So, as promised, here is chapter eight! Not much to say here, because I'm afraid to spoil something.
Oh! And something has happened. I have achieved a personal goal and this story has been added to the PMD Community Listing community AND Pokemon Mystery Dungeon - The Archive! I feel so accomplished ^^
Dinner had been a quiet affair.
The smell of Team Skull already put majority of the guild off their appetites, but the downcast nature of Sunflora sucked any and all enjoyment out of the event.
They still ate, of course. The labours of the day had left everyone hungry and no one was so impolite to offend Chimecho, or Sean for that matter.
The meowth had offered his assistance to Chimecho in pulling dinner together. The Psychic-type had been a little shaken by Sunflora's breakdown and appreciated the help.
Afterwards they had gone to their rooms, Sean looking back to Team Skull as the apprentices entered their rooms. He wasn't so spiteful as to give them less food, their gluttony would will out even if he had given them a great deal more food.
Neither him nor Rai spoke much besides chatting before they were getting ready to curl up. The days labours had been much easier, so neither was nearly as exhausted as usual.
Before any real relaxation could be managed, a knock occurred at the door.
"Hm?" Rai asked. "Who is it?"
"Hey-hey," Corphish said, pushing the door open. Gesturing with a claw, Team Ion stood up. "Come along quickly, quietly too."
Sean shared a confused look with Rai before they both followed. Corphish led them quickly into the room he shared with Bidoof and Loudred. Sometimes Croagunk as well.
They entered the room, for the first time Sean realised, and found it surprisingly crowded.
Everyone besides Chatot and Wigglytuff were there. Team Skull was also absent, but no one viewed them as being part of the guild regardless.
"What's up?" Sean asked as he shut the door behind him. The room was dim, but not so dark as to obscure anyone. He found his eyes falling on Sunflora first, she was doing better it seemed, but was still sticking close to Loudred and Chimecho.
"You've been part of the guild for over a week now." Chimecho began from where she was wrapped around Sunflora's arm.
"You've shown yourself to be great pokémon by golly." Bidoof continued.
"And it's time we really embraced you as fellow apprentices and friends." Diglett finished.
"Oh wow!" Rai beamed, actually lighting the room with a brief jolt of excited electricity. "Really?"
"Yeah," Sunflora said, giving a nod. Her voice was a little shaky, but otherwise she seemed alright. "And what better way than with a night of fun with everyone?" She grinned, joy filling her voice. "We're going to have such a good time! We'll play truth or more truth, tell scary stories, and just get to know each other even better!"
"Do you do this often?" Sean asked as he and Rai settled in the room, finding a comfortable place to sit.
"Once a week," Chimecho answered. "We apprentices all come together to just talk, spend time, and enjoy each others company."
"Croagunk suggested tonight," Dugtrio said, speaking up for the first time since they entered the room. He bobbed up and down slightly, close to Diglett, but mindful of the disturbance tunnelling through the room could cause. "After those trio of... Team Skull showed up and Sunflora... ahem." Dugtrio trailed off, not sure how to speak of either topic.
Sunflora gave him a pointed look. "Oh my gosh. Don't fret over little ol' me, I'm a tough girl. Today just makes me all the more determined to find who's doing this and stop them!"
"Here, here." Chorused the apprentices.
"Meh-heh-heh. We shouldn't focus on the negatives of the situation," Croagunk said, catching everyone's attention immediately. It wasn't the most common act for him to speak without being spoken to beforehand. "This Time Gear situation and Team Skull, both should leave our minds tonight. Meh-heh-heh, tonight is the night we learn embarrassing secrets Sunflora will spread all around town."
"Don't say it like that," Sunflora insisted. "I won't spread anything no one wants me too."
This led to an immediate chorus of agreement towards Sunflora.
"Of course."
"No worries, yup-yup."
"Hey-hey, you can say whatever."
"I've got nothing to hide, you know me too well dear."
Sunflora's expression was a little flat once everyone was done. "Sure, sure." She regained her brightness in the next instant, however. "But let's go. We have to start soon or Chatot will know we stayed up late tomorrow morning."
A murmuring of chuckles went through the group. Even Sean and Rai grinned at how Chatot could act sometimes.
"Okay, everyone sit in a circle." Sunflora began directing them. "Loudred you go there, Corphish you can be next to him. Diglett, oh Dugtrio! Everyone move a bit close to the wall to get Dugtrio in, okay, Chimecho you can be next to me..."
There was a bit of stumbling over each other as everyone followed Sunflora's directions. Soon enough, however, they were all seated. The room was cramped, especially with ten of them in the room.
"Okay everyone, here is the game we'll play to warm everyone up," Sunflora said, striding forward to stand in the centre of the circle before plopping a sack down. Chimecho had reluctantly let go of her to curl up, still slightly floating, in the circle with the others. "In this bag is thirty Plain Seeds." Everyone but Sean grimaced at that. "Everyone is going to get three of these. The game we'll play is Truth or More Truth. Someone will ask someone a question, and they have to answer truthfully. There is absolutely no lying tonight! If they don't want to answer, then they can eat one Plain Seed from their pile instead and that question can't be asked to them again. Understand?"
"...No," Diglett said.
"You'll pick it up," Sunflora replied and began handing Plain Seeds out.
Sean picked up one of the seeds, admiring it for a moment. He wasn't sure why everyone frowned, he hadn't eaten a Plain Seed though so he couldn't judge.
"Okay, like, I'm going to start," Sunflora said, sitting down in her spot. She immediately rounded on Sean. "What do you think of me?" she asked.
"I, uh." Sean blinked, not expecting her to go for him right away. "I like you? You seem really strong and brave, knowledgeable as well."
Sunflora beamed. "Oh my gosh thank you! Now you get to ask someone a question!"
Nodding, Sean looked out to the crowd. It was still strange to him, to be sitting in the south bedroom, looking at a set of creatures only known in fiction, characters that he'd only been able to see as pixels on a screen.
"Corphish," Sean began, choosing his target. He decided to start off soft. "Why did you want to join the guild?"
"Eh?" Corphish clicked a pincer on reflex. "Hey... huh. No one's asked that to me before. Chatot just said 'you're in'." Corphish paused to think over the question for a moment as curious looks jumped around the group. The apprentices realised they didn't really know why anyone had joined the guild, beyond just surface details. "I guess it goes back to when I lived in the place that would eventually become Drowned Cave."
Bidoof hissed in a breath of surprise as a few others wore expressions of alarm. "You lived in Drowned Cave?" whispered.
"Before it became a dungeon," Corphish reiterated. "I was barely even out of the egg when it happened so I don't really remember. Just what my pa said. Me and him were apparently saved by a pair of explorers just in time to avoid going crazy like the others. I guess I just wanted to keep that going, help other pokémon, so no one would have to lose anyone else to random dungeons."
Corphish nodded, satisfied he had answered the question. He eyed Sean for a moment until Sean gave him a small smile and turned to Bidoof. "Since S..." he glanced back to Sean with a questioning look. "Meowth." Corphish settled on. "Brought it up. What about you? Why did you join the guild?"
"Oh, uh well... by golly, nothing quite as good of a reason as you Corphish," Bidoof admitted. "I've just always wanted to be an explorer by golly! The best there ever was! So I left mama and my village to come here because I heard the Wigglytuff Guild is the best around yup-yup."
Bidoof glanced around, wondering who to target his question too. "Now not to seem unoriginal, but Meowth's question is just too good! Chimecho, why did you join the guild?"
"Well it was a dark and stormy night," Chimecho began, soft voice almost reverberating through the air like a haunted chime. "I was lost, I was scared, I was being hunted. A quartet of terrifying electric pokémon wished to kill me for reasons I still don't understand, shocking me continuously over and over and over again." Chimecho's eyes glazed over slightly as she lost herself in her memories. "The only thing I really remember thinking that night is that I didn't want to die. I didn't want to die. I didn't want to die. But die I was going to, as I couldn't defend myself, and they kept on attacking me. Then. Out of nowhere. A booming voice rocked what felt like the world itself and everything went dark."
"Did you die?" Loudred whispered.
"Yes," Chimecho answered, solemnly. A few pokémon withheld sobs.
"She's right there," Sean quietly pointed out.
"Oh my gosh. Chimecho..."
Blinking slightly as she returned to the present, Chimecho looked around and frowned thoughtfully. Everyone was starting with expressions of abject horror. "Oh! Do not worry, this is a happy story. The booming was a saviour, Guildmaster Wigglytuff actually. I don't really remember what happened after he sent them off, I think I heard Chatot as well. The next thing I know I'm waking up and I'm alive, so I tried to figure out what had happened." Chimecho giggled at the memory. "Once I recovered and I learnt who had saved me and that they had a guild running, this was before they were so well known, and I asked if I could join, so join I did. That's why I joined!"
She smiled and turned to Croagunk, the only one not looking completely rattled by that story. Still, the gleam of compassion in his eyes, meant more to him than the endless platitudes Chimecho had received over the years. "I may as well keep the trend going. What about you Croagunk, why did you join the guild?"
"I learned that the Swap Cauldron was here," Croagunk answered easily. "Meh-heh-heh. Once I found it couldn't be moved, I moved in. Simple as that."
Chimecho nodded happily, she did know the story, and cuddled up to Sunflora.
"Meh-heh-heh," Croagunk chuckled, turning to Rai. "Might as well break the loop, we all know why Shinx is here." There were a few smiles shared, Chimecho's story fading somewhat. "Instead I'll ask what you think of your partner there." He nodded towards Sean, chuckling as Rai's ears went up.
"Sean?" he asked. "Oh, I think he's amazing."
With Rai and Sean looking most uncomfortable, Croagunk chuckled again. "Meh-heh-heh, come on now. You know that's not enough."
"It's embarrassing," Rai mumbled.
"Yeah I'm cool just with amazing," Sean said, eyes darting. He didn't like compliments so brazenly given himself.
"I don't know how to compliment people," Rai grumbled and pawed a Plain Seed. There were a few looks of disappointment, and a disgusted grimace on Rai's, as he ate the seed. "Too embarrassing," he said.
"Meh-heh-heh, your turn then," Croagunk said.
"Okay, uh..." Rai turned right and left. It looked like he was going to ask a question of Sean, but then his eyes slid. "Loudred. Why didn't you like Sean when you first met him?"
"Who says I didn't like him?" Loudred demanded.
"Did you?"
"..." Loudred ate the Plain Seed. "Ugh, disgusting!" He was, thankfully, keeping his voice down. For Loudred at least.
After glowing at Rai for a moment, Loudred turned to his trusty partner. "Diglett! How do you memorise so many feet? Every time I've tried your side of the job I can't tell a blaziken from a lucario!"
Diglett and Dugtrio flinched at the question, with Diglett quickly eating a Plain Seed. "Eww. Dad." Diglett turned to his father. "Why do you like the sea so much? And don't just say it's majestic and wondrous, what's the real reason?"
Dugtrio stared at his son for a long moment before all three heads slowly bobbed. "Alright. I'll tell you. I met your mother by the sea." Diglett's eyes widened. "She loved it herself and shared that love with me..."
Diglett took a moment to take that in before asking. "Is that the whole reason?"
Dugtrio ate a Plain Seed.
Ignoring the sigh from his son, Dugtrio turned to Sean. "Well you were the first to get asked and I was the last. So it feels right to ask you a question that has been bugging me since you joined." Sean nodded, leaning forward with interest. "Why do you walk like that?"
"Finally!" Loudred, nearly, yelled. "I've been wanting to know that forever."
"Yup-yup, I gotta confess it's been on my mind too."
"Hey-hey, I went through a dungeon with him and not once did I give in and ask that. So... good on Dugtrio?"
"Why I walk like... what?" Sean asked, genuinely baffled before remembering something. "On two legs?"
"Yes." All three heads of Dugtrio bobbed. "I understand that meowth CAN walk like that, but it must be uncomfortable. They all walk on four legs, only going to two for brief periods, if at all. But you only seem to walk on two legs, that must take some dedication. So I'm just wondering why?"
"I guess..." Sean glanced to Rai who's expression was rather blank. "I just do. I always have, I think. I mentioned the amnesia before right?" Nods all around, apprentices did not hide facts it seemed. "I started walking like this as soon as I stood up and just have ever since."
It was true. Not even a half truth. Simply not the whole truth.
With the question answered, Sean turned to Croagunk. He'd given the embarrassing question to Rai and he now wanted to get him back a bit. "If you had to kiss anyone here. Who would it be?"
Croagunk's pouches stopped inflating for the briefest moment, Croagunk's stare remained as impassive as ever. "Chimecho," he answered after a brief hesitation.
"OOH!" Sunflora squealed as Chimecho blushed and the others laughed. Sean grinned as well, it didn't seem to throw Croagunk but it lightened the remaining darkness left by Chimecho's story.
With that the apprentices grew a little more daring and ingenious in their questions. Diglett convinced Bidoof to reveal he liked knock-knock jokes because a friend of his was really clever with them. Sunflora managed to corner Diglett into admitting he found feet fascinating, Croagunk convinced Loudred, Corphish and Bidoof into admitting they found Sunflora pretty, and Rai proved himself bold by asking Sean what Sean thought of him.
"I think you're the bravest, strongest, AND cutest pokémon I've ever met," Sean answered, unable to help adding a comment to make Rai squirm.
The apprentices found the need to wrap the night up once concerns were raised that curfew had long since passed and Chatot might notice something amiss tomorrow.
In the end only Sean had answered every question given to him, a few others had Plain Seed's remaining and he decided to taste one just to find why everyone disliked them.
"Meh-heh-heh, I may need to start a list," Croagunk said as Sean exclaimed that he thought the seed was delicious. "You're a very odd pokémon."
Sean was granted everyone's remaining seeds and he took them back to the room with delight, setting them into a small nest on his bed before curling up on them. Rai giggled as he noticed Sean was purring.
Rai decided to abstain from commentating on that.
"Hey Sean?" Rai asked, he was a little disappointed it snapped the former human out of his purr-fest, but he wanted to say something before they went to sleep.
"Yeah?"
"I know no one asked me why I wanted to join the guild." Rai smiled wistfully as he glanced out the window, watching the moonlight stream in. "Because everyone knows why. Or, well, they think they know why."
Blinking the sleep out of his eyes, Sean leaned up very curious. "I always thought it was something to do with wanting to be an explorer?" That was about all he knew from the game at least.
"That is true." Rai nodded as he turned to Sean. "I love exploring, I love helping out, finding new places, saving pokémon. All of that is true, but there is another reason why I wanted to join this guild."
Sean could see Rai somewhat well in the dark, he was thankful for the far better eyes this meowth body owned. Rai was still smiling, but there was a new edge of melancholy to it. "Rai? Why did you want to join the Wigglytuff Guild?"
"After I lost my parents, my sister and I managed to get to Treasure Town," Rai explained, falling into the old memories. "We had nothing, only the generosity of the people here. But... but I ended up getting really sick." The way Rai said that shot a wave of fear through Sean's spine and he needed to take a moment to remind himself that Rai was fine. He reached over to feel his fur, just to quell the irrational fears.
"My sister... we didn't have money, and very few possessions. She heard of a rumour that Gabite Scale's are a powerful healing item, but she had no way to get through the only dungeon a gabite was known to live in. So she appealed to the guild, and they managed to get a Gabite Scale which saved my life, and didn't demand anything in return." Smiling brighter now, Rai glanced up at the roof before coming down to meet Sean's eyes. "After that I knew I wanted to do exactly the same. Help other pokémon, help this guild, because they saved me. Without them I'd probably..."
"Then let me say I'm incredibly relieved the guild was here," Sean said. "I don't know what I would have done if you didn't save me. Don't know what I'd do if I lost you either."
"...Goodnight Sean."
"Night Rai, sleep tight."
"And three! Smiles go for miles!"
"Okay pokémon, time to get to work."
"HOORAY!"
Sean stifled a yawn through the morning cheers. He wasn't the only one.
Sunflora was doing better already. It had mostly been shock and alarm mixed with fear that had led to the breakdown, she was determined to show everyone she was not to be underestimated and had the loudest voice among the cheers. The previous nights activities certainly helped too, she was brimming with bits of gossip to be shared.
Sean yawned again as the apprentices dispersed, getting a curious glance from Rai. "Didn't sleep well?" he asked as Chatot spotted them remaining. "You might have purred too much."
"Ah you two," Chatot said, as Sean tried to remember purring. Team Ion walked up to hear their orders. "Your task today is to obtain stock to replenish the larder," he said.
"Larder?" Rai asked. "You mean go get some food?"
"Indeed." Chatot fluttered his wings. "The guilds food stock is inspected every morning by Chimecho and I. It seems the guilds food stocks have dropped sharply all of a sudden."
"Huh?" Sean asked. "I restocked it yesterday."
"Indeed." Chatot nodded to him genially. "But well… there are the occasional night-time grazer. Most commonly our most illustrated Guildmaster. As he should be able to!" Chatot insisted. "Furthermore, our entire stock of Perfect Apples has disappeared. It was the only item to be completely wiped out."
Sean found himself frowning. He expected it, but he hadn't realised how irritating it was going to hear to find that all the work he did yesterday was for nothing.
"So, you'd like us both to go to the Kecleon Market?" he asked. "Or just one of us again?"
"No, no." Chatot shook his head. "Chimecho will be able to replenish most of it by herself today. No, instead your job is to collect Perfect Apples as they cannot be purchased anywhere."
"Perfect Apples?" Rai cocked his head in a manner Sean thought was adorable. "What are those?"
"They are very large and delicious apples," Chatot answered. "But, more than that, they are the Guildmaster's favourite food. If there were no Perfect Apples, the Guildmaster…" Chatot trailed off. "The Guildmaster w-would…"
"…go on," Rai said. "If there were no Perfect Apples, what would happen to Guildmaster Wigglytuff?"
"The Guildmaster would." Chatot's voice rose with each word before he simply descended into silence, eyes screwed shut.
Rai and Sean exchanged a glance.
"…Yes. That is what would happen." Ignoring, or perhaps not seeing, their perturbed expressions, Chatot continued. "That why I am begging you two to get some Perfect Apples."
"Wait… wait would happen to…" Rai sighed. "Sure, you can count on us!"
"Very good." Chatot fluttered his wings again. "Perfect Apples can be found deep within Apple Woods. Here, I'll mark it on your Wonder Map."
Once he had pointed it out, right next to Oran Forest, Chatot spread his wings. "Now, listen, this may seem like a simple errand, but it is a crucial job! After all, this is all about the Guildmaster's… erk." Chatot twitched. "So please don't fail."
"We'll get it done," Sean said as Chatot waved them away.
"Oh and one last thing!" Chatot called before they left. "Do keep your voices down at night. Raucous behaviour after curfew will be punished."
Rai and Sean's tails went rigid. "Yes sir!" they squeaked.
"Very good." Chatot nodded. "Otherwise keep walking strong. Especially you Sean." Chatot's eye twinkled before he returned to seriousness. "Now get going."
They hurried off. Right as Team Ion reached the incline to the next floor, Sean quickly glanced back near where he had seen Team Skull trudge off to.
He saw Skuntank staring right at him before stepping up into the higher floor.
It took them a few hours to reach the dungeon. Apple Woods was very close to the Oran Forest, the two still containing different dungeons to explore.
When the trees began to thicken, the path became more worn, and the feeling of the area began to turn, Team Ion knew they had reached their destination.
"Chatot said we need to go to the deepest part of the woods," Rai said as they neared the true entrance of the Apple Woods.
"Figures," Sean replied. "Isn't it always at the end?"
"Yeah actually," Rai said after a moment to think. "Funny that."
They both smiled and headed in.
In terms of location, the Apple Woods reminded Sean greatly of the Oran Forest. Except it was apples that were all over the place, rather than Oran Berry's.
He enjoyed eating a few apples they picked up, after checking them for grossness. Each one was even more divine fresh.
It was a picturesque place. Trees lining the dungeon as a form of impenetrable wall, soft grass pleasant to the feet after trudging over hard dirt and pointy stones, food everywhere.
The occasional Bug-type that Rai scared off with electricity.
It was the most disconcerting dungeon Sean had ever entered.
Even Oran Forest, a similar dungeon, hadn't given him the bad vibes this place did. It was too pleasant, too pretty, too chocolate-box to be anything more than a trap.
"This place is weird," Sean said, deciding to share his worries.
"You think?" Rai asked. "This place seems pretty nice so far."
"That's the point," Sean hissed, eyes darting about. "A dungeon? Nice? It must be some sort of evil trap. Are these dungeons alive?"
"Uh… maybe?" Rai shrugged and glanced about before settling back on Sean. "A few pokémon claim they are. I've never seen anything to suggest these places are actually alive. Would they let us out if they were?"
"I suppose you've got a point there," Sean mumbled. "But you see my point about here? Where are the pokémon, other than when we came in? This feels like we've getting led to feeling like everything is hunky-dory and then BAM!" He smacked a paw into another. "We get swarmed."
"We'll keep an eye out," Rai said. "And maybe not wander into rooms that have a bit too much treasure in them. Okay?"
"Sounds good." Sean flicked his bow with a claw.
They continued. Sean growing more unnerved the longer they went without being attacked, Rai enjoying his time in a pleasant-smelling place.
To pass the silence that had fallen over them, Sean began to hum. Just the only thing that came to mind, a bouncy beat of positivity.
He wasn't sure how accurate he was, it had been a while, but Apple Woods always did have a certain trick to its tune that he enjoyed.
Over time Rai began to grow a little unnerved himself.
"Hey…" he said, trailing off already. "I'm kind of getting your point now. Where are all the feral pokémon?"
"I have a feeling I don't want to know," Sean said. "I resist the urge to look back."
Rai looked back. Nothing there.
He glanced to Sean, worry staining his expression. "I've never gone so long without seeing another pokémon."
"What am I?" Sean asked with fake exasperation. "Your imaginary friend?"
"Heh…" Rai gave before turning away. Sean eyed him for a moment before sighing.
"It's been a while since I've put my foot in my mouth hasn't it?"
"No, no it's not that," Rai insisted, turning back to look brightly at him. Sean just faced him with an expectant look on his face and Rai bowed his head. "When you've got no friends for so long you can't help it."
"I'm sorry for bringing it up," Sean said.
"Oh, don't be sorry, I should apologise for getting weird about things again. Even when I swore that I wouldn't be so fragile anymore."
Sean shook his head. "You can't be strong all the time Rai, if you try you'll break eventually."
"You're very wise from someone with amnesia." Rai smiled cheekily at him. "I can only imagine what you're keeping locked up in that head of yours."
"Probably something really boring," Sean said, laughing him off. "Really boring."
"I don't know," Rai said flippantly. "I think it'd be pretty interesting. Get to know what you were like before coming here, what the human world is like. Sounds like an incredible mystery and I love mysteries!"
"Well let's hope we can work out what the mystery here is," Sean said, reminding them of the weirdness abound. "Before whatever happens, happens."
The break some of the tension, a butterfree came screeching out at them. Rai, already a little jumpy, zapped it and it fell to the ground smoking.
"Hm," Rai grunted.
"Yeah," Sean said.
They exchanged a glance, no more enemies came rushing out at them, and then moved on, leaving the butterfree to flutter up into the air again and wander off.
They continued exploring the dungeon, a few pokémon began to pop up as they went further. One particularly vigorous exeggutor required both of them to take down.
Eventually, however, all good and terrible things come to an end.
"It looks like we've come pretty far," Rai said as they entered a widening area. "According to Chatot, the Perfect Apples should be around here somewhere…"
"I think that enormous tree might be what we're looking for," Sean said, pointing forward.
They broke into a job, entering the clearing completely before coming to a stop before a gigantic tree.
The trunk was thicker than any tree Sean had ever seen, Rai too.
"Woah, those must be Perfect Apples," Rai gasped, looking up. On a few branches that pushed out of the thick leaves did indeed contain large, delicious, apples. Sean had seen Perfect Apples yesterday and could confirm with confidence that these were it.
"All right then," Rai said as they took a few more steps forward. "How should we get them down? Can you climb?"
"I think so," Sean said, claws unsheathing. "We may have a problem though."
"Hmm?"
"Chaw-haw-haw, you're looking for some Perfect Apples?"
Rai started as the voice seemed to come from above them. "Wha? Skuntank! Where are you?"
"Chaw-haw-haw." Was his only answer.
They both looked up to see Skuntank claw his way out of the thick leaves, Koffing and Zubat breaching as well and both took flight.
Skuntank leaped down, forcing Sean and Rai to jump back to avoid being flattened. "Chaw-haw-haw, Team Skull at your service," Skuntank said as Koffing and Zubat flanked him.
"Heh-heh, it's wimpy and wimpo. What took you so long?"
"We've been having us a picnic of Perfect Apples waiting for you to show." Koffing mocked. "Woah-ho-ho, what took you so long?"
"WHAT?" Rai snarled, Sean remaining silent to glare hatefully at them.
"Woah-ho-ho, you took so long I stuffed myself!" Koffing belched.
"You ate the Perfect Apples?" Rai seethed.
"There are still a few more on the tree," Sean whispered, alleviating some of the sparking rage.
"Right." Rai nodded and narrowed his eyes as he pulled on his power. "Let's knock these creeps out and take back some Perfect Apples."
"Chaw-haw-haw," Skuntank laughed. "Chaw-HAW-HAW. Knock us out? How rude. Why I was even going to offer you my help for this mission, to show you we're not so different you and I. We are both explorers, we both work against our reputations to show others we are not what others perceive us to be."
"I am not a bullying creep like you," Rai said coldly before remembering Sean's words from the other day. He closed his eyes and took a breath, through his mouth, and calmed himself. "But if you are offering to help…"
"It's a tough reputation to beat as a Poison and Dark-type," Skuntank admitted. "Everyone views my kind as foul troublemakers. That is the camerupt on my back. But what about you Shinx? Don't you work almost as hard to prove you aren't a useless coward that everyone sees you as?"
"Urk." Rai flinched back as Sean wondered, somewhat detached, how it was possible to despise Skuntank all the more.
"But you were wondering how to get some Perfect Apples right?" Skuntank seemed to ignore Rai's reaction, although Sean knew he saw a smirk. "Nothing could be easier. Watch."
With that Skuntank stomped up to the tree and took a moment to prepare, before slamming his whole body into it. The tree shook. Skuntank did it again and several apples fell from the tree.
"Some Perfect Apples," Sean said, a sudden wave of hunger ran through him and he really wanted to grab one of those just to see if it was as tasty as was claimed.
"See? What did I tell you?" Skuntank returned to standing between Koffing and Zubat and waited patiently. "Go on now. Pick up those Perfect Apples and scuttle back to the guild. Chaw-haw-haw."
"Woah-ho-ho."
"Heh-heh-heh."
Rai and Sean didn't move.
"Hm? What's the matter? Aren't you going to pick them up? And after I was so nice and helped you out!"
"You're going to pull a dirty trick, aren't you?" Rai growled. "I'm not going to fall for another trap like the Beach Cave!"
He fell into a prowling position and hissed. "I won't be fooled by you. And I'm going to take my Relic Fragment back from wherever you've stolen it!"
"Colour me surprised," Zubat said. "They didn't fall for it at all."
"Aww," Koffing moaned. "How boring is that?"
"I knew it," Rai hissed.
"Chaw-haw-haw, it's a little disappointing you aren't the trusting sort. Your fool of a Guildmaster is though, there's nothing you can do to us because you won't risk your chances on the expedition. Right?"
"Wha?" Rai started back. "W… ye… no. No. NO!" Electricity crackled over his fur as Sean grabbed a hold of a X-Eye Seed.
"You're going to give my treasure back," Rai warned.
"Well now, aren't we feeling peppy, Chaw-haw-haw," Skuntank laughed. "The last time we met you were knocked out with a single breath. Hell, your useless companion lasted longer than you did."
"I'm not going to back down. I'm never backing down to sad bullies like YOU! Because YOU are pathetic."
That stung a nerve.
"Oh? Pathetic, am I? Alright." He nudged Koffing back. "No. We're not doing the noxious gas combo. If these two want a fight, then we'll beat them with our paws and claws."
"Woah-ho… are you sure boss?"
"Heh… yeah?"
"Yes," Skuntank growled and turned to Team Ion. "In recognition of your courage, Team Skull is happy to accept your challenge. Get ready."
There was no way to get ready.
Without giving them time to so much as blink, Skuntank was upon them. One meaty claw slamming into Rai's head and knocking him brutally to the side. Sean pulled his hand out and tossed the seed as hard as he could, but Skuntank had spotted him preparing earlier and incinerated it with a Flamethrower.
Sean yowled and threw all the Power he could into his claws to Scratch Skuntank but got socked in the chest with a lightning-quick jab of Dark-type energy that knocked him sprawling.
"Ugh…" Rai groaned, forcing himself up. "Oh." Skuntank and Koffing were there.
"You're not even worth an actual battle," Skuntank said before he and Koffing belched fumes over Rai. His building electricity failed as consciousness left him.
"Chaw-haw, now..." Skuntank turned on the remaining member of Team Ion, right in time to receive an Oren Berry. He caught it in his mouth on reflex before his face screwed up. "Ah!"
He coughed hard as the false berry absolutely burned going down.
"That's it," Skuntank growled, voice warping in fury. He smacked Koffing out of the way and began stomping up to Sean, who was backing away at a respectable pace. "You're lucky I can't do much or else that busy-body is going to get nosy." He pounced suddenly, knocking Sean onto his back.
Sean got a terrific close-up of Skuntank's face and received the Poison and Dark-type's burning saliva on his face. He choked on the smell as Skuntank breathed slowly on him, clouding his mind as things began to go dark, but not quick enough to be merciful.
Eventually he lost consciousness.
"Chaw-haw-haw," Skuntank laughed as he devoured the remaining Perfect Apples. "That'll show them not to mess with Team Skull."
"Woah-ho-ho can't believe that got the nerve to even try."
"Heh-heh, they'll know better not to try again."
With that they left Team Ion in the clearing, after ensuring the tree was stripped bare of Perfect Apples of course.
"Ugh, that was awful," Rai moaned as he returned to the realm of the conscious. "Oh… Sean!" He spotted the downed Meowth and rushed to his side, stumbling momentarily when he felt his neck throb with pain. "Sean! Sean!"
"Oh…" Sean moaned, cracking his eyes open. "Cough."
"Are you alright?" Rai whimpered.
"Yeah…" Sean sighed and groaned as he pulled himself up into a sitting position. "I don't seem to be bleeding. Am I?"
"No… no you're not bleeding."
"Then yes, I'm fine. Just sore."
And wanting to vomit just from the memory, but he felt that information didn't need to be shared.
"Urf… we both got knocked out," Rai mumbled. "That was an incredible stench. Even worse than the first time. It still reeks."
Sean glanced about. "No Perfect Apples either."
Rai jumped when he noticed that. "Oh no. OH NO!" He ran up and looked desperately up into the tree. "I don't think they left any. What are we going to do?"
"We'll be fine," Sean said, trying to ease Rai's panic. "Chatot will… well… he won't be happy, but we'll get through it."
He wanted to, really badly, but couldn't say just yet. Rai would disapprove anyway.
"We're out of luck," Rai sighed, bowing his head. "Let's just head back to the guild and hope we don't get into too much trouble. Chatot won't believe us anyhow."
"Right," Sean agreed, and they began to move. Leaving Apple Woods was easy, as they had reached the end of the dungeon the space warpery let them out right at the beginning. It was still several hours of walking, however, both of them sore from the completely mockery of a 'fight'.
"I'm really sorry Sean," Rai said as they began the painful trek home. "If I didn't antagonize them, this wouldn't have happened."
Sean looked to Rai. He supposed it wouldn't be hard to blame Rai, but it wasn't his fault in the least. "You saw those three," he said firmly. "They were planning something no matter what. When Skuntank pushed Koffing away, they were going to stink us out no matter what!"
"That'd at least hurt less," Rai grumbled. "Than knowing bullies like Skuntank completely outmatch us. My neck hurts too."
Well that, Sean wasn't sure what to say too. He was quite sure one never had a proper battle with Skuntank in the games. He briefly wondered how this might cause a change but discarded it as the result was still exactly the same.
They walked in silence the way back. Dread and anticipation being their company.
"WHAAAT!" Chatot screeched, hours later. "YOU FAILED!?" Chatot's sings fluttered continuously as he began to panic. "Are you serious? Oh no! What am I going to do!?"
He took flight, making a panicked lap of the room as he babbled. "Seriously! What am I going to do!?"
"We couldn't help it sir," Rai said, trying at least to explain. "Skuntank and his-"
"Quiet!" Chatot snapped, coming to a stop and glaring at them. "I do not want to hear any of your excuses. You leave me no choice, you will be going without dinner tonight."
"What?" Rai exclaimed. He had expected punishment, but not that. "But Chatot."
"You failed to complete an important job," Chatot chastised, eye narrowed in a terrifying glare. "Your punishment could be much more severe. I don't want to hear anything from you for the rest of the day."
Chatot turned away, staring out the window with an expression turning to apprehension. "You've saddled me with this terrible task. I've got to report this to the Guildmaster tonight. Upon hearing my report, the Guildmaster is sure to… sure… s-sure to. AH." Chatot began flying about the room again, panicking once more.
"I will report this to the Guildmaster after dinner," he said, coming to a stop as the anger returned. "You two will come with me when I do so. If I had to face the Guildmaster's wrath all by myself, well, that would hardly be fair for something that wasn't my fault. Therefore, you two will come with me. That's an order."
"Y-yes sir," Sean and Rai said together. Chatot was terrifying when he was angry. Sean fiddled with his bow with nerves.
Dinner came and went. Rai had to watch everyone eat alone, Sean having excused himself to wander Treasure Town before their comeuppance was due. Rai let him go, wanting to be along himself. He regretted coming into the dining room, watching everyone else eat was torture.
Receiving endless smug glances from Team Skull only made it so much worse. Still, he remembered Sean's advice, and did his best not to even look at them and hold his head up.
Once everyone was finished, Chatot waited outside the door for him.
"Where is Sean?" he asked, having refused to look over to where the punished pokémon were supposed to be standing.
"He went for a walk," Rai said. "I thought he'd be back by now…"
Chatot and him glanced up at the incline. "Hm. If he thinks he can avoid this or leave us both to suffer while he gets away. Ooh boy."
Rai didn't want to consider that, although it was nicer than another thought that crept into his mind.
"They always leave." The thought sounded a lot like Litleo actually, and Rai shoved it away aggressively.
"Chatot," came the singsong voice of Wigglytuff. "Where are you, you silly bird? I'm waiting so patiently."
"Urk." Chatot twitched. "We cannot wait any longer. To do so is to increase his rage with frustration. Sean will be going without dinner the whole week for trying to skirt out of this."
Rai bent his head low as he followed Chatot into Wigglytuff's Chamber. He never expected to be facing this, alone.
"Hiya!" Wigglytuff chirped as they entered. "You brought me some Perfect Apples, didn't you? Thank you so much! Oh?" He cocked his head. "Where's friendly friend Meowth?"
"Uh, there's a… there's, uh, a slight…" Chatot stumbled over his words. "Uh… it's awfully hard to say this, but…"
"Huh?" The confusion and concern from Wigglytuff was palpable. "What's wrong?"
"You see, uh, truth be told. These apprentices… Team Ion. Meowth and Shinx. Well, they failed in their mission to bring back any Perfect Apples, and… so, uh, to put it another way…"
"It's okay," Wigglytuff said, causing Rai to blink in surprise. "I understand."
Feeling a weight leave him, Rai looked to Chatot who was not looking any better.
"It's all right. Nobody wins all the time. Don't feel blue, don't feel blue." Wigglytuff began to sing that, leaving Rai feeling somewhat okay with all this.
Right as he went to thank Wigglytuff for understanding, Wigglytuff turned to Chatot. "Where are the other Perfect Apples?" Once those words left his lips, Rai's relief plummeted.
Chatot flinched. "As I'd explained… um… they failed to get them, so, uh… In other words, the Perfect Apples. The number of Perfect Apples we have harvested… would be, uh…" Chatot took a breath. "Zero."
"Oh." That one word, one letter, sent a rivet of fear through Rai's spine as Chatot began to break down.
"Therefore, not even one Perfect Apple was obtained. That means, Guildmaster… you will have to make do without Perfect Apples for a little while. Yep! That's what it means!"
To Rai's shock, and terror, Chatot began to laugh hysterically. To the point he was crying.
"Um… Guildmaster? Guildmaster?"
Wigglytuff sniffled. Once. Twice. Then a small sob.
"Ah! Is he going to cry?"
Lip quivering, eyes watering, Wigglytuff began to freak out.
"COVER YOUR EARS!" Chatot screeched, clapping his wings over his head as Wigglytuff began to spasm. The air rippled as each sob caused a shockwave, knocking them back with rising intensity.
"Hang on."
Wigglytuff perked slightly as Sean entered the room.
"I'm so sorry for being so late Guildmaster, that door is really heavy, but I hope I can be forgiven." Sean reached into the Treasure Bag. "Because I brought this!"
With both paws, as it was really big, he held a Perfect Apple.
"OH!" Wigglytuff brightened immediately and raced forward. "For me? Thank you!" He plucked the Perfect Apple from Sean and balanced it on his head before dancing around joyfully. "Thank you, friendly friend! Thank you, friendly friend! Lalalala."
Staring it muted shock, Chatot caught himself gawking and composed himself. "That is all Guildmaster, we'll take our leave now."
"No problem, friendly friends!" Wigglytuff sang as he danced with the apple. "Have a good night, have a good night!"
Chatot closed the door behind them as he and Rai blinked in shock. With the door firmly closed, Chatot checked it several times just to give himself a moment to recover, the three just stood there in the dimness of the room.
Sean, as the least shocked, glanced around, spotting a red eye glaring at him from the incline to the next floor. He allowed himself a victorious smirk as Skuntank turned away.
"H-how?" Chatot managed. "H… how?"
"I used my time in Treasure Town to ask around," Sean answered, giving a wide gesture. "Eventually I found someone with a Perfect Apple and traded for it. I didn't mean to take so long, but it took a while to get. Those doors are heavy though." He massaged one of his arms with the other one before brushing his neck. "How do you do that all the time?"
Chatot barely comprehended the compliment and just shook his head. "Just… go to bed. I'll be able to think more in the morning."
He hopped away to guard the entrance or scream where no one could hear him.
Sean gave Rai a smile and led him to their rooms.
Once they were safely inside, Rai found his voice. "Wow. That was terrifying. Chatot was panicking so much and Wigglytuff started getting so upset."
"I know," Sean said, not admitting just how well he did know. "Sorry about leaving you to that, I hoped to get back before Chatot brought us in, but I guess I was too slow."
"Just glad you're here," Rai said, smiling. Then he realised what he said and glanced away awkwardly. "Uh… you know."
"Yeah." Sean nodded, unable to hide his smile.
"So, what DID you trade for a Perfect Apple?" Rai asked, turning back to Sean.
"Well… you know." Sean looked away, feeling a small bit of embarrassment and earlier irritation claw at him.
Rai frowned, looking closely at Sean, trying to spot why he was acting like that. Why he looked a little different.
A few hours earlier, Sean had left the guild with a plan in mind.
He held the Treasure Bag, containing all his items as well as all the money he shared between him and Rai that wasn't in Rai's bank account.
He walked down to the crossroads before turning let, walking the same path he had trudged home earlier, the path to the wider world, the path to his destination.
He walked as quickly as his tired muscles would allow. Sean was amazed at how well his new body recovered every morning, just a nights rest and he was back to better then new. The wonders of a pokémon body, he assumed.
For the time now, however, he was tired and sore. Vindictiveness, however, and spite drove him forwards. Part of it was to spare Rai, and himself, the trouble of upsetting Wigglytuff and Chatot. Part of him couldn't help but worry that without the security of a games code, Rai may not get picked for the expedition. Not willing to jeopardise that any further than his interference could, he aimed to interfere in a good way.
And if it was fuelled mostly in spiting Skuntank, then he'd be fine with that as well. Sean was honest with himself, it was mostly spite that pushed him forwards.
Nothing more than spite would lead him to this pokémon's home, that was for sure.
Sean followed the path as best he could in the waning light, following a few directions his confidant had given him. He stepped off the path he and Rai normally walked to their dungeons, and into the living area of the pokémon who lived in Treasure Town.
There was much more to it then just the business section and guild after all.
Sean got lost, that he was certain, but he kept repeating his directions in his head until things began to make sense. After over an hour, he finally retrieved his sense of direction and found his target location.
Sean hesitated for a moment. Spite, while wonderfully energizing, could only bring him so far. He hesitated, took a breath, swallowed nervously, but ultimately working to spare Rai from fear and worry was worth this.
He knocked politely on the small door and received an insufferably smug. "Come in!"
The flap door shut behind him as Sean the meowth entered Litleo's abode.
"And I was thinking you'd arrive next week sometime," Litleo said as Sean entered. "Don't worry, I always get them to come."
His smirk unsettled Sean, and he completely ignored the lecherous tone. "Have you got the Perfect Apple?" he asked, not wanting to stay any longer than he had to.
"Come on, do we need to discuss business before pleasure?"
"The only pleasure is me getting that Perfect Apple."
"Yeah I can…" Litleo paused and thought. "Ah, come on. You couldn't at least say, 'getting what I want' so I could make a sleazy remark out of that?"
"I knew you'd be looking for that," Sean answered, crossing his arms. "And my answer was the same as it was yesterday. NO! It was a rumour caused by an accident."
"I can treat you real nice," Litleo purred, but received a stone gaze in response. "Sheesh," he said, rolling his eyes. "You really do need to get laid, but whatever."
Turning to bask in Sean's spluttered fury, Litleo pulled out a small sack. "It's in there, if you want to inspect the goods."
He was grinning again, waiting as Sean was forced to step closer to reach into the bag. Litleo ran his tail up against Sean's leg, but he ignored it. Pulling out a magnificent red apple, Sean knew that this was perfect.
Smiling slightly at the accidental pun he had thought, Sean nodded. "This is it." Unable to resist, he added. "It's perfect, thank you."
The pun received the desired reaction as Litleo recoiled. "Wow. Woooow. I don't even know what to say to that!"
"Better then nothing but innuendos," Sean muttered.
"Maybe."
Rolling his eyes, Sean set the apple down. This was a transaction after all. "Okay, what do you want for it?"
As frustrating as Litleo's advances had been on him yesterday, confirming that the rumour was spreading as well, the worst thing is that he refused to give a straight answer on what he wanted in return.
"What do you think?" Litleo grinned.
Other than THAT, of course.
"I'm not having sex with you," Sean said flatly. "What. Do you. Want?" He put the Treasure Bag down next to the Perfect Apple. "You can have your pick of stuff here."
Litleo pawed the Treasure Bag for a moment before pushing it off the bench. "Nah. I think you're desperate. Not the good kind of desperate, but it could become the good kind of desperate if you want?"
"Please stop," Sean snapped, toying with his bow in frustrated discomfort. "It's a rumour. That is it. That is all it is. Why do you even want to with me anyway?"
Litleo rolled his eyes. "Wow you are fun to rile up, I gotta say." Grinning at him again, enjoying how he could see Sean physically pulling his reaction back, just amusing him more. "Hey, I'm not gonna force you. And fine, if you're not interested in all this." He gestured to himself. "Then you've got some weird tastes. Okay, fine, I have a new offer. That."
He pointed to Sean and the meowth sighed. "This isn't funny you know?"
"Not you." Litleo rolled his eyes. "Although…? No, I mean the bow you're wearing."
"My bow?" Sean frowned, he hadn't expected that at all.
"Yep, take it or let me take you."
Grimacing, Sean looked down feeling his bow with his paws. As much as he liked it, he was certain there was a power in it, Sean was confident there was no real reason that he needed to have it.
Thinking about Rai, he sighed and began to tug it loose.
"Yeah, take it off."
Sean paused to glare at Litleo but continued taking it off even as the lecherous Fire-type whistled at him.
"Here." He held the bow out, but Litleo grinned at him again.
"Put it on me please, I don't have the paws for it."
Now really staring Litleo down, Sean took a measured step forwards and then another, ready for anything Litleo may try. The Fire-type waited patiently until Sean was tying the bow around his neck.
"Don't I look dashing?" Litleo asked. "Much better then you I'm sure."
Rolling his eyes at the vanity, Sean grabbed the Perfect Apple and put it in the Treasure Bag. "Pleasure doing business with you," he muttered and went to leave.
"Almost," Litleo answered. "But come back any time! We can take turns taking it off. I could wear the bow, you could wear this ne-"
Sean let the door shut behind him before letting the shudders out.
"Ugh, creep." He thought to himself as he began the trip back to the Wigglytuff Guild, quickening his pace to get away from Litleo faster, as well as worrying about the time he had wasted.
"Your bow," Rai said, finally spotting what was missing. "What happened to… you traded your bow for the apple?"
"Ah… yeah." Sean nodded, it was weird not wearing it anymore, he'd barely noticed it there before, now that it was gone he felt like he had lost something. "That was the only thing… the trader would trade for."
"Who was it?" Rai asked, exactly the opposite of what Sean was hoping for. "Maybe we can trade back for it. I've got some money, maybe that?"
"It's fine Rai." Sean waved him off. "Not a big deal. Not even a deal. I barely noticed it."
"But it's the only thing you had!" Rai insisted. "Who did you trade it to? Come on, just tell me."
"Litleo," Sean admitted, causing Rai to pause.
"Lit…Litleo?" he asked, Sean nodded. "You traded your bow to him? HE had the Perfect Apple?"
"Yep," Sean said. "It's really not a big deal Rai. Just the luck of the draw, calming down Wigglytuff and making sure our chances for the expedition aren't ruined was much more important."
Rai frowned but didn't argue that point. "What was he even doing with a Perfect Apple?" Rai grumbled, not actually asking the question.
He slumped down on his bed, feeling very hungry, and not in the mood for anymore talk. Sean slowly made his way onto a comfortable position on his own bed, even hungrier.
He wouldn't admit it to Rai, and the shinx hadn't even actually meant to have that question answered.
"Litleo, wandering off the Apple Woods. He mentioned that those days ago." Sean ruminated as he began to slip off to sleep.
Running into the bothersome pokémon yesterday had seemed like a problem, but he quickly remembered Litleo was strong enough to make it to the end of Apple Woods. Asking him to fetch a Perfect Apple hadn't been easy, the Fire-type coming onto him several times over the discussion.
He hadn't even been certain he'd actually do it. But it was his best chance at obtaining a Perfect Apple a day before Team Skull ate them all, without risking someone mentioning this odd plan to an apprentice and bringing questions down upon him.
Smiling at the confidence that he had won this one, Sean fell asleep. He knew Skuntank would have trouble to brew later on, but for now he was victorious.
So if posted as one with the previous chapter, this would have been the longest chapter I've ever written! Over 19,000 words! I hope the wait for this was worth it. I really was looking forward to this, Sean using some foresight to actually benefit his situation for once rather than make something worse unintentionally.
I'm not the kind to turn this into something bad later on, am I? Am I? Hahaha.
But now we are into some interesting territory. For we all know what comes after this, the expedition! What terrible plans do I have there? Well. We'll get there soon ;)