Chapter 49: Unexpected Guest
Just when things would get worse, the Senior Head showed up, stopping the escape. Thanks to Moody and Zamenza, they managed to allow the others to escape, only to face the same problem once again. Due to Zamenza's quick thinking and strategy along with the help of Wire and Ulysses, they defeated the Senior Head and managed to get away. However, they received an unexpected guest on Moby's back.
The guest in question was a female Skitty with an unusual black coat. Just who is she? Is she friend or foe? What are her-
Skitty: *frustration mark* What do you mean "Who the hell is this"?! I'm Samantha!
Moody: *frustration mark* I don't give a rat's-
Before Moody could finish his sentence, Zamenza had to interrupt him with a…
Zamenza: Moody! Children!
Moody: …Oh. Sorry, grandson…Charles…
Happy: Grandpa, what does "hell" mean?
Everyone except Moody and the Skitty named Samantha facepalmed in disappointment.
Moody: *sweat drop* …Uh…It's a uh…special place for Pokemon to go to.
Zamenza: Never mind that, Happy. Now, young lady, your name was-
Samantha: Are you deaf, you old fart?! I said my name already!
Moody: Now young lady, don't-
Samantha: Shut up!
Moody could only stand in disbelief, knowing that this was someone he had to cuss out. Not to mention, he was older, and her attitude towards him showed disrespect.
Moody: …Excuse you?
Samantha: You already questioned me about my name! Don't wear it out like a rag on a clothesline!
Moody: *growls* …Ungrateful little-
Happy: What kind of Pokemon are you?
Samantha: Hmph. Only a child would ask that question. I'm a Skitty. Don't ask, just know that.
Unhaus: Boy, she's straight to the point, ain't she?
Tanner: Tell me about it.
Moody looked to explode at any second now, but due to Happy and Charles, he was forced to keep his swearing under a lid.
Zamenza: (...A Skitty, huh…? I thought most of them lived in the Terrabenie…Why would one be here…?)
Tanner: Miss Samantha, if I may ask, why are you here with us?
Samantha: I've got nowhere else to go. My home was burned whilst living in that village where the market once was.
Baye and her parents, who were on Lydia the Lapras, chimed in on the conversation.
Baye: Would you be talking about…Husbandry Village?
Samantha: Yeah, that's the one.
Maga: …We saw what happened there, and as a result, we were taken away…
Chibi: It was awful…
She then nuzzled Baye, which was somewhat embarrassing to her whilst continuing with...
Chibi: But thank goodness you're alright, sweetie!
Baye: *sweat drop* Uh, Mom…? No need to do that…
Maga: Sweetheart, lay off her. She doesn't need any pampering.
Zamenza: If you don't mind me asking, what were you guys doing?
Maga: We were on our way to the Pokken Arts Tournament as my job was recommended there for sales among the Pokemon. My boss thought that it would be the perfect place to earn more money and promote the market. But, you know what happened next…
Honori, who was perched on Maga's back, cawed in response.
Baye: So…that means…That's why we spotted Honori during our escape from the tournament…
Chibi: We sent him to you in case something happened to us.
Moody: I must say, that's an interesting Mutant Pokemon you got. I've heard Marokrow are extremely rare to obtain, especially in the wild. How did you manage to get one, if you don't mind me asking?
Maga: …Well, it was a uh…interesting turn of events…You see, one day at my job, Honori was nothing more than a helpless chick at the time. He was severely malnourished and was neglected by his parents. So I decided to take him in as part of our family, and he's been a really helpful guy ever since.
Unhaus: Wow…Never did I think that something could have it far worse than me…
Zamenza: But, from my understanding, Marokrow evolve into Honchkrak, don't they? I guess the guy never wanted to evolve, huh?
Maga: No…That's actually a good point. But I guess he's happy at his size.
Honori cawed in response as he flapped his wings before picking at them with his beak, cooing all the while everyone began to smile at him.
Tanner: He's such a loyal pet. Even in the face of danger, he's willing to go to great lengths to help. He did that while trying to find Baye as he avoided Dirty Delinquent machine gun fire.
Maga: *laughs* Marokrow have exceptional sense of feeling. The slightest change in the air allows them to avoid danger with quick reaction.
Unhaus: So, he's kind of like me. I've learned to sense changes in the air over time.
Eve: It helps with knowing the temperature too!
Moody: You know, I was wondering…What about the tournament? Will it continue?
Charles: Hey, that's right! We still have a tournament to finish!
Zamenza: …I don't think the tournament will continue for a while…There's still Dirty Delinquent soldiers around in the world.
Happy: Aw…
Tanner: So, does that mean we can't go back home?
Zamenza: We can, but we would have to find a new location.
Unhaus: …Darn…
Zamenza: Do not worry. If there are Dirty Delinquent soldiers to fight, I'll make sure to stop them.
Tengu: Don't forget me. I can take them on too.
Unhaus: Yeah, we're all fighters, aren't we? We can take them on!
Mr. P: If the Senior Head was taken down, we can still do it. We can return the world the way it was before.
The other fighters on the ship overheard the conversation and responded with cheers.
Deion: Those mortals won't know what hit them.
Dylan: We're ready to take them down!
Morgan: And kick their…um…butts…whilst we're at it!
Lydia: So it's settled then. We'll go to separate places around the world to defeat them, right? All we have to do is take down the leaders and the rest will fall afterwards.
The entire crew cheered in response, knowing of what their plan was. However, both Happy and Charles began to yawn, which meant that it was getting really late.
Moody: Sounds like it's someone's bedtime.
Zamenza began yawning as well, followed by other Pokemon except Samantha, who didn't even look worse for wear.
Zamenza: …Actually, I need some sleep as well. Looks like everyone needs some sleep.
Moody: Hmm…I guess rest is important…I mean, we evaded danger for the time being. I think we deserve to rest for now…At least we can put that jailhouse experience behind us…
...
Back at the Dirty Delinquents docks, Lasanne stood watch as she saw Ogre Darner flying from the direction the Senior Head went. As it got closer to where she was, its wings stirred up dust and waves of the ocean around her, which didn't even faze her in the slightest. However, when Ogre Darner opened his mouth, he spat out what appeared to be the unconscious Senior Head himself barely clinging to life and burnt in some places.
She wondered what happened to him as this was something she didn't expect to see him being defeated like this. But at the same time, she had something else in mind…
Lasanne: …I wonder if I can harvest his organs…
Lee Way and Chan Way then headed to the docks after taking Major Cinnamon to Block X, to which they got a surprise seeing the Senior Head in such a bad state.
Chan Way: S-Senior Head!
They ran over to his side and checked his body, which was severe in their eyes.
Lee Way: What happened?
Lasanne: I saw a bright electric flash, and then Ogre Darner went to fetch him out on the ocean. I even heard him scream. I was gonna see what his organs looked like, but-
Chan Way: Miss, this is no time for your sick jokes! We have to bring him to Block H immediately! The rest of the soldiers are there as well thanks to backup medical staff. And-
He then noticed the body of Doctor Sorbet, which made his eyes wide in shock.
Chan Way: …I-Is that…Doctor Sorbet…?
Lee Way: I should've told you. He's dead.
Lasanne: Can I have his corpse for free?
Chan Way: *frustration mark* No! What is wrong with you?! Who even are you?!
Lee Way: *sweat drop* Uh, brother…She's our assassin.
Chan Way then looked towards Lasanne with disbelief, as if he couldn't see it before looking back at his brother.
Chan Way: …Eh? Her? She doesn't look like one.
Lasanne: Looks can kill.
Chan Way: …Ooooooookay…I'll take that as "proof". You two go ahead and escort the Senior Head to Block H to be treated. I'll bury Doctor Sorbet…
Ten minutes later, they were in Block H, which appeared to be a medical facility filled with Pokemon wearing pink cloaks who were capable of treating others thanks to both powers and equipment. Beds were lined across the rooms filled with cloaked Pokemon in bandages as pink cloaked Pokemon were treating them. Among the Pokemon there that were recognizable, only Chilli, Sushi, Sid Seudo and Colonel Hummus were there next to the Senior Head.
The Senior Head's presence alone drew the attention of the staff, but more worry and concern crossed their minds as seeing him in such a state meant that the Pokemon he faced were tougher.
Chan Way: …This is all my fault…I…I was…I was a coward…I should've stopped them…! I should've gotten up and-
Lee Way then placed a hand on his brother's shoulder, reassuring him of his misplaced guilt.
Lee Way: Brother, you are not to blame. You did what was necessary. If anything, it's the Senior idiot's fault.
Chan Way: W-What?! Lee Way, why place blame on-
Lee Way: You know as well as I do that if the Senior idiot was knocked out like this, then he's to blame for what happened and is also quite foolish.
Chan Way: (...Lee Way…Is this what Colonel Hummus meant…?)
A Pokemon that approached the Senior Head's side standing on a green Avalugg was a female red Stufful that had a heart shape for the face and wore a pink cloak carrying the symbol of the Dirty Delinquents, only it seemed to be more like the late doctor's logo as it lacked the signature "DD" on it.
Stufful: I suggest that you don't say words you don't mean in front of the Senior Head.
Lee Way: *shrugs* …Fine.
Lasanne: This is boring. Can I leave now?
Lee Way: Not yet.
Lasanne: *sighs* Fine. Maybe I can see which Pokemon bites the dust and claim their organs for myself.
She then walked off to another section of the room whilst the brothers turned to the red Stufful for a report.
Chan Way: Well, Doctor Parfait? How severe is it?
Parfait: …Considering the amount of electricity he sustained, I'm surprised his heart didn't stop. Taking on two Zap Cannons would probably be enough to end any Flying type Pokemon's life. Not to mention, him managing to stay afloat the ocean without sinking is a miracle.
Chan Way: …What about the others?
Parfait: Well, Sergeant Sushi appears to have suffered damage from an Ice Drill attack, whilst for Sergeant Olive, he suffered from multiple vine strikes and kicks to his stomach, which could've broken him.
She then looked towards Colonel Hummus, who didn't seem to be as injured like everyone else was whilst continuing her sentence.
Parfait: …As for Colonel Hummus, it's kind of strange. She doesn't appear to be hurt, but she can't seem to wake up. It's almost as if someone shut her entire brain down…
Chan Way: Is that even possible?!
Parfait then stared at Chan Way with a rather serious look on her face.
Parfait: …Anything's possible in our world if you think about it. (...Dumbass…)
Chan Way: U-Um…Parfait…?
Parfait: Yeah?
Chan Way: …Doctor Sorbet…
She then perked up in response, as if she was more familiar with the Pokemon.
Parfait: …What happened?
Lee Way: He's dead. One of the escaped prisoners did it.
Parfait then looked down in despair, showing some emotion hearing the news.
Parfait: …Oh…I see…
Chan Way: …We're sorry. We know how much he meant to you in terms of being-
Parfait: No, no. I…I was hoping that we'd be together a little while longer…To at least…Never mind…At least he left a little something behind for the future…
Lee Way and Chan Way looked at each other with eyes raised before returning their gaze toward Parfait, wondering what she meant.
Chan Way: What do you mean?
Parfait: …It's nothing. Look, you boys are Brigadiers, right? Why not try getting back at the Pokemon that did this to the Senior Head and our comrades?
Lee Way: …Might as well.
Chan Way: …How long will it take for the Senior Head to recover?
Parfait: …Considering his state…I'd say a week. We're treating him as of right now, and that's how long it would take…give or take. As for the others…probably a day or two. I don't know.
Chan Way: …Alright.
Lee Way: We'll do what we can.
Parfait: Oh, and boys…One more thing…Could you…stop by the Genetics Lab in Block L and retrieve something…like a capsule with the words "HX-1"? Sorbet had invented it and it would be a waste for it to not be used to its fullest. I believe it'll help one of you out.
Lee Way: Alright. We'll also probably find a way to get Project Meta working…
Chan Way: (…Senior Head…)
Lee Way: Let's go.
Chan Way: Gotcha. (...It's best to keep a lid on things until then…But first, there's something we have to take care of…)
...
Four hours later, everyone went their separate ways around the world. For the most part, Happy and friends returned back to their home as Moby parked at the spot near Zamenza's House, which was somewhat further away from Husbandry Village. This would be a change of pace…if it didn't involve some "hindrance" of others as they were in Zamenza's House for…some reason…
Samantha: Where the hell are we?! And why does it smell like someone's taken a dump in here?!
Zamenza: It's my house. Mind your manners, would you?
Samantha: "Manners"?! I wanted to knock out some Dirty Delinquent butt! Why are we here?!
Moody: Because…this is where you all have to stay.
Unhaus: Huh?
Samantha: Are you treating me like a child?! I'm capable of knocking a few heads loose!
Moody: (...Lord, stand by me before I lose my temper on this female cat…)
Zamenza: We need some Pokemon to look after Happy and Charles.
Charles: But old man, we can kick some butt too!
Eve: Unhaus can handle them too!
Tanner: Even I can!
Zamenza: I know, but the world's still too dangerous at the moment. I'd rather the children be here under the watchful eye of Pokemon older than you and leave things like this in the hands of us adults.
Moody: It's only for some time. I don't know how long it will take, but for the tournament to keep going, we'd have to stop the rampant forces of the Dirty Delinquents…
Zamenza: But we will say this. If a cloaked Pokemon does appear, don't hesitate to fight back. For now, just continue your daily lives.
Happy: But Grandpa! That's not fair!
Moody: I know it isn't, but you'll have to wait. It's too dangerous out there.
Tanner: Happy, why not train here? I mean, we should be ready in case some of them do show up.
Maga: *nods* Sounds like a good idea. Might need the practice.
Happy: …Alright.
Zamenza: …With that said, we're off.
A moment later, Zamenza and Moody hopped back on Moby and sailed off as everyone waved and said their goodbyes before heading back inside. As Zamenza and Moody sailed off into the distance, the remaining Pokemon looked back at Husbandry village, which still had some smoke brimming from the distance. It still reminded them of the Dirty Delinquents' impact on the world as they took over without a warning.
Eve: …T…They've gone…too far…
Tanner: …I can't believe they've gotten away with taking over the world…A world where jobs and money don't exist…I don't even want to know what that's like…
Maga: I wonder if I've been fired from my job yet…
Baye: Dad!
Chibi: Sweetheart! How could you say something like that at a time like this?
Maga: Well, I've got you guys to worry about, so-
Samantha: *grins* Heh. Doesn't sound so bad to me. At least I can get something without worrying who's going to tackle me down for stealing.
Unhaus: Wait, you're an orphan?
Samantha: Do I look like I have parents? I've been raised from the streets, and in my world it's fending for yourself.
Unhaus: Interesting…
Tanner kept looking at Samantha, realizing something about her that seemed to be strange to him.
Tanner: …Samantha…
Samantha: …What?
Tanner: …You know, I've never seen a Skitty like you before.
Maga: Come to think of it, I've heard that most of them reside in the Terrabenie, but rarely elsewhere. Were you…abandoned…?
Samantha looked down despondently at the ground as her ears drooped, appearing that she had something to say.
Samantha: …You could…say that. Truth is, I was forgotten…
Eve: Forgotten?
Samantha: …As you can tell, I'm a black Skitty. Such a color is rare and is looked down upon in the Terrabenie. They think it's evil and associate it with bad luck, or an omen of death…
Unhaus: That's very discriminative of them…
Samantha: That's not even half of it. When I was born, my parents took one good look at me and dropped me elsewhere, which is here. Didn't even know about them until I was a teenager. They didn't even care about me. They'd rather pretend that they didn't have a daughter, so here I am. At least I've made friends with other Pokemon from here.
Charles: (…That makes me wonder…Did my parents think the same way…?)
Happy: Unhaus, what does "discriminative" mean?
Unhaus: It means to be unfair to a certain type of Pokemon…
Maga: …That's the reality of the world…Never ending discrimination…
Chibi: That's awful! How could they do such a thing?!
Samantha: I dunno. But enough of the sad mood. Does the old fart have food in here?
Charles: I don't think so.
Samantha: Then off to the market I go. I'll be as stealthy as a carpet.
Tanner: Are you sure about that?
Samantha: Come on! I ain't a weak pussycat! I've got a few swipes in my claws. I'll be back in no time flat.
Samantha rushed out the door, moving as quickly as a…cat would. They went outside to at least train a bit to pass the time, with Happy and Charles being trained by Tanner as the Maga family watched from afar, whilst Unhaus took to the skies for agility enhancement with Eve watching him. Unbeknownst to them, a cloaked Dirty Delinquent member from behind a tree noticed them, apparently calling for some aid.
?: Number 323 here. I need assistance. There seems to be some Pokemon out and about here.
...