Path of Redemption

"This place is... creepy." Para frowned as he cast a glance around at the skinny, dark trees. Soul couldn't help but mentally agree. The seemingly perpetual fog that covered the place only added to the whole haunted, abandoned place feel the dungeon had.

Nuggi was shaking and glancing around. Her eyes darted at every little noise. Griffon was trying in vain to calm her down.

"You seem calm." Datura moved up next to Soul. The shaymin's normal enthusiasm was dampened by his clear unease. It took a lot to do that, at least in front of others. Datura had broken down several times when it was just Soul and him, particularly right after she'd saved him.

Soul's eyes darted to where her other teammates were. "I've seen worse things than a forest. It will take more than that for me to not be calm, but I can still objectively say this place is creepy." She once more looked over at her teammates. Venture appeared to be quietly talking to Nuggi. The seviper still seemed to not be having a great time, but at least she seemed slightly better. Perhaps Venture's rather calm presence was helping.

"Right..." Datura trailed off. Soul didn't really like seeing the shaymin like this, but until they were out of here there wasn't much she could do.

"How about you go check on Para?" Soul suggested. Maybe a distraction would do for now. "Even if there's no way he'd admit it he could probably use some support, and Griffon is busy with Nuggi."

Datura quickly glanced at the deceptively nonchalant looking sandshrew. He gave her shoulder a quick, friendly bump before doing just that. The subsequent loud, and angry reassurances that he was fine from Para did it's job of distracting everyone from the atmosphere wonderfully. It also made it so Soul was the only one who noticed the feral pokemon that approached. Four shapes emerged from the fog, red eyes seeming to pierce through the darkness. Soul quickly set up a dragon dance, expecting a fight. Finally the shapes were close enough to make out; a phantump, alolan meowth, gastly, and drifloon. Not too bad, though her own typing was a double edged sword here.

With a deep breath she leapt at the group with a shadow claw. They scattered as she connected with the phantump. As she whipped around to face another of the feral pokemon she could hear the rest of her team scrambling to join her in the fight. It was quick from there. The pokemon in these lower level dungeons posed little threat to them at this point. Soon she'd feel comfortable moving them up to some more dangerous dungeons. There was still one more after this she wanted them to deal with first though.

"The hell? Why didn't you tell us you were fighting!?" Para landed next to her as he landed a knock off on the drifloon.

"You were all distracted. I simply acted." Soul huffed as she wheeled around to hit the alolan meowth with a dragon claw.

Nuggi knocked the four feral pokemon away wit ha breaking swipe and that was the end of the battle. Soul surveyed the group. Honestly she could probably call it here, and based on how her team was faring she should. "Let's head out now." Soul sighed. As much as she felt they could easily keep going she had to account for her team's feelings, something that she was still getting used to.

"A good call." Venture stated plainly before gently nudging Nuggi to get moving.

"Are we going to do anything about them?" Griffon gestured to the knocked out feral pokemon on the ground.

Soul shook her head. "We can't help them all."

A rather tense silence fell over the group as they made their way out. Though thankfully that tension broke as soon as they were out. While her team celebrated, Soul planned their next move. The last of the rookie level dungeons. The Abandoned Factory.