She supposed that this was going to happen eventually.
At first, Lumi didn’t know what to do with the letter that had been left in their mailbox one early morning in the middle of summer. The parchment, faded and shut with a crimson seal, was distinct, foreign, and smooth beneath her paws. It carried the scent of mountain winds and grassy valleys. And the crimson seal was fashioned in the shape of a spire that pointed straight up into a circle, which could be nothing else but a sun. Sunspire. All in all, it was something different than the junk mail that they often received. They were a tiny adventurer’s guild in the midst of a small town– that didn’t mean that they were there to help Pokemon pick kites off of trees, or to help an elderly Flaafy find her glasses. They were supposed to seek out dungeons, rescue stranded Pokemon… not be handy workers and nurse maids! This feeling of stagnation had gathered in Lumi’s chest for the past ten or so years. It fermented in her diaphragm and hung heavy in her gut. To think that, after what had happened, she had come to Fishertown to start a new life for herself. But all she did was dig herself a deeper hole. Now, she didn’t know if she could pull herself out of it.
Rieka had commented on the state of her fur once. She said it had grown too long, too curly, and that she looked like a Herdier more than an Eevee. Lumi always replied that she didn’t care, but even then her words stung; she had known her ever since she got here. The Poochyena was the first one to welcome her into the beachside village of Fishertown, and together they had created the village’s first rendition of an adventurer’s team. Rieka’s energy was too much to handle at first. She was too spazzy, too energetic, and honestly a little dumb. But as time passed, they became closer. They mustered enough money to buy themselves a decently-sized shack and fix it up so it could be somewhat habitable. That little hut became their base of operations, and that was when the “jobs” came pouring in.
“Can you please help me find my lost apple?”
“My toy broke, can you fix it?”
“There’s no way this satchel costs that much! Aren’t you going to do somethin’? He’s obviously scammin’ all these poor Pokemon!”
It was almost enough to drive her insane. It was even worse when Marlow and Enya came rolling around. The Riolu and the hot-headed Fletchling, along with the overly eager Poochyena, drove Lumi to hysterics. No matter how much she begged that they turn down these requests, that they seemed like fools, Rieka and Enya pushed back. And that was how Lumi became known as caretaker of Fishertown rather than the famous adventurer that she always wanted to be. Twilight City, where her dreams of fortune lay for years and years, seemed so far away.
Now that the letter was here, such a vision was only pushed further over the horizon.
Lumi carried it tightly in her paw as she walked down the dusty path and slipped back inside their hut. The letter crumpled in her grip as she settled herself in the small space that they had designated their kitchen. It was much more cramped than it was back home, as it only had a small wooden table and some semblance of a countertop, though she had gotten used to it long ago. The breeze threaded itself between the long grass outside the window and slipped into the room, carrying with it the tinge of salty ocean air and sand. It mussed her fur, but she didn’t pay it any mind. Her orange eyes settled on the wrinkled paper for a few long moments before she adjusted it in her paws, her claws beginning to pull at opposite edges.
“Lumi!” Rieka’s voice barked in her ear and caused her to flinch. The Poochyena had taken such an opportunity to snatch the half-ruined letter from her paws.
Lumi whirled around, her paws flailing to renew their grip on the letter. “Give that back!” she snarled.
The darker-furred Poochyena smirked down at her with bared fangs. She was bigger than her, and Rieka very much knew that. The smaller Eevee growled in frustration as she shoved against the Poochyena, though she didn’t budge an inch.
“A new job?” Rieka flipped the parchment over. Her crimson eyes widened at the sigil pressed onto its back. “Wait… is this…?”
“It’s nothing!” Lumi lashed out with her paws again, but Rieka pulled away and retreated deeper into the hut.
“It’s a letter! A letter from Sunspear’s adventurer’s guild!” Rieka shouted. “It’s an actual job! We actually got somethin’ good!” Her momentary excitement was doused for only a moment and was replaced with a cock of her head and narrowed eyes. “Hey… why were you gonna rip it up? Isn’t this a good thing..?”
Lumi felt like she was going to burn up under her fur. Her teeth clenched so hard that her jaw ached. But no matter how much the fire inside of her blazed, she couldn’t bring herself to let it loose. The flutter of wings cut through the tension, and she looked up to see that a Fletchling had landed on the wooden table. The bird Pokemon’s black-and-white tail, longer than usual, settled neatly on the table behind her as her beady eyes darted between them.
“What are you two yapping about so early in the morning?” Enya’s voice was an annoyed chirp. Marlow trotted up from behind her shortly after.
Rieka lifted up the letter. “We got a letter from Sunspear’s adventurer’s guild.”
Against Lumi’s silent wishes, they tore open the letter and laid it out on the kitchen table. Her shoulders weighed heavier and heavier as they read it out loud. A partnership with Sunspear’s adventurer’s guild. A mission they would conduct together. The three Pokemon in front of her were more than elated to accept. Lumi just wanted to cry and say, for the first time in ten years, that she wanted to remain in Fishertown and find some kid’s apple or fix a rusty toy.
They packed and boarded up their hut within the hour. Marlow asked their neighbor, a Fearow that they had known for the better part of the decade, if he could keep watch over their humble abode. Even the bird-Pokemon was more than elated for them to chase even broader horizons. Everyone was so happy, so excited, so pleased for what was to come. All she felt was dread and despair. Out of all places in the known world, Sunspear was the last place she wanted to visit.
The trip to Sunspear took four days. They headed east, over craggy hills and the smaller, more desolate portion of the Gilded Mountains. Even though they didn’t run into any feral Pokemon, bandits, or highwaypokemon, Lumi’s body felt like it was weighed down by rocks by the time her calloused paws touched the smooth cobblestone of Sunspear’s streets. Her eyes widened as she took in the sights of the town. It was like nothing she remembered; the town’s stalls had transformed into single-leveled stores, complete with glass-window panes and elaborate displays. The local bakery stand had morphed into a bustling storefront that was decorated with freshly baked pastries and breads. Small apartment buildings, forged from sun-baked terracotta, had replaced the wooden huts from when she was just a pup. Everything’s changed so much… Lumi’s eyes darted back and forth, her fur prickling. The Tauros chatting with the Amaura baker. The Luxray and Luxio bickering with one another near the town’s square. Were those familiar faces? Did they recognize her? Was she just making things up in her mind?
Another flutter of wings. Enya perched herself upon her head. “Earth to Lumi!” she chirped. When she didn’t reply, the Fletchling delivered a harsh peck to the top of her skull. The blow made a sharp pain spread over her scalp.
“Ow!” Lumi grumbled, shaking off the parasitic bird from on top of her. “Can you relax?”
The Fletchling screeched, thrashing her wings dramatically before she took off and settled on Marlow’s shoulder instead. “See, I would, if I actually knew where we were going!” Enya sneered. Marlow only rolled his eyes at her outburst.
Rieka’s wide gaze took in the sights around them. “Yeah… this place is great and all, but… I have no idea where we're headin'.”
We’re near the town’s center, Lumi told herself, casting her eyes towards the open, circular area in front of them. It felt like so long ago that she was clambering on top of that Taurus to watch the adventurer’s team come back. Storm, Sable, Cane, Sora… she scrunched up her features, her ears pinning back as she tried to drown out the memories. The present. She had to focus on the present. Opening her eyes again, she glanced to the east. If we head deeper into the center, then take a…
After a minute of walking, Marlow motioned in front of them with a dainty paw. “That’s the adventurer’s guild.”
As they stepped into the shadow of the building, she had to prevent her fur from prickling. Marlow held the oaken doors open for them as they slipped inside. The scent of several types of Pokemon reached her nose. The most poignant was Cash’s, the Pyroar that had gathered all of them in the meeting hall of the guild. As Pokemon clustered around them, and when Rieka pushed a path through the crowd for them, even the Pyroar’s scent became lost in the muddle. The smells, the pelts and scales rubbing against each other, the smells of warmth and sweet-stuff and sun-baked soil… her breath caught in her throat. Her eyes widened at the sight of a familiar pelt and a round face. She felt her fur bristle as she locked eyes with Sora’s.
“Yeah, we’re from Fishertown, so we’re a pretty tiny guild…” Rieka said as she padded forward. She grinned her toothy smile, her fluffy tail swaying from side to side. “But that doesn’t mean we ain’t tough! Lumi here's as fierce as thunder! Enya's as swift as the wind, and Marlow's as smart as an Abra! And me, well, you can bet I'm tough as a rock, too, so you should put your trust in us!”
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