Outside, Wigglytuff Guild
Grass Continent
"For the next round, Sabo," Charlie calls as Sabo can't help but be nervous. He had never expected anyone to be watching him attempt the trial at all, and the large crowd made him anxious. If he fails, everyone will know, and he is not optimistic that they will be polite.
"You shall face our apprentice, Barry," Charlie says as the Bidoof walks forward, looking as nervous as him. This makes Sabo pause, slightly puzzled by Barry's feeling. Why would Barry be as nervous as him?
"By golly, I can't believe I would be facing my junior immediately, I am so anxious…." Barry says as Sabo looks at him with puzzlement. "H-hello, I'm Barry, nice to meet you, yup yup!"
"Uh, nice to meet you, Barry…" Sabo is unsure how to feel about this. Before he could process anything, Charlie had started the battle as Barry rushed at him with great speed and slammed Sabo with a devastating Headbutt, knocking Sabo back several feet.
Sabo realizes that he may have lowered his guard too much just because the Pokémon in front of him didn't show any sign of threat, especially when said opponent is quivering in place. He notices Barry's eyes, and the fire of determination burns brightly. Despite his kindness and nervousness, Barry is treating this fight seriously and giving everything he has.
Something he should've done.
Sabo takes a deep breath as flames erupt from his back, taking an attacking stance. Sabo rushes towards the Bidoof with blinding speed, his body coated with white energy. Barry yelps before curling up and blue glows coming out of his body, and when Sabo makes contact with him, he feels like he has crashed into a wall and been knocked back from the recoil. Barry takes the chance as he rolls towards Sabo, who regains his footing and quickly dodges the attack, albeit barely.
Sabo summons fire in his throat and blasts it at Barry, who turns around and continues to roll towards Sabo. The Cyndaquil widened its squinty eyes when the flame made contact with Barry and dispersed, dealing no damage at all. He didn't get to process it as Barry crashed into Barry, causing him to feel an extreme amount of pain and send him flying.
Sabo crashes into the ground harshly, shakily getting up as Barry continues to roll. Sabo was able to roll away from the incoming Bidoof before taking a shaky breath. He needs to find a way to stop the Bidoof from continuing to roll around, or else he won't be able to dodge or endure his next attack. Sabo pushes through the pain and keeps moving around to keep Barry from rolling towards him, but the Bidoof proves to be more skilled when it manages to follow Sabo's movement.
Sabo takes a gamble by using a torch pole near them, stopping in front of the pole for a moment while waiting for Barry to come towards him. When he was close, Sabo dodged at the last minute, and Barry crashed into the pole, stopping him in his tracks and dazing him. Sabo takes the chance to use a move he learns during his training, Flame Burst, and hits Barry head-on, causing the Bidoof to yelp and start rolling around in panic, trying to extinguish the flames on his fur.
Once he had extinguished the flame, Barry could be seen lying on his back, burned and exhausted. Sabo takes a deep breath, waiting for a moment to see what Barry's gonna do. But he was confused when Barry remained lying on his back.
"I…I give…" Barry mutters shakily. "I don't think I can handle more fire…"
"…Barry has forfeited, Sabo has passed his trial," Charlie says in a disappointed tone, mostly directed at Barry. Charlie believes Barry has potential, but he could've tried better than giving up when he could fight more. Sabo let out a sigh of relief before walking towards his group. Victor and Thorn congratulate him cheerfully while Tesla gives him a thumbs up, making Sabo smile.
"Jolly, that was intense…" Barry mutters.
"Just be lucky you didn't get head trauma from either of them," A lobster-like Pokémon, Corphish, comments.
"That was a bit rude, Cole," Douglas mutters.
"Hey, I'm just saying, Barry shouldn't complain since he didn't end up like other fellow apprentices," Cole says while shrugging, which is weird since its pincers are attached near its head.
"It's impressive, honestly." The Dugtrio comments. "They're young, but they seem trained by someone, albeit for a short amount of time. Whoever taught them truly deserves the praise because beating our Guild's apprentice isn't easy."
"For the last round of the trial, Tesla, come forth," Charlie calls as the Pikachu walks forward, crossing his arms. "You shall be facing the last opponent, Larry the Loudred."
The moment Charlie says that, a giant purple-skinned creature with a bulky body, a wide mouth, and a pair of round ears that remind Victor of speakers walks forward and faces Tesla, who can't help but be surprised by his opponent. Victor also can't help but hide his surprise, not expecting Loudred, Larry, in this universe, to be called to face Tesla.
If this universe follows the game, Larry isn't a Pokémon that can be taken lightly. He is a candidate who was deemed 'superexceptional' enough to be considered to go through the graduation test. But he failed and had to go through training to get a second chance at the graduation test. So, seeing him facing Tesla out of nowhere caught Victor off guard, and he could only wish him luck fighting against him.
"So, you're the last kid who's planning to join the Guild?" Larry says as he slams his fist into his palm. "I ain't going easy on you, kid."
"Let's not waste more time," Tesla says dismissively before taking a stance, sparks coming out of his cheeks.
"Heh, like your guts, kid," Larry comments. As Charlie starts the match, Tesla immediately charges at Larry at a blinding speed, hoping to land a solid hit. Larry casually slams his fist right on Tesla's face, sending him flying. Then, he follows with a powerful sound blast that tears the ground apart and causes Tesla to scream in pain.
"Big brother!" Sabo exclaims in worry.
"Damn, I thought he would've got it," Thorn mutters, clicking his tongue.
"Tesla underestimates his opponent…" Victor mutters. "He thinks he could outspeed him and get things over quickly, but he forgot that our opponents are the Guild's apprentices."
"I suppose…the only reason I could beat my opponent is that I caught her off guard with Poison and some brute force," Thorn says, slightly embarrassed by his performance.
"Me too, I need to use more fire than usual." Sabo agrees.
"For me, I try to end things quickly, or my opponent will beat my ass," Victor mutters. The trio let out a disappointed sigh towards each other for their poor performances.
Meanwhile, Tesla gets up shakily, feeling disoriented by the loud ringing in his ears and the blurry vision caused by the sound blast. He grits his teeth, trying to shake off the effect. Larry takes the chance to rush towards Tesla, in which the Pikachu blasts lightning towards the Loudred. This was able to push Larry back a few feet, but he quickly pushed through the attack.
As Larry gets closer, he raises his arm and swings it down towards Tesla. Fortunately, he was able to roll away. Unfortunately, the impact launches debris everywhere, and some hits Tesla dead-on, knocking the Pikachu further. Tesla gets up shakily as Larry rushes towards him again, but this time, Tesla launches an electromagnetic wave towards Larry, causing him to be paralyzed.
Tesla takes the chance to summon a ball of electricity on the tip of his tail and launches it right at Larry, successfully landing a direct blow on the Loudred. Tesla was a bit satisfied by the successful attack, but it quickly died down when it was revealed that the attack didn't do much. Luckily for him, Larry is still paralyzed, and right now, he's a sitting Psyduck.
Tesla takes the chance to deliver as much damage to the Pokémon as possible, and he does so by using Volt Tackle, charging as much electricity from his body before launching himself at blinding speed and crashing into him, creating a powerful shockwave that shakes the battlefield. Everyone covers their face from the shockwave, visibly shocked by Tesla's raw strength. Meanwhile, Victor, Thorn, and Sabo held their breath as they nervously watched the result.
To their horror, Tesla is visibly injured from the attack's recoil, and he's now at the mercy of Larry, who has broken out of his paralysis, holding the Pikachu on the ground without any way to escape.
"Big brother!/Tesla!" Both Sabo and Thorn exclaim in shock. Neither of them expects Tesla to be in such a position.
"You did well, kid. But you didn't pay much attention to your friend's fight." Larry says. "Your friends all create opportunities to land a devastating blow on their opponent, and they all succeed with that, but you somehow screwed it up. You not only waste it, but you also make yourself vulnerable."
"S-shut it!" Tesla growls in anger.
"That Victor kid is a good fighter, and he didn't simply use his raw strength recklessly; he made sure to hit right where it could deal the most damage, especially knowing he's on a timer. The little Thorn poisons his enemy when given a chance to weaken his opponent, while he also makes sure to sustain his health longer." Larry points out. "Your brother was not cautious enough, but he proves himself to be more resourceful and able to improvise. While you? I don't even know what you're doing. Seriously? You could've increased your speed with Agility throughout the entire match before that one Electro Ball or maybe Double Team, yet you didn't. You went for raw power."
"S-shut it!" Tesla exclaims before he unleashes more electricity, which Larry shrugs off and pushes Tesla deeper into the ground. Tesla coughs in pain before struggling to break free as time moves more slowly. Tesla takes a glance at Sabo, who's giving him a concerned look. Tesla froze, staring right at his brother's expression.
For his entire life, he's been the one who's taken care of Sabo after their parents' disappearance/death, making sure his brother wouldn't be worried about him in any way. He carries all of the burden and responsibility for his family because Sabo didn't need to concern such things, and he made sure he never felt that way. He needs to be tough for his brother. So, seeing Sabo's concerned expression made him feel something inside him.
Tesla grits his teeth before his body glows light green, and suddenly, two Teslas appear. One remains trapped under Larry's grasp, the other manages to break free. This causes everyone to gasp in surprise as Tesla's body is covered in a pink aura, and he turns into a blur. Larry was taken aback by this, and he didn't get the chance to react as Tesla suddenly slammed right into his chin.
"Thanks for the advice," Tesla snarls before his body glows pink and he moves faster. Larry regains his footing before he is slammed from every side, only able to see yellow blurs around him. Then, Tesla appears from behind, Electro Ball charged at the tip of his tail, larger than usual. Tesla launches the attack head-on, which explodes upon impact. He is knocked a few feet and looks at the cloud of dust created from the impact.
Then, the ground suddenly cracks and starts to shake as Tesla yelps, trying to maintain his footing. To his horror, Larry didn't seem damaged, and he was charging at him with a glowing fist. Tesla closes his eyes out of reflex, waiting for the impact to come. To his surprise, the attack never came.
"The fourth round of the trial is over! Tesla, you have passed." Charlie says, surprising Tesla. Everyone was silent before they all cheered.
"W-wait, what!?" Tesla exclaims in shock.
"Oh, you think you need to win to pass the trial?" Charlie asks in amusement.
"Then, the battle trial…" Tesla stutters, trying to process everything.
"You've forgotten what I had asked earlier, didn't you?" William states. "I say you didn't have to win, just show us what you can do."
"Of course, your friends had gone beyond the expectations." Charlie clears his throat. "To be perfectly honest, I wasn't expecting any of you to win the fight at all. We do expect you all to show everything you've got and put up a good fight, but defeating my apprentices was a surprise, but a welcoming one."
"…" Tesla watches the Chatot in sheer disbelief before he notices Larry is extending his hand towards Tesla, an apologetic smile plastered on his face.
"Sorry for being too rough. My fellow apprentices were not performing their best as they either underestimated their friends or lacked self-confidence. So, I had to go beyond to show this guild isn't weak." Larry says apologetically. Tesla looks at Larry's extended hand before huffing and walking away.
"I'll beat you one day, just you wait…" Tesla mutters as he walks back to Sabo, who gives him a concerned expression. Larry stares at the retreating Tesla in utter confusion while scratching the back of his head.
"Big Brother, you're okay?" Sabo asks in concern as Tesla huffs and ruffles Sabo's head fur.
"No need to worry, I passed the trial, didn't I?" Tesla says with a grin.
"I see you getting thrashed by Larry," Thorn comments as Tesla glares at him. Victor looks at Thorn, surprised that he was the first one to insult Tesla instead of him.
"You four," They all turn to face Charlie as he approaches them. "Congratulations on passing the trial."
"So…that's it? That's the trial?" Victor can't help but ask out of suspicion, which is a mistake, as Thorn, Tesla, and Sabo immediately shut him up by closing his mouth. Charlie can't help but chuckle.
"Yes, that's the trial," Charlie says. "Like I said earlier, exploring dungeons is no child's play, and Pokémon who are incapable of protecting themselves could be in great danger while doing this job. This trial acts as a way to gauge not only your strength but also your mentality. Some Pokemons refuse to fight despite the danger they're in, so no matter how powerful they are, what use of that power if they won't use it to defend themselves against danger? You four have fulfilled both requirements to pass the trial. Beating your opponents is simply a bonus."
"T-thanks for the explanation…" Victor says as he gets rid of his friends' and acquaintances' limbs from his mouth. Honestly, Victor thinks it was a simple but effective trial to join the Guild. All of them are going to be in the Mystery Dungeon due to their job, so the requirement makes a lot of sense.
Thorn and Sabo can't help but share an excited smile while Tesla silently frowns, unable to stop thinking about the result of the trial. Out of all Pokemons, he is the only one who's unable to beat one of the Guild's Apprentices. Sure, the one he faced was much tougher than any of the opponents that others faced, but it still feels suck to Tesla, especially when Victor, the one who was supposed to not remember how to fight, was able to beat one after a week of training.
This made Tesla feel frustrated with himself, noticing how weak he is. If he can't beat a Guild Apprentice, then what about the Pokemons he might face in the future? The thought alone made him extremely anxious, fearing for his little brother's safety in the future.
"Now, you said that you four want to create a team, right?" Charlie asks as Victor, Thorn, and Sabo nod in unison. "Then, may I ask what team name it will be?"
"Uh…" Sabo looks a little lost on this. He was so focused on his desire to be the Guild's Apprentice to form an Exploration team that he forgot some details. He didn't consider the name of his team at all, which made him realize his mistake. He glances at Thorn, Tesla, and Victor, and it is clear that the three of them had no idea either.
"Neither of you had thought much about this, did you?" Charlie asks in amusement, causing the quartet to blush in embarrassment. "Well, how about team leader?"
Upon hearing that, each member points at the one they believe to be a suitable team leader. Both Tesla and Victor point at Sabo; Tesla's reason is very obvious, and Victor's reason is that he believes that Sabo deserves the position, given that forming the team is his idea, and he's quite knowledgeable. As for Thorn and Sabo, they both pointed at Victor, much to his surprise; the reason behind it is that Victor, being the oldest and most mature of the members, also has a knack for strategy and is mature enough to handle others, especially Tesla and his attitude.
"…oh, dear. You all seem to have…different opinions with each other…" Charlie mutters, visibly confused by this.
"…remind me why you guys pointed at me?" Victor asks with twitching eyes.
"You're the mature one," Thorn says immediately.
"Yeah, you're perfect as the team leader." Sabo agrees.
"Won't Sabo be a better choice as a leader? I mean, the entire idea of forming this team is your idea." Victor comments.
"I don't qualify to be a leader." Sabo shakes his head. "Unlike you, I…am still hesitant to take action and shout commands to people. I have a hard time adapting, and I fold easily under pressure. Being a leader shouldn't have such issues."
"I am not a perfect being, Sabo. I can still hesitate, unable to adapt properly, and could fold under pressure." Victor argues.
"You're right, but you forgot one thing, Victor," Thorn says, getting Victor's attention. "You have your issues to deal with, yet you choose to help us. Remember the time you offered to help at the Beach? How about the time you gave a pep talk to Sabo twice to help him? Or the time you were concerned about me? You have a lot on your plate, but you still choose to help us even when we didn't ask for it. That is why I chose you."
Victor looks unsure with this as he looks at Thorn and Sabo giving him Baby-Doll Eyes. He turns to Tesla and silently begs him to help, especially convincing his little brother to be the leader. But the damn rat did something Victor would never see coming.
"Ah, right, if I remember correctly, being a leader has a lot of tasks to do," Tesla says with a petty smirk. "I suppose the eldest one should be the one to bear the responsibility of that task, isn't that right?"
'Fuck you too, Tesla!' Victor screams internally before looking back at Thorn and Sabo, then he lets out a sigh.
"Fine, fine. I'll be the leader, you happy?" Victor says in annoyance, causing Thorn and Sabo to cheer.
"Well, that's an interesting way to choose a leader," Charlie chuckles. "Well, then. Congratulations on becoming an official apprentice of Wigglytuff Guild. Since you all haven't thought of a team name, I suppose we can put that on hold."
"Ah, crud. Team name idea, huh?" Victor mutters while pondering. "…guys, what do you think of Team Dawn?"
"Team Dawn?" Thorn and Sabo ask in unison.
"It's a reference to the term Dawn of Beginning, the name reflects on how the four of us take a beginning step towards our goal, in this guild," Victor suggests. Upon hearing it, Thorn's and Sabo's eyes widen, sparkles coming out of them.
"Yes!" They say in unison before looking at Tesla, who merely grunts, not caring much.
"Then, I suppose Team Dawn shall be the officially registered team name, and you will be the leader, Victor," Charlie exclaims before William approaches them, holding a box, and gives it to them. They all look puzzled before opening it, revealing two storage bags along with a bunch of accessories.
"Whoa!"/"Awesome!" Both Thorn and Sabo exclaim, causing Victor to chuckle at their reaction. Despite everything, the duo is still children, so their attitudes were reasonable.
"This shall be the gear and equipment from the Guild. Welcome to the guild, my friends!" William exclaims cheerfully. Each member picks their gear. Thorn chose a blue bandanna and a beanie hat; the last item confused Victor a bit, and he wondered why he chose that, to which Thorn simply replied that he just liked it.
For Sabo, he has a red bandanna with a small utility belt around his waist. Sabo thinks that it would be helpful when he needs to draw out items quickly, as the bag may be a great storage, but it'll take a while before he can get the right items. Tesla chooses a green bandanna with a pair of green bands on his wrist.
For Victor, he has the red bandanna and a pair of goggles. He honestly wanted to have more since he admittedly didn't like being too exposed, but given that no one's taking more than two, he didn't take more, and he could buy some from Kecleon Shop after he got a much more stable income. Each member receives their badges shaped like a winged egg, and they place them on their bandanna.
"Everyone!" Larry exclaims, startling everyone. "Let us cheer for our newest apprentice!"
"YEAH!!!" Each member starts to cheer loudly, and the surrounding Team Dawn as they start lifting them into the sky before rushing towards their Guild building. The entire guild celebrates their success by hosting a huge feast, something that neither of the Team Dawn refuses, given how hungry they are after the fight.
Victor managed to meet with Carlos, and Victor had to apologize about the injuries, which the Croagunk is chill about, and said he'll probably do worse to him, especially since Victor's a 'Bagon'. The last part makes Victor blanch, groaning at how he ain't beating the allegation anytime soon, much to the senior's confusion.
Thorn and Sabo also meet Sally and Barry again, and they both apologize for overdoing it during the trial. Sally agrees that it was a bit much, especially when Thorn casually performs cannibalism by biting her elongated leaves, but she accepts it. As for Barry, being a kind Pokémon, he forgives Sabo easily.
Victor gets to know more about Carlos and the unique shop he has, the Croagunk Swap Shop. Victor had honestly not given too much thought to the shop when he first played the game until he heard about the exclusive items. Victor feels like he wants to beat his past self for not using such a feature and making his gameplay experience hard. He also found out that Carlos is a candidate for the Graduation Test, like Larry, which made Victor gain several members' respect for his strength.
As a welcoming gift, Carlos has gifted Victor with some exclusive items: Grass-Guard (For Thorn), Volt Charm (For Tesla), and Blazing Rock (For Sabo). Carlos wishes he had exclusive items for him, but for some reason, the Crag Helmet, an exclusive item for Bagon, didn't react to him. Victor had to stress how he's no Bagon, and the exclusive item is another proof that he isn't.
Thorn and Sabo were able to learn more about their seniors, learning how they joined the guild not long after they joined. Barry has been around for several months, while Sally joined a year ago. Barry is infamous for being a klutz and always clumsy, while Sally tends to gossip with others, but both are good Pokemons.
As for Tesla, he had found a new rival, Larry, and currently, he is competing against the Loudred in the food contest. Victor tries to keep the Pikachu from doing so as it will only upset his stomach, but the rat pays no heed to him. And surprise, surprise, he had to be sent to the infirmary while Charlie mutters something about a new record. Victor could only facepalmed at the moment.
After the feast, the trio (Tesla remains in the infirmary for the time being) goes to visit Daichi and inform him about the good news. Daichi didn't hesitate to express his pride towards his students and wish them the very best for their future, while adding that the door to the dojo will always be open for them.
Overall, it was a great day for the newly formed Team Dawn.
To Be Continued