Hunger Switch Cafe

[ShiniGojira]

Evie made her way to an open table with a hearty tray of food on her back, a couple of protein bars in her mouth and a paper bag of waffles wrapped in her tail.

She had entered the cafeteria alone, figuring that after last night, June would appreciate the extra hours of sleep.

After unloading herself on the table, she made herself comfortable and took in a deep breath. She didn't know why but the cafeteria made her more on ease than anything ever did. But she wasn't gonna complain about it though, it was nice.

She took a moment to appreciate the plate of noodles with freshly cut vegetables and sitrus berries chopped up with broken up pieces of protein bars in front of her. There were also the waffles, but they got them for June in case he wanted them, she even made sure to pick his favourites too, chocolate-peanut butter with sprinkles and bits of corn.

She took in a breath, savouring the smell of melted cheese and cooked berries before digging in.

Her ears twitched at the various conversations happening around her but none of them held anything too interesting aside from the Blood-type that 'Odette' woman spoke of.

She glanced around, a bored look in her eyes. Spotting a Wes counterpart, an Officer Jenny and–

A group of Eeveelutions.

Her gaze lingered on them a bit longer than she liked and she quickly looked away, refocusing back on her meal.

Once she'd finished, she ought to explore a little, it'd be nice to just see the place without having to worry about much.

 

[Sinderella]

"Oh, believe me, I know all about murderous cults," she said with a grimace. She didn't elaborate either; no need to bore Odette with details of her kidnapping. She figured Odette would understand, especially now.

That comment wasn't lost on her in the midst of the conversation. She didn't want to get too far into it; that was the topic she wanted to try avoiding. But, she certainly placed a pin in it.

"To be frank, if she's as powerful as she appeared to be back in that previous, uh, battle, my boyfriend and I could certainly use someone like her back home. I'm sure she'd get a thrill out of taking on a completely different cult." Not that she had any idea what kind of cult Odette was referring to, but that wasn't really the point.

Odette very visibly became uncomfortable at the mention of a different cult. "Unfortunately, we're both a little too 'culted' ou--"


"̴N̴O̵ ̶M̸O̸R̶E̴ ̸C̸U̸L̷T̷ ̵B̸E̷H̷A̵V̸I̶O̷R̶.̵"̴

Odette gasped in spite of herself, and looked up to catch Odile flying over her head. The bat hovered down before settling on her crown.

"̵C̴u̶l̴t̷s̴ ̵b̷a̶d̵,̷ ̴v̴e̴r̷y̷ ̶b̴a̷d̶.̵ ̴T̸h̸e̷y̶ ̴k̶e̷p̶t̶ ̸t̵r̸y̷i̵n̸g̶ ̴t̵o̷ ̸h̵u̴r̴t̵ ̴h̷e̷r̸.̶"̵

She pressed her face into her palm. "Odile, that is not what we're--"


"̴A̷N̸D̸ ̵t̴h̷e̵y̷ ̷t̵o̸o̸k̶ ̶h̵e̵r̸ ̴a̴w̴a̶y̶ ̶f̶r̴o̴m̵ ̴m̷e̶!̸ ̸B̶e̸c̴a̶u̶s̵e̶ ̴m̸y̴ ̷b̴r̸o̵t̷h̵e̶r̵s̴ ̸a̷n̸d̴ ̶s̸i̶s̴t̸e̷r̷s̶ ̵a̷r̵e̷ ̸t̸h̴e̴ ̴f̶u̷c̸k̸i̶n̷g̷ ̴W̸O̸R̷S̴T̶.̴"̷

"Hey scumbag, you're doing that thing again where you can't read the room and start talking about some shit I'm trying to not fucking talk about."

She leaned down over Odette's head in order to look her in the eye. "̷O̸k̸a̶y̶ ̶t̸h̴e̸n̵,̴ ̴I̴ ̴h̵e̴a̶r̵d̸ ̶y̷o̶u̵ ̴t̴a̸l̸k̸i̴n̶g̵ ̴a̶b̷o̷u̵t̷ ̶t̵h̶e̷ ̵w̶o̶r̷m̸.̴ ̴D̴i̵d̷ ̵y̸o̸u̷ ̸a̷l̸s̷o̶ ̵m̸e̸n̴t̶i̵o̴n̶ ̸t̷h̷e̷ ̴f̷u̴c̸k̵i̶n̷g̶ ̸S̸H̵I̵T̸B̸I̸R̴D̸ ̴t̶h̸a̸t̶ ̸S̶T̵O̵L̵E̵ ̶M̴Y̷ ̷G̶O̵D̸D̵A̷M̶N̴ ̵K̷I̷L̷L̸?̶"̵


"Get off my head, Grudge."


"̴B̵e̸c̸a̵u̸s̷e̸ ̶I̴ ̴T̶H̵I̵N̶K̷ ̶w̸e̵ ̶n̵e̷e̶d̶ ̴t̴o̷ ̵h̸a̸v̴e̸ ̶a̸ ̶c̶o̶n̶v̸e̴r̶s̶a̷t̶i̴o̸n̶ ̶o̷n̷ ̷t̵h̵e̶ ̴P̷R̵O̵P̶E̸R̵ ̴E̶T̸I̴Q̴U̶E̷T̶T̶E̷ ̵w̸h̶e̶n̶ ̶i̴t̶ ̸c̸o̴m̸e̴s̷ ̴t̷o̷ ̸f̶i̷g̷h̸t̷i̷n̶g̷ ̵t̷o̴ ̴t̶h̶e̸ ̵d̴e̵a̴t̶h̴.̶ ̸S̶o̸m̵e̴ ̵p̶e̷o̷p̶l̶e̷ ̴j̴u̵s̴t̸ ̷D̴O̷N̶'̶T̵ ̵F̸U̷C̸K̵I̸N̴G̸ ̸G̴E̷T̶ ̷I̴T̵.̸"̵

Odette abruptly swatted at the bat, but Odile took flight again before her hand could make contact with her branches. "I'm going to beat you to death with a goddamn pipe, holy shit."

"̷Y̸o̵u̴'̸r̶e̷ ̷p̵r̷e̸c̶i̸o̷u̸s̶.̸ ̸N̸o̶w̸ ̴i̶f̴ ̶y̸o̵u̷'̶l̴l̸ ̵e̴x̵c̵u̴s̴e̴ ̷m̸e̴.̴"̷ She made a couple loops in the air before soaring off. She had things to do.

"Oh, and I'm not... entirely sure what you mean by 'your reason for coming here'? I figure everyone here was just trying to take a vacation. I doubt anyone willingly signed up for some kind of multiverse madhouse.

Once more, Odette settled her face into her palm. She was doing that a lot today, it seemed. She took a couple of deep breaths to calm herself down before speaking again.

"Since we were initially talking about multiverses..." she mumbled. "In my world I'm actually Alola's acting champ. Shocking, I know," she said. "It's off-season, and blood types have only recently come to public discovery. And...there's been a lot of discourse," she added tentatively. "The invitation mentioned 'trainers with a special bond' so I came here under the entire impression that this was meant to be a place of open discussion about it." A deep frown crossed her lips. "I've become an advocate for them, more or less. I'm not mad about it, it's just...a lot."

Now that she understood, however, she was more curious than anything. "Well, I do have one question... you said she's a blood-type? I know you meant that pretty literally, but does that have any impact on her elemental typing? Like, is blood-type an element with strengths and weaknesses, like psychic, fairy, all that?

She gave a firm nod. "Her typing functions like any other. They've been dubbed a 'specialty' type in my world, in a similar vein to fighting and flying types. They're very weak to poison and fire types, but steel types won't do a goddamn thing to them."

"So... working out this morning? Or, wait, maybe a dancer? I could never, don't have any kind of coordination. Mostly I just walk around the stage. Been told I've got a good singing voice, though."

She glanced down at her outfit and became somewhat bashful. "Oh, heh," she snickered. "Yeah. Like I said, it's the off season, and in the off season I'm also a principle dancer for a competitive hip-hop group." She sounded quite proud of that. Her chest even puffed out a little as she spoke. "But I was just practicing turns today. I've been boggling them lately."

Her eyes visibly sparkled at the mention of singing. "Do you?" she said, her interest evidently piqued. "I also sing. A lot. My goal growing up was to be a musical theater star, but..." She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "I sing more for events as a newly crowned champ, and it's preferable to that, honestly. Do you do it for a living? What's your favorite thing to sing? Do you have a genre preference? Does your Espeon sing? Enora used to go to lessons with me, and we really like to harmonize, and--"

She quickly realized she was getting carried away and reigned herself back by clearing her throat once more. "Sorry, again. If I had it my way all I'd talk about is dance and singing. And Pokemon." She awkwardly chuckled as she began to fiddle with her braid.

"Anyway. If you're up to it, I'd love to hear you belt something one of these days while we're here."

Vera nodded enthusiastically and let out a small series of grunts and barks at the sylveon. She then stole most of the bacon off her plate in a single bite.

She liked this sylveon.

"Uhhhhh..."

So it seemed that this Bulbasaur didn't speak words. Nor did it understand the idea of sharing.

Judging by it's small size, perhaps it was a baby. A mere toddler. Toddlers didn't have that sense yet, so...she'd bite her tongue on the chastising for now.

"I'm Olivia!" she trilled, turning her head to observe her own body. "Aw, you think so? My human is always brushing me and stuffs, but it sounds like you get a lot of attention! And you have great tastes in gifts!" She leaned down to eat some more, and paused in surprise - the plate Enora had brought with her was nearly empty! Where could the bacon have gone? Had she and Neo eaten it all already? There had only been three plates!

But still, now there was nothing left for the rest of them! She resisted the urge to sigh outright, and instead brought a paw up to massage the side of her head.

"Have no fear. I can certainly get us more. My ribbons make self-serving fairly easy."


@AbraPunk

Humming, and straw in hand, Odile looped up to the ceiling of the restaurant. She perched herself on a beam where she had a perfect view of that perfect specimen. Awkwardly talking to the cop. Perfectly distracted, too.

She swished around the straw wrapper in her mouth, balling it up against her tongue, even going as far as to give it a bit of a point for some extra oomph on impact. When she felt she'd adequately fashioned her bullet, she enclosed her lips around one end of the straw and took aim.

Nice and steady...

Pomf.

With a single blow, the spitball was sent soaring across the restaurant, and toward her intended target.

 

[Seren]

"̴N̴O̵ ̶M̸O̸R̶E̴ ̸C̸U̸L̷T̷ ̵B̸E̷H̷A̵V̸I̶O̷R̶.̵"̴

"̵C̴u̶l̴t̷s̴ ̵b̷a̶d̵,̷ ̴v̴e̴r̷y̷ ̶b̴a̷d̶.̵ ̴T̸h̸e̷y̶ ̴k̶e̷p̶t̶ ̸t̵r̸y̷i̵n̸g̶ ̴t̵o̷ ̸h̵u̴r̴t̵ ̴h̷e̷r̸.̶"̵

"̴A̷N̸D̸ ̵t̴h̷e̵y̷ ̷t̵o̸o̸k̶ ̶h̵e̵r̸ ̴a̴w̴a̶y̶ ̶f̶r̴o̴m̵ ̴m̷e̶!̸ ̸B̶e̸c̴a̶u̶s̵e̶ ̴m̸y̴ ̷b̴r̸o̵t̷h̵e̶r̵s̴ ̸a̷n̸d̴ ̶s̸i̶s̴t̸e̷r̷s̶ ̵a̷r̵e̷ ̸t̸h̴e̴ ̴f̶u̷c̸k̸i̶n̷g̷ ̴W̸O̸R̷S̴T̶.̴"̷

Odette abruptly swatted at the bat, but Odile took flight again before her hand could make contact with her branches. "I'm going to beat you to death with a goddamn pipe, holy shit."

"Holy fuckin'-" Kimiko cried in surprise as Odile was just suddenly there, and she nearly tripped backwards over her forgotten breakfast table. Her heartrate skyrocketed through the roof, although this time she was pretty sure that was purely from the suddenness of it all rather than Odile's general being.

Of course, realizing who had snuck up on them all didn't exactly make her feel comfortable, either.

But, despite the spike of anger flaring up somewhere inside, her anxiety quickly gave way to confusion, and even a hint of amusement, and all she could do was simply stare blankly as Odette snapped back at the demon without missing a beat, and the pair went back and forth like a comedy duo. She really was confident Odile wasn't a threat, at least to herself. Somehow, seeing the physical proof of the interaction did ease her mind further, and she allowed her body, still tense from the surprise, to relax again.

"Do... do you always talk to each other like that?" she asked as she watched the demon tumbleweed fly off again.

And then, with her shields down, the meaning behind Odile's words began to sink in. "...Were you kidnapped by a cult, too?" She'd already been planning to ask what would happen should she and Odile ever be separated.

"Since we were initially talking about multiverses..." she mumbled. "In my world I'm actually Alola's acting champ. Shocking, I know," she said. "It's off-season, and blood types have only recently come to public discovery. And...there's been a lot of discourse," she added tentatively. "The invitation mentioned 'trainers with a special bond' so I came here under the entire impression that this was meant to be a place of open discussion about it." A deep frown crossed her lips. "I've become an advocate for them, more or less. I'm not mad about it, it's just...a lot."

Well, shit. Another champion. That made at least three, and that's only out of the handful of people she'd encountered! She idly wondered if Odile was allowed in league battles, but decided against pressing that button. "An advocate for them?" she asked. "Are there... more blood-types than just the seven legends?" Her eyes drifted to the other girl's arm, where the monitor was being covered by her sweater. "And didn't you say they're dangerous? Why would you be in favor of that?" She held her hands up somewhat defensively on instinct as she added, "And I don't mean that in a judgy-kind of way! I'm just... genuinely curious." Which wasn't a lie, mostly... from what she'd heard so far, having Odile feed of her just to be able to battle didn't sound like a pleasant experience.

She gave a firm nod. "Her typing functions like any other. They've been dubbed a 'specialty' type in my world, in a similar vein to fighting and flying types. They're very weak to poison and fire types, but steel types won't do a goddamn thing to them."

Kimiko nodded in acknowledgement. Interesting... so it was essentially another elemental typing, if a unique one. She looked around the cafe, trying to spot Odile again, but she hadn't returned to her spot by their previous table. "Does she have a... secondary typing, by chance?"

She glanced down at her outfit and became somewhat bashful. "Oh, heh," she snickered. "Yeah. Like I said, it's the off season, and in the off season I'm also a principle dancer for a competitive hip-hop group." She sounded quite proud of that. Her chest even puffed out a little as she spoke. "But I was just practicing turns today. I've been boggling them lately."

Her eyes visibly sparkled at the mention of singing. "Do you?" she said, her interest evidently piqued. "I also sing. A lot. My goal growing up was to be a musical theater star, but..." She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "I sing more for events as a newly crowned champ, and it's preferable to that, honestly. Do you do it for a living? What's your favorite thing to sing? Do you have a genre preference? Does your Espeon sing? Enora used to go to lessons with me, and we really like to harmonize, and--"

She quickly realized she was getting carried away and reigned herself back by clearing her throat once more. "Sorry, again. If I had it my way all I'd talk about is dance and singing. And Pokemon." She awkwardly chuckled as she began to fiddle with her braid.

"Anyway. If you're up to it, I'd love to hear you belt something one of these days while we're here."

"Oh, wow, impressive! Sounds like you really enjoy that, too, so you must be like, really good at it! Especially if you're competing."

And then it was her turn to avert her gaze, her finger absentmindedly twisting her hair into knots. "Yeah, I do. I had no idea what I wanted to do as a kid... did a little bit of everything. Acting, softball... singing is the only one that I've really stuck with, and even then, I don't do it professionally or anything. I mean, Alex and I had a band for a while when we worked at the lab. Sometimes we'd trade off who did guitar and who did vocals, but usually the latter fell to me. I don't do it for a living, at least not yet. I might try though, once things settle down."

Finally, it seemed like they were settling into something of a more casual, normal conversation. "I like anything that's fast and loud," she said with a laugh. "Mostly rock and metal, a bit of electronic stuff, y'know. I'd... never even considered singing with any of my team! Although I did perform on stage with an electabuzz bassist once. That was... an experience." There really wasn't a better word for it. It ended up being a better night than it started out, at least.

"Honestly? I feel ya on that. Alex is more interested in his gym badges nowadays, so we have less time for any real practice, and I haven't really had anyone to just talk to about it in ages! Mostly now I just sing in the shower and whatnot. Kind of regret not getting to visit that karaoke bar on the cruise ship..."

That annoying blush returned at that last line, and Kimiko couldn't for the life of her understand why. Then again... "Well, I've never done a one-on-one performance before, but... If we can find the time for it while we're here, sure! Just... please don't judge me too harshly, I'm really rusty."

---

But still, now there was nothing left for the rest of them! She resisted the urge to sigh outright, and instead brought a paw up to massage the side of her head.

"Have no fear. I can certainly get us more. My ribbons make self-serving fairly easy."

Olivia followed Enora's gaze to the tiny bulbasaur that had seated herself with them. Was she saying that little thing ate all their bacon?? Olivia, frankly, was impressed.

"It's so cool that you can lift things with them!" she said to the sylveon. Her ribbons looked so fragile! How could they lift anything? And yet, she'd seen Enora carrying that plate like it was a feather! "I like just being able to move them with my mind, though. I barely have to move!" Even as she spoke, she was practically dancing in place from excitement, her tail lashing wildly. She was just about to offer to get the replacement bacon herself, but stopped as she turned to Neo, then back to Enora. "Would you? I'll owe you a big favor if you do!"

 

[Flyg0n]

Mightyena was cute! In fact, she was the cutest puppy of all, as Nate had told her often enough. It was always nice to be recognized. Mightyena shoved her head up under the girl's hand, directing her pets to spots that most desperately needed them.

"Well, that makes sense," Mightyena said to the dragon. "Of course she'd be sad if she didn't get to see her friend! Who are they?"

Reena was all too happy to oblige and began vigorously and thoroughly petting and scratching Mightyena under her chin and behind her ears, a smile returning to her face. She seemed quite familiar with some of the best petting spots for pokemon.

Drampa hesitated. He always hated bothering anyone, and this Mightyena seemed so nice, he didn't want to trouble her. She ought to be out with her trainer, enjoying the festival. Not here, worrying after someone. Still, he supposed he should oblige. "At the banquet last night she men a young man and his Scizor, and he was going to tell her how he learned to speak with bugs and see if he could teach her. Reena hoped she might learn how to talk with me better, even though I must say, she already understands me very well." A fact of which he was quite proud of her for. She'd always been good about listening. "But this morning he didn't show. Apparently he had to return home unexpectedly."

 

[Flyg0n]

Nico blinked, taken aback. "...No, that's not what--"

Merian, who seemed to have gotten over the worst of his embarrassment, spoke up now, though he still didn't make direct eye contact with Bao. "I'd-- I mean, we'd love to battle you some other time, then! I'm sure you're super strong..."



Wes just nodded with a curt response of, "See you around, then."

"Maybe we can do it later then!" Bao replied cheerfully. "But you're right, I'm pretty strong, so I don't think you'll win. It'll be fun though."

Seemingly satisfied, Officer Jenny gave a last wave and turned, striding away.

Manectric barked a goodbye to the two brothers, before hurrying after his trainer. They seemed fun! Maybe he could convince his Officer Jenny to let him have a battle sometime.

 

[Negrek]

[[ Ah, so Pokémon Refresh has trained Reena well... ]]

Reena was all too happy to oblige and began vigorously and thoroughly petting and scratching Mightyena under her chin and behind her ears, a smile returning to her face. She seemed quite familiar with some of the best petting spots for pokemon.

Drampa hesitated. He always hated bothering anyone, and this Mightyena seemed so nice, he didn't want to trouble her. She ought to be out with her trainer, enjoying the festival. Not here, worrying after someone. Still, he supposed he should oblige. "At the banquet last night she men a young man and his Scizor, and he was going to tell her how he learned to speak with bugs and see if he could teach her. Reena hoped she might learn how to talk with me better, even though I must say, she already understands me very well." A fact of which he was quite proud of her for. She'd always been good about listening. "But this morning he didn't show. Apparently he had to return home unexpectedly."

Mightyena's tail wagged madly as she leaned into Reena's hand, her tongue lolling in contentment. This human was really smart! She obviously knew how to treat a pokémon right. All the attention was distracting, but something the dragon said definitely sounded funny.

"That's weird. How would somebody even leave the island if they didn't have a pokémon to teleport?" Maybe there were teleporting bugs; Mightyena didn't know. "Or maybe they flew?" Scizor couldn't fly like that, Mightyena didn't think. At least not across the ocean, not if they had a human with them. "Maybe your trainer's friend just overslept."

That would be good. Mightyena liked Drampa's trainer a lot already! She didn't really understand why anybody found talking to bugs impressive, but this girl was a nice human, and Mightyena didn't want her to be sad. At least now she had a mightyena to pet, which would clearly make her life better.

Mightyena sat back on her haunches and put one paw up, staring longingly at Reena's breakfast. She'd already eaten, of course, but food always tasted better when somebody gave it to you as a reward for being adorable.

 

[Flyg0n]

[[ Ah, so Pokémon Refresh has trained Reena well... ]]


Mightyena's tail wagged madly as she leaned into Reena's hand, her tongue lolling in contentment. This human was really smart! She obviously knew how to treat a pokémon right. All the attention was distracting, but something the dragon said definitely sounded funny.

"That's weird. How would somebody even leave the island if they didn't have a pokémon to teleport?" Maybe there were teleporting bugs; Mightyena didn't know. "Or maybe they flew?" Scizor couldn't fly like that, Mightyena didn't think. At least not across the ocean, not if they had a human with them. "Maybe your trainer's friend just overslept."

That would be good. Mightyena liked Drampa's trainer a lot already! She didn't really understand why anybody found talking to bugs impressive, but this girl was a nice human, and Mightyena didn't want her to be sad. At least now she had a mightyena to pet, which would clearly make her life better.

Mightyena sat back on her haunches and put one paw up, staring longingly at Reena's breakfast. She'd already eaten, of course, but food always tasted better when somebody gave it to you as a reward for being adorable.

"Hmmm," Drampa rumbled, considering Mightyena's words. He'd not considered that, he simply assumed the boy had... gone home. That was rather odd, wasn't it? "Perhaps you are right. Perhaps he was distracted, or overslept. But then why wasn't he here now?" He coiled his neck, an odd habit he had when he was thinking hard. "Maybe I should get Reena to ask someone and see if they know where he went, or if he's still in his room?"

Reena beamed, obviously pleased to see Mightyena so happy. She took a piece of sausage off her plate and held it out to her. "You want a treat for being such a good girl?" she cooed.

 

[Negrek]

"Hmmm," Drampa rumbled, considering Mightyena's words. He'd not considered that, he simply assumed the boy had... gone home. That was rather odd, wasn't it? "Perhaps you are right. Perhaps he was distracted, or overslept. But then why wasn't he here now?" He coiled his neck, an odd habit he had when he was thinking hard. "Maybe I should get Reena to ask someone and see if they know where he went, or if he's still in his room?"

Reena beamed, obviously pleased to see Mightyena so happy. She took a piece of sausage off her plate and held it out to her. "You want a treat for being such a good girl?" she cooed.

"That might be a good idea," Mightyena said. "Humans can be unreliable like that. Maybe he didn't go anywhere after all. And I can look for him, too!" She stuck her snout proudly into the air. "I'm really good at finding people. If he didn't go home, I bet I can track him down, no problem."

She was immediately distracted by Reena, though. Mightyena's tail thumped mightily against the floor, and she leaned forward eagerly as the girl reached for her plate. Did she want a treat? Yes! Yes, she wanted a treat! And when Reena held a piece of sausage out to her, Mightyena was quick to snatch it up, chewing happily.

 

[Sinderella]

"Do... do you always talk to each other like that?" she asked as she watched the demon tumbleweed fly off again.

"Sure do," Odette said, sounding unamused. "Really, when she's not powered up she's nothing more than an obnoxious toddler. An obnoxious toddler who can turn her head completely backwards, but a toddler no less. She'll act like a straight horror movie character, but if you hand her a Sharpedo plushie? She'll play with it for hours without another word."

And then, with her shields down, the meaning behind Odile's words began to sink in. "...Were you kidnapped by a cult, too?" She'd already been planning to ask what would happen should she and Odile ever be separated.

Odette raised a hand and shook it almost frantically. She felt a bead of sweat start to form on her forehead. "I-it's complicated," she tried to say sternly, but it only came out as a stammer. She took a breath to level herself. "I-it's not really something I like to--"

Then she realized. Kimiko had said 'too.'

Her eyes went a little wide. "Wait too?" she sputtered. "Ha...have you?"

Who the hell was this girl? Were they fucking parallel copies of each other? Because the longer they spoke, the more Odette was starting to wonder.

"An advocate for them?" she asked. "Are there... more blood-types than just the seven legends?" Her eyes drifted to the other girl's arm, where the monitor was being covered by her sweater. "And didn't you say they're dangerous? Why would you be in favor of that?" She held her hands up somewhat defensively on instinct as she added, "And I don't mean that in a judgy-kind of way! I'm just... genuinely curious." Which wasn't a lie, mostly... from what she'd heard so far, having Odile feed of her just to be able to battle didn't sound like a pleasant experience.

"Yes. There's a lot of them, actually," she said. That time, she crossed her arms. "Rare as a shiny Pokemon, but they exist."

Her next look at Kimiko was a tad more pointed. "I said blood loss was dangerous. Realistically speaking, though, I'd say the 'mon themselves are no more dangerous than any other Pokemon...if kept in check, that is. A Gyarados could snap a man's spine easily, but ambitious trainers in my world would sell their fucking parents to have one on their team. This type is simply different because of the quote-on-quote 'vampirism' that goes with it," she explained.

"They're not even really...drinking so to speak. I'd compare it more to a magical reaction more than anything. Like..." her eyes trained up on the ceiling as she thought. "...Pokemon reacting to mega stones. Or Dynamaxing. Or using Z-Moves." Her smile became sheepish. "Except in blood type cases, they don't need stones. Just a vessel to attach to. And training to make sure everyone is safe in battle. Like it would be to train any other Pokemon."

She scratched at her cheek some more. "Advocating for them is advocating for myself. As a vessel, I'm going to get an equal amount of heat for the sheer 'creepiness' of it. Even more because I'm a 'public figure' in my world." She thought back to how Wes had almost pulled a knife on her, or how that silver haired guy had looked at her as they left the bar. She cringed, just before her eyes traveled down to Enora, and they became solemn. "It's also simply advocating for certain Pokemon. It can't be helped that it just is what it is, you understand?"

Another sigh. "I'm not a bad person for having one. And Odile isn't bad. I know she embodies something meant to be evil, and she's absolutely horrific, but...she's actually saved my life. More than once. I can say with full confidence that I wouldn't be alive without her, so as much as she grates on my absolute last shred of nerve and patience, she's still my partner who sticks her neck out for me. And I owe it to do the same for her. Even if I do want to take a crowbar to the back of her damn head sometimes."

"Does she have a... secondary typing, by chance?"

Something of a mischievous, yet dubious chuckle left her. "Dragon."

And then it was her turn to avert her gaze, her finger absentmindedly twisting her hair into knots. "Yeah, I do. I had no idea what I wanted to do as a kid... did a little bit of everything. Acting, softball... singing is the only one that I've really stuck with, and even then, I don't do it professionally or anything. I mean, Alex and I had a band for a while when we worked at the lab. Sometimes we'd trade off who did guitar and who did vocals, but usually the latter fell to me. I don't do it for a living, at least not yet. I might try though, once things settle down."

She listened intently to Kimiko speak, nodding along with her words. Yep. Yep. All in a similar vein. Going through a ton of activities before something stuck; Odette knew all about that strife.

"I hope you can find the time to do it. I've only recently started treading into that area of profession on top of the dancing to keep myself busy, and it's been...an experience. When a song starts to get big, it's fascinating to witness. But nerve-wracking."

Finally, it seemed like they were settling into something of a more casual, normal conversation. "I like anything that's fast and loud," she said with a laugh. "Mostly rock and metal, a bit of electronic stuff, y'know. I'd... never even considered singing with any of my team! Although I did perform on stage with an electabuzz bassist once. That was... an experience." There really wasn't a better word for it. It ended up being a better night than it started out, at least.

"Honestly? I feel ya on that. Alex is more interested in his gym badges nowadays, so we have less time for any real practice, and I haven't really had anyone to just talk to about it in ages! Mostly now I just sing in the shower and whatnot. Kind of regret not getting to visit that karaoke bar on the cruise ship..."

That annoying blush returned at that last line, and Kimiko couldn't for the life of her understand why. Then again... "Well, I've never done a one-on-one performance before, but... If we can find the time for it while we're here, sure! Just... please don't judge me too harshly, I'm really rusty."

Rock and metal? That was impressive. Odette would have never expected that just looking at her.

"I've sung some rock songs before," she mused. "Truth be told, I found my niche in indie folk for a while. But I've recently found a liking for thing of a more pop-like variety. And, of course, orchestral productions. Singing with a live choir and orchestra is an experience that can't be matched by anything, I'm telling you."

Mentioning the karaoke bar made her huff. "Yeah, I was also dying to get in there." Then a thought occurred to her.

"Well, if there's one on the island, we should make an effort to go." A small grin. "I stopped singing for almost three years and was able to get back into it. You'll be fine. No judgement."

"It's so cool that you can lift things with them!" she said to the sylveon. Her ribbons looked so fragile! How could they lift anything? And yet, she'd seen Enora carrying that plate like it was a feather! "I like just being able to move them with my mind, though. I barely have to move!" Even as she spoke, she was practically dancing in place from excitement, her tail lashing wildly. She was just about to offer to get the replacement bacon herself, but stopped as she turned to Neo, then back to Enora. "Would you? I'll owe you a big favor if you do!"

This Olivia. Enora liked her very much. Quite friendly, and liberal with the compliments. She was going to keep this one around.

"I wish I was telekinetic myself," she chuckled. "But, my Gothitelle partner, Solene, has that covered."

Nonetheless, she'd be the one to save this bacon shortage!

"It would be my pleasure!" she said. With that, she turned and pranced off for the buffet, returning a mere few seconds later with not one, but two plates of bacon.

"I'm a little extra sometimes," she said sweetly. "But you know what they say...the more the merrier!"

Especially with such a ravenous little Bulbasaur. Goodness.

 

[Flyg0n]

"That might be a good idea," Mightyena said. "Humans can be unreliable like that. Maybe he didn't go anywhere after all. And I can look for him, too!" She stuck her snout proudly into the air. "I'm really good at finding people. If he didn't go home, I bet I can track him down, no problem."

She was immediately distracted by Reena, though. Mightyena's tail thumped mightily against the floor, and she leaned forward eagerly as the girl reached for her plate. Did she want a treat? Yes! Yes, she wanted a treat! And when Reena held a piece of sausage out to her, Mightyena was quick to snatch it up, chewing happily.

"Thank you for your assitance." A bit of relief filled Drampa. He still felt a little bad about bothering such a nice Mightyena but he didn't mind the help either. "You can call me Falkor by the way. It's my second name Reena gave me when she got older, a dragon character from her favorite story."

He turned to nudge Reena, he stopped petting Mightyena for the briefest of moments, and rumbled to her. After a few more rumbles and growls and a gesture or two, Reena nodded. "Yeah, I guess it might not to hurt to ask about Mr. Franklin. Maybe he just got busy! Okay, lets do that!" she declared cheerfully. Tapping her chin, she looked around the room. But who would know? She didn't see the nice host guy, Xavier. Maybe that other nice lady? She seemed like a helper of some kind.

She turned back to Mightyena, stroking her fur. "Do you want to come along? Would your trainer mind?"

 

[Negrek]

[[ Aww, Falkor! What a good name! ]]

"Thank you for your assitance." A bit of relief filled Drampa. He still felt a little bad about bothering such a nice Mightyena but he didn't mind the help either. "You can call me Falkor by the way. It's my second name Reena gave me when she got older, a dragon character from her favorite story."

He turned to nudge Reena, he stopped petting Mightyena for the briefest of moments, and rumbled to her. After a few more rumbles and growls and a gesture or two, Reena nodded. "Yeah, I guess it might not to hurt to ask about Mr. Franklin. Maybe he just got busy! Okay, lets do that!" she declared cheerfully. Tapping her chin, she looked around the room. But who would know? She didn't see the nice host guy, Xavier. Maybe that other nice lady? She seemed like a helper of some kind.

She turned back to Mightyena, stroking her fur. "Do you want to come along? Would your trainer mind?"

"Falkor's a good name," Mightyena said cheerfully. The pets, the sausage, the mystery--she was glad she'd come over to see what the dragon was doing!

His suggestion made her hesitate, though. Mightyena glanced back to confirm that Nate was where she'd left him, not too far away and glaring at his coffee like it had offended him somehow. She wanted to go with the dragon and his trainer, but after what had happened on the boat... Well, nobody was shouting this time, and nothing bad had happened since they got to the island... But humans could change so fast. It had only been luck that she'd made it back to Nate before anything really bad could happen the last time.

Mightyena folded her ears back, dismayed, but it couldn't be helped. She tried to keep her tone bright as she addressed Falkor, though. "I'd love to, but I think I ought to stay with my trainer for now. He got in big trouble on the boat earlier, so he needs somebody to keep an eye on him. Why don't you and your trainer go get help, and I can look with my trainer while we're out on the island? We can meet back here later and see what we found!"

 

[Seren]

"Sure do," Odette said, sounding unamused. "Really, when she's not powered up she's nothing more than an obnoxious toddler. An obnoxious toddler who can turn her head completely backwards, but a toddler no less. She'll act like a straight horror movie character, but if you hand her a Sharpedo plushie? She'll play with it for hours without another word."

Definitely not what she'd expected from a legendary pokemon. "Okay, even I have to admit... that's kinda cute."

Odette raised a hand and shook it almost frantically. She felt a bead of sweat start to form on her forehead. "I-it's complicated," she tried to say sternly, but it only came out as a stammer. She took a breath to level herself. "I-it's not really something I like to--"

Then she realized. Kimiko had said 'too.'

Her eyes went a little wide. "Wait too?" she sputtered. "Ha...have you?"

Who the hell was this girl? Were they fucking parallel copies of each other? Because the longer they spoke, the more Odette was starting to wonder.

And then her smile slipped. "Mmm... yeah, I don't really enjoy talking about it either, but... yeah, I was." She hesitated. How much should she share? Would Odette press for details? What about her own incident, would she add anything about that? "Tortured for information," she said, settling for the briefest explanation possible. She felt for some reason like she owed it to Odette to share something about herself, after the other girl had been so open with all of her questions. "I didn't know what they were talking about, of course, because by some misunderstanding, they got me instead of my boyfriend, who actually had said information they mistakenly thought I had. So yeah, it kind of dragged on because, well, I'm sure you can guess how well "I don't know what you want from me" would go over in that situation." A shiver ran down her spine and the memory and she stopped to collect herself, shaking her head. "It's not something I ever hope to have to repeat. Obviously."

"They're not even really...drinking so to speak. I'd compare it more to a magical reaction more than anything. Like..." her eyes trained up on the ceiling as she thought. "...Pokemon reacting to mega stones. Or Dynamaxing. Or using Z-Moves." Her smile became sheepish. "Except in blood type cases, they don't need stones. Just a vessel to attach to. And training to make sure everyone is safe in battle. Like it would be to train any other Pokemon."

She scratched at her cheek some more. "Advocating for them is advocating for myself. As a vessel, I'm going to get an equal amount of heat for the sheer 'creepiness' of it. Even more because I'm a 'public figure' in my world." She thought back to how Wes had almost pulled a knife on her, or how that silver haired guy had looked at her as they left the bar. She cringed, just before her eyes traveled down to Enora, and they became solemn. "It's also simply advocating for certain Pokemon. It can't be helped that it just is what it is, you understand?"

Another sigh. "I'm not a bad person for having one. And Odile isn't bad. I know she embodies something meant to be evil, and she's absolutely horrific, but...she's actually saved my life. More than once. I can say with full confidence that I wouldn't be alive without her, so as much as she grates on my absolute last shred of nerve and patience, she's still my partner who sticks her neck out for me. And I owe it to do the same for her. Even if I do want to take a crowbar to the back of her damn head sometimes."

She nodded along as Odette explained. "It's... different, I'll say that," she replied. She'd heard of mega evolution and all that, even if she'd never seen it, but that was enough to get the point across. "When you frame it like that, it honestly doesn't sound like that big a deal to me. And of course, it makes sense you'd be defending it, being someone who uses it themselves, regardless of whether you ever meant to or not." She had said Odile had been with her since birth, didn't she?

"I just wanted to hear your side of it. It's honestly inspiring that you're so passionate about it, and... I'm sure Odile appreciates it, too." Man, it was weird talking about the demon like she was just another pokemon. "You know, I'll admit, when you first told me how you and she... uh, met? I had assumed you only brought her here because you had no choice. But... you both really do seem to care about each other." That last interaction proved that well enough. Odile did not like cults... or her siblings, apparently. "I... please, forgive me if this takes some time for me. I still get shivers just looking at her, but... well, I trust you. I'll... I'll try to keep an open mind."

"Oh, and... you're not a monster," she added, smiling again. Yet another thing Odette had to deal with likely on a daily basis, if the way she reacted when Odile first appeared was any clue. "For whatever it's worth, I totally understand how people might see it that way, but it comes down to ignorance, really. People fear what they don't really understand." She paused, then shrugged her shoulders rather sheepishly. "Like me." She still wasn't sure how she was going to manage getting along with her Nightmare Demon, but that was a problem to be worked on, not solved overnight. And they had plenty of time.

Something of a mischievous, yet dubious chuckle left her. "Dragon."

She hoped hr relief wasn't apparent on her face as she nodded. Okay, good, not actually a ghost. That's a start.

"I hope you can find the time to do it. I've only recently started treading into that area of profession on top of the dancing to keep myself busy, and it's been...an experience. When a song starts to get big, it's fascinating to witness. But nerve-wracking."

"Tell me about it. I haven't decided what I'm going to do once our journey is over, so... I'll give this some more serious consideration."

Rock and metal? That was impressive. Odette would have never expected that just looking at her.

"I've sung some rock songs before," she mused. "Truth be told, I found my niche in indie folk for a while. But I've recently found a liking for thing of a more pop-like variety. And, of course, orchestral productions. Singing with a live choir and orchestra is an experience that can't be matched by anything, I'm telling you."

Mentioning the karaoke bar made her huff. "Yeah, I was also dying to get in there." Then a thought occurred to her.

Kimiko found herself surprised at her music preferences. "I've never sung with a group or anything like that, either. Done a duet or two for a few songs, but that's not the same. Sounds like fun!" And really, hadn't performing on-stage, whether solo or as a group, been her hope when she started singing anyway?

"Well, if there's one on the island, we should make an effort to go." A small grin. "I stopped singing for almost three years and was able to get back into it. You'll be fine. No judgement."

That relaxed her a little bit, and she grinned widely. "It's a deal. We have two weeks, I'm sure there'll be time! I'll see if I can find out if there is one and let you know. And if not, well, we could always find a quiet spot and just blast our music apps to sing along with, right?"

---

This Olivia. Enora liked her very much. Quite friendly, and liberal with the compliments. She was going to keep this one around.

"I wish I was telekinetic myself," she chuckled. "But, my Gothitelle partner, Solene, has that covered."

Nonetheless, she'd be the one to save this bacon shortage!

"It would be my pleasure!" she said. With that, she turned and pranced off for the buffet, returning a mere few seconds later with not one, but two plates of bacon.

"I'm a little extra sometimes," she said sweetly. "But you know what they say...the more the merrier!"

Especially with such a ravenous little Bulbasaur. Goodness.

Olivia was mildly surprised. She’d thought Enora may have had some telekinetic abilities already! Wow, she really was not paying attention this morning. A quick scan gave her back a fairy-type aura. Not quite psychic, but… “Maybe you can learn! But even if you can’t, being a fairy must be fun, anyway! It’s no wonder you’re not scared of your human’s other partner!” Olivia did not like that one. Why did it give her human nightmares??

Then again, now that she was paying attention… her psychic reading actually felt calm, finally! Her human must be having a good time up there, talking with Enora’s human.

While Olivia was occupied, the sylveon had vanished, returning moments later with more gifts! “Oh, I like extra! Extra is very good!”

Her human was finally relaxing, she herself was now enjoying the best breakfast she had ever had, surrounded by cute friends… maybe this vacation would turn out good after all!

 

[HelloYellow17]

Wes had been utterly lost in thought when another voice pulled him back to reality. He looked up and—goddamn, another person asking to join them? Couldn’t people just mind their own business?

"Sure, no problems here!" she said cheerfully, then turned back to Wes. "I mean, if that's alright with you...?" He had been here first, after all. "Is that your bulbasaur over at the buffet? She's adorable, look how tiny she is!"

Wes was about to growl a “No, thanks,” but before he could do so, the other trainer promptly sat without so much as even looking at him.

Oh, sure. Make yourself at home. Gods, I hate this place.

Well, whatever. He didn’t have to talk to anyone if he didn’t want to. So he decided to refocus on his plate and ignore the other annoyances. He had too much on his mind with this multiverse crap anyway.

---

Neo was frozen in place while Olivia licked his cheek. What, what, what was that. What was happening. Why couldn’t he move? Why couldn’t he stop staring? And why was he purring all of a sudden??

When she was close enough, she raised her hand at an attempt at a wave. It might have come off a little stiff, but quite frankly, she didn't care.

"Désolée," she said. A slight cringe. "Erm, sorry." She quickly leaned down and picked the bud off the floor and held it up--broadcasting the whole reason she came over. No more, no less.

A sudden hand reaching under the table jolted his brain out of the fuzzy static state it was in. He let out a small tap of surprise, then relaxed slightly when he recognized one of the trainers from the night before. Oh, she was Enora’s trainer. She was…good, right? Where was her scary tumbleweed Pokémon?

He supposed he didn’t have to worry, because she vanished as quickly as she appeared. Above the table, though, Neo heard Wes grumble a few choice words under his breath. “Too many damn people.”

Well, his killjoy of a trainer could speak for himself. Neo was quite content to stay here with Olivia for a while longer—

Something bumped his leg. He looked down at…a…tiny little bulb. Another Pokémon? Where had she come from? And why was she glaring at everybody?

Not far behind came his brother, trotting back to his place at Wes’ feet, looking perplexed at the little grass Pokemon. She must be with that other trainer that had joined the table just a moment ago. Huh! New friends!

…it was starting to get crowded under here, though.

She slowly approached Olivia, Neo, and the other new Pokemon, and set the plate down.

"Good morning! I see you're enjoying a lovely feast. Would it be alright if I joined you? I bring seconds!"

As if on cue, the other Eeveelution appeared. Neo blinked and chirped a greeting at her—she’d brought seconds! He’d thought Enora was a bit of a priss the night before, but all of that was now forgiven.

Novo, who had sat beside his brother, suddenly started shuffling awkwardly. He rumbled a quiet greeting before bashfully turning his head away to look anywhere else but at Enora.

…huh. He must be intimidated by fairy-types.

Holy fuckin'-" Kimiko cried in surprise as Odile was just suddenly there, and she nearly tripped backwards over her forgotten breakfast table. Her heartrate skyrocketed through the roof, although this time she was pretty sure that was purely from the suddenness of it all rather than Odile's general being.

---

Wes had raised an eyebrow when Kimiko suddenly stood to go talk to Odette. Whatever, that wasn’t his business, and he certainly wasn’t about to stop anyone from leaving the table. When he heard her yelp, however, he snapped his head up to see what was the matter—oh. That creepy tumbleweed was back. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but that thing made his skin crawl. And not in the same way an average ghost Pokémon did.

[[@Inkedust]]

 

[Sinderella]

((on mobile and tryna be inconspicuous with my typing so no emotes rn))

And then her smile slipped. "Mmm... yeah, I don't really enjoy talking about it either, but... yeah, I was." She hesitated. How much should she share? Would Odette press for details? What about her own incident, would she add anything about that? "Tortured for information," she said, settling for the briefest explanation possible. She felt for some reason like she owed it to Odette to share something about herself, after the other girl had been so open with all of her questions. "I didn't know what they were talking about, of course, because by some misunderstanding, they got me instead of my boyfriend, who actually had said information they mistakenly thought I had. So yeah, it kind of dragged on because, well, I'm sure you can guess how well "I don't know what you want from me" would go over in that situation." A shiver ran down her spine and the memory and she stopped to collect herself, shaking her head. "It's not something I ever hope to have to repeat. Obviously."

Odette blanched.

“I—“ she tried to say, shaking her head. “That’s insane,” was all she could manage. She didn’t know how else to convey how much she understood. She empathized so deeply, it was absurd.

“…my biological father,” she started, “is the head of the cult causing my problems. He, um…has Odile’s brothers and sisters so to speak. And Odile was originally…his.”

She rolled her shoulders uncomfortably. “Touchy subject,” she breathed. “Not the place for it.”

"I... please, forgive me if this takes some time for me. I still get shivers just looking at her, but... well, I trust you. I'll... I'll try to keep an open mind."

Odette couldn’t help but grin. “I’ve been waking up to her horror show mug every day for three years and she still makes me jump sometimes. It comes with the territory.”

She shrugged. “You were willing to hear me out, though. That’s more than enough for me.”

Oh, and... you're not a monster," she added, smiling again.

She blinked in surprise, and something warmed welled up inside of her chest. She instinctively pressed a loose fist to her chest and averted her eyes away, as if that would ward off the heat traveling to her face.

“Right. Thanks.”

"It's a deal. We have two weeks, I'm sure there'll be time! I'll see if I can find out if there is one and let you know. And if not, well, we could always find a quiet spot and just blast our music apps to sing along with, right?"

But soon, she was smiling again. “We’ll figure it out. I’ll be sure to—“

Pomf.

Pomf.

What was that?

She lowered her brows and looked over her shoulder. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw Odile, on the ceiling, aiming fucking spitballs at Wes’s alternate.

“WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?”

“̴A̵N̶A̸R̶C̴H̶Y̵!̸!̶!̷!̷!̸!̷”̸ Odile hollered back. She shot one more before taking flight and bolting out the front door.

“Oh my gods,” Odette hissed. She broke for a sprint, but quickly stopped herself to turn back to look at Kimiko.

“You’re alright. If you find yourself fighting with some psycho while you’re here, I have your back.”

She thought about saying something to Wes, but he was exuding annoyed energy, and she didn’t want to touch that with a ten foot pole right now. She’d leave him alone and give him a…proper apology sometime later.

She beelined out the door after that, shooting a cautious look at the other Wes (@AbraPunk) before taking off.

That certainly wasn’t going to bode well.

“Maybe you can learn! But even if you can’t, being a fairy must be fun, anyway! It’s no wonder you’re not scared of your human’s other partner!” Olivia did not like that one. Why did it give her human nightmares??

Enora sighed. “I see her every day. She doesn’t scare me. Her tricks get old after a while.”

Novo, who had sat beside his brother, suddenly started shuffling awkwardly. He rumbled a quiet greeting before bashfully turning his head away to look anywhere else but at Enora.

…huh. He must be intimidated by fairy-types.

She sent a look at Novo, taking into account his shy demeanor. What was that about?

“Are you alright Novo? Do you want some bacon? Or did you eat too fast?”

 

[Inkedust]

Ayumi leaned back into her chair as she watched Kimiko leave to speak with the short girl. Given that the man across her wasn't much for company, she may as well occupy herself with whatever they were saying.

Nothing particular of note seemed to stand out, not even the idea that they all came from different universes - she'd assumed that much the moment she met with the others and their pokémon face-to-face. The lack of any Bonds had left her curious. It was clear that the trainers and pokémon were close, but Dusana had so keenly pointed out that there was nothing spiritual to that closeness; they felt more like close friends than human and pokémon. The only one who seemed to get anywhere close to what she and Dusana had was...

Ayumi nearly jolted out of her seat when she heard the static-y screeches of the strange tumbleweed pokémon, however she relaxed considerably when it settled down on its trainer's head. She could only admire the short girl for being able to put up with something so...intense. Though the brief feeling of relief was washed over by another strange feeling when the tumbleweed mentioned some kind of bird. Why was that relevant? She was in a mind to get up and say something, but interrupting their conversation would've been quite rude. It was definitely something she and Dusana would need to speak of later. For now, she would be just happy to enjoy her breakfast.

---

"Uhhhhh..."

So it seemed that this Bulbasaur didn't speak words. Nor did it understand the idea of sharing.

Judging by it's small size, perhaps it was a baby. A mere toddler. Toddlers didn't have that sense yet, so...she'd bite her tongue on the chastising for now.

Vera gave the sylveon a confused look. What? Did she do anything wrong? She looked towards the other eons and grunted, as if she was trying to ask them something. Maybe this sylveon was dumb. That wasn't fun. Oh well, at the very least she could just help herself to the plate put out right in front of them.

Or she would, but Vera suddenly felt rooted to the ground. She hadn't been paying attention to either Ayumi or her shadow, because if she did, she would've noticed Ayumi's would've gone back to normal, while her own got bigger and darker.

Vera's shadow reached over the bulbsaur with a vine, which began writing something on the floor. The words had an orange glow to them, and they faded after a couple seconds.

S O R R Y

S H E

I S

V E R Y

R A S H​

There was a brief pause and the shadow began writing again.

H E R

N A M E

I S

V E R A

M I N E

I S

D U S A N A​

Dusana in control of Vera's shadow looked between all the pokémon. She hoped that she wasn't scaring any of them, so she wrote out one final thing to hopefully put their nerves at ease.

I

A M

A Y U M I S

P O K E M O N

T O O​

 

[AbraPunk]

Odile, on the ceiling, aiming fucking spitballs at Wes’s alternate.

Wes flinched as something hit him on the side of the head. Damn, he'd been stupid enough to zone out. He plucked it off and stared at it. A spitball...?

"The fuck...?" He glanced around, looking for whoever had done that, but didn't find anyone. He was perfectly willing to bet it was his copycat doing it, though.

Just another reason to kill the fucker as soon as he had the chance.

--

Nico sighed as he looked at Merian, who seemed to be lost in thought.

"Really, I don't understand. How can you be head over heels for the first 'mon you properly talk to here?"

--

Merian only glanced at his brother and mumbled something inaudible before staring at the ground.

 

[Flyg0n]

[[ Aww, Falkor! What a good name! ]]


"Falkor's a good name," Mightyena said cheerfully. The pets, the sausage, the mystery--she was glad she'd come over to see what the dragon was doing!

His suggestion made her hesitate, though. Mightyena glanced back to confirm that Nate was where she'd left him, not too far away and glaring at his coffee like it had offended him somehow. She wanted to go with the dragon and his trainer, but after what had happened on the boat... Well, nobody was shouting this time, and nothing bad had happened since they got to the island... But humans could change so fast. It had only been luck that she'd made it back to Nate before anything really bad could happen the last time.

Mightyena folded her ears back, dismayed, but it couldn't be helped. She tried to keep her tone bright as she addressed Falkor, though. "I'd love to, but I think I ought to stay with my trainer for now. He got in big trouble on the boat earlier, so he needs somebody to keep an eye on him. Why don't you and your trainer go get help, and I can look with my trainer while we're out on the island? We can meet back here later and see what we found!"

[[]]

Falkor nodded in understanding. "I feel the same about Reena," he rumbled. "Humans are very good at finding trouble," he added with a deep chuckle. "I'll see if we can go ask around about him. Perhaps someone knows something. Shall we try to meet up in the evening?"

Though she couldn't follow all of it, Reena seemed to be listening intently nonetheless to the two Pokemon.

 

[Seren]

Odette blanched.

“I—“ she tried to say, shaking her head. “That’s insane,” was all she could manage. She didn’t know how else to convey how much she understood. She empathized so deeply, it was absurd.

“…my biological father,” she started, “is the head of the cult causing my problems. He, um…has Odile’s brothers and sisters so to speak. And Odile was originally…his.”

She rolled her shoulders uncomfortably. “Touchy subject,” she breathed. “Not the place for it.”

"Well, shit," Kimiko replied, equally speechless. At least her relations with her own cult back home weren't perso- well, familial. And, as far as she knew, she only had to deal with one legendary, not six. Even having one legendary on her side wasn't likely to be enough to deal with those odds.

"Agreed," she said with a nod. Not that there often was a place for it. Still, though... she and Odette apparently shared something in common that was far deeper than she'd imagined before this conversation. They weren't likely to find many others capable of understanding what the other went through so personally. Maybe they should talk it out at some point. She'd leave that up to Odette to decide, though. Kimiko had asked for enough.

She lowered her brows and looked over her shoulder. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw Odile, on the ceiling, aiming fucking spitballs at Wes’s alternate.

“WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?”

“̴A̵N̶A̸R̶C̴H̶Y̵!̸!̶!̷!̷!̸!̷”̸ Odile hollered back. She shot one more before taking flight and bolting out the front door.

These two really were something else. With the new light shed on their situation, Kimiko found herself actually laughing at the exchange...

...until she realized who Odile had been antagonizing. While Odette ran off after her wayward demon, Kimiko swore she saw Wes look in their direction instead.

“Oh my gods,” Odette hissed. She broke for a sprint, but quickly stopped herself to turn back to look at Kimiko.

“You’re alright. If you find yourself fighting with some psycho while you’re here, I have your back.”

Kimiko nodded in reply, but Odette had ran off before she got to properly respond. Regardless, it seemed she'd managed to repair the rift she'd created yesterday. She appreciated Odette's support, and only hoped the other girl knew the reverse was also true.

Which, Kimiko quickly lamented, might be sooner rather than later, if Wes had his way; either he thought it was someone at their table (probably his own counterpart, given the fact that he seemed to pop up literally wherever blue-coat Wes happened to go), or he'd realize who was actually harassing him.

Well, either way... a promise was a promise, and Kimiko had done enough running from her problems on this vacation already.

---

Neo was frozen in place while Olivia licked his cheek. What, what, what was that. What was happening. Why couldn’t he move? Why couldn’t he stop staring? And why was he purring all of a sudden??

Well, his killjoy of a trainer could speak for himself. Neo was quite content to stay here with Olivia for a while longer—

"Are you okay?" Olivia asked upon realizing Neo had stopped eating. Her tail lashed happily as she picked up another piece and offered it to him.

Vera gave the sylveon a confused look. What? Did she do anything wrong? She looked towards the other eons and grunted, as if she was trying to ask them something. Maybe this sylveon was dumb. That wasn't fun. Oh well, at the very least she could just help herself to the plate put out right in front of them.

Or she would, but Vera suddenly felt rooted to the ground.

Between feeding Neo, keeping a mental eye on her trainer, and watching Enora's trainer sprint out of the cafe (She just left Enora behind? ...Well, Gen had been allowed to roam around without a trainer too, I suppose...), Olivia hadn't heard the bulbasaur's question. Or maybe she just couldn't speak yet. She was very small. Maybe she was hungry. Olivia levitated another meat strip and pushed it in her direction...

I

A M

A Y U M I S

P O K E M O N

T O O

...and promptly dropped it when suddenly, writing appeared on the ground, scaring the living telekinesis out of her! What was...?

Olivia couldn't real human words directly, but thankfully they seemed to be supernatural in nature, and she was able to imprint them in her mind, allowing her to understand them - whoever left them must have wanted to be heard. Apparently the quiet human girl above them had another pokemon?? Her fur stood on edge before she even realized how unsettled she had become. A quick scan of her human showed a much calmer aura - she hadn't yet sensed the other pokemon.

"Um... hello, Dusana!" she cast telepathically in their little bubble, a range short enough to keep between the pokemon under the table. "You're welcome to join us! If you want! No need to be scary!"

---

She was in a mind to get up and say something, but interrupting their conversation would've been quite rude. It was definitely something she and Dusana would need to speak of later. For now, she would be just happy to enjoy her breakfast.

As Odette ran out the door, Kimiko turned back to her table, momentarily surprised to see Wes and Ayumi sitting there. They'd both been so silent while she was busy un-ruffling feathers, she'd forgotten she wasn't alone. "Oh... sorry about that," she said, brushing some loose hair behind her ear as she sat back down. "That was rude of me, wasn't it? I'm sorry. We got off on the wrong foot yesterday, I'd just wanted to clear the air." She cast her gaze at Ayumi as she spoke; Wes had been there when she ran off, so he didn't really need the clarification.

 

[Inkedust]

After a series of grumbles, Vera began plodding around in a circle before flomping straight onto the floor. She was going to beg Ayumi to sleep in her lap after all this.

"Um... hello, Dusana!" she cast telepathically in their little bubble, a range short enough to keep between the pokemon under the table. "You're welcome to join us! If you want! No need to be scary!"

H E L L O​

There was a long pause as Vera's (still standing) shadow considered the female espeon's offer. Then she began to write out a few more words with her vine.

D O N T

W A N T

T O

B E

S C A R Y​

There was a clear hesitation as Dusana began writing her next set of words.

S O

I

H I D E

I N

S H A D O W​

The bulbasaur's shadow looked down sadly.

W O U L D N T

F I T

U N D E R

T A B L E

A N Y W A Y
​

---

As Odette ran out the door, Kimiko turned back to her table, momentarily surprised to see Wes and Ayumi sitting there. They'd both been so silent while she was busy un-ruffling feathers, she'd forgotten she wasn't alone. "Oh... sorry about that," she said, brushing some loose hair behind her ear as she sat back down. "That was rude of me, wasn't it? I'm sorry. We got off on the wrong foot yesterday, I'd just wanted to clear the air." She cast her gaze at Ayumi as she spoke; Wes had been there when she ran off, so he didn't really need the clarification.

"Oh that's perfectly fine," Ayumi said pleasantly. "We'll be here for quite some time, so best we try our best to get along with everyone else, wouldn't you say?" She took a bite out of one of the pastries she brought to the table. "I don't understand how someone could get off on the wrong foot with you though. You're such a lovely girl!" she added with a laugh.

"I'm nearly finished with my breakfast, but I wouldn't mind hanging around for some more small talk. Though I do intend to explore the island a bit later. What do you plan to do after this?" she asked.

 

[Negrek]

[[]]

Falkor nodded in understanding. "I feel the same about Reena," he rumbled. "Humans are very good at finding trouble," he added with a deep chuckle. "I'll see if we can go ask around about him. Perhaps someone knows something. Shall we try to meet up in the evening?"

Though she couldn't follow all of it, Reena seemed to be listening intently nonetheless to the two Pokemon.

"Yes! That sounds good to me," Mightyena said. "If we're all going to the same place for dinner again, that'll make things easy." She wagged her tail a couple times, a good-luck gesture to Falkor and his trainer both, then gave Reena's hand a quick nudge with her nose. "I bet we'll find that other trainer in no time. You'll see!"

With that, she turned and bounded back over to Nate. Did he see? She made new friends! And now it was time for them to go off and explore the island! They'd find the scizor trainer and the legendary pokémon Nate was looking for, she was sure of it.

Nate leaned his head on one hand and smiled down at her. "Ready to go, huh?" he asked. Mightyena spun in a circle, panting with excitement. But wait--Nate hadn't completely finished his breakfast! Mightyena stopped spinning and sank low instead, looking plaintively up at him and letting out low whines of distress.

Nate only grinned. "Oh, what? Dying of hunger over there? I saw you with that kid. Think if you beg hard enough you're going to get a third breakfast?"

Mightyena whined again and pawed at the ground, straining forward towards the food. Nate let her go on for a little while, getting increasingly dramatic with each passing second, then finally laughed. "All right, all right. You monster." He flicked a piece of bacon at her, and Mightyena snatched it out of the air, scarfing it down in an instant.

Mightyena's ears perked up at the sound of faint commotion nearby. Was that pokémon... attacking the tall human with the coat? The one whose pokémon had jumped at Nate on the ship? A growl began to build in Mightyena's throat.

"Yeah. Just what I was thinking," Nate said. "Seems like a good time to get gone. Let's bounce."

That was good. Mightyena let Nate lead the way out of the cafe, keeping a wary eye on the other people nearby. Outside, she broke into a run, swiftly forgetting her worry as excitement warmed within her. It was time to explore! Time to find the scizor and their trainer! And maybe even one of those legendary pokémon Nate was worried about. It was going to be a great day, she was sure of it.