CJ thrived in the wilderness. Not for, like, ever, of course; they loved hot water and technology too much. But a few hours, even days, at a time? Avoiding people, stress, work, and just being able to-- to exist? Heaven. Absolutely heaven.

But, holy shit, they were sweating. No amount of time spent here would ever acclimate them to Hoenn’s hellish climate. They’d started out with layer and had gradually stripped out of them, leaving them in bikeshorts and a white tanktop.

Wiping a strand of damp blonde hair behind their ear, they paused, hearing voices up ahead. A few steps brought them to where Antoinette Spina was setting up the water dish for her Shinx.

“Aww, how cute,” CJ said, beaming at the little creature. Kinnick made a noise low in her throat from her position beside CJ, like when two felines spot each other on opposite sides of a window-- the buildup to a terrifying yowl. They nudged the Jolteon with their foot. “No, leave it alone,” before shooting an apologetic look to the stranger. “Sorry, she’s… intense.”

Antoinette Spina
flying/water
wearing

☉

The stead pour of the water breaks and misses the bowl when Toni flinches at the sudden coo of CJ when they appear alongside them on the path, “oh!” she snaps her attention up to survey the blonde and their Jolteon.

The electric-type’s throaty growl is met with a matching one from the kitten. Willow even going as far as to press her ears back against her skull, the navy fur along her back starting to rise, “That’s enough, stop it,” not that the Testy Shinx would even do anything about it anyway. The feline was all talk, no action.

“It’s fine, she’s a bit spicy too,” Toni finishes pouring the small amount of water into the bowl, although Willow is too nervous with the other around to actual drink it.

That’s ok, something will! That something just happened to be a Mudkip that popped out of nowhere to snatch the saucer, “Hey!” Toni sneered as the Shinx jumped back in surprise, “Well, get it,” she pointed towards the Mudkip. Willow was already on it, and the kitten leapt forward, CRUNCHING down on the wild pokemon with the anger of a frustrated house cat. Toni tosses a pokeball for good measure, just in case she could capture it.

---

CJ Mizikar
- 1 Pokeball, Catch attempt for Mudkip!
Duo Wild (Flying/Water)

outfit

CJ winces when the stranger jumps. “Sorry,” they say, watching the water pool in the dirt. “If you spilled too much I might have another bottle.”

A little Mudkip hopped out to investigate and the Shinx decimated it with a mouth that opened more than CJ thought physically possible.

"How long have you had her?”CJ asked, wondering about the little kittens nerves. Meanwhile, Kinnick decimated a Rookidee perched in a nearby tree.

"Don’t do that,” CJ hissed, "you’ll start a friggin’ fire!”

Antoinette Spina
flying/water
catch attemp rookidee
wearing

☉

Ton’s gaze moves from the incapacitated Mudkip over to the blonde again. For all her practice, it’s hard to hide the judgment in her gaze when quickly traces CJ up and down. It’s by no means negative, just curious. They are aesthetically pleasing and seem to be in good spirits. She wasn’t expecting to meet someone on their hike, but she could make an exception.

“It’s fine. I have plenty more . . . I think,” she gives the bottle a little shake to confirm there is some left. Perhaps not enough for a long hike but as long as it didn’t get much hotter thay’d be fine.

Toni picks up the pokeball now containing the Mudkip, “Oh, since she was born, actually. Perhaps a year now,” the kitten was born just before she moves to Hoenn. It was her mother’s parting gift to her, “She’s not much use other than just to look at, though. I’m surprised she went after that Mudkip, very unlike her.”

To surprise her even more, the little Shinx sent out a stray bolt of DISCHARGE, purposefully striking a Crobat flying by. The pokemon crashed towards the ground, an empty pokeball leaving Toni’s fingertips before it had a chance to impact and hurt itself further.

The woman frowned, raising a brow at the kit. The pokemon looked rather smug, as if she was doing it on purpose to make Toni look like an idiot in front of the stranger.

---

CJ Mizikar
- 2 Pokeball, Catch attempt for Crobat!
Duo Wild (Flying/Water)

outfit

CJ has the feeling of being weighed, measured, and found overwhelmingly wanting. They force a smile that only looks a tiny bit fake; it’s not an unusual first impression. They’re definitely more of an end-of-season-heroics character.

“Okay, good. Sorry about that.”

And, you know, they had just sort of stumbled over Toni and made her spill her water, so those definitely weren’t points in the win column.

“Aw, cute,” they cheer, when Toni reveals she’d had the Shinx for her whole life. Their hand absently goes to rustle Kinnick’s head fur, wondering just how different their life would be if they’d had the Jolteon during her formative years. There would be a lot less assaulting the local wildlife, that was for fucking sure.

They couldn’t hide their frown when they heard Toni’s opinion of her Shinx. “Aw, it’s not that bad, right?” they said, trying to find the positive in the situation like Sisyphus pushing that damn boulder up a hill, “They’ve just got a lot of growing to do.” The Shinx then decimated a hovering Crobat and CJ, to their credit, did not laugh. They did grin like an idiot.

Meanwhile, Kinnick had sighted a Vullaby in the nearby bushes. She cleaned its clock with a thunder and then dragged its smoking body back to the two trainers, as if to say that’s great, but look what I can do. CJ winced as they zapped the baby bird into a Pokeball.

“You’re a menace.”

Antoinette Spina
flying/water
catch attempt vullaby
wearing

☉

The frown grows just a bit larger at the smug appearance of the Shinx, “I think she did that on purpose. She’s a petty little thing,” Toni admits, casting a look back towards CJ and their Jolteon. The electric fox seemed more than capable as it showed the Shinx up by nabbing a Vullaby.

Toni pours some more of the water back into the bowl for the Shinx to trot over and lap up happily, “Would, um, your Jolteon like some?” Toni offers the half full bowl to the fellow electric type once Willow has had her fill.

“How long have you been with your Jolteon? She seems quite strong,” an obvious observation, a much more experienced pokmeon than the spoiled house kitten, “I’m Toni, by the way,” she wears a pleasant smile, it doesn’t seem forced, natural rom years of practice. She extends a hand to greet CJ, manicured fingers waiting delicately for the other to take it.

---

CJ Mizikar
- 2 Pokeball, Skipping!
Duo Wild (Flying/Water)

outfit

The laugh that escapes CJ when Toni calls her Shinx petty is real and genuine, like their smug giggles have been growing and growing since the interaction started. “I’m sorry,” they said, pressing a knuckle into the bridge of their nose, “I-- it’s. The frankness. I appreciate it.” They heaved a breath. “It’s nice to see that other people get frustrated by their Pokemon too, right, Kin?”

They look down at Kinnick to see if she wants some water but she’s off again rustling in the undergrowth; there’s a zapping noise that causes clods of dirt to go flying and then she comes crawling out of the brush with a dazed Rowlet in her face.

“I’ve had Kinnick for years,” CJ said, taking Toni’s hand (their own nails being quite plain and worn down), “she got surrendered to the shelter I worked at for biting her previous owner, as an Eevee.” Then, on another beat, “I’m CJ. Nice to meet you!”

Antoinette Spina
flying/water
catch attempt rowlet
wearing

☉

Toni’s lips curl into a small grin as she explains her laughter, “I’m sure we’re not the only ones . . . they can be very frustrating at times,” she spares a glances towards her own bundle of trouble. Again, she looks rather content, flicking her tail before venturing a bit further down the path.

It seemed they were done with their break, so Toni packs up the water bottle and little bowl and swings her backpack back onto her shoulder, “A pokemon shelter? That’s interesting,” Toni had heard of these places but she had never been to one. Any pokemon her family obtained was wild caught (poached) or pure bred for specific traits, “I’ve never been to a pokemon shelter. What’s it like?” she imagined they were all either injured or misfits that proved too much for trainers. In other words, b-team pokemon, something a woman of her standing wouldn’t put up with. She paid a lot of money for well-bred and trained pokemon.

A loud hiss and growl proceeded the bolt of electricity that zapped out of the kitten. A moment later, the pokemon was returning with an Archen in her maw, looking smug as ever as she dropped it at Toni’s feet. The Shinx was sure it was bigger than the Jolteon’s previous catch.

---

CJ Mizikar
Catching Archen!
- 3 Pokeball
Duo Wild (Flying/Water)

outfit