Kazuki
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You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
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Post by Kazuki on May 9, 2023 2:03:54 GMT 9
He’s expecting something half-hearted, maybe snippy, like ‘avoiding you’—easy things to jab at, so when Verai says he’d been searching for him in a voice that betrays only sincerity, every quip Kazuki’s building up to fizzles and dies in his throat, leaving him dumbstruck.
Verai was looking for him; had asked around for him. Kazuki wants to ask why, but then Verai mentions that someone else and it shuts his mouth instantly. It dredges up memories of wide, piercing eyes, a breathy voice, and the sensation of fingers dragging across his skin. He shudders, hands returning to his lap where they cradle Sprigatito’s sleeping form. There’s comfort in the kitten’s warmth, his soft fur.
Verai asks him if he’s alright and of course, he hates it. He hates how the question is offered so readily to him, Verai and all his goddamn altruism, as if Kazuki hasn’t been the bane of his existence since they started playing.
“Just peachy,” he says through his teeth. His voice is low, to keep Sprigatito from waking, but his anger bubbles over his words. “That someone- that screwed up, two-faced piece of shit- If I ever see him again, I’ll—”
He takes a moment to breathe, to meet Verai’s eyes. “Ver. If you ever meet a player called Lacrimosa, stay the fuck away from him. And stay away from—"
His hands pause. His eyes search Verai’s face. “... You didn’t go, did you?”
How far had he followed him?
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Kazuki
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You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
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Post by Kazuki on May 9, 2023 0:46:42 GMT 9
"Hm. I suppose I could look pretty while helping you instead."
Kazuki’s brows rise at his words. The disdain on his face shifts, the edge of his mouth curling as he now bothers to take in the unfamiliar player properly. With the delicate features, the accent, and that absolutely snooty little comeback, they all come together to paint a very clear picture.
He’s a bitch.
And suddenly, this battle might not be such a waste of time after all.
The player—Muin—releases his pokemon. The fox is a familiar myth come to life, but its elegance clashes with an apparently feral disposition. It’s more than ready to beat the shit out of a child, a fact that its trainer could not even pretend to care about, which is garnering him even more points in Kazuki’s book.
Kazuki cackles at Muin as he pushes him to make the first move. “Hold your horses, princess. I’m getting to it.” He tosses the ball in the air.
His pokemon’s entrance is a loud, earth-shattering THUD. Mudsdale shakes her head, thick mane swinging like pendulums as she rises to a stand. When she opens her eyes, she finds herself faced with a little monkey whose ass is on fire and a zebra that barely comes up to her knees.
Your Rival balks at the sight of another fully-evolved pokemon. “You too?!”
Kazuki mirrors Muin’s unimpressed look at the kid. “Maybe you’ll learn to stop challenging adults. Horse, waste ‘em.”
Mudsdale’s eyes are lidded as she stares at her ‘opponents’. She could quite literally just step on them and be done with it. She looks over to the ninetales by her side, muttering in a low, quiet voice. <Are you going to attack? These are… children.>
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Kazuki
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You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
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Post by Kazuki on May 8, 2023 23:16:04 GMT 9
It’s a bit strange—usually, when people went on these long-winded monologues, Kazuki would find it mind-numbing to the point of mild homicidal tendency, but Genesis takes to every concern with such certainty and scientific meticulousness he can’t help but be amused and mildly intrigued, like a spectator to a formicarium.
Well, maybe not entirely serious. They do end up laughing at their own words.
“Probable cause?” Now that’s something he recognizes. “You a law student? That would explain the way you talk. I didn’t get half the shit you just said.” Kazuki’s by no means a scholar, having torched his family’s dreams of his higher education as soon as he could leave the nest to pursue a career giving people black eyes. But he does recognize some terms, particularly those that he overhears from his lawyers, during discussions of legal concerns that may or may not involve him.
“But I get the gist. Sometimes it’s better to fuck around than hit the books, huh?” A sentiment that he finds highly relatable.
Then funky cyborg turns the question to him, which gives him pause. “It’s someplace new to explore. Plus, where else will I get to fistfight fire-breathing monsters and know that death has no consequence?” He grins. “But a lot of it also has to do with the players here. This game has a lot of colorful characters running around.”
[Glitch]Cx0q4Wsx1d100 1d100
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Kazuki
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You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
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Post by Kazuki on May 8, 2023 10:02:13 GMT 9
The silence is broken by a familiar voice.
“Oh, so now he shows up,” Kazuki grumbles to himself. He raises his eyes to see Verai approaching, the man’s pace languid, white hair trailing behind him. On any other day, he’d be delighted by this. Would already be on his feet, moving to meet the man halfway, spewing things designed to earn his ire. Maybe he’d throw something at him.
He still kind of wants to.
But instead he just sits, his tattooed back hunched, his arms resting on his thighs like a shelter curled over Sprigatito’s sleeping form. He doesn’t say anything until Verai is close enough to hear him. He doesn’t have the energy to raise his voice.
“You know, I was looking for you,” he sneers, his hand grinding the dry flower in his palm. Sprigatito in his lap twitches, deep in his dreams. When he flips over, his sleeping face facing Verai, the little waffle-shaped tag of his pink collar clinks against Kazuki’s shoes.
“Where were you?” He demands. Maybe he hasn’t fully gotten over what happened, but he’s antsy. The closer Verai comes, the stronger the itch under his skin grows. The air around him is strange, even compared to the Precipice’s usual brand of disarm.
Obscured by his shadow, the flowers around him gradually turn colors.
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Kazuki
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You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
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Post by Kazuki on May 8, 2023 1:08:33 GMT 9
A CRASH sounds, followed by a series of muffled footsteps, and then a door slamming open.
“Dude, seriously?”
Atsushi is sitting up in bed, his Dobermann whining by his side. His hands are curled in the sheets, shirt damp where it clings to his skin. A bead of sweat rolls down his temple, his chest rising and falling with heaving breaths. Wide green eyes are set on the heavy cast on his leg and the bandages wrapped over his body, as if trying to recall why they’re there. They move to the figure standing in the doorway.
Ren clicks their tongue as they enter. “At least you didn’t try getting out of bed again. But did you really have to take it out on the headset?” They stop at the foot of the bed, disappearing as they bend down to pick the headset off the floor.
“What’s- the game, some fucker had—”
“I don’t care, man. Mald over whatever internet asshole you want, but don’t break equipment!” They hold up the shattered headset to his face, shaking it. It looks crushed, flaked with dirt from the potted plant it had its unfortunate collision with. “You know how expensive this is? And the mess—”
Atsushi sneers. “I pay you to clean up messes.” He reaches over to scratch Sumi’s chin, the dobermann’s tail thumping, her concerns gone in an instant.
Ren smacks him over the head with the headset. “Watch your mouth.” Sumi, the traitor, does not tear off Ren's arm as she should.
“I will fucking fire you!”
“And then hire who?” Ren smirks, hand on their hip. “There’s only a handful of people in the world who can deal with your BS on a daily basis, buddy, and I am one of them. Be grateful. Your laundry alone is a workplace hazard.”
Atsushi makes a frustrated noise, turning his head away to stare at the window by his bed. He can feel Sumi curl up beside him, taking this as a sign to resume her nap. “I’m not taking this from the weirdo who always wears a helmet.”
“It’s a Custom Immersive VR Sim Racing Helmet,” they correct, and he can hear them knock their fist on the plastic. Atsushi shuts his eyes. He’s about to have a headache. He feels disgusting right now, but he can’t bring himself to do anything but sleep.
He thinks he hears Ren’s voice, muffled, telling him to just leave it to me.
——————————————————
“Ka-zu-ki!” Ren sings, throwing the door open. “Oh, for fuck’s sake.”
Atsushi pauses his hand from pressing again on the remote, but doesn’t take his eyes away from the screen. An interview is playing. The reporter is clad in a bright suit, talking animatedly to the fighter sitting beside her.
His hold on the remote tightens enough for his skin to turn white, for his veins to pop under the light complexion, between the harsh lines of ink and scars. Ren tries to catch his attention, but he only hears the interview continue. Lines and lines of frivolous talk, all of them designed to make the fighter look perfect for the sponsorships and fans.
Atsushi tenses, feeling something grip his hand. The remote is yanked out of his palm.
“Alright, cool it before you end up smashing the TV too. Quit watching your opponent’s interviews, you depressing bastard.” Ren shuts off the screen and places the remote on the bedside table beside the little vase. “I think you’ve been on hiatus long enough. Surprise!”
They pull out their other hand from behind their back, presenting a headset. The VR headset, somehow perfectly repaired.
Atsushi grimaces, pushing it out of the way. “I’m not playing that shit again.”
“Oh come on! You were practically addicted to this thing!” They shove it back in his face. “Plus, do you know how quiet you are when you don’t have something to bitch about? It is creepy, Kaz.”
“Get that out of my face!”
Ren sighs. “Okay, you know what? Fine. But I’m just gonna… Juuust…” They put the headset on the bedside table. They nudge it a little closer to him. “’Kay, that’s all! And if you need anything, wait like an hour and then call for me. I need to do ‘laundry’.”
“If you’re just going to play in the living room, then take the headset.”
Ren sniffs, turning up their nose. “I don’t play on EN servers.” Before leaving and shutting the door behind them.
Atsushi groans. He is fully aware of the sequence of events that led to him hiring such a—person. But he still finds himself wondering how the fuck he got here.
He stares at the headset, a familiar well of anxiety bubbling up inside him. His eyes feel heavy, and it hasn’t just been from watching the screen for so long. He hasn’t been sleeping. It’s his dreams.
But beside the headset is a little potted plant. He’s unsure where he got it- maybe his coach left it, or his parents, or Ren for whatever reason. It’s been repotted after his outburst more than a week ago, fitted in a little pink ceramic. Its leaves are small and fragile as they sway, lit by the light seeping through his window.
Atsushi sighs.
——————————————————
The Precipice Shrine is silent at this hour. It reminds him that he’s technically not in the server he’s supposed to be, as most of the players here are EN and are usually asleep when he’s awake.
It is eerie, how peaceful it is. As if nothing had happened.
The first thing he’d done upon waking was release Sprigatito, who had been all too happy to see him. He’s thankful that his pokemon don’t know when he’s gone; maybe their consciences are shut when he leaves the game.
Now he’s seated by the abyss, in the middle of the ring of flowers that circle the humming portal. Sprigatito is nestled on his crossed legs, already asleep. It’s a bit unusual; he’d expected the cat to be ready for adventure, but when he told him he wanted to take a minute to rest, the cat had been very obliging.
He knows he should move. He still hasn’t found Ver. He’s not really one for just idling in the game; always eager to train, to work on his weak team or to find strong opponents to practice on.
But his hand pets Sprigatito’s fur, smoothing it. The kitten sleeps soundly. He’ll remain stuck here for maybe a half hour more, which isn’t new. He has a dog who’s just as clingy. Bored, he reaches for one of the flowers nearby, looking off into the distance. It feels rough and dry in his hand as he plucks it from the ground.
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Kazuki
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You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
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Post by Kazuki on May 7, 2023 23:33:15 GMT 9
The conversation progresses—excruciatingly. With Kazuki’s half-assed explanation, there’s really no wonder why Ash struggles to put together the pieces and it’s a herculean feat in of itself to try and make sense out of the drivel, but Kazuki’s attention has already dropped by several points upon being informed that there weren’t any gundams to behold.
To his and Ash’s relief however, Verai walks in with a puffball in tow. Kazuki’s grin returns, wider this time, and far less friendly. He’s spared from having to proofread his statement by letting the other man monologue the entire experience. He laughs when Verai glares at him while describing their little crafting session.
At the end of the impressive monologue, Kazuki throws his arm over Verai’s shoulder, moving to pull him up to his side as he sneers. “Oh, absolutely. I was serenading the Prof with all the details. No, you nerd.”
Alright, now he’s paying attention. Professor Ash compiles what they’ve said, clarifying some things about the mysterious pokemon known as Zapdos—an apparently Legendary pokemon, which meant they really should’ve made use of those chains when they could.
“Hmm… beyond the demands? The Prince wasn’t really that chatty.” Kazuki rubs his chin. He supposes there were a few things off, though. “He did act like he wasn’t much of a human. Said ‘this body is too weak’ before he demanded our stuff. And when he told us he planned on going to the Shrine, he mentioned being ‘away from these lands for too long’.”
He chuckles. “And then he called our armor ‘something worth wearing’. It wasn’t long armor, by the way. It was called ‘Armor of the Sky’.” Ah, well, since he was already this far in. “And it looked like lingerie.”
Having implanted that image, Kazuki moves on to a few more curiosities. “Shit, back up, you said the Shrine is still up there? I figured the bird would’ve put it down somewhere already.” He had taken his sweet time coming here, after all. Maybe they could still catch up, though it’s a wonder what Kazuki intended to do with a bird that made the Giant Shrine look like a children’s toy.
Meanwhile, a stray pokeball rolls out from under Professor Ash's table, having been lost in the haphazard delivery of Kazuki's haul. It glints innocently despite housing a terrible beast.
KAZUKI OFFERS A DURALUDON AND CONTINUES THE DISCUSSION
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Kazuki
•
You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
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Post by Kazuki on May 7, 2023 20:42:26 GMT 9
The experience of being blasted to death by exploding ballistas is truly something else. Kazuki gets up, stretching with his arms over his head as the army continued roaring behind him, practically nipping his heels this far in the game, though he’s died so many times (and in such creative ways) that he really could not care if an orc tried to make nuggets out of him again.
His last death was pretty funny, though. He chuckles, recalling the look on Blackthorne’s face when they loaded up the ballistas. He’s pretty sure he was grinning then.
Three peeping Fletchling are all that’s left of the barbershop crew. The trio bounces after him as they traverse back to the guards. Having read the ping from Taylor, Kazuki only offers a “Cheep cheep, peep peep,” and he’s allowed in, at which point he’s quickly pursued by an angry mob with torches and pitchforks.
“This feels familiar,” he says, narrowly getting pierced by an officer’s bayonet. The fletchling behind him cheep with panic, clinging to his legs as they flee down an alley.
“Flying Carpets! Get’cha flying carpets here!” A magnificently mustached vendor calls, brushing his beloved carpets. “See the city’s best views! Only for—HEY!”
Kazuki vaults onto one of the carpets, which bucks like a frightened donkey. He grabs it by its front tassels, trying to take control. “Yeah, yeah, yeah, show me the world, I got it! Thanks!”
“But sir, your ID! And the fee—!”
“PUT IT ON MY TAB,” Kazuki yells, already being dragged skyward by the runaway tapestry, his trio of Fletchling screaming where they’re tucked in his pockets.
KAZUKI TAKES A FLYING CARPET
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Kazuki
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You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
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Post by Kazuki on May 7, 2023 10:46:19 GMT 9
They’re chased down the path, Kazuki still chuckling as he goes. He’s running, but it’s more of a brisk run, as if curious if the Mareep will actually try and chomp his ankles.
It does, but only accomplishes tearing a bit of his pantleg off. An enraged bleat sounds behind him, but Kazuki continues on, farther and farther, until the sheep is once again out of sight.
“All right, I think that’s far enough. Let’s keep going.” He bends down to replace Tepig back on the ground. Tepig stands up, but it’s a peculiar stance. He has his legs spread out wide, tense.
“Will you relax? What are the odds that thing will come back again?” Kazuki asks, because he loves to poke the sleeping bear that is fate.
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Kazuki
•
You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
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Post by Kazuki on May 7, 2023 8:41:13 GMT 9
Continuing through the tower of worms leads him to a place full of slippery paths and slip n’ slides.
At least one of them is enjoying it, though.
<WEEEEEEEEE!> Buizel squeals, going down the waterslide on her belly. Kazuki follows right behind her, keeping watch for any incoming obstacles.
“Bird incoming!” Kazuki hisses, trying to dodge, but is hit by one passing beak.
Buizel, however, delights in not only the ride, but the in-flight meal! She opens her mouth, rearing for a BITE.
Prompt 61. [Tower]WnJ5hTxP1d50 1d50
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Kazuki
•
You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
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Post by Kazuki on May 7, 2023 8:13:31 GMT 9
Verai is the first to move, and he sees him snap up the cats and head for the exit. Kazuki has to vault over the desk and scramble to avoid touching the black ichor pouring over the floor, seeing something beginning to rise from the puddle.
When the door slams shut, his weight joins Verai in barricading it. The door pounds with whatever is screaming to be let out. When the other man asks him for an explanation with eyes narrowed, all he can offer is a bewildered and mildly pissed off look. “How the fuck should I know! I just- the first time I met the Professor, I found out she had this monster in her desk to protect her from player attacks. I figured triggering it there would help us get out.”
Well, now it seemed it would kill them. Fantastic.
He blinks, realizing the door has settled. He turns his head to press his ear against it, wondering if he’ll hear anything. He sees from the corner of his eyes something slipping out from under the door, past their feet.
“Ah, shit.”
The shadow stretches once again. It pours, rising off the floor in the middle of the strange room like water from a leaking pipe. From the top of it pops out two pointy ears.
The creature that forms looks like a bastardized version of a Pikachu. Despite its strange looks, the quality of its model makes it seem deliberate. It smiles at them with its giant puppet head and floppy neck.
A new UI pops up in front of the players. It’s just a simple black input box, with a blinking cursor.
“What… are we supposed to do with this?” Kazuki squints. Poking the box brings up the keyboard input.
Kazuki inputs: TELEPORT BACK TO SPAWN.
“Well, damn.” Kazuki clicks his tongue, glancing up. The surface is so close, but this little bastard isn’t letting them touch it.
This causes MIMIQUEUE to panic, misinterpreting the look for disinterest.
The input box fills with the prompt: SPAWN 999 CHEESE WHEELS.
And from the sky comes, as you may guess, 999 WHOLEASS CHEESE WHEELS. They pile onto each other, tumbling for a moment, before their animation cuts and they are suspended in the air.
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Kazuki
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You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
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Post by Kazuki on May 7, 2023 7:52:01 GMT 9
His paranoia is confirmed. The Mareep comes charging out of the bushes, chasing after them with bloodlust clear in its little eyes.
“What the actual fuck,” Kazuki says before breaking out into a sprint, unable to help but cackle at the turn of events. The Mareep is snapping and zapping at his heels, and never has he seen such a vindictive pile of cottonballs.
“Maybe I should catch it.” Violent lamb is starting to grow on him. But Tepig protests, demanding they run faster. spawn reset!
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Kazuki
•
You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
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Post by Kazuki on May 7, 2023 7:49:43 GMT 9
The mareep however, has keener senses than expected.
The sound of a squeal stops Kazuki in his tracks. He pivots, returning to the daisy field, only to see Tepig being attacked by the rabid sheep. He has to step in and quickly scoop the pig, driving the mareep away by kicking at it and bailing before it can change its mind and go for seconds.
“Yeah, you really need to get stronger soon,” Kazuki looks down at the bite marks littering over Tepig’s back. “Aren’t sheep vegetarian? Are you just bacon to the world right now?”
Tepig grumbles, but doesn’t protest being held like a sack of potatoes this time. His ears twitch with fear at his surroundings, wondering if the mareep will come charging out of the bushes.
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Kazuki
•
You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
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Post by Kazuki on May 7, 2023 3:01:04 GMT 9
The sun is setting.
There was no salvaging the meadow, but the sky is clear, and the lack of fire hazards did let them set up a bonfire. Pansear fills everyone’s bowls, taking care to fashion them to each pokemon’s needs. Sprigatito happily walks away with a little bowl of vegetable stew clenched in his mouth, looking around for someplace to sit.
He spots Torchic, Tepig, and Scorbunny together as usual, huddled in one corner of the fire and eating quietly. Their wounds had been tended to—minor, thankfully, though the shame of how quickly they were taken out of battle is clear on their faces.
Sprigatito hesitantly walks up to them, placing his bowl down to speak. “Uh… can I sit here?”
“That depends,” Torchic mutters, using the tip of her beak to stir her stew. “Are you here to rub it in?”
“No! Of course not, I just—” Sprigatito sighs. “I think we, um, got off on the wrong foot. I want to try again.”
She still seems suspicious but doesn’t protest as Sprigatito sits down beside her.
“Are we still doin’ this?” Scorbunny scoffs, his face covered in soup as he waves a spoon at them. “You heard the boss! He said we’d all get a turn on the team. So quit acting like a bunch’a babies and make up. Like we did!” He grins over to Buizel. “Right, Striker?”
Buizel scrunches her nose at him before returning her attention to Pansear.
Tepig snorts. “You shouldn’t give her nicknames she hates.” He looks over to Torchic. “But he’s right. Let’s drop it.”
Torchic grimaces, finding the blow to her already-fragile pride unbearable.
Sprigatito jumps in. “Um! So, Kazuki said you’d be a Sweeper, right? What if I taught you how to do Fast Attacks?” His eyes are wide and shiny with excitement. “I’ve really figured them out! And since you’re a fire type, your moves will look super cool! If—if you’re up for it, that is.”
Torchic blinks, taken aback. The puppy-dog eyes this cat is shooting her is quite frankly impressive. “Fine! Okay, you can, just put those away! Let me eat in peace!”
Mudsdale watches her team, chuckling silently to herself. Still a ways to go, but better.
Now if only she could say the same thing about this.
“YOU CALL THAT A FUCKING FIGHT?” Kazuki stands over the collapsed form of Gyarados with his hands on his hips. They’ve been sparring together for hours. Mudsdale has been acting as referee.
Gyarados groans, trying to recede back into the water, but his heavy body has no energy to even lift its own weight. <PLEASE, HUMAN. I WOULD LIKE TO RETURN TO THE COMFORTING ABYSS.>
“You return to your ball when I say so. And considering the trouble you put us through? You’ve got a lot to make up for.”
Kazuki grins, raising his hand. In the dim light of sunset, a thread of lightning can be seen dancing over his veins, his palm glowing with power.
“Now let’s have some fun.”
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Kazuki
•
You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
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Post by Kazuki on May 7, 2023 2:58:34 GMT 9
Which brings them to now.
<Um… Kazuki?> Sprigatito mewls. <Are you…> No, of course he’s mad. <Are you super mad?> Is he getting demoted?
Kazuki has his face in his hand. Pansear also has his face in his hands, but his hands are full of berries, so he’s buried his face in berries.
<Are you going to return Gyarados?> Mudbray asks.
Kazuki wipes his hand down, frowning. “No.” It understandably causes confusion among the team. “What do you think will happen if I just shove him back in the ball? He’ll lose his shit the next time he comes out—likely in the middle of battle. The problem is that he thinks he’s above taking orders. We deal with him now.”
<Incoming!> Buizel yells.
A harsh jet of water is shot their way. The team disperses immediately; Kazuki nabbing Sprigatito; Pansear holding on for dear life; Mudbray and Buizel barely diving in time; Scorbunny bolting as Torchic yanks Tepig out of the splash zone by his tail.
Kazuki takes out his Pokédex. It blinks with a new entry. He skims Gyarados’ file, quickly realizing just how fucked this team is. No one has super effective moves against him, and nearly everyone is weak to one of his attacks. Whoever designated Gyarados as a Water and Flying type is on his shitlist.
He wishes he hadn’t gotten rid of his electric types. Never did he expect to want Tinnitus again.
The fire trio screams as another BRINE is sent crashing in front of them. Kazuki whistles sharply with his fingers, calling them over. They huddle behind a jutting rock.
“Weasel, you’re with me and the cat. Mule, you’re in charge of protecting the fire types.” Mudbray chuffs, displeased. She still bears a grudge against the trio. “You’re the Tank, these three won’t survive a single hit from that fish. I need you all to stay out here and keep him distracted.” He’s able to cover just a few more points in the plan before another tremor shakes the earth, and a corner of their hiding spot is blasted into chips by a rush of water.
The team splits into two. Mudbray creates a pile of mud while Pansear and Scorbunny mold them into balls, Torchic and Tepig heating them up to seal them into shape. With enough ammo, Pansear takes one improvised cannonball and holds it up to the rampaging Gyarados to aim, before lighting the ball on fire and chucking it in the air. Mudbray is quick to slam her hooves into it, launching the fireball.
Kazuki charges forwards. Buizel runs beside him, Sprigatito on his shoulder. They weave past jets of water, able to dodge thanks to the flaming onslaught disrupting Gyarados’ aim. They need to get closer. Close enough to chip at Gyarados’ weak points—wherever they may be.
<CEASE!> Gyarados bellows, before pivoting in the direction of those blasted little flames. He lifts his massive tail out of the water, aiming it, and unleashing a TWISTER.
Pansear drops the next fireball. He yanks Scorbunny, Torchic, and Tepig into a huddle under Mudbray, who braces herself against the rock they’ve been using as shelter. The fast-moving tornado rips a path towards them. The battered shelter cracks, then shatters. Mudbray grits her teeth as she bears down against the earth, barely keeping her team from being flung into the sky. Pansear grips the fire trio tighter, his tail wrapping around one of Mudbray’s legs.
“Shit!” Gyarados is preparing another TWISTER. The next one will wipe out the reserve. “Weasel! Into the water! Stop it!”
Buizel is already on her way. They’ve managed to get close enough that it takes her only seconds to breach the water, her tails spinning to propel her straight to Gyarados. As she draws closer, she brandishes her fangs, preparing to BITE.
Gyarados howls. The wind on his tail vanishes, but he begins to thrash in the water, trying to peel Buizel off him. The pond may have been spacious to him as a magikarp, but as a gyarados, it’s barely just enough to summon a WHIRLPOOL.
<WhoaaoooAAAOOOOAAAA!> Buizel is spun in the pond, which has just turned into a giant flush toilet. She’s tossed out by the end of Gyarados’ tail, sent careening straight into Mudbray and the rest of the team. It’s a perfect strike.
Now it’s just Kazuki and Sprigatito facing off with the behemoth. They manage by having Sprigatito use MAGICAL LEAF as a diversion, allowing Kazuki to dodge the next round of BRINE. It’s not enough. They’re not dealing enough damage. “I should’ve let the monkey roast you over a spit, you piece of shitty tuna!” Kazuki yells over the commotion. “You’d be about as useful! OR MORE SO!”
Gyarados roars.
“Ooh fuck!” Kazuki leaps back as the giant fish throws itself mouth-first towards him. An ICE FANG nearly bisects his legs, piercing and shattering against the edge of the pond instead. Gyarados rears back, about to turn his own trainer into lunch when he feels something crash into his eye.
<AAAAAAAAAAAAA!> Sprigatito screams in tandem with Gyarados, hopped up on gallons and gallons of adrenaline as he scrambles over his terrifying teammate’s face. Gyarados is flailing uncontrollably, trying to dislodge Sprigatito’s claws from his nostrils.
“Cat! Goddamn it!” Looking around, Kazuki makes a dive for the end of Gyarados’ tail. He grasps hold of it as it sweeps across the pond, finding himself airborne. Gyarados’ scales are drenched, and really not all that ideal as handholds, but Kazuki has spent a better part of his life learning to grapple the sweatiest men on the planet, and he is not about to get flung by a fish having a tantrum.
Sprigatito thinks he’s turning green; greener than he’s supposed to be. Babies—baby cats included—are not supposed to be shaken this hard, or shaken at all. Gyarados throws his head back and Sprigatito’s claws dislodge, a sharp yelp escaping him as he clenches his eyes and braces for water. It does not come.
<Huh?> He opens one eye, finding himself still a mortifying distance away from the ground. There’s a grip on his scruff.
“Next time you want to pull a stunt like this, tell me, got it?!” Kazuki hisses, half-drenched, his hair sticking to his face. He pulls Sprigatito up and braces him against the flat of Gyarados’ head with his arm, preventing the cat from being thrown overboard as the giant fish continues to struggle. In the next second, his vision is filled with water.
Gyarados dives as deep as he can go.
This fucker is trying to drown them! Kazuki growls, holding his breath. He looks down to see Sprigatito with puffed up cheeks, trying to do the same, but the cat hadn’t braced himself. Bubbles escape his little nose; his minty face is turning a concerning purple.
Something, something, something—
Something tickles Kazuki’s cheek. His eyes catch sight of blue threads curling in the water.
He grabs them and yanks.
Gyarados resurfaces explosively, screaming and thrashing even harder than he had before. But with every movement of his head, his whiskers strain further in Kazuki’s grip, the pain of it excruciating.
“Gotcha,” Kazuki grins, before pulling hard enough to cross his arms. “Now HEEL!”
A yawning groan is heard, like the hull of a ship crashing, as Gyarados topples onto the edge of the pond, water flooding across the ruined meadow. The cat is still heaving on Gyarados’ head, coughing up water and in no state to continue. He looks around, trying to search for anyone, anyone left on his team to deal the final blow—
“Holy shit?”
A figure plods towards them. She’s a mess, soaked from the rain and water attacks, a lot frizzy from the battle, bearing fresh wounds and scars. Her saddlebags have been ripped to shreds. An unconscious pile composed of Torchic, Tepig, Scorbunny, and Buizel are stacked over her back, and balancing the pile is Pansear, who looks equally exhausted, but salutes in greeting.
Mudsdale snorts, turning her nose up at the sight of Gyarados brought to heel before her.
<Pathetic.>
Before raising her hooves and using HIGH HORSEPOWER.
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Kazuki
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You Can't Take Me
The Creed
Posts: 883
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Himura Atsushi
OOC Username: Sleepy
Arena Points: 113
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Post by Kazuki on May 7, 2023 2:53:07 GMT 9
The Game begins.
“Stop!” Magikarp glubs with panic. “Put me back in the water! My scales are drying out!”
“I am so, so, sorry for this,” Buizel says, clearly distressed as she comes back with the ‘ball’ in tow. She exchanges glares with Scorbunny, who is skidding to a stop after searing the lines of a volleyball court on the ground.
“You sure you want to continue?” Mudbray quietly asks Sprigatito as she sets up the ‘net’, which is more like a low wall of dry mud separating the two teams.
“I need to prove myself to them, don’t I?” Sprigatito mumbles, pawing the dirt. “It’s just a game. This- this is nothing compared to what we’ve been through.”
“Players, in position!” Scorbunny calls, his voice as booming as a referee’s. The two teams arrange themselves on either side of the court. “In the Old Team: Sprigatito, Mudbray, and Buizel!” He waves one paw in their direction, before spinning with a flourish, stopping with arms raised high and holding the flailing Magikarp to the sky. “And in the New Team: Torchic, Tepig, and The Champion Badass of the Brimstone Crater, Scoooorbunnyyy!”
Buizel mouths ‘new team?’ at him and Mudbray. Sprigatito has a very, very bad feeling about this.
“Game start!” Scorbunny beams, before launching Magikarp in the air—“AYIEEEE!”—slamming his feet on the ground, and aerial punching the poor fish over the net at the speed of a mini-rocket. Magikarp smacks violently into Buizel’s face, who topples over and drops him. He groans as he flops on the ground.
“First point goes to the New Team! GET! SERVED!”
The rounds that follow are brutal.
The problem becomes quickly apparent as the points rack up. Even though she’s used to standing on two legs, Buizel simply doesn’t hit hard enough, too scared of hurting Magikarp. Mudbray is not fast enough to block the fast serves. And he is—he’s scared.
The other team is holding nothing back. Even inexperienced and with only one biped, they coordinate, blocking the hits and quickly passing them to Scorbunny, the most experienced player among them. Sprigatito can’t believe how in tune they are with each other.
“How!” he wheezes, getting up from where he’d collapsed trying to save the last round. “You guys just met!”
“Yeah, but we get each other.” Torchic chuckles, bouncing Magikarp on her head. “We’re all fire types. And we're all traded pokemon.”
“Not me,” Scorbunny corrects, “I answered to no man.”
Torchic nearly drops the ball. “But you said you had a human before this!”
“Nah, that was Randy. Randy’s my friend. And business partner. Anyway.” Scorbunny catches Magikarp as he’s tossed over by Torchic. “Last ball! We only agreed to one set, and the score’s down to 8-24. Gunna need a hell of a comeback, Old Team!”
Sprigatito wants to cry. He’s trying very hard not to as he staggers back up to his feet, but even Mudbray and Buizel are struggling to recover. It’s Scorbunny’s turn to serve.
“At least it was a good game!” Scorbunny declares. “Fellas, let’s go out with a bang.”
He tosses Magikarp in the air. Sprigatito sees fire.
“NO!”
Magikarp screams as he’s sent sailing over the net like a meteor, headed straight for Sprigatito, who squeezes his eyes shut, fear grabbing hold of his heart. The fallen leaves around him glow as they surge forwards in self-defense.
And then: a blinding light.
When everyone recovers from the flashbang, they’re greeted by the sight of a monster. Magikarp—no, Gyarados seems just as bewildered by this change as the rest of them, his huge eyes taking in his new, massive body. “I… I HAVE EVOLVED!” he says, his voice no longer a stuttering blurble, but the rumble of a looming storm. “I…”
Sprigatito steps back. All of them step back, as Gyarados’ eyes begin to glow.
“… AM INVINCIBLE.”
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