Treasure Town ~ Marowak Dojo

[Tanuki]

Zane picked up the stare Soda dropped. Was this worth pursuing? Probably not. "No, hold on," he was Zane, though. "What're you getting at? Some kinda joke? I'll have you know, I'm the picture of health!"

To demonstrate his claim, he grabbed both injured mon and hoisted them up over his shoulders. Lifting with his back, the strongest muscle in his body, however somehow backfired. A pop preceded a burning agony that tore through his lower back. He instantly dropped both to press the roaring suffering out of his back. "I think," he strained through gritted teeth, "I pulled something. Can I get an oran?" He glanced at the pair he'd just flopped onto the ground. "Or four?"

 

[Namohysip]

Soda glanced to the left, then shrugged. "Berries are over there, usually for emergency supplies if sparring gets too crazy." He clicked his claws thoughtfully. "Don't eat too many, though. I don't think they work the same on you guys anyway." Despite this, Soda didn't lift a claw to help out directly.

 

[Tanuki]

“Have you ever heard of being helpful?” Zane sneered.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa's whole body thrilled at the catharsis of a good fight, especially one where she'd rooted for the victor. She yowled her approval as the final blow hit true! It looked like both gals had really pushed themselves, though... She busied herself collecting the medical supplies as indicated by Truffle, and readied herself to apply them.

Giving medical aid was routine for Brisa -- she'd done it plenty of times for others in the course of her patrol duties. Anyone confounded by the ravine tended to come out the worse for wear, and it was always Brisa who found them and gave them the help they needed. She'd applied oran paste to her own wounds more than once, too.

Still, doing it for first Starr -- as the more injured -- and then Curio felt different. She'd never given medical attention to someone she fucking hated on sight before. Or someone she... liked. It sent static prickles up her forelegs to touch either of them in the process of checking for injuries, or cradle their heads and coax them into taking some berry juice. She felt uncomfortably warm and restless, and couldn't wait for them both to be back on their feet so she could stop fussing over them...

...and so they could be ready to fight larger foes.

 

[Namohysip]

Soda's expression froze, like he'd heard something profound, and he sat up. "Shit, I never thought about that," he said, tapping a claw to his chin, thoughtful. A few silent seconds passed, Soda looking forward like he'd been listening to a very interesting professor.

He then took another helping of popcorn and leaned back, using his abundant mane as a pillow, munching away.

 

[NebulaDreams]

Curio opened her eyes, cradled in the arms or, er, paws of Brisa as she applied the oran juice to her lips. Her whole body ached after that fight and her chest still had waffle-shaped scratch marks all over it. Waffles. She could've gone for a whole stack of 'em right now. She was gradually getting up to speed as she sipped more of the oran juice.

"D-did I win?" she murmured.

 

[Umbramatic]

Mithos is hovering uncomfortably close to Curio's face.

"Yeah you did! You did great!"

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa smiled despite herself. "Yeah, you won. I knew you would. But just barely, and we've got the big fight coming up, so get yourself on your feet fast as you can."

She extricated herself as hastily as she could manage while still being gentle, and went to check on Starr again. She'd taken one hell of a bludgeoning, deserved as it may have been.

 

[Chibi Pika]

Starr had a splitting headache when she awoke. Through blurred vision, she was able to make out something round and bright blue... an oran? She bit into it and got a rush of flavors. Yep, an oran. A wave of relief spread across her wounds. She slowly pulled her paws beneath her and propped herself up.

"Man, is this how Pokemon always feel after a fight. It's..." Beneath the aches and pains, she could still feel a bubbling energy inside. Not a raging fire like during the fight, but more like a smoldering contentment. "...Pretty damn fantastic." No wonder her team was always clamoring for a fight.

Not far away, Curio looked like she was coming to. So... even if Starr had fallen first, at least she'd made that blue pup take a fall too. Nice.

The corners of Starr's mouth curled up. "Charging straight through fire, huh? Pretty ballsy."

 

[NebulaDreams]

Curio turned to Starr who just woke up as well. Suddenly, she didn't feel as mad at her as she did before; maybe the fight burned off some of thawt frustration.

"Yeah, I didn't wanna wait to be roasted like a Psyduck or somethin'. Besides, I've been burnt plenty of times before. But it was awesome how you spewed this huge fuck-off breath of fire just like that. Like--" she stood up and outstretched her arms, making her best impression of a living flamethrower.

 

[Umbramatic]

Mithos turned to the Litten. "Hey! You did great too! That said you lost so obligatory neener neener."

He looked around.

"Okay... What now?"

 

[Chibi Pika]

"Yeah, I didn't wanna wait to be roasted like a Psyduck or somethin'. Besides, I've been burnt plenty of times before. But it was awesome how you spewed this huge fuck-off breath of fire just like that. Like--" she stood up and outstretched her arms, making her best impression of a living flamethrower.

Starr chuckled. "Yeah, it was pretty badass, huh?" Whether that referred to her own fire breath, or Curio taking it head-on, she didn't specify. Somehow, it was like most of the tension had left her with the fight.

Her eyes fell on the waffle pattern of scratches across Curio's chest--noticeably lessened after the orans, sure, but still. "You like like you got hit by a lawnmower," she said with a smirk. "Gonna be back in fighting shape by the time those overgrown sushi show up?"

She couldn't help massaging her jaw a bit as she tried to ignore the fact that the question applied equally to herself.

 

[NebulaDreams]

"Hell yeah, it was badass!"

Her eyes fell on the waffle pattern of scratches across Curio's chest--noticeably lessened after the orans, sure, but still. "You like like you got hit by a lawnmower," she said with a smirk. "Gonna be back in fighting shape by the time those overgrown sushi show up?"

"Says you." Curio stretched, feeling more pumped up than ever now. "But yeah, I'm gonna make a barbecue out of those Magikarp." She tried not to drool as she thought back to those times spent on the island. "Speaking of which, my family would be in seventh heaven if I brought a huge fish like that back home for us to eat. I could murder one right now."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa settled back into a purr of satisfaction and relief. Cooler heads all round, no serious harm sustained, and inadvertent training for the imminent fight. This was good. The arrival of another newcome was also, surely, a good thing.

She still felt... peculiar, however. Hot inside, and fidgety. It was fine! She just needed a fight of her own. She'd be right as rain after a good showdown with the giant magikarp. Which would also go fine, because despite everyone's fears, they had all been getting stronger. She could feel it in the sparks down her limbs. he could see it in the fire from Starr's mouth and in Curio's eyes. They'd be fine.

She shook herself again, fur sparking, and still didn't feel normal. It was fine. Just temporary.

"There's nothing like a close victory," she remarked. "Starr, I trust you'll be ready for the magikarp punch-up in a few shakes?"

Cathartic as the fight was... by wind and thunder, she still wanted to tackle that litten. Something about her godsdamn face was just so-- so-- so infuriating! She held it in. She'd get her fight in due time, no doubt. Nnn.

 

[Umbramatic]

"What's this about overgrown sushi?" Mithos said to the trio. "Aw man now I'm hungry.:"

 

[Chibi Pika]

"Says you." Curio stretched, feeling more pumped up than ever now. "But yeah, I'm gonna make a barbecue out of those Magikarp." She tried not to drool as she thought back to those times spent on the island. "Speaking of which, my family would be in seventh heaven if I brought a huge fish like that back home for us to eat. I could murder one right now."

"Wouldn't I be the one doing the barbecuing?" Starr asked, with a bit of a snide grin. She stood up fully, stretching out her limbs, feeling the ache lessen as the orans worked their magic. "But yeah, let's go kick some asses."

"There's nothing like a close victory," she remarked. "Starr, I trust you'll be ready for the magikarp punch-up in a few shakes?"

Starr scoffed. "Course I will. I've had way worse than this--and that was as a human." It wasn't like she didn't notice the curt tone in Brisa's voice or the way her claws clenched when no one was looking. Starr bit back several snide comments. Whatever, let her stay mad, you don't have to give a shit about that right now. For the first time since she'd gotten here, Starr actually felt pretty good. Which was weird to say when covered in bruises, but hey--Pokemon.

 

[Chibi Pika]

And then, as the three were leaving the dojo, Starr's eyes went wide with realization.

"Wait. When the FUCK did Mew show up?"

(Mew?! Here?! Why?? But then why isn't Ajia here? She's the real hero, not you.)

 

[Umbramatic]

"HeLLO? I've been here for a while! You still feelin' it in the head from that fight or something?"

 

[Chibi Pika]

Starr stared, completely dumbstruck. Okay, she couldn't pretend like she knew Mew all that well, but that sure as hell didn't sound like...

Right. Different universes. Duh.

"Yeah, gonna hazard a guess and say you're not the Mew I've met," she said flatly, rubbing a paw against her temple. "Diyem bring you here for backup, or what?"

 

[Umbramatic]

"You talkin' that weird Glitch Charizard? Yeah he did! Dunno what I'm backup FOR though. Just sounded like fun."