"Why'd it have to be raining..." muttered a Quilava as he stood staring at the door to a large, yet plain and quite frankly boring house.  He longed for that door to open up, wincing at every drop of water that hit his body.  Wisps of smoke drifted from the red incendiary spots on his head and rear, flickers of flame igniting for a moment as he tried to flare up his flames to ward off the cold.  The rain, soaking his fur wet, had a dampening effect that near instantly extinguished any flames the Quilava could summon and left the fire type standing miserably as he waited for someone, anyone, to come and open the door.

The Quilava wasn't alone though; next to him stood a Zorua, smaller in comparison to the Quilava and not quite as bothered by the rain, but evidently equally as displeased.  The Zorua stood with his eyes closed, his teeth grinding against each other while his ears and tail twitched with frustration.  Suddenly his eyes snapped open, the Zorua giving a yell of "Open up already dammit!" before charging at the door and ramming into it headfirst as if trying to knock the door off its hinges.

Almost as if in response the door flung wide open, revealing an elderly, gray-furred Ninetales standing in the doorway.  His tails were splayed out behind him, each tip stained a dark black from years of dipping them in ink to write.  As he stood with a broad smile on his face it almost seemed he had been standing there all along, just waiting for either of the Pokémon to snap.

"Come in, come in!  My goodness, come in!" the Ninetales said repeatedly as he waved the Pokémon inside with a paw.  "I can't believe you've been waiting outside in the rain all this time!  You could have knocked earlier, you know!"

"We did..." the Quilava grumbled, darting forward and tumbling through the door even before the Zorua could make it through.  The two Pokémon stood on the entrance mat just inside the building and shook their fur out, making extra sure to get as much water as possible on the Ninetales as he gave a huff and closed the door behind them.

"My name is Callahan, or Calla for short.  I'm the guild registrar, you know.  I'm quite good at it!"  Callahan placed a paw proudly against his chest as he mentioned his job, an odd air of regality about him.

"In other words, all you have to do all day is sit around and write, and then somehow get paid for it.  Can I have your job?" the Zorua asked as he looked around the room they were in.  It seemed to take up much of the building but was largely as plain as the outside was.  A fireplace sat against the far wall with a few chairs in front of it, but otherwise the room's most distinguishing feature was the large number of cabinets that lined the walls, glass doors revealing them to be filled to the brim with stacks of paper and ink bottles.  A sizable desk sat in the middle of the room, facing the front door, with yet more papers on it and an opened bottle of ink.

"No, you can't," he flatly replied to the Zorua's request.  "Also I don't get paid, I do this out of my own love of writing!  Oh, but please allow me to take those accessories of yours, they're all wet!  I'll just hang them in front of the fireplace to dry as we go over the formalities."

The team could barely respond as Callahan pushed at them, grabbing at the bandannas they each wore around their necks.  The Zorua's was black while the Quilava's was red, both otherwise unadorned.  They were indeed soaking wet and neither Pokémon could really refused as the Ninetales yanked them right off.  With the bandannas removed it was revealed that both Zorua and Quilava had a small pouch tied around their neck as well, previously hidden by the bandanna.  As Callahan reached for the Zorua's pouch the fox let out a growl and swatted away the Ninetales' paw.

"Don't you dear touch that," the Zorua growled.  "Would you like me to hold on to your wallet as well?"

Callahan gave a huff but seemed to get the message.  Instead he reached out and grabbed the pair of krokogoogles the Zorua was wearing propped up on his forehead, their round lenses tinted red while the frame and band were a deep black.  The Zorua grabbed for them as Callahan walked over to the fire, the Ninetales waving his tails in the Zorua's face behind him to keep him out of the way.  A glob of ink dropped from one of the tail tips and onto the Zorua's face as Callahan waved them about, Zorua giving a whine as he backed away.  He reached up and tried to rub the ink out of his fur, only succeeding in getting his paws inky as well.

When the Zorua finally gave up trying to get the ink out, not as if it was too noticeable against his dark black fur, he looked back at Callahan.  He found the Ninetales to have hung their bandannas and the goggles over a rod hanging in front of the fireplace.  Zorua's partner, the Quilava, glanced at him with a sympathetic expression that cooled down Zorua's anger and prevented him from doing anything rash or foolish.

"Now the paperwork, of course!" Callahan exclaimed as he rushed back over to the two Pokémon waiting on the entrance mat.  "There will be a lot of that, don't you worry one bit!  I'll take those papers now, please."

"...Paperwork?" the Quilava titled his head curiously, glancing to the side at Zorua who merely shrugged in response.

"You did fill out the forms that we've mailed you, yes?  That does always make things go much quicker here."

"We don't even have a mailbox," the Zorua shook his head.  "Much less whatever forms you're going on about."

"You never got the forms?  Goodness, we're in for a lot more paperwork than I could have hoped to dream of!"  The almost romantic manner Callahan said that in was a bit unnerving, the Zorua and Quilava glancing at each other nervously.  "No matter, I have spare forms and all the time in the world!  I trust you have no pressing appointments tonight, so I'll write down your information now for you."

"So...  That means we can just sit around and lounge while you—" the Zorua was cut off by Callahan before he could even finish speaking.

"I'll need your help, of course!"

"How long is this going to take..." the Zorua sighed, his tail drooping.

"My fastest time for entering a team in the official guild registrar is a touch under a few hours," Callahan answered as he tapped his chin in thought.  "Let's see if we can break the record!"

"H...  Hours?!" the Quilava's eyes were wide, the two team partners glancing at each other nervously.  Callahan walked around behind the desk that sat in the middle of the room with a sly grin spread across his muzzle, sitting down on his haunches and picking up a stack of papers.  He leafed through them before pulling one out, at the same time twisting one of his tails around and lightly dipping it's tip in the open ink bottle sitting on the desk.

"Indeed!  Now these forms won't fill themselves out so let's get right down to it, shall we?  All right now...  Names, please?"

The two partners both sighed, shaking their heads.  The Zorua was the first to answer with, "I'm Tenebrae the great, if you will!  You may have heard of me."  He flashed a grin at Callahan, the Ninetales' only response being a blank gaze.

The Quilava put a paw to his face, shaking his head even more.  "Ignore him.  I'm Zethro."

"Ah...  What strang--er, good names you all have! How do you spell them?"

"Spelling?"  Zethro blinked for a moment before shrugging.  His name was a bit odd, he supposed, but still he assumed someone as well-versed in writing as Callahan proclaimed to be wouldn't need to ask.  "Z, E, T, H, R, O..."

With a few deft strokes of his tail Callahan wrote Zethro's name down on one of the forms before turning to look at Tenebrae.  "And you?"

"Oh I'll tell you how to spell my name all right," Tenebrae mockingly jeered.  "K, I, S, S, M, Y, A, S, S"

"Ugh..." Zethro moaned, pushing a paw against his face as he walked over to a chair against the wall, climbing up onto it and slumping down.  He was officially out of whatever Tenebrae wanted to turn this meeting into.  Callahan meanwhile just stared blankly, his tails twitching slightly.  It seemed Tenebrae had managed to actually get through to the Ninetales somehow, but in near record time Callahan recomposed himself with a smile spreading across his face.

"...Interesting spelling!  Are you foreign?  French, perhaps?"

"What's Frenc--" Zethro began to mutter before Tenebrae interrupted.

"Oh yeah, of course I am," Tenebrae scoffed, strutting around the room as he ranted, "I'm the Frenchiest of the French, man.  No one can out French Tenebrae!  And once more that's spelled  K, I, S, S, M, Y, A, S, S, don't forget it!  Get it wrong and I may have to show you just how French I can get!"

"...Let's move on," Callahan sighed, the slightest hint of a growl in his voice.  Stroking his tail against the paper he wrote down Tenebrae's name, though Zethro couldn't help but notice it appeared to be Tenebrae's real name.  Callahan did indeed appear to know how to write their names after all; he just seemed to enjoy messing with them.

"Now, what alias do you wish me to give you lot of fellows?" Callahan went on to ask.  "I hope it's something good!  I've been so bored by Pokémon insisting to use a name like 'Team Awesome' or anything of the sort.  More like 'Team Mediocrity,' I like to think!  I'm sure you have a much more original name."

"Why, we are Team ShadowFlame, have you not heard of our famed exploits?" Tenebrae boasted, standing up on two legs and proudly pointing a paw at himself.  "It was us who looted a Hydreigon's lair, retrieved Devonshire's stamp and burned down Slasher's cam--"

Before Tenebrae could continue anymore Callahan gave a cough, glaring at Tenebrae before continuing on.

"Not the most original name in the book, and believe me I would know, but it will suffice.  Is that the normal spelling or do you insist on losing letters or replacing them altogether entirely?"  Lowering his eyes, Callahan uttered, "I would hope not.."

"Eh, I know it's not the most original name ever and to what I can only imagine is your great relief, it is perfectly spelled." Tenebrae nodded as he crossed his arms across his chest.  "...Just make sure the F is capitalized."

Callahan stroked his tail across the paper, recording the team name down without even needing to look at what he was writing.  "And...  Done.  All right.  Next topic!" he said as he lifted his tail off the paper.

"You there, lad!" he said while pointing a paw at Tenebrae.  "You seem to be the leader of the team, here.  Why don't you tell me about yourself?  Please make it interesting!  I'm not filing a police report, you know.  I don't get paid for this, either.  I do it for the stories people tell!  Everyone has a story!"  Lowering his eyes, he again muttered to himself, "Some are better than others, though.  That's for sure..." before speaking up again, "However, I do hope yours isn't filled to the brim with angst and darkness, you know.  We have enough of that as it is with the recent crises we've been going through!"

"If you do insist on weaving a yarn of incredible sadness and general malaise, please make it good.  I'll discern the necessary details from your story and put it down in the log book here."  He wavered his tail over a large book he had flipped open to a particular page.

"Oh, you want my story now do you?"  Tenebrae flashed a grin before backing up and leaning casually against the wall.  "Well, why don't you two just relax now as I start way back at the beginning.  You see, I was born on the high seas, to parents I barely even knew!  Indeed on the day of my birth our ship came under attack, by pirates!  Alas poor mommy and daddy were killed by those vile pirates as they plundered our ship!  Freshly born and with barely any sense of my place in the world, I nonetheless managed to single-handed defeat the evil pirates and, and..."

Tenebrae withered a little under the gaze of Callahan as the Ninetales stared at him with a glare that seemed intense enough to bore a hole straight through the pompous Zorua.  Tenebrae glanced to the side to see Zethro sitting on the chair with his head hanging down to his lap, his paw seemingly glued to his face now.

"Er, make that, I was captured by the pirates!  It was from being raised by them that I found my love of plundering treasures, seducing woman, and getting drunk as all hell!  Together we journeyed across the oceans and yeah you're not buying a word of this are you."

"Not even an idiot would believe that story," Zethro spoke up.

"Well give some credit to a Zorua for trying, sheesh!" Tenebrae threw his arms up in the air before pouting and crossing them over his chest.  "Okay fine you want to know the truth?  My parents are still alive, they live all the way out in Alomomola City, and they have absolutely no idea what my job here is.  There you better be happy as that's all you're getting."

"Well...  I'm sure the rest of it is just as enchanting a tale as your fantasy life is.  I can see why you'd join up with the Rescuers Guild!"

"Ugh, you wish.  Those bastards aren't worth the paper that could be made out of the tree their little house is built in," Tenebrae scoffed.  "We're rogues through and through and don't you dare mix us up."

"Oh well I'm just so sorry I got that mixed up!  Now you there, lad," this time Callahan pointed a paw at Zethro, the bored Quilava looking back at him  "What is your story?  Your leader has done a...  Well...  He's  certainly managed to keep me awake at this late hour and I hope you do the same!"

"Is this really needed?  Why does my past matter in any way on our guild registration," Zethro asked, his eyes weighted down with both tiredness and boredom.  "They never asked us that when we first came here back before the original records were destroyed."

"...Very well, then!  I'll leave your history blank.  Next question, for each of you: what moves do you have?  I dare hope you have more variety than just Ember, Flamethrower, Flame Wheel, and Fire Blast!"

"Hey the name may be unoriginal but don't be getting any ideas about us!" Tenebrae exclaimed with a huff as he pushed himself away from the wall.  "To begin with, we both know Dig and Agility.  Either tunnel or run the heck away when needed!  Mobility can be quite useful, not like I imagine you can know in your old age."

Once again Callahan's tails were sent twitching, loose ink dripping from them and onto the wooden floor.  Thankfully he moved the tail he was writing with out of the way before it could ruin the form he was filling out.  Silently observing all this, Zethro found it odd that Callahan didn't let the form get ruined out of revenge to keep them longer; perhaps he now wanted them out of his house just as much as Zethro and Tenebrae wanted to leave.

"Ah, so you two are the kind to run away from your troubles, let me just note that down," Callahan said as he regained his composure and wrote the attacks on the form.  "What else do you two have?  Rest?  Attract?"

"Hey now I would not mind having Attract," Tenebrae said with a grin.  "Get all the more girls!  Unfortunately it's too unreliable in the field for my tastes.  You've got to have at least one real attack for when you screw up so Night Daze for me and Eruption for quiet ol' Zethro over there.  Lastly, some more utility.  Sunny Day for me and Smokescreen for Zethro.  The former acts as a rather useful beacon and empowers Zethro's Eruption, while the latter can provide cover to get in, get out, or even to work in without being noticed."

"Nothing for you to say?" Callahan asked, looking over at Zethro while writing down the remaining attacks.

"I am so staying out of this," Zethro replied, having absolutely no intention to provide the Ninetales with anything he could mock him with.

"Well, in that case it seems I have all I need in order to register you here in our peaceful Tao Village!  Just to make sure all the facts are correct, please look over them and sign at the bottom!  Don't forget to sign off on your belongings, too!  You wouldn't believe how many people forget their accessories, only to leave them here with me!"  Dropping his voice to a muttering, he quickly added, "Please don't do that, I have so many things cluttering up my attic in dusty old boxes..."

"Oh thank god does this mean we can leave soon?  Give me that paper!"  Tenebrae walked over to the desk and swiped the completed form off it with one paw and a quill pen with the other.  He scanned his eyes over the paper fast enough that it was doubtful he even read it before signing it himself and passing it over to Zethro.  The Quilava on the other hand did pay actual attention to the form.

Team Name: Team ShadowFlame Rank: Farfetch'd / [Chatot]

Team Formation Date: 5/23/2011

Member 1: Tenebrae [Male]/Female
Member 2: Zethro--- [Male]/Female
Member 3: ---------- Male/Female
Member 4: ---------- Male/Female

Member 1 Trait & Personality: Impish - Mischievous
Member 2 Trait & Personality: Quiet - Often lost in thought
Member 3 Trait & Personality:
Member 4 Trait & Personality:

Member 1 moves: Dig, Agility, Night Daze, Sunny Day
Member 2 moves: Dig, Agility, Eruption, Smokescreen
Member 3 moves:
Member 4 moves:

Member 1 accessories:
-Black bandanna, worn around neck.
-Krokogoggles with red-tinted lenses and black frame, worn against forehead.
Member 2 accessories:
-Red bandanna, worn around neck.
Member 3 accessories:
Member 4 accessories:

Desired Guild affiliation: Rogues

By signing here, you agree that the above information is correct and true to the best of your knowledge.

Signature 1: Tenebrae Date: 3/16/2012
Signature 2: Zethro--- Date: 3/16/2012
Signature 3: ---------- Date:
Signature 4: ---------- Date:

"Hey, why are there spaces for four members here?  There's only two of us..." Zethro asked curiously as he signed the form and placed both it and the pen back on Callahan's desk.

"What's that, you say?  There are only two of you?  Of course I know that!  I do have eyes, you know!  What if, during your travels, you decide to recruit or otherwise add on an extra member to your team?  Would you really want them to fill out all this paperwork from scratch?  There's no problem with me for that, I assure you!  This is just a convenient foresight!  There is only room enough for four signatures on here, though, so please, no more members than that!"

"Whatever, I don't know if I'd really want to add anyone else anyway," Tenebrae shrugged.  "Would ruin the name, you know.  Can't really be Team ShadowFlame if we add, like, a Buizel or something to our ranks..."

"Well, now that's very interesting and not my concern at all!  I don't think I'll keep you here any longer, I have everything I need from you now!  I haven't broken any records for time tonight, though.  Your...  'Story' took up quite a bit of it!  Thankfully, it didn't put me to sleep, that's happened before...  Oh well!  Time to conclude our business here!"

The Ninetales quickly ran around the desk, ushering the two team members out through the door with surprising speed.  Before either Tenebrae or Zethro could even realize what happened they found themselves standing out in the rain again, the door slamming shut behind them with the sound of a lock clicking into place.

"That was certainly interesting..." Zethro remarked as he shivered, having hoped without luck that the rain would be gone by now.

Tenebrae was taking this chance to rub water into his face fur with his paws, cleaning off the ink he had gotten on him before it could set.  It was as he was doing this that he suddenly realized something was missing, dropping his paws with an almost terrified look on his face.  He spun back around to face the door and rammed his head into it once more while yelling, "Open up you bastard you forgot to give us our stuff back!"

With that Zethro realized he had never got his bandanna back either; Callahan must have forgotten about the accessories, either accidentally or on purpose.  As the door swung back open to reveal the Ninetales standing there with a snide grin across his face, Zethro was sure it had to be the second reason.

"Why whatever are you two still doing standing out here!  I'm almost starting to think you like standing in the rain on cold, dark nights!" the Ninetales exclaimed as if he had no idea why they were back.

"Give me my goggles back dammit!" Tenebrae shouted right in Callahan's face.  "And our bandannas too!"

"Oh, that's right!  Your accessories, how silly of me not letting you retrieve them!  I'll go fetch them right away."  The door slammed shut as Callahan walked off, once more leaving the two friends standing out in the cold rain facing the closed door, waiting for it to open.  What seemed to be minutes passed by, an impossible length of time considering the fireplace couldn't be more than twenty paces from the door.

Finally, though, the door did swing open before Tenebrae could ram into it again.  Callahan stood smiling as he held the accessories out, Tenebrae grabbing his goggles and bandanna and putting them back on as Zethro took his own bandanna.  "Now, off to home with you two!  You still have many adventures ahead of you, best to get well rested!  Standing around in rain like this will only give you a cold!"

With that, the door slammed shut one final time, Tenebrae growling and kicking some mud against it.  Zethro placed a paw on his friend, and team member, to help calm him down before the two turned away from Callahan's house.  Of they headed into the night, through the village, to return home after quite the surprisingly long night.