I Sting (Pokemon Poison Type Specialist)

Chapter 45

"Oh, he's unwelcome alright," Kitten said with a slow drawl, his voice smooth and seductive to the ear.

And Hollie, for the life of her, didn't get why the Meowth was so fixated on hating on the Tyrogue. She sighed and winced when pain struck her back from doing something so simple, "you know he didn't mean it,"

"He definitely did," Nitro's deep voice chimed into the conversation, "his reasons for doing them were personal and based on his own brand of justice but that's no excuse,"

"Agreed!" Jet chorused from above, his own voice high pitched and odd to hear, "he shouldn't have defended that stupid guy if he didn't want to be ostracized!"

"Exxxxxactlyyy~" Kitten purred with slight malice, "he almost hurt our trainers and even stood up against some of us, and he somehow thinks he'd be gladly accepted to our group?" The feline chuckled with a mischievous glint in his eyes, "I don't think so~"

"Well- I mean- he tried his best didn't he?" Hollie refuted futilely, she knew that no one would listen, so why did she even try?

"Hmph." From above a growl of a huff echoed, "if you ask me, we should put him with the rest of the Pokemon and give him to the rangers," Galeforce suggested, earning a nod from the rest, "he helped our enemy, so it's only expected that he gets arrested with them in return,"

Everyone but Hollie nodded, with Kitten adding, "if he was willing to attack us back then, then he would be willing to attack us in the future, the only difference being that we won't expect it,"

"He won't." Hollie argued, "he has a code and a martial artist would never back down in their honor,"

Kitten snickered, "well, he clearly did, what with him changing sides and all,"

"Only after he was defeated!" Hollie heatedly defended.

"Then that means he's weak." Nitro scoffed.

Hollie looked at the Beedrill in hurt and her friend only huffed in response, "I'm right, aren't I?" He doubled down, "he's clearly weak if he got defeated by a human,"

"Grene-" Hollie tried to hobble towards the Beedrill but she failed and she could only muster up a flustered glare, "- Grene isn't just some human!"

"We know." Jet said in barely hidden disdain, "our trainer also trains in Aura,"

"Which our trainer taught her how to do!" Hollie hollered, "you shouldn't disrespect her like this!"

Nitro shook his head, "and? I'm sure that the Brick Break that you learned in exchange is just as valuable,"

"I-" Hollie bit her lip and slumped, "yes. Yes it is."

"And there you have it!" Jet laughed, "well, it was a fair exchange after all!"

"Now, now," Kitten butted in, "we shouldn't fight each other like this, especially since our prior topic turned from talking about the other fighting type,"

Hollie didn't appreciate the way the Meowth referred to the Tyrogue but she hated the way Galeforce glared at her even more.

"Heh. Are we sure she isn't our enemy as well? Especially with the whole our trainer bit that she spouted earlier," the Pidgey caused a few distrustful stares being sent Hollie's way and the Machop shrunk in on herself, "I wonder, would you fight us too? Hollie?"

"No-no! I won't-" she tried to rebuke.

"That's not a guarantee, is it?" Galeforce cut her off, "because we won't truly know, after all, even the arrival of that grunt had been a surprise,"

Hollie felt herself shake under the stare of the Normal/Flying Type and she looked down in shame, "but I won't betray any of you,"

"Heh." Galeforce scoffed in mockery, "sure you won't."

"Well, we don't really believe you but I feel that..." Hollie looked up to see Kitten brandishing his claws, his smooth voice went low and he stared at her the same way he did to all the wild Pokemon they passed.

"... If you ever betray us, I'll take you down and make sure you stay that way," the Meowth finished with a grin that sent shivers up Hollie's spine, "well, anyhow, I don't think she'll ever do something like that,"

"And, how can you say that for certain exactly?" Galeforce asked.

"Tsk, tsk," Kitten dismissively shook his head, "come on bird brain, I didn't say that it was for certain, actually, I'm pretty sure that I implied the opposite didn't I?"

Kitten and Galeforce locked eyes, with the Pidgey averting his glare first.

Galeforce scoffed, "whatever."

Silence descended and it was as though calming winds that came from Lugia's wings washed over them, making them lull into an oddly comfortable peace despite the tense arguments they had prior.

The Kitten broke it with a sigh.

"I don't think I want to blame Hollie for defending the Tyrogue," all eyes went to him and the Meowth, being as nonchalant as ever, took the animosity in stride, shrugging and adding, "so she thinks her trainer's decision is the right thing, so what?"

"Where are you getting at?" Jet asked.

"We all think that way," Kitten put up an argument that caused all of them to reflect, "Nitro, Jet, you both think that Virah's decision to show Whitney and Grene was a good idea right?"

"Uh? Yeah?" Jet replied nonchalantly, "humans are so fragile that they don't even know about death, if they were a Zubat, they would starve!"

"I know those things are natural," Nitro chorused, "and I have seen my own siblings get turned into Pokefeed,"

"I agree," Kitten grinned, "but also not really, because humans are soft but... that doesn't mean they need to see death, and I hate your trainer for making Whitney cry, isn't that right Galeforce?"

Everyone looked at the Pidgey and got nothing but a heated glare.

"Well, clearly you're all just soft." Jet snickered, "being pampered like that must have warped your values in life, it's sad but I understand,"

Galeforce laughed, "you thought we were pampered?" The Pidgey retorted with a chortle, "how about you ask Nitro over there how we lived before we met Whitney?"

The Beedrill kept his silence, his eyes focused on Kitten, who raised his hands in placation.

"Calm down, that was just an example," the Meowth drawled, "anyhow, like I said-"

"We wouldn't have ended up like this if your trainer wasn't so keen on fighting that criminal," Nitro abruptly said, catching the Meowth off guard.

"You're right~" Kitten said with a dangerous tone, "and I admit that, and I will also say that Whitney isn't at fault because we won in the end,"

"No." Nitro said, "everyone makes mistakes," the Beedrill responded, "and it's up to us to either do something to fix that mistake or make sure it never repeats again,"

"... I guess?" Kitten said in confusion, he tilted his head, "what are you trying to say,"

"I'm saying that I'll trust Hollie's new friend, but if I ever catch that Tyrogue doing something bad I will personally make sure that he'll never do it again."

Kitten laughed, "good point!" The Meowth said with an energetic nod, "and I agree!"

"He won't do anything," Hollie said.

Up above, Galeforce scoffed, "we'll be the judge of that,"

Their conversation died again and they were forced to endure silence, but unlike before, they weren't calm, or even angry for that matter, they were just... there, nothing more, nothing less.

"So... we won't just accept him in our brood right?" Jet asked.

"No. Not easily, but we have to," Nitro said to his fellow Poison Type, "just keep an eye on him,"

Jet tilted his head, "... sure."

"You know," Kitten started, "I listened to your trainer say that a Zubat's hearing is so much better than the eyes of most Pokemon, is that true?"

"I have no idea, I don't really have anything to compare it with," Jet replied thoughtfully, "wait-" he started, "- how about this?" A strange squeak that their trainers barely noticed emerged from the Zubat, "I know that there are exactly over 367 trees surrounding us."

"Huh." Galeforce said, he sounded shocked, "you can tell everything around you in a large circle?"

"Yeah? How else would I know where to fly?" Jet tilted his head, "you can't? You said your eyes are good?"

"My eyes can only stare in a straight line," Galeforce said dryly, "of course I won't know everything around me in a large circle."

"Wow. If that's what having eyes is like I don't think I want to ever evolve," Jet's tone was completely unimpressed, "can I ask Virah to keep me like this forever?"

"I don't know," Nitro shrugged, "but don't you get to keep your hearing and have eyesight when you evolve?" Nitro suggested, "and can't you just close your eyes?"

"You can close your eyes?!" Jet asked.

"Yea," Hollie answered.

"Wow. I don't think I can close my ears, just redirect them towards areas with water and stuff, I like to listen to the sound of running water when I sleep," the Zubat replied in clear amazement.

"Lucky you," Kitten drawled, "Whitney only allows me to listen to water sounds for 20 minutes on her Pokewatch before she takes it away,"

"That must suck," Jet said.

"Oh, it does." Kitten nodded.

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