#Melli the Ribombee

[dbcoatl-art]

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Hunters of Ruination

Chapter 7: Jin's Dream [6 Pages]

Jin reveals to Mila his lifelong dream of joining a hunter team.

(CW: A little bit of gambling, a little bit of smoking, and some foul language, though only in the first half.)

~Trueno Village, Appletun Tavern~

Jin was bored!

From the moment he’d woken up, his uncle Volt decided to take him down to Trueno Village on several errands (though, for Jin, he knew that it was mostly so Volt could keep an eye on the little Shinx after his adventure yesterday). He tried his best to behave himself around his uncle, but even so he was still resentful over not being able to run around.

At least he got to meet Polly when the duo stopped by her family’s stall to pick up some seafood (though, part of him wished she wasn’t so snarky about him getting into trouble again).

After dropping off everything they needed, Uncle Volt then proceeded to take Jin over to the Appletun Tavern, where Aunt Leif was nearing the end of her day shift. Which was where he was now, taking a swig of apple juice and sitting by his lonesome as the only kid in the tavern, waiting for Aunt Leif to finish up and call it a day.

Taking another sip of his apple juice, Jin scanned the tavern at all the adults playing their adult games. Two tables down, a Bisharp and Tinkatuff were playing darts while a Jolteon, Charjabug and Nuzleaf watched. Behind him, a Toxtricity and Bellibolt were playing pool, with the Toxtricity watching intently as the Bellibolt took careful aim at a cluster of cue balls. And just a few ways off, Volt was playing poker with a Flaaffy, an Electabuzz and a Squawkabilly, the latter of which had a cigarette in its beak.

Jin watched as Volt carefully examined the cards in his paws, while the other three watched with anticipation. Then, after what felt like an eternity, the Luxray let out a smug grin as he roared out, “Bet!” This caused the Electabuzz to let loose several expletives while the Flaaffy and Squawkabilly groaned in defeat, realizing that they had nothing to call. This allowed Volt to win the pot from that round.

Jin rolled his eyes as he turned his attention back to the radio he was listening to. It was an old-fashioned machine, but at least there were some good programs to listen to and drown out his boredom. Today, however, it just wasn’t enough to lighten the mood. If only he had someone to talk to…like Mila, for instance.

As if answering his silent beck and call, the doors swung open, drawing his attention to two familiar figures. Mayor Sparky stepped inside, flicking the fur on his head. “Howdy, fellas,” he said, drawing his attention to the poker table. “Startin’ the party without me?”

“About damn time you showed up, Mr. Mayor,” the Electabuzz growled. “We were just about done here anyway.”

“But we just started the final round,” the Flaaffy protested. “At least stick around for that.”

“Naw, screw that,” the Electabuzz snorted. “I ain’t gonna sit here while that smartass wins it all and leaves me with nothing, again! Good day!” With that, he grabbed his hat and marched out of the tavern, leaving the other players bewildered.

The Squawkabilly shook his head in disappointment. “Man, oh man,” he said. “He’s really gotta learn to be less of a rage quitter.”

“Maybe someday,” Volt replied with a sigh. He then turned to Mayor Sparky with a smile. “Why don’t you sit and play with us, now that Mr. Grumpy Stripes is gone?”

“Did ya really hafta ask, Voltmire,” Mayor Sparky said with a sly smirk. He then turned to the other newcomer with him. “Why don’t ya pick a seat, Mila?”

Jin’s ears perked up. Wait…did Mayor Sparky say “Mila?” As in, the Sprigatito he’d found yesterday in Thunderclap Valley?

Sure enough, the young feline was walking around the tavern with a wonder in her eyes. Grinning to himself, Jin called Mila’s name, ushering her to sit with him. As she took her place beside him, Jin’s first question was, “So, where have you been all morning?”

“Spark Meadow,” replied Mila. “Mayor Sparky put me through a bit of training to make sure I…erm…adjust to this new body, you could say? Oh, and we met the trapmaker, Leila.”

“Leila Solas Galvantula? Oh yeah, she’s a wisecracker, but also really nice. She and Mayor Sparky have actually been friends for as long as anyone can remember.” Jin took another sip of his apple juice. “I’ve even heard that Leila was the one who vouched for Sparky to run as the new mayor after what happened to Mr. Knox.”

“Mr. Knox? You mean George’s dad?”

Jin nodded, his muzzle creased into a frown. “Yeah,” he answered. “I don’t know much of the details, but I know that he got corrupted by ruination, or something, and the previous mayor decided to just cast him out like he was another feral. Got transformed real badly, too.”

Mila’s only response was to give out a shudder.

Jin downed the last of his apple juice, thinking of a new subject to switch to. He couldn’t risk talking to Mila about her being a human; there would be too much attention to draw, and it would only end up raising more questions than answers. But he wasn’t sure what else he could talk about.

That’s when he noticed Mila staring intently at the radio, her ears swivelled towards the source of the music. “What a pretty song,” she murmured. “And that voice is so soothing, too.”

“Oh, that’s Flama,” replied Jin, relieved that Mila had managed to find another subject. “She’s a really popular singer on the Raidon Archipelago. The reason why her voice is like that is because she’s a Skeledirge, a species known for soothing the souls of anyone who hears their singing.”

Mila turned to Jin, her blue eyes wide with surprise. “Wait, that’s a woman singing that? Wow, she must have practiced hard to know how to hit the low notes!” Her tail wagged. “So, where’s she from?”

Jin shrugged. “No one really knows,” he replied. “And honestly, no one has ever bothered asking her, which is good. She tends to keep her personal life to herself.”

“… I see.”

Before the two could go on any further, they heard an elderly female voice calling for them. “Excuse me, kids,” said a green Pokémon as she ambled toward them. She looked like a mix between a dragon and an apple pie, with rich amber flaps spread across her pale yellow backside, and two leaves atop it – one red and one green. A red helmet resembling an apple sat atop her head, lowering her yellow eyes, and she wore a frilly pink band around her backside.

“Oh, hey Gran,” said Jin. “What’s up?”

“Yer uncle wanted me to tell ya that he and Aunt Leif are gonna be runnin’ late again,” replied the Appletun. “So he wants ya to hold up the fort fer the night.”

Jin let out a sigh. That was absolutely typical of his aunt and uncle: staying out late at night while leaving their nephew to take care of the Egg. What he wouldn’t give to have his parents…

He stopped right there, shaking his head. “Alright, Gran,” he replied, flashing a smile. “They can count on me!” Mila glanced over at him, knowing that it was simply a fake smile.

Gran smiled. “Great,” she said. “I’ll be sure ta give ‘em mah regards!” She then turned and lumbered towards Volt’s table.

As soon as she was out of earshot, Jin frowned again and he turned off the radio. “Well, looks like I’m on Egg-sitting duty, once again,” he told Mila.

“Is it really that bad?” Mila couldn’t help but ask.

Jin hopped off the table, hesitant as he glanced at the poker table. Then, he shook his head. “Not really,” he answered. “We all take turns watching over the Egg every night. But when I do it…well, it gets real boring.”

“Maybe not this time. You’ve got me now.” Those words came out of Mila’s mouth so fast, she didn’t realize what she had just said. But when she saw the look on Jin’s face, she immediately clamped up.

Jin snorted. “Okay, you got me,” he said as he pushed the door open, leading them outside into the village. “Yeah, you’re right. Maybe you can turn things around for me tonight.”

The two remained silent as they continued walking down the road to the Lightfang residence. Mila looked around at all the shops that were starting to close up for the night as the peddlers took extra care to shield their produce and merchandise. As they went down towards the path that led to the beach, she reflected upon Mayor Sparky’s words.

“I know there are some kids in the village who study up on them hunter teams,” he had told her. “Why not give ‘em a visit sometime?”

“Mila?”

Mila stopped and looked up to find Jin glancing over his shoulder at her. He had a puzzled expression on his face. “What’s up?” he asked. “You haven’t spoken really much since you got back. Is there something you want to say?”

Mila took a deep breath. “As a matter of fact, yes,” she answered. “Can you tell me more about the hunter teams of the Raidon Archipelago?"

* * *

~Trueno Village, Lightfang Residence~

Mila nestled herself next to Leif’s egg, trying to make herself comfortable. It wasn’t easy, really, especially since the cushions were so small. She figured that the reasons for doing so were because the hatchling would be pretty small, but still.

Outside of the nursery, she could hear the shuffling of objects being tossed across the room as Jin was searching for something. She knew her words had made him excited, but would it kill him to at least clean up after himself?

“Got it,” came Jin’s voice. Immediately afterward, the young Shinx came running into the nursery room, holding a black object in his mouth. He stopped in front of Mila with a huge grin on his face and his tail wagging with excitement. He then immediately dropped it right between the two so Mila could observe it.

The black object looked like a badge of some sort, with ivory-coloured wings protruding from either side. A gold button sat atop it, while a dark blue crystal adorned its center, almost reminding Mila of a familiar object. When she flipped it over, she noticed that the back of the badge contained an ID number as well as the pawprint of a Shinx embedded into it. Parts of the badge were chipped in some places, but it was still in good quality nonetheless.

“So…what is it?” she asked.

Jin’s grin grew even wider. “That, my friend, is an Explorer Badge,” he answered. “Specifically, a Guildmaster Rank Explorer Badge! My dad collected it while on a trip to the Grass Continent, and it was the best birthday present he ever gave to me!”

“Wow…” Mila gasped. “You dad must have really spoiled you a lot.” She then gave a playful smirk. “I bet you mom did, too.”

“She did,” replied Jin. “My parents were the best! They were the ones who gave me the inspiration to start my own hunter team someday.” His grin suddenly faded as he looked down at his paws. “I… I miss them,” he said, his voice heavy with sorrow.

Mila frowned, but thought it best not to dwell on it any further. She turned her attention back to the badge. “So, what connection does this thing have with the hunter teams?”

Jin’s smile returned, but this time it was a more genuine one. He picked up the badge and held it to his chest. “I already told you about how there are exploration teams on the Grass Continent?” Mila nodded. “In our world, there are various units of Pokémon known as teams, and each one operates differently depending on the cause. The Air Continent has rescue teams, the Mist Continent has adventure teams, and the Water Continent is home to the Expedition Society. But here, in the Raidon Archipelago, we have our own teams – and they’re called hunter teams!”

Mila tilted her head to the side. “Why hunter teams?”

Jin snorted. “Because they’re treasure hunters, silly,” he said. “At least, the first hunter teams were treasure hunters. They would go into Mystery Dungeons to look for any treasure they could find, and bring them back to the towns to turn up huge profits! They were a big boon for the economy, too! Anything rare they could find, they would dig it up and sell them off – gold, gems…but none of them ever came close to making an extraordinary discovery as the most famous hunter team of them all!”

“And that would be?” Mila asked, leaning closer.

“Team Jade,” came Jin’s short, quick answer. “Not only were they some of the greatest treasure hunters around, but they were also the first to discover the greatest treasure the Raidon Archipelago had to offer: the Tera Crystals! They were also the ones to establish the four academies to train more treasure hunter teams – specifically, Greenleaf Academy!”

Mila sat there, eyes wide with wonder. “So who were the members?”

“Melli Honeywing Ribombee was the leader of Team Jade,” replied Jin. “She was always straight to the point, and never lost sight of her target, no matter what. Codey Brickskin Scrafty was the team’s muscle, who never lost their cool and always knew how to get the job done quickly. And Calder Gulper Cramorant, while not a logical thinker, defied all odds by keeping his rivals afar with his endless supply of anything he could stuff in his mouth and spit it out. It’s said that he was the one who suggested that the three of them start an academy to teach the future generations of treasure hunters. My parents and even Uncle Volt enrolled in Greenleaf Academy because of Team Jade…and now, it’s my turn!” He then frowned. “… Or, at least, it would be my turn, but…things have been pretty complicated.”

“Complicated, how?”

Jin let out a sigh. “Well, firstly, anyone who wishes to enroll in Greenleaf Academy, or any of the other schools, needs to apply to them first. Afterwards, the higher-ups will spend the next two weeks going over every letter, splitting between who will be accepted or not. And then, anyone who is accepted will need to make the trek to the academy – all before the school year starts.”

“Then why don’t you start now?”

Jin shook his head. “I would, but I’ve got my paws full. And I’m not sure if I can even get a letter written out in time.” He sighed sadly. “Not to mention the academy requires that at least two Pokémon need to be part of a team. So far, I haven’t found anyone who would be able to form a team with me.”

“Well, you don’t need to worry about that anymore. I can be your partner!”

The words came out of Mila’s mouth so quickly that she didn’t even realize what she was saying…at least, not until she noticed the surprised look on Jin’s face.

“…What did you say?” Jin asked quietly.

“I… I said…” Mila stammered. She then took a deep breath to compose herself. “I can be your partner. We’ll go to Greenleaf Academy, and form a hunter team – together!”

Jin remained silent for a moment. Then, he smiled and lunged forward to give Mila a hug. “Thank you so much!” he said, wagging his tail. “Seriously, I will never forget this moment!”

Mila smiled as she returned the hug. Though she didn’t know how or why she became a Pokémon, and though she wanted to find a way to become human again, she also knew that this experience had also given her a new best friend – one who would stick by her side until the end. And until then, she was definitely going to make the most of the opportunity that was presented to her.

What she didn’t know, however, was that this moment would also change the fate of the Raidon Archipelago forever!

[flowland-pokemon]

Cherry approaches Melli, "Wow! Y-you're so cute! I heard ribombee make something called a pollen puff? Can you show me how to make one?" Cherry is quite interested in an item that can be used to both heal and harm. @occasionalkirlia

[image description: Melli the Ribombee says, “gosh! you’re quite pretty yourself! I love your colours - they’re so soft and lovely!” to Cherry the Kirlia.]

Melli continues, “As to the pollen puff: the fluff all over my body gathers pollen when I visit flowers! Pollen is sticky, and balled together as I move around! When I want to use a pollen puff, I bounce back and forth like this, from side to side, to shake one of the puffs off of me!”

“And then usually, I catch it in my back legs like so, and throw it! my teammates have learned how to catch it in their mouth when I throw it, and eating it gives them energy to heal - but if I throw it at an opponent, that energy can be used to hurt them. I prefer using them to heal, though - it feels like a better use of that energy, for me!”

[image description: Melli passes Cherry a Pollen Puff wrapped in a leaf with faer feet, saying, “here - you can try one next time you need some healing!”]

Terra: Thank you so much for the ask, @occasionalkirlia! Melli and I hope it was worth the wait for the answer! ^-^’’