Sojaveña Wilds Silver Riverside

[Chibi Pika]

The Silver River wound its way north from Frontier Town through increasingly rugged hills. In many parts of its course, the river actually lay underground, emerging only after the rare rainstorm. But there were stretches where the bedrock pushed water to the surface, and these parts were lined on both sides with dense shrubbery, cottonwood trees, and desert willow. In the desert, water was everything, and it attracted life from miles around.

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"Appreciate you folks helping out on such short notice," Gligar Xoco said, fluttering ahead of the group on the trail leading north along the river. "Doubt we'll need five of us for this, but I suppose it's better safe than sorry. 'Specially on account of your party being low on combat experience."

It was a simple job--some of the fishermon in town had reported damage to their traps upstream, and Xoco had approached the party at the Traveler's Haus to solicit volunteers to go investigate. Most likely, it was some wild 'mon breaking into them. But what kind and how strong remained to be seen.

"It should be just 'round the bend," Xoco said, landing in front of the four mon accompanying her. "I can scout ahead in case we run into trouble. Any questions?"

 

[Cresselia92]

It had been an hour or so since the team meeting ended; a reunion meant to keep everyone updated regarding the various matters of Forlas. And while it had been partially successful in bringing everyone up to speed, it also painted a picture of that world that was way more complex than any member of the team had expected.

The Covenant of Light with its human members, establishing rules for other humans and looking down on Pokémon.

The Vanguard, a group of Pokémon who rebelled against humans and who fought to preserve the ways of Pokémon.

The Shadow Pokémon, a deadly force created by an unknown third party in that infamous Terminal Two, which could be vanquished by some light force called Radiance. Oh, and apparently the Saints of that world could use that power, too.

So many things to keep track of, and it didn't seem like the team accomplished much, other than deciding a team name (as if they were some rock band!) and giving a name to their cloudy patron, Betelgeuse. Lesson learned: Three dozens of brains from drastically different people do nothing more than foster plenty of chaos and make it harder to find some agreement, especially if there are obvious fractures inside the team itself. All they got out of it was a lot of vague, scattered information and no concrete plan.

'Ugh! We're still basically on square one! Why is it so hard to work as a team? If all meetings have to end like this, with no tangible result... Tch! No wonder I always preferred to do things by myself!' Silver grumbled internally, his arms crossed and his sulking gaze pointed low. He relied on his hearing to follow Rodion and Lyle, who had suggested finding some quiet place to chill and discuss the various topics mentioned during the meeting. The now-Sneasel was grateful for that: nothing was more mind-refreshing than a gentle breeze away from the noisy city.

Then, the trio stopped in a fairly secluded area, away from any unwanted eyes or ears. That seemed the ideal spot to talk about anything, including sensitive topics. Silver gazed expectantly at his teammates. "So, huh... That meeting was quite the chaotic mess, wasn't it?"

 

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

Steven was at the training spot early. It was the polite thing to do, but it also afforded him some extra time to train on his own. After all, he'd offered these training sessions to help the others. But after the run-in with the Wolf, (and his rather pathetic showing,) and the impending conflict with Cipher, he knew he needed to hone on his own skills, too.

At the moment, Steven was practicing by levitating rocks high over the muddy bank. The water was low in this area, and dropping them from height meant they'd embed themselves deep in the mud. Once they were good and stuck, the goal was to try and wrench them free with his telekinesis.

When he'd last spoken to Koa and Ridley, both were excited to join the training session. He left a note at the Haus that anyone else interested in training today could join in as well. As he practiced on his own he listened for any sound of anyone arriving.

 

[Weazel]

As a Water Type – really, as an otter – swimming was something that was hard wired into Archie’s psyche. Strictly speaking, he could survive just fine without, he wasn’t a fish after all! But, going too long without made him irritable, short tempered, depressed, all sorts of nasty things, really. He had trouble focusing, he couldn’t sleep as well, he started feeling uncomfortable in his own skin.

So, suffice to say, Silver River was a real godsend. He tried to come out a few times a week, to a point where the water was deep and wide enough to accommodate him. He’d find a decent enough piece of driftwood to jam vertically into the soft riverbank soil, drape his hat and coat on it, and dive in. He didn’t really have a set routine. Sometimes he did laps, sometimes he dove under and worked on holding his breath, sometimes he chased fish around, and sometimes he just floated lazily on his back, holding on to a river plant to prevent the current from dragging him away.

He was doing the latter activity when a flash of metallic blue out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. He spun, untangling himself from the reeds he’d nestled into, and was able to get a good look at the color’s source. Steven, headed in the direction of Silver Ravine, by the looks of it? What was he doing going out that way? He’d never taken Steven for much of a dungeon delver. Seemed like he was in a hurry, too!

“Hey, Steven!” the Oshawott called, paddling towards shore. Actually, this was maybe a good opportunity to follow up with the Beldum on all things Shadow. He’d been mauled pretty bad by the Drapion, and even though his physical injuries appeared to have healed nicely, the mental ones were likely still fresh, especially after the back to back experiences of Seth and Powehi. How to breech the subject, though? “Is… Everything alright?”

Not the most elegant, maybe, but it got to the point.

 

[Jackie Cat]

Seth had said he'd hang around the area near the Silver Ravine rift shallows. Just enough that if the Wayfarers wanted to meet with him, he'd find them and be there. The human-turned-Lycanroc clearly had enough confidence in his recon abilities...

In the end it was Wes who found Seth first. Perhaps by chance... Perhaps because Seth took an interest in his own alternate self.

Either way, when Wes prowled his way along the Silver one evening, it wasn't long before he found he had a second shadow.

"What brings you here, knockoff?" asked the shadow, as the other Lycas stood up on his hind legs and crossed his forelimbs. "If you're here to have it out, I'll have to disappoint you – I'm in too good a mood today to spoil it throwing down."

Seth grinned, all bravado and implicit threat, but his eyes were those of a 'mon who hardly slept. At least his voice wasn't tinged with Shadow. Yet.

 

[Chibi Pika]

Jade felt her tail swaying behind her as she adjusted her stance on the river bank, breath coming out in a slight mist. The weather was getting colder—she'd never liked the cold much, and a thin layer of fur didn't help much. It was hard enough to get herself to train regularly when she didn't have an entire team of Pokemon to badger her into it. Worse when the weather meant that the first thing she wanted after finishing the morning's deliveries around Frontier Town was to sink into a chair by the fire at Nina's with a hot drink.

But, it was important. So at least a few times a week, she dragged herself out to the riverside to practice some moves. She never wanted to be caught off guard again. Not after what happened at the Ranger HQ.

Jade clenched her paws, feeling the static charge building as she tried to remember that feeling, when she'd first latched onto Brisa's power on the train. And later on, when training with Koa. If she could just call on that power at will, like it was her own...

(She still wasn't sure why she wanted to get the hang of this in particular when there were a dozen other moves she could try, but...)

 

[Chibi Pika]

With the fluttering of tiny wings, a Rookidee zipped back and forth across the gently rippling current of the Silver River, full with rainwater and snowmelt from the mountains. Jade's eyes traced the navy dot back and forth, through various aerial acrobatics. Definitely a lot nimble than most larger flying-types, that was for sure. She wasn't sure if voicing that fact would be welcome, though.

"I would have preferred if we were gathered somewhere closer to the sea," Virga said after alighting on a log.

"It just worked out that this was where we first appeared on Forlas," Jade replied, stretching her arms and legs before standing up. She hadn't trained in a while, so running through some basic move drills would probably be a good thing. "You'll probably like Novelux better--it's on the edge of a huge lake. Like 'bigger than all of Tohjo' huge."

Jade was keenly aware of the Rookidee watching her and tried not to think about it as she called on the sparks for a Thunderbolt, feeling the tingle as the energy built up in her arm. Jade furrowed her brow to keep her focus, letting the electricity build until she could let it fly from her paw, arcing through the air and across the river. Virga watched its trajectory, and Jade could feel the bird's surprise. (Some part of her was hoping to impress, though she didn't want to admit it.)

"I have tested this form's capabilities," Virga said. "While its flight is adequate, it cannot even manipulate the wind suitably. I don't know how I am meant to use it in combat."

"Hm," Jade replied, now letting flames lick the digits of her opposite paw. "I think Rookidee are mostly physical attackers. Less attacking with the wind and more striking."

Virga flicked her tail, annoyed. "Striking with nonexistent mass, wonderful." Evolution couldn't come soon enough.

 

[Tetra]

Koa stared bleakly at the opposite wall of his room, listening to the soft breathing of Anubis, waiting for sleep to come. Finally, he rose to his paws and slipped quietly out, taking care to step lightly. He really didn’t have the energy for a conversation right now.

His thoughts drifted as he wandered, unfocused. As if by walking long enough he could leave behind all his worries and fears. They dogged him anyway. Buildings passed by, until he reached the last one at the edge of town, then kept going. His paws carried him to the riverside, and he stopped by the edge to stare into the water.

Stars and moonlight glistened in the reflection, and he saw glimpses of himself in the still water by the edge. With nothing better to do, he fell back on training, which had become a welcome rhythm in his time here. At least here he had power, he could change, he could become stronger on his own. And he needed to evolve. To claim the power he would need for their mission. To rescue Starr.

Shadowboxing invisible opponents, he struck and lashed and weaved, losing himself in the motions, welcoming the reprieve from his fears. If only those could be bested like a regular opponent... No matter. Practice made perfect. They’d need every bit of strength to face what lay ahead.

Dropping into a fighting stance, he started with slow katas. A reminder of home, and his training with Kitto. The motions were different but the principle was the same. Slow. Control. Focus. Then he began to speed up, moving fluidly before starting to fall into practicing combos. Cycling through old moves, calling down rain and thunder, striking at imaginary foes.

But even training couldn’t block out every doubt.

He’s here.

Koa blurred across the earth, tore into a scraggly tree with shadowed claws.

They’ll all find out eventually. You can’t hide the truth forever.

Darkness surged within him, choking. Suffocating.

You’re lying to yourself. The facade is going to fail and you’ll show what you are.

Grabbing for the light, he drew on it greedily; like gulping water in a desert.

He had nothing to hide. He was a hero- A liar can’t be a hero-

Koa unleashed a flurry of blows and detonated a burst of light at a nonexistant enemy.

He could help save Starr, just like they’d helped Amida. And yet you’re still a failure. That will never change. You weren’t good enough.

Lightning from his paws glassed the sand around him.

I’ve helped people, I’ve made a difference. You can’t change who you are.

In his mind's eye he saw the ghostly spectre of the mural beats from the wastelands. {The truth.} He tore up the earth, shattered a boulder with a punch. Why wasn’t he ever enough?

You can’t hide from the truth. This is the truth. I am good enough, I’m strong enough to do anything, to help everyone to do something that matters I'm nothing like him.. I can prove it.

Stop lying.

He felt ice cold ghost tendrils choking him, imagined red chains, and saw a snowy mountaintop from a far off screen, words replaying over a crackling speaker...

"Do not look for me."​

He drove an electrified fist into the earth, making a crater.

Why? Why hadn’t he been good enough? Why did he...

Shadow and light danced around his paws and sparked off his fur.

Face the truth, coward.

Turning, he struck behind him with practiced ease, then unleashed a wave of electricity.

Back then, his father Cyrus' dream had sounded like a wonderful thing. And now, even now... power to change the world. Power to make it better... Roiling dark and light surged through him as he charged his electricity, then slammed his paws down. He’d wanted to follow. To help. To stand by his father's side. If he’d been there, he would have.

Water splashed around him as he struck the rivers edge. Gasping, he stopped short. His limbs trembled and his sweat soaked his collar. Dazed, he glanced around. The secluded spot he’d picked was utterly wrecked. It was almost a little scary, to see the level of destruction, even if it was just crates in dusty earth and some poor annihilated boulders and trees. Drawing shuddering breaths, he fought back the haze of corruption, breathed deep until he felt some of the buzz receding and his thoughts clearing.

A wave of exhaustion washed over him as his adrenaline faded. He checked the sky. Nearly midnight, by his guess. And for all his training he was still just an electrike. Whatever. Maybe at least now he could get some sleep...

---

Anubis could tell when Alpha was sleeping and when he wasn’t. He’d always been able to. And tonight, Alpha wasn’t sleeping. He whimpered softly and twitched, and his body was tense. He’d returned from his midnight outing disheveled and exhausted, slipping ou and in as if he could actually sneak by Anubis. Silly boy.

Rising to his paws, Anubis hopped onto the bed beside him, then carefully curled around the smaller canine. He began to gently lick the top of Koa's head with smooth, rhythmic strokes, just as Anubis own father and mother had done for him as a pup. As he did, he let his inner flame flare slightly and radiate a comfortable warmth. "I am here," he whispered softly.

---

Sleep escaped Koa. Despite exhaustion dragging at him, despite aching limbs and addled thoughts, his mind found no true respite. Instead he fell into a haze between dreams and wakefulness, his thoughts dancing between shadowy flames and a cold mountaintop. Baleful red eyes followed his every step. He was running, running from or to something, snowdrifts swallowing him, chill seeping into his fur.

Endless, suffocating cold enveloped him.

Gray swirled through his vision, then black, oozing blackness, dripping and pooling, drowning him.

"I am here."​

A single pinprick of orange pierced the black. Like a flickering candle in the darkness. Distantly, he felt a warmth blanket him, soft and comforting. The darkness and cold melted away, and he felt... at peace. Safe. Embracing the warmth, he allowed himself to sink into it.

Just before sleep overtook him, his mind fixed on one last thought.

No matter what else happened, he wasn’t alone.

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