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Sojaveña Wilds Brisa's Cabin

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Mystery dungeons were normal for Nip? So there were probably tons of other worlds out there with just pokemon. Sick.

"I don't know. Humans are like..." he'd never had to think about it before, what a world without humans would be like. No trainers. No towns or buildings. "Uh... well I guess we look a little like... have you ever seen Hitmonchan? Kind of like that but we have hands. And hair I guess. Or like a skinny Machoke? We walk on two legs and wear clothes, and build things. Buildings and houses and stuff. We're smart, I guess, in a different way."

He wasn't sure if that even made sense, but he couldn't figure out how else to describe a human. "But we don't have powers like pokemon. We can't breathe fire or shoot lightning. We're a lot weaker. So back home a lot of humans have pokemon partners that help them, or they battle other humans with pokemon for fun. That's what I did back home, I was a trainer." His heart ached again as he thought about them. The Voice said he'd be returned as if he'd never left, but it didn't make not having them any easier.

"What did you do back home?" he asked, mostly to distract himself.
 
"I have a vague idea of what they look like," he replied, "though I've never seen one myself." He lapsed into silence, thinking more on the description. It sounded like humans were very lucky that they got along with pokemon, because they'd need the protection from bigger predators in such a helpless state.

Koa's next question brought him back to the present.

"Oh, I..." He struggled to come up with an answer. He certainly didn't want to tell the truth — that he'd spent over a moon doing odd jobs for community service after committing a crime — and the current situation in Theran Village wasn't something he wanted to go into either, if he could help it. So what could he say?

Perhaps a partial truth was in order. "I used to be a hunter. But when I left my old home, I turned to manual labor. Right now I guess I'm between jobs."
 
Koa nodded thoughtfully, lasping into silence for a short time. Something about Nip's reply left him feeling odd, and as curious as he briefly felt, he decided asking questions might invoke those questions asked of him. Best not to pry to far down that line. After all, they had all come here to help people, right? That's what mattered. Besides, he was much more interested in what other worlds were like.

"So whats your world like? What do pokemon do for just... fun. Do you battle?" he asked curiously. He'd seen plenty of casual battles among wild pokemon, but now that he thought about it, maybe not every pokemon in other worlds even did that...
 
Fun? Nip couldn't help but fully pause for a moment, slowing to a stop. When was the last time he'd had fun? It had to be many seasons ago. Before running away. Before Umbra.

He started walking again, trying to come up with a suitable answer. "Play battling is common among the young," he finally answered. "And training among the older. Contests of speed, strength, and skill are also common." Sports. He was describing sports. But the word wasn't in his vocabulary.

"On hot days, I liked to lounge about and listen to other Pokemon chatter. Sometimes some of the others would sing or dance, but I rarely participated."
 
Koa listened as they walked. It seemed like that much was common in other worlds, pokemon battling each other. "We have contests too. Trainers and pokemon show off their pokemons beauty or coolness. Yours remind me of our pokeatholon, pokemon compete in different sport events against each other."

It didn't take too long to reach the river. Koa stopped at the edge, peering into the water. Flashes of silver rippled beneath the surface. How did Electrike hunt fish. Did they even hunt fish? Was he supposed to pounce and hope for the best?

"How do we do this?"
 
Huh, what a strange word. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that there are some similarities between our worlds. Pokemon exist in each, after all."

As they reached the river, Nip padded up to the water's edge. "I'll show you the way I was taught, though you may have to adjust to find a method that works for you."

He walked along the shore until he found a sturdy spot, the pointed to the water. "Make sure you keep your shadow out of the water, you don't want to scare away your prey. Then prepare to strike and settle down to wait. Patience is key."

Then he fell silent, crouching by the water with one paw poised to strike. Several minutes passed as he watched the ripples in the water, eyes darting back and forth. Then, in one quick flash, he lashed out at the water, scooping a small, writhing shape up and sending it behind him in an arc. At once, he turned to dash towards it.

He paused only for a second, not recognizing it as any kind of pokemon he'd ever seen, before delivering a familiar, practiced, killing strike.

Then he turned back to Koa. "Did that make sense?"
 
Waiting and watching Nip just stand there perfectly still, poised to strike over the water, felt like torture. Now he remembered why he'd never gone fishing often with Blake. And then, in a flash movement, Nip struck, and it was over. He couldn't help but stare for a long moment as Nip dispatched his prey. So this was how wild pokemon probably lived. His stomach rumbled and he turned back to the river. If Nip could do it, so could he.

"I got this," he said, with a level of confidence he didn't quite feel.

Koa found a good spot near the rivers edge, and stared intently into the water. All he had to do was wait for the right moment to strike...Just be patient and watch the water... Echo would probably be good at this. He could just find fish with his echolocation and then stun them. Would echolocation still work if the fish were underwater? Wake's gym was a water gym. If he ever rematched Wake, maybe he could use that. He'd have to test that when he got back-wait, would he even remember to try that? The VoiceCloud had said they wouldn't keep their memories, hadn't it? Maybe-

A flash of silver at the edge of his vision. Koa launched himself at it, splashing into the water, jaws snapping shut on nothing. Spluttering and spitting, he stood up, the shallow water coming up to his chest. His fur prickled as a growl of annoyance sparked through him at his failed hunting attempt.

The feeling built up inside him, and abruptly, a weak flicker of electricity came from his fur, barely stronger than a buzz of static. A small fish fish floated to the surface, momentarily stunned. Koa didn't hesitate, snatching it from the water and tossing it to shore. Some kind of Elektrike instinct kicked in and he bit it swiftly, killing it.

Unconsciously, his tail wagged and he grinned. Nailed it. It wasn't very big but it would be enough to ease his hunger. He'd eaten several bites before he realized he was eating raw fish. Sort of like sushi, he supposed. Shrugging it off he finished off the fish and turned to Nip. "I'm good until we get to town, unless you want to try and catch another?"
 
While Koa did his best to fish, Nip sat back in the shore, slicing his meal apart to eat the fish in pieces. It tasted similar to aquatic pokemon he'd eaten before, but there was something a bit different about the flavor that he couldn't place.

"Hm... Would have been better chilled."

He was shaken out of his thoughts by the sound of a splash. Nip looked up just in time to see Koa raise his head from the water, empty-jawed. But he said nothing, waiting to see what he'd do.

And as it turned out, waiting paid off, as Koa was still able to catch himself a meal. While he finished eating, Nip hastily scraped dirt over the scraps of his meal, closing his eyes and silently thanking Yveltal for the life given for food.

He only spoke again when he was addressed. "I think I am good for now. If we absolutely have to, we can stop again later. Just allow me a moment to drink."

Returning to the water's edge, he crouched again to lap up a few mouthfuls.
 
Koa followed suit, lapping up a few mouthfuls of water after realizing how thirsty he was. He took the moment to try to orient himself. Al had been helpful, but they still didn't know what was going on in this world or what to save it from. They needed a plan. So far the only thing he knew was that someone named Brisa left to go east with someone like them, someone summoned to this world. If they could find her, then they could figure out what was going on. Which meant getting to town and finding the rest of the team, no matter how much he wasn't keen on it.

Once he was done drinking, Koa started towards town, keeping to the rivers edge. "Thanks for showing me how to fish by the way. You're pretty good at it, you must have been a great hunter where you're from."
 
Nip couldn't help but feel a sense of pride at the compliment. Sheepishly, he scratched behind his ear. "Well, I sort of had to be to get by, you know? But thanks. You did pretty good for your first time."

That said, he returned his gaze to the horizon, and the distant shape of buildings in the distance. They still had a ways to go. But hopefully, they'd find more of the others there.

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[Ch02] Investigating the Cabin
  • Threadmarks
    • Dr. Drungfield wasn't thrilled with the shape any of them were in, or with the Petilil who was already there when they arrived, looking like she'd been in a bar fight against a fucking truck. But she did mutter something about how if Jesse or Brisa were still around they'd have made short work of the beast. At which point Dave's ears perked.

    He'd been meaning to head out to check on that Brisa person, see if she knew anything, but the cabin was apparently a ways out of Frontier Town and the person he asked at the library had made it sound like they just hadn't seen her around in a while so she might not even be home. Drungfield, though, indicated that both of them had just up and disappeared, not like they'd just gone on a trip, like something had happened. That was suspect.

    And Wes had mentioned he worked for this Galvantula called Alejandro who could take them there. Well, then why the fuck not. After they'd had a day or two to feel less like death, anyway.
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Koa trotted alongside Dave, keeping his head up. A lead. Something to focus on, something he could do. It'd been in the back of his mind ever since reading up more about Jesse and Brisa. Drungfields comment only cemented his determination. Plus he'd been there before, so he knew the way.

    "When I was here before, Alejandro mentioned there was someone else who showed up, awhile before we arrived. Same deal with being unfamiliar with the world. Maybe if we can find out where they went, we can get an idea as to why we were called here." He was convinced it meant something.
     
    There was some talk in the infirmary of hiking to a cabin—something about strangers and Escarpas, which Prim had gleaned referred to the barbarian clans in the country. That was all fine. Prim didn't take much interest in such things, but what she did take interest in was the cabin's location: mercifully distant from the town limits. Excepting her brief stay at the heathen fort, Prim's time on Forlas had been spent entirely between Frontier Town and the ranch she worked at just outside. That is to say it was entirely too little travel for a seasoned wandersword and it had pushed her to the very precipice of madness.

    Considering this, she had no choice but to tag along with the grumbling scientist, the sullen tinker and the bright-eyed whelp.

    "So it's not just us getting pulled into this world, huh?" Prim asked the eletrike. "I guess that's comforting. Only, you do have to wonder how many others have been summoned and failed..." Her face fell. Little grim. Maybe better keep quiet for now.
     
    To say Wes was less than thrilled at Koa’s tagging along would be an understatement. He also didn’t love the idea of going on a hike with his leg still sore, but he wasn’t about to let that stop him, either. At the very least, they were out of Drungfield’s office and he no longer had to feel her glare burning into the back of his head for showing up the third time in a week. Sands, she’s gonna hate me as much as the kid does at this rate.

    “So you’ve been here before, then?” Wes asked Koa, trying his best to keep his tone as nonchalant as possible. The little green lady—Prim, she’d introduced herself as—didn’t need to know about the animosity between him and Koa. Unfortunately Dave already knew about it a little too well, but Wes was hoping he could at least somewhat redeem himself to the Poochyena today. He’d given up any notion of elevating his impression with Koa, however.

    “If you’ve been here before, what makes…er, is there a reason for you to believe we’ll find something different?” Lightly, carefully. Choosing words and opting for a tone that was more curious than accusatory. Gods, this is exhausting. I’m already tired.
     
    "I landed here actually," Koa said neutrally. In his head, he pretended he wasn't talking to Wes. He was answering the question for the sake of Dave and Prim, a Petlil he only vaguely recalled. "Me and the one of the Sneasel, Nip. But we didn't know anything and snooping through a strangers cabin seemed rude so we decided to head into town. Never got the chance to really look around, and I wasn't sure it was important at the time."

    He made sure to walk closer to Dave and Prim instead of Wes, but not too far, so it was noticeable. Mostly he wanted to get on with this, and get back to not worrying about Wes always probably scrutinizing him. Instead he addressed his next words to Prim. "From what I understand when something bad happens, one hero usually gets called. I think our situation is pretty unusual... maybe a first." Was Brisa's friend connected to this? It would line up if she was the 'hero' who had called them in the first place.
     
    That…was a reasonable enough answer, actually. Wes nodded in understanding, but quickly realized there was no point as Koa was very pointedly not looking at him whatsoever. Then the kid shuffled over closer to Dave and Prim, and it took every ounce of Wes’s self control to not roll his eyes.

    Fine. Whatever. At least Koa wasn’t ignoring him entirely, though on any other given day Wes might have preferred that. Just get this over with without a fuss. That’s all you need to do.

    He decided to address Prim instead. She didn’t seem much like the chatty type, given the way introductions had gone at Drungfield’s, but Wes didn’t mind. If anything, it was refreshing to meet someone who seemed to actually think before running their mouth off. “Well, from what I understand, it was just the one hero who was called this time, and failed.” He paused, thinking with a frown. “Although…I guess that doesn’t explain where all the other former humans we’ve heard about have come from. Makes you wonder how many times this world has needed saving, and why they gotta bring in new people every time.”
     
    Dave had been skeptical when both Wes and Koa had wanted to accompany him, after the back-and-forth yapping on the wagon trip, but this time around they each seemed determined to prove themselves the better man, talking with stiff neutrality while refusing to look at each other. As far as Dave was concerned, the kid should've been extremely fucking grateful to Wes for not letting him get himself killed going after Ridley. But that was kids for you, he supposed.

    Tetra said:
    "When I was here before, Alejandro mentioned there was someone else who showed up, awhile before we arrived. Same deal with being unfamiliar with the world. Maybe if we can find out where they went, we can get an idea as to why we were called here." He was convinced it meant something.
    Click to expand...
    Dave jerked his head toward Koa. "Huh. I mean... that's got to be the fucking human hero we got summoned to help, right? If it was someone summoned from another world not long before us? Pretty big fucking coincidence otherwise. So what if Brisa disappearing has something to do with why that person failed and called for help?"

    Wes sure had a point about this world having a lot of world-threatening crises if it summoned people from other worlds to battle them with such regularity that there could even be such a thing as a human supremacist movement. That might not actually be so hard to believe, though. That fucking Charmeleon practically constituted a crisis all on its own, and if it was actually infectious... Maybe this was less a cartoon and more of a zombie flick.

    "Alejandro," he said, turning back to the aging Galvantula, "what can you tell us about this previous person who showed up?"
     
    "Hmm?"

    As Alejandro caught up, every footstep looked deliberate. No skittering.

    "You mean the young lady what was spendin' time with Brisa? Well, I can't rightly say I know her species, but she were of the feline persuasion, I remember that clearly. Dark fur, I seem to recall – didn't talk too much, 'least not to me."

    The Galvantula scratched his chin in what seemed like an affectation of thoughtfulness.

    "Never caught her name, or I lost it if'n I did. Never saw her too far from Brisa, and I knew her, so I s'pose I jus' kept addressin' her."
     
    A feline Pokémon…Wes mused over that for a moment. “Don’t suppose you know what type she was?” he asked the arachnid. It had only been a few days, but even in his short time working for him, Wes had gained a healthy respect for Alejandro. Cordial, sensible, and knew all the ins and outs of his craft. He offered compliments that were sincere and never patronizing, and Wes found a strange element within him yearning to gain more of the older mon’s approval…which gave him all the more reason to avoid kicking up a fuss with Koa.
     
    Alejandro chuckled raspily. "I'm mighty sorry, young man! I'm afraid I couldn't tell ya for certain. Dark fur can mean Dark-type, but not necessarily. Lotta cats are Dark, though, if I'm not mistaken. Besides, if she's been spendin' time around Brisa this long, she'll certainly have evolved by now. Gettin' in that many scraps will do that to a 'mon!"

    The party reached the cabin just as the sun was beginning to send long shadows out in front of them. They'd all spent much of the day in Drungfield's care, and it was well into the afternoon by now.

    "Don't suppose any of you youngsters packed lunch?" jested Alejandro, with a good-natured laugh. "There's still some cured victuals in the pantry up here if not, should y'need any."

    As before, the front door wasn't kept locked.
     
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