[attr="class","ihead"]

[attr="class","ipad"]
[break][break]

Nidorina appears to defend her territory. She postures, drawing herself up to her full height; Type: Null towers over her, but the poison-type appears adamant in protecting her little island in the middle of the sea.

Knowing Nidorina to be gentle-natured in comparison to their male counterparts, Orion theorizes that this one might be defending its young, its family.

Type: Null has shifted its gaze from Orion to the Nidorina, but doesn't act even when a barrage of toxic spikes are scattered about the surrounding sand. It is motionless and mute, awaiting order.

"Um," and Orion was expecting a battle, but he can't fight this Nidorina with a clear conscience, "don't attack it, OK? Nidorina, I know we might seem like a threat, but ah..."

He flounders a little as she turns to him, barbs bristling.

"We're not here to hurt you, or anything. OK?"

Type: Null doesn't move. Nidorina bares her sharp canines with a growl. Type: Null stares. With a last, mistrusting glance at Orion, the Nidorina proves its nature by backing off without further incident.

"That was... good," Orion tells his helmeted menace, whose gaze does not shift from the retreating form of the Nidorina. "I-I don't know if you understood me or just didn't want to fight her, but either way? Good?"

---

passing~
Amor Rose

[attr="class","ihead"]

[attr="class","ipad"]
[break][break]

A Seaking leaps from the surf, soaking both trainer and Pokemon with salty spray. Orion scrunches his nose and recoils from the sudden damp-and-cold, but Type: Null barely reacts. Water drips from its obstructive helmet and soaks into its mane, but the strange Pokemon endures with silent apathy.

"Are you all right?"

It shifts to look back over its shoulder at him. Their eyes meet for a long time before Type: Null blinks, growls, and turns away from him.

Seaking leaps from the water once more, and Type: Null reacts before Orion can truly register what's happening. The elegant fish Pokemon fires a pulse of water toward Type: Null; it dodges the attack with surprising agility and grace, leaping over the spray and raking its claws along its slippery foe with an aerial ace before landing.

Orion's opened his mouth to say something, formulating words of praise upon his tongue, when a deep growl gives him pause.

Type: Null works its claws against the sand and tosses its head with clear agitation, almost as if it were trying to shake something off. It clicks, then: the helmet. It's like watching a Poochyena with a cone come home from the Pokemon Center, the futile thrashing and snarling as it tried to remove the unwelcome obstruction.

"Hey," Orion calls softly, hesitating to approach. He lifts his hands in the hopes of conveying peace and nervously licks his lips. "Hey, you're going to hurt yourself like that. Stop, stop — come on."

His heart wrenches with guilt as Type: Null lets out an agonizing wail, pawing at the sand.

Orion's close enough to touch it, now, wincing a little in trepidation when his chimera of a Pokemon turns to glare at him. When it lifts no claw to harm him — and Orion knows he's safe from its bite — the ranger places a hand upon the creature's flank. It's breathing heavily, shaking, and guilt crashes over Orion like the tide about their feet.

"I don't know how to take it off without hurting you."

Seaking does not return, driven off by the strange Pokemon's presence and power.

---

passing~
Amor Rose

[attr="class","ihead"]

[attr="class","ipad"]
[break][break]

Orion kneels in the sand next to his chimeric creature, arms around its neck until the shaking starts to subside. Each distressed growl reverberates through him and pulses like a reminder of his guilt: you did this.

Water crashes onto the beach and soaks into his jeans, but Orion doesn't move until Type: Null is calm once more. He murmurs soft, near-unintelligible apologies and consolations, stroking a hand through the grey fur of its mane. This is your fault. He couldn't take back what he had done, and so the next best thing is to endure, to support, to guide this creature through the hell of its existence.

He rises at last, wishes he could read the eyes behind the horrific cage of a helmet. They stare at him, unblinking.

Its suffering is your fault.

Orion doesn't even notice the Octillery that's washed up on the beach with the tide, too focused on Type: Null to pay their surroundings any mind.

"I want to help you." He doesn't know how. "I-I'll try and do... something. Talk to some people. I can't make any promises, buddy, but..."

But you need to try.

"Let's go home."

---

pass and close~
Amor Rose