My (Twisted) Pokémon Journey: PMD Different Futures

✿ Chapter Twelve (Part 2) ✿ - Perfect (Apple) Opportunity

I want to say a quick thank-you to anyone who still might check in on this story. I've gone on an unannounced hiatus for a year and a half, and I am looking forward to coming back with chapters that are more frequent than once a year. Thank you so much, you guys and the support you give this old thing is amazing!

     "Aside from Team Skull," I said, as we all relaxed in our room, the warm evening light filtering through the window, "today was pleasant. Our jobs were easy, and that was nice."
     Pika smiled at me. "Our outlaw was tough," he said. "But the challenge was welcome!"
     Hex beamed at him. "I had Pika do the main attack and the arrest with his badge," she said. "I was just support in case he needed me, which he really didn't."
     "Great!" Kip and I said in unison. He nudged me, and gave me a meaningful glance. I told you, he seemed to say. I rolled my eyes in response. Oh, shut up.
     "Good job, Pika," a melodic voice said. "You seem to have improved a lot since you joined us!"
     We all whipped around toward the hall. Chimecho floated there. "Oh!" she said. "Sorry. I didn't mean to sneak up or listen in -- I just wanted to let you know dinner is ready, and Wigglytuff won't let the rest start without you. But really, good job, Pika. I'm sure Wigglytuff is noticing, and will choose you to go on the expedition!"
     Chimecho smiled. "Now, about joining the rest of us in the dinning hall...?"
     We fell in line behind Chimecho, with Kip taking the lead after her, as Pika told me more about his arrest and Hex listening proudly.
Then Kip hesitated in his steps, and hissed "Hex," before continuing on behind Chimecho, entering the mess hall. Hex unquestioningly quickened her pace to walk side-by-side with Kip. Pika had been in the middle of a sentence, and we shared a confused glance with each other.
The moment we stepped into the mess hall, we knew.
The odor hit both of us at the same time. Pika's ears twitched and went back, and now I noticed Hex's in a similar position.
When Chimcho moved out of our line of sight, taking her seat next to Chatot, the sick feeling that started in my stomach only worsened, and not necessarily due to the noxious smell. Across the table of Chimecho's beautiful, delicious feast of berries, I saw Team Skull. They not only sat near where we usually would sit, but next to the only open spots at the table. Clearly, no one else wanted to sit near that toxic trio. Pika made a quiet noise.
"Don't stop," I whispered to Pika, gripping his paw for a moment to let him know I had his back.
Hex led the way, followed by Kip, to our normal spots. Hex sat across from Zubat, who sat at the very end of the other side of the table. Kip, following her lead, ended up sitting across from Koffing. I took the seat next to Kip, and across from Chief Stench, before Pika could resign himself to it. He, instead, sat next to Loudred, and across from Sunflora. Loudred momentarily talked quietly with Pika.
I shot Chief Stench a defiant glare as I added some berries to my plate. He almost looked ready to shrug, but his face remained blank in an odd way that seemed almost out of character. Maybe I expect villains to be of the same cut, I thought to myself. Then again, thieves? They don't come in many varieties. I tried remembering what villain I could have been thinking of. Who am I trying to overlay on Skuntank?
None of us, or the rest of the Guild, spoke very much, and it stayed eerily quiet except for the sounds of eating that everyone tried suppressing. The tension in the room matched the thick odor; Bidoof's nervous glances, Loudred's shockingly-mute and subtle gagging, and everyone's lack of an appetite spoke to the Guild-wide discomfort at sharing a table with Team Skull. No one wanted to be the one to throw up due to our "guests" and risk insulting them or inciting Chatot's displeasure, or maybe even both. The sweet, citrus, and sour scents that came off the berries mixed noxiously with Koffing's and Chief Stench's combined smell. This all made it a challenge to eat the delicious food that Chimecho made for us.
I glanced down the table at the thought of her, and saw her eating little, as well.
Sunflora politely excused herself, but I noticed her cheery yellow face was pale, and it looked like she was fighting to keep the contents of her stomach.
The minute Pika was finished with his food, I walked him out of the mess hall, ignoring the same stares that had followed Sunflora as she left the table. Hex and Kip were quick to follow, but it gave Pika and I a moment alone.
"How are you doing?" I asked gently, my anger giving way to concern for Pika. "Other than feeling sick, because I know I do."
His cheeks sparked occasionally, either a defensive or nervous reaction -- maybe both. His sigh sounded heavier than even Chief Stench could possibly be; his ears and tail drooped; his eyes held defeat. He answered my question with a half-hearted shrug, not even looking me in the eye or saying a word.
"They'll be gone soon," I promised, giving him a tight hug once we were down the hall to the dorms. "And while we're here, we've got your back. When they're no longer our so-called 'allies,' we can get them back for what they've done."
"If they aren't planning on revenge already," Hex's voice cut in. "Honestly, I'm surprised they haven't done anything else today. I've had a bad feeling all day, but in the mess hall, it became more persistent."
"Who says they won't?" I asked, letting Pika go. Kip joined us, walked around Hex, passed me, and led Pika away to cheer him up. "They could come and attack us in our sleep. Chief Stench already tried discrediting Pika, and who knows if Chatot believes them? I'd bet that he does. He's friendly with them and sees them as upstanding explorers. If they attack us, and I wouldn't be surprised if they did, I could see them coming for me, to put me in my place." I lowered my voice so only Hex could hear. "I'm sure Zubat and Koffing told Skuntank how our battle for Pika's relic fossil went. And they can see he's anxious with them around. You and Kip are probably not targets, because I'm the one who is aggressive toward them at all times, and they might assume you two can be intimidated, as inaccurate as that might be. I'm probably their biggest target."
"However they think we are, it's still four versus three, and Skuntank isn't so agile with all his bulk," Hex pointed out.
"So?" I asked. "if they attack me, they can discredit me easier than Pika. Chatot already considers me a thorn in his side, even more so because of my hostility toward them. He'd believe anything Skuntank had to say about me."
"Then we need to keep you out of trouble until this passes," Hex said firmly, turning and walking into our room. "And to do that," she continued over her shoulder, "Kip and I aren't going to let you and Pika become an echochamber about Team Skull. You'll be with me and Pika will go with Kip until the expedition is over."
I sighed as I followed her in. "That's fair. I don't like it, but that's fair."
"Now, go to sleep. Try to turn off your thoughts. We've got work to do, if we're going to have a shot at going on the expedition. Team Skull or not, this is an event we shouldn't miss."
Pika glanced over at us when he heard mention of the expedition. "Should we even go?" he asked in a small voice. "If they go with us... it wouldn't be fun. It'd be stressful, and I personally would be paranoid, and wouldn't learn anything with all my focus on watching fro Team Skull."
"We are going," Hex growled out. "No more talking. No more thinking. Just sleep. Relax, okay?" she added in a gentler tone. "Please."