Spice of Life: Shadows of the Storehouse
 
The​ ​stone​ ​towers​ ​of​ ​the​ ​city​ ​came​ ​into​ ​view​ ​as​ ​the​ ​Tropius​ ​descended​ ​through​ ​the​ ​cloud​ ​layer​ ​with a​ ​lucario​ ​clinging​ ​tightly​ ​to​ ​her​ ​back.​ ​They​ ​had​ ​been​ ​travelling​ ​for​ ​over​ ​a​ ​day, and while the icy weather of the northern reaches of Sinnoh had been perfect for avoiding being spotted by humans, it hadn’t helped make the flight an easy one.​ But despite the blizzard and storms ​they​ ​had​ ​finally arrived;​ ​Virtue,​ ​the​ ​pokemon​ ​capital​ ​of​ ​Sinnoh.​ ​Auric​ ​was​ ​glad​ ​to​ ​finally​ ​see​ ​his​ ​home​ ​again,​ ​it​ ​felt as​ ​though​ ​years​ ​had​ ​passed​ ​since​ ​he​ ​last​ ​stepped​ ​foot​ ​in​ ​it.
 
The​ ​city​ ​was​ ​wide​ ​and​ ​sprawling,​ ​making​ ​no​ ​attempts​ ​to​ ​hide​ ​itself​ ​from​ ​view.​ ​No​ ​humans​ ​ever came​ ​this​ ​far​ ​north due to the freezing temperatures,​ ​and​ ​those​ ​who​ ​did​ ​were​ ​quickly​ ​turned​ ​around​ ​by​ ​the​ ​guards​ ​patrolling​ ​in​ ​the wilds​ ​before​ ​they​ ​even​ ​saw​ ​the​ ​walls.​ ​As​ ​they​ ​touched​ ​down​ ​on​ ​the​ ​landing​ ​platform they entered the dome of warmth, produced by dedicated weather pokemon using Sunny Day throughout the city. Auric​ ​took​ ​a moment​ ​to​ ​gaze​ ​over​ ​the​ ​city​ ​skyline and the bright blue skies above…​ ​he​ ​was​ ​finally​ ​back home.
 
“Auric!”​ ​a​ ​voice​ ​chimed.​ ​The​ ​Lucario​ ​turned​ ​with​ ​a​ ​smile​ ​to​ ​see​ ​a​ ​Ninetales​ ​running​ ​towards​ ​him, her​ ​tails​ ​tied​ ​up​ ​in​ ​a​ ​bunch​ ​with​ ​a​ ​yellow​ ​ribbon. She stopped just before reaching him, bowing briefly before bouncing excitedly on her paws as her sparkling blue eyes caught his crimson ones.​ ​“Welcome​ ​back​ ​to​ ​Virtue!”
 
“Thank​ ​you,​ ​Sabrina.​ ​I’m​ ​glad​ ​to​ ​be​ ​back.”​ ​he​ ​replied​ ​with​ ​a​ ​gentle​ ​smile,​ ​his​ ​hands​ ​resting​ ​behind his​ ​back​ ​as​ ​he​ ​turned​ ​to​ ​the​ ​Tropius.​ ​She​ ​gave​ ​him​ ​a​ ​grin​ ​and​ ​a​ ​wave​ ​before​ ​flying​ ​off​ ​to​ ​her​ ​next mission,​ ​leaving​ ​Auric​ ​alone​ ​with​ ​the​ ​blue-eyed​ ​Ninetales.
 
“Oh…​ ​Malus​ ​isn’t​ ​with​ ​you?”​ ​she​ ​blinked​ ​in​ ​confusion as the Tropius left,​ ​“I​ ​thought​ ​you​ ​were​ ​meant​ ​to​ ​be​ ​watching him…​”​ ​she​ ​gasped before lowering her ears in concern,​ ​“Oh no! ​he​ ​didn’t​ ​run​ ​away,​ ​did​ ​he? Or​ ​is​ ​he…” her left paw waved in the general direction of her bright blue eyes,​ ”I remember he didn’t want to be, but...”
 
“No,​ ​Malus​ ​hasn’t​ ​undergone​ ​the​ ​treatment.”​ ​Auric​ ​said​ ​with​ ​a​ ​shake​ ​of​ ​his​ ​head,​ ​“He’s being​ ​watched​ ​by​ ​another​ ​student​ ​of​ ​mine,​ ​a​ ​Liepard​ ​named​ ​Cyn.​ ​I’ve​ ​left​ ​him​ ​in​ ​her​ ​care​ ​for​ ​now, being​ ​part​ ​of​ ​a​ ​rescue​ ​team​ ​is​ ​better​ ​for​ ​him​ ​than​ ​following​ ​me.”​ ​The​ ​Lucario​ ​reassured​ ​her,​ ​‘Even if​ ​that​ ​rescue​ ​team​ ​is​ ​The​ ​Winners’​ ​he​ ​thought​ ​to​ ​himself.
 
“Oh…”​ ​she​ ​almost​ ​seemed​ ​disappointed​ ​as​ ​her​ ​blue​ ​eyes​ ​drifted​ ​to​ ​the​ ​floor,​ ​but​ ​finally​ ​they returned​ ​to​ ​the​ ​Lucario​ ​as​ ​she​ ​smiled​ ​up​ ​at​ ​him.​ ​“I’m​ ​glad​ ​he’s​ ​doing​ ​well.”
 
“Auric!”​ ​a​ ​voice​ ​bellowed.​ ​The​ ​Lucario​ ​barely​ ​had​ ​enough​ ​time​ ​to​ ​look​ ​up​ ​before​ ​he​ ​was​ ​tackled​ ​by the​ ​orange​ ​and​ cream coloured ​blur.​ ​The​ ​two​ ​rolled​ ​for​ ​a​ ​while,​ ​laughing​ ​as​ ​they​ ​wrestled​ ​before​ ​finally​ ​the Arcanine​ ​leapt​ ​off​ ​of​ ​him, his rear still upright as though he were preparing to pounce again,​ ​“Dude!​ ​I​ ​can’t​ ​believe​ ​you’re​ ​back,​ ​this​ ​is​ ​nuts!”
 
“It’s​ ​good​ ​to​ ​see​ ​you​ ​too,​ ​Jasper.”​ ​Auric​ ​chuckled​ ​at​ ​his​ ​enthusiasm​ ​as​ ​he​ ​stood​ ​up​ ​and​ ​dusted himself​ ​off…​ ​not​ ​that​ ​he​ ​needed​ ​to,​ ​the​ ​ground​ ​was​ ​impeccably​ ​clean​ ​in​ ​Virtue.​ ​He​ ​brushed​ ​down his​ ​fur​ ​as​ ​he​ ​took​ ​a​ ​few​ ​steps​ ​towards​ the Arcanine, who shifted into a more relaxed stance now that playtime was temporarily over,​ ​“Though​ ​I’m​ ​surprised​ ​that​ ​the​ ​leader​ ​of​ ​the​ ​most prominent​ ​rescue​ ​team​ ​in​ ​the​ ​region​ ​took​ ​the​ ​time​ ​out​ ​to​ ​greet​ ​me​ ​on​ ​my​ ​way​ ​in.”
 
“I​ ​said​ ​I​ ​was​ ​sick,​ ​don’t​ ​tell​ ​Hannah.”​ ​the​ ​Arcanine​ ​winked​ ​before​ ​wagging​ ​his​ ​fluffy​ ​tail​ ​back​ ​and forth,​ ​“Where’s​ ​your​ ​apprentice?​ ​You​ ​didn’t​ ​uh…”​ ​he​ ​nodded​ ​in​ ​the​ ​Ninetales’​ ​direction. Sabrina gave them both a little wave as they looked her way, grinning all the while. The Arcanine cleared his throat, thumbing over at her a few more times, “Y’know…”
 
“Absolutely​ ​not.​ ​He’s​ ​under​ ​the​ ​care​ ​of​ ​a​ ​well-adjusted​ ​professional.”​ ​Auric​ ​replied firmly. He was shocked at how good he had gotten at lying, but he shook his head to remove any doubt from his mind,​ ​“I​ ​haven’t​ ​given up​ ​on​ ​him​ ​yet.”
 
“I​ ​never​ ​doubted​ ​you​ ​for​ ​a​ ​second,​ ​Auric.”​ ​Jasper​ ​chuckled​ ​half-heartedly,​ ​“Just​ ​hate​ ​how​ ​it’s​ ​taken you​ ​away​ ​from​ ​me.​ ​I​ ​miss​ ​having​ ​you​ ​around,​ ​y’know?”​ ​he​ ​said​ ​before​ ​nodding​ ​to​ ​the​ ​Ninetales, “Well,​ ​I’m​ ​going​ ​to​ ​show​ ​Auric​ ​around​ ​the​ ​town.​ ​Nice​ ​job​ ​giving​ ​him​ ​a​ ​warm​ ​welcome, Sabby.”
 
“Thanks,​ ​I’ve​ ​been​ ​working​ ​on​ ​it. I think I’m getting really good at making pokemon feel welcome in the city.”​ ​She​ ​beamed​ ​before​ ​charging​ ​off​ ​as​ ​a​ ​Dragonite​ ​landed, carrying​ ​a​ ​whole​ ​host​ ​of​ ​new​ ​pokemon​ ​to​ ​greet,​ ​“Hello,​ ​welcome​ ​to​ ​Virtue!”
 
“Kind​ ​of​ ​weird,​ ​isn’t​ ​it?”​ ​Jasper​ ​said,​ ​keeping​ ​his​ ​voice​ ​low​ ​as​ ​he​ ​turned​ ​and​ ​began​ ​to​ ​walk towards​ ​the​ ​city​ ​centre,​ ​“It’s​ ​crazy​ ​how​ ​much​ ​they​ ​change.​ ​I​ ​remember​ ​her​ ​trying​ ​to​ ​bite​ ​my​ ​face off​ ​when​ ​I​ ​was​ ​taking​ ​her​ ​in​ ​to​ ​get​ ​amitised.”
 
“You​ ​can’t​ ​tell​ ​me​ ​you’re​ ​surprised​ ​to​ ​see​ ​Amity​ ​does​ ​what​ ​it​ ​is​ ​meant​ ​to.”​ ​Auric​ ​replied,​ ​raising​ ​an eyebrow​ ​at​ ​the​ ​Arcanine​ ​as​ ​they​ ​walked,​ ​“It​ ​alters​ ​their​ ​mind,​ ​makes​ ​them​ ​feel​ ​as​ ​though everyone​ ​they​ ​meet​ ​is​ ​a​ ​lifelong​ ​friend.”
 
“Yeah​, ​well,​ ​you​ ​didn’t​ ​see​ ​her​ ‘​jewelry​ ​box’. I was the one who had to take that in for evidence.”​ ​the​ ​Arcanine​ ​shuddered,​ ​gagging​ ​as​ ​he​ ​remembered the​ ​sight.​ ​His​ ​muzzle​ ​creeped​ ​into​ ​a​ ​smile​ ​as​ ​he​ ​looked​ ​up​ ​at​ ​Auric,​ ​“Eh,​ ​at​ ​least​ ​she’s​ ​not​ ​going​ ​to do​ ​it​ ​again.​ ​Wow,​ ​look​ ​at​ ​me​ ​with​ ​all​ ​the​ ​doom​ ​and​ ​gloom​ ​talk,​ ​you​ ​came​ ​here​ ​to​ ​get​ ​your​ ​mind​ ​off all​ ​that.”
 
“It’s​ ​quite​ ​alright,​ ​Jasper.​”​ ​the​ ​Lucario​ ​replied honestly as they stopped in the city square. He began to browse the local wares, smiling to himself as picked up a fridge magnet and turned it over before shaking his head and putting it back, “​Admittedly​ ​I’m​ ​not​ ​here​ ​entirely​ ​to​ ​relax.”
 
“Oh.”​ ​the​ ​Arcanine​ ​perked​ ​his​ ​ears, offering a friendly grin to a passing tourist. The Buneary screamed in joy and ran around in circles, cuddling her stuffed Arcanine ​to her chest as the parents laughed at the little girl’s reaction. They ushered her along, whispering to ‘leave the hero in peace, dear’ while the Buneary frantically waved. Jasper shook his head with a chuckle before turning his focus back to the Lucario as they walked a little further together. “So…​ ​why​ ​-are-​ ​you​ ​here?”
 
“Things have been strange in the Dark Woods lately, I have an idea of what might be happening, but I want to check the mission records to make sure my assumptions are accurate.”​ ​Auric​ ​replied,​ ​his​ ​hands​ ​resting​ ​behind​ ​his​ ​back,​ ​“​I’d also​ ​like​ ​to​ ​see​ ​the​ ​storehouse​ ​before​ ​I​ ​leave.”
 
“The​ ​storehouse?” ​The​ ​Arcanine​ ​blinked before glancing over his shoulder. His eyes darted about the street briefly before he looked up at his partner, suddenly looking far more serious. “You heard​ ​about​ ​that?”​
 
“About​ ​what?”​ ​the​ ​Lucario​ ​asked,​ ​his​ ​ears​ ​perking​ ​at​ ​the​ ​Arcanine’s alarmed tone.
 
“So​ ​you​ ​didn’t​ ​hear…​” the Arcanine furrowed his brow, gesturing him away from the crowd so they could talk privately. “The​ ​storehouse​ ​has​ ​gotten​ ​weird,​ ​Auric.​ ​Stuff​ ​keeps​ ​moving​ ​around, feels like every day all the shelves swap places.” he shook his head in disbelief, “It’s a labyrinth in there. To make it worse, Pokemon​ ​have​ ​started​ ​showing​ ​up​ ​out​ ​of​ ​nowhere​ ​and​ ​attacking those who go inside. When you fight them off, they turn into shadows.”​ ​he turned his attention to the Lucario before thumbing over his shoulder in the general direction of the storehouse,, “We’ve​ ​got​ ​Moss​ ​Rock​ ​scientists​ ​investigating,​ ​but​ ​even​ ​they​ ​have​ ​no​ ​idea​ ​what’s​ ​going​ ​on.​ ​It’s​ ​like the​ ​place​ ​has​ ​turned​ ​into-”
 
“A​ ​mystery​ ​dungeon?”​ ​Auric​ ​inquired.​ ​The​ ​Arcanine​ ​went​ ​silent,​ ​then​ ​gave​ ​the​ ​slightest​ ​nod​ ​as​ ​he returned​ ​his​ ​eyes​ ​to​ ​the​ ​pavement.​ ​The​ ​Lucario’s​ ​brow​ ​furrowed​ ​as​ ​he​ ​closed​ ​his​ ​eyes,​ ​his​ ​arms crossing​ ​just​ ​below​ ​the​ ​spike​ ​on​ ​his​ ​chest,​ ​“Then​ ​I​ ​wasn’t​ ​mistaken. ​We’ll​ ​need​ ​to​ ​be​ ​discrete, but​ ​I​ ​believe​ ​I​ ​may​ ​know​ ​how​ ​to​ ​resolve​ ​the​ ​problem.”
 
“How’re​ ​you​ ​going​ ​to​ ​do​ ​that?”​ ​Jasper​ ​blinked, only to straighten up, his fur standing on end as he looked towards the Lucario. “We’ve been trying to figure it out for weeks, any info you could give-”
 
“I’d​ ​rather​ ​not​ ​divulge​ ​the​ ​information​ ​just​ ​yet, but​ ​I’ll​ ​need​ ​you​ ​with​ ​me.”​ ​the​ ​Lucario opened his eyes and took a few steps further,​ ​“If​ ​it’s​ ​as​ ​dangerous​ ​as​ ​you​ ​say​ ​it​ ​is,​ ​I’d​ ​rather​ ​not​ ​face​ ​it​ ​alone.”
 
“Sure.”​ ​The​ ​Arcanine​ ​grinned​ ​excitedly,​ bounding after him like a Growlithe going for a walk. ​“I’ll​ ​go​ ​tell​ ​Hannah​ ​and​ ​my​ ​team​ ​will-”
 
“No​ ​Jasper.​ ​Not​ ​your​ ​team,​ ​just​ ​you.”​ ​Auric​ ​held​ ​up​ ​his​ ​hand​ ​to​ ​stop​ ​the​ ​Arcanine,​ ​“You’re​ ​the​ ​only pokemon​ ​I​ ​can​ ​trust​ ​to​ ​help​ ​me​ ​with​ ​this.​ ​My​ ​time​ ​in​ ​Clearspring​ ​has​ ​opened​ ​my​ ​eyes​ ​to something.​ ​Something​ ​I’d​ ​rather​ ​not​ let ​spread​ ​around​ ​Virtue​ ​until​ ​I​ ​can​ ​confirm​ ​my suspicions.”
 
“You’re​ ​not​ ​acting​ ​like​ ​yourself,​ ​Auric.​ Going​ ​behind​ ​the​ ​guild’s​ ​back?​ ​Are​ ​you​ ​sure​ ​about​ ​this?” the​ ​Arcanine​ ​stared​ ​at​ ​him​ ​in​ ​disbelief,​ ​“This​...​ ​This​ ​is​ ​serious, isn’t it?​ ​I​ ​trust​ ​you,​ ​man,​ ​I​ ​just​ ​don’t​ ​want you​ ​getting​ ​in​ ​trouble.”
 
“Neither​ ​of​ ​us​ ​will​ ​if​ ​we​ ​both​ ​swear​ ​to​ ​secrecy.”​ ​the​ ​Lucario​ ​replied​ ​before​ ​taking​ ​the​ ​lead​ ​and marching​ ​ahead​ ​towards​ ​the​ ​storehouse,​ ​“Come​ ​on.​ ​Innocent​ ​pokemon​ ​are​ ​depending​ ​on​ ​us​ ​to undo​ ​this​ ​damage.”
 
Jasper​ ​watched​ ​the​ ​Lucario​ ​go.​ ​His​ ​paws​ ​felt​ ​like​ ​they​ ​were​ ​bolted​ ​to​ ​the​ ​floor,​ ​try​ ​as​ ​he​ ​might​ ​he couldn’t​ ​convince​ ​himself​ ​this​ ​was​ ​a​ ​good​ ​idea.​ ​He​ ​closed​ ​his​ ​eyes​ ​and​ ​breathed​ ​out​ ​slowly.​ ​“Okay Hannah.”​ ​he​ ​muttered,​ ​“If​ ​you’re​ ​using​ ​your​ ​future​ ​sight​ ​to​ ​watch​ ​this…​ ​please​ ​give​ ​me​ ​a​ ​sign​ ​if this​ ​is​ ​a​ bad ​idea.”
 
His​ amber ​eyes​ ​opened​ ​and​ ​scanned​ ​the​ ​city​ ​centre.​ ​Pokemon​ ​went​ ​about​ ​their​ ​business,​ ​children lined​ ​up​ ​to​ ​be​ ​counted​ ​for​ ​school,​ ​merchants​ ​and​ ​traders​ ​bartered​ ​on​ ​their​ ​wares.​ ​‘No​ ​signs…’​ ​he thought​ ​as​ ​he​ ​plodded​ ​after​ ​Auric.​ ​Either​ ​his​ ​seer​ ​was​ ​letting​ ​him​ ​know​ ​this​ ​was​ ​alright,​ ​or​ ​she had​ ​taken​ ​a​ ​day​ ​off​ ​of​ ​watching​ ​him.
 
* * *
 
The two stood before the storehouse, waiting for the other to make the first move. Auric was surprised to see how normal it looked from the outside, it was just a large warehouse with brick walls and a set of red doors. He made his way over to it, placing his hand on the knob of the right-hand door.
 
“Hey, you’ve got an Escape Orb, right?” Jasper asked as he trotted up to stand next to him again, “If this place is really a mystery dungeon now, we’re going to need one if we want to get back out. I don’t know if our badges are going to work in there.”
 
“I see no reason they wouldn’t,” Auric shrugged dismissively, “and it’s a storehouse. I’m sure we’ll be able to find basic adventuring equipment inside if we just look around.”
 
The universe seemed eager to make the Lucario eat his words. The moment he opened the door. Berries and items tumbled out from it, rolling out into the street as Jasper hurriedly tried to pick them up and stuff them into his bag. As Auric stepped over the threshold he found himself in a room filled with corridors made of shelves of items, though as he tried to grab them he found his hands touching nothing but the wooden surfaces of the shelves.
 
“Floor one.” Auric thought out loud, turning just as Jasper leaped through the veil and into the mystery dungeon, his bag bulging with the items he had gathered outside. “Come on, we need to find the garden.”
 
“The garden? Why’re we going there?” Jasper asked. A low snarl echoed through the chamber, and as the pokemon turned they found themselves being approached by two Raticate. Auric prepared his bone rush, brandishing the long glowing bone like a staff as the Arcanine stepped forward, “Hey. You two aren’t any pokemon I’ve ever seen before.” he barked, “You’re trespassing on guild property. Surrender now or I’ll be forced to-”
 
One of the Raticates snarled and charged towards him, running on all fours before leaping off the ground at the last second. It slammed into the Arcanine with the full force of his body, leaving him grunting as he took the hit before tossing the pokemon to one side.
 
“Why do they always want to do it the hard way?” he growled, baring his teeth moments before flames began to escape through them. He launched a fire blast at the one that had previously attacked him, and as it hit the Raticate burst into shadows. “Shadow pokemon. This is what I was talking about, Ric. Shadow pokemon!”
 
“They look just like normal pokemon.” Auric called back to him, fending off the Raticate gnashing at him as he held it back with his bone staff. He raised the staff above his head and brought it down on the pokemon, cleaving it in two as it burst into shadows. “What could be causing these creatures to manifest?”
 
“We don’t know, but I’m not partial to finding out what happens if we lose to ‘em.” Jasper replied, breathing out a plume of smoke on the ash that remained of the shadow pokemon he had been facing. “Which way are we going? You lead, I’ll follow.”
 
“You want me to lead?” Auric blinked at the canine.
 
“It’s your mission, isn’t it?” Jasper smirked back at him. With the slightest of nods, Auric began to run along the eastern path with the Arcanine following shortly after him.Every now and then they would notice items falling off the shelves, giving them a source of things to collect as they journeyed deeper. They found stairs that had never been there before, and dead ends that used to lead to rooms.
 
“Nothing about this feels right.” Jasper muttered as they walked, eating an oran berry to undo the damage the last group of shadow pokemon they had run into had caused, “What do you know, Auric? Why won’t you just tell me?”
 
“Jasper…” the Lucario began, allowing his bone staff to fade into the aura once again as he took a few more steps. “Have you ever been into the gardens yourself?”
 
“Huh? ...no.” Jasper shook his head as he raised an eyebrow at his companion, sucking on the oran berry in his mouth and pushing it into his cheek so he could talk, “Mmph. I don’t really have any reason to. Why? Is there something wrong with them?”
 
“There are treasures known as Rainbow Lenses,” Auric explained, picking up a berry that had fallen in their path and showing it to the Arcanine, “They exist at the center of every dungeon, from what I’ve learned so far they are the source of all the food found within them. Remove it-” he crushed the berry in his palm, allowing the juices to roll down his hand before dripping to the floor, “-And you leave the dungeon a barren world where nothing grows, and the pokemon turn on each other in order to survive.”
 
“That’s what those things are for?” Jasper’s eyes widened in alarm as he almost choked on the oran berry. He swallowed it down quickly, wanting to clear his mouth so they could focus on the mission, “I’ve been snatching those things up like golden apples! I thought they were just treasure. I had no idea they were so important.”
 
“I spoke with Xatu in the wilds, he told me that the Guild uses the Rainbow Lenses to grow food and supplies. Reviver seeds, blast seeds, oran berries, cheri berries, anything that grows here is being produced by those crystals.” The lucario gestured his hand down the hallway, “I don’t know what’s causing the storehouse to become a mystery dungeon, but I think it has something to do with the lenses, and provided that room has become the final floor, we’ll find them in the garden.”
 
“You’re… you’re really smart, you know that?” Jasper shook his head with a chuckle, “I’ve been a rescue team leader for years, and I had no idea any of this was happening… and you crack it wide open like it’s nothing. You should’ve been an investigator.” he said. The two paused as they reached a set of stairs, and the Arcanine’s smile faded as he turned to his friend, “...hey… what happens if we put the lenses back where we found them? Can we undo the damage?”
 
“I can only hope.” the Lucario sighed as he stepped down into the darkness of the next floor, “But if we remove them from here, the gardeners will have to learn to be patient, and we will have to be careful with how we use our supplies… we will not be able to produce berries and seeds for rescue teams at this rate without the lenses.”
 
“...Right.” Jasper replied, his brow furrowing in contemplation. He plodded after Auric, stepping into the shadows and emerging on the new floor. With each shadow pokemon they fought, he knew they were getting closer to the garden, to the center of this bizarre mystery dungeon. He could only hope they found it before it became worse. Finally they stepped into a floor until the others they had come through. The scent of berries wafted through the halls, and while there were usually multiple paths, they could only see a single left turn ahead.
 
“Bottom floor, smells like the garden.” Jasper grinned over at his friend, taking a deep inhale of the fruity scent drifting through the hallway. “We made it… Ha, way to go, Auric.”
 
“Let’s make sure we’re prepared for whatever we find.” Auric replied, unrolling the blanket filled with leppa berries and oran berries he had been carrying. He chewed a few of the leppa berries as Jasper sat down next to him, opening his mouth wide to eat as many of the assorted berries as he could in one go.
 
“Help! Someone, please! Help me!”
 
“Wait, did you hear that?” Jasper’s ears perked at the call as he got back to his feet. “Someone’s in trouble!” he yelled before charging down the hallway and barking like a guard dog as his feet pounded against the wooden floor, “Rescue team incoming!” he called ahead of himself, rounding the corner and disappearing from sight.
 
“Jasper, wait!” Auric yelled after him, racing after the canine. He could hear Jasper’s barking turning into muffled yells, followed by a disgusting squelching noise. The floor began to rumble, shuddering as some unseen force dragged itself along, slurping and gurgling as it went.
 
The Lucario staggered back as the dark ooze came around the corner, squelching against the ceiling as it did so. At its base he could see the hind legs of the Arcanine disappearing rapidly until only his bushy tail was left hanging out. As he focused on the creature’s aura he could see several pokemon trapped inside of it… fortunately all still alive.
 
The creature reared up and spat out a blob of its shadowy goop which landed with a loud splat a few feet before it. Slowly it morphed, changing into the shape of an Arcanine before shaking itself free to reveal a perfect copy of Jasper.
 
“What… are you?” the Lucario muttered, shuffling his feet before steadying himself in a defensive stance. His bone staff appeared in his hands, and the creature let out a terrifying shriek, black ooze sputtering from its mouth as it did so. The Lucario leaped back as it pounced forward, collapsing in on itself as it landed where he once was before reforming once again.
 
“Jasper!” Auric shouted, blocking the creature with his staff as it leaped towards him again. His aura burned against the creature’s maw, causing it to sizzle as smoke rose from it. He turned to his friend, only to see the Arcanine had completely vanished into the black ooze.
 
“Just go!” Jasper called, his voice muffled as his maw sparked with flames. Each time he got close to using his flamethrower his attack was snuffed out, “Auric.. Get out… of here…” he muttered, pushing weakly at the inky walls around him.
 
“I’m not leaving you.” Auric growled, swinging his bone staff to launch the creature off of him. It landed prone on its back, and the jackal followed it up with an overhead swing. The momentum forced the aura into the head, enlarging it significantly before it came down on the creature like a hammer, leaving it splattering out in all directions.
 
Auric panted, trying to catch his breath as his red eyes scanned the room. Already he could see the creature preparing more minions to battle him, three globs of inky mess were slowly starting to take shape before it. Despite expending its own matter to create the minions, the colossal creature continued to brush the top of the hallway.
 
The Lucario smashed apart the trio of dark Machamp it created, only to find himself with a wave of tiny black paras scuttling across the floor towards him. He raised his hand, desperately shooting aura sphere after aura sphere to wipe them out, using his other hand to hit them with his bone rush weapon as they got close.
 
“Auric!” Jasper’s voice called out. As the Lucario turned he saw the Arcanine had finally gotten his muzzle free from the mess, “You can’t fight this thing, it’ll keep making more until you’re exhausted.”
 
“I’m not leaving you!” the Lucario reminded him in a snarl, his aura blazing like blue fire around him as he prepared himself for another wave of minions.
 
“It’ll only be for a second,” Jasper reassured him, struggling to keep himself from sinking back into the darkness as the goo slowly crept over his muzzle to drag him back in, “Fighting this thing is stupid. You need to find the source! Find what made it and destroy THAT!”
 
Auric’s eyes widened in recognition, and he looked back to his current opponent just in time to avoid being stepped on by the shadowy Blastoise he was fighting. Jasper sank back into the beast with a sickening squelch and the minions it had summoned turned their ugly heads on the jackal once more. He lowered his gaze and took a deep breath to calm himself. “...Jasper, I’m sorry.”
 
He thrusted out his palms, sending his aura out in a wave to knock over the creatures before breaking into a sprint towards the corner the dark mass had come from. Oily gel began to lower and rise against the wall, seeking to meet in the center and block the Lucario’s path past it. Auric leaped through just as the hole closed.
 
He stopped in the air briefly, jolted as his bone staff was dragged from his hand. He rolled onto his back, rapidly backpedaling away from the mass as inky tentacles reached out of it and tried to grasp at his feet. It began to spit out blobs of ooze once more, creating more pokemon to subdue the Lucario.
 
Wasting no time, Auric got to his feet and began to run once again. He could see the garden up ahead, the sweet smell of berries filled his nose as his chest started to burn from exhaustion. The room was pragmatically designed; a single hatch at the top to allow the sunlight in, and a prism in the center that reflected the light into the twelve Rainbow lenses held in glass containers surrounding it. The rainbow coloured beams coming from the lenses went into the planters around the room, forcing the saplings they shined on to grow berries which dropped onto a conveyor belt, as Auric followed it to the end he found himself staring at a crate which was overflowing with berries of all kinds.
 
The rainbow lenses flashed, and the ooze forced its way down the corridor, sucking in berries and items from the shelves as it passed them. The Lucario was cornered in, his hands held up as his aura sparked and fizzled. “St-stop!” he yelled breathlessly, “I’m here to release you.”
 
The creature halted its advance, dripping against the ground and walls as the pokemon it had summoned slowly returned to their formless, oozing states. Auric turned his back on it, instead facing the Rainbow lenses, “...you did this, didn’t you? ...you summoned this creature.” he shook his head, “What was it? ...a warrior? A guardian?”
 
The lenses hummed gently, though perhaps it was the sounds of the machines around them. Auric’s ears lowered sympathetically as he moved to the nearest one and placed his hand on the glass. “I can’t understand how you feel… taken from your homes, forced to work to support greed and corruption.” he sighed, “Of course you would snap and turn on the ones who had held you for so long, so far away from the light.”
 
He turned once again, his eyes narrowing on the dark abomination of sludge, “But this is no way to do things. Turning this place into a mystery dungeon, enacting revenge without even giving them a chance to fix their mistakes…” he shook his head, “-That- I will not defend. There has been wrongdoing on both sides, but I intend to resolve this.” he crossed his arms over his chest, “But first… you must release them.”
 
The ooze let out a shriek and the lenses chimed in outrage. It moved closer, looming over the Lucario as it threatened to crush or engulf him. But Auric remained in place, watching the creature as it writhed furiously above him. Finally he reached one hand out towards it, allowing it to sink into the darkness of the ooze.
 
“If you can’t bring yourself to do it, then allow me to help you.” the Lucario said, his fingers outstretched. His other hand reached up alongside it, burying itself into the mass as his aura began to flare up once again. His heart beat rapidly and his head spun, he would need every slither of energy he held in his body if he was going to disperse the beast once and for all.
 
The ooze let out a squelching roar of pain, the Lucario shushed it gently as he continued to charge his energy. He could feel the auras of the pokemon trapped inside it reaching out to him, somewhere he could feel Jasper worrying about him, begging him to leave. He closed his eyes, his hands shining brighter and brighter as the aura sphere held in them sparked violently, crackling against the interior of the ooze. He opened one eye and released the attack.
 
“You’re going home…”
 
* * *
 
The disaster had opened the Guild’s eyes to the powers they dabbled with. There was a unanimous, albeit reluctant, vote to return the lenses where they came from. Jasper had insisted his team be put on the forefront of the effort, and he immediately assembled squads to get the Rainbow lenses back to their own mystery dungeons. ‘The guild’s been resting for too long,’ the Arcanine had said to the gathering of the guild leaders and their advisors, ‘we’ll find some other way to get supplies for our teams, a way that doesn’t endanger pokemon; wild or otherwise.’
 
In time the storehouse would return to what it once was, but no amount of shaking or calling would wake Auric from his slumber. Jasper sighed as he tucked the Lucario into his bed and turned to the Absol standing next to him. “What do you think, Hannah?”
 
“He will awaken, he simply needs to rest.” the Absol replied, revealing no emotion as her eyes glowed behind her blindfold. Jasper watched as she used her Future Sight, waiting for any information she could give him about the hours to come. “...I see you both a day from now. He groans, his eyes open and you leap onto the bed to welcome him back to the waking world. You are glad to see him,” her brow furrowed in concern, “But he is… fearful. He worries for Clearspring.”
 
“Clearspring?” Jasper blinked, “Why? What’s happening there?”
 
“He tells you a Rainbow Lense has been taken from its dungeon and is being held there… he fears what happened in the storehouse will also happen to the town.” she replied stoically, the glow fading as she ended her scrying. “He tells you to keep this between you. I will not tell him I’ve seen this, Jasper.”
 
“Thanks Hannah.” the Arcanine nodded as he climbed off the bed and grabbed his adventuring bag, “Keep an eye on him. I’m going to go to Clearspring and get that Rainbow Lense back to its dungeon.”
 
“You don’t wish to remain and enjoy the tearful reunion I have described?” Hannah asked. Despite her expressionless nature, she sounded quite surprised.
 
“We can have one later, after I’ve dealt with his problem he’ll be able to wake up with nothing to worry about.” Jasper replied, strapping his badge onto the strap of his bag, “Any idea where I might start look?”
 
“In my vision, Auric was particularly concerned about the clinic.” the Absol replied as she recalled it, “Would you like me to see how you two would have travelled there?”
 
“Nah, time’s wasting. I can find it myself.” the Arcanine replied, moving to leave his bedroom before looking over his shoulder and giving one final glance to Auric, “Don’t worry Auric, I’ll find track down whoever stole the Rainbow Lense. They’re going to regret ever messing with the mystery dungeons.”
 
And with that, the Arcanine raced off towards the docking area, using his Extreme Speed to make sure he wouldn’t miss the final flight of the night. As the Absol watched him go, her eyes flashed once more behind her blindfold, revealing the future to her now that Jasper was on his way to Clearspring.
 
“Oh.” she muttered, turning to look over at the Lucario lying unconscious on the bed. “I’m sorry, Auric… rather, I will be sorry when you awaken.” she shook her head before going to make herself some tea. She wanted to make sure she had all her energy if she was going to spend the whole night looking into the future… she didn’t want to leave it a surprise as to how it all played out.