Tempian Tales: Team Aura Guardians - First Edition

Chapter 1

"Mt. Steel. This place is just the right level for you. That's why I chose a mission here. You should probably prepare for this dungeon before you go!" The mountain loomed ahead of us. Parts of it were a shiny grey - as if it were actually made of steel! I turned my attention from the mountain to her. She was always telling me that I needed to prepare for the dungeon ahead of me.

"I've already prepared. I'm ready!" Because she always reminded me to prepare, I always have been in advance. I returned my gaze to the mountain.

"Good! Now, let's go!" She stated. She was never in a rush, but she didn't like to wait too long for anything. That's why I never keep her waiting for anything.

"Thank you! I'll try to get through it," I replied happily. "Steel-types should be no problem for me!" And they shouldn't be, me being a fighting-type.

"The mission will be about seventy feet up, so it shouldn't be too long for you," Ten feet was a standard rescue team measurement in cave dungeons, weather it be mountain interior or underground opening; vertical or horizontal. At this she sent me into the dungeon, following at a safe distance. "I'll be right back here in case you need help!"

I looked back to her and smiled. "Alright, I'll tell you if I do!" I was determined that there was no way that I would need her help in this dungeon. If I did need her help, it would only be in a worst-case scenario. I wanted to make her proud.

I entered the dungeon just as I would any dungeon. It was cold, just like any other mountain dungeon. So began the journey.

The first ten or so feet was no problem. I quickly found my way up, it was whichever way slopes upward. The second ten feet werent too eventful, either. I ran into a few pokémon on the third ten feet, but they were steel-types, so I was alright! The fourth, fifth, and sixth floors were similar - I encountered a few different low-leveled pokémon. I finally reached the seventh floor. I took a look around. I was supposed to subdue and apprehend a pokémon, but my eyes were met with the usual surroundings of any room in a dungeon. I was most likely in a corner room, there being only two corridors leading from the room. I took note on my floor map, making sure to draw small in case the floor was bigger than anticipated or that I was not in fact in the corner room.

I took the northern corridor, as always. It led me to another room, as always. I added to the floor map. I did not forget my main objective. I kept my eye out for the pokémon, but... "Mom? What pokémon am I looking for?" I finally questioned.

I was hoping for a different kind of answer than she usually gave me. "I'll tell you when you see it!" She answered, as usual. Her answers to my questions were never direct or helpful. I used to get irritated, but I've learned to expect that kind of answer from her.

I continued my routine of mapping and walking, mapping as I entered the next room, walking through corridors.

About four rooms into the floor, I came across a pachirisu. It didn't seem hostile at first, so I approached it. It was just as any normal pachirisu.

It quickly became clear that it was not passive. Its hostility became apparent when it let loose a quick attack. This has happened a couple times before, so I wasn't off guard. Adding a force palm to the speed it gathered in a quick attack was enough to put it unconscious. I picked it up and set it out of the way. A second one appeared from the corridor across from the one that I entered the room from.

This one was smarter. It used double team, but a regular pokémon's double team isn't like those that the elders speak of. This pokémon was only capable of creating one other clone. It was easy to tell which one was the real one by the shadow. I launched a quick attack of my own in the direction of the real pachirisu. That was almost enough to knock it out. I prepared a force palm.

"W-wait! Wait! S-stop! No! I-I'll give you this! Take it! Just leave us alone, Okay?" The pachirisu removed a red scarf from his neck and offered it to me. I took it, dumbfounded. I must say that nothing of that sort has ever happened to me! It was out of the ordinary.

The two were out of the room, leaving me to stare at my newly acquired scarf. I then realized what it could be. I had learned about these in my homeschooling with mother. It was some sort of boosting scarf! These items weren't exactly classified as rare, but they weren't easy to find. These scarfs would boost a corresponding stat.

I decided not to test it out, but I felt something strange as I slipped it around my neck. It was as if some sort of vitality found its way into me! I still needed to see how it affected me. I cannot say that I was interested in tiring myself out to test a scarf, though.

I had no interest in jumping around to test my agility, or ram myself into the dungeon wall to test my defense. Nor was I going to pound at the wall in hopes that my attack power were affected. Instead, I began to study it.

"Well what have we here?" Lucy emerged from the corridor that I came from.

"I found a boosting scarf," I replied. "I know they're kinda rare!"

"Aw, baby's first rare item!" She poked, approaching me and asking to see the scarf. She knew that I was somewhat disappointed about never finding anything of real value in my long time exploring dungeons. "I can identify these by their pattern! Let me see it,"

I removed the scarf, feeling the same subtle feeling as before, but opposite - as if I ware being drained. I handed it to her, awaiting her response.

"Ah, this one seems perfect for a young riolu as yourself!" She announced, giving me a bit of hope. "It's a power scarf. It raises your attack power. Lucky for you, that's your best trait!"

I fidgeted in excitement as she handed it back to me. I took it back and fitted it on, feeling the power flowing to me again. Now that I think about it, the feeling made sense. It actually felt as if I were actually growing physically stronger! With satisfaction in my heart, I marched forward, Lucy staying behind at a distance.

I had entered and mapped only a few more rooms when I had spotted a strange pokémon. It didn't belong on Mt. Steel, which neither did I. It was a drowzee.

The room was at a dead end. A large opening in the wall led to a cliff with a perfect view of the outside. The drowzee was simply sitting there in the middle of the platform of the cliff. It was bright.

Before I knew it, Lucy had managed to sneak behind me, leaning in close to me. "That's the pokémon," She whispered. I jumped. I barely had time to make a sound before she prodded me into the open. I played along with it right away by not trying to provoke him, but taking my advantage. He still hadn't noticed me. I approached him and landed a flurry of bullet punches starting on his uppermost neck bone and moving down. This caused the pokémon to collapse with a broken sound coming from his mouth.

I knew my type chart thoroughly. This was vital to survival in a dungeon. I used bullet punch because drowzee was a psychic-type. It was over. The pokémon was out cold on the floor. I quickly looked over to Lucy. She was leaned up against the dungeon wall, clapping. "Good job, kid. Lets take him back. We'll have dinner right after we do!"

I smiled. I always loved her food. It was the best.