I tend to say more at the end.
Straight to it.
"AND THREE! SMILES GO FOR MILES!"
Sean stifled a yawn as the guild gave their, soon to be routine, mornings cheers. Rai was perfectly awake, happily shouting along, Sean still disagreed with getting up so early.
"What's so good about it?" he thought mutinously as Chatot dispersed the group.
Loudred and Diglett went to their normal place, Diglett quickly burying underground as Loudred boomed his unnecessarily loud voice. Sean watched with a bit of interest as Loudred hopped over to a little cove in the shadow of Croagunk's creepy shop. He couldn't spot it from where he stood, but the previous night he had seen on the way to dinner that there was a lever and pully. How Loudred opened the gateway became clear after that.
Croagunk himself moved much faster on the way to his strange shop than Sean had seen him move when dinner was called. The poisonous pokémon stroked the cauldron that laid bolted into it before moving further into the weird shop and out of sight.
The others had all already moved up to the next floor, amidst surge of chattering and multiple high-pitched 'Oh my gosh' Chatot called out. "Corphish if you will?"
Rai and Sean themselves hadn't moved yet. The rest of the guild had their assigned roles very well known, but neither of them were confident enough to presume they had a choice of what to do yet. Chatot would be the one to know.
"Hey-hey?" Corphish gave his usual verbal tick as he scuttled back over to them. "What can I do for you today?"
With a barely audible grumble, Chatot spread a wing towards the pair of feline pokémon and said. "Today I believe it would be best for Shinx and Meowth to tackle an outlaw." Rai stiffened up while Sean counted to three, he was even less content with the idea. "As I have business to attend to today, I would like you to explain the outlaw notice board to Team Ion and help them select a suitable pokémon to go after. Understood?"
"Hey-hey I hear you loud and clear." He clicked his pincers before turning to the pair with a smile. At least, as best as Sean could tell. Crustaceans, even crustacean pokémon, didn't perform the most varied of expressions. "Let's get to it right away!"
Sean and Rai exchanged a glance before nodding. Corphish gestured and turned to lead the way up to the next floor. Before they reached the incline, he paused and turned back to Chatot, interrupting him before he entered the Guildmaster's chambers. "Does this mean I get the rest of the day off?" he asked eagerly.
Chatot immediately puffed up in fury. "Absolutely NOT!" he squawked, causing Corphish to deflate. "It will be no trouble for you to do this task. Afterwards continue with your assigned job for the day. Understood?"
"Yes sir," Corphish replied glumly and Chatot nodded. He hopped off and Corphish led them to the next floor.
"Over to the left here." He pointed, and they quickly followed. Sean continued stifling yawns as they walked, but Rai was perfectly chatty this morning.
"How long have you been part of the guild?" he asked, stepping into line with Corphish. Despite his knowledge of the guild, Rai was relatively in the dark about the apprentices.
"Hey-hey, it's been about…" he paused before trailing off. Rai cocked his head as Corphish mumbled some stuff under his breath before shaking his head. Glancing around, he spotted Sunflora over at the job notice board and yelled out. "HEY-HEY SUNFLORA?"
Sean, and Rai for that matter, flinched at the volume. It wasn't as intense as Loudred, but still very close to their ears.
Sunflora, equally as loud, and three times as shrill, screamed back. "YES?"
"The guilds not that big," Sean moaned to Rai who nodded in agreement.
"HOW LONG HAVE I BEEN IN THE GUILD?"
"SEVEN MONTHS!"
"HEY-HEY! THANK YOU!"
"YOU'RE WELCOME!"
Satisfied, he turned to the pair and answered at a reasonable volume. "Seven months."
"Cool," Rai said distantly. He rethought asking any more questions after that experience.
"Now, look at this board!" When neither feline pokémon looked, Corphish clicked a pincer threateningly. That got their attention. "Look. Here."
Rai gulped nervously as Sean's own breathing grew slightly shallower. On the outlaw notice board were, surprisingly accurate, pictures along with scrawled letters Sean still didn't know how he could understand.
With one eye squinted, Corphish aimed a pincer for a moment before firing off a very weak, highly controlled, Water Gun. It knocked a notice off without smudging a bit of it and he caught it out of the air with a dignified flourish.
"Wow," Rai said, rather impressed with the control.
"Nice work," Sean added.
"Meh." Corphish waved a pincer at their compliments, although there was an extra sparkle to his eyes as he handed over the job he had selected. "Take a read of it and tell me what you think?"
As Sean was the one with dexterity, Corphish handed it to him.
He quickly lowered it down so that Rai could read along with it. Sean read silently, although Rai still spoke out-loud.
"Help! That jerk Litleo stole my Fire Blast TM. I chased him for as long as I could, but he ran into a dungeon. Without the TM I couldn't go in. Please, could someone enter the Oran Forest and get my TM back before he uses or sells it? Thank you. Signed, Charmander."
"A Fire-type?" Sean asked.
"Normal too," Rai added, frowning. "Litleo? He's really done this?"
"Hey-hey, maybe," Corphish said with a click of his claw. "But that doesn't matter. I think this would be right to start with. Just some petty thief rather than someone intense. Like Drowzee!"
Sean and Rai reacted to that, although in different ways.
Rai cringed and grinned bashfully before saying. "Yeah. I saw what his wanted poster said. Scary stuff. Thank the legends that Sean scared him off before he took Marill or little Azurill."
"OH MY GOSH THAT WAS AMAZING RIGHT?"
Sean and Rai jumped, tails going rigid as Sunflora shrieked right from behind them. How she got so close without either of them noticing was not something that bothered them at the time.
"Don't do that!" Sean tried to say, but it was smothered in Sunflora's chest when she embraced him.
"Such a brave pokémon you were. Standing up to Drowzee, saving the brothers, it just makes me… EEEK!"
She swung him around, giving Sean a sensation he hadn't felt in years when he was small enough that other people could swing him around, before settling him down.
"Oh my gosh you two are going to be, like, just the best!"
"Yup-yup." Bidoof was there too and made his presence known with the last verbal tic of the trio. "I got shivers when I saw Drowzee's wanted poster. The thought that he was in Treasure Town, and nearly made off with two of our youngin's. It just makes me..." He began to shake, but it didn't seem to be out of fear. "Makes me." His voice rose to an intense crescendo, before he slumped. "Well, gosh, just relieved you stopped him."
Bidoof's little ball ears fell flat for a moment before he perked up again. "So, I'm glad we've got a couple of great new rookies in this here guild. Yup-yup, Meowth, Shinx, I think things are gonna improve with you two here."
"You… hardly know us." Sean was feeling somewhat dizzy with the praise. Part of him wanted to embrace, glorify it, even ignoring the duel shame and fear at failing to catch Drowzee as well. The rest of his apprehension was sourced in one simple matter. "You're all really nice," he said. "That's just… nice."
"Strange," Sean thought to himself, but he was far too polite to say that and changed the word before offended someone.
It wasn't like he wasn't used to friendliness. Far from it. The overwhelming positivity and acceptance of these pokémon to effectively a total stranger was simply baffling to the former human. Even if he knew that was how it went in the game, the reality of it was still nothing but strange to him.
To Sean's surprise, Sunflora, Bidoof and Corphish actually did look somewhat embarrassed.
"Well, uh…" Corphish began.
"The thing is… well, was," Bidoof mumbled.
"Like… oh my gosh. Sorry for this." Sunflora took a breath as their expressions turned guilty. Sean peaked a glance at Rai who looked back with understanding and a little pity.
"We just didn't expect a meowth to be so, well, so plum nice," Bidoof eventually said. Sean blinked, the comment not really registering with him.
"You never trust be appearances," Corphish quickly said. "But some habits and thoughts can be hard to break, hey-hey."
"And… oh gosh. Well. You're cute," Sunflora said, hoping to soften the next words with the compliment. "And meowth, well… are known to be sort of… well."
"Thieves," Bidoof said.
"Untrustworthy," Corphish said.
"Only look out for themselves," Sunflora said.
Blinking, the pieces fell together in Sean's mind and he ah'd as it all made sense.
"But we don't think that NOW!" Bidoof squeaked, suddenly panicking as he believed great offence had been imparted. Which, really, it had been.
"Exactly. You're a good guy. And hey… hey." Corphish's verbal tic wasn't easily beaten. "We liked you anyway. Someone suddenly hanging out with Rai, getting him into the guild… we, uh… couldn't help but wonder."
"Loudred especially," Sunflora said, casting a glare down through the ground. As if the intensity of her gaze could wound Loudred from this distance.
Below floors, Loudred shivered.
"He had some things to say on that first night, yup-yup." All three of them seemed to relax slightly, having someone to aim any possible anger towards.
"Yeah," Corphish agreed. "He said stuff like-"
"I get it," Sean cut him off, not wanting to hear what Loudred had to say. Even if he was somewhat surprised he didn't hear Loudred anyway.
"We really were exhausted," Rai mumbled as Sean ran a paw down his face. He touched one of the large whiskers adorning his head by accident and shivered as the sensation was unlike anything he was used to.
Taking a deep breath, Sean shrugged and smiled. "It's okay. I get it. I promise I'm not up to anything."
"Oh, we know!" Sunflora squeaked, a little too quickly to be natural.
"You're a swell guy for sure."
"Even Loudred will get it," Corphish added. "Getting an outlaw will definitely help there!"
Pushing aside the bothered feeling that Loudred distrusted him, Sean glanced back down to the notice he was still holding. "Right. That."
Rai stepped up beside him and bumped himself against Sean in a friendly gesture. "Let's bring in our first... Litleo." Rai was looking greatly uncomfortable and Sean wanted to ask, but everyone was looking.
Smiling weakly at him, Sean tried to summon the same enthusiasm. Failing that, he attempted righteous zeal. Neither worked to really sell it. "Yeah. Let's… rustle us up some bad pokémon."
"You'll do fine Meowth," Sunflora said, easily sensing his discomfort and being the only one blunt enough to point it out.
"Hey-hey, I wouldn't pick something you couldn't handle," Corphish said. "Go get them Meowth. Shinx too!"
"Yup-yup, you'll do great by golly. Meowth. Shinx. I'm rooting for you two."
"Thank you!" Rai grinned as he hopped from side to side. "Come on, let's get going! To the Oran Forest!"
He went to run, but remembered Sean wasn't as fast as him. Waiting politely, if impatiently, Rai watched as Sean made a complete fool of himself.
"Thank you," he said, starting off well. "And, by the way, feel free to call me Sean. It's my name and I'm fine if you'd like to use it."
He was smiling, remembering Rai's words from the two nights ago and expecting some sort of sappy, emotional, reaction. And perhaps a part of him was burning with curiosity of what the trio's name were in kind.
What he received was Sunflora falling back with a gasp, Bidoof squeaking in shock before choking and Corphish rearing back with both pincers clacking.
Sean glanced to Rai in panic and saw the shinx burying his face in his paws, unable to deal with the second-hand embarrassment.
"What did I do?"
"N-no, that's fine," Sunflora said, coming back to her feet and being the first to speak. "Um… the time. Jobs. I have to go now."
"M-m-m," Bidoof attempted before ducking down and running after her. Corphish clicked his pincers one more time before picking up on Sean's utter confusion.
Still, all he said was. "No thanks." And scuttled off without another word.
Sean turned to Rai for explanation, but the shinx was too mortified to say anything more than. "Let's get to town." And walking off without giving him time to process.
Once they had exited the guild and were alone, Sean had to ask. "What was that?"
Rai turned to him, disbelief colouring his face and voice. "You're kidding right?"
"What did I do?" Sean wasn't sure why, but he was embarrassed. He knew it was because of what he said, but the real why was a mystery to him. "You said names are a thing pokémon give to friends. I thought I was being friendly."
Rai looked him up and down for a few meters, seemingly coming to the understanding again that Sean really didn't know what he was doing in regard to social niceties.
Wetting his lips, Rai tried to gather the words to help the amnesiac understand.
"Amnesiac is one thing," Rai thought to himself. "But this really is just… he really wasn't a pokémon for all his life."
Sean didn't know it, but at this moment Rai fully believed his claim of being a human before.
"What I said about names is true," Rai began, deciding to just talk and hope for the best. "You tell them to family, if they don't know already, friends. And… well… mates."
Sean nodded, feeling that awkward feeling when you are embarrassed, and your tongue feels too big in response to it. "But… I said it to all three of them. As a friendly thing. They don't think… do they?"
Rai's nose was visibly red and his obvious level of discomfort at the topic was causing newfound horror the bloom through Sean's everything.
"Telling all of them. At once. In public… that's what… uh…" with each stutter and hesitation, Sean's apprehension at what Rai had to say grew.
"Spit it out," he demanded before wilting. "Please."
"That's what night-mates do." Rai finally managed to say it. Using words that meant almost nothing to Sean.
"Huh?" He cocked his head before shaking off the weird tic. "What is a night-mate?"
"SHH! Not so loud," Rai hissed, causing Sean to flinch in surprise. His features softened, and he apologised. "Sorry. Night-mate is… how do I explain it? A pokémon who…" He was going redder again and Sean held his own paw up.
"Okay. I get it." It was almost funny how relieved Rai became at the words, once the requirement to speak was gone he relaxed.
"Yeah. Not the best thing to say to our guildmates. On our second day too…"
"Sorry," Sean drew out the word, emphasizing his regret. "Oh my god!" he groaned, it beginning to really dawn on him. "What are they going to think of me?"
"Some awkward stuff." Rai confirmed.
"Oh my GOD!"
"What's that?" Rai said, changing the subject in a heartbeat.
"Oh, uh… just an expression."
"Okay."
They fell into silence as they walked the path to Treasure Town. Sean roiling in horror on the inside over what he had said, Rai likely not much better.
The day was lovely. The sun was shining bright and dewdrops still hung on many leaves and grass. There had been quite a storm the previous night, the rain having lulled Sean to sleep even when Rai started mumbling something.
One question remained on the tip of his tongue even as they entered the town, spoke to Duskull, waved to three separate teams and made their way to the Kecleon Market.
"No one's going to, uh…" Sean trailed off, wanting to put this delicately. "P-proposition me, are they?"
He wanted vague and meaningless platitudes that'd let him ignore the complete fool he made of himself. He wanted a blunt and honest answer that would make him coil up in disgust but at be freed in understanding. What he didn't want was for Rai to glance at him long enough to know he'd been heard, and then completely ignored.
Sean pressed a paw against his forehead as Rai went up to order what they needed for the upcoming dungeon. Even the looming threat of an outlaw seemed like small-fry compared to Sean's embarrassment.
"I should just never speak again," he thought to himself as Rai gave plastic smiles and went through the transaction emotionlessly. "Every time I try to something bad seems to happen."
Rai gave him an empty smile and Sean returned it before they turned back the way they came and moves onwards. Neither spoke until they had left Treasure Town kilometres back and even then, it was Rai simply sharing apples for breakfast.
Oran Forest didn't seem so scary anymore. So that was a plus at least.
By the time he remembered he had wanted to ask Rai something, he'd forgotten what it was.
"What IS this place?" Sean growled hours later.
They had reached Oran Forest, Sean vaguely noting it was close to Apple Woods, and entered the dungeon. Whatever he was expecting, he had forgotten it in the wake of horrified shame.
Either way, Oran Forest was bizarre.
With the Beach Cave and Drenched Bluff there was a sense of order to the chaos. The waterways were always there but they were difficult for their pair to cross and were mostly ignored.
With the Oran Forest, a dungeon made from trees rather than rock walls, the path was a much more difficult thing to maintain.
There were still passageways and rooms of sorts. They were rather stunning, Twisted copses of multicoloured leaves and branches, twisting together in a beautiful display of natural engineering. Walking through a passageway was like walking through an overgrown tunnel, one where you couldn't even see the former brick and stone. This time because there weren't any.
The rooms, however, and many patches of the tightly-woven passageways led into untamed dungeon. Areas where there were even fewer rules than the ones these places scarcely obeyed in the first place.
A place where dangerous pokémon lurked and treasures unlike those that were found in the rooms could be found.
Rai had, however, strongly warned him off even considering stepping off the path.
"Places like Drenched Bluff are really only dangerous if you go deep into the dungeons, off the path and over the waterways. Until there aren't any passages anymore and only cave."
He defended them as he always did. Shocking the Bug types and odd Grass type off.
"But places like this? Forest dungeons. They are some of the most dangerous. It's a lot easier to leave the path and can be a lot more difficult to find your way back. I've lived in Treasure Town for a while now and I've heard that there are no more cases of lost pokémon in dungeons than forest dungeons because of pokémon leaving the path. So, don't do it, no matter what you see or hear."
They were at least back to speaking terms. Not that Rai was mad at him, a little upset maybe, but not anger. It had simply been awkward to talk when both knew that the only thing on the others mind was Sean's little moment at the guild, and how things were going to be when they returned.
Being in a dungeon, however, brought topics to mind that focused on the task at hand and both were happy to discuss them. Rai explained what he had bought at the Kecleon Market, having guessed that Sean hadn't been watching when he did so.
Most of it was food, along with Rawst Berries to treat burns. They weren't nearly as blue as Sean had been led to believe, both Rawst Berries being a nice green colour. Rai explained that they were unripe Rawst Berries, having the same effect as the ripe ones but with a substantially better taste. Also, with a substantially higher cost, but the shinx couldn't stand bitter foods.
He hadn't bought any Oran Berries, but the reason was perfectly clear. The dungeon was named Oran Forest for a very good reason.
Lastly, Rai had bought a Blast Seed and Sleep Seed. Citing that Sean had done well with the Sleep Seed earlier. "Plus, you need all the help you can get at this stage!"
Sean was sure he should feel offended, but he was far too relieved to experience such pettiness. He'd leave that for later when they knew each other better and were more comfortable.
They had been coming through the dungeon for hours before, finally, Rai caught something.
"Is that…?" He paused to sniff the air. "Fire?"
Sean breathed in as well. It bothered him a little that there was no real nose on his face, just a pair of slits like a reptile, almost hidden underneath his fur.
At least the trade-off came with an enhanced sense of smell. Not as well as a canine, Sean was sure, what it was interesting.
"That's smoke at least," Sean agreed and they both thought the same thing.
"Litleo."
Sean allowed Rai to take the lead for once, making sure to stick close to the far more competent member of their duo, as Rai led them down a few corridors and through three different rooms.
"Smells like he didn't go off the trail," Rai commented. "Or at least, not for long."
He slowed to a near stop and Sean slowed down with him. Both of their hearts began to pound as Rai spoke without turning back. "I think he's in the next room."
Neither of them had stopped completely, but the knowledge that a fight was coming was a little nerve-wracking.
Sean tried to psych himself up for it. "Come on. You actually fought Koffing and Zubat. Not well, but you at least tried!" He couldn't help but note the fact that he still thought this was a dream at the time, along with the fact that they were supposed to happen. No litleo was in the games. "Because the pokémon hadn't been designed yet." Sean quickly cut that line of thought off. It made his head hurt to think any more deeply into it all.
"Okay," Rai said, turning to Sean this time to meet his eyes. "You ready to do this?"
"Sure," Sean said, throat catching as his mouth went dry. He withheld the cough and smacked his chest to try and suppress the need. "In a week. Maybe a month."
Rai gave him an odd look. "Are… can you do this?"
Sean paused, looked Rai over, saw the light shake in his back legs and the pleading look in his eyes. He sighed and gave a smile. It was small and rueful, but genuine. "Yes. I'm right here with you. Let's do this."
Rai held his eyes for a moment before nodding. "Awesome."
He turned back and they both took a breath. Rai burst into a Quick Attack, leaving Sean in the dust for a moment, entering the room with a battle-cry.
The only occupant of the room, a small tiger-like cub with a mohawk that looked like flames, started at their arrival.
"What are you doing here?" he demanded, eyes tracking Rai as he moved.
"You're coming with us," Rai shouted, alerting Litleo to the fact that Sean was there too.
"Oh yeah?" Litleo hissed, mohawk actually bursting into flames as he readied his Power. "And why do you want that? Huh Shinx? You're a big bad explorer now so you think you take me?"
"You know what you did," Rai growled, sparking with electricity as Sean stepped by his side. "You stole Charmander's TM. How could you do that?"
"Like he was ever going to use it," Litleo shot back. "Little kid was always moaning about being 'unworthy' for it and never trying to better himself to be 'worthy'. Frankly me taking it was a kindness, at least SOMEONE got a use out of it."
"Wait," Sean said, realising what Litleo was saying. "You already USED it?"
Litleo smirked, a cocky little thing as he reared up on his hind legs. "Yep. And if you don't want to see how it works first hand, well." He waved a paw dismissively. "Run home to Treasure Town."
Sean couldn't feel bad for Charmander for very long, he was beginning to feel sorry for himself and what was going to come.
"You mudbray's ass!" Rai yelled, metaphorically shocking both Sean and Litleo. "That's IT! You're coming back with us RIGHT. NOW."
Litleo, to his credit, recovered from his surprise at the supposedly meek and cowardly Rai's words with a growl. "Language Shinx." He grinned but Rai began to spark. "You're going to have to knock me out."
And with that, he attacked.
Not wasting any time, Litleo began as he promised and drew in a deep breath before the fire on his head plumed out. He shouted out and fired a kanji-shaped bolt of flame, aiming right for Rai.
Sean scrambled out of the way as Rai ducked under the Fire Blast. Rai rushed forward, electricity bolting towards Litleo who similarly dodged the attack.
Sean couldn't help but watch the Fire Blast. There were many things he expected once it hit the dense 'wall' of the dungeon room. In its own way, a massive explosion and hole gouged out of multiple ancient trees was one of them, but he could hardly prepare himself for how real the battle just became to him.
"Holy shit," he whispered as, far more, minor explosions began ringing out from the battle. Both fire litleo and electric shinx clashed in elemental barrages.
They weren't that powerful. Minor Thundershock's and Ember's with the pair constantly slamming into each other in impromptu Tackles. Every so often, when Litleo found a reprieve, he'd charge and send a Fire Blast Rai's way.
Sean nearly fainted when he realised just how relieved he was that Rai was avoiding the attacks. The constant explosions and bursts of electricity was, however, beginning to set the area on fire and Sean found that staring off into space may not be the best thing to do in the middle of a battle.
Yelping as Rai nearly hit him with a stray Thundershock, Sean set his sights on the far wall behind Litleo and made his way there as quickly, and safely, as possible. Digging through the bag without looking, looking away from the fight spelled death in his mind, he felt around for the seeds.
Sean knew that the Blast Seed was a more orange colour while the Sleep Seed was a greenish yellow. They still weren't very large, and it took time for him to find whilst in the middle of battlefield.
"This seemed so much simpler in the games!" Sean thought to himself, angrily pawing through the bag. The claws came out at one point, but after getting his paw stuck three-to-many times he forcefully retracted them.
He glanced down from the war field for a moment, moving his eyes from where the pair had stopped for a moment to growl and prowl around in a circle.
"SEAN!"
Only to look up when Rai screamed his name. He looked up to see a kanji-shaped plume of fire heading right for him.
Sean froze.
"I always feared that I was the kind of person to freeze up in situations like this." Was a distant, fleeting, thought that ran through his mind instead of moving out of the way.
Fire Blast wasn't the fastest moving attack, but the distance between Litleo and him wasn't very far anyway. Rai tried to rush forward in a Quick Attack to knock him out of the way, but Litleo had hoped for this very action and sniped Rai with an Ember attack. When Rai was down, he leaped on him all claws and fire and savaged the shinx.
Rai yelled out and fired off a Thundershock. He didn't need to aim it with Litleo right on him. The harsh electrical whine and zap did two things.
It sent Litleo flying off him, trailing smoke.
And triggered a sense of recollection in Sean.
Sean leaped to the right, narrowly avoiding being clipped by one of the arms of the Fire Blast. He was safe.
Until the Fire Blast hit the wall of trees right behind him and exploded.
Right as Sean came back to his feet with a smile, he was blown forward by the concussive force of the blast and was sent sprawling. The bag too, was flung clean from him and landed on one of the burnt-out patches.
"Sean!" Rai yelled again, dropping his concentration for a second time.
Litleo had already picked himself up. Breathing heavily, one leg going numb, and electrical burns over his body, he seemed more pissed-off than anything.
Not dropping his advantage, he breathed a concentrated Ember attack which impacted the side of Rai's head.
"Gah!" Rai fell down, clutching the side of his head.
"You did good Shinx," Litleo huffed as he stepped forward. "Better than I ever would have thought. Guess you ARE Luxray's kit. But you're not good enough. Not yet."
This is where Sean knew he was to get up and say something meaningful and profound. Dazed from the double impact, he could barely stand without wobbling.
"Hashamuh," he warbled before frowning. "That's not right. Try again."
"Noo…no-no-no." He waggled a paw as if drunk before pointing an accusing claw at Litleo. "WRONG!"
Then he fell down again.
"I didn't hit him that hard… or at all really," Litleo mumbled, confused and a little concerned by the display. "Anyway. Oh." He saw that Rai had stood back up. "Fu-"
Rai used Thundershock!
A critical hit!
Litleo howled in a jolting scream as Rai put all the effort he could into the attack.
Sparking with electricity, Litleo wobbled on all fours. Twitching from the residual jolts he crumpled to the ground.
"Yeah!" Sean cheered from the ground. He forced himself back to his feet, noted that he really didn't feel THAT bad, and repeated. "Yeah! Rai you did it!"
Breathing heavily, sweating, and burned Rai turned to Sean with the second-biggest smile he'd seen him war. "I DID IT?!"
"Nope."
Team Ion's faces fell, barely having time to turn to Litleo before he hit Rai with a Fire Blast.
Rai was blasted back with a tiny cry, sending skidding along the leaves and dirt until he rolled to a stop, smoking.
"RAI!" Sean screamed, but didn't drop his attention from Litleo for more than a split moment. He already began to dodge as he turned back, leaping to the side and landing on all fours to avoid a second Fire Blast.
"How many of those can he DO?" Sean thought to himself as he raced around, avoiding Ember's and Fire Blast's.
Panicking he tried to dig a paw into the Treasure Bag but was reminded it wasn't there anymore. It was beyond his grasp, being unfortunately close to Litleo.
"Coward!" Litleo roared, firing fire with every breath. "Stop dodging and FIGHT ME."
"No thank you," Sean replied, having fallen into complete panic mode and all the unthought-out comments that came with it. "Throw yourself into a river."
"I HATE water," Litleo growled before deciding ranged wasn't cutting it and rushing forward.
"That's the POOOIIIINT!" Sean froze on that word as he began running for his life, jumping and zigzagging with every few steps. More than a few Ember attacks made contact with his back and legs and one well-aimed Fire Blast knocked him off his feet and he rolled onto all fours. But nothing severe made full contact and the energy of the flight-or-flight reaction was full in effect.
It couldn't last forever, though, and Sean was coming to realise that while this new body may be bestial and far more fit than his previous body, endurance running was not something felines, or feline pokémon for that matter, were known for.
One perk of humanity he never thought he'd miss.
Thankfully it also meant that Litleo was suffering a similar fate. Both of them panting for breath, and body temperature, Sean finally saw his out. Rai wasn't back up yet, the shinx lying unsettling still, with such a fact haunted his thoughts even as he gave an endless internal scream, but perhaps he didn't need to be.
He'd done his job.
And Sean had a plan. He had cycled around and he had a straight shot to his salvation.
Not stopping yet, Sean threw out an arm and grabbed the Treasure Bag in one swing. It was still in one piece, having been spared from the heat of the earlier explosion. Everything had been jumbled, but for once the chaos worked in Sean's favour.
Or perhaps immediate need did.
Either way he found the Blast Seed in a flash of white fur. He ran for a few seconds more, not having the willpower to turn to fight right away, but his legs were burning, not just from being set on fire, his lungs were burning, not just from inhaling ash, everything was burning. Mostly from the exertion, but a little from all the flames being thrown at him.
Planting a foot, and extending those claws, Sean came to a stop and spun on Litleo. "HA!" Sean yelled victoriously and threw the Blast Seed with all his might at the unprepared Litleo.
Unprepared for defiance due to the Fire Blast he had already sent.
The seed hit the Blast Seed in mid-air and the explosion from the seed managed to cause enough push to detonate the Fire Blast as well, sending a ripple of painfully hot air across Sean's face. The Blast Seed was nowhere near close enough to do anything than ruffle Litleo's fur.
"You're kidding," he groaned. Litleo had paused when Sean turned as well, but a smirk was relighting his face.
"You're only weapon I guess?" It was not a question. Not really.
"I have MORE!" Sean threatened, paw digging into the bag dangerously. When he didn't pull anything out Litleo laughed in his face.
"Coward and an attempted liar." He shook his head, smouldering mohawk waving in the air like a fluffy target to bat at with claws. "Well, I mean you ARE a meowth, so what was I expecting?"
The dig at his, current, species touched a nerve Sean didn't know he had. Having only been developed today such a lack of knowledge was expected.
It reminded him, despite the danger, despite the battle, of the embarrassment he faced earlier that day. Already seeming like so long ago, and yet nowhere near far enough. It reminded him of the comments Sunflora, Corphish, and Bidoof made as they realised what they were saying may be offensive but unable to word things in a less cruel manner.
Sean thought of Rai, down, hurt, possibly if not likely unconscious.
Sean grew angry.
"You're right actually," Sean said, letting the bag fall to the floor, paw clenched around the object he had hidden away. "I AM a coward. More than Rai for sure." His face was feeling redder than he'd ever felt it. Even if the fur would hide the angry flush he was sporting. "Liar is also correct. You know what else I am?"
Litleo had paused, graciously enough, to let him speak. Such a thing would mystify Sean in times to come. The politeness in many strange and violent situations he found himself in.
"Beaten?" Litleo growled, snapping his teeth.
"Nope." Sean popped the P before running forward with all the speed he could manage. Litleo jumped in surprise before firing an Ember, not having the time to build the flame necessary for a Fire Blast. Sean covered his face with his other arm and ran through it. He'd experienced embers before. None as focused or painful as this, but he didn't let them stop him.
Sean got a view of Litleo's snarl before he punched him in the face. The mouth specifically, with the paw that held a clasped Sleep Seed. Forcing it into the litleo's mouth, he felt bones pop in his wrist as Litleo's head was knocked back from the force of it.
With the claws of his other hand, the arm that was blackened with now-burnt fur, he slashed Litleo across the throat with claws that glinted with black.
To his distant, angry, surprise he didn't draw blood, but the hit was still severe.
The Sleep Seed took effect, cutting short Litleo's pained yowl, and he fell down and staggered. Sean gasped as Litleo raised a mouth filled with crackling flames and he realised Litleo may have burned the seed out before it could affect him. He braced for agony, but nothing came.
"Heh," Litleo gave a weak laugh as his head drooped. "Little Shinx has someone huh? We'll see how long you stick around before..." he trailed off as sleep took hold and he slumped to the ground.
Panting in a mixture of exhaustion and exhilarated fear anger, Sean raised a foot to stomp down on Litleo's head. But hesitated. The anger didn't rush out and leave him, but the sudden clear-minded bloodlust had. He lowered his foot before stumbling back.
Not finishing his attempt at a boastful moment, even to an unconscious opponent, Sean turned back and rushed to Rai's side. He grabbed the Treasure Bag again as he did so and fished out an Oran Berry.
"Rai?" He knelt by the shinx's side and gently shook him. He received a groan in response and was relieved to see he was still somewhat conscious. "Here." He held out the berry. To no response.
"Right," Sean mumbled to himself, he pulled the berry back and cut into it with his claws, not noticing how the juice stung his paws or how sticky it made them. He brought the smaller chunks to Rai's mouth and slowly stroked his side, where there was less burn. "This'll help," he coaxed and soon Rai took a nibble.
He remained kneeling by Rai's side, glancing back to Litleo every few seconds, until the shinx had eaten three Oran Berries.
"Ugh," Rai groaned and came to his feet. "That was unpleasant."
"Sorry my ha-paws," Sean corrected. "Taste so bad."
"Not that," Rai said, before glancing to Sean's face and seeing the small smile. "Right. Joke."
"You're a bit knocked about, I can't blame you for being a little slow."
"Ow." Rai whimpered as everything ached. "What happened to…! His eyes fell on Litleo, conked out and laying completely unconscious. "You beat… you… beat HIM?!"
"Haha, no." Sean's face fell completely flat as he said that. "I forced a Sleep Seed down his throat. He'll probably wake up soon."
As if cursing the devil, Litleo's eyes began fluttering and he groaned.
"Quick!" Sean yelped, scrambling back as if that'd help. "Take him out!"
"Wha?" Was all Litleo managed to say before a bolt of electricity brightened the room and knocked his lights out.
Team Ion sighed in relief when Litleo crumpled, not getting back up this time. Both of them still watched him carefully as they approached, Rai leading the way. He nudged, kicked really, Litleo a few times before nodding. "He's down."
"Alright then," Sean beamed, feeling immense relief wash over him. He looked over Litleo for a moment before realising. "How are we going to get him back?"
"Carry him I guess," Rai answered, looking over the vague acquaintance he defeated.
"Joy," Sean deadpanned before looking around. His eyes fell on the far side of the room, where Litleo had been camping as they entered, and wandered over there.
"Hey," he called, catching Rai's attention. "Is this a TM?"
He knew it was. But Rai didn't know that he knew.
Holding up the strange disk, Sean felt an overwhelming feeling of nothing from it. He wasn't sure if he should feel anything, but some sense on his paws seemed to think he did. The paradoxical feeling of something nothing faded as he thought about it and he soon put it out of mind.
"Yep." Rai nodded from Litleo's side. "Too bad it's been used. They only get one use out of them normally."
Sean looked down to the blank disk in his paws and wondered how on earth, or wherever he was, something like this worked. He had assumed it was a game mechanic. The reality of its existence made him distantly uncomfortable.
"Help him onto my back," Rai called, and Sean quickly re-joined him.
Before grabbing onto the formally-conscious-and-irate-Fire-pokémon Sean had to make something known. "Aren't we just supposed to get the TM back?" he asked, looking down to the disk he still held. "I mean. He was an asshole, but are we really taking Litleo to the police?"
"He won't get in any real trouble for this. Even if he did use it." Rai sent another dark look down at Litleo. "But we can't leave him in here! In this state he may not be able to get out before… well, you know."
Sean did know. However, second-handed. And so, he agreed with Rai's decision. "Good thinking. I'd hate to leave him in here."
Dragging him out wasn't the most pleasant thought. Even if Rai was the one doing it. But no part of Sean, however vindictive, would have agreed with leaving Litleo in here.
Hoisting the dead-weight of an unconscious litleo onto a shinx's back. One of the many things he never thought he'd do, Sean positioned Litleo as best as he could before nodding to Shinx.
"Thanks for the Oran Berries," Rai said as he began to drag himself and his load forward. "You didn't need to give me THAT many. I feel better than I did before the battle, besides the pain."
"It's Oran Forest," Sean defended, shrugging and picking up another berry from the ground. "See. They're everywhere."
Smiling, Rai shook his head in bemusement. "You got me there. But you can't do that every time I get hurt. Unless I really need it."
"How will I know if you need it?" Sean shot back. "Especially if you're going to act like you aren't as hurt as you really are."
He meant it to be playful, but Rai cringed at his words nonetheless.
This time Sean did not withhold the audible sigh as he once again said something to ruin the conversation.
He also decided to point it out this time. "Sorry, by the way." Rai looked back to him, genuine confusion on his face. "I'm always saying or doing something that makes you turn away, or cringe, or absolutely embarrass you. Every time we talk I seem to do it somehow."
"That's not true!" Rai immediately said, almost hopping before remembering he had cargo. "It's not you. It's me."
Sean laughed at that. Not mocking, actual laughter. "Never thought I'd hear that," he chuckled and gave a wistful smile. "But it IS me," he continued, smiling ruefully. "Even if it's, well, your issue, I'm the one who keeps trampling over sore spots or awkward things. I made everyone think I was a whore today!"
Rai squeaked and nearly dropped Litleo. "I thought we weren't going to talk about this morning. At all. Ever. And don't say… that word. AND," he emphasized the word when Sean went to speak. "What do you mean 'everyone'?"
"I said it in front of Sunflora," Sean answered, deadpan and completely honest. "Does she NOT seem like the kind of person who would gossip that? Even accidentally. Even just speaking to Corphish or Bidoof, but, like, really loudly?"
Rai grew more and more wilted the longer Sean spoke and they both felt bad.
"Th-that's a good point actually," Rai admitted before shifting sharply, shifting Litleo back into a more stable position. "She IS the town gossip. Oh dear."
"I'm so embarrassed about it," Sean admitted. Part of him didn't want to speak of it, hope it'd be never brought up ever. At all. In all time. But a different part of him didn't mind making a bit of fun about himself, and another part of him just welcomed being able to talk to Rai.
He decided to listen to that last part.
"Did you see their faces? I mean wow." Sean laughed but Rai was blushing again. He almost stopped and apologised for clearly ruining it again, but Rai actually gave him a small, teasing, smile.
"Not really," he admitted. "I was kind of burying my face below level. Just the secondary embarrassment was painful."
"I can assure you," Sean promised. "The full embarrassment once I realised what I said was just as bad."
"I would have thought it was worse?"
"Nah." Sean shrugged. "I don't know how you were feeling exactly. And, really, it WAS funny. Horrifying, socially isolating, probably going to have… uncomfortable moments to come. But we'll laugh about it!" To prove it Sean laughed. It was fake, but it wasn't meant to sound real.
"You're…" Rai trailed off, small smile on his face. "Very optimistic."
"What can I say?" Sean shrugged, it was true after all. "It's much more pleasant to see the good. Plus." He winked. "When you know exactly how to see the bad, it becomes a lot easier to figure out the good. Even if it's just a future thing."
"Wise… I think?"
"Not old enough," Sean said. "Unless you are calling me old in which how dare you!"
"I'm not saying that!" Rai yelped.
Sean paused, sighed, and apologised. "See. I do it every time." Shaking his head, he let the conversation die off. They walked in silence, not being bothered by feral monsters in the slightest.
Sean decided the Oran Forest smelled very nice.
"A lot of what I say is meant to be joking-like," Sean eventually said, rubbing an arm uncomfortably. Then from pain when he was reminded what a number Litleo did to him. Glaring briefly at the unconscious Fire type, he continued. "I really don't mean to bring up uncomfortable stuff for you, or mean it if I say something… short? Rude. Just. What I'm saying is, I don't care if you WERE calling me old. I know you weren't, and even if you were, me saying 'how dare you' is meant… playfully I guess is the word."
"I see." Rai nodded. He didn't completely, but he was getting the gist of what Sean was saying. "I guess I'm not used to someone who doesn't say exactly what they mean all the time."
"Are all pokémon really that honest?" Sean asked.
"Yeah…" Rai nodded before frowning. "No. Most pokémon are; you can be sure that your friend or neighbour means what they are saying. It's kind of what keeps communities together, since outside of towns and such can be really lawless." Rai shook his head. "Are humans really so… dishonest isn't the word I want to use."
"But it fits." Sean nodded. "I… I guess. Sort of? Not to sound bad or anything, but most humans will speak white lies, just little things, day-to-day. There's also sarcasm. Don't you have that?"
"Certainly." Rai nodded, and Sean relaxed. "But it's generally thieves and other lowlifes that use it."
"Ah."
"Yeah. Look I trust you." Rai turned to meet his eyes and Sean knew, even without the previous information on honesty, that Rai was telling the truth. "I also trust what you say. So, it is a bit weird to try and figure out what you are saying truthfully and what you mean as… a joke."
Sean nodded, this was just more things he knew he needed to learn if he wanted to survive here.
"This world is so strange," Sean said, completely honestly. "I'm serious there. It's nothing like I ever could have imagined." Sean smiled, a tiny bit of self-loathing fell into his face. "That's a lie. Not a complete one, I knew mechanically what this is. Culturally? Never would have seen this coming."
"I think your world would be strange," Rai responded, sticking his tongue out. "I can't imagine trying to get around there… so I guess this is really hard for you huh?"
Caught a little off guard, Sean nodded. "I've only been here, what, three days? I've already made a complete fool of myself in front of the guild and barely know how to talk to anyone besides you. I'm not even used to fighting. Like this, or at all really. You'd almost do better without me."
"No, I wouldn't." Rai rolled his eyes. "We already had the sell-loathing conversation. I wouldn't have been able to knock Litleo out without you. I'd be unconscious, lost in a dungeon. Maybe he'd help me. Maybe he wouldn't. I wouldn't even be here without you. Stop putting yourself down."
"I said almost," Sean pointed out but received a flat stare-back from Rai. "…Alright. Alright. Jeez, I hear you. I'm awesome. I'm amazing. Best explorer ever, and he's chatting your ear off awkwardly right in front of you!"
"I wouldn't say 'best'," Rai said, smirking. Sean fluffed up a bit, then noticed the fur and began patting it down awkwardly.
"That's also weird. Having fur. Claws." Shivering he flicked his tail and noticed it. "Tail." They walked further in a comfortable silence before Sean said. "Wigglytuff though. Best explorer, right?"
"Maybe," Rai replied, smiling vaguely.
That, caught Sean off guard. "Maybe? Who else? Team Ch." He cut himself off right there, almost saying Team Charm. It wouldn't do to let slip something he, might, shouldn't know. "Chargelight?"
"Chargelight?" Rai replied. "Who are they?"
"No idea.," Sean answered, honestly. "Made up a name in hopes of getting a winner."
"That what you did for our name?" Rai grinned and before Sean fluffed up again, he answered the question. "Wigglytuff is definitely one of the best explorers ever. But he's mostly retired now. There are some teams which each could be the best explorer team, but I think the best current explorer works all alone."
Sean suddenly felt a wave of déjà vu, and along with it a sinking feeling. "Oh right."
"Dusknoir!" Rai said, utterly beaming upon saying the name. "He's this AMAZING explorer that appeared out of nowhere about five months ago. In that time, he's tackled some of the most remote dungeons on the continent, found like seven new ones, and defeated a few of the baddest bad guys around and brought them to justice." Speaking of Dusknoir seemed to open the floodgates and Rai continued gushing.
"He became really legendary when he, singlehandedly, saved an entire village that had been swallowed by a dungeon. Saving hundreds of pokémon before the dungeon could claim them. Dusknoir is easily the greatest one-pokémon-team out there. I'd like nothing more than to meet him one day and say thank you."
"Thank you?" Sean asked, deciding that was the most pertinent thing to focus on. "For what?"
Blushing slightly, realising he went a little too far into fanboy mode, Rai explained. "A… a month or so ago I lost hope I'd ever be an explorer," Rai admitted, looking very uncomfortable. "I just didn't think I could ever get the courage to even apply. No one thought I could do it either." He grimaced and his eyes flicked to where Litleo laid on his back. "I mean, the pokémon in and around Treasure Town who did know me were nice about it, but I know none of them ever thought I'd ever gather the nerve to even try to go through with it."
He sighed sadly. "I'm sure there are plenty who think I'm going to drop out as well. I won't. Not ever! Not when I have Dusknoir to meet and live up to! It was him who made me believe I could do it. When I learned about the village he saved, all by himself, it made me want to meet him all the more. And I'd never be able to do it, especially as anything more than just a nameless fan, if I didn't become an explorer just like him!"
Sean felt somewhat awed at that. He knew, subjectively, that the partner, Rai, looked up to Dusknoir. Never truly why though. Not in this detail.
Swallowing slightly, he nodded, shoving away the dark voice that spoke of Dusknoir's true intentions. What that meant for the future. What it meant for Sean himself. "He sounds amazing," he said, receiving a beam and a nod from Rai. "We'll definitely meet him one day."
It was no lie.
"But unfortunately, he'd already used the TM."
Rai was explaining to a crestfallen Charmander at the guild. He had received word his job had been achieved but was forewarned there was bad news. "He wasn't easy to fight with Fire Blast, but we thought we'd bring it back anyway. Sorry."
Sniffling slightly, the Charmander swayed his tail, staring at the TM. "I guess it's what I get for not going through with it," he sighed and forced a smile. "Thank you anyway."
Sean had watched enough. There were few things more heartbreaking than watching a Charmander hold back tears. He knew one of those things would be the Charmander actually crying. He spoke something that had been on his mind, but wasn't able to confirm beforehand.
"It might not be useless," he said before he could think otherwise. Charmander's watery eyes turned to him, but there was a spark of hope there. "Since the TM is intact, if you find a pokémon that can use Recycle they should be able to restore it to a working Fire Blast."
"Really!" Charmander gasped.
"Yes, really," Chatot's, thankfully welcome, voice squawked and the three of them turned to see the bird hopping his way over to them. "There are none in Treasure Town, currently, that I know of however. But it is possible."
Charmander seemed unperturbed at that, instead just ecstatic his TM wasn't completely useless. "Oh, thank you thank you Team Ion!" he said, dancing on the spot. "Here are your rewards for a job well done."
He put down a bag and danced off. Chatot huffed in response once Charmander was gone. "Good. I thought for a moment he was going to try and stiff the guild of its reward."
Sean couldn't help but feel that Charmander would have reason not to give a reward but kept such comments to himself as Chatot handed out what Team Ion received.
"Well done you two, your first outlaw mission was a roaring success." Chatot chuckled to himself as if he spoke a grand, but polite, joke. "Your tasks are done for the day. You may relax now, but only in ways that maintain the guilds image!"
With that he hopped away, with a majority of their money.
Rai watched the bag of poké disappear with a mournful sigh. "Farewell sweet cash," he whispered before shaking it off. "We did it Sean!"
Then Rai was dancing, and Sean could only smile and wonder why dancing with socially polite but giving your name wasn't.
"Oh well," he thought to himself, catching Chimecho's eye and noticing how she turned away quickly. "Least we're back."
After a quiet and uncomfortable dinner, no one besides Chatot or Wigglytuff would give more than a quick glance at Sean, they were sent to bed.
"Think it's going to be like that every day from now on?" Sean asked as they settled on the straw patches that were called beds.
"Oh, please no," Rai whimpered.
"It'll blow over," Sean said. "Optimist, remember?"
"Heh, yeah…"
Sean curled up, enjoying acting like a cat without the social judgement.
Rai came to his bed and slumped down. Chimecho had done her work for them after Chatot excused them. She hadn't looked Sean in the eyes, but she still did her work professionally. They mostly needed rest, she said.
"You know, the night before we met Sean?" Rai spoke up, bringing Sean back from drifting off to sleep. That was a plus at least, he was sleeping a little better now.
"Nope," Sean answered.
"It was stormy, just like last night was." Rai shifted, the sound easily reaching Sean's ears in the silence of the room. "After that I found you on the beach. Unconscious. I was scared, thought you were hurt or were a feral that had escaped a dungeon."
"Glad I was able to get up," Sean answered, somewhat stiffly.
"Me too," Rai agreed, trailing off. "Sean?" he asked again after a minute. "Do you remember anything yet? Besides your name and being human. It sounds like you do, at least about human stuff."
"Not… really." Sean half-lied. "Stuff about how to act is so… coded into my head that even switching bodies doesn't seem to have shifted it. For the most part," he said as he scratched behind an ear with a back foot.
"Hopefully it comes back," Rai said spiritedly. "Maybe just a little at a time. I'm sure you won't forget everything forever. It'll come back. I'm sure."
"Thanks. Eventually I'm sure."
"Well I'm bushed," Rai yawned and rolled over again. "We'll have to get up at the usual time again. Maybe this time Corphish won't pinch us."
"Somehow, I think he might avoid us tomorrow," Sean said.
"Heh… maybe. Goodnight Sean."
"Goodnight Rai."
"I wonder how he knew about Recycle?" Rai wondered as he began to drift off to sleep. "Even I didn't know about that…"
"I really wish I could stop lying," Sean thought to himself as he tried to get comfortable. "Even all the little ones. Am I never going to tell him the real truth? Could I? Something like that's too much. As if he'd even believe me anyway. Especially about Dusknoir…"
Despite the troubled thoughts, both members of Team Ion fell to asleep soon enough. The battle of the day having drained them.
"Everything freezing like that was so strange. It made me uncomfortable, to say the least."
"The forest and everywhere else will go back to normal once the Time Gears are returned to their proper place."
"Humph. I know, I know. No need to remind me."
"Remind me though. Where should we strike next?"
"Boulder Quarry. Should be the next least-protected."
"Boulder Quarry it is. Shall we set off immediately?"
"Hoo-ha-ha! You ask a question you already know the answer too. We're already on our way."
Boss battle! Not Drowzee, but hopefully this was still action-packed enough!
As much as I would love to claim otherwise, I'm not the fastest writer. Some updates may take a while. I don't intend on throwing in the towel now or ever though! Also helps that I've got the whole story planned out. Some changes are going to be very fun :D
But the next update may take a bit longer than this one. I want to try and build at least something of a stock of chapters, so I have something to post every so often rather than the complete randomness the current updating goes by. And with any luck they'll be around these 10,000 word chapters we're getting right now. Who knows if I'll be able to stick to it though? I get to eager for feedback.