Treasure Town ~ Main Square

[Ambyssin]

"Can you not recruit more pokémon with these oh-so-special powers of yours?" Necrozma growled, arms crossed and core darkening.

 

[Shadow of Antioch]

Bold of you to assume you're being paid, Diyem replied, and gave no further answer.

Flame frowned, arms crossed. "Not even in gratitude? Some people, I swear..."

In his mind, though, he was replaying the image of the two giant Magikarp. "I'm not sure whether to feel scared, or embarrassed of feeling scared of those things," he admitted.

 

[Chibi Pika]

As Starr stared at the pair of Magikarp flopping their way toward town, she tried to find it in herself to care, but ultimately could not. What difference did it make if it was one Magikarp or two? They were boned either way.

"Yeah, this pretty much confirms it--whoever's behind this wanted to give us the stupidest possible death."

Somehow, the idea of taking down Legendaries back home felt more feasible. At least they'd had firepower back then. Here they had... what? Also she still could not for the life of her figure out why anyone was opposed to decking themselves out with supplies from the store. The town was going to be destroyed! Who gives a flying fuck about stealing in that scenario? Also Diyem's explanation really wasn't helping things.

"Hey Diyem," she said out loud, "any reason why all the halfway-decent plans we could make keep getting shot down for reasons that sound like you pulled them outta your ass? I mean, seriously... weird auras that make items just stop working? What the actual hell?" Yes, she could have asked all this through the private link, but screw that.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa's fur bristled at the return of the shaking ground; while Earthquakes were something she would always have to be nervous of, the fact that it was sourced from a Magikarp made things a combination of surreal and worrying.

She snapped upright from her sleeping repose, immediately frantic. The vibrations-- Landslide in the ravine! No, this was Cibus, earthquake-- the fish, it was the fuckin' fish-- she looked around wildly for Curio-- where was she? She wasn't in her bunk. Right.

She left the hidden quarters and pushed through to the main square, tuning into the telepathic communication just enough to send out a quick Curio? Where are you? and hear anything critical coming the other way. Already some of the party were breaking fast or gathering in the square. Still looking about for Curio, she heard the litten ('Starr,' right?) ranting to Diyem and the world in general about their predicament.

She made a mental note to try to get a read on some of the other team members before the fight began -- at least, once she knew Curio was okay.

 

[Adamhuarts]

"Hey Diyem," she said out loud, "any reason why all the halfway-decent plans we could make keep getting shot down for reasons that sound like you pulled them outta your ass? I mean, seriously... weird auras that make items just stop working? What the actual hell?" Yes, she could have asked all this through the private link, but screw that.

"Y-yeah! Litten is right!" Cynthian uttered weakly. "I'm sure I'm not the first person to point this out, but it really feels like we're being set up for failure here. I could live with us having four ₛ𝒸ₐᵣᵧ fire types weak to our benevolent water type adversary, then it turns out every one of us can't even fight at our prime—" he paused to whisper, "Not that I had one." Then he continued, "And now we can't even use all the items available to us! What even is going on!"

Cynthian held his head and shuddered. "Please tell me you have some elaborate plan that could get us out of this or something..."

 

[Chibi Pika]

Starr blinked at the cowering Roselia next to her. While he had pretty much agreed with everything she'd said, did he have to be such a damn wuss about it?

"Jesus, could you at least try to not be a sniveling coward," she said, rolling her eyes. "I thought everyone here was supposed to be a hero or some shit."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa's attention switched from the absent Curio to that last remark. How... cruel. This coming from the litten she saw the previous day cowering at one end of the Dojo covered in rice.

"What's your heroic record like?" she snapped. "Save any innocents lately?"

 

[Ambyssin]

"I told you before... that 'hero's aura' drivel was nothing but a ruse." Necrozma stared at his right hand. "Roselia is right, we are being set up for failure. Otherwise our so-called benefactor would've given us the full story from the beginning."

 

[NebulaDreams]

Magikarp skeletons stretched for miles on a beach with a monstrously low tide. There was no water in sight. The sky was blood red. In the midst of it all was the sand-covered cartilage of a Gyarados. Curio stepped through the beach, stomping on fish bones in a dazed state. No matter where she walked, there were still piles of dead Magikarp strewn everywhere. The sunlit ground roasted her feet as she walked. Finally, she gave up and went on her knees. An invisible force pulled her under the shore. Her mouth was full of sand and pebbles. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't--

--

Curio woke up in a cold sweat in the hidden quarters. Dave was there, snoozing. How early was it? Brisa was also there. As much as Curio felt comfortable next to her, she didn't want to wake her up because of a nightmare. Sure, Curio still never got used to them, but she had managed before on her own. She needed to walk off this night terror. So she got up, stretched, and exited the dojo to walk around the main square.

--

She didn't know how long she spent on her own, wandering around, but the earthquake stopped her in her tracks. The seismic activity came from two... Magikarp? Fuck.

Curio?

That was Brisa's voice. She ran away from the scene to find that Shinx in the main part of the square along with Starr, Cynthian and Necrozma.

 

[Chibi Pika]

"What's your heroic record like?" she snapped. "Save any innocents lately?"

Starr's ears flicked toward the Shinx. Oh, so she wanted to call her out, did she? Fine. Fine. Whatever. Starr didn't come here to make friends.

The Litten bared her teeth in a sneer. "Can't say that I have, no. My skills are more in line with making people miserable. That's why I knew the hero's aura was a bunch of bullshit. But at least I can pretend I was called here because I'll be useful. Which is more than you can say for half the people here."

 

[NebulaDreams]

"Well, who pissed in your cereal this morning, Starr?"

 

[Chibi Pika]

Starr snapped her attention to the Riolu that had walked up when she wasn't looking. Dammit. She kind of liked Curio, too.

"Oh, forgive me for not being a basket of sunshine and rainbows when we've got two goddamn giant Magikarps to fight, and teammates that don't have a spine, and this shitty origami who practically wants us to fail."

 

[Ambyssin]

"... I took steps to prepare myself for water-types." Necrozma raised his hands and electricity crackled around them.

 

[Shadow of Antioch]

"... I took steps to prepare myself for water-types." Necrozma raised his hands and electricity crackled around them.

"Yeah!" Flame exclaimed, before feeling his tail flame shrink. "You, uh... do that. I'll just be over here. Cheering you on with Cynthian."

 

[Adamhuarts]

"Oh, forgive me for not being a basket of sunshine and rainbows when we've got two goddamn giant Magikarps to fight, and teammates that don't have a spine

"What do you even know about me?! Who are you to say something like that?!! Yes I'm spineless, yes I'm weak, yes I'm absolutely useless, but I don't need to hear that from a stupid stranger!" Cynthian barked, blood boiling and flowers bristled in preparation to shower her with Stun Spore. Above all else, he was trying his absolute hardest to hold back his tears.

Cynthian grit his teeth and turned away from Starr. "I came here hoping to get better, and that's none of your business!"

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa's lips drew back in a growing snarl. "Well I hope you've been preparin' for the fight, then, like we have. Or have you just been puttin' down team members and lappin' up rice?"

 

[Jedi Shulk]

”What's all the commotion about?” Fay said as he walked into the main square.

 

[NebulaDreams]

"Oh, forgive me for not being a basket of sunshine and rainbows when we've got two goddamn giant Magikarps to fight, and teammates that don't have a spine, and this shitty origami who practically wants us to fail."

Curio was gonna do it. She was going to drop a bomb on Starr. She was of sound mind and body when she said the following:

"No one said you have to be full of sunshine and rainbows, but how are you gonna get anyone here on your side by bein' such a flaming cunt?"

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

(Brisa had only heard that word used once in her life. She stifled a mortified gasp, and then a belly laugh. Gods, Curio.)

 

[Jedi Shulk]

(In the depths of Fay’s mind Ego got excited at the possibility of a fight.)