pleasant summer breeze blew through the fields of vibrant wallflowers, and coursed through his blue fur. He came upon a fence, to which he opened the gate to it and ran straight forward into the paradise beyond it.

He squinted his eyes as he spotted a nearby hill - it was just in sight, the top of it would be a perfect view of his surroundings. He grinned, the further he trekked towards it, the more sounds of nature he could hear. The rustling of leaves, the flow of water, and the chirping of bird-like Pokémon.

Liam is having a good dream.

At least, he was having a good dream, before the soothing chirps in his head soon transitioned into horrendous squawking with the sound of flapping wings invading his happily dreaming brain.

"WAKE UP! WAKE UP! WAKE UP! WAKE UP! WAKE UP! WAKE UP!"

Liam forced his eyelids open as his red eyes twitched in agony. Regaining the movement in his arms, he thrashed them around the cushion, unconsciously hoping to find something to throw at the terrible noise that had entered the room.

"WAKE UP! WAKE UP!-"

Then it was gone. Most likely out through the door it came in with a flap of its wicked wings. Liam groaned, trying to close his eyes again. He forced himself through this desire, placing his paws on his 'bed' and placing himself upright on the beanbag.

The white light shining into the room from their open window told him one thing - it was morning. He gave a long drawn out yawn, stretching his arms and blinking the remnants of sleep still visible in his sunken orbs. This was way earlier than he'd usually awake, but if it was something they'd do everyday, then he'd just need to get accustomed to it.

Amidst his morning ritual, he heard a pair of soft groans on the beanbag next to him. Looking over, the twisting form of Gloria was spotted, clearly discontent with the chaos that had entered earlier.

He smiled, some sympathy travelling through him. The both of them were exhausted from their expedition yesterday, Gloria more so. He hated to prevent her some much needed rest, but he didn't want to risk them being late on their second day. Hopping off his beanbag bed, he silently stepped towards where she was tossing and turning.

A few light pushes into her side seemed to stop her squirming and mumbling. One of her eyelids cracked open, revealing her baby blue eyes to the world. She grumbled as she raised a white paw over them, almost trying to curl back into her sleep induced state.

"Mmm… is it morning already?" she bemoaned.

Liam laughed, "Yeah… we, uh, need to get ready now."

She removed the paw from her lids as both of her eyes were now wide open, slightly closing due the amount of light they took in. "I was having a good dream until..." she spoke listlessly. "I really need a good wash, my fur is still absolutely soaked."

"And so was I, but…" the Riolu trailed off as he touched his scarf, still wrapped around his neck. He smirked, recalling the thoughts of the 'trial' in his head. "No regrets, right?"

Gloria didn't quite realize what he meant at first, until she touched her own scarf, wincing at the still wet cloth. "No, even if it was a little crazy of you… We still got the job done."

Liam scratched the back of his head with a paw. "Hah… sorry about that, but it was the only thing I could think of at that moment."

Gloria slowly got off her beanbag, stretching her four limbs in tandem as she gave out a yawn. Her eyes wandered around the small room, trying to accustom themselves before landing on the Riolu in front of her.

"Do you have any? Regrets?"

Now it was his turn to be confused. "About what? The fall, or the…" He was interrupted by a shake of Gloria's head and the sound of her giggle.

"No, about everything. Going with Roark's plan, joining the guild with me. I know you told me you wanted to explore this world but… there's ways to do that without the, uh… oppressiveness of the guild."

This made him stop and think. It was true; he did want to do that. But then he also wanted something else. Maybe it was payment for the two of them assisting him, or the prospect of returning memories, but none of those really clicked within him anymore. The realization he made with himself yesterday really put everything into a new perspective.

Liam shook his head, "I think I finally figured it out... It just doesn't matter!"

She tilted her head, "Huh? What do you mean?"

Liam splayed a paw, staring at it. "I feel like a new Pokémon, and… just like you said - I'm a ghost, nothing to my name. I can be anyone, do anything! It's kind of a liberating feeling after all of this mental torment, y'know? This should be my second chance." He noticed the silence that came afterward and scratched his chin with a paw. "I, um… hope you didn't think my 'be anyone' comment was a little too crazy."

Gloria blinked, "No, it's just... you seem to have your bearings now and... you can do what you want without me or Roark getting in your way."

"Well, maybe I just wanted to join with you? Better two than one, you think?"

A tinge of red embarrassment found its way on her face as she extended a paw. "W-Well, does that mean we're… friends, now?"

Liam laughed, "We've known each other this long, joined the guild as a team, and now you're asking that question?"

Her cheeks seemed to puff out as she kept her paw outward. "It's been barely a week, and… I'd like to know whether or not this is a friendship rather than just a partnership."

The two locked eyes, him searching hers for an answer he already knew, and her searching his for that answer. He raised a paw and clasped hers in it, sealing a pawshake between the two of them.

"Of course we are."

A warm smile stretched across the white Vulpix's muzzle as she broke apart from the pawshake and looked behind her. Walking to the side of her beanbag, she pulled her cream saddlebag off the ground, slinging it around her side.

"Like you said, we should get ready."

As if on cue, the door to their tiny abode opened, a familiar Pokémon strutting on in. The large mane of dark fur and smirk on its muzzle told them exactly who it was.

"I see you two have finally become acquainted with the morning wake up ala-" he was cut off as a white blur smacked him into a hug, "Please, sis… you've gotta stop doing this! It's only been a day, y'know."

Gloria released him from her grasp. "I... I know, but it's good to see you."

Roark chuckled, "Well, you might see my mug around from time to time, being the errand boy of the guild means I move around a lot. But you two… you need to get ready for the morning address."

Gloria frowned, "Can I squeeze in a shower before that?" She almost pleaded.

Roark shook his head. "Nah, you can after breakfast. That's when guild members are given free reign to do their jobs and other stuff." He tapped his chin with a claw. "You two will need to learn this routine first, so maybe the Guildmaster has something planned for you today."

Liam butted in, "He said yesterday that he would tell us the guild's mission statement."

Roark snapped a claw, "Yeah, that's it! After breakfast, he'll step you aside and give you a long spiel about your job as guild members and all that jazz."

With the door wide open, Liam could see motions of figures walking past the door and down the hall towards the foyer. Roark had apparently also noticed it as he walked back to the door, resting on the frame, waving a claw at the pair still in the room.

"Well? Come on, there'll be enough time to chit-chat before the address."

With nothing more to say, the two of them followed Roark out of their quarters and into the hall. The short walk down the hall led them into the room from yesterday. The large crowds of Pokémon weren't present, but a dozen or so were centered around the Milotic fountain, all talking amongst themselves. Each wore their own cosmic-theme scarves, albeit more dry than the ones they currently wore.

Once Roark entered the lobby, he sidestepped and bowed, sweeping an arm in front of Liam and Gloria. "May I present... the newcomers!" he spoke dramatically.

Soon the eyes of all the Pokémon, presumably all the guild members, were on the two of them. Some lit up in excitement, some curious, some judging. Though one stare from a Pokémon Liam knew was a Hatterene sent shivers down his spine.

He could recognize a few familiar faces, both Monferno and Braixen, Leafeon, and Rockruff from yesterday, roughhousing with a Mightyena. However, the two stopped once Liam and Gloria's entry was announced. Rockruff came barreling towards the two, almost face planting on the way there.

"Fiiiinally, you two are here! Tell me, what name did you guys choose!?" Rockruff spat out with a giddy smile, his gray tail sweeping the floor behind him. "C'mon, c'mon, tell me!"

"Uh… Team Requiem," Gloria answered for the excited Pokémon.

"Nice! I'm part of Team Nightshade with Mightyena over there!"

The excited dog motioned over to the Pokémon, who appeared at Rockruff's side in a flash. The voice that came out of this Pokemon was almost as bubbly as Rockruff's, albeit more deep.

"Nice to meetcha! I'm the leader of Team Nightshade! The best team aro-" A feminine hissing sound cut him off as a Purrloin sauntered over.

"Mreow~ Please don't introduce yourself as the leader, Mightyena, because the real leader is right here!" She puffed our her chest.

"Hey! We talked about it, remember? I signed us up - that means I'm technically the leader!" Mightyena blustered, puffing his chest out as well.

Purrloin seemed to ignore his rant as she extended a purple paw towards a bewildered Liam and Gloria, fluttering her emerald green eyes. "Team Requiem, was it? Then I'm glad to greet you into the guild. I'm the leader of these two… dogs." The last part earned a 'hey' from the two canine Pokémon.

Liam hesitantly placed his paw over hers, forming a pawshake. "It's, uh… good to meet you as well, Miss Purrloin?"

Purrloin broke free, placing a paw over her mouth as she guffawed. "Mreow~ Purrloin will do, my dear. If you two find anything well… shiny and nice out in the field. Make sure to tell me or Mightyena," she ended with a wink.

Mightyena jumped in, "Yeah! We're excellent at ste- finding all sorts of things!" He nervously laughed towards the end.

Liam nodded in agreement just as a flurry of flapping wings hovered above him. Looking above, it was the Staravia from their rude awakening. Although, something a bit odd was on located its back. He never got a chance to ask about it, as an impossibly fast male voice erupted from the Flying-type.

"S-SORRY! SORRY! It's m-my job to wake up the guild, so please... uh, don't h-hate me?" It appeared Pokémon had a bit of a lisp.

Gloria, a bit dazed from his sporadic speaking, attempted to reassure him. "Don't worry, we don't hate you for doing that... even if it is obnoxious," She grumbled the last part under her breath.

Liam just had to find out. "Is there… something on your back?" He pointed a paw at some kind of yellow fuzz peeking out from Staravia's behind.

The Flying-type tilted his head in confusion, until abruptly turning around and showcasing what was there. It was a Pokémon, a very small yellow spider-like one with beady blue eyes, which blinked at the two bewildered Pokémon.

"This is Joltik! He's my partner! Tog-gether, we're T-Team Static!"

Liam locked eyes with the tiny Pokémon - not even a peep came out of Joltik as they continued to stare each other down.

Staravia noticed, "He's, uh… a bit shy. S-Say something Joltik!"

A barely audible chittering noise came from Joltik's mandibles, which was apparently good enough of a response for Staravia, as he turned back around.

"Well, hope you enjoy your s-stay. I'll see you every morning! B-Bye!" With a quick flap of his wings, the anxious Flying-type was back to his original and frantic position.

'Joy,' Liam thought.

Next up the greeting list seemed to be Leafeon, as well as Braixen and Monferno. Gloria and Leafeon shared a quick friendly embrace as the Grass-type spoke.

"It's great to see you here now, Gloria! As well you too, Liam. I wish Shaymin were here so you could meet her, but maybe another time. You're really going to like it here."

"Yeah, as long as no 'mons get in your way, or act like idiots all the timec" Monferno added, moving towards Liam's side and placing a palm on the his shoulder. "Hey, you still got some water leftover in your brain, Mr. Personality?"

Liam shrugged Monferno's hand off and smirked. "No, but I think yours is leaking out of your ears." Monferno rolled his eyes.

"Mony, please," Braixen chided, stepping forward and offering her paw to Gloria, who accepted. "It is always nice seeing new faces. Officially, me and Monferno are Team Blazingheart. Maybe someday I'll heal you two up, being a nurse in training."

"The name was all her idea, just so you know," Monferno quickly added, earning a chuckle out of Braixen.

A 'clack' from the halls halted any friendly chatter the Pokémon in the room were having. After a stint of silence, in came Scizor, clipboard in his grasp, along with the Guildmaster as well, hardened expression and all. However, there was another Pokémon with the two, one Liam hadn't seen yet in the guild.

A Charizard, a large one from the looks of it. He was shocked it could even fit through the narrow hallways with its wide berth, but it did, waving its flaming orange tail around once it entered the room. Looped around the Charizard's arm was some kind of metal bracelet. The rainbow colored stone he had seen yesterday on the Guildmaster was also implanted into it. Whatever those stones were, clearly they were meant for some kind of elite Pokémon in the guild to wear.

The trio took their positioning in front of all the present guild members, Scizor stepping up to announce something.

"Feel free to conversate for a brief moment. We will give out today's directions in a few minutes." Scizor already had his back turned once those words were said, the noise in the room picking back up.

Liam almost jumped out of his fur as a pair of red claws landed on his shoulder. Turning around to its owner gave him a good eyeful of Roark's toothy grin.

"Well, aren't we lucky! Now would be a good time to give you a quick rundown on who owns what in this guild. You too, Gloria, c'mere." He summoned her with a claw, holding them both by their shoulders.

Once they were huddled up, Roark pointed towards the trio in front of the room, who were seemingly going through their daily plans.

"Team Moonlight - they founded this guild, and have led it since… forever I'm guessing. Now, where to start with them… Well." Roark pointed his claw towards the Charizard. "That big lug? He's essentially the spirit of the guild. Always wants to explore cool dungeons and loves battling. But other than that, not sure what else the guy does."

Roark then pointed at the Lucario in the middle. "Jackson's the leader of Team Moonlight, and the Guildmaster obviously. Since this place has been under his control for what... twenty years? It's safe to say he's a great leader to keep everyone together. Although, he's always giving me the cold shoulder and the occasional glare, so not sure what's his problem."

Finally, his claw ended on Scizor. "If Charizard is the spirit, Jackson the leader, then Scizor is the backbone and the glue that holds this whole house of cards together. Being the right hand 'mon of the Guildmaster, he sorts out all the policies, the financing, the complaining… everything! A good tip is that if he ever pulls you aside, it's most likely a reprimanding, at least in my case."

Roark then unhooked his claws from the both of their shoulders. "Whew… hope that clears everything up. I think the morning address is going to start, just follow my lead."

The trio up front all nodded as Scizor stamped a leg onto the floor, silencing all conversations taking place. Jackson emerged out of the group, taking his position and clearing his throat to speak.

"POSITIONS!"

A row and column was now being formed as the guild members and their respective teams took their positions next to and behind one another. Team Requiem trusted Roark's advice, following him and taking a position to his right. Once everyone had their spot chosen, Jackson spoke again.

"Morning address! One… two… three-"

"STARLIGHT, STAR BRIGHT! WITH ALL YOUR MIGHT, SHINE A LIGHT ON US TONIGHT!"

Liam's brow furrowed in confusion. 'That sounded more like a children's lullaby than a powerful chant.' Whatever it sounded like to him, he made a mental note in his head to repeat that for the morning address next time.

After the chant was over, Scizor stepped forward, taking a spot next to Jackson as he read off the clipboard.

"Team Blazingheart - Job listings. Team Static - Job listings. Team Nightshade - Cleaning duty." An 'awww' sounded out from the row before quickly being muffled. "Team Evergreen - Job listings once Shaymin returns." The Bug-type stopped his reading to sigh heavily. "Team... Handyguys... Roark - assisting Head Nurse Hatterene. Finally, Team Requiem - await further assignment after breakfast." Scizor then looked up from his clipboard. "You are all dismissed, please enjoy your meals."

Team Moonlight, as a trio, then departed from the foyer, heading off into the hallways and leaving the guild members to their own devices. Leafeon stepped out her formation with a wide smile, addressing everyone present.

"Now, who's ready for some grub?"

An assortment of loud agreements met her leafy ears as the guild Pokémon stormed into the halls, eager to finally get their fill of the morning.

Gloria sighed in relief, sliding open the shower glass door and stepping out. She thanked Arceus above that the guild offered some kind of way to cleanse oneself. She knew she seriously needed it after that plunge they took into the fall's water.

Once Liam was finished with his shower, it was her turn. And after they were finished, they were to report to Scizor's quarters. She quickly dryed the best she could of her fur, tossing the white towel into a basket near the doorway. Putting her starry night sky themed scarf back on, she opened the door to greet Liam, his back against the wall, arms crossed and waiting for her.

"You ready?"

She nodded, "Ready."

Past the mess hall was unsurprisingly another hallway. At the end were three doors - ones with the faces of Team Moonlight etched onto the wood. Liam placed a tiny knock on the door with Scizor's face, which was opened by Jackson, who gave them a brief lookover.

"Good, you're here. Come on in, this will be short."

Following the Guildmaster inside, their eyes inspected the room. At a swift glance, it seemed like an ordinary room. One with a bed, bookshelves, carpeting, and posters. However, taking a look at the wall to the left made both of their eyes grow wide.

Stretched across the wall was a massive map of Celestic. Various scraps of paper with different scribbles of information were pinned onto different locations across the continent. Lines of string connected bits of information to each other, ensuring a link was found. To some onlookers, it was either the work of a mad 'mon, or a dedicated researcher.

Jackson stepped past them and towards the map as Scizor continued to tinker with it. "While the information across this map may seem useless now. It is in fact very important and accurately detailed to what this guild's mission is. Scizor has kept this map updated for the past twenty years of this guild's existence."

Liam stepped forward as well as Gloria, taking in everything that was pinned onto the map. Like the Guildmaster said, all the information to Liam seemed arbitrary, or not worth noting.

"What… is the guild's goal?" he asked.

Jackson locked eyes with him. "Scizor is a researcher, a researcher of Mystery Dungeons. All the work the guild does and accomplishes is for this research. Our investigations into the Mystery Dungeon only led us further towards that goal. And to tell you what that goal is… you need to know what a Mystery Dungeon really is."

Liam frowned; while he was frustrated the Guildmaster wouldn't just tell him, it did make him think on what he was told. He thought no Pokémon knew exactly what a Mystery Dungeon was, so how could the guild know? He stopped to glance at Gloria. Even she was confused, despite being the one who told him about Mystery Dungeons in the first place.

Jackson marched past them again, this time towards the door they entered. "Team Requiem, you will accompany me on a mission to a Mystery Dungeon. We will take a carriage there to conserve our energy, as it is a long trip. There you will be given an explanation of the Mystery Dungeon, and this guild's goal. I assume there will be no issues with this?"

Both Liam and Gloria straightened up, giving Jackson a sharp nod. "No, Guildmaster!" they spoke in synchrony.

"Scizor?"

"Yes, Guildmaster?"

"With me."

"Of course."

Scizor stepped past them into the hallway along with Jackson, Liam and Gloria following closely behind. What awaited them outside were two Pokémon, Charizard from before, and a tail wagging Rockruff who leaped in front of Jackson.

"Reporting for duty, Guildmaster!" he shouted with a goofy grin on his muzzle.

"Yo, Jack, I got the kid." a baritone voice grumbled from Charizard.

"Good, take him to an easy dungeon," Jackson ordered. "I will be back later."

Charizard whipped the air with his flaming tail, gesturing for Rockruff to follow him. "Come on, little dude! You're gonna hear about something that'll blow your mind."

"Awesome!" Rockruff exclaimed in awe, excitedly following the fire breathing dragon down the hall.

Jackson turned towards Liam and Gloria, who were watching the two Pokémon depart. "I expect to see you two outside near the crossroads soon - our ride will be there. Take anything you think is necessary for exploration, because this dungeon is uncharted territory."

With a wave of his black and gold paw, Scizor followed him down the hallways, leaving Liam and Gloria standing around - dumbstruck.

"Gloria… do you know what a Mystery Dungeon really is?"

The Vulpix shook her head, "No, all the information I know is, uh… surface level to say the least." she said, a bit embarrassed.

It was making sense to Liam now. 'So, if the average Pokémon doesn't know what a Mystery Dungeon really is… then the guild really should know something after twenty years of searching.'

Now he just wondered what this was all truly for.

With a final wave to Indeedee, Liam and Gloria exited the building. Outside were crowds of Pokémon, most likely ones part of exploration teams waiting for the guild to finally 'open' so they could get their paws on the latest jobs listings. Brushing past these Pokémon, they went up the hill and down it towards the crossroads.

Like the Guildmaster said, a carriage was there. It was just like the ones that Liam saw when he first entered Empyrean - wooden, and pulled by equine-like Pokémon. Jackson, along with Scizor, seemed to be speaking with the two Mudsdale at the front of the carriage. Their conversation would stop once they caught wind of the two Pokémon they were waiting for hiking down the trail.

"We're ready, Guildmaster!" Liam shouted.

Jackson nodded, "Get in, the trip will take a few hours, even through carriage."

The Lucario marched to the carriage's back and climbed in, with Scizor fluttering up as well with his insect-like back wings. Liam hopped in, assisting a shorter Gloria in getting aboard. Once everyone was situated, Jackson gave his command for the Mudsdale to start moving. Liam almost lurched forward, not expecting for them to keep up a pace that fast.

From there on, the ride was mostly dead quiet. Scizor was looking over notes and writing things down. Gloria pulled out a book from her saddlebag to pass the time, and Liam relaxed his arms around the wooden railing, watching the shifting terrain, listening to the bumps from the carriage as it was pulled around.

It wasn't until he caught the piercing red eyes of the Guildmaster fixated on him that he checked back into reality.

"Liam."

"H-Huh?" The Riolu's ears perked up, tearing his gaze from the sea of plains to the Lucario sitting opposite from him.

"I've gone over the information you provided with us yesterday. I have never seen a Riolu from the Shore Region before..."

"Uh... " Liam felt like he was about to break into a nervous sweat, but the look Gloria was sending him was telling him not to do exactly that. "Yeah, my parents moved there not long before I was born."

"Really… then we are the same, I guess." Scizor momentarily glanced Jackson's way in confusion, before averting his gaze. "And are your parents... still around?" the Lucario inquired.

Liam shook his head, "I never really knew them, 'cause not long after I was born, they were gone." It was a half-truth, Liam thought. While his story was a fabrication, he didn't know of his parents regardless.

Jackson scratched his chin. "Ah, then that means you have little experience in using your aura… correct?"

"I, uh… don't really know how to use my aura." It was a bit embarrassing, but he imagined the Guildmaster would understand.

"Exactly, which is why it would be a good idea to teach you about it, seeing as it is a useful tool in a Lucario's arsenal. Being the only other Lucario around for miles, you will be taught by me in the future to utilize your aura efficiently. It would be imperative for you to handle your aura out in the field."

It did make sense. The Guildmaster was the only Lucario around from what he had seen. And him being the evolved version of himself only made it natural that he would know a lot more about using aura than he did.

"I'll be ready for my training anytime, Guildmaster," Liam confirmed.

Jackson seemed content with Liam's reply, as he changed topics. "Good, then we'll move on to the main reason we're on this little trip." He peeked over at Scizor, who handed him a scrap of paper. "To understand the concept of a Mystery Dungeon, you need to know about ley lines."

Liam blinked, "Ley… lines?" The concept was foreign to him, and looking over, the look on Gloria's face told him it was alien to her as well.

This paper was given a brief glance by Jackson before he extended it towards Liam, who grabbed it. Gloria scooted closer towards him to get a better look at what was inscribed.

It was a drawing, a basic and rough one. What was pictured were wide, orange colored lines crisscrossing one another. They formed no shape or design in particular, just bending and looping across one another, forming a maze-like bundle of lines.

"Are these the… ley lines?" Liam questioned.

"Yes," Jackson validated. "What you see pictured there is the physical form of a ley line. The same form which manifests into a Mystery Dungeon."

Liam's eyes grew wide, as well as Gloria's. What the Guildmaster just told them, is that these ley lines somehow create a Mystery Dungeon on their own.

"But… how?"

Jackson took back the drawing from Liam, handing it back over to Scizor, who now finally spoke.

"There is no means as to a 'how' ley lines functionally operate. What is known, is that they exist, and the form they take creates what is known as a Mystery Dungeon."

"Form?" Gloria interjected. "What do you mean by that?"

"The ley lines twist and curve in different directions. A Mystery Dungeon is only formed once these ley lines cross or splinter into formation, which creates the layout of the Mystery Dungeon based on that form. Those maze-like rooms you see appear in every dungeon? That is the layout the ley lines form when they move, and they are constantly changing their form, twisting the lines into a new layout. The power these lines utilize is unmatched, stronger and more bizarre than anything a Pokémon could create," Scizor concluded his long speech.

Jackson then jumped back in, "And these ley lines, they cannot be destroyed, moved, or erased… at least from the knowledge we have collected. There is only one instance where ley lines could directly be manipulated, and that is through use of Entercards." The Lucario casted a glance at his Bug-type ally. "The way Mystery Dungeons operate, some kind of separate reality, where the boundaries of our own reality do not affect it. The layout of the dungeons only change once a Pokémon leaves, and a new one enters. Scizor believes in a theory that the ley lines have this power because they transcend both space and time, allowing such oddities to happen in the first place."

'Space and time?' Liam had heard of Legendaries that could bend them to their will, but Mystery Dungeons doing just that never crossed his mind.

The Lucario stopped to gaze out of the carriage, across the rolling green hills, fields, and flowing rivers. "Why? How? It isn't known. But it is the truth of this world that we live in. All across the world - Celestic, and the other continents, exist these... ley lines. They exist, and have perhaps existed since the creation of this world."

"But I don't understand," Gloria said. "If all this information about ley lines was known, then how come no Pokémon outside of the guild know about their existence?"

She posed a good question to Liam. If the Pokémon of this world were so acquainted with Mystery Dungeons, then how come the average Pokémon would know nothing about them?

Jackson leaned back against the railing, racking his thoughts on how to approach. "Do you two believe... in an absolute truth?"

Two slow nods came as they processed where Jackson was going with this. He continued. "Ley lines are the absolute truth of this world, and should be known to its inhabitants. However, this sentiment is not shared among certain... groups." He then locked eyes with the both of them. "What I'm saying is - plain ignorance of the Mystery Dungeons is not the main reason why information is scarce. Forces, ones beyond even the guild, seek to stifle any recent unearthings of the Mystery Dungeons, lest they cause massive unrest, or any other reason. The identity of these groups are just as mysterious as the dungeons themselves."

Jackson waved a paw, "But this is all hearsay and speculation. Fear mongering about shadowy organizations would get us nowhere. The guild is not scared of such threats or setbacks, as we have continued moving towards our goal for many, many years."

While he did say it was all speculation, the thought of groups of Pokémon stopping any new information of the Mystery Dungeons getting out to the public was intriguing, but also very worrying. Both Liam and Gloria didn't want to imagine what happened to Pokémon who 'leaked' some sort of truth.

Jackson's words ushered a wave of silence throughout the carriage, until he sighed, speaking again.

"Right now, we're heading off to a farm. Two days ago, a report was issued that a Mystery Dungeon had popped up seemingly out of nowhere in the farmer's wheat fields. He said a dark shadow had suddenly materialized over his field. Luckily, there were no Pokémon present around it when it appeared." He frowned. "Naturally, through history of a Mystery Dungeon appearing, a neighboring town, city, or village guard would first explore the dungeon to test how dangerous it is. In special cases, even the guards of the Council would come out to inspect for potential danger. But this time, I personally volunteered to explore the dungeon myself."

Liam remembered Gloria talking about something like that happening. Back when they explored the Sunshine Grove, she told him that the grove was once a sprawling garden ages and ages ago, but then turned into a Mystery Dungeon. The both of them never understood why it happened then, but now, a thought crossed through Liam's mind.

"Both of you said that the ley lines form the Mystery Dungeons, right? So does that mean they can expand, and form new dungeons?"

His question earned him a simple nod from Jackson as the Lucario broke his stare down with them, peering at the blue heavens above.

"You two are here with me not just to find out our mission statement, but to understand the threat that the Mystery Dungeons oppose to this world.

The Mudsdale pulling the cart braced themselves as they slid to a stop. This only meant one thing, they were at their destination. A large red stained wooden farmhouse rested atop a hill, with a wide fenced off area where wheat and other crops were held, swaying in the gentle wind.

Everyone aboard the carriage clambered out as a figure appeared from the red farmhouse, walking down the hill. It was a Diggersby from the looks of it. Once it hopped down towards them, it gave them a quick scan over.

"Oh, so yer the guild members who came for the dungeon, right?" he spoke with a heavy country accent - similar to Buneary's, but much more noticeable.

Jackson apparently could understand. "You are correct, and I am glad you went to our guild instead of the Council. Take me to the site, then we will go over if it is safe for you and your family to stay here."

The Diggersby grumbled, "Mmm, sounds good enough to me. Had to keep my sons' from entering it before you arrived. I'll take ya to it."

Up the hill they went, past the large farmhouse and towards the fenced off area. Opening a gate, they wandered into the fields of wheat, careful not to step on any growing crops. After opening yet another gate, they were in a larger section of the farm right behind the red building. Although, instead of acres of rich farmland, only the visage of a shadow engulfing a huge area of the farm was witnessed. No light seemed to get past the impenetrable barrier of its inky blackness. Liam instantly recognized this as a trademark of a Mystery Dungeon.

Jackson nodded at the large bunny, "Thank you for guiding us here. We will take over matters now."

"It was no issue of mine. Y'all be safe now!" Diggersby said, happily hopping away.

"Now." Jackson took a step closer towards the dark shadow. "Look at it, this void of nothingness. There is no farmland here anymore; no crops, no realm to call ours anymore. It has been taken over by the ley lines." His gaze then shifted downward as he pointed a paw towards the ground. "Underneath all of this dirt, rock, and clay… there lies the ley lines, deep below the surface. They're active and alive, inching their way in the earth, moving in their own chaotic way to create... a literal lingering shadow over our domain - it's entropic."

"I…" Liam was halted from speaking by Jackson's paw.

"We're entering - follow me in once you're ready. Scizor."

With the Bug-type was by his side, they both stepped into the shadow, disappearing into it. Liam and Gloria exchanged looks of apprehension, before deciding on entering into the shadow as well. Liam couldn't help but feel a lump form in his chest after hearing the Guildmaster's words.

?

BF 1

The darkness that swirled within their vision faded as the terrain around them expanded, a field of freshly grown light yellow wheat greeting them. Wooden fence-like perimeter walls erupted out of the ground, forming a barrier around them as well as the dungeon's corridors.

Instead of cavern walls or forest canopies, a warm multicolored sky with hues of orange, yellows, and magenta could be witnessed. Wispy, dark grey clouds of a coming night stood motionless in the sky. Beyond the horizon was the vision of a faux setting sun with glimpses of distant stars, casting an orange glow across the dungeon.

Jackson walked over towards one of the fence-like walls and placed both his arms on top of it, admiring the fake scenery.

"Completely artificial. We're in a separate reality from our own, but the Mystery Dungeon attempts to hide itself as an imitation of ours." He ran his paw across the imitation wood. " Everything here is created by these ley lines, but it isn't real. This feels like a real fence, but it isn't. The sun is as impactful as it should be, but it's not really there."

The Lucario whirled around with an uncharacteristic smile, the orange ring around his paw flickering. "Amazing, right? The natural chaos of this all. Like a painter tries to depict the real world, the same applies to the Mystery Dungeons." He tore his gaze from the group, observing the strange 'room'.

"Let's find the stairs, it would be wise to know what kind of enemies lie ahead."

?

BF 4

From beyond the barriers of the wooden fence, and even the cover of the yellow wheat, came the figures of the Mystery Dungeon's Pokémon. Without any warning, they sprung into action against the invaders.

Liam held his ground as a Patrat entered his view, jerking his body accordingly to the timing of its ferocious Fury Swipes. When the time was ripe, he splayed a paw as it glowed with a purple energy. He smacked the Patrat away with his Force Palm, another taking its place, to which he did the same song and dance, again and again.

Gloria was satisfied with keeping the floating Cutiefly's at bay with her Ice Shard. The tiny shards of crystallized ice smashing into the Bug-types as they fell to the ground, one by one. Any that got close to her got a taste of her Frost Breath, freezing the majority of them solid.

Scizor didn't seem to break a sweat as he rapidly sucker punched any Pokémon in his path with his blinding Bullet Punch.

The hulking frame of an Ursaring would step into Jackson's view as the Lucario narrowed his eyes, hunching over slightly and holding his paws together to form a sphere of brilliant blue energy.

"Obtrusions," he hissed, the blue sphere expanding and expanding, until he knew the time was right, launching it from his hold and straight into the chest of the Ursaring. The force of the impact blew it straight into the wooden fence-like walls as it exploded into orange light.

Liam, who finished off the Patrats', gaped at the Guildmaster's strength. 'If I could ever evolve into a Lucario, would I attain his level of strength?' It was a tantalizing thought.

Jackson studied the room, noting the absence of any other enemies. "And just like the dungeon layouts imitate nature, the spawn from it also seems to imitate life." He turned his back on everyone. "But calling them Pokémon would be an insult to us. These creatures don't think, don't eat, don't sleep, don't dream like us. All they know how to do is to attack whoever is in their path - us, real Pokémon. They're all but obstacles in our path." The Lucario dusted himself off.

"Take a breather, then we'll find the stairs."

?

BF 7

"Gloria! Use the orb - now!" Liam shouted, kicking a Skwovet off of him before it could dig its teeth into him.

The room they happened to be in was a Monster House - unlucky of them, but they had experienced this yesterday at the falls, so this wasn't going to catch them off guard, especially with two veterans on their team.

Gloria skidded to a halt and tore open one of the pouches on her cream saddlebag, retrieving a Knockback Orb and promptly smashing it to bits on the floor. A wave of pink energy blew back all the enemy Pokémon crowding around the four of them and smashing into the fence-like walls. A furious flurry of Aura Spheres were hurled from the paws of Jackson, flying into many of the incapacitated Pokémon. Scizor slashed each Pokémon not hit from the spheres with an X-Scissor. It wasn't long until the room was clear of any enemy Pokémon.

Jackson gave Liam and Gloria a thankful nod as he strode forward towards a corridor. "Good teamwork - it is invaluable when faced in situations like-" he stopped in his tracks as a 'click' was heard underneath him.

"Guildmaster, trap!" Scizor yelled.

The floor beneath Jackson shifted from its original grassy terrain and slid open to reveal a metal-like plate, a symbol of an explosion onto it. He squinted his eyes and concentrated on using a move, Extreme Speed in particular. In almost a blink of an eye, the image of him disappeared in his location and reappeared next to Liam. It was perfect timing, as a series of fiery explosions detonated where Jackson was once located. The blasts were so powerful that it had actually warped the terrain of the floor, with bits of wood and scorched wheat that littered the room in the aftermath.

Luckily, neither of them were in the trap's radius.

Gloria voiced her natural worry, "Are you okay, Guildmaster?" She was about to grab an Oran Berry, but Jackson impeded her with a paw.

"Thank you for your concerns, Gloria, but take my experience as a cautionary tale. These dungeons, no matter how beautiful, or fantastical they are… will kill you without hesitation." The orange ring around his paw flickered again; he looked at the corridor he was heading to before, and walked again towards it again, offering them one last remark.

"I believe we are nearing the end of this dungeon. We've got much to discuss once we're out."

The staircase they took shrouded them in a perpetual darkness, until they were back in the real world for once, the blue open sky and the fields of swaying wheat awaiting them. A swivel of their heads showed them that they appeared around the opposite end of the shadow in which they entered.

"And now, we're back to where we were originally." Jackson began. "As the case for any other random dungeon, this leads us nowhere but beyond or back. All the potential this land could have offered - all the food it could provide is now void, now reduced to this enigma. It's eating us, this world, alive."

Liam blinked, "Guildmaster… what do you mean when you say that?"

"Guildmaster, I would advise telling them now," Scizor added.

Jackson looked up into the sky, as if pondering on where to begin. "Years and years ago, before even the Cosmic Quilt Guild was founded, there used to be a village in the Shore Continent called Areos. This village is where Charizard, Scizor and-" he stopped to turn around and look at Scizor, "... I came from. One day... everything was calm, fine, and ordinary... then it happened. A shadow enveloped the village - the ley lines had curled under it. The entire village was wiped out."

"What… do you mean by 'wiped' out?" Liam asked, feeling a lump forming in his throat.

"The buildings, the shops, the landscape, the Pokémon... vanished, gone, erased, dead. All of it was wiped out as the Mystery Dungeon formed. Anything, anyone, can be completely rewritten by the ley lines once they form underneath." The Lucario gave a tired sigh. "Today, that village, that… dungeon... is now known as Fabled Shores."

"But…" Gloria sputtered. "How... how come there was no panic over this! An entire village of Pokémon was killed!"

Jackson inhaled slowly, "The spread of the Mystery Dungeons is slow - slow enough to where typical Pokémon do not notice it. There is no warning, no signs of it starting to happen. Today, the Pokémon of the world simply accept the presence of the dungeons, not knowing of the slow poison that is killing this world."

There was no response.

The Lucario tightened a paw, "Which brings me to the reason why we're here in particular. This farm here provides sustenance for a populace, but the Mystery Dungeon here has taken that way, and cast it into the abyss of shadow. While today, this can be easily replaced, in the future, perhaps it can't be so easily done. They won't know until it is too late. The Pokémon of the future will only squabble over the remaining scraps of civilization untouched by the ley lines. And after that, there will be no world left for us anymore - we will be consumed by the ley lines."

Whether or not it was intentional or not, his words ushered a wave of silence through everyone. Liam's mind raced as he attempted to think of something, just anything he could say to counter the Guildmaster's words.

"But… there's still hope, right? You said we don't know everything about the ley lines. And that there are ways to manipulate them? So that means Pokémon could potentially manipulate ley lines to work in our favor, right? " Liam hoped any of what he said made sense, and didn't come off as hopelessly naïve.

Jackson simply stared at the Riolu, his orange ring flashing. "... Liam, who are you?"

"... What?"

"What kind of Pokémon are you?… Why did you join this guild?"

Liam opened his mouth, trying to find the words to actually speak. He mustered any courage within him as he straightened himself. "Well, I joined this guild because... because I wanted to explore Celestic, this world. I want to go where no other Pokémon has gone before!"

"And what do you make of the Mystery Dungeons? When you think of this world, do you wish for one without such a thing existing?"

Liam nodded sharply, "Guildmaster, I have seen just the plains, forests, and cliffs of Celestic, but I would protect it all against the Mystery Dungeons if given the opportunity "

Jackson's stare bored into Liam, a scowl forming on the Lucario's face. Those were his exact same words before. His orange band flickered again as he shook his head, offering Liam a nod of acknowledgement. He focused his attention Gloria, who was ready to give her own little speech.

"And Gloria, why did you join this guild?"

She stared up at him with her own determined look. "Because this is my dream, and I've made so many promises I've yet to fulfill. I want to help the Pokémon of Celestic, and the world. Being a member of the guild to me is all about helping Pokémon who need it."

Jackson turned around, content with their answers. "Liam, you are correct about the manipulation of ley lines playing a factor. The use of Entercards by many explorers over the years proves this. Riding the connected ley lines to different dungeons... or instantaneous travel. This truth led to Scizor crafting another theory. If the ley lines are all connected to one another, then that means all those paths must cross at a single coordinate. That coordinate... would be the source of all ley lines if true. And since manipulation of them is possible, that means there could be a chance."

Liam's brow furrowed, "A chance... a chance at what exactly?" An idea was forming in the Riolu's brain.

The Lucario lowly chuckled, "You two... if your resolve is truly what you say it is, we can finally move on to this guild's mission statement. The whole reason we've been scouring this continent for decades for information, inviting in members, hiring teams, spanning expeditions into the unknown. All of that for one singular mission." The orange ring on his paw flashed yet again.

"My goal, Scizor's goal, our goal… is the total eradication of the Mystery Dungeon on this world."

"Welcome back!" Indeedee cheerfully exclaimed, waving the newly arrived Pokémon down with her paw.

Liam and Gloria gave her a brief wave back as they entered the foyer of the building. It seemed the guild was now open, seeing as there were crowds of Pokémon exploration teams around the public job bulletin board.

As soon as he was inside, Jackson spoke. "Scizor. Take charge of the guild. I will be absent for the rest of today." He immediately focused his attention on Liam and Gloria. "Team Requiem, you did good work today. But we're going to need this guild spotless, so you will join Team Nightshade in cleaning duty until dinnertime. Tomorrow, you will begin your official rotation, starting with job listings."

"Wait, wha-" Liam tried to speak, but the Lucario had already made his exit towards the hallway. "Cleaning duty? Seriously?!"

Gloria giggled tiredly, "It's okay, Liam, I'm sure they've already made good progress with it."

Scizor then spoke up, "If you need cleaning supplies, they're inside of the closet in the mess hell. Team Nightshade should be working on the floors of the hallway past the mess hall."

"Alright..." Liam grumbled. "I'll get the supplies, Gloria."

Brushing past the crowds of Pokémon teams, Liam entered the hallway and out into the mess hall. Sure enough, there was a doorway to a closet. Opening it gave him a wide selection of rags, brooms, mops. He decided on just taking a small selection of cleaning supplies as he picked through it all. What he didn't count on was a knock on the open wooden door almost making him jump out of his fur.

"I see you're back." The voice of Roark was instantly recognizable.

"Roark. Yeah, we're back now," Liam stated, still a bit apprehensive.

Roark then scratched the side of his neck with a claw. "I, uh, don't mean to be a big ole sap, but... I wanted to quickly thank you before you get back to working again."

Liam was shocked; rarely had he'd seen Roark actually be embarrassed before. "Thank me? For what?"

"For being there for her."

Liam's ears perked up. "...Gloria?"

Roark nodded, smirking. "I know taking part in my little plan to get her into the guild may have seemed like your only choice, but you could've left anytime you wanted, and you didn't. From what I heard happened at the theater, you two make a damn good pair."

Gloria had mentioned this to him earlier in the morning, which was true, he didn't need to follow exactly what Roark wanted of them. But he already settled that in his mind not long ago.

Liam smiled, "You don't need to thank me, Roark. It's what friends do, right?"

The Zoroark chuckled, "That's the spirit!" His expression changed. "But seriously, there's going to be a time where I… won't ever be around for her. And you're the closest Pokémon she's got, other than Leafeon."

Liam's features softened, "What are you saying, Roark? Are you okay?"

Roark placed a claw on his hip. "I'm not going to keel over and die like an old 'mon, but all I'm saying is don't ever stop being there for her, you knucklehead. Those are words from her big brother himself." He punctuated this by jabbing himself in the chest. "She's, like the sweetest little girl I've ever met - a little feistiness in her, yeah, but once she latches on to you. she won't want you to let go, and that's what she still needs to learn." Roark then entwined his claws together.

"So! Can you make a promise?"

It clicked within Liam as he gave a firm nod. "Of course. I promise, I won't stray away from her. Now, is, uh, that all you needed?"

"Not exaaactly," the Zoroark said as he knelt down, pulling something from behind the door. He held the handle with a red claw as he extended it towards Liam. "Here's the bucket you'll need. Have lots of fun!"

Liam sighed, grabbing the plastic bucket. "Thank you, Roark."

The Zoroark waved a claw at the Riolu, before exiting the closet. "Any time! See you tomorrow, fresh meat!"

After Roark was gone, Liam went back to rummaging through the cleaning supplies. But with the door still wide open, he could hear the frustrations that the strange members of Team Nightshade were experiencing in the hallway quite clearly.

'Rockruff! You missed a spot!'

'Sorry! I'll get right on it!'

'Mreow~ Not that one dear, this one over her-'

SPLASH.

'Dangit, Rockruff! You spilled the soap... again!'

'S-sorry! I tripped! The floor is wet, y'know!'

Liam couldn't help but laugh on the inside as he heard the three bicker amongst each other. This was okay to him - the simple life within the guild, even if it wasn't action packed exploration that he seemed to crave all the time. He thought back to when the Guildmaster told them of the guild's mission.

He wondered when, if ever, would their efforts become fruitful. But he knew that he, along with Gloria, were here for the wild ride ahead, and neither of them planned on stopping anytime soon.

Something stirs beneath the ground... the truth of this world!

If you would like to check for news about the latest chapter progress, discuss the story as it goes on, give criticism on anything, point out mistakes, give your appreciation, ask questions, or simply chat about the story, then my DM's are open and I will respond to all meaningful messages. You can also add me on Discord and talk/send me things if you prefer that, for the same reasons. Discord = Z2H#7239

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Next Time: Razor Claw