Treasure Town
Treasure Town - Morning
There was a busy sound that echoed through the streets of Treasure Town. Cheerful hellos and merry waves greeted shop owners and their customers. It felt like a mall...no...
Open stalls displaying the day's wares, sellers and business owners catering directly to their customers and clients, the un-rushed bustle of the crowd - all of it reminding her of the few times she went to the farmer's market with...well, probably one of her nicer families.
The good memories were harder to remember.
Snorunt introduced them to the stalls, it let them know their function and whether or not their owner/seller/manager was in town. Regina scoffed at the little "tour," but Emma filed every tidbit into her memory, tangents and all.
They had zigzagged through the town, skipping over the odd chameleon looking stand. Apparently Snorunt had done that intentionally, because the three now stood in front of the open shop looking at accessories.
"This is a waste of time," Regina sighed as the ice-type perused the scarves and ribbons.
Snorunt simply smiled. "You're so sweet, but really, I insist on getting you started off properly!" It cheered. "Teams usually get a kit before they register at a guild. I'm sure I can get you qualified as a trained team!"
Regina sighed. "Why does the triangle insist on ignoring everything we say?" Emma shrugged, earning a rather concerned look from Regina. "Aren't you tired?"
"I guess," she responded. Emma was so tired that she wasn't, she had gotten so little sleep and too much adrenaline these past few days that her body had decided that sleep was a danger. So sleep would not be coming anytime soon. "I'll be okay."
Shooting Emma a look of dubious disbelief, Regina let it go...sort of. "Well, I'm tired, so I'd like to find a place to sleep."
Snorunt blinked. "Oh! I'm sorry, I completely forgot. I just..." It sighed and handed them a dark blue scarf and a red bandana. "I got these for you."
Regina huffed, throwing the scarf around her neck. "There can we go now?"
Emma allowed the ice-type to tie the red cloth around her neck, instructing Snorunt to leave the knot on the front. It covered the upper half of her body like a little cape. 'Quite fitting for a "hero,"' she thought. 'Henry would love this.'
"Yes!" Snorunt beamed. "This way."
It lead them to a cliff, earning an exasperated look from Regina. "This is the place we're going to sleep?"
Ignoring the indignation, Snorunt led them down some stairs and into an open cave sparsely filled with furniture. "Welcome to Sharpedo Bluff! It's not much, but I inherited this from my Team's old leaders. They're retired now, but we still use this place sometimes. Rest here, I need to go back to the market."
The ralts sneered at the hay-beds. "Really? This is disgusting."
"It's a bed, Regina," Emma mumbled as she crawled onto a pile of fresh hay. "Just get some rest." Though the light of day filtered into the cave just fine, the cave shaded them perfectly from direct sunlight. Finally feeling safe, the eevee fell asleep in seconds.
Still complaining, Regina followed the Savior's example. Much to her chagrin, she was out as soon as her head met the hay. Her last thoughts were of Henry, and how happy he'd be when they got back home.
Sharpedo Bluff - Noon
Emma woke several hours later to the sun breaching the Sharpedo's eyes. Emma stretched with a yawn. "What time is it?" She asked absentmindedly. She turned to the still sleeping Regina, and barely swallowed the surprise. 'Right, we're Pokémon right now,' she reminded herself. 'Got to get used to that.'
She shook herself on instinct, and stalked over to the pool. The water looked and smelled clean, so she did her best to grab a cup. Luckily, the utensils had been made with eevees in mind. The water tasted lovely, but rest time was over...she should probably wake Regina.
The only question was how to wake the ralts without getting a fireball to the face.
To Emma's relief, the psychic-type pushed herself off the bed. She adjusted her scarf and shuffled over to the water pool. "Is that clean?" Regina sniffed.
"It is to my nose," Emma replied.
Regina accepted that, and swiped a cup for herself. "I miss coffee."
The eevee blinked. "Right," she spoke unsurely. "We should go find Snorunt."
Regina nodded, and motioned for Emma to lead the way.
Treasure Town - Afternoon
They found Snorunt in front of Duskull bank, having an animated, yet one-sided conversation. To Duskull's credit, he did seem to be following along. "Is that them?" He asked in a dry, wispy voice.
Snorunt turned around and nodded. "That's them."
Regina smiled sweetly. "Are you talking about us?" She asked, her voice dripping in venomous sweetness.
"That's right! I set up an account for you! Here and at Kangaskhan's Storage," Snorunt cheered. "I was also thinking about getting you a plot of land. Come on!"
Emma carefully avoided the exasperated look Regina shot her way. Visible eyes or not, the foxlike Pokémon could just tell it was there. Huh...did she forget to tell Regina they were forming an exploration team? It seemed kind of obvious...
"Miss Swan," she began in that same, venomously sweet tone, "what is going on?"
"Remember when you stopped for that three hour break?" Emma asked. "Well...I sort of asked about the exploring stuff...it makes sense to start one, seeing as we need to find a way home."
They followed Snorunt out of Treasure Town, past an impressive staircase and down a sectioned off hole. "Welcome to Spinda's Café," Snorunt announced. "Here you'll find many Pokémon resting from their explorations. If you have a hard job, the Pokémon here might be able to give you some good hints!"
It lead them to a counter manned by two blue blobs. "This is Wynaut and Wobbuffet," the Snorunt explained. "They run the recycle shop, buuuuut they also have a nice plot of land for sale."
"Not for sale," Wynaut corrected. "It's a lottery prize." The smaller blob seemed rather proud.
"Waaabuffet!"
Their guide seemed to deflate. "But Wynaut, last week -"
"The recycle shop does lottery," Wynaut nodded. "It's fairer that way."
Snorunt promised to be "right back," and rushed out of the café.
Regina huffed. "We don't need it," she groused. "I thought we were trying to find a way home."
"We are," Emma insisted. "But that will take time, we need a place to stay and research."
They weren't being quiet, so naturally their plight spread throughout the café. Some slipped off, others simply watched in amusement. Though Pokémon knew evolution stage did not denote age, Emma and Regina looked like a couple of bickering kids. Adorable, bickering kids that needed a home.
Snorunt rushed back in holding a vast collection of items and many, many apples. "Here! Prism tickets please!" Snorunt cried determinately.
Wynaut counted the items and passed them the tickets, twelve in all. "Would you like to cash them in?"
For the first time since Emma met the friendly Pokémon, Snorunt spoke in a frustrated tone. "Yes," it hissed. "I'd like to cash them in."
Twenty minutes later, Snorunt sat down at a table, depressed. "I'm sorry, last week he said he was looking to sell it."
Emma sighed. "It's fine, we'll just..."
"Congratulations!" Wynaut's voice rang out. "You've won our special prize. Which one would you like to pick?"
"The land plot," a soft, commanding voice announced.
Regina huffed at the waste of time, and Emma slunk deeper into her seat. Snorunt, however, turned to the Recycle Shop desk. "Master Wigglytuff!"
"Hiya there Sno," Wigglytuff greeted. "Someone told me you're looking to get this land for some friends! Wigglytuff always knows the answer. YOOM-TAH!"
"You're the best, Master Wigglytuff!"
Emma lifted her head. "Snorunt?"
Wigglytuff's eyes widened as he spotted Emma, but his surprise quickly slipped into understanding. Snorunt ran up to the eevee with a happy smile. "Master Wigglytuff got the deed! I'm sure he'll give you a good deal for it," Snorunt spoke happily. "By the way, this is Miss Emma and Miss Regina."
Wigglytuff nodded. "I'll give it to you for..." He pouted as he thought of a fair price. Instantly his mind went to one thing... "A bag full of Perfect Apples!" Wigglytuff drooled at the thought.
Regina's head snapped up. Perfect Apples? How did they tell what apples were perfect? "May we have a sample?" She asked seriously. "I'm ashamed to admit I have never seen a Perfect Apple."
The overly dramatic gasp that fell from the guild master's lips caused many patrons to snicker. "Never?" He asked. Foraging through a bag that appeared out of nowhere.
Regina shook her head. "Never."
To her astonishment, Wigglytuff took off in a run, scrambling up the stairs yelling "Chaaatooooooot!" At the top of his lungs. Minutes later, he returned, and pantingly presented a Perfect Apple to the ralts.
Regina looked the apple over with a critical eye. The apple was larger than the ones she sampled in the small orchard she rested in yesterday. It weighed a bit heavier than it looked, suggesting a high water or sugar content. Regina smiled. "I see, this is an amazing apple." She took in a sweet, luscious aroma that exuded perfection. Oh yes, this would be unmistakable.
Emma on the other hand simply stated, "I don't get it, it's just an apple."
"Just a - this is more than just an apple!" Wigglytuff cried. "It's the most beautiful and tasty apple ever!"
Regina nodded in excitement. "The difference in quality is quite evident."
"Well, sorry if I don't know how to judge an apple. I just eat them," Emma shot back. Many café patrons, even the owner, Spinda quietly echoed Emma's statement.
Wigglytuff however, pouted.
"It's alright, I can tell the difference. I'll have your apples to you in a moment," Regina said kindly. With that, she teleported away...still holding the Perfect Apple Wigglytuff had given her.
Emma blinked. "Snorunt, didn't you say you needed an Explorer Badge to get through a dungeon?" She asked.
Snorunt nodded. "Yeah, but you and Miss Regina are Apple Woods natives! That Mystery Dungeon shouldn't affect you much at all!"
"So to us it's a normal place?" Emma clarified.
Most of the clientele nodded. There were others who muttered their confusion, and Emma was glad she didn't ask a completely useless question. It would be so much harder to get information if they all thought she was an idiot.
"Speaking of badges..." Snorunt turned to Wigglytuff.
At that moment, Regina teleported back to the shop, grabbed Emma by her tail and teleported back out.
Wigglytuff sighed fondly. "This Emma reminds you of Holly, doesn't she?" He asked sadly.
"Yeah, a little," Snorunt replied. "Miss Holly would want me to help them."
Apple Woods - Afternoon
Regina appeared at the base of an apple tree, thrusting a bag at her eevee partner. "Here, go find some apples. I refuse to do all the work."
Grumbling, Emma asked, "And just how am I supposed to pick apples from the trees?"
"Apples do fall, Miss Swan," she replied blandly. "Just find some. I'll identify them later." Regina shooed her away, and teleported herself up into the tree.
Emma simply frowned and walked away.
She had trouble figuring how to pick up apples without biting them. She tried the sensible thing, putting her forepaws on either side of the fruit and moving it from the floor to her bag. This method worked well enough, but it was rather slow.
"That's strange..." Emma mumbled, eyeing the wonder bag. "I could have sworn this thing could fit four apples at most." She peered into the bag, four apples sat comfortably in her pouch, with enough room for another apple. Shrugging (as best she could), Emma swung the bag back over her shoulder and put her new nose to work.
She found her fifth apple, her last! Only...
"What the...how is there still space?"
Apple Woods - Late Afternoon
Emma returned to Regina's clearing and found the ralts sorting her harvest. "Well, it took you a while," Regina sneered.
"Unlike some people, I have to walk," Emma shot back. She swung her wonder bag off her back and set it before Regina. "I managed to get sixteen."
"Really?" Regina blinked. "It looks like the most it would hold is three."
Emma shrugged. "I'm not going to question it."
With a huff, the ralts snatched Emma's bag and sorted through the apples. Whether by scent or by luck, Emma had gathered six Perfect Apples. "Not bad, Blondie," Regina admitted.
Emma sighed. "Seriously? Regina, just call me Emma."
Beneath her green bowl-cut, her eyes flashed in uncertainty. She knew Henry would never forgive either of them if they left the other behind, but getting along? Calling the Savior by her name?
Not happening. Nope. As soon as she got back to Henry...well she'd just be the Evil Queen again. If they developed any sort of friendship and god forbid Regina got attached? Hah! Snow White would crush that bond just to hurt her.
"Don't push your luck, Miss Swan," Regina snapped, returning to her apples. "I think we have enough for that pink marshmallow -"
"Wigglytuff," Emma corrected.
Regina deadpanned, "I refuse to say something so ridiculous." She sorted the rest of Emma's apples, and filled the wonder bag with the Perfect Apples. "Well, looks like we have enough, let's go."
She snagged Emma's tail once more and teleported away.
Spinda's Café - Late Afternoon
"Ow! Regina!" Emma snapped as the materialized in the café. "Stop grabbing my tail. It's sensitive." She sat down to groom the rumpled patches with her forepaws.
"Miss Emma! Miss Regina!" Snorunt cheered. "That was really fast!"
Regina crossed her arms and simply turned to Emma. She would never admit it, but the little Savior was surprisingly diplomatic. Perhaps she had missed this side of her town's sheriff due to their spat over her - their - son.
But the niceness, friendliness Emma Swan shared with these strangers...It all paled in comparison in how she treated Henry or Snow White.
A false front, an effective one, bereft of that abrasive protectiveness - of her family, and her heart. To strangers she seemed open and agreeable. To everyone else...
Maybe little Miss Savior didn't have such a perfect life after all.
? - Late Afternoon
The pink marshmallow walked them to their new home, a dingy little hut surrounded by a lush grassland. The borders of their plot were surrounded by trees, a thick forest not unlike that of Storybrooke. A small, but swift flowing river cut through the north eastern quarter, meandering through their property to form a small inlet before sinking into the ground and rushing out of the cliff that set their western border.
For all its charm and fantastic views, Regina couldn't help but focus on the dingy blight that sat before her.
Emma was already inside the hut, exploring the rather large house and finding that the place had underground rooms with many a cliff-side windows. Snorunt had accompanied her, leaving Regina with the marshmallow and paperwork.
The ralts huffed. "What a quaint little hovel," she sneered.
"Is that what you'll call it? Little Hovel?" Wigglytuff asked as he processed the paperwork.
Regina, her attention still on the hut shrugged. "Nothing else seems appropriate," she replied flippantly.
Wigglytuff nodded, and Emma would never forgive Regina for naming their new home "Little Hovel."
Not ever.
Little Hovel - Evening
After Emma's failure to change their home's name - who knew Pokémon World paperwork was near instantaneous? - the eevee gave Regina a tour.
"Whoever built this place was a genius," Emma explained. "They took the river from outside and diverted it in here..."
The water fell into a small pool of water, rushing in and out in an expertly controlled manner. It was a lovely water feature that would always supply them fresh water...especially with the natural filter that came from the earth.
Regina hummed appreciatively and decided that the hovel wasn't too bad. "I'm surprised this place is so big," she admitted, "but it needs a makeover, badly."
"Sure, why not?" Emma agreed. If decorating their temporary base would distract Regina and curb her bitter negativity, well Emma was all for it. Less distractions meant she could go out and gather information...
And Emma wasn't quite sure if Regina would be helpful in that area.
"Well, let's get back to Wigglytuff," Emma suggested. "It's getting late and we need to be in a dungeon soon."
Regina nodded absentmindedly and followed the eevee, her mind cataloging everything they'd need to make this place livable. They wouldn't stay for very long, but Regina refused to live on barren dirt and straw.
"So Sno told me you two want to be explorers!" Wigglytuff cheered. "Do ya?"
Emma nodded.
"They're really good Master Wigglytuff!" Snorunt added in. "I don't think they need any training."
The pink guild master hummed contemplatively. "Alright! Have you decided on a team name?"
A smirk graced her lips and a smug, knowing aura wrapped around them.
"I have the perfect name," Regina spoke pleasantly.
Emma tilted her head. "You do?"
There was the briefest flash of dark brown peaking behind the ralts' green helm. "Oh, yes."
"Well?" Emma prompted.
Regina answered with a self-satisfied grin.
A/N: Thanks for reading, and please review.