dash rapidash dash

[the_very_best]

Morning - early morning, as it's always possible some phenomenon will only appear before sunrise in a way that she can't find simply by staying up past dark - finds Bella having let herself out of the Tower (conscientiously not letting any Porygon out into the wilderness). She never walks if she can help it. Fireflower is much more surefooted, and enjoys the exercise more. She hauls herself up onto the Rapidash's back.

Comments

[the_very_best]

"Do the feral ones even answer to their nicknames?"

[bitofafiction]

"The Bob contingent is chancy, but some of the rest of them do."

[the_very_best]

"Interesting. My mom used to try to tame wild 'mon with nothing but food and cooing and it didn't really work even insofar as getting them not to attack her if she got too close; I certainly wouldn't have expected any of them to answer to a name. I guess the Porygon are different from random Starly or whatever."

[bitofafiction]

"They've known him all their lives. Enough exposure to Tony can make even answering to 'Flob' seem logical."

[the_very_best]

"For certain values of 'logical', anyway."

[bitofafiction]

"I see you have not yet had enough exposure to Tony."

[the_very_best]

"Apparently not. I hope he's not going to start calling me anything that rhymes with Bob."

[bitofafiction]

"You never know. I don't believe we have a 'Blob' yet."

[the_very_best]

"I will not answer to 'Blob'. It's not happening."

[bitofafiction]

"As you say, then."

[the_very_best]

They carry on exploring the lake. By the time they're done, Bella's perfunctory breakfast is history; she turns Zag around from the lake center and heads back for the tower. "Nothing. Why is Uxie supposedly here? What made people say that? Even if it's completely mythical that it and Mesprit and Azelf live at the lakes and someone made it up because there's three lakes and three lake guardians, all the sources agree on Uxie being at this one, which I wouldn't expect if it were someone's fabrication. I guess I'll have to check the lake bottom after all. I wonder who'll come with me, if I can even find anyone who's up for it and has the right move in their party."

[bitofafiction]

"Irene could learn it if she evolved," he mentions.

[the_very_best]

"Is she likely to do it soon, do you think? Would you make the move swap? You met me yesterday, if you weren't already planning on it it'd be a big deal."

[bitofafiction]

"I was thinking of changing her lineup when she does, which should be any minute now, and it's among my candidates."

[the_very_best]

"Huh. Could have a rematch," suggests Bella, getting off her Linoone at the shore and opening her backpack to find some lunch. "I can lead with something not-Zag, although there is of course no question of letting you win, cooperative rolling over to boost somebody else's 'mon is just mean to one's own."

[bitofafiction]

"I would love a rematch."

[the_very_best]

"One-to-one? Since it's all about Irene?" Bella asks. She produces a packet of soup mix, which a combination of Zag's helpful and carefully-aimed Surf and Fireflower's toasty tail render soupily edible inside of a few minutes. "I can toss Juu or Dusk or Branch and it'll be a fair fight typewise." Well, half Branch's attacks won't hardly dent Irene, but the other half will.

[bitofafiction]

"That sounds lovely."

[the_very_best]

Bella drinks her soup pretty quick, returns Fireflower whence she came, and produces Dusk's Pokéball. "Now, or do you want lunch too?"

[bitofafiction]

"Oh, I'll be all right until dinner, at which you are welcome to join us."

Irene, coiled in a contented loop nearby, lifts her head.

[the_very_best]

"D'you typically skip lunch?" Bella asks, opening the ball and responding affirmatively to Dusk's obvious wish to be petted. "Hey you, Irene over there's about to evolve, you're gonna make her work for it."

"Eeeeon."

[bitofafiction]

"Air," chirps Irene, flicking her tail. Sherlock laughs.

[the_very_best]

"Ummmmbreon!" says Dusk, sounding annoyed and flicking his ears back at her.

"You wanna get her?" laughs Bella.

"Umbrrrrrr."

[bitofafiction]

Irene slithers in front of Sherlock and bobs her head up and down. "Dragonair," she says firmly.

[the_very_best]

"Let's get this party started," says Bella, getting up and patting Dusk on the head to calm his hysterical fit of "eoneoneoneon".

It's a fair fight, in theory, and Dusk gets in a few shots that he clearly finds very satisfying.

But Dusk spends half of the fight mistaking his own tail for Irene's, allowing her to nap off the damage. He finally finishes himself off and collapses.

"Aww, Dusk, you tried," sighs Bella, scooping him up into his ball again, "when you're up we can go pick on some wild'uns, okay?" She looks up to congratulate Sherlock. "Nicely done."