My (Twisted) Pokémon Journey: PMD Different Futures

Chapter Ten - Familiar Faces

Loudred had given up trying to wake us up, so we didn't see anyone immediately in the morning. "Should we start trying to split up the jobs?" Hex asked us as we got ourselves awake. "I mean, now that you two have proven yourselves to the Guild? Not that we would ever doubt you!" she added hastily. "They probably wouldn't have let us do so until Wigglytuff was certain you could handle yourselves."

     I nodded. "Yeah, then we can get double the Poké, right? I'm up for that."

     Pika's eyes shone brightly, little bits of electricity sparked along his fur as he nodded enthusiastically. "Yes!" he said. "That means we can possibly explore two new places at once!"

     Kip peaked out of our room and down the hall to the main floor. "Hey, guys, they're assembling for the morning roll. We should probably get out there, too, and quick. Something is going on, it looks like. Everyone's excited."

      We hurried out of the room just as Chatot and Wigglytuff left the Guildmaster's chamber. Chatot cleared his throat loudly, and said importantly, "Everyone, give me your attention, if you please." The chatter stopped, but not immediately he glared around until there was total silence. "The Guildmaster and I have heard of a lake far to the east, and many aspects of that lake remain mysterious. We hope to be the ones to unravel those mysteries, so our Guild is planning to mount an expedition for the first time in a while."

     Mumbling among everyone began softly, but it didn't take long to grow in volume. Before long, everyone was clamoring about the prospect of being chosen for the venture.

     "Ahem!" Chatot glared at us all, Pika was the only one who was paying perfect and uninterrupted attention. I didn't doubt that, if asked, he could repeat everything Chatot said about this lake after the morning briefing. "That means that the Guildmaster and I will be picking some of you to come along, as many of you know." The chatter cut off almost abruptly. Everyone was orderly and not a word came from anywhere. "We will depart in several days," Chatot continued, beginning to pace in front of us. "Over the next few days, we will choose the most worthy apprentices who both can handle and benefit from this task, and those chosen will form the expedition party. Everyone, leading up to the departure, should work hard to have a chance of being chosen for the exploration party!"

     Finally, Pika met my eyes, and his fur looked comical with all the small charges of electricity that danced across it. "Pearl! A real expedition!"

     I smiled at his eagerness and enthusiasm. "You'll have to be chosen for sure," I said. "No one is as enthusiastic as you!"

     He had nothing more to say, he seemed so ecstatic. I like the smile and light in his expression, and I smiled happily back at him. Though the sight sent some bittersweet thoughts through my head -- I remembered something, I remembered being that happy before, but I couldn't remember why or when. But I did remember sharing a smile with someone, someone human. A male human. But what did he mean to me? I couldn't remember, I felt as though I had a mental restriction on my memories, and only small parts were getting through.

     I must have been staring blankly for a noticeable amount of time, since I felt some Pokémon nudge me. It was Pika. "Come on, Pearl, cheer up," he said gently. He still had the excitement in his eyes, but he was pushing it aside at the moment to focus on me.

     I put on a smile that wasn't wholly fake, and nodded. "Sorry, I just had a small fragment of memory come back -- just an emotion from the past. Seeing you so lively for this exploration made me so happy, and I vaguely remembered feeling that happy and ecstatic at sometime in my life. Let's get a job, right?"

     Pika, satisfied, happily led the way to the next floor, where Hex was already picking out a job. "Who's paired with who, now?" he asked her.