Rocky Road ~ House of Brisa, Dave, Koa, and Owen

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa waved her tail noncommittally. "I guess so. Fer me, this is all still about, uh, opportunity rather than selfhood. But yeah. I'd like these memories back..." She flicked an ear and grimaced at a stray thought, a stray pain. "But really I'd rather have the people back than the memories. Or, ha, I'd rather have both."

She smiled, wistfully. Impossible things had a way of seeming just possible enough to savour, sometimes. Then the smile wilted.

"Y'know, I was gonna say we don't have any grave threats in my world fer the posse t'deal with, but that ain't necessarily true. My pa, when I faced him in Spirit's Edge... He implied there was some threat as needed a human t'take care of it, out east. I'll forget that, most like. An' I ain't got the faintest idea what it could be."

 

[Namohysip]

Owen paused, then.

"...Your dad..." There was a hint of light in his eyes just then. "You... that's right. You reached out! Maybe, just maybe he didn't think that was only a dream. Or maybe he'd take it as a sign... Who knows, right? Maybe that would cause a ripple in your world, too..."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa rubbed her chin. "Yeah. Yeah, y'could be right. I mean, even if it's just a spark of willingness to get some help with whatever his shit is... It could change things. His issue was he'd been workin' on the problem alone fer five years, right? Whether he sends fer me or someone else, could be the start of a change."

She chuckled, darkly. She and her pa, working together again? Not her best idea of an idyllic future.

"I think I'd rather somethin' took me travellin', though," she mused. "A friend like you, maybe, or like one of the others I'm tight with. Or a mission, one more urgent than Frontier Town's patrols. Anythin' t'break me outta that rut."

She gave her paw the appearance of a zeraora fist long enough to snap her digits, a Blacklight plume sparking from the contact.

"I had some kinda potential in me back when Diyem summoned me, even if I'd forgotten how much I wanted it t'be true. Just about anythin' could wake that part of me up, if it were insistent enough."

 

[Namohysip]

"Sounds like your best bet would be Gil," Owen said idly. "He probably wants to know more about the world he woke up in, wouldn't he? Or something like that..." He chuckled. "You know, it sounds to me like even though we're both being to be back to zero at home... maybe we have some hope after all. One way or another. You have Gil, and maybe your dad's dream... And I, well... I have allies, too. All kinds... I need to remember that. I've been taken advantage of time and time again, but some people haven't... Can't let myself mix the two up."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"I have trouble tellin' the difference myself, sometimes," admitted Brisa. "Did I protect the town outta the goodness of my heart, or 'cause I felt like I had no choice? I dunno. I think it's more important that there's hope fer a better future somewhere, even if some of yer allies ain't ones you'd trust afterwards. But... A guy like you had gotta have some real friends, I reckon. You're too fuckin' nice not to."

She chuckled at him, and stiffly brought herself to her paws. Everything still ached so goddamn bad. Kinda satisfying.

"Speakin' of allies, you've been a good one. The gals an' I've got some pretty high tier opponents in mind fer our last leg in the Colo. Would ya consider joinin' us fer part of our last hurrah?"

 

[Namohysip]

Another little spark from his tail was all that was needed to show his excitement, but it dimmed shortly after. "I'd love to," he said, "but, er, well, I noticed it more than ever during my fight against the Miracle Matters that... I think big crowds can distract my Perceive. Same problem I get back home, but it's harder to suppress here. If we're in a fight, I might need an order or two to stay on track..." He tittered. "Lots of moving bodies nearby. I don't know if I can observe and fight at the same time in the Colosseum without some guidance..."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa considered this as she stretched out, first shoulders, then haunches.

"Alright, noted. If you do come along t'one of those, we'll be sure to give you a shout fer whatever's needed. We've drilled enough times that I can think fast 'bout what'll help out most."

She grinned. "Lookin' forward to it. We can try that trick we used at the tail end of the Miracle fight."

Right, the Miracle fight...

"Speakin' of that. What d'you make of that business? There was somethin' mighty fishy 'bout yer mirror self's goadin' an' the way their defensiveness went from bedrock to paper."

 

[Namohysip]

"Uhh..." Owen hesitated. He knew; it was obvious he knew. "Well, I had a talk with the other me... He's softer than I am. He probably doesn't have all his memories, or something. And... Well. It's probably going to be explained when we're all recovered, since Maple said there'd be a meeting once that happened, but..." His usual stalling, long explanations, jabbering. Then, finally, he said, "Miracle Matters were actually a lot weaker than us when they first arrived. So weak that if we sparred, it wouldn't... have been anything. That silver sheen... I'll recognize that anywhere. Pop was strengthening them.

"But then something happened mid-fight. I don't know what, but it didn't look like Pop weakened them on purpose, or timed his shields to run out..." He furrowed his brow. "Pop had arranged for this in the first place and went really out of his way to show this fight to the whole world. Why'd he go out of his way to do that when it could've just been private training...? He's too calculated to do something for, like, glamor and fame..." Owen rubbed his chin. "I've been trying to think about it myself. But I don't know. It feels like there's more to that fight than... the fight. Pop had a reason to not tell us, right...?"

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa raised a brow. "I'm sure he does, an' I'm sure it's a good one, but by the stars, it'd better be. I'll be interested t'hear it either way."

She sighed, and went to get herself a drink. Something light. She was keeping off the heavy stuff until Dave was a little less worrisome.

"Reminds me of when th'support of the wider world ostensibly helped us out before. Of that weird li'l campaign of Rocky's, t'get folks worshippin' Pop harder'n usual, to power him up fer the Joule encounter. Maybe it was all..."

Rigged.

Her lip quivered with disdain. But she had fought as hard as she'd ever fought in her life, and broken a few bones in the process. Victory certainly hadn't been handed to them.

"Well. I don't like t'think that Pop'd predetermine the fight, but if he wanted t'build public confidence in us, I guess it'd work, right? But on the other paw... If all he needed were fer us t'be seen to win, he coulda let us in on it. Guess I'll have t'hear it from him."

 

[Namohysip]

Owen gave Brisa a cautious glance. He'd caught that. Normally he'd let it go, but that seemed to affect her.

"I don't think Pop would have done this funny business without a reason," Owen said, "and the way the other me reacted, he seemed surprised, too. I don't think the battle was... planned to go a certain way." Owen slowly sat up, grunting a little from muscle strain, then shook his wings to limber up.

"...I think it has to do with the way Cibus' Divine energy operates. Do you think knowing about it can make it less likely to happen? Kind of like how... anticipating a blow can make it hurt more, compared to not expecting it?" He hummed, thoughtful. "Something to ask Pop, I guess. He hasn't deceived us for no reason... What if, if we knew about the shield and its weaknesses, it would actually be harder to take down?"

He rubbed his head. "It's too counterintuitive to me, and this isn't a brand of divine energy I know about. Maybe tomorrow they'll have an explanation. I've been asking Diyem about it, and all he said was"--He deepened his voice further--"That second-rate replica challenged me and lost. ...Whatever that means."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa made a face.

"His 'replica' already defeated the enemy we're starin' down. An' his team neatly handed our asses to us, near-enough. Second-rate, indeed."

She shook her mane, and winced at the throbbing in her aching head. Probably needed to visit the infirmary again. Or, uh, not that. Maybe a nice, long walk instead.

"Actually, I've been thinkin' I'd care t'try an' learn somethin' from those folks. Obviously most of their techniques and powers ain't exactly within reach, but . . . maybe that move they kept usin' on us. If I ain't mistaken, that was Extreme Speed. Wish me luck, eh?"

 

[Namohysip]

"Extreme Speed, huh?" Owen asked, humming. "Looks like it took a lot out of the ones who used it. Pretty sure Aria's hiding from Zinc so she can actually walk around town today..." He trailed off, thoughtful. "...Yeah. Maybe I can pick up something, too. Maybe not a move, but an idea or a technique..."

He tried to stand again, but that failed him. He resorted to resting in bed for perhaps one more day.

"Good luck, Brisa. For... that, and for what's coming when we all go home. I..." He seemed unsure about something, but then his flame grew with resolve. "And I hope when you go home, you'll... find someone that you can trust. And be with. And, you know, maybe someone like me... Only, er, a girl." He glanced away. "...And... stuff." Hundreds of years and he still couldn't understand feelings, it seemed. His mind seemed to have gone elsewhere, perhaps thinking of home as well.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa chuckled, holding a paw to her chest to tamp down the pain the laughter caused her battered ribcage.

"Thanks, partner. An' I wish the same fer you."

She padded over to her friend, smiling. "Don't you go feelin' like y'ain't special t'me just 'cause I don't much fancy matchin' tongues with fellas, Owen."

She bumped her forehead against his, affectionately.

"I love you too, okay?"

Then, while he was still figuring out how to respond, she gave him a wave, and headed on out, wondering if she could find Aria limping about somewhere and give her a good grilling. It felt good to have something to do. And her back-of-the-stove grumpiness about the fight aside, things were better for what Owen had told her, too. That guy was a real one.

To think she'd expected not to make friends at all on this planet. She really had lucked out, huh.

<><><><><>​

 

[IFBench]

Saltriv walked down the road towards their home in this world, their mind awash with many thoughts. A substantial few of which revolved around their visit to Spirit's Edge, even though it's been weeks since then. Those worries and doubts continued to eat at them, and it was getting to be overwhelming.

Maybe it'd be nice to pay some of their teammates a visit, and talk to someone to get this off their back.

They began walking towards the closest house, being that of Brisa's, Dave's, Koa's, and Owen's.

 

[Dragonfree]

A knock on the front door startled Dave awake with a jolt. He groaned as he dragged himself out of bed, still aching after yesterday's dumb show fight. If anyone ever proposed something like this again, he'd just ditch it.

"Hello?" he mumbled as he opened the door, then blinked. "...Saltriv?"

 

[IFBench]

"Hi Dave!" Saltriv said, waving their leaf. "Can we talk?"

 

[Dragonfree]

Dave tried to blink the sleep out of his eyes. "Uh, I guess? About what?"

 

[IFBench]

"I'm...worried about going back home," Saltriv said, their leaf drooping. "I learned a couple weeks ago that I'm probably going to need to help save it once I'm back, and...I'm worried I won't be a good enough hero."

 

[Dragonfree]

Oh, Jesus.

Dave rubbed at his face with a paw and then stepped aside to let the Meganium in. Saltriv towered over him, which made it all the harder to remind himself that the kid was fucking fifteen. And apparently wanted to be a hero.

"So look," he said once they were in, closing the door. "What's... what exactly is the nature of the world-saving here? The heroing? Who does it need saving from?"

 

[IFBench]

"I don't really know. There's Pokemon disappearing and turning up as Shadow Pokemon, but nobody know's who or what's causing that," they said, their petals beginning to droop as well. "I...just know that I'm going to need to save the world."