My (Twisted) Pokémon Journey: PMD Different Futures

Chapter Eleven - Team Skull

*Added some edits to sentences, grammar mistakes and the like.

As we split up into teams of two, Hex and Pika looked over the job bulletin board, and Kip and I glanced at the wanted posters. "What about that one?" he asked, pointing to a Luxio causing trouble in Drenched Bluff, labeled at B-level, a more advanced outlaw for a new recruit.

"Sure, but shouldn't we not be going for B-level outlaws?" I asked. "Drowzee could have been just a fluke. Shouldn't we go after D- or E-levels first?"

Kip smiled. "I know you can do this. You're stronger than you realize."

I shrugged, and ripped down the wanted poster, glancing over the details and the reward. "Great," I growled. "Today is a good day to go after a tough outlaw. I can beat all my irritation and frustration into her. I can pretend it's that Skuntank, Koffing, or Zubat, and get paid to do so. Do we need to prepare much before we leave?"

"No, we should be good. This will be pretty quick, I think."

We left the Guild as a group of four, and separated not far after we passed the crossroads. Kip didn't ask about the confrontation, but I figured he would be curious. "That isn't the first time Pika and I met those two idiots, obviously," I started. "They stole something from him not long after he found me on the beach, near the cave down there. I would describe it as a rune, I guess. But they wanted it. Pika didn't, and still doesn't, know what it was for. So they stole it, and Pika wanted to give up, thinking he wasn't a match for them. But he came to his senses, and asked me to join him as we followed them into the caves..."

"You two were successful, then?" Kip asked. "I mean, Pika has his rune back?"

I nodded. "Yeah. We fought them, and we won. But they weren't above trying to push me into the waters, and choking Pika with that Koffing's gases. And now that they are here, and with 'the Chief,' this may cause a few issues for you and Hex. I'm sorry in advance, I didn't think they'd show up again, especially at the Guild, as reputable as it seems. I hope Wigglytuff catches them doing something."

Kip nudged me as we walked. "We're a team, we'll stand with you guys. And once Wigglytuff sees them do something wrong, I'm sure they'll be banned. He prefers for the teams who wander in here to have at least some kind of moral compass. But let's change the subject. I overheard you telling Pika that you remembered something?"

I shrugged, and told him what I recalled. "But it is such a generic memory, if you can call it that. I remember an emotion, no context, really."

Kip smiled at me. "But it's better than nothing, Pearl. You're remembering, little by little."

"I guess so. I just wish I could remember more, and remember who I am."

It took us a while, once we reached Drenched Bluff, searching for the Luxio. We went to the last place any Pokémon had seen her, and wandered around a bit from there. Finally, we stumbled across her accidentally, and we fought her after she threatened us about stealing our valuables. We of course refused, and we took some hits -- Kip being more susceptible to the electric-type attacks -- only to return the damage, Kip and I used the two-versus-one to our advantage. She fainted, collapsed into a small puddle, and we relaxed, a bit tired from the fight. Then Kip used the beam of light on his badge, calling for Officer Magnezone, and the only thing left on our list was to keep watch over the fainted Luxio.

"What about you? " I asked Kip suddenly. I still hadn't ever asked. We had time to kill, anyway. "Why did you join the Guild? I know Hex picked you up and you two became a team, but why?"

Kip smiled. "I joined to find a friend." His eyes glazed over, like he remembered a different time. "We said we'd meet up here. Well, at the Guild, I mean. I haven't seen her in a while, she never made it there, but I know she's safe, and with others who can help keep her that way."