Exciting Things to Sea

First topic message reminder :

The libraries at Windrose had been surprisingly bare when it came to the oceans. That was only natural, she supposed; they were difficult to explore. But the urge to see a niche filled had tugged Robin towards the Coral Forests, where she sat perched on a large, white piece of dead coral. She sat with her paws tucked under her body, sketching a rough picture of the world below - at least, as best as she could glean it underneath the rippling water. Drawing with only your mouth wasn't a fate she would wish upon most pokemon.

The end result... wasn't anything impressive. Especially since she only had her single pencil, leaving her to roughly label the pieces as 'red' or 'yellow', shattering any lingering illusion. Oh, well. She hoped she could express in words what she clearly couldn't through pictures. Her pawprint in the lower right corner and a hastily scrawled 'Robin P.' might have even implied she was proud of her work, that childish mess of squiggles and unrecognizable shapes. No, it was just a reminder for later, nothing more.

It was no sooner than she thought of how humiliating it would have been if anyone saw the blasted thing then, as she turned to tuck her pencil back into her bag, a sudden gust of wind swept it away into the sky. Oh, no. Oh, no. It would either fall into the water and get ruined, leaving her to re-draw the coral - which was unacceptable, that had taken so long - or, worse, someone would find it. And trace it back to her.

"Oh, no, no no no no no, come back!" Robin plunged into the water before she could think, following blindly after her picture, even as the wind held it tauntingly out of her reach, fluttering dangerously above the water.

Oh, this was not her day.

Robin's Energy: 6

The bolder of the two Ralts seemed to soften a little at her shaky voice, tilting his head. He was clearly the leader of their little group, Robin concluded - or at least someone the other Ralts cowarding behind him respected. "And you, fox?" His waves was dismissive, though Robin swallowed any potential protests. The Lantern swam in a little circle around the corner, his grin turning to a look of concern - more of a pout - as he gently nudged Alki back on land, his eyes wide and concerned.

"Come on, boss. Chill out. They're clearly not bad people." He huffed, the flash of annoyance gone as he turned back to the frightened Jigglypuff. "Sorry 'bout that. Er- I hope I didn't scare you. We're with the guild, so you don't have to be afraid of us! Promise. My name's Kero. The little Ralts is Tsera, and the one up front is our leader, Phosphor."

"... and I'm Robin." She finished weakly, shaking her head. "Well, it's convenient that we found a rescue team here. Do you three know where we are, or how to get out?" Tsera tilted her head slightly, emboldening herself enough to step forward.

"This is Coral Forest. There's not really a set path out, but if Phosphor says it's okay... you can stick with us until we're out of the mystery dungeon?"

Robin shook her head, then. "No, not Coral Forest. Something strange happened, and..." Her voice died down as she glanced at Alki, wondering how much to say. Had these pokemon truly not noticed day turning into nighttime in seconds, or the ocean being solid enough to walk on? If they hadn't, then the two of them must look like madmen, if they started blabbering about such a thing. "... er... nevermind."

"I don't know. This is a little weird, don't you think?" Phosphor protested, though it was quickly cast aside by Kero's pout. The Lantern swam up to him, though it took the Ralts a moment to bend, he eventually did with a faint sigh.

"Chin up, boss. We'd be a pretty bad rescue team if we just abandoned civilians in a dungeon."

"Fine. I don't like it, but you're right." He huffed, placing a hand over his chest. "If you two need help, we can get you out of the dungeon. We haven't been here before, but we shouldn't have any real hiccups. Kero can even carry you across the water, if you don't like swimming."

Robin, well... on her end, she wasn't sure she cared for this Ralts. She stepped back towards Alki, tilting her head. They did need help, that she could admit. But if these pokemon couldn't see the strange, altered reality that they could... would they be any help at all? While the two of them could make it through Coral Forest, that much she was sure of, this wasn't Coral Forest anymore. At least, not entirely. "... what would you like to do, Alki?"

Admin Note: These were the rolls, some edits to the code had to be made.

Alki nodded at the Pokemon who had helped her up. He seemed almost... worried about her? Well, it was more than she deserved, but he didn't know that at the time, so...  Why tell him? Besides, he probably wouldn't believe her, and besides that , she didn't want to drown, even if she did probably deserve it, so...  Why say anything? "T-T-Thank you..." Alki nodded softly, still trembling, before turning at the group. They were talking about something, but she felt... far too shocked to say much. Besides, Robin seemed far more attentive than she was...

Would she have drowned...? Alki simply gazed at the ocean before her, pondering that question. How deep was the water? She... probably wouldn't know unless she jumped back in. Which she certainly didn't want to! "N-No, it's n-n-nice to meet you all..." She managed weakly, still feeling quite light-headed from what had just occurred. Where even were they? Why was it dark out? She didn't like it... But with no way to get out, how was she... What were either of them supposed to do?

And why did the smart scientist suddenly ask for her input...?

"A-A-Ah, um... Y-Yes! Err... N-No. I mean..." Alki looked around her, beginning to panic a bit. How was she supposed to know? She was the stupid, useless one... She began to clear her throat, before looking at each of the guild members in turn. They didn't seem too bad... But this place was also really strange, and who knew if they were trustworthy... But they'd helped! She couldn't protect them... But what if it was the wrong choice...?

"DARCY!" Alki cried out, her spirits visibly lifting as she caught sight of a familiar Skitty approaching from behind the guild team. She hopped up, just her sister's presence visibly energizing the girl. "W-What are you doing here? What should I do? I-I-I dunno!" The girl hopped up and approached her tentatively, but the guild members were still in the way, and Darcy didn't seem as... receptive as she usually was. Was something wrong?

"Oh. Hullo, Alki." The Skitty said. Her voice seemed... Very different, actually. Deeper? Darker...? Or maybe she was just going crazy... That was Darcy... "And who's this? I didn't know anybody liked Alki enough to be her friend... But you're probably not, are you?" The Skitty laughed at her own joke, and the laugh seemed awfully familiar, but at the same time... Different? She turned to look at the Vulpix, giving her a small wink and a cheerful smile, as though she hadn't just insulted her own sister.

That was a weird joke... But it was Darcy... "U-Uh... Y-Y-Yeah... Haha." She said softly, her smile faltering as she focused on the Skitty. Yep. It was Darcy. That... wasn't a very funny joke. But... Well... She wasn't going to talk back to Darcy. Besides, she was right, wasn't she? Nobody did like her that much...

Robin blinked as Darcy appeared. She couldn't question it, exactly, reality was clearly... loose, here. And yet her blink turned incredulous as this little Skitty spoke. She wished she was brave enough to confront her in that heartbeat, but instead her face merely flickered into a frown. It looked judgemental, but just for a moment before Robin managed to cover it up with a gentle smile. Was this the person who had made the little Jigglypuff so afraid? "My name is Robin. I came here to study Coral Forest, and Alki's been very helpful so far." That was the strongest rebellion she could manage, at least in that heartbeat, and it died as soon as it left her lips.

The Lantern flashed another grin, seeming to sense the tension and attempt to diffuse it. "Hey, I'm gonna do some scouting with Tsera and Phosphor. Promise we'll come back for you guys! Just stay safe, I'll send out a Flash when we've found a way out. It should be easy to see in the dark, so just keep your eyes open for a light, alright?"

And with that, the three of them were gone, leaving only the Vulpix, the Jigglypuff, and the pokemon that Robin had taken to mentally referring to as that little shit. Harsh, perhaps, but not unfair, in her mind.

"Darcy, right? It's nice to meet you. It's good to find another friendly face. I don't think this isn't a safe place to be alone."

Robin's Energy: 0

Alki managed a small, nervous smile, as the Lanturn that had helped her back onto dry land seemed to bid them good-bye, for the time being. "T-Thanks," She mumbled, as she continued to stare at the Skitty. Why was she telling the truth...? Alki had gotten quite used to Darcy lying about her... Telling her sweet words of encouragement that they both knew weren't true in the slightest. At night, when they went to sleep and blew out the candles, Darcy tended to add in an unnecessary, but appreciated I love you, Alki.  before passing out. So why was she so different now...?

It was unexpected, but not wrong. Not wrong in the slightest... Alki managed a bitter smile as she looked up at her sister, overlooking all the small things that seemed wrong. Why point out her voice? Or the sinister glare in her eyes, or the lack of her scarf with the guild pin that she always wore. All that mattered was how right she was, and that Alki expressed her agreement. The puffball smiled and nodded, ignoring how much the words cut into her. She would've liked to believe she had friends... But she was right. Nobody really bothered with her unless she was useful to them. Who'd want to spend time with Alki willingly...?

"Y-Yep. Y-Y-You're right, D-Darcy..." The girl managed, still sustaining the small, fake smile. Robin seemed to introduce herself, and even came to her aid a bit! But... Well, Alki hadn't done much at all except for spook the smart scientist, and almost take her paper when she'd wanted anything but...

"I know I'm right, Alki." Darcy said, managing an easy smile, as though nothing were on her mind. The Skitty lifted a paw to her face, smiling coyly before turning to Robin. "Robin, right? I find that hard to believe, honestly. I can't remember the last time Alki was useful to me. But I have to pretend all the time! Can you believe it? And she asks me for money all the time... And never tries to do any guild work in exchange! Useless!" The Skitty spoke with nothing more than annoyance, as though the jigglypuff weren't present just a couple of meters away from her. Shadow-Darcy didn't even spare a glance at the puff, instead staring Robin straight on. "And speak for yourself. I was fine, coming here alone. Just cause you're weak doesn't mean everyone is." She smirked, her aura of smug confidence filling the air.

"I-I-I-I'm n-n-not u-useless..." Alki stammered out, the Skitty's words already bringing tears to her eyes. It was one thing if a stranger told her that, but coming from Darcy... Alki felt like she'd been cut open... Honestly, she would've rather had that be the case, than have to hear that... Didn't Darcy love her? Hadn't she said as much? And didn't... Well, she was right, but she didn't have to say it so plainly... so suddenly...

"Stop lying to yourself, Alki." Shadow Darcy turned to look at Robin once more, and gave the Vulpix a smile and a wink.

It was one thing to call Robin weak. That was true. She was. She was a poison, and simply being around her chipped away at the people around her, mentally and physically. But Alki, Alki was a whole different story; who would purposefully twist the knife when faced with someone so vulnerable? She was despicable. Was this the person who had made the little Jigglypuff feel as though she wasn't allowed to take up space? She listed off names for the little Skitty, each more vulgar than the last, even as she forced a confused tilt of her head.

How dare you?

She was crying, now, and the sight broke Robin's heart. She lifted her head and forced herself to look away, knowing that if she was the one in Alki's shoes, she'd have wanted to keep that shred of dignity. "Ah... is that so?" She echoed instead, demure and quiet.

A keen eye might notice dark clouds gathering over the sea, bits of hail and brine beginning to tumble from the sky. There was the only indication, save the storm in Robin's eyes. When she blinked, that, too, was gone. With her curse hanging high over her head, Robin turned to Alki with a gentle smile, unconsciously standing between the Jigglypuff and the Skitty.

"Hey. Alki. You should move on to the next platform." Robin said airily, pointing to the next one. "I'd like to catch up with your friend here, if you wouldn't terribly mind. We'll meet you there."

If she was destined to destroy everything she touched, she may as well find someone who deserved it.

(Robin's Energy: 10
+5, Echo Apple
+ 5, Apple)

Alki closed her eyes tightly as she brought her hands up to her eyes, unsure of what exactly was happening. Why was her sister acting like this? Had something happened to prompt her to be like this? Well, aside from Alki... The puffball wiped away tears, but she heard a familiar, but at the same time foreign laugh from the Skitty. She'd only ever heard the laugh in the context of silly, benign things. Funny (oftentimes, bad) jokes, or books that she could read, but Alki couldn't. She'd never heard her laugh at someone. And especially never at her...

There had to be a reason right? Alki was the stupid one, and Darcy was the smart one. She couldn't do anything for herself, so if Darcy was acting like this towards her, she had to have a reason. Alki must've certainly screwed up royally this time.

But Robin wanted to talk with her... Was she going to say something mean to Darcy? Robin wasn't a mean Pokemon, but Alki was worried she seemed a bit too eager to defend her this time... "N-No, R-R-Robin, d-don't worry, s-she's right..." Alki stammered, trying hard to smile despite how much she was crying at this point. She'd been stupid to think Darcy wouldn't realize eventually... "I-I am u-useless, a-and s-stupid, a-and bad, a-a-and you don't have to defend m-me, c-cause y-you're not..."

"See?" Darcy said, grinning as she turned to look at Robin, seemingly joyful to have her remarks validated by the very target of them. "At least she knows her place..."

The hail stormed down with a renewed intensity, picking up in speed and velocity until it was hard to see past the hailstones. Robin's piercing blue eyes stood out in the frigid wind. She forced her smile to be much more gentle than she felt, forcing it not to betray the whirlwind of razor blades that swirled beneath her skin. If anything, her voice was a bit too calm. A bit too serene. Her words were uncharacteristically monotonous, bending down to gently nudge the tears from Alki's eyes.

"Hey, it's okay. Look at me, Alki. We're just gonna talk." And that really, truly been what she had intended, before the Skitty's taunt pierced through her mind, and Robin whirled to face her with a rare ferocity. "Darcy, right? You and I are going to have a civil conversation. That's it. That doesn't sound so bad, right, Alki?"

Robin crouched down next to her, a mental apology escaping her. She wasn't sure if Alki needed to hear this, or if she'd rather spare the Jigglypuff's feelings. She had almost settled on the later when Darcy's cruel joy re-entered her mind, a flash of rage lighting up Robin's face as she prowled towards the Skitty. She smiled, with just a few too many teeth.

This little brat. Someone needed to teach her a lesson. "I don't know who you think you are, exploiting someone who's supposed to be your friend to feel better about yourself." Robin stepped forward, her eyes narrowed into slits. Stay calm. She had to stay calm... give her at least a chance to understand, to apologize.

She needed to calm down. She needed to calm down... "Listen. Maybe you don't know how badly you're hurting her, but if you care about Alki at all, you wouldn't be trying to make her feel this way. You're a terrible friend. And if you don't apologize right now, you should get out of her life for good. The way you're acting now, she deserves better than you."

It lacked the bite she yearned to lash out with, but she managed to keep that part of her on a leash, for now. But it yearned to be free, and if the little Skitty didn't fall back... she wasn't sure if she could keep the ice from breaking again.

Alki's large, frightened blue eyes shimmered with wetness as she felt the fox beside her nudge her. Why did she care so much about her? Wasn't she listening...? Alki wanted to push her away, or maybe teleport into the water, float away, or sink away... either way, she wouldn't have to deal with something this complicated anymore. Why did Robin want to talk? What more was there to say? Nothing. Nothing left to be said...  Alki felt hail whip around, splashing into the water, small stones meeting her body, but it hardly mattered to her. It didn't hurt that much. She probably deserved worse.

"Ok..." She managed, her voice steadying, if only because she wasn't sure what exactly she was supposed to act like at the moment... Usually it was easy to tell what her sister expected from her. But right now...?

"Oh? My friend...?" Shadow Darcy said, her eyes flickering with uncertainty, before the old, haughty bravado returned to her. "Yeah, she was. A long time ago... And I adored her. I adopted her, for Arceus' sake!" The Skitty paused, a troubled expression returning to her, staying even longer, before she narrowed her eyes, glaring at the Vulpix before her. "The only reason I'm enjoying this so much isn't because I'm cruel, or sadistic. It's because Alki did it to me first. I'm not going to apologize. She's the one who stabbed me in the back first, and twisted the knife to boot. Hasn't she told you? After everything she put me through, I figured she'd be less of a crybaby." The more she spoke, and heard the sound of her own voice, the more confidence returned to her.

"D-D-Darcy, I-I-I'm sorry..." Alki managed weakly, unsure of what it was she was apologizing for. What had she done so wrong last time they'd seen each other...? She was quivering now, holding her feet tightly towards her body, wishing she could turn invisible. Couldn't some Pokemon do that...?

"Yeah, that doesn't excuse you Alki. I know you're used to me forgiving you at the drop of a hat, but you screwed up way too hard. I did everything in my power to give you a happy life, and you backstabbed me as soon as you got a better opportunity." She paused, looking between the two Pokemon before her, before staring Alki down, making herself as large as possible as she glared into the child's eyes. "Wanna tell Robin what it was you did, hmmm?" She managed, a sickly sweet smile appearing on her face. Oh, how nice it was, to finally let this all out...

At least that had... managed to calm Alki down some. Or, at least, she had given up too much to keep protesting. That wasn't a good sign. It made a fresh flare of rage spark in Robin's chest, catching and treasuring that little flicker of uncertainty. She stood quietly, refusing to give up so much as an inch, standing still at the heart of the maelstrom.

She saw herself in those wide blue eyes, saw herself curled into a ball and chewing on her blanket to dull the hunger pains, saw herself in a heap with bloodstained teeth, only met with jeers and stones in response to her crying. They broke apart her skin, tore her apart bit by bit, and she couldn't fight back, because it was all her fault. Her fault, her fault-

The ice broke.

"Are you done?" Robin's voice was low, and calm enough on the surface, a flicker of a smile crossing her lips.

She stepped forward, forcing herself between the Jigglypuff and the Skitty once more, raised hackles betraying her rage. "I know pokemon like you. You can't deceive me." Robin crooned, taking another step towards her, and another, until she was standing uncomfortably close, not once breaking eye contact. "That's only half the story, isn't it? You're just framing it in a way to spare your own fragile ego, to find a scapegoat, to excuse yourself of any modicum of responsibility." She spat the word like a curse, her joyless smile growing.

"Shove all the fault onto people who can't fight back because you're too weak and pathetic to admit that you might be the one who pushed them that far. Am I right? Don't answer that. I know you better than you know yourself. I've met pokemon like you a thousand times, you know. Same snake, different skin." She leaned in close, her demure smile barely hiding the bristles of rage that made their home in her heart. "You're nothing special."

Alki could hardly bear to watch the scene that unfolded before her. Darcy had finally gotten fed up with her... She hated her now, didn't she...? What she'd just said... That just confirmed it. Alki had messed up beyond repair now... And the fact that it'd taken this long felt almost surreal to her. After everything that she'd done wrong, all the mistakes she'd made, and all the suffering she'd caused, it was now that things were finally ending for her. And to think, she'd almost felt as though she were doing... better...?

She couldn't even think of what she'd done wrong... What did that say about her...? She wasn't even guilty... What was she supposed to say...? The girl's ears flattened as her gaze slowly drifted away from her sister, and towards the water, which she was so close to... But then again, she could teleport, couldn't she...? She could teleport out to sea and float away, or sink away, drown away, far, far away...

And to think, she'd resolved to not do something like that for Darcy's sake just a few weeks ago... "I-I'm sorry, D-Darcy, b-but... I-I don't know... D-D-Don't know what you mean..." She managed, her voice quiet, stifled further by her crying. Why was she crying? What did it matter anymore... What was the point, now, if Darcy hated her...

"...Figures." The Skitty said, scoffing as she glared at her sister. She hardly acknowledged the Vulpix's speech. As far as she was concerned, the Ice type had no right to be there. She was defending Alki, but she doubted she knew the truth. She doubted she knew even a portion of the truth. But she had nothing against her, and Darcy wanted her to know the truth.   "Before you decide you hate me, how about you hear what she did, Hmmm? Does that sound good? I'm willing to brush aside all the things you called me, even though they're wrong, if you just listen. Does that sound ok? You're better off ditching her. Trust me. For all the things you called me, and all the moments we shared, she just tossed me aside as soon as she could, didn't you Alki? Was being a criminal really that appealing...?"

The girl's eyes widened in shock, as she held her bag tightly against her body now, which contained her feather. How did Darcy know... Had she let something slip? And how had she betrayed her... Well... Aside from getting her tortured... Oh, Arceus, she deserved this, didn't she...?

Mada carried out 1 launched of one Coral Forest :

Mada carried out 1 launched of one Echo World :

Mada carried out 1 launched of one Coral Forest :

Mada carried out 1 launched of one Echo World :

Mada carried out 1 launched of one Coral Forest :

Mada carried out 1 launched of one Echo World :

The fact that she wasn't so much as shaken was... anticlimatic. For some reason she couldn't quite place, Robin had been certain that her words would cut deeper, and the fact that they hadn't? Honestly, it was unsatisfying. It made a twinge of disappointment spark in Robin's chest, even though she knew she should be relieved. She shouldn't want to hurt people, even if they were being awful. And, besides... the Skitty looked somewhat calmer now, so perhaps her words had some effect after all. Maybe she could be reasoned with, and Robin had been too hasty in judging her.

The hail slowed to a dull patter as Robin took a deep breath, nodding quietly. "Okay." She agreed very, very softly, crouching in front of Alki. "Hey. Look up at me, alright, Alki? I'm not mad." Her voice was feather soft, scrambling for something reassuring she could say. "I want to know, but... it's only fair if I make a confession first. I'm not a good pokemon either. So you don't have to be afraid of me judging you, alright?"

The logic checked out in her mind. If Alki was past the point of being convinced she wasn't terrible... maybe Robin could share something to convince her that they were on the same level, that she didn't have to be afraid. As deceiving as appearances could be... it was hard to believe that Alki had done anything that bad. There were varying shades of how bad a criminal act was, after all, weren't there? Still... as innocent as she looked, it didn't sit well with her to travel alongside a criminal without knowing just what she'd done. Maybe it was even a big misunderstanding?

"I'm sure whatever you did couldn't be any worse than me. So let's just... talk, okay? You don't have to cry."

Alki's gaze slowly lifted up, away from the water, and into the eyes of the Alolan Vulpix before her. The words entered one ear, but left the other. How could she not be mad? There was Darcy, proof incarnate of her failures; all the injuries she'd caused her, all the grief, and suffering... Alki's shaky, teary blue eyes locked with Robin's, if only for a few seconds. Her eyes were blue, bright, bright blue, just like hers. But Robin wasn't like Alki, not at all, and now she was regretting running into her... She wished she could teleport out to sea, but then Robin would chase after her, nice, thoughtful person that she was...

Why couldn't she be a Vulpix, too? Either ice or fire, it didn't really matter... Just not a jigglypuff. Just not her... Both Synd'r and Robin were such great people, and both of them were Vulpix, and there was nothing good about her; not her character, or her species, or her company... She just wanted to be someone else. But of course, that was impossible, so maybe it'd just be better to stop... being?

The girl slowly let go of her feet, letting them fall limply to her sides, before she reached forward and gently touched one of Robin's paws. She blinked a few times, staring blankly at her hand and robin's paw. She didn't want the Vulpix to look at her... She felt so... She didn't know what she felt like. She didn't know what to say. Was this really how her secret came out? What had she done so wrong? She'd meant well! Why did Darcy hate her...? And if she said what she was, Robin would hate her too...

But... Well, the cat was out of the bag now... Alki laughed softly, bitterly, before looking up at Robin, removing her hand and scooting away, unable to summon the energy to stand up. "T-T-That's w-what everyone a-always s-says, b-b-but, t-they always end u-up hating me a-anyways..." She managed to stammer out, eyes widening as her ears twitched, unsure of where to look. She made eye contact, but her sister looked away. Was she angry, her ears were bent, as if unsure, but she was still scowling...

Alki turned back to look at Robin, still unsure if she should flee or not. But Robin had been so nice... And weren't the guild members close by? They'd hurt her... Would the police hurt her too...?

"I-I'm... a t-thief..." She said quietly, closing her eyes as her ears flattened to her head, the girl clearly terrified of the consequences of her words. "I-I s-steal s-stuff, e-e-expensive s-stuff..." She managed, before falling short. She wanted to justify it, but how? Nothing could... And she wanted to ask that Robin not hate her, but why bother asking for that when she was going to anyways...? Nothing could stop it...

Oh, her laugh. It hurt Robin's heart, seeing her so bitter and joyless. She wished that her touch could be warmer, when Alki took her paw in her hand. Perhaps that would have been a much-needed comfort. Even having drawn a truthful answer out of the Jigglypuff didn't make her feel better, in the end. Even knowing she was a thief, it was hard to be too angry with her when she was so lost and small. It reminded Robin all too much of herself when she was at the center of a furious crowd, a once-civil discussion being lost to raised voices and shouted arguments, swirling higher and higher as she buried her face in her paws, tearing stinging her eyes.

What do we do with her?

No. This was not a time for her to grieve, and so she crouched in front of Alki, giving her a gentle nudge. "Was that all?" She said as gently as she could, her eyes flickering shut in what could almost be viewed as contentment. "I don't hate you, Alki." Robin answered, her voice still low and calming. She wouldn't risk frightening her with any sudden movements, and so every motion was carefully considered, her movements fluid and slow.

"Nobody died, right? Did anyone get hurt?" She pushed gently, but did not allow herself to linger on the topic. "Items can be replaced, or returned, or restored. Pokemon can't. What made you feel like you had to go that far in the first place?" She couldn't imagine Alki getting anyone hurt on purpose. She just... couldn't. It was possible, sure, everyone had secrets, but that idea grated against her with such intensity that she could only describe it as wrong. As backwards as the sea being the sky, and the sky being the sea.

Even if she technically was a criminal, Robin couldn't find the heart to be afraid of her. Least of all when she was so clearly terrified. Did she think that Robin was going to hand her over to the police? It wasn't an impossible concern, she supposed, but she didn't think she'd have the willpower for such a thing, even if she desired it. It would break her heart too thoroughly. "I don't think you're a bad pokemon at all. You can still make it up to the people you've hurt, Alki. Nothing irreparable's happened, right? It's just... stuff."

Who cared about stuff more than they would the crying child in front of her? It would be downright cruel. Besides, if it was expensive things, as she said, it was most likely pokemon who already had the money to spare, Robin figured. She only smiled as gently as she could, waiting for the Jigglypuff's answer.

"I care about stuff a lot less than I care about you."

Alki closed her eyes and tilted her head away from the Vulpix. She felt like such a waste of space... Why bother trying to defend herself. Was that all...? As far as she knew, yes, that was her only criminal activity, but that didn't defend her from criticisms of her character, or all of her plentiful screw ups. The girl rotated herself slightly, not wanting to even face Robin. She dipped her feet into the water, waiting patiently for the verbal abuse that was sure to come.

"Why does everyone say they don't hate me?" She mumbled quietly, shakily, but wasn't able to manage anything more. Why did everybody insist on lying about this? Darcy had said that too, once upon a time. But now she did hate her. Time changed everything, and she was tired of everything getting worse for her.

Robin asked her more questions, said more things, but Alki simply let the words wash over her, like the water on the coral. Why answer? What did it matter? It changed nothing. Maybe she should just leave? Teleport away, out to sea... Up? How far up could she go? How much would the fall hurt? Would it be enough?

Was Darcy still there? She hadn't said anything in a while. Alki couldn't bring herself to look. Maybe she was gone? It didn't matter, though. What difference did Darcy make now? She hated her. Rightfully so...

The girl turned these questions over and over in her mind, steeling herself for the decision she found herself confronted with. How could Robin be so sure that she was a good pokemon? That she wasn't bad...

"I care about stuff a lot less than I care about you." Alki heard the Vulpix say, and this, at least for the time being, jolted her out of her thoughts.

"...W-Why?" Alki managed to stammer out, finally turning to look at the Vulpix once more. "You just met me.  You don't know anything about what I'm like! I'm... I'm just a waste of space. I screw up all the time, a-and my own sister's f-finally had enough of me. I... I-I never wanted to hurt anyone... I h-hurt more people as a guild member t-than as a thief... I j-just w-want to steal f-from rich bullies, a-and try t-to... y-y'know, just... t-take away what they don't d-deserve... I w-want to help our..." Our? Darcy hated her now... Surely her adoptive family would hate her too, now... "H-Her mum, w-with medicine, c-cause i-it's hard to pay for. N-No one's died t-there but... T-There was t-this Vaporeon, I-I wanted to help h-her, b-but I almost got her killed..."

What did she want to say? What was the point...? Alki's voice diminished in volume, but she continued, nonetheless. "T-This glaceon, h-he's a p-pretty high rank, I wanted to t-try to heal him, b-but I just... c-caused drama instead, and h-his l-leg's all messed up n-now, because I didn't do my job, a-and my own sister, t-the skitty you saw, I... I g-got her t-tortured... S-She was b-bleeding a l-lot, c-cause I p-provoked s-someone, and s-she got hurt instead of me, even though it was MY fault..."

Alki paused, looking down, unaware of just how much she had been crying until then. Her whole body was quivering, and she felt sickly, as though her stomach was turning inside out, as though she were about to explode from the negative emotions welled up inside of her.

"...I wish it had been m-me he'd tortured. I d-deserve it, a-and then I wish h-he would've killed me, I just ruin everyone's l-life, a-and I'm better off d-dead..."

Robin only fell wordlessly silent before wrapping the Jigglypuff in a hug - or the vulpine equivalent, resting her head on Alki's shoulder and leaning against her. She was lost for words, and so the only thing she could think to do was hold her while she gathered her thoughts. At least she was shielding her from the hail like this. That was something, wasn't it? Yes, but not enough, nowhere near enough. How long had her spirit been broken? How long had she endured failure on top of failure? There was nothing that Robin could say or do to make it right.

She could only try.

"You aren't a bad person. I know that. You've only ever meant well." That much was clear, wasn't it? "What if I told you that I know how minds like yours work, Alki? What if I told you that you've been exaggerating your share of the blame until it's crushed you? I know you can't believe that just yet, but... do me a favor. Close your eyes and entertain the thought." Robin's voice was soft, as gentle as she could muster, as if to keep from breaking the fragile little thing in front of her.

She didn't know what to say. But this wasn't about speaking from the heart, this wasn't about Robin - it was just about finding something, anything, that would make her feel better. Maybe even stop crying. "If people keep insisting that they don't hate you... maybe the only person who hates you is you." She suggested very, very quietly. "Chance and consequence can lead us to... terrible places, and I'll never deny that. But you see a single spot in your mind where you failed, and suddenly the whole world is on your shoulders. Not everything is your fault."

She could only pray that worked, finally pulling away from the hug to glance back at Darcy. So they were sisters. Robin felt somehow even more lost as she stepped towards the Skitty, her head bowed as if in surrender. "... I know why you're feeling betrayed. It must have been a shock to learn that your sister is a thief. But you're wrong about something, too. She didn't toss you aside, Darcy. She was, at least in part, trying to help you."

Her words felt flat, lacking their impact from before. It was much easier to comfort than to confront. It was easier to whisper sweet nothings than appeal with logic and emotion. She thought she could normally do both quite well, but now... she feared her sentiment was simply falling flat, and she faltered. "I'm sorry I lashed out at you. I'm not saying you can't be angry- but I'm not going to stand here and let you insult her, either."