Afternoon Snack

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It was dark and cramped. There were passages she could not fit through, but the main path still presented her with enough room to move comfortably. Victoria's footsteps echoed throughout the caverns, stealth was not an option. She didn't quite care particularly about that, however, as she felt that she was capable enough to defend herself in times of attack. The queen held her head high-or at least as high as she could- as she continued her stroll through the caverns. It started out as a simple walk, but curiosity about the recent events had brought her here.

A powerful pokemon was stated to have resided here at one point. Mewtwo, it was called. Explorers fought the creature-one of which she was vaguely familiar with. Sova. A glaceon that helped her get her heirloom back. The very necklace remained wrapped around her neck despite her drastic shift in size. She had to get it fixed after she evolved, but it still shined as bright as the day she got it.

The tyrantrum remained alert while she traversed. It was entirely possible that the monstrous pokemon was still around. While she considered herself powerful, she knew better than to think she would be able to face off against that kind of creature. The rest of the inhabitants of this cave, however, were simply...a snack.

Victoria Energy: 30

Holding the skitty's stuff would have been challenge for Victoria unless the feline was fine with her holding the stuff in her mouth, but somehow she doubted the cat would appreciate saliva all over her belongings. Thankfully, the bidoof took up the challenge. Each of them picked up their fair share of items, while Victoria was left with a curious gaze in the direction the graveler disappeared off to. Were they truly gone, she wondered. She assumed so, but there was never such a thing as too careful.

The bidoof spoke up as the noibat hesitantly accepted the oran berry, "We live here, but Nezi's from Rainfront, she comes and visits us every now and then-and those two drove us further into the cave before we could get her home. We got cornered and now we don't really know where we are." The noibat nodded in confirmation. She looked up at the tyrantrum, a little nervous of the big rex's presence.

Victoria was not oblivious to this either, so instead, she opted to start walking off in the direction the graveler wandered off to with little to no explanation. She left the skitty behind with the children-trusting that the feline would be able to keep them safe while she excused herself from the area briefly.

Darcy's ears perked up as the bidoof explained their situation. So Nezi lived in Rainfront, huh? All three of them seemed too young to be living by themselves... The Skitty began to tie some knots so as to make the strips of cloth into a proper sling. "Rainfront, huh? That's where I'm heading right now! I have a letter I need to deliver..." She wished she could expand more, but not even she really knew that much more about her mission. The Skitty still held her small smile, hoping her presence was comforting the three children. "I could help you three get to Rainfront, if you like?"

Finally, with the sling more or less complete, Darcy began to approach the Noibat. "It might sting a bit when I put it on, but it'll help your arm to heal faster when we get back to town Nezi... I'm sorry I'm not a better healer. But it shouldn't take too long to heal when we get to Rainfront! My little sister has broken bones a couple times now, and it never took too long... She's a guild member like me too."

Darcy had noticed Victoria's absence, but there wasn't much she could do to stop the dinosaur from leaving. Instead, she addressed the children before her. "Oh! Don't mind her, she's really big, but she's actually pretty cool! A bit intense, sure, but... Did you know? She's a queen? "

A thoughtful whistle sounded from Jo, followed by a hum from Ja. They thought about what the skitty said, before they shook their head, "We've gotta head home-our mama's gonna do us in real good if we don't make it back." The bidoof looked to one another before they looked down at the items they collected. "We're not gonna be able to help you with this uh....sorry." They set the items back down onto the ground.

The noibat, on the other hand, still looked nervous. They couldn't help but flinch as the sling was placed on, but fortunately her attention was directed away from the pain and towards the status of the tyrantrum. The noibat gave an uneasy hum before she mumbled, "She doesn't seem like a very nice queen..."

Victoria, in the meanwhile, wandered deeper into the cave. She couldn't quite pick up on what the group was saying, but she was certainly still capable of knowing they were there. The cave was dark, but there seemed to be little to no sign of the graveler. A low absentminded grumble rumbled as she gazed into the darkness farther down. That encounter ended a little to easy for her liking...so what exactly was the catch here..?

Darcy nodded softly, watching as the two bidoof returned her belongings, placing them on the floor. Maybe she'd just have to leave them behind? Which... would be an absolute shame, because there were still a few things she would've rather kept, if at all possible, but if the alternative was letting the girl ruin her arm more, well, that was an easy choice to make! "Oh, don't apologize! That's ok, I'll manage! Don't worry your mum too much, you two," The Skitty said softly, smiling at the two bidoof. They seemed like sweet kids, honestly, she hoped that their mother wouldn't give them too much grief.

The Noibat still seemed quite nervous, but she was staying remarkably still while Darcy adjusted the sling. That was just about the best it was going to be... She looked over the knots, tightening one which seemed just a tad bit loose. Nezi didn't seem too fond of the Tyrantrum, and Darcy couldn't help but laugh nervously, before expressing her agreement.

"Nice? Yeah... nothing like what I expected either, honestly, it hasn't been long since I met her... But I mean... Cool, right?" She said, resting her head on her forepaws as she sighed. It was nice to take a small rest, her feet felt a bit sore from the earlier sprint, still... "I just wish people weren't so violent, I don't... I don't get why people would want to bully you three, but I don't think t-that violence was required either..." The kitten slipped back into her old speech pattern, the thought clearly distressing to her. Violence just gave way to more violence, which wasn't good at all... The two bidoof lived here, right? What if the graveler found them again...?

Gosh, was she overthinking it? Suddenly, she felt much worse about the whole thing... "But at the very least, people won't really want to mess with us while she's around, I guess..."

The bidoofs, confident enough with Darcy after seeing her explorer badge, opted to run on home. The noibat's ears fell as the demeanor of the skitty changed. She watched her friends run along home, but she wasn't so sure of being left alone with this odd stutter-kitten and the massive scary tyrantrum. "I-I think i'm just-going to go by m-myself-" The noibat stood up. Instinctively, she tried to open her wings to fly, but the splint and broken wing reminded her that flight wasn't exactly an option. She tripped up and promptly fell onto her face if she was not caught.

Victoria couldn't find anything odd in the darkness. A deep grumble rumbled before she turned back around. Darcy should have handled the kids by now...right? It was a tight turn, but she managed it. What she didn't manage, was the weight of two somethings dropping right onto her back. Instinctively, she tried to open her jaws to cry out, but two meaty arms wrapped around her snout and held her mouth shut.

Yep. There was the catch.

Darcy stepped forward along with the Noibat, trying her best to catch her fall. "You can't fly, Nezi, it's... it'll hurt you even more. It's not necessarily safe to go alone, either." Darcy spoke, trying her best to appear as authoritative as possible. She'd never been good at fulfilling that role... But she had to get better soon, didn't she? It felt as though her family was beginning to rely on her more heavily. Her teammate, of course, most immediately, but... Well, this mission seemed important. She needed to take more missions like this, for her family's sake, but no one would ever want to let her do this kind of thing if she didn't seem qualified...

Not to mention, if the Noibat tried to go home by herself, there was a very real possibility that she might get even more seriously injured... Making sure Nezi was steadied, Darcy leaned down, smiling at the child. This would be difficult... After all, she was just a stranger, but she needed to look out for the little kid. She was innocent, and a victim, and lost, and her stutter reminded her of a certain other small Pokemon...

"Nezi, I know you don't know me, but I'll do my best to look out for you, okay? I want you to get home safe, and I don't think you going by yourself is the best idea. Especially when you're hurt like this..." The kitten practically purred the words out, crouching lower to make herself the same height as Nezi. "If you'd like, you can ride on my back? I do that for my little sister all the time, y'know. Her name's Alki. You two are a lot alike..." The last sentence came out unconsciously, but it was true. They were... Even down to the bullying...

"Here, let's go find the Tyrantrum, ok? I know you're not her biggest fan... I'm not either... But she's going to Rainfront too, and that way we'll all be safe... Is that ok?" The Skitty flicked her tail, waiting for a response. She wasn't going to do anything until Nezi agreed... After all, she was the youngest person there, by far! Therefore, the most important....

The noibat seemed a little critical of the skitty. She looked off in the direction the tyrantrum disappeared in, but didn't seem at all interested in the idea of continuing with the rex. Still, a small sigh squeaked by. "...Okay..." the Noibat agreed before she began her attempt to crawl on the kitten's back.

Victoria, on the other hand, had some of her own problems to deal with. The graveler were back and they weren't happy. Immediately, she reacted with what she knew best: violence. She swung her head towards the wall and slammed the graveler into the side of it. The rock type held on tight despite the blow, but her movements caused the other to roll off. The rock was quick to roll right back into her with enough force to slam her body against the wall. There was an attempt to roar again, to catch the attention of the skitty at the least as well as vent some frustration, but the graveler refused to allow it.

Fine, if she couldn't make noise that way, then she'd do so another way. The tyrantrum lowered her head and raised her tail. The graveler braced themselves, cautious of her movements and expectant of a charge. Instead, she jumped. It wasn't very high, but her weight slammed into the ground with far more force than expected. A shockwave ripped out around her and slammed into the graveler, but not without causing the caverns around her to rumble and shake.

Darcy waited patiently for Nezi to climb onto her back. The Noibat was a bit heftier than Alki had been as an igglybuff, but that was alright! She wouldn't want to make her walk, especially not after she'd already offered her service. The Skitty readjusted her bag, moving it to her other shoulder, before looking at her surroundings. There were a lot of rocks, and the cave wasn't particularly well lit, which was... a shame. Where had Victoria gone? The halls felt rather empty without her large presence, and after spending so much time with such a large Pokemon, she couldn't help but feel acutely aware of her smallness. Helplessness? Maybe, maybe not, but it was undeniable how much safer she felt around the Tyrantrum, even if she was abrasive...

"Alright, so we're..." Darcy said, trying to fill the empty air with some sort of noise, even if it didn't really serve much purpose. She had no clue where it was she was going to go yet, but her thoughts were interrupted by a roud rumbling, relatively nearby. Darcy's ears perked up at the sound, somewhat like an earthquake, but nothing really fell... some dust from the ceiling, perhaps, but nothing else. If it was an earthquake, it wasn't a very strong one. Not a natural one, anyways...

Which made her think, that maybe, it had something to do with Victoria's sudden disappearance... And if it did, then that meant it was a clue as to where she was? The rumbling seemed to be coming down a nearby pathway, which Darcy began to venture down. "We're gonna go look for her, and then head home! Er... To Rainfront, anyways..." Darcy said, as she picked up her pace. The more time she spent without victoria in such a dark passageway, the more unease she felt.

It wasn't long before she found the dinosaur. Unfortunately, she didn't just find Victoria. The two bullies from earlier were there, assaulting her, so high up, seemingly silencing her... Had the rumbling come from them? Or from the Tyrantrum... Either way...

"HEY!" The kitten yelled out, frustration clearly evident in her voice. The more she spoke, the more the hurt she was feeling made itself present. She'd tried to be kind to them! Why were they still so intent on being violent? The more she spoke, the more she tried to will into her voice a power beyond emotion. She couldn't really attack them from down where she was, but if she could guilt them into ceasing their attack? Why not?

"I tried to be nice to you two! I did! So why are you still trying so hard to be violent? First you tried to bully a bunch of kids, now you're trying to fight us? Don't you feel bad? Even a little bit...? Stop it! Right now! Last chance!" Darcy yelled up at the duo of rock types, shouting to make herself heard. She wasn't used to raising her voice, but this was... well, different. If they didn't stop, at the very least, they probably couldn't afford to ignore her, and then it'd be a two vs two!

Oh, but she still had Nezi to worry about, didn't she? Darn...

"Last Chance," Pah! These two had already used up their "last chance" with her. They should have considered themselves blessed that they had the opportunity of a chance from the likes of her in the first place. Victoria grumbled and growled as she struggled to free herself from the grips of the graveler, but they held strong with extraordinary strength. The more she struggled, the more it felt like the graveler on her snout wrapped tighter.

A muffled roar that ended in a frustrated huff sounded. The graveler seemed almost unresponsive to the skitty's demands, but it didn't help that the tyrantrum kept them quite busy. Still, one of them at the very least managed, "SCREW OFF!" as a very blunt and straightforward response to the kitten.

Victoria lowered her head closer to the floor. With a deliberate twist, she planted a foot firmly onto the body of the muzzle. A large talon dug into the graveler's face, but it held strong. Then, she began to pull. She pressed down with all of her weight and pulled with all of her strength. The graveler that hooked onto her lower half seemed to take this as an opportunity, however, as it released its grasp and moved to upgrade its death grip to a much higher position on the Tyrantrum's body...specifically around the feathery mane.

"Wait here a second, Ok, Nezi? And stay out of the way...?" Darcy said softly, wincing at the sound of the Graveler's voice. It was unfortunate that they weren't listening to reason, but she couldn't afford to let the situation spiral further out of control. The Skitty waited for the Noibat to climb off her back, a small word of affirmation escaping her mouth, before she hopped off to hide behind a nearby rock. It wasn't the best situation she could ask for, but the odds that Nezi might get hurt on accident were lowered now.

The fight between Victoria and the Graveler seemed to be ramping up. The Tyrantrum seemed to be struggling more and more, as the rock types strengthened their grip on her, and despite her struggles, the Queen didn't seem any closer to escaping their grip. The Skitty placed one paw in front of another, hesitating at first, before she began to run, faster and faster, up Victoria's tail. Which Graveler should she target? One of them seemed to be moving their grip up higher, towards... Her neck? Did it mean to choke her?

She didn't intend to find out. With a mind of her own, she flew off the Tyrantrum's back, summoning as much strength as she could as she collided with the Graveler's face. It didn't occur to her until after she was airborne that she was very high up. With no moves left to use, the Skitty wrapped her forepaws around the graveler's arm, as her tremulous voice began a song. "Can't buy me love, love," Her voice was slow and soothing, like a lullaby. She wasn't as good a singer as her teammate was, but for this move's purpose, it didn't matter too much.

She could see her hind paws dangling, and the drop below her. It couldn't be that high. Only seven feet or so... All the same. It was nerve wracking. That was... What? Three or four times her height? The Skitty's grip around the Graveler's arm tightened as best it could but... Well. Her limbs weren't meant for gripping. "I'll buy you a diamond ring, my friend, if it makes you feel alright," She continued, as she closed her eyes. If it didn't work, at the very least, she hoped it'd be enough of a distraction for the Tyrantrum to do something on her end. She... didn't really have any more moves to use, in a situation like this.