[Published September 14th, 2019, as a replacement for the original chapter 3. The scene focusing on Poliwrath was originally in the following chapter, but when remaking chapter 3, the scene was moved here due to it being a better fit for a chapter 3 premise.]

Chapter 3: Kindness Unclear

The morning played out similar to the prior day. Jermy was awoken by Mathew springing up from his nightmares. One by one, the other two awoke to the dim lighting brought in by the morning sun. After getting ready, the group of pokémon retreated from their small house. After consuming another small breakfast, the group gathered into the room, Mr. Persian rounded everybody up, and Medicham began the sorting once again.

"Today, we'll be doing something a little different," Medicham said. "All of you will be making the trek across Asulaguah Beach in order to enter Roci Grotto."

"Going back there again?" Politoed remarked. "Wait. Today's…" The frog suddenly groaned and mumbled something to himself about not worrying.

"As you all might remember," Medicham continued, "Roci Grotto has two pathways: one is a formed alcove of Arbor River, while the other runs much deeper into the ground. The winds of the sea and the path of the river bring much waste to the region."

"How are teams going to be broken up?" Minccino asked.

"We will send all of our physically strong members down the river path and all of our physically weaker members into the deeper floors," Medicham explained. "This should balance out each team. The river group is Breloom, Jermy Shock, and Politoed."

"Yes!" the lovers exclaimed together, sharing a fist bump.

"Wait..." Jermy said. "I'm not with Mathew or Joey, right?"

"Correct," Medicham said. "They will be going with Meowth, Minccino, and Ziggy."

"Huh, we don't usually split groups like this…" Minccino commented.

"I understand this organization is unusual," Medicham said. "I've been attempting to take in feedback. Thanks to the shining reviews from Minccino and Politoed after yesterday's workday, I now better understand who should lead each foray. Today's organization is the result of that."

"Dang…" Jermy remarked. "I was really hoping to work with the two of them today."

"Gonna have to get used to being split up now, Jermy. Had to learn myself when I was taken away from Breloom yesterday," Politoed said.

"I guess so. I wanted to help them with some stuff, is all."

"OH NO," ORB said sarcastically. "OUR FRIENDS WILL BE TOTALLY HELPLESS IF THEY DON'T HAVE THEIR MOUSE WITH THEM. AND THE MOUSE WILL BE SAD IF HIS CRIPPLING CODEPENDENCY ISSUES ARE NOT STROKED."

Jermy sighed. "You'll be the death of me, ORB."

"I KNOW. I CAN DO SO AT YOUR REQUEST."

"Wait, I wasn't serious with that-!"

"I DON'T PLAN TO, BUT LET ME KNOW WHEN YOU HAVE GIVEN UP ON LIFE AND ARE CEASING TO MOVE FORWARD. HOWEVER, I WILL PRIORITIZE AN ATTEMPT TO GET YOU HELP UNDER SUCH A SITUATION."

"...Well that's a tonal whiplash," Minccino commented.

ORB whirled around towards the pokémon. "BEING BOTH HELPFUL AND HILARIOUS IS LITERALLY MY PURPOSE FOR EXISTENCE."

"We should get going," Mathew told everyone. "The sooner we get done, the better." With everyone in agreeance, the full group set their sights on the cavern at the end of the beach. Outside, a light rain awaited them, as if guiding them to the shelter of the grotto as they bolted across the beach. Holding his annoyed tongue, Jermy forayed down the path with the stream coming through, bidding farewell to Mathew and Joey.

The dense, humid air around the group of three pokémon caused Breloom to fan her face as they walked forwards. Water droplets dripped away from the roof of the cavern onto the top of Jermy's bandana, lightly dousing it. The gentle sounds of the running stream of water to their left and the pitter patter from the rain above combined into a truly serene harmony that more than made up for the insulated weather… at least for those who cared for pretty scenery, of which no fan was present.

"JERMY, IF WE SPEND TOO MUCH TIME INSIDE OF ROCI GROTTO, I MAY OVERHEAT," ORB advised.

"I think everyone is going to overheat, ORB," Jermy replied. "It feels like an oven in here…"

Jermy turned his head around to see his companions trailing behind. Unlike Breloom, Politoed seemed to be keeping his cool relatively well, despite the undesirable conditions the grotto provided.

"Politoed looks like he could handle this himself," Jermy quietly commented to ORB. "He shouldn't need me as backup."

"ARE YOU STILL FRUSTRATED THAT WE WERE SEPARATED FROM MATHEW AND JOEY?"

"Yeah. I know we get plenty of time to chat in the afternoon, but I feel like every moment needs to count right now, especially while they're still not the best fighters..."

"BE THE PATIENT LITTLE MOUSE THAT YOU ARE, JERMY. THE WEEKEND IS COMING IN TWO DAYS. YOU WILL HAVE GOOD OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMUNICATION THEN."

Jermy sighed. "You're right. I just need to get through these two days, and I'm golden. Maybe I'll strike up a conversation, pass the time a little so we can get the pace moving quicker."

"A WISE CHOICE. TRY NOT TO DRIVE THEM AWAY."

"ORB, I'm not THAT awkward." Jermy approached the amphibious leader of the bunch. "So, uh, what's… up, Politoed?"

"Not much," he replied. "Just picking up trash and all that jazz."

"Oh, so the usual?"

"But with Breloom, finally. Makes doing it all the better."

"Does it really?" Jermy asked.

"Yeah. She's the perfect apple of my eye, you know what I'm saying?"

"Oh, you're in a relationship?"

Politoed picked up a plastic wrapper from the shallow edge of the river. "Yeah. Been together for what seems like forever. The job's a bit better when she's here to help."

"That's lovely. Reminds me of Evelyn."

"Who'd that happen to be?"

"Oh, her? Well… Evelyn was a really close friend of mine. When we were coworkers, she made some tough times easier to deal with, so she mattered a lot to me. We were no couple like you and Breloom, mind you, but we depended on the other to help keep us going. That was, until she..." Jermy broke eye contact with Politoed.

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"What, no! She's not dead. We just stopped talking."

"Convincingly bad phrasing you have there," Politoed said.

"Look, the moral of the story is keep hanging out with the people you care about, okay? Don't be an Evelyn, in that regard."

"Okay," Politoed said. "Whatever you say."

Jermy ended the topic by scooping up a plastic bottle pushed against the side of the stream's bank. "Anyways… What do you think about us new guys, Politoed?"

"Still need to talk with you and Mathew a little more before I can answer that."

"Okay. How about Joey?"

"Him? Well… The totodile's unlike anyone I've seen before, I'll give you that," Politoed said. "A good guy, though. Always looking out, trying to do his best, he feels bad when he can't. I bet he's doing well down that cavern path."

"Yeah, I think that's a good assessment… Hey, wait." Jermy stopped and looked around them. "Where's Breloom been all this time?"

"Oh, right here!" Breloom shouted behind the two of them. She then hurried and caught up with Jermy and Politoed.

"Hey, how have you been?" Jermy greeted warmly.

"Oh, I've just been listening to Politoed and you talk."

"She's told me before she likes to listen and take in conversations," Politoed explained. "Hope that doesn't bother you."

"Not at all," Jermy said. "I wanted to ask you too… What do you think about Mathew, Joey, and I?"

"Well, Politoed only told me about Joey, so… I think he's kind of unusual, but he's got a big heart and is always there to support the rest of the Club. He's a wonderful hard worker!"

"Okay, that makes sense…" Jermy was strangely confused. There was nothing wrong with what Breloom had just said, but it felt…similar to what he had just heard from Politoed.

"Anywho," Politoed said. "I'm gonna get back to picking up trash. Later, Jermy." He then departed from the conversation.

"See ya. So Bre-"

"Actually, I'm gonna go, too. Thanks for the talk, Jermy!" Breloom shouted back to the pikachu as she rushed to catch up to her beloved Politoed.

"...Well that was kinda sudden," Jermy said.

"WHAT DID I TELL YOU, JERMY?" ORB said. "YOU'RE LIKE A CHICK MAGNET, EXCEPT THE EXACT OPPOSITE."

Jermy actually laughed at ORB's insult.

"ALSO…" Jermy wagered ORB was changing their conversation's tone. "THAT WAS A BIT CARELESS. IF YOU LET NAMES SLIP SO EASILY, YOU'LL END UP CAUSING TROUBLE."

Jermy nodded lightly. "I know."

For the next several minutes, the three of them proceeded deeper and deeper into the cave. Holsters for lit torches had been hung on the walls, both illuminating their path down the sidewalk for the stream and making the heated cave even more uncomfortable. Jermy grabbed at any pieces of scrap that the others ahead of him happened to miss. Soon, he saw his coworkers stopped at what looked to be the edge of the flowing river. The stream was tucked away under a wall that covered the sidewalk and the ceilings, blocking any obvious further progress.

Politoed looked in awe and confusion at the structure in their way. "This thing is up again?" he asked.

"Does that mean…?" Breloom said while looking at Politoed worryingly.

"Wait, is this not the end of the grotto?" Jermy asked.

"Yeah, about that," Politoed started. "The last time this wall was up…"

Suddenly, a thud rang through Jermy's tall ears. In front of the group of three, the wall shuddered. "W-Woah! What the heck was that?"

"Him again…" Politoed murmured. Once again, the wall shuddered from something: an impact from the other side.

"Oh no…" Breloom said.

Suddenly, a voice in the wall yelled. "I CAN'T HOLD ON ANYMORE!" A series of "SHHH!" from a great variety of voices followed immediately after. It only took a few seconds for the voices to be interrupted by - wait, really? - a large, burly blue creature bursting through the wall, causing the formation of two dozen spherical rock pokémon to fall apart!

"Oh, yeah!" The pokémon shouted with a gnarly voice.

"What the-?!" Jermy exclaimed, stumbling back as the heap of geodudes came crashing down. "ORB, what pokémon is that?"

"THAT'S A POLIWRATH, JERMY."

"Oh, okay. I thought it was some kind of killer pokémon…"

"Eh?! You thought I was some kind of killer pokémon?! I'll have you know that I have a fanbase just dying to prove you lovely visitors wrong!" The blue creature chuckled loudly at his own joke, indicating with his burly arms that he was referencing what had once been the wall.

"Ugh… Hello, Poliwrath," Politoed said, facepalming.

The individual with a white chest engraved with a spiral immediately changed his tone upon seeing Politoed. "Oh, hi again… Bro."

"Wait, wait… Bro?" Jermy realized as he turned to look at his green friend. "This guy is your brother?!"

"I JUST SCANNED THIS CREATURE'S AURAL SIGNAL… I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS, BUT THEY ARE SIBLINGS. I GUESS WE FIGURED OUT WHERE ALL OF THE BAD GENES WENT."

"Ha! Finally, somebody telling Politoed what for!" Poliwrath exclaimed.

"I think he's talking to you, Poliwrath," Politoed replied.

"Huh? No! Look, I've got the anchor arms! I have the stronger stuff to strut around here!"

"Yeah, because I'm the one with the brains," Politoed snarked back. "Training your swimming in the middle of a cave that could collapse at any moment… that's ridiculous! Plus, it's a Mystery Dungeon, so you're probably destroying your brain cells while you're at it. 'D be a lot better off if you hung out around town more, or at least said hi to Mom and Dad once in a while."

"If you hate the way I enjoy myself so much, why'd you ever take a job where you keep ending up in my space?! It sounds like you're the one destroying your brain cells."

"Uh, this sounds like it's getting out of hand…" Jermy said. "ORB, can you explain which one you were referring to?"

"HECK NO. ONE, THE OTHER ONE WOULD IMMEDIATELY TEAR ME INTO BITS; TWO, THIS IS AMAZING."

"Alright, let's find out who's the real best Poli. Yo! Gal with the mushroom cap!" Poliwrath pointed at Breloom.

"Wha- me?" Breloom stuttered.

"Yeah, you!"

"Uh… Why are you acting like you don't know my name? We've talked a few times before…"

"Wants to seem cooler for his geodude friends, that's why," Politoed remarked.

Poliwrath ignored Politoed and kept attention on Breloom. "Which one of us is the cooler guy; the raw, powerful, muscular Poliwrath…" Poliwrath flexed his right arm as an example. "...Or the tiny, nerdling, control freak Politoed?"

"Wait, control freak…?" Breloom said, confused.

"I've said it a dozen times already! He likes making it all about himself. He gives more love and attention to his 'hobby time' than his own little brother! What kind of good dude is that?"

"I give plenty of time to you," Politoed said.

"Don't lie! I don't even care if you think I should be more boring or do less of the things I like and more of the 'cool' and 'helpful' things you like… The least you could do is stop lying to yourself when you say you don't try to mold people to be like you! Ugh, no wonder you were so interested in a girl like her!"

"Hmm, well…" Breloom thought for a moment. "I don't know if I can really trust you about this, especially with such a, well… attitude. I believe Politoed when he says that he cares about you more than you think."

"Alright then. If Breloom can't settle this…" Poliwrath put his arms up. "Maybe a spar will!"

"We really going to do this, Poliwrath?" Politoed said. "Seems unnecessary to me."

"Hey, you have another choice here - get off of my case and stop coming to my personal sanctuary."

"Don't want to fight you, Poliwrath, but you're making it really hard not to, what with keeping me from my job and all."

"I've already given you a choice, so don't you cry to me when you say you regret fighting!"

Politoed shut his eyes and shook his head. "Always were the brash one, weren't you?"

"Sure, this is pretty brash, but I'm done trying to use words to solve this. This time, you're getting thrashed the hard way!"

"Did somebody say 'THRASHED'?!" boomed a voice from deeper within the cave.

"Yes!" Poliwrath turned and said to the voice. "Swoobat, come over here and announce for us!"

Out from the depths of the cave shot out Swoobat, its black wings allowing it to speed onto the scene in style. "OHOHO! A challenger! This will make for some quality entertainment!" The swoobat grinned from cheek to cheek.

"Alright, heart-nose, let's not keep the fans waiting!" Poliwrath said.

Swoobat took a deep breath and prepared to announce the fight to the public. "YOU'RE RIGHT CHAMP, THE FANS ARE DYING TO SEE YOU IN ACTION," the swoobat replied as he manifested a tone reminiscent of a wrestling announcer. "AND I'M CERTAINLY NOT ONE TO DENY THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT!" The geodudes that once formed the great barrier excitedly began to gather around the available land space. "GEODUDES AND GEODUDETTES, WELCOME TO THE FIRST MATCH OF THE AFTERNOON! IT'S LOOKING LOVELY AND RIPE IN THIS BEAUTIFUL CAVE TODAY AS OUR COMBATANTS READY FOR BATTLE! IN THE HOME CORNER, WE HAVE THE BOLSTOROUS BLUE BALL OF BUFF, POLIWRAAAAAAAATH!" Swoobat screeched. The audience of geodudes cheered and roared with excitement for their idol, who was flexing and basking in the fame. "AND THE VISITOR CORNER… SOME NERDS!"

"Nerds…?" Jermy said, confused.

"HE MEANS US, JERMY," ORB explained.

"Uh, nope, nope!" Jermy started stepping away from the duelers. "This is not my fight. This is Politoed's. I'll let him handle his own battle."

Breloom stood her ground. "I'll help you out, Polit-"

"Breloom, I appreciate the support, but this is a more of a personal deal," Politoed said, still keeping his eyes on his brother.

"But I-"

"Let me handle it. I've got it, alright?" said Politoed, as he took off the King's Rock upon his head and handed it to Breloom. "Keep it safe for me, okay?"

"...Okay," Breloom said defeatedly as she took the object and joined Jermy and ORB in the cheerleader squad.

"ALRIGHT! LET'S GET THIS SHOW ON THE ROAD!" shouted the Swoobat as he hovered near Politoed and Poliwrath. "Gentlémon, the rules are simple: Fight and hold your opponent down for three seconds to win. No wall pinning, no river usage, and no backing out!" With that, the swoobat flew back into the sky. "And with that out of the way, THE RUMBLE IS ABOUT TO BEGIN!"

Politoed and Poliwrath started their stances.

"THREE…"

Politoed raised his arms in a claw position and skidded his left foot ever so slightly behind him. Jermy recognized what that position meant - his coworker was planning to take initiative.

"TWO…"

Poliwrath followed in his brother's footsteps and dropped his knees further. He opened up his balled fists. The pikachu could tell that Poliwrath had something defensive in mind.

"ONE…"

Silence rang throughout the cave. Jermy could hear his own heartbeat as the world slowed seconds into hours.

"GO!"

The pikachu hadn't seen anyone sprint quite as fast as Politoed in the opening seconds of his bout since he had arrived in Kalmwa'er. Jermy watched in anticipation for the fierce tackle and the swift win. Politoed leapt at his brother… only to stumble forwards at nothing, desperately trying to regain balance for his deeply tilted stance. Jermy was taken aback by just how fast the burly pokémon had evaded to Politoed's left.

The green frog didn't have a single second to correct his failing foundation before the blue frog's stomach was tightly pressed against his back. Politoed struggled in Poliwrath's deadly grasp, but his gigantic glove-like hands were simply too much for him to push through.

A concerned expression flickered on Jermy's face as he watched his coworker's pain. He was cornered, trapped tightly by somebody that was supposed to care about him… Jermy decided to look away.

THUNK.

The pikachu knew he had made an excellent choice to not watch upon hearing Politoed's head be fiercely slammed against the rocky, unprotected floor in a merciless suplex. His heart screamed that this was a death sentence, but his brain reminded him to not underestimate Politoed's survivability.

"Politoed!" Breloom shrieked. Jermy looked to see Politoed's body laid out against the ground, the circular back end of his necklace lying atop his face. Poliwrath's hand was gently pressed against his foot.

Swoobat leaned in and swiped his right wing with each exclamation: "ONE. TWO. THREE! THE WINNER IS OUR CHAMPION: POLIWRAAAAAAAATH!" Around them, the crowd of geodudes erupted in a burst of praise for their blue muscular hero.

Poliwrath flexed his mighty muscles in glee. "Hah! Guess we all know who's really lacking working brain cells, Politoed," he boasted, swinging around to look at his brother groaning on the floor. "Hopefully I finally taught you a lesson for once."

Breloom ran and came to Politoed on her knees. Jermy and ORB gathered around them as she gently set the necklace back on his chest where it belonged. "Politoed? Politoed, are you okay?!"

"Y…" Politoed heaved a large breath. "Yes."

"X-RAYS SHOW NO DAMAGE TO YOUR ESSENTIALS," ORB told the laying frog. "YOU QUITE LITERALLY HAVE THICK SKIN."

"But what if he… That blow to the head, he could've hit a sharp rock and…!" Breloom snapped her focus to the blue frog that did this to him. "You're such a bully, Poliwrath!" she exclaimed.

The burly monster shrugged. "I gave him an out. He agreed to this."

"Breloom…" Politoed murmured, moving his right arm and his back in order to begin the process of standing again. "He's right."

"Wait, don't get up," Breloom said, gently pressing her claws to his head. "Let me give this to you."

A few seconds passed before Politoed breathed a sigh of relief. "That's better."

"Reverse Mega Drain," Breloom explained to Jermy. "That's the name I'm giving that, anyway." She proceeded to use her arms as support as Politoed rose back to his feet.

"Thank you." Politoed leaned in and pecked Breloom on the cheek. He then turned to face his brother. "Well… Up for a rematch?"

"Wha…?" Breloom murmured. The audience followed with a collective gasp.

Swoobat zipped next to Politoed with a sudden tone change as his voice quieted down. "You're kidding, right? He just bashed your skull in."

"I'm not."

Poliwrath looked at Politoed with clear frustration expressed through his eyes. "Of course you don't know when to quit."

"I don't care about you quitting anymore. Just want to end this on a high note and leave."

Poliwrath stared at him silently, examining his brother's stubborn determination scornfully. The blue frog snickered. "Pitiful. Well, if you want to prove what little dignity you had left is gone, then fine by me," Poliwrath readied his fists once again. "Let's go."

Swoobat flew back into the air above and readied his voice, "THIS MATCH IS GONNA BE A ROUGH ONE, FOLKS! POLIWRATH HERE'S ABOUT TO CONTINUE HIS FLAWLESS WIN STREAK, WHILE OUR UNDERDOG HERE'S TRYING TO STEAL IT!"

The geodudes gathered around the two brothers again in anticipation of the next match.

"Politoed, stop!" Breloom exclaimed. "You're going to hurt yourself!"

"Breloom, this is my fight. I have to prove that I'm more than his insults."

"No, you don't," she responded.

"IF YOU INTEND TO BE SLAMMED AGAIN, MAKE SURE THAT IT'S NOT DIRECTLY TO THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD," ORB advised as he rolled beside Politoed's feet. "THE NEXT INJURY COULD BE MORE DRASTIC THAN THE LAST, ESPECIALLY SO SOON AFTER THE LAST ONE."

"I'd recommend just not getting hit at all," Jermy suggested to Politoed. "So… Backing out of this."

Jermy's attention was then drawn to ORB's comment: "ALTERNATIVELY, JERMY COULD GET SLAMMED IN YOUR PLACE. HIS SKULL IS THICK ENOUGH TO WITHSTAND AT LEAST TEN SUPLEXES."

"What- my skull isn't thick enough!" Jermy exclaimed. "I'd rather cut off an ear than fight this guy alone!"

"THEN DO IT."

"I meant-"

"And… GO!"

"Oh shoot!" Jermy exclaimed, stumbling away as the fight began right around him. He just barely avoided Politoed's Bubble Beam as it sailed towards Poliwrath. Instead of dodging to either side, Poliwrath decided on an unorthodox defense technique: forcing both of his pointer fingers out and rapidly stabbing at the bubbles, popping them like they were nothing.

Politoed gasped at the outcome of his strategy. Suddenly, a discomforting sound broke through Politoed's throat. He began coughing furiously as he put his hands to his neck to alert the others.

"Oh, no, he's choking on his water pipe!" Breloom exclaimed.

"I'll handle this," Poliwrath said as he approached his struggling sibling. He swiftly dashed behind the choking frog, and placed his firm hands in the middle of Politoed's chest. Poliwrath squeezed with only a fraction of the force he was capable of using. With just one quick motion, the water came gushing out of Politoed's mouth, sliding down his chest and spilling onto the stone ground below.

"T-thanks…" Politoed reluctantly stated.

"Wow, I'm shocked," Jermy said to Breloom standing next to him. "I didn't think Poliwrath would be nice enough to… Wait, what are you - NO!"

THUNK.

Jermy and Breloom grimaced as Politoed was once again forced onto his head and dropped to his back.

"OOOH! WE'LL BE HITTING NEGATIVE BRAIN CELL LEVELS AT THIS RATE, FOLKS!" The Swoobat exclaimed as Poliwrath demonstrated the meaning of 'second verse, same as first.' "Hmm… Ooooooooonnnee…" he spoke mockingly. "Twoooooooooo… Threeeeee… Fouuuuuuur… Aaaaaand… HE'S DOWN!"

"HE DID NOT TAKE MY SUGGESTION," ORB said as Poliwrath took his hand off of Politoed. "DESPITE THIS, IT SEEMS HE STILL HAS NO MAJOR HEAD TRAUMA. HE MUST HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE TO BE THIS HARDENED."

As if the world was a broken record, Breloom came to his side a second time, her hands already reaching to press against his chest so she could give her power away to him. Jermy kept his distance, this time trying to be cautious and avoid another fight if one starts.

"I'm sorry…" Politoed murmured to Breloom. "I thought… I could finally make him…"

"Let's just go back," Breloom said. "We have enough collected. We'll tell Medicham what's happening and ask to take Roci Grotto off of the list of places to go." Breloom began to bring up Politoed, letting him lean on her shoulder.

Poliwrath looked at Breloom. As Swoobat settled himself on the burly frog's shoulders, his eyes spelled a contradiction to the million words his arms had spoken. "I'm sorry it came to-"

Breloom swung the exhausted frog around and began walking away from Poliwrath. She and her companion were both stumbling along the way, each of them clearly exhausted: Politoed from fighting such a brutal battle, and Breloom from giving Politoed her own energy to fight with. "Let's go," she whispered to Jermy. They accompanied her, two of them quiet in movement and all of them quiet in voice. Jermy felt a hundred stares at his back from Poliwrath and his audience that slowly faded as each step was made. Soon, he could no longer feel them. The shadow filled crypt became somber as an emptiness arose. A piercing dissonance lied within each of their thoughts as Politoed's…and his own conflictions seemed to come to life as the shadows stretched along the floor from their feet. Water lapped against the shore of the rock.

"That was… not good," Jermy said to his robotic companion quietly.

"A VARIETY OF ADJECTIVES COULD BE A DESCRIPTOR," ORB said. "THE MOST APPROPRIATE INCLUDE DISASTROUS, CATASTROPHIC, AND CATACLYSMIC."

The two of them watched as Breloom, still stumbling, crowned Politoed with his King's Rock once again.

"Yeah." Jermy stared at his feet as he stepped through the darkness, wishing to return to the light where he thought he belonged.

Mathew was still confused by his burning bone club. Meowth had already explained to him that marowak bones have eternal flames on both ends, so there was clear precedent for the weapon to be flammable, but the idea of a piece of ivory acting as a sustainable torch still left him defeatedly lost. In any case, Mathew was illuminating the tunnel as they followed its angle deeper into the cavern, acting as the center of the near-single-file line.

"HERE IS US: ROCKYROCIROCKY GROTTO, THE CLEAN WAIT NOT RIGHTY UNCLEAN CAVE OF UNCLEANLINESS!" Ziggy yelled. His loud voice reverberated off the walls as he ran forth into the tight tunnel. Almost a second later, a beaten up paper plate was set into his mouth. The zigzagoon beat on it with his front paws for a few seconds. After such a senseless beating, the zigzagoon finished off the "enemy" by scooping it into his mouth, and dropping it into his satchel. "MY THIRST FOR THE EVIL BEATINGS IS A NO QUENCH!" he yelled.

Mathew, Joey, Meowth, and Minccino simply walked around him, letting him follow on his own as if he were a guard dog.

"Okay, I've tried to keep quiet about it to be nice, but I've gotta ask…" Mathew told the two club veterans. "What the hell is going on with Ziggy?"

"Well…" The chinchilla pursed her mouth shut as she grabbed yet another piece of plastic flung into the side path. "That's kinda hard to talk about." She kept talking while looking away, letting the echo reach Mathew. "I promised to keep it a secret when he told me."

"The way he talks is the same as a crazed dungeon pokemon," Meowth stated.

Mathew looked to the cat. "So you don't know either?"

"No."

"Again, it's a secret between me and Ziggy," Minccino said. "But...yes, he did get messed up by a dungeon."

"MINCCYYYY!" Ziggy screeched.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Minccino exclaimed. "That's all I'm saying, I swear on the heart in my chest and the trash in my bag."

"WEIRD SORRY BUT OKAY!"

"That was rude, Minccino," Meowth said.

"Oh, I bet you know all about being rude," Minccino said. "Considering your 'good things can't happen if everything is going against it' talk."

"You think it's rude that I'm a pessimist?"

"No, it's rude that you squander the idea of doing noble work!" Minccino looked back and pointed at him, keeping her pace in front of his this time. "I'm really starting to get sick of it. You're in a trash-collection job and you barely even care about our well-being, much less the trash around us! I can't believe Mom told me your dad thought you'd enjoy this, he was dead wrong."

"Minccino, you know I clean up trash when I can-"

"Yeah, and it's not enough! Maybe we wouldn't have to go back to the same places over and over if you just put your back into it for once!"

Joey suddenly maneuvered around Mathew to touch Minccino's shoulder. "Stop it, Minccino!"

Everybody in the room stopped moving.

"I know that I just talked about how much more we could do if we raised more awareness of everything yesterday, but this isn't how to do it. If you yell at Meowth for not doing it, you'll only make him not want to do it more."

Minccino looked at Joey with her bright, sun-colored eyes - the ones supplanting what once was black.

"Do you agree with me?" Joey asked. "That we should make people want to do it, not make them do it?"

Minccino grimaced, then glanced at the ground. "Yeah. You're right...this isn't right." Minccino looked at Meowth. "What I was saying a second ago was pretty bad. Can you forgive me?"

"Of course," Meowth answered simply.

"Phew!" Minccino sighed in relief. "That's the good part of your style - it's hard to really make you mad. Glad we patched things up. Feel free to do whatever, for as long as you help at least a little."

"Guys, wait. Do you hear something?"

Mathew's voice prompted the group to stop talking. Everyone kept still - except Ziggy, who quietly vibrated. The sound was very faint, but they could all hear it. The noises of skittering faintly echoed their way into the tunnel.

"Oh, that," Minccino said, seemingly relieved after the tense moment. "I forgot that you haven't been down this path yet, Meowth. This place always has that sound." Minccino began to walk. "I don't quite know what lives here, but they do let me know they exist, at least."

With Minccino at the helm, the group was led into a much wider space. Spires struck out from the floor and ceilings, making for sharp-looking barriers surrounding a winding path deeper into the cave.

"Guys, look at all the stalactites and stalagmites!" Minccino exclaimed. "Aren't they cool?"

"Stalhuh?" Joey sputtered.

"You know, these pillar-looking rocks. I always mix up which one is which, though…"

"C for ceiling, G for ground," Meowth suddenly recited.

"What? That saying's so cool!" Minccino whined. "It's times like these that I wish I could go to Higher Education. They probably have awesome dungeoneering classes if they teach you cool sayings like that…"

"Dungeoneering?" Joey said. "What's th-"

"CROCBRUH, EYE USE!"

Ziggy stopped the conversation.

"HEAR DARKNESS! RECEIVE CHECK UP!" he continued as he ran off from Mathew's torchlight.

"Hey! Where are you going?!" Minccino tried to ask him. There was no reply.

They waited in near-silence...near due to the quiet sounds faintly echoing where Ziggy had run off to. A few seconds later, he started to return.

"Hey, you're ba-"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

To everyone's shock, Minccino was cut off as Joey was shoved far forwards by Ziggy, slamming his maw into the ground. Mathew thought that the landing was bound to hurt...but it couldn't be worse than the spire that almost fell on him. The thing shattered into the stone fragments and collapsed on the ground.

Ziggy hopped off of the terrified Joey and let him stand. "What in tarnation just happened?!" the totodile exclaimed, looking back at the dust-ridden rubble.

"Yeah, what the heck?" Minccino said in agreeance. "What made that stalagmite fall?"

"Stalactite," Meowth firmly corrected.

"Oh, come on! I thought I had it this time!" Minccino's frustration was suddenly cut off by a gasp, followed by a point up towards the ceiling. "Look! Someone's up there!"

Mathew's eyes and torch were guided into the blackness above. He couldn't make out any shapes, but some kind of shadow definitely was shifting above.

"AAAAAAA FOUND SPOOKY MAD LADS!" Ziggy screeched as he took cover behind Minccino.

Mathew's attention was then drawn to something else - another crash. A gigantic spire had fallen behind them, piling rubble in front of the exit.

"They're sealing us off," Meowth said.

"I could probably clear that out with a couple Tail Swipes, but…" Minccino looked up once more. Silently she conveyed how easily she could be intercepted if she made a break for it. They would have to deal with their attackers first.

"Mathew! The next one's coming down over you!" Joey exclaimed, pointing at a spire above Mathew. Mathew looked up and saw the thing loosening from the top of the cave. He hurried out of the way. The spire landed nowhere close to anyone.

However, something did follow after it. Mathew recognized it as soon as it touched the floor.

"Joey, is that the rattata from before?"

"Yeah!" Joey exclaimed.

"Who?!" Minccino said.

"YOU!" Instead of speaking straight to him, the rattata looked away from Mathew. "FOOD BRINGERS! FOREST! FIENDS! TRAITORS! HOPES! DREAMS!" the rattata cried upwards. Upon hearing this, another one dropped from the roof next to it.

"Oh my God!" Mathew exclaimed at their sudden arrival. "There's more of them?! I thought there was just the one we fought in Pawalmtry Forest!"

"This must be their lair, then," Meowth said.

"'VENGE! 'VENGE! 'VENGE!" they chanted, clearly ready to sink their massive teeth into their flesh. As they chanted, yet more of the creatures dropped in from the openings left by the spires. Among them was a different creature. This one was much larger and rotund, with a bald tail and cheeks puffed up like an allergic reaction. Mathew pointed his torch at the oncoming threats, hoping to scare them off as well as see the newcomer's face. The raticate's buck teeth barely held the mouth closed.

"That looks like a signal!" Minccino called out, pointing at the torch. "Chaaaaarge!"

At her command, Joey and Ziggy rushed at the small army.

"...That's not what I meant - damnit!" Mathew grabbed Meowth's arm. The cat turned his head to him. "Please don't go. I don't want to fight alone."

"I didn't intend on splitting up," Meowth replied.

"Alright, you three keep those rattata busy. I got the raticate with Ziggy!" With that, Minccino darted away from them, slipping between two of the smaller targets to focus on the bigger threat. Meowth approached them to keep their attention off Minccino and on him and Mathew.

As the four took fighting stances, the cubone was prompted to think a moment whilst holding his bone club in front of him. Now as mentally ready as he could be, he charged at the one on the left and prodded downwards with the fire. Unfortunately, he struck dirt, as it had maneuvered out of the way thanks to how loud and clear Mathew's tell was. Taken by surprise, he stared at the monster wide-eyed as the dark-colored thing readied to jump at him.

Thankfully, Meowth came to his aid, striking at the rattata with his paw. The thing shouted in pain before the cat kicked it away. Mathew straightened up. "Thanks!" he said.

Meowth's next response was no acceptance of the thanking but instead a piece of advice: "Take a step to the left."

A battle cry was sounded as the creature on the right attempted to strike him. Following Meowth's advice and his action, Mathew barely avoided its lunge along with him. As the rat skidded in the dirt trying to turn around, Meowth took initiative and slashed at the rattata with his claws. His nails slid across the messy fur and flesh of his enemy, leaving a red line where his claws were. The rattata shrieked in pain at the attack. It kept its distance from the idle cat as it reconciled with the other creature.

Meowth glanced at the cubone. "Whack them in the head to take them out," he suggested. "Just like the wimpod."

Mathew didn't respond to Meowth immediately. Instead, Mathew's eyes lowered the the club at his fingertips. Whack them in the head to take him out. Those words clicked something inside of his mind that had not been touched before.

"Mathew," Meowth said, trying to get his lost attention.

Mathew's club started shaking, causing its embers to slightly tremble.

"If you won't do it, then we need another plan." Meowth indicated Mathew's eyes away from his club. More rattatas had joined the two they were already fighting. They strafed around the pair, forming a perfect square together. Then, one of them charged in. "Protect yourself," Meowth said as he moved to address the first attacker. However, the rattata across from Meowth made a move as well - one Meowth couldn't help Mathew with.

Mathew's club was firm and ready...but he couldn't use it.

The rattata jumped him, bringing them both to the ground. Mathew kept the club tightly in his hand, despite his sudden refusal to acknowledge it.

"FOOD TIME!" The rattata raised his mouth for a bit at Mathew. He braced himself for a pain that, of course, came - just not in the way he suspected. Parts of his body started to feel as though they were burning. Some kind of acid was being sprayed on the two, likely to stop the rattata. The creature reacted not so strongly to the substance - Mathew, however, wailed in pain, trying to simultaneously keep the fire from going out because of the attack.

"Make it stop!" he shouted. He felt numb - he couldn't move his legs. Fortunately, once again Meowth helped him by kicking the creature right off of him, knocking it out along with the one he had just handled. It was then that Mathew saw exactly what the substance was coming from - Joey's mouth. "Oh my God! Water hurts! - It hurts! Why does it hurt?!"

"Joey, Mathew is a ground type," Meowth said. "You need to be careful not to aim at him with your Water Gun."

"Wait, did I...hurt him?!" Joey exclaimed. "Shoot. Shoot! I was just trying to help-"

Past his numbing and pain, Mathew shouted, "FORGET ABOUT ME AND DEAL WITH THAT THING!" He thrusted a weakened point behind Joey.

The totodile turned around and was immediately fear-stricken. The large, grossly shapen raticate was upon him.

Fortunately, an unexpected ally came to the trio's aid. Ziggy charged at the raticate and jumped at him, clinging onto his unkempt fur in a flurry of scratching and gnawing. The beast started shouting in pain, trying to pull Ziggy off as the monochromatic zigzagoon maneuvered around his body.

Holy crap, is Ziggy taking on that raticate on his own? Mathew thought while Meowth continued to protect his weakened body from the other rattatas. And he's winning?!

"Yeah, get 'em, Ziggy!"

Mathew glanced over to elsewhere in the cave. Minccino was away from the fighting with her hands held together - she must've been using Helping Hand to enhance Ziggy.

"Here, you need away from them." Mathew was suddenly held up by Meowth. "Joey, cover me," he told the totodile. Whatever Joey did, it seemed to help, as the cat made it to a safe place to set down the cubone by some spires.

"Damnit, I feel like I'm useless now," Mathew muttered in frustration.

"You're fine," Meowth replied. "Just rest here. I'll come back to you to help you recover from that Water Gun." He stepped away from the cubone, giving him a chance to watch him fight alongside Joey. Meowth had already taken down two of the rattatas - now, three remained as active combatants.

Mathew heard the sound of a small crash - the raticate had fallen, and Ziggy was victorious. It was then that he saw an opportunity to help, even in his numb state.

"Hey Minccino!" he shouted. "Now that Ziggy's done, you should use Helping Hand on Joey! He's the weakest and needs it most!"

"Okay, wish granted!" she shouted back as the sound of a loud clap filled the cave again. The fight became a three-on-three: Joey, Meowth, and Ziggy against the rattatas, with Mathew and Minccino acting as support. Mathew barked out commands the best he could. The chance of him actually helping was slim - he was no expert in combat, after all - but it did make him feel as though he could at the very least do something in his helpless state.

Ziggy needed help the least - the Galarian zigzagoon went absolutely haywire on his opponent. Just like the raticate, he went in with bites and scratches and pounces all at once. The rattata tried to fight back with its own dogfight tactics, but it was outmatched in sheer agility and will to win. Even without Minccino's Helping Hand, the poor thing never stood a chance. Mathew was glad to see this side of him - there was certainly more to this crazy guy than he had been led to believe.

Meowth didn't need much help either. However, Mathew did get him to dodge something he didn't seem to anticipate, so he felt like he had fulfilled his quota to Meowth as he watched him kick it out of consciousness.

Joey, however, was in much more need of assistance. He was still fresh to fighting, so even with Minccino's stamina boost, he struggled to hold his own. He often took Mathew's advice when trying to fight his adversary, which lead to a few small cuts from its teeth. Eventually, it became clear that he would need a special opening to win - one that only Mathew could come up with.

"Joey! When he jumps at you, grab him with your teeth, and throw him into a stalactite!"

"Um, I'll try!" Joey replied. When the smaller creature jumped at him, he opened his big maw, and bit down. The thing squirmed around in his mouth, but he was able to hang on just long enough to whirl around and fling it at a spire. The shot was accidentally perfect; the rattata took the blow straight to the head, knocking it out. The fight was over.

"Hey, we did it!" Minccino exclaimed, holding her hands up in victory. "Good job, everyone! Now we can clean this place."

"SPOILED VICTOR REEEEEEEEE FOR!" Ziggy shouted with glee. "ALASO ROCK SHARPIE WAS A WRONG! STALLING MAGGOT MIGHT!" After his outburst, Ziggy began to pant at an accelerated rate. He slowly walked towards Minccino before sinking to the floor like a weird twitching rock. Minccino simply placed her hand on Ziggy's back, comforting him as he attempted to rest himself. (emphasis on 'attempted.')

"Wait," Meowth said. "Mathew needs help."

"I think I need an ambulance..." The cubone stumbled to his feet, loosely carrying the still lit club. His body was still stinging from the water attack.

"I can help," Meowth reaffirmed, approaching him.

"Don't you guys have, like, potions or something?" he asked.

"I have oran berries in my-" Meowth paused. He patted down the satchel on the side of his body. When he didn't find what he was looking for, he slung the thing over his shoulder and put it on the ground. He came to his knees and started rummaging through it.

"What are you doing…" Mathew asked.

"I was looking for my medical supplies." Meowth took his paws out of his bag. "I thought I had stuffed it in the satchel. It's not here."

"What?"

"I left my kit at home. I forgot it."

Mathew glared at Meowth in frustration. A fire was set alight beneath his skin. "Okay, asshole. Just casually forget the life support, the main reason I said 'Don't leave me, I can't do it myself!' Perfect. Awesome."

Meowth looked at Mathew with his unchanging expression. "I'm sorry. It was an honest mistake. If it's any compensation, I don't think you're severely injured."

Mathew wanted to believe Meowth's words, but looking at his constant neutral expression only fueled him. He raised his voice. "I'M DISSOLVING OVER HERE AND YOU DON'T EVEN GIVE A SHIT?!"

"Mathew-"

"You're just a huge hypocrite, aren't you?!" Mathew continued uninterrupted, his bone club visibly shaking in his unstable hand. "You act like you can be so nice and helpful, but if somebody actually crawls up to you and shouts, 'Meowth! Friend! Help me!' you just 'Long live the king' your way out of it. Just look at you! I'm freaking out and you can't even so much as give me a goddamn frown!"

Meowth didn't respond at first. He took a moment to stand up, and then told Mathew exactly what he didn't want to hear: "Maybe I'd look more concerned if you tried to care about somebody other than yourself."

The fire within Mathew burst into a furious blaze that would decimate the caverns if it weren't for the fact that they were contained within his own mind. However, there was one solitary opening for this endless searing pain.

"FUCK YOU!"

Mathew swung. In a split second, he decided to cast away his former refusal to fight with the club. Upon using it, the fire it carried burst into nothing, leaving them in a blackness where only each other's eyes could really be seen.

The grey cat slipped away from the easily telegraphed attack. Mathew's mind raged as Meowth's bright green fake eyes that covered the true black within continued watching him with that half-open stare. And yet, the next thing he said…

"Do you feel better now?"

Mathew held his club down, staring at Meowth with trembling arms. "What do you mean, now?" he muttered.

"You looked like you were already about to get physical, so I goaded you into attacking me instead of somebody else. Do you feel better now?" he repeated.

Mathew continued to hold still. "So… You tricked me…" The fire inside of his mind now contended between the gasoline of Meowth's face and the water of his good intentions.

"I don't express myself the way you think I should," Meowth explained. "My composure doesn't always match my emotions. I should have told you this earlier, like when we ate out yesterday. I apologize for making it look like I didn't care."

Mathew stood there silently. His weapon slid out of his hand, just as tears slid down his unseen face, masked by the skull with a crack in its side.

"I can't do this anymore… I quit."

Mathew left the club and the satchel behind as he ascended up the tunnel. He emerged into the beach. Rain poured onto his skull, dripping at the sides to match the drops coming from within. He sat in the damp sand outside the cave. For the first time since he arrived on Solceus, he bawled. All of the pressure and pain he had felt had piled up into both an explosury fire and a soul-sucking well. He never wanted to hurt anyone, but all it took was one little mistake and his mind snapped like a twig. He fantasized what would've happened if Meowth had really hurt somebody because of his negligence. He might've killed him with that kind of unbridled rage! His soul rolled around in the mud of his pain, and, in the reflection of what had turned him into this shambing man, became one with it.

"Are you okay? You snapped pretty badly back there, and we're both still hurt from that."

Mathew looked up - Joey was there. "No," Mathew's voice sounded quieter and scratchy. As he spoke, he put his hands to his eyes. "Nothing is okay. Nothing will ever be okay."

"Says who?"

Mathew shook his head. "You don't understand."

"I can try to understand. I don't like seeing you like this, and neither does Meowth."

As if on cue, Meowth appeared from behind Joey. "Give me a moment," he told Joey. "I'm going into Pawalmtry Forest to find oran berries. Keep him company."

"Okay," Joey replied as Meowth moved away from the shoreline.

Mathew looked at the crocodile; his eyes cooled down, appearing far more docile. "I appreciate that you want to help, but it's - it's just that - I can't say it. I - It's so hard to live like this. Talking about it, making myself relive it - to do it again but this time with the roles swapped… I can't do it. It's…It's just too much. This whole job's just too much."

"Too much…" the totodile said. He seemed to drift off, staring past Mathew into the woods where Meowth had departed. For a moment, though, Mathew thought his stare might be even further into the woods from Meowth, as if he was glancing at something far away.

Mathew tried to grab his attention back. "...Joey?"

"Oh." Joey looked back at him. "I'm sorry. I should've kept my mouth shut and let you leave yesterday."

"It's okay. Nobody knew it was going to be like this. Just like how you didn't know you would hurt me while trying to help me." The cubone stood. He was no longer in tears - just soaked under the rains stemming from dawn until now.

"I'm back." Meowth approached them, blue berries in hand. "I found two. I hope this compensates."

"Thanks," Mathew said as he and Joey both grabbed a berry out of Meowth's hand consumed it in a single bite. Upon doing so, Mathew's skin stopped stinging and the wounds in Joey's chest shrunk in size until it was unnoticeable.

"Minccino and Ziggy should be finished with cleaning soon," Meowth said. "They said they wanted to feel around for a quick check, despite being in complete darkness."

"...Let's just go back to the hotel," Mathew said. "There's an idea I have that I want to talk about there."

The three agreed to leave. As they stepped through the soaked sand, they all reflected on what had happened today. Mathew kept his eyes on Joey as a familiar feeling coursed through him. He put his faith in the totodile in that moment that perhaps he could find the way into his shattered mind and reveal the truth.

"WELL THIS WAS A FRUSTRATING MORNING," ORB stated.

"Yeah…" Jermy confessed. Around them, various conversations between the other ten employees were occurring within the lobby's walls. The pikachu let his lengthy ears listen to a conversation that he was interested in hearing but not in participating.

"How is this for a plan…" Mathew began, fiddling with his club in his hands. "If I help to clean your house (which you really need cleaned by the way), can I stay without a job?"

"I'll accept a part of that," Meowth responded. "I'll half your monthly rent if you help with anything house-related I ask for."

"I'll pay that 30 P, Mathew," Joey reassured him.

"There, then it's settled! I'll resign from this day forward. Thanks again for this, Meowth. I can't say enough how sorry I am that all this mess came out the way it did."

"Don't worry about it," Meowth responded in his usual tone, clearly having forgiven him.

"Wait, what? You're actually leaving the job?" Minccino said, having picked up that line with her giant ears just as Jermy had. Her statement attracted the attention of Politoed, Breloom, and Medicham, removing them from their own conversation.

"Yeah," Mathew replied. "I - I just don't have the mental strength for this kind of stuff. I want to do something easier on my sanity."

Minccino paused for a moment. "You know what? I'm sad to see you go, but I'll respect that. If that's what you want to do, go for it, Mathew."

The conversation soon attracted the rest of the club members not present with him in today's haul, all of which curious to the context of what had occurred.

"Quitting...?" Politoed asked.

"Yeah," Mathew repeated his previous statements to the small crowd.

"A shame. You seemed to be doing alright."

"I know, I know, but it's for the best. Look, this career just isn't for me."

"WE GETS IT!" Ziggy exclaimed. "HAVE FUN WITH THE OTHER THING! THE WHATEVER THING!"

"...Thank you," Mathew said, clearly just trying to seem polite despite heavy signs of agitation. "Well…before I go, I just wanted to apologize for the trouble I was, especially to you, Meowth. I tried to make this work, but - yeah. Goodbye."

"Huh… So he's actually gonna quit?" Jermy murmured, staying out on the outskirts of the crowd, directly behind Minccino's mother and Medicham as each of them said their goodbyes to the cubone.

"THIS COMPLICATES THINGS."

"Well, let's respect his freedom of choice here," Jermy said. "His career option isn't our problem to meddle with."

"Psst! Mr. Shock!"

Jermy and ORB spun around. Back in the hallway was their current boss, Mr. Persian.

"Can you come to my office for a moment?"

"Um… Yes, of course, Mr. Persian." Jermy picked up ORB and turned it off for the purpose of courtesy. He then joined Mr. Persian as he turned around and brought him to an elevator. The quadruped tapped the 6 button and the rectangular pulley shut its doors and ascended.

"So…" Jermy said as the two of them were forced into the same confinement. "How are you doing?"

"I'm under pressure as I always am, but it's not as chaotic as it could be," Mr. Persian answered.

The doors then opened, bringing them into a hallway. Mr. Persian led Jermy to their left. They walked silently, passing by one or two pokémon cleaning the rooms of Kalmwa'er Resort's residential facilities, until they reached a door at its end. Mr. Persian slowly pushed it open, letting Jermy into his abode: a relatively normal-looking office with various drawers and cabinets embedded into the furniture. A large and wide window was implanted in the left wall, letting bright rays of light from the sun to the east flood inside.

"Now then…" Mr. Persian sat on his rear behind his wooden desk. "Has the job been alright so far?"

"Uh, yeah, it's been good, Mr. Persian," Jermy responded, rubbing the back of his head behind his ears with one hand and tightly clutching ORB in the other. "The job hasn't been very hard or anything."

"I see." Mr. Persian opened a drawer, dipped his head inside, and came out with a pen held between his teeth. "How are…" he dropped the pen onto the desk. "Your coworkers?"

"Mmmm... They're interesting, to say the least. I wish I had been paired with them today. It seems to have been important. From what I can tell, Mathew's quitting."

"Really?" Mr. Persian's eyes widened. "That was rather quick."

"Yeah, sorry if that's a pain."

"Don't worry about it," Mr. Persian said. "You're doing the best you can. Just be ready for when help arrives and you'll be alright."

"Can you make sure that Medicham puts me in with Joey, at least?"

Mr. Persian shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't. He does too many... too many good favors for me." He looked down at his desk. Jermy noticed that his eyes weren't clearly looking at any of the dozens and dozens of papers. "I refuse to force his hand after all this."

"Oh... I understand. I wouldn't wanna do that to somebody, either."

Mr. Persian's head tilted back up. "I'll see if I can get the help you need in other ways, though."

"Alright, thanks, Mr. Persian. I think I'll head back now." Jermy opened the door and began leaving. "Enjoy your day!"

"Yes, of course I will. Good day and good luck."

Mathew, Joey, and Meowth slipped through the doors of Kalmwa'er Resort, beginning their walk back to Joey and Meowth's place of residence and Mathew's brand new workspace.

"It's not like Jermy to just go off without telling anybody like that," Mathew said. "I hope he understands where we are after he gets out of that talk with Mr. Persian."

"Speaking of Jermy..." Meowth halted, forcing the others to do the same. "There was something I wanted to talk to you about, Mathew."

"What's it about?"

"D.E."

Mathew looked at Meowth intently. "I'm listening."

"Who's D.E?" Joey asked.

"He's the person I came here searching for," Mathew said.

"Yes, about that," Meowth began. "There was something I wanted to ask. Are there prerequisites from D.E. that would require skills in technology?"

Mathew pondered this for a moment. "Well, I needed the ability to build the machine in the blueprints, so being an engineer was pretty important, and-"

"The engineer comment is exactly what I needed."

Mathew's curiosity was piqued. "What do you mean?"

"When we talked yesterday, I mentioned that D.E. as initials includes a surname. Now that I had time to think, I realize now that you also have a surname. An engineer with a surname who appeared just a few days ago…" Meowth's gaze suddenly started rising up to the old sign emblazoned upon his father's establishment. "That sounds familiar."

Mathew understood immediately. He, too, looked up at the sign, taking in both this newfound information and the sun's glare at the top of his vision.

Perhaps he wasn't as alone in his search as he originally thought...