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Frontier Town Founder's Square

Reader mode
"Aiyah, forgive me for jumping to conclusions," Felin said with a brief laugh. "People don't go waving a mon's bounty poster unless they're trying to catch them, no?"

Kotetsu said:
"I heard you finally made it into town!" called Kotetsu. "Good for you! Took you long enough."

Kyoko bowed to the new arrival. It looked like she lost a week off her life to do so.
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"Ah speak of the devil, he's here," Felin said, quirking a grin as she shot Prim a sideward glance. It was as if she waited to see how the petillil would respond.
 
Leaf frowned at Kyoko's speculation. "Last we saw her, she was serving a pretty pathetic 'master', happy to let her grunts beat up innocent guests," she grumbled. "Then she ran off instead of owning up to it. No clue what she's doing now."

Then there was a bisharp at the edge of the square. Leaf blinked, half startled and half amused. She wasn't sure whether it being Kotetsu was weirder than if it had been Rin. Well. Something was gonna happen either way, it seemed like.

"...If you're not here to drag him home," she asked the samurott and the big bug, "what are you here to do?"
 
Corey glared at the approaching Bisharp. He was not happy at all with this guy, not in the slightest. There was no honor in the way he acted, harassing others less powerful than him... and now he was taking advantage of the fact that even the law itself couldn't stop him from doing what he wanted? Few things made Corey angrier than bullies, but nothing was worse than the bully that made him feel completely helpless...
 
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Jackie Cat said:
"Oof!" whistled Ibuki. "Better luck next time, sapling!"

"Rin?" asked Kyoko, with interest. "That is a Tsainanese name. Another Bisharp, you said? I wonder if she is also a samurai, or else a masterless warrior. Or worse..."
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Prim bristled at Ibuki's words. Blasted fool with no respect. She saw herself in Kyoko's weary countenance and had half a mind to ask the golisopod if he'd eaten any good onions lately.

"Yes, Tsainanese too, I think," she said. "She had the accent, and the tattoos... Uh, no offense."

She was surprised to hear mention of wanderswords here—it wasn't a term used in these parts, so perhaps Tsainan was more akin to her home than the Soja, though she certainly didn't regard her king as celestial or phoenix-like.

Jackie Cat said:
"I think we may not fully understand each other. Forgive my imperfect Luctemarene tongue, I must have misspoken. I am not trying to collect Kotetsu's bounty, or to take him back west, or to fight him – he is my... What is it you foreigners say? He is my boss."

Ibuki snickered at her from over in the still-bubbling fountain.

"The oaf's boss, also," added Kyoko, groaning. "For my sins."

Just as Kyoko's words sank in for the gathered offworlders, a clunking of metal armour could be heard from down along Main Street. The Samurott looked up and scowled at the approaching Bisharp.

"I heard you finally made it into town!" called Kotetsu. "Good for you! Took you long enough."

Kyoko bowed to the new arrival. It looked like she lost a week off her life to do so.

"I was trying to catch him," muttered Kyoko.

She tore up the wanted poster and unceremoniously discarded it.
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She wondered at the dread she felt at the rhythmic clinking of armor—a sound she knew well, by all means—before she registered its source.

In the company of her fellow offworlders and the silly outlanders, Prim had recovered enough dignity to take offense at the golisopod's condescending attitude—but as her vision flashed black-white-red, as that surly voice raked the folds of her brains like ursaring claws, she might as well have metamorphosized into a lowly sunflower seed baking on the cracked dirt.

She turned away as quickly as she could, anchoring her feet in the water again to calm herself. The welt on her forehead seemed to pulsate in time with her heart and her stinging eyes, impossible to ignore. But she knew better than to cow before a predator—the way of the carcass.

She should have known better than to roar before one, too, but that lesson was a nail and no amount of brutish hammering over the years had managed to drive it through Prim's rocky skull. Even in this fresh body she had the scars to prove it.

"Here to lord these guys around too, huh?" she asked as she turned back towards him, pretending like there was no testament to his martial supremacy literally written on her face. "Make you feel like a big tough guy?"
 
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Kotetsu looked down at Prim, and broke into laughter.

"Ha! As if I had nothing better to do. I see you are unchanged since our last meeting, little sapling. Come, would you like to strike me again? Perhaps this time will go better for you!"

Kyoko sighed, and stepped forward. "Respectfully, sir, we should be on our way. We must make progress on our quest."

Kotetsu scoffed. "Ha! You are joking. Ha ha. I assume you've been playing dutiful soldier in front of the locals again, eh?" He bowed to the group of offworlders. His body language seemed... self-deprecating, somehow. "I am Kotetsu, son of Tsainan, and I have come to your fine country on a quest! Having displeased my lord, I must redeem myself by completing the small task of finding the fabled Saint of Victory and swear him to the service of my lord."

Kyoko looked uncomfortable. Ibuki snorted, as if he was in on the joke.

The Bisharp grinned darkly at the other 'mon. "No 'mon has seen the Saint for many generations, and I have nothing to offer him if I could find him! But do you not see that I should be optimistic and diligent? If I work hard, perhaps I will complete my task and regain my honour before I die of age, and I will see my homeland again! By all means, Kyoko, lead the way!"

Kyoko dipped her head, so that her expression could not be seen beneath the brim of her hat.
 
‘My heart fucking bleeds for you, you rusted old shitbag…’ Corey thought, and boy did he want to say it out loud but he just didn’t have the brass… He hated being a helpless weakling, both in this world and his own…
 
"...Are you sure you weren't simply sent on an impossible mission to get out of their way?" Mhynt questioned bluntly.
 
Kotetsu looked at Mhynt, and blinked in a stupor for a moment. Then he practically doubled over in cackling laughter that sounded like coins jingling.

"I see they have not invented sarcasm in this country!" he declared. "Ma'am, I am painfully aware that this quest is impossible. I have been exiled in all but name. As a courtesy to my rank, perhaps – or so that my lord will appear merciful." He looked to Prim, and gestured to Kyoko. "I make no pasttime of ordering this one about. Rather, I seek to enjoy a quiet drink without her hounding me to continue my search for a pokémon from myth and legend."

Kyoko stared daggers at her master. "We have proven much stronger than any warriors in Luctemar who have fought us. Perhaps the Saint has not been found because Luctemar's warriors achieve no great victories in his name. We might yet succeed."

The metal samurai chuckled bitterly. "Oh! Perhaps. What say you, dear Ibuki?" He turned to the offworlders. "What do you make of this notion, sir and madams? Perhaps if we fight a great battle in Victini's name, he will appear to us!"

Ibuki chuckled to himself as if he heard this same argument on a regular basis.
 
"If a sparring match in the name of a Saint was all that was needed, I imagine we would have seen Victini every month," commented Mhynt. "If we fight you, you do realize there is a bounty over your head. Alive, thankfully, but a bounty. Or you can pay us that bounty out of your own funds, should we defeat you... I don't know. And if you win, you earn the chance to summon your Saint. What crimes are you wanted for? We don't have a good track record for Frontier Town bounties lately. We still have a... bitter taste from it."
 
“So you can give us all matching bruises and broken bones? Then you can laugh about how disappointingly easy it was while the glorious Victini does a victory jig? Doesn’t seem too appealing if you want my honest opinion…” Corey eventually grumbled. Seems his attitude had taken a bit of a 180 the more he realized they were outmatched.
 
The subtext of Kotetsu's original complaint had perhaps been lost on her, but even Leaf's patience was wearing kinda thin. She was the last person to argue in favor of being bossed around and made to do stupid stuff, but man this guy was a pro at taking his frustration out on the wrong targets. "Don't see how kicking around random people who aren't even asking for fights is gonna help you find it any faster," she said, nodding toward the flower lady. "Or make the drinks any quieter." And then, because she might've been annoyed but damn it who wouldn't ask, "Why do you need to find a saint from a whole different country, anyway? What's he got to do with your lord?" Weren't saints, like, legendary pokémon or something? Was rolling up to one and saying "hey, come work for my boss" a thing you could just do?
 
Namohysip said:
What crimes are you wanted for?
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Kotetsu's face briefly wore an almost impish smirk. "A young fellow was making a buffoon of himself at a local evening club. Since he was clearly upsetting the nice ladies there, I did him the favour of teaching him some manners. Apparently that's not the done thing in this country."

Mr.RMA said:
“So you can give us all matching bruises and broken bones? Then you can laugh about how disappointingly easy it was while the glorious Victini does a victory jig?
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Kotetsu gave Corey a baffled look. "Do you regularly get your bones broken in a sparring match, son? Is something wrong with your Chi? Your, what's the word you have... Fighting spirit. Your Aura?"

Ibuki rolled over onto his side in the fountain. "Maybe they don't have friendly battles here, boss?"

Kotetsu scoffed. "Nonsense! What kind of pokémon doesn't love to battle?"

Phoenixsong said:
"Don't see how kicking around random people who aren't even asking for fights is gonna help you find it any faster. Or make the drinks any quieter."

"Why do you need to find a saint from a different country, anyway? What's he got to do with your lord?"
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The Bisharp glanced over at Leaf.

"What? Your sapling friend insulted me, challenged me to a duel, and threw the first attack. I offered to shake her appendage and make nice, and she chose to walk away. It's like you foreigners have no manners at all."

He shrugged, one gauntleted hand on his hip.

"The Saint of Victory is a mythical pokémon who can win any battle. I was being insincere earlier, young miss – I am not intended to succeed. My lord may as well have asked me to annex the moon."
 
Prim had lopped the spike-helmed heads off a bisharp or two in her day. She replayed that memory in her mind, now her only source of peace. Eyes wrenched shut, she was serenity.

So she told herself over and over. Each additional whetstone-on-steel word from the haughty bisharp's lips tested the bounds of her patience further.

Fuck, but it was hard. Even as a youth, Prim had towered over her peers and would-be harassers. You just didn't fuck with someone like her. Not really. Great strength did not a good or easy life make—certainly Kotetsu himself was standing proof of that fact—but she would have traded anything to be in his position again, unbothered by the bickering of ants.

At least she'd had the decency not to make the ants feel bad about it.

Jackie Cat said:
"What? Your sapling friend insulted me, challenged me to a duel, and threw the first attack. I offered to shake her appendage and make nice, and she chose to walk away. It's like you foreigners have no manners at all."
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"You forgot the part where you hefted me out of my seat and plopped me on the table," she said at last from behind gritted teeth. "Wait, don't tell me. That's actually a great sign of respect in your dumb country or some shit. Fucking whatever. Speak with all the bravado you like. Anyone with eyes and ears can make their own judgment from your acts. It's pretty plain to see what you are, and for all your theatrics to obscure it, just as plain that your no one who matters is as amused by your prancing as your pet roach over there is. Otherwise you wouldn't be here, would you."

She took a deep breath. She did feel better after that, all things considered. She knew she didn't strike the most intimidating pose, just knee-high to the bisharp and with a tremendous shiner between the eyes that you couldn't help but salute. But if she hadn't let the words out, they would have become flame inside her and left only white ash behind.

"Sparring for fun, though? I can get behind that." She cracked her neck and then thanked God she was still capable of doing that in this little body, else she would've looked pretty funny just now. "Maybe it'll actually be a little fun, now that you're not fucking with some runt in a dark room and calling it honor."

Jackass.
 
"Nonsense! What kind of pokémon doesn't love to battle?"
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"The kind that watched their best friend get killed from it, perhaps," Corey muttered.

Oh, but right, here Pokemon didn't risk getting gravely injured so easily... like he ever would believe that. Pokemon had plenty of killing potential, especially those that hardly valued the lives of their opponents... He'd learned that one at a young age... learned that trainers weren't always the friendly sparring type... and they often raised their Pokemon to abide by the same mentality... He'd learned that sometimes people just wanted to lord their dominant power over others, to watch as helpless victims screamed for mercy whilst they offered none... He'd learned just what kind of painful, frightened screams a Pokemon could give while they were relentlessly struck by blow after agonizing blow... People and Pokemon didn't have to be part of one of those obnoxious criminal teams to be pure evil... they just had to wake up one day and decide to live the life of a sadist.

"...I have little reason to trust that you'll treat this like a sparring match with the way you hurt my acquaintance here... You acted like a bully, there's hardly any honor to that. What can you offer to assure this whole thing doesn't just become a total bloodbath, huh?" He'd probably just get another weird look, they'd ask what the hell he was talking about, and then god-knows what would happen next. Frankly Corey was just too aggravated to remember how this world's rules worked, and he couldn't be bothered to care.
 
Kotetsu gave a sour half-chuckle towards Prim. "Weren't you listening, little sprout? My lord exiled me across the ocean. I am forever stained by dishonour."

He said the word as if it would stain his teeth as it left his mouth.

"But a shamed samurai can still battle with proper conduct," he added, in a lighter tone, making a dismissive gesture with his free hand.

Mr.RMA said:
"...I have little reason to trust that you'll treat this like a sparring match with the way you hurt my acquaintance here... You acted like a bully, there's hardly any honor to that. What can you offer to assure this whole thing doesn't just become a total bloodbath, huh?"
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Kotetsu's puzzled look returned. "Young sir, are you perhaps a sheltered son of nobility? How do you imagine that happening? Why would I strike a downed opponent with intent to spill their blood, for Saints' sake? In a public square, in broad daylight, no less?"

Kyoko folded her arms. "Sir, this is a waste of our time. They clearly don't spar in this part of the country."

Kotetsu pointed at Prim. "She's up for it. I'll fight her. I like her spirit!"

Ibuki hauled himself to his feet and stretched. His exoskeleton popped and cracked as he did, which he seemed to find enormously satisfying.

"Just let the fae fellow sit it out," he said, shrugging. "He doesn't have to fight if it's not his calling. Fairer numbers that way anyway."
 
Jackie Cat said:
"Just let the fae fellow sit it out," he said, shrugging. "He doesn't have to fight if it's not his calling. Fairer numbers that way anyway."
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This just seemed to aggravate Corey even more.

"Fairer numbers? Oh, come off it with that bullshit... Fine, you want a fight so bad? We'll have a goddamn fight." At the very least he'd get a chance to try and shake off all this feeling of helpless frustration. He really hated this Bisharp... and that golisopod was rubbing him the wrong way now too...
 
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Leaf had no idea what the merry hell was going on anymore. Did Kotetsu strike first or not? Did Ibuki hit her at some point? As far as she could tell he hadn't, but either way, yikes this lady was mad. (Was it just normal adult stuff to drag like five different things they were angry about into an argument that was just about one?)

Whatever. Jerkface wanted to fight so bad, cool, they could fight. Not like she hadn't put up with yappy know-it-alls before. Not like she hadn't shut them up before. Either they'd kick his ass and he'd whine about it and go home, or they'd lose and he'd gloat for a while but at least get bored and go home. Or maybe they'd get lucky and he'd be the kind who actually got something through his helmet afterward.

So she stepped forward, not particularly hurried, but with that battle-static starting up a low buzz in the back of her head all the same. "You don't have to fight if you don't want," she told the ralts. "He's just showing off, not like with the mayor. We'll be fine."
 
"It's been a long time since I got to spar properly," Mhynt said. In her old world, people were too afraid to spar with her for fear of their lives. But here? She was weak. She attempted to conjure a Leaf Blade... but nothing came. She sighed. On the bright side, she could go full force without worry.

She focused on her hands again, conjuring different elemental energies until she found something favorable... "You may be able to tell that we're very weak on our own. A proper duel is not on the table. If you want to spar with us, it will have to be against a group of us for it to... even out."
 
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