AQ - S.S. Trousselin

[ShiniGojira]

"We don't actually need all that food, do we?" Evie asked, catching up to the Charmander.

June shrugged. "Probably not. But we'll be staying on an island for two weeks... I'm not taking any chances."

"Right... Well, should we get going?"

"I guess." He clicked his tongue, wincing. "Too bad we missed out on all the fun though, that sounded like one hell of a fight."

Evie scoffed. "Yeah, 'too bad'."

"What? It wasn't like I was gonna join in," he said before cringing at the glare shot at him. "Okay, maybe I would've thrown a rock or two at them just to see what would happened... but that would be it, okay?" He chuckled sheepishly, scratching his cheek. "Besides, I got you with me."

Evie rolled her eyes at him. "To keep your ass out of trouble."

June only chuckled at that response as they got off the ship.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Gladion took a step back, startled. Damn… “You’re partners with a totem? And you’re really not sure why you’re here?”


A look of shock crossed Gladion’s face for just a moment before he covered it. He’d never heard of any species using human language with telepathy before, and he’d looked into the subject a fair bit when Hazel started showing signs of parsing grammar.

“Hello, Malachai.”

Hazel walked right up to him and stared up into his eyes. She was excited to hear a voice using language with telepathy. Hoping he could hear her back, she made sure to think as loud as she could: Hello! I am Hazel! Are you hearing me? Is that a thing you can be doing?

Laura laughed sheepishy, and hugged herself with one arm. "I don't know what you mean by totem, but he's pretty impressive, yeah..."

<Show some pride, girl,> snapped Malachai, in her head, as he crouched on his wingtips to the level of Hazel and Gladion. <The boy understands. I am exquisite.>

She rolled her eyes. "Dragons," she said, as if that explained everything. Then, "He's made it very clear that he'll fuck right off if he decides I've plateaud. So I'd better not plateau, I guess."

Malachai cocked his head at Hazel. <Yes, peculiar one. I can hear you. What manner of mon are you, I wonder? Can you fight?>

 

[Shiny Phantump]

Gladion nodded in what was almost a shallow bow to Malachai, but smirked ever so slightly. Malachai wasn’t wrong, of course, but it sure had gone to his head a little. If the Dragon totem position wasn’t permanently filled, Malachai would fit the mood trial. Dragons indeed.

Ah. That’s what Laura had meant by being liable to lose half her team. Him and the loaner. “Hey, odds are looking good for you.”

Hazel jumped up onto her hind legs for a moment before gravity pulled her down. <Hello! Hi! I have not had someone be hearing me before! I am Hazel! I am a bird, except that people are only seeing the part of me that is not a bird because it is not covered with helmet. I was made like this by his parents so I am thinking this is making him my brother even if we are not looking the same like normal siblings. I am very good at fighting! Except I am not normally fighting someone bigger than me, and I am not having my styles so I am having to fight by being heavy and you are bigger than me so I am thinking I should not be fighting you.>

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Malachai made a rumbling, warbling sort of noise, like the chittering and squeaking of a bat run through the bassiest filter possible. <How unusual. A being of flesh made through human artifice? It is a pity you cannot make yourself heard... Very well, Hazel; you may converse with me.>

Laura sighed, but she was smiling as she looked at the pokémon greeting each other. Malachai so rarely took an interest in other people's 'mon, so it felt good to see him truly fascinated for once. She still had no idea just how old he really was.

"I guess. I have a few badges, and Malachai carries the team for now, but if I don't catch some more long-term members soon, I'm going to be in deep shit. Caesar – my herdier – really ought to be retired already, and I'm pretty sure my frosmoth, Gibbous, will lose interest in battles by the next competitive season." She sniffed, and squeezed her arm. "It's not that, not really. Circuit shit is just a cover for the 'take down a giant shady corporation' thing I'm working on. That's why I need a strong, reliable team."

 

[Shiny Phantump]

"Right, right." Gladion smirked. "Steal a kickass chimera on the way out, it helps."

Hazel cooed back at Malachai. <Yes! Okay! My brother is having a sister which is making her sort of also my sister because we are all having the father who is missing and the mother who we do not call that because she is only Lusamine because she is a bad mother. I am thinking I would like to meet her.>

Attention Guests!

The S.S. Trousselin will be arriving at Kunolo Island shortly. Please gather your companions and belongings and prepare to disembark.

Gladion recoiled from the noise. "Damn, though we were gonna be longer, they run a tight schedule here... Hey, why'd they even need a boat in the first place?"

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Laura chuckled. "That's... honestly pretty much the idea. Not an RKS, but... yeah."

The tannoy spoke up, and she blanched. "Howls, what time even is it? Whatever, I guess I'll tell you about the hybrid shit some other time? I could do with some actual rest for once. Malachai, you wanna take your ball for the night?"

<Hmm. I suppose so, provided your lodgings come with a balcony from which I can depart if I so desire.>

The giant noivern turned and nodded his great head to Hazel. <It was a pleasure to meet you, young one. I hope you meet your sister soon.>

Laura held out a pokéball, and Malachai tapped it with his wingtip, before disappearing in a stream of scarlet infinity energy. She held out a hand for Gladion to shake.

"You seem really cool," she said, feeling awkward. "It was nice to meet you. Guess I'll see you around on the island?"

 

[Shiny Phantump]

Hazel’s tail flopped back and forth. <Bye! It was nice to meet you, too!>

Gladion nodded and returned the handshake. “And the same to you, it was a pleasure. Be seeing you.”

What do you know? That went well.

He walked over to Hazel and gave her a scratch where her helmet met her neck. “Gonna recall you ‘til we’re somewhere private again, alright?”

Hazel mrrped in acknowledgment, then he recalled her. He couldn’t keep doing this long-term, though. He’d have to figure out whether or not it was safe to have her about here, and if it wasn’t… Well, if nothing else, he was good at running away.