Chapter 4: A Larger World

“Hey Nina. Off to class?” Fusion greeted his teammate from across the bridge as they both left their rooms. 

“Yeah,” she told him as they came together at the connector. “Lee and I have exploring today. She’s probably already there.”

“Cool, I have items class, so, catch you later,” Fusion hurried off towards the main campus, where his class was. He didn’t go to the big mansion, instead to a smaller building. It only held the one room, a decent size square with plenty of windows.  Inside was set up similarly to the other classrooms, short desks with cushions and a blank wall at the front for writing. There were already pokemon there, as well as the teacher up front. And Fusion recognized the green blobby pokemon, a reuniclus, the same one from the welcoming. Off to the side in the front was a big pile of blue spheres and sticks. After a couple more minutes, all the students were there. 

“Alright everyone, quiet please. It is time to begin,” he began. “I’m Brain, the head of science and technology here at the ARE. I run the data network that holds all your information as well as oversee the manufacturing of wands and orbs to keep costs down. Once you start doing missions, the Map Room, which can teleport you all over the world, is also part of my division. Before we begin, you may have noticed the classes you are in by now. Battle, teamwork and items form the three core pillars of survival in mystery dungeons. Rescue and exploring cover the jobs you will take in your future. The first semester is meant to teach you the basics, the core of what you need to know to begin. Following classes will be much more focused than these general ones.” As he spoke, he floated back and forth, large hands clasped behind his little body. 

“Now, onto this class. Items are a crucial piece of the toolkit. Their uses are wildly varied. Opponent too strong? Vile or violent seeds can even the odds. Enemy too far away for your moves? Throw a rock or thorn. Hurt and need to get back into the fight? Healing items. Any situation you have trouble with, an item can help you get through it. Because there are so many types of items and your bag is only so big, it is important to know the tools you have in your arsenal. The lesson today will focus on orbs and wands.” He outstretched a hand, floating two objects over to him, holding them psychically in the air. 

One was a large blue sphere of what seemed like glass. The other was a small stick molded into a handle with another, much smaller, sphere attached at the top. “The larger is called an orb. They are bulky, but have very powerful and wide-reaching powers. They can show you an entire floor, confuse an entire room of pokemon, create rain, or even warp your teammates to you if you are separated. Wands are more compact and are able to hold multiple charges, but are much weaker. They can cause explosions, teleport a single pokemon away or put them to sleep.” The two objects floated further away from him, landing on two front desks. “Pass those around. Place your paw on the orb and channel your energy into it. You should immediately get a mental image of what the power within is.”

“Unlike seeds and berries, which are grown naturally, orbs and wands are created by pokemon. We use a special kind of glass that can absorb the energy within us. This energy is known as pokemon power, which fuels our abilities. That is what separates us from the rest of the animal kingdom. Warping tools are created by a pokemon imbuing the glass with the move teleport for example.” 

The gabite in front of Fusion turned around and passed the wand to him with his stubby arms. “Here...” His face furrowed in thought. “Did you perhaps battle a bagon on Monday?”

“Y-yeah, how did you know?” Fusion asked in confusion as he took the wand. 

“That is my teammate. My name is Tremor. Allow me to apologize for his rudeness.”

“Oh, uh thanks,” Fusion said. The gabite turned back to the front. As Fusion rubbed over the small ball at the top of the stick, he knew what it was. The wand would teleport whatever he pointed it at. He knew it just like he knew how to manipulate his temperature and flames, like it was natural. “That’s handy,” he muttered. He started to turn to pass it down the line. 

“Surprise.” He was met with the smiling face of a familiar riolu. “Took you long enough to realize I snuck in behind you,” Layla said cheerily as she took the wand from him. “Catch me after class.” 

Fusion nodded and turned back to the front. 

“You see, the knowledge that floods your mind is because orbs are made with pokemon power. Your body recognizes the energy as easily as any other. That makes orbs and wands easy to use. Let’s test a few, shall we?” He pointed out a big gooey finger. “This column, the first two seats, you’re first, the next two, you will go second,” he pointed down the line Fusion sat in.

Tremor and a zigzagoon went up to the front. Wands from the pile floated over to both of them. 

“Use those against me.”

“Ar-are you sure?” the zigzagoon asked timidly.

“Yes, I will be fine. Go ahead and give them a swing.” 

The zigzagoon stood up on his hindlegs and waved the wand towards Brain. A sparkling ball of light shot out of the tip and towards Brain. The moment it touched him, it exploded into a small fireball. The flames quickly faded, revealing Brain to have used protect. Tremor waved his wand, this one letting out another light ball. This one exploded into a shower of stars that swirled around, still blocked by the prismatic dome. 

“Excellent work. For wands, simply wave it toward your target. Next group, your turn.”

Fusion and Layla came up and were each given an orb.

“Just hold them into the air,” Brain instructed.

Layla looked over at Fusion, letting him know to go first. He raised the glass orb, standing on his back legs. It began to sparkle, covering the three pokemon in front with a golden warmth. 

Layla held up a paw. “Woah, I feel awesome,” she said, looking at her faintly glowing body.

“That was an all-mach orb. It gives allies nearby a surge of energy and speed.”

“Cool. My turn.” Layla turned to Fusion then held her orb up and out. He suddenly felt tingly all over. His body lifted into the air a few inches before his vision suddenly changed. He dropped, surprised, to the ground in his new position. While Layla had once been to his right, now she was to the left. 

“That was a switcher orb. It trades your location with the target. There many orbs with harmful effects, such as a totter orb that confuses every pokemon in the area, but we will avoid those in this class unless we have a cure ready. Next group, starting with this column, come up please.” He pointed to another student while Layla and Fusion went back to their seats. The rest of the class time was similar, practice with all kinds of different orbs and wands. As the class wrapped up, Brain made his ending remarks. “Our time for today is up everyone, you all did great. Your homework for this class will mostly be studying, building your mind to know the vast array of items. Our first major test will be next month.”

Class was over and Fusion turned around to Layla. “Hey, so how have you been?”

“Good,” she smiled, standing and motioning for him to follow her out. “I ended up joining a team, Team Fluff, with two eevee twins.”

“Hey, I ended up in a team too, Union.”

“Union? I think I met your teammates. Rockruff and Zorua?” she asked.

“Yeah, what are the odds? There’s also Lee, a fennekin.”

“You got us outnumbered then. So, wanna hang out?”

“Sorry, but I need to eat lunch then get to training.”

“Ok, I’m game. We can grab lunch at the Ocean den, my treat.”

His eyes widened a bit. “Is that... okay? They said to use our own shops. And don’t we only have so much money until we get badges?”

“It’ll be fine, don’t worry.”

Fusion gulped. “Y-yeah al-alright,” he stammered nervously. He wasn’t worried about the rules. This cute girl was basically asking him on a date. He drew in a breath and focused as she led the way. He wasn’t here for a girlfriend. He was here to make his dream come true. He had to keep his eyes on the goal. As he thought that, he noticed he could see her butt as her tail waved in wide arcs. He quickly looked away, trying to push the naughty thoughts out. Just a friend and him, going to eat and hang out, all by themselves. As friends.

They reached the crossroads and Layla continued to lead the way eastward. “So, you meet anybody besides me and your team?” 

“Oh, uh, not really. I learned I need to work a lot harder to catch up, so I’ve been focused on getting stronger.” 

“So that’s why you’re so focused on training then. Alright, I’ll see if I can give you some pointers. I could introduce you to... ehh, nevermind. My teammates are kinda... weird. The hyperactive sort.”

“That’s fine. I know the type. The kind of friend that’s a little embarrassing?”

“Yep.”

“My spastic buddy is a great guy behind it though.”

“I haven’t known the twins long enough to tell. He must be pretty special if you can see that in a day or two.”

“Yeah, you could say that.” Conversation died down after that. They just listened to the wind in the trees, the distant sound of waves and the birds singing. It was a nice day out, not too warm, not too cold, sun shining brightly. 

They soon reached the Ocean den. Unlike the Forest den, where everything was built into the trees, the Ocean den was at ground level. There were some of the larger buildings built in the non-forested dirt before the beach began, but the most of the den was built into the sand and ocean, sitting elevated on thick poles above the ground. 

Layla led the way up to a hut at the edge of the beach. The steps that led up to it were on the beach, but most of the platform was over the water. Fusion could already smell the food cooking inside. “Get whatever you want,” Layla told him.

On the menu, he saw something different than what was served at Santana’s shop. Instead of the fish sandwich with bread, it was a grilled spicy fish, served on rice. “Oh, get me that one.”

“Like the spice huh?” she joked. “Okay. I’ll get a citrus version.” She walked up to the counter alone and ordered before coming back to him. “Alright, let’s grab a table.” She led again to the side where a bridge connected two platforms. The bridge was wobblier than the ones in the Forest, making him cross cautiously. He really didn’t want to fall in the water.

She was already across and turned back to see what was taking him so long, letting out a giggle as he moved one foot as a time. “Puppy scared of the water?”

“Yeah, getting wet sucks for us fire types.” That and he didn’t want to embarrass himself any more.

“I’d dive in to save you from the two-foot-deep water.”

He stepped off and back onto solid wood. “Very funny.” They went over and sat at one of the few free tables. 

“So, I’ll give you the tour from here. Over that way are the classes,” she pointed to the buildings off the beach. “Shops are to the front and middle, where we are. Rooms are off to the sides, three pokemon to each. I live pretty far out thatta’way. The training field I go to is over there too.”

“The Forest den is more round. And its high up in the trees. The air’s really nice. Not as salty smelling.”

“You’re telling me. Try living here,” she responded. “The sound of the waves helps me sleep like a baby though. I’m used to it all. I came from a coast town, on the Grass Continent.” She turned her head and looked over. “Oh, there’s our food.”

A quagsire was waddling over, holding a tray in his hands. His eyes were looking two different directions, neither looking where he was going. He slowly came over, set the tray down, then wandered off without a word.

Fusion’s grilled fish was covered in a hot sauce, while her’s was drizzled with an orange sauce. Fusion wrapped his paw around the broad spoon that came with, sliced off a piece of fish and scooped some rice up with it before eating it. The rice reduced the spiciness of the meat, but it was still good. 

“This one’s my favorite. I love citrus. Little sweet, little sour. Ever had pineapple?”

“No. I’m from Grass too, but I lived in the middle, then my family moved south before I enrolled.”

“Ah, I’m from the north. They grow all over the place up there. Delicious. Turn it into juice and marinate some chicken in it, oh, so good,” she mumbled through a full mouth.

“I’m more of a red meat fan myself,” Fusion told her. “The fish in fine, but I’d do anything for some good cow.”

“I feel you there. They got plant farms on the island, so why not animals?”

“I dunno,” Fusion shrugged. He leaned down and licked up the rest of his rice and sauce. 

She looked at his empty plate, then at her own half full one. “Less talk, more eat.” She quickly went to work finishing her food. 

“I guess it’s harder to raise animals than plants. That’s probably why,” she said through a full mouth again. “And there’s no wild animals, so no hunters either. I mean, besides the birds and bugs and fish and stuff. There, all done. You ready to go?”

“Yeah.” Fusion expected their date to be more romantic, not casual, but he didn’t mind.

“Alright, let’s kick it.” She jumped to her feet and led the way back onto the sand. They went southward along the coast before cutting into the woods. After just a short walk through the trees, they came to a big clearing, set up just like the training grounds at the Forest. “Here we are.” She walked up to one and started stretching, showing off her shapely hips again.

Fusion looked away and moved for his own dummy. When he heard a thud, he looked over at her. Instead of using a move, she simply punched the dummy a few times, before kicking it. She repeated the moves until Fusion came over. 

“Hey, what are you doing? Aren’t you supposed to use moves to train?”

“Well, sometimes. That’s an odd question though. Have you not trained or anything?”

“Yeah...” 

“Oh, I see. Well, there’s two sides to training. Body and skill. Skill comes from moves, and tactics, plus real experience too. The more you use your moves, practice your quick thinking and moving around, the more skilled you get at it. The other side is your body. Our powers are based on our bodies, so working on your body, your muscles and stamina, also helps make you stronger. Your moves get stronger, you can use them more and take more of a beating. I’m a fighting type, so my body is even more important than usual. Especially my fists and legs. Improving their strength makes my moves stronger,” she explained. “I bet for fire types, you have to work on increasing how hot you can burn.”

Fusion bit his lip as he thought deeply. “Maybe that’s what Lee meant... Hey, I’m gonna try something new, could you keep an eye on me just in case?”

“Uh, yeah sure. I’m no doctor, so don’t hurt yourself.”

Fusion took a few deep breaths. He focused on raising his body temperature. It was like a tensing feeling in his gut, building up the fire inside him but not letting it out. He built it up higher, as high as he felt he could, beyond what he normally did for brief moments when using his fire moves. And this time he kept it up. He had to resist panting to keep from cooling down. For a brief moment, he let some out unintentionally, like a hiccup. Small fires burst into life all over his body then died just as quickly. He couldn’t hold it any longer and relaxed his body. A wave of heat and embers flew off his body as it shed the excess temperature and returned to normal.

“Phew, I could feel that from here,” Layla commented, continuing her punches and kicks. “Probably would burn myself if I touched you.”

“That took so much focus, I don’t think I could move while doing it...”

“That’s why you gotta practice. A moving bonfire would be pretty scary. Of course, my secret move would stomp it flat.”

“What’s yours?”

She stuck her tongue out. “I’m not telling.”

What she said got Fusion thinking. Maybe his special move didn’t have to be something special and flashy? If he could move, being that hot to a non-fire type would not only keep them on the defensive, but make his attacks hit harder. Instead of just lighting a strip of his back on fire for flame wheel, his entire body would be that hot. Now he needed a cool name for it... He braced himself and started building up again. Once he hit his limit, around 500 degrees, he tried to take a step forward. When he raised a shaky paw, his body immediately burst into flames. He managed to keep the flames up, but couldn’t bottle them inside without holding still.

He made a few steps, then began to walk. It took effort, but he managed to move around while his whole body was on fire. Unlike with flame wheel, where he only lit up a small line for a few seconds at most, keeping his entire body hot enough to burn was really tiring him out. And he wasn’t even fighting anyone. After another step, one of his front legs buckled and he fell over. 

His flames fizzled out as he lost focus. His tongue finally flopped out as he began breathing hard. The smell of burnt grass filled his nose. 

“Tire yourself out?” Layla asked. “Then watch this.” She made a fist and it started to glow orange. She punched out, fisting bursting right through the chest of the dummy. She then spun her leg out, it also glowing with her energy. It broke the post the dummy was mounted on like a twig. Before it could fall, she reached out with her off paw and grabbed the dummy. She lifted it up then, with a wide arching motion, she turned and slammed it into the ground. She breathed out and looked over at him. “How was that?”

Fusion grimaced. “It’s not just my team, I’m behind everyone...”

“Woah, hey, I’m sorry,” she blurted out. “I wasn’t trying to make you feel bad. I just wanted to show you what I could do.” She walked over to him. “Hey, cheer up. You’re destined to be popular.”

“Huh?” he asked in confusion, still feeling down.

“Yeah, fire types get lots of attention because of how cool their moves look. Fighting types like me though, we’re seen as blunt and boring. If you learn to really control your fire, you could be a huge star.”

“Is that what you wanna be? Famous?”

“Oh, yeah. Sorry, I was projecting a bit. Yeah, I wanna be a famous explorer. Somebody everyone knows about, like Team Charm. Sound’s kinda vain when I say it like that though.”

“No, it’s fine. I feel the same way, except with rescue. I want to be someone’s hero.”

Her frown turned to a smile. “Birds of a feather flock together, huh? Thanks. I just feel... unlucky sometimes, being born a fighting type. At least I can eventually learn to use aura.”

“Aura?”

“Yeah. Some pokemon can learn to manipulate their life energy in addition to their pokemon power. Aura is super versatile and powerful, but takes years to learn. Lucario, my evolution, is the most famous species that can use it. What about you, excited to evolve?”

“Yeah! Arcanine are super cool.”

“So how was your day?” a new voice, female, asked in the distance. 

“Fine,” a younger, male voice responded.

“Do anything fun while I was in class?”

“Not really.”

Out of the trees came a floatzel and a buizel. 

“Oh, Lynn, hey!” Layla called out, waving. 

“Layla, right?” Lynn asked as she came closer. The buizel stayed behind her, almost hiding. “Who’s your friend?”

“This is Fusion. Fusion, meet the leader of the Ocean Den, Lynn.”

“Hi,” Fusion greeted her. 

“Fusion... you’re not on my list. Are you from another den?” Lynn asked.

“Yes ma’am. Forest.”

“I see,” she smiled. “It’s good that you already made friends outside your dens.”

“Lynn,” Layla asked. “Who’s that behind you?”

“Oh, this is my son, Nate. He’s a bit shy.” The buizel poked his head around the corner of his mom to look at them before ducking back. “He’s not a student yet, he’s not old enough until next year. We’re just here to get a little exercise before dinner.”

“Dinner? Is it that late already?” Fusion asked.

“About five,” Lynn told him.

“I should probably be getting back home,” Fusion told Layla.

“Sure, see you later. I should probably go make sure the twins aren’t getting into trouble,” she responded. 

Both Fusion and Layla left going separate ways, leaving the field to Lynn. He found the path and made his way back to the Forest Den. Returning to his room, he lied on the bed and relaxed for a while. He did some studying on items before Anko showed up and they all went to eat dinner before ending the day.

+++
 
The next morning was the same as the rest with Anko waking Fusion up in the morning.

“Heyheyheyheyhey, aren’t you super excited? We have class together today!”

Fusion opened his eyes to find Anko’s face only inches from his. He reached out and pushed the eager rockruff back a bit. “Gimmie a sec. I’m still half asleep.” Fusion groaned and rolled over. He stretched on his bed before getting up. As he wobbled over to the water barrel, Anko was pacing excitedly around the room. 

Fusion took a paw-full of water, blew some heat on it, then splashed it onto his face. He looked up to the clock on the tree trunk. They had thirty minutes before class started. It was a later than usual, being the latest a class started on his schedule.”

“I waited as long as I could stand. Sorry if I woke you up before you wanted,” Anko whined.

“No, it’s fine. We can grab some food real quick.” 

“Yay! Let’s go!”

Before Fusion could respond, Anko was out the door. “Wish I could have just half his energy in the morning...” he muttered. With a big yawn, he followed him out to the shop. Fusion ordered cinnamon mashed apples and Anko got mixed berries and fruit, both cheap snacks to start the day. They ate quick before leaving for the Ocean den. 

“Hey Fusion,” Anko asked along the way. “Where were you all day yesterday?”

“Oh, uh, just hanging out with another friend,” he explained with a bit of a blush.

“That sounds nice. Just don’t forget about us for your other friend.”

“Of course not. Besides, you wouldn’t let me forget you even if I wanted to."

They made it to the classroom several minutes early and sat together. Then, class started as the floatzel teacher came in hurriedly. 

“Hi everyone, sorry I’m a little late,” she said, out of breath. “Phew,” she rubbed her paws together, “alright, exploring. Oh, actually, first, I’m Lynn, leader of the Ocean Den. So, the world can be divided into six sections. The major landmasses are the Mist, Water, Air, Sand and Grass continents. In the middle of it all is the Sea of Wonders. This island is on the eastern edge of that, closest to the Grass Continent. Pokemon live all over the world, living on land and under the ocean or even in mystery dungeons. Mystery dungeons are probably what you’re most concerned about, considering you’re here.”

“Dungeons aren’t entirely understood. Some pokemon dedicate their lives just to studying how they work. They're areas of the world that twist and turn on their own as time passes. They are often rich in natural resources, with powerful berries and seeds naturally occurring inside. So, with the allure of resources and danger of wild pokemon, teams of trained pokemon are often the most qualified to explore them.”

“Generally, we’ve mapped a lot of the world. So you can use the knowledge of previous explorers to plan. You can gather specific items yourself from a dungeon known to have it. Look where you need to go before a job to learn what species that live there. Speaking of which, you probably already know that teams can go all over the world. That’s because of orbs, big ones. Guilds, groups that organize teams and jobs, all have wonder orbs, giant spheres that can warp you anywhere in the world. Then, your badges, once you get them, can transfer you and others back. All that takes a lot of energy though, so it's mostly only used for teams. That’s why you gotta pay fees and stuff to the guilds so they can keep things up and running. For you explorers, don’t get discouraged by all the things I’ve told you. Teams discover new hidden areas and cool treasures all the time.”

“So, on an even smaller, mystery dungeons do have lots of similarities. Most are laid out of rooms connected by long hallways. Watch out for monster houses. Those are basically homes for families of wild pokemon who will all jump out if you trespass. Traps are a pain in the butt. They’re hidden in plain sight and can do all sorts of nasty stuff. So... I think that’s all for my intro lecture. Today’s pretty short, but we’ll get more in depth later on. So we’ll get to the activity then we’re done. Make small groups and come grab a map. Mark as many locations as you can on it.”

“Hmm, we need more than just us...” Anko said. He turned around and spoke to a goomy. “Hi, I’m Anko and he’s Fusion, wanna join our group?”

The goomy wobbled as she rotated in her seat to look at them. “Sure,” she smiled, speaking in a cheery tone similar to Anko’s. She moved forward, sliding off her seat and plopping onto the ground with a splat. “I’m Smushy.”

“Nice to meet you. I’ll go grab the paper,” Anko said, going up to the front of the class. 

Fusion meanwhile could not stop watching Smushy. He had never met an amorphous pokemon before and was curious about her. 

“What is it?” she asked when she noticed him staring. 

“Oh, sorry. I was just wondering how you work. Being a blob, I mean.”

“Give me your paw,” she said, wobbling closer. 

Fusion hesitantly lifted his paw and held it out. She wobbled forward and her glob shaped body molded around it, holding onto it from all sides. 

“That’s how I grab stuff. I got sticky slime too.” She suddenly lost form and flattened out into a puddle, only a couple inches high and spread out along the floor. 

“Oh wow,” Anko said as he came back. 

“Yeah, I have tons of control over my body. I mean, arms would be nice, but I can manage until I evolve.” She returned to normal.

“Cool. Thanks for showing me,” Fusion said.

“No problem. I get asked that all the time.”

Anko spread out the map on his desk, Fusion and Smushy surrounding it to look too. “I’m from Snowridge Town, here,” he pointed to a mountain range in the northeast of Mist. “And that dungeon I got lost in was here,” he moved his finger to the east of the town. “Moonlit Forest I think it was called.” He dipped his claw in some ink and made marks for both of them.

“Alright, so Crest town, where I'm from is right here,” Fusion marked. “Next to Lake Afar. And then my family used to live over here near Fogbound Lake.”

“I’m from Serene Village, in the middle of the Water continent.”

“And I think this island is... somewhere around here,” Anko pointed to the sea of wonders.

“Is... that all we got? Wow. Makes you feel kinda small when you see how big it all is,” Fusion said.

“Makes me want to go see what’s out there,” Anko told him.

“Alright everybody,” Lynn called out, “this session’s pretty short. Keep those maps, they’ll help you study. If you need your own, I have plenty up here. In the following weeks, we’ll do a lot more than this. So next week we’ll start with the Mist continent. Enjoy your extra free time today!” she smiled brightly.

“Oh, oh, Fusion, I have an idea. Let’s put this map up on the wall, then we can make marks where we’ve been!”

“Sure, okay,” Fusion shrugged. 

“You can keep that one, I’ll grab my own,” Smushy said. “Well, my team is probably waiting on me, so I should get going. Nice meeting you both.” 

“Yeah, same here,” Anko nodded. “We should head home and find something fun to do today.”

+++

“Hey boys,” Nina greeted Fusion and Anko as she stuck her head into their room. “I got a treat for you.” She came in, rounded the tree trunk and sat down at the table in the back.

“What is it?” Anko asked as he came up.

“I got a letter from my sister and it has some juicy info. Here, listen.” She spread out the sheet of paper and started to read. “Hey sis, heard you left for the ARE. Grats. We got a spot in the Night Raiders for when you graduate. I got some advice for you. It’s supposed to be a secret, so keep it to yourself. The first test for rookie badges is two months after you start, then those who fail can retake it every month afterwards. You take a test, fight and do a job with a teacher. Do good enough and you’ll get your real badges. Work hard and knock it out first try. That’ll help you hit the ground running. Can’t wait to hear you passed.”

“So the test is in two months? That’s way earlier than I thought...” Fusion bit his lip. 

“And the fact that retries are every month after that makes it seem like it’s a real tough one,” Nina added. “That’s why I wanted to share with you guys. If we’re a team, we all need badges before we can start.”

“So we just have to work super hard,” Anko announced. “We get tested on our smarts, strength, and the real thing. Ohh, I’m getting excited already!” he said, smiling giddily.

“Excited? I’m nervous,” Fusion responded. “I don’t have much time to get on top of my game.”

“You’ll probably be the weakest link. So uh, all the pressure is on you,” Nina told him. “If you need help, I can help you study.” 

“And I’m a rock type, so I can handle your fire if you wanna train,” Anko said next.

“Thanks. I’ll think about it over lunch.” 

+++

“Dammit,” Lee growled, panting hard. “That stupid mutt... I’m no stronger than him.” The grass around her was burnt to ash and the dirt charred black. “I’m pathetic. Just have to... PUSH AAAGGH!” she roared in pain as she burst into flames again, shooting her temperature as high as she could and continuously emitting fire. She had been going full blast for well over an hour and the exertion of it hurt. She kept going, trying to go harder still, despite the pain increasing. It became too much, making her cough and gasp. Her legs buckled, but she planted them and dug in, refusing to fall. “I can practice tactics all day long, but if I don’t get stronger, push my limits...” She closed her eyes and took a few deep breathes. “I have to be better. Stronger. I won’t lose dammit.” She drew in a long breath and prepared to go again. But she didn’t, couldn’t force it through the pain. “Worthless, weak,” she berated herself. 

“Lee?” a mature female voice asked, with a bit of a droning tone. 

She turned her head, wincing at the pain it caused and looked at the newcomer with bloodshot eyes.. Hovering out of the woods was a vespiquen. It took a moment for her to recognize the den leader, Vespa. “How do you know I prefer that name? I’m listed as Leah.”

“My children tell me much. Including how hard you were pushing yourself down here.” Her wings buzzed quietly as she moved closer. “You have passion, an intense drive, that much is obvious. But you’re pushing yourself too hard.”

“No offense ma’am, but mind your own business.”

“Oh? Take a few steps and I’ll leave.”

“Hmph, easy.” Lee raised a shaky paw and moved to step forward. As she planted it, it buckled under the weight, causing her to fall forward. She tried to catch herself, but her other leg gave out too, causing her to faceplant in the dirt.

Vespa leaned down, still hovering slightly and placed her hand gently on Lee’s head. “You’re not worthless. The kind of fire burning inside you is something rare. But don’t take it too far. Pushing yourself can be fine, but know your limits. If you go too far, you can do permanent damage to your body. Worst case scenario, if you go too far in the field, you could end up getting killed.”

Lee growled. “You don’t understand.”

“I have lived a much longer life than you. Tell me all your worries.”

“I have to be strong. I just got sick of being pushed around.”

“Are you aware of the life cycle of combee? We hatch in great numbers. But only a lucky few can ever lead a hive. I was one of those, thrust into the position of leader and mother to hundreds of children. I was not the victim like you. But I was forced to get strong, quickly, to protect my hive.”

Lee didn’t move.

“Hmm?” Vespa listened closely for a moment. “Out cold... Poor thing.” She reached out and scooped up Lee, cradling the fox in her arms as her wings picked up pace and lifted them into the air.

+++

“Lee? You alright?” 

“Ughnn,” Lee groaned as she was roused. The feeling of Nina touching her shoulder was painful and all her muscles ached. On top of that, it felt like there was a spike lodged in her brain. Right in front of her was a pile of oran berries and a note underneath. She rolled over, hiding how badly it hurt, and looked at Nina. “Yeah, just taking a nap.”

“Oh, okay. You look like a mess. Maybe take some time to clean your fur.”

Lee rolled back over without a word. She reached out and took one of the oran berries. She bit into it before sliding the note out to read it. “A will like yours is rare,” it read in fancy writing. “Don’t waste your potential on the single-minded pursuit of power.” Lee sighed and closed her eyes again. She really did overdo it. The oran berry barely made her feel better. Fusion... she thought of him as the weakest team member. He had fire burning in him, just like her. He desperately cursed his weakness, just like her. But it wasn’t out of spite or anger. He wanted to use that strength to help people. Thinking only made her head hurt worse, so she stopped and tried to get back to sleep.