Dinner had been a quiet affair.
The poor news and downcast nature of Sunflora sucked any 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. He found he enjoyed helping her cut up cloth for the nurse's station or prepare the food. She did a lot for one person.
Neither he nor Rai spoke much besides chatting before they were getting ready to curl up. The day's 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. Diglett and Dugtrio looking like a secret third evolution so close together, Sunflora looking a bit more lively with a sun stone beside her, offering a glow to light up the room.
"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 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 shook a little, 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 and 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 relax."
"We haven't had one since you two showed up, hey-hey," Corphish said. "Didn't feel right to leave you out, but with how things had been going so fast no one was sure when to even organise this."
"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… today." Dugtrio trailed off.
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 common for him to speak without being spoken to beforehand. "This Time Gear situation should leave our minds tonight. 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 to."
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 get started. 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. "We play it whenever we get some new recruits!"
"The ones that don't run away after a couple of days, hey," Corphish pointed out, giving a respectful click in Bidoof's direction who blushed.
"The funniest one was Grovyle and Braixen," Croagunk murmured, causing Chimecho to smile in memory.
Sean, hearing grovyle, stiffened and blurted out, "Grovyle?"
"Guess you wouldn't know Team Celestial," Croagunk mused, rubbing his chin. No one else seemed surprised at the mention, not even Rai who just smiled at Sean. "They're on their graduation exam out in the Sand Continent, last I heard."
"Oh, okay." Sean's mind whirred with possibilities, almost missing as Sunflora shook the sack she placed down and began explaining the rules.
"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 and More Truth. Someone will ask someone a question, and they have to answer truthfully. If they don't want to answer, they can eat one of their seeds instead and that question can't be asked to them again. Understand?"
"...No," Diglett said.
"You'll pick it up," Sunflora replied because they'd played it before, 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, to talk to characters that he'd only been able to see as pixels on a screen.
"Corphish," Sean began, choosing his target. He decided to start 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 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?" someone 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." He glanced back at Sean with a questioning look. "Meowth 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! Just someone decent that can help others. 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 to. "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 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."
"Oh my gosh. Chimecho..."
Blinking slightly as she returned to the present, Chimecho looked around and frowned. Everyone was staring at her with expressions of abject horror. "Oh! Do not worry, this is a happy story. The boom was a saviour, I'm not sure who though. I don't really remember what happened after it all ended." Chimecho giggled. "Once I recovered I sent a call for help out through the Psychic Network as I had been trained and was promptly rescued and taken to the nearest guilt to recover. That was the Wigglytuff Guild!"
She beamed. "They didn't have a dedicated member of the network here and a few other pokémon had graduated leaving a lot of things needing to be done. I asked if I could join to repay them and I was in!"
She smiled and turned to Croagunk, the only one not looking completely rattled by that story. Still, the gleam of compassion in his eye, 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.
Croagunk chuckled, turning to Rai. "Might as well break the loop, we all know why Shinx is here." There were a few smiles shared. "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 to 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.
"Your turn then," Croagunk chuckled.
"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. Who had the idea to jump through the waterfall?"
Sunflora immediately smirked. Loudred glowered at them both.
"..." Loudred ate the plain seed. "Ugh, disgusting!" He was, thankfully, keeping his voice down. For Loudred at least.
After glowering at Rai for a moment longer, 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, 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 whose 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 secrets 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 out why everyone disliked them.
Croagunk chuckled. "I may need to start a list," he 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 feeling of worry 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 a gabite scale is 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…." He trailed off.
"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 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 night's 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 guild's food stock is inspected every morning by Chimecho and I. It seems the guild's perfect apple supply has run out as have a few other things."
"Oh, damn, I forgot to mention that." He then heard Chatot. "Wait! But I restocked everything else!"
"Indeed." Chatot nodded to him genially. "But well… there is the occasional night-time grazer. Most commonly our most illustrated Guildmaster. As he should be able to!" Chatot insisted.
Sean found himself frowning. "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, a distant look in his eye. "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 is 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, sharing a giggle at Chatot knowing what the apprentices were up to but not caring. He wasn't as stuffy as he presented himself.
The town didn't take long to plunder, Rai cut a dashing figure with his scarf in the wind, and they were off.
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's.
He enjoyed eating a few apples they picked up, after checking them for grossness. Each one was even more divine while fresh.
It was a picturesque place. Trees lined the dungeon as an impenetrable wall of foliage, soft grass pleasant to the feet after trudging over hard dirt and pointy stones, and food everywhere.
The occasional Bug-type that Rai scared off with electricity.
It was the most disconcerting dungeon Sean had ever entered. The sky was even more visible, a bloody crack against the picturesque trees around them, storming in silent violence. Some of the clouds reminded him of eyes, it was creepy and he preferred being enclosed in the trees to seeing the sky.
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 that they are. I've never seen anything to suggest these places are 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 are being led to feel 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. The dust caught on their feet, even grassy dungeons like this had that same ashy powder all through them. Sean didn't like it.
They continued. Sean grew 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. The Apple Woods theme.
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 behind us."
Rai looked back. Nothing there.
He glanced at Sean, worry staining his expression. "I've never seen a dungeon this empty. Just a few here and there. It's like nothing is here."
"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."
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."
To 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 the perfect apple 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? Who was that? Where are you?"
"Chaw-haw-haw." Was his only answer.
"Skuntank!" Sean shouted, claws extending. He was here? What were the chances, they came here to mess with the protagonists in the game, but there should be no reason they'd be here now.
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.
"Stop laughing," Sean snapped, his nerves flaring at the constant guffawing.
"Heh-heh, it's wimpy and wimpo. How have you been?"
"WHAT?" Rai snarled, Sean remaining silent to glare hatefully at them.
"Woah-ho-ho, I'm stuffed!" Koffing belched. "Those apples were good. What are two losers like you two doing here?"
"You ate the Perfect Apples?" Rai seethed. Sean glanced askew at Rai, a little surprised at how much anger was actually showing.
"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 my treasure back."
"Chaw-haw-haw," Skuntank laughed. "Chaw-HAW-HAW. Knock us out? How rude. Why I was even going to offer you an apple for your earlier troubles, sorry about the tizzy back in Beach Cave. 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 then give me back my treasure!"
"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. He didn't even acknowledge the demand, and his sharp eyes couldn't spot the Relic Fragment on their person.
"You want the 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.
"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 put 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," he laughed, looking straight at Sean just to confirm he was doing it on purpose. "It's a little disappointing you aren't the trusting sort. You're the stupid sort though, so that evens out. You wanna go, little Shinx?" Skuntank's breath was foul. "You won't enjoy what happens."
Electricity crackled over Rai's fur as Sean grabbed a hold of an x-eye seed.
"You're going to give my treasure back," Rai warned one last time.
"Well now, aren't we feeling peppy, chaw-haw-haw-haw-haw," Skuntank laughed. "The last time we met you were knocked out with a single breath. Hell, your useless friend lasted longer than you did. Eh, whatever, we haven't been following you for a fight." That was alarming for Sean to hear. "I got a question about that rock of yours."
"Shut up!" Rai shouted, not listening. "I'm not going to back down. I'm never backing down to sad bullies like YOU! Because YOU are pathetic letting your pals fight us and then attack from behind like a dirty, rotten, coward!"
That looked like it stung a nerve as Skuntank's expression twisted and Koffing and Zubat shrunk back.
"Oh? Pathetic, am I? Alright." He nudged Koffing back further. "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 slammed into Rai's head and batted him brutally. Sean pulled his paw 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 already upon him.
"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 of reflex before his face screwed up. "Ugh!"
He coughed hard as the false berry absolutely burned going down. He retched and shook his head violently, spitting smog and ash.
"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 pokémon will ask questions." 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."
The three of them stood for a moment.
"Err, boss?" Zubat asked. "Weren't we gonna ask them about-"
"Forget it," Skuntank growled. "If they want trouble so badly they can deal with them when it comes. Let's skedaddle boys."
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. "Again. Even worse than the first time. It still reeks."
Sean glanced about. "No perfect apples either. I'm sorry, Rai."
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, explain why 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 will be mad, he was freaking out just at the thought of this."
"Right," Sean agreed, and they began to move. Leaving Apple Woods was easy, as they had reached the end of the dungeon the space warping let them out right at the beginning. It was still several hours of walking, however, both of them were sore from the complete 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. Even when Skuntank pushed Koffing away, they were going to stink us out no matter what!"
"That'd at least hurt less," Rai grumbled. "Less than knowing bullies like Skuntank completely outmatch us. My neck hurts too."
About that, Sean wasn't sure what to say. 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.
"I can't believe we got a chance," Rai whimpered sadly. "To get it back and just lost like that. Dammit!"
"I'm so sorry," Sean said, he felt like it was his fault. Rai was strong, he wasn't. He was weak. The best he could do was take a punch, but Skuntank still overwhelmed him quickly.
"It's not your fault!" Rai snapped. Sean flinched from the tone, and he softened. "Don't blame yourself. You look like you do."
"It is my fault," Sean muttered. It was his fault Skuntank was there in the first place. What was it? What had changed to cause that? Had he seen him going to the beach and decided to follow? He bet that was it. It was his fault no matter what, he'd changed something.
He almost told Rai, almost considered it for a moment. Rai wouldn't understand, as Sean turned to him he knew he wouldn't. So, he didn't say anything.
They walked in silence the way back. Dread and anticipation being their company.
"WHAAAT!" Chatot screeched, hours later. "YOU FAILED!?" Chatot's wings 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. "Goodness gracious! What am I going to do!?"
"We couldn't help it, sir," Rai said, trying at least to explain. "Team Skull and-"
"Quiet!" Chatot snapped, coming to a stop and glaring at them. "I do not want to hear any of it. You leave me no choice, you will be going without dinner tonight."
"What?" Rai exclaimed. He had expected punishment, but not that. "B-but, Chatot."
"You failed to complete an important job," Chatot chastised, his eye narrowed into a terrifying glare. "Your punishment could be much more severe. I don't want to hear anything from you until debrief."
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. It will be your debrief."
"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 alone himself. Rai regretted going into the dining room, watching everyone else eat was torture.
Once everyone was finished, Chatot waited outside the door for him.
"Where is Meowth?" he asked, having refused to look over to where the punished pokémon were supposed to be standing.
"He went for a walk," Rai mumbled. "I thought he'd be back by now…"
Chatot and Rai glanced up at the incline. "Hmph. If he thinks he can avoid this or leave us both to suffer while he gets away. Ooh boy will my wrath be severe."
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 my 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. Meowth 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." The routine was broken, it was all falling apart. "That means, Guildmaster… you will have to make do without perfect apples for a little while. Yep! Until they grow back. That's what it means!"
To Rai's shock, and terror, Chatot began to laugh hysterically. To the point that he was tearing up.
"Um… Guildmaster? Guildmaster?"
Wigglytuff sniffled. Once. Twice. Then a small sob.
"Ah! Is he going to cry?" Rai thought in alarm.
Lip quivering, eyes watering, Wigglytuff began to tear up.
"COVER YOUR EARS!" Chatot screeched, clapping his wings over his head as Wigglytuff began to spasm. A single sob caused a shockwave, knocking them back.
"Hang on."
Wigglytuff perked slightly as Sean entered the room. Rai noticed he looked a little different but was too frazzled to determine why.
"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 in muted shock, Chatot caught himself gawking and composed himself. "That is all Guildmaster, we'll take our leave now." He swiftly gestured for them to exit and exit quickly.
"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, allowed himself a victorious smirk. "You're welcome."
"H-how?" Chatot managed. "H… how?"
"I used my time in Treasure Town to ask around," Sean answered, gesturing widely. "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. We shall debrief properly then."
He hopped away to guard the entrance or scream where no one could hear him. However, he then paused. "No. First, I apologise. I… shouldn't have placed such blame on you. You said you were ambushed? Yes, I… go to the kitchens, take something. I… think I need to relax, the stress is getting to me." He continued to mumble as he hopped off.
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 claw at him. He toyed with his fur, tracing a scar he couldn't remember getting.
Rai frowned, looking closely at Sean, trying to spot why he was acting like that. He couldn't help but notice the scars himself, jeez there was a lot of them. Why did he look 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 left, 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 night's rest and he was back to better than new. The wonders of a pokémon body, he marvelled.
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 game's 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, spite was a good motivator.
Little more than spite and some curiosity 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 than 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. He was worried he'd get back late at this rate, but hoped he wouldn't get lost on the way back.
The house was built into a big tree. An old burrow was filled with what probably passed for trash. Little burns were all about, the tree house was not the healthiest nor was the place well looked after.
Sean hesitated for a moment. Spite, while wonderfully energizing, could only bring him so far. He hesitated, took a breath, and 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 heated abode.
"And I was thinking you'd arrive next week sometime," Litleo snarked as Sean entered. "Don't worry, I always get the boys 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?"
"I'm only here for the apple, Litleo."
"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 spluttering 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 than nothing but innuendos," Sean muttered.
"Maybe. I can make the night perfect for us both if you'd like~?"
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, er, 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 holding his reaction in check, 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 giving a provocative stretch. "Then you've got some weird tastes. Or you're into Shinx. Although pretty similar in body shape...?"
Sean's glare slowly intensified.
"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…?" Sean was stone. "No? Fine. I mean the bow you're wearing."
"My bow?" Sean frowned, he hadn't expected that at all.
"Yep, take it, take it, or leave it."
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 pretty 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, bouncing over to look in a little reflective orb. It gave Sean a chance to look around, Litleo's house was fairly small, not much to see beyond a closed chest and a bed with what looked like a sheet.
That looked nice. He hadn't seen those besides in the hospital wing.
Litleo finished admiring himself. "Would I? I look much better then you with this, I'm sure. Silver on white? Nah. Silver on me though."
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 necklace I bou-"
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. He hoped this would work.
"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 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 sleepy, and not in the mood for any more 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, especially since Litleo had heard about his name accident, but he quickly remembered where Litleo said he was going the other day, and a quick question told him that yes, he was strong enough to get 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 just in case. 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 Team Skull would have trouble to brew later on, but for now he was victorious.
Sean actually trying a little bit. How nice.
I like Litleo, he's fun to write.