Rocky Road ~ House of Brisa, Dave, Koa, and Owen

[unrepentantAuthor]

"Alright," said Brisa, her voice thick. "Let me know . . . anythin' important, I guess. Where y'are. How it goes."

She gave him a stiff nod and stepped back from the door a little.

"Good luck. I'll see ya when I see ya."

 

[Dragonfree]

Dave padded up to the door, slowly. "Yeah. I'll let you know."

Somewhere behind him, Shadow was shivering. His throat closed up as he looked at Brisa.

Abruptly, something strange came over him, and he pulled her into a hug.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa gripped Dave in return so much she worried she might crush him, or forget how to let go.

"Just be safe," she said, quietly.

And then, wondering whether she ought to have just kept her mouth shut about the whole thing, she let him go.

<><><><><>​

 

[Flyg0n]

After everything that happened at the dojo, he rushed through Destiny Village, thoughts jumbled, only one destination in mind. One place he could trust, no one person.

Please be home please be home

He pratically crashed through the door, slamming it open. Brisa was home, to his relief, although he also felt sick guilt clawing at his chest. He'd been avoiding her ever since the Worldcore and even their training session. But this couldn't afford to wait.

At least no one else seemed to be home. The thought of Owen or Dave seeing him -

Get a hold of yourself. Sucking in a breath, he addressed Brisa. "Brisa, I have to talk to you," the words tumbled out in a rush, more frantic then he intended. He cleared his throat, gathering his wits and words. "It's important."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Koa—!

Brisa rose from her spread of notes on the coffee table and whirled round it to Koa. She wanted to ask, was he safe? Where'd he been? But the way he was speaking, maybe it was best to listen, even though her fur threatened to spark off from the adrenaline firing up in her.

"Okay, Koa," she said. "Let's hear it."

 

[Flyg0n]

Koa swallowed, trying his best to gather his memories. It was all so clear, so fresh in his mind, even that wretched vision.

"I-" he paused, suddenly realize what he was about to admit. Knowingly going to meet a spy. What if Brisa thought he planned to turn against them or? Too late to go back now.

"I went to that secret room in the dojo, the one that... thing at the Worldcore mentioned. To try to meet that spy thing." He kept his gaze fixed not quite on Brisa's eyes. What would she think of him? "But not to join him or anything!" he added quickly. "I thought maybe I could get some information to help the Team."

Pawing at the ground, he took a deep steadying breath. "And I did learn something."

He poured out the whole story, although he only relayed the facts. About its suspicions of Maple, about what the entity had said, and about the plan for the tree. Brisa didn't need to know how he'd almost felt a little bad for the entity, or how the vision unnerved him. The Team needed facts first.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa nodded, listened, tried to force her face into something that was neither a frown, nor a smile, nor a stoic grimace. The kid blurted out a whole tale, a mile a minute, confirming himself as both as a champion noisebox but also as a boy with such a good heart, oh, how hers ached for him. Poor fella. He must've been fucking terrified.

"It's gonna be okay," was the first thing out of her mouth, when he finally stopped. "You did good, kid."

She swallowed. She'd just got done telling Dave her suspicions about Soda. This confirmed them and more. Could she warn him in time? He could already be confronting an aspirant arceus full of Blacklight who'd deluded himself about his own purity of intention.

"Koa, I know who the Haze is," she said. "This is important. You need to be careful who you tell any of this. It could get back to him real easily."

She looked him in the eye, feeling for the second time that day like she was channelling Sierra.

"That fella y'were speakin' to was Soda."

 

[Flyg0n]

"You did good, kid."

Koa's heart eased a little at that. Somehow, that one compliment made himfeel so much... safer. Relaxed. Brisa didn't hate him for it, or worry he'd go off and join the spy.

He tensed at Brisa's next words, both dreading yet eagerly anticipating her advice and suspicions.

Soda. The Haze was Soda.

"I knew it!" Koa barked. His fur bristled and he scowled. It added up. The behaviour, the way it was always presenting a false face, acting high and mighty and mysterious. Yet following the excitement of the revelation came a certain sense of dread. Not only was this Haze - no, Soda - dangerous, but he was also trusted. His chilling words came back to Koa.

You've got quite the heart. Yeah. This is gonna hurt them, especially if they're fighting against me. I'll have to defeat them. That's just how it goes.

"What do we do?" he asked, struggling to keep his voice even.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa took a steadying breath. "First off, remember that the team has squared up against legends and livin' superweapons and the like plenty of times afore now and always come out on top. We ain't outta time jus' yet. Keep a brave heart, Koa."

She pawed at her mouth, thinking as fast as she could. She had to warn Dave.

"Gimme a moment."

Dave? I got the rest of the information I needed. I know it's him. I know he's not a zoroark. He's an aspirant arceus, and he wants his power back. Be fuckin' careful. Please. Please come back in one piece. Okay?

The pit in her stomach would remain until she heard a reply, she was sure. Oh, by skyfire and thunder....

"When we're in the tree, I'll go with ya. We'll be safer. An' before then I'll try an' find out what more I can, see if I can warn anyone else safe enough to tell. And listen, if anythin' happens t'me, the one person y'can trust fer sure is Starr. Okay? You can trust Starr."

Ya really do trust her, huh.

 

[Flyg0n]

Koa nodded, determination managing to overrun some of his fear. She was right. Team Spectrum had fought tons of crazy enemies and won. If it came to that... they could handle Soda. He hoped.

At least when the time came, he'd have Brisa by his side. And perhaps Starr. He'd not spoken much with the Incineroar, but he was aware Brisa seemed close to her. "I won't let anything happen to the team," he said.

I won't let anything happen to you.

"And if we can warn some of them, then we can be prepared, right? For whatever Soda might be planning. Or... or if Maple tries something." He still felt torn over that. How much of Soda's words were truth? "Do you trust Maple?" he asked.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Bless this kid. She needed to keep him safe. What was Diyem thinking, bringing whelps like Koa into a situation like this? Well, judging by his fierce conviction, his courage, and his earnest good will, maybe he was exactly the sort of person who should be here.

"Glad t'hear it," she said of his assurances. "Maple, huh? I gotta tell ya, Maple sure seems like she's a troubled soul. But I'm willin' t'put some faith in her. Fer all her somber spiritual woundin', she's still got it in her heart t'love a fella like Joule, who I swear by sky is the most pure-hearted critter in Creation. That don't mean she'll always make the right calls, though. we should tread carefully."

She shook herself, and with it, got rid of some of her anxious energy.

"I'll work on a plan. Figure out what t'do. Just... Just keep yer wits about yerself. And... Don't just trust me. Trust yerself."

Koa might be reckless. But he had a good heart. And on Cibus, if not back home, that counted for everything.

 

[Flyg0n]

Perhaps, with Brisa, Starr and the rest of Team Spectrum, things would turn out all right. Brisa had a sound head, and he trusted her judgement. If she wasn't as worried about Maple yet, then he wouldn't be. After all, at least Maple was more forthright than Soda.

And... Don't just trust me. Trust yerself."

A strange feeling spread through Koa, something like a warmth, mingling with a tightness in his throat. Brisa... she wanted him to trust himself? Even after- he swallowed quietly, but the tightness didn't quite go away.

Words gathered on his tonuge, all the things he longed desperately to say. That she shouldn't trust him, he could barely trust himself sometimes.

I'm scared. I don't want to hurt you but everything I do seems to hurt my friends.

That he was sorry. Sorry for avoiding her, sorry for running away.

Why would anyone want to be my friend? Why would you accept me after what I did?

To tell her about himself, and to understand her better. That her mentorship meant so much to him...

I want your friendship. I think you're amazing. I want to be the mon you seem to think I am but I don't think I can be.

Instead all he could manage to say was, "I'll try." That, at least, earned a tired, but genuine smile from the luxray.

He needed space to think. Giving Brisa a nod, he turned to go to his room. Maybe if he kept trying... maybe he could succeed. Despite all his apprehensions, a new lightness formed in his heart, not one of naivety, but in the surety of trust in his team.

<><><><><>​

 

[Flyg0n]

Echo hung from the ceiling, wings wrapped around his body, deep in thought.

As tempted as he was to use the ceiling fan again that Koa had gotten installed, he was more concerned about his trainer. Koa was still distressed, he could sense it easily. Even if not for their mental link, he could still pick it up, regardless of how good his trainer seemed to think he was at hiding it.

Even as a pokemon, there were subtle tells that gave away Koa's feelings. But how to help him? A faint sound made Echo's ears twitch and he cracked on eye open to peer at the door. Someone was home.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa collapsed onto the living room couch with a soft thud. One ear pricked at the sound of Echo's wings.

"Howdy," she mumbled into the cushion.

 

[Flyg0n]

He recognized the unusual Luxray immediately. Brisa, Koa's friend, mentor and someone he especially admired, despite his attempts to keep distance.

She looked tired.

Frowning in thought, he left his perch and swooped into the kitchen, returning a minute later with some berries in his talons. He set them down in front of her, in case she was hungry. "Are you alright?" he asked.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa couldn't help but smile. It was borderline infuriating how sweet Echo was. He reminded her of Luz on her 'up' days.

"Yeah."

She groaned, and shifted to lie on her flank. She'd pushed herself so much she was practically cramping up.

"Ah . . . nah. Things're tough right now, partner."

Would Echo understand, if she explained to him? The goings-on of the day were . . . entangled.

 

[Flyg0n]

Echo nodded. "Everything that happened with the spy, right?" His tone remained both bright yet serious.

The distress from his trainer during that gathering had been palpable. Maddeningly so. Guilt, anger, resentment... it was his job to protect Koa but physical threats were much easier to do something about.
The things happening now were harder.

He poked at one of the berries he'd brought. "It wasn't easy."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"No kiddin'," replied Brisa.

She acceded to Echo's prompting and took a berry between her claws to eat.

"Guessin" this stuff ain't the sort of thing either of y'all're used to back home," she commented. "Fer me neither, but at least I got some experience with suspicious, angry folks thinkin' I've stepped wrong."

 

[Flyg0n]

He never knew what Brisa's life was like, but it sounded nothing like his world. "Our world is different." He grinned a little. "Koa fought a few mean humans and helped some pokemon but everything here is really different."

His expression grew more contemplative. "I guess we got some stuff to worry about cause it seems like legendaries back home are acting weird. But its obviously not the real legendaries doing anything bad. But people just like to find something to blame."

That's what Kitto had said, which he'd already figured. Humans were odd, compared to Pokemon sometimes. He didn't always understand them. "It's easier for people that way I guess."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

There was more Brisa could say about that than she could stand to right now. She settled for changing subject.

"There are a few trainers on the team," mused Brisa. "No trained 'mon, 'til you, partner. What's that like? He treat ya well?"