Chaos.

That’s what Guillermo was ‘up to’. Pure, unadulterated chaos.

The invite, originally, had been an innocent chance for Alex to meet the newest member of his team (whom he was hoping would help win over some of the deeper-stuck muddy sticks that Alex was carting around) and, oh, yeah, the promotion. He was going to tell Alex about the promotion

But theeeeeen Sibella and Freya, who were already best friends (much to the pitiable luck of everyone else), had taken it upon themselves to set up a challenge to see who was fastest, and, well, that was how he ended up shooting through the treetops at dangerous speeds, pressed flat to the back of his Noivern, as his Lucario, keeping up their breakneck pace, jumped and leaped around them.

And breakneck it was-- any wrong move, any stray tree branch, would most likely take his head off.

But it was fun! And he felt more like himself than he had in weeks.

Alexei Ivanov
grass/bug/flying
<3 <3

☉

“Sibella,” he managed, against the roar of the wind and the rush of air in his face, stealing his breath, “we have to--”

She chirped at him, irritated. Rerouting to Alex would mean losing the race.

"Okay.” And he let go, pitching off the back of his bat, arms opening in a spine-first free fall down through open air. Everything disappeared except the noise of gravity pulling him downward and his stomach lifted in a deliciously floaty feeling.

He managed to twist himself in the air in time for
Sibella to swoop down beneath him, chittering angrily at him as he came to rest on her back again. She was still shrieking at him when she landed near Alex; Memo slid off her back, smile sunbright, shaking with giggles.

"That was so fun. We should do that again sometime. Hi, honey.” He stretched up on his tiptoes to give Alex a kiss on the cheek--

--like a meteor coming to earth (ha), Freya crashed in riding down on a knocked-out Mandibuzz like a surfboard. The bird dug a long furrow as its impetus dragged to a stop. Memo bounced a Pokeball off its head.

"How are you?”

Alexei Ivanov
grass/bug/flying
catch attempt mandibuzz
<3 <3

☉

Sibella was 100% not willing to put up with the ribbing from Alex’s posse, having had to sacrifice what she felt was the proper and correct course of race-winning to save Memo from an untimely demise. Add to that her newest rival had made such a cool entrance? Injury squared.

Flattening her ears to her skull, she considered hissing at the peanut gallery, but then thought better of it, and promptly turned her back to them, letting them know they were summarily being ignored.

“Sometimes I have to take drastic measures to get her to listen to me,” Memo joked, reaching up to slide a hand through the soft ruff around her neck, “either that or she’s too pretty to hear.”

Sibella purred, accepting the compliment as an apology.

Meanwhile, Freya had noticed something moving in the greenery near where they stood, and after a quick investigation, came back holding a squirming Oddish by the leaves sprouting from the top of the blue bulb. The little thing kicked its legs and Freya held it at arm's length.

“Oh, yeah,” he said, jerking his thumb towards the Lucario, simultaneously zapping the Oddish with a Pokeball. “this is my newest team member. Freya, Alex; Alex, Freya.”

Freya lifted a hand in the Lucario version of a ’sup?

Alexei Ivanov
grass/bug/flying
catch attempt oddish
<3 <3

☉

“Well, no,” he said, a little sheepish, “I don’t claim to have as much experience around birds as the birdfather.” He leans heavy on the nickname, just short of doing airquotes, but they’re audible in his tone.

He looks up in the treeline, finding Gabe and Kyouya, and his smile widens.

“Don’t listen to them, Sibs,” he says, running fingers through her fluffy neckruff, “they’re just grumpy old men.” He’s been on the receiving end of both of their distaste enough to know this.

Freya immediately loses interest in Vince, more focused on the battle, and flashes Kyouya an impressed thumbs up, giving him her seal of approval.

Sibella takes note of a Butterfree fluttering in the air, and launches at it with a bright chirp. Within seconds, she has the bug in her mouth. “Ah-ah!” Memo scolds, like he’s snapping at a naughty Yamper, “Do not eat it!”

The Noivern locks eyes with her trainer in a vicious staredown. Memo zaps the butterfly with a Pokeball, snagging it out of her jaws before she can crunch down on it.

“Jeez.”

Alexei Ivanov
grass/bug/flying
catch attempt butterfree
<3 <3

☉

“Bats eat bugs,” Memo offered as a counterpoint, “so I’d say Fen is the weird one.”

He doesn’t recall ever meeting Fenrir, and if he had, it was only briefly. But probably, most likely, the Noivern would dislike him. It seemed like all of Alex’s old guard did, with the exception of Will, and Zelle.

He was fine with it. It was a little scary, sometimes, but mostly, he was fine with it.

Speaking of scary.

“Look, you two could bond over trying to eat things you probably shouldn’t,” he said as he gestured to the Salamence who’d been robbed of his own snack.

Sibella gave an excited chirp and lept into the air to chase down the Yanma, engaging in a tight-turning, breakneck-speed game of cat and mouse until she caught the insect between her jaws and brought it back. Memo zapped it with a Pokeball before she could even try to crunch it.

Freya rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, looking bored.

Alexei Ivanov
grass/bug/flying
catch attempt yanma
<3 <3

☉