Migrating through the Marsh

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//Continuing from Destiny's Calling

Energy: 5/20 (-15 from entering)

Carrying (no bag yet):
+Power Band


After their struggle at Black Mist Mountain, Milt the Aron and Lapis the Goomy were finally allowed to continue on their journey. Milt's destination was Grassveil Town, where he would sign up to join the guild, but for now, the closest landmark was Rainfront Town. All they had to do was go through Cattail Marsh.

After a well deserved rest, the duo stood at the entrance to the marsh. They didn't have much daylight left, and if they wanted to make it to Rainfront before dark, they would have to hustle. Milt looked over to Lapis. Even though there were still some signs of fatigue, determination shined in his eyes. "You ready for this Lapis?" he asked her, excited.

Lapis: {4}

A shiver rippled through the gelatinous body of the Goomy until she realized two things: it was Milt that touched her, and it was an attempt of reassurance. His care did allow her to settle quite a bit, but the presence of the buzz about the insect's wings still agitated Lapis's mindset. But with a rather newfound curiosity, she noticed the flickering "bulb" upon its abdomen. What might that be for? The Goomy wondered with an inquisitive tilt of her head.

As Milt politely asked of its help, something too flickered in the dragon's mind. This Pokemon could literally light the way! This allowed the timid bug-like Pokemon to finally ease herself around the true bug type as she realized it could not really do much harm, unless it had a swarm... But she wasn't worried about that now. What mattered was ensuring the safety and comfort of her partner. If he was okay with being guided by the Volbeat, then she should be too.

Energy: 2/20 (+1 new page)

With a little shake of his backside, the Volbeat lit up it's lower abdomen, a soft yellow light that flickered on occasion. "Alright y'all, thisaway!" he cheered. The Volbeat acted as their guiding light, rarely doubling back on themselves. They were making some serious progress now.

With a low enough voice that they still had their privacy, Milt looked over to his Goomy companion. "Hey Lapis... Do you wanna join my exploration team?" he asked, right out of left field. He had been thinking about asking her for a while, but there was never really a proper time. Well, there was not time like the present!

Lapis: {4 + 1 = 5}

Watching the bug light up, both literally and in personality, filled Lapis with relief and temporary hope. Now that they actually had a chance of making it through safely took a lot of weight off of the Goomy's shoulders, and if else went wrong, she could always escape instead of enduring another wretched battle.

The Volbeat was fairly far ahead, just out of earshot yet as close as it could be to the two who were trudging along one another. The basic dragon-type, lost in thoughtless daydreams, took a while to process the question directed at her.
"You mean... You don't mean..." Lapis tried to comprehend the matter. "But what if I can't handle it? I still have to take care of my master's house in Rainfront, and she would be heartbroken if I asked to leave..."
The small slimy sluggish Pokemon couldn't help but fret about the offer. She was flattered by Milt choosing her, but felt as if it required more responsibility than her current job. Her only fear was that she'd let Milt down, or let down Mrs. Gooey, even as reassuring as they each were.

OOC:

Milt just nodded with a light chuckle. "Oh I mean it. I've given it a lot of thought, and well... even through the Tyranitar, and getting lost in here. I had so much fun doing it all with my partner!" he told her, nodding and looking forward once again. "If you have more important things in Rainfront, that's ok, I'll understand. My only hope then is that I'll get to see you again."

OOC::

Lapis: {5}

Lapis felt a sudden rush of guilt as Milt mentioned the Tyranitar, and an inclining dread of how Milt thought of her. Lapis would've never succeeded in that battle if she wasn't filled with a sudden and powerful need to protect and help, because she so hated being helpless. That wasn't really her back there, that was a spirit of determination controlling her, which she's usually at a lack of. If he kept using that as an example of why she's great, it would just feel like a lie to her. The Goomy couldn't imagine that the rock Pokemon would even think of recruiting her if she hadn't displayed some sense of courage or taken down such a powerful Pokemon, but it was suddenly clear that the Aron valued her. This had never happened to her before, nor had she ever met a new opportunity outside of what she normally did. She was so focused on routine, and was too scared to exit that, and seeing that with a new point of view, the blue dragon decided she needed something like this.

"No! No... I mean, I enjoyed being out here with you, too, and this whole 'exploration' thing has brought out a new side to me that I didn't even know I was capable of... All of this is so new to me, yet exciting and powerful and... accomplished. I've always been a nobody serving a somebody because I thought that's what I wanted, that it's what's best for me... but maybe it's not after all.... What I'm saying is... Yes! I'll join your team!" By the end, the Goomy almost started trembling so much on the verge of tears of joy that she had to tilt her face towards er skin to hide it, smiling excitedly. Once she calmed herself down after a few seconds, she looked up back to Milt with a newfound emotion: wonder, "I don't know much about the guild life, so you'd have to help me every step of the way. And, if any case, you find that I'm a drag to the team... We could always disband..." It was common of the sluggish Pokemon to lower her expectations, perpetually self-conscious of her flaws, but she was excited nonetheless. A brand new start! Perhaps she thought wrong, too. Maybe her masters would be proud and supportive of her. Even with her visible doubts on the outside, she knew deep in her heart this was a good choice.

She said yes! Milt couldn't believe it! If he was being honest, the Aron didn't expect to get a partner until after he had already established his team. Things were going great! He felt like yelling to the sky! But Milt restrained himself. They could celebrate when they got out of here. "I'll always be there to help you Lapis. We're partners now," he assured her with a big goofy grin. "And you won't be a drag to the team. I know it." As they followed the Volbeat's tail, the Aron had to stop himself from daydreaming. He still needed to come up with a better team name. To Lapis, Milt looked electrified, and he had the goofiest grin plastered onto his face.

Lapis: {5}

The Goomy seemed to have waited for ages for a response, though deep down she knew it was only an illusion of time. Her heart was racing faster than ever before, and everything else felt so slow in comparison. She could only remember staring into Milt's deep, round eyes for what felt like an eternity, searching for a response before he even spoke. And then it came.

His words filled her with an unknown ambivalence; for whatever reason, she felt much more sure this time around. Like what he said was genuine, without any possible doubt. And there was something about the way he said it, too—perhaps the diction, or maybe simply just tone—that immediately quelled the beating of Lapis's heart in a way that a single beat of her heart was drawn out for a long time—almost like a music note—as if her body wanted to hold onto those words for as long as possible and listen to its song.

Suddenly, she felt secure and safe, like all her troubles had instantly melted away and left her in what could only be described as an internal paradise. Like her whole future was now set in stone, in a way she never imagined yet still perfect. And for that perfect moment, she felt no worry as she observed Milt's joy, and her heart ascended as though it sprouted the very symbols of freedom resting on her back. She felt like she was full of wings and feathers, which were so much lighter than the heavy feelings that would always weigh her down. She could've sworn she would leap up and fly right then if her foot wasn't adhered to the ground.

Partners... she echoed back in her head.

As the two of them daydreamed about past, present, and future, time seemed to rush past. The Volbeat, unaware of what had transpired between the two, continued to do as he said he would, guiding them through this maze of a marsh. Milt only came back down to reality when the Volbeat landed in front of Lapis and himself. "There you are. If y'all are headed to Rainfront Town, just keep headin' this way. You'll get there before sundown. You should be able to see it over that hill in the distance," he explained to the duo.

"Thank you so much sir! You were a big help!" Milt said happily, most of his joy having died down for now. "Not a problem kiddo. You two take care now." And with the buzz of his wings, the Volbeat took off again, back into the marsh. Milt took a look at his newfound partner and the path ahead of them. With a cheerful laugh, the iron-eating pokemon lead the way. "Lapis, you said you live in Rainfront, right? What's it like there?" the Around asked, wanting to know what to expect.

Lapis: {5}

Lapis suddenly scrambled, startled as soon as the insect spoke, jarring her out of her thoughts. She quickly tossed them aside and began to stammer a response;

"Oh! Y-yes, thank you..." She mulled for a moment, nearly unable to finish as she thought of what else she could possibly add to her reply. Before she knew it, their kind winged escort was gone, and the young dragon was alone once again with Milt. She couldn't help but look down, embarrassed and ashamed that she didn't have anything else to say. Her armored acquaintance, however, seemed happier than she had ever seen him.

"Rainfront? My home... It's quite nice there, or at least I think so. It rains quite a lot... But I find it refreshing..." Is that weird? She almost wanted to add but left it to her thoughts. The Goomy has learned after a while that she shouldn't be so hard on herself, especially with others around to hear. "I... I really hope you come to like it there, too..." She genuinely hoped that the Aron would enjoy it there enough to stay so that they could grow closer. Her heart raced when she remembered that as a team, they would almost always be together. She simultaneously felt nervous and excited, a feeling she knew quite well given her nature. She was just happy enough to be considered a worthy partner.