Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Hope of Light

Chapter 7: Friends close and Enemies at a closer range.

Last time: After the long and grueling mission they had returned back home for rest, but Bianco was asked to inform the guild of the events while Nero learned more about what had happened to humans and while Pokémon don't seem too keen to trust them.

Location: Athena Forest Mystery Dungeon F5

The mystery dungeon of Athena Forest was lively that morning, several small bug and grass-type Pokémon were roaming around, and a Weedle was resting, peacefully sleeping on a small pouch with a Poke symbol for this world's currency. Nero walked up and picked up the sack to see the money inside. Behind him was both Bianco and Halo. The Weedle woke up and saw the three, before it started to do anything, Bianco used Slash on them, a one-shot hit the Pokémon and knocked them out. "The forest is lively today huh?" Bianco said looking around to see some of the Wild Pokémon around.

"Yeah, good thing they aren't strong right?" Nero said with a smile of confidence.

"Don't get cocky Nero, last time we were here Clay nearly ripped us apart yesterday," Bianco said as they continued. They were on a side mission to look for a specific item, they did find it and since it wasn't an urgent mission, they agreed to keep going to look for items, they did find some stuff they could either keep or sell.

Nero looked at his badge which released a hologram screen that showed his stats, they have been fighting a lot, but he noticed he hasn't been leveling up much, Bianco did explain that weaker Pokémon don't give a lot of experience for them to level up. He wanted to finish the mission as soon as possible to see Sapphire and Rune to review the journal together, he trusted Apollonia with the journal and asked her to let them see it.

Location: Grand Light Guild

The trio made it inside the guild hall to see several members of the guild either minding their own business or watching a particular table. They made their way to the table which had Sapphire the Shiny Kirlia and Rune the Kabutops along with Clay the Golurk looking over them, on the table was the journal along with several papers across it all freshly written. The two of them looked over the papers they had written on and the journal itself both speaking at an intense pace as they worked, it was hard to make out what they were saying. Sapphire was writing several notes with her psychic ability.

Nero looked to see Apollonia carefully watching them with a mug floating with a psychic aura and drinking from it before seeing the team walking up to them. "How'd the mission go?" Apollonia asked, with Bianco answering.

"It was easier than last time." Bianco said as he looked back to the duo working hard.

"How long have they been working for? I gave them the journal before we left this morning." Nero said just impressed about the progress of work they've done.

"The moment you both left, so two hours." Apollonia answered before sipping her drink again.

"Whoa, maybe I should help them out." Nero said as he walked up to the two, unknown to him, Rune saw him in his bladed hands, they then leaped into the air with him landing right behind Nero using his blades with the edged-on rulers to examine them again. "AH! Hey! Rune!"

"Nero! What do you know?! Where is this from?! What are you hiding?!" Rune asks, sounding almost insane. They used the sides of their blades to grab the Riolu boy to pick them up to flip them upside down to make them handstand. Rune was then stopped by getting hit in the back of their head by Apolloina's Iron Tail move.

Nero then moved over to the table, still in his hands before flipping over to stand next to her. "Hey, how's--" Nero wanted to ask before Sapphire grabbed him by his hands pulling him close to look over the notes and paper.