Little Scriven Cliffside Café

[MintyMimix]

Be it during soft sunrise or dreamy dusk, the Cliffside Café welcomed weary visitors with a nice hearty brew. It cozily sat just at the northmost point of Little Scriven. While humbler in size compared to its neighbors, it was still one of the most frequented businesses in town.

From drink names like "Miracle Eye Coffee" to the "Phan-tea-sm", the Oricorio barista made quite the effort to pay homage to the various plays and dramas performed in town. During the cold winters, one may even catch her putting on a fiery dance as she mixes for that extra bit of warmth. And for all other times of the year, the inside was nice and refreshing thanks to the spinning blades on the ceiling a certain Spinda engineer installed.

Although the indoor seating had its fans, the real draw for most was the outdoor deck. It oversaw the lands below the butte stretch far and wide. Majestic mountains and remarkable rock formations created a view that paintings could barely even capture in its splendor.

When combined with the natural breeze of the wind and its perfect positioning to see both sunrise and sunset, and soon many found it to be almost ritualistic to pay the place a visit each day. "The beaut of the butte", the mayor called it.

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[JFought]

If there was anything Isidora appreciated the most about Little Scriven, it was the effort they put into fighting the desert heat. Maybe it was just getting colder with the passing of autumn, but the air inside the café felt actually bearable, at least relatively speaking.

She had just come to take a break from the library, and between the size of there and the atmosphere of here, it was hard not to be in a good mood. Their selection of books was so much more varied than the archives, and almost all of it unknown to her. She felt she could spend forever in this town, just passing time in places like these, with a few books and no worries. If only...

Isidora sat at a table sipping her tea (just the right amount of sour), and focused on relaxing for now. After the stress of everything recently, she felt she deserved it.

 

[Tetra]

Koa had decided just a few hours after arriving that Little Scriven was his favorite town. Frontier Town was nice, but coming to Little Scriven was so pleasant. If he wasn't losing himself in the library, he could take and break and enjoy the food and drink. And there was less chance of running into anyone else, giving him time alone with his thoughts.

As he entered the cafe, he let out a sigh of relief, relishing the cool air. He missed Sinnoh fiercely, especially the pleasant temperature. How could anyone stand it here, he had no idea. Once he'd gotten an order of their (Miracle Eye Coffee, with extra cream and sugar, and caramel), he was about to find a seat when he spotted a familiar Sneasel.

Isidora? What was she doing all the way out here? It'd been awhile since he'd seen her, outside of their Cipher raid. And that dreadful escort. After a moment's hesitation, he cautiously made his way to her table. "Hey Isidora," he said amicably. "What brings you out here?"

 

[JFought]

At Koamaru's voice, Isidora glanced his way and tensed up involuntarily. What was he doing here? She had seen him at the archives on several occasions before. Were they here for the same reason?

You should be used to him by now. After all, they had traveled together twice so far. There had been bumps, but he didn't seem to hold anything against her, and she had heard the situation that caused that incident during the escort had been resolved. Yet something about being approached so cordially made her fur prickle with discomfort. Was it really just because he was human?

But, no. Isidora couldn't be afraid of him. Despite everything, he was still just a kid, right? Kids wouldn't be going around catching pokémon, that'd be absurd.

She put her tea down and nervously scratched the table's surface in an attempt to keep her claws busy. "Hey. Just taking a break from browsing the library. Guessing you're the same?" There. That wasn't hard.

 

[Tetra]

Was Isidora still upset at him for something? Maybe the escort.... He wasn't sure but he didn't want to think that about her. Maybe he was misreading her? He nodded, focusing instead on what was far more interesting.

"I can't get enough of the library here. Reminds me of the one back home," he said, grinning. "I've been trying to see if I can learn anything else about Saints and other places on Forlas. I love it, its a nice break for a little bit, and its useful to try and learn about this world. What about you?"

He glanced at the table, noting the extra chair. "Oh uh. Mind if I sit?" he asked a little awkwardly.

 

[JFought]

Isidora sat a little straighter in her chair. Oh I'm pretty sure I mind- Then gestured with an open paw and equally awkward energy. "It ain't reserved."

She took a determined sip of tea. I can handle him. "I've been doing extra research on this world too. For practical reasons, of course. Gives me something to do." She glanced away for the slightest moment. Only partially a lie. "And I mean yeah, this place ain't bad. I don't have to worry as much about melting here, so that's an improvement."

Doing well so far, but something still nagged at her: a lingering assumption she needed to clear up. She leaned forward a little onto the table. "Y'know, I've been curious. How old are you?"

 

[Tetra]

Koa took the seat as she spoke, listening intently. Maybe they could share notes sometime...

He blinked, taken aback by her question. Why did that matter? "Fourteen." Then, remembering how he'd gotten strange looks before, he added, "that's considered kind of independent where I'm from, but still young I guess. We can travel at that age and everything though."

He tipped his head curiously. "How old are you?" Couldn't hurt to ask, right, if she'd asked him?

 

[JFought]

"I'm thirteen, came of age at ten. So we're a year apart, though thirteen is 'full adult' by sneasel standards. At least in my world." Isidora scratched her cheek, leaning into her claws a bit. "I ask because you do seem young to me, but you can never be too sure with different species. Sounds like you're basically an adult if you're allowed to travel. Or close enough to one, anyway..."

She continued to scratch the table with her other claw. The next logical question would be So what do you do then, but she wasn't keen on ruining her own day yet. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it.

 

[Tetra]

Koa almost laughed at the idea of Isidora being only thirteen, even if that was the same as an adult Sneasel. It made sense that Sneasel matured faster, like most pokemon. He suppressed a grin as he spoke. "So that means I'm older than you?" Too much, maybe. For all he knew she wasn't a joker.

He tried to segue. "I wonder how that compares to how years are measured on our own worlds. Is a year the same length of time?" he mused out loud. "Fourteen is... sort of like being an adult, where I'm from, but technically I still have a couple more years before I can drink or whatever. So whatever the closest thing to whatever 'almost adult' is."

For a moment, he was reminded of his talk with Bellatrix, the way it felt like there was some unspoken tension. He scrambled for something neutral as he tried to decide if he wanted to confront her. "I guess your home is pretty cold too?"

 

[JFought]

"So that means I'm older than you?"

Isidora sighed and waved it off. "Yeah, yeah, rub it in."

"I wonder how that compares to how years are measured on our own worlds. Is a year the same length of time?"

"A year's the same length between here and my world, for what it's worth." Now she was wondering if Koamaru was from an 'Earth' or not. She shook her head; the idea had sent it spinning. "Probably not worth thinking about."

"I guess your home is pretty cold too?"

"My home...?" Somehow, that tripped her up. She tried to hide it with a sip of tea. "Y-yeah, it's cold all year where I grew up. Though, I haven't been to my hometown in years." She stared into her tea and chuckled somewhat bitterly. "And I won't be going back anytime soon, that's for sure."

Isidora placed the cup back down and pulled herself back into the moment. "You said 'too.' I'm guessing that means you're also from a cold part of the world?"

 

[Tetra]

Well at least they had that in common. "A place called Sinnoh. Really mountainous so it stays pretty cool and gets cold around winter or in the mountains." It was hard to miss how bitter she sounded about home, but he definitely didn't want to open that can of worms. Prying into people's personal history was an invitation for problems. "I really miss the cold, I'm not cut out for this desert." He tugged reflexively at his jacket collar. Lightweight as it was, it was nothing compared to the comfort of Sinnoh's temperate climate.

Small talk. His greatest enemy. Maybe he could find something they shared. "I'm hoping to climb the largest of those mountains back home, a place called Mt. Coronet, once I'm strong enough. What about you, have any goals back h- on your world?" Yeah that was good. He and Felin had connected over that.

 

[JFought]

"Sinnoh, huh...?" Isidora knew about it, though only vaguely. As Koamaru went on, she found herself more fixated on the way he pulled at his jacket collar. It was so strange and uncanny to see an electrike do that. Uncomfortable, even. It reminded her she wasn't talking to a pokémon.

She took another sip. Her tone came out joyless. "Now imagine being me. Having dark fur in a desert is suffering, let me tell you."

His stated goal of wanting to climb a mountain reminded her of the adventurers of her world. It actually seems pretty normal. And soon after that:

"What about you, have any goals back h- on your world?"

It was just an innocent question. "Yeah, I have a goal." Yet unconsciously, her gaze started to harden. Would he have even been half as interested, had they met in his world? He probably doesn't expect much...

The sneasel straightened her back and crossed her arms in a show of pride. "It's to study history and become an academic. I go to a college," she stated matter-of-factly. For once, she found real confidence in that. "I had to bust my ass off to get in, but it's important to me that I have the chance to do what I want with my life."

That part... felt empty to admit. She briefly swept the air with a claw. "'Course, none of that matters now. But point is, I take my freedom seriously." And with that, she studied the human intently. What did he think of that...?

 

[Tetra]

He tipped his head slightly, briefly confused at the way she replied. Who didn't take freedom seriously? "Yeah me too. I couldn't wait to leave on my journey honestly." There'd actually been several reasons he'd wanted to leave, but he didn't feel like digging into that.

"I was never very good at history, or academic stuff. Unless it was about legendary pokemon," he added with an awkward chuckle. College seemed like an odd choice but if she really enjoyed it then he could understand. "But that's cool! My Joltik back home liked books too, but most of the rest of my team wasn't very into the library or reading." The thought of Rascal trying to read was rather amusing to picture.

 

[JFought]

Isidora's ears pulled back. "Your joltik...?" Her eyes narrowed, and her claws flexed into her arms. "What do you mean by your?"

 

[Tetra]

Koa stared at her, baffled, his paws tensing in apprehension. What was her problem? "I mean like my friend." He tried to curb the edge in his voice. Was she like Felin maybe, and didn't get what trainers were? Surely she had to have learned better by now, he wasn't the only trainer here, and lots of pokemon worked on teams with each other.

He narrowed his eyes. "What's your problem with me?" The words spilled out before he could catch himself. "You've been giving me looks and acted weird for weeks now, even though we were fine when I first got here. We worked good on that first mission. Did I do something to you?" Was this for being a trainer? Was it about the escort? Something else?

 

[JFought]

It felt as if Isidora's ears were tied against her skull. Her claws were at full length. "You haven't done anything to me yet," she hissed.

Fighting to control herself, she reached for her tea and finished off the cup in a single gulp -- now there was nothing to tie her here. "Maybe..." she began as she slowly placed it back down. "Now that I know what you are, I just have a hard time feeling comfortable around you. For the same reason any wild pokémon might feel wary when confronted by a human." As she pulled her arms back into a crossed position, she ran one of her claws across the table so that it left a light diagonal mark from her tea to the edge: a dividing line. "Especially when that human might be a trainer who keeps their pokémon trapped in Poké Balls."

 

[Tetra]

Koa drew back, confused, before a flicker of annoyance sparked in him. That's what this was all about, since the start? What he was born as? "What are you talking about?" he snapped, an edge in his tone. "Because I'm human-? I haven't done anything to you! We're on the same side. So if Ein is a Manectric, am I evil too? Are you the same as Silver? Should I assume all Sneasel are sneaky judgemental thieves?"

His hackles rose and he shook his head, sitting back in his chair. "How very Covenant of you, judging people for how they were born." His voice quivered and he swallowed.

"I don't know what happened on your world, but if you'd bothered to ask, you'd know Hazard, my Joltik, asked to join me. I didn't even catch him. He came after me. Same as half my team." Reaching into his jacket, he withdrew his own pokeball that he'd gotten from Mew, and slammed it on the table.

"I don't trap my pokemon," he hissed. Still bristling with annoyance, he shoved it across the table. "Go on, since you know everything about other worlds. Trap me with this pokeball."

 

[JFought]

For a moment her eyes went wide. When...?

Fight or flight kicked in full force. In two swift motions Isidora drew from her shoulder and struck down hard on the Poké Ball so that it cracked and shattered into pieces scattered across the table. She stood up on her seat shaking and leaned over looking down on him with a deathly glower. "Are you taunting me? What point do you think you're trying to make? "

Focus. A deep breath. It was okay. It was gone now, reduced to shards. Her claws curled into the wood. The shaking stopped, and instead she was pissed.

Isidora continued in a low, hush growl: it was important no one could hear this. "Do you even understand why the Covenant is evil? Are you naive, or do you just believe whatever's most convenient to you? Cuz it isn't because they're mean, or judgemental, or petty, it's because they think they're better. Because they think they know better; that pokémon need humans and aren't capable of living without them. And why wouldn't they? That's how the human world works." She picked up one of the ruined ball's shards and clenched it between her claws. "This is the proof: your world was made for you. Not me, or your 'friends,' or anyone else here with us right now. But you don't seem to get that. Maybe that's why I don't like you."

Still holding the shard, she jumped off her seat. Logically she knew she needed to leave, but the indignation burning in her chest wouldn't let her stop. She clutched the shard to her heart. "And I almost was willing to give you a chance! But this isn't even the first time you've judged me for something like this! Why should I believe you're different? Because an entire half of your 'friends' came with you willingly?" A derisive smirk flashed across her face as she scoffed at the ridiculousness of the claim. "Cuz that's not half the gotcha you think it is!"

(...Somewhere in the back of her mind, she felt bad for making this the barista's problem.)

 

[Tetra]

"That was mine!" he snapped, barely restraining his voice. His heart lurched as he stared in dismay at his broken ball. Would Mew give him another? "You have no right."

He stood up, staring her down evenly, eyes blazing. His voice came low and insistent. "I don't know what you're talking about. I never judged you, I've been trying to be amiable. You've been acting like a judgemental snob the entire time I've just been existing next to you. You never gave me a chance, you already assumed you knew me and how my world works. So I guess I should just let you treat me like I'm some kind of monster? Because of your world? News flash, there's thousands of worlds and they're not all yours."

His paws gripped the table. He buried the confused pang in his heart. "I guess I overestimated you. Thought you could be fair, but you think you know better than everyone. You're the one who thinks they can decide for every pokemon in the universe what's right." Snorting, he looked away. "Some academic you are."

 

[JFought]

Isidora's fur bristled with fury. No substance, just deflecting and projection. He just couldn't get it. Because...

She took a deep breath through her nose. "...Right. Because according to you, I'm just a criminal."

He is a kid. Why the hell did I bother? The sneasel kept her back turned as she gathered her bag from the floor. "You didn't hear a single thing I said. You only care about how you look coming out of this." Abruptly she turned to him and pressed the blunt of her claws against the side of her head. "Your head's made of lead!" Then showed off the Poké Ball shard still in her paw. "And I'm keeping this."

Isidora stalked off...