The Journalist Who Seeks The Truth

"We really put in some good work huh, Ian?" Patience said.
"Mm hmm." He grunted.
"One day, our hard work will pay off, and we'll be Expedition Society members in no time!"
"Mmm."
"Are... are you snacking...?!" Patience exclaimed. She turned around to see the mudfish Pokemon, holding a half eaten Oran Berry in his hands.
"Yep." Ian replied, taking another bite into the blue colored berry. The sweet, juicy taste of the berry left him in a satisfying daze.
"It's going to be dinner time!" Patience shot back. Annoyed at Ian's glutton behavior.
"How about YOU try searching top to bottom for a pink colored Pokemon that somehow got lost in a forest like that?" Ian defended. Remembering what had happened in the Foreboding Forest. When the two had finally found the fairy type Pokemon, hunkered in a corner, almost in the brink of tears, her expression changed in an instant and hugged Ian and Patience in gladness with her soft, pink ribbons.
"I did, in that one path we didn't search because you said it was "too simple"." The fire fox Pokemon replied.
"Yeah, yeah..."
The sun was starting to set by the time the two had returned to the village plaza. The dark orange sun looming over the horizon, slowly ending the day. Villagers started making their way back to their homes marking an end to another day.
"Think we should tell Ampharos of our success?" Ian asked.
"Yeah, let's head to the Café Connection and-"
"Excuse me, you two?"
Ian and Patience turned around and saw a Pokemon, standing by the village's small pond. The Pokemon had red fur, from the neck up, bore wings, indicating the Pokemon being a flying type. The deep, grudged voice indicating being a male, a bag slung around his body and a... fedora?
"Those badges on your scarves... May I take a look at them?"
Ian and Patience looked at each other in confusion and decided to follow the Pokemon's orders and showed him their badges.
"Those badges...! There's no mistaking it! You're Expedition Society members!"
Before the two had a chance to respond, he took out a pencil and notebook in excitement.
"I'm Fletchinder, and I'm a journalist of The Poké Daily from the Grass Continent!" He said. "If you don't mind, I would like to know the Expedition Society's opinions on the uh... incidents..." He let off a short cough.
"Incidents...?" Ian asked.
Flechinder closer examined the two Pokemon, noticing something odd.
"Hmm? Kids...?! I thought kids aren't allowed to join the Expedition Society." He said.
"That's what we wanted to tell you, we're not Expedition Society members." Patience said. "Junior Expedition Society members! At your service!" She said, her head held proudly high.
"Junior Expedition Society...? I've never heard of such a thing..." Flechtinder said, tilting his head in confusion.
"Huh...?" Patience said.
Fletchinder sighed in disappointment, and decided to not to waste his time on the two.
"If you're not actual Expedition Society members..., then forget what I said, this interview is over." He turned around and started to leave.
"W-wait...!" Patience exclaimed. "Tell us about these incidents! We would really want to know!"
"I'm afraid not." He said. "It's a secret that no one should know... Something that would cause widespread panic."
"Is that so?" Ian said. Walking up towards him. "Then do tell: Why would you want an interview about something so secretive?"
The ember Pokemon kept quiet.
"Considering you're a journalist, if you got what you wanted, you would most likely publish it, for all your readers to see. So how would that be a secret then? You would just be causing even MORE panic. So i think we deserve to know what the hell is going on."
Fletchinder sighed, and decided to give in.
"Follow me... I'll explain everything." He turned around and started walking towards the village gates.
"Impressive." Patience complimented.
"It was nothing." Ian said, as the two followed after the journalist.
----"Sorry about the mess." Flechtinder said, inviting Ian and Patience in. "I've been really busy these past few days."
The village had allowed Fletchinder to use one of the many "guest houses" that were located just outside the village outskirts. Pieces of paper scattered throughout the house. Ian could make out what was written on a few of the papers. There were newspaper articles.
"The Yatagarasu Thief! Fact or Fiction?"
"Wigglytuff's Guild Rates Decreasing. The Final Days Of The Legendary Guild?!"
"Rainbows Of Hope Appearing Once Again In Post Town!"
"These are some... very interesting articles you have here." Ian commented, eager to know more.
"Well, we live in quite an interesting world, now don't we?" Fletchinder commented, placing his fedora and bag on a table. The ember Pokemon then walked into the next room, a few seconds later coming out with a piece of paper in hand.
"Take a seat." He ordered the two. Ian and Patience both complied and sat down on the wooden chairs. He placed a piece of paper in front of them, on it was what seemed to be a drawing of two Pokemon, one gecko-like in shape with a scarf wrapped around its neck, it had the look of fear in his eyes. The other Pokemon, a sharp like horn sticking out the side of its head, it was closing its eyes and cowering next to the other Pokemon, as if it was hiding from something.
"Team Orion." Fletchinder said. "Exploration Team Federation's finest."
"Exploration Team Federation..?" Ian asked.
"An organisation from the Grass Continent." Patience replied. "They mainly focus on exploring mystery dungeons but they also act as a sort of government within that continent."
Fletchinder, surprised at the fire fox Pokemon's extensive knowledge, smiled.
"Clever girl." He praised.
"All in the days work of a Junior Expedition Society member!" Patience proudly said.
"Anyway... A couple of days ago, Team Orion were sent to Foggy Forest to investigate a disturbance within the area."
"What's does this have to do with anything?" Ian impatiently asked.
"I'm getting to it. They went out on their investigation in the morning, but never returned. Worried about them, the nearby settlement launched a search and rescue operation."
"An-and did they find them?" Patience stuttered.
"Oh, they found them alright. But..."
Fletchinder took a deep breath, and exhaled, before revealing the truth.
"They had been turned into stone."
Ian and Patience stared blankly at the ember Pokemon, processing what he had just said.
"T-turned... into stone...?!" Ian said.
Fletchinder nodded.
"WHHHHHATTTTTTT?!" Ian and Patience shouted.
"Stone...?! As in... STONE stone?!" Patience asked.
Fletchinder nodded.
"B-but how...?!" Ian said.
"That's why I'm here, I plan to find out the truth behind this." Fletchinder said. "Last week, I received an anonymous tip, claiming that this village has someone who might know a thing or two about this incident."
"Someone..." Ian said.
"-in the village...?!" Patience finished.
"It could just be hoax, but who knows, sometimes the answers come when you least expect it."
Ian looked at Patience and notice her hands slightly shaking, holding on to the twig necklace he had given to her.
"So what are you planning on doing?" The mudfish Pokemon asked.
"Stay around for a bit, see if anyone looks even the slightest bit suspicious." Fletchinder replied.
Fletchinder stood up in shock and slammed his wings on the table.
"Oh my!" He exclaimed.
"What?! What is it?!" Ian asked.
"I forgot to serve you anything! What's a host without offering some refreshments! Hold on just a minute..."
He walked into the next room, leaving Ian and Patience to ponder about what they was just told.
Patience nudged Ian, getting his attention. "Hey... Ian...?" She said.
"Yeah...?"
"Do you... think this is actually real...?" She asked.
"I don't know... But we're in a world where creatures can be fire out of their mouths. So I suppose this could be a possibility."
"B-but this is different!" Patience said. "A stone is an inanimate object, so does that mean those two Pokemon are-?!"
"I rather not think about it." He interrupted.
Fletchinder came back into the room, holding a tray of cups.
"Oran Berry juice, a Grass Continent specialty." He said.
----Entry #3
Pokemon being into stone... That's a scary thought.
Fletchinder had asked not to tell anyone about this, yet. He said that it might cause a lot of worried villagers, and most likely alerting the "culprit", scaring them off.
I honestly still find it hard to swallow. A living thing, being transformed into stone... That's basically murder! It's taking the life of another Pokemon...!
All this is giving me goosebumps, I think I'll just end it here, I rather not have nightmares.
----Just then, there was a knock on the door, to the surprise of Ian.
"Now who could that be? Knocking at our door this late?" Nuzleaf wondered, as he headed for the door. He opened the door, and to his surprise was greeted to Patience, staring meekly back.
"P-Patience...?! What in tarnation are you doing here?!" Nuzleaf exclaimed.
"My old pops..." She said. "He left me a message saying that something had happened in his Oran fields, so he's not going to be back until tomorrow morning. He told me to stay over at your house for safety reasons."
"Oh my! If that's the case then please, do come in!" Nuzleaf said, ushering the fire fox Pokemon inside.
"Thanks, Mr Nuzleaf!" Patience thanked.
"Anything for ole Carracosta." He said.
Ian walked in, curious as to what was going on.
"So who was at the do-" He stopped mid sentence when he saw who it was.
"Patience...?!" He exclaimed.
"Mr Carracosta had something important to do and is unable to return home today." Nuzleaf explained. "So he wants Patience to stay here overnight."
"Yep." Patience said.
"I-I see..." Ian said. What was this feeling? He thought. His body shook for a split second, sweat dripping down his face.
Was he... nervous...?
"Could you help set up a bed for her? It's getting late and there's school tomorrow." Nuzleaf ordered.
"R-right..." Ian said. He went back to his room, took some hay from a box, and stared setting the bed up next to his.
Patience soon entered the room as well.
"So... this is your room, huh?" She asked.
"Indeed it is." Ian replied.
"Looks pretty... bland..."
"Well excuse me, I've only been for like... a week? So don't expect high-class accommodations."
"Right... I completely forgot!" Patience sheepishly said.
"Annnnnnd done." Ian said as he finished setting up the bed.
"Thanks Ian!" Patience said.
"You're welcome."
The fire fox then let off a huge yawn.
"I'm tired... I think I'll just go pass out on the bed now." She said.
"Go ahead." Ian said.
Patience walked towards her bed, she laid down and curled herself up, immediately falling asleep.
Ian couldn't help but smile at the sleeping fire fox, something about seeing her peacefully sleeping made him feel at ease. He inched his way forward and extended his hand, gently stroking Patience's soft orange fur.
"Sleep tight, Patience." He whispered.