Chapter 1: Application

"Give it back!” the female rattatta cried out. “My momma made it for me!” She made a dive for the purple ribbon, but it was yanked out of the way. 

“Ha, what are you aiming for!?” the zigzagoon laughed at her attempt. 

“Guess you don’t really want it back,” the poochyena growled through his mouthful of ribbon. 

“Please!” she begged. 

“Drop it!” a new voice shouted. The bushes shook as a black and orange shape burst out of the brush. A darker furred growlithe landed in the clearing, continuing to sprint and tackling the poochyena in the side. The grey dog let out a grunt and fell over, dropping the ribbon to the ground. 

“Wh-” the zigzagoon started, but a fearsome growl from the newcomer made him stop and back up a few steps. 

The growlithe leapt forward, pinning the poochyena and growling in his face. 

“Ow, alright, alright!” Poochyena cried. “We’re sorry. We’ll leave her alone.” 

“You’d better,” the growlithe threatened. “Now beat it, you bullies!” He let up and let the poochyena scurry away. 

The rattatta walked over and used her forepaws to pick up the ribbon and return it to its rightful place on her left ear. “Hey, thank ya so much.” 

“No problem. Those guys are just jerks.”

“I don’t recognize ya. You new around here?”

“Yeah, my family just moved here,” he explained. “Fusion, by the way.” He raised his head and posed proudly. He lowered his head and looked at her. “Uh, that’s my name.”

She snickered as he ruined his heroic image. “Nice to meet you Fusion. I’m Rita.”

+++

“That was nice,” Fusion said to himself as he walked home. “Made a friend, shipped off the application, and Mom is making Leppa and deer stew for dinner. Today was a good day.” 

He and his family had just moved to the coastal city of Crest Town. It was a bustling market and manufacturing settlement on the Southwestern tip of the Grass Continent and connected to the Great Sea, offering trade with all the other continents. Their den was further out of the major population center, situated in the nearby valley. They had plenty of neighbors, including his new buddy Rita. Though, they wouldn’t have much time to hang out, at least he hoped. 

“Oh, wow, that sounds bad,” he said, looking up to the sky as he walked along the path. “I mean, she’s nice but... I hopefully won’t be here in a few months.”

He was close to home now, picking up the pace to get there. The entrance to their den was like most of the nearby ones, a hole in the ground leading to a small cave. Compared to their previous home, where he lived for the first two years of his life, it was not a natural one. Like most of the dens in the valley, it was dug and sold by a local company. 

“Mom! I’m home!” He called as he walked down the entrance, coming into the main room to find her tending to the fire pit. His arcanine mother stood next to a large metal pot, bubbling with the family’s dinner and a ladle with a large quadruped friendly handle sticking out. She leaned over to blow a few more embers into the fire before speaking. Unlike him, she was normally colored. 

“Welcome back honey. Have fun?” she asked sweetly.

“Yeah, I made a friend.”

“That’s great.” She reached out and stired the stew more. 

Fusion walked closer and sniffed the stew. “Smells about ready.” 

“Almost. Your dad should be back soon, then we can eat.”

“Okay,” Fusion said, moving towards his room. The den started with a large circular room, held up by stone columns. In the center was the fire, where they did the cooking. Around the rest of the room was storage, a sitting area, a space for eating, and meat prep, where the packaging for the deer meat still lay.

“Fusion?” She asked just before he left the room. “Did you get your application to Pelliper Mail?”

“Of course,” he responded. “No way I would forget.”

+++

“Ok... alright. Deep breaths,” Fusion said to himself. “Here we go.” He flipped open the first page of the booklet, dabbing his paw in some ink to write with. “Why do you want to join the Academy of Rescue and Exploration, abbreviated as A.R.E. henceforth?” 

“I want to be a hero, someone pokemon can look up to,” he wrote. “I want those who can’t protect themselves to know they’re safe, that nobody can hurt them with someone strong like me around.” 

He continued on, answering basic questions as he did. Where he lived, how old he was, his lineage, moves he knew, and life experience. He was two years old now, the minimum age to be admitted. Beyond fighting local bullies, he didn’t have much combat under his belt and he hadn’t explored anywhere besides where he lived. His parents had taught him a few moves: bite, ember and flame wheel and a few other useful moves. Fighting wasn’t an oddity for young pokemon. It was natural for their species, with their great power, to rough house. They hardly ever truly hurt each other however. Pokemon were naturally extremely resilient, taking punishment that would kill the animals of the world tens of times over without any lasting damage. So even when covered in fire that burned hot enough to melt metal, a pokemon could escape with only minor burns and a bit of exhaustion. Everything about their species, the power, the constitution, the intelligence, all added together to place them high atop the food chain. 

The greatest threat in the world, besides the world itself, was other pokemon. Not all of their species lived in the societies that had formed. Some lived in tribal groups and others in more instinctual packs. Most of these so called ‘wild’ pokemon lived in mystery dungeons. One of the most mysterious phenomena in the world, mystery dungeons, often just called dungeons, were locations in the world that somehow changed with time. This, along with the often-aggressive wild pokemon that lived there, made them dangerous to navigate. Unfortunately, they were located all over the world and often housed many natural resources, making them a necessary danger. 

That was where rescue and exploration teams came in. Rescue teams were focused on helping normal pokemon. They would rescue those injured or lost in dungeons, hunt for resources, and take down dangerous pokemon. Exploration teams were more focused on mapping the world, cataloging mystery dungeons and their dangers, looking for treasure, and studying the workings of the world. While the two were different, teams were not limited to which line of work they engaged in. They could specialize in one or the other, but many dabbled in both aspects. The teams were joined together and certified under the Federation. It kept them accountable and helped connect pokemon’s contracts with a team to carry it out.

Academies were a new thing. Previously, pokemon entering into the rescue and exploration world joined up with local guilds. Guilds would specialize in either or both. They would then mentor apprentices while they worked for them. Once they finished, they would leave to create their own team or stay on with the guild. The guild system had many issues however. On the small scale, it could work, creating some of the best teams in the world, like Team ACT and Team Charm, but there were also tales of corruption and abuse. 

Ten years ago, the ARE was created. Since then, other academies opened, but the ARE was still the most well renowned. Since Fusion was going to be the best, he wanted to learn from the best. In addition, plenty of high ranked guilds and teams scouted from the graduates of the academy, giving an easy path towards the upper tiers. Even he wanted to start his own team, graduation certified the team for a minimum of gold rank. 

“Team Power,” he said to himself. “Team Awesome. No... Team Mega. Or Team Epic. Whatever, plenty of time to figure out the best name. I gotta get in first.” He looked back down and continued to fill out the paperwork. 

The next sheet was full of questions with multiple answers. But it wasn’t the quiz Fusion expected. 

“What are others to you? A: Ally B: Friend C: Rival”

“What helps you win fights? A: Strategy B: Training C: Teamwork”

“What kind of pokemon do you wish to fight? A: Strong B: Weak C: Anyone”

“Which is most important? A: Love B: Knowledge C: Strength”

“What kind of work do you prefer? A: Hard B: Easy C: All”

“What kind of questions are these? Nothing about my moves or genetics or anything.” He shrugged and marked his answers: B A A C C.

As he flipped the last page over, he saw only white. “Is...” he quickly flipped back through, making sure everything was filled out, the entire application only being two pages. “That’s it? All they asked was just about me. No test or anything?” He got up and put the pages into his satchel. Tomorrow, he’d have it delivered. “It’s up to fate now.”

+++

“I’m home!” Dad called out as he entered the den.

Fusion got up from his bed and rushed out of his room. “Dad!” He rounded the corner in time to see his houndoom father giving Mom a kiss. 

“Hey, Champ.” They met in the middle of the room, playfully wrestling for a moment, his father winning and pinning Fusion under a paw. “You get into the ARE?”

“Not yet. I sent off the application today. Now I just have to wait for the response. The year starts in two months, so...”

“Then you should hear back soon. That’s great, now let’s eat.”

Mom brought over a wheeled metal cart, with three bowls set on it. Into each, she poured some of the stew, then moved the cart back to the stone slab that was their table. Things were a bit harder for quadrupedal pokemon, not being able to move and manipulate objects at the same time. Their paws were flexible enough to do fine tasks, like using tools, but the problem came when trying to move at the same time. Some of the smartest pokemon out there were making solutions for those problems however. The cart was one of them, used for moving large objects around the house. There were the packs and satchels, made to attach to the back through straps for moving smaller objects long distances and keeping them close to the owner. They even had brushes that attached to the paws or mouth for cleaning. 

“So how was work?” Mom asked Dad.

“Good. The steel mill was just dying for a strong fire type.”

His family had lived in the middle Grass continent but decided to move down to Crest town, both for his Dad to get a better paying job and to be closer to the port when Fusion got his dream of going to the ARE.

+++

The next week was the longest of Fusion’s life. Every day, the sound of the Pelliper Mail bird woke him up. He would rush outside, waiting for him, a swellow, to land at their den. But he didn’t. Not until the eighth day after sending his application did Fusion emerge to meet the mail bird. 

“Fusion?” he asked. “Letter for you.” He removed it from his pack and handed it over with his wing. 

“Thank you.” Fusion took the letter in his teeth and rushed back inside. He only made it into the main room before he couldn’t contain himself anymore. He sat down and ripped into the letter, unfolding it to read the contents. “YES!” he shouted.

“Fusion?” his Mom called from her room. “You okay?” 

“I got in!” he shouted back, prancing a circle around the letter. She came out a moment later, still looking tired. “I got accepted!” he yelled, wide eyed and full of energy.

“Oh, honey,” she came over and nuzzled him into submission. “That’s wonderful.” 

“Mom?” he asked, feeling wetness on his fur.  “Why are you crying? Why are you sad?”

“I’m not sad. I’m happy,” she explained. “My little boy is all grown up.”

+++

“Today’s the day son,” Dad said. “Do your best and make us proud.” 

“I will Dad.” Behind Fusion, a boat was slowly coming into harbor, pulled by a duo of lapras. 

“Make sure you write letters home,” Mom said. “And we’re pretty close to the island, so come visit if you can. Make sure you keep clean. And be nice. And stay on top of your studies. Don't fall behind.”

“Mom, I can handle this.”

“I know you can sweetie. We’re going to miss you.”

“Me too.” 

“The ARE transport ship has arrived!” the port manager exploud shouted. “Repeat, the Academy of Rescue and Exploration transport ship has arrived! All students please board now!” 

“That’s me,” Fusion said. “Alright, see you later!” He hurried off with plenty of energy, too excited to be nervous. Along with a couple dozen other pokemon, he boarded the ship. 

“Alright!” a white furred ninetales yelled as they gathered on the deck. The chatter died down once she started. “Everybody here? We leave in five either way.” She walked back and forth a bit. “After we leave, it’s about a two-hour trip to the island. This boat’s got some snacks inside, so hang out and chill. These lapras,” she pointed to the front where they were hooked to the boat, “are working for free, just for you guys. So play nice, make it a smooth ride. No rough stuff or I’ll have to put you on ice.”

“Uhm, Miss?” a female riolu next to Fusion asked.

“It’s Ashley, not Miss.”

“Miss Ashley, are you a teacher?”

Ashley sighed. “No. But my sister is. Next question.”

“What happens when we get to the Academy?” another voice asked. 

“You’ll go through an orientation, then get settled in. All the other boats are on their way, so this year's entire class will get there today. You don’t start anything serious until tomorrow.”

“Do we get to pick our dorms? The application didn’t give any details about that.” 

“All these questions... Just relax. Today’s a big day, so celebrate. Trust me, you’ll learn everything you need to later. My job’s just to make sure you get there safely.”

The crowd then started to disperse over the boat. The whole thing was made mostly of wood, in a roughly rectangular shape. There was a big room in the middle, with walking areas all along the sides. At the front, where they were now, was the biggest open space. A bunch of pokemon went inside, while others stayed out. Fusion himself walked over to the edge, looking past the railing towards the docks. 

“The ARE transport ship is departing!” 

“Are we good to go ma’am?” one of the lapras asked. 

“Uh...” Ashley looked over the dock. “Nope, no last-minute guests. Let’s get moving!” 

The lapras turned and gave the nod to one of the dock workers, who removed the boarding plank. The boat then began to move out of port and into the ocean. Fusion watched the whole time as first his parents faded from view, then the city, then the land. Only when the buildings were too small to see anymore did he look away. 

With a deep breath, Fusion turned and walked away from the railing. “This is how it starts,” he said quietly to himself, “the first step of my journey.”

“Are you talking to yourself?”

Fusion’s fur crawled in embarrassment as he looked up to see the riolu from earlier looking at him. “Uh...”

“Don’t worry. It just means you got a lot on your mind.” She stepped closer. “I’m Layla.”

“Fusion. Sorry if I was acting weird.”

“Like I said, it’s fine. Feeling nervous?” Layla asked.

“Not really. We haven’t even done anything yet.”

“Yeah. We all made it in, so we probably won’t get kicked out unless we mess up. Still... I can’t help but feel tense. This is a big moment, like you were saying. The start of our journey. In fact, that’s probably why they sent Miss Ashley instead of a teacher, so she could help us calm down.”

“Makes sense, I guess,” Fusion said. “We should probably go look around. We’ll be here for a while.” 

“Seems like most of the pokemon here don’t know each other. Wanna stick together?”

“Sure.” He stepped past her and led the way into the cabin. Inside, most of the others had already formed small groups, one even including Ashley. In the middle of the room were a couple baskets with apples and berries. Fusion walked over and picked out a spicy one, while Layla got a couple sour ones. “Well, uh, I guess we just chat for a couple hours.”

“That’s fine with me.” The two of them sat down near one of the walls. “So, you don’t know anyone here either?”

“Nope. So uh, why did you pick me?”

“Well, you kinda stand out.” 

Fusion looked down at his black ruff and tail. “I guess.” Different colors weren’t unheard of, but were not very common. It could occur via albinism, which manifested differently based on the species, or through fur color being passed down from the parents, like what happened to Fusion.

“That, and you talking to yourself was kinda cute.”

Fusion blushed at the comment. She was cute too. They were both of age for pokemon, who developed quickly, but he wasn’t here for girls. “You know anything about what’s going on once we get there? The brochure didn’t really... say much.” 

“No ideas here. I mean, they had lists of classes and stuff, but nothing about life at the Academy.”

“It seems weird. But there’s gotta be a reason. It wouldn’t be the best place in the world otherwise,” Fusion reasoned.

“Exactly,” she nodded. “Keeping things hidden must be part of the process. We’re in good hands.”

+++

“Everybody!” Ashley called out. “We’re almost there! If you head out, the island should be coming into view.” 

“Oh, already?” Fusion said. 

“That wasn’t too bad. Well,” Layla stood up, “it was nice meeting you Fusion. Find me sometime if you need help.” 

“Yeah, same here. See you around.” With that, they separated in the crowd moving out onto the deck. Sure enough, land was visible on the horizon. It didn’t take much longer to get close enough to make out details. They were approaching from the north, a forest visible past the rocky elevated coast. To the west side was a large mountain and the east had a beach. A wooden dock soon came into view. The boat pulled up alongside and some bipedal pokemon attached a bridge.

“Okay everybody, line up and follow me,” Ashley called out. She led the way off the ship and through the light woods. Through the canopy, he could see more trees further south, much thicker and taller. After walking for a bit, they came upon a large wooden building. In the front were a few statues of what seemed to be pokemon, but the species were unfamiliar to Fusion. “Alright, everybody in. The entrance ceremony will start once all the groups get here.” As the students filed in, Fusion heard Ashley shout. “Hey! Carver!” He turned to find her running to meet another group leader, an absol. 

Inside the building, ornate wood and metal designs were all over the place. A gold chandelier hung from the ceiling, paintings adorned the walls and even the wooden railing was carved into the shape of pokemon, various snake breeds. The entry room had a big staircase that led upstairs and large doors leading right and left. The new students were led around the stairs, into doors on either side that led into a big room with plenty of space. At the front was a stage, where several older pokemon stood. There were already some more new students gathered inside, and there was another group coming in behind Fusion’s.

“We are ready to begin, please quiet down,” a voice called out. A reuniclus floated forward from the group. “I am Brain, one of the teachers. I’m sure you all have plenty of questions, so let’s get started. First, the embargo on information was intentional. You see, when entering a dungeon, you often have very little information. You must boldly take a leap of faith. By coming here despite that, you have shown your courage. But rest assured, this is what you think. We will train and teach you to be the next generation.” He floated along, mimicking pacing, as he spoke. “You should all consider yourselves lucky. You may have noticed the strange application. It is not meant to test your ability, only to provide needed information. This is to provide every student a chance to enter and show their worth, regardless of their circumstance. Each year, from the thousands of applicants, we accept only one hundred and fifty, on a semi random basis. From those lucky few, we further divide them into our three dorms, fifty each. You have already been assigned to dorms, based on your applications.” 

A magmortar stepped forward. “I am Bomb. I lead the Raging Volcano den. We dwell to the west in the caves under the mountain. Our specialty is combat.” His tone and posture were all business.

Next up was a Vespiquen. “Vespa is my name. The children of Vibrant Forest are under my care. The forest is our home, built into the strong trees to the south. We focus on teamwork and rescue efforts.” Her voice has a buzzing insectoid drone to it but still sounded caring.

“And I’m Lynn,” the floatzel stepped forward with a wave. “Calm Ocean is my den. We live on the beach to the east. Exploration and tactics are what we teach.” She sounded casual and fun.

“After we finish here, you will go with your respective den leader and get your room assignments,” Brain started again. “Each of you will also receive a schedule for classes you will attend. No matter what den you are in, you will learn from all three. However, your den decides where you live and which services you will use.”

“For example,” Bomb started, “each den has several facilities. Training grounds, shops, places to eat and the like. You can only use the buildings of the den you live in. This is so we can keep things running smoothly. Don’t worry, every den has roughly the same things available.”

“Speaking of,” Lynn cut in, “you earn poke to spend on whatever you want. No matter what, you make enough for basic food. Preforming well in class, as well as doing missions, can earn extra. You’ll get trainee badges that link to your poke account and your school data, so keeping track of all the info is a breeze.”

Vespa started talking. “After passing a test, you will be allowed to perform missions approved by the administration. This will allow you to get some experience in the field while still being a student. You will be allowed to keep a portion of the rewards from missions and anything you discover in the field. The Academy is nonprofit, but we do need money to operate. That is why we take a cut of rewards. Many pokemon here work for free and we try to gather our own resources as best we can to keep costs down. Our one and only goal is to empower the future.”

“The only activity you are required to participate in is going to assigned classes,” Brain began again. “The program is meant to be completed in three years. You may take as many as five, but it is possible to graduate in only a single year. Work hard and try your best, and in no time, you’ll be ready to take on the world. Now, we will read off den assignments.” 

Pokemon by pokemon, the den leaders read off their students. It didn’t take long for Fusion to be called. “Fusion the growlithe, Forest,” Vespa announced. The only other one he was listening for came soon after. “Layla the riolu, Ocean,” Lynn called.

Once the last name was called, all three den leaders stepped forward. Fusion joined the group gathering in front of Vespa as she floated off the stage. “Alright my children.” She came down in the middle of the group, her insect wings buzzing as she hovered a couple inches off the ground. “Come along and I will show you your new home.” She rose up into the air again, flying over the group and to the front. Leading the way outside, they separated from the other two groups, heading south.

The forest changed as the trees grew exponentially thicker and taller. Eventually they came upon a bridge that sloped up into the canopy. Looking up revealed a small portion of the Forest den. It was built into and around the trees, some reaching well over thirty feet off the ground. Wooden platforms were built around the trunks, in varying circular sizes. Some were larger and connected to close trees and others wrapped around solitary trunks, but all were connected by more rope suspended wood bridges. The ramp they arrived from brought the group to one of the largest platforms, near the center. 

“This is our home my children. The combee of the forest are my personal helpers, ask any of them for help if you need it. Now,” she motioned towards a map posted on a very large noticeboard. “The facilities of the den are located near the center. Classes and training grounds are on the forest floor. Dorms lie on the outskirts, with higher year students having rooms closer to the center.” 

“Just a few more things, then you can relax for the rest of the day,” she said. “Life is a bit different here. There are very few animals on the island. As such, no hunting is allowed. If you find wild food, you are allowed to eat it, but for the most part, you will have to buy your meals. Please keep that in mind and spend responsibly. For those of you who enjoy meat, you should know the only kind we have in abundance, mostly due to our location, is fish. Your time is also something to use wisely. Aside from classes, which are mandatory, use it as you see fit. Training both body and mind would be an excellent start.”

“And lastly, you are allowed to form your own teams. If you make some friends, you can join together in a team. When doing so, you will be linked together in several ways, so make sure it is with someone you trust. That is all you need to know for the time being. There will be much more to discover, so be prepared. Until next we meet my children, have a good night.” Her wings picked up their pace as she floated up into the tree tops. Just before she vanished, a group of combee emerged from the trees, all carrying papers. They buzzed down to the notice board and pinned them up.

“Everyone, these are your rooms,” one announced before flying away. The group of pokemon all crowded around to see where they’d been assigned. Fusion was further in the back and had to wait before he could see. Once they started dispersing, he made it close enough to read. Every pokemon also had a roommate. Fusion was listed with someone named Anko in room number 87. He checked the map and found his room listed towards the far east end of the whole den.

Navigating the area was a bit unnerving at first, traversing over the swaying rope bridges to get between every platform, but they felt stable, built out of strong but light wood and thick rope. The platforms were also steady, not even moving in the wind. From below, they were supported by big beams of wood, attached directly to the giant trees. Along the way, he passed a few interesting locations close by. There was a big shop and a common area. Also, he found the closest ramp down to the ground. Eventually, he arrived at the last stop, a small connector that had only three paths. One was the way he came, back towards the inner area. The other two led to small hut shaped platforms. The one on his right was their room, while the left was someone else’s, the neighbors. Each was roughly circular, walls right up to the edge and the bridge connecting right to the door which was covered by cloth. It was all made of dark wood and the roof also had some straw built into it between the supports. 

Fusion stepped inside curiously, pushing through the thick fabric that was the door. The room was organized in two circle halves, with the tree trunk in the middle, sprouting from the floor and going through the roof. On the sides were beds, made of moss and leaves, and there was a big window on the far end. Near the beds were some chests and cabinets for storage. Towards the back was one big and two small sanded tree stumps, functioning as a table and chairs. Towards the very back was a small barrel of water. The room was quite small, making the lack of furniture less obvious. On the tree trunk were two hooks from which hung two bags and two sheets of paper. 

Fusion stepped further in, going up to the bag and note. “Fusion. This is your treasure bag, useful for carrying supplies. There are many compartments and it is designed for space efficiency. Inside is your personal badge, identified with your pawprint. It does not carry any of the abilities of a real badge, but will be used temporarily as identification. Please keep it on you at all times. On this sheet, you will also find your class schedule for your first five months.” Fusion reached up and pulled it off the wood, the stinger it was embedded with falling to the floor. “Monday: Battle Training in the Volcano den. Tuesday: Teamwork 101 in the Forest Den. Wednesday: Items and You at administration building 4. Thursday: Exploring the World at the Ocean den. Friday: Search and Rescue in administration building 2.”

“Is this the right place? Fusion?” a voice asked from outside. The curtain pushed aside as a rockruff came into the room. “Are you Fusion?” he asked. “I’m Anko. You probably figured that out though. I guess we’re roommates now. Nice to meet you. I hope we get along. I’m pretty friendly.” Anko moved quickly across the room and past Fusion, talking at a blinding pace. “What is this? New bags? Cool. Oh, and classes! Do we share any?” Anko leaned over uncomfortably close and looked at the sheet Fusion still held. “We’re in Teamwork and Exploring, awesome. Sounds like fun, don’t you think? Oh, sorry, I haven’t let you speak a word since I got here, have I? Go ahead, I’ll shut up now.”

“Hi...” Fusion said slowly. “I’m Fusion. Nice to meet you. We should get to know each other then. So... where are you from?”

“I’m from the Mist Continent. I lived up more to the north. It was pretty cold. And the boat ride was really long. We left before the sun rose to get here on time,” Anko said while running around and looking closely at everything in the room.

“You don’t seem tired at all... I’m from the Grass Continent. It wasn’t really much different than here. Though I can smell the sea way more.” 

“So what do you wanna do? Rescue or explore?”

“Rescue. I want to help others,” Fusion explained proudly.

“I like the idea of exploring. I wanna see the world and meet new friends,” Anko told him. “But rescuing could be fun too. Oh, hey, I'm hungry. You wanna go get some lunch?”

“Sure, lemme just...” Fusion removed his own bag from home and swapped it for the treasure bag. He took the badge from inside and attached it to his neck fluff. Anko put his new gear on too, placing his badge on his shoulder. 

“What do you like to eat? Sweet berry pie is my favorite. Oh, and...” Anko said as they left. As they walked across the bridge, they saw their neighbors walking theirs. The two pairs met at the connecter. “Oh, hey there. Do you live next to us? What do you wanna do? What do you like to eat? Where are you from?” Anko started spouting off as he saw them. 

“You talk too much,” the fennekin growled.

“Don’t be rude,” the zorua told her. “He’s just excited to meet us, right?”

“Yeah, we’re gonna live next to each other, so we should be friends,” Anko said cheerily.

“That sounds alright. You two know each other before? Or just met.” 

“We just met. And we’re already buddies. We know everything about each-”

Fusion looked over at him. “We met like two minutes ago. I’m Fusion, he’s Anko.”

“Nina,” the zorua introduced herself. “And miss grumpy is Leah. Don’t mind her, she’s been mean since we met.”

“Call me Lee,” she grunted.

“Nice to meet you both,” Fusion said. “We were off to get lunch. You want to come with?”

“Sure. Probably a good idea to make some friends,” Nina said. “Leah?”

“No.” 

“Lee, pwetty pwease!” Nina begged.

“Fine,” Lee said with a roll of her eyes. “Whatever.”

“Let’s go!” Anko called, leading the way across the next bridge. 

The group traveled back inwards, using the maps to navigate to the closest shop. It wasn’t too far from their rooms and had a sitting area and ramp down. The platform was much larger than their dorms, with a hut shaped building covering most of it, the seats off to the side. There was a short line they had to wait in when arriving, but they reached the counter soon enough. “Hello there, what can Santana do for you?” the delibird in the hut asked with a deep accented voice. 

“Uh, we want food,” Fusion said. 

Santana pointed with a wing towards a list on the side of the counter. “The menu is there. We also have adventuring supplies and training equipment if you desire. Santana has everything you could need.” 

“We’re new here, so, how do we pay?” Fusion asked.

“You have your trainee badge, yes? Santana can simply scan it to automatically remove the poke from your account. If you wish to spend money on the mainland, you can withdraw it as pokecoins.”

“Okay...” Fusion said, looking over the menu. “Spicy fish sandwich please.” Fusion unpinned his badge and handed it over to Santana. 

“That will cost 60P.” He pressed the badge against a blue globe in the counter until it flashed yellow. “In case you do not know, you can use that machine,” he leaned out and pointed to a similar looking device on the side of the building, “to check your details, including your balance.” Santana turned back and called, “One spicy fish!”

“Alright, cool.” Fusion stepped away, allowing Anko to step up. 

“Uh... Oh, mashed sweet potatoes and berries!”

“I’d like... Rawst salad, thank you.” Nina ordered.

“Noodles and cheese.” Leah said, coming up last.

“Thank you.” The bird handed them a small ribbon with a pyramid shape at the bottom, where there was a number engraved on each side. “Have a seat across the way and Trevor will bring your meal. If you ever need a meal for your journey, we have storage bags that keep your food fresh and hot without making a mess.”

Fusion and the others left the shop platform, crossing over a bridge to the sitting area next to it. After they claimed a table and all sat down, Anko spoke up first. “So, everybody share. Why did you apply?”

“Well, like I said, I want to be a hero, rescuing others when they need help most,” Fusion said. “Getting a diploma from here would really help me do that.”

“Okay, I’ll go next,” Anko announced. “I wanna explore this magical world. There’s so much that’s a mystery and I want to solve it.”

“Alright,” Nina said. “My sister graduated here a few years ago. And she did it in only two years. I want to be just like her.”

All three of them looked at Lee. “What?” She asked. “I don’t have to tell you anything.” She looked away and let out a huff. 

“That’s fine too,” Anko said supportively. “So, since we’re all friends, I was thinking we should make a team!”

“No,” Lee responded immediately.

“Yeah... you’re nice, but... we just met,” Fusion agreed.

“You know what? Screw it, I’m in,” Nina smiled as she told him. “Sides, if you suck, I can leave later.”

“Yay!” Anko cheered. “C’mon Fusion, c’mon!” he whined. “Join our team! Please, please, please, please, please, pleas-”

“Alright,” Fusion gave in under the relentless barrage. 

“Lee? Please!” Anko changed targets. 

“No, you’re annoying,” she said, still looking away. 

Anko climbed up onto the table, getting even closer to her. “C’mon, everybody else joined! Please! You’d be the only one left out!” 

“I don’t care. I don’t need you guys.”

“Then we need you! You can be the strongest team member!” 

“Fine, damn, just shut up. If you weaklings hold me back, I’m gone.”

“Yay! So, now we need a name...” Anko sat back down then looked over at Fusion. “Hmm... Fusion... like... we’re fusing together...” He mashed his paws together. 

“Number seventeen?” A voice asked. They all turned to see a pansear holding a tray with their food. He set it on the table before leaving quickly.

“Combining and... Team Union!” Anko called out. 

“Not bad,” Nina said. 

“Yeah, I like it too,” Fusion agreed. 

“Whatever, I don’t care,” Lee mumbled, grabbing her cheesy pasta and beginning to eat, using the big quadrupedal spoon it came with. 

“Great, I’ll take care of everything, don’t you worry!” Anko beamed as everyone else took their food. 

“That makes me worry more,” Nina joked.

+++

After eating, the group split up. Anko went off to take care of the paperwork for making a team while Lee went down to the training grounds. Nina and Fusion went together back to their rooms. 

“So my sister said we can take the trainee badge test pretty soon. So we should all work hard and get it first try, then we can do real missions and stuff.”

“You sure talk about her a lot,” Fusion responded.

“How could I not? She’s a badass zoroark, already at gold rank.”

“Gold?” Fusion asked.

“Yeah. You get points from the federation by doing missions, then you rank up and can take on harder jobs. Even if we part ways, we’ll still keep our points, so long as we don’t break the rules or anything.”

“That’s good I guess. Don’t know what I’m gonna do or where I’m gonna go after I graduate.” 

“I wanna team up with my sis’ group, the Night Raiders. They’re an all dark type team. I gotta work hard to catch up.”

They made it to the splitter that led to each of their rooms. “Well, see you tomorrow,” Fusion said. 

“Yeah, see ya.” 

Fusion went back inside and took his bag off to hang it up. His original bag he brought from home was still sitting on the floor. He grabbed the strap in his teeth and dragged it over to the chest on his side of the room. Before he stored it away, it felt like there was some weight to it, so he looked inside. He hadn’t brought anything, but there was something inside. It looked like a bracelet, with an orange gem in the middle. Around the outside were four indents. There was also a note.

“Fusion, we decided to spend a little extra on an early birthday present to get you started on your adventure. This looplet should help you a lot. Love, Mom and Dad.”

He smiled and tried it on. It fit perfectly around his wrist and didn’t block his movement. Satisfied, he took it off and stored it too. 

With that, he laid back and relaxed until Anko eventually returned. “So, how did it go?”

“Great! You just gotta sign these papers and turn them in, then we’re official and we can start working together like a real team.” Anko reached into his bag and handed Fusion a sheet. Fusion took it over to the table where there was an inkwell that he used to make a pawprint before giving it back. “Cool, I’m gonna run over to Nina and give her theirs. Oh, and I didn’t know who was supposed to be the leader, so I just made it you, hope that’s okay.” Before he even finished, Anko was out the door and gone, leaving no chance for a response. 

Fusion sighed as he lied back down. He wasn’t sure he wanted that much responsibility. But the leader of the team always got the most fame... He’d give it a try. As the day ticked on, Anko and Nina came back over and they chatted for a few hours before the sun set and they decided to call it a day. Eager to get started in the morning, Fusion tossed and turned, struggling to fall asleep for hours.