“I know, I know, it is all reasonable and logical. But my mind doesn’t work that way. That logic loops straight back and mercilessly tells me that if something like that happens again, there is jack I can do. And what then? It’s not like I could have just accepted it if….if you had truly been obliterated like that. I still don’t know what brought you back but without that freak accident there….there would not have been anything I could have done. Nothing at all!”
[break][break]
Still clenched fists, she was looking down now, certainly, agitated even as she tried to suppress just that. Those certainly were not merry thoughts at all. Even though they really should be, at this point in time. “I am sorry by the way. It must have been so much worse for you to live through that. I haven’t really been hurt but at the same time, all my efforts and rage, nothing changed anything. It just flung you away like that and there was nothing ever and at all I could do. That is just so…ughh. So absolutely frustrating!”

[break][break]

+ Johanna Joy Merry used

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

“Guess it’s much the same but just like, less so.” There was no point trying to pretend as if she had been through even remotely as much as the other had had. That image of Jo just being all but flung about by the vengeful finger of god was not one that she would be able to forget anytime soon.
[break][break]
For the time being though, Megan tried to replace it with the picture of current Jo fidgeting but feeling at least somewhat better. That was good enough. For then. “Doctors said that you would be sore for quite a while, but that you would make a full recovery at least. That’s good, I think. I myself just got a few scrapes here and there. My pride took the strongest hit, if you ask me. Nothing I did seemed to even scratch that Pokemon at the end of the day. Kind of pathetic for someone wanting to become a gym leader.” There definitely was a lot of frustration in these words – and she did not try to hide it in the slightest. If nothing else, she wanted to be honest with Jo, especially after what had come to light. Even if that meant being a bit rude venting when the other had been hit so much more strongly by what had been going on.
[break][break]
But it had to get out anyway, even though she had to look down, slightly clenching a fist. After all, the time for sleep had passed now. She had slept for long enough, really.

[break][break]

+ Johanna Joy , sleep reference for advent 24

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

The silent antics of another did not wake her, curiously enough. Megan was far too tired, physically and psychically, from everything that had happened. It would have taken a lot more than that to just up and wake her. And hence, she didn’t. At least not at first, giving the other all the time needed to make her deliberations, albeit accidentally.
[break][break]
But she did not sleep forevermore, either. In fact, before too long Megan did drowsily blink. Likewise, it took her a few moments to realize that the other had woken. Jo was not exactly moving and roving in a bundle of energy, after all. But when she opened her eyes proper, Meg could feel those of another upon herself and a groggy mind slowly connected the dots. Said eyes did widen briefly when she did, however, but she did not jump up or something like that. No, her features softened, already recalling that she had been told not to agitate the patient if it came to that.
[break][break]
Sure, she had also been told to inform the doctor when an awakening happened, but that was pushed aside swiftly. Instead, she started up briefly, only to stop herself and wipe some drool off her face with the back of her wrist. “Hey there, sleepyhead,” she instead gave out, half genuine, half forcing herself to spread some levity. It kind of felt weird, but at the same time also kind of right as well. “Terrible question but are you feeling at least better?”

[break][break]

+ Johanna Joy

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

And any questions were all but summarily answered with broadly gesturing at the sky, Mt. Pyre, the madness that took place all over Hoenn and some brief, non-committal notions about a team Rocket attack. Fortunately, she honestly did not know who exactly had attacked her friend, so she was not committing any perjury in that regard even as she answered exhausting questions, receiving exhausting answers in return.
[break][break]
Fortunately, at least Johanna seemed to be out of the woodwork at some point, letting her rest a little. A good while later, she was even able to rest next to the hospital bed, while the staff readied themselves for potential other arrivers from those calamities, just in case. No one really had time to look after someone not critically injured, so they were grateful to leave them together. Though Megan had given Jo’s real name as per request, leaving a small unease that someone might have already uncovered which group the latter belonged to.[break][break]
Another bridge to cross when it came to it. For now, she had simply watched the other, cross-legged on the hospital chair – until the drowsiness had overtaken her proper. She was tired, too, but just trusted Jo to still be there when she woke, seemingly sleeping with a bit of a frown, but completely unguarded even in her slightly scraped-up form.
[break][break]

+ Johanna Joy giving her a chance to angst over doing the leaving thing after all if she wants to haha

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Megan reached out and just put her hand on Jo’s shoulder, who currently was looking away. “Also, um, sorry, I probably came across a bit grand-standy there. I should have put that a bit nicer. Not used to actually having discussions with people who don’t want to sell me their world-view, so I kind of get carried away in bad old mannerisms,” she spoke straight from the heart. Really, there were still so many things that she would have to get better with, it was not even funny.
[break][break]
Poor Jo just had the worst of it because, well, she was the person Meg just kind of found herself going back to often, instead of just kind of forgetting them, like with most people. Odd.
“Besides, it is probably normal for most people to not think about that much. Why would one? I just had so many discussions with backwards people on the job that I had to come up with stuff over time, you know?”

[break][break]

+ ooc notes

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

The last time she’d met a Tyranitar, one had stared her right in the face, like an overwhelmingly strong kaiju. And she’d stared right back, facing it back down – until its trainer arrived and sorted things out. Not exactly the most dangerous incident ever, given that there had not been any danger at any point in the proceedings.
[break][break]
Still though, it had been a pretty impressive display. Hence she had come here, today, with Lucario by her side, in order to hunt one down for herself. Naturally, only time would tell whether or not she could get herself one of those mighty titans for herself. But she was going to try at the very least.

[break][break]

+ ooc notes

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

How? How could it be so…easy? So quick? One moment, she was trying to stand her ground alongside Johanna. The next, it seemed like the fingers of a vengeful god picked up, ground her between them, then flicked them away licke trash.
[break][break]
Megan just looked at the scene in utter shock, not even realizing that Swampert, who had been trying to guard both of them with a move, had had to use its actual body to shield its trainer and perished. It wasn’t that she did not care about her Pokemon. But she had been looking at Jo, saw the other look at her, too. Saw that split-second of agony when the realization hit the woman before the attack fully caught up with her body. As if someone you knew was just hit by a high-speed train right in front of you.
[break][break]
There was wet on her face.
[break][break]
She turned to look at the other. Judging by the Dragapult’s mourning, there was no bandaging things this time. In fact, there was nothing she could do to help. Nothing she could do to change that situation. Death was final. There were no do-overs. At least as far as she knew.
[break][break]
She turned, hand instinctively grasping Hydreigon’s ball. Only a Pokemon that had almost killed her felt right to use in this moment. Still in shock, there was little emotion in her actions. This was not the kind of thing she would be doing in full control of her facilities. But it didn’t matter. She’d already failed. No way she could fail harder. “Try Attack. The man.” It was probably pointless, too. But it still had to happen. And her ire was clearly directed at him. [break]
After all, Pokemon were little more than weapons in such cases. They could disobey, but he was clearly forcing that thing too with all the chains and whatnot. No, that man was completely and utterly to blame. So, for the first time in her life, she at least partially wanted to hurt him. Not stop him, no. That would be incidental. This was all about hurting someone to feel better about her own hurt.

[break][break]

+ Johanna Joy

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Ugh. This was decidedly not what she had hoped to see when the mist cleared. This was not a medic’s tent. Or even a resolved fight, though clearly, skirmishes had taken place around them, with many trainers taking care of their Pokemon in this brief moment of respite.
[break][break]
But having some weird guy who clearly styled himself a villain appear and summon some deity? That was definitely not good. Having not taken part in any shenanigans involving either entity before, all Megan could really do for a bit was look at them and try to make heads or tails of it all. Then Villain-boy used that very thing as the game he wanted to play. Urgh. She needed better idioms.
[break][break]
However, apparently Jo either was better able to adapt to the craziness going on or had some experience with the matter, since she already had a plan. One that briefly left Megan flabberghasted when the girl all but bounced off of her, only to take a stand.
[break][break]
Which was kind of cool, really. Being injured just added to the flair. Yet, just watching the other go and play hero was not her style. Sure, there was hypocrisy involved, but in a sudden and dangerous situation like this, that did not even really register. Rocket, schmocket, they were more bullies than proper villains in her book. But that thing? That seemed evil.
The kind one just had to take a stand against. Though she did not like the whole playing games part of the equation, now that Jo had bought in, she saw little point in not doing the same. “Screw it, I go heads too, then,” she simply stated, having found her groove again. But since Jo was going all out with a Z-Move, she decided to help out instead of adding to the frenzy, bringing out her Swampert. “Wide Guard. Just in case that truly does hurt them.”

[break][break]

+ picks same as Johanna Joy (heads), gets out Swampert for Wide Guard ZU64JxEQ

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Ah, so this one had a trainer already. Too bad. She could use herself one of those at some point. Big and tough Pokemon were kind of her style, after all. Though, to be fair, the Pokeball had been a bit of a dead giveaway. But hey, sometimes people did throw away their Pokemon to release them. It happened. Fortunately, it didn’t happen too often that people left behind a loyal Charmander in the rain because it was too weak as if they hoped for it to die. That would just be a cruel thing to do, after all.
[break][break]
This weird woman had not done so. But losing your balls like this was not exactly a grand thing to do, either. Plus, the way she immediately started to move into something of a berating mode was at least a tad bit annoying. “Well, some of use have to first move up, you know? Just like you have to get up now. So one would think that someone who is already up there would not just go down again. Or throw away their Pokeballs down carelessly like this.” She twirled her hands in a bit of exaggeration as she noted this to drive the point home. Though Megan also just followed, too. This was probably not the best place to stay and talk in.

[break][break]

+ ooc notes

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

That response saw her head tilt in light confusion. “Why wouldn’t it be alright?” Really, she did not have much of a filter to begin with. Hence, she did not start with one now, either. “This isn’t a weapon, Jo. Well, it is. But think about all the harm any one Pokemon in your possession could do to another. You carry something with you that could lift up a human and throw them straight up in the air without any recurse. A knife is nothing, compared to that.” Hands on her hips, she was making her point rather brazenly. But to her, that just made more sense. Pokemon were something that even small children had access to. And most of them could waste a human in seconds, if they were made to. Most of them would not have any problems obeying such orders, either.
[break][break]
Just because most people failed to see that did not mean it wasn’t so. Hence, she always had to get argumentative when others made a fuss about a sharp piece of metal. Not that she was blowing up in the other’s face, no, but she did her best to make that point swiftly and strongly regardless. “A knife really is a tool, for the most part. If you travel, you can easily find yourself in a situation where you have to cut something even while you do not have access to your Pokemon. One of these is invaluable in those kinds of situations. And hey, now you will have a reason to carry one because I gifted it to you. It would be rude not to.” Megan ended that little speech with a somewhat grinning nod, once more relying on her confidence entirely.

[break][break]

+ ooc notes

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

“Don’t thank me yet,” she replied with half a smirk. But it was still somewhat dour. While Megan knew that she had to get the other somewhere safe where she could receive medical treatment, she did not exactly have much to give beyond that. Not like she was some big shot with the league, anyway. If they decided to take Johanna in, Meg could do preciously little to stop them. Unlike with those grunts in the fog, she could not just cause a brief landslide to get rid of them.
[break][break]
Hence, she was wary of what the future might bring. Yet, at the same time, just a brief glance at Jo revealed that it was still the right choice. The girl needed medical attention. It was that simple. She would have to bring her, anyway. “But as long as we are alive, we can sort things out. Problems always seem insurmountable in the moment. Yet, things always work out in the end one way or another. Life is just grand like that.”

[break][break]

+ Johanna Joy

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Phew. That Rock Slide without actually being the move was buying them time. Good. Now she just continued to heave her friend forwards. More urgently now, since they had a window of opportunity to lose these guys. They probably got away safely. She was certain enough of that to not give it much thought, instead focusing on Johanna, who looked awfully pale now. Well, more than usual. She felt cold, too, but that could be due to the weather all around them.
[break][break]
Best to find her medical attention, fast. “Seems like we lost them. Hopefully, we run into someone I or you know next, if at all. I don’t think fighting is good for you in this condition, even if the Pokemon do it…” Granted, she did not know if this even was the kind of medical emergency that would be exacerbated by fighting. But, well, she would have left Jo stable and static, had that been an option. But they needed to get away from bloodthirsty people. “At least the bandage will keep us from leaving much of a trail anymore…” she briefly stopped, then grimaced. “Sorry, didn’t want to make light of your bleeding…”

[break][break]

+ Johanna Joy

[attr="class","pokeclass"]