Polar Opposites

Sanja: {21 - 5 = 16}

Items:

The Eevee trodded along the same path she always travels, right back into Pecha Forest, especially now that she had nothing to do. Trees always felt comforting, so long as she wasn't having horrible flashbacks to the forest fire she escaped from. Sanja really didn't want to think about it ever again, which is why she was constantly trying to distract herself. Most likely, she would never be able to get over her fear of fire, but she never had the patience to sit and think about it. She would much rather avoid everything.

Bending her hindquarters, she launched herself like a spring into a tree and nipped a leaf off with her teeth, landing back on the ground without a blink. Taking a stick out of her inventory, she tied the leaf to the stick and stuck her claws into the soft membrane of the plant, allowing her to grip the stick without the need for thumbs. Using her mouth was always a bother, so she developed this method instead. Without further hesitation, she dug the stick into the dirt and began to form shapes. Drawing was a soothing activity she always turned to when she didn't want to run, so she decided to draw a lake scene to pass the time.

Energy: 24-5 = 19

”Items:”:

Alki had never been the type to enjoy Pecha Forest. Many of the other amateur guild members quite enjoyed heading down to the well lit, quite unintimidating little mystery dungeon. For the jigglypuff, however, had too many bad memories of this place. The time with her parents hadn’t been fun, and when somebody asked her why, it was difficult to explain. It’s not like they neglected her. It wasn’t like they hurt her, physically. It was those words, those little comments that were often hurled her way, or meant to hurt her that did a number on her. Little words that reinforced her worthlessness, and her sister just being so good at everything . How was she supposed to compete? She’d been competing with her sister for their parent’s love, but… she lost that battle quite soon into her life, that was for sure.

She was never eager to go back. Why would she be? There was nothing there for her except the constant fear that she’d find her parents. What were they like? It’d been a while since she’d run away from home, hadn’t it? Maybe they’d be violent towards her. And for all her pride over being a guild member, and later, a thief, she was neither confident nor excited to confront her parents.

For now, all she wanted to do was wander around a bit. Alone, as usual. She should really bring Darcy along sometime. They hadn’t done too much together, so… perhaps it was time to change that! At some point. But today wasn’t that day, it seemed, and so, Alki entered the Pecha forest with nothing more on her mind than to kill some time.

Better than getting fellow guild members killed, right?

No, she wasn’t still upset about that whole fiasco. It was solidly a What could’ve been situation, but she’d been only a few mistakes away from beating herself up over almost getting someone killed and…

No, it wasn’t on her mind at all…

As she entered the forest, she hummed a small tune to herself, quietly. Nothing really noteworthy, just a little jingle she’d had stuck in her head for a while now. She did this until she came upon another Pokemon, drawing in the dirt.

Hmm.

“Hi? What’re you doing there?”

Sanja: {16}

Items:

After scribbling for a while, Sanja stepped back to look at her work. It was very... boring. The colors of the dirt seemed so dull, and the artistic Eevee longed for the colorful varieties of berries and parchment she used to produce artwork back at her old home. Albeit, this was just a makeshift way to pass time, so with a bit of determination she could probably produce and use a similar material and tool.

Feeling strangely exhausted, the young fox stretched her paws and forelegs, releasing her impromptu pencil to take a break.
As a voice spoke, her head tore up, eyes full of intensity as the stranger caught her off guard.

”Minding my own business, what about you?” she snapped. Internally, she was shocked by her own tone, but her eyes maintained the fire that burned in her soul. She supposed she was mad that a complete stranger would just walk up and talk to her instead of leaving her alone. Her response, however, was not a very good way to come across as a good ‘mon.

Whatever... It’s pink-head’s fault for not respecting my space, anyway. Then rapidly dismissed the aggressive thought with a wave of her tail.

For as long as she had known, Sanja had always been incredibly defensive since she was young, but she never really intended to be hostile. That was just the way that a warrior acted, and she had grown used to the toughness and presentation everyone of her clan had practiced. Not that the Jigglypuff standing in front of her would know that.

What was this Eevee's problem? She hadn't done anything wrong! Sure, maybe it'd been a bit sudden, and maybe she'd startled her a bit, but that wasn't an excuse! Alki shifted from foot to foot, finding herself waiting for an excuse, despite not really expecting one. As the jigglypuff gazed into her eyes, she found herself growing increasingly uncomfortable, both in the silence that proceeded, and that eevee's scary glare.

"O-Ok," She mumbled, breaking eye contact as she chose instead to look at the little Eevee's drawing. She really did not want to fight. Alki clasped her hands together tightly, her face noticeably pale as she forced a smile onto your face.

"Well, Ah..." Alki mumbled, staring at the drawing, far too nervous to look at the Eevee's face. "F-For what it's worth, I think it's pretty good?" She said, hoping that the Eevee would take the opportunity to segue into a more calm, pacifistic conversation. She really didn't want to deal with this. But if she had to?

Well... she could just hope that the Eevee wasn't as aggressive as she seemed. If she was, then... well, Alki wouldn't have a very fun time. She knew that she couldn't fight, and if push came to shove, then the Eevee would find out pretty quickly too...

Sanja: {16}

Items:

Sanja turned her head away as well, angered by her own reaction as well as the puffball's. She still stood in a battle stance, however, guard up and ears perked for any movement from the other creature. At her anxious speech, the Eevee turned back, head tilted down slightly as she stared into the strange 'mon's face, trying to read any hints of malice or sarcasm. As of right now, it just seemed the little one was anxious. That was good; less of a threat. The mammal eased her haunches in a way that wouldn't be noticeable to the one who was avoiding eye contact and glanced at her piece before sighing and responding.

"Thanks, I guess. The soil here is pretty nice," she remarked in a sort of awkward mumble, digging her claws into the dirt underneath. She wouldn't allow herself to admit it, but the underlying guilt of having scared this Pokemon started to affect her behavior. She opened her mouth to huff in annoyance, but stopped short and looked up again. "Although asking before looking would've been rather nice," she returned bitterly. Compliments left an uncomfortable feeling in her chest, something deep beneath her fur that she couldn't claw away no matter how hard she tried. I already know I'm the best... Don't tell me something I'm already aware of...

The Eevee still seemed rather upset, and while Alki didn't want to start anything, it still made her feel more than a bit upset. And her confrontational attitude afterwards? That was just icing on the cake! She was acting so... frankly? Bitchy! She was acting so mean! And for no reason at all!

"I didn't know I needed permission to look at the ground..." Alki said. While it ended up sounding much more passive aggressive than she meant it to, to be completely honest? It actually felt rather good... She'd been having such bad days lately! And she didn't want to just roll over and let this little Eevee make her suffer through another horrible day!

"You're welcome, by the way." She said, looking the eevee in the eyes, showing anger now. "For the compliment." She felt anger growing in her stomach, just begging to be let out. Everything had gone so horribly. And now this eevee was behaving like this for... what reason? Just because? "You could stand to apologize, by the way. Cause right now, you're kinda acting like a bit of a bitch..." The words slipped out of her mouth a bit faster than she would've liked. But she couldn't take it back now, so...

Sanja: {16}

Items:

The Jigglypuff’s response left Sanja somewhat in shock, both because it was unexpected as well as able to make the Eevee self-aware of how she had been behaving. It was rather unfair of her to argue the inevitable, after all. What bothered her most, though, was being caught off-guard. She was still rather flustered by having been discovered on her own, and she detested the idea of feeling or seeming weak around others. Her feisty attitude was just the side-effect of all this bottled up emotions she never wanted to express to others. Ever.

If Sanja hadn’t felt so called out, she would’ve been ready to bare her teeth, but instead she stared back in awe; and not the good kind. Her fur bristled as she tried to push back the guilt—and perhaps the tears—she was holding in. As much as she wanted to spitfire back at the creature, her throat felt odd, like she had just swallowed too many apples whole and they were stuck to the pit of her chest, stomach, and throat. The cavity of her chest, especially, started to hurt so immensely that she had to crouch and bow her head to avoid an outburst. What was this feeling? And why did it remind her of...

”Gah... I’m...” She huffed, then tried desperately to hide her deep breaths. Now was not the time to lower her guard, but she couldn’t let the other see. She felt like she was choking, or dying... or worse. Feeling.
Damn it... Why is this happening? She would’ve apologized if she could even manage another word, but everything stung; her eyes, her mouth, her chest all felt as if she were on fire, just like her own home she witnessed moons ago... She should stop being so stubborn but...

Still bowing her head, she bolted for the nearest tree and flung herself on, claws grasping the bark violently, and pulled herself up as if tearing at her own pained skin to make the feeling go away. A soft rustle of leaves and she had disappeared among the foliage, fleeing from her problems just as quickly as she could race any competitor. The Eevee’s dirt drawing still remained, sitting still as if it were a reminder of the poor decisions the young normal-type had made. The wind brushed gently across the colorful trees of the forest. Other than that, all was suddenly silent.

OOC//::

Alki felt quite satisfied at the Eevee's response. Perhaps it was because she'd been having such a bad time, lately. Or perhaps it was because of her childhood, but either way, the Jigglypuff felt pleased with herself, and with how the Eevee reacted. For once, Alki felt powerful. And that was fitting, right? She wasn't the little kid that she'd used to be. She was a thief now! An outlaw! And while she wasn't exactly about to shout it to the sky, for everyone to hear, she could tell it to herself, quietly, within the safety of her own mind. She was an outlaw. And she was strong. She wasn't about to get bullied like she always had been. Things were different now!

"You're what?" Alki said, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. She was enjoying this. And while perhaps it might have been enough to leave it at that, to just walk away, Alki wasn't ready to give up her time in the limelight quite yet. Perhaps it was rude. No... looking back on it, she'd definitely say she was wrong. But at the time? Being in control felt oh-so freaking good.

"Scared?" Alki smirked, walking over to the drawing that the Eevee had made. She briefly considered kicking it away. But... that was too much, even for Alki on her power-trip. How long had the Eevee spent making it anyways? No, that was too much...

Y'know, maybe she should just quit it altogether...

Alki's smirk vanished and simply left a small, stern frown on the jigglypuff's face. She could teleport up, maybe scare the Eevee some more, but... Why do that? Really, what was the point? SHe'd make the Eevee apologize. That's all she'd do.

"Well, it's fine if you're scared ," She said, drawing out that last word, taunting the Eevee. Why would she be scared though, really? Of Alki? She was small, even for a jigglypuff... Was the Eevee really that weak? "But I think it's only fair to let you know... I'm not leaving until you apologize." Was that really the meanest thing she could've said? No. But still, she didn't need to go around taunting Sanja either. It wasn't really how Alki usually behaved, but with her newfound sense of confidence, she could at least say that it wasn't as bad as it could've been.

Mada carried out 1 launched of one Pecha Forest :

Mada carried out 1 launched of one Pecha Forest :

Mada carried out 1 launched of one Pecha Forest :

Sanja: {16}

Items:

Nestled within the sounds of the leaves came a low growl, or somewhat of a grumble in response to the pink Pokemon's question. Sanja continued to hide, fur still bristling with fury and regret. As the Jigglypuff continued, she felt worse and worse, as if everything in her stomach was about to rise up and tear her apart from the chest and core. She squeezed her eyes shut from up in the branch, still entirely concealed—or at least so she hoped—from the Pokemon down below. The Eevee started to desperately wish the smug jerk below would just shut up, but if she said anything now, she knew her voice would crack. Then again, was that really worth waiting to recover when the relentless pain would continue regardless? It was time to own up...
"I'm... Sorry, okay?" She shouted down from the tree branches, clearly flustered by having to be acknowledged at all. Hearing those words come out of her own mouth made her feel a little nauseous, nearly spitting at the strange sinking feeling in her gut. I swear, if I have to deal with this Pokemon any longer, I'll...

A singular, swift movement and she landed back down at the base of the tree, her body language and behavior already in great contrast to how she was just moments before. "I don't know what you hoped to gain from all this, but I hope you're happy now. Whad'ya want, a medal?" She grit her teeth slightly but not visibly, and just veered to the side. She still felt sick. Just avoid eye contact and don't let it get to you, she reminded herself silently.

In a jolt, the fox's tail twitched and her ears shot up. "Shh," she hushed sharply, eyes wide as she stood defensively staring into space. Her ears pointed in different directions occasionally, as if she were trying to track down prey, but her face expressed otherwise until she crouched low and leered into the distance. She gestured toward the small foraging Pokemon with a point of her tail as she begun to sink into the grass, concealing herself once again.

Alright. Well... Alki had gotten what she'd wanted. Honestly? She hadn't thought it'd be that easy. And the Eevee's voice was cracking... Had she gone too far? The jigglypuff flinched as the Eevee shouted down at her. Well... No! Definitely not. Alki had not taken things too far. The Eevee was being an asshole, so... she was just pointing that out to her! And now... well, now there was no reason to keep going, and that just sounded lame, but... it's not like there was any other reason that she could just make up! She looked at the Eevee's paws, her face slightly red. "I j-just wanted an apology..." She mumbled, barely audible. As good as that felt, to be in control, and in power... well, that was over. For now, she seemed to be back to her old self, with something sitting not quite right with her...

Alki wondered if she should offer an apology of her own, but she wasn't about to just turn back into a figurative carpet like that! She'd been in control, and even if she felt just a tad bit guilty, she wasn't about to just throw all that away! No, she'd overreacted. A bit. But there was nothing to apologize for!

The girl kicked at the ground, careful not to dishevel the Eevee's drawing.

"Nothing to apologize for..." She repeated to herself, under her breath. She looked up at the Eevee, only to find her... staring intently, off into the distance. What was she looking at? Alki tried to peer in the direction of the Eevee's gaze, but saw nothing. It wasn't until the Eevee pointed with her tail that Alki saw... still nothing.

"Huh?"

Sanja: {16}

Items:

From the single, quiet huff of the neighboring Pokemon, Sanja took the noise as cue and speedily launched herself forward. On the third bound, she launched herself up into the air in a pounce to trap and capture the target with enough force to debilitate it. Before the situation could be processed, a small brown mammalian pokemon darted right underneath the Eevee’s precise movement, even faster than her, and sped out into the open. Realizing what she had done a little too late, Sanja landed on her fours and whipped her head around her shoulder, eyes wide as the Zigzagoon made headway either toward escape or the Jigglypuff.

Why did I make that mistake? She criticized herself regretfully, realizing how she had messed up. Whether is was the influence of the other Pokemon’s presence, or the impulsivity of the action, Sanja had overestimated her jump, leaving an opening for escape. As fast as she could manage, Sanja pivoted her body and began to chase after the fleeing Pokemon, and hopefully her life-long speed training would pay off.

”Hey, look out!” The Eevee shouted at her companion as she began to gain speed on the tail of the ferret. Please don’t backfire... she begged to her own mind, bracing for impact as she approached the runaway pokemon. Any other would have just given up, but this normal-type was far too determined to just give in and make a fool of herself like that. She just had to keep going... even if it hurt her.

OOC//:

[Energy = 19 - 7 = 12]

Alki still had absolutely no clue what was going on. What exactly was the Eevee so worried about? Alki couldn't see anything past the shrubbery and had no clue what was going on. Even as the Eevee pounced and something brown-ish darted out from under her, Alki still did not know what the Eevee was doing, or what she was expected to do. The Zigzagoon was darting towards her, more or less. It didn't seem like it was very much a threat though... Alki didn't want to hurt anyone! Why was the Eevee trying to catch the Zigzagoon? It's not like it had done anything to any of them... it was running away too...


"W-What are you doing?" Alki managed to mumble, simply watching the Eevee chase the Ferret. She wanted to step in, she really did... she didn't like violence. But she also didn't understand the situation at all, so... what if she screwed something up? It'd be best if she just did nothing, probably... better for both of them. All the other times she'd tried to do something she'd messed up. And she still felt... a little bad about what she had said to the eevee... So... it wouldn't hurt to just stay on the sidelines... Alki obliged to what the Eevee said, teleporting away from both her and the Zigzagoon, but still within eye sight. She didn't want to ditch her, in case she needed help for... some reason or another.

Sanja: {16 - roll}

Items:

Ignoring the pink puffball, Sanja continued her pursuit, gaining enough speed to run alongside the feral critter and tackled it away before it could collide with the Pokemon who arguably didn't deserve this protection from the Eevee.
"What's it look like I'm doing? I'm saving your skin," the normal-type growled, facing the twitchy rodent with vigor and preparedness for its next move. Though prey-sized creatures like this were generally harmless, the nature of feral dungeon Pokemon was to simply attack on-sight, and the already emotionally exhausted Evolution Pokemon didn't want to deal with a worse situation. It would be best if she could destroy the scout before it had time to call others to the field for backup. There was no chance she'd let it get away.

Strangely enough, Sanja hadn't noticed the disappearance of the Jigglypuff and looked up after pinning down the Zigzagoon, confused as to where she had gone. In her distraction, the ferret had slipped from her grip and sped away. Sanja slammed her paw down onto the ground in frustration, glancing around with gritted teeth. She didn't want to blame the fairy since she was easily distracted, but she was frustrated as to why the other wouldn't help. Spotting the acquaintance standing at a distance, Sanja simply glared in annoyance and padded off passively.

Whatever, what do I care. This Pokemon has been nothing but trouble anyway and she doesn't even show a hint of gratefulness. I'm better off on my own. With her internalized bitterness, Sanja's tail flicked as she left to relocate as far away as possible from where the Zigzagoon saw her last. She couldn't care less if the Jigglypuff followed her or not, just as long as she could get away and continue her own business without any nosy creatures coming and interrupting. She could already tell this was going to be a very bad day.

aMEWzing carried out 3 launched of one Pecha Forest :

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