Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rising Spirits

Chapter 2, Part 2 - Full Circle

One morning following an entire week of intensive training, Trevor slowly rose from his nest and stretched his weary limbs which ached slightly from having trained nonstop the previous day. It was only after he had already washed the fatigue from his eyes and dazedly grabbed an Oran Berry that he realized something peculiar: Aiden hadn't woken him up for training. She wasn't in the house at all, for that matter; her substitute doll, now covered in hastily sewn up puncture marks and scratches, remained motionless in the corner. Feeling a sense of déjà vu, he swiftly devoured his breakfast and hurried outside.

Trevor pushed open the wooden door and was embraced by warm sunlight. The air was still- so still to the point that even the normally wavy grass refused to sway under the cloudless, blue sky. The only thing that seemed to be moving in this serene scene was Aiden, who excitedly huddled over a black box about half her height.

"Hey, Treph, good timing!" Aiden greeted eagerly as Trevor drew near. "Training's off for today. This finally dropped in, straight from the Explorer Association! C'mon, let's bring it inside already!"

Upon closer examination, Trevor found that the dark box was, specifically, a chest composed of black wood and studded iron. To its sides were two gleaming silver handles which jutted out, giving Trevor the impression that the chest was extending its stubby, metallic arms for a hug. On the chest's center was a giant, golden latch with a conspicuous-looking keyhole underneath with the mark of the Explorer Association, the familiar winged Pokéball insignia, etched above with gold plating. Despite looking incredibly bulky, he found the process of carrying it into the house to be surprisingly easy, and Trevor found himself wondering whether it was due to the results of his arduous training versus the chest simply being significantly lighter than it looked.

Upon helping Trevor in moving the chest inside, the Scorbunny eagerly ran back out the door and began rummaging through her mailbox. After a few seconds of searching, Aiden popped up with a thin, silver key in hand with the word "SPIRIT" etched onto its metallic handle.

"This here's a Pokémon Exploration Team Kit!" Aiden explained happily as she inserted the key into the keyhole, turned it, then thrust open the golden latch. "The association delivers these bad boys out to any new teams who've just joined as a bit of a welcoming gift. Oh, I can't take the anticipation anymore- let's see what's inside!"

Not wanting to wait another second, Aiden threw the chest's hinge open and excitedly peered into its interior. Inside the chest was an assortment of white bandannas, a set of bronze badges, a small lumpy sack, and a giant, dusty scroll wrapped with a thin, red ribbon. Aiden, upon seeing the collection of bandannas, delightfully grabbed one and immediately tied around her neck and excitedly encouraged Trevor to do the same.

"Hah, I knew picking white as our team color would be a good idea!" Aiden proclaimed happily while turning towards Trevor. "C'mon, take one and put it on! These scarves'll show everyone that we're in a team together!"

Trevor took one of the many white bandannas left in the chest and promptly tied it around his neck. Upon peering into his reflection through the surface of a nearby washbowl, the Meowth couldn't help but admire how the white garment seemed to perfectly complement his beige fur.

"Hey, that looks good on you!" Aiden praised while looking into the same washbowl. The Scorbunny straightened her bandanna and smiled bashfully at her own reflection. "How do I look?"

"Err- good!" Trevor answered abruptly. "You look great!"

Aiden cast an unconvinced look. "You think I look silly, don't you? With the way my scarf blends into my already white fur? It's almost as if the scarf isn't there at all!"

"N-no!" Trevor stammered frantically, "You look great, honest!"

Aiden chuckled lightheartedly. "Man, you can't lie to save your life! I kinda admire that, but you should probably learn to keep a straight face for once! Maybe I'll add it to your training routine!"