They are known as explorers

The Sandshrew stood before the mighty gates of the western entrance of the city.

"Grassveil..."

They were laid open today, so they were yesterday, the day that Yigo got to see them for the first time. However, he hesitated. He had never been to a town before and he didn´t know what to expect from it. The only thing he could assume was that Pokemon gathered there.

He took a deep breath, scratched the back of his left ear and curled to the size of a ball. He knew well enough that he couldn´t see in that shape; exactly what he wanted. He rolled through the gates when he was sure that no one was passing through and got inside the town. He got unrolled and on his fours on a wide street. That street seemed different from the others. At the end of it was building that stood out from the others. Near it, a group of Pokemon wearing scarves, bags crammed with tools and goodies with a little piece of a shiny material that could be spotted by Yigo´s eyes from there.

"Explorers," he thought to himself "The alpha has to be with them!"

He had seen and heard about this explorers, moreover, he was brought there by them in the first place. He assumed that it was his best bet to go for it and ask them information. He knew nothing about Grassveil, just that he wanted to become part of it. With that in mind, he began advancing towards the guild. As he got closer, though, his body began wavering. Some of the explorers were looking at him, then got back to talking. Next, almost of all of them were looking at him just to return to their conversation shortly thereafter. Yigo couldn´t move, he got paralysed right where he stood. Were they talking about him? Each time they scanned him felt like a Zangoose´s slash. A cold sweat ran through his face as he started shivering. He couldn´t take it.

The Sandshrew didn´t waste a moment running away from the group of explorers. On the go, he began to look for somewhere to hide, yet the only thing he could see was Pokemon on the streets, staring at him. Trying to avoid other Pokemon, Yigo got to an alleyway, apparently empty.

"I couldn´t do it... " he squeaked, panting, barely controlling his desire to cry out loud. He sat on the ground with his hands covering his face in shame. "Not even today... I can´t do it..."

Alki lay in her bed, staring up at the ceiling. How she would spend her day? There wasn't much to do... should she go back to sleep? No, she couldn't do that. Where was Darcy? She sighed, and scanned the room, before her eyes settled on the books stacked neatly on the windowsill. Alki supposed she should at least try to read some of them, but considering their size, as well as the fact that Alki was not the best reader, she felt it might be better to leave them for later. Although she couldn't help but wonder what they might be about. She would ask Darcy, next time they saw each other.

Alki bounced out of her bed and left her room. She couldn't just lounge around all day, after all. She put the blue bow that Faye had given her on her head, before leaving the room as quietly as possible. There weren't a lot of Pokemon, at least as far as Alki could see, but she didn't really feel like talking to anyone, especially if Darcy wasn't around.

She left the guild doors, silently closing the doors behind her. A group of explorers were standing in front of her, talking about a Sandshrew. Although Alki couldn't exactly hear what, exactly, they were saying, she did see the Sandshrew begin to run away.

"Wait... who was that?" Alki mumbled aloud to herself. She looked at the Sandshrew, debating what to do, until she finally began to bounce after him. It was hard to keep up, especially since the Sandshrew seemed to be much faster than she was. Somehow, though, Alki managed to keep up.

He began to run into an Alleyway, before stopping, alone. Did he want to be alone? Alki hesitated. Maybe she should leave him alone, after all, wasn't Alki like that too? She didn't know him. What could she do to help? She was dumb...

Alki considered leaving, but looking at him, she felt worried. He didn't have to feel that bad... she felt sympathy towards him. She'd felt like that too, before. She bounced slowly towards him, panting.

"H-Hey... y-you don't have to be s-s-so worried..." She squeaked, her face flushed. He ran awfully fast... "Or scared... p-please don't run away... I c-can't keep up with you... Erm. A-anyways, w-what's wrong? You seem sort of... distraught..." She said, leaning against a nearby wall. She hoped that she hadn't spooked the sandshrew... he was bigger than she was, by quite a bit, so hopefully he wouldn't feel intimidated by her...

Life got too heavy that day. His mother´s desire was to see him prosper in Grassveil. She had given almost everything she had to get Yigo there, to give him a chance to become something better. She lost her only chance to leave Scorchfall Desert, even though she got severely injured. After all that had happened, why was Yigo struggling that much to fulfil her desire? Two days had already passed and yet, he did nothing. He had nothing. He didn´t have...

He didn´t have to be worried...? Who said that?

The Sandshrew slid away one of his hands out of his face, slowly. There was a Pokemon in front of him. Yigo got to his fours quickly, his head low and trying to show his teeth. His stance was the one of a trapped Poochyena before a fight. However, his whole body was shaking and his mind shattered. His eyes got locked on to her and began an examination in search of potential threats.

She was half his size, a bit less. Pink colour, round and lacked claws/wings/fangs or anything else to be afraid of. She seemed like a regular Igglybuff but for a blue bow that she was wearing. She seemed tired and had her guard lowered, but she was still blocking his only way out of the alleyway. Sure, he could try to pass her by and outrun her afterwards...

However, she started talking once more. Had she asked him to not to run away? Was she reading his mind? "W-who... are you?" He whispered, secretly wanting his question to go unheard. He had closed his eyes to conceal his fears and insecurities. The Sandshrew tried to breathe but suffocation struck him every time he tried to open his mouth. Trying to get a sound out of him burned his very inside. "Y-you... followed... me?" his voice was getting high-pitched.

"Why!?" he managed to shout, at last, pouncing towards her. However, the pain that came after that fit of madness struck him in the middle of the jump and made him drop to the ground in front of her, still shaking, still suffocating. That was a stupid way of fainting... unable to breathe properly... on that alleyway... below the sunny skies. He was truly pathetic.

Despite everything, though, he remained conscious. He stopped shaking, he stopped panting, he wasn´t nervous anymore. The sweet scent that emanated from the Igglybuff was calming the Sandshrew. Yigo opened his eyes just to meet the concerned gaze of the Igglybuff. What was Yigo thinking? She was trying to help him after all. Yigo gathered air once more, now calmed and clear-minded. "I-I´m... I apologise" he whispered again as he hoped not to scare the helpful Pokemon "I-It´s... I´m sorry... I was... I need help, please" The Sandshrew began wagging his tail and gaining a bit more confidence with each word "My name... my name is Yigo"

With his name finally out, his insecurities vanished. He raised his snout a bit and tried to smile at her the best he could “I-I´m a bit lost… and I need to know more about Grassveil. You must know a lot more than I do... would you mind…?” The Sandshrew couldn´t finish his question. He needed to know first what she thought of him, he had tried to attack her after all.

Alki cocked her head to the side as the Sandshrew asked for her name. She hadn't introduced herself, after all. Alki felt a pang of relief. He didn't seem too bad. He was awfully quiet, sure, but so was she, and he needed help! Alki could make herself useful, and maybe he'd like her and she could be friends with him and --

"Y-you... followed... me?"

Alki nodded slowly, as the Sandshrew's voice began to get higher-pitched. What was wrong? Had Alki done something wrong? She'd only wanted to help... Alki stole a quick glance behind her. They were in an alley way. Alone. Should she leave? Maybe that'd be best...

Alki recoiled as the Sandshrew yelled out one simple question as he pounced towards her. WHY? Alki stumbled backwards, squeaking as she used Defense Curl around herself. They were alone. Alone! She was all by herself, and she'd lost fights against smaller Pokemon before. "I-I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." She managed to yell out, her eyes shut tightly. When had she ever won a fight? There were police, right? Someone would help her... right? Alki's eyes remained tightly shut, as she waited. But she felt no impact, no attack, no claws or bite. She was fine. Why? Her eyes opened, slowly, afraid of what might happen.

Alki felt her blood pounding. What had happened? He was... lying in front of her. He didn't seem well. Alki began to use Heal Pulse, but almost immediately stopped. He'd tried to attack her! And now, for once, she wasn't the one lying on the ground, hurt and about to pass out. It wasn't her!

Alki's face began to turn red. She shouldn't think like that. That was wrong. And this Sandshrew seemed... well... Alki didn't know what to think about the Sandshrew. But she couldn't just leave him. Alki sat down, staring at the sandshrew, and after a few seconds of contemplation, she began to use her Heal Pulse. Her initial... whatever... was soon replaced by worry. The Sandshrew would be alright... wouldn't he? What if he wasn't? Where would she go? Would she get in trouble? What if they called her an outlaw... she began to focus more on her heal pulse.

As it turned out, she didn't have to worry about that. The Sandshrew opened his eyes and... apologized? And then he asked for her help!

"W-W-W-Well... Y-Yigo... erm..." Alki shuffled her feet, looking at a crack in a wall instead of the Sandshrew. What was she supposed to say? He'd just attacked her, and now he was asking for her help?

Alki's mouth twisted into a frown as a new thought occurred to her. He'd been bothered that she'd followed him... sure, she'd only wanted to help, but... he'd attacked her because she'd done something stupid. Again. She looked down at the floor in front of her, and forced a smile onto her face. She was lucky he'd decided not to attack her. She deserved it...

"I'm... s-sorry, I d-didn't mean to scare... or, um, annoy... y-you..." She finally said, her gaze focusing on the sand-shrew. "I'll... try to help you. If y-you really want me to... b-but... erm... i-is there anything in particular you... w-wanna do, h-here in Grassveil?"

She was scared of him. She was not going to admit it but she was afraid of him. Nicely done, sincerely. It didn´t matter what she said, Yigo had finally understood that she wasn´t actually concerned about him. She was looking after her own safety. Or was she? After all, he had sensed something more than her scent when he woke up. The Sandshrew looked over the alleyway. Was that her den? Had he invaded her territory?

He was out of place, so they were any request that came from him. He should probably just leave, after all, he had already ruined his day and someone else´s. A second thought got to him after hearing what she had just said: was she thinking that it was all her fault? No, no no no. He started blushing immediately after that thought, his tail stopped wagging as well. When her eyes eventually met the Sandshrew´s and answered his question, he got shocked. She accepted.

“Unbelievable…” he thought to himself “despite everything… she´s willing to help me!”

His sorrow turned into happiness in an instant. His tail began wagging again with a need for motion. However, Yigo wasn´t going to stand up. From that perspective, the Igglybuff looked bigger and he himself looked more docile. He was more comfortable that way. On the other hand, he wasn´t comfortable at all answering her question, it had caught him by surprise. What was he doing in Grassveil? If only he knew... Well, back to square one. No, now it was different! He now had... the Igglybuff...

“You don´t even know her name...” he started reasoning with himself. She was, perhaps, more of a stranger to him than the other way around “Say something! She´s waiting…”

What was he looking for in Grassveil? Choices. A place to start anew, a way of getting stronger, means and reasons to explore the continent, stories to tell his mother when he got back, friends. That was all he was hoping to find, moreover, he had a decent lead: the explorers guild. Strength and bravery were qualities to be expected from their members, but Yigo had none of that. How could he answer her without having to mention the guild? He had to be generic and non-committal with his answer...

He gathered air and avoided eye contact.

“W-well… this is the first time I visit this… Grassveil. I just wanted to know what it has to offer. Could you show me... the important places?” He looked back at her, she was smiling back “Anyways… what´s you name? Do you live… here?”

Her smile didn´t look that real. Perhaps she needed more time to forgive him.

The Sandshrew in front of her was strange. Alki didn't need to be particularly smart or clever to see that. He had begun to attack her, but stopped halfway. And then he'd asked for her help, and what was even stranger was that Alki had accepted.

"M-My... name?" Alki mumbled, as her smile slowly dissolved. It was true, she hadn't given him her name. But did she have to? He'd attacked her. She didn't feel comfortable saying her name to someone like that.

"It's... w-well... Ah..." On the other hand, how could he trust her if he didn't know her name? What if he attacked her again? What if he left? Alki remembered seeing Yigo run away from the guild. He'd been... afraid. He was new. Alki thought about her running into Yooka in the marketplace, what seemed a long time ago. A lot had happened since then. Alki didn't feel quite so scared anymore. Maybe she could do the same to him? Or at least, she could try.

"Al... Alki..." She said, after a considerable pause. She shouldn't judge Yigo so harshly for one exchange... he didn't seem to be in the best mood. Alki should've seen that. She could've assumed that, but she was too eager to be helpful. "That must've been it..." She mumbled quietly to herself. She'd been too eager and bitten off more than she could chew. But now she had to help him. It was her job.

"W-Well... i-important places?" Alki tried to recall all the buildings that stood out to her from her time in Grassveil. The market was alright, but... Alki had a hard time picturing this Sandshrew as a merchant. "There's... two. I guess. There's the market, but you don't s-seem like... the merchant, err, type. So... t-that leaves the g-guild, and... erm, the... uh, Police... s-station. Although... I-I k-know more about the guild... I could show you around it, if you like? T-The Guild, I mean." Alki said, looking down at the sandshrew. It was strange to feel taller than someone, even though she knew that wasn't the case. Alki couldn't say it wasn't pleasant to look down at someone instead of up though, for once.

Alki! He had her name! Finally, things were going his way. But she didn´t look that convinced. She seemed... doubtful. Was she regretting her decision?

She made him recover from the failure at the guild so it was fair that he would help her recover from their... encounter. How could Yigo cheer her up?

His blood ran cold when she mentioned the guild. Of course, all roads had to lead up to the guild. However, she had also mentioned other interesting places. There was the market but, like a psychic-type, Alki discovered that Yigo didn´t particularly excel at trading. His mother, on the other hand, was a great trader. Unfortunately, she didn´t have time to teach him the secrets of the trade, so the market was of little use to him. Then there was that place. Po...lis? Esta...tion? No clue about what it meant, maybe it was worth checking out. Plus, any place that got him away from the guild was a fine place to visit, at least until the group that was at the entrance left.

He was about to ask her to lead the way, but Yigo had finally found a way to cheer her up. "You seem tired..." he spoke in a soft, calmed tone as his rear was slowly rising "Why don´t you get on my back and tell me where to go? That Polis estation sounds interesting. I´ve... already been in the guild... we can forget about it for now. Just hold on tight and point the way!"

Yigo let out an involuntary chuckle. That´s how his mother always cheered him up when was more baby than a crybaby. Those were the days...

ooc:

Alki looked at the Sandshrew in front of her. He was trusting her. He was even offering her a ride! Alki didn't know what to think. She'd been afraid the Sandshrew would bite her or scratch her or hurt her, somehow. But now he was offering her a ride, just like Darcy.

He said he'd already been in the guild. Had he? Things didn't add up. If he'd already been in the guild, why would he go running away earlier? She'd seen him. He certainly seemed like he had wanted to go into the guild. But that wasn't true. If he'd gone in before, he wouldn't have been scared like that, he wouldn't have run away like that.

But was it really wise to mention? He still seemed shaken up. Alki wasn't a stranger to fear and nervousness. She knew that sometimes, some things were better off ignored, at least for a bit. The wind filled the seconds of silence, until Alki nodded and spoke. "S-Sure. T-The Po-Lice Stay-shun is... e-erm, I'll lead the way. Or... point it out?" She said, sounding out the words Police and station. It wasn't anything too major, but it did sound a bit annoying... not that she wanted to be rude about it.

She climbed onto Yigo's back. She didn't want to say no to him, especially since he seemed eager to prove he was sorry for attacking her. At least, that was the only way Alki could explain his sudden shift in mood. She began to give directions in her usual, quiet voice. What would the Sandshrew think of it? Alki had never really looked inside. She didn't know what it'd be like either... but she supposed they'd both get to see for themselves in a bit.

OOC:

The Sandshrew was starting to get tired. The stance in which he waited was uncomfortable, but he wasn´t exactly tired because of that. He wanted to leave that alleyway behind. And what was stopping him? He was itching for motion. This time, with the native Alki by his side, there was nothing to be feared.

As soon as she nodded, the Sandshrew crawled near her and lowered his snout to let her climb on his back. She began talking again, but now in a funny way: she pronounced a couple of words slower and louder. He found it entertaining and tried mimicking her pronunciation for a while.

“I take that you´ve been in that Po-Lice Stay-Shun before” Yigo´s mind got filled with ideas of what those words could mean. A great fire where every member of the camp gathered to have a lavish feast. The den of a great sage that taught unimaginable skills like, for example, flight. Or maybe it was there where he could finally find the alpha of that settlement and be of some use to their tribe.
“It must be a wonderful place...” he continued, getting back to reality”Are you comfortable? Is the sand warm enough? Then let´s move!”

Their little journey didn´t start with the first step like many others. This one started with a great leap forward. There was no time to waste, he had to see with his own eyes what that Polis Estation was. The distance between their position and the opening of the alleyway was just what he needed to practise for short walk, after all, having someone else on your back was a great responsibility and he didn´t want to make her fall down from his back. Once there, the Igglybuff´s first command was given, leading him to their right. However, when they left the alleyway, he noticed Pokemon on that street, some of them staring at them awkwardly. From his experience, he should be shaking at that moment, red as a Cheri Berry and with his tail between his legs. Now, the only thing he did was stare back at them just to ignore them the second after. He had no time to waste with silly fears, he had to visit the Polis Estation!

Having Alki on his back was lighter than he expected, not hindering his movements in any way. While dashing from street to street, he sometimes wondered if she was still on his back until she could hear her quiet voice telling him where to go again. When they got to the most crowded streets it was hard to hear her commands without putting in more effort than the usual. But Alki was not the only source that demanded his attention. Each house in the area was unique in its own way, many of them resembling creatures Yigo had met before. What was the meaning of such strange designs? Why were they built in the first place? They were many things he wanted to know about Grassveil… but asking them directly wasn´t smart as Yigo imagined himself being on the other side of the conversation. Question-answer conversations felt forced. Even so, wasn´t that what he had done with Alki this whole time? He surely had more choices than remaining silent the rest of the journey and asking questions. A convenient pedestrian showed up just in time to prove that.


“It looks like this place is always full of these explorers” The Sandshrew pointed with his arm at a Squirtle wearing a scarf and a shiny badge before continuing
“Keira always told me that they are busy all the time and that they find great treasures, but she never told me what those treasures were. All I know is that they go very far just to check rumours about them. Isn´t that crazy?” The Sandshrew was a bit uncomfortable talking about things he didn´t actually understand, moreover, explorers were something he wanted to avoid at the moment. But, how else could he make her talk? He recalled hearing her saying that she knew a lot about the guild. That would be a good starting point.

Alki hung on tightly, feeling more than a bit nervous. What if she fell off? It's not like her squeaky noise was particularly loud , and as the town of Grassveil went by in a blur around her, Alki wondered if the Sandshrew would notice it's absence. She shut her eyes tightly, feeling everything moving so fast around her was making her a bit sick...

Thankfully, soon enough, she felt herself slowing down and coming to a stop. The Sandshrew was pointing at a Squirtle, something about explorers? She looked around, struggling to reorient herself. All of the houses in the town had something different about them, and Alki recognized almost all the houses in town, and where they were relative to others. In short, it was hard for her to get lost. But even once she'd found out where they were, she took a bit of time to calm herself. She hadn't fallen off the Sandshrew, and that was good.

"S-Sorry, I-I'm just... I-I don't know, I'm not really used to going so fast..." She mumbled, a lame apology, but she couldn't help but feel a bit guilty leaving the Sandshrew waiting for so long. "A-As for, um... explorers? Yeah, I mean..." Alki paused to look up at the sky, wondering what to say. She shouldn't be the one introducing himself to something like the Guild... she could tell he was new. It was pretty obvious, and she didn't want to say something wrong, or scare him off... Darcy would've been much better at this. Why had she said she knew a lot? She sighed before continuing. "Grassveil's full of them. I-I'm... I-I don't know... I'm new to the guild, too. I'm on a team, I guess I'm t-technically an explorer. But... it's not like I'm good at it... I mean, we're supposed to help people, and d-do jobs and explore, yeah, b-but... I haven't done a whole lot of that..."

That wasn't a good answer, and Alki knew it. She just hoped that Yigo wouldn't be mad at her. She wasn't the best guild-member, or really even that great of a guide. "S-Sorry. Um... w-who's... err... K-Keira? T-They sound smart..." Alki mumbled, hoping to change the subject about the guild. And besides, Alki was curious, it would be good to know more about this Pokemon, where he came from... "Y-You sound like you look up to this... K-Keira." Alki hoped it wasn't too personal. But it did sound nice, and this Sandshrew seemed to be in a good enough mood now. She could tell he was trying to get her to talk, but she hoped she wasn't overdoing it. The light breeze and bright day gave her a bit of comfort, at least.

It was nice to hear from Alki again. Their trip seemed to be more of a punishment than an exploration. When he stopped to chat with her a bit she sounded like she had just woken up! When he had heard that he was going too fast he couldn´t help but chuckle a bit. He was excited to know more about Grassveil! Still, Alki´s comfort was his priority so he agreed on going slower.

Then, things started going south. Yigo knew the risks of asking about explorers but knowing that she was a part of the Guild was the worst he could have heard from her. It all made perfect sense now. Being an explorer, she would have been at the guild´s gates when he got there. She knew that he hadn't been at the guild before. She knew that he had fled the scene. She knew that he was a coward. The Sandshrew lost any interest in the city and in the Police Station. A brief silence accompanied his thoughts, but he knew that if the silence kept its presence Alki would know that something was wrong. Yigo forced himself to continued the conversation, regretting his decision to start with it in the first place.

"K-Keira... she is my mother. She taught me everything I know and... thanks to her, I... I was rescued by you, explorers. I-I certainly look up to her... but anyone must feel the same thing about their parents, I guess..."

Yigo could have talked hours about his mother´s achievements, she was a legend to him after all. However, there was a need to know and a wish to be fulfilled. The Igglybuffs commands were followed as usual, but at a much slower pace, not only to satisfy his passenger. Something was still dragging him back. The Igglybuff´s words unintentionally made him remember that those streets were the ones he found himself fleeing on just moments ago. Every step felt heavier than the previous one. And so, the already slow beast decided to stop.

"T-Then... Y-You are an explorer... right, Alki?" With those words, shivers made their presence obvious. To minimise the effect of those, he laid down on the floor, little by little so that Alki wouldn´t fall. There was no going back now... that was it "W-When the sun... w-was higher..." No! Scrap that, it was a bad way to start. She may not even know what he was talking about if he had used those words"Uh... W-When I-I... first visited... the G-Guild you..."

He wasn´t able to finish that question. Maybe the silence could do the rest for him? No... that wasn´t the time for anything else to do his job. It was time to face his fears.

"Y-You were there... a-and you followed me..." He was definitely nervous and noticed that his heart was racing. He would soon be missing air to breathe. However, he had something else to say before the fire inside burnt him again. "T-Thank you..."

Most Pokemon seemed to like their parents. Darcy didn't seem to mind them, she didn't talk about them a whole lot either but they seemed to be on good terms. Yigo seemed to admire his mom. And the fact that this was normal just made Alki feel strange and isolated. Was something wrong with her? She didn't like her parents... did that make her bad?

Alki didn't know what to say, so she was thankful when Yigo asked her something totally different. She nodded. Yes, she was an explorer. Alki waited as the Sandshrew continued his small speech. He seemed scared. He was new to Grassveil, and from his mannerisms and expressions and... a lot about him, actually, she had the feeling he hadn't been in a place like Grassveil either. Wasn't there another town, somewhere? Rainfront?

That was besides the point. She waited for the Sandshrew to collect himself. What else was she supposed to do? Alki knew all too well how he was feeling. She'd been in that position too many times, but she wasn't quite sure how she was supposed to fix it either. How to help, or how to be useful. She hopped off the Sandshrew's back as he lowered himself to the ground.

Yigo thanked Alki, but she hadn't quite expected that. Why did he thank her? She hadn't done anything important. She'd just talked to him. She didn't want to see this Sandshrew go around town all alone. She didn't want that for anyone. She was fortunate enough to have met all of the Pokemon she did, and this Sandshrew seemed to need as much help as Alki did.

Maybe they could help each other?

The warm sun and cool breeze of Grassveil felt overwhelming in that moment. She'd been useful. He was honest-to-Arceus thanking her and it was because of something that she and she alone had done. She bounced in place and clapped her hands together. "Y-You're thanking me? T-Thank you! R-Really, I mean, it's just, w-well, t-thanks! And it's not a problem I guess, y-you're welcome, b-but really, thank you!" She said, calming down just enough to talk. This really had been all worth it. She was useful!

Alki didn't hesitate before giving Yigo an awkard half-hug, half-pat on the back. She recoiled, her cheeks blushing red as she was brought back to reality. That was an absolutely STUPID thing to do, and what she'd said before had been just as stupid. That was way more than she was used to. It had all seemed a lot less awkward in her head, but what was done was done, and it couldn't be taken back. But that wouldn't dampen her move, and she didn't want to dampen Yigo's either. "I-It's no problem, d-d-don't mention it. I-I'm happy I could be a b-bit of a help, Y-Yigo... I-I'm an explorer, a-and well, i-if you're afraid of the g-guild, that's Ok. D-Don't tell anyone, but sometimes it's still a bit nerve-wracking, b-being around so m-many s-strong and b-big P-Pokemon, b-but... I hope we can be friends? Y-You could join D-Darcy's... erm, that is, m-my team?" Alki offered. Maybe he'd like that? She didn't want this Sandshrew to be so nervous, she just hoped that she'd said the right things. He had come to the Guild first, and even if he'd ended up fleeing... maybe he just needed a bit of encouragement?

Yigo was starting to get accustomed to his curse. Embracing it and resigning was what he had in his mind every time he had to face some terror. Talking to people was painful. Why did that happen? In Scorchfall Desert he didn´t have any problems with that at all! I didn´t matter if they were travellers lost in the sandstorms or his mother when they travelled together.

"Not even to Alki... She must think that I´m weak and a burden. I´m wasting her valuable time" She had stuck with him, even though she surely knew the truth. No answer was needed. The lack of denial was what he needed to know that he was right. "At least we can now stop pretending that it didn´t happen..."

When he felt the weight of his back disappearing his already nervous self was struck by the worst of fears: loneliness. Without even looking back he opened his mouth. "No! Please! Don´t leave me" he tried to pronounce, but his body was devoided of voice as the fire inside began burning him again. The only thing he could do was twitching his ears when he had heard a sound from his guide. Was she... grateful?

The Sandshrew turned around to check if that was true. Staring at the bouncing, clapping Igglybuff he wondered about her actions. What was she doing? Was that some kind of signal? It turned out that he needn´t ask about that for the Igglybuff came close to him and leant her body at Yigo while petting him with her hands. Alki backed off shortly thereafter; however, that was enough to share her happiness with the Sandshrew. He couldn´t tell why, but he now understood what she was feeling.

At the entrance of the guild´s doors stood many Pokemon. Most of them looked strong, skilled, agile or intelligent. How could it be that, from all of those, the one that seemed to be the less reliable was the only one to go after him? Even Alki confessed that she was afraid of them, but it was her desire to help others that brought them together, what made her an explorer.

With a jump, he curled into the size of a ball a rolled around with the excitement Alki had shared with him. When he had heard about her invitation, he didn´t even think about it twice. He got uncurled on his usual stance and nodded a couple of times with a smile while his tail was waving around wildly. At that moment, it didn´t matter where to go, as long as it was with Alki guiding his steps. He had made a friend. Nevertheless, there was something else she had to do for him if Alki wanted Yigo on her team.

" I-I´d love to... But!" Yigo lowered his snout and raised his back again, hinting Alki that he wanted her on again "We haven´t even seen that Polis Estation! What kind of explorer would abandon a mission like that?" he spoke in a playful tone, teasing her. He tilted his head to the side waiting for a response "What are we waiting for? There´s treasure to be found!"

Keira was right, as she always was. Sending Yigo to Grassveil was the right decision for he had found there something that he´d never have in his home desert.

Alki smiled as she saw the Sandshrew roll around. He was happy. That was all she needed to see, she stopped her bouncing and simply smiled. She felt happy, of course, but more than that... she'd taken a risk. Even though Yigo was faster, and certainly stronger, she'd decided to at least try and help. Sure, she'd almost been attacked, but it was worth it. Someone else, someone besides Darcy cared about her.

As Yigo rolled with obvious glee under the clear, sunny skies, Alki found herself begin to cry. She'd made another friend. It hadn't just been a fluke! How did that saying go? Once was chance... twice was coincidence, but three times was a pattern. Darcy, and then Nightingale, and now Yigo... she'd made friends.

Maybe there was more to her than she thought? They had to like her for a reason , right?

Alki tried to clean up the tears before Yigo saw them. The smile came naturally to her face, as she climbed onto Yigo's back again. She wanted to stay as close as possible to Yigo.

Seeing the police station still seemed to be a priority for him, and Alki laughed softly. Any apprehension she held from their encounter in the alley-way was gone. Sure, she hadn't known him too long yet, but that came with time. She hadn't had a choice with Darcy, she needed to trust someone when she had come to Grassveil. Nightingale had made her feel special, but Yigo seemed just as alone as Alki had been. She wanted to help him like Darcy and Nightingale had helped her.

"L-Let's go, then, y-you're right!" She cried out, grinning. She couldn't help but think that Yigo was a more eager explorer than Alki was. Maybe he'd fit in at the guild better than he thought, but now wasn't the time to try and convince him. "O-Off to the Polis E-Estation, then! I w-wonder what it'll be like..." She said, giggling. Things had gone very differently from the way she'd expected it to go, but she couldn't say it was an unwelcome surprise. She'd made a friend, and that was something she could always use more of. "B-But really, Y-Yigo... t-thanks..." She mumbled, finding the strangely happy tears returning to her eyes. She tilted her head away, blushing. What would he say? She didn't want him to see her crying, especially not when she felt so happy.

Alki was a little too quiet, looking at him with a broad smile and shiny watery eyes. It looked like his answer made her happier than he would expect, but who could blame her? Now that he thought of it, having an extra friend was something nice for him; however, being Alki as kindhearted as she was, wouldn´t she already have a lot of friends of her own? And there she was, almost enjoying it more than Yigo himself was doing.

Then, a thought struck him right after Alki had hopped on him. Was he going to be in an exploration team? He didn´t even know about their duties! He was nervous... and scared... but not the ones he was accustomed to. Was he enjoying those feelings? Was he looking forward to knowing more?

Yigo had changed. Having Alki had changed him.

With her usual quiet voice, Alki expressed her gratitude once more. Of course, Yigo didn´t know what she was thanking him for; he had just spent time with her after all. He couldn´t help but feel flattered after that as it meant that she liked to be with him. He decided to add a compliment of his own. Now, each word would go fluently, no more pain on his heart.

"L-Looks like I got ahead, I´ve already found some treasure" He added, going red just after saying that, lowering his head with shyness. Alki had made him feel special, it was time to pay her back for it. "Let´s see if we can find some more in the Polis Estation" he continued, never realising that he was saying those words incorrectly.

Before leaping forward to continue with their journey, Yigo remembered that his passenger didn´t especially enjoy going too fast so; with gentle steps instead, he moved forward. He just needed her to point the way now.