TAMA - CHAPTER TWO - THE NEW GUILD RECRUITS
Archie dragged Maxie through the outskirts of a town - "Treasure Town," He remarked as they passed - and up to a large building looming over a cliff edge. The building would have been impressive if not for the large Wigglytuff-shaped roof. Maxie groaned. This was definitely a weird dream. Or acid trip. Or whatever it was.
Maxie hesitated as Archie marched over and stopped over a strange-looking grate, tapping a foot impatiently. A loud voice shouted from somewhere within, "WHOSE FOOTPRINT?"
"The footprint is Wartortle's!" Another voice shouted from within. Maxie lifted an eyebrow. How on earth could they tell what "Pokemon" it was from just a footprint? Actually, how could they even see a footprint? He glanced at Archie and noticed that he was wearing sandals. That made even less sense. He decided not to dwell on it - this was clearly some sort of bizarre nightmare after all.
"There's someone with you! Get them UP on that grate!"
Archie stepped off and waited for a moment. When Maxie didn't move, he pointed. "They mean you."
With a sigh, Maxie stepped onto the grate. He was wearing his usual boots, so he doubted they'd be able to tell what "Pokemon" he was.
"WHOSE FOOTPRINT?"
"The footprint is... um..."
"WHAT? SENTRY DIGLETT, WHO IS THE VISITOR?"
"...Maybe Torchic!"
"WHAT? MAYBE?"
"I don't know what I don't know! And you don't see a lot of Torchics around here..."
"Are they fighting?" Archie wondered aloud, leaning over the grate and trying to look in. It was pitch-black.
"SORRY to keep you waiting! It's true you don't see many Torchics around here... but you're probably an okay Pokemon. You can come in."
The gate to the Guild was opened and once again Maxie was dragged off. "Hey look, a ladder. It must be underground or something," Archie remarked as they stopped to stare at the ladder leading downwards. Again Maxie followed Archie, and they ended up in an oddly bright room that was clearly underground. Archie pointed toward a window carved into the side in explanation. "Guess this place is carved into the cliff."
"Hello there~!" A man approached them. He had bright green wings sprouting from his back, a long dark ponytail brushing equally green tailfeathers. "We don't have time for surveys or door-to-door salesmen, so if you could kindly leave~"
"We're here to join the Guild, Chatot." Archie was positively smirking now. The man - Chatot - went pale on recognizing him. "An' look, I even found me a partner this time around."
"Oh... good." Chatot replied faintly. "Well I'll just... see the Guildmaster about this..."
"We'll come with you!" Maxie didn't even bother protesting as Archie dragged him off once more. There really wasn't any sense in fighting this bizarre dream - he was stuck in it. They descended another floor; this one was larger and less crowded, with a door blocking the way further back. Chatot motioned for them to follow him into the room.
"Guildmaster, we're coming in," Chatot announced, pushing the door in. Inside, with his back to them, was a short man wearing all pink. Two large bunny-like ears rose from his equally pink hair, and even from the back a large curl was visible in the middle of his forehead.
Wigglytuff, Maxie thought absently. He looked ridiculously gay. "Hiya!" Wigglytuff said, whipping around to face them. He was smiling broadly and looked suspiciously blank. "New guild members, right? Friendly friends~"
"Uh, right," Archie said. He looked even more disturbed than Maxie did - probably because the latter had decided this was some bizarre dream. "Can we just get this over with?"
"Sure thing, friend~ I just need the name of your team~"
"Name? Uh..." Archie glanced to Maxie. "I didn't even think about that. Whaddya think we should name ourselves?"
Maxie smirked. "Magma-Aqua. Team Magma-Aqua."
"Sure, we'll go with that. Archie shrugged. As Wigglytuff and Chatot turned to discuss something in an undertone, Archie asked, "Don't you think it should be Team Aqua-Magma?"
"No, Magma-Aqua sounds better." Maxie smirk widened.
"Alrighty~ Team Magma-Aqua! You're all registered!" Wigglytuffy twirled around and shouted, "YOOMTAH!" Archie and Maxie exchanged a look, but before either of them could say anything, Wigglytuff continued, "And here's your Explorer Bag! Open it up, open it up~"
Archie opened the bag up and took out the first item. A bright purple bow. He snickered and handed it to Maxie. "A Violet Bow, huh? Seems suiting for you." Maxie glowered. "Oh, a Defense Scarf too? And what's this? Explorer Badges?" He handed one to Maxie. The Team Magma leader suppressed a laugh. It was shaped like the Team Magma insignia. The one Archie kept was shaped like the Team Aqua insignia. "And a Wonder Map! Wow, there's a lot of good stuff in here."
"Yes, indeed there is. Let me show you to your room." Chatot flapped his wings to get their attention. "Since you're a team, you'll be sharing a room."
Maxie groaned. Archie ignored him. "Well, let's go already."
"Yes, your training starts early tomorrow morning. You'd better be well rested!" Chatot led them back into the main room, then down a side hall into a cluster of smaller rooms. There was one room without anything in it save two straw mats, and Chatot pointed to it. "This will be your room. Loudred - a fellow apprentice - will wake you tomorrow morning. Don't be late!"
"We won't." Archie promised and entered the room. It was rather small, and the straw mats didn't look very comfortable. Apparently Archie didn't think the same though, for he exclaimed, "Yes, we get beds!"
Maxie groaned and selected one of the straw mats to sit on. It wasn't as uncomfortable as it looked, and almost immediately his eyes began to droop. It had been a long day. Maybe he'd wake up in his own world. That thought alone was enough to get him to curl up on that cot and attempt to sleep.
"Pretty busy day today, huh? Well I'm glad you're here, Maxie." Archie said honestly. He glanced over at the human-turned-Torchic, only to find Maxie was asleep. Laughing, Archie flopped back on his cot and began drifting off as well.
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Maxie hesitated as Archie marched over and stopped over a strange-looking grate, tapping a foot impatiently. A loud voice shouted from somewhere within, "WHOSE FOOTPRINT?"
"The footprint is Wartortle's!" Another voice shouted from within. Maxie lifted an eyebrow. How on earth could they tell what "Pokemon" it was from just a footprint? Actually, how could they even see a footprint? He glanced at Archie and noticed that he was wearing sandals. That made even less sense. He decided not to dwell on it - this was clearly some sort of bizarre nightmare after all.
"There's someone with you! Get them UP on that grate!"
Archie stepped off and waited for a moment. When Maxie didn't move, he pointed. "They mean you."
With a sigh, Maxie stepped onto the grate. He was wearing his usual boots, so he doubted they'd be able to tell what "Pokemon" he was.
"WHOSE FOOTPRINT?"
"The footprint is... um..."
"WHAT? SENTRY DIGLETT, WHO IS THE VISITOR?"
"...Maybe Torchic!"
"WHAT? MAYBE?"
"I don't know what I don't know! And you don't see a lot of Torchics around here..."
"Are they fighting?" Archie wondered aloud, leaning over the grate and trying to look in. It was pitch-black.
"SORRY to keep you waiting! It's true you don't see many Torchics around here... but you're probably an okay Pokemon. You can come in."
The gate to the Guild was opened and once again Maxie was dragged off. "Hey look, a ladder. It must be underground or something," Archie remarked as they stopped to stare at the ladder leading downwards. Again Maxie followed Archie, and they ended up in an oddly bright room that was clearly underground. Archie pointed toward a window carved into the side in explanation. "Guess this place is carved into the cliff."
"Hello there~!" A man approached them. He had bright green wings sprouting from his back, a long dark ponytail brushing equally green tailfeathers. "We don't have time for surveys or door-to-door salesmen, so if you could kindly leave~"
"We're here to join the Guild, Chatot." Archie was positively smirking now. The man - Chatot - went pale on recognizing him. "An' look, I even found me a partner this time around."
"Oh... good." Chatot replied faintly. "Well I'll just... see the Guildmaster about this..."
"We'll come with you!" Maxie didn't even bother protesting as Archie dragged him off once more. There really wasn't any sense in fighting this bizarre dream - he was stuck in it. They descended another floor; this one was larger and less crowded, with a door blocking the way further back. Chatot motioned for them to follow him into the room.
"Guildmaster, we're coming in," Chatot announced, pushing the door in. Inside, with his back to them, was a short man wearing all pink. Two large bunny-like ears rose from his equally pink hair, and even from the back a large curl was visible in the middle of his forehead.
Wigglytuff, Maxie thought absently. He looked ridiculously gay. "Hiya!" Wigglytuff said, whipping around to face them. He was smiling broadly and looked suspiciously blank. "New guild members, right? Friendly friends~"
"Uh, right," Archie said. He looked even more disturbed than Maxie did - probably because the latter had decided this was some bizarre dream. "Can we just get this over with?"
"Sure thing, friend~ I just need the name of your team~"
"Name? Uh..." Archie glanced to Maxie. "I didn't even think about that. Whaddya think we should name ourselves?"
Maxie smirked. "Magma-Aqua. Team Magma-Aqua."
"Sure, we'll go with that. Archie shrugged. As Wigglytuff and Chatot turned to discuss something in an undertone, Archie asked, "Don't you think it should be Team Aqua-Magma?"
"No, Magma-Aqua sounds better." Maxie smirk widened.
"Alrighty~ Team Magma-Aqua! You're all registered!" Wigglytuffy twirled around and shouted, "YOOMTAH!" Archie and Maxie exchanged a look, but before either of them could say anything, Wigglytuff continued, "And here's your Explorer Bag! Open it up, open it up~"
Archie opened the bag up and took out the first item. A bright purple bow. He snickered and handed it to Maxie. "A Violet Bow, huh? Seems suiting for you." Maxie glowered. "Oh, a Defense Scarf too? And what's this? Explorer Badges?" He handed one to Maxie. The Team Magma leader suppressed a laugh. It was shaped like the Team Magma insignia. The one Archie kept was shaped like the Team Aqua insignia. "And a Wonder Map! Wow, there's a lot of good stuff in here."
"Yes, indeed there is. Let me show you to your room." Chatot flapped his wings to get their attention. "Since you're a team, you'll be sharing a room."
Maxie groaned. Archie ignored him. "Well, let's go already."
"Yes, your training starts early tomorrow morning. You'd better be well rested!" Chatot led them back into the main room, then down a side hall into a cluster of smaller rooms. There was one room without anything in it save two straw mats, and Chatot pointed to it. "This will be your room. Loudred - a fellow apprentice - will wake you tomorrow morning. Don't be late!"
"We won't." Archie promised and entered the room. It was rather small, and the straw mats didn't look very comfortable. Apparently Archie didn't think the same though, for he exclaimed, "Yes, we get beds!"
Maxie groaned and selected one of the straw mats to sit on. It wasn't as uncomfortable as it looked, and almost immediately his eyes began to droop. It had been a long day. Maybe he'd wake up in his own world. That thought alone was enough to get him to curl up on that cot and attempt to sleep.
"Pretty busy day today, huh? Well I'm glad you're here, Maxie." Archie said honestly. He glanced over at the human-turned-Torchic, only to find Maxie was asleep. Laughing, Archie flopped back on his cot and began drifting off as well.
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