Nightingale's Lullaby: Main Chapter

Callum slowed as the yellow-toned forest finally loomed ahead, eyeing the softly falling leaves with distrust before turning to survey his chosen team for this mission. It was more of a self-assigned task this time but still something that he believed needed doing. Kestrel didn't particularly agree and had shown little interest in the new facility but she gave him free rein to chose a team and explore a single dungeon. A trial run of sorts to determine if it was something worth putting resources into, especially considering the team's rapid growth and the newer were/vamp problem was already beginning to strain what resources they could spare.

Gavin locked eyes with him for moment before turning away, his mood still sullen after his own encounter with the were/vamps, while Arden just hovered near the entrance with Kiwi resting between his claws. The dragon rotom had been even quieter since that mission, its usually vibrant energy dulled and its tail spike dragging against the forest floor.

Callum closed his eyes, the sight not exactly reassuring, and took a deep breath to calm his fraying nerves. Was this how Kestrel always felt before a mission? He'd led teams before, that part was nothing new, but the feeling that everything was hanging by a thread was definitely not a normal experience for him. And wasn't helped by the fact that he was still feeling guilty after almost screwing up their last mission. The hope was that a simpler exploration mission would help ease the building tension and reassure Gavin that he wasn't in trouble, the grafaiai had taken enough of a beating on his own 'mission' as it was.

The furfrou released the breath slowly as he turned back to the dungeon entrance and started inside, "Come on, let's get this place thoroughly explored from top to bottom." He could hear them following but resisted the urge to to double check, instead focusing on the dungeon and the exploration they were there for.

If you ignored the high presence of feral pokémon the grove was almost peaceful save a peculiar rustling that had been following them since the first clearing, the sound disappearing anytime they stopped to fight but following again as soon as they moved. Callum kept tabs on the noise but since whatever it was didn't appear to be aggressive he left it be while the others didn't even seem to notice. At least until near the end of the dungeon, Arden and Kiwi had moved ahead to scout the last stretch while Gavin stayed back to help Callum subdue a couple feral 'mons when the rustling started prematurely followed by a soft gasp.

Gavin cursed under his breath, pinning his opponent under him and turning to glare at the golden-hued bush that was gently swaying despite the lack of a breeze. The grafaiai's mood had only minimally improved and he was not interested in surprises. He pounced as soon as the movement stopped, his good hand closing on a flower and snatching it into view to reveal a very startled gossifleur.

Before he could question the stalker though a pikachu sprang into view on his other side, hackles raised and fangs bared. "Let them go!"

"You're the ones-" Callum cut Gavin's building rant off, stepping between the newly brewing fight and turning to study the pikachu. "Why are you following us?"

The pikachu relaxed slowly, watching Gavin drop the gossifleur and settle into a huff behind the much larger poodle pokémon currently staring it down while the flower pokémon returned to their friend's side. The two exchanged a glance before the pikachu finally relented and spoke again, "We were uh...we wanted to watch you battle."

"You wanted to watch them battle," the gossifleur finally piped up, puffing itself up as it brushed its friend's side and returned Callum's stare. "My friend here likes fighting but isn't very good at it."

"Another fighter..." the pikachu bristled at the comment but Callum's attention shifted as Arden and Kiwi finally returned. The flapplin was flying now, zir wings beating in time, while Arden seemed calmer than when they started this venture with one clawed hand securely gripping a nervous smeargle's paw. The smeargle in question was tightly hugging their tail brush to their chest with their other paw, paint streaks staining their fur as they studied the sudden crowd.

"We found someone that needed help," Kiwi landed on Callum's back as ze gave zir report, barely acknowledging the new pair slowly inching backwards, "He says he got lost here and couldn't find his way out with all the feral pokémon in the area."