Part 2: Chapter 2: The New Guild Recruits Part 1

This is Wigglytuff's Guild.



Then you have to train until you become a first-rate exploration team.



Isn't there something just a little odd about this place?

Besides the giant pink bunny leering down at us?



I have to be brave.



*: Pokemon detected! Pokemon detected!



*: Whose footprint? Whose footprint?

*: The footprint is Phanpy's! The footprint is Phanpy's!





Babar trembles in place.

N-no. I have to be strong...



*: Someone's with you! So get that stranger to stand up THERE!



They probably meant you, Michael. They said to stand up here.



(There's a grate covering the hole... It's made so that no one can fall through...)

(Still, it's really strange... It looks like it will tickle my feet or...)

*: Hey, you! Stranger!



*: Get on the GRATE!



*: Pokemon detected! Pokemon detected!

*: Whose footprint? Whose footprint?

*: The footprint is... The footprint is... Um...



*: What's the matter? Sentry? Sentry?!



*: What's wrong, Sentry Diglett?



Umm... Er... Umm... The footprint is...



*: What?! MAYBE?!



B-but... it's not a footprint that you normally see around here...

*: UGH! That's pretty crummy! Checking the footprints of visiting Pokemon... That's your job, ISN'T it, Diglett?

Yes, but... I don't know what I don't know.



What? Are they arguing?

*: ...Sorry to make you WAIT.



*: Well, it's TRUE that you don't see any Skitty in these parts... But you don't SEEM to be bad...



*: OK, good enough! ENTER!





I'm so nervous! So jittery!

But I'm glad we're finally allowed in. My heart's pounding, though... OK, let's go in.





Th-there's a hatch that leads underground here!











So many Pokemon! I wonder if they're all on exploration teams?

*: Excuse me!







It was you two that just came in, right?

Y-yes!

I'm Chatot! ♪ I'm the Pokemon in the know around these parts! I am Guildmaster Wigglytuff's right-hand Pokemon! ♪



N-no! That's not why we're here!

We want to form an exploration team... That's why we came. We want to be trained as an exploration team.



Wh-what?! Exploration team?



It's rare to see a kid like this want to apprentice at the guild. Especially given how hard our training is! Surely the steady stream of Pokemon that run away from our rigorous training proves how true that is!

What is this, an exploration sweatshop?



Excuse me. Is the exploration team training that severe?



What?!



It's not true in the slightest! Our training program for exploration teams is as easy as can be!



Well, well, well! ♪ I wish you had told me up front that you wanted to be an exploration team! ♪ Hee-heeee! ♪



His attitude suddenly changed, didn't it...?

OK! Let's get your team signed up right away. Follow me! ♪





Oh, anything wrong? Come on! Over here! ♪ Quickly, please! ♪





This is the guild's second underground floor. This is mainly where the apprentices work. Team registration is this way. Come along, please.









Wow! We're two floors under the ground, but you can see outside!

Oh, please! Hush now!



The guild is built into the side of a cliff. It's only natural that you would be able to see outside.

Oh.



On no account... I repeat, on no account should you be discourteous to our Guildmaster.



Guildmaster! It's Chatot! ♪ I'm coming in!



Guildmaster! I present to you two Pokemon who wish to join our guild as apprentices.



Guildmaster... um... Guildmaster?





I'm Wigglytuff! I'm the guild's Guildmaster! You want to form an exploration team? Then, let's go for it! First we must register your exploration team's name! So tell me your team's name?

Oh? Our team's name?

We didn't think of that.



I'm leaving the team name up to the thread. Post a name you like, 10-character limit, and whatever gets the most votes/the one I like the most will be Michael and Babar's exploration team name.



For now, we get a preschool pull-ups team name. It can be changed at any time, so the shame won't last forever.



"How could you, Michael?!" I mean...

Team Pokepals!



He headbangs in celebration.

Yeah... That's a good name! It suits us!

He'd be overjoyed with Team AAAAAAAAAA. Babar is literally a puppy.



Registering! ♪ Registering! ♪ All registered...







Congratulations! From now on, you're an official exploration team! I present you with this in commemoration.



Wigglytuff set down a Pokemon Exploration Team Kit!



Babar's hearing voices.

Yup. It's what every exploration team needs. Quick, open it up.





Babar opened the Pokemon Exploration Team Kit.



There was an Explorer Badge inside... And a Wonder Map... And a Treasure Bag!

Yeah! There are all sorts of great items in here!

That's your Explorer Badge! It's your official team identification! And there's the Wonder Map, which is a wonder of convenience! Finally, there's a Treasure Bag. It lets you carry items you find in dungeons. Your successes as an exploration team can lead to bigger and bigger space for your Treasure Bag. It's a very wonderful bag! ♪ Have a peek inside your Treasure Bag.



Babar peered into the Treasure Bag. The Special Band was inside! A Lime Bow was also inside!

Those two items are special. I'm sure they will help you on your adventures! ♪



Th-thank you! We'll do our best!

Yup. But you're only apprenticing right now. So do your best... to train!

We will!





Michael headbangs in solidarity.



We're a legit team now, go us!

A little later...





This is your room! ♪





Babar bounces on the straw.



You will live here while you work for us. Things will start getting busy for you tomorrow! ♪ So rise early and start living up to our code! Don't stay up late. Get to sleep early tonight! ♪ That is all.









...Oh, are you still awake, Michael? My heart's been racing all day over every little thing... But I'm glad I finally made myself come here. I thought Wigglytuff would be scary, but he seems pretty friendly. We're going to experience all sorts of things starting tomorrow, but I'm not very scared.

In fact, it's the other way around. I'm super excited about the adventures we'll face!

I'm feeling a little sleepy... Let's give it our all tomorrow. OK, Michael. Good night.



(Um... Now I'm suddenly apprenticing at the guild...)

(I gotta admit, it's pretty exciting to be in an exploration team. And it's fun to be friends with Babar...)

(But first thing's first... Who am I? How did I turn into a Pokemon? How did I end up unconscious on that beach?)

(I'm feeling sleepy too... Well, thinking about it won't help right now. I'd better focus on the guild's work for now... If I do that, well, everything should become clear eventually... I'll surely get to the bottom of this in time.)