Another sunny day. The sky was clear, and the sun was shining down quite freely on the green grass of the great fields that made up the majority of the Grass Continent. Of course, because it was winter, that didn’t make it a hot day by any stretch of the imagination…
…But for Blitz, the sunlight was more than enough on its own to make up for the chill.
The purple Quilava would awaken, rolling onto his back and stretching outwards, before rolling back upright and tucking his limbs in. The Fire-type was, indeed, a loaf, as he just sorta took his time to wake up, taking in the harsher-than-usual sunlight and getting back enough energy to get up and gather some food.
Blitz was a wild Pokémon, and he couldn’t really have it any other way. He relished exploration, and the freedom it provided him with, being out on his own and living life his own way… it was great, really. In his eyes, there wasn’t a better way to live - being a part of Mystery Dungeons sometimes even came with this, and on very rare occasions he did happen to fight against those who didn’t belong, but whenever he wasn’t a part of a Mystery Dungeon, he just… went his own way.
That said… he couldn’t just live on Berries and Apples, could he? And it did get repetitive sometimes… So somewhat often, there would be days where he’d go to Capim Town, or even the famed Treasure Town, to grab some food, take a mission with a small guild team, and go on an adventure. Get his blood pumping, help someone in need… a win-win, really.
Today felt like a Capim Town day. He was close to there already, anyhow.
Standing up on all fours, stretching once more with a yawn, the still somewhat groggy Quilava would start to move along towards Capim Town. He’d use his from his last mission, then take another one…

By the time he arrived at Capim Town, Blitz was quite a bit more awake, not nearly as groggy. He was still hungry, of course, but that would very quickly be fixed with time. What wouldn’t, was the feeling of claustrophobia he already felt here, one that wouldn’t improve at all as he equipped his blue scarf to better fit in with the rest of the town.
For the moment, he wasn’t a wild Pokémon. Just for the moment.
After grabbing some breakfast at a local store - a Pecha Berry smoothie, quite similar to what one might be able to order at Treasure Town’s Spinda Cafe - the Fire-type was more than ready to head towards the job board posted at the docks. It used to be elsewhere, closer to the center of town where it was a bit more convenient, but with the influx of guild members coming from the Water Continent, it seemed like they moved the board to the dock to better accommodate. A bit annoying, but not a huge deal.
Regardless, the purple Quilava’s gaze would soon settle on a particular mission, one that was in a rather… unorthodox Mystery Dungeon, one that very few guild teams went to.
I got beat up real bad, and now I’m lost without any of my things… Please help!

Client: Deerling
Objective: Rescue Deerling!
Place: Zero Isle B9F
Restrictions: None
Difficulty: ?1
Reward: 400

…Zero Isle?
Did they mean THAT Zero Isle? The one discovered by Team AWD?!
Blitz has heard the rumors before. Guild teams going there and suddenly not being able to carry all their items, or suddenly feeling much weaker and having to train as they went through brutal dungeons. Heck, maybe it’s a bit much to call them rumors, they sounded more like horror stories!
…And yet, despite that, he really wanted to go. He wanted to see the place for himself, regardless of how dangerous it was. THIS sounded like an adventure to him! The adventure of a lifetime!
Of course, going on his own would be a death wish. Other guild members would have to go with him. So, putting the job request back on the board, he’d step to the side and wait for another group of Pokémon to examine it, fiddling almost impatiently with his scarf as he waited.
…
“…Hey… wake up…”
“…WAKE UP!”
Startled awake, the Quilava would somehow smack his head on the job board. He’d… fallen asleep while waiting, hadn’t he?
“Arceus, aren’t you a sleepyhead? You’ve gotta be a novice guildie if yer just gonna sleep next to the job board…”
Shaking his head and looking up, Blitz would take note of a… metal bird? One that absolutely towered over him in terms of height, easily a good five or six feet taller, his red eyes piercing into the Quilava’s blue pair… the badger couldn’t help but feel a little bit intimidated by the Steel-type.
“N-No, I’m not even in the guild,” the Fire-type explained. “I’m just… waiting for someone to help tackle a job request.”
“Really?” The bird seemed rather confused by this. “If you’re not in the guild, why’re ya takin’ up a job request?”
“Because just look at it!” Blitz would reach up and tear the job request off the board again, slapping it onto the pavement and pushing it towards the Corviknight.
The avian Pokémon would look over the request, holding the page down with a talon and scanning it with those beady red eyes… and soon, his expression would shift from one of anger and irritance, to one of intrigue and curiosity.
“…Zero Isle…” the bird chirped. “They couldn’t have gone for it… could they…?”
Gone for it? “For what?”
The bird just looked at him incredulously. “The Grass Looplet, dumbass. Zero Isle has a special Looplet that lets you see every trap on the floor.”
This sounded quite tempting. Being able to just wear that Looplet and never have to worry about those annoying traps again… after having to deal with the aftermath of a Blast Trap a few missions ago, it was something he could really use now!
Then again, Zero Isle. If he wasn’t able to get it, then whatever, at least he tried.
“…Well, they need help anyway, don’t they?” Blitz inquired. “We should go help them!”
“Mm. Come along then, I’ll introduce you to my team.” The steel bird would wave a wing away from the job board, as if to gesture for the Quilava to follow. The Fire-type would, of course, do just that, picking up the job listing with his mouth before trotting along on all fours after the avian Pokémon.

“Come oooon, where’s Bart at?! He’s usually really quick with getting a mission for the day!”
“…I-It’s only been ten minutes, Vicky… please calm down, you’re making a lot of noise-”
The guild team’s lodging was rather quaint, as it turned out. Being guild-provided, it had the basic necessities: three nests, one for each team member; a cooler, to store any food they happened to take home; and a deposit box, to store items at Kangaskhan Storage. Despite the smaller size and lack of entertainment options, it still felt homey enough for the three Pokémon that lived there.
As the two Pokémon inside bickered impatiently, the door would open, with a Quilava entering, followed by the Steel-type. Pretty much immediately, a Phanpy would approach the two, jumping up and down in front of the Corviknight in particular… with the ground quaking every time she landed, making Blitz even more uncomfortable than he already was inside the building.
“Baaaart! Who’s this? Did you get the mission? Are you ready to go?”
“…Arceus, Vicky, could ya calm down for just a moment?” the Corviknight replied, shaking his head. “You’re makin’ everything shake. Again.”
“Sorry! I’m just so excited!”
…That she was.
“Aight, team, gather around. We’ve got a particularly difficult mission today, and someone else to help us get through.” It sounded as if the Corviknight was the leader of the team, which checked out considering how much more powerful he seemed compared to everyone else. That’s what being fully evolved did, of course…
Vicky and the Finneon would move to set spots in the room, and Blitz would move to his own side after a brief moment of confusion, his blue eyes scanning the room somewhat hesitantly as he did. This building… with how small it was, he couldn’t help but feel cramped. Needless to say, he was gonna have to move around when he got back outside.
“Now then, make sure you listen.” Bart would gesture towards the Quilava to set the job listing down, which he’d do, stepping forward and holding it up in his mouth to give to the bird. “A Deerling went to Zero Isle.”
The Ground-type in the room would gasp audibly. “Zero Isle? Like… you mean THAT Zero Isle???”
“Yes… what other Zero Isle would I be talkin’ about?” He looks at Vicky with an unamused expression. “Anyhow. They ain’t far in, only nine floors, but that’s still nine floors of Zero Isle bullshit. We’d better bring all the items we can, and make it through as fast as we can so we can rescue that Deerling.”
“Got it! You got it, Lisia?”
The Finneon would just nod. That all made sense to her… not that she seemed to want to go to Zero Isle to begin with.
“Aight. Now then, we ain’t goin’ in on our own, someone’s decided to help us out. And that someone’s this Quilava over ‘ere.” The bird would look at the Fire-type with an expectant expression, as if he were wanting them to introduce themselves.
Of course, he smiles through his discomfort. “I’m Blitz! Not from around here, but I came here to find an adventure, and this sounds like the best one I’d ever want to go on!
“So you’re… Bart, Vicky, and Lisia?”
The Corviknight nods. “Bartholomew… or just Bart. And that’s Alisia.”
“Gotcha… alright!” Blitz’s smile morphs into something of a grin. “Well, I’m ready if you guys are!”
Bartholomew just looks at him oddly for a few moments. “Do you… not have a bag?”
“Nah.”
“So yer just gonna go into Zero Isle with nothin’ but a scarf on ya?”
“Yup.”
“…Well alright, if you say so. Hope I don’t gotta waste all my items on ya, then.”
The bird would look at the other two Pokémon and smile - well, as much as he could smile with a beak. “Aight, let’s bring it in, then gather our stuff and fly out!” The three would meet in the center of the room, and so would Blitz after a moment… and the four would put a wing, paw, whatever in.
“One… two… THREE! LET’S GO, TEAM BVL!”
While Blitz was grinning from ear to ear at first as they brought it in, his expression would turn into one of confusion after he threw up his paw. Team… BVL? That wasn’t a very creative name, was it? Then again, neither was ACT… so he supposed he wasn’t one to judge there. If one of the most famous guild teams could do it, after all, why couldn’t they?
Creativity aside, the Quilava ultimately just kinda stood at the door while the other three took their turns at the deposit box, gathering the items that they would need for the journey. And the more he stood there, the more he desperately wanted to just run outside and get to Zero Isle on his own. Hell, he’d swim to Zero Isle if it wasn’t for him being weak to water! But of course, he agreed to go with this guild team… and so he was forced to wait, as they made their proper preparations, and he’d just sit there, with no bag to call his own.
Eventually, after what felt like an eternity to Blitz (but was really only five minutes or so), Team BVL was finally ready. The four would exit the lodge, and the Corviknight would lower himself down as if on a nest, allowing the Phanpy to clamber up on top of him… and, after a brief bout of confusion, the Quilava, as well.
Bartholomew would look at the Finneon with a concerned look. “…You sure you’ll make it to the island?”
“Y-Yeah… I think so, at least…”
…Whoa, was Alisia going to swim over there? All the way to Zero Isle? It seemed like it, with the tiny fish floating off towards the dock. Huh… Blitz couldn’t help but wonder if she’d actually make it there.
In the meantime, the Steel-type would look back at the riding Pokémon. “You two ready?”
Blitz would nod, and Vicky would… bounce a little bit, her own energetic sort of nod. Yeah, it seemed the two were ready to go.
“Aight, hang on tight!”
And just like that, they were off! With a flap of his metal wings, the Corviknight would begin to rise into the air, with the other two Pokémon atop his back hanging on as tightly as they could. Once they were in the air, they’d start to move, the Corviknight making his way past the dock.
They were on their way to Zero Isle.
Blitz had, surprisingly, not flown on another Pokémon in a decent while. He’s done it before - with the number of adventures he’s gone on before, it’s been done once or twice by now - but not on a Corviknight, and certainly not to a place as revered as Zero Isle.
The flight itself wasn’t eventful. At least, unless you counted Vicky bouncing about a tiny bit and chatting with the Quilava.
“So who’re you? I don’t think I’ve seen you in town before!”
The Fire-type smiled. “Blitz. I don’t live in town, but I come in sometimes for guild missions, just for the adventure of it.” He wasn’t going to mention being a wild Pokémon. That was usually… a bit strange, whenever he brought it up.
“Oh, okay!” replied the Phanpy. “No wonder we haven’t seen you before!”
“Heh, you seem pretty excited, don’t you?”
“Yeah! I’ve never been to Zero Isle before, so this is already really cool! Have you been there before, Blitz?”
“Nah, this is my first time too.” The Fire-type would grin. “Believe me, I’m just as excited as you are!”
“Stop bouncin’ around on my back, Vicky, we’re above the ocean.” The Corviknight looks back at the Ground-type with a rather exhausted expression. “I don’t think either of you’d wanna fall down there, even if you weren’t weak to it!”
“Fiiiiine…” With a huff of air, the little elephant would just kinda slump there, seeming rather upset.
…There wasn’t really much else Blitz could think to talk about until they arrived.

Zero Isle took many forms in the tales Pokémon told. Some said it was a rather unforgiving place both inside and out. Others said there was quite literally nothing there: zero wild Pokémon, zero treasures, nothing. Was it the random nature of Mystery Dungeons taken to an extreme? Or was it just lies, or manipulation? It was quite difficult to tell, with each team claiming wildly different things.
From the looks of things, though, it seemed more… volcanic, compared to any of the reports Blitz might have heard about it. It looked like an island of molten rock, with a volcano that seemed almost as if it were about to erupt at any moment. It really didn’t make any sense as to how it could even exist near the rest of the Grass Continent…
Then again, that’s the Mystery in Mystery Dungeons.
Soon enough, Bartholomew would land, and Blitz and Vicky would both hop off, touching down on the molten ground of Zero Isle. The Quilava could already feel just how hot it was, not even inside the volcanic mountain - for once, he actually somewhat wished the skies weren’t clear. The sun bearing down on them didn’t help at all. It was far worse for the Corviknight, who seemed to struggle to keep himself together, spreading his wings out.
“Arceus, it’s already so dang hot out here…” Shaking himself off, as if trying to shake magma off of his feathers, the Steel-type looked at the Phanpy with a concerned expression. “Are you alright, Vick?”
“…We should have brought a canteen… but I’m okay for now!”
Something told Blitz that a single canteen probably wouldn’t have lasted very long…
It wasn’t much longer before Alisia arrived, jumping out of the water and floating over to meet up with the group. Rather quickly, they already seemed… quite out of it. The only thing keeping them cool was the water they were in, and now that was gone.
“…so hot… but I made it-”
The Quilava frowned. Really, he was probably the only one that was fit to go inside the dungeon… and maybe Vicky, too. It really felt as if the other two Pokémon would actually melt as soon as they stepped into the dungeon…
“…We, uh…” Blitz gulped. “…We ready to go?”
The bird would look over at the mountain, then at his teammates… before nodding. “…Yeah. It’s not like we’re goin’ all the way through the dungeon, it’s just nine floors.”
And soon enough, after some initial prepwork, the four Pokémon would start to move towards the dungeon, finally. No words would be said as they approached, and after figuring out who would lead and who would watch their backs…
They'd enter.
Blitz took the lead. He was likely going to be the most durable of the group, resisting Fire moves and being able to deal some decent damage against whatever they came across. Alisia would tail behind him, meanwhile, and Vickey would take the rear… leaving the Corviknight to begrudgingly be sandwiched moreso in the middle of the group. Unfortunately, there wasn't really much that could be done to protect the Steel-type, what with him being so massive compared to the rest of the team.
The heat wasn't much better inside the dungeon itself. They were, after all, inside the caverns of a volcano, and the heat outside was nothing compared to what was inside.
Still, they'd press onwards. The further they went, the more exhausted they became… but still, they'd persevere. It’s not like they could leave the dungeon, what with the entrance sealing itself when they entered.
It wouldn’t be too long before they came across the first staircase - made of the same molten rock as the rest of the dungeon, it led to the next floor down. One down… eight to go.
This was going to take a while, Blitz could tell…

Despite the intense heat, things went fine enough, all things considered. It was a little strange that there weren’t any wild Pokémon, though… usually Mystery Dungeons were filled with a bunch of aggressive Pokémon. Was it just too hot for Fire-types?
Considering how much the Quilava was sweating, he supposed that made sense… but still…
“…it’s way too quiet.”
“Yeah, I thought there would be a lot of Pokémon to fight,” the Phanpy complained. “Where are they?!”
“D-Don’t tell me you want to fight them, Vicky…”
“Of course I do, Allie! We came for an adventure, didn’t we?”
“…I guess…?”
Blitz just sighed, his tongue sticking out a little bit as he shook his head. Jeez, it was just so hot in here… he wasn’t sure if he was going to get a heat stroke, or something else. He just…
…He had to let it back out.
His head and rear would suddenly erupt, streams of flame coming out. It felt relieving, almost, with the Fire-type already feeling less hot. He must have been gathering and storing all that heat without realizing… no wonder he was so sweltering hot!
Of course, as soon as Blitz did this, there were complaints.
“…Y’know, you didn’t have to make it even hotter, right?”
…He’d opt not to respond to the Corviknight.
“Feh, fine. Not like I asked to melt, anyway.”
It’s all Blitz can take to not jab back.
…
Stairs! Finally, that’s two floors down. The group would eat an Oran Berry - except for the Quilava, who felt mostly fine at this point - before they’d descend to B3F.
…Was the heat really that bad? Huh…
Either way, B3F was just as quiet as before. No wild Pokémon. This was… getting really creepy, Blitz couldn’t lie - why were there no Pokémon in this dungeon? Was there something he was missing?
…As soon as they stepped into an open room, something felt off. The Fire-type couldn’t really describe how it felt like that, but… it just did. Something wasn’t right about any of this.
“Why’re we stopping, fire boy?” the Corviknight quipped.
“Shut up. Something’s wrong.”
Looking around the room for a moment, Blitz would take a step forward, his mind racing at a mile a minute. What was going on? Why did he feel so… nervous?
Before he could answer though, he’d hear and feel a click, as his paw pressed down on the floor. And only a second later, they’d be surrounded. Various Fire and Steel-types suddenly appeared before them, hopping down from… somewhere, to fight them. Blaziken, Mawile, Bisharp, and Escavalier… about eleven or twelve Pokémon in total, outnumbering the team quite a bit. They were… most definitely in trouble now, that’s for sure…
“…Monster House,” Blitz confirmed. “That’s where they all were.”
“Just all gathered here??” Vicky questioned.
“Guess so…”
Fortunately, in a way, they were still pretty ready for this. It was so strange that they hadn’t run into any wild Pokémon before this, which meant their strength was still mostly preserved.
Blitz would be the first to move: curling up into a ball, his flames would intensify, coating his entire body as he rammed himself into a Mawile. Flame Wheel. Of course, while the Steel-type was prepared to be attacked, they weren’t ready for the intense heat that this particular Flame Wheel had, so while they would catch it with their giant maw and try to throw it out of the way, the Quilava was very easily able to overwhelm them and knock them out in a single attack.
…To be honest, he had expected way more of a challenge than that from the Steel-type, but that was far from the only Pokémon in this Monster House. A Blaziken would come crashing towards him next, trying to Brick Break him, but it was an attack that narrowly missed, allowing him to at least Slam into the Fighting-type… and while it would connect, it didn't feel like it did all that much damage, nor did it end up paralyzing them. Shoot.
Focusing on evasion for now, Blitz took a moment to see how everyone else was doing. Vicky was doing fine enough with Earthquake, but Allie and Bart… they were in trouble. The Corviknight was especially in hot water, with how heated up he already was at this point seriously starting to take a toll on him.
"…Heeey, Bart! Come blow this guy away!"
"Whatever you say, fire boy!"
The two would swap places - as he ran in to help Alisia, the Steel-type bird would swoop past him and start to deal with the Blaziken.
Alisia was… very frightened. There were so many Pokémon on them at once, and she was surprised she hadn't been snatched up by now. As some of the Monster House Pokémon approached her, she seemed… rather defenseless. What moves could the little fish have to defend herself with?
"Alright Allie, I'm here!" Blitz declared, jumping between her and the surrounding Pokémon. "I'll keep you safe!"
Except… would he? It wasn't very long before the Pokémon in front of him would strike. While he'd avoid some of their moves, others would make their mark, knocking him into the molten cavern wall. The fire moves thrown at him would singe his blue scarf, too - it wouldn't burn up completely, but its edges were now charred and tattered.
"…N-No…"
…That was Alisia… was she…?
"I can't… let you hurt my team!!"
And with a sudden burst of power, the Finneon would unleash a devastating Hydro Cannon - sweeping the entire room with a high-pressure stream of water. If it wasn't for the intense heat, it would have washed everyone away and out of the dungeon… but fortunately, it'd only greatly harm the Fire-types in the room.
Unfortunately, Blitz was one of them.
"…Hey, wAIT-"
Unable to object, he would be absolutely flooded in water just like the rest of the Pokémon in the room. While he'd do his best to keep his flames out, stay conscious… he'd fail at that. The Quilava would faint…
…
"…Hey… hey, kid… wake up…"
"…WAKE UP!"
Blitz would be jolted awake for the second time that day, his mouth feeling exceptionally dry as he leapt onto all fours and looked around frantically.
"Huh-whah-who-??"
"Dammit, Blitz, calm down, it's just us!"
After a brief moment of panic, the Fire-type would calm down… and realize that it was, indeed, Bartholomew, who had woken him up.
"…H-Heh… you couldn't have been more peaceful with it…?"
"Tried that. Yer a heavy sleeper, y'know."
Well, that just made him grumble. "Right…"
"Well, we're just relieved you're okay, Blitz!" The Phanpy seemed quite happy and relieved that he was okay, at least.
Alisia, meanwhile… was quiet. Right, that… that was her, was it? With the giant stream of water, and…
"…Allie, did you… did that attack get rid of all of them…?"
She just nods - as best as a Finneon could, at least.
…How strong was this fish?? That one attack took out all of them…?! How was she not evolved at this point…?
"Don't worry about hurting me though, alright? It's fine, I've faced worse." The Quilava stretched himself out. "Besides… better than the heat."
"…true…"
One word was better than no words at all, at least…
"…Thanks, guys."
"We're in this together, fire boy. Don't you worry 'bout it." The Corviknight seemed happy enough to support him. "Just as long as you don't melt me."
"Hey, I wasn't trying to-"
"G-Guys-"
Alisia spoke up, trying to stop an argument before one could begin.
"Bart, you're… really not handling this well… y-you should badge out, wait for us."
The Corviknight just sort of stares at the Finneon for a moment, his red eyes boring into her own pink pair, before he sighs and shakes his head.
“…I hate to say it, but… yeah. Yer right, Allie.” Bartholomew would look over the rest of the group for another moment before nodding. “I’m badging out. One of you dial me when it’s time for me to come back and pick y’all up.”
“Why can’t we just dial back, Bart?” Vicky queried confusedly.
“Cuz he can’t.” The bird gestures towards the Quilava, who nodded in response. “Might as well come back and pick y’all up while I’m here, unless y’all really gotta badge back.”
…Right, he didn’t have a badge. Which meant that if he were to faint here… he’d be at the mercy of the other Pokémon here, and the environment, something he wasn’t entirely sure if he really wanted to deal with considering it was an island.
Regardless of how Blitz felt, though, Bart would tap his badge with a wing, and just like that, he’d be whisked away with a beam of light - leaving just the Quilava, the Phanpy, and the Finneon to finish the dungeon.
“…Welp,” the Fire-type muttered with a sigh. “Let’s just get this over with.”

Despite being one mon down, the group was actually doing quite a bit better. It’s almost as if the Steel-type was holding them back with how big he was, who would have guessed? …A bit unfortunate that they had less manpower - they would likely have more issues if they were to run into another Fighting-type - but overall they were moving much faster now.
Somehow, Blitz wasn't really sweating anymore. In fact, it almost felt kinda normal here, in the caves - even though it seemed to get hotter the further down they went. And while they would run into more Pokémon in the dungeon, a few each floor, they didn't seem to target the Quilava at all until he attacked them. They focused more on the guild members, on Vicky and Alisia…
…almost as if he was a wild Pokémon like them?
It made sense, but it also felt… really strange. Blitz wasn't sure if he wanted to feel comfortable with it, or unnerved. Was he going to be a Pokémon that lived in Zero Isle? He… really didn't want to.
Hm.
"…Blitz?"
The Finneon's voice would snap him out of his thoughts as he looks back at the fish. "Huh?"
"Y-You passed the stairs."
That he had. He hadn't even noticed them… in fact, it took him a brief moment to even see them.
"…Huh. Sorry, I was… thinking about something."
The badger would head up the stairs. Finally, the ninth floor… where their client was. The Deerling, who had apparently gotten lost or defeated while searching for the Grass Looplet. A Looplet that let its holder see all traps around them…
"Alright, the ninth floor! Let's get searching for Deerling, and get outta here!" And with that, he'd run off, eager to rescue the Grass-type and get out of this place.
"Blitz?! Hang on!" Vicky called after him, running after him alongside the Finneon.
He wanted to be done here. Done with the heat, done with this weird feeling of belonging.
Rushing through hallways, he'd keep his eyes peeled for the Deerling. What season was it? Considering the chill, probably Winter, but he hoped that it was something else so he could see them more clearly.
Fortunately, entering an open room, they'd find the Grass-type. They were injured, their bag was out of healing items… no wonder they needed help. Although it made Blitz wonder why they went on their own - at least, until he remembered just how variant the reports were.
"Hey!"
The deer would perk up suddenly at the call, with a bright expression. "Oh! You're… you must be here to help me!"
"Yup!" He'd grin exhaustedly past that discomfort. "We're here to bring you home."
"Good… but… you're not in the guild, are you? Where's your badge?"
He looks down at his scarf, which, indeed, has no badge, and smiles.
"Nah. I didn't come down here on my own, though."
Almost as if on cue, Vicky and Alisia would catch up. They both seemed worn out from having to run after the Fire-type.
"Blitz!" the Phanpy whined. "Why'd you run off like that?? We almost lost track of you-"
"…You found Deerling…" the Finneon interrupted.
"Yeah." Blitz seemed rather proud. "And I wouldn't have done it on my own, you guys helped me do it!"
"…W-Wouldn't it be better to say we did it, then?"
"Yeahhhh, it would. Anyway…"
The Quilava looked down at the Deerling with a bright expression. "Let's head back. A bit tired of being here."
The Grass-type seemed… rather shocked. "W-Wait! What about the treasure?!"
"…Honestly? I'm not that invested." Indeed, Blitz seemed quite done with Zero Isle. "Make sure you prepare and get some help next time, alright? I doubt you're the only one who wants that Looplet."
The Deerling… wouldn't really respond. She'd break eye contact instead, appearing to have resigned to the Quilava's words.
"…Okay, let's get going!" Vicky exclaimed. "I wanna get out of the heat!"
"Amen…" Alisia agreed.
The group would gather around the injured Pokémon, with the Finneon placing a fin on the Deerling to send her back to Capim. With that done, they would all hold each other's hands in a triangle, and their badges would soon glow, warping them to the dungeon entrance… where they'd wait for the Corviknight to take them back to town, themselves.

By the time they got back from Zero Isle, it was late evening, the sun setting over the various forests of the Grass Continent. And the team was tired, ready to collect their pay, get some food, and turn in for the night.
Fortunately, it seemed the guild recognized their efforts and gave them a rather sizable bonus. Blitz in particular would get a pretty reasonable 500 - and that wasn't including the reward they'd get from their client! The Deerling compensated them even further with more , of course, with some additional rewards for the team overall.
The group would, of course, get some food before they'd wrap up for the night, stopping by a cafe to grab a sizable dinner to celebrate their spoils. Blitz would, in particular, get something a bit spicier, still feeling quite hot from the dungeon run and being perfectly capable of handling it for the time being: a Tamato Berry salad, one that he scarfed down quite handily.
"Sooo, fire boy," Bartholomew began, "looks like yer better than I thought, eh?"
"Heh, looks like it!"
"Mm. Feel free to do more missions with us, Blitz. We'd be glad to have you on anytime."
"Yeah," Vicky agreed, "we'd love to do more jobs with you! You're fun!"
The Finneon just nodded with a timid smile.
They'd banter for quite a bit longer, probably a good half hour, before deciding that it was late enough to go off on their separate ways. After a quick nuzzle towards the three team members, Blitz would start to head out towards the town border.
Finally. Blitz didn't even wait until he was out of town to take off his scarf. He was more than ready to return to his territory and get some rest.
Good riddance…
It was a bit of a walk, though unlike the past few hours, this wasn't filled with magma and smoke in a volcanic cave… it was just the chilly air in his meadow. While he might have preferred the open sunlight that morning, he found himself enjoying the chill for now.
And once he reached his favorite spot - a patch of taller grass, next to a tree and close by to a nearby pond - he'd lay down for the night…
…and immediately smell smoke.
Gasping, he'd jump right back up onto all fours, looking around frantically. Who had appeared to try and burn him to a crisp? What was going on, what was…?
…Oh.
His flames were still on.
They must have been going off that entire time. At the restaurant, and during the entire walk back… ever since he let them flare up back at Zero Isle.
And now his favorite grass was singed… ugh. He'd have to lay down outside of it for tonight, until he let all that excess heat out…
So that's what he'd do. Laying down outside of the tall grass, he'd finally rest his weary legs, and get some proper rest, or at least try to.
Needless to say, he planned on taking a break from Mystery Dungeons for a while…

Heya! If you’ve gotten this far, it means you read the whole thing. Thanks for reading!
Thanks to the Pokémon Workshop crew for hosting this event, thanks to GyroTech for having a banger Quilava character for me to write with, and thanks to you for reading!
Merry Christmas! ^^
If you’re interested in self-criticism and my thoughts on this piece, see here.