Did this 'Kaz' guy think June couldn't handle a little difficulty? She furiously shook her head. “As you said, the faster we get there, the sooner we can rest!”

Their Pokémon could rest, rather. Poor Matchstick. Tired girl was probably worn out from all the heavy cargo. But just like its trainer, it’d keep going regardless of the situation. Through rain or snow or whatever else, they'd get the job done. 'Don’t stop until your body feels like it’ll collapse under itself, and then go a little further'.

A lot harder way to say ‘workaholics’.

“If you say this route’s the fastest, I don’t got a choice but to trust you,” she called out, “but let’s go up a few meters! Don’t chance crushing our shit against a rock!”

Her legs pulled up, and so did the flame-colored bird. Skreeeeeeeeeeee!

“Don’t give out on me yet, Matchstick!”

Slowly, they rose further above the gray, rocky outcrops. Already her heart slowed it’s rhythmic beat to a much steadier tempo. Now that she didn’t need to be on the prowl for those dastardly boulders, the delivery could take it slightly easier. The tiredness that crept along her bones threatened to take her by force. June settled her against the frigid saddle.

SKREEEEEEEEEEEE! SKREEEEEEEEEE!

A second cry? What a worrywart. “We’ll be fine, girl! Kaz here can keep an eye out for any Rockets. If they even show–”

WHIZZ!

Was that… a bullet?

More fwips and rrrrps whipped past her head. Every single muscle in her body tensed into steel. Her eyes peeked over the safety of the leather. Sure enough, she could see those stupid outfits from behind a half-dozen different rocks. Pokémon, too, fired their own dangerous projectiles. Fuck, fuck fuck fuck–

“AMBUSH!”

Those hadn't been 'I'm frustrated with you' cries: they were 'wake up dumbass' cries!

---

Kazimir Wynter 

June could only stare in shock as the Corviknight fired off a nasty Steel Beam. The attack sent the relevent Rocket straight into the sand. It didn’t take long for them to be little more than a dot on the landscape.

No, focus! Now wasn’t the time to gawk at combat! This is what she signed up for; she wouldn’t be some wide-eyed recruit who lost their mind at every little thing. Especially since the enemy deemed it necessary to fucking shoot them.

“I’ll get us an open route!” June called to Kaz. She couldn’t let this guy one up her! So, as they quickly approached another pair of Rockets, who stood their ground and ordered their Pokémon to fire at them, she hugged her Talonflame tighter. “Matchstick, Flare Blitz their asses!”

The air sizzled right in front of her eyes. Despite the ocean chill, her skin lit up in warmth, which soon turned uncomfortable. The bird’s wings lit up in flame, a trail of smoke left in their wake. She charged the grunts.

All she could hear were the remnants of their shrieks as they dove out of the way. Their Pokémon were scorched, and soon retreated back into their poke balls. “Good job, girl!”

As for her ally, she pulled the reigns back a smidgen. “Get us a Tailwind, so we can get out of here!”

A caw of protest led into a sudden increase in the beat of its wings. The surrounding air circled and rushed forward, as if commanded by some unknown force to move at mach-ten. Noctis would notice the sudden speed boost, a pull at its wings. This could get them clear, if they were quick about it. 

SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! SKREEEEEEEEEEE! SKREEEEE!

“Just a little further, girl! We got this!” They rushed forward with the wind, desperate to make it to their destination with their cargo intact. But they couldn’t afford to waste any more time. “How’s our back looking, Kaz?!”

---

Kazimir Wynter

MP = +20 (This post and previous post I forgor last one)

Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck.

June crept forward in her saddle. The bird spared a glance towards its trainer. All the stress in its muscles, the way its wing flaps grew weaker and weaker as they went on, the situation as a whole– all this only helped to confirm what that look spoke. Their minds were connected in a way, even in primal instinct.

If she didn’t drop the cargo, they were done for.

“Kaz, we gotta drop our cargo! Matchstick can’t keep up anymore!” June pointed straight left, out to the open sea. Just cause they had to ditch their stuff didn’t mean it need to fall in enemy hands. All those Pokémon that roamed just below the water line would feast like royalty.

So, she banked right. Almost perpendicular with the ground, the pair made a bee-line for the beach. The delivery girl did not dare look back. Her heart pulsed in her ears with a break-neck tempo as is, without a clue on how far back the back-up was, or whether Kazimir would follow suit.

Sea air stung her eyes, which made it near impossible to see. When to drop, when to drop? White, white, white, white..

A hint of blue emerged from her clouded vision. “Matchstick, now!”

The sun kissed bird had let go moments before the words came out. Relief came immediately. June could feel it as well, like a million-pound weight was lifted of their shoulders. All the crates crashed into the water, loud enough to drown out the very waves.

But where was her ally? A cursory look only told her that Rocket was impossibly close. How the hell did they close that much distance already?!

---

Kazimir Wynter , +10 MP

June groaned. Why did all these army types seem to salivate at the mere idea of a last stand?! Even worse, she couldn’t just leave the guy on his own. Not necessarily for moral reasons either: she’d never hear the end of it if all she did was promise to remember his name.

“Matchstick, turn around and Brave Bird some Rockets!”

CAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWW!

The Talonflame’s signature ember wings were muffled as the bird accelerated with a few powerful flaps. Without all that extra weight, it felt trivial to get to such a high speed. Whatever distance Kazimir made by going first, she closed in record time. Even with the Corkscrew Crash, she wasn’t as far behind as he thought.

There were… a lot of Rockets though. More than she thought. Whatever. With the two of them unburdened by their packages, they could make some distance and escape with their lives. Most of them remained distracted by Kaz as he taunted the large group.

Thus, the sheer vacuum effect left behind by the Talonflame sent more than a few down to the sand and sea below. Confusion and panic cropped up at the sudden disruption. “W-what the hell was that!?”

That felt nice. “You dumbass, Kaz! Don’t play hero, let’s just get the fuck out of here!”

The leftover Rockets did not waste a second. Dozens of projectiles soared towards them, and any with firearms took aim and fire. June and her bird started evasive maneuvers, but who know how long they’d go unscathed. If Kaz wanted to be a hero, then he better damn well save them both or admit he had a problem.

---

Kazimir Wynter
+10 MP

Shadows covered June and the Talonflame. By the time she looked up, Kazimir had flown into position and used a Protect to save them. All she could do is wonder what could’ve been. Yet how else could it have ended?

She’d be lucky to be alive.

Unfortunately, she did get to see an aftermath of one attack that landed: a bolt of electricity pierced the winds. With abject horror, the delivery girl witnessed the attack crumple the Corviknight. It fell with no fanfare. No cry.

“KAZ!”

But she couldn’t slow down. That’d make his… no, Kazimir was fine! A fire burned in her heart. Not for the ally that fell from the sky, but from the human condition. “You fucking bastards!”

The world grew uncomfortably hot yet again. Another Flare Blitz cooked the air as the bird charged towards the other half. A few foolhardy Rockets stood their ground, but they were unable to land any attacks. Just like her companion, they too fell down to the earth below. Idiots.

And as soon as the flames were quelled, another figure joined the fray. An Aerodactyl? How did she beat one of those? Its Pressure felt oppressive. A single rock would crush them to dust.

But that all vanished as soon as she saw the person nestled in its claws. “Fucking hell, Kaz! Scared the shit out of me there!”

They didn’t want to stick around anymore, at least. That Agility sent them forward at mach-ten. Way faster than she could hope to be. June didn’t care in the slightest; it was the Talonflame that saw their breakneck blitz as an issued challenge. It once again threw forward a Tailwind, hopeful it would give it the upper edge.

It didn’t.

But it did make them move faster than Rocket could hope to be. With their combined, increased speed, it didn’t take long for their foes to once again be blips on the horizon. And all it has cost them was their cargo. At least it hadn’t fallen into enemy hands?

---

Kazimir Wynter
+10 MP

Of course Kaz’s only response was a thumbs up. June could already hear his heroic declarations from the inside of his probably hollow head. A slight shake of her head was all she gave in response. So long as they could–

FWOOOO-TING-TING-TING-TING

The Ice Beam missed her bird by a meter at best, but struck the Aerodactyl square on the tail. June jumped in her saddle, nearly off the edge and down to the sea below. “What the fuck?!”

Ice formed rather fast from the sub-zero beam. Yet that couldn’t possibly explain why the hell the pre-historic bird slowed down. Matchstick didn’t think about it further than a unfortunate lead in their ‘race’, but June eyed the gray creature warily. Surely it could wag its tail to rid itself of the block of ice?

But with a short, rough cry, it tossed Kaz right to the bird. Somehow, he caught onto the Talonflame. It gave out its own cry, one of surprise. What the hell? Was it trying to weigh her down?

“Wait, Kaz, where is your–”

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM

Two Rockets were obliterated off the face of the earth. Not nearly enough to stop the horde of black suits that encroached further. Enough to get their attention, though. Dozens of Ice Beams pierced the Pokémon, until it was as frozen stiff as an actual block of ice. From there, gravity did the rest.

“...”

June’s knuckles turned as white as frost. A hollow feeling spread throughout her body. What just… did it really… but that was… how could…

---

The Talonflame only heard the faint crash of ice against rocks. Too busy with the trainer that dangled from her foot and making sure that the other bird didn’t steal the lead from her. Must’ve focused on their safe escape rather than their race. Probably for the better. She couldn’t do that without going back into the fray.

An eye glanced as far backward as it could, up to her trainer. Why did June suddenly grab onto her neck? That really hurt! And her eyes were really wide. Some seawater must’ve rocked up from the waves and coated her face in water, too. If she went really fast, it would surely fly off her face!

So, one final Brave Bird sent them well on their way, far away from the bad guys. Once they touched down at base, June could massage her worn muscles and gloat to Kaz how they won the race. How could she lose? Her obviously better flying techniques had to have left that Aerodactyl in the dust.

---

Kazimir Wynter

+10 MP (Post) + 10 MP (Assisting another Trainer) + 300 MP (Losing an RT Mission, both trainers failed to deliver their cargo) + 100 MP (RT Thread Completion)