#Jin the Shinx

[dbcoatl-art]

@heropartnerweek 2024 - Day 7 [Free Day | Previous Prompt]

I know this was later than usual (I was with family all day), but I still wanted to do something for the last day, which was to draw whatever I wanted.

So, here's yet some more art for my PMD fic Hunters of Ruination, featuring the main hero/partner duo of Mila and Jin, as well as the past heroes and their partners (Corazon and Vivian, Lior and Shion, Eirlys and Riffle, Kaito and Asha).

All in all, this was a pretty fun week for me, and I look forward to doing it again next year! Thanks to everyone for joining me along on this ride, and I'll catch you on the flip side!

[oraclebell17]

replaying pmd2 and i need to draw the hero and partner Immediately

the hero is Shinx (named Jin) and the partner is Skitty (named Veni, after the previous playthrough's hero)

[qkmlh]

So I started watching Touch Your Heart because Yoo In Na & Lee Dong Wook??? On screen together??? Again??? Yes!!! And I regret it so much because I caught up to Ep. 12 and the ending is so dumb tvN p l e a s e let Jung Rok & Yoon Seo be happy!!!

[piinkhair-blog]

Like 3+ weeks belated but I'm def gonna take the bait. Why did you give BTS the Pokemon you did in post/156653688633? Tbh I'm interested in hearing ALL the explanations because it seems like you put a ton of thought into it, but especially for the maknae line. For some reason your choices for the hyungs click with me a little easier.

i did tbh!! and honestly with all of them, i mostly tried to find pokemon that i thought would mesh best with each boy (personality wise), sO THAT BEING SAID i’m gonna talk abt how the boys ended up with the team that they have! and oops this is under a readmore because it got Long™

jin, fairy type trainer:

Slurpuff: his champion pokemon!! in this AU, Jin works at a bakery and one day he was opening up shop, a slurpuff was poking around by the store front, and it just.. following jin inside and around for the day (despite them trying to shoo it back outside) so just went to the store after a few days of this happening to get a pokeball and captured it!

Kirlia: captured when it was a ralts!! he’d been walking to school when he was younger when it approached him (since it is attracted to positive moods)

Sylveon: eevee was 1/3 of the original pokemon that jin had been given by his parents!! he had been trying to get an espeon, but the friendship level was higher than he thought it was, and after a battle one day, eevee evolved into sylveon!

Mawile: the last pokemon that had been added to his team!! he’d been going through a cave to get to a farm when a wild mawile had attacked him, and he’d ended up capturing it!

Mr. Mime:  2/3 of his original pokemon! he had been given it by his parents because he had an interest in theater, and after seeing one in a show, he’d always had loved them.

Snubbull:  3/3 of his original pokemon! his family had always had snubbulls/granbulls. he’d actually gotten snubbull as an egg and raised it up from that!!

yoongi, ice type trainer:

Glaceon: his champion pokemon!! he’d traded for an eevee and had been up in the mountains training it when he’d found an ice rock and spent hours doing battles until it evolved around the rock and he finally managed to get a glaceon

Beartic: he’d been taking in his other pokemon into the pokecenter when he heard the nurses talking about an orphaned cubchoo that was found injured in a cave, and he decided to give the poor baby a good home

Froslass: he’d been traveling around the mountains and stuff to train his pokemon, when he came across a lone snorunt wandering around, and he caught it since he didn’t see any others around with it (since they’re usually a pack pokemon)

Sneasel: he had been camping out when he heard scuffling around that woke him up, and it turns out that his delibird and a sneasel had gotten into it because the sneasel was trying to steal something from his bag. the sneasel had gotten injured pretty bad, so he ended up capturing it to take it to the pokecenter

Ninetails (Alolan): one of the first pokemon that yoongi had!! he had been bullied as a kid and was arguing with said bullies when suddenly they got quiet before running off, and it wasn’t until he turned around that he noticed the ninetails that was sitting a few feet behind him, just watching him. NT let yoongi come over and pet it, and it sort of just.. stuck with him since.

Delibird: for a while in his teen years, yoongi works with the mail service, and he ended up really connecting with a delibird in the office, that he ended up adopting it officially and here they are!

hobi, grass type trainer:

Grotle: his champion pokemon!! the very first pokemon that hobi could call 100% His, and turtwig was a present from his parents.

Gogoat: his best friend grew up on a farm that raised miltanks and skiddos, and he loved riding the skiddos/gogoats enough that he decided that he wanted to have one for himself before he set off for his big adventure!

Dartrix: his parents raised birds and, and he eventually just really clicked with a rowlet that was the runt of the group, and eventually convinced his parents to let him adopt it!

Nuzleaf: captured one in the forest near his home, because one would always come and scare him when he’d be exploring around, and he eventually was able to battle one and win!

Oricorio (pom pom): same situation with dartrix! his parents raised some of the types of oricorio too, and he was always drawn to the pompom style of them because he liked the bright colors

Maractus: he’d been in town when he saw one for the first time and was immediately drawn to it despite  

namjoon, dark type trainer:

Houndoom: his champion pokemon!! he had adopted a houndour as a puppy because he thought it looked Cool and Edgy and he was going through that 7th grade phase 90% of us had lmao

Mismagius: nams had been exploring through ruins when he came across one of these, and instead of it’s cries giving him a headache, it seemed to put him in a good mood? the mismagius was puzzled about that and sort of attached itself to nams until he caught it lol

Mimikyu: nams had heard of the pokemon so he set out to find one since he wanted to be able to give one the love he thought all pokemon deserved to have

Sableye: when he was exploring a cave, one of these guys had tried to steal one of the necklaces he was wearing (an amethyst stone), and he’d chased after it to get the necklace back, eventually battling and catching it

Umbreon: he’d gotten an eevee from his parents, and since he always had school/work/other things during the day, he’d often go out in the evening/night to train his pokemon, and since he was so close to eevee, one night it leveled up and evolved unto umbreon!

Pumpkaboo: he’d been out training his pokemon one night, and he ended up deeper in the forest, and had actually woken a pumpkaboo up by accidentally stepping on it. it attacked him and he won the battle, finding the pokemon cool so he captured it

jimin, fire type trainer:

Monferno: his champion pokemon!! chimchar and Pansear were the first pokemon that Jimin had even gotten, liking the playful nature of the them as well as liking that they were fire, a powerful element, because his ultimate goal is to become one of the Elite Four trainers

Fletchinder: he was out with chimchar and pansear when he came across a runt of a fletchling, and feeling bad for it, he gave it some berries, and the fletchling sort of decided to stick around!

Ninetails: he’d been climbing around in trees with his two original pokemon and litleo when he noticed movement in a bush. being the kid he was, he went after it only to find out it was a vulpix. immediately jimin battled it, only to lose. he kept coming back though until he eventually did win.

Darumaka: he had seen a darmanitan once and decided that he needed to have one. the only flaw was that one was harder to catch than he though, so he had kept going out to find a darumaka until he eventually did

Litleo: much like with darumaka, he had seen a pyroar during a talent show and decided that he needed one and eventually traded in able to get one

taehyung, bug type trainer:

Heracross: his champion pokemon!! my little bug boy here has always loved pokemon and loved exploring, and after his first encounter with combees, he fixated on bug pokemon! so saved up money as a kid to get some pokeballs and heracross was one of the first pokemon that he went out and caught himself

Flygon: so tae had caught his flygon when it was still a trapinch because it saw it and was like cool!!! an ant pokemon!! and so he caught it, only for him to finally do Research and discover… o hey you’re not a bug type. but he felt bad and didn’t want to release the little guy, so he ended up keeping him around

Dwebble: he had been taking a trip with his family through the desert when a cool looking rock caught his attention, and he went over to get a better look at it when the dwebble attacked him. he ended up catching it simply because he liked how feisty it was as well as the rock it had on its back at the time

Volbeat: he caught one because he liked how it would glow whenever it was dark out, because as a kid he was afraid of the dark 

Araquanid: taehyung had met his araquanid when he was following the trail of trying to find a different pokemon at the time, until he had come across one in shallow riving and immediately knew that he needed to capture it because come on, it’s just SO COOL LOOKING

Beedrill: his family raised combees, and one day he noticed an egg that looked different than he was used to seeing? so he had taken it and showed his parents, only for it to later hatch in to a weedle, which he thought was adorable so he kept it.

jungkook, electric type trainer:

Luxray: his champion pokemon!! he had caught a wild shinx and pretty much trained it  to high stats so it’s his Ultimate Pokemon

Ampharos: he had visited a lighthouse on a school fieldtrip and once he saw the ampharos that was powering the lighthouse, jungkook fell in love with the pokemon. he caught a mareep like a week later and started training it, always spending extra money he had on drinks for the pokemon to raise their stats up higher, since he wanted to get the best team that he could, since he wanted to become leader of a pokemon gym one day

Emolga: tbh he caught a wild emolga purely because it was a cute pokemon, but that doesn’t stop him from sweeping floors with the little guy

Magnemite: he got it from the short time that he worked at a bicycle shop, the owner had one and jungkook decided that it was actually a pretty cool pokemon so he went out and caught one himself

Pachirisu: pretty much the same reason as emolga? he got a pachirisu because he thought it was cute, but also because the two pokemon had been chasing each other around and playing beofre jungkook caught the pach

Helioptile: kook had battled a few of these while visiting a desert area to see a friend, and after a while he decided that he liked their attitudes and how resilient they were (also that they were basically living solar panels and the science nerd in him thought that was Super Cool)

[dbcoatl-art]

@heropartnerweek 2024 - Day 5 [Favourite Scene | Betrayal | Dreams/Nightmares]

For the prompt of "Dreams/Nightmares", I decided to draw a future scene from my PMD fic Hunters of Ruination.

Jin's biggest dream is to one day become part of a hunter team, which are the teams in the Raidon Archipelago. To do so, he will have to enroll in one of four academies designed to train hunter teams. And he has his sights set on the grandest one of all: Greenleaf Academy, the same one that his parents attended! Mila, being fascinated by the prospect of the hunter teams, decides to be his partner when the time comes.

And yes, Jin is holding a very old Explorer Badge from the Explorers games. It was a birthday gift from his dad, and he keeps it as a reminder of his dream.

[dbcoatl-art]

Summary: For generations, the Raidon Archipelago has seen nothing but peace and unity. Though it is but a series of islands great and small, no grand-scale calamity has ever been able to reach it...until now. Natural disasters have begun to strike the islands, Mystery Dungeons are taking over civilized areas, and Pokémon are being corrupted by the ever-expanding influence of ruination. In the midst of the chaos, one human will arrive to change everything. Awakening in the body of a Sprigatito with no memories of her past self, Mila finds herself befriending a Shinx who is more than eager to prove himself, a Fennekin with a hidden agenda, and a Hisuian Zorua reborn from a life cut short. Together, the four of them end up enrolling in Greenleaf Academy and become Hunters of Ruination, which sounds like exciting work...but can Mila and her friends set aside their differences and work together to save the Raidon Archipelago from total destruction?

I've been working on and off, but here's the promotional image for my PMD fanfic, Hunters of Ruination. Loosely based on the PMD games, with some inspiration taken here and there from Wonder Boy/Monster World, Amphibia, and Kirby and the Forgotten Land, while also leaning more towards the slice-of-life side. Chapters will also be uploaded as I've completed them, with some illustrations to provide a bit of context.

Anywho, I do hope you enjoy the fic!

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Please do NOT repost nor remove the caption! Do NOT tag as 'me' or 'kin' nor as your character(s)! Do NOT use or redistribute anywhere without my written permission!

[dbcoatl-art]

Chariot, Fool, Hermit, High Priestess

Been working on character profiles over on my Toyhouse, and I really liked how these drawings turned out. I also haven't drawn Valak or Bridget in a while, so this was also a bonus for me.

Feel free to check out their profiles, if you want:

Mila (The Chariot) | Jin (The Fool) | Valak (The Hermit) | Bridget (The High Priestess)

Read Hunters of Ruination on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/50260117/chapters/126956647

[dbcoatl-art]

Happy Pride Month from Team Salvage!

Mila is aroace

Jin is demisexual

Valak is non-binary

Bridget is lesbian

Read Hunters of Ruination on AO3!

[dbcoatl-art]

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Hunters of Ruination

Chapter 7: Jin's Dream [6 Pages]

Jin reveals to Mila his lifelong dream of joining a hunter team.

(CW: A little bit of gambling, a little bit of smoking, and some foul language, though only in the first half.)

~Trueno Village, Appletun Tavern~

Jin was bored!

From the moment he’d woken up, his uncle Volt decided to take him down to Trueno Village on several errands (though, for Jin, he knew that it was mostly so Volt could keep an eye on the little Shinx after his adventure yesterday). He tried his best to behave himself around his uncle, but even so he was still resentful over not being able to run around.

At least he got to meet Polly when the duo stopped by her family’s stall to pick up some seafood (though, part of him wished she wasn’t so snarky about him getting into trouble again).

After dropping off everything they needed, Uncle Volt then proceeded to take Jin over to the Appletun Tavern, where Aunt Leif was nearing the end of her day shift. Which was where he was now, taking a swig of apple juice and sitting by his lonesome as the only kid in the tavern, waiting for Aunt Leif to finish up and call it a day.

Taking another sip of his apple juice, Jin scanned the tavern at all the adults playing their adult games. Two tables down, a Bisharp and Tinkatuff were playing darts while a Jolteon, Charjabug and Nuzleaf watched. Behind him, a Toxtricity and Bellibolt were playing pool, with the Toxtricity watching intently as the Bellibolt took careful aim at a cluster of cue balls. And just a few ways off, Volt was playing poker with a Flaaffy, an Electabuzz and a Squawkabilly, the latter of which had a cigarette in its beak.

Jin watched as Volt carefully examined the cards in his paws, while the other three watched with anticipation. Then, after what felt like an eternity, the Luxray let out a smug grin as he roared out, “Bet!” This caused the Electabuzz to let loose several expletives while the Flaaffy and Squawkabilly groaned in defeat, realizing that they had nothing to call. This allowed Volt to win the pot from that round.

Jin rolled his eyes as he turned his attention back to the radio he was listening to. It was an old-fashioned machine, but at least there were some good programs to listen to and drown out his boredom. Today, however, it just wasn’t enough to lighten the mood. If only he had someone to talk to…like Mila, for instance.

As if answering his silent beck and call, the doors swung open, drawing his attention to two familiar figures. Mayor Sparky stepped inside, flicking the fur on his head. “Howdy, fellas,” he said, drawing his attention to the poker table. “Startin’ the party without me?”

“About damn time you showed up, Mr. Mayor,” the Electabuzz growled. “We were just about done here anyway.”

“But we just started the final round,” the Flaaffy protested. “At least stick around for that.”

“Naw, screw that,” the Electabuzz snorted. “I ain’t gonna sit here while that smartass wins it all and leaves me with nothing, again! Good day!” With that, he grabbed his hat and marched out of the tavern, leaving the other players bewildered.

The Squawkabilly shook his head in disappointment. “Man, oh man,” he said. “He’s really gotta learn to be less of a rage quitter.”

“Maybe someday,” Volt replied with a sigh. He then turned to Mayor Sparky with a smile. “Why don’t you sit and play with us, now that Mr. Grumpy Stripes is gone?”

“Did ya really hafta ask, Voltmire,” Mayor Sparky said with a sly smirk. He then turned to the other newcomer with him. “Why don’t ya pick a seat, Mila?”

Jin’s ears perked up. Wait…did Mayor Sparky say “Mila?” As in, the Sprigatito he’d found yesterday in Thunderclap Valley?

Sure enough, the young feline was walking around the tavern with a wonder in her eyes. Grinning to himself, Jin called Mila’s name, ushering her to sit with him. As she took her place beside him, Jin’s first question was, “So, where have you been all morning?”

“Spark Meadow,” replied Mila. “Mayor Sparky put me through a bit of training to make sure I…erm…adjust to this new body, you could say? Oh, and we met the trapmaker, Leila.”

“Leila Solas Galvantula? Oh yeah, she’s a wisecracker, but also really nice. She and Mayor Sparky have actually been friends for as long as anyone can remember.” Jin took another sip of his apple juice. “I’ve even heard that Leila was the one who vouched for Sparky to run as the new mayor after what happened to Mr. Knox.”

“Mr. Knox? You mean George’s dad?”

Jin nodded, his muzzle creased into a frown. “Yeah,” he answered. “I don’t know much of the details, but I know that he got corrupted by ruination, or something, and the previous mayor decided to just cast him out like he was another feral. Got transformed real badly, too.”

Mila’s only response was to give out a shudder.

Jin downed the last of his apple juice, thinking of a new subject to switch to. He couldn’t risk talking to Mila about her being a human; there would be too much attention to draw, and it would only end up raising more questions than answers. But he wasn’t sure what else he could talk about.

That’s when he noticed Mila staring intently at the radio, her ears swivelled towards the source of the music. “What a pretty song,” she murmured. “And that voice is so soothing, too.”

“Oh, that’s Flama,” replied Jin, relieved that Mila had managed to find another subject. “She’s a really popular singer on the Raidon Archipelago. The reason why her voice is like that is because she’s a Skeledirge, a species known for soothing the souls of anyone who hears their singing.”

Mila turned to Jin, her blue eyes wide with surprise. “Wait, that’s a woman singing that? Wow, she must have practiced hard to know how to hit the low notes!” Her tail wagged. “So, where’s she from?”

Jin shrugged. “No one really knows,” he replied. “And honestly, no one has ever bothered asking her, which is good. She tends to keep her personal life to herself.”

“… I see.”

Before the two could go on any further, they heard an elderly female voice calling for them. “Excuse me, kids,” said a green Pokémon as she ambled toward them. She looked like a mix between a dragon and an apple pie, with rich amber flaps spread across her pale yellow backside, and two leaves atop it – one red and one green. A red helmet resembling an apple sat atop her head, lowering her yellow eyes, and she wore a frilly pink band around her backside.

“Oh, hey Gran,” said Jin. “What’s up?”

“Yer uncle wanted me to tell ya that he and Aunt Leif are gonna be runnin’ late again,” replied the Appletun. “So he wants ya to hold up the fort fer the night.”

Jin let out a sigh. That was absolutely typical of his aunt and uncle: staying out late at night while leaving their nephew to take care of the Egg. What he wouldn’t give to have his parents…

He stopped right there, shaking his head. “Alright, Gran,” he replied, flashing a smile. “They can count on me!” Mila glanced over at him, knowing that it was simply a fake smile.

Gran smiled. “Great,” she said. “I’ll be sure ta give ‘em mah regards!” She then turned and lumbered towards Volt’s table.

As soon as she was out of earshot, Jin frowned again and he turned off the radio. “Well, looks like I’m on Egg-sitting duty, once again,” he told Mila.

“Is it really that bad?” Mila couldn’t help but ask.

Jin hopped off the table, hesitant as he glanced at the poker table. Then, he shook his head. “Not really,” he answered. “We all take turns watching over the Egg every night. But when I do it…well, it gets real boring.”

“Maybe not this time. You’ve got me now.” Those words came out of Mila’s mouth so fast, she didn’t realize what she had just said. But when she saw the look on Jin’s face, she immediately clamped up.

Jin snorted. “Okay, you got me,” he said as he pushed the door open, leading them outside into the village. “Yeah, you’re right. Maybe you can turn things around for me tonight.”

The two remained silent as they continued walking down the road to the Lightfang residence. Mila looked around at all the shops that were starting to close up for the night as the peddlers took extra care to shield their produce and merchandise. As they went down towards the path that led to the beach, she reflected upon Mayor Sparky’s words.

“I know there are some kids in the village who study up on them hunter teams,” he had told her. “Why not give ‘em a visit sometime?”

“Mila?”

Mila stopped and looked up to find Jin glancing over his shoulder at her. He had a puzzled expression on his face. “What’s up?” he asked. “You haven’t spoken really much since you got back. Is there something you want to say?”

Mila took a deep breath. “As a matter of fact, yes,” she answered. “Can you tell me more about the hunter teams of the Raidon Archipelago?"

* * *

~Trueno Village, Lightfang Residence~

Mila nestled herself next to Leif’s egg, trying to make herself comfortable. It wasn’t easy, really, especially since the cushions were so small. She figured that the reasons for doing so were because the hatchling would be pretty small, but still.

Outside of the nursery, she could hear the shuffling of objects being tossed across the room as Jin was searching for something. She knew her words had made him excited, but would it kill him to at least clean up after himself?

“Got it,” came Jin’s voice. Immediately afterward, the young Shinx came running into the nursery room, holding a black object in his mouth. He stopped in front of Mila with a huge grin on his face and his tail wagging with excitement. He then immediately dropped it right between the two so Mila could observe it.

The black object looked like a badge of some sort, with ivory-coloured wings protruding from either side. A gold button sat atop it, while a dark blue crystal adorned its center, almost reminding Mila of a familiar object. When she flipped it over, she noticed that the back of the badge contained an ID number as well as the pawprint of a Shinx embedded into it. Parts of the badge were chipped in some places, but it was still in good quality nonetheless.

“So…what is it?” she asked.

Jin’s grin grew even wider. “That, my friend, is an Explorer Badge,” he answered. “Specifically, a Guildmaster Rank Explorer Badge! My dad collected it while on a trip to the Grass Continent, and it was the best birthday present he ever gave to me!”

“Wow…” Mila gasped. “You dad must have really spoiled you a lot.” She then gave a playful smirk. “I bet you mom did, too.”

“She did,” replied Jin. “My parents were the best! They were the ones who gave me the inspiration to start my own hunter team someday.” His grin suddenly faded as he looked down at his paws. “I… I miss them,” he said, his voice heavy with sorrow.

Mila frowned, but thought it best not to dwell on it any further. She turned her attention back to the badge. “So, what connection does this thing have with the hunter teams?”

Jin’s smile returned, but this time it was a more genuine one. He picked up the badge and held it to his chest. “I already told you about how there are exploration teams on the Grass Continent?” Mila nodded. “In our world, there are various units of Pokémon known as teams, and each one operates differently depending on the cause. The Air Continent has rescue teams, the Mist Continent has adventure teams, and the Water Continent is home to the Expedition Society. But here, in the Raidon Archipelago, we have our own teams – and they’re called hunter teams!”

Mila tilted her head to the side. “Why hunter teams?”

Jin snorted. “Because they’re treasure hunters, silly,” he said. “At least, the first hunter teams were treasure hunters. They would go into Mystery Dungeons to look for any treasure they could find, and bring them back to the towns to turn up huge profits! They were a big boon for the economy, too! Anything rare they could find, they would dig it up and sell them off – gold, gems…but none of them ever came close to making an extraordinary discovery as the most famous hunter team of them all!”

“And that would be?” Mila asked, leaning closer.

“Team Jade,” came Jin’s short, quick answer. “Not only were they some of the greatest treasure hunters around, but they were also the first to discover the greatest treasure the Raidon Archipelago had to offer: the Tera Crystals! They were also the ones to establish the four academies to train more treasure hunter teams – specifically, Greenleaf Academy!”

Mila sat there, eyes wide with wonder. “So who were the members?”

“Melli Honeywing Ribombee was the leader of Team Jade,” replied Jin. “She was always straight to the point, and never lost sight of her target, no matter what. Codey Brickskin Scrafty was the team’s muscle, who never lost their cool and always knew how to get the job done quickly. And Calder Gulper Cramorant, while not a logical thinker, defied all odds by keeping his rivals afar with his endless supply of anything he could stuff in his mouth and spit it out. It’s said that he was the one who suggested that the three of them start an academy to teach the future generations of treasure hunters. My parents and even Uncle Volt enrolled in Greenleaf Academy because of Team Jade…and now, it’s my turn!” He then frowned. “… Or, at least, it would be my turn, but…things have been pretty complicated.”

“Complicated, how?”

Jin let out a sigh. “Well, firstly, anyone who wishes to enroll in Greenleaf Academy, or any of the other schools, needs to apply to them first. Afterwards, the higher-ups will spend the next two weeks going over every letter, splitting between who will be accepted or not. And then, anyone who is accepted will need to make the trek to the academy – all before the school year starts.”

“Then why don’t you start now?”

Jin shook his head. “I would, but I’ve got my paws full. And I’m not sure if I can even get a letter written out in time.” He sighed sadly. “Not to mention the academy requires that at least two Pokémon need to be part of a team. So far, I haven’t found anyone who would be able to form a team with me.”

“Well, you don’t need to worry about that anymore. I can be your partner!”

The words came out of Mila’s mouth so quickly that she didn’t even realize what she was saying…at least, not until she noticed the surprised look on Jin’s face.

“…What did you say?” Jin asked quietly.

“I… I said…” Mila stammered. She then took a deep breath to compose herself. “I can be your partner. We’ll go to Greenleaf Academy, and form a hunter team – together!”

Jin remained silent for a moment. Then, he smiled and lunged forward to give Mila a hug. “Thank you so much!” he said, wagging his tail. “Seriously, I will never forget this moment!”

Mila smiled as she returned the hug. Though she didn’t know how or why she became a Pokémon, and though she wanted to find a way to become human again, she also knew that this experience had also given her a new best friend – one who would stick by her side until the end. And until then, she was definitely going to make the most of the opportunity that was presented to her.

What she didn’t know, however, was that this moment would also change the fate of the Raidon Archipelago forever!

[dbcoatl-art]

Camila (aka "Mila") the human-turned Sprigatito, Jin the Shinx, Valak the Hisuian Zorua, and Bridget the Fennekin. The four main protagonists of a new PMD fanfic I'm currently writing called "Hunters of Ruination".

Still haven't come up with a team name for them...yet.

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Please do NOT repost nor remove the caption! Do NOT tag as 'me' or 'kin' nor as your character(s)! Do NOT use or redistribute anywhere without my written permission!

[dbcoatl-art]

Happy Halloween, from Team Salvage of my PMD fic, Hunters of Ruination! Try and guess who's dressed up as who~

I've also made a few adjustments, so now everyone can read Hunters of Ruination on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/50260117/chapters/126956647

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Please do NOT repost nor remove the caption! Do NOT tag as 'me' or 'kin' nor as your character(s)! Do NOT use or redistribute anywhere without my written permission!

[dbcoatl-art]

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Hunters of Ruination

Episode 1: Human or Pokémon

Chapter 1: A Beast in the Valley [7 Pages]

A seemingly boring day in Trueno Village turns into a not-so-boring day when a young Shinx named Jin learns that one of his friends has been kidnapped by a terrifying beast that roams about in his beloved Thunderclap Valley.

--

~Thunderclap Valley~

“Now, now, dearie. Try not to wander too far away. I don’t want you getting trapped inside a Mystery Dungeon.”

“Of course, Mama! I understand!”

Pacha sighed and shook her head as the little Phanpy named George scampered this way and that, all while maintaining a smile on her face. It had been a long day, yet her son still had plenty of energy. She figured that spending an entire day playing with his friends would put a light in his mood.

He was especially close with the young Shinx who lived on the outskirts of Trueno Village – the one who lived with his aunt and uncle. Since she’d known the Luxray named Volt from her own childhood, she had a feeling that some of their friendship would rub off on their kids…even if Jin wasn’t actually Volt’s biological son.

Pacha stretched her trunk as she let loose a great yawn, then looked up. The full moon was out tonight, with not a single cloud in the sky. Perfect weather for a nightly walk. Yet, she could feel her bones begin to ache, a signal that her body was soon to crash. She began taking a few steps forward…

…and then jumped as a scream resounded throughout the night air.

“George?!” She looked around in a panic, swinging her head to and fro. Where had George gone? She swore she just saw him not too long ago.

“Mama, help!”

“George!”

Her motherly instincts kicking in, the Donphan curled up in a ball and began rolling her way towards the sound of her child’s voice. Gods forbid she forgive herself if something terrible happened to him…

She felt the earth rumble underneath her as she rolled, nearly knocking her out of her trajectory. But she remained resilient as she sped towards her destination, only stopping at a wall of short shrubs. She shoved the leaves and branches aside with her trunk, heedless of any nicks or cuts that appeared on it.

Unfortunately, she was seconds too late. By the time she got a clear view, all the Donphan could find were George’s footprints, scattered hither-tither like he was running away from something. An indentation on the ground, like some kind of snake had gotten to him. A massive hole that led underground. And – worst of all – George’s scarf, almost shredded beyond recognition.

Pacha could only stare at the scarf in horror, even as she approached it. She casually reached out with her trunk to scoop it up before holding it before her.

“George…” she whimpered, tears falling on the ground. She then raised her trunk in the air and let loose a loud bellow, one filled with the grief and sorrow of a mother.

“GEORGE!!!”

* * *

~Trueno Village~

Dawn arose upon Trueno Village, the quiet little community located within the heart of Thunderclap Valley. From within the marketplace, Pokémon were beginning to set up shop and open their wares to get ready for the day, while early-bird townsfolk paced around the plaza, waiting for the opportunity to get first pick.

“Arrrgh, this is taking bloody forever,” a Jolteon hissed, her bright yellow fur crackling with electricity with every bristle. “I know the day just started, but would it kill the shopkeepers to hurry it up a bit?”

“Not if it means tripping over themselves, scattering any produce they might have and ruining it with the rotting stench of Berries and whatnot,” a Tinkatuff pointed out, the pole of her massive hammer resting atop her shoulders. “Besides, they work hard to provide the goods for us, so you oughta be grateful for it.”

The Jolteon opened her mouth in protest, only to sigh, knowing that the Tinkatuff was right. Instead, she opted to turn towards a Poliwrath hauling a crate of seaweed to his stall, assisted by two Poliwag, a Poliwhirl, and a Politoed. Although the valley was rife with Electric-type Pokémon and not a place where Water-types could go about freely, she did admire the family for being able to adapt well to such harsh conditions.

She and her neighbour weren’t the only ones coming to the marketplace. Not too far away, a large cart came rolling down the path, pulled by a brown-and-white goat Pokémon who bore several white daisies on her leafy green mane and back and especially on her right ear. Riding the cart was a lion Pokémon with blue-and-black fur who bore two scars on his muzzle, one of which extended to just underneath his left eye. And next to him was a young lion cub with the same fur colours who wore the most bored expression on his face.

Jin was an adventurer who desired adventure. An explorer who desired exploring. A hero who desired a quest. He could be all those things and so much more – but instead, he was riding the cart with his aunt Leif and uncle Volt to the Trueno Village marketplace to shop for the week’s supplies. It was boring, and he hated it, but he knew that it would only be a matter of time before the world became his Cloyster.

“And here we are,” the Gogoat named Leif announced as she pulled up to the nearby supermarket.

The Luxray named Volt turned to Jin. “Alright, Jin, Aunt Leif and I are going to get a few supplies and things for this week. You can do what you like, but please stay within the boundaries of the village.”

Jin let out a sigh as he stretched his body. “Yes, Uncle Volt,” he replied. Oh, how he wished something exciting would happen right about now. The boredom was killing him, but if anything, they at least gave him a chance to find his friends.

Volt’s eyes narrowed. “I mean it,” he said a bit more sternly as he worked to remove the harness on Leif. “And while you’re at it, mind watching over the Egg? I don’t want anything happening to it while we’re away.” He pointed to a large egg tucked away in a corner of the wagon, contained in a special pouch to keep it away.

“Why?” Jin asked. “Everyone knows who the Egg belongs to. And it’s summer – it’s not like some Sneasel is going to swoop in and steal it.”

“No, but someone could mistake our wagon for someone else’s and snatch it away. Remember what happened last year?”

Jin opened his mouth to protest, but immediately clamped it shut as his uncle’s glare intensified. Instead, he sighed as he approached the Egg while Volt followed Leif into the supermarket. He attached the harness to himself, and nearly toppled over from its weight.

Can’t wait for this thing to hatch, he thought as he staggered forward to maintain a balance in weight.

“Geez, Jin,” a brash-sounding female voice sounded from the front of the wagon. “Your aunt and uncle set you up for Egg-sitting duty again?”

Jin sighed. He knew the sound of that voice. He turned his head to find two Pokémon standing before the wagon. One of them was a blue pollywog with a spiral pattern on her belly. She sported an orange ribbon on the back of her head…and a smirk on her face. The other was a black zebra with white stripes and a matching zigzag mane. Around his neck was a pair of blue goggles, while his expression was much friendlier.

“Hey, Polly. Hey, Zipper,” Jin said, waving to the two. “And yeah.”

Polly let out a snort as Zipper climbed onto the wagon. “Man, and I thought I was the only one who got grounded for my tiny incident last night,” she said. “What did you do this time that really ticked off the old cat?”

“Well, in my defense, I didn’t realize I’d left the lights on last night,” Jin said defensively, pausing to shoot a grateful glance at Zipper. The Blitzle nodded in reply as he removed the harness off Jin’s back and slipped it onto himself. “So, what if the Nymble infestation was my fault? Everything else I did was an accident.”

In a sense, Jin was correct. The Spelon Berries he’d dunked in the soup was supposed to even out the sourness, and he didn’t mean to ruin Aunt Leif’s favourite romance novel trying to shoo a stray Capsakid away. The lights were on him, though – and even then, he couldn’t really consider it entirely his fault.

“Anyway, it’s just…it’s just so boring around here,” the Shinx went on as he and Zipper hopped off the wagon. “All I ever get to do is go to the marketplace to pick up weekly supplies, hang out with you guys – no offense – and help out with chores.” His star-tipped tail lashed back and forth in annoyance. “I want adventure! I want exploring! I want to see what the rest of the archipelago is like, and the rest of the world as well!”

“And you think sneaking around on your own and causing havoc around the village is going to change any of that?” Polly sassed.

“I…” Jin began, only to stop when he noticed something off. “Wait, where’s George? He’s usually here by now.”

A loud crash from a few ways off answered his question. “That looks like it came from the edge of the square,” Zipper announced.

A woman’s voice, filled with despair and panic, soon followed. “Someone, please help!”

“And that sounds like Mrs. Pacha!” Polly gasped.

“Then we’d better go see what she’s hollering about,” Jin said. “Come on!”

Together, the three kids came barreling down the path all the way to the village square. A large crowd of Pokémon was already gathered there, their gazes fixed on the green plaid shawl-wearing Donphan. Her eyes appeared to be bloodshot, and tear tracks ran down her face from the amount of crying she had been doing. Her dark grey armor appeared to bear many nicks and bruises, like she had gotten into a scrape, while a tattered green scarf sat upon one of her tusks.

“There’s Mrs. Pacha,” Jin said. He grimaced when he noticed the injuries. “Ouch, she doesn’t look very good.”

“No kidding,” Polly agreed, her eyes wide with disbelief.

An orange rodent Pokémon walked up to her. He had on a blue waistcoat adorned with a lightning bolt pattern and a gold badge on its lapel, along with a white cravat around his neck to indicate his professionalism as mayor of the village. His black whip-like tail darted this way and that as the antenna-like whiskers on his yellow electric sacs twitched.

“Pacha, you look much worse for wear than usual,” the Dedenne spoke in a voice that was much deeper than his tiny stature suggested otherwise. “What seems to be the problem that you’d come barging in here?”

“It’s awful, Mayor Sparky,” the Donphan exclaimed. “My son George was captured by a horrifying beast!”

Jin’s eyes went wide upon hearing the news. His big ears twitched as shocked murmurs rippled through the crowd.

“A beast? In Thunderclap Valley?”

“Ridiculous! Everyone knows the ferals only reside in the Mystery Dungeons.”

“Has the Mysteriosity started reaching this village, too?”

“I sure hope not.”

Mayor Sparky cleared his throat and let out a bullet of electricity from his tail to the sky. “Everyone, please simmer down,” he shouted. “Let the poor woman finish!”

The crowd fell silent as Mayor Sparky turned back to Pacha. “Keep going,” he said. “Tell everyone here what this ‘beast’ looked like.”

Pacha shot the Dedenne a grateful glance before proceeding to pick up a stick. Using the stick, she began tracing a picture in the dirt. “Well, the beast had unblinking, blue eyes,” she explained. “And sharp fangs. And I think it was capable of creating holes? Not to mention that horrifying hissing sound.” She shuddered at the mention of that last part. “That’s all I know. I’m sorry.”

Mayor Sparky put a paw to his chin as he went deep in thought. “Hmmm…it seems like your boy was kidnapped by a feral Pokémon,” he concluded. “Which is odd in and of itself, since they don’t usually step outside the boundaries of a Mystery Dungeon. Nevertheless…” he snapped his fingers in the air. “As mayor of Trueno Village, it is my responsibility to make sure each and every one of my citizens is safe and sound, especially curious young children. We will capture that beast without fail, and rescue little George!”

The citizens cheered and clapped in response, relieved that their tiny mayor was able to step up to any challenge thrown his way. The sooner that beast was taken care of and George was rescued, the sooner they could go about their normal lives once again.

An idea crossed Jin’s mind, and a wide grin snuck its way onto his face. “Guys, I just had the most brilliant idea,” he said. “We are going to capture that beast and rescue George!”

“Sorry, ‘we’?” Polly questioned.

“Yeah, ‘we’!”

“But didn’t your Uncle Volt tell you to stay put and watch over Aunt Leif’s Egg?” Zipper pointed out. “How will he react if he finds out that you threw away your responsibilities again?”

“He won’t!” Jin scoffed, amidst beads of sweat rolling down his face. “It’ll just be a quick, in-and-out rescue mission. I doubt he’ll notice before he returns.”

“No thanks,” Polly declined. “Someone needs to make sure the wagon doesn’t get stolen like last time.”

“And someone needs to make sure the Egg doesn’t end up cracked,” Zipper added.

Jin opened his mouth in protest, only to clamp it shut. “Fine,” he said. “I guess I’ll go and do it myself. Just…make sure no one tries to take you on, okay?” He then turned around and headed in the direction Pacha had come out of, barely hearing Polly’s faint call of “Don’t die” before vanishing into the overgrowth bordering the village.

* * *

~Thunderclap Valley~

Jin knew Thunderclap Valley like the back of his paw. He knew what Mystery Dungeons were nearby, which ferals came out during specific points of the day, where the best foraging places were, and so on. He knew the best hiding places, which paths to take to avoid stumbling upon a Mystery Dungeon…but most of all, he knew that if he was ever in trouble, he could just set off an electric charge to the sky to alert the local Titan Pokémon. So, it didn’t take him long to find that something was off.

In a well-shaded area beneath a canopy of trees, the young Shinx noticed a clearing where the yellow grass was at its shortest. Two sets of tracks intersected with each other, and Jin easily recognized one of the sets belonging to the massive, three-toed indents from Pacha. The other set, however, was a very unfamiliar set of tiny pawprints that looked like they could have belonged to some other mammalian Pokémon.

Jin crept along the new tracks, keeping his nose low to the ground as he tried to get some kind of information. He noticed that the scent wafting from these tracks was very sweet, almost like a mix of morning dew and mint leaves. It almost would have been enough to put him in a trance had he not noticed a plump, yellow Berry nearby.

“How curious,” he muttered to himself. “What would a Sitrus Berry be doing in a place like this?”

As if on cue, his stomach let out a low grumble, reminding him that breakfast was a long time ago, and lunch wouldn’t be for a little while longer. Licking his lips, he reached over and snatched up the Sitrus Berry in his paw. He took a bite out of it and waited…and waited…

Nothing happened.

Weird, he thought to himself. I was expecting something to happen. He shrugged. Oh well, I guess this means the beast wasn’t anywhere near here.

At the same time, however, he couldn’t help but feel that something still wasn’t adding up. If this supposed “beast” wasn’t nearby, then what was up with those weird pawprints?

Finishing the rest of the Sitrus Berry, Jin resumed his investigation of the pawprints, trying to make sense of who they belonged to. As he made his way down the trail, he noticed that the prints seemed to circle about a few times before heading further up.

Now, who would do something like that, and why, he thought. He took a few steps forward, only to be overwhelmed by the same morning dew on mint leaf scent. Hissing, he shook his head to clear it of the strong scent…

…and felt something give way underneath his paw. He looked down, realizing too late that he’d stepped on a pitfall trap. He let out a yowl as the ground collapsed underneath him, causing him to fall into the pit.

“Owww,” he groaned, rubbing his head. “That really hurt.”

After checking to make sure he wasn’t injured, Jin took a moment to observe the trap. Thankfully, the pit wasn’t too deep, and the soil was still firm enough that he could get a good grip on it if he used his claws.

But just before he contemplated on climbing, he heard the rustling of a bush, followed by a series of footsteps from above – in fact, these weren’t light footsteps, but heavy thuds laced with exhaustion. Ragged breathing that sounded as if someone had run a marathon disturbed the air. And then, he heard a girl’s voice, full of frustration.

“How many times…do I have to tell you…I don’t know what you’re going on about!!”

That was definitely not Polly’s voice, Jin knew. Polly’s voice had a slightly squeaky tone that made it higher pitched than it should have been. This new voice was much huskier in comparison.

The footsteps came closer before they stopped at the edge of the pit. Jin crouched down, his body crackling with electricity as he instinctively revved up his Charge. Whoever trapped him in here was going to have to answer, and they would have to answer fast if they didn’t want a Thunder Shock to the face.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, a small green feline peered over the edge of the pit. Two dark green triangular ears twitched in annoyance while a mane of leafy green fur swayed in the breeze above. A dark green mask pattern stretched over its face, scrunched up in a scowl.

It’s…a Sprigatito, Jin thought to himself. He thought about calling for help, only to stop as he noticed something else about this Sprigatito.

Instead of the usual pink eyes he was used to, a pair of crystal-blue eyes stared back at him.

Blue eyes…like those of the beast that kidnapped George!

[dbcoatl-art]

Reference sheet for Jin, Mila's primary partner Pokémon in PMD: Hunters of Ruination. A little guy with big dreams who ends up in a big city.

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Please do NOT repost nor remove the caption! Do NOT tag as 'me' or 'kin' nor as your character! Do NOT use or redistribute anywhere without my written permission!

[dbcoatl-art]

Mila, Jin, Valak and Bridget of Team Salvage, from my upcoming PMD fic, Hunters of Ruination.

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Please do NOT repost nor remove the caption! Do NOT tag as ‘me’ or ‘kin’ nor as your character(s)! Do NOT use or redistribute anywhere without my written permission!

[dbcoatl-art]

People wanted more Jin, so here's more of the little rascal himself!

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Please do NOT repost nor remove the caption! Do NOT tag as 'me' or 'kin' nor as your character! Do NOT use or redistribute anywhere without my written permission!

[dbcoatl-art]

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Hunters of Ruination

Chapter 2: Awkward First Impressions [7 Pages]

After falling for a pitfall trap, Jin finds the so-called "beast of the valley"...or so he thinks. Despite bearing blue eyes and being able to create pits, the scrawny Sprigatito named Mila doesn't seem like someone who could qualify as some kind of monster at all.

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Jin’s heart hammered in his ribcage as he stared up at the Sprigatito. There was no doubt about it – she definitely had blue eyes, and she seemed crafty enough to create pitfall traps like this one. And she even had sharp fangs protruding from her upper jaw, like two very little daggers.

This had to be it. This had to be the beast of the valley!

Yet, a small voice from the back of his head suggested otherwise. What if she wasn’t the beast? She seemed much too intelligent, and she was even capable of speech. Many ferals he’d come across lacked those capabilities, save for maybe the Rookidee line.

…What if the real beast of the valley was hiding elsewhere?

After a while, the Sprigatito blinked as she took a step back. “Oh,” she said. “You’re not the Donphan I ran into earlier.”

A strong mix of relief and anger washed over Jin. The Sprigatito wasn’t the beast that Pacha had made her out to be, but that didn’t change the fact that Pacha could have been injured if she had fallen for the pitfall trap. These feelings quickly faded, however, when a green forepaw reached down to him.

“Want me to help you get out of there?” the Sprigatito asked.

Jin hesitated for a moment. Then, he sighed as he released the charged-up electricity from his body. “Sure,” he replied as he reached over to grab her forepaw. It took some effort, but the two of them worked together to pull Jin out of the pit.

Now that Jin was free from his little trap, he could get a better look at his captor-turned saviour. He noticed that the Sprigatito’s fine green pelt was ragged and unkempt, with bits and pieces of twigs and leaves clinging to it in some places. The tip of her tail bore the same dark green that adorned her face and ears, while her legs were long and slender. He also noticed a few of her ribs poking out, as if she hadn’t eaten in a while.

A pregnant pause passed between the two of them before Jin finally made the first move, as he usually did. “So…” he said. “I’ve never seen you around here. Then again, I’ve never actually met a Sprigatito myself.”

The Sprigatito looked at him, unamused. “Really now?” she retorted. “Cause that’s the exact same thing that Donphan told me.”

“Ehehehe, yeah,” Jin chuckled as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head with one forepaw. “Normally, you’d mostly only be able to find them in the Misty Woods, just a few ways northwest of here.”

The Sprigatito flicked her tail. “Heard that one, too,” she sighed. “I don’t even know what the Misty Woods is. Or where I am, as a matter of fact.”

Jin blinked. A Sprigatito who had never heard of the Misty Woods. Now he’d seen and heard everything. But at the same time, he knew she couldn’t have come from any of the bigger continents on the other side of the world.

He was about to say more when a loud roar suddenly sounded nearby. The duo spun around, trying to search for the source of the noise. A series of more sounds soon followed – the snapping of wood, the trampling of leaves, and even something that sounded like the spewing of fire.

A massive green head swung forward, the jaws connecting to it chomping down on the shrub behind the Sprigatito, ripping it effortlessly out of the earth. An identical, red-coloured head soon followed, letting out a menacing snarl. The green head tossed the shrub aside, revealing both heads to be connected to a singular green body that stood on two legs that ended in a single claw, a pair of leafy arms and a thick tail.

“Wh-what is that?” the Sprigatito asked, backing away from this new creature.

As if in response, the two-headed Pokémon took one look at the small felines. Then, both its heads reared back to let loose a singular, massive roar.

“Scovillain!” Jin shouted. “Run!”

The Sprigatito didn’t need to be told twice. She immediately scrabbled to get a hold on the earth before scampering away. Jin tried to follow suit, only for a jolt of pain to shoot through his foreleg. Wincing, he fell forward with a thud, realizing that he must have injured himself in that pitfall trap.

The Scovillain stomped closer to Jin as the jaws of the red head began to let out a series of sparks. Jin braced himself, expecting to be burned by a devastating Flamethrower that was sure to end him!

But just before the Scovillain could unleash its attack, it suddenly let out a pained shriek as something hard hit its eye, throwing the Fire-type move off-course. The jet of fire shot into the sky, where it fizzled harmlessly. A second hard object soon followed suit, also nailing the green head on its eye.

As Jin wondered what could have happened, the Sprigatito burst from the bushes again, holding a rock in her jaws and another in one of her paws.

“Stay away from him, your two-headed jerkface!” she yowled around the rock in her mouth. Jin could only watch in amazement as she tossed that rock at the Scovillain, scoring a hit on the green head’s other eye. She then scampered around and tossed the other rock at the red head, hitting that head’s other eye.

The Scovillain screamed as it blindly stumbled about, trying to rub out the pain in its eyes. Unfortunately, it didn’t anticipate the pit Jin had fallen in before, and by the time it realized what was happening, it was already slipping off the edge and into the pit.

With the Scovillain roaring in the pit, the Sprigatito quickly scampered her way back to Jin. Clamping her teeth down on the scruff of his neck, she dragged him into the bushes and out of that clearing.

Jin could only stare at the pitfall trap that the Scovillain was in right now, blinded by rocks and shrieking in pain. He shuddered as he saw the occasional jet of flame shoot out of the pit, realizing how close he had been to getting cooked to death.

He didn’t notice that the ground beneath him had stopped moving until the Sprigatito released her hold on him. He slowly stood up, hissing at the pain his foreleg.

“Wait here,” he heard the Sprigatito tell him. “I’ll be right back.”

Jin could only mumble in response as he licked his foreleg to at least ease the pain. Now that he was out of danger, he noticed that there was a small bruise just above his wrist.

The scent of morning dew on mint leaves came back to him, and he turned to find the Sprigatito return to him, holding an Oran Berry in her jaws. She dropped it in front of him and rolled it towards him. “This should make you good as new,” she told him.

Jin took the berry in his paws and chomped down on it. As he did, he instantly felt the pain in his foreleg disappear, allowing him to stand on it again. After making sure he was alright again, he turned his attention back to the Sprigatito.

“You saved me,” he said.

The Sprigatito’s ears and tail shot up in surprise, before she turned away, blushing. “W-well,” she said. “I just couldn’t bear the thought of you getting hurt…or worse.”

A wide smile curled up on the Shinx’s face as he scampered around her. “Man, to think you were the beast of the valley everyone’s been talking about,” he said. “Boy was I wrong!”

“Beast? What beast?” The Sprigatito was confused by what Jin meant.

“You’re no beast at all!” Jin answered. “You’re a hero! A raggedy hero, but still a hero nonetheless!”

The Sprigatito blinked. Then, she smirked. “Call me raggedy again, and I might toss you back into that pit.” She turned away, her tail swishing with amusement. “Not that I’d bother doing so anyway.”

Jin chuckled. “I know you wouldn’t,” he said.

The two smiled at each other for a moment. However, that moment would soon be interrupted by a loud grumble from nearby.

“Crap,” Jin hissed. “Did that Scovillain manage to get out of the pit?”

“N-no,” the Sprigatito whimpered. Jin turned around to find her sitting on her haunches, clutching her belly in embarrassment. “It’s me.”

Jin looked at the Sprigatito’s ribs again. It looked like she hadn’t eaten very much in a while. He looked around before looking up at a nearby tree. He smiled. “I can help with that one,” he said.

The Sprigatito watched as Jin approached the tree. Then, suddenly, he spun around and kicked at the trunk with all his might. He spun around and kicked a second time. There was a snap from above before a large, bright red object landed with a thud right in front of her.

“An apple?” she asked.

Jin smiled and shook his head. “Not just any Apple,” he corrected her. “A Perfect Apple! They’re always abundant at this time of the year.”

The Sprigatito glanced down at the Perfect Apple. She didn’t think it looked “perfect” – to her, it was just an ordinary red apple, complete with a green stem and a large leaf. Still, her hunger drove her to pick up the Perfect Apple and reluctantly take a bite out of it. Then, her mood brightened, and she quickly chowed down on the rest of it.

“Wow,” she said. “I feel full again. Thanks!”

“You’re welcome,” replied Jin. At least he knew she had good taste.

The Shinx approached the Grass-type feline and sat next to her. Without her ribs poking out and her belly completely full, Jin now noticed that there were several bruises that he’d missed earlier. “How long have you survived out here?” he asked her.

The Sprigatito’s ears twitched. “You mean out here, in this strange new world where Pokémon are capable of speech?” she asked. She sighed. “I dunno…maybe a day, at most?”

“And how did you get here?”

Silence fell between the two of them. “… I don’t remember.”

Aha! So she must have amnesia, Jin thought. Though, it would be nice to at least know something about her.

He pressed his forepaws together. “You know…” he began, averting eye contact while trying to find the right words. “You are pretty weird. F-for a Sprigatito, at least.”

“Yeah, I know,” she replied. “Don’t know anything about this ‘Misty Woods’ place, don’t know where I am…nothing.”

“Do you have a name, at least? I’d feel bad if I just called you Sprigatito.”

Jin had said that sentence right before he even realized what it was he’d exactly said. His eyes widened as he backed off. “S-sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to— I should’ve been more considerate— I’m sorry, I—”

“No, no, it’s alright,” the Sprigatito said with a giggle. “I would’ve told you anyway.” She held out a forepaw. “I’m Camila Holt…but you can just call me ‘Mila.’ What about you?”

Jin looked at the offered paw, then up to the Sprigatito. Even though she had some of the descriptions of this supposed “beast of the valley” (blue eyes and enough intelligence to create pitfall traps), he couldn’t detect any sort of malice within her. All he could see was a warm smile, and eyes full of laughter. Not to mention she was much too sentient to be considered a feral.

He smiled back as he shook her paw. “Jin Lightfang,” he replied. At last, he had one part of the valley beast mystery resolved.

“So, Jin,” Mila said. “Do you know if there’s a village or town nearby? I was hoping I could at least get some help from the locals.”

Every hair on Jin’s pelt stood on end as he recalled why he came out here in the first place. And what an angry mob of townsfolk were planning to do.

“I… I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he said.

Mila frowned. “Why not?” she asked.

Jin took a deep breath, carefully formulating his next sentence. “Well, you see, the villagers who live nearby…to put it lightly, a friend of mine got kidnapped, and he’s well-liked among them. The kidnapper is said to make holes and have blue eyes. And also makes a hissing noise.”

“So?” Mila scoffed. “I have blue eyes. And I made that hole pretty well enough that the Scovillain won’t be able to get out any time soon.”

“Yes, well…think about what would happen if they found you. They’d probably cast you out before you even set foot in the village. Or, you could get arrested and brought for questioning.”

Mila’s eyes widened. Then, she looked guiltily down at her paws. “I-I didn’t think of that,” she admitted. “I didn’t know. But, at the same time, I can understand why.”

Jin blinked. “What do you mean?”

Mila took a deep breath before looking up at Jin. “There’s something you should know about me,” she said. “The truth is, I’m not a Sprigatito. I never was. I’m actually—”

“JIN!”

Oh, crud.

In his haste to find the beast of the valley (and instead having his hide saved by his new friend Mila), Jin had completely forgotten about Uncle Volt! And when Uncle Volt roared like that, he knew he was in trouble.

Big trouble!

“Jin?” Mila asked warily. “Who was that?”

Jin took a deep breath to calm himself down. “OK, so here’s the thing, Mila,” he began. “You know that Donphan?”

“You mean the one who wouldn’t stop pestering me about her lost kid, George?”

“Yeah, that’s Mrs. Pacha. She told everyone in the village about the supposed beast roaming in the valley. Thunderclap Valley, to be more specific.” He bit his lower lip nervously. “If they find you here, I don’t know what could happen.”

“So I just hide and wait until they pass by?” Mila asked, her tail-tip twitching. “Sounds easy enough.”

Jin shook his head. “That won’t be possible with my Uncle Volt,” he said. “He’s a Luxray – and everyone knows that Luxray have superb X-ray vision. No matter how much you try to hide, he’ll always find you.”

“Oh.” Mila’s tail drooped. “So, what can we do?”

“JIN LIGHTFANG!” Volt’s voice was getting much louder now.

Jin hesitated. If Mila tried to run and hide, Volt would find her anyway. If she presented herself, the villagers would likely mistake her for the beast like he did and attack her. Either way, he’d only end up putting her in danger.

Yet, if there was one thing Jin hated more than most, it was lying. And he was an honest mon through and through.

He sighed, turning to Mila. “There’s only one thing we can do,” he admitted. “I’ll need you to come with me. And we’ll need to explain what happened – together. It’s the only way we can prove you’re not the beast of the valley.”

Mila didn’t need to ask why. She simply got to her paws and nodded at Jin.

Jin smiled. “Then, let’s get going.”