Errant Sword [KtK RP Thread; Mission 1]

[Shiny Phantump]

Codex shrugged a tendril at the person they were talking to. “It’s not like we’re all sticking to friendly sparring all the time, but there’s still no rational reason to fight past the point where your spirit’s depleted enough that it can’t stop your opponent from hurting you. It’s simply irrational. Your opponent has already proven they’re stronger than you, and you’re hardly going to bring around a turnabout as your body deteriorates further with every single blow you take. Pressing on at that point would be—” They glanced pointedly at the blood-flecked Primeape. Was that their own blood, or another’s? “—madness. Most fights don’t even make it as far as injury before the winner is clear and someone yields. At least, not outside very even matches in strength, or a handful of draconic cultures where yielding early is treated more harshly than in wider convention.”

They glanced over at the fight again, more nervously this time. Foes fighting past blood and swinging iron around made a dangerous combination to fairies. “It’s not like it’s impossible for some mad or murderous to push an opponent past their limits and hurt them. That’s why I’m still leery of that lot over there. It’s just… not the done thing, for the most part. Battles are a means to an end for the most part, so there’s usually little reason to go on once your foe’s conceded what you need. Going on for the sake of harm is unusual. Enough so for me to be taken aback seeing a kid with such thoughts on tools of bloodshed.”

 

[kyeugh]

Sun huffed hard as he straightened his back again, sand smeared across his face. The other monkeys were tottering in place now, wasted blades rattling. Huh… He didn’t think they’d been fighting that hard. He was just getting warmed up!

The Honedge, still in Sun's grasp, rattled in delight. "Now little knight!! Strike them while they are down! Finish them and shatter their blades."

It seemed the two swords had little care still for their opponents...

He blinked as the sword spoke to him again, this time louder and more forcefully. “Eh?” His face quirked into a little frown and he dumped the sword into the sand without ceremony. “I don’t want to play with this sword anymore. It’s saying weird stuff to me.”

Ferry seemed to be having trouble looking in the direction of the honedge.

“Don’t worry though,” Sun said, addressing the primeape again, “I can still kick your butt without a weapon. I’m good at that! But, uh… Are you okay? I don’t really want to fight anymore if you’re not feeling it…”

 

[Negrek]

Mightyena winced when the doublade clashed against her Aegislash, briefly pinning her ears back. The sword lunged forward again, leaving its wielder behind, but Mightyena easily blocked its swipe, and it seemed too tired to do more than that.

Meanwhile, her own aegislash sounded more than happy to keep on swinging. Mightyena eyed the doublade pointed at her with unease. This would a great time to be able to talk and keep her blade ready to parry. But as the mankey and primeape around her quieted, and the meditite dropped his own sword, there was only one course of action that made sense.

Mightyena slowly lowered her aegislash, letting it drop to the sand. Then she lightly rested a paw on it, just in case it decided it wanted to float up and attack someone on its own. "We've seen your strength, and you've seen ours," she said. "Isn't that enough? You look tired. Now that we've fought together, why don't we rest together, too? Let's get you fixed up before you're too broken-down to fight at all."

---​

Nate listened while the hatterene described how pokémon battled in their world, happily oblivious to the conflict with the mankey for the moment. He'd heard about other worlds the last time he'd got pulled into one of Clink's adventures, but they had all sounded much more similar to his own than the one the hatterene seemed to have come from. He hadn't been able to speak to the pokémon last time, either; only the trainers. They probably had a different view on things.

"That makes sense," he said. "I mean, most battles in my world go past first blood, until somebody really wants to give up. But like you said, ain't no reason to keep fighting if you've already been beat. The only way someone's getting seriously hurt is if something goes super wrong, or they're fighting to try and do some damage, not just for fun. But that's, like, show battling and stuff. Pokémon who live out in the wild, they have to fight for survival, or to defend their territory." More or less what the woman with the spear had been talking about, really. "I mean, does everybody in your world really just keep it light and fun all the time? I gotta admit that it's kind of hard for me to think of something like a scyther, who's going to be cutting up all kinds of birds and lizards and shit to eat, going easy if some other predator tried to crowd in on their territory."

 

[System Error]

Nori simply stands steadfast with a peaceful expression on his face as the Pokemon glare at him, even as they look like they might start attacking. Pachi tenses at it, yet stands just as firm. Sure enough, the angry apes reconsider. A barbarian doesn’t do that. What’s more, even Sun and that Mightyena could read the room here. He nods at Josie. They just needed one extra push.

“Mental strength is a powerful thing. It’s what carried me through a lot of tough spots,” he says to them. The boy lowers his head, thinking about what he was headed back to after this. But now was not the time to dwell over it. “It’s not always easy to get stronger. Trust me, I know. But if what you’re doing now isn’t working, and if it doesn’t feel right, well. Maybe you should go back to how things used to be. They worked before, right?”

”Yeah!” Pachi agrees. ”It’s good to get stronger! But it isn’t a weakness to take breaks and be nice. Demon learned that, and now she’s stronger than ever! Oh, she’s my friend who I train and spar with. Wish she could be here with Nori and me.”

 

[Shiny Phantump]

Sorrows, did this guy’s world not have any sort of common convention against killing people? “If someone really wanted to die on the hill of invading a Scyther’s territory they could keep fighting after losing to one. But as living things we have a strong preference for our own survival, so when you lose to one, you don’t push it. And if they were to hunt down someone they’d already defeated and murdered them out of… sadism or whatnot, well, that wouldn’t go over very smoothly in common culture. That’d probably get a combat team sent to apprehend you.”

It all felt so obvious to Codex. Did this kind of creature really come from a world where the rationale that killing people was a bad plan was so tough to wrap your head around?

“Do you not have any kind of common culture where you’re from? I didn’t come a community of many different species but the idea that murdering people who’ve already lost is one that even closed-off communities like a Hatterene coven adhere to with no real trouble.” Their eye twitched. (If they had a brow to raise, that’s what they’d be doing.) “And we’re reputationally pretty rough for outsiders to deal with.”

 

[Flyg0n]

“Eh?” His face quirked into a little frown and he dumped the sword into the sand without ceremony. “I don’t want to play with this sword anymore. It’s saying weird stuff to me.”

Honedge gave a cry of shock and despair at being tossed aside. "Come back... Do you not wish to wipe out our adversaries..?" Its single eye looked rather crestfallen.

"We've seen your strength, and you've seen ours," she said. "Isn't that enough? You look tired. Now that we've fought together, why don't we rest together, too? Let's get you fixed up before you're too broken-down to fight at all."

Silence fell for a good several seconds. Primeape and Doublade both looked tensed, ready to retliate, as if expecting a trick. But when Mightyena didn't make any move to continue attacking, confusion replaced their anger. Primeape blinked, then looked at the Doublade.

"Rest...together?" The Primeape grunted.

Doublade tipped to the side thoughtfully. "Fixed up? That... that could be nice."

"What happened to victory?" Aegislash complained, shifting under Mightyena's paws. Yet even Aegislash did not sound as enthusiastic, now that their opponents were no longer fighting.

“Mental strength is a powerful thing. It’s what carried me through a lot of tough spots,” he says to them. The boy lowers his head, thinking about what he was headed back to after this. But now was not the time to dwell over it. “It’s not always easy to get stronger. Trust me, I know. But if what you’re doing now isn’t working, and if it doesn’t feel right, well. Maybe you should go back to how things used to be. They worked before, right?”

The group began to look around at each other, nodding.

"I'd like that," a Honedge volunteered meekly.

"Yes..." Another Primeape said, her voice now eager and excited instead of weary with anger. The tips of her fur were graying slightly, and she looked like one of the senior members of the tribe. She carried a rather large Honedge with a reddish tassel. "The Honedge taught us discipline, and in turn, we cared for them."

A Doublade came up to join the Mankey, swinging herself in an arc rather dramatically. "And we'd have the most magnificent fights!"

"They kept our blades shiny and strong!" An Aegislash added.

More murmurs of agreement and excitement came from them. The anger permeating the air seemed to finally properly begin to fade. Primeape and Mankey looked around, as if seeing each other without the haze of their rage.

Doublade-Primeape looked down at his paws. "We lost ourselves... Forgot what we fought for."

Chef Flygon stepped forward, speaking loud enough for the group to hear. "Now that you have realized, you can change. It is never too late to set ones claws- or perhaps paws, on a better path."

"Yes... Then let us aid you in some way," the senior Primeape said. "For you have aided us, freed us from the binds of our own hubris and foolishness." She hefted her Honedge. "You are facing Keldeo? Then we shall let you take from our store of the best items we have for combat."

The group of pokemon parted to reveal a large caveacross the clearing. Just inside the mouth of the cave lay two piles of berries. Spiky reddish berries, and dark blue berries with a shiny hard shell. The senior Primeape gestured to them. "When you eat a red berry before a battle, they help strengthen your attack, while the blue ones bolster your defenses. I am afraid they are not effective when eaten together, but they will give you an edge in battle nontheless. You are each welcome to take one before your leave."

 

[FauxFox]

"Oh, I know what will-" Nova started, having spent the whole time pondering what to do instead of participating in combat. "Oh, its already over. Uh, nevermind then."

“If someone really wanted to die on the hill of invading a Scyther’s territory they could keep fighting after losing to one. But as living things we have a strong preference for our own survival, so when you lose to one, you don’t push it. And if they were to hunt down someone they’d already defeated and murdered them out of… sadism or whatnot, well, that wouldn’t go over very smoothly in common culture. That’d probably get a combat team sent to apprehend you.”

"Is a combat team like an exploration team?" Nova asked, tilting her head. "S-sorry to interject; I was just listening in while I was thinking. Your conversation reminded me on how most battles in my world are for survival, so knowing that death here isn't actual death has been kind of... reassuring to me, I guess," She added.

The group of pokemon parted to reveal a large caveacross the clearing. Just inside the mouth of the cave lay two piles of berries. Spiky reddish berries, and dark blue berries with a shiny hard shell. The senior Primeape gestured to them. "When you eat a red berry before a battle, they help strengthen your attack, while the blue ones bolster your defenses. I am afraid they are not effective when eaten together, but they will give you an edge in battle nontheless. You are each welcome to take one before your leave."

"Berries? Thank you so much!" Nova said, picking up one of the dark blue berries.

 

[Seren]

The primeape's answer had been as unsettling as it had been disappointing. The fighting soon broke out again; the little meditite held his own against said primeape, showing impressive skill with his blade. Kirsten backed away so as to not get caught up in the midst of any battles, to consider how best to proceed. It seemed the mankey were not, in fact, possessed by their ghostly weapons... or at least, the swords themselves appeared to be inflicted with the same battle-craze.

She spotted Drapion not far off, taking on two mankey and a primeape all at once, spinning around wildly to deflect and parry strikes from all sides, and looking to be enjoying himself immensely.

While Kirsten best debated how to move forward, the ancient-looking woman, of all people, was the one to voice concerns that drew the wild 'mon to calm themselves. Just a little further nudging from others, and soon the battles all around them wound down. Drapion and all of his opponents (mankey, primeape, and swords alike), all looked to have worn themselves out. Drapion appeared ready to continue, although hesitant to strike (or perhaps simply confused) as his foes backed down. Kirsten called for him to stand down as well.

"Thank you," Kirsten bowed lightly to the leader Primeape. As Drapion waddled over to collect a red berry (Kirsten keeping a close eye on him to ensure he only picked one), she added, "Yes, we aim to confront Keldeo. Is there anything you can tell us about them? Perhaps you'd consider joining us?"

 

[Hanafuda]

Josie was relieved. A little surprised, since she didn’t expect to see the angry Mankey and Primeape, along with the ghost swords, calm down. Still relieved that everything went well, though. She sighed, not realizing how tense she was until feeling herself lighten up. “Phew. Thanks, everyone. And thanks for the berries. We’ll put them to good use.” She went ahead and used her web to snatch a blue berry for herself. Her main strategy was powering up her Volt Ball by speeding herself up with Agility and slowing the enemy down with her Electro Web, and because of how likely it was to get squished, a defense boost was welcome.

 

[ShiniGojira]

All's well that ends well. The fighting and the shouting were all over before she could do anything.

The Primeape said something stupid about mercilessness which boiled her blood a little but she managed to reign herself in lest she said something she'd regret. Scales knew just how heated she could get but thankfully, that nice lady with the spear managed to talk some sense into them.

And in return, they gave them a couple berries to help them in their upcoming battle. She took the red one and thanked them, though it didn't sound as sincere as she'd like it to but they didn't seem to notice.

"Alright, guys! Let's do this!"

 

[Negrek]

Mightyena relaxed a bit as, finally, the frenzy seemed to have left all the mankey. The darkness was gone from their eyes... but it still wasn't clear where it had come from in the first place. Keldeo himself, or simply the same phenomenon that had affected him? She hoped, when they talked to him, they'd be able to get a clear idea of what had befallen him. She didn't know if she could endure another nerve-wracking mystery like the one surrounding Orzo.

"Yes, we aim to confront Keldeo. Is there anything you can tell us about them? Perhaps you'd consider joining us?"

Mightyena's ears pricked up when the human who'd introduced herself earlier spoke up. "Oh, yes!" she said. "We'd love to have more help." She tapped the aegislash in front of her with a paw. "If you still want to fight, I can take you with us!"

---​

Well, shit. It seemed like whatever Nate said, it was only getting the hatterene more worked up. It wasn't like he thought his world was a fucking paradise or nothing, but he hadn't even thought someplace like the one the hatterene came from could even exist. "No common culture, no," he said. "There's so many different pokémon out there, all living in different places--there's a lot of different ideas about how life oughta be. Even two hatterene from different regions, ah, different covens, they'll probably have different traditions. Most groups are going to be pretty against murder, obviously, but a lot of them will excuse killing people, if the circumstances are right."

Was there no war in the hatterene's world, then? Nate didn't want to ask. If the thought of violence was stressful, violence that thousands of people got in on wasn't worth bringing up. "It ain't all that grim, though. Promise," Nate said, with an attempt at a reassuring smile. He felt he had to put up at least a little fight for his home. "Sounds like I could get used to living where you come from, though. Maybe I can ask Clink to mess things up with the portals a bit on the way out, huh?"

 

[Shiny Phantump]

"Is a combat team like an exploration team?" Nova asked, tilting her head. "S-sorry to interject; I was just listening in while I was thinking. Your conversation reminded me on how most battles in my world are for survival, so knowing that death here isn't actual death has been kind of... reassuring to me, I guess," She added.

Codex’s local area was mapped out well enough that there wasn’t really any need for exploration, but they were familiar with the concept. “Exploration sounds more like a name for a reconnaissance team, which is what I do.”

But the Eevee had more to say than just that. As they continued, Codex’s face turned to moderate distress. “I… see. That sounds unpleasant.”

It wasn’t as if it being impossible to die while fighting a mad deity was not a reassurance to them, too. They were well aware this battle would likely stray from the bounds of what they considered normal. But still, the way she phrased it was… as if it would’ve been just as important back home as it was during this madness. It was a morbid thought, for sure. Even if such a world would still have need of combat teams, it worried them to see the unevolved one identify so readily with the idea. “Stay safe back home, alright?”

"No common culture, no," he said. "There's so many different pokémon out there, all living in different places--there's a lot of different ideas about how life oughta be. Even two hatterene from different regions, ah, different covens, they'll probably have different traditions. Most groups are going to be pretty against murder, obviously, but a lot of them will excuse killing people, if the circumstances are right."

Was there no war in the hatterene's world, then? Nate didn't want to ask. If the thought of violence was stressful, violence that thousands of people got in on wasn't worth bringing up. "It ain't all that grim, though. Promise," Nate said, with an attempt at a reassuring smile. He felt he had to put up at least a little fight for his home. "Sounds like I could get used to living where you come from, though. Maybe I can ask Clink to mess things up with the portals a bit on the way out, huh?"

Codex sighed. “It’s hardly as if I know every culture out there. There are certainly secular species. We’re usually one of them, not that I stuck around. Can’t imagine a coven being fine with murder given everyone in range would have to feel the trauma of death, but I suppose it could happen in some other cultures. Maybe a draconic species? It would alienate them from other communities, which can be difficult, but there are places like that. Of course, they’re also the ones I know the least about, so I’d be unaware if they did.”

Codex didn’t seem nearly so perturbed by that as they did the idea of it being another world’s normalcy. Instead, their tone sounded more like they were turning the idea over in their head like a logic puzzle.

“I’ll take your word for it on your world, I know I’m probably building a rather biased view of it based on whatever parts stand out most to me. Still, you’re welcome to ask Clink if you want to bail on it— I’d certainly not stop you— but the absence of a translation field would prove trouble for you. Getting some of this language to parse for me is certainly putting it through a trial. I don’t even have a name for your species in our language, and you’d need a semantic name since most species don’t have the same phonetic abilities as you… Actually, if you don’t have a sprit for protection or moves, you won’t have one to use the language either. Nevermind, this is probably a bad idea.”

Still, none of those considerations would matter one way or another if they both died here and got sent back the hard way, so they had to pay some attention to the task at hand. The choice between the two fruits was effortless and obvious to them: They picked up a blue one. After all, Whispers at Nightfall wasn’t here to cover them with her disaster sense, and if they were tougher to take out they could more easily make up lost ground with draining kiss. Plus, with the ability to give their allies heal pulses, it made sense to prioritize their continued survival over raw power. They lanced through the hard shell of one of the fruits with their fangs, then sucked the innards out through the hole. The flesh was sweet and tangy. Delicious! They wished they could eat more, but these were fruits for pragmatic purposes, not snacks.

 

[IFBench]

Breve hesitated, before taking one of the blue berries. Perhaps it would come in useful for Temsik.

Or at the very least, help keep the group safe.

 

[canisaries]

Samson sighed in relief when the battling ended. Apparently just talking to them did work. He hadn't tried it himself as he'd only expected an aggressive response. But he hadn't tried fighting, either, as he didn't think they could take on all of the apes at the same time - apparently also an incorrect notion. So he'd just stood there, again, doing nothing...

He crossed his arms and frowned, looking at the ground for a moment. Arceus is testing me, he reminded himself. There must be a correct way to act here. But it doesn't feel like just standing around is what I'm supposed to do...

He shook his head and made his way to the berries. "Thank you," he said to the elder primeape as he passed, then chose a blue berry. If he had better defense, he could afford to be more proactive. He might even need it to protect someone else down the line.

 

[Nekodatta]

Somehow, after a moment, the Pokémon decided to stop fighting. Sada breathed a sigh of relief, even if she still felt somewhat... Disappointed in what she had just seen.
At least it didn't look like they had always been like that, and this condition had been only temporary. She turned around towards Winged King, who looked somewhat disappointed for a completely different reason.

« You will probably have a reason to fight shortly. It's what we are here for. Conserve your strength.» she said to the dragon, who perked up a bit. The dragon bumped her on the shoulder with his snout, briefly, then moved towards the cave along with most other Pokémon.

She let him choose the berry freely, curiously watching what berries other Pokémon had chosen. They didn't look anything like the ones that grew in her world... even the effect was different.

She fully expected Winged King to choose the attack berry, even if just because it had a red colour, but the dragon surprised her by coming back with a blue berry in his mouth, which he offered her.

« ... You want me to hold it? »
The dragon bumped her shoulder again and growled, rubbing his scaly neck against her arm. She smiled a little as she pet his nose.

« Wait... Is this berry to protect me? I don't think it works on humans...» she whispered, still a bit touched by the gesture.

« Thank you.»

 

[System Error]

Nori nods and smiles. “Thanks. I just know that someday, all of you,” he gestures to the swords, “You guys will make super strong and tough Aegislashes. And you guys will become great Annihilapes! Um, if you evolve that far.” He rubs the nape of his neck and turns away slightly.

That was bugging him. Actually, now that he thought about it, their way of sparring might be why there weren’t any of the ghostly apes. He was wondering about that; they trained a lot yet none were fully evolved. Wasn’t there some special way Primeape did so involving mastering a move? If they were fighting with swords all the time, they wouldn’t be using moves a lot.

Berries. He claps and clasps his hands. “Alrighty, let’s see here.” They sure didn’t look like any he knew, though they had similar effects. He watches as others made their choices, and nothing surprises him except that Mightyena not picking right away and Winged King’s kind gesture. He smiles and puts a hand over his heart simply by watching it. Six blues, two reds. He didn’t want to pick defense if most were!

He looks at the others, trying to read them to reason their choices. Much like the Drapion, that Mightyena would likely pick red if/when left to their own devices. Only difference was why their trainers were being quiet and passive. Lumen was like that too, but he was his own Pokemon. So blue? The two Fighting buddies’ choices would probably match their personalities. As for Shou’an, he had no clue anymore given that outburst of attempted authority. Blue because he’s blue? That was a lot of blue.

”So which one should I grab, Nori?” His attention gets drawn by Pachi, who is hopping at the base of two trees gesturing and looking between them.

Decision time. “Let’s pick the attack berry,” he blurts out. It was impulsive, but he decided the logic was sound enough. Even if defense had been his initial thought, there was a reason to change his mind besides nonconformism. As a team, they could use more offense. Even in the worst cast, if this Keldeo really was a dirt-eater in the literal sense and they weren’t plural in their effects as the blue ones explicitly were, Pachi knew some physical attacks.

Pachi ears twitch and he tilts his head. ”Really? Okay,” he says, dutifully climbing the tree and retrieving it with full trust despite his initial surprise. ”But there’s something I need to tell you!”

Unhearing that of course, he turns to the Codex of Truth near the trees. Waving in sight before speaking this time. “And that is the other way humans can and usually ‘fight’. With words.” He pauses and tenses for a moment. He doesn’t say it, but his heart gives away they can be as hurtful as they are helpful. “And I know, I know. Less likely we can talk things out with Keldeo, but still.”

 

[EonDuoLatios]

As the other members of the group talked the matter out, there was not much need for Shou'an to fire any attacks toward the group of swords and monkeys. He still glared at them, his formerly boiling anger now simmering, as he watched both in immense surprise and respect as the other people negotiated with the group.

He still grumbled slightly, seemingly unhappy that he wasn't able to teach the "barbarians" a lesson. "Some of these people...only when you show them your strength, then they will respect you. They believe they are the king of the world and they can do or say anything until one of another kind puts them in their place..."

He was not going to reject the offer of the fruit though; it probably worked, and very well at that, given how well the trees were hidden from plain view.

As for which berry to take...he pondered the blue one for a while. Extra Defense would definitely be good...but, he decided, unnecessary. He was fighting at range anyway, so why not go for as much power as he could get. Plucking a red berry, he ate it slowly, letting its flavour gradually fill his mouth.

 

[Flyg0n]

“I fear most of us would not be of use to your group, as we have exhausted ourselves.” Genuine anger, directed at herself, tainted the senior Primeape’s tone. “However... There are a few of us spared the worst of the fighting, or who can still fight. If they are comfortable, then they may accompany you.”

"And beware... whatever has happened to Keldeo, he is not to be trusted in his current state. He may try to trick you. I don't know what state he's currently in but just be on your guard for deception.”

“We understand. Let us waste no more time then,” Chef Flygon said, once he’d taken one of the red berries for himself. “Thank you for your gift.” He bid a polite farewell, and headed back for the shore where Mantine waited, Clink following.

-

“Are you all ready?” Mantine asked, once the group had assembled by the shore.

Chef Flygon surveyed the group before nodding “That we are. Onward then.”

Clink looked grimly towards the now closer shape of the crystalline island and stormy clouds. “Onwards.”

 

[Negrek]

"Ah, yeah. The whole talking thing. That would be a problem." Nate had almost been able to forget that he was speaking with a pokémon, as naturally as though it was someone he'd known his entire life. And he'd definitely been able to forget, for a little while, that that ability would leave him again, and probably sooner rather than later.

It was a melancholy end to a conversation, wasn't it? Not only was Nate likely never going to see this person again, but he easily might never have the opportunity to speak to another pokémon at all. Nate wished he could pull harder on all the threads left hanging in their conversation, ask about the dragons or the recon team shit or what spirit had to do with anything, but they had to be getting on with shit, didn't they? The hatterene clearly had other things on their mind. "We'll see, I guess. Glad to have you on our side, anyway, and thanks for answering my questions. It's nice to think about how the world could be different, sometimes, you know?"

It looked like the mankey situation was under control, anyway. Mightyena came trotting up to him, looking positively delighted with an aegislash in her mouth, the tip of its blade digging a shallow furrow in the ground beside her. She started to say something growly and muffled, but then dropped the sword to give herself the opportunity communicate whatever was so desperately important for Nate to hear.

"Look what I have," she said, strutting around Nate with her tail wagging madly. "Look what I found."

"A pissed-off ghost sword?" Nate asked, gazing uneasily into the aegislash's staring eye.

"They want to fight Keldeo with us! I'm bringing them along! You can carry them, though."

Nate laughed and patted her side when she pressed herself against his legs. "And how come I ain't surprised by that, huh? Go on, then. Go grab one of those berries if you want. Looks like we're about to get going."

Mightyena raced off in high spirits to grab one of the red berries, leaving Nate to bend down and heft the aegislash himself. He held it awkwardly by its hilt spike thing, once again looking into that inscrutable eye. It seemed like it would be annoying, having someone swing you around upside-down like this.

 

[System Error]

Nori eventually notices his Pokemon trying to get his attention when he starts pulling at his pant legs. “What’s up? Need to tell me something?”

Pachi gives an emphatic squeak. Then he starts pointing at himself. “Pachi!” he says.

“Pachi,” Nori repeats with a smile. He knew enough to know when his Pokemon was saying his own name. “So we’re doing this again? I guess it’d be easier if...” He glances, and sees the others starting to leave. Not that most would be willing to help them, at least, what he thinks. Doesn’t matter, they can do it like this.

The squirrel nods, then shakes his head. “No.” A nod! Just like a bit ago. “So you cannot...something.”

After a moment of thinking, Pachi then points at his own trainer. “Nori?” Deconfirmation. “Me?”

Another no. “You! Like use!” Pachi stands there trying to think how to convey this. Then he starts tracing an arc in the air with his tail. “U!”

“Curve? No, you were pointing at me.” He puts a finger on the side of his lip. “You?”

---​

Nori stays behind for about three minutes (less if someone does help translate) while they basically play charades to talk to teach other. After that, he comes storming out of the clearing to the beach. The fact that the aquaphobic boy isn’t even flinching at the waves cresting is saying something before he shoots a look at Clink.

“Hey, I have some important things to ask,” he says to the Klefki. This world was getting on his nerves! “Pachi just told me he can’t use all his moves here. What’s going on? He knows those moves, so why couldn’t he use them in that brief fight?” After a second, he adds, “If something is different here, we, meaning not just me, we need to know for tactical purposes.

“Second, why is it that some people who normally can’t can understand their Pokemon talking here and I can’t?” Some felt ambiguous, but he definitely heard at least one person say it was not normal for them!

His lip curls and his muscles tighten. “Finally, do things ever get confusing whenever those gear-like Pokemon are around you?” The boy scratches his head and looks upward. “You know, Klink? Clink?” He sort of gestures out gears turning with his hands. “Just hit me a bit ago, and it’s been bugging me since. Sorry if it’s a weird question, I know. And I guess it isn’t as important. But I’m still curious.”