@Veradana
[Team Rhythm]
[Valiant Village - Town Gate]

As Tinuviel finally joined their group, Fumi regained her composure as they prepared to set out. "That's good to hear, Tinuviel. We've gotta get moving quickly if we're going to make it back by nightfall." Aika explained, showing him the path plotted on their Wonder Map. "We'll take the same route down and back. If everything goes well, we'll have Lena home in time for dinner." She finished, storing the map back in her bag.

"Alright, enough chit chatting! Let's go Aika, Tin'!" She said, abbreviating the Noibat's name both for quickness and the fact that she could barely pronounce it. As she took the lead, Aika took a moment to clear things up. "That's Fumi for you... well, we don't want to be left behind. It'll definitely be interesting, we've never really worked with another Guild Member other than our team before. We'll all do our best though, I'm sure." She said before following after her Grass Type Teammate.

@UmbreonRogue
[Guildmaster, Team Rhythm]
[Valiant Village - Town Center]

The Buizel seemed to calm down somewhat now, going as far to give her name and inquire about the Village itself. "Ah. Well, Mermes, many years ago, before your time, a great war raged across the globe, against an evil so terrible even the Legendary Pokemon were unable to stop it alone. The war lasted for years, and many Pokemon lost their lives in more ways than one." Luna began, beckoning the Buizel to follow as she began to guide the group around the Village. "When the war was finally over, many Pokemon were still afraid, and there was much to do to bring the world back into a state of peace and order."

She took a moment to stop before the Founders Fountain in the center of the plaza before continuing. "In order to help those Pokemon find peace, a group of veterans from the war built a Village on the spot where the Final Battle was waged, not just to signify their victory against the evil, but as a sign of hope for the future so such a terrible conflict would never arise again." She sighed. "Over time the Village grew and grew, as more Pokemon rallied behind the cause, until it became what it is today." She finished, motioning to the world around her.

"Not everything should be feared, for the more you fear something, the more it can affect your life." She explained, taking a moment to sense the aura of Mermes. "Interesting... you have a unique spark of curiosity, though more often than not it is hidden behind a shell of fer and insecurity..." She said to herself once more before setting her gaze on the Water Type again. "The crowds... they make you nervous, right? Why don't we head to one of the most tranquil parts of the village? In fact, that's where I was going to conduct these two's training session." She asked, Scarlet and Wade talking amongst themselves.

"Guildmaster Luna is definitely one of the kindest Pokemon I've ever met. She's willing to help anyone, anytime." Scarlet said, Wade nodding. "Yeah, and this time I can't complain. It was kind of interesting to actually learn about the history of this place." He admitted. "It's definitely a contrast to Guildmaster Spirit... he focuses on strength and discipline while..." Wade started. "... Guildmaster Luna focuses on compassion and teamwork. They're like two sides of the same Poke'." She finished.

Odd, Mermes had never heard of the war. Though it might be because that the Magikarp and Gyarados in the colony she lives in might not have participated in it. That, or they weren't even born then. And by the sounds of it, it could definitely be the latter as it seemed the war took place a long time ago.

"Well, I-I like finding new things. And I know m-my fear can get in the way, but i-it's a really dangerous world here," Mermes said. "And I'm a-afraid I'm not strong enough to fight threats, so I t-try my best to avoid places where I can really get hurt most of the time."

Tinuviel nodded in agreement before racing off alongside Aika. He smiled to himself at the nickname Fumi had given him. It certainly would be interesting working with these two. It was a shame that they hadn't had much time to work together during chore duty, but that came more from them having been there longer than him. They could probably have some fun talking together once the work was done. Now was no time for goofing off, especially since they'd be looking after a child. Fumi seemed serious enough, if a little impatient. Well, Tinuviel thought, wanting to get the job done promptly was admirable too.

Shade wandered through the town square with his usual wide grin, however it hid his equally large feeling of boredom. He had missed the meeting today and thus had nothing to do except wander around aimlessly. Luckily for him he wandered into the right crowd because he could see his favorite Guildmaster talking with a new recruit. "Hey there Ms. Luna, it's pretty amazing how many recruits you show around town. Some people would call you a Lunatic! Kehehehehehehehe!" Shade laughed at his own terrible pun as he floated around Luna and Mermes.

@UmbreonRogue@Shiny Keldeo

@Veradana
[Team Rhythm]
[Tranquil Forest - Crossroads]

While Tinuviel quickly caught up to the enthusiastic Grass Type, Aika took her time, catching up with the others at the Crossroads. "Alright, Treasure Town is South from here, so that means we go..." Fumi started, Aika cutting in. "Always Left. Right leads down into the Forest Crevice, and that's a dead end." Aika stated, letting Fumi have a moment to recall that fact. "Oh... right... you can see why I'm not the leader, like ever." She said, laughing it off and scratching the back of her head. "So... which one of you want's to lead then?" Fumi asked.

"I can, if you don't mind Tinuviel. I usually take the lead when Wade and Scarlet aren't around." Aika explained. "Yeah! And she's the one that came up with the route we're gonna take! You fine with that, Tin'?" She asked with a big smile on her face.

@UmbreonRogue @floodtalon
[Guildmaster, Team Rhythm]
[Valiant Village - Town Center]

As Luna was about to reply to Mermes' words, she sensed a familiar presence even before his words reached her ears. "Shade... you know you missed this morning's meeting, it was important too..." She sighed, looking over at him. "That's the third time this week, you know. If you keep missing them, Spirit will have you on cleaning duty for a month." She finished, looking over at her small group. "And, no, she's not a recruit. She's just arrived today, and I'm helping her feel welcome here."

As the two talked, Wade and Scarlet turned their attention to the Buizel. "Well... yes, there are a lot of places in the world that are dangerous. And that's why Pokemon avoid them." Scarlet said. "And that's why those are the best places to explore. So many lost and forgotten treasures and discoveries waiting to be found..." Wade continued.

"And being afraid isn't a bad thing. As Guildmaster Luna says, Fear is something every Pokemon has. Those who can control it live their lives to the fullest..." Scarlet started. "But those who let it consume them day in and day out can never truly live. You remember well." Luna finished, Scarlet grinning and blushing slightly. "Now, Shade, you'd probably better go report in at the Guild. Spirit should still be there. As for me, these two need their weekly training." She said, turning back to Mermes. "Would you like to join us? You might learn something."

Tinuviel looked between the two paths as Aika and Fumi discussed directions. He didn't want to laugh over Fumi not remembering, but as she herself laughed about it, he joined with a small chuckle. Yeah, it made sense that Fumi normally let others lead the way,

"You should keep trying," he said, "the only way to improve is through practice and training, after all." At least, that's what his parents told him when he talked about his trouble working alone. Fumi then asked which between him and Aika should lead the mission, to which Aika explained that leadership was normally her responsibility when the rest of their team was busy with other things.

"If that's the way you normally do things, then it's probably better if Aika leads," Tinuviel said, touching a wingtip to his chin. "She knows the way the two of you work best, so it'll be easier for her than me." He grinned back at Fumi, "Yeah, that sounds fine."

There are treasure in places where Pokemon avoid? It makes sense, as those kinds of places are really dangerous. In fact, the prospect of this tempted the Buizel, but she remembered that she's not a very good fighter. How can Mermes, a rather low-level Pokemon, go to areas like that? Still, that might be the reason why Mermes needs to get a handle on her fear.

"Y-Yeah, I'll come," Mermes responded to the female Lucario. She guessed that they were probably going to do something like battle techniques.

@Shiny Keldeo

Shade giggled as Luna scolded him for missing yet another meeting. "What can I say? I never get tired of sleeping! Kehehehehehe!" He began to laugh once more as he thought up another joke. "Who knows, maybe Spirit can get me to clean up my act! Kehehehehehehehehe!" Oh man he's on a roll today. Shade looked the Buizel over and smiled, could be a fun one to prank later. Very nervous, very scareable. Very... full of potential maybe? Shade squinted at the Buizel and mentally nodded. Full of potential.

Luna mentioned that Spirit probably had something for him back at the guild and Shade got excited, he was going crazy with nothing to do. "Thanks for the tip Ms. Luna, I thought I was gonna die of boredom. Too bad I'm already dead! Kehehehehe!" And with that final awful joke he floated off to the guild, ready to get a new mission.

He arrived at the Guild pretty fast phasing through the walls rather than using the door like a normal person. He eventually found Spirit and snuck up behind him as stealthily as he could. "BOO!" He yelled as loudly as possible to try and scare Spirit, he had made it a goal of his to knock Spirit out of his constant tranquility at least once. So far nothing but maybe today was the day?

@floodtalon
[Guildmaster, Team Sanctuary]
[Valiant Village Guild - Guildmaster's Office]

"You understand then, why I need to speak to your parents. I can count on you two to bring them here." Spirit concluded, keeping his serious tone. The two said nothing, nodding in reply. Yes, it was that serious. "Good. And, while I hate to ask this, keep Krystal in the dark about this as long as you can. I know it's wrong of me to say so, but these occurrences must be kept secret until we know for sure. If word were to spread..." Serenity spoke up. "Don't worry. I know she can be a bit of a loudmouth, you don't have to say a thing about it. We'll get this done, right Omen?" She said, Omen looking over. "Of course. This is what you trained us for, if it's really happening. We'll head out immediately."

With yet another simple nod, the two were dismissed when he sensed the Gengar behind him. The poor scare attempt did not move him from his thoughts. "There is a door, you know Shade. It would be wise for you to use it next time you enter." He said sternly. It was clear he wasn't in a good mood, not at all. Usually he'd at least look at him. "I was... actually looking to speak with you, confidentially." He finally turned and looked. Although you couldn't tell, the stern, somewhat worried expression on his face was clear enough that something was going on more than usual.

"That night... Luna told me what you told her. It was... troubling... the first contact with Mewtwo's Loyalists in almost ten years..." He closed his eyes and sighed. "But I need to hear it from you. Any detail you can recall." His eyes were serious, he knew what he was asking him to do, to relive the most painful memory of his life. But he had no choice. If Mewtwo's return was imminent, they had to have every advantage they could get.

@Veradana
[Team Rhythm]
[Tranquil Forest - Crossroads]

With Tinuviel's approval, Aika would take point, leading the group down the rather quiet and peaceful stretch of the path through Tranquil Forest. "It's amazing, don't you think?" Aika said, pausing a moment before speaking again. "This area was once a battlefield. There was nothing but desolation as far as the eye could see. But it's become this beautiful part of the world again." She finished. "Really? Huh... oh yeah, that whole war that went on before we were born. If that's true, that puts our battle against Kyurem to shame." Fumi remarked.

@UmbreonRogue
[Guildmaster, Team Rhythm]
[Valiant Village - Town Center]

As Shade took off after cracking quite a handful of bad puns, Luna shook her head and sighed. "Shade... I hope Spirit knows what he's doing..." She said quietly to herself before turning back to her group. "Okay, just follow us and stay close." She said to Mermes as the group got underway.

A Few Minutes Later...

[Valiant Village - Pledge Grove]

The group finally came upon a clearing on the edge of the main village. There was little to nothing touched, as far as the naked eye could tell. It was an ovular clearing, and at the tip of the far end was a large stone with four deeply embedded cuts in it. Surrounding the area were a few small ponds and a few sakura trees. "This is Pledge Grove. It is a very special and sacred place to the village. This is where a Legendary Team, known as the Swords of Justice, trained after the Great War. Now that they have departed, it is a welcome place for many to come and train." She explained.

"Mermes, you may sit anywhere you like, wherever feels most comfortable." She said, turning her attention to Wade and Scarlet. "Now, today will show me if you are ready to complete your special training. I've taught you the special Teamwork Moves, and you have practiced them every day you could. Now you are ready to show me the results of that training. Show me the moves you will have mastered. Fire Pledge, Water Pledge." She said, taking a battle ready stance.

"Right, we can't hold back, even if she is our Guildmaster. We have to prove that we are ready to complete our training." Wade said, Scarlet nodding in reply. "Right, let's give it everything we've got!" She replied, the two assuming their battle stances as well.

Tinuviel gazed around at the forest as Aika spoke, nodding along.

"There are places like this back home too," he said, "wars, natural disasters, they all ran rampant back then, but you could never know anymore," It had been long before he was born, long before even his parents were born, but the Legendary War and the Meteor Disaster were still sometimes talked about as history lessons. It took him a moment before he realised what Fumi had said.

"What?!" he said, "The two of you fought Kyurem?!" and lived? and are still doing odd-jobs off a common board? he thought. She'd said it so casually, so he didn't think she was making it up, but at the same time, was he really working with two Pokemon who'd faced down a legendary Pokemon?

@Shiny Keldeo

"Geez, talk about a bad Spirited Pokemon! Kehehehehehe!" Shade laughed as his pun, noticing the tension in the room and trying to alleviate it. Until Spirit turned to him. Shade's smile slid off his face into a blank expression as he was asked to relive the moment he lost his friends- no his family. "I can... try." Shade floated past Spirit and touched down in the chair opposite of him. He took a deep breath to compose himself and looked at the floor.

"I suppose we start from the beginning. We were escorting a Carbink to her home in the mountains, it was supposed to be an easy job but the reward promised to be nice so we took it. It was getting late so Lucius suggested we take a shortcut through a Mystery Dungeon. Again, low risk stuff, 4 floors max. We got caught in a trap on the 3rd floor, some sort of Slumber Orb must've been set to go off when we stepped where we stepped. We all fell asleep, I don't know how long for." Shade shuddered and his breathing began to speed up as he recollected the Pokemon he hated the most. "When we woke up everyone was strapped down, not even I could move. Some strange sort of cloth that could hold down ghost types, nothing I've ever seen. The cave was dark, there were only 4 lights, one suspended over each one of us. A figure stepped out of the shadows with scalpels and syringes, a light blue glow emanating from his back. As he stepped into the light I was able to see his cold dead eyes. It was Genesect, I felt like I had seen Giratina himself. He said nothing, he just began his experiments on my team. They screamed, they screamed so loudly yet nobody could hear us. The things he did should've killed them, but he wouldn't let them die. Eventually Lucius stopped screaming, he just stared at the ceiling. It was like the light had disappeared from his eyes. Then he moved onto Ray, he actually seemed like he was having fun with her. He chuckled while he experimented on her. The whole time I was thrashing and screaming at him to stop, but he ignored me. By the time he was done with Ray he had run out of whatever was in his syringes so he had to make more. He tossed his scalpels onto the table next to me and I knew what I had to do. I was able to grab one of the scalpels and free myself, I floated towards him as quietly as I could. I was going to kill him." Shade was visibly shaking at this point, whether it was fear or anger not even he knew.

Then Shade finally looked up into Lucario's eyes, his own eyes filled with the deepest and blackest despair Spirit had likely ever seen. "Genesect knew what I was doing and spoke for the first time. He said three words. 'Wait your turn.' I couldn't do it, he was going to do to me what he did to my family. I ran. I ran like a coward, it must've been days. I finally made my way out of the Dungeon he had taken us to, it was deep in the snowy mountains, and I headed back to town. Halfway back I worked up the courage to go back and try to save them, but they were already gone. All that was left was the lifeless body of that poor Carbink. I looked through his bag to see if he had any next of kin but I found nothing, besides this." Shade lifted his necklace and the stone on it sparkled in the light. "I keep this to remind me of my failure. Of my cowardice. To push me to make sure nothing like this ever happens again." Shade let out a shuddering breath as he tried to crack a smile. "It's funny, I feel so out of breath yet I don't even need to breath." He did not laugh.

Arriving at the area, Mermes marveled at the sights seen around Pledge Grove. She appreciated the history behind this area in particular. In fact, she could picture powerful-looking Pokemon training here in her mind, though she didn't exactly know what the Swords of Justice looked like so she had to fill in the blanks herself.

Mermes seated herself beneath one of the sakurai trees, as the shade felt nice. The Buizel watched the training, and her interest was piqued at "Teamwork Moves". She actually never heard of such a thing, so she wasn't sure what to expect to see out of this.

@Shiny Keldeo

@floodtalon
[Guildmaster]
[Valiant Village Guild - Guildmaster's Office]

Spirit said nothing as Shade recounted the gruesome tale. He didn't even have to sense his aura to feel his pain. Each word, each memory, it hit hard, a part of him that was broken, lost. However, Spirit maintained his composure through it all. When he had finally finished, the room was silent for a good span of time while Spirit mulled over what he had finally heard first hand. "So... it is true... the first activity from Mewtwo's Forces in almost ten years... that we know of..." He said, standing up and looking over to a painting of a large group of Pokemon. "Anything I say in this room doesn't leave this room. Only my most trusted allies and friends know what I'm about to tell you."

He took a deep breath before continuing. "In recent weeks, many of Mewtwo's former 'associates' that deserted him at the Final Battle all those years ago have been turning up missing without a trace. I believe they are gathering their forces again. And if this is the case..." The smallest of breaths was taken. "... He might be preparing for his return."

He turned back to Shade now, his eyes looking rather unsure while his body stayed stern. "There are things that we haven't told you about that I'm going to come clean about as well. That Carbink was a messenger for Diancie, one of the Pokemon that helped stop Mewtwo all those years before. She had sent worrying news about strange occurrences near her kingdom. Once your team arrived, you would have been filled in... but that never happened. We were going to have you investigate, but it seems you already found much more than... any of us anticipated..."

He finally tore himself from his thoughts and locked eyes with Shade, not in a stern way, but an apologetic one. "I am truly sorry you had to relive that experience, but this information will prove to be invaluable. Thank you. If you want, you can have the rest of the day to yourself." He sat back down, stopping just before Shade would leave. "By the way, that gem, it is a very rare item indeed. Hopefully it will bring you good luck when you need it." He finished before busying himself with his work. With this new information, he had to meet with his old allies before it was too late.

@Veradana
[Team Rhythm]
[Tranquil Forest - Southern Path]

Aika scowled at Fumi after she said what she did. "Well... it wasn't really a battle. It... seemed like more of a test..." She explained. "If you say so. Anyways, it was our first mission together, we weren't even a single team back then." Fumi continued, her memory flashing back to that night. "Guildmaster Luna had sent us on a training mission up into the mountains. I was with Wade, and Aika was with Scarlet."

"Our groups got separated by a sudden blizzard. We could barely see or move." Aika went on, Fumi jumping in. "And in the middle of it, me and Wade came face to face with the guy! He looked like he meant business, and we didn't have any opening to run. So we tried to fight... and we got creamed. But then..." She looked over to Aika. "We just happened to stumble across the battle, so me and Scarlet jumped in to protect them. I fired my Flash Cannon at Kyurem, which blinded him and gave us enough time to escape."

"He must have given up at some point, because by sunrise he and the blizzard were gone. I don't even know why he was there in the first place, he's a member on the Legendary Council after all." She said. "But yes, that's the story of how we 'battled' Kyruem. It's... not something we bring up often, but it's the encounter that made Team Rhythm a team." Aika finished as the group continued walking.

@UmbreonRogue
[Guildmaster; Team Rhythm]
[Valiant Village - Pledge Grove]

As the battle neared its start, a calm breeze blew through. The air was silent, both sides deep in concentration. "Begin." Was all that Luna said, as she waited for her students to attack. "She's probably going to be on the defense, so we need to whittle her down before going in with the Pledges." Wade said quietly, Scarlet nodding. "Then let's go! Together!" She replied, grabbing the branch from her tail and firing off a few quick Embers.

Luna was quick to respond, forming her Ground Type Bone Rush and swiftly knocking the Fire Type move away. To her right, Wade struck swiftly with a Quick Attack, knocking her off balance for only a moment before she had recovered. Taking the moment, Scarlet responded with a Fire Spin, surrounding her. "You'll have to try better than this." Luna calmly stated as she used Extremespeed, emerging from the flames in an instant.

Wade saw an opening, and quickly fired off a Water Pulse at her undefended back. However, sneaking up on a Lucario was not the easiest thing to do. Sensing the attack, Luna responded by firing off her Aura Sphere. At the same time, Scarlet fired a Psybeam, which scored a direct hit, knocking the wind out of the Lucario Guildmaster. "Good teamwork..." She said to herself. "Now, this is our chance!" Wade cried out to Scarlet as he rushed forward, unleashing his move Water Pledge. Luna had barely returned to her feat when the attack collided.

"I've got it!" Scarlet replied as she unleashed her Fire Pledge, which gained a significant power boost having been used in combination with Fire Pledge. It seemed like it had impacted, and she gasped as smoke filled the area. When it cleared, Luna was nowhere to be seen. "You two have learned well. Well done." She called down from a nearby treetop, hopping down without a scratch on her person.

"You two have made tremendous strides since joining us here. You've grown closer as a team, and learned to work together in ways many Pokemon never believed possible. You've come so far in such a short time." She complimented them, Wade nervously grinning and Scarlet blushing. "It's all because of you, Guildmaster." Wade said, Scarlet following. "Yeah, you believed in us from the start. You saw what even we didn't. It's amazing." She continued. "Right, without you, I doubt we would be anything like we are today."

"You give me too much credit. You found this path together, I only nudged you in the right direction. But, that draws our special training to a close. You two have truly mastered the Teamwork Moves Water Pledge and Fire Pledge. Well done." She finished, looking over to the Buizel who had been spectating as the two celebrated their achievement. "You see? It took courage to stand up to me. You don't have to be big or strong. They're barely older than you are, even if they are evolved. All it takes is will, and a friend to stand by you. Nothing is ever really accomplished on your own." She explained, taking a moment to enjoy the now quiet scenery around them.

Tinuviel listened closely as Aika and Fumi told their story. He'd calmed down after the initial shock of it, but even what they were telling him seemed extraordinary. Council or not, Legendary Pokemon could be dangerous. He was sure that if a Pokemon like Kyurem had even looked in his direction it would have frozen his fur right off.

"You could all easily be ice sculptures right now," he mumbled, shivering. It didn't seem like an appropriate type of story for such a temperate forest.

@Shiny Keldeo