Hierarchy

A moment ago, Goro had stepped onto a patch of soft soil atop Pricklemist Hill. It sank under his weight, and when he stepped onto it with his other foot, it dropped further. And instead of moving in an attempt to find sturdier footing, the croagunk elected to stay right where he was, sinking with alarming speed before the ground gave way beneath him, blowing out as he dropped into the earth.

The air around him had been misty but relatively clear, but when the frog dropped through, it was suddenly dark and rank. Goro cursed as he dropped through what felt like wooden planks and ceilings, collapsing right through the top of whatever underground structure he'd stumbled upon before slamming down harshly on a manufactured floor. Once again, his bindle flew out of his hand, and he gasped in both shock and pain as his severe burns were horribly aggravated. Just like that, he was reliving the pain of his burning.

Goro grit his teeth and crawled to the side, escaping what little light shined down from the hole that he fell through. "I h-hate my life sometimes," he grunted, rolling over onto his stomach before he even tried to push himself up. He simply lay there, arms pooled in front of his head while he pushed his face into the ground. He'd prepared a few things in case he was hurt on this little trip of his, but the pain demanded to be dealt with now, and he had nothing on hand. So he just... suffered.

Omega was in pain. Did Zera recognize that? Absolutely not. The croagunk didn't sound as if he were in pain. Therefor, he should be fine. It walked like a duck, but didn't quake like one. Therefor, not a croagunk in distress. The houndoom's head tilted in curiosity and confusion with the weary pokemon's statement, but alarm quickly rose as a hole developed around the minion. The ground caved in and the frog was dropped.

"Hey!" Zera exclaimed with a quick rush forward, but it was too late. The frog was down. He approached the edge of the pit and looked down. It was a pretty sizable drop, one that he wouldn't be able to jump back up from. So, like the dumb dog he was, he jumped down after Omega. The landing stung. Even though he dropped onto his paws, the fact that he'd done so only made it worse for him. While he didn't yelp, he was thoroughly annoyed with this feeling.

He righted his posture quickly, head high, tail high, and back straight. Immediately he looked about. The light from above filtered in, but the thick fog and cloudy sky didn't help him see much. It was dark. As a more nocturnal beast, he could see a little better...but could the frog?

"Life sucks," he responded to the frog without a missed beat, "Unfair and cruel, but it's life." As if that spoke for itself, he immediately touched his nose to the ground and began to sniff around.

Fuck. The dog came down after him. A part of Goro had been hoping that it would just... leave and forget him forever. But this Zera put it best; life fucking sucked. And now he couldn't just lay there and suffer in peace. He had to move at this guy's pace, just like with Krikka, or else he'd probably shove his face into the ground again and vomit molten lava all over him next. Sadists and their bullshit would be the end of him, he figured.

"Where's my fucking stick." he grumbled, though his words lacked any real heat. "It's got all my stuff in it." And he was going to need his stuff if he had any hope of dealing with the horrible burning running down his back, his legs, his arms, and half of his goddamn face. Burning in the present tense, of course, because it still burnt. The fire had long since died out, so the pain should be getting more bearable, right? Apparently not.

The croagunk reached his good hand out and flailed around weakly, trying and failing to locate it by his sense of touch. His arm bumped into a number of things, some of which felt like the legs of a chair or a table—things that were carved out of wood, but not a stick with a bag tied to the end of it.

New Mission: Fetch Stick.

A timeless game, really. He finds the stick, he brings back the stick, and then the stick gets thrown again for him to find again in a never-ending chase that really gets the blood going. This time, however, it wasn't going to be thrown again. He just needed to find the stick and bring it back. A new target was locked onto, the scent of Omega. While Omega was right there, the bindle smelled just like him.

It took a quick search around, but eventually he picked up the stick. He stepped over to the croagunk's side and dropped the stick. "There...now come on, lots of new places to look."

Goro was not going to say thank you.

He honestly wouldn't have done it even if this guy hadn't have ambushed him like a crazy psychopath looking for funsies, but that part really cemented it. That, and how he immediately gave him a goddamn order after dropping Goro's bindle in front of him kind of soured the gesture. "L-lemme just..." he tried, pushing up off the ground with his good hand once more. It was more of a struggle than he'd hoped it would be, and to his shame, it took time. Enough time for the houndoom to get curious and see him rather obviously not in great shape if he were feeling nosy.

With the aid of his storage-stick-turned-walking-stick, though, he managed to get his feet underneath him. Goro was leaning on his bindle heavily, trodding after the houndoom sweating what little liquid was left in him after his scorching, but he was doing it. "Okay," he breathed, gathering his composure on the move. He'd have to pull himself together if he was going to get out of this place—and out of this weird fucking arrangement with this hellhound. The croagunk nosed a finger into his bindle, feeling around for an appropriate berry or healing item, but otherwise side-eyeing Zera, for an indication of where to go next or whether or not he was about to snap and start tearing into him again.

Hmm...something wasn't right. He wasn't sure what, but there was definitely something wrong. He stared at the frog as they recollected themselves. Was Omega just that weak or old...? His eyes narrowed as his thoughts went to work. An elder wasn't a very good minion...but Omega didn't sound that old? Was he just weak? What kind of pokemon was born this weak? ...

Did he hurt him that much? On one hand, the thought pleased him. He was stronger, but on the other hand it meant that his newly acquired henchman was in less than perfect condition. Being a mutt with little to no experience in the medical field, he only knew one way to help Goro heal a little more without the expense of magical items he didn't have.

Zera sat down, "Never mind. Sit."

Wait.

Goro was halfway through raising curious-looking seed to his mouth when Zera seemed to take notice of him again. For an instant, it was an honestly tense moment—he didn't know much about this guy, and there was a chance that something as simple as Goro waiting on him for a queue as to where to go next would set him off. But no, the houndoom dropped on his own ass and asked Goro to do the same, causing the croagunk to raise a curious eyebrow.

It rankled him to take orders from anyone except Krikka, honestly, but he wasn't going to raise a fuss about getting a break when he really needed one. So he glanced around, turning his head in the direction of the wooden furniture he'd used to haul himself up to his feet to begin with, and saw that the object in question was a table. A little higher up than his own waist, but that wasn't an issue. Goro backed up to lean against it, rested his bindle against the edge of it so that it would stand on its own, and then hoisted himself up with both hands to sit on the surface of the table.

The wood grazing against his burns stung like a sonofabitch, but with Zera now actually looking at him, it was more important to him than ever to stifle his reactions. So he completed the action with only a nerve jumping along his jaw and a minute twitch to his eye betraying his physical turmoil. That, and the long relieved sigh that he let loose before speaking. "What is it?" the croagunk asked, voice tense with apprehension and curiosity. What could he want now? Goro absently rolled the seed in his hand around in his fingers, holding off on taking it until this domineering fire-type had spoken his mind.

the sunset hero carried out 10 launched of one Forsaken Complex :

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Goro asked a question. Zera...did not have an answer. Instead, he had another question, "What is what...?" The houndoom's head tilted inquisitively. It didn't occur to him that the croagunk was asking what changed his mind. He waited for an answer very briefly...before it "occurred" to him what Omega might have been talking about. He perked up back to a straight face as he looked at the seed, "...I don't know." He admitted, "Where did you find it?"

He didn't know the purpose of this question, but he assumed it was absolutely what the croagunk was talking about. Maybe Omega thought it'd be a kind gesture to teach him a thing or two...? Well...he wouldn't be wrong. There was a lot of things Zera didn't know.

Energy > 21

Kat carried out 10 launched of one Forsaken Complex :

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... What?

"...This is a reviver seed," Goro said after a moment. The hellhound must have misunderstood. "It heals you when you eat it. That's why I took it out of my bag." He spoke slowly and carefully, his tone carefully not condescending or educational, just neutral. Dangerous psychos like this guy could take offense at anything and fly off the handle at a moment's notice. The croagunk didn't want to risk further conflict until he was both healthy enough to survive it and confident enough he could come out on top (unless the guy required it of him, of course. Some things you can't just let slide).

And it was for that reason he didn't immediately eat it. For all he knew, it could set him off again. "I wasn't askin' you what it was, I was wondering why you were lookin' at me like that." he explained.

(1 energy)

(Zera - Energy - 1)

The canine's brow raised as the croagunk explained himself. Zera knew what a Reviver Seed was...but not enough to be familiar with its appearance. "You are weak," he stated bluntly. It was not meant as an insult, but it could have easily come off as one, especially to one with a particular bias against him.

"I either injured you too much or you are old. I was trying to determine which." What a genius this pup was. His tail flicked about behind him, not a particular wag but more of a thoughtful metronome to go along with his serious attempt at analysis. He'd already come to his conclusion by this point, but he lacked the need to say it aloud. It was clear to the both of them that Goro didn't seem very old, so clearly Zera must have underestimated his power...which was both good and bad news to him. Dead minions make for worse minions than elderly!

Goro stared at the houndoom dumbly for a moment before his entire facial region tensed, the croagunk having to physically stop himself from making a fatal mistake and lashing out at the hellhound. He wanted to show this mutt just how strong he could be, but the deep, scorching, many burn scars on his back, arms, and legs were an indication of how well that might go for him right now. Still.

"I'm not old and I'm not weak," Goro bit out, voice tight with barely-contained frustration. "You caught me off guard with a nasty sucker-punch. If I'da seen you coming, it wouldn'ta hit me." he said, his tone salty like the loser he was. The croagunk did not feel very certain about his statement, truth be told. The speed with which Zera had linked his strange poison move to his blast of fire was startling, and half the reason Goro was caught off guard. Still, what remained of his scorched ego demanded he at least make an attempt at standing up for himself.

He closed his eyes afterward, aware that he was courting punishment. The last time he spoke out against Krikka in such a direct and critical manner, she had blasted the hell out of him with just as much suddenness. It was the memories of that tantrum and the agony he was already in that prompted him to elaborate almost concedingly. "...But this will fix me up," he went on, voice subdued and begrudging. Yes, Zera had injured him "too much," and he was admitting it. "It does good with injures, and burns too. If there's anyone else down here... you should let me show you how strong I am." Goro suggested.

In a perfect world, he might have jumped the houndoom as soon as he was recovered and caught him just as off guard as Zera caught him. But he had absolutely no guarantee that he'd win... and the pain he was in weighed strongly against the pride that urged him to try anyways. Instead, he would give the dark-type a demonstration, and privately Goro would dream to himself that whoever he beat half-to-death down here would be, one day, replaced by Zera.

It was understandable that Omega was upset with the declaration. He would be too in the croagunk's position. The houndoom heeded the spiteful words, but didn't quite believe that the sucker punch was what did the croagunk in. It was clear to Zera that he was the superior in this situation. So it was likely that Omega was simply trying to save face...

He didn't look as if he were about to lash out for the back talk. He just remained where he was seated with a blank expression...not really sure what to do about that sort of talk. So, he let it slide. Then, the frog made an odd request. He wanted to prove himself to Zera. This piqued the alpha's interest.

"Okay." The houndoom immediately agreed, "Next one to show up. You recruit them." It was only reasonable after all. Pack dynamics were established through beating up the weaker members. If the croagunk wanted to avoid being last, then he'd have to prove it...by bringing in someone weaker-yet still worthy.

...Recruit them.

Well, there was only one thing that could mean. Zera had only showcased only one method of doing that, and it looked like he wanted Goro to emulate it. The croagunk had no problems with this... mostly. He didn't have a problem dishing out serious pain and damage to creatures only so long as they deserved it or could take it. He had not ever, and hope he would not ever, turn his fists on a pokemon that was both uninterested in the fight and undeserving of punishment.

But in a place as run-down and creepy as this, any residents here had to be equally lowlife and suspicious. Hopefully, they were wild, even. "You're taking anyone you can get, then," he mused aloud, though there was a shadow of a grin on his face. At least this wouldn't be boring. "Alright. Next one's on me." Goro agreed, letting himself drop from the wooden table and bracing his landing with his bindle, using it as a sort of walking stick.

He still rolled the reviver seed in his hand, but only held onto it. It may have been a point of pride (or maybe it could only be taken when a pokemon had zero energy and his roleplayer was waiting until his burn status reduced his energy to 0 at the start of the next page) because Goro wanted to showcase that he wasn't totally brought down by Zera's ambush. He exhaled calmly as his feet touched the ground, and then wordlessly surged forward, eyes keen as he strode through a doorway in search of their first victim.

The muse befuddled the dog. Taking anyone he can get? Well...duh? Did the croagunk see the size of their pack? It was literally the two of them! The canine followed the poisonous pokemon along, a little worried that the seed wasn't being consumed just yet. What was the wait for? Was Omega checking to see if it was poisoned? He was a POISON type, what did he have to fear?

He said nothing, however, as he instead elected to babble about other things in order to fill the silence. Besides, if they were loud, then something might hear them. Which means something might come....which means that he could see Omega fight.

"So....what can you do?" Besides groan in pain, but he left that comment out for courtesy's sake...a rare instance of Zera's ability to actually be pleasant.

Goro side-eyed the houndoom following him for a moment... unsure of detailing his skillset to a pokemon who he hoped to fight one day. But he shook the thought off in an instant, aware that he was about to literally demonstrate what he could do for the fire-type psychopath. "Lots of different things," he started to explain. "I fight with my fists and my feet, mostly. I've got punching moves and some moves that work at a distance, and a couple o' different ace-in-the-hole type tricks for when I'm in a bind." the croagunk said.

"All hard-hitting attacks, except for this little move called Taunt," Goro grinned at that. Valuable information it may have been, but he was fond of this trick, and he relished when he got to use it against people who required it. "I say some nasty words and twist 'em just right so it forces people to take me on, fair-and-square. No running away, no using items or weapons or anything fancy. Just me and them, head-on. Comes in handy against tricksters and cowards." And it would probably be necessary against the folks that lived down here because anyone shady enough to live in an underground bunker was probably a runner.

The croagunk flicked the seed up into the air as he walked, watching it rise high and drop back down before he deftly snatched it right back. He repeated himself a few times, eyes roving across every nook and cranny of every room the duo passed through, ready to pop his seed the instant something to presented itself to him...