Treasure Town ~ Marowak Dojo

[Virgil134]

"Alright, looks like we're here!"

Cabot entered the dojo alongside Owen and looked around the building. The structure had certainly been in better shape, but it at least seemed to be in good enough condition for them train. He looked off to the left where he saw Brisa and Zane wrapping up their battle as Curio and Lauchs watched, while to his right was an empty battlefield, prompting him to turn back to Owen.

"Seems like some of the others had the same idea as us," Cabot said. "I think we can use that empty field over there, though."

 

[Namohysip]

Owen nodded, though his gaze trailed over to the fighting that was already happening. "I hope they're training well enough," he mumbled, flicking his tail anxiously. "Sure, let's use that field for now. Uh, g-go easy on me, please. I can barely hold a flame..."

Soda hummed behind them. "You guys are that weak?"

"GYAH!" Owen flung his arms in the air and sprinted forward. "Don't do that!"

 

[Virgil134]

Cabot jolted up with a start and turned around.

"Huh, Soda?! I thought you had a bunch of errands to take care of!"

 

[Namohysip]

"Turns out one of 'em's right here," Soda sad. "Saw you guys going along and followed."

"While invisible?!" Owen protested, pointing at the Zoroark angrily. "You could've, I dunno, made me sneeze an Ember on accident!"

"Pbbt. Whatever. Actually, while you're here, how about I show you guys your sleeping place so I can say I did that? Just tell the others when you can. It's also a training room, so maybe you can spar there once I'm done with the tour." He motioned down one of the halls.

 

[Virgil134]

Cabot looked at Owen before turning back to Soda.

"Uh, sure. Lead the way."

 

[Namohysip]

"Perfect." Soda nodded, then disappeared.

"What--where did he--"

He was already halfway across the room and down the hall. "This way!" he called. Had he really set up that illusion of himself talking to them, just to get a head start on walking? Talk about impatient...

 

[NebulaDreams]

Curio wasn’t surprised that the battle teetered in Brisa’s favour, but she was still pleased. By the time Brisa wriggled out of Zane’s hulking mass, Curio was back up to speed, almost as if she hadn’t battled, though the sting of the defeat still lingered. She had made her own bed there, but at least she would’ve known her limits the next time around.

She had to know Brisa a bit more after this. Just as acquaintances, no other reason at all, no sirree. Where else could they go? Well, there was a certain place that was a favourite location of someone else in the Shinx line after all, so there was a start.

“Hey, that was awesome, Brisa!” she said. “Wanna hit the beach and tal— I mean, find out more about what’s going on here?”

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa allowed herself a minute to catch her breath before replying.

"Thank you," she panted. "And yeah, that sounds good. I'll be restless until I figure out this situation."

And it's good to have a friend to do that with, she didn't say. She followed Curio out and looked over in the direction of the beach. It would be a steep descent, and she'd have to take it slowly being so out of breath, but she was used to such climbs from the ravine back home. Back home... She wondered if Curio had many people she missed from her world, whatever that place was.

Time to go.

 

[Tanuki]

<><><><>

 

[Fusion]

Vix floated from the beach to the dojo, not really knowing where else to go and remembering that a bunch of others went there first. It'd be a good chance to meet the rest of the team proper. Assuming they weren't too beat up from beating each other up.

"Is anyone still in here?"she asked as she floated inside. "And preferably alive? Or un-alive? Whatever a ghost pokemon is."

There was, obviously, a rather large someone still inside. Pretty unceremoniously laid out on the floor. White and red fur with some bruises somehow visible. Vix floated over to the fallen behemoth's side, only mostly worried. "You alive big guy? Or are you sleeping? Hibernating? You're probably hibernating."

 

[Tanuki]

Despite modern assumptions, the floor was actually very comfortable to sleep on. Especially when beaten to a pulp (in a fight he won, given his opponent forfeit the match), Zane could easily ignore the coarse, cold floor.

Voices pierced his dreams. Something about a beach, there was a zoroark and a place to sleep, but now a voice sounded much closer than before. Half an eye peeled half open to see a flying candle.

Unbelievable. Even after losing all their revivers to his last attempt, Jolt had gotten back into the scented candle pyramid scheme. “Jolt,” he moaned, “why did you buy more candles?” Did this one even smell? A claw tried to scoop it closer so he could sniff it.

 

[Fusion]

Vix allowed herself to be scooped up, unaware of the intent of the half-awake Zangoose. "Oh, this is happening now. Wait, who's Jolt?"

She soon started piece together what was going on, there was only so many thing pulling someone closer could lead too, and Vix wasn't about that mess. "H-Hey! Wake up! What're you doing!?" Instincts kicked in and she smacked Zane's nose before things got more... whatever they were about to be.

Vix then floated to the side, her flame flaring up, taking on a faint pinkish color. "Dude, the hell?! I barely know you!"

 

[Tanuki]

Consciousness returned with a vengeance as Zane tumbled back and away from his attacker. "What was that for?" he shouted, claws clutching his nose. Her words registered slightly some time after he considered if zangoose could get nosebleeds. "Barely know me? What, do you just kick strangers for fun?" His voice was indignant as it was nasal.

His eyes focused and he realized he was talking to a candle. The candle he'd tried to sniff. The one that, apparently, was not another multi-level-marketing scheme Jolt had bought into. This, unfortunately, put his actions very much in the wrong. Being wrong wasn't what he admitted to doing. Not to himself and especially not to candles that just kicked him in the nose.

"N-new to—were you one of the humans that got turned into a pokémon when you arrived here?" he asked, blood still boiling, though now a bit more defensively. "It's a basic greeting." He rolled his eyes as if stating the obvious. "Do you know nothing about pokémon civilities?" asked the human turned zangoose to the power of two who knew nothing of pokémon civilities.

 

[Fusion]

Vix winced as Zane toppled backwards like a fluffy ball of jelly, but saved her being sorry for after she went off on him. "First off, I'm pretty sure I was always a Litwick. Secondly, the only Pokemon I know that sniff as any kinda greeting are Ferals. Thirdly... that doesn't sound like a word, saying it outloud, but thirdly..." Vix didn't have a third point to list off, but she still felt she should be angry about something. Deciding to take after her mentor, she decided to blurt the first thing that came to mind.

"You coulda just asked! I'm like... grape, or something... some kinda berry that isn't a fancy berry like an Oran or Sitrus..." she trailed off; that wasn't exactly what she thought she would say, but she said it anyway so, whatever. "Anyway, are you ok? You were out like a light when I came by and... well, I didn't mean to hit you so hard either."

 

[Tanuki]

Oh no, she was right. Yet, she was looking remorseful? When he was so transparently in the wrong? If he played up his injury, “I’m,” he’d be admitting to getting beaten up by a candle, “fine.”

His claws gripped the bridge of his nose. He wasn’t injured (well, at least she hadn’t injured him). He’d tried to smell a near complete stranger. Ugly mug or not, it seemed bad first impressions plagued him.

He had one option, though, that could turn it all around. It’s not like he had to mean it. Words, language, it’s all just a social construct anyway. He could just make the sounds without internally admitting his wrongdoing and he’d be in the clear. He just didn’t have to mean it.

“Sorry.” Unfortunately for his plans, he meant it. Apologizing went against everything he stood for, and here he was. He needed to change the subject fast. “I’m Zane, ex-human,” he said, extending a claw. Despite the pain, he forced a friendly smirk. “And... terminal dumbass.”

 

[Fusion]

Talk about a turnaround. This was the guy that tried to interrogate an amnesiac Owen earlier, right? Vix floated up to shake Zane's claw, smiling. "I'm Vix, living candle and hero in training." Instinctively, she compared Zane to the only other furred biped she knew personally. They were almost entirely different, aside from the red accents, and while her mentor was outwardly kind, Zane seemed to be hiding it for some reason. She could pick his brain a bit and play armchair therapist, but there was no chair, so that was a no go.

Instead she'll do it in secret. "I heard about ex-humans before. They're normally strong and powerful and whatever." Vix floated back a bit and looked Zane over. "And you look kinda strong, so I believe it."

 

[Tanuki]

“I what?” Oaf, behemoth, gargantuan neanderthal, thick numbskull, not a single thing anyone had ever called him had be so unqualified a compliment. He must have misheard her. Did he? He had to. Why would she compliment him?

His eyes squinted, head tilted while his mind raced to understand the hidden attack. After a few seconds of silence, however, he realized he needed to act fast. It had to be a veiled insult, so he’d do the same. “Yeah?”

Crossing his arms, he had to come up with something quick. His eyes shot over her frame until finally focusing on her flame. Perfect. “Well, I’ve heard about heroes in training being hotheaded, and looking at you,” he glanced her over one last time, he put on a smug expression. “You’re pretty hot.”

Self-awareness caught up with him one second too late. Every iota of self confidence evaporated from his body as his head fell into his claws. “Kill me,” he prayed to Diyem. “Please, just kill me.”

 

[Namohysip]

Later.

 

[Fusion]

"...Eh?" Vix blinked. Then blinked again. Did she hear that correctly? Like, her hearing is perfect despite not having ears, and she was basically right there, so she did hear him right, right? Vix's flame flickered a bright blue and she melted a bit, deciding to float lower in order to hide it better.

'Hold your wildfires, you know that wasn't his intent.' Vix told herself, clearing her throat and controlling her fire.

"Guess you can add 'clever' to that list now, too. That's the first time I heard that joke." Vix chuckled, looking up at Zane, just to see him bury his face in his claws. She was worried, floating back up and patting Zane's head with her arm-nub. But, instead of assuming the joke wasn't a joke, decided to play it off as a joke. There's no way it wasn't a joke, seeing how they just met. "C'mon, that wasn't that bad a joke, I thought it was actually kinda funny! It's nothing to get so beat up over."

 

[Tanuki]

Fate was cruel to Zane. He knew this fact of life as long as he could remember. He could only remember a few months, but sample size hardly mattered when results were 100% accurate. Yet, here was an entirely unseen offering of mercy.

Looking a gift horse in the mouth had served him well in the past, but for now, he decided to abandon caution. “Thanks,” he mumbled. Embarrassment still burning bright but ebbing ever so slightly away, the lingering aches returned with a vengeance.

He needed orans. A plate—no—platter of them. Or a pie. A smoothie, a cobbler, side of not-specific meat and, “You hungry?” He asked.