Children Playing and Fighters Yearning

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The Small Pond was inherently a peaceful place; a large clearing surrounded by a crowd of tall trees, providing ample shade for all visitors. Daylight leaked through the foliage above them, sprinkling sunlight onto the crystal clear pond in the middle of the clearing. A gaggle of baby and basic Pokemon littered the glade, playing in the water and grass abound, their shrieking laughter and giggles bringing cheer to their spectators; parents, grandparents, explorers and officers watching from the shadier portions of the open area. Denizens of Grassveil loved the hotspot, as it was the perfect place to bring their young ones to spend the day.

It was warm. The Small Pond was always a cheering, innocent scene. Picturesque, even.

This is what I coulda had. Instead of training. In the backdrop, behind a few trees almost hidden from sight, there crouched a Croagunk low to the ground. His eyes were crinkled wistfully, a harrowing little smile playing at his lips. Goro rested his elbow on his knee as he crouched, and his chin on his elbow. His poison sacs inflated for a moment, making a quiet croaking sound that went largely unheard amidst the laughter of younger Pokemon a few yards away. I'd a been softer, but maybe happier. Smarter, hopefully.

Jet instinctively bit his lip as Goro spoke to him. He couldn't den what he was saying. After all, everything this Croagunk was saying was true; that was what friends were for, and that's what true friends did for each other. He quickly looked away, clearly uncomfortable with the truths. However, he quickly shook his head. No...no. He couldn't think about it that way. Just because they weren't here right now doesn't mean that they weren't really his friends...right? Or was that merely wishful thinking on his part...? A refusal to let go of how things were...?

Jet cast his gaze downward once more, trying to think it through again from the beginning. Was their friendship...really worth all of this? When they didn't seem to even find the time to spare to return and give him a hand, even for just a single mission? He thought in silence as Goro's gaze remained on him.

Finally, he came up with his answer.

"...No," he said, shaking his head. "I mean...I-I understand what you're saying. And...you're right. That is the kind of thing most friends would do for each other, but our situation is...different. At least as far as my best friend and my Team Captain is concerned." He looked up at Goro, a bit of confidence in his tone of voice once again. "I know where Lee went. He had to go back home because of an emergency. O-or at least, that's what he told me in his letter. I-it wouldn't be fair for me to want to keep him here. But...he said that, one day, he would come back once things settled down. I-I may not have heard from him since, but...h-he would never just abandon the team he so earnestly formed like that. H-he picked me as his teammate. He said that we would make a great team together, with him being the front lines using my strategies. I-I don't know, maybe it's idiotic of me to cling to the likely-vain hope that he'll come back someday, but...I want him to. More than anything...."

His vision started to blur slightly at that point. It was at that moment that he became aware that his eyes were watering slightly, tears having been formed in his eyes as he recalled his time with Lee so long ago...and the fact that he seemed to be completely gone now. He quickly raised his left paw and wiped the tears away. He quickly changed the subject again. "...A-Avery, though...I-I don't know. H-he was going to join our team, be my trainer. But...before we could make it official, he just kind of...disappeared on me. I-I certainly don't know where he's been or what's happened to him." At that point, he let out an obviously-forced chuckle. "H-heh...I-I mean...I-I was shocked when I saw you. F-for a moment, I thought maybe...he had actually come back. But, it just wasn't meant to be, I suppose."

Hm. Kinda selfish of 'em, to ask ya to hold this team down while they ran back home. Goro was confused but unsurprised. Friendship was indeed quite bit more complicated than he thought-- clearly, Jet's friends and ran out on him to take of their own affairs, or at least his Captain did, but Jet was strangely fine with that. He didn't seem resentful or angry, but perhaps disappointed and saddened by their absence. And he simply carried on, fighting for the team that he was suddenly supporting by himself, downtrodden but still resolute in his course of action. Goro found himself unable to relate, never having fought for a team or company with a sense of loyalty, only to earn enough coin to make it to the next fight. But he did know what it was like to be undervalued-- to have your presence taken for granted by people who, by all means, should be supporting and valuing you. That's why he left in the first place, tired of fighting for money and ill reputation, instead of Pokemon who thought they were too good to fight for themselves.  

Goro shifted uncomfortably, as he was suddenly aware of Jet wiping unshed tears from his eyes, the conversation apparently proving a bit too emotional for him. Ah. There we go-- he was trained by someone. Maybe not to fight, since Jet was still struggling against wild Pokemon in dungeons, but this could be an answer for his timid and subservient demeanor. Unsurprisingly, it was another Croagunk who Jet was reminded of when he saw him. "How far'd ya get? In yer training, I mean."

Relieved to have another topic to cling to, Jet decided to answer the question he had been posed rather quickly. "W-well, we were actually really getting somewhere," Jet said, with a hint of what could almost be described as pride in his voice. "I-I mean...Avery was still wiping the floor with me when we sparred, but at the very least, it wasn't as hard as when we first fought each other." A slight smile appeared on his face as he recalled the first time meeting his old teammate. He instinctively rubbed his stomach as he recalled a particularly rough kick to his gut. "I-I've also come to the realization that I think I tend to leave my stomach vulnerable too much," he decided to add. "A weakness that Avery tried to work out of me by punishing me for it whenever I would leave the opening. Th-though he didn't really have the time to work it out of me before he disappeared. So it's still kind of a problem I have.

"Over time, though, I think I've gotten...a bit better." Jet continued. "I have a couple other friends now, so they help me occasionally. Or at the very least, they try." He let out another short, nervous chuckle. "...Though I do still have a lot of progress to make. Still, I feel like I'm stronger than I was when I first came here." He then paused for a moment, looking away with a thoughtful expression on his face. After a few seconds, he turned back and looked as though he wanted to say something...but he remained silent, not wanting to bother Goro further if he didn't want it.

"Um...s-sorry," he added quickly, looking away once more. "I-I doubt you're actually all that interested in my life story, are you...? I-I've probably just been annoying you, right...? S-so, um...s-sorry." He bowed his head slightly to compound his redundant apology.

Goro deliberately ignored the Buizel's repeated apologies, focusing on the aspects of the conversating that, surprisingly, he found himself enjoying. A quiet voice in the back of his head was asking him why he was still here talking to this kid, but Goro was content to ignore it in favor of the Buizel in front of him. He'd never really spoken to an Explorer at length (or at all, really) and he found himself wanting to learn more about them, aside from their team formations. What else did they do, besides fight bad Pokemon and traverse dungeons? Was it rewarding at all, fighting for a Guild? Did he even fight often, or was he rescuing Pokemon and recovering lost items? What was the scope of his work? Were situations like Jet's common-- did they deal with runaway recruits often?

But, then, he could imagine himself asking these kinds of invasive questions. Then the little Buizel would run on back to his Guild, squeal to the Guildmaster about a Croagunk who, aside from mean-mugging the rest of the Pond, spoke roughly and displayed a reluctance to get close to the crowd of the Small Pond. One thing would lead to another, and then there would be officers on his doorstep with a warrant looking for the mercenary he used to be. Better keep my mouth shut. He'll tell me what he wants me ta know.

There shouldn't be any harm in talking about the Buizel himself, though. He was freely divulging information, and quickly started fishing for conversation after he ran into him. And it did feel kind of therapeutic, a soothing balm on Goro's active nerves, listening to someone else's problems rather than wallowing in his own. Hearing Jet talk about his absent comrades and all the trials and tribulations he's ran into with his Rescue Team made Goro's own worries seem a bit smaller. A very rare playful glint twinkled in Goro's eye as he turned to side-eye the Buizel beside him, his eyes crinkling up slightly due to a queer little half-smile on his lips. "S'good yer gettin' better. But it sounds like yer not satisfied with yer strength. Ya got yerself a goal? Or maybe a there's a girl back home yer tryin' to impress?"

Jet watched his opponent carefully once he was finished talking. He was silently observing every movement the Croagunk made, trying to figure out what was on his mind. His expression was especially important. However, his companion had a tendency to look in the opposite direction. In fact, even when the Croagunk was looking at him, Jet would only be able to see about half of his face at a time, making it somewhat difficult to get a read on his countenance. However, there was something about him; something that seemed like he was taking this conversation carefully, almost like he was holding something back. Was he trying to avoid some kind of topic here? It was certainly possible, considering that the two had only just met. Still, Jet was feeling a little bit more comfortable with this Pokémon. He had a slight hope that, just maybe, he could convince the Croagunk to ease up a bit as well.

However, when Goro resumed the conversation, it was quite the interesting question. His faced flushed, giving away his very obvious answer. "Wh-what...? M-me? A-a girl to impress...?" he stammered nervously, shutting his eyes and looking away innocently. "Wh-what girl would want somebody as weak and hopeless as me?" He intentionally avoided Goro's question, trying to keep it as vague as possible. But then he paused for a moment, thinking about it. It wasn't a big deal, after all...and if he wanted this Croagunk to be more comfortable with him, he had to be more forthcoming with information himself.

"W-well...I-I mean...y-yes, there is...one girl out there." His blush deepened and he turned to look back up at Goro again, once more rubbing his right arm nervously. "I-I met her on a training and supply trip into the Pecha Forest not far from here. Sh-she was so beautiful.... I-I tried to be the type of person she could rely on. Someone who would protect her, but...it, um...d-didn't go so well. I disappointed her in the end...." He let out a loud sigh. "I'm not sure I'll ever be strong enough to impress her."

Childish bemusement bubbled up in Goro, his smile widening a fraction as he took in the Buizel before him. Goro wasn't one for messing with people, as meticulously poking and prodding for reactions was an act entirely too complicated for him to deal with without getting frustrated or bored, but he couldn't deny the fun in rendering Jet into a stammering wreck- fretting nervously, timidly blushing like a schoolgirl while looking up at the Croagunk. Indeed, it was a better look on the young Pokemon, rather than him huddled in on himself, awkwardly apologizing over and over again for slights he probably imagined. Still, it didn't seem to last long. Goro let that particular line of conversation drop, as it seemed Jet was doing his self-pity thing again.

"But ya are gettin' stronger, yeah? Hows'sat comin'?" His curiosity wasn't entirely feigned, despite the Croagunk turning back to observe the scenery at the Small Pond, beyond the trees they were behind. The good mood he'd had earlier, watching the younger children play in the pond had spread and taken root, and Goro found himself genuinely interested in the Buizel beside him. He, himself, didn't have much advice to offer on the front of the beautiful girl Jet had met; Croagunk weren't exactly cute or handsome-looking Pokemon, and he never stuck around a spot long enough for some hypothetical girl to get interested in a poisonous frog fighter, of all things. Furthermore, Goro didn't much care to hear about his absentee comrades, but Jet was sort of admirable for sticking their team and holding it down.

Jet caught that flash of a widening smile. The sight made him smile slightly as well, despite the fact that his blush was still visible on his face. The slight reddish hue was present as he decided to take a bit of a risk. He approached the Croagunk directly, seeing that the Toxic Mouth Pokémon had turned back to the scene at the Pond. Jet moved to stand beside him, looking out at the crowd as well. Just like Goro, he took in the sights and sounds of the Pokémon playing. They were definitely pleasant to the senses to say the least, and the Buizel's worries and troubles seemed to dissolve away as he beheld the innocent scene. He looked over at Goro for a brief moment, taking in the look on his face and the body language. He definitely seemed more relaxed now than he had been when they first met. He imagined that he was probably the same way.

Finally, the conversation resumed, and he nodded. "Y-yeah, I-I would say that I am definitely getting stronger." he replied. "Wh-when I first got here, I...w-well...I let myself succumb to an outlaw. A common criminal had gotten the best of me. A-and not just physically, either. H-he...he got in my head. Terrorized me. I let him get a grip of me...and he took advantage of that." He shuddered slightly at the thought. "I...I was terrified of him. To the point where I even did anything he asked for a short while, like some obedient servant. Naturally, I was ashamed of my cowardice and...and eventually I managed to secure my freedom again." A bright smile formed on his face; the first since this conversation had started, and he turned to look at Goro again. "...I'm proud when I think on it now, though. If I were put into a similar situation, I don't think I would let it happen again. S-so, I think it's a good sign; proof of my progress. Y-you know what I mean...?"

Goro hummed thoughtfully as the Buizel spoke about the outlaw that he'd ran into. So that's where his strange tendencies to look down on himself came from. He was definitely surprised that the Buizel had wandered into an outlaw that brazen in a place as bustling and public as Grassveil, or any of the hotspots around it. Most Pokemon here were just, honest and sincere, but by no means gullible. Genuine strength was hidden away at the Guild, and Goro knew there were sharp eyes out looking for anyone that was known for certain misdeeds, ready to put them away before they could do more harm.

Goro, himself, definitely was no saint. And it was likely that he was a suspect for a few of the morally questionable jobs he'd undertaken, and if he ambled into a town one day and saw the name Goro the Croagunk under the outlaw section of a notice board, and a capture request for some Guild, well, he wouldn't be surprised. But there was a definite line between unlawful and outright cruelty. He knew it well-- walked that line every day. And he knew the kind that was on the other side, genuine monsters out to wreak havoc and misery, willing and able to put someone else down if it meant they could climb a little higher in the world. Then there was the kind that just seemed to enjoy hurting other people; the less said about them, the better.

And it seemed like one of those monsters got their hands on the Buizel who had stepped up beside him. He was relaxed and untroubled, a bright smile on his face as he crowd-watched alongside the Croagunk. For a brief, fleeting moment, Goro felt a surge of righteous fury at all the unfairness in the world.

Then it faded as Jet's words washed over him. He was proud of the trials he'd overcome and saw himself stronger for it. Not that Goro could really relate; he'd been shielded from those kinds of influences when he was vulnerable to them. Jet, however, hadn't.

"Is that what yer lookin' for-- proof of yer progress?" Goro turned from the crowd to regard the Pokemon beside him, his smile turning from gleeful to something else, daring and anticipating, all the same, his focus suddenly intent and expecting. He wouldn't lie to himself-- he was a fighter by trade and by heart. And the Buizel in front of him was interesting enough and was at least experienced, even if he was half-trained and hesitant. Still, there was such a thing as a sporting fight, or he could just give him a few pointers. He could think of worse ways to pass the day.

Jet paused to consider Goro's words or a moment. Was that what he was looking for? Proof of progress? The question was more difficult to answer than he expected it to be. The more he thought about it, the more he had to question about himself. However, it wasn't long before he came up with what he wanted to say. He put a paw up to his jaw thoughtfully, as though thinking carefully about his upcoming choice of words. "I-I suppose so, in a way." he murmured in a hesitant, yet satisfied tone that matched his thoughtful expression nicely. He quickly decided to follow up his statement with some clarification he figured that Goro probably would like. "I-I mean...in truth, all I really want to do is become strong enough to protect others. Strong enough to protect Pokémon like me, who are too weak to help themselves, like how I was once protected. I-I want to protect Pokémon like Lucerne from bullies and the types of Pokémon that merely get a sick joy from seeing their prey whimper in pain and fear."

Not seeming to notice the fact that he had dropped the name of the girl he'd mentioned before without explaining it, Jet continued on. "I-it's just that, sometimes, I feel like that goal is nigh-unachievable. Sometimes, I feel like I haven't made as much progress as I think I have. S-so having some kind of proof that I've improved after all of this time would certainly be very nice to have. I-it would certainly go a long way for my morale, which has admittedly been lacking recently."

At that point, he paused, eyes widening slightly as he realized that his companion's expression, which he couldn't see very well before, had changed. "W-wait. D-do you mean...? U-um...th-that is...a-are you asking wh-what I think you're asking...?" He had mentioned that he was a fighter earlier. Did he actually want to take the time to spar with him...?

Jet's goal was just distinct enough to be good motivation and just vague enough to always leave him some room to improve. Goro doubted he'd ever feel satisfied if he kept chasing after strength with that kind of mindset. Protecting all the weak Pokemon he could was a broad and hefty goal. And there was always someone stronger than you, after all, and a lot of those stronger Pokemon were out to get others.

And that last tidbit was interesting. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it sounded like Jet had something against Pokemon who took pleasure from hurting others. That could be something to work towards-- maybe police officer work would suit him better than this Explorer nonsense, or even just chasing outlaw bounties. In the back of his mind, Goro resolved not to show Jet that part of himself just yet. He didn't exactly go around beating on people who looked at him the wrong way, but one of the reasons he fought was to chase that feeling of hurting others and feeling powerful. It was a little less reprehensible since he didn't let that part of himself out to play when he was on a job, and when he fought for fun his opponents knew what they signed up for. He let them know he didn't play nice.

"Maybe not somthin' so serious. I have been out of work fer a while, ya know, and wailin' on wild Pokemon is a differen' ball game than fightin' another trained fighter... Plus, yer a big bad Explorer and everythin'..." Goro shrugged playfully, his tone light and teasing, in contrast to his focused eyes taking in Jet's form in front of him. "But maybe some light sparrin', if ya want. I could take a look at yer technique, show ya if yer doin' something wrong. I used to do this stuff for a livin', and I was trained start ta finish. So I 'kin give ya a few pointers if ya want 'em."

"Out of work?" Jet repeated, tilting his head slightly to the side. He couldn't help but let his curiosity get the better of him for a moment. Up to this point, the Croagunk had said nothing about himself like that. He had said that he was a fighter, but that was about it. He briefly wondered what the Croagunk's job might entail. He clearly wasn't somebody who hung around town very often; if he was, then he would have seen him around at some point. He had been here for a long time, after all. But Croagunk were particularly rare in these parts. "I suppose your job would probably involve some kind of fighting, right...? So, then...are you a bounty hunter? Or maybe some kind of fighter for hire...?" But almost as soon as that final question had left him, it seemed to dawn on him how sudden and personal the question seemed to be.

"A-ah, s-sorry, you don't have to say if you don't want to, of course. I-I was just curious is all. I-I'm not one to really judge anyone, s-so I suppose I just didn't think about how you might feel." he quickly apologized, not wanting to scare his new companion away with intrusive questions. "E-either way, I-I'd very much enjoy sparring with you, I think." He smiled again, albeit it was still a rather shy expression. "Um...I-I think it would be great to get tips from somebody who's been specially trained. A-and you probably won't have to worry about hurting me too badly either. I-I've been through so much at this point, that I do have some impressive stamina, if I do say so myself." He blushed slightly, quickly looking away slightly. He was obviously not used to complimenting himself like that and he was wondering if perhaps he was giving himself too much credit.

"Ah... ah, yeah. Fighter fer hire kinda, yeah, that's what I was." Goro stumbled amateurishly, cursing his slip-up. He hadn't meant to clue Jet in on what he used to do for a living, but he was so relaxed that the words just came out. He had spoken without thinking, feeling so rarely at ease around this stranger that he freely gave up that information, like it'd interest him. Like he'd felt a need to justify why the Buizel should take his help. His face scrunched up sourly, not wanting to process what that meant to himself, before speaking again, maybe give Jet a better picture than what he was imagining. "Ain't much of a need fer my kind aroun' Grassveil, really, what with th' Guild an' the Police Officers an' everythin'. Other places ain't so well-to-do."

It was true enough, he supposed. Mercenary Pokemon really were rare around Grassveil, as there was no need for them, not when you could hire a team from a Guild that almost guaranteed results-- eventually. But further away, near the more less-populated settlements without a system of police or Rescue Teams down the street, things were a little less lawful. So if a fella had to hire out a cold pair of Toxicroak and their dumb kid Croagunk to teach a lesson to a few outlaws that had a tendency to rob his store, then that was just honest business.

If he'd took a few jobs that might not be so honest, well, Jet didn't have to know about that.

"But yeah, nothin' too crazy. I ain't gonna hurt ya or nothin', just teach ya a thing or two, and maybe we'll rough each other up a lil'." Goro turned back, away from the crowd and away from Jet, before ambling off slowly further behind the trees, looking for a wider spot they could do their business. He waved his hand at Jet to follow, unthinkingly. "S'probably best if we back off from the kiddies, though, so none of 'em gets scared."

Jet's head tilted slightly once again in confusion. He wasn't sure what Goro was so afraid of, in all honesty. The way he stumbled on his words, quickly trying to backpedal and remain as vague as possible about his job. This, by extension, sort of implied a bit of an illegality with his profession. Yet at the same time, it wasn't so illegal or immoral that he would be branded an outlaw. At the very least, he hadn't seen any Croagunk being wanted in the area. This implied a sort of gray area of morality.... What could it be?

The Buizel's thoughts spun in place for a short while, considering various possible explanations, quickly discarding most of them as he disproved them silently in his mind. In the end, two terms came to his mind. He would concede that there might be other possibilities, but there was still a very good chance that Goro was a mercenary-slash-sellsword, or a bounty hunter of sorts. He could see it going either way, but he leaned more heavily toward the former, given his wording, behavior and reactions to his question. However, judging from the scrunched face that the Croagunk had shown upon realizing his "mistake," he supposed that it was something he didn't particularly want to have known. So, at least for now, he decided to keep the conclusion to himself.

Instead, he decided that he wanted to focus on the new subject at hand: a potential spar between this hired muscle and himself. Something that could even potentially be loosely considered a training session. His expression brightened further, a smile appearing on his face again as he considered how valuable advice from someone like him could be. "Y-yes, that's fine with me. I-I mean...h-honestly I wouldn't mind a full-blown battle, but...I suppose whatever you believe to be appropriate is fine with me."

Finally, Goro began to walk away and Jet quickly followed immediately behind him as he waved at him. Jet paused at that, thinking for a moment before recalling something rather valuable. "Oh, actually, Mr. Croagunk, sir..." he murmured, apparently still rather hesitant about speaking up like this. "...I-I do know of a spot that may work well. There's a part of the Pond that's often a bit more secluded, due to how close it is to the treeline and the surrounding vegetation. Parents usually don't let their kids go there because it would be easy for them to wander off and get lost. There's a clearing there, right next to the water, and nobody will be watching us over there."

"Oh. Yeah, sure, thas' fine. Water's probably better since, ya know." The Croagunk turned and gestured at the flippers on Jet's arm vaguely. Goro was relieved that his companion was able to read between the lines and dropped the topic of his work. The Buizel was nervous and timid, but he was nice enough and had his reasons for being down on himself. Goro wasn't sure if he'd ever been this interested in another person. He was even more curious to see how Jet fought, and what he could do. "Lead th' way, ace."

He'd never fought against or alongside a Buizel before and thus had no idea what to expect. But most Pokemon of similar typing fought at least similar to one another. Fighting types like himself usually stepped forward and fought from extremely close range, and other poison types used toxins and status effects to wear their opponents down to a point where they could be defeated. Goro himself was more of a physical fighter, but he had a tendency to cause his opponents to be poisoned from his poison touch ability. But that was only if he could get in close and connect with an attack, which was the best case scenario for a fighter like him.

The water types he'd seen usually fought from a distance, shooting rapid jets of water and other long-ranged attacks to keep their opponents at bay. They were usually hardy enough, able to take punishment well. But looking at Jet, Goro didn't discount the possibility that he fought differently. Lithe and small, it was very unlikely that he specialized in tanking damage. He had long arms and able paws, good for forming attacks, and was likely a fast swimmer. I ain't seen a water-type like him before, Goro mused to himself. But he looks like a speedster kinda guy. In the water, at least.

"Thought I told ya, ya ain't gotta call me nothin' fancy like mister or sir. Really." He smiled absently, his poison sacs inflating slightly as a small croak uttered out. "I'm called Goro. My name, I mean. Goro."

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Jet blushed slightly as, once again, the Croagunk corrected him on his typical formal speech that he had taken to using with strangers. "A-ah, r-right..." he stuttered, clearly a bit flustered at the fact that he had obviously screwed something up again. "I-I'm sorry, it must have slipped my mind. I-I'll try to correct myself in the future, s-si...I-I mean, um...G-Goro." His blush deepened slightly further as he only barely caught himself from making the same mistake again. "I-it's, um...n-nice to meet you by the way, erm...G-Goro." He smiled slightly and held out a timid paw for the Croagunk to take...though if the Croagunk didn't see it or simply didn't react to it, he would drop it just as quickly and move on.

"M-my name is Jet," he replied. "I'm a member--I-I suppose the sole member at the moment--of Team Mizuchi. S-so, um...I-I...th-that is, if you ever have any problems, you can come see me sometime. S-since I work at the Guild, I-I might be able to do something to help you out. I-I mean, I don't know what I could do to help someone as obviously tough as you, but...in the chance that there is, the invitation is always there for you." He smiled as he continued onward, now having taken the lead and was moving toward the spot he had originally spoken of. In all honesty, part of him could feel a surge of excitement surging through him; it wasn't every day you got to train with somebody who had received formal training, which surely this Croagunk had had, given the likely nature of his profession.

The Pond wasn't all that large, so it took them only a short amount of time to arrive at the spot Jet had informed Goro of. Just as Jet had said, this side of the Pond was completely devoid of sentient life. The treeline was practically right up alongside the edge of the water. "This area keeps most Pokémon from proceeding over this way, because they get stopped by the trees and don't want to go through them." Jet commented, stepping into the treeline while still following the Pond. "But in actuality, if you keep going..." He murmured this to his companion as he stepped through the trees and soon emerged into a clearing. The clearing was slightly obscured from the rest of the Pond by overhanging branches and greenery, but it would take very little effort to pass through and leap into the water should one desire to...or to be thrown into, as Jet had experienced once before. The clearing itself was decent in size; it would be more than enough for a two-Pokémon sparring session.

"Does this place work, do you think...?" he asked. "I found this place when I met the Froakie who would become my best friend. We battled each other here before he decided to ask me to be his teammate. He beat me, of course. Rather handily. I-I'm still not entirely sure what he saw in me that day, if I'm honest." But he quickly shook his head. "S-sorry, I don't mean to keep prattling on about what used to be. Wh-what do you think? Will this suffice...? You don't have to worry about the water. I don't plan to use it here. I-I can't always rely on a nearby source of it, after all...s-so it's better that I train myself outside of it. O-or at least, that's what Lee told me at one point."

He'd never fought against or alongside a Buizel before and thus had no idea what to expect. But most Pokemon of similar typing fought at least similar to one another. Fighting types like himself usually stepped forward and fought from extremely close range, and other poison types used toxins and status effects to wear their opponents down to a point where they could be defeated. Goro himself was more of a physical fighter, but he had a tendency to cause his opponents to be poisoned from his poison touch ability. But that was only if he could get in close and connect with an attack, which was the best case scenario for a fighter like him.