Team Petal-Purr
"Meets a Real Guild"-Part 1
-Year 2-Late Summer-
Ch 1.
"And do you remember those fireworks?" Shelby threw her paws into the air as she recounted her dramatic tale to her new friend.
"Mhmm." The Ledyba sat next to her did his best to avoid looking at her as he answered curtly.
"Well me and my sister had never saw fireworks before, so we got SO scared that we ran away! I thought the whole festival was gonna burn down!"
"That sure is something.." He replied, drumming two of his round white hands on the counter in front on him. He was clearly looking for a way to wrap up the conversation he had been pulled into against his will.
Though the young Skitty was very sweet and obviously meant well, this bug had other things to do and couldn't spend all day listening to her story. He had only stopped in for a quick breakfast at the Blue Claw Inn before his work day began, but would have skipped it altogether if he'd known it would cause him to run this late. Before Shelby could start up again, he buzzed his wings and pushed himself off his stool and into the air.
"Well I'd love to stay and chat, Miss. But I'm a very busy man and I'm afraid I'll have to cut this short." The Ledyba was as polite as he could be, with an air of impatience that was so strong that even Shelby was able to pick up on it.
"Oh! That's alright, I understand. A city bug must have lots of work to do! I hope I do see you around again!"
With a big smile on her face, she waved her paw as the Ledyba flew out the door, his satchel bag swinging behind him as the buzz of his wings jostled it around. Though she was glad to have made a friend, it occurred to her that Capim Town was so big and sprawling, there was a chance that she may never cross paths with him again. The idea was unsettling to her: that wouldn't ever happen back at home, where everything was close and cozy and all your friends were little more than a holler away.
"That's sad..." Shelby put her elbows on the counter and tucked her paws under her chin, looking pensive. "I never even got his name."
Her sister, who was sat on her other side, finished a mouthful of food and stretched out an arm to pat her on the back.
"It's ok. City Pokemon don't really use their proper names anyway."
"Really?" Shelby turned to her, surprised.
"Haven't you noticed? Watch this." Blossom pulled her arm away and raised it into the air, calling the attention of the Crabrawler behind the bar. He scuttled over to her on his four pointy legs and took the now empty plate that sat in front of her.
"Anything else?" He asked as Blossom fished another few coins from her bag and placed them on the counter.
"Could I please have a cup of tea, sir? One sugar, if that's alright."
Having stayed there more than a few days now, the Bulbasaur had begun to build a rapport with the staff at the Inn, making a point to order a cup of tea at least once a day. The kitchen offered a different kind of tea everyday and she found herself eager to try whatever they had brewing each morning. The large blue Pokemon that had taken her order many times now was beginning to catch on and seemed to appreciate her continued patronage of his establishment.
"Coming right up, ma'am. Today's brew is Aguav leaf, if you don't mind bitter."
"That sounds lovely. We grow Aguav back at home." Blossom replied cheerily.
"I'll have to check where our stock came from. They could be from your farm." The Crabrawler said with a grin before retreating behind a small pair of swinging doors. From behind the doors Blossom could see into the kitchen, watching happily as the server approached a stone pot and dipped in a big wooden scoop.
She watched as the steam from the pot rose steadily up into a large metal vent, keeping the heat away from the rest of the Inn. It reminded her of the metal hood her father had installed on their own fireplace some years ago. She could remember every little detail about that day, smiling to herself as she recalled her parents squabbling over the logistics.
...
-"Some years ago"-
"Why would I need a hood over my stove? The chimney works just fine."
The Venusaur tapped her large foot on the ground and watched in annoyance as her husband balanced on a wooden step ladder and measured the brick around the family fireplace.
"Yes but this will help catch the steam from the pot. Less of it will spill out into the house. You always say it's too hot to cook in the summer."
The old Skitty didn't turn around to look at her as he spoke, still focusing hard on his work. He hopped down off the ladder and dragged a long piece of steel closer to him. The metal hood was already bent into the shape of a domed semi circle, a sort of awning designed to hang just over the top of the square opening.
"But it's made of metal! Won't it just heat up and make everything worse? Why wouldn't we use tile or stone instead?"
She frowned as he began to lift the metal piece, groaning in effort as he stood on two legs and attempted to step shakily over to the ladder. Though she knew he was never going to ask her for help, the Venusaur had enough foresight to know he would never make it up there on his own. He was barely able to lift it at all, the span of his arms stretched to their absolute limit and nowhere near long enough to reach along the whole length. She simply rolled her eyes and stepped forward to pick him up by the waist.
"I'm not about to pull apart the brickwork to attach tiles! This way I can just screw it right into the brick. If you want this done, it's going to be metal."
He didn't react when he felt his wife lift him off the ground and hold him up with her claws. Even though she was many times his size and could have done this herself with much less effort, he thought this was something a father should do for his family. It didn't feel right to expect a lady to engage in this type of physical labour, no matter how big she was. He may be short, but he was still a proper gentleman.
This traditional way of thinking often led the pair into situations like this: Dad's old fashioned sense of pride and responsibility often prevented him from asking for help, which caused his wife many headaches. She was always a practical Pokemon and saw no sense in standing by and watching him struggle, often choosing to step in and assist him whenever she saw fit. They had long since come to an unspoken agreement, where he would begrudgingly accept her help when it was forced upon him, though neither ever acknowledged the arrangement. They simply went about life as if this didn't happen on a regular basis.
"I never said I wanted it done! You're the one that wants it done!"
She continues to hold him up as she complains, watching carefully as he moved the hood into place. Shelby had hopped up onto the step ladder and was holding up one side, while Blossom had her vines extended to help hold up the other end, ensuring it would not fall while their father reached into his little tool belt and pulled out a screwdriver and a handful of metal screws. He held the extra screws in his teeth as he drove one through the thin metal and into the holes he had previously made in the brick.
"And so I'll do it my way! Just you watch! This time next week, you'll be thanking me."
He mumbled around the screws as he took another and continued to fix the hood into the wall. He tapped his wife's arm and she shifted him so that he could reach across the full span of the fireplace. Once he had placed all the screws he ran his paws under the rim of the hood, feeling to make sure all the sharp edged had been properly hammered flat. He would not tolerate any safety hazards around his darling wife and daughters. He looked very pleased with himself by the time his feet were placed back onto the ground, gazing up at his handiwork with a satisfied smirk on his face.
It turned out that Dad had been absolutely correct. Though Mum had complained at first that she didn't like it, within the week she was expressing her amazement at every opportunity.
"Look at this, girls! The steam doesn't fog up my mirrors as much. I can see our beautiful faces whenever I like!"
"I neved thought I'd cook us dinner with this window closed! See how neat the curtains are now!"
"How lucky I am to be married to such a clever, stubborn man!"
...
The Bulbasaur was snapped out of her daydreaming by her sister whispering in her ear.
"What am I supposed to be watching?"
Before she could reply, the Crabrawler reappeared from the kitchen, holding a small cup and saucer delicately in his giant claw. He set the teacup down on the counter with a warm smile.
"There you go."
"Thank you so much." Blossom pulled the cup closer to her, but it was still too hot to drink. "What was your name again, sir? If you don't mind me asking."
"They call me Crabrawler."
"But that's just what you are. It's not you real name, is it?"
"It's real enough. There's not many of my kind around. If you ask for "Crabrawler", they'll probably point you here."
"Oh. That's different to how we do it on the plains, we use the names our parents gave us."
"I guess Pokemon aren't quite as close here. Capim Town is a big place."
"It's a good thing for us to know. Sorry to bother you about it."
"It's no trouble, kid."
At that moment, another Pokemon sat down at the bar a little further away and the large crab left them with a friendly nod before heading over to serve his new customer.
"See?" Blossom took a sip of her tea. "It seems like most Pokemon here just go by what they are. They don't use their real names if they don't need to."
Shelby scrunched up her nose, seeming almost offended at the thought.
"That's silly! I'd hate it if everyone called me "Skitty". I like my name!"
"I'd like to keep using my name too." Blossom turned to Heidi, who had been quietly enjoying her breakfast this whole time. "You've been here before. Does it bother you if someone just calls you "Houndour?"
"I don't know. I don't really talk to anybody." Heidi admits. "Everyone in Firestone calls me by name, but my brothers are all the same as me, so they sort of have to. I never really thought about it before."
"It's probably not something we need to worry about." Blossom was quick to reassure her. "It just got me thinking, is all."
"Well I'm definitely not going to worry about it." Shelby chimed in. "If I meet someone, I'll just tell them my name right away."
Ch 2.
After waiting from Blossom to finish her tea, the three girls finally left the inn and stepped out into the busy street. The mid-morning sun was beating down with all its might and the summer heat energized them as they took off running, eager to get to their first task of the day. They had been in Capim Town for almost a week and were beginning to find their footing around town, taking note of important landmarks to help them find their way.
It wasn't long before the team came upon their destination, as they already knew what to look for. The brightly coloured tarps and canvasses that adorned the front of the "Kecleon Shops" were incredibly hard to miss. Their vibrant reds, greens and purples stood out among the softer earth tones of the rest of the town; marking it as one of the more important places one would want to visit.
Shelby was the first to step inside, flying through the front door and rushing right up to the counter. Her teammates were not far behind her, though neither of them shared her laser focus and found themselves gazing around the store at the great many items that were on display.
"Good morning!" The Skitty yowled brightly, catching the attention of a Kecleon that appeared from behind a large shelf at the very back of the store.
"Good morning!" He called back and put down the small box of treasures he was carrying. He dusted off his claws on his little red apron as he hurried over to greet them. "Terribly sorry, my friends! I stepped away a moment to help organize a new shipment."
"That's alright! We've come to find out about something very special we want to buy!" Shelby beamed with excitement and threw her paw around her sister, who shuffled in closer so that the two had their heads pressed together. "We're looking for a Moon Stone!"
The Kecleon gasped, his little black eyes sparkling. He knew a golden opportunity when he saw one.
"Oh my, that is very special! Hoping to evolve, are you?"
"I sure am! I need to get even stronger if we're going to be a great Rescue Team."
"Well, it's good to see the youth so eager to help their community. Give me a moment to look in the back and see what I can do for you."
With that, the Kecleon scurried away to an area behind the counter, obscured by a curtain that bore a striking zigzag pattern. Shelby tapped all four of her feet on the ground as she hummed to herself, before being interrupted by Blossom placing a claw gently on her shoulder.
"Do you think he'll be upset when he finds out we can't actually buy it today? He looked even more excited than you." She whispered, making sure to keep an eye out for any movement behind the curtain. The shopkeeper could be heard moving boxes and shuffling through papers, talking quietly with somebody else.
"Well, we'll be buying it soon. I want him to know where it is so he can keep it in a safe place for us." She replied very seriously, before adding in a hushed tone. "And I just really want to see it in real life, too."
Blossom put her claws over her mouth to muffle the sound of a soft giggle. She couldn't help but admit to her sister that she was also excited to see the Moon Stone for the first time. Until now, they had only pictures and descriptions in story books and encyclopedias as their most reliable reference.
"Heidi, come and see!" Shelby calls out to the Houndour, who had wandered a few steps away, distracted by the wide array of shiny orbs and other things that glittered. She rushed over to join them, looking around for the Kecleon that was there a moment ago.
"Where did he go?" She asked.
"He's gone to get the Moon Stone for us." Shelby stood up and put her feet back on the counter, pricking up her ears to listen for him.
The Kecleon returned only a moment later, looking down at the papers he was shuffling in his hands. He furrowed his brow, looking much less cheerful this time.
"Bad news, I'm afraid. Not one Moon Stone in stock right now."
All three of them let out a gasp at the same time, horrified to hear the news.
'Oh no!" Shelby wailed and threw her head down on the counter is despair. Heidi put a sympathetic paw around the pink cat and began to gently pat her on the back.
"That's a shame." Blossom sighed softly, though she still made an effort to smile at the shopkeeper when she addressed him. "I'm sorry about my sister. She's just disappointed."
"I really am." Shelby squeaks, lifting her head up to sulk more effectively.
"Do you know if you'll be stocking them again?" Heidi asked him. She didn't have as much of a personal stake in the growth of their "Rescue Team", but she wanted very badly for her friend to have what would make her happy.
"The only reliable source I have is a colleague to the south." The Kecleon flipped through his papers and pulled one from the small stack while he spoke, holding it in his other hand as he read through it. "I could have one ordered in, but it would have to travel a great distance."
Shelby perked up and lifted her head a little higher. "How far away?"
"He operates near a place called Lake Afar, at the very tip of the Great Peninsula."
"That does sound far...Would it take very long to get here?"
"It could be a few weeks, maybe a month. I'd have to send a courier down with a deposit for the order. There'd be an extra fee for the delivery, of course."
He placed the piece of paper down on the counter in front of Shelby, who picked it up and held it so that all three girls could read it. It was an order form, to be filled out and signed, with approximate costs and delivery information written on it. Blossom's eyes went wide as soon as she saw how much all of this was going to run them.
"Shelby, that's so expensive!" She gasped, her pure shock overriding her compulsive need to be polite around strangers. "We couldn't afford that."
"I know..." The Skitty's giant ears flopped down as she looked up from the paper. "I'm so sorry. We can't even afford the deposit right now."
She sadly handed the form back to the shopkeeper, who scratched at his scales and looked rather uncomfortable. This was a lot of emotion over the purchase of a single item.
"That's fine, not a problem at all. The offer's always open whenever you're ready. In the meantime, I can take care of any supplies you might need for your rescue work."
"Well," Blossom looked over at her teammates. "If we're going to save up enough money, we might need a few other things."
"Sure..." Shelby mumbled, holding her head up with her paws. Heidi simply nodded in agreement, looking sad.
Still filled with disappointment, they made a number of smaller purchases. A few orbs and some mysterious dungeon seeds that could help them in a pinch. With nothing else left for them here, the three of them stepped back out on the street and walked slowly down the wide path.
"I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't get so upset." With her tail dragging behind her, Shelby looked straight ahead as she walked and took a deep breath. "I already knew we couldn't afford it, but I just wanted to see it so badly."
"It's alright to feel upset. I wanted to see it, too." Blossom reassured her sister. She knew this bad mood wouldn't last very long.
"You don't need to be sorry for being sad." Heidi pressed her nose to the Skitty's cheek to comfort her.
Shelby began to purr softly, thinking of how lucky she is to have such wonderful Pokemon by her side. Even if she never evolved and had to stay as a Skitty forever, she knew that "Team Petal-Purr" would always be the most lovely team she could hope to be a part of.
Though their trip to the Kecleon Shop was not quite what they hoped it would be, they still had one more task ahead of them. A Moon Stone was going to cost them a lot and there was one sort of place where a rescue team could always find work available. They had been told that the local "Clover Guild" stood on the edge of town and now, it was time to go there.
Ch 3.
"Clover Guild"
Shelby looked up at the sign above the huge double doors, reading it aloud.
The gigantic wooden structure stood before them, built to resemble the remains of an ancient tree; with a wide, circular base like a trunk and wood paneling laid so seamlessly that it looked almost exactly like the bark of the other, smaller trees around the area.
"What does that other part say? I've never seen letters that look like that before." Though still reluctant to walk right up to the door, Blossom stood from afar and gazed over the whole building once again. The Clover Guild Headquarters were bigger than she thought it would be, like everything else in Capim Town. She thought to herself that it was at least fifty times bigger than her family's tiny cottage and it made her wonder just how many Pokemon must be living in it.
"I bet it's human words." There was reverence in Shelby's voice as she spoke of the humans. The idea of them was endlessly fascinating to her, though she had no real concept of what they were. All she knew of them were fanciful stories from her father, about creatures that brought their minds here from another world. She never did fully comprehend how there could be more than one world at a time, but the idea was fun and whimsical and made her think back to the days when she was happy to believe anything, as long as Mum or Dad told her it was true. She had grown wiser since then, but that sense of wonder had never truly left her.
"I think it might be. I saw some letters like that on a sign at the festival." Heidi stood furthest from the doors, keeping her eye on the open path behind her, just in case the three were not welcomed kindly and needed to leave quickly. She didn't know what to expect from the Pokemon inside the Guild, but couldn't shake the feeling that she wasn't supposed to be here. Though her new friends had a baffling amount of confidence in her, Heidi still didn't think she belonged on a proper Rescue Team. She'd never rescued anyone and didn't have what it takes to hold her own in a real battle. Though she still wasn't sure of her place on the team, she would make sure her commitment and loyalty could never be brought into question.
The three stood in silence for a moment, before Shelby took the first step forward.
"Well, I'm going to knock on the door and tell them to let us in."
"Wait!" Blossom leapt forward and stopped her sister by grabbing onto her tail. "I don't think you're supposed to knock. I think you're supposed to talk into there."
They both looked over at the small pit that sat in front of the doors, covered over with a lattice of sturdy sticks so that it could be stood on without falling through. It almost looked like a pitfall trap, except that the edge of the hole was lined with stones so that it was easily seen.
"I thought that was a trap to catch big bad guys. I was just going to jump over it." The Skitty hopped over and stood at the edge of the pit.
"It's a pretty terrible trap if it can't even catch you." Blossom joked, causing Heidi to smile for the first time since they walked up the path.
"I know, right?" Shelby laughed, taking no offense. She peered over the mesh and found that her tiny paws could fit through the gaps. Wasting no time, she immediately stuck her front foot through as far as it could go and began to grab into the darkness, curious of what might be there.
"Hello? Is this the place I say "Hello" into?"
"HEY! Get your foot out of there! That's not what this is for!"
A cranky voice echoed from within the deep hole, causing Shelby to leap back in shock.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know!" She shouted back, making sure she was loud enough that they could hear her all the way down there.
"You're meant to stand on it, not try and reach in! If you want to come in, someone will let you in the front door.
"Oh! That makes sense!" Crouching down a little, she leapt high in the air and sailed over the hole, landing on the other side with a boastful look about her. She glanced back towards her team, who both cautiously walked around the pit and up to the front door.
The Skitty walked right up to the doors and knocked, but her soft paws made very little sound against the wood.
"Hmmm...Blossom, you knock instead."
She stood back and let her sister take her place at the front. The Bulbasaur raised her front foot slowly and hesitated before she reached forward to knock. She felt the door shift under her claws and stumbled back as it slowly opened inwards. A feathery white Pokemon stuck out his head and looked down at her. Not exactly a bird, but he flapped the wings on his back as he hovered about a foot above Blossom's head.
"H-hello? Are you looking for the, um, th-the Clover Guild?
The Togetic's demeanor caught Blossom by surprise, she had assumed all Guild Members would be tough, confident creatures. This Pokemon sounded the way that she felt, awkward and nervous, like he was worried he might say something wrong. She felt at ease in his presence and looked at him with a friendly smile.
"Oh. Yes we are. Thank you for meeting with us, it's very kind of you."
She dipped her head as a sign of respect while he floated down to land on the ground in front of her. Her overly formal greeting seemed to throw the Togetic off guard and he shifted his eyes as he spoke.
"I-it's no tr-tr-trouble, really. It's b-best if we know who's c-coming in for the first time. Are 'y-you Explorers?"
Blossom chuckled softly, flattered that at thought that they could be mistaken for real Explorers. Explorers brave dangerous unknown dungeons and hunt rare treasure, much more exciting than the sort of work their amateur team was known for.
"No, maybe one day. We take on rescue missions when we can."
"We're called Team "Petal-Purr" the Rescue Team!" Shelby announces, eager to get the name out there. She'd come up with it herself and thought that it was very pretty.
The Togetic looked at her closely for a moment and his face dropped.
"Oh. It's you." He spoke flatly now, obviously displeased to see her.
Shelby squinted extra hard, then her tail went up as she recognized the familiar face.
"Oh I know you! We met at the Festival! At the contest." She squealed, recalling the memory rather fondly.
"Y-you mean the contest you r-ruined?" The Togetic didn't seem to recall the event in such a positive light. Blossom frowned at him and took a step closer to her sister, who didn't seem to mind that he was being rude to her. She bit her tongue and held back the urge to defend Shelby, knowing that it was not the polite thing to do.
"I didn't ruin it, did I?" The Skitty turned her head in confusion. "I know I didn't win, but everyone was still there after I left. I thought it was fine."
Her logic didn't impress him and he was curt in his reply. "It w-would have been f-fine if you hadn't stuck your n-nose in."
Shelby's ears drooped a little and her mouth grew small, feeling remorse for what she'd done. It never occurred to her that the Pokemon at the Cuteness Contest might be so upset with her that they'd still hold a grudge over a week later. She had never stayed mad at anyone for that long.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make a mess of it. I just wanted to join in..."
The Togetic rolled his eyes and looked unimpressed, but did not say any more on the matter. "I-I guess you'll want t-to see the Guldmaster, then?"
"Only if he has the time. I imagine you all must be very busy here." The awkward introduction had made Blossom feel very uncomfortable, but she did her best to move past it as the three of them were ushered inside.
They were led across the spacious lobby, where they could see doorways and corridors leading in all directions. A giant staircase sat in the center of the room, twisting around itself in a steep spiral that cut through the ceiling.
~'It must be very easy to get lost in a place like this.'~ Blossom though to herself. ~'I don't know that I'd like to stay somewhere this big. How would I find anything?'~
"Where does the Guildmaster stay?" Shelby asked, desperate to break the silence as she hopped up the stairs.
"His off-f-fice is on t-the third floor." The Togetic replied as he floated ahead of them, keeping his eyes straight ahead.
"How many floors are there?" Blossom looked bewildered as the four of them quickly passed the second storey, catching only a glimpse of the many doors that circled the whole floor.
"O-only the three. And a b-basement." His tone was slightly less cold when addressing the Bulbasaur, though he still didn't seem comfortable speaking to her.
They walked the rest of the way in silence until they were led up to the top floor and approached a door that was bigger and looked more important than the others around it. The Guildmaster's Office. The Togetic knocked on the door and a voice rang out from the other side.
"Yes? Who is it?"
"G-good afternoon." The Togetic replied as a psychic force pulled the door open just wide enough for him to poke his head inside. "I-I have some n-new r-r-recruits that would like to s-speak with you."
"New recruits? Wonderful! You can send them right in, Toge. Thank you."
He stepped away from the door and turned to look at the three with a blank face.
"Th-there you go."
Blossom looked up at him with a soft smile and bowed her head in a display of gratitude.
"Thank you, sir. It was lovely of you to show us the way."
At this, he looked slightly rattled, as if he didn't quite know how to respond. He simply murmured "Mmhmm" and flittered away as quickly as he could.
With their escort departed, the three girls stepped slowly through the door, finally ready to meet the Guildmaster face to face for the first time.
On the far side of the room, a Meowstic sat at a large wooden desk, writing notes in a book. He wore a fine coat with a shiny, green badge pinned to the lapel. He looked up from his work and gave a friendly wave.
"Greetings, young ladies. I hear you're looking to join a Guild."