A/N: Man, I'm bad at titles...

What started out as simple GuildShipping and FriendShipping…
Yes, PMD. I had planned to upload my other PMD stuff first, but this one happened to be finished faster than the others. The hero and partner in this story are not the same ones that will appear in the others.
There's a serious lack of PMD on this site. A serious lack. I plan to remedy that. This is the start of that venture. =3
I might continue this story; I might not. I'm quite happy for the end of this chapter to be the end of the story, though actually, some bits do need to be continued... Oh, I'll probably continue it at some point! I'm focusing on my other PMD fics first, though.

EDIT!!! Oh fudge! I forgot to mention when I first uploaded this that it contains major spoilers for Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time, Darkness and Sky! Do forgive my folly! Be aware, readers! This is very important! If you don't want spoilers, do NOT read this story!

It wasn't easy, his life. He had been made the Guild's head of intelligence, and while he felt honoured to have everyone look to him for answers, the pressure on him was just phenomenal. It was almost too much to bear sometimes.

Then the Guildmaster would pat him on the back and say a few comforting words, and just for a moment his heart would be full of joy and hope. The few moments he and the Guildmaster were alone were some of his happiest, yet the Guildmaster's unfailing faith in him took its toll on poor Chatot, and the pressure was piled on again.

"Chatot?" the bright, questioning tone of a Charmander snapped him out of his inward lamentation, and he looked up, blinking rapidly, into the face of the fire pokemon that looked at him knowingly. Of course, this Charmander was no ordinary pokemon. Her name was Penny, and she was half of Team Origin, the very same one that had saved the world multiple times, and she was a former human who had travelled from a future of darkness to save the world that she loved.

"Good morning, Penny!" Chatot chimed. "I hope you're keeping up with your exploring!" She nodded.
"Of course, Chatot. Apollo and I are just off to explore a dungeon we've been neglecting; Serenity River. We haven't been there yet, and it sounds like a good place for what I'm planning."
Chatot squawked.
"And what, pray tell, is that?"

Penny sat down on the Guild's dusty floor and looked up at the ceiling, patting the ground next to her. Chatot looked at her in confusion for a moment, then sat in the spot she was indicating. "Penny?" The Charmander looked at Chatot for a moment, then back at the ceiling.
"Having a near death experience can really change your perspective on life," she said suddenly. "Having experienced... Ooh... At least five, within the last few months of my life, it's really made me realise that you can never take anything for granted, certainly not the people, or rather, pokemon, around you. After my trip back to the future, trapped in that endless darkness, I realised how much Apollo meant to me, and when I knew I was going to disappear, I thought my heart might break. I couldn't bring myself to admit my true feelings to myself, and certainly not to Apollo. Then there was that whole saga with Darkrai and Palkia-" Penny gulped, and smiled at Chatot, the faintest glimmer of a tear in her eye. "Apollo and I, we thought we had to disappear. And in those last few moments when we still believed that the world needed us gone, those last few moments before I truly thought I would die, again, I had so much regret. I wanted to have more time, even just a few more seconds in which I could admit my true feelings. Then we found out the truth about Darkrai, and how we weren't going to be destroyed after all. I told myself, there and then, that I would tell Apollo. So that's what I'm going to do. I'm going to let Apollo know that I love him." Penny took in a deep breath, then let it go again, slowly. She looked back at Chatot, who was deep in thought.

"I see..." Chatot said slowly. "I see..." Then he squawked as Penny grabbed his hands.
"Chatot, you don't think any less of me, do you?" she asked anxiously. "Seeing as I'm a human who's fallen in love with a Pokemon, I mean. Even now being a Pokemon myself... I know it's... I know it's not what someone might call 'natural', and I'd hate to think that you thought I was messed up or something." Chatot squawked again, and smiled at the young Charmander.
"Penny," he said, "You're a hero. You've saved all our lives many times over. Nothing at all could make me think any less of you." Penny smiled again, the tear in her eye beginning to shimmer.
"You've saved my life too, y'know. You're just as much a hero as me." To this, Chatot blushed deeply.
"You'd have been able to fight off those bandits, Penny. All I did was get in the way."
"Yes, of their attacks! They would have killed us! They nearly killed you!" Chatot made to object, but Penny put her paw on his beak. "Don't argue, Chatot. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you. In fact, none of us would be. So please. You've been the best." With her words, Penny leaned sideways and hugged Chatot, who once again squawked in surprise. His gaze softened after a moment, though, and he returned her affectionate hug, wrapping his wings around her back.

"Chatot?" A sudden new voice made Chatot squawk again, and he recoiled from the hug so fast that Penny overbalanced and fell to the floor with a soft thud. The Guildmaster had emerged from his room behind them.
"Guildmaster!" Chatot exclaimed, blushing deeply. "I- We- It's really not what it looks like! Nothing's going on!"

"Eek! It sure looked like something to me!"
The bright voice of Sunflora also joined the conversation, and Chatot turned to see her emerging from the hall that led to the crew rooms. She had been spying on his and Penny's conversation? Chatot would be having words with her about conduct when this was over!

"What's happening in here, by golly?" a lower and slower voice asked. Bidoof was making his way down the ladder, followed by Penny's partner Apollo the Pikachu. Chatot squawked loudly and waved his wings in the air.
"Nothing is happening here! There's nothing to see! Away with you!" he cried. Penny had risen to her feet speedily when Apollo and Bidoof entered the scene.

"Oh my gosh!" Sunflora said to the two new arrivals on the scene. Chatot froze, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Penny do the same. If Sunflora told Apollo and Bidoof what she thought she'd seen… "The Guildmaster and I accidentally interrupted when Chatot and Penny were sharing an intimate moment!"

Silence momentarily fell over the room as Sunflora's words sank in. Until that moment, the faces of Apollo and Bidoof had been jolly, eager to find out what was happening that was causing such a fuss, but now their faces fell. From beside him, Chatot could see that Penny had suddenly turned quite pale, and he was about to object to Sunflora's words vehemently, but Penny got there first.
"No!" she exclaimed, staring in horror at her friends. "Bidoof, really, Sunflora's mistaken! Apollo, I… Where are you going?" For Apollo had now swiftly turned and was making his way up the Guild's ladder. "Please, come back!"

However, Apollo had already ascended to the next level, and Penny began to run towards it herself. As she passed Bidoof she stopped and looked back at the Plump Mouse Pokemon. "Bidoof… I…" She then glanced back at Chatot. "Chatot… I… I'm sorry." She shook her head and began to run up the ladder, calling her partner's name.

She soon disappeared from view, and her frantic calls fell out of earshot.
Bidoof had not made eye contact with her since Apollo had left, and now he simply walked slowly through the room and towards the crew room. Chatot looked after him for a moment, then glanced at Sunflora, who nodded and followed him.

Now (apart from Croagunk) only Chatot and the Guildmaster remained, and the former approached the latter squawking loudly.
"Guildmaster, truly, there's absolutely nothing happening between Penny and me. I wouldn't ever enter a relationship with one of our recruits, you know that!"
Wigglytuff regarded Chatot with a look that contained sadness, confusion and slight suspicion.
"But, Chatot… Team Origin have graduated now. They're no longer just recruits."

Chatot stared, open mouthed and slightly offended, at Wigglytuff.
"That- That makes no difference! Surely…" Chatot's face fell. "Surely… You know how much you- I mean, your Guild means to me? Guildmaster… Don't you trust me?"
The two friends' eyes met, and after a few moments of silence Wigglytuff grinned.
"Of course I do, Chatot! Friendly friends! I believe you!"

Chatot sighed and smiled in relief. He wanted to say more, but Wigglytuff was now back to his usual hyper and unresponsive self, and he danced back into his room. Chatot was so glad he'd managed to convince Wigglytuff of the truth. However, his face fell when he glanced at the ladder Apollo and Penny had recently climbed out of the room. He hoped Penny wasn't having too much trouble locating and convincing Apollo. Though, he was sure she wasn't. The adoration those two Pokemon had for each other was as obvious as the beak on Chatot's face, even if Penny hadn't just told him.
As for Bidoof… Who knew he'd take something like this so hard? Of course, Chatot had known of Bidoof's immense respect for the members of Team Origin, and for Penny in particular, but he hadn't realised his feelings extended past friendship. Bidoof would know there was nothing between Chatot and Penny very soon, but that didn't stop the fact that Penny had just told him that she was in love with Apollo, and judging by Apollo's reaction earlier, he felt the same way. Alas, any romantic feelings Bidoof had for Penny were not reciprocated. Would this affect his determination and drive to be a great explorer?

Bidoof lay slumped on his bed in anguish. Of all the Pokemon for Penny to fall for… Why Chatot? Sure, Chatot knew a lot, but…
Bidoof knew she could never love him, but he had counted on her going for someone really great, like Apollo, or even Grovyle! Not Chatot…
"Come now, Bidoof," Sunflora said comfortingly, "No need for tears…"

"Indeed not!" a powerful voice interrupted. Chatot hopped into the room, and Bidoof glared at him. "Bidoof," he said kindly, "Listen to me. I promise you, in the name of Wigglytuff's Guild, Penny and I are not an item. Sunflora here-" He shot an unimpressed glare at the Grass Type – "Was incorrect in her analysis of what she saw. Rose and I had been having a discussion, and she gave me a sudden friendly embrace, which I returned. There was no romance of any kind in our conversation."

Bidoof sniffed happily.
"Really, by golly?" Perhaps there was hope, then…

Chatot looked at how much Bidoof had suddenly brightened, and it pained him to continue speaking.
"Actually, that's not strictly speaking true…" Chatot squawked and quickly waved his wings in front of him. "Not to say there was romance between us, of course! I suppose, you should know… She had just told me about… Certain feelings she was harbouring for her fellow Guild member." He looked at the ground sadly.
"It's Apollo, right?" Bidoof asked, and Chatot raised his head at the bright tone of Bidoof's voice. Was he not unhappy that Penny did not love him? "I know what you're thinking – I should be more unhappy – But you should have seen the way those two greeted each other when Penny reappeared! I was convinced then that it was Apollo she loved, and… If I'm honest… I'm really just glad she's not in love with you!"
Chatot squawked indignantly and coughed loudly, flapping his wings.
"What makes you so happy that she doesn't love me, Bidoof?" His piercing glare struck fear into Bidoof's heart.
"Oof… Well… You're much older than her…" Chatot narrowed his eyes.
"Bidoof, you are also older than her."

"Y- Yes, but not so much… But there's also that it feels more natural for her to be in love with a fellow Guild recruit, rather than one of the Guild's staff…"

Chatot now drew himself up to his full height.
"Oh?" he asked, "Don't you think she might have been taken by my masculinity, my great wealth of knowledge and reams of experience in the field? The power I hold as a co-owner of the Guild?" Bidoof merely stared at him blankly, but Sunflora looked as though she might burst into laughter at any moment. Chatot suddenly realised how foolish he was being, and swiftly cleared his throat.

"Well, we've now established that Penny and Chatot are not in love." Sunflora said brightly. "I'm ever so glad; perhaps that means Chimecho and I were right about Chatot's intense adoration for the Guildmaster…"

All three Pokemon in the room suddenly froze, and Bidoof recoiled in fear as he watched seething anger build up in Chatot's small body.
"SUNFLORA!!"

"EEEEEEEEEK!"