Destiny Village ~ The Hero

[Flyg0n]

Koa held back a sigh. The affirmation made him feel better, but only slightly. Even if things did get fixed, what were the odds they'd screw it up again? That he would screw it up?

He dug his paws into the chair. "What about the team?" he asked quietly. "Everyone is so... upset. Will they get better? Can that be fixed? I mean I think some people are really angry at Brisa. Probably Dave too, I don't know." He snorted.

Mad at you.

 

[Chibi Pika]

Starr idly scratched at her cheek fur. "They're sore from being screwed with. I've been there. If you really wanna explain to them where you were coming from, then just... give 'em time to get it out of their systems. There's been times I was pissed about stupid shit where the other person was right and I really just wanted the chance to cool off about it."

He thought he'd screwed everything up. Like he'd done something unforgivable, even though he was just trying to help.

"There's people on the team who've forgiven me for way worse than that."

 

[Flyg0n]

Koa stared at Starr. "What could you ever do that was so bad?" he said the words almost without thinking. His eyes widened and he blinked, realizing what he'd said. He didn't actually know anything about her, save that she was a good friend. That she'd apparently followed them into trouble and that she'd come here and that Brisa trusted her. Sometimes everyone else seemed to be handling things so well.

Better than you.

"Sorry," he stammered. "I'm not doubting you, you just seem so put-together and calm and everything and stuff," he mumbled awkwardly.

 

[Chibi Pika]

Starr let out a small snort at that. "I'll take the compliment. Lots of stuff here doesn't faze me anymore." She closed her eyes, mulling over what to say.

...Just keeping it to Cibus stuff would be fine.

"Started a bunch of bullshit fights and pissed people off from the moment I got here, mostly," she replied, glancing away. "Made some folks feel like shit, probably made their shadows worse." She paused. "Fucking hated Brisa's guts. Enough that we wound up tearing each other to pieces one time. Didn't get a wake up call on that until we were stuck in a cave in the Reverse World for 3 days."

 

[Flyg0n]

"You..." his brow wrinkled and his jaw twisted into a perplexed frown. "You and Brisa hated each other?" he said it half to Starrr, half to himself. It was hard to reconcile the two people he knew now and the image Starr was painting.

They'd actually tried ripping each other apart? They'd just taken down Lugia together though!

"But you..." He shook his head.

He guessed it wasn't that much of a stretch? How often had he heard of two pokemon not getting along until they had a few good fights? Even he'd had trouble getting along with Rascal at first. Perhaps here wasn't much different.

He cocked his head to the side. "So you two were stuck in the reverse world? How'd that happen? And how come you guys hated each other like that?" They were so close now... Brisa was always hanging out with Starr it seemed. How could anyone not love Brisa?

 

[Chibi Pika]

It seemed so long ago. Just thinking back on it felt pretty ridiculous. After all they'd been through...

Starr leaned against the table, idly running a claw along the rim of her empty glass. "Guess we both just got the wrong impression of each other. The early missions were a mess, none of us were at our best. I saw her as some uptight ranger who'd never stop judging people for their screwups, and she saw me like some violent lowlife who didn't give a shit about anyone else."

Was she really that wrong.
Who gives a shit, she doesn't think that anymore.

Starr shook her head. "Anyway, one of our missions went south and the whole team had to portal out, and we just... got lost. Thinking you're gonna die with the person you hate sorta put things in perspective." And it'd been after the Lugia fight, too.

 

[Flyg0n]

Koa almost laughed. As it was, he gave a snort of amusement. He couldn't picture either of them the way Starr described it but then again... he supposed it was possible to misunderstand someone. Or to get a bad impression and get off on the wrong foot. Or paw. Whatever.

"That's... intense," he said after a few moments. "Guess it's a good thing you two figured it out though! I mean you guys even have that whole cool combo move you can do. That's pretty sick."

Battles wouldn't be the same without them.

 

[Chibi Pika]

Starr chuckled under her breath. "You can say that again. There's been days where I don't know what I'd do without her." It took a few seconds for her to stop and realize what she'd just said. But... it was true, wasn't it? Losing Brisa had felt like being stabbed in the gut.

Starr forced a smile. "But yeah, I'd say it's a damn good thing. You've seen us tearing up the colosseum, right? The team's lucky to have us," she added with a smirk.

 

[Flyg0n]

He could almost imagine how that felt. He owed most of his training to Brisa.

Koa nodded eagerly. "I watch every single match!" It reminded him a lot of league matches back home, especially when it got to the finals. The stadiums would always be packed with cheering crowds and of people and pokemon. "You know, if you guys are ever looking for another teammate, maybe I could join you sometime," he said, grinning. "If you'll have me."

Fighting by Brisa or Starr's side would be amazing. Especially if it was just a fight for fun and not against some kind of corrupted super-legendary.

 

[Chibi Pika]

Starr blinked at him in surprise. Even expecting him to be into that sort of thing--being a trainer, and all that--the sheer level of enthusiasm from this kid was hard to get used to.

Still, she gave him a bit of a crooked grin. "Sure, why not. I'm sure Brisa would be thrilled to have you on the squad." The kid was damn strong--he'd already shown that much in the Tree of Life.

 

[Flyg0n]

Koa grinned, already anticipating the fight. He'd never actually battle at a league tournament before, but he'd always wanted the chance to test the skills of himself and his team against strong opponents. A shame his team wasn't here now to cheer him on, nor was Kitto. But it would be great practice, all the same.

Of course, there would be the crowd to worry about, but it couldn't be that bad, right?

"Just let me know when," he declared, smirking.

 

[Chibi Pika]

Starr had the sudden realization that she was looking forward to it. Brisa had turned her into a competitive battler. When the hell had that happened.

"You'll probably hear about it from Brisa, she handles all the match booking and crap. Dunno who she'll find as far as opponents go. Some of the higher-ranks in the guild, maybe. Hell, maybe a legend." He'd probably get a kick out of that. And Starr didn't have to feel bad about getting to beat the crap out of them when they were literally looking for a challenge.

 

[Flyg0n]

A legend, huh? Back home some legends would be off-limits. Impossible. But here.... Here anything seemed possible. If Brisa could take down Lugia and all the other strong opponents they'd faced-

A devious grin grew on his face.

"I have a few ideas."

A ghost of a smirk still on his face, he glanced to the exit. There was still plenty of work to be done, what with the Tree mission approaching soon. Plus he had some stuff of his own to get to. Still, talking to Starr about normal stuff, like being a trainer, was a pleasant respite.

"It was cool talking to you, Starr. Maybe we can do this again sometime. I'll see you around."

With a final farewell, he headed for exit.

<><><><>​

 

[Adamhuarts]

In the days leading up to the big confrontation, Cynthian happened to be taking a leisure stroll around the parts of Destiny Village she didn't quite frequent often. After drifting through some of the streets, her wandering had brought her along the fancier sides of the town.

The few remaining signs of construction work remained a reminder of what had transpired not long before, but not even the wounds of disaster could douse the luxurious mood of that part of Destiny Village. She could only hope that's something that'll be preserved long after they've fulfilled their duties and returned to their worlds.

Among the crowd, a new but familiar figure stood out. Cynthian recognized them instantly: that one who didn't stick around much for greetings, one of the miracle matters.

Cynthian raised a vine to her cheek while she mused over her thoughts. Something about that psychic type made him feel unapproachable. Perhaps it was the cold air surrounding them, or the way he carried himself. He looked a bit lost. Not seeing the harm in it, the Roserade decided to approach him with the excuse of providing directions. Granted, she wasn't entirely familiar with their current street, but she'd manage. She went to him and put on the most polite and subdued impression she could handle.

"Hello," Cynthian greeted with a short bow. "I happened to be nearby and couldn't help but notice you seem a bit lost." She lifted her gaze, exposing a hint of nervousness in her smile. "Though forgive me if that's just my presumption."

 

[MadderJacker]

“Hm?”

Mergo turned his head and glanced down at her in his peripherals. A gentle wind danced in the area around him, pulling at the edges of his gown and the end of his faded pink scarf. His arms were folded behind his back as he sized this Roserade up, stopping in the middle of the street and forcing people to pass him by. For a good few moments, he said nothing else.

He felt like this was one of the faces from Team Spectrum, but he hadn’t really looked at them all at the time. Not in any way that mattered. Was this one with them? And why was she scared already?

“I suppose I am,” Mergo finally admitted. “I’m still figuring out where I’m going now. The town looks… different.”

 

[Adamhuarts]

"Looks different?" She tilted her head slightly. "By how much?"

"Ah, excuse my manners. I haven't even introduced myself yet." Cynthian cleared her throat and raised a bouquet to her chest. "I'm Roserade Cynthian, proud member of Team Spectrum. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

She subtly gestured to him, as though suggesting he reciprocate the gesture.

 

[MadderJacker]

“‘Cynthian,’” he echoed. “As in a mountain? Curious.”

And a proud member of her team, too. Did they actually stand for something in this version of events? Their name implied the opposite.

“You may call me Mergo,” he answered, deciding to return a similar curtsy. Even though part of him wanted to see if she’d squirm if remained indifferent. “And I mean that, well… It feels different as an empath. The people, I mean. It’s like everything has a new coat of paint. You understand, yes?”

 

[Adamhuarts]

"Hmm, I suppose that makes sense. It's like that time I returned from a surveying trip and all the poppies in our garden were pink instead of their vibrant red." Cynthian hummed in amusement, her eyes wandering about as she thought over how to keep the conversation going.

"Say, fancy discussing things over a meal, Mergo?" she asked, smiling faintly. "There's The Hero down the road nearby. You seem the type to settle for something more Lavish, so I have a feeling you'd like their cuisine."

 

[MadderJacker]

Mergo blinked. He looked her over again briefly, repeating her words in his head. Did she know someone like him?

“My, how forward of you,” he commended with the faintest of smiles. Was he joking? “Perhaps. But just what do you hope to discuss?”

 

[Adamhuarts]

How forward of her? Cynthian didn't quite grasp what he meant by that, but she took it as a compliment anyway.

"Thanks. For what I want to discuss, it's just stuff to do with you guys and your… Miracle Matters was it?" A faint trace of chocolates exuded from her roses as she chuckled slightly. "Learning that an entire different ensemble of pokemon have taken part and succeeded in a world mirroring this one… that naturally makes me curious, you see."