"HA! It's you! Welcome to the Schedar Squad of Team Star!"
Kitty flinched at the….EXTREMELY enthusiastic greeting she was receiving from a girl with blazing red hair and punk rock clothes. Everything about this girl screamed 'fire type'. Heck! Even her personality was blazing hot!
"...um…" Kitty was taken aback by the show…and the…loudness. "...Th-...thank you…" she squeaked lightly.
Mela grinned and made her way from her tent to the nervous newcomer, a group of Team Star members watching in glee at the new arrival. "We saw you putting your foot down with that student council girl Nemona. You are real hot stuff sticking up for our posse!"
There was a collection of agreements and cheers from some of the team star members surrounding them. Kitty rubbed her arm slightly, embarrassed by all the attention she was getting. Not even team Skull had this kind of welcoming committee for potential new members. It was just an initiation and that was it!
Maybe a few words from Guzma but…he wasn't really the type to make a big show about new members…
…new members…
Kitty paused and quickly shook her head looking up as Mela made her way over to Kitty…and SMACKED her shoulder. Kitty winced and took a few steps back. "AH!..oooww…"
"You're a real gem, ya know that, kid?" Mela continued, grinning. "And the CHAMPION of Alola no less! Ha! It's nice to know not all celebrities are big blowhards, know what I mean?"
"Oh I…I'm not really a celebrity-" Kitty put up a hand.
"HA! Listen to this girl!" Mela laughed loudly. "She's so cute and modest!" She turned to face Kitty and grinned, putting her hands on her hips. "You're the Champion of Alola, and you came to the defense of Team Star. It's all over Paldea!"
Kitty now looked completely confused. "Wait- all over Paldea?"
"Didn't cha know?" Mela held up her Rotom phone to Kitty, allowing her to see the headlines of the Uva Academy school news…the Mesagoza press…the Paldean outlet…
…Now it made PERFECT sense as to why she was swarmed with adoring fans in Artazon. Kitty put a hand to her face and moaned slightly. "...so much for keeping a low profile." She muttered. "Guzma's going to kill me…"
"Guzma?" Mela cracked her knuckles. "You got a bully problem? You're one of us now, kid. Say the word and Team Star will be all over your enemies-"
"NO!" Kitty suddenly flailed her arms frantically. "No no no, Guzma's not a bully! He's not my enemy at all; he's my brother!"
The sudden declaration made Mela pause, giving Kitty a strange look.
"I just…" Kitty let off a breath. "I just know he's going to get onto me for not keeping a low profile is all. Just a lecture basically. Nothing bad."
…yeah…more like he would probably harp on me about the fact that he never finished his Island Challenge, while I'm the freaking Champion. Pah…he would think I'm flaunting my status.
"Ah. I see. Glad we got that cleared up!" Mela finally grinned. "Well since there's no need for you to introduce yourself, allow me to do so!" She struck a pose and gave a wide grin. "I'm Mela, leader of the Team Star Schedar Squad! Our squad specializes in Fire type Pokemon. Got any fire types on ya kid?"
Mela glanced towards the Toxtricity standing next to Kitty and looked thoughtful. "Posion types are generally a Navi Squad thing…but you're a Champion, right? I'm sure your team is fleshed out."
Kitty glanced towards Harpuia for a moment, before looking back towards Mela. "Navi Squad?...this…this squad wouldn't happen to be located…in the Tagtree Forest, would it?"
"The Tagtree Forest?" Mela put her hands on her hips. "Huh, you've done your research haven't ya, kid? Yeah, the Navi Squad is set up in Tagtree, led by Team Star Boss Atticus."
Kitty suddenly looked spooked at this revelation. Team star….BOSS?!
Atticus was one of the big bosses of Team STAR?! She knew he was APART of it, but she had no idea he was one of the ones that actually LEAD the teams!
Mela didn't seem to catch the look of horror on Kitty's face, because she was motioning towards the tents around the area. "Really, all of the bosses found out about ya when you defended our members. I was hoping to catch you first and make you a member of the Schedar Squad and have bragging rights!"
She grinned and gave Kitty a thumbs up. "So how about it? Wanna set up camp with our Squad?"
Kitty was quiet for a long time…so long that some of the team star members started to get a little fidgety.
"...I'm flattered." Kitty finally said slowly, letting off a breath. "I can't begin to tell you how flattered I am…but I have to politely decline. There's a lot of things that prevent me from being a part of your team."
"Aw come on!" one of the star members jeered. "You think you're too good for Team Star or something?"
"Yeah come on! Don't you want to be a good friend with cool friends?" another star member asked.
"You're not giving us the cold shoulder now, after we let you into our walls, right?" yet another member crooned.
Kitty glanced to the side, looking dumbfounded by the jeers she was getting. Were they…guilting her?
They claim to be a group dedicated to family and friendship; but they cause trouble for others who are not apart of their group.
Cassiopeia's words echoed in Kitty's head…they weren't seriously going to try to gang up on her just because she didn't want to join…right?
"...That's…not…" Kitty rubbed her arms, looking down at the ground. How did she approach this delicately? Without making anyone upset with her? Without making herself and enemy of their team?
"Hush you lot!" Mela put up a hand to quiet her base down. She watched Kitty's Toxtricity put a hand on her back to comfort her, though he looked irritated at the fact that his trainer was being targeted.
"...You are Kitty of Melemele Island, right? Champion of Alola?"
"...yes…"
"...Then that means you're the same girl Atticus wouldn't shut up about."
Mela smirked and put her hand up. "Then it's obvious why she doesn't want to join the Schedar Squad!...She wants to be apart of the Navi Squad where Atticus is!"
Kitty paused and looked up, looking puzzled at this sudden declaration. This same declaration shut the star members up and seemed to change their tune from jeering to more empathetic. Now their taunts of being 'too good for team Star' now became 'ah that explains it' and 'yeah she's Atticus' friend isn't she?' and 'It makes sense she'd want to be on Atticus' team!'.
"Oh-...that's…" Kitty paused and looked to the side. If she ran along with this…she could possibly get to Atticus faster…this…this could work!
"I'm sorry…I don't want to offend you, but yeah…I'd really be more comfortable with Atticus' team." Kitty decided to play along. If this got her to Atticus faster, then she could clear this conflict and get back to Alola with minimal problems.
"Say no more!" Mela grinned and put a hand in the air. "Here that?! We got a new Navi Squad Star Member!"
The Squad erupted into cheers, causing Kitty to let off a small sigh of relief. The last thing she wanted was to cause a conflict. But now Cassiopeia's words were now bothering her…
…they had been ready to start jeering her if she didn't join…
…that was bully behavior…
"Mela!"
Kitty paused and was forcefully dragged from her thoughts as a team star member came running to the center of the camp, looking spooked.
"Boss! We have a problem!" the member flailed her arms. "There's a herd of Tauros on a rampage near the river. They're coming this way!"
Mela put her hands on her hips and scowled. "Don't worry, we're fortified. We got numbers and fire types at our beck and call."
"They're not coming for the base, there headed for the barrier and our sentries!" the star member panicked.
The expression on Mela's face changed. She looked behind her towards her members and pointed towards one of the gates of the base. "Alright Schedar Squad! Mount your Cyclizars and make speed! We gotta detour those bulls!"
Kitty looked around as the squad ran and boarded strange looking Pokemon that looked like a cross between a motorcycle and some kind of Sceptile. The Pokemon cried out in deep bellowing voices as their riders hopped onto them.
For a moment, Kitty only watched the team get ready to ride, before quickly making her way for Mela.
"The Paldean Tarous are fighting types, correct?" Kitty put a hand up. "I know your specialty is fire, but doesn't anyone have a psychic type Pokemon to lend a hand?"
"I wish it was that simple." Mela replied, hopping onto a Cyclizar and frowning seriously. "Yeah normally Paldean Tarous are fighting type. But if my squad raises an alarm like this, it usually means they're water type."
"Water?!" Kitty now look dumbfounded. "How many types do these slaggers HAVE?!"
"Don't worry about it. Hop on." Mela motioned towards her Cyclizer. Kitty let off a breath and nodded, hopping onto Mela's Pokemon and firmly gripping the Team Star Boss' waist to keep steady.