Rotten Fun

First topic message reminder :

Cattail Marsh was a horrid mystery dungeon. The flatlands were inconsistent and mucky, composed of equal parts soggy soil and overflowing lakes and ponds, the two often overlapping. Thick, tall, stubborn cattail plants - which the dungeon was named for - rose up out of the ground, forcing travelers to regularly smack them out of their faces as they attempted to traverse the flooded swamp. Navigating the place was hard enough, but getting through clean was almost impossible. For that reason, it was somewhat isolated (at least during the day time). The only Pokemon who could be found in the flatlands were either wild, or travelers on their way to the infinitely more profitable and dangerous Misty Mire. And almost all of them were incredibly disgruntled about their location - even the ferals were born here, lived here, and died here were not fans of their surroundings. Travelers were usually just focused on seeing the night time show and getting out as soon it was over.

Because when the sun fell and the air cooled, the firefly pokemon - volbeat and illumise - would all rise into the muggy air as one and light up like a beacon, casting a gorgeous reflecting light down on the normally horrid flatlands. It brought the locals together, and it was probably the only thing that the marsh was really known for, aside from its overabundance of... mud and muck.

Goro the croagunk disliked nights at Cattail Marsh. He was a pokemon who valued privacy, and he had stumbled upon the flatlands for the first time during the day. He remembered falling instantly in love with the disgusting locale, and was incredibly dismayed when he spotted tourists running about the dungeon that following night. But he'd stuck it out, eventually coming upon an abandoned swamp shack and establishing the area around it as his own territory - by beating the snot out of any wild pokemon who came near it. It was the sort of life that he absolutely loved. He could spend his days foraging and patrolling his stretch of the swamp, as it were, and falling asleep to the view the fireflies provided was admittedly very nice.

It was a very satisfying, if short-sighted, lifestyle that he'd settled into. But he loved it. As the croagunk rose up from his crusty and half-ruined straw bed in the middle of the afternoon, it was with a lazy smile on his face. Goro ambled out of his incredibly small shack and into his 'front yard', as it were. In truth, he suspected that someone at Rainfront once used the now half-destroyed structure as a sort of fishing shed, since it sat upon a rather sizable bank next to a very large pond. But now it was his home, complete with a manner of little knick-knacks that he'd found, including his very own chest and bed. He took a moment to stumble down sleepily to the foot of the pond before kneeling down and washing his face in the dirty water, paying no mind to the uncleanliness of his actions. It was the start of another day for him.

He planned to spend the afternoon patrolling his stretch of the swamp and foraging for something interesting to eat - stopping only, of course, to 'play' with any pokemon that he came across. The thought of exercise first thing in the afternoon brought a flat smile to the croagunk's face before he turned and wandered off into the flatlands, yawning loudly, uncaring of who might hear.

(OOC: Sorry for taking so long to reply. Been trying to figure out how I wanted to write this post for ages now. Thing I finally got it, though. X3)

Now that he was feeling a momentary sense of false security, Cracker's awareness of his surroundings dropped considerably as he busied himself with his one remaining shoe. It had taken some damage, but it was still in one piece, unlike its brother, which had drowned in the mud-pit. Oh, Footsie number two, you shall be missed; Footsie One and I will never forget your sacrifice, the monkey idly thought to himself as he picked bits of mud out of his remaining shoe.

For a moment he considered just chucking it as well, and going barefoot, but just thinking about the wet, sticky mud on his soles made him shudder and ditch the idea. It was bad enough he'd gotten this dirty already, he didn't want to make it any worse for himself. Though he had just sat down on his bare butt, which was now most assuredly caked in mud, but that was okay. He didn't mind that so much as he did exposing his sensitive feet to the same treatment, though. Unfortunately, one of his legs was already completely covered in mud, right up to his knee.

The feeling of matted fur and the cold, wetness of the brown goop would've been enough to drive him batty if he'd still been alone. But thankfully he had a bodyguard now. Or at least, a 'Mon who enjoyed fighting so much that he'd happily take on whomever came after the Aipom. And that's really all Cracker cared about. This place was scary enough as it was without being stalked by would-be thieves intent on plundering his treasures.

There was something about the Croagunk that he deeply admired though, and just being near the poison-type made him feel a lot braver than he normally would be. He'd even helped win that fight; sorta, anyway. The frog did most of the work, but.. he still helped! Which was more than he usually did. This fighting-type incidentally had done more to cure the monkey of his cowardice than anyone else so far, and in record time. So of course Cracker was going to be star-struck.

Even now he could only marvel at the other Pokemon's tough persona, as they stood their ground. The Croagunk remained on high alert for a while as he responded to the Aipom's earlier comment. Upon the mention of 'territory' though, the purple furball perked up.

"Hah... hah! Territory, of course! Dangit, why didn't I think of that..." Cracker chirped and then grumbled with a snap of the fingers on his tail-hand. "Maybe if I defended the area around my treehouse better, I wouldn't get attacked so much... Oh, but... I'm not very good at fighting, though. Buuuut... maybe I could scare them away! No, wait... that wouldn't work. I'm not really that frightening. Am I? Hey.. Hey!"

Stirring from his own mumbling, Cracker turned to the Croajunk just as he was lowering his guard, to call out to him, "Hey! Am I scary at all to you--?"

To his stunned surprise, the monkey was cut short by a flurry of bubbles that struck the frog hard, driving him off his feet and forcing him to the ground under the assault before he could raise an arm to defend. Although, by then the attack had ended, giving the Croagunk just enough time to assume a more wary stance. Which luckily made dodging the subsequent attack look like child's play to the seasoned fighter.

In an instant, Cracker had jumped back to his feet again, paws clasped over his mouth in wide-eyed worry for the poison-type as he was assaulted over and over from numerous angles. It almost seemed as though an entire army was hiding in the tall grass that rose up out of the swampy waters of Cattail Marsh. The movements and attacks were sluggish enough for the Croagunk to easily avoid, but the Surskit still remained hidden from view, as its agility gave it overwhelming speed on the water.

As the herding continued, the Aipom struggled to spot the culprit in the large swath of wetland around him, but all he could see were the tell-tale ripples on the water's surface and the swaying of the grassy reeds as the bug zipped around from one hiding spot to the next. For all intents and purposes though, it seemed to be targeting the frog, so... why were the Bubblebeam blasts gravitating closer to Cracker...?

Growing more nervous the further away the Croagunk was driven, the monkey started prancing on the spot, sweating bullets as his gaze jumped from the frog to the unseen danger creeping ever closer. Cracker didn't have the courage to act on his own in the face of such uncertainty, which glued him to the spot with knees quivering in confusion and fear. So when his new companion called out for him, it was like waking from a nightmare.

The Croagunk's voice held an authority that stirred the Aipom into action, simply because he had the clout to back it up. Cracker had seen the frog in action once already, and that was more than enough to inspire confidence. Such that he almost wasn't even willing to consider that the other Pokemon might not actually care if he got hurt by following his instructions. Fortunately, the monkey still had enough sense of self-preservation to question the order.

"A-a-are you sure that's a good idea? W-what if I get poi--" he stammered, until a stream of bubbles exploded uncomfortably close and splashed water all over him. After spluttering in revulsion as the stanky water got in his mouth, Cracker screeched in panic and oblige the Croagunk's demand out of sheer terror. Which, unsurprisingly, was quite capable of overriding rational thought in the Aipom.

Jumping into the air, he struck the ground with his tail, using it to spring-board himself even higher. The Croagunk had drifted rather far away, but not out of range for an experienced tree-dweller like Cracker. He had more than enough strength and accuracy to launch himself in a tight, skillful arc through the air, but as he was reaching his apex in mid-flight, another Bubblebeam erupted from the waters below, targeting the flying furball.

Though the Aipom was quite aware of the approaching threat, he didn't have the time to think of how to evade the attack while he was airborne. So by instinct alone he grabbed onto his tail, which had been encircling him to guide his flight-path, and kicked off from it, throwing its weight like a pendulum to alter his trajectory just enough to dodge the incoming attack. As a result, Cracker's forward somersault abruptly switched directions, allowing the bubbles to pass overhead, skimming the Aipom's face as he narrowly avoided detonating them. The remaining, downward arc had only been shifted slightly, but the Croagunk had plenty of maneuverability to make up for the difference.

Still, now Cracker was primed to land on the poisonous frog, and he suddenly wasn't so excited about reuniting with his impromptu bodyguard. He had no other choice but to land on the Pokemon's back though, lest he risk face-planting on the muddy ground. Or worse, plopping into the marsh's sludge water, where the Surskit was waiting to pounce. The second he touched down, he clung to the Croagunk like a living backpack; he even went so far as to wrap his tail around the fighter's waist, to ensure he didn't fall off. However, now that the two had merged into one unit, their attacker grew desperate.

Unable to keep its targets separated, the bug threw strategy to the wind and launched a steady, devasating Bubblebeam directly at the duo, hoping to overpower them with sheer force. At best it might knock out the the enemies, so they could be looted, at worst, it would hopefully scare off the one who was defending the mark. So the Surskit thought, anyway. Having ventured out of its own territory, and now down two teammates, the water-borne Pokemon wasn't willing to engage in a direct confrontation if it could avoid it, so it focused on sinking all its power into its best, ranged attack.

Meanwhile, burying his face in the Croagunk's back, Cracker could only listen to the chaos that ensued, as he cried out, "N-now what?!"

Lumin carried out 2 launched of one Cattail Marsh :

,

(No sweat amigo <3)

Goro groaned, surprised when the full weight of Cracker met his back forcefully. He staggered forward dangerously, looking like he was just about to topple over, before adjusting to the added weight. He righted himself quickly enough, but he was very quickly reminded that just because his newest guest was scrawny, it didn't mean he was light. The aipom was at least considerate about it, though, as he felt the monkey's limbs snake around him, his tail even going as far as slipping around his waist. It was just as much a credit to Cracker as it was to the croagunk beneath him that the two didn't fall right over. Still, if this worked out the way he hoped it would, then he would only have to bear the burden of his weight for a few moments. Immediately after straightening up, Goro turned to the side, facing the direction that he figured the bug pokemon would strike from next. It had been previously following a pretty standard attack pattern, but now that it couldn't exactly herd him away from the monkey pokemon, it would adapt.

His head turned this way and that, the croagunk's eyes scanning the horizon intensely for any sign of the surskit. It didn't really matter where the creature was, but he just wanted to make sure that he wasn't about to get blasted. Of course, that's exactly what happened next. In the same manner as when the first bubble-beam struck him, Goro heard a deafening pop sound through the air as a powerful force met the side of his head. Unlike the first time, though, he was expecting such an attack, and he had quite a lot of added weight. Instead of crashing to the ground, he merely stumbled sideways before moving to face the incoming barrage head-on. His arms raised in front of him, forgoing any sort of defense of his torso in order to cover both his head and Cracker's peeking over his. The impact of many bubbles popping powerfully against his arms was almost reassuring for a moment, and despite himself, Goro smiled. This pokemon was, after all, quite wild. Even now, it only had eyes for its prey - the bubbles crashing against the top of his guard told him as much.

Or at least they did. The prospect of his unguarded torso was apparently too tantalizing to ignore, as the stream of bubbles shifted from impacting his block to his open stomach, and Goro nearly bent over at the force of the clean hit. The tail-end of the bubble-beam struck his gut over and over and over, and it took all that he had to endure it instead of curling in on himself and exposing Cracker in the process. The attack halted after a few seconds of this, though; The surskit was not able to keep the attack going forever. And that was the queue that Goro had been waiting for. "Hold on tight!" He shouted, answering Cracker's distressed question from a moment ago. He seized the chance will all that he had, and raised his arms even further, reaching as high as he possibly could. And with a loud grunt, he threw them down with all that he had, slamming his open palms against the ground at his feet with all of his strength. And immediately as he did so, the ground shifted. Tremors started running through the ground powerfully, and the wet soil at their feet split open, chunks of earth and splashes of water exploding into the air. It was an earthquake, and one of his own making. Having Cracker deposit himself on his back was the only sure-fire way to make sure the monkey pokemon wouldn't be subjected to the force of his most powerful technique.

Unlike the surskit waiting in the wings, who would at least have to deal with the ramifications of the move. Having launched its offensive from the relative safety of the surface of the pond, it now had to deal with the large, rupturing waves and tides of the upset body of water. The ground at his feet was relatively stable, unlike the surroundings, so Goro was able to keep a vigilant watch for the surskit as soon as he executed his earthquake. To be honest, this was a bit of a gamble - the odds that the upset pond would wash the surskit up next to him wasn't in his favor, but it was also the only thing he could think to do. Swimming after it was just asking to be drowned. He smiled hungrily when the water bug came rushing toward them, stuck in the momentum of a particularly large wave of water. It washed up on the bank about twenty feet behind them, on solid, dry ground - completely out of its element, and suddenly reeling from the force of the quaking earth beneath its feet. The creature was stuck in motion, clearly hurt and distressed, but not quite knocked out or defeated. Goro waited long enough for the minute vibrations beneath his feet to calm before he waded out of the now not-quite shallow waters he was in, still carrying the weight of Cracker on his back.

"You hungry, stranger?" The ground beneath his feet was still shaking slightly, the after-tremors of the earthquake still in effect. He strode forward until he was a bit closer to the stunned surskit, before none too gently jerking his torso toward the side, hoping to incentivize Cracker to hop off now. There was a chance his prey wasn't quite unconscious yet, and he'd need to finish it off quickly if he wanted to eat this thing. Which he did. Badly. After that little show, he was going to eat this surskit if it was the last thing he did. "I'll treat ya to breakfast. I got more than just surskit if that's not yer cup o' tea."

(Flipped a coin for which direction it would go - forward or backward. Lucky us, we fished ourselves up a bug.)

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

, , , , , , , , ,

(Sorry it's been so long! I promise for real this time I won't just disappear again. >.< Also apologies for the stupidly long post. ^^;)

After securing himself to Goro's back, the Aipom fully expected the both of them to be attacked, but like the frog he was riding on, he had no idea when or where the assault would originate from. So for all he knew, he'd be unceremoniously blasted off his would-be savior and into the swampy water lapping at the Croagunk's legs any second now. Instead, though, there was a brief pause in the attacks while their aggressor re-evaluated the situation, during which time the poison-type jostled about in a tight circle, eyeing his surroundings with intense scruntiny.

The attack, when it did finally come, still managed to surprise the skilled fighter, but to Cracker's relief he was kept out of the line of fire. Goro was quick on the draw after the first bubble burst against his face, raising up both arms to form a shield as he faced the unseen Surskit. Initially the monkey was content to make himself as small as possible on the frog's back, cringing and flinching as the explosive bubbles detonated on contact, but the sustained aggression inevitably enticed him to look up in cautious curiosity.

Of course, there wasn't much to see through the bright, flashing blasts between Goro's raised arms, but it was still a fascinating sight to behold as the Croagunk boldly held his ground against a direct Bubble Beam attack. His impromptu bodyguard must've had some very tough skin to withstand such a lengthy assault, and considerable confidence to leave his midriff exposed as he was. Cracker couldn't help watching in quiet awe and admiration, despite the fine mist sweeping between the frog's arms and forcing him to squint.

Just as he was beginning to wonder how much longer either Pokemon could hold out, the stream of bubbles suddenly dipped down to take advantage of Goro's exposed belly. The sudden shift in tactic seemed to catch the Croagunk off guard, but he must've known he was leaving himself open to it. Cracker personally didn't appreciate the Surskit's decision, as it endangered his tail as well. He couldn't contain a pained yelp as he tensed against the blasts that struck the limb he'd secured around Goro's waist, and yet, despite the shared pain he must've been feeling, the poison-type didn't succumb to it. Though it didn't last for very long, the Aipom's tail was throbbing by the time the last bubble landed.

Once the Surskit had run out of energy, Goro called out a warning to the monkey on his back, eliciting a worried groan from the Pokemon as his tailed ached with the effort to tighten its grip. Meanwhile he ducked his head down again, and obliged the order to hold on as firmly as he could. He had no idea what to expect at this point, but he felt the frog's muscles flex as he suddenly raised both arms high above his head and violently struck the ground with all the strength he could muster.

At that moment, in Cracker's mind, the world might as well have just exploded all around him. Though he felt the obvious tremors of Goro's Earthquake as it translated through his body, he was more acutely aware of the water as the shockwave from the attack splashed it indiscriminately in all directions. A bomb couldn't have created a better ripple effect though, as the ground split open on all sides, sending miniature tidal waves across the swampy landscape, ripping reeds out by their roots and flooding the surrounding land masses with the odorous water. The smell it stirred up was most unpleasant, but one couldn't deny the results, as the once placid water's surface became a trecherous minefield for the otherwise delicate Surskit, who, try as it might, couldn't skirt around the chaos.

To its dismay, it was swept up in the outgoing current, and flung against a tree hard enough to stun it, only for the returning waves to drag it back towards its former target, and dump it harshly onto one of the muddy islands nearby, dizzy and disoriented. It attempted to stand on its spindly little legs, as the water that splashed down with it quickly retreated back into the shallows, but it wasn't in a hurry to flee as the ground still shook beneath its shaky limbs. While it struggled to recover, Goro took his time in claiming his prize, wading out of the swamp water with a quivering, wet monkey still clinging to his back in temporary shock. He still wasn't quite sure what had just happened, but he was certain of at least one thing. He was now soaked to the bone in perhaps the most rank-smelling liquid he'd ever encountered. On the one hand, he wasn't so muddy anymore, but the trade-off hardly seemed worth it, as he found himself shivering and cold by the time the Croagunk returned to the safety of land.

He barely acknowledged the frog's query, but he didn't respond right away, mostly because he was still coming to grips with the fact he was drenched and wrapped in a foul odor he couldn't escape. His chattering teeth didn't make it easy to offer up an immediate reply either. When he felt the Croagunk's unspoken request for him to dismount however, he happily obliged, even though it meant stepping in mud again. For now though, he opted to balance atop his tail's beefy hand while he hugged himself and shivered with a big, teeth-clattering frown on his face. His short fur sagged and dripped as he looked up at Goro continuing his approach of the dazed Surskit.

There was a mouthful of complaints ready to burst forth from the trembling monkey, but the instant the Pokemon offered a free breakfast, he held his tongue and started to perk up again. Although it wouldn't entirely make up for the messy, albeit impressive display of strength, it was certainly a start. And after all the energy he'd expended thus far, Cracker's tummy rumbled at the very idea of eating. It'd been a while since his last meal, which, as usual, consisted of berries and other fruits. Nothing like the Croagunk's apparent diet, who seemed intent on dining on the Surskit he'd just about defeated with a single attack. Eating another Pokemon wasn't something the Aipom had ever seriously considered in the past, but there was no denying that he was growing increasingly curious about the prospect after meeting the poison-type.

Snacking on a bug Pokemon was hardly an appetizing thought, though it got the monkey considering another avenue. Back in his home village, he'd sworn against the Aipom tradition of consuming Bounsweet, simply because everyone else was doing it, but he'd always pondered what they might taste like. And now, with such a tantalizing offer on the table, he was beginning to give it serious consideration. Of course, it was unlikely Goro had anything like that lying around, but it didn't hurt the inquire. Besides, when else might he get a chance to entertain the notion? As far as he knew, most civilized Pokemon didn't go around eating each other. That morally dubious privilege was generally reserved for those who refused to accept the ethical advancement of society. Otherwise known as the wild Pokemon that lived in the untamed wilderness. And... actually, now that he thought about it, Cracker kind of fell into that category himself without even realizing it.

He lived in a tree in Pecha Forest, after all. He also disliked going into town for just about any reason, and more often than not, targetted those who did for the sole purpose of lightening their load and enriching himself with goodies in the form of food and whatever else he could snatch and get away with. So he wasn't exactly 'civilized'. Of course, he'd never contemplated harming or killing others, but... it wasn't entirely off the table. Should he have found himself threatened and cornered, who knows... He also hadn't encountered a Bounsweet in the wild yet either, to really know how he'd have approached one...

Once that he'd all but convinced himself to give it a try, he managed to find his voice. However before he could speak, the Surskit stirred. It appeared to be rearing up for a Quick Attack, but the poor thing must've been seeing double, as in its attempt to strike the approaching Croagunk, it completely missed and skidded to a stop, flipping helplessly onto its back. The sight made Cracker wince with a twinge of involuntary sympathy, but considering the creature had previously intended to make a victim out of him instead, it was short-lived. The Surskit had brought this upon itself, sealing its fate the moment it decided to take on Goro all by itself. And if it hadn't been for the unflinching frog's fierce resolve, Cracker might've wound up in the same sorry situation. So he wasn't about to cry over it. Still, he couldn't bring himself to watch when Goro inevitably delivered the final blow.

Instead he tried to act cool and casual, looking around at the devastation the Croagunk had caused to their surroundings. The cracks in the earth has since filled in with sludge, and the water still rippled with the fading aftershocks, but the plantlife had taken the biggest hit, with much of the reeds and swamp grass leaning at sharp angles. Some even floated freely on the surface, and littered the land masses across the main body of water. All wasn't still out there, though. Cracker quickly realized that several other Pokemon had begun to discreetly emerge from the swamp, likely drawn in by the disturbance. There was clearly caution in their actions though, perhaps out of fear of Goro, and their subtle incursion of his territory. Nonetheless, though, the sight of so many lurking nearby made the monkey uneasy and eager to move on before they decided to team up and overwhelm a potentially wearied Goro.

"Haha! I'm starving! Breakfast sounds like a great idea!" he blurted out loud, quickly throwing all prior concerns to the wind and jumping down from his tail's hand to march over to Goro. At some point he'd lost his other shoe, but he didn't seem to notice or care at the moment, speed-walking stiffly to cross the distance and put the Croagunk between himself and the wary Pokemon hiding in the water. He took one look at the Surskit before announcing emphatically, "Wow! You sure showed that thing who's boss, huh! Anyone else oughta think twice before crossing you, I bet! Let's go EAT him at your place! Hahaha!"

For all his boisterous talk, the Aipom was wearing a big twitching grin and had a worried look in his eyes, quickly adding under his breath in an urgent tone, "Before those guys get any ideas about challenging your territory!"

(Don't even stress it, man~. Breaks are necessary sometimes. Glad to have you back!)

Goro panted, his breath coming out raggedly. His arms were throbbing in pain, his belly was sore, and his face ached, but his eyes were alight with excitement. That was exactly what he needed this morning. A good scrap like that was rare to come by; the surskit had been surprisingly tactical and powerful. If it weren't for the raw power differential between him and the bug type, he wasn't sure how it would have ended. More than ever, he was glad for his training and experience. What a fight. And he had this traveler to thank for it, this Cracker.

After he finished off the surskit, grabbing the pokemon by one of its legs and lazily tossing it over his shoulder, he straightened up and surveyed the situation. That had been the last pokemon that was after his guest, it seemed. His earthquake had done a number on the area, though. The pond, specifically, was still trembling and tiny little waves of water were washing up, turning the already moist and treacherous soil into thick mud. He wasn't particularly bothered by it - as a denizen of the area, Goro was experienced with traversing the dungeon by now.

It seemed like this monkey pokemon wasn't, though. As his breathing steadied, he chanced a glance over at Cracker, noticing how he shivered and how his teeth chattered. Some pokemon weren't made for this kind of area, it seemed. Breakfast was the least he could do, in this case. That and escort him back out if he didn't want to stay; despite everything, Goro felt a smidgen of thankfulness for the aipom's presence. Pokemon didn't often gang up on him anymore like that - part of it was the reputation he was slowly but surely building among the low-level pokemon in these parts, and part of it was his own growing experience with avoiding such situations. It'd been a while, and he'd forgotten the thrill and desperation that came with being outnumbered like that.

The croagunk started in surprise when the aipom seemed to immediately recover. He blinked a few times, somewhat stupefied by the now rigid approach his guest was taking, to say nothing of his boisterous attitude. What was this about, now? Was he playing tough or was he just a bit touched in the head? That seemed to be common with pokemon who lived in the wild, like himself. Goro cast no judgement.

But then Cracker hinted at spectators, and despite himself, Goro turned to look. Subsequently, his heart dropped into his stomach as he witnessed a myriad of pokemon gathered at the edge of the clearing, taking in the destroyed area and the victors of the conflict, him and Cracker. Most prominent of the arrivals were a family of frog pokemon like himself. Goro had seen those species around before, lean, lithe and all shades of baby and navy blue. The biggest ones were the ones that gave him pause. They moved silently, gracefully, with deadly purpose, their tongues wrapped about them like scarves. He spotted two of them at the edge of the clearing, with a number of smaller pre-evolved ones, he was guessing.

There were some very disgruntled whiscashes on the other bank of the pond as well, giving him the stink eye for his little episode. Likewise, he had no wish to tangle with them. He knew from painful experience that they were part ground type, and they knew both water and electric moves, which made them triply dangerous. "Yeah..." His voice was weak and soft, barely a rumble in his throat. Nervously, he cleared his throat with a rough croak, before continuing. "Yeah. Let's get - get outta here."

Goro backed up a number of steps, before turning on his heel and power-walking out of the clearing, with Cracker hopefully on his tail. How completely moronic of him. Yes, his little earthquake flushed out the surskit, but it also flushed out a couple of whiscash and a swarm of wild pokemon looking for easy prey. He could only hope that none of them followed him home, hoping to ambush a weakened croagunk and his aipom companion.

As grateful as he was that the Croagunk wasn't willing to test his considerable mettle against an encroaching mob that outnumbered them several times over, Cracker was still wary about turning his back on them, just in case the more agile ones in their group took advantage. So he ended up following after Goro at a slower pace, walking backwards with arms folded behind him and a big, unthreatening grin faced towards their potential aggressors. At least until he was far enough away to be moderately assured they couldn't covertly close the gap.

Once the pair had reached the edge of the area, the Aipom spun around on his heel and fled with flailing arms. With his short legs though, it took a considerable, albeit stumbling sprint to catch up to the trudging Croagunk, leaving him nearly breathless by the time he came up beside the frog. Unfortunately he wasn't winded enough to hold back his own personal awe over the whole ordeal he'd witnessed. And now that they were out of earshot, he wasn't so cautious about who heard him either.

"That was... amazing!" he exclaimed dramatically, "And absolutely terrifying! I had no idea those creeps were following me! And you! You were--incredible! Those kicks and those punches... and that explosion! How'd you even do that?! You must be as powerful as Arceus himself! An' you weren't even scared at all, huh? Not like me, anyway..! You probably kick butt like that all the time, I bet. No wonder they're all afraid to fight you.. You're so strong and brave and..."

The monkey started to trail off as he eyed the Surskit dangling limply from Goro's shoulder with a small wince. He realized at that moment, that if he hadn't been careful to make it clear he wasn't a threat when they'd met, that that might've been him hanging there. Certainly the Croagunk wouldn't have thought twice about it, if he'd assumed Cracker was just another wild threat to his domain. Though perhaps the fact he was obviously foreign to the region helped too. At the very least, the frog didn't seemed inclined to pick a fight if he didn't have to, and to that end it was clear that Goro had done him an enormous favor by defending against the Pokemon that had been hunting him. So the simple truth of the matter was that he'd saved the Aipom's life.

He might end up regretting having the monkey indebted to him, but for the time being Cracker was too busy fawning over the fighter's prowess, and showering him in praise. If for no other reason than to hopefully avoid becoming his next target, because as much as he respected the skilled poison-type, he was also afraid of him. Having seen what he was capable of, and knowing his preferred diet, who could blame a cowardly, flighty Pokemon like Cracker. Luckily though, he'd also seen the lengths Goro was willing to go to to save him, and whether he was misinterpreting that fighting spirit as compassion was irrelevant. The monkey was star-struck.

"Ah! You never did tell me your name, by the way. I bet it's really cool, though. Like... like... Butt Kicker 9000! No, that's lame... Oh! Maybe Deathmaul! 'Cause you... maul things.. to death! C'mon, you can tell me! If you don't, I'll just keep making up cool nicknames for you! Liiiiike... Poison Fist! Oh... that's a good one...!" the Aipom chittered away, occasionally stumbling over the uneven ground as he stayed neck and neck with the frog.

At least for the time being he'd completely forgotten about his irrational fear of walking on the ground, much less the soggy soil that covered the majority of Cattail Marsh. Though it probably helped that his entire body was caked in stale swamp water. Unfortunately it was also starting to give him an unhealthy chill, and as distracted as he was, he continued to shiver and occasionally rub his arms in fleeting attempts to warm himself.

Goro was a good deal more unnerved than he let on. They weren't far at all from his swamp shack. The two were just right around the corner, in fact. The croagunk had chosen this particular stretch of bog to settle down in mostly because of the generally low level of the pokemon that populated it. To find such threats like that in his metaphorical backyard was more alarming than it was exciting, to say nothing of how numerous they were. He hadn't yet tried his luck against those blue frog pokemon, as he didn't trust himself against that kind of speed and accuracy yet. The poison type had a ways to go in terms of skill, even in his home dungeon.

Of course, to hear this little aipom tell it, it was the opposite. Goro had just gone out hunting for breakfast before he found this simian pokemon getting trailed. He killed two birds with one stone by helping him out, and now he had this guy singing his praises. If nothing else, the copious praise was gratifying. It was nice to have his efforts be recognized by someone for once. Goro straightened up and allowed himself a small smile, though he didn't comment.

Talkers usually irritated him. But between the satisfying fight and the near-disaster that just occurred with so many pokemon in his territory without his knowledge, he wasn't much inclined to raise a fuss. In any other situation, he might have snapped at the monkey pokemon to keep quiet, but he didn't have it in him at the moment. The poison type wouldn't admit it, but he was a bit spooked. It wasn't as if silencing Cracker would do any good, anyway; any decent threat would be able to track them regardless of whether or not his loud voice led the way for them. The weak ones he could handle.

Goro merely readjusted his grip on his surskit and continued his march through the mud and muck, waiting for the aipom to stop to catch a breath so that he could intervene. In the meantime, he kept his eyes on the horizon in front of him, occasionally surveying both sides and listening for any followers. He really didn't like how many pokemon he saw back there.

"It's Goro," he said, despite himself, mostly just to shut the monkey up. Although Deathmaul and Poison Fist both sounded decent to him. Maybe one day he could get someone to name him Deathmaul Poisonfist, like a title or a nickname or something.

The croagunk led the two of them into a familiar looking stretch of land as they walked, one that he immediately recognized. Lowset, smooth hills of relatively dry land and reoccurring small ponds, dying trees that offered decent bits of shade every now and then. His shack was close-by. Goro was eager to roast his bug and have breakfast... or lunch. Whatever time it was.

"We're close to home, I think. If you see any dry pieces o' wood on the ground, grab 'em, yeah?" The croagunk trudged up out of the muck onto a slope of dry soil and snatched up a decent-sized stick with his other hand. Legends, he was hungry. "I'm gonna roast this guy."

The instant Goro finally shared his name, Cracker seemed positively thrilled as he bounced up and down while he walked, only to nearly trip over his own tail. He certainly wasn't having an easy time walking on this slippery, sludgy ground, but at least he wasn't currently bothered by it. In the presence of a such an impressive new idol, his own personal phobias took a back-seat. Especially in light of the revelation that his hero had a killer name to go with his formidable skills.

"Goro! Whoa! That's even better Poison Fist! It's like... 'Gore! Oh!' Hehehehe!" he chittered like the little, excitable ball of energy that he was, "I bet that's what all your opponents say, right before you sock 'em in the face, with one'a those crazy punches!"

Delighted as he was, the monkey wasn't nearly as distracted from his former anxiety as he appeared to be. As he came down from one of his giddy bounces, a twig snapped underfoot and a chill immediately shot up his spine and brought that brief eruption of enthusiasm to a halt as he yelped, "D-did you hear that?!"

Coming to a stop for just a moment, he looked around frantically, half-expecting Pokemon to lunge from the pools of water and concealing walls of reeds on either side. Though it didn't take him long to realize he'd only scared himself with the twig under his foot. He quickly scurried ahead to close the growing gap between him and Goro, laughing nervously as he worried aloud, "Hah... y-you don't think those 'Mon's back there would actually come after us, right? They'd be crazy to try an' mess with you!"

It seemed more like Cracker was trying to convince himself than get an answer from the Croagunk, so he didn't press the query when Goro mentioned that they were close to the frog's residence. In fact, he took the opportunity to shed his earlier trepidation in favor of his bodyguard's friendly request. Although he winced ever so slightly when he voiced the intention to cook the Surskit he'd claimed for his meal.

"Hah... r-right. Yeah. Okay! You got it, Boss!" he chirped, slapping the muddy tip of his tail against his head in a mock salute before charging ahead of Goro.

Mostly he wanted to claim the higher, drier ground as quickly as he could, even though the dry dirt immediately stuck to the bottoms of his wet feet and led to him flicking them awkwardly with every uncomfortable step. But he remained focused on his mission to snatch up every twig and branch he could find, even going so far as to snap some off of the dead or dying plants he could find that were dry enough to make good kindling.

The Aipom was no stranger to fire starting, having had a brief stint as an arson, but he did wonder how long one would last in such a moist environment. Swamps weren't exactly the most flammable places. Not like Pecha Forest anyway, and he had to make a concerted effort not to burn down his own home of residence. Even going so far as to put on his fire-fighter hat to keep other Pokemon, specifically fire-types, from doing it in his stead. Luckily dirt, and specifically his Sand Attack, were quite effective at snuffing out forest fires.

As he busied himself with collecting twigs and dry tinder, Cracker continued to rattle on about another query that had still be lingering in his mind; "Oh! By the way, I was really curious. About your offer, I mean. It's--haha--probably a silly question, but I was just wondering if you've ever caught any Bounsweet? I know, I know, they probably don't live around here or anything, but you don't just hunt in the swamp, I bet! Oh... that's a nice one..!" The monkey stumbled upon a fairly large length of wood that was remarkably dry, having found itself atop a rock instead of the ground, but he struggled to add it to the growing pile in his short arms as he continued, "A-anyway, I'm only asking 'cause I hear they're really tasty! An' I've never tried one before, so..!"

Boss. That sounded nice. For how hyperactive and shrill this aipom could be, at least he was flattering. He continued his own wood gathering as best as he could with just one hand, occasionally dropping his surskit so as to better leverage his armload of twigs. There would be more at home - his shack was pretty close to a lot of dead and dying trees, so he was able to store a little bit of wood in his shack to dry out. Not a lot, since he still had to have room to sleep and store his stuff, but enough for a single surskit.  

"Uh...no, no Bounsweet." Goro's hairless brow furrowed as he tried to remember all the kinds of pokemon he'd hunted. He wasn't quite sure what a Bounsweet looked like. The name was unfamiliar enough that he was pretty sure he'd never eaten one, at least. He was pretty sure that he knew the names of everything he'd eaten. "Don't think so, anyway." It helped that he actually did hunt exclusively in the swamp. Goro was quite the hermit, so it was rare for him to venture out without a specific purpose. When he did go out and about other dungeons, he usually brought food with him in preparation or at least picked something up in a town on the way over.

He wasn't opposed to trying other kinds of pokemon, really, but him hunting like this was more out of necessity than anything else. He could only be satisfied with mushrooms and berries for so long. Plus he had to do something with all the pokemon that challenged him.

"If ya want somethin' sweeter, I got some fruit, I think." His last trip to Rainfront was quite a while ago, come to think of it. "Not fresh, though. Might be a bit ripe. And some mushrooms n' stuff in the shack."

With one hand carrying the surskit over his shoulder and the other cradling a decent armful of twigs and sticks, he was ready to go. And fortunately enough, they were close to home. He led the two of them around a bend, swaying out of the way of a particularly large cattail plant, and spotted his shack in the distance. It was a sad little structure, maybe twice as tall as he was and about that wide, in complete disarray. The roof was half fallen in, with the wood rotting and no door whatsoever to speak of. The only thing that kept the locals from robbing him was his budding reputation as a pokemon not to be messed with. It sat on a smooth, downward slope of land that met the bank of a small pond at the end. In front of the shack was a little fire-pit of his own making, nothing more than a cluster of rocks placed in a circle to keep his fire from spreading. A few rotted logs were strewn around it, to sit on.

Goro figured that the structure started out as some pokemon's fishing shack, given the location and size. Whoever had built it left it behind though, as he found it in very sorry shape. It was his home now, though, and the sight of it filled him with a quiet joy. Any pokemon who trespassed on his home would have quite the fight on their hands; he loved this dinky little shack like nothing he'd ever loved before. It was in a very convenient spot, it provided him shelter, and most of all it was his. He'd never had anything of his own like it before.

"That's it." He nodded at his home, his lazy walk becoming a bit more animated as he made his way over. "I don't think we gotta worry about intruders. Haven't had any in a long time. We'll see." In truth, he was probably just as worried about it as Cracker was. They'd walked away from a lot of strong pokemon back there. All it took was a few of them to follow him home, and he wasn't sure how many he could take. Certainly, he wouldn't be able to beat more than one without Earthquake, and he wouldn't dare use that move with his shack so close by.

Although Cracker was outwardly disappointed by the Croagunk's answer, deep down he was secretly relieved. Not that he wasn't still curious about it, but there was the lingering, nagging doubt in the back of his mind that it was inappropriate and uncivilized to have such thoughts about dining on other living things. Of course, Goro didn't seem all that concerned about what was considered right and wrong, judging by his clear intent to roast the Pokemon he'd soundly defeated.

"Aw, that's too bad, I guess. I bet you'd really like 'em," he sighed with exaggerated chagrin. Since he wasn't really upset about it though, he perked up again as the frog offered something more in line with his typical diet, instead. "That sounds alright. Oooh, I bet I could boil 'em up and make something nice to go with that--ah... with the... main course, hahah!"

He was still a little uneasy about the fact Goro intended to eat that Surskit, but if it was dead now, it only made sense not to waste it. Right..? Anyway, maybe the smell of cooking meat would be enough to deter any would-be stalkers from further encroaching on the Croagunk's territory. Which was a fair trade-off in the long run, as there was no way even somebody like Goro could win against such overwhelming forces; although Cracker of course liked to imagine the poison-type could handle it with ease, he didn't exactly want to find out one way or the other.

Not only had the earlier fight been an adrenaline rush the monkey was ill prepared for, but now he couldn't stop thinking about what might've happened if things had gone any differently. What if he hadn't run into Goro? Or if there'd been more than just three Pokemon to contend with? Even now he still dreaded the possibility that the wildlife the Croagunk's powerful finishing move had stirred up, might still be lurking out there somewhere, just biding their time for a chance to strike. Needless to say, Cracker was eager to reach Goro's abode, simply for the sense of comfort that a structure to hide in would bring. Anything would be better than hanging around out in the open, surrounded by potential blind spots where dangerous Pokemon might be lying in wait.

So, with the extra cumbersome weight of the larger log he'd acquired, the Aipom trailed after his new idol, threatening to topple over with every other step. Though it didn't take them much longer to reach Goro's marshland home, he had trouble seeing ahead of him when the Croagunk announced their arrival. It wasn't until they got a little closer that Cracker was able to peek around the mountain of sticks blocking his view, and at that moment he abruptly dropped them all in shock. They clattered heavily onto the ground as the monkey clasped his paws over his mouth in utter dismay.

"Oh no! What happened to it!?" he gasped, before immediately assuming the worst, "It--it's been vandalized! Who would do such a thing?! Ah! I bet it was those ruffians back there! The foul things trashed the place while you were away, I bet! No good rotten 'Mons! No respect at all!"

Hopping over his discarded sticks, Cracker raced over to the crumbling structure, visibly concerned, and more specifically, heartbroken. As a tree-dwelling Pokemon, the Aipom considered himself an expert in all things made of wood, and there was no denying that he had a special kind of skill when it came to building homes out of it. So seeing Goro's shack in such a hopeless state of disrepair, it was no surprise his first assumption was that something terrible had been done to it. After all, he couldn't imagine anyone letting a perfectly good home fall apart. However, upon closer expection he quickly realized it was in fact incredibly old and half-rotten. Nonetheless, the gears were already turning in his monkey brain, envisioning repairs and improvements to the decrepit structure.

"You poor thing! How could anyone treat you this way? Nobody deserves to live like this!" he rattled on, at first seeming to sympathize with Goro, but then he promptly hugged one side of the dilapidated hut, almost cooing as he continued, Don't you worry, I'll fix you up all nice and pretty, with a new door and a proper roof...!"

"It's always been like that, actually," The croagunk followed Cracker at a much more sedate pace, his voice dry as he dropped the surskit and his armful of timber next to the fire pit. It wasn't that Cracker's enthusiasm and sympathy went unappreciated, but Goro felt somewhat offended nonetheless. There was nothing wrong with his shack! Sure, the roof was kind of only half-present, and there wasn't anything keeping out the cold or bold intruders, but nothing was perfect. "It's a good little hut." He was proud of it for hanging in there for as long as it had. The poison type had spent many a night wondering if it was going to fall down on top of him when he first moved to the marsh, but it had always sheltered him.

Wordlessly, Goro ambled past the aipom, heading inside of the shack. The interior was about as pitiful as one would expect, looking at it from the outside. The remnants of half the roof had long since been thrown out, but in its place lay a decent-sized pile of dry wood next to a half of a straw bed and a single, rough-looking blanket. Various knick-knacks and items that looked useful to him sat on the ground, thrown around in a manner that suggested Goro really didn't much care for them. He didn't. Ever since he learned how to fight, the prospect of using items or weapons seemed distasteful. The joy ribbon he wore on his bicep was the sole exception - he had heard they made a pokemon get stronger faster. Nestled into a shady corner was a huge basket, filled only a third of the way full with various foodstuffs. Local mushrooms, a bit of old jerky, berries, and a cluster of different looking fruits, of which only two or three looked totally safe to eat.

Goro scooped up the basket in one hand, turning around and dropping it on one of the logs next to the pit, in easy view of Cracker. "Here's that fruit n' stuff." He wasn't averse to sharing. Goro had played host to pokemon once or twice before, and it always felt nice to be able to provide to folks. More often than not he chased them off his property, but when he found himself in a good mood, spending time with strangers wasn't all bad.

He made a couple trips between inside the shack and the fire pit, dropping off timber and three curiously shaped pieces of wood. Two of them were naturally formed like a Y, but the last one almost looked like a spear, as the tips had been purposefully filed down. Over the course of a few minutes, Goro set up his station.

Driving the two side pieces of wood into the ground on opposite ends of the fire, he lay the spear across them thoughtfully for a moment. Nodding to himself, the croagunk picked it back up with one hand, trotted over, and lifted the surskit with the other. In one smooth, efficient moment, he skewered the bug pokemon cleanly. Mounting the stick on the others, it took on the form of a clumsy, yet serviceable roasting spit. Without further batting an eye, he knelt down and started placing small pieces of tinder under the bug pokemon, forming the base for his fire.

"I don't s'pose you know any fire moves, do ya?" Goro's tone was more curious than anything else. He'd never met an aipom before, so maybe he had something...but more likely than not he was going to have to get his flame the old-fashioned way. Either way, it never hurt to ask.

Cracker was still caressing the corner of the small shack when the Croagunk bluntly stated it hadn't actually been trashed by vandals, and when he suddenly realized he'd assumed incorrectly, the monkey jumped back a step, looking sheepish. "R-r-right! I--I knew that! I was just.. joking!" he stammered.

He hadn't meant to offend the poison-type for choosing such a run-down shelter to call home, so he promptly did a one-eighty, and began complimenting it instead, with a big awkward grin; "It's kind of old, but... i-it's got character! And uh... definitely well constructed! Even if it's er.. falling apart a little?"

The monkey dared to give the wall he'd been stroking a few good, strong pats, but he immediately flinched as the structure creaked and almost threatened to fold in on itself. He wasn't wrong of course. The building had definitely been put together with care back when it was first made, and though the rot had permeated most of the boards that made up the walls, its upright supports and most of the framing was still solid enough to ensure a few more years of faithful service; provided a certain monkey left it alone, anyway.

He tried to play it cool by folding his arms and leaning against the shack as the frog approached, but when he stepped inside, the wall shifted ever so slightly, making the Aipom leap away again, paws reaching out as though he might have to grab on in case it fell over as a direct result of his own tampering. The monkey gave it a hard, nervous stare before assuring himself it wasn't going to fall to pieces if he walked away. Goro certainly seemed to have high confidence in its durability however, as he shuffled around inside without fear.

Leaning to one side, Cracker peered into the old fishing hut, curious about its interior, but he was simultaneously disappointed and filled with more creative ideas for improvements. Aside from the gaping hole in the roof, and a half-destroyed cot that barely had enough room for the Croagunk, there wasn't much else to see. It was mostly filled with wood scraps for the fire, and odds and ends scattered around the floor. And a basket of food, which Goro promptly deposited outside on one of the rotting logs by the firepit.

When he offered its contents for Cracker's perusal, the monkey gleefully obliged. "Oh boy, oh boy! Let's see whatcha got in there!" he beamed, using his tail to fling himself over to the basket, practically landing on top of it, before grasping the woven container with both paws and nearly dunking his head inside to inspect the frog's inventory. There wasn't much that hadn't already gone bad, which was clear from the smell alone, but a self-proclaimed expert of edibles like Cracker was able to fish out the few berries, fruits and mushrooms that, while unpleasant to ingest in their current state, would still make a good sauce once it was cooked. He couldn't help commenting in the process though; "Oof.. smelly! Either you don't eat berries much, or this swamp just makes everything go bad in a hurry..! Some'a these aren't too bad though..."

While he occupied himself with picking out the least rotten food to set on the log beside him, the monkey watched Goro make multiple trips into his shack to acquire the firewood, which apparently included several, specially chosen sticks, that he quickly realized weren't intended to be used as fuel. When the time came for the Croagunk to skewer the Surskit on his makeshift roasting spit though, Cracker had to look away with a wince. Well, if it wasn't dead already, it certainly was now.

Returning to his own task, he finished collecting all the produce he needed to feed himself, with enough left over to share, if Goro wanted something to go with his... lunch. He really didn't want to feel sympathy for the thing that likely had every intention of killing him instead, if not for the Croagunk's intervention, so he kept telling himself that it deserved what it got while he focused on filling his own empty tummy.

After setting aside the now mostly empty basket, having discarded the mushy, rotten plant matter that no reasonable 'Mon would be expected to eat, Cracker unshouldered his backpack. Though it was still shiny and brightly coloured, it now had a sickly green hue to it, after being soaked in swamp water. Luckily though it had begun to dry; the contents... well... It was a good thing he didn't carry too many important things inside.

Setting it down in front of him, the Aipom dug around for his mortar and pestle, as it was the only suitable means he had to grind up and cook the food he'd laid out before him. As he was pulling out the clay bowl and its grinding stick--an upgrade from the wooden one he'd made previously--the monkey noticed his own joy ribbon tucked away in the small pack. He recognized it in part because of the identical one that Goro wore on his arm. Dragging it out of his bag though, he realized it was stiill quite damp, and a bit smelly now, so he rung it out while he watched the Croagunk preparing the firepit. He still couldn't help but marvel at the Croagunk's self-sufficiency, and found himself more and more, wanting to emulate the object of his admiration.

So he attempted to do just that, in particular, by attempting to tie his own ribbon around the same arm that Goro wore his on. Of course, Cracker's arms were tiny compared to the frog's, so the result was a cumbersome mess that interfered with the monkey's ability to bend the limb. In the end, he settled for tying it around his neck, like a neckerchief. It wasn't as cool as the Croagunk's chosen look, but it wasn't dissimilar to how some outlaws wore their ribbons.

As he was tying the knot behind his head, the Pokemon asked him about fire-moves, in a half-hearted manner, and the monkey snickered in amusement, "Hah, I wish! Actually... no I don't. If I could light a fire that easy, I'd probably have burned my own home down by now! Buuuut, I do know a nifty shortcut that makes it almost as easy..!" With his ribbon secured, Cracker dove into his backpack once more, this time pulling out two sharp, shiny stones before hopping over to Goro. "Just use these!" he offered, "If you scrape 'em together really hard, they make sparks that'll set just about anything on fire, if its dry enough! Trust me... I've done it plenty of times..."

Cracker turned and looked away with an awkward chuckle and a guilty look on his face as he held the flint out to Goro. "Sometimes it's even a little too easy.."

Despite himself, Goro was kind of having fun. The way Cracker was talking about his hut now made him feel nice. Character was right. For some reason, it had appealed to him at first sight, and he had never found the words to accurately describe it. But that was it, this aipom had hit the nail on the head. If anything, his shack had character. He resolved to describe it like that from now on.

And watching the other pokemon rummage through his food basket didn't even leave him feeling salty. Feeding travelers was something he very, very rarely ever did. But it kind of made him feel proud to play host like this, to help Cracker deal with those upstarts and then give him a little something extra. From a certain perspective, one could almost say it was Goro's responsibility. The incident had occurred in his territory after all, so if anyone was going to set the situation to rights it ought to be him. Today was definitely the exception to the rule though; he remembered how grumpy he was when he rolled out of bed. If he hadn't found breakfast so fast, he likely would have just sent Cracker packing on home.

It wasn't as if the aipom had been helpless, either. He'd pulled his own weight in that fight, and even now he was being useful. Goro turned from what he was doing, his hairless brows lifted in surprise at the information. Rocks that made fire? Gingerly, he took the two smooth looking stones from his guest, inspecting them for a moment. Indeed, they were quite sharp, bright looking rocks. How they were supposed to make sparks was beyond his understanding, but Cracker had no reason to lie... it was worth a shot.

The croagunk turned around, squatting down right in front of his fire pit. Fumbling somewhat awkwardly, he rubbed one stone against the other, aiming at the modest little teepee of tinder beneath the surskit. He botched the first few attempts, and in his frustration, he got a little bit rough with his scraping. And just then, a bright mess of sparks erupted; it didn't catch, but Goro leaned back in surprise nonetheless. "Wow," Wilderness survival was somewhat new to Goro. He'd been his own for quite some time in the Marsh, but before that, he'd always lived in suburban and rural environments. It just now occurred to him that he might not be doing a lot of things right. To think that all this time he'd been rubbing sticks together furiously just for a little ember or two... "You weren't lyin', huh. That is handy."

Excited and eager to make use of this new tool, Goro kneeled down further and tried again and again, showering his tinder with enough sparks that it eventually caught. He blew on the infant flame a bit, just to get it to catch, and leaned back with a proud grin. That had been easy. "I gotta get me some o' those. Here." Grateful and earnest, he handed the pair of rocks back to his guest, having committed the shape and color to memory. He'd keep an eye out for any rocks like that. Maybe they were sold in Rainfront...

That was the bulk of the work out of the way, though. With care, Goro positioned a few pieces of the dry wood over the growing fire, careful to position it in such a way that it wouldn't disturb or disperse the flame beneath. His stomach grumbled at the sight; breakfast was coming all that much sooner.

Done for the moment, Goro sat himself down on one of the rotted logs, his hands resting on his knees. "So you got yer own house, too?" Most of the pokemon that came through these parts were guild members, pokemon passing through searching for lost clients or treasure. Grassveil residents, mostly. He was curious as to whether or not this hyperactive, friendly monkey pokemon was similar. "Where're ya from?"

Once Goro had accepted the stones he was offering, with some apparent skepticism, Cracker bounced back a step, holding his paws over a big, broad grin that spread across his face while he waited for the Pokemon to figure out the simple tool. It took him a few tries, but then the Aipom himself had taken considerably longer during his initial discovery. So he remained poised on the edge of excitement, waiting for the inevitable, albeit frustrated strike that elicited the spray of sparks the monkey deeply enjoyed.

Seeing the Croagunk's amazement only helped release that pent-up enthusiasm as Cracker bounced up and down from one foot to the other, giggling and clapping his paws together in exuberant celebration. "I know right?! An' it's so easy too!"

When Goro set to work lighting the fire with earnest, the monkey instinctively leaned forward to watch, always fascinated by the act, to a degree that bordered on unhealthy obsession. It only took a few more well aimed strikes for the dry timber to catch, and then the frog nursed the tender flames into a growing blaze. Once he was satisfied, the Croagunk handed the stones back to the eager Aipom, who was more than happy to take them.

"They're amazing, aren't they? I found mine near Black Mist Mountain. Lotsa rocks out that way, but these ones were really hard to find! I call 'em Fire Rocks! Hehehe!"

In an energetic display, the purple monkey happily swung the stones against each other as he danced on the spot, shooting sparks at the ground and up into the air overhead as he chirped, "And they make such pretty lights too! Great for parties!" Cracker promptly broke into a fit of giggles as he showered sparks in all directions. At least, until the cowlick on his head suddenly caught fire, at which point he yelped and tossed the stones to either side to quickly pat out the flames.

"Hehe-hah... hah... Gotta... remember to use 'em responsibly though. Or I might catch the wrong thing on fire... again," he panted, moving to collect the Fire Rocks and return them to his pack.

With his campfire at a healthy burn, Goro was sitting back to watch his meal cook, so Cracker returned to his seat as well, plopping down hard enough to jostle the fruits and berries he'd laid out. Before they could topple into the dirt though, his tail expertly, and blindly grabbed them while he scooped up the mortar and pestle nearby. Setting the small bowl in front on him, the Aipom tossed in a couple berries and set to work mashing them up with the pestle, swinging his legs joyfully as he worked while the Croagunk commented on his earlier remark.

"Yup! I live in a big ol' tree in Pecha Forest! Built it all by myself, too! Well... not the tree, but everything else! I'm really good at it. All of us Aipom are, actually. Back home in Great Wood Forest, we live high up in the tallest Red Wood trees. They're really big! So big, in fact, that we hollow 'em out and live inside them! I didn't have to do much with the tree I found in Pecha, though. It was already mostly hollow. Sick an' dying too. But I fixed that. I can't tell you how though, it's a Aipom secret! Shhh..! Hehe!"

Cracker's earlier anxiety had all but vanished at this point. With a friendly face to talk to, food to eat, and a place to take shelter in if necessary, he couldn't have been more happy. Of course, he still felt physically grimy, especially as his fur gradually dried and became crusty with algae from the marsh. And his feet were caked with dirt, but that at least seemed to give him a comfortable barrier from direct contact with the ground now. He had to wonder where he'd sleep at day's end though, as he certainly had no plans to leave before sunset. In fact, there was a hopeful proposal brewing in his mind the longer he sat there, working the berries in his bowl into a thick paste.

Tossing a slightly squishy fruit into the mixture, he decided to tentatively broach the topic, while trying not to seem too eager, or more accurately, desperate. "By the way, you're uhm... probably wondering why I'm even here, I bet. Tree-dwelling 'Mon walkin' around in silly shoes that--oh yeah... I lost the other one too. Rats! A-a-anyway, I was supposed to be tryin' to conquer my fears an', I dunno... get stronger I guess. Seems more like I almost got myself dead, instead, though. I mean.. if it wasn't for you, I couldn't even imagine what would'a happened. Actually, no I do. An' it gives me the heebie-jeebies just thinkin' about it! So... I was wonderin'... since you're so strong and experienced, maybe you could... teach me? To... to fight and be brave and cunning like you! I-i-if you want to that is..!"

"And! Aaand... in exchange I could... do something for you maybe. Oh! Like uh... maybe fix that hole in your roof? So all your firewood doesn't get rained on! A-a-and before you say no, just think about it! It might give your home even more character!" The Aipom didn't know why he was so nervous about his offer, but it probably had something to do with his recognition of the Croagunk's strength, and... the fact he'd insulted his dwelling earlier. He was wary about making the same mistake twice, especially since his suggestion was borne largely of his own selfishness.

"Sssso... what do yah think?" he asked, his gaze hesitantly settling on the poison-type after wandering for the majority of his spiel.

The aipom's good cheer and upbeat nature seemed infectious. Goro couldn't remember the last time he felt so at ease talking to other Pokemon. He had always been something of a social disaster. Dour, moody, and prone to lashing out when he felt confused or uncomfortable, he had trouble making friends. It came easily with Cracker, though. Maybe it had something to do with just how friendly he was - there was absolutely no doubt that Cracker was a fan of him, and while he was steadily growing to like the monkey pokemon, it was undeniable that he had extended the olive branch first. That'd never happened to Goro before, even during the instances where he did get along with others. And neither had he been praised so profusely for getting into a fight.

Thinking back, Goro couldn't remember ever getting that kind of positive reaction. His parents didn't react when he started catching on in lessons, as it was merely expected of him. And when he started to tentatively help out on jobs, it was at their command. Stoic nods and disappointed scoldings were all he could recall, as it took him a while to get up to speed - he was never the sharpest tool in the shed. Even after leaving home, other pokemon just got scared and angry when he fought, especially the ones he was fighting. But Cracker called him strong and brave, and even cunning. Goro had never considered himself cunning. Rather the opposite, in fact. It was almost impossible to keep the hopeful little grin from blossoming on his face, so Goro didn't even try to stop it.

"Wow..." Quiet and captivated, the croagunk leaned forward as Cracker spoke. His eyes were wide, his tone fascinated and soft. "That's nuts. Crazy." Hearing the monkey pokemon's response, taking in all the details he was giving Goro about his life back home and the tree he found and revived, it made him feel small. But it was a good kind of feeling. Like he was learning more about other pokemon, and suddenly Cracker's comments earlier about his shack made sense. Of course, he'd have something to say about his rickety little hut, he built his home. In a tree!

He'd never be able to do something like that. Just living out here on his own in the Marsh was challenging sometimes, when he came across pokemon that were too strong for him to deal with. It was part of the reason why he stuck to areas where weaker pokemon lived; he wasn't on that level. Not yet, anyway. But fighting was the only thing he parents taught him, and it was all that he found himself really enjoying. It made him feel alive and powerful, and it was fun. He wanted to ask if Cracker felt the same way about working with wood, building things and living in the treetops, but with the influx of new information about the aipom, he wasn't sure if it was appropriate. He also didn't want to sound stupid now that a pokemon with these kinds of skills looked up to him like he did.

The croagunk's posture grew a bit reserved when Cracker made his proposal. Truth be told, Goro didn't think he was teacher material. He knew a few things and had a fair bit of experience, but he also knew enough that he realized his place in the world. "Mmm... maybe," His hands left his knees to clutch at the log he was sitting on, multi-colored fingers digging into the rotting bark, needing something to do as he thought about it.

No matter what anyone said, he wasn't really clever or cunning, and while he might be strong from Cracker's perspective, Goro didn't even have to look past the swamp to find pokemon stronger than him. He was still a student himself, bumbling through one painful lesson at a time, all on his own. Was he smart enough to pass down what he learned to someone else? He didn't think so, but if this aipom thought he was, then maybe... Most pokemon knew the basics of combat anyway. With practice and experience, they literally grew more powerful. All he would have to do is be there for Cracker as a safety net and pass on what he knew about fighting, as straightforward as his knowledge was.

The offer was tempting, too. A proper roof was a great incentive. And as much as he loved his little shack, even he wasn't blind to his faults. He was proud and sentimental when it came to his home, but he wasn't dumb enough to think it was perfect. One day it'd probably fall in on him in the middle of the night, and then he'd be as good as homeless, sleeping under logs like every other croagunk in the marsh. He didn't want that.

"We can try, at least. I've never taught before, though. Might not be... good at it." For the first time since he met the aipom, a very heavy note of uncertainty crept into his voice. His insecurities were starting to surface, now that the fighting and hunting was done with. In conversation, he fared poorly, and the more they spoke the more these feelings were going to become more prevalent.

Battling was what he was good at, after all. One of the only things he was good at. That's why he didn't do much else.

Goro's obvious interest in what he had to say didn't go unnoticed, but now that Cracker had voiced his request, there was a shift in the Croagunk's demeanor, and for a few pressing moments the monkey worried he'd asked for too much. The Aipom wasn't the greatest at social interaction himself, having previously engaged most Pokemon by stealing their possessions before even introducing himself. In most cases he'd been able to redeem himself, but clearly it wasn't the correct approach, and he was trying to change. That was the whole point in coming to this awful place that offended every fiber of his being, after all.

Luckily the way he met Goro was far different from his usual manner, having already been on edge thanks to his unfamiliar surroundings. So he wasn't inclined to attempt pick-pocketing, for giggles, a Pokemon that looked more than capable of putting a swift end to his troubled existance. Besides that, he hadn't possessed the advantageous terrain that normally made the act easier to pull off. And on top of all that, Cracker had been hopelessly lost in an unfamiliar region and growing increasingly afraid for his life before stumblng across the frog.

He was deeply grateful now for having summoned the nerve to ask for directions, like a normal 'Mon, rather than go for his usual tricks. If he'd angered Goro then, he might not have helped fend off the wild Pokemon that had been stalking him; or worse, might've made him his meal for daring to step foot in his territory. Even now he was amazed that the Croagunk was kind enough to bring him back to his home on the marsh, much less share his food. Seeing how engrossed he was by Cracker's description of his own home though, was the biggest surprise of all. Typically other Pokemon couldn't wait to tell him to shut up, or simply express their annoyance for the fact that he never did. And indeed, the Aipom was quite the blabbermouth. In part because as long as he was talking he wasn't thinking, which made it much easier to ignore his own fears and insecurities.

This was first time however, that someone was actually intrigued by what he had to say. In a way it was... encouraging. It made him want to talk even more, maybe relay some tales from home, or launch into a monologue listing all of his favorite foods in order from best to worst. Goro's sudden change in mood made him hold his tongue in worry, though. Now that he'd laid his desires bare to the frog, he couldn't help observing every movement with nervous scrutiny. Did I say something wrong? Is he mad..? Why isn't he saying anything?! he wondered with growing worry.

For that brief pause in which the Croagunk considered the offer, Cracker half expected to be attacked and chased off the frog's land under a litany of curses that expressed all the pent up frustration he feared had been boiling inside the poison-type all this time. He'd stopped what he was doing in the meantime, preparing for the possible need to flee an assault. The whole time the monkey wore a deep-seated dread plain as day on his face, right up until he heard that beautiful, magical word that drained his quivering heart of its trepidation, and filled it to bursting with unfiltered joy. Maybe! He said 'maybe'!! he screamed internally, his frown snapping up into a giant grin again.

Though Goro didn't seem entirely on board at first, that single word eliminated all fear of aggression from the Croagunk. In fact, despite the frog's obvious hesitance, Cracker sat up a little straighter, even leaned forward with a hopeful gleam in his eyes as Goro mulled it over. The uncertainty he portrayed was almost entirely misconstrued by the monkey as a reticence toward either committing to teaching him, or letting him touch his house. Given Cracker's inherently clumsy nature, he wouldn't have blamed Goro for worrying he might damage his fragile abode, but he wasn't lying earlier. The Aipom was a very skilled builder, and though he had a tendency to destroy things, he was very nimble with his tail.

In any case, the lack of outright refusal was taken as a premature 'yes', even before the Croagunk finally, and grudgingly decided to give it a try. Though he argued for a lack of teaching experience, Cracker wasn't deterred in the least. In fact, he bounced up and down on the log with glee, hugging the clay bowl to his chest.

"Oh that's totally fine! I'm not a very good teacher either!" he chittered joyfully, "I doubt either of us could be as bad as my Elders back home, though! Gosh they were so boring! I'd fall asleep all the time! Total snoozefest! But hey, maybe I could show you a thing out two about maintaining your shack! So it doesn't fall down on your head!"

All of a sudden Cracker dove back into his task, grinding up the fruity mash into a fine paste. Once he was finished, he leapt to his feet and bounced over to the firepit, which had swelled into a strong, healthy flame that lapped hungrily as the sizzling Surskit. He looked for a nice spot as close to the blaze as possible and strategically nestled the clay bowl into the burning tinder, so that the heat could warm and eventually bake its contents. Then, he happily skipped around the fire, to practically dance in front of Goro with a seemingly endless supply of energy.

"Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! So where should we start?! I really wanna punch like you do, but I got such tiny arms," he babbled, waving the shrimpy limbs in obvious disappointment, "Oh! But I'm pretty good with my tail! I mostly just throw things with it though. I have trouble hitting things hard enough to do any damage..! What d'you think, Goro?"