A New World

by EmeraldKhanate

A retelling of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky but with certain girls from the Pokémon anime and a few Gen V and VI Pokémon in place of some of the main characters while still taking place in the world of PMD. Detailed summary on the inside. Co-written with a friend who wants to remain anonymous.

11. Unwanted Guests

"Everyone! I have an announcement before we get down to work. Let me introduce our new allies. " Chatot stood before the assembled apprentices for the morning briefing, who were all confused by the announcement and also a bit groggy, as they had been woken up earlier than usual.

"Allies? What, more new apprentices?" Loudred wondered out loud.

"Golly, I wonder what kinds of Pokémon they are?" Added Bidoof. Are they pretty ladies like the rookies?

Chatot turned towards the ladder leading to the upper levels. "Hey! Over here, please. " As soon as he had said that, however, a cloud of noxious gas came flooding in, and enveloped the apprentices.

"Ugh! What stinks?!"

"Eek! It reeks like rotten cheese! Ewwww!"

"Yup, yup! That is some kind of foul stench!"

The perpetrators suddenly came into view, to the shock of the gathered apprentices, and the revulsion of two of them in particular. "It-It's them!" Serena gasped. "These three are our new partners. " Chatot announced, as Team Skull introduced themselves.

"Whoa-ho-ho! I'm Koffing."

"Heh-heh-heh! Zubat here. Glad to meet you."

"And I'm Team Skull's leader. I'm Skuntank. Remember it. Especially you two. Chaw-haw-haw!" He snorted at the two human girls.

"What, you're already acquainted? That simplifies things. " Chatot jovially remarked upon seeing Skuntank leering at the human girls, oblivious to their blatant aversion to the Poison type intruders. The musical bird only made things worse, with his next announcement. "These three aren't joining us as apprentices. They will be joining our expedition to lend us their assistance. "

Serena was outraged. "Whaaaat?!"

"Why are you so shocked?"

The human girls were livid. "Those three are bullies who harassed me and May several times! Zubat and Koffing attacked me before May and I joined the guild and just yesterday Skuntank knocked May out with a cloud of poison gas here in the guild!" Skuntank quickly offered an excuse. "Chatot, sir, it's nothing. That one always overreacts to every little thing. Chaw-haw-haw. What happened yesterday was just a misunderstanding." Chatot seemed to contemplate his response, before someone else decided to offer his opinion. "With all due respect Chatot, Serena is right. There was a real bad stench here in the guild yesterday, yup yup. And it was all because that purple fella knocked out May with a spray of noxious gas." Bidoof testified, as Sunflora, Corphish, Chimecho, and even Loudred nodded in agreement. The musical bird was at a loss on what to do when Skuntank once again chortled. "Chaw-hah-hah! Like I said, Chatot, sir. This is all a big misunderstanding! I'm sure we'll all be getting along in the coming few days." The avian nodded. "Hm. Very well, then."

"Coming few days?" May wondered out loud.

"Yes, the Guildmaster has already made his decision. He has decided that having this trio take part will make us stronger on the expedition. However, it would be impossible to coordinate teamwork if we were to begin working together right away. Therefore, we've decided that the trio should live with us for several days. Though it will be only for a short while, I ask everyone to treat our guests with hospitality. "

May's jaw dropped and Serena seethed with inward rage upon hearing this. The other apprentices were equally unamused.

"...Doesn't Chatot think something stinks about this? Literally?"

"...Eww. How can the Guildmaster stand this?"

"Do you see a nose on that guy? I don't. Meh-heh-heh!"

"I sure hope this expedition ends soon! Yup yup!"

Chatot was oblivious to the annoyed mutterings of the apprentices. "All right, everyone. Let's get down to work. "

"...Hooray."

"What's this? Where's your usual spirit?"

Loudred spoke for everyone. "You gotta be KIDDING! This STINKS! How do you expect us to be cheerful when... WH-WHAT?!" The entire floor started to shake and rumble, to the terror of everyone present. The usually cheerful Wigglytuff had a sad expression on his face.

"YOOM...YOOOOOOM..."

"No! The Guildmaster... His rage is building!" Chatot turned to the apprentices. "Everyone! Come on! Be cheerful, even if it hurts! If the Guildmaster gets angry, it will be horrific! All right, everyone. Let's get down to today's work. "

"HOORAY!"

Wigglytuff calmed down and the apprentices left to fulfill their daily duties. And just like that, the apocalypse is averted. May stood there in stunned disbelief with by her side Serena equally shocked as the Guildmaster returned to his chambers. Team Skull approached her.

"Chaw-haw-haw! Glad to have met you!"

"Whoa-ho-ho!"

"Heh-heh-heh!"

The girls glared at the Poison type trio as they ascended the ladder. Chatot sighed and addressed them. "Take care of the jobs on the boards today, OK? And try not to have any trouble with our guests." The musical bird flew away.

"I don't know what they're scheming, but we'd better be careful, May.*

The Hoennian agreed. "Urk, you're right! Something's definitely suspicious about them for sure. Those guys from Team Skull are bad news."

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0

May, Serena, and Grimer were in Treasure Town when they came across a peculiar trio. A white horse adorned with a fiery mane, a hulking camel-like being whose humps resembled volcanoes, and their leader who resembled a pitcher plant, and who was tiny compared to his subordinates. The plant approached Team CrimsonVelvet. "Hello there! We're Team Flame! I'm the leader, Bellsprout. These are my associates Ponyta and Camerupt."

The two quadrupedal Fire types came forward. "Our leader is always nervous around fire. But that's a small thing compared to all the positives! So I'm happy to support our leader through thick or thin."

"Ponyta and I are great at using fire-based attacks, as you can imagine. But... We leave swirling fire in our wake as we fight... and that scares our leader. I think our leader has lost confidence because of this... But I don't know what we can do about it."

The two Fire types hit it off with Serena and Grimer. May noticed Bellsprout seemed wistful.

"Bellsprout? Is everything ok?"

The plant sighed. "I don't like to admit it, but I'm very timid... When my team members start fighting with fire, I can't do a thing but stand back and hope I don't get hit... Ugh... I feel so pathetic..."

This is just like Team Tasty. "I don't think you're pathetic though. From the looks of it, you have a functional team and your teammates respect you. Besides, you have great type coverage as a result and I'm sure Camerupt and Ponyta would protect you no matter what. And if they encounter hostile Water type Pokémon, I'm sure they'll be glad you're by their side."

"You really think so? I'm still afraid that I might get singed by them one of these days..."

"If they're your teammates and respect you, I don't think you need to worry about that. Serena and I usually take up roles as Fire and Water types but we both know we'd never intentionally hurt each other. And even though Grimer can be a huge pain to deal with at times, we know he means well, even if he's a bit perverted..."

"Hmm, well I guess then I shouldn't worry so much. I feel a bit better now. Thanks for the insight, May, was it?"

The two teams went their separate ways. May, Serena, and Grimer continued towards the eastern side of Treasure Town. I can only imagine how they got into this dynamic in the first place. I bet they drew straws to decide the leader after realizing they didn't have enough fingers to do rock-paper-scissors.

Team CrimsonVelvet were on their way to finally give the Kecleon Shop another chance before heading out for a mission. But as they approached the shop, another odd trio appeared before them. These guys seem more in tune with each other than Team Flame. May thought, as the trio noticed the human girls and introduced themselves.

"We're the exploration team that delivers happiness! We're Team Glee!" Their leader was all too happy to announce it. "I'm Togepi! This is Politoed, and Ledyba! Hey, gang! What kind of items should we buy today?"

"I want a Blue Gummi!"

"I want a Green Gummi! But wait...! Hold on a second! Let's think about it for a second! We don't have any money, do we?"

"Oh! You're so right!"

"That's so silly of us!"

Togepi laughed but graciously moved out of the way for Team CrimsonVelvet. Serena and May couldn't help but coo at how adorable their antics were, as they approached the Kecleon Brothers.

"Ah yes, I've heard! The guild is preparing for an expedition soon?! Please do try to be chosen as members! " The green Kecleon jovially shouted encouragement. as his brother also commented. "The guild is going on an expedition, I hear! Ah, it has been a long time! "

Can't believe these two were being so openly prejudiced against us a few weeks ago. "We'll take some orbs, Reviver Seeds, and Max Elixirs." May said as she handed over the money.

"Come on Serena, Grimer. Let's take on our missions for today."

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0

"Oh! A customer, is it not? Good day, is it not? The new shop, Spinda's Cafe, is now open! This wonderful shop is overflowing with hopes and dreams, is it not?"

Two familiar blue faces stood before Team CrimsonVelvet. The team had just returned from their missions for the day and had decided to go out to town after receiving their rewards at the guild, including plenty of gummis, berries, and Poké to spend. These are the same ones we saw here three days ago. Serena thought, before she asked. "Hopes and dreams?" The bigger blue figure suddenly performed a salute in response before screaming: "THAT'S RIGHT!"

The smaller blue figure responded in a less bombastic manner. "Why not come on in? Don't be shy!" May turned to Serena. "I don't really know about this. Want to find out?" "Sure! It sounds fun!" The smaller blue figure was ecstatic. "We have two guests!" May and Serena went down the stairs, with Grimer and the two blue beings following them.

The first thing they noticed upon descending the stairs, was the space was much bigger than it appeared on the outside. Well it is just a hole in the ground from outside. May thought, as the bipedal ursine mammal with red-and-white fur she and Serena had seen loitering around a couple weeks ago appeared in the middle of the room and approached Team CrimsonVelvet.

"Hello and welcome to Spinda's Cafe! My name is Spinda. I am the owner of this cafe. This is a cafe for explorers who enjoy finding new things every day and who are constantly challenging themselves."

"I'm May, and this is my partner Serena and our teammate Grimer."

"A cafe for explorers sounds like fun. What do you offer here?" Asked Serena, as Spinda eagerly continued explaining. "It's natural to want to refresh yourself with a hearty, delicious drink after exploring... So we are delighted to provide this service to explorers, and we trust it will bring them happiness. Today is our grand opening! Allow me to show you around the premises." Spinda first tottered towards the left side of the room, where there was a large stand with juice dispensers and a pantry behind it. "You've undoubtedly collected Gummis and Apples during your explorations, am I right? Here, those edibles can become delicious drink sensations. I, Spinda, will take your ingredient and use my incredible skills to create a delectable drink for you."

Serena beamed. "Really? So if we brought you an Apple, you'd make some Apple Juice, is that what you're saying?"

"That's right! That is exactly right. That's how it works. While you're enjoying a nutritious drink, you can sit back and share exploration stories. Here's the next facility..." Spinda staggered towards the right side of the room as Team CrimsonVelvet followed. There was a different stand with boxes on it and another pantry behind it, this one adorned with a face identical to that of the blue beings accompanying the group. "This is the centerpiece of our place, the Recycle Shop. "I'll bet you have a bunch of items in storage that you picked up in your travels and have little use for, am I right? Sometimes you have to throw out your extra items to make room... Doesn't that seem wasteful? There could be explorers in dungeons out there who are desperately in need of the very things you have locked in storage." The human girls sweat-dropped in response, while Grimer merely continued staring. Spinda took the girls' silence as agreement. "That's what we thought too. That's why we established this facility. You can bring your extra items here and trade them for items you want. How does that sound? One Pokémon's trash is another Pokémon's treasure, am I right? I thought it would be fun for explorers to gather and trade items with one another. You'll never have to throw out another item. You'll never have to say, 'What a waste!' That's my goal. So if you've got a collection of items you don't need, please make use of our Recycle Shop. You can even get a bonus Prize Ticket when recycling items. It's a lot of fun... I know that was a whirlwind tour but I hope you've got an idea of what kind of a place this is." The eccentric ursine staggered back to his juice bar.

Serena was ecstatic. "Wow. This seems like a really fun shop. What do you think, May?"

"Between mixing drinks and recycling, I guess we have no excuse to hoard items. Let's see what the Recycle Shop is like." The two blue beings who initially approached the girls appeared behind the counter.

"Hello! I believe we haven't introduced ourselves properly yet. I am Wynaut. This is Wobbufet."

"That's right!" The taller blue being saluted.

"Welcome to the Recycle Shop, where everyone is happy. Why don't you try it, why not?" Serena giggled and May opened up the Treasure Bag to see what she could exchange. She handed over a Blast Seed, two Oren Berries, and a Pecha Berry. Wynaut accepted them and then handed over a Prize Ticket to May. "Do you want to redeem that Prize Ticket for a Prize now?"

May wasn't sure. She looked at Serena. "I'm fine either way, May." The Hoennian thus decided to hand over the ticket. Wynaut took out three cards. "So, now you have to select a color card. Red, Blue, or Yellow, why not?" May chose the Blue ticket. "Ok, Blue." "Right! Blue!" Saluted Wobbufet before turning around. "Is it a win? Is it not?" Wobbufet seemingly ignored Wynaut before shaking. "Huh...wait...Don't tell me...Is it a big win...?" May perked up. "Can you believe it Serena, a big win on our first try?!" However, the brunette's hopes were immediately dashed as Wobbufet suddenly sweat-dropped. "Don't tell me...It's a loss, right?" Wobbufet responded in kind to Wynaut. "That's right!" "Hey...Why not calm down...?" Wynaut turned to the girls and handed over a small bag to May. "Sorry to have gotten your hopes up. Why not take this consolation prize?"

May opened the bag and found an Escape Orb. She sighed. "At least we get an item even if we lose. So not a big loss in the end."

"Yes indeed. It's a good idea to trade in unwanted or unused items you've collected for something you want." The girls turned around to see a pink humanoid standing in the corner next to the Recycle Shop. "I'm Mr. Mime. I've got too many Oran Berries, so I've been thinking of trading them in." Mr. Mime approached the Recycle Shop as soon as May and Serena got out of the way. A Zigzagoon came up to May and sniffed the girl's leg. "Heh-heh-heh... There's a new scent! I hope you enjoy Spinda's Cafe!" As he walked away, a Heracross approached the girls. "This shop is increeedible! It's like a paradise for exploooorers!" The bug then walked away. May sweat-dropped while Serena giggled. "At least everyone's friendly here, right May?" The Hoennian nodded. "Let's try the juice bar."

Team CrimsonVelvet headed over to the opposite side of the room. When they got close, they encountered a tentacled patron who seemed almost too friendly.

"Well, well. Aren't you two lovely specimens!" The being in question thrust out two tentacles and wrapped each one around May and Serena's exposed bellies. Both girls yelped as they were lifted up. Grimer expressed outrage. "YOU! These beauties are MINE! Only I get to enjoy them!" The being seemed confused. "'Enjoy?' I was only giving them a friendly greeting!" He immediately set the girls down and released them. "My apologies. I am Octillery. I plan to make this cafe my home away from home. The juice bar here is simply out of this world! I collected a bunch of apples over the years so I had some drinks made. The drinks were so fresh and juicy... and delicious... But that was it... I thought my Belly would be filled and my HP would be restored... It seems like a drink made from an Apple or an Oran Berry has no effect. Well, at any rate, it was delicious, so I'm not too disappointed. I wonder if there's an effect when you use a Gummi... Pleased to meet you either way!" He was about to grab the girls, who tried to inch away from the cephalopod, before they felt two slimy hands grab each of them from behind. Octillery chuckled. "Your companion there seems quite protective of you! He's definitely a loyal team member."

May and Serena both sighed. They approached the juice bar but before they could talk to Spinda, another patron decided to make small talk. "If you bring in a favorite ingredient, you can have a delicious drink made." The girls turned to see a Pachirisu addressing them. "Hmm... What should I do...? I should splurge and have a drink made with my Yellow Gummi..."

"Looks like these two barflies are basically saying 'Use all your Gummis here. DO IT.'" Noted Serena, as May shrugged. The girls finally managed to talk to Spinda.

"So ladies, are you here to try the fresh and friendly Spinda's Juice Bar?"

"Yes we are." Both girls simultaneously replied. "What ingredient would you like me to use?" May opened the Treasure Bag once more and decided to try some variety.

"How about you use this Oran Berry for me, an Apple for Serena, and this Pink Gummi for Grimer?"

"Ok! I'll do them one at a time!" Spinda added the Oran Berry into a shaker. "Added the Oran Berry..." "That's right!" Wobbufet screamed from across the room. The ursine bartender then started to shake and spin his body, alongside the shaker. "Shake it this way, shake it that way, and stir it around. And it's done!" The bartender poured in the drink for May. "WHOAAAAAA! This is...THIS IS...This drink is so wonderful, so amazing, that I couldn't have made it if I tried. It is so incredible that it is a miracle!" Serena and May both got excited. "Congratulations May! You got a miracle drink on your first try!" The Hoennian took the drink and downed it in an instant. Unbelievable! Never before have I experienced a heavenly, super-special, incredible, miracle-combination flavor like this! May felt a new feeling surge over her, as if she had just felt herself becoming much stronger.

"Yep, sometimes you'll get a stat boost from a particularly good drink." Explained Spinda. "But now it's time for me to make drinks for your friends. Added the Apple..." "That's right!"

Spinda repeated the process to make a fresh glass of apple juice for Serena, and a Pink Gummi Broth for Grimer. They all sat at a table and enjoyed their drinks. "That was amazing, May! A light, rich flavor that just melts in my mouth."

Grimer agreed. "Almost as delicious as you ladies, I bet." Serena's cheeks turned red in response while May glared at the living sludge pile and he nervously laughed before looking away. The brunette sighed. "Well, at least we got a nice place to hang out and relax after a long day. At least these drinks are genuinely good. It reminds me of the Pokeblocks I made back home."

Serena agreed. "And it's great that we now have this place after having to deal with those bullies from Team Skull this morning and then doing multiple jobs at Mt. Bristle. On top of that we need to make sure we'll still be picked for the expedition." She sighed. "Some rest and relaxation once in a while would be great."

"Yeah, I can't believe that we're already almost at the Silver Rank. I wonder what rank Team Skull has."

"Probably Turd Rank." The girls turned to the living pile of sludge who said that. To his surprise, May suddenly burst into laughter, followed by Serena. Grimer also joined in. Finally, I made them laugh with joy.

After about an hour they left the cafe, where they saw a familiar floating white orb in the middle of the crossroads.

"Oh, May! Serena!" Chimecho floated over just as team CrimsonVelvet emerged. "I was looking for you girls. I wanted to ask you something."

"What's up, Chimecho?"

"I was wondering, would you like to meet up with your team members waiting at at this cafe for the time being? Thanks to our recent 'guests' the guild is getting too pungent as of late..."

"Guests?" May wondered for a minute but then realized what Chimecho meant. "Oh... those guys. Yeah I get what you mean."

"Right? So I was wondering, maybe your team member Grimer could meet up with you girls here at the cafe instead of the guild for the time being? I know he means well but he already has a powerful Stench as an ability and that combined with the gasses Team Skull produces on purpose...well...you get the idea." May was about to agree when someone loudly expressed his objections.

"This is an outrage! I'd rather stay in the guild where I'm closer to these beauties!" Grimer grabbed May and Serena from behind with one hand around each girl's belly. "You know Grimer, it would be nice if you gave us some time to ourselves for a bit We need some time alone every once in a while."

"My buxom blonde beauty, I would never want to aggravate you." "Then do what Chimecho suggested and stay in the cafe for a bit. It's only until Team Skull leaves." Grimer released his grip on the girls and deflated at May's suggestion. "Very well my lady, I agree."

Grimer went back into the cafe as the three girls headed back to the guild. Finally some time away from that sleazy slime! If I wanted to be groped and fondled every day then I already have someone for that. May turned to Serena as she finished her thoughts. The Kalosian looked back with a blush and smiled.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0

I always wondered if anyone would use those three empty spots next to us.

May grimaced as Team Skull sat next to her and Serena at the dinner table. As ever, the two human girls had special meals prepared for them and ate in a far more refined manner than the Pokémon; they had also gotten used to how their fellow guildmembers ate.

"Crunch-munch! Chew-chew! Snuffle-slurp!"

But Team Skull somehow ate in an even sloppier manner, spraying bits of food they spat out while eating and talking to each other, something the guildmembers at least refrained from doing.

Still, can't believe we now have to share breathable air and food with these jerks. I can't believe I'm thinking this but I'd rather have Grimer sitting next to me than Team Skull. Pervert or not he at least controls his Stench and doesn't try to hurt us.

May finished more quickly than usual and headed off to bed with Serena close behind.