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Chapter Text

The trip through the time portal is...bumpy, to say the least, but Grovyle can't complain about Celebi's work. Certainly not when time is of the essence to fix the future. The human he's been working with zips along beside him, eyes nervous but no less determined to complete the mission to get the Time Gears.

Really, Grovyle couldn't have asked for better allies in Celebi and this human kid. Humans are usually so frail, in Grovyle's experience, but this one has been an invaluable ally in getting this far at all.

"... We'll be in the past soon." His partner startles, looking over at Grovyle with that expression that he knows to mean that they can't understand his words but can guess all the same.

"...I wish Celebi could come with us, she made communicating easier."

Grovyle can only nod, aware that they'll be at a disadvantage when one half of their little team is a human who can't understand Pokémon.

Just then the kid glances back, eyes widening in alarm, and suddenly throws themself in front of Grovyle. Grovyle barely has time to react, to respond to his partner's frantic warning cry, before a sudden blast of dark energy envelops their form.

"Hold on!" He reaches for their shirt as they're knocked towards the edge of the time stream, clawed fingers meeting in the fabric as he fights to keep them within. The kid screams in shock and pain, struggling to grab onto Grovyle even as they glance back with that serious look that says they're ready to fight. For a moment it looks like they might be able to hold on, even as the ride gets bumpier, but then a sudden jolt knocks their grips loose, the kid careening towards the edge of the time stream with a helpless cry.

"No-" Grovyle lunges, but the human has already been knocked out of the stream, vanishing into the who-knows-what that exists out there. He's about to go after them, steeling himself to throw himself out of the stream of time and go after this one human-

-but then everything goes dark, the effects of the rapidly destabilizing time stream overwhelming him altogether.

An unknown amount of time passes before Grovyle wakes up again, faceplanted in the dirt somewhere. Slowly lifting his head, he sees trees, living trees and actual colours. There's the sounds of Pokémon around him, not the wary sounds he associates with the Pokémon of his own time, but normal healthy sounds of foraging creatures. It's the exact opposite of his own time, with its static weather and cold grey landscapes.

"We made it! Look-" It's a moment before Grovyle's memory catches up with him, how the human he'd been working with was blasted out of the time stream by some unseen force. He shoots to his feet, glancing around in the wild hope that they might be somewhere nearby, that they might not be too far off, but there's no sign the kid ever made it.

"Damn it! Where are you!" A swarm of Combee shoots out of some nearby bushes in time with Grovyle's cry, but he doesn't care. He can't be alone in this, not after he managed to carve out partnerships with Celebi and that strange human-

A wordless scream rips out of him as his fist meets a tree, and Grovyle has to shove down the hope that the human might somehow be alive. No, he's all too familiar with how frail humans are, how much damage that blast had to have done, how much damage getting knocked out of Celebi's time stream alone had to have done. There's no way the kid could have survived all that. And they are just a kid, at only sixteen. By all rights, they should have had their whole life ahead of them to do what they wanted, not throwing themself into danger to undo the planet's paralysis.

But above all else, there's no way they would want him to give up now. The kid had known what they were getting into, same as Grovyle and Celebi had.

"...I'm sorry. I'll tell you about this later, I promise." Grovyle shoves any remaining hope aside, packs it away as best he can, focusing on what has to be done here instead of the useless idea that his partner might miraculously be alive somewhere out there. There's no time for that anyway, not when Dusknoir has to be not far behind him.

Get the Time Gears, fix the future. It's all he can do now.

"...Where am I?"

The human wakes with a soft groan, too weak to even open their eyes and see where they are. They try to think of what they were doing before this, but all they can come up with is a hazy mess, nothing that might be useful in figuring out what happened.

They try again at opening their eyes, but already they're exhausted, sleep encroaching on them all too quickly. They try to fight it, try to just sit up, but their hands are clumsy and weird, fumbling uselessly in what they think might be sand, and the urge to just sleep is too strong to resist.

The last thing they notice before passing out altogether is a faint voice, coming from somewhere nearby, but they can't place it or put together what it's saying before they finally slip back into sleep.

Chapter Text

"Hey, wake up!"

The boy stirs, feeling something shoving insistently at his shoulder. For a moment he considers just continuing to lay there in the sand, not quite fully awake yet, but then the something pushes at his shoulder again, accompanied by a worried voice.

"Are you okay? Wake up!"

Slowly, he opens his eyes to see a beach, the late afternoon's light glinting off the waves nearby, and a Shinx wearing an odd rock as a pendant standing over him. He's about to look around for whoever was calling out, still hazy from however he ended up here, when the Shinx decides to answer that question for him by talking to him.

"Oh, good! You're awake! I thought I was going to have to get someone out here to help you since you weren't moving!"

The boy blinks, shakes his head, and awkwardly sits up (a little too awkwardly, he thinks, why is just sitting up so awkward?), not sure if maybe he's still asleep and dreaming about talking Pokémon, before blurting out the first thing that comes to his still slightly dazed mind.

"...You're talking to me."

"What?"

"You - you're a Pokémon, they don't talk."

The Shinx frowns and steps back slightly, looking even more concerned than before.

"I...everyone talks. You're talking. Are you okay?"

"I'm a human! I shouldn't understand you-" His response is cut off when he happens to glance down and see white furred paws where his hands should be. Staggering upright, his breath coming in a sharp gasp, he paces in a little circle, catching sight of more white fur, a poof of a tail that trails off into a ghostly wisp, and, hanging at his chest level, a strange five pronged pendant.

"I'm a Pokémon?!" His panic rising, he staggers back, suddenly too aware of how his ears pin back in fear, how his fur bristles in reaction to his confusion, how he can't recall anything that would explain this. He's so lost in the rush of confusion-fear-new sensations that he doesn't notice the (now wide eyed) Shinx trying to get his attention until he practically yells, a loud "Hey!" snapping the boy back into focus.

Seeing that he's not panicking anymore, the Shinx visibly sighs in relief, eyeing him warily as he speaks again.

"Okay, uh...what's your name? You have one, right?"

Biting back another wave of panic (it's not helpful right now, he can't panic again), the boy tries to focus on the Shinx's question. As hard as it is to recall anything right now, he can remember a single word that he thinks is his name.

"It's...it's Bakura. Who are you?"

The Shinx nods slowly, a bit of the wariness in his eyes fading as Bakura starts to calm down.

"My name's Yugi. Do you know how you got here, Bakura?"

"I..." Bakura glances down, his gaze catching that golden pendant hanging around his neck as he tries again at recalling anything about what happened before this. To his horror, he quickly finds he can't recall anything beyond his own name and his certainty of being a human, everything else seemingly gone.

"...I don't know. I just know that I'm supposed to be a human, not a Zorua."

Tears start to prick at Bakura's eyes, the full weight of his situation hitting him all at once. What is he supposed to do now, with no idea where he is or why he's a Pokémon? How is he going to figure any of this out with no memories to go off of? Is anyone even looking for him?

"Hey, we can figure this out-" Yugi's attempt at comforting Bakura is cut off with a yelp as something round and purple barrels into him from out of nowhere. Bakura jumps in shock, but before he can do anything to help something slams into him from behind, leathery wings slapping at him as it yanks the string holding his pendant around his neck.

"Hey, let go!" Bakura thrashes wildly as he tries to break the assailant's grip, but the pendant is lifted up and over his head despite his efforts to fight back. He whips around to face his attacker, head tuft and tail alike flaring up in time with his shock, but the Zubat is already flying off down the beach with the pendant's string held in its mouth. Not far behind the Zubat is a Koffing, carrying-

"My Fragment! Give it back!" Yugi charges past Bakura with a panicked cry, running after the Zubat and Koffing duo as fast as his short legs can take him. Bakura rushes after Yugi, stumbling a bit as he tries to get used to running on all fours while simultaneously trying to not fall behind. However, the Zubat and Koffing are able to keep their lead, and quickly vanish into a cave at the end of the beach. Bakura is about to rush after, his mind only on getting his pendant back, only for Yugi to hurriedly call out to him.

"Bakura, stop! That's a Mystery Dungeon!"

Yugi's warning sends Bakura staggering to a halt just before the entrance, staring between him and the cave in confusion. It looks like a normal cave to his eyes, but he can see Yugi looking at it warily, ears flat as he stares into the darkness within.

"...What's a Mystery Dungeon?"

"They're dangerous places. They're natural mazes, they're full of traps, and the paths are different every time you go in. The Pokémon who live in them are feral and attack outsiders on sight, and criminals like to hide in them." Yugi's tail thrashes as he explains, betraying his wariness of the cave and its contents. Beside him, Bakura stares in shock, imagining his pendant, his only possible link to who he was before he woke up here, vanishing into the depths of the cave never to be seen again.

"So that's it? We can't go in there?" 

"No. I...I need my Fragment back. I have to go in there to get it back." Yugi is quiet, ears pressed flat in determination and fear as he slowly steps forward. To his surprise, Bakura finds himself stepping forward too, his own confusion overcome by the need to get his own pendant back and help Yugi.

"...I'll come as well. They took my pendant too, and I can't lose it now."

Yugi turns and stares, his round golden eyes wide in surprise, before he nods and returns his focus to the cave.

"Alright. Let's go in together." With that, Yugi steps forward into the mouth of the cave, Bakura following close behind.

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The cave mouth opens into a large, dim room, with two paths leading elsewhere on opposite ends of the cavern. The sound of moving water echoes from somewhere deeper within, though Bakura can't place how far off it is because of those same echoes. Close by, Yugi stares around the room they entered into, apparently trying to decide which of the two paths to take, before picking the one to the right.

"...This way." The pair cross the room and approach the chosen path, the sandy ground cushioning their pawsteps as they try to keep quiet and avoid attracting attention. Bakura finds himself staring around, peering down the narrow path for any sign of the feral Pokémon Yugi mentioned.

"...You know a lot about Mystery Dungeons, huh?" Bakura's question comes out as a whisper, his ears pricked for any sign of danger as he trails Yugi down the path.

"...My grandpa was a Dungeon Explorer. He told me a lot about them." Yugi also whispers, the faint light reflecting off his eyes as he glances back at Bakura. "I also heard a bit from Ju- look out!"

Yugi's warning sends Bakura whipping around just in time to catch a clod of mud to his face, the shock of it sending him stumbling back in shock.

"Ugh- I can't see!" Bakura lifts a paw to try and wipe the mud from his eyes, frantically trying to see what attacked him as Yugi pushes up behind him.

"I can't get close enough to hit it, Bakura! You'll have to fight back!"

"I have to fight it-ow!" Another clod of mud hits Bakura in the face, undoing all his efforts at trying to clear his vision.

"It's feral, there's no choice in here!" Yugi's panic mixes with Bakura's own, and he frantically swats at the air in front of him hoping to hit whatever's attacking him. However, his paw meets nothing but air, and Bakura hears something squishing back before another clump of mud lands at his paws.

"Uh, new plan - follow me!" Yugi tears off down the corridor as he calls out, forcing Bakura to stumble blindly after him. The attacker follows, squishing along after Bakura and occasionally launching another mud clump at him as he bounces off the walls in his efforts to keep up with Yugi.

However, the mud and squishing noises soon fade into the distance as Yugi and Bakura keep running, and the two are left in silence broken only by their panting for air as they stumble into another room.

"I...I think we lost it. Come on, there's a staircase here-"

Bakura jumps as Yugi nudges him along, blinking mud out of his eyes just in time to glimpse a staircase cut into the floor. He'd ask about it, but then he's being nudged down the steps, it's briefly dark, and then-

-He's in another room, the sound of moving water slightly louder as if he's closer to the source.

"What was that?"

Yugi stumbles up behind Bakura, apparently also taken off guard by the transition as he looks around the new room.

"That was a staircase. They take you to the next floor of a Dungeon, but you never know what room they'll drop you off in. This one's supposed to have four floors before we get to the end."

"And if we need to go back-" Bakura glances around, looking for a staircase up, only to realize with a shock that there is no visible staircase here.

"There's no way back up!"

"No, they're one way only. We have to keep going if we want out." Yugi looks at Bakura, concerned, before slowly speaking again. "...You don't know how to fight, do you?"

"No, I told you I'm a human. I don't even know what moves I should have." Bakura makes another attempt at wiping the mud off his face before wandering off to a nearby pool of water in hopes of cleaning up a bit there. Yugi follows him, keeping an eye out for any ferals as Bakura splashes the salty water in his face.

"It should be instinctual, but if you're supposed to be a human, then maybe that doesn't apply."

But Bakura isn't listening, his gaze frozen on the water in front of him as it settles down and reveals what he looks like. White fur with none of the usual grey and red markings he thinks a ghostly Zorua should have, reddish eyes, several pale wisps that trail off of his head and tail. He knew this is what he's been turned into, but to get such a clear view...

Yugi looks too, sympathy in his gaze as he takes in Bakura's forlorn expression.

"We'll figure this out once we get our pendants back, okay? You're not alone."

Bakura nods, looking a moment longer before turning away from the pool and towards the only path out of the room.

"...Alright. Let's go, then."

The two set off, Yugi taking the lead again as they navigate their way through the natural maze that is the cave. A few more feral Pokémon appear, but thankfully don't cause as much trouble as the initial one did as Yugi and Bakura manage to coordinate better and, in Bakura's case, starts to figure out what moves he has. It isn't long before the duo reach the fourth floor, and it's even less time before Yugi lets out a relieved sigh on peeking into yet another damp room.

"I think this should be the last staircase before we get to the bottom- oh no..."

"What's the problem?" Bakura leans around Yugi to peek into the room in front of them, spotting not only the stairs down but also a Mareanie sitting beside the stairs.

"...Is it watching us?" Bakura stares at the Mareanie as he asks, trying to see through its spiked tentacles to tell where it's looking.

"I don't know-" Yugi suddenly shoves Bakura aside as a purple dart whizzes past the pair, embedding itself in the wall nearby with a soft thunk. "-Okay, it's definitely looking at us!" 

Glancing at each other, Yugi and Bakura fan out into the room, hoping to divide the Mareanie's attention between them. The Mareanie spins around to watch both of them, growling softly, then launches another Poison Sting attack at Yugi. He tries to dodge,  gasping in alarm, but the dart catches him in the side anyways.

"Hey!" Bakura acts on instinct as he watches Yugi yelp in pain, squaring himself up as he calls out to the Mareanie. "Don't you know any other moves besides Poison Sting?"

The Mareanie snarls and charges Bakura before he can react, nailing him with its spiked tentacles. He cries out, scratching at it with his claws as it continues to attack him viciously.

"Throw it off, Bakura! Hurry!"

Bakura glances in Yugi's direction, and on seeing his blue fur sparking with electricity, he hurriedly shoves at the Mareanie and backs away. A second later a jolt of electricity envelops the Mareanie, and it freezes in place momentarily, its blue and purple form lighting up with sparks before collapsing as the Thunder Shock fades away. Bakura stares for a second or two, the wisps trailing off his body still flickering wildly from the adrenaline of the fight, before running over to Yugi.

"Great timing with that Thunder Shock! I don't know if I could have fought it off otherwise!"

"You had great timing with that Torment too...ugh..." Yugi stumbles, his tail hanging low as he tries to stay upright.

"Yugi! Are you okay?" Bakura rushes to support Yugi, eyes wide with concern as he takes in his condition.

"It's that Poison Sting...get down the stairs..."

"What?!" Bakura's ears flatten as he processes what he's hearing. "Aren't those two down there if they're still here?"

"...Going to the next floor should stop the poison. I don't know why...but that's how it works..."

Bakura thinks for a moment, sucking air in through his teeth, then nods, nudging Yugi towards the stairs. He watches as Yugi stumbles down them, head low and ears flat, then proceeds down himself. There's that brief moment of darkness, then-

-Sunlight, coming in through a large gap in the wall that opens onto the ocean. Yugi is nearby, shaking himself off as if the poison is already fading, and just in front of the exit are the Zubat and Koffing duo, still carrying the stolen pendants and looking at Yugi and Bakura as if they hadn't expected to actually be followed.

"Hey, look at that! It's the Torchic duo! You actually came after us!" The Koffing is first to recover from the surprise, dropping the Relic Fragment's rope from his mouth in order to talk. The Zubat is quick to follow suit, spitting the rope holding Bakura's pendant out and letting it hit the sand with a dull clank.

"Aww, and we thought we'd made a clean getaway! We were talking about how much we could get for this stuff!"

"You can't! My grandpa gave me that!" Yugi steps forward, eyes wide in shock as he stares at his Fragment in desperation. "He found it in a Dungeon!"

"Hmm, Dungeon treasure, huh? We might get more for this rock than we thought, right Zubat?" Koffing turns to face Zubat, snickering as Yugi gasps in shock.

"If we say the rock is Dungeon treasure, we might get just as much for it as this thing!" Zubat hovers over Bakura's pendant, also snickering as Bakura takes a step forward of his own.

"Please give us our stuff back!" Bakura tries to square himself up, desperation taking hold now that the stolen pendants are within sight. Zubat just smirks, wings briefly flapping faster before he suddenly lunges for Bakura with a shriek.

"You want them so bad? Then fight us for them!" Bakura can hear Koffing yelling nearby, and the sound of crackling electricity as Yugi hurriedly prepares to fight, but his focus is firmly on Zubat as he swats at Bakura's head with his wings. Bakura swipes back, ears flat as he claws at the attacking Zubat. One of his swipes catches Zubat extra hard, knocking him back onto the sand, and Bakura takes his chance, springing to his paws and rushing past the prone Zubat towards the dropped pendants. 

"Not so fast!" Zubat rushes him again, this time catching Bakura from behind and knocking him flat just before he can get to the pendants. "Thought you could be a sneaky little thief, huh?"

Bakura tries to roll over to face Zubat, but only receives a swat to the head from one of Zubat's wings for his efforts. He's about to try and make a break for the pendants again when out of the corner of his eye he sees a singed Koffing fleeing out over the water.

"Come on, Zubat! Let them keep their shitty pendants!" Zubat freezes, then with a muttered curse he takes wing and follows Koffing out of the cave, leaving Bakura and Yugi behind.

"You okay there, Bakura?" Yugi approaches, looking a bit tired but relieved to have chased Koffing and Zubat off.

"...I'm fine, just shaken." Bakura picks himself up, shaking the sand out of his fur as he looks over at the pendants laying by the water's edge. Yugi looks too, frowning at the water lapping at the Fragment as he goes over to pick it up again.

"The tide's coming in. We should get out of here, there's supposed to be a path out - there it is!" He indicates a narrow path leading out the cave mouth and back up towards the beach. It looks a bit crumbly in Bakura's eyes, but he can't complain with the tide coming in and no other way out, so he grabs his pendant and trails Yugi out.

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Back on the beach, Bakura blinks for a few moments as his eyes adjust to the now evening light, staring down at his pendant as it once more hangs from his neck.

(For a moment, he swears he can hear a faint laugh, but that's probably his imagination.)

"Thanks for helping me in there, Bakura."

Bakura is brought out of his thoughts when Yugi speaks to him, and he cracks a weak smile in response.

"It was no problem. I would have done it even if they hadn't taken my pendant too." Bakura glances at Yugi's Fragment, looking at the pattern engraved in the top with more than a little curiosity. Yugi looks too, resting one paw on the rock as he speaks again.

"This Relic Fragment was a gift from my grandpa. He found it in a dungeon, and said there was something special about it. I'm sure these engravings mean something, but I'm not sure what."

"Really?" Bakura looks closer, staring at the pattern of circles and swirls and flaring shapes. "I don't know why I have my pendant, but if I have it then it must mean something to my human self, right? It might help me find out who I was."

Yugi looks up at Bakura, quiet as he thinks for a moment.

"...Do you have anywhere you can go? I mean, if you don't remember anything you might not, and I've never heard of a human living around here, but..."

Bakura strains his memory but is forced to admit defeat when nothing comes up, tail drooping as he realizes he has nowhere to go from here. "No, I don't think so. I can figure something out, but-"

"No!" Yugi interrupts Bakura's train of thought, shaking his head in time with his outburst. "How about we go to the Guild? They're not far from here, just up on the edge of town up there, and there's a lot of Pokémon there who might be able to help you!" He gestures with his tail up at the Sharpedo shaped cliff sticking out over the water nearby, indicating where town is.

"You think so?" A spark of hope flares in Bakura at the idea that someone might be able to help him.

"Yeah! Their members go all over the place exploring different Dungeons and helping Pokémon in need, so maybe they can help you find out who you are!" Yugi paces down the beach a short distance, then looks back at Bakura. "Are you coming?"

Bakura doesn't hesitate, racing along to go with Yugi. "Yes, I'm coming!"

Chapter Text

"It's just up here, this way!"

Bakura stares up from the base of the staircase as Yugi calls down to him, trying to get a glimpse of the Guild building at the top as he blinks uncomfortably in the evening sun. A pair of Nidoran run up the path behind him, chattering away about something, before vanishing down a hole at the corner of the crossroads, but before he can question it Yugi draws his attention back to the staircase in front of him.

"I've never really been up here myself, but most of the Guild members are pretty nice when they come into town. I'm sure they'll be able to do something to help you out." Yugi starts up the staircase as he speaks, glancing back at Bakura as he goes.

"You've never been up here?" Bakura follows behind, paws finding purchase on the worn stone steps as he climbs.

"No. Some of the others from town come up here trying to join, but we're all too young to be let in as apprentices. Doesn't stop them from trying though."

"The others?"

"Yup, there's a bunch of others around our age in town. A lot of them came here either to join the Guild themselves or because they had family joining up, but some lived here their whole lives." Yugi climbs the last few steps, stopping to wait as Bakura reaches the top.

"Yugi, look. The gate's closed." Bakura stares in dismay at the Wigglytuff shaped entryway, sealed off by a gate that looks to be impossible to squeeze through. "What now?"

"No, they have a sentry to check everyone who wants in. We have to stand on the grate so they can decide whether to let us in or not." Yugi stares at a grate covering a pit in the ground, tail swishing back and forth nervously for a moment before he steps forward onto it. For a second, nothing happens, and Bakura wonders if maybe they got there too late in the day, but then-

"Pokémon detected! Pokémon detected!" Both Bakura and Yugi jump at the voice coming from the pit, but Yugi manages to hold his position while Bakura creeps closer to listen.

"Whose footprint? Whose footprint?"

"The footprint is Shinx!" Then, after a moment's pause: "...Is there someone else up there? I could hear two Pokémon talking!"

"I think you have to stand on the grate too, Bakura." Yugi steps off, making room for Bakura to step onto it. For a moment it's silent as Bakura stares down into the depths of the pit, then the voices ring out again.

"Pokémon detected! Pokémon detected!"

"Whose footprint? Whose footprint?"

"The footprint is...uh...Zorua, I think..."

"You THINK?! Let me see-" Bakura thinks he can see movement at the bottom of the pit as the second Pokémon enters, followed by an awkward moment as they presumably try to figure out what he is.

"...It's one of those ghost Zorua!" The louder of the two voices finally rings out, ending the awkward moment. "You don't SEEM like bad Pokémon, so you two can come in!"

With that, the gate slowly creaks open, allowing access to the Guild. Yugi and Bakura glance at each other, both awkward over the unusual security measure but relieved that they're allowed in, then walk in and climb down the ladder to the levels below.

Reaching the bottom of the ladder and stepping off onto the floor, Bakura gasps as he takes in his surroundings. It's surprisingly well lit for a room built into a cliff, with both windows and candles for light. Soft grass coats the ground, and Bakura can even see bursts of plants along some of the walls. On the other side of the room, a Loudred, a Diglett, and a Bidoof share a few words with each other before they split off, the Loudred heading past Yugi and Bakura to climb up the ladder while the Diglett vanishes into the ground and the Bidoof walks off down a tunnel heading deeper into the Guild building. Next to him, Yugi seems just as amazed, staring around wideeyed at the room.

"Wow, they have all this down here-" Yugi is suddenly interrupted by a door in the wall next to the ladder opening, revealing a Chatot who visibly double takes at the sight of Bakura and Yugi, flapping in surprise before recovering himself.

"What are you doing down here?! This floor is for Guild members and apprentices only! If you're here to make a request, the request boards are a floor above this one!" The Chatot starts trying to shoo Bakura and Yugi back up the ladder, ignoring their protests until Yugi suddenly raises his voice, yelling to get his attention.

"Wait! We're here to get help for Bakura!" The Chatot freezes, giving Bakura the chance to speak up.

"That's right! I woke up on the beach down there with no memories except my name and that I'm supposed to be a human, and we were hoping that the Guild could help me!"

The Chatot stares, beak hanging open for a moment before he claps it shut, shaking his head in disbelief. "You two expect me to believe that story? No humans have been seen around here in ages, and you're saying that you're actually some sort of amnesiac human who became a Pokémon?!"

"It's true-" Bakura is cut off, the Chatot puffing his feathers in annoyance as he starts pushing the duo towards the ladder again.

"Shoo! The Guild doesn't have time for make believe-"

"What's going on out there, Chatot?" Suddenly a Wigglytuff peeks out the open door, staring as Yugi and Bakura are backed towards the ladder.

"Guildmaster Wigglytuff! I was just removing these troublemakers-" The Wigglytuff shakes his head, gesturing towards the door with a paw.

"Aww, that doesn't seem very fair! Why don't we hear them out?"

The Chatot sighs, deflating as he turns to lead Bakura and Yugi towards the door instead. "Very well, Guildmaster. You two-" He turns to face Yugi and Bakura, eyeing them with undisguised suspicion. "-had better respect the Guildmaster and not waste his time, you hear me?"

Bakura nods, too relieved to get another chance to explain his case to say anything. Beside him, Yugi also keeps quiet, presumably not wanting to make things worse by saying the wrong thing in front of the Guildmaster himself.

Once inside the room, Chatot pushes the door shut for privacy as Wigglytuff turns to face Bakura and Yugi with a look of interest.

"I heard your story from in here! A human becoming a Pokémon is really unusual, you know?"

"...It probably is, but that's what happened. I used to be a human, but I somehow lost my memories and woke up on the beach like this." Bakura keeps his voice level, trying to stay calm and not blow this chance.

"I found him passed out on the sand. He sounded really upset when he realized he was a Pokémon, and had no idea what moves he had when we went into Beach Cave-"

Yugi is interrupted by a sudden squawk from Chatot, who flaps his wings in shock at the admission. "You went into a Mystery Dungeon?!"

"W-We did, but only to get our pendants back! A Zubat and Koffing took them and went into the cave, so we went after them!" Yugi places one paw on his Relic Fragment, eyes wide as he realizes he just admitted to going into a Mystery Dungeon right in front of Chatot and Wigglytuff.

"Yeah, this necklace is the only thing I have that might tell me who I am, so I thought if it vanished..." Bakura glances down at the golden ring, still relieved to have it back after it was stolen.

"Can I look at your pendants?" Without waiting for an answer, Wigglytuff takes the Relic Fragment in his paws, turning it over and over to get a look at it before letting it go and doing the same with Bakura's pendant. Bakura just stands there awkwardly, glancing sideways at a just as perplexed Yugi before Wigglytuff finally drops the pendant and steps back.

"I've never seen anything like those before!" Turning to Yugi, he looks at him with a hint of recognition. "You're Sugoroku's grandson, right?"

"...Yeah, but he was the one who found the Fragment. I've never explored anything before-"

"But you went into Beach Cave to get it back! And you-" Wigglytuff turns to face Bakura, pointing at him before he can react. "-went in too, even though you had no memories and no idea how to fight!"

"We don't know if their story is true, Guildmaster-" Wigglytuff raises a paw, and Chatot falls silent.

"I don't think Sugoroku would have raised his grandson to tell us lies like this, Chatot! And going into a Dungeon with no training is a brave thing to do!"

"Guildmaster, if you're going where I think you're going, may I remind you the minimum age to join is eighteen and these two look fifteen at most?" Chatot asks, already sounding resigned to wherever this is going.

"I think I'm sixteen-" Bakura doesn't get to finish his sentence before Wigglytuff turns to face him and Yugi again, an excited energy about him.

"Why don't you two join the Guild as apprentices? That way you can look for answers for yourselves and train as Explorers!"

Bakura blinks in shock, glancing at Yugi as he struggles to find an answer. Yugi manages to cobble together an answer first, eyes wide as he realizes what's happening.

"...Are you sure? We weren't trying to join-"

"I'm very sure! You would both make great Explorers, and there's no better way to look for answers than to find them yourself!"

Another nervous glance passes between Yugi and Bakura before they hesitantly nod.

"Great! Chatot, can you get a starting kit out?" Chatot just sighs in defeat before hopping across the room and dragging a wooden box over, flapping frantically to keep his balance as he does so. Wigglytuff steps over to take the box as Chatot nears, placing it on the grassy floor in front of Yugi and Bakura.

"This is an official Explorer's Kit! It contains everything to get you started as Explorers here!" Wigglytuff falls silent as Yugi opens the chest, letting him and Bakura get a look at the contents.

"Bakura, look! There's a Wonder Map in here!" Yugi pulls out a map, laying it out on the floor to stare at it in amazement. "These things are supposed to be super detailed and hard to get!"

"There's also a bag to hold your gear and an Explorer's badge in there to mark you as Guild members, but since there's two of you..." Wigglytuff turns around and rummages through a box of assorted items, eventually coming up with a second badge and placing it beside the first. "Now you can both have one!"

Bakura picks up a badge, looking it over with amazement at where this went. "Are you really sure about this? I barely know anything about this place-

"Completely!" Wigglytuff takes a breath, and before Bakura can question what's going on, lets out a loud "YOOM-TAAHH!!!" that shakes the room and forces Bakura to crouch low to the ground, ears pinned back to endure it.

"Urgh..." Both Yugi and Bakura are stunned by the cry, Bakura shaking his head to try and clear the echoes out of his head, but Wigglytuff and Chatot seem unaffected by this beyond a slight feather ruffling from Chatot.

"Chatot, would you take Yugi and Bakura to the spare apprentice's room so they can settle in?" Chatot nods at Wigglytuff's request, giving Bakura and Yugi a moment to stuff the map and badges into the bag before opening the door to lead them back out.

"Follow me, you two." They head off, Chatot leading the way down the path Bakura saw the Bidoof heading down earlier. "Believe me, I wasn't expecting this either, but since Wigglytuff decided to let you in, it's settled. Here's your room."

Chatot leads them into a large room at the end of the hall, with two nests already made up on the floor and a large window overlooking the forest outside. "You two will live here while you complete your training. Is that clear?"

"Yes, that's clear. Thank you." Yugi thanks Chatot, setting the bag on the floor nearby as he looks around.

"Then I'll let you two be for now. Make sure to be up for the morning cheers, you hear me?" Chatot waits until both Yugi and Bakura nod, then turns to leave without any further word.

"...I can't believe Wigglytuff just let us in." Yugi turns to face Bakura, the reality of what just happened setting in. "Bakura, you heard Chatot earlier! You usually have to be eighteen to get in, and he just let us in!"

"I was just hoping they could point us in a direction!" Bakura's just as overwhelmed, staring around the room in shock at going from being confused and homeless to still confused but at least having a home. "I thought they wouldn't believe me for a moment-"

The two are interrupted by footsteps from the hall, and they turn to see the Bidoof from earlier standing in the doorway.

"Er, are you two new apprentices?" The Bidoof has a look of hope in his eyes, and seems about ready to burst with excitement.

"Yeah, my name's Yugi.

"I'm Bakura, nice to meet you."

The Bidoof lights up in response, practically vibrating at the idea of new apprentices. "My name's Bidoof! I was the newest apprentice before you joined!"

Before either Yugi or Bakura can respond, Bidoof seems to remember something, stepping back into the hall with an eager look.

"The other apprentices are all at Spinda's right now, you want to go meet them there? You got here too late for supper, so you can get something there if you want."

"Alright, I wouldn't mind that." It barely takes a moment to decide for Bakura, who hasn't had anything to eat at least since he woke up and is now feeling it.

"I'll go too." Yugi agrees, looking nervous about meeting his fellow apprentices.

"Alright, then follow me." Bidoof trots off down the hall, setting an easy pace for Yugi and Bakura to follow as he heads back out to the main area and up the ladder, passing Chatot as he goes.

"Hff...they'll be so surprised to get new apprentices, especially since you're so young. I'm only just old enough to get in, and they usually don't let in the town kids at all."

"I'm just as surprised! We were only here to get...uh..." Yugi glances back at Bakura as he scrambles up the ladder, unsure how much to say, but Bakura barely stops to think about what to say.

"We were here to get help for me. I lost my memories except my name and that I was a human."

"I heard you telling Chatot that in the main area, yup yup! It's a strange story, but all sorts of strange things are happening lately so I can't argue!" Bidoof heads out of the Guild entrance and down the steps as he says this, glancing back as he goes. "What's it like being a human, Bakura?"

"...I don't really remember, I have amnesia..."

"...Oh right! That must be a problem!" Bidoof smiles awkwardly, turning back around as he reaches the bottom of the steps to indicate the hole at the corner of the crossroads. "...Er, Spinda's is just down there!"

"...In there?" Bakura stares at the hole Bidoof is indicating, remembering the pair of Nidoran he saw go in earlier.

"Oh, you don't know, do you? Spinda has a cafe down there, it opened pretty recently but it's good!" Yugi takes the lead, stepping into the hole and vanishing into the dark before Bakura can react. Bakura considers for a moment, but in the end both his curiosity and his hunger win out and he steps into the hole himself.

The hole turns out to lead to a tunnel, the floor lined with wooden boards and the walls lit by candles. Up ahead, not too far ahead, Bakura can see a brightly lit room, with the sounds of chatter coming from within, and when he steps in he finds himself blinking in the warm light of a cozy little cafe, the room studded with tables occupied by various Pokémon. A corner table is occupied by a Hawlucha and an Espeon who chatter happily between themselves, while the two Nidoran from earlier sit with a Marill and an Azurill near one of the two counters at the front of the room. On the other side of the room several tables have been pushed together to seat a large group of Pokémon, with both the Loudred and the Diglett from the Guild amongst the group.

"Wait up!" Bidoof emerges into the room behind Bakura, heading over to the large group without hesitation. "Hey everyone, we just got new apprentices!"

The whole group suddenly goes silent and looks at Yugi and Bakura, blinking in various states of surprise at the sight.

"...Hey, hey, I know you from town, Yugi. Aren't you a couple years too young?" A Corphish is the first to react, staring in disbelief at Yugi.

"I guess, but Wigglytuff let us in, so..." Yugi's tail swishes awkwardly, Bidoof nodding in agreement with him as the other apprentices stare.

"It's true, I heard Wigglytuff talking to them. He did the 'yoom-tah' and everything, yup yup!"

The awkwardness is broken by a Sunflora, who gestures them over with a smile. "Well, if Wigglytuff said so, I guess they're in. Come sit with us!"

Bakura gratefully takes the offer, sitting in a spare chair as he looks around the group. "My name's Bakura, it's nice to meet you all."

"It's nice to meet you too, Bakura!" A Chimecho joins in, waving with her dangling streamer. "Welcome!"

Bidoof nudges his way into the group to sit next to Loudred, glancing over at the other side of the room as he does so. "Look over there, you guys."

Bakura looks over to see the Hawlucha at the corner table now staring in shock at him and Yugi, frantically pointing and talking to the Espeon loud enough to be heard from where he's sitting.

"...letting him in?! We have to try again tomorrow, maybe they'll let us in too!"

"NO WE WON'T!" Loudred yells across the room at the Hawlucha and Espeon duo, who just grin and wave back. Loudred sighs, glancing at Yugi with a look of annoyance. "Can you go explain to THOSE TWO that they aren't getting in?"

"Okay. Come on Bakura, you should meet them too." Yugi leads the way across the room, stopping at the table only for the Hawlucha and Espeon to immediately swarm him.

"How did you get them to let you in, Yugi?! I've been trying for years!" The Hawlucha is visibly fluffed up with excitement, a stray tuft of feathers sticking out sideways from his head as he questions Yugi.

"I wasn't trying, I was just trying to help Bakura here and then Wigglytuff decided to let us in." Yugi indicates Bakura as he approaches.

"Oh hey, a new guy!" The Espeon steps over to Bakura, looking down at him with curiosity. "I'm Johan, and that's Judai."

Judai looks over at Bakura, suddenly noticing him for the first time. "Hey, welcome to town! What brought you here?"

Bakura considers his options, deciding maybe it might be better to not tell everyone in town about his predicament. "Well, I had a problem I needed help with-"

"What do you MEAN he's a HUMAN, Bidoof?!"

Every head in the cafe whips around to the Guild table, where Loudred can be seen staring at (a very awkward looking) Bidoof. Then, one by one as they put it together, everyone turns to look at Bakura, who helplessly stands there before sighing and admitting defeat.

"...I'm a human. I don't remember much else, though-"

"Did you die, then?" One of the Nidoran pipes up from nearby, ears pricked as he stares at Bakura.

"What?! No, I-" Bakura's protest is cut off by the other Nidoran (who actually seems to be a shiny female Nidoran, rather than a lookalike male Nidoran like Bakura previously thought), who blinks in shock at the question.

"Rua, no! You can't just ask Ghost types that!"

"He has a point, Ruka. He might be a dead human." Judai pipes up, glancing at a wide eyed Bakura as he speaks. "We don't know what happens to humans when they die."

"I thought ghost Zorua were dead Zorua, not dead humans." Johan joins in, padding over to Judai's side as he speaks. "Why do you think he'd come back as a Zorua?"

"I don't know, but I heard there's a Gengar somewhere who was a human-"

"You guys, stop! You're scaring Azurill!" The cry erupts from Marill, who is tightly hugging a crying Azurill as he stares at the group in horror. All at once everyone goes silent for a moment, not sure what to do, before Rua awkwardly breaks it with an apology.

"...Sorry, Marill and Azurill. Sorry, Bakura." Ruka, Judai, and Johan all apologize as well, and Yugi takes the opportunity to back off, gesturing for a grateful Bakura to follow.

"...I think we should get back to the apprentices. Talk to you later?"

"Yeah, we'll see you when we get into the Guild tomorrow morning!" Judai calls after Yugi and Bakura as they retreat back to the apprentice table, where a flustered Bidoof indicates a pair of smoothies on the table.

"These, uh, are for you. We didn't know what kinds you liked, so we just had them made with apples." Bakura sits down, not yet trying his smoothie as he stares around at the other apprentices, waiting to see how they'll react to him.

"...Hey, you say you're a human?" Corphish speaks first, the shock clear in his voice. "Can't say I expected that."

"It's not that weird. Me and Diglett met both a human turned Totodile and Gengar when we lived in Pokémon Square." Dugtrio glances at Bakura from his hole in the floor, only one of his heads speaking for the cluster. "Why can't it happen again?"

"...Uh, who were they back there? I know they're from town, but..." Bakura finally speaks up, not wanting another discussion about his past or how he became a Pokémon in the first place. It's already awkward enough as it is, what with his inability to explain anything.

"OH RIGHT! You're new here!" Loudred leaps to his feet, walking around the table to stand beside Bakura and indicate. "Those two are Judai and Johan, they and their group of friends keep trying to get into the Guild even though they're too young. We've tried to warn them off, we've even tried getting Asuka and Shou's brothers to talk them down, but they keep coming back."

"Where is the rest of their group at?" Sunflora asks, glancing over as she sips her smoothie. "It's usually more than just them here."

"Judai and Johan are dating now. I heard about it a few days ago from Kenzan." Yugi's explains from Bakura's other side, watching as the Hawlucha and Espeon duo talk to each other across the room.

"Well, CONGRATULATIONS!" Loudred calls out, Judai and Johan looking back and grinning happily before returning to their conversation, Johan cuddling into Judai as they do. "That's them. The Nidoran duo are Rua and Ruka. They're twins living on their own-"

"I don't think it's right they're on their own so young, Loudred." Diglett glances worriedly at the twins, a frown on his face as he watches them."

"NO ONE thinks it's right! At least Azumarill seems to be looking out for them, but she's been sick lately." Loudred huffs before continuing. "Marill and Azurill are Azumarill's kids. Marill is right about the same age as Rua and Ruka, but Azurill is a few years younger and scares easily, as you saw."

"Will Azurill be okay?" Bakura's ears flatten at the thought of Azurill being scared of him, only to perk back up slightly as Loudred grunts.

"The kid bounces back quick enough, he'll be fine. Anyway, there's a bunch of other kids in town, but you'll meet them soon enough. Hurry up and drink your smoothie now, we won't be here all night."

Bakura blinks and sips his smoothie as Loudred returns to his seat, perking up slightly as the drink hits his mouth.

"This is good! Thanks!"

"It's no problem. We'll cover the cost this time, since you're new to the Guild." Chimecho smiles back, before drifting over to the counter to talk to Spinda.

Bakura falls silent, letting the rest of the apprentices chatter about recent missions and what other Guild members have been up to lately while he enjoys his smoothie. It's interesting enough even if he doesn't know any of the names, and even that is quickly fixed by Yugi filling in some of the blanks for him.

"So Team Idol is still at Treeshroud on that Braixen rescue mission-oh hey Chimecho! You got us paid up?" Sunflora breaks off her discussion of one of the Guild teams (a Raichu and Lucario duo, according to Yugi) to acknowledge Chimecho as she comes back, floating a muffin with her.

"I did. I also got the muffin for tonight and a warning for Loudred to be quiet from Spinda." Chimecho glances at Loudred as she gives the warning, who huffs and crosses his arms in return.

Meanwhile, Croagunk nods, signing something that Bakura can't understand but the rest of the group seems to, based on their reactions.

"What did Croagunk say?" Bakura glances at Croagunk, who he now abruptly realizes has been silent this whole time. "I don't know sign..."

"Oh, he's asking if Spinda heard any good rumours lately. Don't worry, we'll get you caught up on sign soon!" Sunflora is the one to explain, glancing quickly at Bakura before returning her focus to Chimecho.

"And yes, Spinda does have something this time. He says there's a strange Pokémon that was doing missions out in the Water Continent, near Lively Town." Chimecho sways her streamer back and forth as she speaks, while Corphish rolls his eyes disbelievingly.

"Hey hey, a strange Pokémon? Did the Expedition Society get a new member then?"

"That's the thing, Corphish. Apparently they're not strange as in new, they're strange as in no one knows what they are. The only thing anyone agrees on is their odd mask, that they don't work for Ampharos, and that they're sometimes seen with a pale Eevee."

"I've heard about them, yup yup!" Bidoof perks up, clearly excited. "I heard there was this Pachirisu who saw them without the mask in a Dungeon, and-"

"Hey, is this going to be like Star Cave?" Corphish turns to face Bidoof, who bristles and stares back.

"Star Cave was real! You were there!"

"I'm not saying Star Cave wasn't real, I'm saying you have a habit of running off after rumours."

"I'm not running off after the masked Pokémon-"

"Alright, that's enough!" Loudred slaps his hands on the table, looking around the group. "We should be heading back up to the Guild now, we'll all have work to do in the morning."

All at once everyone scrambles up, most members waving bye to Spinda as they head out the door. Bakura just manages to catch Judai waving goodbye to him and Yugi as he heads out the door himself, trailing just behind Bidoof and Yugi as he exits out into the night. The night air is cool, and in the distance Bakura can see the twinkling lights of what has to be the town. And up above...

"Whoa, there's so many stars out!" Yugi looks up as well at Bakura's exclamation, wide eyes reflecting the stars.

"It's a clear night tonight. That'll be good, last night was horrible." He falls in beside Bakura as they climb the stairs back up to the Guild, turning his focus to him. "You doing okay so far? Any idea what happened to you yet?"

"...Not yet." Bakura's tail droops at the reminder of his predicament, and he glances down at his pendant thoughtfully. "I hope we'll be able to find something out with the Guild soon..."

"Don't worry, I'm sure we'll find something soon. It's like Judai and Dugtrio said, you're not...you're not the first human to end up becoming a Pokémon." Yugi scrambles to keep up with the other apprentices as he speaks, his second stair climb of the night clearly taking a toll on him.

Bakura can only nod, the second climb taking its toll on him as well as he rushes to keep pace. Thankfully, the rest of the apprentices soon come to a stop at the closed gate, giving Bakura a chance to stretch out his legs while Yugi catches his breath after the climb.

"Hey Chatot, we're back! Let us in!" Loudred calls into the entryway, the gate rumbling open a moment later in response. The apprentices file in single file, each taking their turn to pass Chatot in the entryway and climb down the ladder into the depths of the Guild (or in Diglett and Dugtrio's case, just burrowing in instead of using the ladder).

However, Yugi and Bakura are caught off guard when Sunflora indicates for them to stop at the floor above the apprentice floor, the two glancing around the candlelit floor to see two corkboards on the walls, one on either side of the ladder, along with a central area sectioned off with a wooden fence and, on the opposite side of the room from the ladders, a third corkboard with pictures of various Pokémon pinned to it.

"Alright you two, over here, go around the fenced area there." Loudred, speaking oddly softly for such a loud Pokémon, gestures Yugi and Bakura over to the third corkboard, waiting for them to join the group before he explains.

"...I'm sure you know why Wigglytuff usually makes Pokémon wait until they're eighteen before they can join. Dungeon exploration is dangerous, and not everyone comes back from their missions."

"...Then is this...?" Bakura's eyes go wide as he takes in the corkboard and the pictures on it, connecting the dots in his head as he realizes what this must be.

"Yes, this is a memorial. We want to make sure that those who die on jobs get remembered." Chimecho takes over, setting the muffin down in front of the board. "It's the least we can do for them."

Beside Bakura, Yugi is also wide eyed and oddly still as he watches, his gaze fixed on the board. He gapes, visibly struggling to speak before finally managing to do so, voice noticeably shaking.

"...Is...is that Grandpa? He was an independent..." Yugi steps forward, tears welling up as Bakura spots a picture of an older Luxray on the board.

"It is." Corphish nods, glancing sympathetically at Yugi. "It's not just Guild affiliated Explorers; we'll also acknowledge non Guild Explorers if they die and were known to us."

"Go ahead and say something if you want, Yugi. It's your grandfather up there." Loudred stands aside for Yugi, who blinks back tears in surprise before stepping up.

"...Hey Grandpa, I...I got into the Guild today. I wasn't trying to, but I was trying to help Bakura here, and things happened..." Yugi falls silent, the other apprentices all giving him space.

Bakura's gaze drifts over the board, taking in the pictures of various Pokémon pinned to it besides Yugi's grandfather as it sinks in that all these Pokémon are dead or missing. A Rhydon, a Clefairy, a Terrakion and Victini duo, a Decidueye...

"...How often do Pokémon die on missions?" Bakura's voice is soft, his ears low as he stares at the board. It's Dugtrio who answers this time, his heads low as he speaks.

"Not too often, thankfully. We're pretty tough creatures, so it takes a lot to kill someone. It does happen though, which is why we have this."

Everyone goes silent at that point, the quiet broken only by Yugi's sniffling as he stares at his grandpa's picture. After a few moments Dugtrio backs up, voice soft even as he speaks.

"...We should get back to our rooms now. We have work in the morning." One by one the apprentices head off towards the ladder down to the floor below, saying their goodnights, until only Yugi and Bakura are left at the board.

"...Are you okay?" Bakura softly asks as Yugi blinks back more tears, glancing at his grandfather's picture one last time before turning away.

"...I'll be fine. I...I didn't think they'd memorialize him, he was an independent Explorer." Yugi sets off towards the ladder, ears and tail still low as he heads off. "...We should go to bed now, like Dugtrio said."

Bakura nods, heading off after Yugi with one final glance at the memorial board as he goes. The two find their way to their beds, dreamless sleep coming quickly for Bakura as the day's events finally catch up to him all at once.