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Description
The Nexus Beta Chronicles

Chapter one: New Dawn

The sun beat down on the dry grassland around her, its intense heat already beginning to dehydrate her body.  The dead grass, hot breeze, and lack of life weren’t a new sight to the lightly armored rabbit pokémon.  This was how most of the world looked now.  It hadn’t changed much since the collision that had taken more lives and caused more rescues than any other disaster known to pokémon history.  Of course, the current heat wave wasn’t helping.
The bright sun shone off her light armor as the lopunny looked around her.  Like most of her guild, Claire wore a light suit of protective armor over her upper body and torso.  Below that was a pair of loose, tan shorts.
As Claire shook her head, a fox pokémon wearing a similar outfit walked up to her side, panting tiredly.  She smiled and patted the fox pokémon.  This was her partner and closest friend, Eevee.
“Need a rest Eves?” the rabbit pokémon asked.
The eevee nodded tiredly, “Yeah, I could use it.”
“Alright, let’s get out of this oven.” Claire said, pulling a glowing, light blue, object spherical object from a backpack she was wearing, “I don’t think Eon will be happy, but we tried.”
Now as she activated the escape orb, the eevee grabbed his knees to avoid collapsing altogether.  The heat, combined with the training Claire had been putting him though, was proving too much for the eevee.  He was used to Claire taking him on extensive training, but he hadn’t expected her to pull him out into the heat wave for a couple of days.
As light spilled out of the orb in a deep blue, the rabbit pokémon laid her hand on the back of her weakening partner.  With a brilliant flash, the two disappeared into thin air.
*           *          *

Light filled the dark room as two figures appeared.  As the light faded once more into darkness, the smaller one of the two collapsed onto the floor.  Claire immediately placed her hand against his neck, pushing aside his fur to reach the soft skin underneath.  She sighed in relief as her fingers determined that he still had a pulse.  While it was unusually low for an eevee, it meant that he was alive.  Unfortunately, he was also burning up.
“I have got to keep a better eye on him.” Claire thought as she sat down beside her partner, gently raising his head into her lap, “Eevee still needs training, but I can’t keep forcing him to go on these extended missions out there.  Especially not in this heat wave.”
A light suddenly turned on and the lopunny looked up to find a startled kecleon in the doorway.
“W-what happened?” He asked as he ran to the two.
“Relax Leon.” Claire sighed, “Eevee just collapsed from exhaustion.  An Oran berry and a little rest and he should be back on his feet in no time.”
Leon sighed, “Alright, you get him to your dorm and then report to Eon when Eevee awakens.  He’s been waiting for you two.”
Claire nodded and picked up her tired partner, “Tell Eon we’ll be in then.”
Leon nodded and watched as the rabbit pokémon carried her partner to the dorm section of the base.
*           *          *
When Eevee awoke, he found himself lying on the bed in the dorm he and Claire shared with another exploration team.  They were gone now, possibly still out searching the area they had been assigned.  Either way, Eevee had no idea how he’d gotten into his bed.  The last thing he remembered was the flash of light from the escape orb, and then everything had gone black.
Now as he pushed himself up from the bed, the eevee was suddenly aware that he wasn’t wearing anything except his sleep shorts, while a large fan pushed cool air down onto his body.  The room was mostly quiet with the exception of a soft humming sound.
“What happened?” Eevee asked himself as he shook his head in an attempt to clear it.
Suddenly, he heard a door open.  As the fox pokémon looked to the source of the noise, he watched as Claire walked out.
Immediately, Eevee looked away.  Claire was only dressed in a towel that kept most of her body hidden, but it still showed a good amount of her mature figure.
“Evening.” Claire smiled, “How’re you feeling?”
“A bit dizzy.” Eevee admitted, still not looking at her, “And confused.”
At first, Claire was a little confused by this.  Usually Eevee had the courtesy to look at her when she spoke to him.  If he wasn’t looking at her was something else wrong?  Something that the nurse had missed?
She sat down beside the fox pokémon, placing a hand on his back.  Eevee glanced at her, and then looked away, his cheeks slowly turning a light tan-red.
“Is anything wrong Eves?” Claire asked, “You’re turning a little red around your cheeks.”
“I…well, you’re…” Eevee stammered, “I mean…look.”
Claire glanced down at herself.  Then it hit her, Eevee had never seen a member of the opposite sex without armor or clothing!  Seeing her in only a towel must have instantly set off his odd behavior.
“Would it help if I dressed?” Claire asked, stroking his ears.
The eevee nodded quickly.  Claire smirked and kissed his cheek before getting up.  Eevee immediately blushed deeper, much to her amusement.  She usually gave him some friendly affection now and then, but it was rare for her to go past ‘friendly affection’.  To many, a kiss on the cheek didn’t seem like much, but to Eevee, it was plenty more than he was used to from her.
As the rabbit pokémon searched through the closet she and Eevee shared, she said, “Eon wanted us as soon as you woke up.  But I knew you wouldn’t be waking up soon, so I explained that we didn’t find a thing out there and that you passed out as soon as we got back.  He called in the head nurse to take a look over you to be sure you weren’t hurt too badly.”
“How long have I been out?” Eevee asked as he went against his nature and snuck a peek at Claire as she dressed, “And where’s Pix and Chika?”
She had removed the towel, but had just put lingerie on to cover her more personal parts from his eyes.  Feeling a bit more secure, Eevee laid his head back against the wall, feeling the cool stone as it flattened his fur against his head.
“Well, considering there were some…complications, you’re awake earlier than Nidoqueen thought you’d be.” Claire explained as she slipped on a white top, “And they’re out on the mission we didn’t complete.”
“What do you mean by ‘complications’?” Eevee asked.
Claire turned to him and Eevee saw something he didn’t see often in Claire’s eyes.  He saw uncertainty.
“I thought you’d just collapsed from exhaustion.” Claire explained as she pulled on a pair of black shorts, “But it was worse than that.  Apparently, the heat really got to you.  I couldn’t tell you exactly what Nidoqueen explained it as, but I know that it was caused by being out in that heat for so long while your body was constantly being tired out from the exercise of your training.  All she advised was to let you rest up and too keep your body cool under the fan.”
“Hmm.” Eevee replied, “But you still haven’t told me how long I’ve been out of it.”
“I don’t know if you’d believe me if I tell you.”
“I’ll believe you.”
“Almost two days now.”
That got Eevee’s attention immediately.  Almost two days?  And the head nurse hadn’t thought he’d wake up early?
“Either way,” Claire continued, “Eon doesn’t want me to drag you out there until the nurses check you out.  Although he still wants me to check out that area again.”
“So why wait?” Eevee asked, getting to his feet, “Let’s go.”
“Easy Eves.” Claire smiled as she sat down on the bed, “Just because you woke up doesn’t mean we should immediately assume you’re going to check out without a hitch.  Especially not with Nidoqueen.”
Eevee sighed and sat back down beside her.  He knew his friend was right.  Nidoqueen would never just give him a clean bill of health and then send him to Eon for a mission.  It just wasn’t in her nature.
Nidoqueen, the head nurse of the base, was a kind pokémon, but a careful one with those she released.  After someone on one of the teams many smaller exploration teams was released from the medical bay, Nidoqueen insisted on giving them enough time to rest up.  Either way, Eevee wasn’t going back out for at least another day.
His ears lowered in sorrow at this realization.  Claire patted him, knowing that he’d do just about anything to remain at her side like a good partner should.
“I’m sure I can convince Eon to allow me another day before going back out there.” Claire said, trying to reassure her partner, “After all, Pix and Chika are still out there were we left off.”
Eevee looked up at her, and then back down at the bed with a sigh, “I don’t know Lop.”
“Trust me.  I’ll talk to Eon in the morning and then we’ll get you checked out.” Claire said with a soft smile, “For now, just get some more rest.”
Eevee nodded, still unsure of his partner’s idea.  Eon wasn’t the type to just give a day off.  But still, Claire seemed to have a way of getting him to agree to some of her requests.  Maybe they’d get lucky.
*           *          *
The next day, Eevee awoke to find that Claire was already gone.  Instead of her in the bed beside his, a cloth with a strange symbol on it lay on her pillow.  As he pushed himself up from the bed, the eevee noticed a note lying on the bedside table.
“Dear Eves,” it read, “I know this will sound strange but, you see that cloth on my pillow?  I need you to put it on.  It’s a neckerchief.  I’ll explain everything when I see you, but right now meet me in the great hall when you get this. I have some really good news.”
The eevee held the note for a second, rereading it to be sure he’d read it right the first time.  Good news?
The eevee picked up the neckerchief and tied it around his neck.  As it hung down over the mane-like fur around his neck, Eevee couldn’t help but wonder why Claire would give it to him.  With a shrug, the fox pokémon slipped on a shirt and walked out.
*           *          *
The grand hall wasn’t truly grand.  In reality, it was a very long and wide tunnel that lead to the surface from the main center of the base.  But at night, a mossy growth glowed to bathe the tunnel in a light blue that spread out like a giant, intricate spider web along the walls and ceiling.
It was here that Claire stood, waiting for her friend.  As she waited, she glanced down at the piece of paper she held that held both their new orders and the good news for her and Eevee.
“Well, I will say that we’ve earned this.” The rabbit pokémon thought to herself, “But I never thought that flareon would actually give it to us.  Eon is really full of surprises.”
Claire looked up when she heard footsteps echoing down the hall.  She smiled, sighting an eevee walking towards her.
“Alright, so what’s this good news?” Eevee asked, and then he noticed that she was wearing a neckerchief as well, “And what are these for?”
“Our identification symbol.” Claire said, “These are only temporary until we get official ones.”
“Identification…But those are only for full exploration teams.  We’re still trainees under Eon.” Eevee replied.
Then it hit him.  His eyes widened as the lopunny smiled gently.  His mind refused to believe what it was thinking.
“You mean we’re-!” Eevee began.
“That’s right Eves.” Claire interrupted, “We’re a full fledge exploration team!”
“You’re pulling my tail.” The fox pokémon replied, still unable to believe their luck, “That’s great!”
Claire hugged him tightly, letting him nose into her soft fur, “You and me Eves.  We’re still under Eon’s command and most of our reward money will go to the Nexus Beta team, but we have our own orders and can choose our missions.  We’re Team New Dawn.”
“Why New Dawn?” Eevee asked after she released him.
Claire shrugged, “I don’t really know.  It’s one that Eon suggested for us and I just took.”
At the mention of their commander, Eevee felt a question rise to the surface.  But before he could ask it, Claire simply smiled.
“And yes, I do have today off to spend with you.” The rabbit pokémon said as a jolteon came down the hallway, a ninetails following him.
“So, what’s this I heard about a new team in the ranks?” the jolteon asked.
“Oh, hi Lucid.” Claire smiled, “Yeah, there is a new team.  Me and Eevee are Team New Dawn.”
“Good to hear you two finally made it.” The ninetails replied, “Although you have a ways to go before you reach our badge ranking.”
“We’ll get there sooner or later Eight.” Eevee replied, “Just not anytime soon.”
“Well, if you guys ever need backup, you know you can count on us to be there.” Lucid smirked, “Best of luck to you two.”
“Thanks, we’re going to need it.” The eevee replied.
*           *          *
The next day, Claire was packing up a red backpack.  As she did, she mentally ran through a checklist of items she thought they would need.
“Revive seeds, check.” She thought, “Escape orb, check.  Blast seeds, check.  Gummies, check.  Heal seeds, check.  Apples…not check.”
She looked up to Eevee, “Hey Eves?  Where are the apples I set out to pack up?”
“Apples?” Eevee asked.
“Yes, the apples.” The rabbit pokémon replied, “I sat them right beside my pack.”
Eevee thought for a second, and then suddenly remembered where they were.  Quickly he dug through his supplies and pulled out four large apples.
“These?” he asked, handing them to her.
“You sly little fox.” Claire smirked.
Eevee placed his hand behind his head, “Sorry, I guess I picked them up by mistake.”
Claire placed the apples in her pack as Eevee rechecked his supplies.
“So we still have to go see him about a mission before we go?” The eevee asked as Claire shouldered her pack.
“That’s right Eves.” She replied, “Really it’s more of a confirmation that we’re going on the mission.  After all, teams can’t just take the note and leave.  Eon wants to be sure we actually complete the mission we choose.”
Eevee nodded as he pulled on his pack, “So what’s the mission again?”
Claire pulled out a piece of paper and read, “To explore the newly uncovered cavern system near the Crystal Caverns.  According to reports, the caverns were found a short while ago and are rumored to hold a thief’s treasure trove.”
“Isn’t that more along the lines of something Red Fortune would do?” Eevee asked, “Or even team Leaf Blaze?”
Claire shook her head, “Lucid and Eight are already on a mission today.  Same with Pix and Chika.  So we’re on our own this time.”
When Eevee sighed, Claire could tell her partner was having second thoughts.  With a smile, she patted him.
“Come on, this’ll be easy.” Claire said gently, “We’re not out in the heat and we can always escape out if anything happens.”
“I hope you’re right.” Eevee replied, “I really do.”

Description
The Nexus Beta Chronicles

Chapter one: New Dawn

The sun beat down on the dry grassland around her, its intense heat already beginning to dehydrate her body.  The dead grass, hot breeze, and lack of life weren’t a new sight to the lightly armored rabbit pokémon.  This was how most of the world looked now.  It hadn’t changed much since the collision that had taken more lives and caused more rescues than any other disaster known to pokémon history.  Of course, the current heat wave wasn’t helping.
The bright sun shone off her light armor as the lopunny looked around her.  Like most of her guild, Claire wore a light suit of protective armor over her upper body and torso.  Below that was a pair of loose, tan shorts.
As Claire shook her head, a fox pokémon wearing a similar outfit walked up to her side, panting tiredly.  She smiled and patted the fox pokémon.  This was her partner and closest friend, Eevee.
“Need a rest Eves?” the rabbit pokémon asked.
The eevee nodded tiredly, “Yeah, I could use it.”
“Alright, let’s get out of this oven.” Claire said, pulling a glowing, light blue, object spherical object from a backpack she was wearing, “I don’t think Eon will be happy, but we tried.”
Now as she activated the escape orb, the eevee grabbed his knees to avoid collapsing altogether.  The heat, combined with the training Claire had been putting him though, was proving too much for the eevee.  He was used to Claire taking him on extensive training, but he hadn’t expected her to pull him out into the heat wave for a couple of days.
As light spilled out of the orb in a deep blue, the rabbit pokémon laid her hand on the back of her weakening partner.  With a brilliant flash, the two disappeared into thin air.
*           *          *

Light filled the dark room as two figures appeared.  As the light faded once more into darkness, the smaller one of the two collapsed onto the floor.  Claire immediately placed her hand against his neck, pushing aside his fur to reach the soft skin underneath.  She sighed in relief as her fingers determined that he still had a pulse.  While it was unusually low for an eevee, it meant that he was alive.  Unfortunately, he was also burning up.
“I have got to keep a better eye on him.” Claire thought as she sat down beside her partner, gently raising his head into her lap, “Eevee still needs training, but I can’t keep forcing him to go on these extended missions out there.  Especially not in this heat wave.”
A light suddenly turned on and the lopunny looked up to find a startled kecleon in the doorway.
“W-what happened?” He asked as he ran to the two.
“Relax Leon.” Claire sighed, “Eevee just collapsed from exhaustion.  An Oran berry and a little rest and he should be back on his feet in no time.”
Leon sighed, “Alright, you get him to your dorm and then report to Eon when Eevee awakens.  He’s been waiting for you two.”
Claire nodded and picked up her tired partner, “Tell Eon we’ll be in then.”
Leon nodded and watched as the rabbit pokémon carried her partner to the dorm section of the base.
*           *          *
When Eevee awoke, he found himself lying on the bed in the dorm he and Claire shared with another exploration team.  They were gone now, possibly still out searching the area they had been assigned.  Either way, Eevee had no idea how he’d gotten into his bed.  The last thing he remembered was the flash of light from the escape orb, and then everything had gone black.
Now as he pushed himself up from the bed, the eevee was suddenly aware that he wasn’t wearing anything except his sleep shorts, while a large fan pushed cool air down onto his body.  The room was mostly quiet with the exception of a soft humming sound.
“What happened?” Eevee asked himself as he shook his head in an attempt to clear it.
Suddenly, he heard a door open.  As the fox pokémon looked to the source of the noise, he watched as Claire walked out.
Immediately, Eevee looked away.  Claire was only dressed in a towel that kept most of her body hidden, but it still showed a good amount of her mature figure.
“Evening.” Claire smiled, “How’re you feeling?”
“A bit dizzy.” Eevee admitted, still not looking at her, “And confused.”
At first, Claire was a little confused by this.  Usually Eevee had the courtesy to look at her when she spoke to him.  If he wasn’t looking at her was something else wrong?  Something that the nurse had missed?
She sat down beside the fox pokémon, placing a hand on his back.  Eevee glanced at her, and then looked away, his cheeks slowly turning a light tan-red.
“Is anything wrong Eves?” Claire asked, “You’re turning a little red around your cheeks.”
“I…well, you’re…” Eevee stammered, “I mean…look.”
Claire glanced down at herself.  Then it hit her, Eevee had never seen a member of the opposite sex without armor or clothing!  Seeing her in only a towel must have instantly set off his odd behavior.
“Would it help if I dressed?” Claire asked, stroking his ears.
The eevee nodded quickly.  Claire smirked and kissed his cheek before getting up.  Eevee immediately blushed deeper, much to her amusement.  She usually gave him some friendly affection now and then, but it was rare for her to go past ‘friendly affection’.  To many, a kiss on the cheek didn’t seem like much, but to Eevee, it was plenty more than he was used to from her.
As the rabbit pokémon searched through the closet she and Eevee shared, she said, “Eon wanted us as soon as you woke up.  But I knew you wouldn’t be waking up soon, so I explained that we didn’t find a thing out there and that you passed out as soon as we got back.  He called in the head nurse to take a look over you to be sure you weren’t hurt too badly.”
“How long have I been out?” Eevee asked as he went against his nature and snuck a peek at Claire as she dressed, “And where’s Pix and Chika?”
She had removed the towel, but had just put lingerie on to cover her more personal parts from his eyes.  Feeling a bit more secure, Eevee laid his head back against the wall, feeling the cool stone as it flattened his fur against his head.
“Well, considering there were some…complications, you’re awake earlier than Nidoqueen thought you’d be.” Claire explained as she slipped on a white top, “And they’re out on the mission we didn’t complete.”
“What do you mean by ‘complications’?” Eevee asked.
Claire turned to him and Eevee saw something he didn’t see often in Claire’s eyes.  He saw uncertainty.
“I thought you’d just collapsed from exhaustion.” Claire explained as she pulled on a pair of black shorts, “But it was worse than that.  Apparently, the heat really got to you.  I couldn’t tell you exactly what Nidoqueen explained it as, but I know that it was caused by being out in that heat for so long while your body was constantly being tired out from the exercise of your training.  All she advised was to let you rest up and too keep your body cool under the fan.”
“Hmm.” Eevee replied, “But you still haven’t told me how long I’ve been out of it.”
“I don’t know if you’d believe me if I tell you.”
“I’ll believe you.”
“Almost two days now.”
That got Eevee’s attention immediately.  Almost two days?  And the head nurse hadn’t thought he’d wake up early?
“Either way,” Claire continued, “Eon doesn’t want me to drag you out there until the nurses check you out.  Although he still wants me to check out that area again.”
“So why wait?” Eevee asked, getting to his feet, “Let’s go.”
“Easy Eves.” Claire smiled as she sat down on the bed, “Just because you woke up doesn’t mean we should immediately assume you’re going to check out without a hitch.  Especially not with Nidoqueen.”
Eevee sighed and sat back down beside her.  He knew his friend was right.  Nidoqueen would never just give him a clean bill of health and then send him to Eon for a mission.  It just wasn’t in her nature.
Nidoqueen, the head nurse of the base, was a kind pokémon, but a careful one with those she released.  After someone on one of the teams many smaller exploration teams was released from the medical bay, Nidoqueen insisted on giving them enough time to rest up.  Either way, Eevee wasn’t going back out for at least another day.
His ears lowered in sorrow at this realization.  Claire patted him, knowing that he’d do just about anything to remain at her side like a good partner should.
“I’m sure I can convince Eon to allow me another day before going back out there.” Claire said, trying to reassure her partner, “After all, Pix and Chika are still out there were we left off.”
Eevee looked up at her, and then back down at the bed with a sigh, “I don’t know Lop.”
“Trust me.  I’ll talk to Eon in the morning and then we’ll get you checked out.” Claire said with a soft smile, “For now, just get some more rest.”
Eevee nodded, still unsure of his partner’s idea.  Eon wasn’t the type to just give a day off.  But still, Claire seemed to have a way of getting him to agree to some of her requests.  Maybe they’d get lucky.
*           *          *
The next day, Eevee awoke to find that Claire was already gone.  Instead of her in the bed beside his, a cloth with a strange symbol on it lay on her pillow.  As he pushed himself up from the bed, the eevee noticed a note lying on the bedside table.
“Dear Eves,” it read, “I know this will sound strange but, you see that cloth on my pillow?  I need you to put it on.  It’s a neckerchief.  I’ll explain everything when I see you, but right now meet me in the great hall when you get this. I have some really good news.”
The eevee held the note for a second, rereading it to be sure he’d read it right the first time.  Good news?
The eevee picked up the neckerchief and tied it around his neck.  As it hung down over the mane-like fur around his neck, Eevee couldn’t help but wonder why Claire would give it to him.  With a shrug, the fox pokémon slipped on a shirt and walked out.
*           *          *
The grand hall wasn’t truly grand.  In reality, it was a very long and wide tunnel that lead to the surface from the main center of the base.  But at night, a mossy growth glowed to bathe the tunnel in a light blue that spread out like a giant, intricate spider web along the walls and ceiling.
It was here that Claire stood, waiting for her friend.  As she waited, she glanced down at the piece of paper she held that held both their new orders and the good news for her and Eevee.
“Well, I will say that we’ve earned this.” The rabbit pokémon thought to herself, “But I never thought that flareon would actually give it to us.  Eon is really full of surprises.”
Claire looked up when she heard footsteps echoing down the hall.  She smiled, sighting an eevee walking towards her.
“Alright, so what’s this good news?” Eevee asked, and then he noticed that she was wearing a neckerchief as well, “And what are these for?”
“Our identification symbol.” Claire said, “These are only temporary until we get official ones.”
“Identification…But those are only for full exploration teams.  We’re still trainees under Eon.” Eevee replied.
Then it hit him.  His eyes widened as the lopunny smiled gently.  His mind refused to believe what it was thinking.
“You mean we’re-!” Eevee began.
“That’s right Eves.” Claire interrupted, “We’re a full fledge exploration team!”
“You’re pulling my tail.” The fox pokémon replied, still unable to believe their luck, “That’s great!”
Claire hugged him tightly, letting him nose into her soft fur, “You and me Eves.  We’re still under Eon’s command and most of our reward money will go to the Nexus Beta team, but we have our own orders and can choose our missions.  We’re Team New Dawn.”
“Why New Dawn?” Eevee asked after she released him.
Claire shrugged, “I don’t really know.  It’s one that Eon suggested for us and I just took.”
At the mention of their commander, Eevee felt a question rise to the surface.  But before he could ask it, Claire simply smiled.
“And yes, I do have today off to spend with you.” The rabbit pokémon said as a jolteon came down the hallway, a ninetails following him.
“So, what’s this I heard about a new team in the ranks?” the jolteon asked.
“Oh, hi Lucid.” Claire smiled, “Yeah, there is a new team.  Me and Eevee are Team New Dawn.”
“Good to hear you two finally made it.” The ninetails replied, “Although you have a ways to go before you reach our badge ranking.”
“We’ll get there sooner or later Eight.” Eevee replied, “Just not anytime soon.”
“Well, if you guys ever need backup, you know you can count on us to be there.” Lucid smirked, “Best of luck to you two.”
“Thanks, we’re going to need it.” The eevee replied.
*           *          *
The next day, Claire was packing up a red backpack.  As she did, she mentally ran through a checklist of items she thought they would need.
“Revive seeds, check.” She thought, “Escape orb, check.  Blast seeds, check.  Gummies, check.  Heal seeds, check.  Apples…not check.”
She looked up to Eevee, “Hey Eves?  Where are the apples I set out to pack up?”
“Apples?” Eevee asked.
“Yes, the apples.” The rabbit pokémon replied, “I sat them right beside my pack.”
Eevee thought for a second, and then suddenly remembered where they were.  Quickly he dug through his supplies and pulled out four large apples.
“These?” he asked, handing them to her.
“You sly little fox.” Claire smirked.
Eevee placed his hand behind his head, “Sorry, I guess I picked them up by mistake.”
Claire placed the apples in her pack as Eevee rechecked his supplies.
“So we still have to go see him about a mission before we go?” The eevee asked as Claire shouldered her pack.
“That’s right Eves.” She replied, “Really it’s more of a confirmation that we’re going on the mission.  After all, teams can’t just take the note and leave.  Eon wants to be sure we actually complete the mission we choose.”
Eevee nodded as he pulled on his pack, “So what’s the mission again?”
Claire pulled out a piece of paper and read, “To explore the newly uncovered cavern system near the Crystal Caverns.  According to reports, the caverns were found a short while ago and are rumored to hold a thief’s treasure trove.”
“Isn’t that more along the lines of something Red Fortune would do?” Eevee asked, “Or even team Leaf Blaze?”
Claire shook her head, “Lucid and Eight are already on a mission today.  Same with Pix and Chika.  So we’re on our own this time.”
When Eevee sighed, Claire could tell her partner was having second thoughts.  With a smile, she patted him.
“Come on, this’ll be easy.” Claire said gently, “We’re not out in the heat and we can always escape out if anything happens.”
“I hope you’re right.” Eevee replied, “I really do.”