Environmental Appropriation

What would have perhaps been a somewhat tolerable area if not for its extreme saturation with water, Cattail Marsh served as a unique mix of unpleasant traits. It was difficult to navigate and made it practically impossible to avoid getting dirty, and the landscape wasn't particularly appealing to the eyes either. It was nothing special to look at, though some of the inhabitants supposedly had a tendency to put up a bit of a light show during the nights. It was daytime despite what the low light from the cloudy sky may have suggested, so the flashing lights of illumise and volbeat were nowhere to be found. Perhaps later into the day, this would change, but that remained to be seen. Besides, this wasn't a primary concern, at least for a certain blue-ringed umbreon who had made her way into the marsh.

Krikka despised the disgusting, soggy ground, and she knew it would only get worse as they ventured further into the environment and inevitably came across larger quantities of water. Thus far, she hadn't had to get her fur wet and dirty, but this would surely change in due time. She stared ahead into the awful marshland, silently dreading her decision to come here despite having reasons. She knew there was something going on in the area that had to do with one of the warring deities, but she had no interest in such matters. Furthermore, even if she had decided to take interest, she certainly wouldn't have chosen to assist Zygarde. But, alas, this day was not one for concern over someone else's battles. On this day, the umbreon had a different goal in mind.

What was her goal in coming to such a place that she despised? It wasn't to assist in the war, nor was it to see the light show. She had just acquired a new... asset, and, simply put, she wished to test his capabilities. A semi-aquatic environment seemed like a great place to test the limitations of a buizel. He had already proven that, at the moment, he was currently lacking in combat and skills in general. With this in mind, Krikka wanted to see if he could at least perform well in an environment tailored to him. She needed to get a good idea of his limitations before she could start making any efforts to help him overcome them. Plus, since she doubted it would be easy to get him to surpass her in anything on land, she was considering playing to his strengths and training him specifically for the water so as to give him a distinct use.

Krikka assumed this environment wouldn't be particularly unpleasant for Solus, but as for herself, she was not looking forward to it. She had stopped in front of a large body of water, knowing it was a sign that they were entering the true marsh. The water seemed shallow enough to walk through, at least for the time being, but that didn't mean she was eager to do so. She looked down at her reflection in the water in front of her, seeing her own displeasure with the situation. She then looked back ahead, hoping to find a way around getting herself dirty. Aside from cattails and the occasional tree, there wasn't much. "So, how well can you swim?" she questioned mostly out of curiosity. Swimming didn't seem required, at least at the current time, but she still wanted to know. Perhaps this was a question she should have asked before deciding to take her new buizel out for a test run. It wouldn't have mattered either way, though, as she fully intended to teach him how to swim if he couldn't already. Swimming was the best way for him to have an immediate use, so he needed to be good at it.

Another place Solus had not been: Cattail Marsh. It was outside of Rainforest Town—again another place he had yet to visit. He didn't travel much prior to encountering Krikka. Now he had gone from a barren, poisonous, deadly gulch to a flooded swampland that was inherently less dangerous—if only because the air itself wasn't trying to kill him. He preferred this environment over the previous one. Krikka didn't seem to share his opinion. She never seemed particularly happy about any environment. Solus was just happy to be out of Venen. He had almost died there multiple times. He and Krikka both had come close.

Krikka asked if Solus could swim, which surprised and disappointed him. He did say he was particularly lacking in skills, but did she really doubt he could swim? How low had he gotten her to set her expectations of him? Buizel was literally built for swimming. "I'm a buizel. I think being able to swim is kind of a requirement. I love swimming." Solus's last swim was in Small Pond, where he had been knocked just slightly unconscious. But that was due to poor reflexes rather than a failure in his ability to swim. "How well can you swim?"

Solus would assume that Krikka would know how to swim. He doubted she could swim as well as he could, but he wasn't interested in telling her that. He tried to avoid saying much of anything about Krikka to Krikka. He didn't want to say the wrong thing and get reprimanded for it. He understood that they were here for Krikka to test his Competence in an environment he was supposed to be more adapted to. He was probably going to end up in combat sooner or later, and the last thing he wanted was another handicap curtesy of Krikka.

energy:

The sight of a lone Croagunk prowling throughout Cattail Marsh was not uncommon around these parts. As a species, Croagunk were normally common in the mystery dungeon, as many feral Poison-types lived here, but Goro was special in that he migrated to the swamp, taking solace in the relative isolation that Cattail Marsh provided him. At least, it started out that way, but it seems the marshlands were a bit of a hotspot for locals, especially among Rainfront Town, as every evening the Firefly Pokémon, Illumise and Volbeat, would fly upward and light together as one, casting a truly mystifying view on the normally disgusting swamplands. At first, Goro relished in the amazing view every night, taking in the beautiful scenery during the nights, after spending his days beating on the feral Pokémon around his little stretch of territory. Lately, however, it seemed as he ventured further towards the entrance of the dungeon in his ventures, he ran into more and more... tourists.

I fuckin' hate tourists. He'd spent his whole childhood taking heed of other people, being trained by his thug parents, helping out on their shitty little jobs and acting oh-so-polite for the clientele. Putting up that sort of act infuriated him, partly because it required a talent for acting and a degree of patience that he had none of. Not to mention the jobs themselves were awful-- everything about it left him frustrated enough to just... lash out. It wasn't until he set off on his own that he realized he was free to do just that, stick to a place away from society and take out his frustrations on the dungeon Pokémon. If it so happened that he loved beating on other Pokémon, and did it for fun? Well... no one really cares about ferals, right?

Still. To run into them now, after he'd been situated and happy in his little hovel in the depths of Cattail Marsh was incredibly frustrating. There was always the option to simply stick to his little stretch of territory, but that was even more infuriating, having to limit himself in his own home just because the fucking locals wanted to see a light show. He'd chased more than one of them off, at this point, and while it gave him a certain satisfaction, he knew it wasn't the smartest thing to do. He'd garner a reputation sooner rather than later, and then he'd probably waltz into town for supplies to see his face on an outlaw poster. If it ain't there already.

In his agitation, swatting a particularly tall cattail plant out of his face, Goro missed a step, his foot plunging deep into a mudhole and splashing swamp-water all over his legs and lower torso, staining his leathery skin something deep. The Croagunk actually let out a snarl in his frustration, tearing the cattail plant out of the ground roughly, stomping away from the murky waters in search of a dryer path, poisonous fists twitching wildly, everything about his posture and demeanor screaming aggression and anger. Next goddamn thing I see is gettin' it. I don't care what or who it is, wanted posters be damned. I need ta hurt somethin'.

(Energy - 23. Yeah look at all that energy I can't use. Mmm I love me some useless energy.)

Of course it was obvious for a buizel to be good at swimming, or at last it should have been. However, Krikka had learned already not to get her hopes up with this one, so she had still felt the need to ask anyway. Fortunately, it seemed he at least had the basic skills common among his species, which meant he had a use that could be polished. It wasn't an ideal situation, having to find a way to make a useless individual useful, but the umbreon believed she was up to the task. She still felt Solus had potential even if he was currently useless, and she intended to bring that potential out. It seemed like a good idea to start where he already had the highest aptitude and work from there, so that was the plan. She would first gauge how well her new asset could swim, then she'd focus on helping him improve himself there and perhaps add some aquatic combat into it. She felt teaching him how to actually be useful on land would take longer, but this way, she would be able to develop his skills in more immediately useful areas while also giving him some skill to fall back on while on land.

As Krikka stared out into the marsh, the contemplated smacking Solus for his idiotic return question. Could she swim? Of course she could! Sure, she had just asked a buizel if he could swim, and out of context, that was the less intelligent of the two questions, but the specific buizel in question made it more reasonable. She would have wondered if perhaps she was being a bit overcritical, but it was Solus himself who had claimed that he had virtually no skills. There wasn't much defending him after openly admitting to such a thing. With this in mind, she felt it was far less forgivable that she was being asked about her own ability to swim, though she still would have desired to hit him regardless. She wasn't particularly fair in her treatment of others relative to herself, nor did she try to be. Despite this, she still decided to spare the buizel, partly because she didn't want to see him struggle pathetically like he had done in the gulch.

Having to carry Solus and do all the thinking and most of the fighting was not something Krikka cared to repeat any time soon. "I can swim just fine. Unlike someone, I can do basic things," she spoke with a slight hint of bitterness in her tone. She hoped she wouldn't have to swim, but she figured she would probably have to dive into the water to save her slave from somehow drowning. He claimed to be good at swimming, but knowing him, it seemed likely that he would still probably find a way to almost die. The umbreon certainly wasn't looking forward to having to get in the filthy water, but she would have to do that at one point or another regardless. The only question was how much of her body would have to be submerged. She took a few steps into the water in front of her just to test, and fortunately, even with the muddy ground, it barely went above her paws. It would no doubt rise as she moved forward, but she hoped she would simply be able to walk through it.

Figuring there was no point in sitting around waiting, she continued forward, expecting her buizel to follow close behind. "Speaking of which, do me a favor and just list all the things you should be able to do but can't. May as well go ahead and get that out of the way," she requested, hoping to get a good idea of just what she was in for. What, in all, would she have to teach this guy how to do? "I hope you can at least feed yourself," she added on, showing her annoyance at the distinct lack of skills in her new investment. She didn't actually believe he couldn't defend himself, as it would have been a miracle for him to have survived so long without any real help from others if he wasn't able to at least take care himself on a basic level. This remark wasn't meant to be taken seriously so much as to be insulting, though, much like many of the things Krikka said and did. Much of her behavior was for one of two purposes: self-benefit, or the detriment of others.

[Energy: 24-15=9 Also Solus is wearing a pretty pink ribbon isn't he pretty?]

It's not my fault, Solus thought privately to himself in response to Krikka's answer to his question. Sure, it was possible that his lack of knowledge and skill in a few or many places could have been his fault—maybe it all was, really—but Solus was more content in blaming his dad for his own ignorance. He saw himself as a victim of poor parenting. He could, did, and would blame a lot on his dad. He'd probably eventually find something he could blame on his absent mother too. It was quickly becoming a habit; blaming his own problems and issues on anyone other than himself.

After a moment, Krikka gave him a new task: make a list of things he couldn't do but was apparently supposed to be able to do. He wasn't sure what exactly he was supposed to be capable of. If he didn't know about something, how was he supposed to know he was supposed to know about it? "I can feed myself..." Solus mumbled in response to the Umbreon's extra comment as he tried to compile a list in his head. "I can't identify most species of Pokemon. I don't know all the names. and I don't know most of their types either. I just guess base on appearance. I don't actually know any water-type moves. Sonic Boom is my only offensive move. I don't know much of anything about medicine. I'm not sure how much of any of this actually matters; I don't know what I'm supposed to be able to do... I can't read..." He trailed off, not knowing how much he didn't know was actually important, and not knowing what he was supposed to be able to do.

He was following the umbreon but slowed a bit as he stopped speaking. He tensed a bit as if expecting some act of aggression was to come. He wasn't sure what exactly it was, but he was pretty sure at least one thing he'd listed would set Krikka off. At the very least he'd be yelled at or insulted. He'd learned Krikka enjoys making others feel bad about themselves, and she was good at it. Solus knew he shouldn't let what she said bother him, but it did, and it was effective. And it was starting to actually get to him, to the point where his response to imminent insults was the same as his response to imminent physical harm.

In contrast, a certain Croagunk was actively seeking out conflict in his home dungeon. Goro marched through the marshlands angrily, making absolutely no effort to move stealthily or hide from any feral Pokémon in the area. His eyes flickered from side to side, scanning the horizon for any potential victims as he stomped through the muck and swamp-water, posture tense and furious. He'd learned not to be picky, living at the marsh, but it was hard not to have preferences when it came to this sort of thing. The most common Pokémon, of course, was the Volbeat and Illumise, but the Croagunk honestly wasn't comfortable picking a fight with any of them, given the fact that they all synchronized at night to put on the light show. It belied a certain intelligence, even if their little act was simply instinctual, that he wasn't comfortable with. His favorites were the Poliwhirl, as they usually put up a very decent fight, although they were much more of a rare find than their Poliwag brethren. Still, at this point, he'd settle for even a Goomy, as at least they squealed pretty loud when you hit them just right - and you had to, what with the slimy skin and all, most fists just slid right off the little buggers.

Goro paused in his marching, stopping to take in the cloudy skies overhead the swamp, attempting to peer through them to catch a view of the sun. He wasn't sure how long exactly the skies had turned so gray, but being unable to tell the time of day was inconvenient enough that he was starting to have a few regrets about settling down in a mystery dungeon. Rainfront might be a better alternative, at this point, as he'd have much easier access to supplies.  And there was the Beach to consider-- he'd never been, yet, and it was close enough to make day trips out of Rainfront. Catching the view every night at Cattail Marsh had stirred something of a sightseeing hobby in Goro, and he found that he wouldn't mind searching for similar sceneries.

But he was at a loss as to how he'd afford to pay rent for a room anywhere. He'd been without work ever since he set off on his own, and while he certainly wasn't picky, surviving off berries and mushrooms in the swamps wasn't exactly tiding him over very well. He'd given thought to search for work, of course, but the idea of ending up like his parents, working a different shit thug gig every other week, was enough to make him sick. Goro had left to find something different - something more meaningful, something he could mention to people without feeling shame or regret, something with a little more prestige - but beating the hell out of feral Pokémon in a mystery dungeon every day certainly wasn't it. He wanted a gig that would take him somewhere in life, while still being able to enjoy the feeling of beating the hell out of someone who had it coming. The Croagunk sighed, the frustration mounting in him for a moment as he rounded a tree in his marching. Guess everyone's gotta start somewhere. Just as long as I don't get stuck there.

the sunset hero carried out 10 launched of one Cattail Marsh :

, , , , , , , , ,

(I'm confiscating those poliwhirl)

Krikka wasn't too upset by most of what she was hearing. It wasn't news that Solus was weak, and his lack of variety in attack patterns had already made it clear that he didn't have much in his arsenal. It wasn't a particularly big deal that he wasn't well-versed in information about other species, though this would be something she'd need to make some time to teach him about in the future. It was important, but such knowledge wasn't much of a testament to someone's skill or worth. It was simply a sign that this buizel wasn't much of a traveler, nor very social. The lack of medical knowledge was completely understandable, though it meant he definitely wasn't going to be a medic. His species wasn't particularly suited for the task anyway, so again, there wasn't much of a problem. For a moment, the umbreon thought that perhaps there would be no major issues aside from the buizel's clear lack of skill. Then came the last confession; one which wasn't too big a deal with the kind of work she wanted him to do, yet something that greatly displeased her all the same.

Solus couldn't read. It wasn't exactly surprising, considering his apparent lack of family or any real friends for most of his life. He'd had no one to teach him how to do such a thing, so it was understandable, but still... Krikka couldn't help but be upset at the mere thought of allying herself with someone incapable of such a basic thing. It would have helped if he had at least had some skills in other areas to make up for it, but he was sorely lacking pretty much everywhere. "You... can't read..." she muttered, her body freezing. Her face and posture lacked any expression that would have hinted at her feelings over this revelation. The only sign of any emotion at all was a frustrated sigh before she started moving again. The water was getting higher already, and the muddy floor was getting soft enough for her paws to sink into it. The water was climbing up her legs, and if it kept up, the murky filth would soon be at her belly. "Why am I not surprised? With all the things you can't do, of course reading would be on the-" she began working at demeaning Solus once more, but fell silent as the feeling of movement in the water below prompted her to stop and drew her attention downward.

There was a moment of silence on the umbreon's part as she stared into the water. Alas, after a moment of struggling to see through the murk, she gave up and raised her gaze back to the path ahead. She raised a paw to move forward through the swamp muck, when suddenly, a hand shot out of the water below her. She gasped as the white hand wrapped around her neck, taking her by surprise and leaving little time for her to react. She tried to pull away, but the grip of the hand was far too tight. In fact, it was even restricting her breathing, though this became less of a concern when the hand began pulling her down. She tried to struggle against it but quickly lost her footing, allowing her entire body to be dragged under the water with ease. The disgusting swamp water flooded her lungs as she instinctively tried to gasp for air, putting her in immediate danger of being drowned. While this likely would have made most fearful, the only emotion it brought out of her was intense agitation. She was being touched by some random filthy hand, her entire body had been submerged in the awful water she had been trying to avoid, and she was learning that the feeling of water in her lungs was not one she enjoyed.

A dark aura began to seep from the umbreon's body as she struggled against the hand holding her under the water. Now that she had been pulled so close to the source, she could see the culprit was a poliwhirl, even through the cloudy water. The creature pulled its other hand back in preparation to strike her while she was preparing to attack, but thanks to resistance from the water, it was just a bit too slow. Krikka let loose a pulse of dark energy at her attacker, and due to the position it had put itself in, it was forced to take a direct hit, which was enough to make it release its grip. The attack also sent ripples over the surface of the water, with the umbreon herself emerging moments later. She alternated between gasping for breath and trying to expel the water from her lungs through coughing, stumbling away from the poliwhirl in the process due to the assumption that one hit probably wouldn't be enough to do it in. "Sol-" she began, but was cut off by another coughing fit. Splashing sounds in the water from behind made her turn around to see another poliwhirl rushing toward them. It seemed this was a trap of sorts, but the trappers had gotten very unlucky with their... "victims."

Krikka doubted her subordinate needed to be directed here, but she still decided to give him directions anyway. "Dweeb! Fight!" she demanded, then turned her attention back to the other poliwhirl just as it pulled itself up and out of the water. She was annoyed that they were being attacked so soon, but there was a silver lining: now she would get to see if Solus was any better at combat in an environment more suited to him. Hopefully, he would be, as she doubted her own ability to take on both opponents alone.

As anticipated, Krikka was just getting started on letting Solus know just how stupid or useless or incompetent he was. She had become expressionless, something that really bothered Solus. Krikka was odd to him, in that no behaviour of hers was particularly surprising nor seemed out of character; and yet it was hard to predict what exactly she'd do. When she hid away any tells or signs of what she was thinking or feeling, it unnerved and frightened him. He hated himself for being scared of Krikka. He couldn't remember being scared of any other Pokemon in such a way. It was the constant, vaguely threatening mood that seemed to come with being near her.

When Krikka interrupted herself with a sudden silence, Solus tensed. Either he had somehow done something wrong, and she was now even more upset, or something else was wrong. Krikka stood silent, and Solus did the same. She stared at the water; he stared at her. After a long pause, she started to move again. Solus relaxed and then fell backwards into the water in panic as a hand shot out from the water and gripped the umbreon. Upon pulling himself back up out of the water, Solus watched as his master was being drowned. I'm pretty sure I'm supposed to be doing something right now. Like I should probably be helping her. ...She didn't tell me to though...

Solus knew that if Krikka was aware that he was choosing not to act and assist her that she'd be dangerously angry with him. However, he was feeling particularly defiant at the moment, since he had just managed to evade Krikka's semi-regular insults thanks to the poliwhirl that was currently trying to kill his owner. He had worried about her safety and wellbeing before, back in Venen Gulch; but now that his life didn't necessarily depend on her survival, watching this happen was easier. She'll be fine, he thought, just as Krikka returned to the surface coughing and sputtering. She managed to get a command out, and Solus was contractually obligated to follow.

I don't know what "dweeb" means but I feel insulted, the buizel thought as he moved deeper into the water. Water was his terrain. He was an adept swimmer and the environment provided him with a greater manoeuvrability he was not capable of on land. He chose to draw the attention of the second poliwhirl, knowing it was likely much stronger than he was and that the best he could do was distract and evade. He launched a Sonic Boom directly at its centre before leaping and diving toward the centre of the body of water. It wasn't a lake or even what he'd consider a significantly sized pond, but it was deep enough towards the centre for Solus to swim mostly unhindered in. His head surfaced and he spotted the poliwhirl heading towards him. I bet it's going to hurt if that thing hits me.

energy:

A short distance away, Goro halted in his search for something to alleviate his boredom, pausing as he heard the trademark splash of something falling into one of the many deceptive puddles riddled throughout Cattail Marsh. The Poison-type grinned darkly, turning to face the direction of the treacherous sounds, listening keenly for any voices accompanying them. For a moment, he was met with the silent sounds of nature, the distant croaking of the frog-like Pokémon and fluttering of wings of the nearby Firefly Pokémon, Volbeat and Illumise both hovering overhead. But then-- there it was, wet, miserable coughs followed by a particularly commanding female voice barking orders to someone. Someone was in his stretch of the Marsh. Several someones, it sounded like.

The Croagunk surged into motion, immediately rushing through the knee-deep swamp water, nearly sprinting toward the commotion behind the tree lines. This is what he was waiting for! Be it a feral or a civilized Pokémon, he finally had some entertainment for the evening. Goro's fists were twitching in his excitement, an eerie smile parting lips, revealing a set of flat teeth. His steps were hasty and eager, making no attempt at a subtle or sneaky approach, the Poison-fighting type keen on throwing fists at the first thing he saw when he burst through.

What he did not expect was... this. Goro halted abruptly, eyes flickering from one side of the horizon to the other, taking in the scene in front of him. At first glance, it looked like two travelers were actually under attack from a pair of Poliwhirl -- score! -- and they were not faring particularly well. His gaze immediately trained on the most dangerous-looking one in the bunch, a sleek fox-like creature with dark, black fur adorned with shining, blue rings on its ears, feet, and tail. It clearly was a bit under the weather, coughing up mouthfuls of water and crawling away from one of the Poliwhirl in front of it, the Water-type dazed from some sort of attack he must have just missed. A ways closer to him, a slender weasel looking Pokémon, a Buizel, was facing off against the other Poliwhirl with a distinct lack of fanfare. Both of the Croagunk's brows raised when the sea weasel Pokémon fired off what he recognized as a Sonic Boom attack, striking the Poliwhirl directly in the middle of its swirly-marking on its torso. The bulky Water-type buckled under the blow, stumbling backward under the force of the attack, before shaking off the damage and hulking forward. The Buizel, for its part, was... sinking underwater, swimming away from the situation.

Yeah, no. Goro could swim - well, more like he knew how to not drown, which was perhaps sad for a frog Pokémon - but he wasn't particularly adept underwater, and letting the two Water-types slink back where they'd both have an advantage, able to spew at him from a distance in addition to having superiority in the water, wasn't something he looked forward to. Of course, the Buizel was already safely in the middle of the small water-pool, gazing at the Poliwhirl expectantly. It was irritating, that one of the ones nearest was already out of his reach, but the Poliwhirl was the Pokémon closest to him, and that made it the first target by default. Goro burst back into action, rushing forward with an eerie, cutthroat smile, making a bee-line directly at the round Tadpole Pokémon.

The Poliwhirl, which had been distracted by the Buizel in safe waters, was taken completely off guard by the charging Croagunk who bodily slammed into it with a harsh shoulder-tackle. It wasn't a clean hit, thanks to the slimy, rubbery skin of the Poliwhirl causing it to veer off the side of its bulk, but it didn't have to be, Goro's entire body crashing onto the bulkier Pokémon, falling on top of the suddenly downed Tadpole Pokémon. The Croagunk quickly mounted his opponent, straddling its bulky middle, legs resting harshly atop the Poliwhirl's arms, pinning them to the ground while he reared his right fist back, eager to dish out punishment to his first victim. Maybe he'd start with the gross, bulbous eyes protruding from the freak's body-- he'd never seen a blind Poliwhirl before!

Krikka growled in frustration as she glared at the assailant who had thought itself in a rightful place to tarnish her fur.  It slowly waded toward her, and rather than back away, she met the challenge with her own approach.  She was a bit too annoyed to be concerned about the dangers this foe presented.  As the poliwhirl neared, it reeled back its right arm in preparation for a punch that looked to have a lot of power behind it.  However, this gave the umbreon plenty of time to prepare, so when it loosed its fist straight at her face, she simply moved slightly to the right to narrowly avoid the hit.  Her black aura flared up once more as a pulse of the dark energy rushed from her body straight into the polwhirl, knocking it off its feet and sending it splashing into the water.  The water was restricting Krikka's movements, preventing her from effectively using her tail to fight, which meant she didn't have much variety in ways to defend herself at the moment.  Still, she was confident in her ability to defeat this opponent.

It was Solus she was worried about, which prompted her to look over and see how he was doing.  Fortunately, the buizel was keeping his distance, and he was smart enough to move toward the deeper water and give himself more of an environmental advantage.  However, the umbreon's attention was drawn more to the sounds of someone else in the water, drawing her gaze to the source that turned out to be a croagunk.  She made no moves to stop it, instead simply watching as it attacked the other poliwhirl, showing itself to apparently be an ally.  She briefly continued observing the fight, eager to see how it would play out... until a sudden strike to the back of her head drew her attention away, nearly knocking her back down into the water in the process.  She spun around to see the first poliwhirl right up next to her, having just punched her in the back of the head.  "Cheap shot," she growled, more annoyed than anything else.  The poliwhirl pulled its left arm back to throw another punch, but it was abruptly stopped in surprise as the umbreon's eyes began to glow.

The yellow, eerie glow in Krikka's eyes began disorienting her for almost immediately.  The rings on her body lit up with a similar glow as well, though blue in color.  The poliwhirl threw its arms up in front of its eyes in an attempt to protect itself from the light, stumbling backward in the process.  Krikka crept closer, her head tilting to the right in mock-curiosity as she grinned.  "What, can't fight without playing dirty?" she questioned in reference to how this poliwhirl seemed to favor fighting without honor.  She wasn't particularly against dirty tactics, but unlike her foe, she didn't have to rely on tricks to win.  The glow emanating from her body suddenly faded, fully replaced by her dark aura as she slowly crept closer to the poliwhirl.  She let loose another pulse of dark energy from her body, easily knocking the foe into the water once more in its confused state.  This time, however, she did not intend to allow herself to become distracted and give it a chance to recover.

Many things anoyed Krikka to some degree, but this poliwhirl had managed to do quite a few of them in a very short time.  It had gotten her dirty and soaking wet, then it had decided to attack her while she had her back turned.  She was a bit hypocritical for being upset at the latter since it was something she would have done as well, but that wasn't going to stop her from being upset anyway.  Moving through the water was proving to be a chore, and the feeling of the muddy ground on her paws was unpleasant.  She began a slow march toward the poliwhirl, loosing another pulse of energy as it pulled itself out of the water.  Before it could even stand up, it was struck, but this time, it didn't fall.  Krikka paused and perked her ears up in surprise, having expected the opponent to simply be blown over just like every other time thus far.  Her aura intensified in reflection of her own frustration and concern as she fired another pulse toward the foe.  Again, it withstood the attack, rising to its feet in the process.  It seemed mad.

The poliwhirl began a slow march through the water toward Krikka, now carrying itself in a more aggressive manner.  She sent forth pulse after pulse of negative energy, but while her attacks had to be hurting the foe, they didn't seem to be stopping its advance.  Backing away would have been the best course of action, but her ego had other plans and she instead stepped forward.  She was not interested in being forced into playing defensively if she didn't have to, and she still didn't think she had to.  As the poliwhirl came into attack range, she expected it to throw another punch.  Instead, it swung its right arm in a crescent motion and struck the side of her face with an open palm, nearly knocking her off her paws in surprise.  "Wha-" she began, only to be cut off as the poliwhirl reversed the motion, backhanding the other side of her face.  Her aura vanished for just a moment, the unexpected attack having completely destroyed her focus.

For a moment, she was silent, raising her left paw up to the corresponding cheek to feel it.  She acted as if she was in shock despite the fact that the attack hadn't been particularly painful.  However, due to its demoralizing nature, the attack had hit her in the worst possible place: her ego.  She had just been slapped.  TWICE!  Of all the humiliating ways to be struck, that was probably one of the worst.  The poliwhirl swung its other arm in a similar motion in an attempt to repeat the attack, but this time, she stepped back just enough to narrowly avoid the creature's white hand.  She then lunged forward and bit onto the hand, and before the poliwhirl could react, she pulled back, sending the foe stumbling toward her.  She released the hand and ducked her head into her bag, pulling out a wet, golden thorn, then rushed forward and stabbed the creature right in the center of the pattern on its belly.  Her body began emanating the familiar dark energy once more as she pulled the thorn out and stabbed the poliwhirl yet again.

Another wave of energy pulsed from the umbreon's body, ripping the foe away from the thorn and sending it reeling backward.  Without letting up for even a moment, she tossed the thorn, sending it into the swirl-pattern on the opponent's belly once more.  The poliwhirl stood still as it moved its arms over the bloody stab wounds, then moved its left hand over the thorn still in its body, looking as if it was planning to pull it out.  Then, suddenly, the creature's body went limp and it fell forward into the water.  Krikka panted in exhaustion; she would have collapsed in relief if not for the water.

Resurfacing, Solus scanned for the poliwhirl he had attacked. He had hit and even caused the poliwhirl to stumble. However, it was far from done and was now back up and on the approach. Solus tensed, preparing to dodge a fist or some kind of ranged attack. However, he found he didn't have to; suddenly there was a new Pokemon in the area, and it was on and attacking the poliwhirl. Huh. Well, that's that problem solved. Solus shrugged and began to swim away from the newcomer and his poliwhirl victim and back towards Krikka. He turned to face her just in time to see her poliwhirl stand and immediately be struck by a Dark Pulse. It didn't fall back down, and Krikka kept up her barrage, seeming to do little in stopping the poliwhirl. Then Krikka stepped closer—she had a habit of doing that. Then the overgrown tadpole slapped her.

"Oh, that poor, stupid Pokemon," Solus murmured as he rose to a standing position, having reached the more shallow portion of the water. Krikka had a big ego—that was a fact Solus had learned quite quickly. Just moments ago, his questioning of her ability to swim was enough to provoke a harsh insult. So what would slapping her in the face twice result in? Bloody violence, it would seem. It was, quite literally, a tad overkill. Watching a murder happen right in front of him probably should have bothered Solus a lot more than it did, but something about the more wild types somehow made it more acceptable. There was also the fact that he himself had done similar in Venen, and it sort of numbed him on the subject; and it was all in self-defense, of course.

The buizel made his way up to the fallen poliwhirl and removed the golden spike from its body, rinsing the blood from it in the marsh water. He approached Krikka—who was clearly exhausted—and offer her the weapon with the blunt end facing her. He had contributed very little to the fight and figured it'd be best for him to at least be helpful in some way. "That might have been a bit much, Krikka. Uh, mine kinda got stolen by... That thing," Solus gestured toward the Pokemon who attacked the other poliwhirl.

Badger carried out 3 launched of one Cattail Marsh :

, ,

The only Pokémon on the scene who seemed to be enjoying himself was Goro, an aggressive smile parting his lips while he half-pinned his chosen enemy to the slick, mud ground, his legs pressing down harshly on the bulky Water-type's arms, preventing the Poliwhirl from striking upwards or chucking the Croagunk off. Truthfully, there was a bit less traction than he would have liked, the Tadpole Pokémon slick against the wet mud, and Goro's hold on the creature losing friction due to its rubbery, oily skin. But it seemed the Pokémon was still in shock, the round eyes sticking out of its head blinking dumbly at the Poison-fighting hybrid suddenly straddling its torso, either not processing the image of the eager Croagunk reeling one fist back quickly enough, or simply not sure what to do against another surprise opponent. Either way, Goro had no reservations about his next course of action, reeling his right fist back eagerly, aiming a punch directly at the Poliwhirl's large, bulbous eye.

His fist collided harshly with his opponent's left eye, its round eye actually giving way to the straight punch, bending backward grotesquely for just a moment, before the bigger Pokémon went veritably wild, bucking strongly against the Croagunk's suddenly tremulous hold. His grip was faulty to start with, the Poliwhirl's skin slick with mud and oil and sweat, its naturally slick skin giving it an advantage in the way of escaping his hold. Not to mention the struggle the larger Water-type put forward, bulky muscles surging powerfully in its arms, hooking them under the Croagunk's legs, just before bodily tossing the Croagunk off in an impressive display of desperation. Goro hit the ground with a dull thud, laying in the mud for a long moment before clumsily rising, nearly slipping in the mud in his haste, his gaze focused on the Poliwhirl nursing its head in front of him. A thrum of vicious satisfaction surged through him at the sight of his handiwork - the Poliwhirl's eye was bloodshot and quickly swelling, both of the Pokémon's hands hovering over the injury instinctively.

He'd tangled with Poliwhirl a few times before in the Marsh, and for all their bullheaded strength and vitality, he knew they lacked a certain amount of intelligence. Fighting fast, hard, and dirty was the way that worked best for him, targeting the obvious weak points protruding from the sides of its head, as anywhere else attacks tended to slide right off, courtesy of its oily wet skin. The center of its swirly stomach pattern was an exception to this rule, its midriff remaining dry for some reason - he didn't care why, really. It was a target, nice and large. For a moment, he allowed himself to take in the image of the desperate Poliwhirl in front if him, the bulky Pokémon breathing just as heavily as him, covered in muck and fast-forming bruises, the left eye protruding out of the top of its head inflamed and swollen. The larger Pokémon was incensed and volatile, hunched over and staring angrily at Goro, clearly just as eager to put this to bed as he was.

The Poliwhirl started forward abruptly, one fist reared back in a telegraphed punch, but Goro acted faster, leaning down close toward the ground, scooping up a thick handful of mud with a wide sweeping motion of his left hand and slapping it harshly against the Poliwhirl's other, right eyeball in a single rough swing -- Mud Slap. It wasn't a particularly strong attack, but the important part here was blinding his opponent, removing its sense of sight and granting him the ability to wind up and launch attacks without needing to dance around the bigger Pokémon. For its part, the Poliwhirl stumbled back in vehement surprise, both of its hands suddenly hovering around both eyes while Goro hovered in front of it, pulling his right hand taut against his side, fist glowing dully, the trademark appearance of his Drain Punch attack.

He shot his fist into the center of the Poliwhirl's mass, his punch directly striking the center of its swirly stomach, where Solus' Sonic Boom struck it prior, sending it stumbling backward in muted pain. He felt the feedback of the Drain Punch, an incredible tension surging down his fist and arm, filling him with a brief sense of vitality, resoting a little bit of health. To its credit, the Tadpole Pokémon didn't immediately topple over, remaining standing hunched over in its half-blind, injured state, stunned in a state of confused agony. Goro struck again, hard and fast, his other fist deeply embedding itself into the Water-type's side, causing it to stagger precariously, trembling in panic and sharp discomfort, just before finally collapsing backward. It landed with a wet splash, legs spread and hands mutely covering its eyes, the only sign of life being the weak rising and falling of its chest.

Even if it wasn't unconscious, the Poliwhirl clearly wasn't in any state to get up and try again, so Goro allowed himself to slow down for a few moments, arms resting on his knees, a satisfied grin revealing a set of flat teeth in an image of exhausted satisfaction. Poliwhirl were always fun to scrap with. He gave the defeated Water-type one last dismissive glance before turning toward the travelers from before. The scene that greeted him was disconcerting, to say the least - the Buizel from before had swum right back to its partner, presenting it with some sort of golden thorn. The fox, for its part, stood panting heavily over the body of the other Poliwhirl, the picture of relief and exhaustion. The most curious shade of red was spreading throughout the swampy waters, originating from the body of the fallen feral Pokémon. One glance at the Poliwhirl told the entire story - the fox had killed it. With that pretty little golden spike.

There's a fuckin' difference between a mean scrap and murder. Two against one, and they gotta kill the guy? He felt a thrum of violent anger run through him, fists curling painfully tight as he stared thoughtfully at the dead Poliwhirl. The Croagunk was an open book, fists clenching and unclenching of their own violition, his posture tense and furious, an ugly scowl pasted on his face. As much as he would have liked to bum-rush the pair of them and send them packing - or, repay the favor for the dead feral - he wasn't sure he'd do much better than the Poliwhirl had. Not if they fought together and used weapons against him like that. Figured I'd fight that one, too. What a waste.

energy:

Krikka glared at the body in the water as if waiting for it to get back up despite being pretty sure she had fatally wounded it.  Perhaps continuing to show such aggression toward something that could no longer perceive it was pointless, but she did so regardless.  It was all she could do to keep herself from continuing to hit the poliwhirl in what would have been an act of utterly pointless violence.  She generally didn't even like killing, but she had been caught up in the moment and simply wanted to end the creature that had dared to slap her in the face.  Now that she had calmed down a bit, she was somewhat disappointed at not having kept it alive to torture it instead, but alas, she would have to live with her decision.  Killing didn't weigh on her conscience, but she still felt it was wasteful in most situations, partly due to her naturally sadistic nature; she preferred seeing someone suffer over seeing them die.  Aside from that, she still considered such a barbaric act to be... beneath her.  Perhaps it was a bit warped to put herself above killing yet not torture, but it wasn't a concrete rule anyway, just a general preference.

She was so caught up in her own lingering anger that she barely even noticed Solus nearing the deceased poliwhirl.  At first, she wondered if he just wanted to see the damage out of some kind of morbid curiosity, but she soon realized his intention as he pulled the golden thorn out of the body and began cleaning it.  She then had her deadly treasure delivered back to her without having to lift a muscle or say a word herself.  This was admittedly satisfying, enough so to quell her fury if only slightly, though it wasn't exactly the "training" she had hoped for.  She didn't want Solus to end up just being a spike-fetcher with no real skills, as this would reflect poorly on her.  Perhaps it was also because he had pledged loyalty to her and had proven true to his word thus far, so he deserved a bit more than to end up being a simple mundane servant.  But, for now, it was satisfying to see him taking a bit of initiative to do something.  Krikka accepted the thorn back without a word, stepping forward and taking hold of it in her mouth before dropping it back into her soaked bag.

She was used to receiving criticism for her harsh, violent behavior, so she remained mostly indifferent toward the buizel's comment about her having gone too far.  She was aware that her actions had been unnecessary, but it wasn't about necessity for her.  It was about doing whatever she wanted to do, and for someone so bold as to strike her in such a demeaning manner, she desired only death.  She still wished she had kept it alive to suffer for a while, but she did not regret her decision to remove the pest from existence.  It deserved nothing less than death for treating a lady in such a way, first trying to drown her, then having the audacity to backhand her!  She decided to acknowledge the other half of the buizel's statement and look for the croagunk who had jumped into the fight prior, hoping to avoid having to deal with any more whining about how she was too violent.  She found the frog rather easily, but sadly, it seemed he was displeased with something about her as well.

Mere moments into the marsh and she was already receiving assault and criticism from all sides.  She'd been attacked almost instantly, her pet was voicing disapproval of her actions, and some random croagunk was staring at her like she'd just killed his first-born child or something.  "Whatever.  Go talk to Twatstick over there so he'll stop fuckin' staring at us like a serial killer," she spoke in an effort to dismiss everything around her while also insulting the croagunk.  She didn't want to have to deal with this guy personally, and since Solus had still yet to find any real use for himself, she figured he could at least be a mediator.  Honestly, though, she didn't want a mediator so much as someone to just do things for her so she didn't have to do them herself.  This trip had quickly thrown her into a very unpleasant situation, and while she didn't feel herself to be in any particular danger, she still wasn't enjoying any of it.

The first thing on her to-do list after getting out of this place was going to be to get a bath.  It may have been a bit shallow of her that this was her biggest concern at the moment, but she wanted to keep herself clean and presentable.  She didn't care too much if someone viewed her as evil, but she at least wanted to look good while being evil.  Being dragged down into the murky waters of a marsh was not a good way to stay clean and presentable.  Now that she no longer had to worry about an immediate fight, she was beginning to to pay more heed to small things like this.  Another thing she was beginning to notice was the disgusting taste in her mouth, which was from the water, no doubt.  The entire environment was unbecoming of someone such as herself, she felt, and she was beginning to regret choosing to come to such a vile place.  Granted, it was nowhere near as dangerous as Venen Gulch, but at least the gulch hadn't tainted her fur.

...Well, the gulch itself hadn't, but a certain skuntank had certainly done a number on her lovely fur.  It had taken much effort and determination to get rid of the stench after that encounter.  The mere thought of being polluted by the ungodly, foul fluid from the creature's tail still bothered her.  It didn't help that it had also completely overpowered her, forcing her to have to work far too hard to save herself from it.  She wasn't sure which opponent she disliked more, between the skuntank and the poliwhirl, but both had done all the right things to upset her, and they met similar fates for it.  In hindsight, Solus was taking all the violence surprisingly well, or at least, he wasn't showing any mental damage it may have been having on him.  Sure, Krikka had assumed that he was less innocent than he seemed at a glance, but she still didn't expect him to be so... stoic around things like death.  If nothing else, he certainly had that going for him, even if it was due to desensitization to potentially traumatic events.

Hopefully, diplomacy would also prove to be something going for Solus.  The umbreon spread the mouth of her bag open with a paw and peered into it as she waited for the situation to either resolve itself or require her attention.  This croagunk had taken out the other poliwhirl practically on his own, which meant he was at least a semi-competent fighter.  If he turned out to be hostile, Krikka wanted to be prepared.  She had her golden thorns still, but not much else worth noting, which was a bit disappointing.  There was also her bandanna, which she had taken of specifically to avoid getting it wet and dirty.  Alas, in the process of nearly being drowned, her bag and all its contents had been thoroughly soaked.  This also applied to a certain... necklace, though she didn't care too much about getting that thing dirty.  After all, she hadn't really been wearing it, partly out of concern that it would make Solus less inclined to behave himself.

It was a bit disappointing to feel restricted from wearing a piece of jewelry, even if it wasn't particularly glamorous.  In her own personal opinion, the teardrop necklace looked good on her, so after all the trouble of getting it, of course she would want to wear it!  However, she felt it best to give her new buizel a bit more time to adapt before practically throwing his woeful situation in his face.  Besides, she didn't want to attract any unwanted attention by wearing such a pretty trinket out in the wilderness.  She didn't need it to look good, anyway; her fabulous, vibrant blue rings and natural looks were more than enough!  Her massive ego helped convince her of this fact, of course, but did that make it any less true?  After all, her coloration was quite special!  She was both surprised and disappointed that it hadn't attracted more positive attention to her, but she figured the lack of attention was also the best since she was trying to be an outlaw.  It certainly didn't seem to be doing anything to help her appeal to the angry little croagunk, at least.  Hopefully, Solus would be able to help with that.

[Energy: 9-5=4]

I'm starting to think you're just making words up that sound like insults, Solus thought in response to Krikka's chosen pronoun for the Pokemon who had dealt with the presumably still living poliwhirl. Observing said Pokemon, Solus knew what Krikka meant when she said "staring like a serial killer." The thing, whatever it was, was clearly dissatisfied about something they had done. You're the leader, why am I the one talking to the stranger? A thought Solus was smart enough not to voice, regardless of how much he'd like to. Although, if he did, perhaps it would be enough to have Krikka take the lead on conversing with this vaguely threatening Pokemon. It would run the risk of taking a beating now or later, though. Of course, there was the chance that this guy would just attack him on the spot as well...

Solus started to close the distance between himself and the blue, orange, and black coloured Pokemon. He moved cautiously, as it wouldn't surprise him if this just happened to be another hostile waiting for Krikka or himself to make a move. I don't even know what I'm supposed to say to the thing. "Hi I'm Solus that's Krikka if you make her mad she might kill you." ...Alternatively, if you prove interesting at all to her she'll drag you into a death canyon and nearly get you killed but also save you from being killed and it's really confusing she's really confusing. This was what bothered Solus about Krikka the most; she acted like she hated him, and yet she kept him around like a pet and even went as far as to literally throw him out of harm's way on multiple occasions. She was supposed to be evil. He was supposed to hate her. Yet she kept doing less-than-evil things and it really made it hard to hate her completely and utterly. He still thought he hated her, but there was the obvious fact that he was tolerant of her and thankful that she did save him, and it made it really hard to be one hundred percent sure in his opinion of her.

He was nearing the evidently upset newcomer now. Alright, focus. What do I say? He's clearly upset about something.
What do I say that won't provoke an attack, but also won't make me look like an idiot in front of Krikka? Solus had pride—often times too much—and other's opinions of him were important to him. Krikka, having shown her disappointment in him, had become the number one Pokemon to impress, and so far Solus had done a poor job of doing so. Even his disdain towards authority—something that developed from a lack of such in the home and disputes with growing up—was suppressed in favour of appealing to Krikka. Do I try to be clever? Go for something simple? She'd probably enjoy seeing me insult the guy but I somehow doubt that's would go well for me. I'm terrible at talking to people anyway. Why am I the one doing this? Solus stopped at what he felt was a semi-safe distance from the angry looking Pokemon.

Here's an idea—start with a question, let him lead the conversation. Yeah, that'll probably work. Maybe thank him for dealing with the other Pokemon too, make him feel appreciated. Worse case scenario he just attacks me and then Krikka can kill him too. Solus spoke in a tone more confident than he actually felt. "Thanks for the assist. You seem upset, though, something the matter?" Having managed to not lose his confident tone midsentence, Solus was happy he had accomplished the relatively simple task of speaking. For the most part, he'd only really been around Krikka as of recent; a Pokemon who he wasn't ever confident in speak to, as saying the wrong thing proved to be quite risky. This lack of interaction with others was having adverse effects on his ability to speak to others, he was finding.

((Guys look out theres a third poliwhirl sneaking about somewhere. Also a living snot.))

Probably can't take 'em both together. I met a Buizel before, so I know what it's about, but I ain't real sure if I can take the fox even if I do get it alone... Goro stared hard at the travelers while they regrouped, putting their weapon away for now and collecting themselves after their scuffle. Frustration seeped through his posture, the Croagunk croaking absently, a long utterance of vexation escaping him in his moment of thought. The Poliwhirl were his, dammit. They lived in his stretch of the swamp, and there was no reason to go around killin' off other people's entertainment. What the hell else was he gonna do in the depths of a fucking swamp dungeon? Play with the Goomies and Poliwags?

It was just bad manners, taking out another Pokémon like that. The proper thing to do was to put it out of commission, let it lick its wounds and brood on its defeat, and wait for it to come back for revenge! That's when fights really got fun. He gave the defeated Poliwhirl at his side one more glance, taking in its injured eye and weak breathing, sure of its survival. What's more, is if the injury was permanent, he'd have an easy way to recognize this particular Pokémon. It'd be extra angry, as a bonus, and it might even be a little stronger the next time they ran into each other. Compare and contrast with the other Poliwhirl in the area... Goro's gaze shifted to the dead body half-submerged in the water, blood still seeping from its wounds, coloring the swamp waters ominously. There was nothing to be gained from that kill. If she could kill the Pokémon, then it was likely she could have simply subdued it, and he could have fought it later. Now... nothing. Just a mess to clean up. I ain't even positive as to what the hell that thing is. Some sorta darkling, if I had to guess.

Even if it was, the Pokémon took out the other Poliwhirl likely all by itself. Goro had the advantage of training and experience, being taught to fight other Pokémon since as soon as he was able. Plus, he lived here - he'd been able to fight other of its species in this dungeon, not to mention that he ambushed his opponent. But this mystery Pokémon somehow killed its attacker, and probably without assistance from its partner. That implied a level of raw power that Goro wasn't sure he was comfortable with; Even with all of his advantages, his fight was sloppy and harsh. Hypothetical type-advantages be damned when your opponent could simply just overpower you. Not to mention that darklings tended to favor fighting, well, dirty. Goro didn't shy away from taking advantage of any opportunities that presented themselves, but Dark-types were well known to use status moves to confuse and cripple their opponents, which was something he wasn't keen on experiencing. Plus, there was the fucking weapon she used to stab a Poliwhirl to death. That was important to keep in mind as well.

Still, the shits were in his swamp at the end of the day. And that needed to be addressed, one way or another. If that meant he had to take a chance and charge the rude travelers, well, that's what he would have to do. Thankfully, Goro was spared from needing to do something stupid when the fox Pokémon muttered something to its companion, prompting the Sea Weasel Pokémon to trod toward to the poison-fighting hybrid cautiously. He tilted his head in confusion at the Buizel's approach, almost unwilling to believe his own luck. It was pacing toward him, and didn't exactly look hostile. If a Buizel planned on fighting him, the smart thing to do would be to hang back and fire off Water-type attacks and Sonic Booms. Not whatever the hell it was thinking of doing now, walking toward the Croagunk carefully. If he could cold-cock the bastard right off the bat, he'd have the other Pokémon all by itself - and that would be a much easier fight than taking on the two of them together.

The Croagunk appraised the advancing Water-type carefully, taking an appropriate measure of him for the first time. He was the stereotypical Buizel in appearance, mostly, but this one actually had a straight spine and a measure of confidence, approaching his quarry carefully and intelligently. There was a pink ribbon adorning the Sea Weasel Pokémon, some sort of pointless accessory, completely unlike the ribbon tied around Goro's own neck, thank you very much.

Goro watched Solus approach, his gaze expectant and steady, leaning forward eagerly and waiting for his opportunity. The goal here was something quick to put the Pokémon down - the only other Buizel Goro had met was quick enough in the water that a mediocre swimmer like himself would never hope to catch. There was no reason to think this one was any less adept. The Croagunk waited with bated breath as Solus took his last steps, stopping a number of paces away from him, ready to do.... whatever it was trying to accomplish, here. Goro didn't give a damn - they were both was trespassing in his territory, and that's all that mattered to him, in his frustrated and angry state.

As soon as the other Pokémon started speaking, Goro rushed foward, planting his feet fast and hard on the ground to close the distance between them as fast as he could, spinning his torso tightly, his right fist swinging around in a powerful hook aimed directly at the Buizel's jaw. It was a bit of a sucker punch, true, but no-one ever said he had to fight fair.