TAMA - CHAPTER ONE - RECRUITED
So Maxie found himself in the cave, following blindly behind Archie who was quite literally crashing ahead. Several poor people were knocked aside - each with odd features that reassured Maxie that this had to be some sort of dream. He didn't feel particularly bad about punching them either - though for some reason he was actually able to knock them out without any difficulty. Maxie had never been particularly strong, so this was indeed quite the change.
"Wh-where are we going?" He asked breathlessly as he caught up to Archie.
"Deepest part of the cave, where else? There's no way outta here; those two are gonna get it!" Archie dragged Maxie down the staircase after him. Wait. Staricase? What was a staircase doing in a cave? Maxie decided not to question it - his head was still killing him.
They reached the deepest part of the cave in no time at all. Archie called out, "Hey! You jerks! We know you're hiding here!"
"Actually, we weren't hiding at all," The purple-haired man, Petrel, said with a shrug. "We're right here."
"Figures it'd be a dead end," The smaller of the duo, Proton, grumbled. "I'm guessing you want this back?" He waved the rock around tauntingly. Archie made an attempt to snatch it, but Proton floated away, small wings somehow supporting his weight. "Ah ah ah~ Not so fast! You're gonna have to fight us for it!"
"Okay." Archie punched him square in the mouth. Proton was knocked out easily.
"Whoa, you're pretty good." Petrel said and shrugged as Archie plucked the rock from Proton's hand. "Guess it's yours then. We'll just be... going now." He grabbed the unconscious man and quickly darted out.
"Huh! Serves 'em right!" Archie examined the rock for a moment before putting it in his odd, shell-shaped backpack. "Thanks for the help. Oh, I never caught your name."
"Maxie... Wait, you know me! What are you trying to pull now, Archie?" Maxie glowered. Whatever it was Archie was up to, it was stupid. Especially if all this was some sort of elaborate ruse to make him think he was crazy. It was working.
Archie scratched the back of his head. "I dunno what you're talkin' 'bout. This is the first time we've met. I guess you know me, somehow."
Maxie shook his head slowly. "Okay, explain to me what's going on here. And what is with this?" He asked, yanking on Archie's "tail."
"Oww! Let go! Let go! What are you doing!?" Archie yelped. He quickly jumped away, batting Maxie's hands. "You should know better than that! You've got one too - don't you hate it when people yank on your tail?"
"...I have a what now." Maxie didn't sound slightly amused. He did turn slightly, noticing a bunch of orange, yellow, and red feathers sticking out from under his coat, which was riding up awkwardly now that he thought about it. "...What?"
"You're a Torchic. I don't see what's up with you." Archie shrugged.
Torchic? Oh hell no. What was going on here? "I'm not a Torchic! I'm human!" Maxie was beginning to lose it, now sounding a bit hysterical. "I don't know what you're playing at, Archie, but whatever it is, stop it!"
Instead, Archie led the way out. Maxie did manage to calm down, trying to fathom just what the hell was happening. It wasn't working. The only thing he could figure was that this was some sort of dream... or an acid trip. He wasn't sure he wanted to know which one it really was.
"You know, you were pretty useful back there! I'm lookin' to form an Exploration Team. You in?" Archie got a blank stare in return, so he elaborated, "I dunno what's up with you, but you're kinda stuck here for the time being. Why not help me out, huh? I can't join Wigglytuff's Guild without a partner, an' I can't find anyone useful. You seem to be decent, at least."
No. No, no, no. Maxie was not going to join Maxie for any reason. Never. "This is the stupidest thing I've ever heard! Of course I'm not joining you! I hate you!"
"Very mature of you," Archie remarked snidely. "I haven't even done anything to you! I dunno what's wrong with you." Another shrug. "C'mon, if you join the guild you'll get info. Maybe then you can figure out what happened to you - what turned you into a Torchic an' all."
"...It's your fault!" Maxie's voice had risen an octave with hysteria. "What... what are you trying to pull!?"
"Nothing! That's what I've been tellin' you! You must have me mixed up with someone else or somethin'. 'Cause I haven't done anything to you."
A groan. A loud groan. Maxie knew he was going to regret this. He knew it. Still, he closed his eyes, took a moment to gather himself, and said, "Fine. Only until I figure out what's going on! And then I'm outta here!"
Archie grinned in response and dragged Maxie off. He was definitely going to regret this.
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"Wh-where are we going?" He asked breathlessly as he caught up to Archie.
"Deepest part of the cave, where else? There's no way outta here; those two are gonna get it!" Archie dragged Maxie down the staircase after him. Wait. Staricase? What was a staircase doing in a cave? Maxie decided not to question it - his head was still killing him.
They reached the deepest part of the cave in no time at all. Archie called out, "Hey! You jerks! We know you're hiding here!"
"Actually, we weren't hiding at all," The purple-haired man, Petrel, said with a shrug. "We're right here."
"Figures it'd be a dead end," The smaller of the duo, Proton, grumbled. "I'm guessing you want this back?" He waved the rock around tauntingly. Archie made an attempt to snatch it, but Proton floated away, small wings somehow supporting his weight. "Ah ah ah~ Not so fast! You're gonna have to fight us for it!"
"Okay." Archie punched him square in the mouth. Proton was knocked out easily.
"Whoa, you're pretty good." Petrel said and shrugged as Archie plucked the rock from Proton's hand. "Guess it's yours then. We'll just be... going now." He grabbed the unconscious man and quickly darted out.
"Huh! Serves 'em right!" Archie examined the rock for a moment before putting it in his odd, shell-shaped backpack. "Thanks for the help. Oh, I never caught your name."
"Maxie... Wait, you know me! What are you trying to pull now, Archie?" Maxie glowered. Whatever it was Archie was up to, it was stupid. Especially if all this was some sort of elaborate ruse to make him think he was crazy. It was working.
Archie scratched the back of his head. "I dunno what you're talkin' 'bout. This is the first time we've met. I guess you know me, somehow."
Maxie shook his head slowly. "Okay, explain to me what's going on here. And what is with this?" He asked, yanking on Archie's "tail."
"Oww! Let go! Let go! What are you doing!?" Archie yelped. He quickly jumped away, batting Maxie's hands. "You should know better than that! You've got one too - don't you hate it when people yank on your tail?"
"...I have a what now." Maxie didn't sound slightly amused. He did turn slightly, noticing a bunch of orange, yellow, and red feathers sticking out from under his coat, which was riding up awkwardly now that he thought about it. "...What?"
"You're a Torchic. I don't see what's up with you." Archie shrugged.
Torchic? Oh hell no. What was going on here? "I'm not a Torchic! I'm human!" Maxie was beginning to lose it, now sounding a bit hysterical. "I don't know what you're playing at, Archie, but whatever it is, stop it!"
Instead, Archie led the way out. Maxie did manage to calm down, trying to fathom just what the hell was happening. It wasn't working. The only thing he could figure was that this was some sort of dream... or an acid trip. He wasn't sure he wanted to know which one it really was.
"You know, you were pretty useful back there! I'm lookin' to form an Exploration Team. You in?" Archie got a blank stare in return, so he elaborated, "I dunno what's up with you, but you're kinda stuck here for the time being. Why not help me out, huh? I can't join Wigglytuff's Guild without a partner, an' I can't find anyone useful. You seem to be decent, at least."
No. No, no, no. Maxie was not going to join Maxie for any reason. Never. "This is the stupidest thing I've ever heard! Of course I'm not joining you! I hate you!"
"Very mature of you," Archie remarked snidely. "I haven't even done anything to you! I dunno what's wrong with you." Another shrug. "C'mon, if you join the guild you'll get info. Maybe then you can figure out what happened to you - what turned you into a Torchic an' all."
"...It's your fault!" Maxie's voice had risen an octave with hysteria. "What... what are you trying to pull!?"
"Nothing! That's what I've been tellin' you! You must have me mixed up with someone else or somethin'. 'Cause I haven't done anything to you."
A groan. A loud groan. Maxie knew he was going to regret this. He knew it. Still, he closed his eyes, took a moment to gather himself, and said, "Fine. Only until I figure out what's going on! And then I'm outta here!"
Archie grinned in response and dragged Maxie off. He was definitely going to regret this.
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