I can't do this.

Her fingers grip the leather straps that hang loose against Wadjet's neck. The dragon rumbles beneath her, offering grunts of encouragement and concern. They touch down not far behind Greyson, but it takes her a second longer than it should for her to slide down to the ground.

And when her feet touch the ground, it feels as though the world is spinning and she might fall.

She sucks in a breath, physically catching herself by pressing her palms to Wadjet's shoulder and leaning on her in order to catch her breath. Her heart is pounding and it takes her a moment to realize Greyson is speaking to her. She pushes away from the Charizard to glance back at him.

Only to realize that what she's been leaning on isn't Wadjet-- it's a door. She's been standing there, hyperventilating and wide-eyed, holding the door open for people to walk in and out.

"Wh-- hi, yeah, it has been a while. Good to see you, Greyson."

She lets the door swing closed behind her as she steps forward to approach him. Stormy offers a shallow smile before glancing aside and to whoever it is that is offering up their assignment.

"My apologies for the delay."

Greyson Connors

☉

greyson's quick to catch the look that passes over stormy's face. it was something he was familiar with, oddly enough; seen in the faces of those traumatized from the wake of groudon's awakening. from the faces of those that had been in sootopolis.
[break]
[break]
he was a bit surprised to see stormy so affected, but quickly admonished himself of the thought. he hadn't seen what the others had; of stormy and her moltres being nearly killed by an unown. yet he'd heard the legendary had gone missing since.
[break]
[break]

silence greets her professional decorum as greyson breaks the distance between them, arms tossed to wrap stormy in a hug. voice muffled slightly, he speaks barely above a whisper.
[break]
[break]

"how are you doing?"

[attr="class","ooc"]Stormy Silph | mission[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-dragapult"]

She sees through him, unable to process the situation until she is in the middle of it.

His warmth is too much.

It comes on suddenly, meant to be kind where all she can see is danger. She stiffens the moment his arms close around her, and it takes her a second, maybe ten, before she reacts. He steals her breath and it hitches in her throat, a terrified gasp that is unlike her. It is foreign, uncomfortable, filled with pain.

She recoils, palms push outward to put distance between them.

"I-I'm sorry."

And then she hears him, hears that whisper against her hair, the kindness in it, and she swallows.

"I'm fine. Uhm, I would like to just.. focus on the job, if that's.. okay."

The job being, she'd gotten her ass kicked out of bed to shape up or ship out. Hiding behind closed doors and insecurity, hiding behind her fear, her shame.

"So, we're challenging Heatran today, right? Good thing you have me, then. I have three at.. home."

A forced smile, and she takes the lead to the training ground where A.Q.U.A. held the Heatran.

Greyson Connors

☉

he takes a step, then two, back uncomfortably, suddenly aware of how inappropriate that probably was. his hand moves to pat his hair, and he has trouble meeting her eyes.
[break][break]
"no, i'm sorry, that wasn't cool of me without asking."
[break][break]
he thinks back to their kiss, and the same feeling of shame washes over him. thankful when she changes the subject, he plays along, lest the mood be soured the entirety of their time together. he follows in step, recalling the playful ghost dragon.
[break][break]
"three? that's... a lot."
[break][break]
and that was an understatement. they were legendary pokemon, a cut above the rest in terms of rarity. he puts his tongue in the pouch of his cheek, hand reaching to regard the pokeball he's always brought along with him, but was too nervous to use.
[break][break]
then, it hits him, and he stops for a moment.
[break][break]
"wait, we're challenging heatran?"

[attr="class","ooc"]Stormy Silph | mission[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-dragapult"]

Shit. Shit, shit, shit. She's fucked up, overreacted, misinterpreted his kindness because she's so stuck in her own head.

But she smiles, shakes her head to dissuade him from apologizing, and works hard to move past it. Thankfully, he is as willing as she is.

"Yeah. A.Q.U.A. wants me in tip-top shape, I hope you don't mind I recommended you."

She frowns a bit, glances at him. It's cruel of her, she knows, to put doubt on him and to scrutinize him. She doubts herself, with her spine turned to jello and her eyes so dry from lack of sleep. She feels like she's nursing a hangover, but all it is is a stress migraine.

"I picked you because I know you can handle it."

Greyson Connors

☉

"i—"
[break][break]
his own self-doubt and insecurities come crashing over him, turning his warm skin a frigid cold. something catches in his throat, latching on to restrict his ability to swallow. worry begins to set-in when he finds himself stuck in the action, but when it breaks through, he rides the wave of relief and confidence it allows.
[break][break]
"i appreciate it."
[break][break]
he says at least, giving stormy a tight smile. his own doubts and insecurities were nothing compared to the pit that she probably felt in her chest. there was no way greyson could imagine losing ellie and putting on a tough face, and they weren't even bonded the way stormy and moltres had been.
[break][break]
so, like her, he puts his best foot forward.
[break][break]
"i'll do to my best and make sure you don't look too bad."
[break][break]
a light joke. something to ease any of the tension as he continues following after her.

[attr="class","ooc"]Stormy Silph | mission[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-dragapult"]

If she were aware of anyone other than herself, maybe she would have noticed the similarities between them. The way he holds his breath as if it's his last, holding onto his strength so desperately his eyes are the only windows to his true self.

But she can't fucking see it.

Because she doesn't care about anyone but herself.

"Of course."

Hollow words, but maybe she's put enough emphasis on them with her cheery smile to pretend like she cares. No-- she does care. Deep down, beneath the terror and the loneliness and the confusion, she cares. She cares too much, maybe, and maybe that's the problem.

"You'll do great, Greyson."

She misses the light joke.

There is no pen or proper arena, only a giant pool or pit of lava and some impenetrable platforms. The League spent good money on organizing a training area that met the requirements of a legendary Pokemon.

"You ready? Heatran is a fire and steel type Pokemon, which makes it incredibly weak to ground-type Pokemon. And.. water, and fighting. But ground is the best option."

She pulls a pokeball from her belt, allows it to swell in the palm of her hand. She grips it tight, steadies her nerves and hesitates longer than she should.

But eventually, she tosses the ball outward and reveals a Seismitoad. Under the incredible heat, the Pokemon complains, but Stormy says nothing.

Greyson Connors

☉

he can only nod at the support she offers, feeling in a small way, the emptiness behind them. but, today, he doesn't hold it against her. people grieve in their own way, and on their own time.
[break][break]
"i was thinking of trying something, actually."
[break][break]
the dual colored orb in his palm expands, and like stormy, he too hesitates. only when his grip turns white knuckled does he toss it and reveal the pokemon waiting inside.
[break][break]
zeroara.
[break][break]
the electric-type legendary leans forward, head turning to scan its surroundings. its black maw twitches, and electricity dances across it's fur to collapse inwards on the pads of it's hands and feet. it regards greyson dismissively, instead turning its pointed gaze onto the heatran across from them.
[break][break]
it calls out a throaty challenge, sharpening it's claws on the stone beneath.
[break][break]
"let's hope it works out."

[attr="class","ooc"]Stormy Silph | mission[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-dragapult"]

"Oh?"

Curiosity gathers wings beneath her faraway expression, and she glances at him.

"Oh, wow!"

Genuine excitement, by the way. She sucks in a breath as she witnesses the reveal of the man's Zeraora. It brings a smile to her face and she regards the yellow and blue feline a while longer. It's cute, and reminds her of her own- naturally- they all look exactly the same.

"Now I have to step it up a notch."

So she releases a second Seismitoad, definitely not because the first one did not know a single ground-type move.

"I'll let you take the first move."

The commotion of the three Pokemon on the platform stirs the sleeping Heatran. It rises out of the lava, red rivers streaming down either side of it as it stands up. It yawns, its grin toothy, to watch the two trainers carefully.

Greyson Connors

☉

"try not to fall behind."
[break][break]
a grin of excitement pulls back his lips, and he faces the newly emerged legendary.
[break][break]
"sorry to bother you! just figured we'd stop by for a sparr-"
[break][break]
his own pokemon doesn't let greyson finish.
[break][break]
in a flash of bright lightning, and accompanied by a thunderous roar, the zeraora explodes forward. it's paws rub together, creating a string-like manifestation of electricity, before it DISCHARGES it out and towards the heatran.
[break][break]
greyson noticeably cringes.

[attr="class","ooc"]Stormy Silph | mission[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-dragapult"]

Stormy laughs, and for a second it almost sounds real.

"Are you.. trying to be buddy-buddy with a Pokemon?"

Y'know what, not that weird. I do that.

Slowly, the woman slips out from behind the placid mask she wears and she relaxes. It's not much, but it's enough. Her eyes widen in surprise when Greyson's Zeraora sprints forward mid-sentence, interrupting his attempts to chum with the Heatran.

"Wow."

Her lip twitches and she ushers her Seismitoad to step forward. They lumber along, both irritable with the heat. Naturally.

"It's a bit hot, I think, let's make some adjustments."

It would take both of their efforts to make even the slightest dent in the heat and humidity here. The lava would surely swallow the rain whole and make almost no change. But it was worth a try, and maybe it would be enough.

Both Seismitoad perform a RAIN DANCE, and while it begins to drizzle, it adds a wet coating that lasts just long enough before steaming off to apply less resistance to the Zeraora's incoming DISCHARGE. When it rains, it pours.

"Water and electricity.. who knew?"

She smirks.

Greyson Connors

☉

"if someone came into my home looking for a fight, i'd hope they were just as nice."
[break][break]
he jokes, patting the hair of his head.
[break][break]
the first beads of rainfall are barely noticeable as the tempature here turns them to steam as quickly as they appear, but when layered with another, the surrounding area begins to cool.
[break][break]
the discharge finds purchase against the crest of the heatran's ivory skull. it leaves a noticeable scorch mark, but fails to penetrate the thick plate. greyson sighs in relief, glad to not have permanently damaged or maimed the legendary.
[break][break]
the league would have his ass.
[break][break]
zeraora however doesn't like the fact it's attacks barely dented the lava pokemon. it's hackles rise as electricity dances something fast and dangerous across his fur, and collects more heavily this time in the pads of his paws. he CHARGES his power in preparation for something far more powerful.
[break][break]
"valor! this is supposed to be training, not an arceus forsaken brawl."
[break][break]
he bites back his annoyance in the presence of a friend, but most importantly, someone higher in the hierarchy than himself.
[break][break]
but heatran doesn't simply stand there and allow challengers free reign to act. it slams it's heavy body against the surface of the lava, sending a rippling wave through the surface. when it subsides, it's replaced by a shaking in the ground beneath them as geyser like explosions of flame tear through the earth's crust in PLUMES of LAVA.
[break][break]
greyson curses, eyes turning to the floor beneath them, scanning for any nearby explosions.

[attr="class","ooc"]Stormy Silph | mission[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-dragapult"]

"That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard."

But it makes her laugh, even if the sound of her own voice seems far-away and strange. Her smile is fleeting, but it warms her for a moment.

The rust begins to fall away with every step she takes, recognition giving her strength. At first she had resisted, if only for a moment. She lets Greyson take the lead because following orders is what she's supposed to do- but by watching him, she finds something.

"No-- let him be.. big."

Whatever the fuck that means.

But before they can do anything remotely useful, Heatran retaliates. The ground shakes and Stormy takes a step back. It takes her a moment to recognize what the movements mean, to recognize the trembling as real and not her body betraying her.

"Lava plume!"

It's a warning, maybe, even if delayed.

Thankfully, her Seismitoad are not gripped by that same paralysis that she is, their sluggishness is genetic, not a mental block. But they move in unison, and one of them slaps at the ground, finding enough moist earth upturned by the Heatran and mixed with the rain to put out the encroaching flames with a MUD SHOT. The other blows a kiss in the form of an AQUA RING.

Heatran isn't finished, though.

It cranes its neck back and begins to scream. The sound is an awful, ear-piercing METAL-SOUND that bounces off of every stone wall to dig deeper. It prompts Stormy to clasp her hands over her ears and wince.

Greyson Connors

☉