Hunger Switch Cafe

[MintyMimix]

The encounter with Manaphy left Hazel and her trainer in silence as they walked away from the cove. For Hazel, it was the giddy smile on her face as she passionately typed on her phone. Although the meeting didn't provide her too many insights that she herself had not be theorizing up to that point, it had been an incredibly pleasant and just plain fun one with a promise to tie it with a bow. The exact steps that the other Hazel had taught her during their little dance lesson, the possible means of replicating Manaphy's power in their own world, the documents and companies she would need to look into find out more about herself...

Hazel mused that her trainer would say that it was a fated encounter. Science believed in random chance over destiny, but she could make an exception just this once. Speaking of Violet... She looked up at her trainer, who held a pensive, contemplative expression on her face as no words exited her mouth. Hazel, raising her brows in concern, tapped onto the message app to try to ask what was wrong. To her surprise, she found a prolonged conversation with Gladion happened that she didn't recognize. It had to have been Violet during the swap. Her expression softened as she scrolled through the exchange, hoping to figure out what was on her trainer's mind.

Meanwhile, Violet herself wanted nothing more than to take a short respite after that conversation. The café seemed like the perfect place to quietly sit down and think about everything that she had learned. Thankfully, the memories of her other self had stopped flooding in when she swapped back to her own body, but the fact that it all happened to begin with was concerning, to say the least. Not to mention... She looked down at Hazel as guilt entered her eyes. The Weavile was her partner, and that fact did not change. But knowing that she had once been human...

Violet didn't know how to treat her anymore. Was it respectful to still give scratches and belly rubs in affection, or was it dehumanizing? Should she still refer to Hazel as "her Pokémon", or simply, "her friend"? Was it even right to send her into battle anymore? And what of Hazel herself — did she consider herself human, or still Pokémon, and how would that change the answer to those questions?

Hazel's experience became one of sympathy as she looked up at Violet, having caught up on the exchange. Violet was clammy... that wasn't a good sign. She'd have a fuller discussion with her trainer in the evening. For now, she'd let her have the time to think about it. As the two entered the café, they were greeted with the sight of Seb and a bird companion. Hazel tugged at her trainer's pants and pointed to them, smiling. If there was one thing she knew about her trainer, it was that she loved talking. Maybe it would help take the edge off?

Violet relented with no resistance, following Hazel's lead as the duo walked up to the others. "Good morrow to all," she said, opting for a nod rather than her usual nod. Her eyes glanced to Zack then back to Seb as she commented, "...Did you not state that your Pokémon was a Pidgey on the ship? Or did I mishear that?" She failed to register that her typing experience had updated her vocal lingo as well — even just ever so slightly.

Hazel waved to the trainer and his Pokémon. "Hello there," she said, "Just needed a break from investigating. Did you guys find—" She paused as she noticed Zack's evolved form. "...Were you always a Pidgeot?"

 

[Hanafuda]

"Oh, hey, Violet," Seb greeted back with a grin. "Nice to see you again. Just wanted to clear our heads before going back to the investigation." He took out his Rotom Phone and read the message Wallace sent. "Looks like everyone's at the lounge right now. We'll be there after a quick snack." He pocketed the phone and signaled towards Zack. "Yeah, he was a Pidgey, but we thought it was a good idea to train before confronting the kidnapper. And may I present to you the fruits of our labor?"

"Ladies," the Pidgeot greeted, flexing an arm with pride. As he moved, he let his crest flop around a bit, showing it off.

"All that's left is a Mega Stone," Seb said, grasping at his Mega Ring around his right wrist. "You think the shop has one for him?"

 

[MintyMimix]

Hazel made a noise of surprise as she listened to Seb, scrolling through her phone quickly once again. Sure enough, there was Wallace's message asking everyone to meetup as soon as possible. She had been so distracted with Violet that had completely missed that notification... but perhaps that was for the best. She needed the short respite.

Violet raised a brow. Hazel was usually the first one in the loop when it came to these kinds of things, but softened her expression as the Seb continued. It was likely just from shaking off the swap. "A snack might not be a bad call; I am feeling rather peckish myself," she hummed, "Mind we if take a seat alongside you, then? It may allow us to still make it to the meeting with some time left."

Before even waiting for a response, she sat herself at the table next to them before continuing, "Impressive work. Not many can pull off two evolutions in the span of only six days." She smirked, getting back into her usual pace as she added, "I am curious as to what story you have to tell on that — perhaps a seemingly insurmountable opponent? Steven's Aggron I could imagine being one such wall to overcome."

Waving her hand, she decided to add another question that tugged at her curiosity, "Just as well, this Mega Stone is something I've never heard of. Considering what you have said, I doubt it is relevant to just the investigation — something that would strengthen a Pokémon, I presume?"

Hazel let out an awkward chuckle at both her trainer's behavior and the Pidgeot's. "Well, it's... impressive that you evolved so quickly," she admitted twiddling the digits of her claw along the back of her phone, "Though, uh, sorry for asking, but you said it was natural for you guys to have that kinda body type, right...?" As much as she suspected their rules would not apply to her own world's, the idea still baffled her. She supposed that it was a learning opportunity either way. "Is this kind of quick growth and evolution also just as natural?"

 

[Hanafuda]

"Yeah, you can sit with us," Seb said. He adjusted his glasses for a second before speaking again. "Well, Zack evolved during a practice fight against Kimiko and her Espeon--it ended in a draw. He wanted to try out some moves I taught him through TMs, specifically Thief and U-Turn. Assuming the kidnapper is a Psychic-type Pokémon, they'll really be of big help in the battle, especially since they bring so much utility. Jack's also been practicing his Fury Cutter. Guess he doesn't wanna get left behind." He smiled at the Farfetch'd sitting behind Zack. He looked back at Violet, resting his arms on the table. "As for that Mega Stone, I guess you're not from Kalos if you've never heard of those, right? Yeah, it helps Pokémon become stronger through Mega-Evolution." He showed his Mega Ring with an open hand. "Something about breaking the limits of evolution or something that the scientists say. It's really cool; you should try it out. Just be careful that your Pokémon doesn't go berserk, though. Especially if it's a Lucario..."

"Well..." Zack passed a wing through his crest. He chuckled lightly. "The quick evo was more 'cause I put some extra oomph on my trainin' and 'cause I wanna smack the baddie so bad once we find 'em. Now, about the body stuff, ya mean that I look different from other Pidgeot, right?"

"I always assumed it had something to do with your parents," Jack said, peeking out from behind his friend's shoulder.

"I guess so. I mean, Dad's a Hawlucha, so I always thought I inherited my muscles from him."

 

[MintyMimix]

"Yeah, you can sit with us," Seb said. He adjusted his glasses for a second before speaking again. "Well, Zack evolved during a practice fight against Kimiko and her Espeon--it ended in a draw. He wanted to try out some moves I taught him through TMs, specifically Thief and U-Turn. Assuming the kidnapper is a Psychic-type Pokémon, they'll really be of big help in the battle, especially since they bring so much utility. Jack's also been practicing his Fury Cutter. Guess he doesn't wanna get left behind."

"Somehow, I doubt it will be as simple as the culprit merely being Psychic-type," Violet responded, placing her hand under her chin and her pointer finger on her chin in thought, "Though the usefulness of the Technical Machines is certainly noted." Would she have to use one on Hazel, should the need call for it? She didn't want subject her to any further potential harm.

He smiled at the Farfetch'd sitting behind Zack. He looked back at Violet, resting his arms on the table. "As for that Mega Stone, I guess you're not from Kalos if you've never heard of those, right? Yeah, it helps Pokémon become stronger through Mega-Evolution." He showed his Mega Ring with an open hand. "Something about breaking the limits of evolution or something that the scientists say. It's really cool; you should try it out. Just be careful that your Pokémon doesn't go berserk, though. Especially if it's a Lucario..."

Especially not that. "Kalos, there's that name again..." Violet mumbled, shaking her head, "If it so dangerous, why art thou subjecting thine Pokémon to it intentionally?" Her eyes narrowed as she asked, "Regardless of the strength boost, does it not seem careless to trade stones that would drive one into a berserk rage as though they were common goods? I certainly hope thou know what thee art doing."

"Well..." Zack passed a wing through his crest. He chuckled lightly. "The quick evo was more 'cause I put some extra oomph on my trainin' and 'cause I wanna smack the baddie so bad once we find 'em. Now, about the body stuff, ya mean that I look different from other Pidgeot, right?"

"I always assumed it had something to do with your parents," Jack said, peeking out from behind his friend's shoulder.

"I guess so. I mean, Dad's a Hawlucha, so I always thought I inherited my muscles from him."

Hazel felt a pin in her mind drop and her eye twitch as she listened to the explanation. It was far, far too simple and nonsensical for her. Genetic mutations across Pokémon generations were possible, yes, but species alone was not enough of a determinant. Moreover, moves were aura-based rather than necessarily physical; the correlation simply was not there. And if "more effort" was all it took to evolve, the wilds would be a very different place indeed.

Blasphemous as it was to admit, conventional science was completely out the window when it came to their world. "E-extra 'oomph'," she repeated, trying to process the words, "Y-yes, that is what I was asking about. So... your father is a Hawlucha, and that made you this way...? Is that—" She exhaled, "I'm gonna assume that's normal in your world. But then what about him? Just... 'training'...?" She said, pointing to the Farfetch'd behind the Pidgeot.

Clearing her throat as she tried to compose herself she added, "S-still, it's good that you evolved. More strength is always good to have once we have come to a conclusion on the culprit's identity." She let out an awkward chuckle. "Though I did hear your trainer mention mega evolution. Do you hypothesize that your body would be even more, er, anthropomorphic upon reaching that state?"

 

[Hanafuda]

"Regardless of the strength boost, does it not seem careless to trade stones that would drive one into a berserk rage as though they were common goods? I certainly hope thou know what thee art doing."

"I do know." Seb rested his head on his hand. "Mega-Evolution is powered through a strong bond with your Pokémon, from what I've heard. I can say that Zack and I get along pretty well, so his chances of going berserk are pretty small."

But then what about him? Just... 'training'...?

"I don't really know how else to explain this," Jack replied with a shrug.

"Though I did hear your trainer mention mega evolution. Do you hypothesize that your body would be even more, er, anthropomorphic upon reaching that state?"

Zack was able to understand most of that sentence. That Weavile science lady seemed to like using big words he didn't understand. "Well, if I do go Mega, I guess I'd be even more fabulous, yeah. Especially with these." He puffed up his chest, showing off his pectorals. "Yeah, lookin' good here."

 

[MintyMimix]

"I do know." Seb rested his head on his hand. "Mega-Evolution is powered through a strong bond with your Pokémon, from what I've heard. I can say that Zack and I get along pretty well, so his chances of going berserk are pretty small."

Violet let out a hum as her eyes remained narrowed and expression unconvinced. "It cannot truly be so simple; surely there is some other technological component that would suppress such urges if they are so mass-produced." Closing her eyes, she said, "But if you are so certain that it will do your partner no harm, then do as you will. I simply advise that you hath a plan in mind should such a scenario occur."

She clicked her tongue as she leaned back in her seat. "Doth thou hath any culinary recommendations to indulge in that would be quick? While I do not doubt that the information at the meeting will be relayed, there is the possibility of a vocalized-only exchange in the interest of secrecy." She raised as a brow as she added, "Especially give just whom had been kidnapped last night. Should the culprit find that we are on their tail, I doubt they would hesitate to strike."

Her eyes drooped as a tinge of guilt entered her voice, "...As most proven by the Mightyena and her trainer."

"I don't really know how else to explain this," Jack replied with a shrug.

Zack was able to understand most of that sentence. That Weavile science lady seemed to like using big words he didn't understand. "Well, if I do go Mega, I guess I'd be even more fabulous, yeah. Especially with these." He puffed up his chest, showing off his pectorals. "Yeah, lookin' good here."

Hazel placed a claw on her hip. "Hmm, well I guess we'll see what happens whenever you do get around to it," she said. Though her words were curious, her tone was not; she picked up on just what the Pidgeot had been trying to do. "And for the record, I'm not into dudes. Girls are way cuter." A certain Milotic came to mind.

"Just so you know, you're probably not gonna pick up a girl this decade with moves like that." Her eyes moved to Violet, then moved back to Zack, "Actually, forget the 'this decade' part."

 

[Hanafuda]

Doth thou hath any culinary recommendations to indulge in that would be quick?

"Oh, right. Uh, there are sandwiches here. I'll go for one, be right back." Seb stood up and searched through the buffet for his snack of choice.

"And for the record, I'm not into dudes. Girls are way cuter." A certain Milotic came to mind.

"Just so you know, you're probably not gonna pick up a girl this decade with moves like that." Her eyes moved to Violet, then moved back to Zack, "Actually, forget the 'this decade' part."

"Yeah, I started to think that the chicks here wouldn't wanna date me," Zack replied with a sad smile.

"You can't rush love, after all," Jack added with a pat on his friend's shoulder.

"Right."

<<<>>>​

 

[Negrek]

Nate slouched into the cafe well after ten, hoping that most people would have grabbed their grub and set out to do whatever already. The nurses had all wanted him to stay a bit longer, for "observation" or whatever the fuck, or at least leave Mightyena, but it wasn't like nobody could do shit to help them anyhow, and like hell was he going to let Mightyena out of his sight now. They could pout about it all they wanted, but they couldn't stop him.

The cafe was real quiet. Probably not a surprise, considering how many people were even left around here. Silver linings or some shit. The coffee was even shittier than usual after sitting around for a few hours, but Nate made himself drink as much of it as he could standing right in front of the maker, scalding hot, then grimly filled the cup the rest of the way again. He could still barely keep his fucking eyes open, right now when people were apparently getting nabbed in broad daylight and the only way off the island was out of commission.

Nate took two plates back to an empty table and sat for a moment rubbing his eyes. Next move... next move was finding that rich fuck and shaking him until he called in a teleporter from the mainland to bail him and Mightyena the fuck out of here. Or, alternatively, the asshole would have some other excuse, like the phone lines were down or whatever the fuck, at which point Nate could punt him into the ocean and start looking at Plan B.

Nate put his plate of sausages on the floor, then clicked the button on Mightyena's pokéball to release her. She appeared sitting quietly next to him, but after bending down to sniff at the sausages, simply flopped down on the floor with a sigh.

"Hey, come on, you're got to eat something," Nate said softly, reaching down to scratch behind her ears. After a moment Mightyena turned and picked up one of the sausages, chewing it down without enthusiasm.

Nate started in on his own food, reaching down now and again to pet Mightyena while she slowly worked her way through her breakfast. Mostly, though, he ate and scowled furiously at the door, deep in thought. A lot to fucking take in, wasn't it? The nurses had let him know what had been going on. Gym Leader fucking Wallace getting bagged. The hoopa supposedly getting poisoned. Legendary pokémon out the ass. Like things weren't batshit enough already. Nate didn't want to even try and make sense of all of it. All he wanted, right now, was some way off this goddamned rock. Fast.

 

[Sinderella]

Nate slouched into the cafe well after ten, hoping that most people would have grabbed their grub and set out to do whatever already. The nurses had all wanted him to stay a bit longer, for "observation" or whatever the fuck, or at least leave Mightyena, but it wasn't like nobody could do shit to help them anyhow, and like hell was he going to let Mightyena out of his sight now. They could pout about it all they wanted, but they couldn't stop him.

The cafe was real quiet. Probably not a surprise, considering how many people were even left around here. Silver linings or some shit. The coffee was even shittier than usual after sitting around for a few hours, but Nate made himself drink as much of it as he could standing right in front of the maker, scalding hot, then grimly filled the cup the rest of the way again. He could still barely keep his fucking eyes open, right now when people were apparently getting nabbed in broad daylight and the only way off the island was out of commission.

Nate took two plates back to an empty table and sat for a moment rubbing his eyes. Next move... next move was finding that rich fuck and shaking him until he called in a teleporter from the mainland to bail him and Mightyena the fuck out of here. Or, alternatively, the asshole would have some other excuse, like the phone lines were down or whatever the fuck, at which point Nate could punt him into the ocean and start looking at Plan B.

Nate put his plate of sausages on the floor, then clicked the button on Mightyena's pokéball to release her. She appeared sitting quietly next to him, but after bending down to sniff at the sausages, simply flopped down on the floor with a sigh.

"Hey, come on, you're got to eat something," Nate said softly, reaching down to scratch behind her ears. After a moment Mightyena turned and picked up one of the sausages, chewing it down without enthusiasm.

Nate started in on his own food, reaching down now and again to pet Mightyena while she slowly worked her way through her breakfast. Mostly, though, he ate and scowled furiously at the door, deep in thought. A lot to fucking take in, wasn't it? The nurses had let him know what had been going on. Gym Leader fucking Wallace getting bagged. The hoopa supposedly getting poisoned. Legendary pokémon out the ass. Like things weren't batshit enough already. Nate didn't want to even try and make sense of all of it. All he wanted, right now, was some way off this goddamned rock. Fast.

Odette felt a lot better than she did yesterday. Physically, not mentally. No more headache, no more overarching exhaustion. She slept like a damn rock for the first time in years, and it was just what was needed. No infirmary stay needed. Though, she had to admit, she wasn’t hungry whatsoever. Enora and Odile were, of course, but she was merely in the cafe for a drink. One for her, and one for Xavian. She wasn’t sure if he was a coffee drinker, but even if he wasn’t, he sure looked like he needed the pick-up judging by the way he looked at the meeting that morning.

This motherfucker was getting ballsy. Too ballsy. She hoped showing him a little kindness would get her the answers she needed.

As she picked up the cups containing her iced Galarian fog latte and the coffee, she noticed something from the corner of her eyes.

Mightyena fur?

She hated how fast she turned her head, but it couldn’t be helped. There they were; Mitch and Mightyena. Up and at ‘em, sitting in the cafe and looking rightfully perplexed and out of it. She was sort of surprised they’d been let go so early, but she supposed if it were her, she’d want to beat it out of the infirmary as soon as possible.

For a moment, she wondered if she should even bother. Last time they’d spoken, Odile was causing an issue on the ship bar. But, now they were days into this outing, and she’d literally helped pull his ass of the abyss. Surely that warranted at least a hello…right? Besides, her and Wes had already planned to talk to him. She briefly glanced around for the trench coat wearing sourpuss, and when she didn’t find him, she shrugged to herself.

Shooting a look over at her Pokemon, who were busy with the buffet, she made the quick decision to walk over to Mitch and Mightyena.

“Um…” she said when she was within earshot, hoping it’d be enough to get their collective attention without spooking them. “Hi. I’m glad that you’re both up and…trying to eat, I guess.” Not the most comforting thing to open with, but she’d already tried the comforting thing this trip. No more. Nonetheless, she grimaced at how it sounded coming off her tongue.

“I would ask the obligatory ‘how are you feeling?’ but that would just be stupid. I’m sure I know the answer.”

 

[Negrek]

As usual, Mightyena was the first to notice someone approaching their table. Despite the fact that Nate was supposed to be watching the door. Great. Too much goddamned thinking. Nate took a quick glance around when Mightyena tensed, moving as little as possible, and in the near-empty cafe it was easy enough to spot--oh, hell no. That chick from the boat with the weird pokémon and the anger problems--who also had like wished on fucking Jirachi to save him and Mightyena from the void, if the nurses were to be believed. Even though they didn't even fucking know each other. The mere thought of how awkward this conversation was going to be made him wish for the monster to just show up and attack him again right here, right now, before she could even start in on things.

He had maybe three seconds to figure out what to do before she got over to him. Because she was definitely coming over to him, there like wasn't anyone else even in this fucking place. Couldn't run. Couldn't hide. Could just tell her to fuck off? She'd probably saved Mightyena's life, he couldn't be that much of a dick. Say thank you? But, like, how did you even say thank you to somebody who'd asked a god to yank you back to reality or whatever the fuck? For no discernible reason? That would only make it weird, right? It would definitely make it weird. And this conversation was going to be awkward as hell already, and--

Out of time. Nate gripped his cup of coffee hard and waited to see what Odette was going to open with. Which... could be a lot worse, honestly. "Yeah," he said. She didn't know that he knew about the Jirachi thing, right? No need to get into that. No reason to go there. He could just... make this quick. Get on with something else. Everything could be totally normal. "Uh, so, heard the hoopa's sick or something, is that right? We're all stuck here now?"

Under the table, Mightyena pinned her ears back and lowered her head,

 

[Sinderella]

Out of time. Nate gripped his cup of coffee hard and waited to see what Odette was going to open with. Which... could be a lot worse, honestly. "Yeah," he said. She didn't know that he knew about the Jirachi thing, right? No need to get into that. No reason to go there. He could just... make this quick. Get on with something else. Everything could be totally normal. "Uh, so, heard the hoopa's sick or something, is that right? We're all stuck here now?"

Under the table, Mightyena pinned her ears back and lowered her head,

Odette resisted the urge to frown as she watched Mitch’s hand tighten around his coffee cup. Her gaze quickly cut to Mightyena, and her brows knit together ever so slightly, seeing the poor thing looking so apprehensive. She decided not to comment on either and simply took a breath. The subject change only minutely surprised her, but she figured that might have been coming. Was it too soon to ask him what had happened? Maybe. But if he remembered anything about what happened to him and where he was, it would be vital information.

“Yeah, that seems to be the consensus. But we don’t know where he is. I’m hoping this,” she raised the coffee cup, “will finesse that information out of our host,” she added in more of a whisper. “I figure somebody should catch you up on what—“

“̶H̴E̴Y̴ ̴B̶E̷S̸T̶ ̵F̶R̴I̴E̵N̴D̸.̶”̸

Odette wasn’t sure when Odile had popped over, but the demon ‘mon was now standing by with a big grin on her face. She’d been waiting all goddamn fucking morning to talk to him, so now was her time.

“̶H̴o̵w̴ ̶a̷r̷e̴ ̸y̴o̶u̵ ̸f̴e̵e̸e̷e̴e̴l̶i̷n̷g̸?̶ ̷D̴o̴ ̵y̴o̴u̶ ̸n̶e̷e̷d̷ ̴s̵o̴m̴e̷t̴h̵i̴n̶g̶ ̷e̴l̸s̸e̶ ̷t̸o̷ ̴d̵r̶i̴i̸i̷i̷i̴i̷n̶k̷?̷ ̸H̸o̷w̵’̶s̶ ̶y̶o̴u̵r̴ ̶m̴o̶r̴n̷i̶n̷g̸ ̷b̵e̷e̶n̷ ̴s̸o̵ ̴f̷a̵a̶a̶a̴r̸?̴”̵ ̵As she asked her questions, Odile moseyed on up to the table and sat down across from him.

“̶I̵ ̴j̸u̵s̶t̴ ̴w̵a̷n̶n̴a̸ ̶m̷a̵k̵e̵ ̶s̸u̵r̵e̷ ̵y̶o̴u̷’̷r̴e̵ ̷d̴o̴i̴n̴g̷ ̵a̵l̶r̷i̵g̸h̴t̶ ̵b̴e̶c̸a̶u̶s̵e̴ ̸I̶ ̸h̷a̸v̷e̸ ̶s̵o̷m̵e̵ ̶Q̴U̵E̶S̵T̸I̶O̶N̸S̶.̸ ̵N̸o̴w̷ ̵I̵’̷m̷ ̸n̸o̴t̷ ̸t̶r̵y̴i̶n̴g̶ ̶t̷o̵ ̶b̸o̵t̸h̷e̸r̶ ̶y̷o̴u̶ ̴w̷h̵i̴l̵e̷ ̶y̴o̸u̴’̶r̸e̴ ̸r̵e̷c̸o̸v̸e̷r̴i̷n̸g̸—̴a̴t̸ ̷l̴e̵a̴s̴t̶ ̴n̸o̷t̸ ̷n̵o̸w̷—̶b̷u̸t̵ ̴J̵i̶r̶a̴c̵h̴i̷ ̷t̵o̸o̵k̵ ̵u̸s̴ ̷t̸h̷r̸o̶u̷g̶h̷ ̷s̷o̶m̶e̷ ̸s̴h̸i̸t̷ ̸t̷o̶ ̴g̷e̸t̷ ̶y̶o̴u̶r̷ ̶a̴s̶s̶ ̸b̵a̸c̵k̶,̴ ̴s̸o̵ ̴l̸i̴k̸e̸…̴W̷H̵E̶R̵E̷ ̵D̷I̷D̷ ̴Y̷O̷U̸ ̸G̵O̶?̸”̸

Behind Odile, Odette lowered her head in what looked to be shame. “Odile, please leave him alone…”

“̷C̶o̶m̵e̸ ̷o̷n̶,̷ ̴y̸o̷u̶ ̸c̶a̷n̷’̷t̷ ̴t̷e̸l̸l̷ ̷m̷e̶ ̸y̷o̸u̵’̴r̶e̶ ̶n̶o̵t̷ ̸t̴h̶i̸n̵k̵i̵n̴g̵ ̴t̵h̵e̶ ̷s̵a̶m̶e̴ ̶f̵u̷c̸k̸i̷n̶’̷ ̶t̶h̵i̴n̷g̷,̷ ̶a̴n̷d̷ ̷i̴f̸ ̵w̵e̷’̸r̷e̵ ̷g̸o̷n̵n̸a̴ ̶g̸o̵ ̸b̷r̵e̸a̷k̸ ̴d̴o̸w̷n̵ ̵a̷ ̸d̴o̴o̴r̸ ̴t̶o̶ ̵t̷a̷l̵k̵ ̶t̵o̵ ̵O̵r̵z̶o̷,̸ ̸I̸ ̶f̴e̴e̵l̸ ̶l̶i̷k̴e̸ ̶t̴h̵i̴s̴ ̶i̵s̵ ̵p̵r̴e̸t̵t̵y̸ ̸f̷u̴c̷k̵i̴n̸g̵ ̴i̸m̸p̴o̶r̵t̶a̵n̵t̴.̷Y̷o̴u̸ ̴w̴a̵n̷n̶a̷ ̷g̴o̴ ̵h̸o̸m̵e̷?̷ ̷I̸ ̶s̵u̴r̶e̸ ̷f̸u̶c̶k̷i̷n̶g̶ ̸d̸o̵.̵”̸

After acknowledging Odette again, Odile turned back toward Mitch and rested her chin in the palms of her hands, beaming at Mitch as she perked up. “̴W̷h̷e̸n̴e̴v̵e̵r̵ ̵y̸o̶u̴’̷r̶e̷ ̷r̴e̷a̶d̸y̷,̶ ̸n̸o̵ ̸r̷u̵s̷h̸.̸”̶

Meanwhile, Enora opted to ignore Odile's shenanigans for the moment to slowly approach Mightyena under the table, a plate of bacon and small pastries wrapped in one of her ribbons.

"Hello there," she greeted gently. "I...don't wish to bother you and your trainer or anything of the sort, but I just wanted to...check in on you." She averted her eyes somewhat uncomfortably and set the plate down between them.

"I'm not sure what it is you'd like to eat, but you're welcome to take anything here if something catches your eye. I do hope you're doing alright."

 

[Negrek]

Nate inclined his head ever so slightly when Odette raised the cup of coffee. She was thinking she'd get some answers out of the rich guy with that? What was she planning to do, dump it on him? Was she trying to suck up? He racked his brains trying to remember who the hell "Orzo" was. The hypno?

He was distracted by the sudden--very fucking sudden--appearance of another Odette. If Nate's coffee had been full he might have ended up sloshing it on himself. As it was, he could only hope his flinch wasn't that obvious. When the new Odette started chattering away, though, Nate realized his mistake. This was one of Odette's pokémon, right? From what he'd heard it was some kind of legendary, or demon, or something. Special. And it liked to go around wearing its trainer's face, for whatever reason. All kinds of fucking creepy.

And of course it wanted to know about the whole kidnapping thing. Cool. Cool, cool. That was exactly the sort of thing he wanted to go into right now. Or ever. Especially with some weird-ass demon pokémon grinning at him like this was just the best fucking entertainment. Plus Nate could see the shiny sylveon sneaking over as well. He'd shown up hoping for some goddamn peace and quiet, and like five minutes later he was fucking outnumbered. Great. Just fucking great.

Nate unclipped Mightyena's pokéball and dropped it to the floor next to him. She didn't need to put up with this shit if she didn't want to. But for his part... For his part, people were probably going to be bothering him about this shit whenever they saw him. All the more reason to get the fuck out of here fast, but at least maybe if he told these two what was up they'd spread the word that he didn't know jack and the rest would leave him alone.

Nate squared his shoulders and scowled into the demon's pointy-toothed grin. "Yeah, yeah, fucking beautiful morning or whatever the fuck. I got hit with some kind of energy draining shit, so I'm feeling just fucking lovely, you know, Falling asleep all over the place, feeling like I want to fucking die, you know, all that good stuff. And where did I go?" He snorted. "Fucked if I know. Far away. It weren't like any kind of place, just... empty. And maybe, like... stars." He scowled and curled his coffee cup in towards himself. "Look, I don't remember very much, okay? I wasn't exactly conscious for most of it."

Under the table, Mightyena glanced over at her pokéball when Nate set it down but otherwise kept her attention on Enora. She watched the sylveon approach in silence, but when the tray was set down before her, she barely sniffed it. "Thank you," Mightyena said, "but I'm not feeling hungry right now."

For politeness' sake, she fished a danish out of the pile of food on the plate, holding it delicately between her teeth, and set it on the floor next to her. "For later," she said.

 

[HelloYellow17]

Wes made for the infirmary first thing the next morning—only to be told that Mitch had already left, against the nurse’s wishes. He’d snorted at that the once she relayed the news to him. Of course he wouldn’t still be there. If anyone seemed the type to bail from the hospital as soon as possible, it was probably Mitch.

“All right, if I was a recovering kidnapping victim, where’d be the first place I go?” Wes looked down at Neo and Novo. Novo barked and pointed his snout over to the nearest cafe.

Wes grinned. “Yeah, that’s what I was thinking, too. Let’s go.”

Judging from what the nurse had told him, Mitch wouldn’t have been able to get very far in his condition. Chatting it up with others about his experience was also probably the last thing he wanted, which Wes certainly couldn’t blame him for, but…well. There was too much at stake to allow the guy his peace and quiet, no matter how much he deserved it.

The place was practically deserted, so it wasn’t hard to find Mitch and Mightyena—accompanied by none other than Odette and her posse. They must have had the same thought as Wes, then. He couldn’t imagine Mitch was overly thrilled at the company (Odile in particular was not exactly a beacon of good bedside manner), and he was about to get even more. Poor guy.

Wes headed straight for the table, to Neo’s slight dismay. What about breakfast? Wes reassured him with a quiet murmur. They’d get food soon enough.

He took a seat at the table, not bothering to introduce himself, and addressed Mitch with a grin. “I’d say you’re one lucky bastard, but to be honest I don’t envy you one bit.” He settled into a more serious expression. “Sorry to be bothering you like this. Especially when you look like you need to sleep for a week. Just wanted to make sure you and your mon are recovering all right, and if you have anything at all you can share about…what happened.”

He nodded to Odette. “Hi. Sorry to barge in.” He wasn’t, really, but he figured he might as well be somewhat polite.

Neo and Novo lit up upon seeing Mightyena and bounded over to her. Novo trilled when he saw Enora there, too, and greeted her by way of touching noses with a purr.

Neo’s excitement wilted a little when he saw the state Mightyena was in. His ears drooped. “Are you okay? Are you sick?” He began grooming her ears in an attempt to make her feel better.

 

[Sinderella]

Yeah, yeah, fucking beautiful morning or whatever the fuck. I got hit with some kind of energy draining shit, so I'm feeling just fucking lovely, you know, Falling asleep all over the place, feeling like I want to fucking die, you know, all that good stuff. And where did I go?"

"̸W̷e̸l̴l̶ ̸d̶a̷m̷n̵,̵ ̴I̸ ̸d̷o̵n̴'̵t̶ ̵w̸a̴n̷t̴ ̵y̴o̶u̵ ̸t̸o̵ ̶d̷i̷e̶,̶ ̷d̵u̸d̴e̷.̶ ̷I̸ ̸c̷a̷n̶ ̷g̸e̵t̸ ̷y̶o̵u̷ ̶l̵i̵k̵e̵ ̷4̷0̸ ̷s̶h̵o̵t̷s̴ ̸o̷f̷ ̶e̸s̸p̶r̶e̴s̶s̵o̴ ̶i̴f̷ ̶y̷o̷u̵ ̴t̴h̴i̴n̶k̷ ̶t̴h̷a̴t̵ ̸w̶o̶u̶l̷d̷ ̸h̷e̸l̵p̵," she suggested, drumming her fingers on the table. "̷Y̷o̵u̵ ̷s̸h̵o̸u̸l̴d̷ ̵f̶e̴e̶l̵ ̶l̵o̵v̴e̵l̸y̸ ̸f̵o̵r̴ ̵r̶e̸a̸l̵ ̵s̴o̵ ̸y̸o̴u̶ ̵c̴a̶n̴ ̶g̵o̸ ̸b̴a̸c̴k̷ ̶t̷o̷ ̷c̵u̶r̵s̶i̵n̷g̷ ̷a̶t̶ ̶p̷e̴o̵p̴l̴e̵ ̵l̶i̵k̴e̵ ̵y̶o̴u̷ ̶d̶o̶ ̷w̴h̸e̸n̵ ̴y̴o̴u̵'̷r̷e̵ ̶i̸n̸ ̶a̸ ̷b̸e̴t̸t̷e̵r̴ ̵m̵o̶o̴d̸.̶ ̸T̶h̶a̷t̸ ̷w̸a̵s̵ ̶f̷u̸n̷.̴"̶

He snorted. "Fucked if I know. Far away. It weren't like any kind of place, just... empty. And maybe, like... stars." He scowled and curled his coffee cup in towards himself. "Look, I don't remember very much, okay? I wasn't exactly conscious for most of it."

Wait, so...he'd gone to space? Or something? She supposed she should have known he wouldn't remember too much considering he'd come back...half dead.

"̸N̸o̴,̷ ̶I̵ ̵g̸u̷e̷s̸s̴ ̴y̵o̴u̶ ̵w̷e̸r̶e̶n̴'̸t̵ ̸b̶u̶t̵ ̵t̷h̴e̴ ̷k̴e̴y̴w̷o̵r̶d̵ ̵t̶h̷e̴r̴e̷ ̶i̸s̵-̵-̷"̸


Odette pushed the two drinks into Odile's hands. "Take these. Get up."


"̸B̴u̸t̴-̵-̵"̶


"Begone."

Odile grumbled something incoherent and stood up to walk away. Odette watched her go, before cautiously slinking down into the seat.

"Alright, look," she started gingerly, folding her hands on the table, "I'm sure the last goddamn thing you want to be talking about right now is what happened, and I can't blame you one bit for it. Believe me, I get it. I wouldn't even bother trying to prod you if we weren't so literally desperate. This fucker is continuously getting more and more ballsy--four more teams have gone missing since you, and another one got attacked in broad daylight. It's pretty much do or die right now and I really want to go the fuck home."

At that, she leaned back in her chair. "And sorry if it's like...weird that you were the one that I brought back. Jirachi said I'd have the best luck with whoever I had the most interaction with and," she gestured to him, "you were the winner. I know you were dead to the world, but if there is any part of your brain that remembers anything of note aside from stars or whatever, you'd be doing a solid in running it by me."

For politeness' sake, she fished a danish out of the pile of food on the plate, holding it delicately between her teeth, and set it on the floor next to her. "For later," she said.

Poor dear, Enora thought. But, she figured it was a win that Mightyena had taken anything at all.

"I know we've never spoken before, but I'm Enora. And I'm here to help you however you'd like, if at all. I'm fairly good at calming the emotions and nerves of those around me, so if you'd ever like, I am here for you."

He nodded to Odette. “Hi. Sorry to barge in.” He wasn’t, really, but he figured he might as well be somewhat polite.

Oh, well. There was Wes. Slipping right into the booth like absolutely nothing, with that wide grin on his face. The two of them must have been pretty friendly or something. Now she understood why he'd looked so excited when she told him the wish had worked.

Odette knit her brows when Wes addressed her. "Not sure what the apology to me is for, but alright."

She shrugged at Wes's words to Mitch. "Fantastic timing though, I was just asking about it, as much as I do not wish to bother him right now. But it's important, so, my bad."

Neo and Novo lit up upon seeing Mightyena and bounded over to her. Novo trilled when he saw Enora there, too, and greeted her by way of touching noses with a purr.

Neo’s excitement wilted a little when he saw the state Mightyena was in. His ears drooped. “Are you okay? Are you sick?” He began grooming her ears in an attempt to make her feel better.

"Oh, hello Novo. Hello Neo." She purred back toward Novo in response, but was a little too preoccupied with Mightyena's presence to allow herself to fawn over the gesture. Instead, she observed Neo start to groom Mightyena's ears. They must have been pretty good friends, so the gesture was quite sweet. "I was just checking in on her myself. There's bacon on this plate if either of you would like it."

 

[Negrek]

Nate wasn't entirely sure what to make of the lookalike pokémon's response. He should go back to cursing people out...? Odette shooed her pokémon away before Nate could figure out how to respond to that, but Nate called after it, "Hey! I wouldn't say no to some espresso if you've got it!"

Seriously weird pokémon. It would be nice to learn a bit more about it, if not for the fact that everybody was all busy trying not to fucking die.

The pokémon leaving cleared a little space around the table, but only for a few seconds before Wes of all people slid into the empty seat. Evidently Nate had actually managed to pick the least private place on the island to have some breakfast. He should have held a fucking press conference or something, gotten it over with.

At least he felt confident Wes wouldn't go fishing for more than the facts. The last thing Nate needed was for this conversation to veer in to some awful feelings bullshit. He gave a nod of acknowledgement to Wes' greeting and said, "Guess I can't complain. Just lucky I pissed Odette off on the boat, or else I'd still be stuck in the void or whatever the fuck." And wasn't that a fucking relief, that there was an entirely normal explanation for why he'd been the one to get released? He couldn't feel great about the people who'd been left behind, but at least it wasn't a case of somebody choosing him first.

All the questioning was fair enough, Nate supposed. Not like he'd be doing any different in those two's place. He took a long drag on his coffee, sighed, and said, "Right. Like I said, I don't remember much. I guess I tried to leave the infirmary a couple nights ago, like after all the Manaphy bullshit"--one hell of a trip for the nurses to claim he'd been gone three fucking days without even realizing it--"and I got attacked by something. Didn't ever get to see what it was because it opened with a Flash attack and then put me to sleep before I got done being fucking blinded. But not like a normal sleep move, it was..." Shit. He really hadn't thought all that hard about the specifics. It was all so goddamn confusing. The sleep thing definitely wasn't one of the more popular ones, or he'd have recognized it immediately. But if he thought about the sound, all the energy that had been flying around back there... There weren't a lot of sleep moves that worked that way. "Secret Power, if I had to guess."

"Anyway, after that I guess I ended up in that void place. Don't think I ever went anywhere else, not that I'd really know. There were other people around, though. Being held there the same as me, I think. So if I'm still alive, the other people who got kidnapped probably are, too." What he didn't say was that if whatever the thing was, or the place, or whatever, had been draining his "energy"--and the nurses sure had been fucking vague about whatever the hell that was supposed to be--who knew if that would have eventually killed him? How long could a human even hope to stay alive in a place like that? He hadn't exactly felt great after three days of that shit; what about the people who'd been stuck there even longer?

"And that's it. Next thing I know I'm back in the hospital like I never even left, except for feeling like a couple tons of bricks fell on me at some point."

Nate fiddled unenthusiastically with his fork. At least he'd managed a fair amount of breakfast before getting into all that. It didn't feel like he'd be in the mood for more anytime soon. "The only other thing is... I dunno. Red eyes, like staring at me. I dunno when or why, though."

Meanwhile, Mightyena rested her chin on the floor but tried to keep her attention on Enora. "Enora's a pretty name," she said. "And thank you. You're very kind. I'll be fine, though."

Her ears pricked up at the sound of more people approaching--a moment of apprehension, dread that she might need to try and defend Nate--but it was only the Wes trainer with his eeveelutions. Mightyena raised her head as they crowded in under the table, her tail giving a couple sluggish beats against the floor. "It's good to see you two again."

It was a bit embarrassing to have the espeon start grooming her ears, but Mightyena couldn't pretend she didn't appreciate it. She leaned into Neo a bit, closing her eyes. "I am sick. But the nurses at the Pokémon Center think I'll get better in a few days."

 

[HelloYellow17]

"Oh, hello Novo. Hello Neo." She purred back toward Novo in response, but was a little too preoccupied with Mightyena's presence to allow herself to fawn over the gesture. Instead, she observed Neo start to groom Mightyena's ears. They must have been pretty good friends, so the gesture was quite sweet. "I was just checking in on her myself. There's bacon on this plate if either of you would like it."

Neo’s eyes lit up at the mention of bacon, and he abandoned his post near Mightyena to inspect the plate. But when he leaned in to snap up a piece (or five), he caught a whiff of…something else. Something different.

He blinked at the small round bread-like things on the other side of the plate. They smelled…sweet. Like a Pecha berry, sort of. Curiosity got the better of him, so Neo snapped up one of the little puffs and chirped in surprise as the flavor came through.

He’d never had something like this before! It was sweet, it was soft, it was creamy, it was…

Gross.

Neo gagged and turned away just in time to hack up the abomination. Nasty. NASTY. Too sweet to eat. People liked this stuff? How? Why? How did it count as food? He growled and shook himself, aggressively licking at his snout to rid himself of the taste. He snagged a few strips of bacon with a huff. At least he had something to override that awful stuff.

Novo bristled in horror at his brother’s display. He shifted awkwardly, appealing to Enora with an apologetic trill, then took up Neo’s former position to resume grooming Mightyena’s ears. “I am sorry you are sick. I hope you will feel better soon.” He also hoped Neo’s behavior hadn’t sickened her further, but he decided he would rather pretend that hadn’t happened.

Didn't ever get to see what it was because it opened with a Flash attack and then put me to sleep before I got done being fucking blinded. But not like a normal sleep move, it was..." Shit. He really hadn't thought all that hard about the specifics. It was all so goddamn confusing. The sleep thing definitely wasn't one of the more popular ones, or he'd have recognized it immediately. But if he thought about the sound, all the energy that had been flying around back there... There weren't a lot of sleep moves that worked that way. "Secret Power, if I had to guess."

“Secret Power, huh…” Wes leaned back in his chair and folded his arms, brow furrowed. “I guess that would make sense.”

And for it to come after blinding the victims…he scowled. Ambushing and sedating innocent people was bad enough, but to blind them, too? It’s like the culprit needed to rely on every dirty, cheap trick available. Wes certainly was no stranger to underhanded tactics himself, but it was one thing when it was coming from an underdog at a disadvantage. It was another coming from a being so powerful it could rival mythicals and legends. It was disgraceful. Pathetic. Cowardly.

"Anyway, after that I guess I ended up in that void place. Don't think I ever went anywhere else, not that I'd really know. There were other people around, though. Being held there the same as me, I think. So if I'm still alive, the other people who got kidnapped probably are, too."

Wes let out a huff of relief. “Well, at least there’s some good news there. But…why? Why are they keeping the victims alive? What are they planning to…do with them…?”

Oh, hell, he did not like that thought. As much of a relief it was to know they were most likely alive, he couldn’t imagine they were being kept alive for any charitable reason…

"The only other thing is... I dunno. Red eyes, like staring at me. I dunno when or why, though."

Red eyes. Wes frowned and looked at Odette. “Doesn’t that Hoopa have red eyes? It’s him. It’s got to be him.”

Dammit, he was ready to track down that little shit and pin him down with his bare hands. He tried to hide the mixture impatient, angry anxiety storming through his veins, but his hands curled into fists nonetheless.

 

[Sinderella]

He gave a nod of acknowledgement to Wes' greeting and said, "Guess I can't complain. Just lucky I pissed Odette off on the boat, or else I'd still be stuck in the void or whatever the fuck." And wasn't that a fucking relief, that there was an entirely normal explanation for why he'd been the one to get released? He couldn't feel great about the people who'd been left behind, but at least it wasn't a case of somebody choosing him first.

Odette stared at Nate for a beat before chuckling forcefully. "I was meaning to apologize for that," she said, adjusting her glasses. "So I suppose this works out. Either way, it still would have been you. It can't be helped that I couldn't be bothered to mingle with anybody who wasn't on our boat until shit started getting bad."

"Right. Like I said, I don't remember much. I guess I tried to leave the infirmary a couple nights ago, like after all the Manaphy bullshit"--one hell of a trip for the nurses to claim he'd been gone three fucking days without even realizing it--"and I got attacked by something. Didn't ever get to see what it was because it opened with a Flash attack and then put me to sleep before I got done being fucking blinded. But not like a normal sleep move, it was..." Shit. He really hadn't thought all that hard about the specifics. It was all so goddamn confusing. The sleep thing definitely wasn't one of the more popular ones, or he'd have recognized it immediately. But if he thought about the sound, all the energy that had been flying around back there... There weren't a lot of sleep moves that worked that way. "Secret Power, if I had to guess."

She fell silent again as Mitch continued. "Oh. So not just a motherfucker, but a pussy too. Real endearing qualities."

For a moment, she aimed her eyes at the floor as the gears in her head began to turn. What reason would something so powerful have to blind it's victims and put them asleep to whisk them off to another realm? Why not just take them? Either it didn't want to deal with the headache of somebody fighting back, or it wasn't as strong as it was making itself out to be.


Or.

"The bonds," she said suddenly.

Her gaze cut to Wes. "Remember that thing I told you? About Jirachi's theory, the myth of the Golden King? The shithead had an issue with Pokemon and Trainers with strong bonds, because it was overpowered by them. And bonds can be used here as power. What if this fucker knows damn well that the teams it's taking could take it out because their 'Power of Fucking Friendship'," she put up air quotes around the words, "holds power over it, so it goes through the motion of blinding them, drugging them, and whisking them off?"

The onslaught alarm seemed to drain from her for a moment as she settled back against her chair again. "I'd hypothesized that this guy was going after the strongest bonds, and Jirachi pretty much agreed with me. I'd imagine we all have some pretty good relationships with our 'mon here--mine was enough to bring Mitch back from the fucking dead--so surely a being that could be overpowered by 'The Power of Fucking Friendship' would want their targets to be down and out for the taking."

"Anyway, after that I guess I ended up in that void place. Don't think I ever went anywhere else, not that I'd really know. There were other people around, though. Being held there the same as me, I think. So if I'm still alive, the other people who got kidnapped probably are, too." What he didn't say was that if whatever the thing was, or the place, or whatever, had been draining his "energy"--and the nurses sure had been fucking vague about whatever the hell that was supposed to be--who knew if that would have eventually killed him? How long could a human even hope to stay alive in a place like that? He hadn't exactly felt great after three days of that shit; what about the people who'd been stuck there even longer?

Wes let out a huff of relief. “Well, at least there’s some good news there. But…why? Why are they keeping the victims alive? What are they planning to…do with them…?”

Oh, hell, he did not like that thought. As much of a relief it was to know they were most likely alive, he couldn’t imagine they were being kept alive for any charitable reason…

The more Mitch spoke, and even as Wes chimed in, the faster things turned for her.

"Oui," she said excitedly, snapping her fingers. "It's keeping them alive because it wants that Power of Fucking Friendship. It was used to take it down, so maybe it thinks that by stockpiling teams with strong bonds, it can exact some petty revenge on us. Friendship Power can't be harvested if the friends are, you know, dead."

Her fingers began to drum on the table as she sunk her cheek into her palm, her gaze becoming pensive. "If it's trying to gather power, of fucing course it wants the strongest bonds. That's who it's gonna grab first; the more powerful, the better for it. Maybe that's why it's getting so audacious as of late."

"The only other thing is... I dunno. Red eyes, like staring at me. I dunno when or why, though."

Red eyes. Wes frowned and looked at Odette. “Doesn’t that Hoopa have red eyes? It’s him. It’s got to be him.”

Dammit, he was ready to track down that little shit and pin him down with his bare hands. He tried to hide the mixture impatient, angry anxiety storming through his veins, but his hands curled into fists nonetheless.

Her brow furrowed at that last part, and she exchanged looks with Wes. "I'm embarassed to say that I don't remember." Far too much to keep track of right now. "But I'm with you on that. We just need to find where the fucker's hiding. I was planning to go shmooze Xavian a little and see if I could get him to slip where his--"


Odile approached the table once more. Both the drinks Odette had handed her were still in her grasp, but she now balanced a tray of multiple espresso shots on her head. She set the drinks down on the table, before dropping the tray in front of Mitch.

"̴H̵a̶p̵p̶y̵ ̴H̷o̴l̸i̴d̴a̵y̶s̵,̴ ̶b̶e̸s̵t̸i̴e̵.̷"̸


Odette stared, mouth agape, at the tray, before finally regarding Odile. "Dude, what?"


"̸H̶e̵ ̴s̴a̴i̸d̶ ̷h̸e̵ ̴w̷a̶n̵t̵e̴d̸ ̷e̷s̷p̶r̴e̵s̵s̴o̵,̸ ̴s̵o̴ ̸I̸ ̵w̸e̵n̶t̴ ̵a̵n̸d̷ ̸g̷o̴t̵ ̵h̴i̸m̸ ̴t̶h̷e̸ ̴e̵s̸p̴r̴e̸s̸s̸o̸.̸"̷ Really, what was so hard to understand there? She picked up the other two drinks again and made way for the door.


"Where are you going? I don't need you causing any problems today."


Odile inhaled sharply before turning her head--a little too much for it to be natural--to look over her shoulder.

"̷A̸r̷e̷ ̵y̵o̴u̴ ̸f̷o̶r̶ ̸r̷e̴a̸l̴?̵ ̶T̷h̵e̷ ̸a̸b̸s̵o̷l̸u̴t̷e̴ ̷f̴u̴c̶k̴i̷n̵g̸ ̷n̷e̶r̷v̸e̶ ̴o̴f̵ ̶y̵o̵u̸,̶"̷ she said in an angry whine. ̷"̵Y̴o̶u̵ ̶s̸a̸i̵d̸ ̶b̶e̶g̷o̸n̵e̵,̴ ̴s̸o̶ ̸I̶'̶m̸ ̴g̴o̶n̵n̸e̵ ̷b̴e̴g̴o̸n̴e̷ ̵a̶n̵d̷ ̶l̵o̷o̸k̴ ̶f̸o̵r̶ ̶a̸ ̸f̴u̶c̸k̵i̴n̶g̵ ̷c̷a̶c̶t̶u̸s̸,̷ ̸t̵h̷a̵n̴k̴ ̴y̵o̵u̴ ̵k̶i̸n̷d̴l̵y̷.̷"̶

She walked out the door after that.


Perplexed, Odette's eyes lingered on the door long after Odile had disappeared out of it. It wasn't long before she groaned and slumped against her backrest.

"Dammit, she took my fucking latte."

It was a bit embarrassing to have the espeon start grooming her ears, but Mightyena couldn't pretend she didn't appreciate it. She leaned into Neo a bit, closing her eyes. "I am sick. But the nurses at the Pokémon Center think I'll get better in a few days."

Enora could tell that much. It was reassuring to hear that the nurses were so certain she'd be feeling better soon, but Enora still couldn't help but feel like there should be more that she could do...

He blinked at the small round bread-like things on the other side of the plate. They smelled…sweet. Like a Pecha berry, sort of. Curiosity got the better of him, so Neo snapped up one of the little puffs and chirped in surprise as the flavor came through.

He’d never had something like this before! It was sweet, it was soft, it was creamy, it was…

Gross.

Neo gagged and turned away just in time to hack up the abomination. Nasty. NASTY. Too sweet to eat. People liked this stuff? How? Why? How did it count as food? He growled and shook himself, aggressively licking at his snout to rid himself of the taste. He snagged a few strips of bacon with a huff. At least he had something to override that awful stuff.

Novo bristled in horror at his brother’s display. He shifted awkwardly, appealing to Enora with an apologetic trill, then took up Neo’s former position to resume grooming Mightyena’s ears.

Well goodness. She knew pastries weren't everyone's cup of tea, but that reaction seemed just a tad overdramatic. "Charming," she said.

She snuck a sideways glance at Novo, nodding in acknowledgement to the apology, before shaking off her ribbons. No, this wasn't the time to school one in manners. She just needed to be present and here for her new friend,

 

[Negrek]

Nate's recollections unleashed a storm of speculation from the other two trainers, and he relaxed a bit. So long as the attention was off him and Mightyena, he was happy.

And it was good to hear some people actually trying to figure this shit out instead of milling around uselessly or hoping the police would sort it out or whatever the fuck. (One of the cops had gotten ganked, hadn't they? So much for that.) Nate was way out of the fucking loop, as evidenced by the fact that he could only follow around half of what Odette was talking about, and if solving this shit was the only way to get off the island now, he was going to need to get up to speed damn fast.

There was one thing Nate definitely recognized in what she was talking about. "The power of friendship? Really?" Nate couldn't stifle a snort. Well, they were kind of obsessed with friendship around this place, weren't they? It was a little skin-crawling, to be honest. "But yeah, I have to figure it's getting something out of the people it takes. Some kind of energy. But how long it intends to keep the hostages alive, I ain't got no fucking clue. Don't imagine it'll matter, once it's got enough power to do whatever the fuck it wants to do." One way or another, Nate had to assume that their enemy's plan would end pretty fatally.

It was then turn the conversation took after that that left him baffled. "The hoopa?" Nate asked. "I dunno. Weren't that who found all of us in the first place, and brought us over to the island? With the ring things, right? If it could do that, why not just grab people and take them straight to the void place? Or dump them on the island one by one, if that somehow matters, and then move them into the void? Why bother with the whole festival cover? If anything it seems like that would hurt its chances of doing whatever, since there'd be so many badass trainers around who might get in its way."

Wes looked ready to head out and strangle the little guy right this second, though. Hell. Nate wished he could muster that sort of energy right now. Even if they all figured out what was going on right this fucking second, Nate would be no good in a fight. Or Mightyena.

As though somehow summoned by the thought, Odette's pokémon reappeared, with way more espresso than Nate had seen in one place before. "Holy shit," he said. He hadn't really been serious. "Thanks, like, damn." He had no idea why Odette's pokémon had taken a shine to him, but he sure as hell wasn't complaining.

Well, he wasn't going to turn his nose up at free espresso. Nate downed one of the shots and was reaching for another while he said, "So what the hell is this Golden King thing, anyhow?"

Under the table, Mightyena let out a brief huff of laughter at Neo's display. She preferred the bacon herself, but she didn't think she'd seen anyone have such a strong reaction to a little pastry before. Then she flopped over on her side with a sigh. Nate must have heard, since he reached down to stroke her fun. And Novo had started in on her ears now, too. "Thank you all," she said. "I really do feel much better now."

For now, yes. Mightyena did her best to keep her thoughts in the moment. She needed to be at her best now, as much as possible, or who knew what might happen to Nate next? To any of the people on the island?

 

[HelloYellow17]

Neo continued to hack and gag under the table, to the point Wes peeked underneath it with a frown. “The hell is wrong with you, Neo?”

Then he noticed the plate of bacon and pastries, and closed his eyes with a weary sigh.

He glanced apologetically at Mitch and Odette. “Sorry. I think we have to go. But if either of you are planning to find that little Hoopa bastard today, I want in.”

With that, he pushed back his chair, picked up the still gagging Neo, and headed for the exit. Novo gave Mightyena and Enora one parting lick on the cheek each, then followed his trainer out of the cafe.