Pokemon Mystery Dungeon

Chapter Twenty-Five

"What! You've gotta be kidding me!" Raiden groaned in aspiration at team Rigorous's assignment for the day, "Every time you assign us sentry duty, Feathers, we fail. Why now!" I shared Raiden's distaste. Sentry duty has been the bane of our apprenticeship at the guild, and now that were trying to regain favor we get assigned to it again. "Listen, I don't make the rules. At least not this one." Chatot spoke with unusual calmness, "Take this as a chance to show how far you've come in your training! You've met plenty of pokemon on your travels with the guild. Put your heads together and think for once. That will be all." With that, he wondered off to tend to his duties.

Raiden nudged me, "Was it just me or was Feathers exceeding more civil with us?" I felt excitement bubbling in me, "He think we can do it. Raiden! Chatot thinks we can make it onto the expedition!" A shocked look appeared on Raidens face, "What?! You think so!" I nodded, "I know so! We've gotta do our absolute best in everything we do up until the expedition." Raiden's disposition began to damper and agitate, "That's great and all, Fluffy, but how exactly are we suppose to get through sentry duty! We're not exactly what you'd call 'one with the feet'." I smirked at him, "Don't worry! I think I've figured out our problem." I began to trot in the direction I'd seen Dugtio head after morning announcements. "Come on. It's time we start working smarter not harder."

"Lauren, you're a genius! A pure genius!" Raiden exclaimed in joy as he stared at the book in his hands. I held my head proud as we began out trek down to the sentry station, "I know. You can thank my later. I think drinks at Spinda's cafe should suffice as proper tribute." I giggled at my own pomperness. The book was a record of every person that had previously come into the guild, along with a detailed sketch of each foot that has passed over that grate, and to top it all off, it was organized by type. I figured Diglet, and by extension Dugtrio, had to have some way of studying the foot prints of pokemon. I was hoping for some sort of foot text book but Dugtrio said he'd been working on this book since he was charged with sentry duty, so Diglet would have some reference material for when he started.

"WHERE WE'RE YOU ROOKIES! SENTRY DUTY STARTS IN LESS THEN FIVE MINUTES!" Loudred's booming voice brought me out of my elation and back to reality. We hadn't even realized how long we'd taken finding Dugtrio and getting the book. Loudred looked like he was about blow one of his speaker. Raiden suddenly tucked the book under one arm and grabbed me by the scruff of my collar with the other, "Then there's no time to waste!" He began stomping towards the hole that served as an entry point for the sentry station. I began to slightly pull opposite of him, distrust creeping into me, "What are you doing?" He gave me a devilish grin, "I'm doing what has to be done." With those words and one large heave, Raiden threw himself into the hole and drug me along with him. "RAIDEEEEN!"

A large 'doom' reverberated through the tunnel as we hit the ground. To my surprise I wasn't hurt... at all. I looked down to see Raiden had absorbed the majority, if not all of our impact. I quickly got off him and turned in order to scold him, "Damn it, Raiden! What is it with you and jumping into this hole!" I was meet with a painful laugh, "Haha-," cough, "I told you I was doing what needed to be done. Hurry, and take the book to the grate. I'll catch up to you."

My anger morphed to worry when I realized he may actually be injured. "Oh my Arceus, Raiden your actually hurt! I'm going to go get Loudred-" He laughed again, this time quite a bit stronger, "I'm touched, Fluffy, but I need you to go on without me," He put his arm across his head in melodramatic fashion, "Finish the mission, and tell Loudred that the kiss meant something to me!" I laughed out loud and picked up the book, "Alright, you big baby, I'm going. You promise you're not actually hurt?" Raiden set himself up against the wall and drew an X over his heart, "Cross my heart and hope to die. I just need to sit and recover from that fall for a hot minute." With that I nodded and picked up the book in my mouth and ran along the path to start sentry duty.