Solitary Setbacks

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Cattail Marsh was not a pretty scene. It was hardly a tourist attraction and it was most assuredly not a popular hotspot. The air was muggy, humid and uncomfortable, the flatlands were mushy and heavy, and the waters that flooded the flatlands were rife with muck and grime, to say nothing of the many bug, poison, and water Pokemon that made their homes there. The dungeon itself was merely a passageway to the infinitely more deadly Misty Mire, harsher swamplands that were home to much more dangerous Pokemon. Cattail Marsh was the sort of dungeon you went to only if you had to go there for something.

Goro the Croagunk called it home. Croagunk themselves were not an uncommon sight in the swamplands, but ones that weren't feral certainly were. Goro himself made his home in the Marsh not because the conditions were particularly favorable, but because how little traffick the area saw. If anything could be said about Goro the Croagunk, then it would be that he valued his privacy. A mercenary by occupation and a hermit by nature, the Marsh was a natural sanctuary for him. After setting off on his own, he'd stumbled into the Marsh on his way to Rainfront Town, and had instantly fell in love with the desolate population and unpleasant environment.

Only one or two ferals been pokin' 'round here today. Good 'ta see they're learnin' their place. Goro liked to spend his time in the Marsh patrolling his territory, a stretch of swamp deep within the dungeon that he claimed for himself. There wasn't anything particularly special about his flatlands, other than an abandoned run-down shack perched up on a gloomy embankment of water. It was dour and damaged, with heavy cracks in the aged wood, empty windows and a missing door-- he loved it. Goro counted himself very fortunate to have found it, and immediately set about beating back any and all feral Pokemon in the area, establishing the area very firmly as his.

Which is what he was doing now. The Croagunk prowled through the swamplands back to his hovel with a satisfied air about him, having discovered only a few Pokemon still lingering in the area. They were learning quickly not to come anywhere near his residence, lest they find themselves on the wrong end of a harsh beating.

ooc:

The Croagunk grew closer and closer, standing his ground, no different from the first time the Skitty had tried this trick.  For a moment, as she lowered herself close to the ground and sprung forward with one last pounce, it seemed like it would work again, that her body would crash into his legs just like before--

But he was ready for her this time.  Darcy's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open with surprise as the Croagunk quickly, skillfully spun around on one heel and out of the way, her pounce taking her straight through thin air and crashing down into the mud, emptyhanded.

"Ptpth..." she mumbled as she shook her head and spat dirt out of her mouth.  She was sprawled prone on a little mound of earth right at the edge of the clearing.  She rubbed her head with a paw for a moment, dizzy and confused...  Goro was so fast when he tried to be!  He was so big and tough that she hadn't imagined him capable of such well-honed reflexes.  Maybe he had lots of practice.

...He really loved play-battles like this, didn't he.  Another small piece of Goro started to make sense in her mind.  It made her feel a little good, happy that he had found some Pokemon to play with, even sprawled out on the ground as she was.  He probably didn't get the chance very often, living out here like he did.  ...She still wished that Alki hadn't volunteered, but--

A flash of glinting metal caught her eye and not even a moment later was a fist digging into her stomach like it had been shot from a cannon.  Surprise flooded her body even more than pain as Goro's follow through sent her lurching weightlessly into the air before she landed heavily on her side with a loud grunt.  He...  He really was fast.  Her vision spun along with her mind, shocked senseless...

Until finally the dull, throbbing pain in her side melted its way through her muddled thoughts and took hold of her body like poison, seeping further and deeper from the bruise on her side with each passing moment.  "O-oww.  Owwww..." she mumbled as she cringed and curled her legs against her body.  She could feel her face grow hot, tears begin to rise.  It hurt, even worse than the first time, so badly she wanted to cry.  Her whole body shuddered as she took a few gasping breaths...

B-but...  She couldn't just crumple up into a ball, couldn't just give up...  They weren't done yet.  If he was finished with her, then he would move on to Alki, and...

Darcy squeezed her eyes shut forced herself to roll over, shakily standing to her feet in spite of the lingering, burrowing pain courtesy of Goro's fist.  Her breath was shaky and she hoped her eyes didn't look too wet as she glanced up at her opponent--

Just in time to see Alki approach, a flaming blanket in tow.  The Skitty squeaked and scrabbled back a few steps until her paws sank into the shallow water just beyond the yard's edge.  Panting heavily, she stepped behind a slender tree, leaning against it with a paw and almost collapsing again as she watched the scene unfold in front of her.  She wanted to step forward, to make sure Goro was alright, or to at least keep him away from Alki, but...  The throbbing pain from his punch only seemed to grow deeper as the moments went by, like it was oozing further into her body, worming its way into places it shouldn't be.  The Skitty panted and clawed at the bark of the tree for a moment before sliding down into a prone position, water and mud up to her chest.  She...  She had to catch her breath.  Her tail twitched, her whole body wishing she could do something to pry those two apart, but exhaustion made it seem almost impossible.  She prayed Alki would bounce away after her little stunt, give the Skitty a chance to recover and come help again...

As Goro spun to the side, rotating quickly so as to put himself out of harm's way, he felt his spirits rise a tad. The notion that Darcy wasn't having fun in this little mock-battle was starting to really take root in his mind. Spinning in a full circle, he came back around and was treated to the sight of his opponent falling face-first into the mud, hitting absolutely nothing as she passed through the space that he was a moment ago. Normally, he'd feel that same spark of pride course through him whenever he outmaneuvered someone or a rush of dark satisfaction that preluded a beat down, but what came instead was an inkling of worry. What came next was his counterattack, his left fist already hardening and shining to form his signature bullet punch attack, and that meant he was going to have to really give it to the skitty here. He'd already pulled one punch against her, and while he wasn't exactly out to hurt either one of these girls, it would be a disservice to take it easy on them constantly - especially when they were so eager to give him everything he had. The sharp, biting heat and crispness of his skin paid testament to that; it was his duty to hit this girl and hit her hard. She'd set up Alki to do the same, so she deserved the same from him! Even if he was starting to feel lukewarm about it, even if he was starting to suspect that she wasn't as willing a combatant as she pretended to be, this was necessary.

So he turned, he rotated his shoulders and his hips, and his bullet-like fist tore a vicious path for the normal type's flank. The attack run true, and his hardened hand crashed into the same fur that he was stroking so affectionately not five minutes ago with all the force he could put into it in this situation. Accordingly, the kitten Pokémon was bodily lifted and sent flying through the air before she landed on her side with a dull thud. As far as punches went, that was one of the best he'd ever pulled off. Darcy had thought to attack him, running up on him and pulling off several feints before jumping in to tackle him, and he sniffed out her approach, dodged her attack, and pulled off a perfect counter. By all means, he should have felt good about the situation, but as he came to a stop and stared down the grounded, trembling skitty on the ground, he felt a little bit guilty about it. A sour expression adorned his face, the croagunk relaxing from his battle stance to stand awkwardly in the middle of the clearing while Darcy curled up in the mud. Maybe... maybe he should have pulled his punch a little bit. The normally chipper and friendly pink kitten painted quite the sorry picture. Goro cringed slightly as Darcy finally rolled over, pushing herself up to her feet. The skitty's movements were very shaky and unstable, and he resolved to be much less rough with her from then on. Alki wanted him to fight her with everything he had, but that didn't mean he had to go all-out against Darcy. She was just here to even the odds in the midget's favor.

His eyes glued to the normal type, the croagunk took notice when her head rose and she squeaked in fear before scrambling backward into the shallow waters. Confusion and panic ran through Goro as he realized that he'd taken his eyes off of Alki for quite some time now; immediately, the poisonous fighter turned on his heel, fists flying up to his chest-level as if to shield him from her flames. Except he turned just in time to catch a flaming mass of something to the chest, the blazing object catching his shoulder and wrapping around him, trapping one hand underneath it. Whatever the fuck it was, it burned. When the flames licked his crisp skin once more, he couldn't hold in the very pained, loud grunt that escaped from his gullet, but he didn't stand idle. As his eyes caught the sight of Alki scrambling away from him on the ground, his right hand clutched at the mass of flames, digging into what felt like fabric before wrenching it off of his torso and throwing it to the ground hatefully. Doing his best to ignore the sharp bite of leftover embers blazing on his person, he quickly stepped forward and lashed out with a vengeful foot, swinging his foot in a motion not unlike a sweep-kick. In his panic and pain, he didn't realize that perhaps a bullet punch would serve him better in this situation, being fast enough to catch Alki and deal super effective damage - he only wanted to pay her back dearly for the burning sensations she had inflicted on him, and his go-to option was a swift punt.

The Igglybuff was usually cautious when it came to situations like this. She was quiet, and while she was certainly emotional, she never acted on these emotions. She never had, anyways, but this fight was certainly kindling something inside the little balloon, and while the thought that maybe there were more efficient ways to distract the croagunk did occur to Alki as she bounced across the muddy, slightly hot ground, she did not think to slow down at all. It wasn’t about the fight. As her eyes narrowed, she felt hot, wet water in eyes. She was crying. She hadn’t been hit yet, though, so why was she crying?

The girl pushed off the ground, the flaming blanket in tow, as well as her newfound tears. As her gaze fell on Darcy, she got the answer to her question. The skitty lay on her side, struggling to force herself up, her whole body shuddering in the aftermath of Goro’s move. “Alki, you’re gonna stay behind me and use Heal Pulse, and Flamethrower...” Those words returned to Alki’s mind, and while the girl knew that her sister didn’t quite mean it like that, the Igglybuff drew a completely different meaning from those words. “Alki, you’re gonna stay behind me. You can’t do this, you’ll just get hurt. So leave it to me...” A few centimeters from the blanket reaching Goro, and Alki’s face tensed into a solid frown, more tears leaking from her eyes as she turned back to face her handiwork. Maybe it wasn’t the wisest thing in the world, to attack like this. It certainly made Alki feel a lot better about herself, much more so than using Flamethrower again would. As an added bonus, it also distracted Goro from Darcy! Her hand began to feel a bit burnt as well, so Alki was more than relieved as she felt the blanket wrap around the Croagunk. She let go as soon as she felt it was secure, and could only hope the attack would work well, but on the other hand...

Whether this worked or not, it didn’t really matter, did it? Either way, it would send a message. A message to them both. She was an explorer, and even if she wasn’t a great one, she wasn’t a weakling either. That was her before. Maybe without help, she could get hurt. She probably would get hurt. After all, it wasn’t like Darcy was in a great state to help right then. Alki would do her best. She’d do her best, and then maybe, just maybe, Darcy could see that she wasn’t the same coward she’d first met.

Alki’s fighting spirit settled into her as she fell, but that wasn’t the only feeling that settled into her. Maybe she would’ve been able to get away if she could’ve pulled off a more graceful landing. A misplaced foot ensured that she wouldn’t be avoiding anything at all. As the girl began to stumble backwards, she could do little more than brace herself for the oncoming attack. But as her eyes widened in shock, fear, and more than a little anger, she realized that the attack was not coming from overhead, but instead, a kick delivered at her lower body sent her bouncing away. A kick. She felt the air go out of her lungs as she bounced away, and the sudden pain she felt was quite unlike any other pain she’d felt. Maybe it was true that words hurt more than things like kicks and punches, but as a newly inaugurated victim of both, she could confidently say that they both hurt a lot in very different ways.

At least the girl could take some satisfaction in the fact that her blanket attack had worked out at least somewhat well. As she rolled herself back onto her feet, she did her best to shoot a stream of fire back at Goro. What she felt in her small body as she used that move was no longer fatigue, now it was just pain . But an explorer was supposed to fight through pain like that, no? Alki stopped her flames, hoping they’d be enough to dissuade him from attacking recklessly. If he decided to, then there wasn’t much Alki would be able to do. She didn’t exactly have the air in her lungs to sing well right then anyways. The Igglybuff forced a grimace that at least somewhat resemble anger onto her face, and blew out a few short flames from her mouth, even if it hurt. She couldn’t actually keep him at bay, but with any luck, fear would. That’s about all she could hope for, wasn’t it?


~~~


Darcy was doing her best to get up. She really was, even if it didn’t seem like it. It wasn’t her fault that the Croagunk’s punch seemed to knock all the will to fight, to move, out of her muscles. Half submerged in the disgusting marsh water, her whole body was shaking, and even as she tried to force it to stop, force it to get up and help her sister in this fight, force it to move, to do anything, it didn’t seem to respond. The disgusting muck that seemed to cling to her fur, that stuck to it like glue was secondary, she just needed to move!

Her memory floated back to her promise before the fight. She was supposed to take care of this. Supposed to be able to protect Alki. That’s what she was supposed to do! She was the Igglybuff’s sister, now, and from what Darcy had pieced together from what she knew of the Igglybuff, the closest thing to a proper mother, too. Someone like that was supposed to be able to protect someone like Alki. Instead, she was [i] still on her side, even as the Igglybuff tried to protect her, even as the Croagunk kicked the Igglybuff away. Even if she couldn’t get the best view of him, he seemed dreadfully angry, and Darcy was helpless to do anything, anything at all, and now he was going to walk forward and kick her more and more and--


“No, c’mon...” She mumbled, renewing her efforts to pick herself up, get back into the fight, do anything to help. “C’mon, Darce...” The kitten Pokemon’s paws shook as she forced herself up, hind paws trembling violently as she planted them upright, her face creased in concentration as she pulled her front paws up along with them. The Skitty took no time to stabilize herself, to check for serious injuries. Maybe it was just a play fight, and it was just swell that he was having fun. He could hit her all he wanted,  but…

“Don’t hurt Alki!” She cried out, taking a trembling step towards Goro. She couldn’t exactly fight well anymore, or at least, not how she had been fighting. She was sure she couldn’t run, and that meant her whole strategy might as well have gone down the drain.
Darcy began to sing. What else was left? Fake out and Tackle was a no go, Disarming Voice was something she’d used earlier on him. It took too long, and she couldn’t take another hit like that… so all that left was Sing. Her voice trembled at first, but as the first few words came out, it became easier and easier. Singing wasn’t fighting. It wasn’t like Tackle, or Fake Out, or punches, or kicks. Now, singing just had a curious, sleep-inducing twist. Singing was something Darcy could do. The Skitty felt relief wash over her as she saw the Igglybuff bring her hands up to cover the sound. If the Croagunk would do something like that was another question altogether...

His half-panicked sweep kick managed to hit the mark, and Goro felt both relief and satisfaction at the sight of Alki tumbling across the ground from the force of his blow. He usually preferred to beat on his opponents with his fists, but there was some kind of humiliation factor that came with kicking your opponent around like trash that he appreciated. It was a bit hard to find pleasure in that sort of thing when his opponent was Alki, of all people, but he wasn't averse to punting her around as long as she made it easy for him. The purpose of this little mock fight was to teach her how to better fight, to expose her weaknesses and make clear what she needed to work on. From what he had seen so far, close quarters combat was one of those things, but with a teammate like Darcy she might need to address that. In an optimal scenario, Alki would be surrounded by a team, as she was part of a rescue team and employed by the guild. She worked with other Pokémon, not by herself. If there came a situation where getting up close and personal was required for a job, then another explorer would be there to handle it, leaving Alki to focus on things that she was better at. Like vomiting fire.

Goro scrunched up his nose and he bore witness to Alki spewing forth another round of flames in his general direction. Unlike before, though, these ones seemed noticeably weaker - had he knocked the breath out of her? Was that something she needed in order to use her flamethrower technique? Questions for later, no doubt. They were still large and potent enough to dissuade him from recklessly approaching, though. Perhaps the lingering sting and pain radiating in his skin had something to do with that; he did not want to find himself bearing the brunt of that attack again. More than anything else, it hurt. It did damage, to be sure, but it was mostly surface-level; even if those burns got more severe, there was nothing stopping him from pushing through the pain. But pain was still a potent tool, so when Alki let loose a weak stream of flames in his direction, he backed off, taking several steps back.

Darcy's voice rung out through the clearing, prompting Goro to steal a glance in her direction. The skitty was still trembling and just now moving from where she'd landed after his punch, though, so he could afford to ignore her until after he dealt with the igglybuff in front of her. But as he focused on the hybrid normal fairy type, it occurred to him that she was... covering her ears. Darcy's voice was still echoing around the clearing, having transformed from a warning shout into a melodious tune, and he felt his eyes flutter. Exhaustion began to wear at him, but it was the sight of Alki warding off the move that prompted him to follow her lead. But he didn't have ears. Instead, he'd had to resort to other means - if he couldn't protect himself from her little trick, he'd have to stop her in her tracks entirely. "I thought I said enough of that!

"What's the matter, kitten? Can't either of you fight without tricks?!" Just like before, Goro's voice took on a hauntingly dark tone, an undercurrent of command and challenge mingling together to form an unmistakable taunt. Still, he was rapidly falling prey to her tune, strength leaving his limbs fast enough to cause him worry - if she didn't take the bait, he was... gonna drop. And soon.

Alki’s bluff had worked out about as well as she could have hoped. The fire that shot forth from her mind, the measly little stream that seemed, somehow more painful than the larger Flames she’d shot earlier. Whatever the case, the flames did their job, much to the relief of Alki. The croagunk began to back off, and Alki watched with barely unrestrained glee as he backed off. Now, at least, she could be sure that he wouldn’t be kicking her around like a beach ball anymore. Sure, she was shaped like one, but that didn’t mean he had to go and treat her like one!

The igglybuff did her best to collect herself, her wet, dirty frame trembling for breath. Whether her particular flamethrower was powerful or not, it didn’t matter. It still took a lot out of her, even if the kick from the Croagunk hadn’t hurt so much. Now, though, it felt as if her lungs weren’t functioning, and every breath was one tenth as nourishing as her breaths before. This was something new, and as fascinating as it was, it was just as terrifying. This feeling would go away, right?

Alki forced herself to take deep breaths, trying to get in as much air as she possibly could, all the while watching Darcy. The Skitty seemed to be in an even worse state than Alki, and while she was giving it her best effort, the igglybuff felt as if she wouldn’t exactly be able to hold her own, trembling so violently like that. It seemed as if Darcy realized that too, as her soft, melodious voice rang out across the clearing. Alki brought her hands up to the sides of her head, trying to block the sound as best she could.

The girl considered her options, and while an attack while the Croagunk was distracted would be preferable to anything else, she didn’t exactly have full access to her moves. The igglybuff attempted to join her teammate in her song, but even attempting to force out the move seemed an impossibility, her voice almost silent as the amount of oxygen in her lungs came up short. No, as unfortunate as it was, she’d just have to cut her losses and force herself to breathe normally again, one deep breath at a time. All her moves required air, and after the humiliation she’d suffered, not to mention the pain, she didn’t want to get close to the croagunk again. She’d just have to hope that, as she’d said earlier, Darcy had this.

~~

Relief washed over the singing Skitty as she saw her teammate shield herself from her move. Thankfully she’d reacted in time. Darcy’s appreciation for the little girl who’d joined her team re-surfaced. Even if it had been their first time in a fight, they’d held their own decently, but Alki especially so.

As the Croagunk turned to address her, she had a sudden feeling that, if not both of theirs, at least her beginner’s luck was soon to run out. Her voice faltered as she took a couple steps backwards, still smarting from the powerful attack he had used on her earlier. His words cut off her singing entirely, her voice fading into a whisper, and then into nothing.

“I mean… I g-got a couple of hits in earlier. D-Don’t make me do that again!” She said. Even to her own ears, that threat sounded hollow, and her nervousness was unmistakable, even if she wished she could be fearless, just like Goro. The facts were simple: she only had one trick in her bag, and Goro knew about it. The self-doubt his taunt had planted in her seemed to work, as she cast a sideways glance to her own tail. No, Flash wasn’t working. Maybe she could’ve bluffed with the light, but that was a last resort, and one that wasn’t even available to her.

“Hey, look...” She mumbled, backing up as his words began to take effect on her. “I’m sorry about singing, I swear...” She turned away from the powerful Croagunk, to her teammate, who seemed to be busying herself with deep breaths, even as she watched the exchange between the two. “I won’t sing again!” She turned back to the Croagunk, stepping back into the shallow water around the clearing. Darcy made sure to put a subtle emphasis on the word I , hoping that Alki would understand what she was saying. So long as her friend wasn’t too badly hurt, maybe an underhanded tactic like that could work… if it did, they’d win! And if it didn’t… well, the way things were looking, Darcy would not be able to contribute much longer anyways. Darcy began to tremble, without quite wanting to, as she observed the Croagunk, hoping she’d be able to do something if he went for another attack, even if she didn’t feel very confident about her chances.

"Yeah... you keep quiet over there," The fight as it had been so far kept replaying in his mind. Goro could physically feel his skin blistering and smoking, and all of the sudden his limbs felt heavy and droopy after the beginnings of Darcy's song, but the source of his embarrassment went back further than that. Darcy had started off this little mock-battle by out-maneuvering him, using some strange clapping strike that had caused him to flinch. Him! Darcy had out-maneuvered him! The fact that she'd held him down long enough for Alki to torch him didn't help matters any - no, clearly she was the prime threat during this little scuffle. He'd left Alki to her own devices for a short while and the best she'd done was burn his blanket and throw it at him - it'd be a cold night, tonight - while Darcy had started off threateningly, and even now was carrying the battle on her shoulders. His victory would be swiftest if he dealt with her first... but that would also shorten the fight. "I've got business to tend to, after that nasty little surprise."

His gaze suddenly swiveled back to the igglybuff that was the source of his crisp state, his eyes hard and flat as he stared her down. Alki was the one who asked for this fight, and it was also her who asked him not to take it easy on her. Darcy could stand by herself over there all she liked; he had business to tend to. And if the sight of him taking on Alki rankled the skitty a certain way, and she lashed out in anger? Well, he'd be all too happy to scrap with the 'mon who had brought him to his knees and held him there while her teammate burned him. Without word or warning, Goro shot forward again, feet pressing to the ground hard and fast as he suddenly darted at Alki mercilessly. The frog had backed off before, when she let loose a volley of noticeable weaker flames in his direction, but now she had no such defense at the ready. And if he was going to strike, it had to be at the moments where she lacked that defense. He wasn't a particularly fast creature - the skitty present certainly had him beat in speed - but he had a tool in his arsenal that could help make up for that shortcoming of his. The fighting type's left fist hardened and flashed a brilliant silver before the croagunk threw it forward in a ruthlessly fast straight punch aimed directly at the diminutive fairy type in front of him. Bullet punch - a technique tailor made to beat other 'mons to the punch. No more banter, no more pussyfooting around. If he went a little easier on Darcy, then that was fine, but Alki had asked for this, so she'd get the full force of his blows.

He couldn't afford to give the normal fairy hybrid any sort of warning or initiative. As rankling as it was, he had to respect that tool in her arsenal; flamethrower hurt, and staying too long under its flames would surely be disastrous for him. As his left straight punch shot forward, he hardened his right and kept it ready at his side, ready to unleash it as soon as the next development occurred. If Alki saw it coming and somehow dodged, then he would strike again. But if he hit his mark, then he would show her the full force of a combination of super effective attacks; it was his duty, at this point. He'd promised not to go easy on her, and while that didn't mean injuring her, it certainly meant giving her some tough love. And it wasn't until now that he had space between the two of them and Darcy like this that he could get away with such an offensive - but a part of him also wanted to see how the skitty reacted to this. He had an idea already; if it was anything like he was thinking (hoping) of, then this fight would certainly get exciting.

Alki had had quite a rough time, being honest. She still couldn't help but take shallow breaths, the kick that the Croagunk had delivered to her earlier still leaving it's mark. It had been rather... well, it had been fast, but more impressively, it had almost seemed elegant to her! He was certainly quite good at fighting, and while that skill had left a rather painful impression on her, she couldn't help but feel a renewed sense of admiration towards the frog Pokemon. He was good! And while that was certainly impressive, it was equal parts terrifying. Like she'd observed earlier: All her moves required air! And that meant that she couldn't use any of them... and if he chose to go after her, then she wasn't gonna have a very fun time...

She should've stayed behind Darcy, shouldn't she have? She... well, the only thing that had really been of consequence that she'd done was use Flamethrower on him AFTER Darcy had already pinned him down. That was... well, it was alright. Maybe. Except it hadn't really been her doing. Darcy had done all the heavy lifting! And aside from that...?

The girl focused in on her lack of impact, at the expense of remembering that she was, in fact, in the middle of a fight... but really! How much more dead weight could she be? Darcy could probably have done better by herself, if she didn't have to worry about her...

Alki looked back up, dragging herself out of her stupor as the Croagunk responded to what Darcy had to say. "Yeah... You keep quiet over there." Alright, so... Wait. Did that mean he was gonna focus on her? The Igglybuff's eyes grew wider as the Croagunk turned to face her. The answer was Yes. Yes he was.

The girl managed a small, nervous grin and a wave at the Croagunk. Maybe that would get her some pity points? If he wanted to get her, then he was going to! It's not like she could use a move or... well, anything! She was screwed!


"Do Re Mi..." She began, attempting to sing. But it was raspy, and weak, and certainly not strong enough to really have an effect on the Croagunk. She needed more time!

The sharp pain in her lungs as she attempted to sing reminded her just how painful getting hit was. Well... she shouldn't give up! Not without a fight, anyways... if she avoided it, and eventually got her breath back, then... she could redeem herself!

Ok... well, she just had to dodge! Dodge and then... wipe the fake smile off her face because he was charging at her now and Alki definitely didn't have a plan, what did she do, or... he was getting closer... just jump! Somewhere! Anywhere! Don't get hit! She began to bounce in place, watching as he got closer and closer and faster and faster and the timing had to be just right or else... Now! Jump now!

The Igglybuff did her best. And despite Darcy saying that that's all that she needed, it certainly didn't seem like enough to save her from this pain. It seemed really effective. And that was saying something, considering how much his attack had hurt earlier. Tears of pain came to her eyes, not least because she had been so close, too! If she had jumped just a bit earlier than maybe she could've avoided it! As it was his fist had clipped the lower corner of her body, sending her spinning, flying like a Volleyball that someone had lobbed up and away. And when she landed, she bounced like one too.

And she came to a stop like one, too. She was still conscious. But she was not moving an inch. Not only could she still not speak, but now her everything hurt even more. She was not keen to make an already sizeable amount of pain increase by any amount. It was a mock fight, but if it were real, she knew that this would be the time when she was down and out.

For now, she could just catch her breath, and reflect on how useless she had been.

~~

Darcy had been against this from the start. This was not alright… it’d be bad enough if it were somewhere like Grassveil. Or their home. Having a playfight wasn’t a foreign concept at all, although she didn’t care much for it. It was fine if Alki did. But in a mystery dungeon? The frog had already lost his mind, judging by the fact that he was living out here. But Alki? What on earth had driven her to do this? Did she… Did EITHER of them realize that they were in a dungeon? What if some dangerous resident jumped them? What then?

Darcy wanted this to end as quickly as possible. Whether they won or not wasn’t really consequential! (Although it would certainly be nice to win, Darcy was much more worried about the state that her sister, and to a lesser extent, Goro and herself would end in.) She stepped forward, fully intending to let both of them know just how… illogical this decision had been, when the Croagunk decided to finish it.

And finish it he did. Darcy narrowed her eyes even more, any thoughts of reason gone from her mind. “You were supposed to go after me!” She yelled, looking first to see that Alki really was ok. She looked quite… well, not too good. She looked pale, and she wasn’t moving, but her eyes were open. Looking in fear between Goro and herself. But she wasn’t moving. When Darcy made eye contact with her, she simply shook her head. So she didn’t want to fight. That was ok.

It was a mock fight, sure. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t angry. “You said you wouldn’t hurt her!” She said, steadying her legs as she thought of what to do next. But… the only thing that occurred to her was what she’d pulled at the start! And… that wouldn’t really be as effective anymore, would it?

She had to do something! He hurt her friend!

And that ended that. Goro's bullet punch sent Alki bouncing across the ground and when she came to a stop, she didn't move. The croagunk raised his head in confusion - that seemed... easier than he expected. But then again, it was a super effective attack and she did look particularly fragile. Teamwork, which was supposed to be the girls' advantage, wasn't at play anymore since he'd split them up. It made sense for it to end here, but that didn't stop Goro from feeling slightly disappointed. They'd gotten off to such an amazing start that it felt dispiriting to end it here.

"I didn't," Goro blinked and eased up, lowering his fists and straightening his posture. "She ain't hurt, I mean. Knocked the wind of her, probably, but she'll get up."

He loosened himself, rolling his shoulders as he felt the tension ease out of him. Darcy looked upset but not truly confrontational. He didn't think she was about to rush him down again or anything. If nothing else, it looked like she wanted an explanation. He didn't owe her one, though. Goro had promised not to take it easy on Alki, and when he got an opportunity to use his full strength he did. It was their teamwork that delayed him from getting a chance for so long.

"... Right? You're fine, aren't ya, kid?" He turned his head from the upset Darcy to the still immobile igglybuff, squinting as he watched her. He sure hoped he didn't injure her. Goro hadn't considered that possibility. Maybe he had some berries or something to heal her inside...

Alki felt absolutely miserable. They'd done so well at the start! He'd even complimented her, or he'd complimented the both of them as a team... either way, it had been so promising at the start! And yet, as the fight, as short as it was, went on, Alki did less and less... Why was she so useless at this? The girl climbed onto solid land and simply lay down, exhausted, and tired, and hurt. Why was everything so difficult? It didn't have to be that way, did it?

She was cold.

"Too bad you burned the freaking blanket..." She wheezed out to herself.

"Huh?"

Alki slowly got up, and took a moment to recuperate herself. She looked between the Croagunk and the Skitty, and with a note of somberness and disappointment that far outweighed the seriousness of a mock battle, stated the obvious.

"Darcy? I think we lost..." She said, wilting.

~

Darcy didn't want to fight. She was aware of that now. It had been a stupid idea from the start! So many things could go wrong, and while she was afraid that something had gone wrong here, the first priority was to make sure that this crazy, risky show would stop!

"I certainly hope she's fine..." Darcy thought about adding an extra 'For your sake' to the end of that statement, but considering the result of this mock battle? It wouldn't really hold any weight, would it?

Alki seemed to be willing to talk now, and the first thing she said was... well. Depressing.

"Yeah, but..." Darcy mumbled, trying to think of something comforting to say. There was nothing. She had nothing. This wasn't good for her self confidence, was it? It was obvious that Alki struggled with that... She gave the Croagunk the stink eye because, well, who else was there to blame?

"You should think twice before starting fights all willy-nilly like that!" She exclaimed, suddenly upset at this whole ordeal. She'd travelled... how far? To look for her sister? And then all this happened? He'd risk hurting her for... practice? In a dungeon? "Someone could have gotten hurt! She could have -"

"Darcy, I'm fine..."

"Gotten really hurt! You used such a powerful move on her? I thought this was sparring?! I need to keep her safe!"

"Sorry for being all depressing, Darcy..." Alki mumbled, looking between the Croagunk and Darcy. He'd been nice! Darcy was worried, of course. But... she was overreacting! She must have had a long trip...

"You need to be much, much more careful!" She said, her voice bordering dangerously close to 'yelling' territory.

"P-Please stop..." Alki said, quieter than last time.

And the Skitty did. She looked between the Igglybuff, the Croagunk, and the ground in front of her. As the seconds passed, she grew more and more ashamed of how she'd acted. Alki had agreed to it! She was being unfair and now...

"S-Sorry..." She mumbled, shrinking in on herself. "I'm just a bit stressed... sorry to be mean."

It seemed like it was over.

Alki got up, looking fine, (thank the legends) and claimed the loss. Goro didn't feel good about it, honestly. He'd been taken off guard and was really, really on the ropes there for a minute. If it weren't for his natural advantages against both girls, who knew how things would have turned out? The croagunk exhaled slowly, placing his hands on his hips while he watched Alki collect herself. He would have to get better. Do better.

It wasn't hard to notice Darcy giving him the evil eye in his peripheral, but he was content to ignore that. This wasn't for her; it was something Alki had asked for. But the kitten pokemon was not taking this well. She grew more and more incensed with him, her voice steadily rising as she dug into him verbally. He turned his head and watched her bristling, his expression sour.

"It's fine. You might be right." Goro sighed, digging his toes into the moist soil at his feet. This was awkward. He never really was good with other pokemon. Maybe he was too rough on her. But that's just how a fight was, wasn't it? She had asked him not to hold back, so he didn't pull that last punch...

A solemn, absent croak echoed through the suddenly silent marshland. There was a lot of stuff he didn't know about this kind of thing. What was appropriate with other pokemon and what wasn't; maybe he'd violated some kind of unspoken rule or social etiquette that they knew about and he didn't. It made him feel so stupid. He raised his left hand, absently scratching his head while he reviewed yesterday's conversation mentally. He couldn't tell where he went wrong, though. Maybe he'd just need to think about it.

He kicked a clump of dirt he'd dug up with his foot, dropping his hand loosely at his side. They probably didn't want to be here any longer. The least he could do was see them out of his dungeon safely; keep any wild pokemon off their backs and whatnot. "So... you want me to walk you back? To town, I mean?"

Darcy's tail drooped as she focused on the house behind the Croagunk. She didn't want to look at him right now. She was still upset. How could she not be? He'd hit Alki! But... she wasn't proud, or stubborn enough to admit that she'd overreacted. As much as it pained her to admit it, Alki was... kind of at fault too. It hadn't all been the Croagunk's fault, and it certainly hadn't merited that sort of emotional outburst. Both her parents were so... calm! Calm and relaxed and even with all the responsibilities, they never seemed to act like this. Never. Not once that she could recall... So why did she?

The Skitty pawed at the ground, finally focusing on the Croagunk in front of her. It's fine. Was it? Really... Darcy opened her mouth to say something to him, but the words seemed to stiffen up in her mouth. She'd acted out of turn, and now... was she just supposed to pretend it hadn't happened? Or... Or apologize again?

The only thing that came out was an affirming grunt. She wanted to say more, she really did, but she just didn't know what to actually say! And in that case, it was better to play it safe... right?

Another bout of silence struck the silent, humid marshland. It smelled horrible. She was exhausted from the fight, and she was filthy. Once she got back to the guild...

No, that'd take too long. She was going to go to her sister's house. Rainfront was much closer. And she was going to shower. And she was going to sleep for a day.

She was just about to ask Alki if she wanted to go when the frog in front of her offered to guide them. It was tempting. It was safe, and that was the most important thing, but...

She was still angry. Not as angry, perhaps, but he'd still hit Alki! And that wasn't something she could just go and forget five minutes later...

Darcy turned to the Igglybuff in question and smiled. "It's up to you, Alki."

~

Alki wished she could just disappear. And it hadn't even been for anything she'd done. Or... better said, it wasn't entirely her fault. If she hadn't gotten hit, then there was no reason for Darcy to be mad. If she had just been a bit better at fighting then maybe she would have dodged and none of this would have happened! But being good at anything was a tall order. Maybe if she were a fighting type, or... really, any other type, she'd be fine. Maybe she'd even be good, if that were the case!

But it wasn't...

Alki looked between the two capable Pokemon. She hoped that Goro wouldn't be angry. He was nice. And even if she wasn't good at all, she could still ask him for advice! And... maybe in the future. She could try again!

It'd be nice, anyways, to keep in touch. He'd been good to her...

So it was a relief when he said that everything was fine. What was NOT a relief was the silence that followed. A grunt from Darcy followed the Croagunk's words. And then, except for the noises of the marsh, everything was silent. Not a peep from the three of them. After what felt like years, Alki cleared her throat, about to ask the most obvious question: What now? When Goro beat her to it. He was offering to guide them! So... he wasn't mad?

Great! Alki bounced in place, tentatively excited. It hurt a bit, still, but it was beginning to wear off... she still ached. But she wasn't too bad off.

Darcy told her it was her decision. And an easy one it was! She'd had a pretty crappy fight, but... who else to guide them besides the one who beat them? If nothing else, they'd be safe! And if she got to spend more time with a new friend...

"That sounds great!" She said quietly. She bounced towards the both of them. She only hoped Darcy wouldn't get mad again...

It didn't surprise him that the skitty wasn't keen on spending more time with him. He learned last night that she took the protection of her little friend very, very seriously. And since then she had demonstrated several times that it wasn't just an idle boast. Admittedly, it did make him a little bit... sad, since they'd gotten on pretty well last night. He'd never pet another pokemon like that. But maybe it was just inevitable that she'd turn on him. Goro knew better than anyone else how rough he could be. Still, it was nice while it lasted.

"Right. Well, this way, then." At least Alki was as chipper as ever. It was good to see that she didn't take the loss too badly. Still, he wasn't going to risk much interaction with her, what with the hellcat at his side as overprotective as she'd ever been. Instead, he dusted himself off, turned on his heel and strolled off at an easy pace.

The way out wasn't too far, but it was easy to get lost in a mystery dungeon. At least they wouldn't get bothered by many wild pokemon with him around. He'd gone to great lengths to establish himself as a predator in this area. Some pokemon feared him less than others, of course, but he could handle those as long as they came in small numbers. But he made the trip to town and back quite often; this would very likely be a very quick trip.

He didn't stop to make sure the two normal types followed him. No doubt Darcy would be in a hurry to get her little friend back to safety. Instead, focusing on himself as he was, he found that he wasn't... quite in mint condition. To say nothing of the bruises, he still felt so hot from that fire attack. His skin was crusty and blistering and so dry. The first thing he was going to do when he got back was take a good, long dip.

Darcy sighed. She supposed it was the safest choice, that much was obvious. And it wasn't so much the idea of travelling with the Croagunk that bothered her; she could tolerate him, at least. He'd seemed very nice, but... well. A few unfortunate decisions later and her opinion of him had plummeted. But still. He was tolerable. On the other hand, did Alki really have to sound so enthusiastic about it? She couldn't help but wonder how healthy the influence of a Pokemon who lived in a mystery dungeon and got such a kick out of fighting people he met could really be for Alki...

But for now, it was a pass to get out safely. That was good enough for her.

"...Ok." She said, following Alki, who was following Goro. They were finally getting out! How far away was rainfront? The Skitty stopped, and looked up at the sun. Not far at all... She could get there before sun-down! Well before sun-down, actually... Gosh, did she need a rest... The Skitty sighed again, shaking her head as she trotted forward, rushing to catch up. She could only hope that Alki would make wiser decisions going forward. Her friend was smart enough for that! She was sure of it...

~

Alki was very much looking forward to coming back. Sure, it had hurt to fight him, and... well, she wasn't all too hopeful about her future as a fighter. But if she came back, again, then maybe she could improve! Never be as good as him, no, but maybe come close. And be a good guild member! Cause... that was what she was supposed to do, right? Be a good guild member.

She frowned, and bounced forward, closer to Goro. Of course it was. She could do that! She would do that... for Darcy!

She turned around, bouncing backwards to look at what the Skitty was up to. She'd... stopped. Well... why had she stopped? She was looking up for some reason, but there wasn't any danger so... she might as well ask! Now was the time! She didn't want to ask in front of Darcy, so... now was the time! She rushed up to bounce beside Goro, and spoke in a low voice.

"H-Hey, Goro, I'm sorry about your blanket, but... erm. I-If I come back here, c-can we... uh. Do that again? Y'know... Practice? I didn't do very well, today, but... I'd like to try again. Sometime. And... I'll bring you a blanket! She smiled, nodding, before turning back to look at Darcy. Would she be mad? If she knew what she'd just asked?

Who knew... Probably not. But still! She clearly didn't like Goro. And if she knew, she'd want to at least come with her! And that'd make it awkward...

"J-Just nod. Or shake your head, I guess..." She mumbled, before piping up as Darcy got within earshot: "S-So, yeah! Do you have any advice for me? After that fight?" She said, a bit louder than her usual voice, and certainly happier than she'd felt after the loss. Whether it was a genuine emotion or not, well... honestly? It wasn't. She was still kinda disappointed, but at least she could get some knowledge out of it! And practice in the future, if he'd like that...

Well. At least the pussycat was being civil. He heard her voice as he lead the two away from his home and had to resist the urge to scowl. It just went to show that he couldn't trust other pokemon to stay decent. Darcy was good last night, but as soon as she saw him do something she didn't like she had to get on his ass. At least it was in defense of Alki, though. The kid could use someone like that to look after her. With that in mind, Goro found he didn't much mind the skitty's cold shoulder.

Alki, however, was handling the situation much better. Or at least she wasn't being sad or mopey or angry - she bounced right up to his side and started chattering away. A new blanket sounded nice, honestly. Tonight was probably going to be cold.

"Hm..." Goro squinted his eyes and hummed after Alki asked for advice. What to say... He remained silent for quite a while, walking silently through the swamp with his eyes cast forward, scanning the area for any threats.

He caught movement from some pokemon in the distance now and then, but nothing exciting. A few surskit surfing along a pond's surface, a barboach and a whiscash peeking their heads out from the water, a goomy hiding in a log's shadow... Nothing threatened the trio of pokemon on their way back to town. Which was a relief, honestly; Goro did not feel confident in defending himself or either of his companions in the state he was in. The sisters had done a number on him, and vice versa.

"Your biggest problem is that you're fragile. It only took one good punch for you to go down back there." In contrast, Alki had quite a few strengths. Her utility move in the form of sing was quite powerful. She'd very nearly put him to sleep back there. If he didn't know how to use taunts... well. The spar would have ended quickly. And she was fortunate to be a normal-type. Her flamethrower was probably just the tip of the iceberg in terms of moves she could learn; she had the potential to be quite versatile. He didn't tell her any of these things though. He didn't want her to settle with what she had. As long as she felt weak, she would strive to get stronger. It was a feeling that Goro knew well.

"Find a way to get yourself out of harm's way real fast when you need to. That'll keep you in a fight for a lot longer." He nodded once to himself, satisfied with the advice he gave. Once he finished, he found himself coming upon a familiar looking stretch of land. This was the entrance to Cattail Marsh; he could see the pathway back to town from here. "And I want that blanket. You owe me one."

He let himself grin at that, uncaring of what the skitty would have to say. The past few days had certainly been awkward at points - and legends, they'd felt like they'd stretched on way past just two days - but he'd enjoyed himself. It was fun meeting Alki. She was a good kid, and he was glad that she had someone like Darcy to look after her. "This is your way out.

"You can come back whenever; I don't get up to much these days, 'sides patrolling my territory. But make sure you can make it back to my place in one piece." He stopped walking and crossed his arms as he said goodbye to the igglybuff. He'd spare a nod for Darcy once Alki made her way out; she deserved at least that much.

Alki nodded, taking in the Croagunk's advice wordlessly. She was fragile. That much was obvious. Where he'd punched him still hurt a bit... The possibility of a feral crossing their path occurred to her... she didn't really feel well enough to fight, being honest... Did the other two? She pushed the uncomfortable thought out of her mind and simply focused on his advice. Her biggest problem was fragility, so... did that imply other problems? She wanted to know! And... well. Had she done something right? If she had, he didn't seem to mention it... she wilted a bit at the thought.

Well... if that was the case... she could come again next time! And do better, hopefully... she could at least learn some new moves. That was always an option for her, wasn't it? Well, she could do that! He said that she needed a move that could get her out of harm's way... That'd be useful. And at least a bit comforting to have...

She nodded at his comment regarding the blanket. She'd bring him a few, next time she came! He was right... She owed him that much, after all this!

Before she knew it, they were at the exit... Alki smiled and gave a small bow to the Croagunk. "Thank you for everything! ...Until next time!" She was smiling widely now, but turned around and bounced off. Things had turned out fine! She was still cold, and she was also excited to get home, but... well, she'd found a tutor of sorts! She just had to figure out when would be a good time to come visit him again...

She bounced off towards the exit. What new move could she use for that...?
~

Until next time? She couldn't exactly control Alki... She was her own person, after all! But if she really did want to come back... Hadn't the fight scared her? She didn't peg her as a person who would've enjoyed fighting! Darcy sighed again, gave the Croagunk another quick glare before following her sister out. She just couldn't see eye to eye with this guy! And if Alki Did come back, then what were they going to do? Fight again?

...Or maybe she was overreacting. It was just an expression too, wasn't it? This was such a long trip... Alki wouldn't want to come back just to... just to fight! Practice was important, sure, but they could do that in Grassveil! With other teams! She was a guild member, and they had people to help with that kind of thing...

Well. She could worry about this later. She was too tired to do so right then. Darcy turned to the Croagunk and gave him a curt nod back. "...Thank you for taking care of her." She wanted to add something more, again. Apologize for her earlier behavior, but Darcy couldn't find it in her. Did she just not want to, or... well. She was just standing there, now. The time for that was passed.

He could think what he wanted of her. It was all the same. She supposed. She wasn't gonna see him again anyways, right?

"Good-bye... Sorry we took up so much of your time..." She said, finally, before walking off, chasing after Alki, who had already gone on ahead.