Sharpedo Bluff

[Chibi Pika]

Starr's tail flicked back and forth. "Dunno about the shadow stuff. Where I'm from, there's ways to strip free will from Pokemon. They don't really go berserk like the shadows we've run into here, though. It's more like they're just... blank. Completely obedient." Saying so left an acrid taste in her mouth. "Including legends." They deserved it. (Did they?)

Her eyes fell on the scabbed-up wound on Cuicatl's side. "Shit, do you need an Oran or something?" She hadn't bought any more Orans yet since the battle. Dammit.

 

[Persephone]

Oh. So she isn't really... interested in that. Of course. Of course the one thing she had to contribute didn't matter.

"I guess they got a few gods. Lugia for sure. Maybe her three daughters. Or Ho-oh's sons. That's all rumor, though."

"'m fine. Really. What's a hydreigon without scars?"

 

[Chibi Pika]

"I guess they got a few gods. Lugia for sure. Maybe her three daughters. Or Ho-oh's sons. That's all rumor, though."

Starr sucked in a breath. In her mind, there was a sudden flash of red. Articuno and Moltres dissolving into light. Zapdos electrocuting her squad in a fit of rage. She wiped the reaction from her face just as fast, and then felt stupid for it--not like Cuicatl could see her.

"Shit... sounds like our worlds are even more similar than we thought. It's, uh... a lot more than rumors where I'm from."

"'m fine. Really. What's a hydreigon without scars?"

Starr forced a chuckle. "Suppose that's true, yeah." Still, that was the kind of attitude she'd expect from a Pokemon, not someone who was human. "You, uh... you're really enjoying this whole 'being a Pokemon' thing huh?"

 

[Persephone]

Starr sharply inhaled, her heartbeat quickened, and even the temperature around the two shifted. She’d hit a nerve with the legends. From their past conversations it really didn’t seem like she was a priestess, or even particularly devout. That irreverence and the mix of nonchalance and panic to her words about Cipher...

“You get mixed up in that? The shadows and gods?”

“And yeah, I like being a Pokémon a lot.” Even if she didn’t really deserve it. “My big sis was a hydreigon and I liked her more than my human dad. And I didn’t like my old body and... yeah.”

 

[Chibi Pika]

“You get mixed up in that? The shadows and gods?”

"You could... say that. Not something I'd recommend." God, from what she could remember, Cuicatl was one of those people who like, respected the legends and called them gods, and... yeah, it wouldn't be a good idea to go sharing her job history anytime soon.

“And yeah, I like being a Pokémon a lot.” Even if she didn’t really deserve it. “My big sis was a hydreigon and I liked her more than my human dad. And I didn’t like my old body and... yeah.”

Ah. Yeah, Starr had gotten the impression that Cuicatl had a shitty life back home, but this pretty much confirmed it. No wonder the kid sounded so damn sad all the time. There had to be some way to lighten the damn mood. "I mean, I'd pick a Hydreigon over my dad any day." Not like that was a high bar. "I think I remember you mentioned your sis last time. So like... did your parents raise you together or something? You learned Pokespeech from her, right?" Something like that. Her memory was shot from the past week.

 

[Persephone]

Starr clearly didn't want to talk about her past. Which mostly just made Cuicatl more curious. If she knew much more than Cuicatl, surely Starr could help them figure out exactly what they were fighting? But she didn't want to. It wasn't enough to automatically flag her as a traitor, but Cuicatl would have to keep an eye on her going forward.

She wasn't going to press any of that now. Starr was here, talking to her, and she desperately didn't want to be alone.

"Yeah. Alice was my mom's ace, back when she was a trainer. I was a psychic so I could already speak to most pokemon, but I had to learn draconic to speak to her. She couldn't teach me herself since she couldn't talk, but her mate helped me out. And she didn't live in the house or anything. She was away hunting more often than she was at home, but she helped me out a lot. I... I miss her."

 

[Chibi Pika]

Huh. Cuicatl was psychic. Starr was pretty sure that hadn't come up before. Psychics weren't exactly unheard of back home, but they sure as hell weren't common. Still, no wonder she'd spent so much time talking with Pokemon.

"Yeah, I feel you there. I miss my team pretty bad." Okay, so at least it wasn't like Cuicatl had nothing to go home to--shitty home life notwithstanding, she had a team, and her sister was a goddamn Hydreigon. "I was about to ask if maybe you wouldn't wanna go back home after this, but I imagine you can't wait to get back to her, huh."

 

[Persephone]

“I... I really like being a deino. But I’m raising a tyrunt who just hatched and imprinted on me. I think I should go back. It’s the right thing to do. Even if I wished I didn’t have to.”

 

[Chibi Pika]

Raising a baby Tyrunt too? Damn, this girl wasn't kidding with the dragon thing.

Starr put on a casual tone and said, "Nothing saying you can't enjoy things here as long as you can. Even if you have to go back." Then again, Starr had yet to see Cuicatl look cheerful about anything since that first day on the beach. But she always brushed it off like everything was sunshine and rainbows now that she was a dragon. And it really wasn't any of Starr's business, but... it was gonna bother her too much not to say anything.

"Hey, so like... how you holding up here? Like, in general. The whole team's gone through a lot of shit lately, so like, it's fine if it's getting to you."

 

[Persephone]

Damn it. Why’d she have to care? She wasn’t supposed to do that. Not now.

“I... I thought being a dragon would solve more than it did.” Two wingull squabble in the distance, fighting over a shiny piece of detritus. The waves crash below. Cuicatl was fine. She. Was. Fine. “But I’m doing okay. I got knocked a little off-balance from the last fight and wanted some time alone. That’s all.”

 

[Chibi Pika]

Mm. Sounded like it was more than that. But if Cuicatl didn't wanna talk about it, that was on her.

"Makes sense. I don't even really remember the end of the fight. Blacked out from my own attack and woke up here, so it couldn't have gone too bad." She gave Cuicatl a sideways glance. "Want some more time alone, or you ready to head to Destiny-whatever? I figure the others will come looking for us if we take too long."

 

[Persephone]

There was such an easy out but... Cuicatl still needed to admit something. Needed to get Starr to stop being so nice to her.

“I don’t remember a lot of the fight. I blacked out halfway through. Started attacking people. Don’t even know who gave me this,” she said, gesturing with her head to the wound on her side.”

 

[Chibi Pika]

Shit. So it'd happened to her too. Sure, it'd been the most obvious with that huge burst that had instantly corrupted Brisa, Owen, Cabot, and Nate, but... with that damn fog sinking into everyone the whole battle, there were bound to be others than had fallen to the shadows more slowly.

"Look, it's..."--dammit why couldn't one of them have been here--"You know that's not your fault, right? That machine was screwing with everyone's head, and..." No, that wouldn't work. Maybe... "Cabot tried to kill us. Friggin' Cabot. That oughta speak for itself."

 

[Persephone]

“It was screwing with everyone, but only a few of us let it win... it’s... there’s nothing to say. Maybe we should just get going...”

 

[Chibi Pika]

Starr clenched her teeth. Why did she even bother. It's none of your business if she wants to make herself miserable. Why do you care anyway?

...why did she care? They didn't know each other that well. Why the hell should it bother her to see Cuitatl torn up like this. It was aggravating.

There were a lot of things Starr could have said, but she didn't say any of them. Eventually, she just replied, "Suit yourself. Let's get going."

<><><><><>​

 

[Adamhuarts]

The ocean waves crashed against the cliff, and a salty breeze swished through the air. Sparse clouds dotted the vivid blue sky and the sun shone in its burning glory. Yes. Today was a good day for flying.

Ivy fidgeted her wings and smiled proudly to herself. She'd gotten Cynthian to make the wings for her and claimed it was just for fun. But, Ivy had more ambition than Cynthian could've imagined. Ivy planned to achieve the greatest feat known to a land locked pokemon: the power to fly at will. And who better to call upon to witness such a monumental event than her two very best pals?

"I look so cool right now," Ivy said, spreading her wings with a smirk.

 

[Shiny Phantump]

Soul slunk onto the bluff, and saw Ivy with... were those wings? False wings?

"Well... Hello, Ivy. What do you have planned for today?"

 

[Cresselia92]

A bright sun. A cloudless sky. A box of cupcakes with the glaze melting on his paws.

Yes, that was definitely the best day for a cupcake picnic. Oh, and for a flying lesson, apparently.

“I wonder why Ivy invited me here…” mused Petram as he recalled Ivy’s message, before licking some of the icing from one of his paws. Sugary and sticky, just the way he likes it. “Hmm… She couldn’t have known that I was preparing a batch of cupcakes, could she? Unless the spy decided to play a prank on me!”

And then, he reached the bluff, and he spotted… a Ninetales?

“Oh?” He walked closer. “Hey, are you Tempest?” Then, he waved his paw at Ivy. “Ah! Hi, Ivy! What are you doing with those feathery leaves?”

 

[Adamhuarts]

"Welcome, welcome, my very best friends!!!" Ivy said, spreading her wings out as far as she could.

"I called you two here to be the very first to witness the great and mighty Ivy escape the earth and become one with the sky!!" Ivy did a spin and kicked up some dust around her. She had every intention of being as flashy as flowerly possible.

 

[Shiny Phantump]

“Oh?” He walked closer. “Hey, are you Tempest?”

"You... don't recognize me? I'm still Soul."

"I called you two here to be the very first to witness the great and mighty Ivy escape the earth and become one with the sky!!"

At first, Soul thought that to be madness, but... Petram had levitated before, no? Perhaps it was possible for unnatural creatures like them to be able to do such things.