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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[Phoenixsong]

Deep breath. Hold it for a beat. Feel the sparks in his chest building into fire. Didn't even have to worry about holding back, now they were training by the river so there was less risk of anything catching. Surely this time, after trying for days straight, it would work. But the embers caught in his throat when he exhaled, and the only thing that came out of Blue's mouth was a pathetic hacking cough and a whole lot of smoke. Nothing, in other words. Always fucking nothing.

"Maybe we call it here?" Leaf suggested. Something in her smile looked kinda strained. "It's been a busy couple days, yeah? It's okay to take it easy." She dropped the however-many-th calm mind she'd been holding onto, just in case swinub flew and he actually managed something for once. She might as well not have bothered.

"No," he said anyway. "I'm not going anywhere until I get it." He had to be close by now. Had to.

"I thought you just wanted to try battling for fun." Woulda been great if she made any effort at all to sound less like she pitied him. "You don't seem like you're having fun."

Blue rolled his eyes. "I also got no plans to get ripped in half by another murderbeast high on magic trauma juice. Seems like that's gonna require being halfway functional as a pokémon, so." He didn't quite look her in the face; it'd been easier not to lately. "Better pissed off and not made of tissue paper than dead."

For once Leaf actually had the decency to look ashamed, her head hanging instead of up in the goddamn clouds. "Look, I... I know I screwed up. I said I'd keep you out of it, and I didn't. The Wayfarers could've waited for me to drop you off somewhere else, and I should've done that. But I meant it when I said you didn't have to deal with any of this! I'm plenty strong enough to handle it and keep you safe, and I will! Promise."

'I'm strong enough,' she said. You're not, she didn't say.

"So?" Blue sighed, almost managing to ignore the voice in his head. He had to sit down for a sec to try and clear the damn smoke in his lungs. "You said it yourself. The turbogoth dream demon said it. It's just gonna get worse. The crown weasel guy's trying to take over the universe. The star guy's slow-motion exploding reality. Neither of those sounds like something that'll just conveniently skip over me."

"It won't matter if the Wayfarers just stop all that from happening, though!" She said it with that trademark blind Linden optimism, but this time something hitched in his chest, and it sure wasn't embers.

"And what if you can't? Do not say 'we will'," he barked, cutting her off. "Don't try to handwave this. You don't know you can just rock up and crush two legendary pokémon with superpowers legendary pokémon wish they had. I'm not waiting to find out whether or not I get lucky." He laughed, hoarse and hollow. "You seen how everything's gone for me so far? I have. I ain't stupid enough to take those odds."

"It will be fine," she hissed, stamping the earth for emphasis. She moved so she could stare him down, no matter how bad he wanted to turn away. (Still looking down at him.) "I know we can do this. I know the Forlasans can do this. If you just stay out of the way this time—"

Blue looked her dead in the eye at that one. "Stay out of the way?" he snapped. "Like I just skipped out right in front of a berserk charizard for fun? Like I'm here at all because I volunteered, instead of you and that nutjob zoroark dragging me here?" His face burned with anger. "Can't have 'em both, Linden. Pick one."

Leaf didn't flinch, mostly. She did cough as the smoke started to curl around her nose. "You know I didn't mean for you to get summoned, but it is what it is and we just have to deal with it. I thought you didn't want anything to do with any Wayfarer stuff. I'm trying to give you that, and it's not my fault if you're not taking it!" Then she mumbled something, more like she was talking to herself than to him, but for once it was useful to have dog ears that picked it up loud and clear. "Woulda gone a hell of a lot easier if I hadn't had to chase after you anyway."

"I was trying to help someone!" Blue shouted. His fur started to smolder. "That's what you're here for, isn't it? You just want to help people, don't you? Nosy fuckin' goody two-shoes wants to feel big and save the day again. But all I do is drag you down every time, don't I? Silph, here, wherever. Even when I don't want to be here, even when I actually give enough of a shit to put my neck on the line, I'm just getting in your way, I'm still the one who gets my ass kicked for the trouble. Meanwhile you and everyone else just keep skippin' along like I'm the idiot for thinking that all this is completely insane."

Leaf shuddered visibly, like it'd suddenly gotten colder, even though all Blue could feel was the humiliation boiling under his skin. "H-hey, take it easy. I think you're getting—"

"Don't fucking tell me to take it easy!" The smoke around them flickered like black flames. Blue didn't care. He could see just fine, breathe just fine now he was finally getting all this weight off his chest. "Ever since I landed in this literal puppy-kicking universe I've been everybody's punching bag. I haven't even done anything wrong this time! I deserve better than this. I am better than this, Linden. You fucking know I am. You're not better than me just because you chose to come play hero in some world that's got fuck-all to do with you while I got forced to. But if this is how it's gonna be, then fuck it."

He pushed forward, felt the grin pulling across his muzzle as she staggered back toward the water's edge. "I'm not gonna be weak, or a liability, or some pathetic little asshole you think you need to babysit. I'm not gonna let you act like I'm wrong just because I don't like playing along with this mass superhero delusion you're all under. I want some fucking respect. From you, from these other Wayfarer snobs, from those pricks at the Coven or whatever. It's someone else's turn to be the punching bag, and I'm gonna take a big ol' fuckin' swing."

Leaf shrank under his gaze, eyes wide. No big intimidating horse looming over him, no high-and-mighty attitude. Little lights sparked around her horn, but they were fitful, not enough. God he was fucking tired of being small, feeling small. But it sure as hell didn't feel like she was bigger than him now.

"Blue, stop!" she choked out. "You're letting the shadows get to you! Please, we can talk about this—"

The temperature on the riverbank plummeted as the smoke sucked the warmth out of the air, out of Leaf. Blue wasn't cold, though. Finally, finally there was fire, sparks flaring in his chest and rolling out like a wildfire tearing through the woods. Then everything snapped from black to red as flames rushed in behind the smoke, a whole wave crashing into Leaf. She cried out in pain, and it sounded so good because she wasn't fucking invincible, was she, she wasn't fucking better than him.

Blue used Umbral Envy! Blue used Burning Jealousy!

For a second, the roaring of the flames and the blood in his ears were the only sounds. (The only things that mattered.) Leaf shouted something, maybe, from far away. (Because he'd forced her away, because he was stronger, because he was in control.)

"Fine! Fine! You want respect? This is how pokémon show respect."

A flash cut through the haze, like lightning, even brighter then the lurid red flames filling Blue's vision. Something smashed into him and threw him clear into the air, up and out of the fire and then down heavily onto the bank. The impact that juddered through him was almost enough to shut out the searing, electric pain radiating from his chest. Almost.

He blinked away the afterimages burned into his eyes, squinted through the last of the smoke rising off him. A shape moved toward him, blurry but with light flickering around its head; the light winked out as Leaf came into focus. She was still coughing a little, and wincing like she was trying to ignore the huge, angry burn across the side of her neck. She was standing, though. More than he could say for himself.

"...C-can't... can't have fuckin' anything, can I."

She didn't acknowledge it, not at first. (Maybe she couldn't hear him with his face pressed into the mud.) She just got closer and hunkered down next to him in what was left of the shrubs. "Just take a couple deep breaths for me, okay?"

"Gosh, I'd love to," he croaked. Not a lot of air left to work with after taking an entire unicorn to the chest. "Wish I... wish I hadn't been run over by the magnet train and left twitching on the third r-rail." He stared at the fading wisps of steam over the water instead of looking at her. Breathing normally was a little less effort now, at least. Easier to do that than anything else at the moment.

"You went off the deep end. Needed to snap you out of it quick. I panicked a little, and... radiance seemed like the fastest answer. Sorry."

"Mm. Yeah." He could still feel the crackling of the light where she'd hit him. Still stung like hell. Maybe that was good, because that made it hard to spare the brainpower on staying worked up. "Sorry."

They were quiet for a minute or two before Leaf finally spoke up again. "That was really good, though!" she said. "The moves, I mean. Gotta get a handle on the shadow one so you don't go off the rails again. But I told you you'd get stronger, didn't I?"

"All that effort trying to figure out flamethrower." Every time he'd tried he'd felt so hot all over. He'd figured he was just ashamed or frustrated, but. (Maybe it was both.) "Shoulda been trying for a heat wave instead, heh."

(A little magic space birdie in his head attempted to whisper a helpful correction, but shhh, it'd be great to not feel like a complete heel for just one minute, let him have this. Definitely a heat wave.)

"It is weird," Leaf admitted, after more awkward silence. "All of this. Guess I am kinda used to it. Or maybe it's just gotten a lot weirder a lot faster lately. We got the kiddie pool, just talking pokémon and somebody in trouble; not that big a deal, compared to this. You got dumped into the middle of the magic trauma revolution ocean."

"With an anchor around my neck."

She kinda rolled her eyes, but didn't actually seem annoyed. "It's not like it isn't weird when I do think about it, it's just... what's the point of thinking about it, I guess? I'm here either way, and it's happening either way. Makes more sense to stay focused on what we're doing than to worry about how it's different or dangerous or scary or whatever. But... I do get how it's not easy for you to ignore everything. Maybe it's too easy for me to ignore that you can't ignore it.

"Well, I'm sorry." Leaf stopped staring downriver and looked right at him. "You're right, and I'm—well, I'm not wrong, I really think we can do this, and I really think we're all tough enough to be fine, including you. Maybe you'll even actually believe me now! No random ol' pokémon running around here could've tanked a whole Stormlance." She grinned at him before standing up. "But you've had a really shitty time so far even with that, and I'm sorry for brushing that off."

"Tanked" seemed awful generous there, but he'd take it. He was absolutely going to take 'you were right'. He'd have to remember to really savor that one later, once he felt less like a crash of rhyhorn had used him as a trampoline. For the time being all Blue could manage was a sigh.

"I don't want to be here," he said. "I don't want to be some super pokémon. This has nothing to do with me and I like what I got back home just fine. But you, everyone else, you're all a bunch of badasses just laughing off a whole tsunami of bullshit while all I can do is get pulled under. I know you're not trying to make me feel like shit; you're trying to help. You are helping. But I hate feeling like I'm drowning. I hate... having to watch other people drown."

He paused, shook his head when thinking of Lillian and Gladius just made him more tired. The soreness and the electric pain were letting up now, at least. "If I'm stuck here, I want some goddamn control over what happens to me. I'm sick of sitting back and getting trampled all day. And if... if the Rat in the Hat or whoever's the one pulling all these strings, then I wanna see the look on his face when I line up a good swing at his punching bag." Leaf snorted, and so did he, a little. "Guess I won't get that by takin' it out on my friends, will I."

Blue stood up. Tried to, anyway. "Up" was a little further from the ground than it had been this morning; his body was heavier and took more effort to lift. Huh. And here he'd thought being able to look Leaf in the eye was just the shadow power trip bullshit talking.

"How'd this happen without a fire st— y'know what, no, never mind." He shook his head. "Not gonna ask. Probably won't like the answer. Doesn't really matter, does it."

"Congrats, anyway!" Leaf smiled. A little psychic nudge took the weight off just long enough for him to find his balance. "You look pretty cool."

"Extremely cool, excuse you," he scoffed, too mock-offended to be embarrassed that his tail was wagging. Arcanine was just great by definition; didn't need to see his new reflection to know that.

...his new reflection still would've been neat to see anyway—just to prove his obvious point—but the vertigo hadn't quite let up when he tried moving closer to the river to check, and he swayed a little. "Oof. I, uh. Don't suppose there's any shot of one last ride back to the Haus?"

Any idiot could tell he was joking; he was at least as big as her now, after all. They'd just have to stumble back together, slow and steady and him hopefully not tripping over his own paws. But Leaf brushed him off with an airy toss of her head. "I could still carry you," she said, infuriatingly confident. "Buuuut you said no more babysitting, and you want to keep training, so—" And then the rest of what she said was lost to the wind as she took off toward Frontier Town at a gallop. God damn it.

"You just ran me over, you asshole! That's not fair! Slow down!"

"You don't wanna get trampled? Then you better give those legs a workout so you can do the trampling!" she called over her shoulder. "C'mon, you're a big dog now, let's go for a walk!"

"That ain't walking, Linden!" He tripped over his own paws, because of course he did, but he hauled himself back up out of the mud to chase after her anyway.

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