Sweet-toothed Scallywag

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[Energy: 17 - 10 = 7]

Mission Details:

Just east of Grassveil Town, north of Pecha Forest, lay a thick patch of greenery.  The relatively small trail leading there was evidence that it didn't receive many visitors, and upon drawing close, it was easy to see why.  The trees there were dense, tall, and immeasurably old, forming such a gnarled mess of plant life that it seemed more like a cave than a woodland.  There could be no doubt about it.  This was Shadowhue Forest.

It certainly lived up to its name, Darcy thought, restlessly lashing her tail back and forth as she walked.  The Skitty stared up at the sky, watching the canopy overhead grow denser and denser with each step until nothing else could be seen.  The gentle breeze rustling the blue ribbon around her neck came to a stop as it was blocked by the thick trunks that seemed to close in around her.

...It was a little unsettling, but fascinating at the same time.  She had never been anywhere like this before.  "Sure is gloomy...  I wouldn't expect a Sylveon to hang around in a place like this," she absentmindedly murmured to her companion for this expedition.  He was a...  Beldum, was it?  She had seen this Pokemon at the Grassveil Guild in passing before, but until this morning they had never spoken.  She hoped that she wouldn't let him down.

Earthquake?  Now that Adam mentioned it, the ground did feel like it was trembling very slightly.  It was accompanied by a distant rumbling sound, too.  Not quite like the earth quaking, but more like...  Hoofsteps..?

Yes, definitely hoofsteps.  And they were getting closer.  Darcy looked in the sound's direction and locked up as she spotted an entire herd of Stantler charging towards them.  That many ferals at once?  She had trouble dealing with just one at a time!  She couldn't do this!

She fought her instinct to run away as Adamantine made the first move.  It slammed into the lead Stantler with a sharp *clunk* that sent echoes through the trees, and the deer Pokemon staggered backward briefly before collapsing.

Right.  She was with Adamantine.  She wasn't sure how useful she herself would be, but together, maybe they stood a chance of leaving the forest unharmed.  She took a deep breath and considered how she could help as two of the remaining Stantler approached Adam and the other two flanked herself and Peaches.

Peaches sent a hail of projectiles at the two nearest Stantler using Swift, but Darcy barely noticed.  Her attention was caught by the two in front of Adamantine.  They weren't moving to attack, but instead just... Stood there, staring at the group with their horns raised.  And were those horns...  Glowing?  Or was she just imagining that?  She took a step forward.  Her mind began to drift off, and she stumbled a little as she continued staring...

She was only snapped out of it by Peaches flopping over on top of her, already snoring loudly.  She shook her head as she squirmed out from under him and tried to regain her bearings.  What was that?  Hypnosis?

She didn't have much time to think about it.  A Stantler tried to stomp her with a hoof and she just scarcely managed to dart out of the way.  "Uhh...  Adamantine, I..." she stammered as she hopped away from another stomp. The Stantler were far more intimidating up close.  She was starting to feel pathetic for relying on her teammate so much, but this was yet another problem she didn't think she could handle on her own.  If Adamantine wasn't there, she would have been panicking, really...

Energy: 0

Though it managed to knock the lead Stantler down, many more stood in the way between them and Grassveil. To add onto the troubles, the blow had applied a pounding headache onto Adamantine as well as added to the fatigue from earlier. The Gummi hadn't necessarily helped much either to alleviate the exhaustion. Glancing up at the horns, however, sparked an instinct within the Steel type: this wasn't an attack. Judging from the fact that it could feel itself slowly drifting off, it reasoned that this was Hypnosis, a move designed to lull the target to sleep.
"Please give me one moment..." the metal entity stated, managing to withdraw a single seed. Having no idea of its effects, it prayed that the seed wasn't a Blast Seed or anything harmful and could provide more use...

Its trust was not mistaken as the seed began to work its magic, rejuvenating the Beldum almost as if providing enough sugar to wake it up instantly. The seed was a Heal Seed! With a confident look in its eye, Adam nodded and charged at the two Stantler with a fierce expression and a determination to plow right through the crowd. The excitement of the moment was almost too distracting to notice that it suddenly had a glowing aura surrounding its body to the point that it became blinding. Soon, its entire body felt absolutely weightless until the light died down seconds later, with two heavy appendages poised rigidly in a fighting pose. Its vision became clearer, having the advantage of two points of view rather than one, and could feel its capacity for knowledge expanding as it tried to grasp everything. Having taken but mere seconds to admire the new improvements, it dug through its bag once more to fish out a small brown disc: a Brick Break TM. The disc twinkled in the little patches of light scattered around the area. A small click was heard from the disc when it began to teach the new move.

"This is not the most optimal form I have accessible, but it will suffice for now." the new Metang commented, surprised to hear a tone with a small amount of emotion. The language still sounded automated and false, but hearing at least a slight change in pitch brought nothing but cheerful thoughts and a boost to its mood. Glancing briefly at its arm and swinging it at one Stantler, the move was much more effective than Take Down. Considering the damage depended on where the move struck and could deal more or less damage depending on if it struck a weak spot, Adamantine could care less as it began to fight off the Stantler one by one.

Darcy did her best to hold her own until Adamantine could help, but the longer she had to wait, the more nervous she got.  This Stantler was over twice her height, and she couldn't spot any openings to fight back.  She didn't have the courage to do anything but flee backwards and try to avoid attack after attack.  Eventually, she dodged just a little too late, and the Stantler managed to pin her tail to the ground.  Darcy cringed with pain and braced herself as it raised its free hoof to stomp her, but before it could bring it down, both Darcy and her attacker were distracted by the brilliant white light shining from Adamantine.

Darcy's eyes grew wide.  The Beldum's body was shifting, and growing larger...  She gasped when she realized what was happening.  It was evolving!  The light steadily faded, and her heart fluttered as she got her first clear look at her partner's new form.  It had real arms now, and two eyes...  And was it just her, or did its voice seem a little more organic?

Armed with its new body and a new move, Adamantine made short work of the rest of the Stantler, harshly thwacking each one in turn with its heavy limbs.  Each one it struck either collapsed to the ground or turned and fled before they could be hit again.  The one pinning Darcy ran away before Adamantine even got close, freeing the Skitty to get back to her feet.

...As impressed as she was, Darcy couldn't help but laugh at how inadequate this all made her feel.  Had she and Adam really been at the guild for the same amount of time?  The two of them were like night and day when it came to their ability as explorers, even before it had evolved.  Darcy knew that Skitty weren't built for fighting like some other Pokemon were, but the reality of that had never hit her until now...

...Would she ever be able to catch up..?

Gah.  She shook her head and forced a smile.  This was no time to be feeling sorry for herself.  Her friend had evolved!  This was an important moment in its life, and she should be honored to have witnessed it.  She bounded towards the new Metang and began circling it to get a better look at its new body.

"Adamantine...  Congratulations!  How does it feel~?" she said while giggling and pouncing up on top of the Metang, mindful to avoid the spikes on its sides.  Its large, disc-like head should be able to support her weight, right?

(TFW you go on vacation but lose solid internet connection when you come back until just now)

Energy: 0 + 1 (new page) = 1

As the remaining Stantler fled the area to avoid being struck with a Brick Break and the injured remaining down, Adamantine could finally take a moment to relax and take it all in. It had evolved into a form it previously thought not possible! It wasn't as potent as it should have been considering the orthodox evolution would have another natural Beldum to combine with, but the effects were almost identical in its entirety. "It feels pleasant, to be truthful. I offer my gratitude to you, however: I could not have evolved without the morale boost and the purpose from you, Darcy. Had I been alone, I would not have had much of a reason to try and fight back so hard considering I wouldn't have an ally to protect." the Metang stated. Though it was true that Peaches would also have needed assistance, the Sylveon seemed much more capable of handling himself than Darcy.

Now that they had a moment of peace, it allowed Adam to estimate how long they had until they arrived back in town. "I believe I have traveled on this route on a previous exploration. We are not very far, but we still have a ways to go. Are both of you well? I do not mind pausing to attempt to tend to any wounds if necessary. It is never a sound idea to press onwards while hurt." the Steel type offered. Did it even have any healing items? Probably not. Was it just saying it to express its concern? Probably. Why does my voice still sound almost robotic? I was fairly certain that evolution would help me to reach my goal. A change in pitch means nothing if there is no sense of life inside my speech. it contemplated, clearly a small bit unhappy about how little the evolution affected one of the few things it had wanted the most.

(No worries, things happen.)

Well...  She wished that she hadn't needed protection in the first place, but if it encouraged Adamantine to evolve, she supposed she shouldn't feel too bad...  Still, it sure didn't make her proud.  What would her parents think of this..?

...It all wouldn't have stung so sharply if Adamantine was her senior at the guild, but the two of them had received the same amount of training.  What was she doing wrong..?  It was like Adamantine was some perfect robot built from the ground up to flawlessly ace everything that she struggled with.   Right down to its voice and demeanor, everything it did made her feel inadequate.  At first she had thought its voice to be a limitation of its species, but even after evolving and gaining something more natural-sounding, it seemed intimidatingly detached and astute.  She was starting to think that Adamantine just really was that stoic and professional. It made her feel more hopeless than ever.  She would never be like that...

She sighed and hopped down from Adamantine's head.  Her tail hurt from being stepped on, but the soft earth had cushioned the impact somewhat and nothing seemed to be broken.  "Yeah, I'm okay.  Let's keep going," she said before nudging the still-sleeping Sylveon with her nose.  "Are you alright, Peaches?"

He groaned as he rubbed his eyes and returned to his feet.  "Yes, same as always...  They're gone, I take it?"  He sleepily glanced around the clearing, then jolted fully awake at the sight of Adamantine, his eyes wide as he pieced together what had happened.  "O-Oh!  Congratulations!  It looks like something good came out of this after all!  I guess we have nothing to fear now, do we?"

Darcy stayed silent and took the lead, dragging her tail along the ground as she tried to distract herself by keeping watch for any more trouble.  She could sort things out once they got back to town.  Maybe she just had to train harder.

Energy: 1

Having two eyes was an odd sensation for the Metang. Every single thing felt almost as if it was popping out this time, like it could tell the depth of certain objects. Though a bit disorienting at first, it wasn't long before Adamantine's eyes finally synced up and began to work properly. It felt faster and more durable, with what felt like the strength to power through a head-on collision with a heavy metal object travelling at a high speed. The ability for powerful attacks without the use of physical strength was still lacking, but it didn't seem to be of much use now anyways. Telekinesis wasn't a high priority anyways. "Though I would like to believe so, it is best not to let your guard down. However, seeing as the situation allows it, I do not hypothesize any more serious trouble from here on out." it stated with a small nod. Now all that was left was to strike up some sort of conversation to keep them busy until they arrived in town.

...Oh, right. I'm a horrible conversation starter. the Steel type remembered. Though it excelled in physical and mental capabilities, showing social comfort was a difficulty. With the tone of its voice contributing to its semi-secluded life, Adam was hopeless from the start. "Seeing as I lack of ideas, would either of you two care to come up with something to discuss?"

Peaches lit up, seeming happy to suggest a topic.  "Well, why don't you two tell me about what it's like to work at the guild?  I've never spoken with any of its members before.  It all seems rather exciting."

Despite how cheerful his voice was, the words seemed to make Darcy shrink into herself.  "...Uh...  I..." the Skitty murmured, her ears drooping as she let out another sigh.  She was trying not to think about that.  After staring at the ground for a lengthy moment she turned to look at the two of them over her shoulder.  "I'm going to scout ahead a little, okay?  I'm the smallest one here so I'll be harder to spot.  You two can talk, I'll shout if I need you."  Her voice wavered as she finished speaking, and without giving them time to respond she dashed forward along the narrow trail to put some distance between herself and the others.

Peaches paused and gave her a blank stare as she scampered away.  It took him a moment to shake off his surprise, but once Darcy was out of earshot he turned to Adamantine with a questioning look on his face.  "...Did I...  Miss something else while I was asleep?  She seemed quite happy just a moment ago."

Energy: 1

Watching Darcy go on ahead brought on a wave of concern for the Skitty to instill into the Adamantine. Why was she so upset? Could it be jealousy of how it had evolved while she didn't? Had it said something to offend her or belittle her? Was she remorseful for needing to rely on the Metang as much as she did? Possibilities swarmed its mind with no clear answer. "Not necessarily. Darcy is troubled at the moment, leaving me with no reason as to why. Do you mind accompanying me to follow her and try to cheer her up? After all, if it was not for her, I would not be here to assist you in explaining your situation to Officer Magnezone to clear your name. I do not find it fair that I alone feel accomplished with the completion when it was my ally that helped as well."

Regardless of Peaches answer, Adam immediately sped off ahead to meet up with its companion. "Darcy? You sounded troubled when you sped off to scout the path ahead. I am quite the reasonable Pokémon, so perhaps notifying me of what is bothering you will further help me understand your situation and how to support you. After all, you have done the same unto me." it stated with a cheerful look in its eyes. Though having a completely normal voice would have made this much more effective, the Iron Claw Pokémon settled on what it could muster. The area seemed quiet for the time being, or at least as far as it could tell. Adamantine simply assumed that they were alone and proceeded to drop its guard.

The deflated-looking Skitty slowed to a walk once she was far enough from the others to have some privacy.  She didn't bother to do any scouting at all, and instead simply stared at the ground as she trudged forward and let her thoughts absorb her.  It didn't seem to matter much.  She couldn't handle anything here on her own anyway, and if she did find herself in trouble, Adamantine would just save her again.  

...Merely thinking about Adamantine made her heart sink.  It was the real guild member of the two of them...  Being around it made her feel like she was just some kid who had only been allowed into the guild by mistake.  Of course she didn't want to tell Peaches about that.  If she had known just how far out of her league she was...  She might not have joined the guild in the first place...

Her ears twitched uncomfortably as she heard the Metang in question approach, and her stomach knotted up with guilt as she listened to its words.  It deserved to be happy today, after doing such admirable work and finally evolving, and the thought of distracting it from that with her own problems...  It made her feel even worse than she already did.  She was starting to deeply wish that she just hadn't come along, and that she had stayed at the guild to help with chores, or something.  At least that was something she knew she could handle.

Peaches trotted up behind Adamantine, looking visibly concerned.  Well...  If they really wanted to know...  Darcy trusted them enough to open up a little.  "It's nothing big.  I...  I'll be alright," she said with a sigh as she kept walking.  First and foremost, she didn't want Adam to worry.  But as she turned around to explain herself further, her emotions got the best of her and she said a little more than she intended to.  "It's just...  I feel rather...  Out of place around you, I guess.  You've been a real hero today, Adam, and all I've done is get into trouble.  And as if you weren't so much better to begin with, now you've evolved, while I'm still...  Well...  Me?"  She turned in a circle while looking at her body, then sat down and smiled sheepishly.  Not exactly the most powerful or commanding figure...

Her smile faded, and she met the Metang's eyes with a vulnerable, almost pleading look...  "Do you think...  Do you think that I can actually make it as a guild member..?  After all of this, I'm just...  Having second thoughts..."

Energy: 1

So that is the reason why she was acting strangely... Did I really appear so professional? Odd. it thought with a small nod of understanding. It was natural to feel a bit inferior to one who has their talents used to their fullest extent in a scenario, but it didn't mean that they were better in any way to the Metang. "I see... Darcy, you are aware that my species are known to evolve early on in life, right? I was merely fortunate enough to work towards it and eventually reach this milestone. As for my my previous abilities, the scenario allowed me to express my talents. If the objective were to express creativity or charisma, I would be a lost cause to your effort." Adamantine stated with a slight shrug. The last thing it wanted to do was seem like it was overshadowing Darcy.

Her next statement prompted Adam to raise a claw to silence her as she trailed off.
"...Just between you and I, I have high respect for Normal types such as yourself. With no clear strength and a prominent weakness, it's the knowledge of this yet desire to continue onwards anyways that I admire. Myself? If I am at a disadvantage, I am the first to call for the retreat rather than engage. Your mindset of resilience even after everything that happened was what made you notable in this expedition. Do you see? Results do not mean anything so long as an effort is displayed to achieve what you desire." Adamantine stated. The last few words it recited brought back memories of its Aron companion and of how useless it felt compared to them. Considering they were used to the environment and the young Beldum was still foreign to it, it was hard to do anything. That exact same quote was its inspiration to adapt to the situation and pull through.

Shaking its head to dispel the thought, it held out a claw to shake with Darcy. "I know that you are not a quitter. What do you say?"

On the verge of tears, the little Skitty fell silent and stared at Adamantine as it spoke.  She wasn't sure what she had expected to hear, but the very last thing on her mind was that Adam held any admiration for Normal types.  She'd long known that they had a disadvantage when it came to fighting, with Skitty in particular being a weak species, but...  Perhaps that humility really did foster a sense of emotional fortitude like Adam said.  Now that she thought about it, she realized that while she'd experienced failure after failure since coming to Grassveil Town...  She hadn't turned back.  She hadn't given up on helping her parents, even though they would have welcomed her home anytime...  Maybe that was a sort of strength, in its own way.  Perhaps an even more meaningful one than simply being able to fight.

...Adam was right.  She should never let herself lose touch with that.  Not if it would let her help the people she loved.  Tears crept into her eyes, but she found herself smiling again as she slowly walked forward and grasped the Metang's hand with both of her paws.  "...Yeah.  I won't quit," she murmured, her eyes sparkling as she looked up at her co-worker...

No, not her co-worker.  Her friend.  "Thanks, Adam.  It...  It really means a lot to me."  Its metal arm was cold against her skin, but that didn't bother her anymore.  Adamantine had proven that its bizarre voice and appearance belied a caring heart.  She stared into the Metang's eyes with admiration for a long moment, only looking away once she noticed Peaches approaching the two of them.

His face was a mixture of tenderness and concern.  "I regret interrupting you two, but I hear movement up ahead, and it's drawing closer," he whispered.  Darcy's ears twitched, and she soon noticed that Peaches was right.  The path wound back and forth too sharply to see what was causing the noise, but there was someone else up ahead.  

Darcy pulled away from Adam and regarded the Metang with a smile.  "If it's a feral, let's handle this one together, alright?  Whether you're good at it or not, I don't want to leave you with all of the work.  And we both know I need the practice."

{OOC: Whoops, forgot to roll XD /shot}

Energy: 1

Feeling the small cat grasp its claw with both paws brought a wave of relief. It was nice to see Darcy back to her old self again to say the least. "It was my pleasure. Do try to remain optimistic in the future, yes? Evolution will come for you eventually, but not until your maturity and skill deem you worthy of achieving your final form. It will be extremely difficult and push you to your limits, but I feel confident that you can achieve it." Adamantine said, letting go of her. It felt that its words held true: even though it didn't bother the Metang as much, she certainly didn't do much damage to any feral. She does possess the correct mindset for this, but physical capabilities... That is the main reason why I said it would be difficult, I suppose. Perhaps I should offer to spar with her someday after the mission?

Its thoughts were interrupted by Peaches notifying them of a presence not far ahead. "Understood. Darcy, I will provide assistance yet not enough to do any serious damage. I would like to see what you're capable of, if that is alright. Do not worry, I will be your shield for this battle if need be." the metal entity promised. Being a living wall for an ally is something that it was used to, and it took pride in the fact that it knew to use its natural talents to their best ability. In this case, it would be as a wall to take hits.

{Oh, shush :P}

She looked up at Adamantine with wide eyes. Evolving... That still felt a long ways off. Skitty evolved with the help of Moonstones instead of raw training, but that didn't make things much easier. She didn't have the money to buy one, nor the foggiest idea of where to search on her own... And even if she did, her parents had said that evolving too early could make it hard to learn new techniques. She didn't feel even remotely ready for that...

Well, one step at a time. For now, she would do her best with what she had. She took a deep breath and gave Adamantine a nod, then crept into position, staring intently at the bend in the path several meters ahead as the sound of footfalls and rustling plants drew closer. "Careful, you two..." Peaches murmured while standing behind the guild members watchfully.

The first thing Darcy noticed was that the newcomer was big. Easily a half-meter taller than herself. She held her breath as the creature slowly approached, forcing its way through the plants leaning onto the overgrown trail, until after what seemed like hours it emerged from the shadows into a patch of sunlight that gave Darcy a clear view.

It was the most terrifying feral she had ever seen.

And it was a feral. There could be no doubt about that as the bright red arachnid suddenly staggered forward with shocking speed until it loomed just centimeters in front of her, venom dripping from its mandibles as it glowered down at the Skitty with a gaze that could have melted lead.

Her body locked up with abject terror. The Ariados' Scary Face left her at a loss for words, or thoughts... Even breath. Of all of the Pokemon she could have practiced against, why this?! Why not another fairy?! She couldn't handle this thing! It was beyond her!!

Her heart pounded like it was trying to smash its way free of her rib cage but she couldn't move an inch. The giant spider continued eyeing her as it edged even closer, as if searching for the best spot to plunge its fangs into the cowering Skitty. If she took the slightest action, it would lash out. Of course it would. Should... Should she try to fight it?! She had promised Adamantine she would, right? Was that still the plan?! She wanted to look behind her and see what the Metang thought of all of this but was too terrified for even that.

Energy: 1

Despite being extremely terrifying, Adamantine refused to let this Ariados intimidate it in the slightest. "A glare that melts lead cannot harm steel, Bug type. You do not scare me." it remarked, charging forward to try and knock the Ariados off of its companion. Knowing perfectly well that Brick Break would hit Darcy harder than its intended target, on the off chance that the attack accidentally chipped her as well, it made sure that it used Take Down on the arachnid. As an added measure, during mid-attack, it let its arm stay below its body only to bring it up for a punch when it made contact. Trying not to harm the Ariados as much as it could, the blow was only powerful enough for it to possibly release the Skitty.

Judging as it moved past the duo after following through with the heavy strike, Adam couldn't see if it had struck Darcy or not; it was too busy dealing with the recoil anyways. Despite evolution boosting its abilities, the Steel type wasn't healed whatsoever by the change in form. Its former fatigue lingered, if not intensified, after transforming. "Darcy, I will not be able to assist you for much longer at this rate. I know that I said that I would continue to protect you during our battles, but my body has limits even in this form. Do not allow this feral to latch onto your body, avoid its fangs, and strike while its back is turned." the Metang advised, barely able to keep itself steady. So I am not invincible... Perfect. Now I know my limit and can challenge it in the future.

MCLikeANinja carried out 1 launched of one Shadowhue Forest :

Darcy flushed with relief as Adamantine zoomed forward and crashed into the Ariados, though she didn't come out of the scrape unscathed. One of Adam's arms clipped the right side of her body during its attack and sent her tumbling onto her side. She barely registered any pain, though--she was just glad that Adam wasn't afraid. She didn't feel so bad about needing its help this time.

She scrabbled back to her feet but the Ariados was quickly doing the same. She glanced at Adamantine for direction, and what she saw instantly made her heart sink once again. Her partner didn't look good at all... It seemed it could scarcely even stay airborne, let alone manage another attack. And when it stated that it wouldn't be able to help her, and instead began listing advice... Her fur bristled with renewed fear and her voice grew frantic. "W-wait, wait, no! This was just supposed to be practice! I can't actually--"

The moment the Ariados was back on its feet, it lunged towards the distracted Skitty and the two of them crashed to the ground. Knocked onto her back, she struggled desperately to shove the thing off of her, but was only rewarded with a vicious bite to one of her forelegs as she was pinned down... A bite that stung as if the Bug type's jaws had been coated in acid.

The weight pressing down on her was suddenly knocked off as Peaches landed a solid Tackle on the feral. "Listen, Darcy, we've been given no choice! Just focus!" the Sylveon shouted while following by flinging a spray of projectiles at the overturned Ariados with Swift.

But no. This was too much for her. The instant as she was free and on her feet once more, she shoved her head into her bag and returned with a shiny blue orb grasped by her teeth. With all of the force her adrenaline-driven body could manage, she hurled the Petrify Orb against a tree trunk. It shattered against the tree with a resounding crash, and just moments later, the path was engulfed in a rush of cold wind that caused Darcy to shield her eyes.

...Gingerly, she opened her eyes once more, and was relieved to see the feral frozen in place as if it was merely a disturbingly realistic statue. Peaches gave her a glance that was somewhere between confused and disappointed, but that was a welcome replacement for being attacked by a giant spider. "Ugh..." she moaned while flopping onto her belly. Adrenaline and fear drained from her body like it was water, leaving nothing behind but shakiness and a deep pain in her left foreleg. "Let's... Let's not try to train here, actually. I don't think I'm ready yet."