In reality, Malt wasn’t satisfied with knowing nothing, but his confusion was interrupted by yet another Pokemon entering the building. Puzelle hadn’t been kidding when she said Pokemon would start showing up. This time, it was a great big... bug. PK’s first reaction was that she wanted to smash it, and she knew it was a pretty awful reaction to have toward employees. It was twice as big as she was, partially incurring that immediate response in her head.

“Oh! You’re Clover, right?” Malt asked.

A droning voice answered, giving PK the creeps. “Yes. You are Malt, correct? Ovaltine told us about you.” The giant, yellow... thing... turned to face PK. “And you are... ah, forgive us, we are not the best with names. Who are you, again?”

Though her interest had been piqued for a second there, PK hardly wanted to talk, but found it inevitable. She was just going to have to deal, for the time being. “Uh, PK. You can just call me that. Just PK.” She was sure disgust would crawl all over her face if the thing kept talking to her, and then what? Would it take offense? Try to pull some hideous move? Her mind ran wild with thousands of disgusting bug-related horror scenarios before it spoke again.

“It is my pleasure to meet you both. I actually wanted to tell Puzelle a couple of things about the honey out back, so I will not be joining breakfast this morning. I believe my partner will be, though.” Still that almost echoing voice, like the voice of a thousand Beedrill--

Oh ugh, the species dawned on her after she made the connection. It-- no, more accurately she-- was a Vespiquen and was good at providing lots of honey. Which was to say, lots of money. PK finally managed to recall that much. They were sort of a rare sight. You might see Combees flying around, pollinating flowers... but one of these? They were usually hiding out in a big old tree somewhere. For good reason. They were creepy as hell, and not often met without a little hostility.

“No problem at all. We’ll be here for a lot of the day, so I’m sure we can find some time to visit you while you work!” Malt said. PK wished to groan in response to this (among other things), but Clover’s mere presence was making PK extremely uneasy. She found herself remaining polite, if only because she was too bothered to respond.

Clover swept past them and made her way into the kitchen. PK could still feel that incredibly thick presence from her spot in the dining room, and waited until the horrendously large bug had made its exit to exhale her relief.

“Oh come, she’s not that bad,” Malt (attempted to) assert.

“Bullshit. She’s really freaky and you know it.” PK crossed her arms, as if this posture would leave no room for debate.

“She’s actually really nice, from what I hear. And from what I’ve seen. There’s no reason to be nervous... though I really do understand. But you just need to set your feelings aside for once, all right? I know you think they’re super important and all, but... you have to think about these things too sometimes. She can’t help how she is, and you might be passing up knowing someone really nice just because of that!”

PK sighed. Thoroughly bored with the direction Malt was taking the discussion, she feigned sleeping in her chair. Malt was not very impressed, but that hardly mattered to her. Malt couldn’t possibly understand what it was like to resist the urge to smack down a natural enemy.

Eventually more of the farmhands started showing up and sitting around the table, and Malt introduced all of the ones he knew to PK. There were only a couple that he hadn’t met himself yet, only the newer recruits who had come in after the place had been rebuilt. It was mostly the old staff coming in for breakfast. Malt wondered when his sister might show up, and found it odd that Iceburg had not yet returned. Iceburg and Ovaltine usually showed up together though, so he surmised that they might both have had some chore to take care of first. Ah well. Sometimes that was the case, and he’d just wait to see them until later if they failed to show. It wasn’t like PK was going to up and leave during their breakfast or anything.

=====

Part 4 of "The Question"

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