Lush Prairie

[Namohysip]

The two Owens were chattering about each other's teams, while the two Diyems continued to glare at each other like two feral males competing over territory.

"I don't like him," they both muttered to nobody in particular.

Despite the tension between their leaders, the teams themselves got along just fine for the most part. Bean, pleased, nodded at them all at enjoyed his meal with the others. "Now, they probably won't be able to stay for very long... but just enough to give you some real training. Unfortunately, they may not last beyond that, being so far away from their home worlds proper. You'll be sure to send them off, of course, I'm sure! Just enough time for that training, perhaps... Or whatever Pop has planned."

 

[Negrek]

The funny zoroark disappeared before Nate could make any reply, which was no doubt a good thing. The marshtomp gave the empty air an absolutely searing glare.

"Aww," Rocky said. "He went away. I wanted to hear more about being a half-human! Like my model!"

"You would," Nate muttered darkly.

“The moon?” Gene gasped. “There are more people who have visited a moon here?”

Rocky frowned. "But I thought everybody was just saying all of you didn't get to go to the moon! Did you go by yourself?"

 

[ExplosiveTurkey]

"So. Does that mean you've faced off 'gainst yer own world's Dialga an' saved the timeline an' all that yap? And, ah, are you coupled with a human guy or gal? Pardon me, I jus' can't help but be curious."

Aria chuckled, though it came out drier than she intended. "Can't blame you, I'd be too. And the answer's a yes to both," she said, a fond smile crossing her lips. "His name's Mike. Grovyle. I wouldn't quite call Thyme -- or anyone here -- his counterpart, though."

While it could've been mistaken for sentimentalism, her tone was much too matter-of-fact.

"You mentioned working as emergency services and law enforcement. That's pretty much our job description as well. Senior explorers at Wigglytuff's guild, though I've got a preference for bounty hunting." She shot Brisa a sly look. "Guessing it's the same for you?"

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa listened, head cocked, with a dry smile. Somewhere in her ribcage, her Shadow writhed with envy.

"Not quite. I work alone. Not by choice, mind; Cibus has been a dream come true, with respect to gettin' t'work with a team and even find a couple gals t'be sweet on. But nah, back home my parentage makes prestige hard t'come by. The Ranger Union asks fer a letter of recommendation from yer local authority, and, ah..."

She chuckled. It used to be such a sore point, but now it was just a talking point.

"Fer all that I help folks out, they'll always see me as just a feral bitch. I ain't lyin' when I say I'd rather stay here than go back."

She shrugged, not wanting to end on a downer.

"Bounty huntin' is some of my favourite work too, fer that reason. Y'help out some shit-fer-brains dandy an' y'get hardly so much as a thanks. Y'beat the stuffin' outta some lowlife, an' you've made the world a mite safer, y'get paid, and it's a chance to get the satisfaction of a good tussle."

Not that the average outlaw was tough enough for her to let loose. It was almost enough to make her want to join the clan after all.

 

[ExplosiveTurkey]

"...Yeesh. I don't like dealing with clients myself, but it's a walk in the park compared to... well, all of that."

A deep swig drained what was left of her drink, and Aria reached for a second bottle.

"What was that about your parentage, if you don't mind me asking?"

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"My ma's a roughlander. That is t'say, she's part of a nomadic clan that don't care fer the trappings of civilisation. That'd be enough, but my pa is human. Townies don't rightly know what t'make of that, save that it ain't normal."

She chuckled.

"I used t'be real hung up on that. Here's hopin' I can remember a little of how Cibus treats its humans when the time comes to return."

 

[ExplosiveTurkey]

The lucario hummed in thought. "How Cibus treats them... meaning humans aren't native to your world? Do the dimensional strays get zapped into pokemon, or do they stay human?"

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"They become pokémon. My pa became a delphox. Hard to imagine I'd've been born otherwise, but I s'pose y'never know what kinda bullshit rules a universe operates under."

Brisa pawed her chin. Jesse had been summoned by a Voice of Life, but when she'd been summoned by Diyem, she hadn't even known for sure if he'd told the truth about being human. Wild.

"Anyway," she drawled, "kudos t'you an' yer fella fer puttin' paid to the crisis of yer time. I can respect that. Not too many accredited do-gooders in Team Spectrum, all accounted fer. Several kids, fer some fuckin' reason. I, ah, noticed yer team is a touch smaller'n mine. Hope that ain't 'cause y'all suffered casualties 'gainst the Blacklight...?"

 

[ExplosiveTurkey]

Barely, just barely managing to keep up with her dialect, Aria grimaced at the mention of kids, and topped it off with a sigh once Brisa was done.

"No casualties, just... Diyem being picky with who he called in for this. You're looking at the folks who were a cohesive unit from start to finish. Thankfully, that also means the zoroark is the closest we have to a child this time, and he's immature at worst. Much better than, y'know, actual children."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa grimaced in turn.

"I wasn't too pleased t'realise that a couple of our number are so young. At first we were all de-evolved, y'know? I take it you had the same problem? Anyhow..."

She gestured lazily to certain members of the team.

"That un's a kid, that un's a kid... Cabot once told me he was twelve, but I think years work differently where he comes from. I dunno."

She skewed her mouth and huffed. "Didn't stop 'em holdin' their own in our battles, mind. We've had our share of dropouts, too. And deaths."

A smug grin wrenched the corner of her mouth upward.

"I came back, though."

 

[ExplosiveTurkey]

"Cabot once told me he was twelve, but I think years work differently where he comes from. I dunno."

Aria hummed at that. Should she mention Krys? Probably not.

"We've had our share of dropouts, too. And deaths."

A smug grin wrenched the corner of her mouth upward.

"I came back, though."

That earned her a lopsided smile in response.

"Hope the Voidlands treated you well. What got ya?" Aria asked nonchalantly, as if she wasn't inquiring about a living person's cause of death.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"Joule."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa laughed, her voice a little holliw.

"Me an' six others got vaporised by a ball of Blacklight strong enough to burn a body to less than dust. ...All water under the bridge, now."

She finished the rest of her cider and secured it, along with the remains of her recently consumed food platter, in a bag for disposal.

"Got two questions fer ya," she said, her normal confidence returning. "Will ya lemme buy you a drink? And d'you fancy a sparrin' match sometime soon?"

 

[ExplosiveTurkey]

"Long as you don't hit on me too much, though I wouldn't hold it against you," Aria replied without missing a beat, voice transparently playful. "Not your fault I'm irresistible, after all."

She then downed the rest of her bottle in one go, before placing it with its vanquished brethren. "And sure, a spar sounds perfect — I do need to get used to this body again. Funny you mentioned it when you did, though. Besides the one time we all became statues, 'sparring' with my team's what often got the closest to killing me. Once with Mergo, once with Owen... ah, no. Make that twice with Owen."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa chuckled at the light flirting. If Aria wanted to be irresistable, maybe Brisa wouldn't bother resisting. (She already knew Starr wouldn't mind, after all.) She'd see how drinks and sparring went, at least.

Then she raised an eyebrow at the mention of a match with Owen bringing Aria close to death.

"Wind an' weather," she swore, quietly. "Yer Owen has the same background as ours, I guess. He, ah, full-on frenzied on me just the once, but... We were already in the Voidlands. I don't know what would've happened if he'd torn me to shreds in that place."

Brisa stood, and shook off the numbing shivers the memory was giving her. She could do with moving, the intolerable restlessness of recent weeks brimming up again.

"Shall we hit th'bar first, or have that sparrin' match?" she drawled. "No preference, but I won't take the fight half as serious if I drink first, an' I'll lay m'self twice as bare after a good brandy if'n we fight first. Yer call."

 

[ExplosiveTurkey]

"We were already in the Voidlands. I don't know what would've happened if he'd torn me to shreds in that place."

Words rose in her throat, but Aria made no effort to give them a voice. Not when Brisa was still sober enough to be bothered by the topic, and there was a fair chance she'd die of alcohol poisoning before that changed.

Then the moment passed, and Aria took the opportunity to stand up as well, stretching a bit as she did so.

"Sounds to me like you do have a preference," she said, smirking. "And I wouldn't mind a good workout before drinking you under the table... assuming we can agree to keep it reined in. Pretty easy to cross the line without meaning to, when it comes to powers like ours."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa chuckled. "If you wanted a casual drink and a no-stakes tussle, I'd have been alright with that. But if you wanna have it out more seriously an' get heavy after, y'better believe I'm ready fer it. I like yer energy."

She took a fresh look at Aria from the perspective of a prospective opponent. She did look tough, and confident, and competent. Good. Brisa liked that.

"C'mon. I've got an arena in mind."