The familiar scent of chocolate dough buns was on the verge of suffocating Sia more than lost strands of fur in her bedding. The fur on her tummy felt like pins and needles, despite the several days of rest. Carefully, she rolls onto her back for a morning stretch, but regrets it when a sharp twinge strikes her hind legs. Can't stay in bed any longer, I'm tired of doing almost nothing for myself. I'm no princess, Sia thought. She finds it sweet that Tuff and Buff visit her in the mornings, declaring the rescue team duties good as done until she feels better. She didn't actually believe the brothers would do much without her, but she has no choice. Besides, being able to breathe and talk without pain is "better" enough for Sia, enough to get her moving.
Sia glances over to her satchel, her tattered clothing hanging beside it, mental scars of that mission came rushing back. A simple exploration mission worth tons of cash, something she needs for more supplies. She couldn't believe she let herself become so vulnerable, working herself to the bone despite the leniency Baron gives rescue teams for rent. Sia feels robbed, not only of her belongings, but of her self-worth. How could she call herself the leader of a rescue team if her team left their leader to the wilds? Deflated, Sia makes her way to the kitchen of the flat and begins searching the cupboards for some kind of breakfast. Sia scrunches her snoot; there's hardly anything in there! In the corner of the nearly barren cupboard, a single pygmy apple catches her attention, its red hue brightening the cabinet space.
As she sits on the couch, Sia takes calculated bites out of the tiny fruit, figuring the brothers wouldn't be back anytime soon. Sia glances at her torso, gently prodding the bandages across her body. Maybe this wasn't such a great idea after all. I can't do this alone, and the boys definitely can't. Ugh...life hasn't been very good to me. I like Twiligleam city, I like the mons, and the different things to do. But my team is in shambles, and I'm no leader. A tear flies past the apple before Sia scarfs it down, a little tap splashes against the floor.
"Why can't anything go right for me! It's not fair…" Sia wallows. In the absence of roommates and luxury of noise reduction in the housing, Sia lets her feelings out to the walls around her. Her tension drips from her face like a waterfall as the room melts into a blur. Thankfully, solitude provides the perfect blanket for wallowing in the glow of the morning sun. After a few minutes, Sia whimpers, stopping her tears to groom her fur. She is careful with her bruises and aching spots as she tries to fix her bed fur.
Pompf, pompf, pompf! Goes the front door. The knocks are done with care, quiet enough to not scare Sia. Somebody soft came to visit.
Sia hastily readjusts herself, shaking her fur. In her haste, she bashes a hind paw on the coffee table getting off the couch. "Ah! H-hold on!" The visitor pays no mind to the wait.
Sia opens the door to the familiar sight of her neighbors, Flint and Meira. Beside them are an assortment of boxes that look like presents. Sia eyeballs the boxes before quickly turning her attention to her visitors. Her tail curves into an 'S' shape, her curiosity growing.
"Howdy, Sia!" Both Flint and Meira chime.
"Hey, Flint, Meira. Nice to see you two," Said Sia.
Trying to find her manners, Sia gestures for the pair to come in. She can't keep her eyes off the boxes; there's a little more to this visit than a friendly check-up, it seems. The trio makes their way back to the living room, with Flint dragging a mountain of boxes by his teeth. Sia's fur grows damp when she remembers she has no refreshments to offer, instead offering a seat anywhere her neighbors like. Flint has no qualms sitting on the floor, Meira scooting beside him as she readjusts her scarf. Sia's tail droops to the floor too, flabbergasted by her neighbors. Really? The couch is right there...I guess, Sia sniffs.
Sia joins her neighbors, sitting across from them. She leans against the coffee table, adjusting her sitting to relieve pressure on her hind legs. She continues adjusting herself until comfortable, not noticing how long it's taking her to sit down. Flint glances around the room, noticing the monsoon of violet and charcoal fur scattered about.
Sia shrinks away. "M-most of that isn't mine. I don't stay in this room much, the boys usually do."
"Aw, hush up!" Meira smiles, picking up a smaller box. "Our place looks the same, though more yellow and cinnabar, haha! Here's a little something from Flint and I."
"A gift? Uh, thanks, but I don't deserve this."
"Well, the neat thing about gifts? You get 'em for free, Sia!"
The small box is cleanly wrapped with paper that resembles the night skies. It's light enough for Sia to hold in one paw without much worry. She tears into the box, shreds of decorative paper flying everywhere. Meira cheers her head off at the display, while Flint chuckles, unsure how to process the event in front of him. Sia opens the box to reveal two pairs of sock-like shoes, not unlike her ruined pair in her room. Without a second thought, she tries them on, looking back and forth at them on her paws with a dopey grin. For a moment, she thought about prancing around the room before soreness reminds her not to.
Flint scratches the back of an ear, twigs scattering around him. "Y'see, we felt sorry that we didn't come to rescue you that day. Anybody whose a part of these flats is family to me! So I reckoned Meira and I could do the next best thing: getting you another pair of them shoes you like. It looks like you like 'em very much!" his tail playfully washes away the mess around him.
"Shut u—" Sia bites her tongue, tail shooting up like a spike. "Sorry, sorry! Force of habit, I tell the boys to shut up. A lot."
Flint furls a brow, smirking. "Now you can get ugly with yer family, but don't get ugly with us. We'll take the rest of the gifts back if you're gonna be like that."
Suddenly, Sia felt like a bundle of nerves. Her mind wanders to Branches and Roots, the pair of Mew that appeared in her dream. Hearing Flint and Meira's voices made Sia think about the Mew's mysterious visiting. It's been a while since the Mew visited her dreamscape. Sia wonders if their prophetic views on her brothers would come true, more than it already seems to have. Without noticing, Sia began tearing through another gift box, mind going in every direction.
"Hey Sia?? Sia!" Meira waves a paw in front of Sia's snoot.
Sia blankly glances at the near perfect replica of her old scarf. "Huh? Oh, I was uh, thinking."
"Flint and I were fixin' to ask how you've been! After a few days of relaxing, you're probably feeling like it's time to get back to dungeon crawlin', right?"
"I'm fine, I guess. Sore all over, but I'm alive," Sia picks at her bandages. "Dungeons? Uhh...dunno if it's a good idea, but the boys went to one."
"Oh, really? Must've been a quick mission, cuz Meira and I stopped at Granny's to get you something, and they were there," Flint nudges Sia a box with a bow and plaid decorations. "Seems like they been there a while, I reckon since this morning."
Sia's eyes dart between Flint and Meira like a metronome, before unleashing a huge groan. Every morning since she returned, Tuff and Buff promised to take care of daily duties, returning with farfetched feats of dungeon crawling. After Flint's incidental confession, Sia knew exactly what kind of "mission" her brothers are off on. She stomps her paws against the floor in anger, before recoiling in pain.
"Tuffen and Buffer have some damn nerve!"
"Annnnnd stay out!" A ghastly voice shrieked. "We do not allow thieves in this establishment. I, Oolong, declare that you two are banned from Granny's for a week henceforth!"
A ball of purple and gray busts through the doors of Granny Fritta's café, slamming into the ground of the district. Buff recomposes himself, batting away stray dirt and his brother's fur before huffing. Tuff stayed put, licking away the chocolate mess covering his face.
"Who needs your stuck up café, anyway! There's better choco buns at home, anyway!" Buff grumbles.
Tuff finally stands, shaking himself clean. "But Buffer, we bought the buns from here, remember?"
"Duh, dummy! We're already got some, so we don't need their snooty services."
"Oh yeah, heh! Say, how long till Big Sis starts doing missions again? We're running low…"
"Guess we'll have to see. She seemed pretty mobile today. C'mon, let's go deliver the news about our "mission", Tuff."
Banished for dining and dashing, the Rattata brothers had no choice but to return to Baron's flats. Lying to Sia's face became a tradition over the week, as Tuff and Buff splurged away money left over from Sia's missions. Their plan to live the high life in Twiligleam city's going swimmingly, despite the strain it puts on their team leader. But that didn't matter to the brothers, so long as their big sister kept money flowing.
As the brothers enter the flat lobby, Team Burning Thunder Splash pass by them, glaring holes into their fur. Buff simply brushed off their piercing gazes, while Tuff's fur grew damp. What's with the weird looks? There's no way these guys know we're part of Sia's team. Never met them before, Buff thinks. The brothers continue past the bulletin board towards the stairs, looking at every Mon they pass. They make their way up to the second floor, and as they reached their flat's door, Tuff swears he hears hurricanes from inside.
"Ohh, great," said Buff.
"Maybe Big Sis feels better?" Tuff reasons.
Suddenly, the door flies open, nearly bursting off its hinges as a puffy ball of purple fur stands in the doorway.
"Maybe 'big sis' is just feeling pissed!" Sia roars. "This whole time I'm thinking my brothers could do anything right for once, but nooooo, you two had to mess it up!"
Buff frowned, mustache-like whiskers twitching. "We told you, we don't like doing rescue missions, so-"
"Nah, nah, shut up! You both wanted to start this team with me, so it's all of our responsibility to be a part of it. What, you think I like coming home lookin' like a punching bag?!"
Tuff twiddled his paws. "But Big Sis, you wanted to do this cuz you-"
"Oi! If you lot have issues, please take it into your flat or outside the building!" Baron, who came from upstairs, interjects.
Unlike the flats, the hallways aren't built with special material of any kind, causing troves of other residents to peek out their doors at the commotion. Flint and Meira stepped out of their residency, fur on ends at the commotion. Tuff and Buff walk towards their flat door, only to be met with Sia's paw as she turned to close the door behind her. She places a key in her satchel and adjusts her scarf with a huff.
"C'mon, we're going out front," said Sia.
Sia moved past the Rattata, signaling them to follow. When they kept standing in front of their flat's door, Sia caught their tails in her mouth, and began dragging them down the hall. Sick of the routine, the boys pull their tails free and reluctantly follow their Big Sis down the hall, their eyes glued to the ground. Sia gave no thought to the prying eyes of her neighbors; She's hurt, she's sore, and she's bitter, like black coffee. Her "brothers" pushed her to the limits of her kindness, something she barely had.
Flint and Meira trail behind Team Hope, putting their noses where they didn't belong. Baron, after reassuring the rest of the residents regarding the situation, quickly follows as well. If things got ugly, he did not want his or any of his resident's namesakes attached to controversy. As Team Hope exit the lobby of Baron's flats, the trio step into the grass, with Sia and the brothers facing one another. Sia notices the small crowd that followed them to the front and nearly has to nail her feet to the ground to stop herself from running away. She takes a deep breath, loosening up a little in an effort to keep her temper down.
"We're moving out of Baron's place, effective now. Thought it was a good idea, to try and do something that wouldn't get us arrested for once. But obviously we can't do that. The minute I'm out of commission, you two go right back to commitin' crimes," Sia sighs.
Buff huffs. "We're not going anywhere! Just cuz you couldn't handle a few missions doesn't mean squat."
Tuff bluffs. "Wow, I never realized how much Big Sis whines,"
"I'm literally right here!" Sia curves her spine, tail standing tall. "And neither of you can do anything about it. I'm the team leader, and I'm disbanding the team!"
"What a shame. To think you'd wanna go back to being mere street trash," said Buff.
Sia's blood became frozen. She reluctantly asks Buff to repeat himself, only to be struck by his words again. She couldn't understand why somebody she cares for is so quick to belittle and hurt her. Her eyes meet Tuff's, who repeats his brother's words. Street trash.
"H-How the hell are either of you calling me 'street trash'! I let the two of you stay with me, so you two wouldn't be any better! I could've just kicked both your asses and took your stuff, but I was nice! ...Look where being nice got me," Sia winces, turning away from the crowd.
"Wait, Big Sis, you actually think we had nowhere to go like you!?" Tuff busts into laughter.
Sia steps back, nearly stumbling over her feet. "Whuh? Stop being stupid. We're done being a team. After all that, we're done knowing each other."
"Aww, what's wrong? Is our tough sister Sia, the dumb, annoying, stinky pest, going to run away?" Buff looms over Sia.
"Big sister? More like big sewage! I'm surprised we don't hurl anytime she enters a room! P.U.!" Tuff covers his nose with his scarf.
"S-Shut up! I don't have to take this crap, I'm out!" Sia turns away to walk towards Baron, whose speaking with Flint and Meira.
Swish!
She felt it in her bones. Something sharp strikes Sia's side, slashing her satchel off her body. The contents within spilled onto the lawn, including their room key. Sia whined in pain, tensing her sore body before turning back to Tuff and Buff, who ready another assault.
"You may want to go back to being a homeless loser, but we're more than that. We don't want to be nobodies, and it baffles me that you'd want to," Buff says in a matter-of-fact tone.
Maybe it was the claws that dug into her swollen ribcage. Maybe it was the several days of grueling missions with no help or assistance from her team. Maybe it was the harsh words her former brothers called her. The world around Sia became a liquid mess, as droplets ran down her face.
Her voice barely crawls out. "So…so what if I was homeless? S-so what if I had to be an outlaw to survive? So what…" She turns to face the Rattata.
"Aww, look at her! Hahah, what a crybaby!" Buff teases.
"S-so what…" Sia began to shake.
"Our big baby! She'll just have to keep up the missions by herself, crying all the way!" Tuff cackles.
"Sh…" Sia can hardly make a sound, her body won't sit still.
As Tuff and Buff inch closer, readying a Fury Swipes combo, Sia does what all Stunky do best: blast with spray. If Tuff really felt like hurling anytime he's around her, she made his twisted dream come true. A dark cloud of SmokeScreen covers the area with a smell like of old cheese and rafflesia. The Rattata brothers step off, covering their snoots with their scarfs before jumping back in. What they didn't expect a blubbering Sia swinging wildly with LashOut to knock them away.
Before long, Sia's minor weeps grow into deep sobs, having no reason to hold back. The prying eyes of Team Harmony, Baron and any other bystanders couldn't make her stuff her feelings into a box. But a sore body being thrown around by pure emotion only lead to extreme pins and needles. Sia falls flat on her side, rapid breaths escape her mouth as tears stream into the grass below. She holds a paw to her ribs once more. And as she grazes the pain, she glances at the Rattata brothers, and for a moment, she could've sworn an eye is floating above them. A familiar eye.
The brothers creep closer, snickering at the pathetic display their once proud team leader has been reduced to. Tuff and Buff stand over Sia, juggling around various items from her satchel like toys. Buff scrapes his teeth together, before swinging his fangs down towards his target.
Kaswoosh!
An iridescent ember swipes Buff's face, leaving a crimson spot on his jaw. His mustache-like whisker wilts and falls to the ground, burnt to ash.
Kathoom!
An iridescent thunderbolt crashes from the skies above, which has suddenly grown gray. Through the clouds of SmokeScreen, a yellow and cinnabar fox-like mon steps into the fray, a yellow mouse-like mon to his side. Their composure is steel, standing with the might of deities as a force field generates around the flat's grassy lawns.
Notes: I never noticed that huge error in the earlier version of this chapter, glad to have fixed it.
(Old Notes) After careful consideration of length, I've decided to split the chapter! Originally, this would've included the rest of the final scene, but I think the pacing of this chapter's got a lot going on already. So, Sia's haunting secret's finally revealed! You're probably wondering how exactly a world where literally anybody can just make a Rescue Team could have a problem like homelessness. Well...why not? Ideally, there wouldn't be, but if the game lore and how Pokémon outside of dungeons is anything to go by, it's entirely plausible. What you should wonder about is the iridescence of Team Harmony's attacks!! What's that about? Who knows!
Fun facts about Team Hope: Sia, Tuff and Buff were originally reoccurring outlaws real early into the drafts for this fic, and this chapter's an homage to that idea. They are still former outlaws, but in a different sense. Sia's name originates from Rafflesia, so it's pronounced "She-ah". It's also why one of her signature things is her skunk spray being compared to that legendary stink plant! Tuffen's name is the corruption of the word "Toughen', while Buffer's is pretty self-explanatory. Finally, I imagine Sia sounds something like Lee Kanker from EEnE or the Fem Choo Choo from Jellystone tone-wise. It just seems fitting for Stunky's design.