Chapter Fourteen:

Past Knowledge

Noon (12:09 P.M.), Homeward Trail

With the requested ball in hand, Team Rainy Days walked their way home on the trail, their heads hung low as Team Vice led the way.

"This is what happens when you newbies get too cocky!" the Fraxure growled, "Be lucky Drench overheard you, or else you'd be dead!"

"W-We're sorry..." Lloyd gulped, frightened. He had thought Vice was going to let them off easy, but apparently she had been waiting for the battle to end and they were on their way home before she let them have it.

"You'd better be!" Vice snorted, "Hah! Next time don't bite off more than you can chew!"

"It's all my fault," Stream sighed, feeling miserable, "I should have paid more attention to the job before accepting it. Because of me, we almost died!"

"Na, don't beat yerself up about it," Romsca put an arm around the Ducklett's neck, "It ain't yer fault,"

"She's right, you couldn't have known," the Mudkip laid his tailfin over her back, comfortingly, "Nowhere in that mission notice did it say that there would be wild Galvantulas,"

"Y-Yes," she nodded, a smile coming to her, "There was no way we could have known what we were getting into,"

"And yet you were still stupid!" they jumped at the Fraxure's growl, "You went into a cave that had a giant web, and you got shocked! Did you take any precautions at all?!"

While the trio cringed, Lezah the Mismagius crossed her tendrils, "Settle down, there, you're frightening the wee dearies,"

"Yeah, they're just starting out, they're bound to make a few slip-ups," Drench argued, "We were the same when we started out, so cut them some slack,"

The Fraxure rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, "Whatever, just make sure you don't get yourselves into trouble like that again, because next time we won't be there to bail your asses out,"

"W-We understand..." Stream nodded again, her allies doing the same.

"Uhh... What a bitch..." Romsca grumbled under her breath.

Lloyd sighed, overhearing her. That is a little rude considering she did save our lives, though I have a feeling we won't be making friends of any kind with her at this rate.

"Either way-" the Mismagius ahead of them spun around, hugging herself with her tendrils, "-I'm just glad you kids are safe!"

"We're not kids!" the Helioptile growled.

"Yeah, they're newbies," Vice snorted, earning an angry gaze from Romsca and a resentful one from Lloyd, while Stream just sighed, "And, as the best exploration team in the BraveStar Guild, it's our job to educate them so they stay out of trouble, and know who's in charge,"

"But we're not the best," Lezah raised a nonexistant eyebrow, "We're only Silver Rank,"

"Hmph!" the Fraxure huffed, not giving a retort.

"Ugh," Romsca grunted, "As soon as we get back to the guild and get our reward, I'm heading straight for bed; I need a rest,"

"Me too," Stream conceded, "We should all take a rest until dinner,"

"That would be nice," Lloyd smiled.

"Psst!" Drench backed up to them, whispering, "Don't mind Vice, she's just a prideful grump,"

"Aye," Romsca rolled her eyes, "She's a real bitch, that's what she is,"

"No she isn't!" the Venonat responded immediately, defensive, "She's a really good Pokémon, if you just get to know her,"

"How long have you known her?" Stream raised a nonexistant eyebrow.

"For years!" Drench grinned, "We've always been together, she's like a big sister to me!" he beamed at the Fraxure, "She practically raised me!" he looked down, and sighed, "She was the only one who would..."

"Oh," the Ducklett blinked at this, "That sounds nice, you being able to see her soft-side, I mean," she glanced to the Mismagius, "What about Lezah?"

"Her? Well, we've only known her for a few months," he flushed, "She joined our team around the time we joined the guild. She's been a valuable member ever since,"

"Huh, reminds me of Lloyd," Romsca smiled, "Me and me mate, Stream, here were on our way to join the guild before we met Lloyd, heheh," she snickered, "Poor little pipsqueak was totally lost!"

"Yes, I was, hahaha," the Mudkip laughed nervously.

"Hmm? That's interesting," the Venonat contemplated this, "So, how were you two before you met Lloyd?"

"Us?" Stream smiled, putting a wing over Romsca's shoulders, "Why we were best friends," she rested her head against the Helioptile's, "Practically sisters!"

"Ya bet we are!" the Helioptile grinned at her friend.

"That's sweet," Drench smiled at them, before turning to Lloyd, "What about you? What were you like before you met them?"

"Who, me?!" the Mudkip's eyes widened, "Oh, uhh... I... I..." he removed his tailfin from the Ducklett's back and used it to hide his head from view, "I... I don't want to talk about it..."

His friends raised their nonexistant eyebrows, and he flushed. Besides, it's not like I remember enough to tell them much anyway. All I know is that I used to be human, and... He thought over his memories. A... A Pokémon Biologist... No... a... a Pokémon Professor in training! Yes! I remember now, I was an in training Pokémon Professor! He grinned at the recollection. That's why I was able to easily identify Larz's bite marks on the apple! I was training to be a Pokémon Professor! It makes sense now! With that memory returned to him, he began recalling more knowledge. Within his memories he found new information. The main information he found were lists of Pokémon organized into many different ways, and knowledge of the Pokémon themselves, be it appearance, height, natural habits, weight, types, move pools, habitats, egg groups and breeding practices-

He paused at this last one, "Uhh... Drench?"

"Hmm?" the Venonat, who had started another conversation with Stream and Romsca, turned to him, "What?"

"Those Galvantula, they seemed very aggressive, yet they weren't too close to their web when we saw them, do you know why?"

"Of course I do," Drench nodded, "I'm very knowledgeable about other species of the Bug-type, which is why I knew you'd be in trouble. Those Galvantulas get REALLY aggressive around mating season,"

"!" Stream and Romsca froze, "What?!"

"Ah, thought so," Lloyd sighed, "And they were so angry at us because-"

"Yeah," the Venonat interrupted, "You either came upon them when they were collecting food for their young, or you just interrupted their 'private time',"

"Ew!" Romsca and Stream recoiled at the thought, while Lloyd merely groaned at their experience.