[attr="class","icon"]

While mint frost confirmed their placement, Fern oversaw the movement of the decoys. Okay, so maybe they were fancy toys the way the beast saw it, but they were big ‘ol duds too. Perfectly placed duds. Where Mint’s mask glowed through the gloom, Fern stuck to the shadow—any light panels left off for the time being.[break][break]

Not that his were quite so elaborate as the bright, neon blue that lit the dark.[break][break]

Normal chattiness kept at bay, Fern drifted around the cargo holds, checking the bindings. Ensuring that they would hold as the transport passed through the smaller rift. His chandelure floated alongside him, pale purpleish flame providing light for his double-checking.[break][break]

Looking back over his shoulder, Fern signaled the beast. The reminder that he’d keep an eye on him for jayden cross flit through his mind and then faded. “In place to move forward?”

[attr="class","icon"]

“Hm. Hopefully not.” Hopping up, their feet catch in the odd, water-like gravity—allowing them to better push off the ground and twist around to look behind them as well. As of right now, Fern isn’t feeling the same itch of paranoia under their skin as they were before meeting. Hopefully that persists.[break][break]

Touching back down to the ground, their head tilts as Mint speaks of the front. “Glad I’m not up there,” they admit, eyes following the solosis as she darts away. “Think I’m better sorted for this work, anyway.”[break][break]

A soft laugh follows the question. “Wouldn't that be nice? Easy enough to wave off.” But the flame body of their chandelure reveals no pesky zubat fluttering about or obstructing their path.[break][break]

“Looks like interference.” With a sly grin, they nudge Mint with their elbow. Nodding over to the bend around a high outcropping of rock laden with strange, almost fleshy looking barnacles. The beginnings of a resistance group meant to push incomers back looked to be showing themselves.[break][break]

“A blockade, maybe?”

[attr="class","icon"]

For now. Fern was confident, though, that they’d be able to meet any conflict with ease whenever it did decide to show itself. In no small part because of the beast’s capability. “And I’m sure glad for that.” Fern, though they’d been practicing a bit more, was decidedly not as much of a heavy hitter.[break][break]

They were better at dodging and defensive maneuvers. Wiggling out of things and pulling sneakier moves rather than head on attacks. But what the two did have in common was that desire to put in effort. “Sure would. But that also might be boring.” If the situation called for more offensive maneuvers, then Fern would shift to fit. No one could claim they weren’t flexible, at least.[break][break]

“Oh no, that would be so cold if they were left all alone, waiting,” they trilled back. Their grin–the only thing visible under their half mask, mirrored Mint’s. In a bright beam of light, their chandelure is replaced by a much more imposing baxcalibur. “Shall we? It’d be a shame to leave them hanging.” And if they could swipe any of their cargo, which more than likely wasn’t full of fakes the way theirs was…well that was all the better then, yes?

[attr="class","icon"]

The rapport that has developed between them over the years has made their partnership come naturally. In this setting, and in everyday life. Fern counts Mint among the few they feel truly close to, despite their social presentation to the rest of the world. They trust him, and that doesn’t necessarily come easily.[break][break]

So working alongside him today allows for a coordination of both mood and attack— they are, in fact, equally as energetic and enthusiastic as the beast though it manifests with all of the flair of a theatre major than it does as unbridled energy.[break][break]

“Make use of that, Beira!” they chime as the duosion pulls the opposing forces together in a tight group. Lumbering forward, the baxcalibur bellows, releasing the onslaught of a frigid GLAIVE RUSH to barrage pokemon and person alike with ice and snow.[break][break]

“Excellent dynamics if I do say so myself.”

[attr="class","icon"]

Beira roars as the ROCK SLIDES fall over her as well. Though given her size, it's not quite as impacting as it might be on the smaller duosion. A stray DAZZLING GLEAM smacks into her side and she thrashes away from the sparkling pink glow. Lashing out at the spritzee that had attacked, and yeeting it away.[break][break]

They sigh dramatically, shoulders sagging dramatically even as they wave the baxcalibur forward. Almost as if the fight itself is secondary to the conversation, which is sort of true. "Oh, gonna hold that over my head?" Fern pouts as they glance over, "We can change that. You know, after today."[break][break]

Not noticing the duosion getting squashed, Beira thunders forward and twists as she swings her DRAGON TAIL into the mass of leaguers and their pokemon while they try to scatter and run from the large, icy dragon.

[attr="class","icon"]

“Yeah! We’ll make it a proper hang, deal?” The mention of tedium that they know will inevitably follow today’s events is enough to make Fern sigh. But their attention turns back to the ongoing fight just in time to see Mint’s pokemon catch their baxcalibur’s attack as well.[break][break]

She sends the remaining leaguer’s away with a volley of ICICLE SPEARS, but Fern remains fixated on the smear of duosion as the dragon lumbers back to their side proudly. “We gotta work on your control and aim, doll,” they mutter to Beira. She’s still a young pokemon–perhaps they evolved her to full scale a bit too quickly.[break][break]

“Is it okay..?” They ask with a wince as they follow after Mint. A look back over their shoulder confirms the safety of their own false shipments, but that pales in comparison to the pulse of guilt that takes over for harming his teammate’s own pokemon.