Destiny Village ~ Sundae Park

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa nodded. "Yeah. I get that. Destiny Village is pretty strange t'me compared to the kinda place Frontier Town is, but at least I got the context fer most social norms. Helps that Cibusean folks're all so friendly, generally speakin'. Such as yerself!"

She chuckled. That was an understatement.

"I can't imagine gettin' the Escarpa Clan to understand any of this shit. I just... I don't see 'em no more. Not since Ma took off back home an' left me to be the town's ranger on my lonesome. Why should I visit? They got time. They can damn well visit me."

Wow, yer mood sure changed fast there. Sore spot? Or just easier to let boil with another luxray as company?

"Sorry, Cream. Don't mean to get agitated outta sorts."

 

[Namohysip]

Cream did seem to shift uncomfortably, but she nodded. "I suppose it's a different story for me, what with being on a completely different continent... I'm sorry that things are so complicated with your clan, though. I was... lucky, I suppose, by comparison. I may not be able to relate to them very well... but at least they're polite. It's too bad you're working largely on your own, though."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa smiled ruefully. "Yeah, there's a difference 'tween our clans, then. My ma's clan ain't polite in the least. Very plain-speakin' folk."

Her tail swished for a moment, but Cream's gentleness put her at ease again almost at once.

"Workin' with a team makes my time on Cibus the best of my life," said Brisa, quietly. "There's a lot to appreciate about this world, but gettin' to work alongside others, to have friends to depend on... That's really special. It's somethin' I wish I could have back on my world."

 

[Namohysip]

"I hope you can find that one day," Cream said, tilting her head.

"There you are."

Cream twitched her ear and glanced back. "Oh, Puff!"

The Cinderace jogged over to them and hopped to a stop next to her, holding up a small paper bag that smelled of an even mixture of berries and meats. "Got lunch," he said, then nodded to Brisa. "Oh, we meet again."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"I hope you can find that one day,"

A little more tension left Brisa, and she smiled in return.

"Thank ye kindly, Cre—"

"There you are." [...] "Oh, we meet again."

Brisa forced a smile at the cinderace reporter. "Yeah, howdy, Puff. Notice me just now, didya?"

 

[Namohysip]

Puff smirked. "Well, s'cuze me, but I was in the middle of figuring out where Cream wandered off to."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Cream said with a chuckle. "I happened to see Brisket here and decided to stray a little."

Puff sat down nearby and Cream followed along, gesturing that Brisa could come as well.

"Hey, good fight, again," Puff said. "No way I can pull something like that off against Leg. Didn't know she was so fierce, y'know?"

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa joined the reporters, her tailtuft flicking from side to side.

If Cream wanted his company, why wouldn't he just text her?

Brisa could think of a reason or two.

"Thanks, fella," she drawled. "Yeah, none of the God Squad members are slouches. I've sparred a time or two against Leg holdin' back, so I was expectin' her to be a tough fight. They'll all be tough fights."

 

[Namohysip]

Puff raised a brow. "All?" he pressed.

"Brisa is looking to fight all of them," Cream said. "I bet by the end of this, she'll have an idea who the toughest fighters are!"

"Well, good luck there," Puff said, passing Cream a tray of steak. Puff had a bowl of berry salad. "It's really something, fighting against literal out-of-this-world elites like that. Who call themselves God Squad and can actually follow it up..."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"Uhuh. It was Rampardos Coba's idea to fight each of 'em in turn. Fer now they're much stronger than any individual Spectrum member, but maybe someday the best of us will be able to take 'em on solo."

Brisa's chest rose with naked determination. She'd always known she'd be strong, but at this rate the blacklight would render her more powerful than her parents. She dared to dream she had yet to peak. That she might take on interdimensional heroes.

"After beatin' Pepper, I wanna take the colosseum more seriously than ever. Anise an' I were thinkin' of givin' the Omen Heroes a run fer their money in some doubles matches, an' I'm ready to accept just about any challenge comin' my way, win or lose."

 

[Namohysip]

"The warriors against the heroes..." Puff's eyes glimmered. "Now that is something I wouldn't mind covering."

"Ohh, Puff," Cream said, waving a paw. "Don't forget, you're a reporter first and a battler second."

"Well, what's to say I can't get some primary resources in at some point?" Puff grinned. "You know, I can take a beating or two if it means getting a good story. Back when I was still pressing Maple for possible information she threw me through a wall!"

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"Are you askin' fer a drubbin'?" drawled Brisa, grinning. Puff was definitely formidable by ordinary standards, but was he as tough as Pepper?

"'Cause buddy, I'll give ya one."

 

[Namohysip]

Cream tittered. "Puff, don't forget, she took on a God Squad member."

"Three on one," Puff pointed out. "Maybe if I teamed up with two others we'd be able to do the same, eh?"

Cream knew that glint in his eyes and sighed. "You're going to find a way to spin it into an article, aren't you? Well, you should know that I plan to interview Brisket more formally, too."

"Guess I'll have to make it an entry some other way," Puff said.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa beamed unreservedly. A fight with Puff, and an interview by Cream? This was fantastic news.

"I look forward to it," she said. "On both counts."

Hell, I could fight you right now and shoot the breeze with Cream straight after.

 

[Namohysip]

"Then it's a date," Puff said with a firm nod. Cream giggled, starting on her meal at the same time that Puff did. And while they might not have realized it, the Cibusean Luxray and Cinderace were leaning into one another.

<><><>​

 

[Namohysip]

It had been a very eventful few days that Cola simply wasn't allowed to delve into, which was irritating. He'd gotten in a fight with Pop--a one-sided fight where all Pop did was stare down and speak calmly while he yelled--and needed some air from Destiny Tower for a while.

Thankfully, one of his most trusted allies had been nearby, and he hitched a ride on Puddle again and asked to go someplace where he could stretch his legs. As it turned out, one such place--as long as they were careful--was Sundae Park.

This way, right there, see the shade under those trees? Go there and I'll hop out.

 

[Fusion]

With Vix spying on people most of the time, and her meditating in her down time, Puddle was alone most of the time. Even more annoying was its headaches coming and going, like a metronome it couldn't put a stop to. At least it didn't hurt as much whenever Puddle hung around other people, and even less so with Cola.

"Aight," Puddle nodded, walking over to the trees. It sat down at the tree's base and sighed. "Here ya go, Cola."

 

[Namohysip]

The golden haze poured out from Puddle's shoulder and onto the nearby tree roots, forming into that strange, Arceus-like body. He stretched his legs, which fizzled and faded at their longest length, and then turned his red, circle-outline eyes at Puddle. "Finally, some open air," he said, sighing.

 

[Negrek]

Rocky had come to Sundae Park looking for something fun to do, but there wasn't really anything here. Some trees, some flowers... Even getting a snack from one of the vendors in the park didn't do much to make things more interesting. It was stupid. Why did everything around here have to be so boring?

He was sitting on a bench, trying to think of somewhere better to go, when he saw another familiar going by on the path. That was puddle, wasn't it? And Rocky's eyes widened when a blob of golden fur stretched itself up from Puddle's back and settled in the grass beside him. That was Cola! Rocky hadn't really gotten a chance to meet him before, but he was basically like a piece of Arceus. Perfect! And if what people said was true, things wouldn't stay boring around him for very long.

"Hey, Puddle! Hey, Cola! What're you doing?" Rocky asked, bounding over to the pair. "Did Arceus finally let you out to play?"

 

[Namohysip]

"Yeah! He let me out a little while ago as long as I'm with someone else that can hide me." Cola matched Rocky's enthusiasm. "I guess it's safe as long as I can be guarded and stuff, even if it's risky. He didn't want me to be trapped and cooped up in there all the time, after all!"

 

[Fusion]

Puddle jumped a bit, not expecting someone else so soon. Or at all. "O-Oh! Hey, Rocky," it waved, wincing slightly and holding its head. Having two overly excited voices banging against its head wasn't all that much fun, surprise surprise.

"We were just takin' it easy for a bit, but I wouldn't mind doin' somethin'. It's nice out and all that, so why not?" Puddle said, grinning. "What're ya out here for though, Rocky?"