Chapter Two: For Better or Worse
Maxwell and Joshua had both ceased their little game, too exhausted to continue running, panting and huffing as they walked to their destination. At the least, the air was warm and inviting, a cooling breeze washing over the pair. Even from here on the hills, Max swore he could smell the ocean. Joshua straightened both his leafy coat and his backpack, nearly letting them both slip in his fast pace earlier. Max was simply hunched over, arms hanging low and horns nearly jutting forward instead of straight up.
"Maybe running… wasn't such a great idea…" Max stated with a laugh. He took in a deep breath, finally standing up vertically, stretching out his arms.
"Don't look at me, that was all on you," Joshua quipped back, the Swadloon catching his breath soon after. The two shared a chuckle, casually walking now up the path, the dirt road closed off on either side by bright green grass, still shining softly from the morning dew. Max rested his hands behind his head, relaxed and looking content.
"Hey, it got you moving, didn't it?" Max answered. Joshua looked over, a single brow raised in confusion.
"I thought you didn't want me to leave," he stated plainly. Max only shrugged in response.
"Only because you've told me before how you'd never do it," Max answered. He reached over and pet at the Swadloon's head, earning a slightly annoyed grunt from Joshua, but only making the Elekid chuckle again. "I saw you up on that hill, standing there. You weren't moving, even when you didn't see me coming."
"You're confusing me," Joshua said. "First you come up trying to tell me I shouldn't go, and then suddenly, you're the one dragging me out towards the guild." Max suddenly stopped, reaching out to gently grab Joshua's hand, forcing him to stop as well.
"Josh, I have never - not once - seen you make a decision and be happy with it," Max said, frowning slightly. "Even while you were adamantly refusing to go back home, you still didn't look happy with what you were doing." Joshua sighed in response.
"It's a serious decision," he replied quietly.
"I know that, but just once, I'd like to see you do something and be happy that you're doing it." Max offered a smile to his friend, to which Joshua gave a smaller one in turn. "So I figured, if you're so dead-set on joining the guild, the least I can do is try to get you to smile while you're at it."
Joshua stood silent, looking Max in the eye. Thinking on it, he nodded and smiled in thanks.
"I really appreciate that, Max," Joshua said. Max only gave a claws-up and a wide grin in response, patting Joshua on the back before beginning their trek once more, motioning for Joshua to follow him.
"Anytime, friend," Max stated cheerfully. "You know you're like a brother to me, and I just want to see you smile more often. Lately you've been really... gloomy. No offense, of course."
"None taken," Joshua replied, taking a short breath. "I just… well, it's… complicated."
"It's more family pressure, isn't it?" Max asked. "Listen, I'm not trying to persuade you now - I mean, we're already halfway to the port," he added with a small chuckle, before resuming his serious tone. "But I keep trying to tell you, you don't have to live up to his standards."
"It's not that," Joshua answered solemnly. "Listen, I don't really want to talk about-"
Max raised a hand to interrupt him.
"Touchy subject?" Max asked. Joshua only nodded, to which Max shrugged and nodded back. "I'm sorry. I get it, really. I just want you to know, is all. If your life is being dictated by what other people want, then it's not really your life that you're living, you know?"
"I know, I know," Joshua said. "Nobody told me to do this, this is my decision alone." Max playfully jabbed at the Swadloon's side, grinning again.
"Then be happy with it!" he responded cheerfully. "You gotta live your own life, Josh. I mean, look at me," Max added, gesturing to himself. "You said it yourself, my folks would probably kill me if they knew what I was doing right now. But I'm out here with you because I want to be." He paused for a moment, the two walking along wordlessly, before he spoke up again. "You know they were talking about a boarding school for me? My folks?"
"Boarding school?" Joshua asked, a hint of shock in his voice. "There isn't even a boarding school here. Unless…"
"Unless I went back to Arcea," Max stated, lips curving into a frown. "They want me to go back, to finish my studies and be a good little… who even knows? Some thankless job balancing books? Can you believe that?"
Joshua fidgeted as they walked, tugging at his coat and backpack again.
"I get what you're saying," Joshua said plainly. "Live your own life." Max nodded.
"Heh, sorry for unloading that on you," Max replied. "Just demonstrating my point, and letting you know I'm not just tagging along for you, so don't feel guilty about it." Joshua nodded again, before letting out a sigh.
"I understand," Joshua said. His gaze peered down at the ground now, face growing into a sullen expression.
"Still not sure about it, huh?" Max asked, walking just a little closer to the Swadloon, trying to comfort him a little.
"It's just… I mean, just listen to us!" Joshua started, throwing his hands up in disbelief. "We're talking about this as if it's guaranteed, and we don't know if they'll even accept us yet."
"Well, we're about to find out," Max answered, pointing ahead, down the path. After their long trek, down at the end of the path, their destination was waiting. The city of Independence.
The pair picked up their pace, reinvigorated at the sight. Tall, proud buildings of brick and mortar, a far cry from the modest wooden constructs of their hometown of Pleasant Meadow. Dozens of offices, shops, and stalls lined perfectly parallel to the roadways, which slowly morphed from dirt and gravel to finely-laid concrete. Even from here, they could see 'mon of all kinds, rushing to and fro in the bustle of city life.
Most impressive of all, the docks. Huge, intimidating galleons built of iron and wood, sails folded as they lay still and anchored, proudly bearing the flags of their home country of Arcea - three stripes of orange, blue, and green, diagonal and parallel to each other. Large, muscular pokémon carried heavy loads to and from the galleons and the city itself, a never-ending routine as long as goods were wanted and coin was plenty.
Max and Joshua made it through into the streets of the city, suddenly realizing just how small they were compared to the buildings, and even the citizens themselves. The pair stopped to avoid being trampled by a passing Machamp, carrying four heavy barrels, one for each arm. A Timburr shouted at nobody in particular, advertising his little stall full of hand-crafted trinkets and games. Joshua's mood lifted almost instantly; no matter how many times he visited Independence, he was always impressed with its beauty and grandeur.
But neither Maxwell nor Joshua were here for sight-seeing. They hurried along into the heart of the city, avoiding pedestrians along the way, ignoring the smells of freshly made bread and pastries as they passed the bakery, despite their long hike and growling bellies.
At the center of the city, only constructed a few years prior, stood the signature tent of their final destination: the Independence Explorer's Guild. Maxwell and Joshua glanced at each other for just a moment, both of their expressions bearing concern for the other. With a final nod, they made they way to the front of the tent.
The tent itself was quite modest, compared to the intricacies of the surrounding city. Dull yellow fabrics covered the insides, accented with stripes of orange and red, made to resemble a Ninetails, the visage of the original founder, Janus. Even from the front, peering inside the entrance, Joshua and Max only saw a single, circular staircase, descending downward below the city itself. And sitting in front of the entrance sat a lone 'mon, red and black, shimmering like metal, impatiently tapping his claw at the wooden table where he waited, a stack full of papers in front of him. The Pawniard didn't even seem to acknowledge the pair as they approached, his gaze showing boredom and disinterest.
"Excuse me…" Joshua said softly, clearing his throat. "Are we too late to sign-up for recruitment?"
"Need a voucher," the Pawniard replied curtly, his gaze not leaving the papers in front of him.
"Come again?" Joshua asked.
"Your voucher," the Pawniard said again, sitting up now and finally turning his eyes to the Swadloon and Elekid, his dull expression never changing. "Who is vouching for you?"
Joshua gulped, beginning to grow fearful. Even with his family's extensive history with the guild, he had forgotten that younger pokémon like himself needed someone to vouch for them. The Swadloon shrunk away, realizing his journey was going to end before it had even started.
"I… I, er…"
"Now you listen here, friend!" Max declared, walking straight up to the table and slamming both of his hands in front of the Pawniard. Now they had his attention. "Do you expect me to believe you don't know who this is?"
The Pawniard glanced quickly from Max to Joshua, then back to Max, eyes narrowing in annoyance.
"Go on. Enlighten me." Joshua stared dumbfounded at his friend, wondering just what was going on in the Elekid's mind, until Maxwell spoke up again.
"This here is Joshua Vensworth!" Max proclaimed boldly. Joshua seemed to twitch at the mention of his surname. "Son of legendary explorer William Vensworth? Ring any bells?"
The Pawniard looked back towards Joshua, his eyes scanning the boy thoroughly, the Swadloon trembling in fear, before turning back to Max with a crude stare, then finally bursting into sardonic laughter.
"Hah! That's a good one, kid!" The Pawniard replied mockingly. "And I'm the queen of Arcea." His laughter immediately ceased, his angry glare returning, staring daggers at them both. "Now scram, kids! No voucher, no sign-up."
"You really want to do that?" Max asked, not backing down for even a second. "You're going to make the great 'Hammer Claw' Vensworth hike all the way to Independence with his bad leg, because you wouldn't even sign-up his son for recruitment?" Max looked at his claws for a moment, eyes narrowing casually. "I'm not sure he'd be too happy about that." The Pawniard was angry now, leaning forward over the table towards Max.
"Now you listen here, punk, I don't much appreciate being lied to by-"
"He's telling the truth," a voice called out from inside the tent. The three of them turned towards the entrance, seeing the silhouette of a large, bulky figure, standing up straight and proud with cream-colored spikes and armor. A Chesnaught, tall and imposing, though smiling warmly at the two would-be explorers, his prickly beard giving him the demeanor of a friendly old man.
"G-Guildmaster!" the Pawniard exclaimed, instantly correcting his posture and sitting straight, his mean visage changing into one of surprise. "I didn't see you there..."
"No, you were too busy scolding these young men, Zachary" the Chesnaught answered, calmly approaching the three and showing a friendly grin towards both Joshua and Maxwell. "This boy is telling the truth. That is indeed William's son." Joshua again recoiled slightly at the name. His reputation preceded him, it seemed.
"This kid?" the Pawniard asked incredulously, pointing a bladed hand at the Swadloon. Joshua only clutched at his leafy coat anxiously, his lowly backpack sagging behind him. "This puny little-"
"Zachary, enough," the guildmaster said sternly, narrowing his gaze at the Pawniard. "Let me handle this."
"Yes, of course, guildmaster," Zachary replied, turning back and staring down at Joshua in disbelief, to which the Swadloon could only cower at, retreating slightly into his leaf coat. The guildmaster gestured for the pair to follow him, closer to the entrance of the tent.
"You'll have to forgive Zachary. He forgets he's the guildmaster's assistant, and not the guildmaster himself." The Chesnaught chuckled lightly, before returning to the pair. "Now then, I'm surprised to see you here, Joshua," the guildmaster said. "You never struck me as the adventurous type, yet you're here asking to sign-up for recruitment, is that correct?" Joshua nodded meekly at the taller 'mon, clutching at his backpack tightly.
"Y-yes sir, guildmaster, sir," he replied quietly, stammering over his words.
"Please, call me Matthew," the guildmaster answered. He looked over both Joshua and Maxwell, then turned towards the streets behind them. "I don't see your parents here. Did you come alone?"
"Y-yes, guil- er, mister Matthew," Joshua said softly. "Maxwell and I came here ourselves to sign-up."
"I see," Matthew said, tapping his claws together. "Surely you remembered that the younger recruits need someone to vouch for them?"
"I… forgot about that part," Joshua answered with a nervous laugh, shivering slightly.
"Do your parents know you're here?" Matthew asked plainly. Joshua shook his head.
"N-no… well, they do now, probably," the Swadloon replied anxiously. "I left them a note… I didn't want to argue with them…" Matthew simply nodded in understanding.
"I tagged along too, didn't want my best friend to go alone," Maxwell chimed in afterwards, leaning over and wrapping an arm around the Swadloon with a smile.
"I understand," the guildmaster said, grinning at the pair. "You don't need to explain, I believe I can see your reasoning. Though once again, I'm surprised you've decided to sign-up at all."
"It's… I have to do this, mister Matthew, sir," Joshua said, finally looking the Chesnaught in the eye. "I have to at least try." Matthew closed his eyes and nodded sagely.
"Well, normally you'd need someone to vouch for you, but in this case…" Matthew began, holding his hands behind his back, standing up tall. "Your family has a history with us, so I'm sure you're fully aware of the responsibility that recruitment entails."
"I-I am, Matthew," Joshua answered.
"Of course." Matthew said simply. "It was always your father's intention to have his children carry on the family tradition…" he continued, before his face grew disheartened. "Your sister, Danielle, is she well?" Joshua nodded slowly.
"She is… for her condition, that is," he clarified.
"I do hope she recovers," Matthew said calmly. "You let her know that there's always room for her when she is on her feet again." With that, he clapped his hands together once, offering a warm smile to the pair. "Now then! I believe you two boys need to sign-up still."
"Yes sir!" Maxwell stated enthusiastically.
"And you, Maxwell, is it?" Matthew answered, looking down at the Elekid, the little yellow 'mon standing tall and proud for his small stature. "I'm glad Joshua has a friend to join him here." Maxwell smiled in appreciation. "Come, let's get you two ready."
Matthew led the pair back towards Zachary, the Pawniard looking up at the guildmaster with a nervous glance.
"Zachary, please sign these two up and have them ready for the recruitment trial," Matthew ordered, to which the Pawniard saluted in respect before filling out the papers. As Zachary worked, Matthew leaned down towards Joshua and Maxwell, eyeing them both sternly. "Now listen, both of you. I would like nothing more than to have both of you here as apprentices, but the life of an explorer is not for the faint-of-heart, as I'm sure you're aware. I'll allow you to sign-up, but you still need to pass the trials, and I cannot do that for you. If you fail…" Matthew paused, with both Max and Joshua silently concentrating on the guildmaster's words. "If you fail, I cannot accept you, and you'll have to go back to Pleasant Meadow until the next recruitment period. Do you understand?"
Joshua and Maxwell nodded slowly, their expressions just as serious as the Chenaught's.
"We understand," the two said in unison.
"That's good," Matthew answered, standing back up and pointing them towards the spiral staircase in the guild tent. "Down the stairs, the sentry will guide you the rest of the way. Good luck to you both."
Joshua and Maxwell both nodded, waving at the Chesnaught in appreciation.
"Thank you, mister Matthew!" Max said cheerfully, bounding towards the stairs, extending his claws towards Joshua. "Come on, let's go!"
As the Elekid waited by the stairs, Joshua turned back up to Matthew, the guildmaster giving him an understanding nod and a smile.
"Thank you, Matthew," Joshua said softly, before turning towards the stairs where Max waited. This was it; the potential start of his new life. Assuming he passed, of course. The thought of failure loomed over him like a dark cloud, returning home to his family empty-handed. His one and only show of courage would be dashed to the ground in pieces. Joshua shook his head to clear his thoughts. Now was not the time for pessimism. He came here for a reason, and he wasn't about to go home without a fight.
