Chapter 1

This is officially the first chapter of the story. This particular chapter is told from the point-of-view of the partner, Rachael; the spunky, charismatic Eevee. Note that only a few chapters will be told by someone else's view besides Tristan's. Although, of course, I could always change my mind (which is always subject to change). So here is the beginning of Explorers of Spirit.

Chapter 1: The Adventure Begins.

(Rachael's POV)

I scurried through the dungeon, only filling my bag with items I thought would be useful. 'Oran Berry. I could use that..,' I thought. I was only halfway through the dungeon and was already beginning to get a little worn down and hungry. I mean I'm typically very hardy, as are most Eevee, but the butterflies in my stomach were hindering my performance in this important place. This was no regular stroll in a dangerous maze-filled cave, this was an entry exam for the famous Carnivine Guild….in a maze-filled cave by the name of Nest Cave. The cave settled in a corner covered by vines in the outskirts of the village. It was mostly filled with pitiful Flying-types. They rested here on their way to a famous dungeon by the name of Roost Cave.

This particular cave was small compared to other dungeons throughout the land. It was also illuminated by the cracks in the ceiling which let light, vines, and birds into the dungeon. Although easy, the dungeon gave me a sense of adventure (along with the butterflies in my stomach)! It has always been my dream to be a famous explorer and discover new lands. And being born in the solemn Canopy Village, there was no better place to start than the famous Carnivine Guild. Ran by a famous explorer, I was absolutely sure starting here would get me prepared for a glorious career.

As I entered the second-to-last area, I ran into a Pidgey who thought he could take me on. As he came in for the hit, I retaliated with my own Tackle. The Pidgey was stunned but not down yet. He flew at me attacking me again, landing a hit this time. Though the hit was small and barley knocked a little off-balance, he still thought I couldn't beat him. While the Pidgey was preparing to take to the skies again, I finished it off with a swift Tackle. God how I love that move!

I rounded the corner of the corridor and ran into a pissed looking Spearow. I wasn't the first creature that invaded its home and I diffidently won't be the last. This cave was used almost weekly by the guild. He began circling me to find a weak spot, so I began doing the same, of course, with a little smirk. He charged at me, readying a Peck. When he thought he had me, I dodged him with Detect. The move obviously caught him off guard. I then pummeled him down before I could take any damage.

With my newest victory under my belt, I headed down the stairs to the last floor. At the bottom, a lone Shelder waited for me.

"P-p-prepare to fight ch-ch-challenger," he said quite nervously. I had heard of him around the Village. His name was Sheldon and he was currently the newest member of the guild. He is on the timid side and has just become my next fight. This should be fun.

"I have a name you know," I stated, trying to make small talk with my to-be guild buddy. "I am Rachael".

"Oh, w-well prepare to fight Mrs. R-Rachael."

"Wellll, if you insist," I teased big headedly. Maybe a little too full of myself because as I Tackled him, he spurted a Water Gun at the last second. He was obviously no wimp when it came to fighting.

'Whoa! That was a shocker!"

"I'm s-sorry Rachael. Should I….maybe….go easier".

"Of course not! This is the first real fight I had in a while," I said finally getting a hit in. The little guy then proceeded to Harden himself. We then charged at each other with a Tackle. As they collided, we were knocked back, both into some sharp rocks. Him, being a Shelder and all, was barley effected by it. I, however, wasn't too thrilled and had begun to think about giving up considering my new injuries. I then remembered the strategy of my earlier Spearow quarrel as he came forward again. I Detected, retaliated, and finally knocked him out. As soon as Shelder went down, a regal-looking Luxray came in. The guild master's right hand Pokémon.

"That was some splendid battling if I do say so myself, Miss Rachael. Now if you will be so kind as to let Carn, Sheldeon, and I review your performance, we will get back to you in the morning on your results."

"Thank you Voltier!" I said cheerfully to the Luxray. I helped Voltier get Sheldon on his back and the 3 of us proceeded out of the caves exit. While Voltier and my unconscious opponent returned to the Carnivine Guild, I continued on to go relax at my favorite pond. A river ran through the Canopy Village and fed into a little pond at the far Western end. The river was named the Zephyrus because it flowed West. I finally got to the pond and sat down next to it. I always went there to relax. The silence of the water always soothed me. I sat down; dreaming about how well I did and how awesome of an explorer I was bound to become.

In the middle of my thinking, I happened to see something coming down stream. At first, I paid it no mind. 'Probably somebody's pot or a rock or something,' I thought. Then I noticed something odd about the object. It seemed to be orange and...feathery? 'Holy crap someone is drowning', I thought rushing to the Pokémon's aid. I hoped I wasn't too late to save its life. I jumped in, grabbed the Pokemon's body with my teeth, and pulled it out. Although it was out of the water, it wasn't breathing at all. Only one thing to do; I checked it to see if it was male. Since the Pokemon thankfully was indeed a guy, I began giving him mouth to mouth.

Hey! A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do!

Well hope you all enjoyed the start to my story. Again, most chapters will be told in the hero's point of view (Tristan's), not the partner's (Rachael). Future chapters will also be much longer. Hope you continue to read, review, and enjoy!