Welcome Home

First topic message reminder :

Finally the last few trees were left behind the small Bug type, and the first buildings came into his field of vision. There it was - Grassveil Town.
At long last, after the most dangerous of travels, the Nincada had reached the end of his journey. Here he would be able to join a guild and show his- no, the old clan, that one would be able to earn money by taking missions and still help others with it.
Exhausted from the long trip, Ned slowly crawled over the flat hills surrounding the town, still looking out for potential threats from any Flying types, although he should be fairly safe, the guild in close proximity after all.
"At long last...I am at home..."
Would the guild be, what he expected it to be?
Would it be different?
And would he even get to join it right now?
Only time would show...

"I, the...uh...what? Oh..."
As Ned finally began to see the world correctly again, he noticed, that the Ralts had tripped over a log.
Slowly he managed to stumble over to the fallen Psychic type and...
...and carefully extended his claw in his direction, intending to help him get up.
"There is no honor in attacking a fallen foe. Are you all right?"
They may have been fighting, but it still was just training.
Why should he attack someone, who likely had no means to defend himself?

Akuroma blinked, grabbing a hold of the Nincada's claw.
"Yeah, I'm alright, excluding the bruises and cuts from out battle," he said, rubbing his sides a bit as he sat there, "How about you?"
He was a bit confused at the Nincada's sudden change from battle to aid, though he didn't think much on it, seeing as how it seems another attack and either one of them would have fallen.

"A bit dizzy, but otherwise I'm fine I guess. I don't even want to know how it is like not to resist Psychic type moves."
Careful not to hurt either of them, Ned pulled the Ralts back onto his feet.
Were they going to continue to fight now, or was it enough?
Ned would be fine with either outcome, but of course the Ralts would have to choose.
"You fought well. So, what do we do now? Continue or end it here?"

Akuroma stretched, only to quickly crumple over and grab his stomach, "Gah!, l-let's end it here and heal up, I don't think I could even send out another Confusion attack anyways," he said in a slightly pained voice.
He slowly straightened back and began to limp towards the guild, "The Guild should be able to heal us up quickly, plus, that's where you were headed anyways."
Despite Akuroma's previous statement, he used Confusion, and the book he was holding early flew back into his hands, opened to the page he had left it on.

"Well, I wasn't headed there just yet. I was planning on evolving first. In my current state I am too weak to be of much help and I would just be a parasite there. But yeah, we could go there to heal up for now."
Ned's mind still was rather hazy from all the confusion and being tossed through the air, but his principles remained unshaken. He really did not want to be a burden for the guild, so he would have to wait with joining them. Wait until he would be stonger. Wait until he would evolve.
Then maybe he would find the strength to make that fateful descision.

Akuroma looked at the Nincada, "A parasite? Hardly. The guild loves taking in those who wish to improve themselves. I think they would rather take you in as you are now than a powerful Ninjask. I've thought of joining them time and again since I've finished reading all the books around town, excluding those pokemon would rather me not read," he said, having already flipped through countless pages in the book in his hand.
"If you wish to not be a parasite to them, then show your worth. Join. Train. Evolve. It's quite a simple process, and they'll gladly help you with any bumps along the road."
He then closed the book, sending it back to the library as before.
"You know, perhaps we should form a team. You wish to get stronger, and I wish to learn all about this world, and any other that may exist, and with my psychic abilities and your power and agility, we'd make quite the pair."

"Sorry, but I've hardly known you. We just met after all. You do seem to be a nice Pokémon and everything, but I don't believe I'd be ready for this."
It filled Ned with sadness, but he could not accept this request that easily. He would have to prove his worth first. To the guild, to others or to himself. He didn't know, why exactly he was doing this, but there was that feeling the Nincada could not change. The feeling, that this was what had to be done.
"I hope you can forgive me for this, but I have to decline your offer."



(Ned will join the Aileron Guild after he evolves together with the other Ned, who will be created at evolution and Blue's Acro. So sadly he can't join Grassveil with Akuroma. Sorry.)

Akuroma shrugged, "It's alright, I didn't expect you to jump at the request," he said, though he became quite silent afterwards.
"I'd still like to learn more about your past, though, if that's alright with you," the Ralts said as the two neared the guild. He turned towards the Nincada and gave a small smile.
"We do have plenty of time to sit around and talk as we heal up, either way."

Hearing the request, Ned stopped walking for a second. Why would anyone be interested in his past?
But since he saw no reason not to speak about it, the Nincada began his narration:
"Huh, didn't think you'd be interested in that. There's not much to tell anyway. I was born in a clan of many others of my species. They were a vile group, taking the missions of more questionable legality. They lie, they steal and they do whatever they need to do to get what they want. If it would be easier than completing the mission, it has come to happen, that they just took the reward from the other Pokémon. As soon as I came to know of that, I set out to leave them. Now, after quite a few weeks my journey has brought me to Grassveil Town, and you know, what happened here I think."

Akuroma nodded, "I see, I've never heard of a group of pokemon doing that. I've heard of bad Exploration Teams and single pokemon ambushing explorers, but never an entire clan of pokemon based on that. Do you plan on stopping them once you're powerful enough? It'd be quite troublesome having them go on unpunished."

Once more the Nincada paused, the matter requiring far too much consideration and thought being put into it.
"Well, that is a problem. Of course I would love to, but the scale is simply too large. Even if I should reach the peak of my abilities, i doubt, that I'd be able to do much. It would take a large-scale invasion probably. And believe me, those Pokémon know, how to do battle."
Thinking about it filled Ned with sadness. So many Pokémon having devoted their lives to such dishonesty. If only they could realize, that what they were doing was wrong. If only every Pokémon could.
Then the world would be a better place.

Akuroma thought for a while, "Is there any sort of leader? Or perhaps a way to become leader? If you were to become their leader, I'm sure they'd listen to you," the Ralts suggested, having read some books about how some groups choose their leader. However, he also remembered a book about bug types normally having a hive mind when near each other.
"Say...how far away were you from the rest of the clan when you left them?" Akuroma asked. He'd hate to convince Ned to go attack his clan only to be brainwashed by the hive mind.

"Well, I was right next to them. I left them as soon as I got to know of the things they were doing. As for becoming their leader, that would be possible to do, but I most certainly refuse to even attempt it. You do not want to know the things one would have to do for that."
Of course the thought had crossed the Nincada's mind already; he had been traveling on his own for quite some time after all. But as quickly as the idea appeared, it was discarded again. Should Ned actually manage to do the things the clan would require him to do, then he would be worse than most of their members even!
He, who fights monsters indeed.
Barely noticeable, Ned's head hung a little lower now.

Akuroma nodded, "I see, seems the only way to stop them would be to defeat them in battle, and possibly imprison them until they decide to change their ways," he said. His horn twitched a little at the Nincada's worsening mood.
"Say, how about we go train in Pecha Forest for a bit? It's pretty easy to travel in and the pokemon there aren't terribly strong," the Ralts suggested, trying to change the subject, "Plus the Pecha berries there are very sweet, sweeter than normal pecha berries."

"Sounds like a plan, I guess. But you do not need to pay attention to how easy the fights may be. I've traveled quite a few dangerous paths in my attempts to get here. I think I could handle everything in the direct victinity of the town."
Now this idea was significantly better than the last one.
Teamwork would definitely be much better than fighting against each other.
An almost sickenly sweet scent reached the Nincada.
"It's this way, correct?"