[attr="class","icon"]

That laugh cuts through them, shivering through their bones like a sharp winter wind. They steel against it, against the words they are too scared to acknowledge as their own fears thrown back in their face.[break][break]

“I know enough.”[break][break]

In actuality it didn’t feel like much at all. Alexei only raised fair points as vicious as he sounded–all snarls and accusations. Fern had never felt anything like this before. He was as new to the experience of loving someone genuinely as…well, no. They didn’t know for sure if Jayden felt the same.[break][break]

The point was, it still felt like enough. They were learning, nothing about it was linear or neat. The whole thing had been messy and all over the place, but it had been right.[break][break]

They still winced back as their standing was questioned, their loyalty.[break][break]

Maybe he wasn’t wrong. Fern had always been the most loyal to themself before they’d joined Rocket, and for a while, even after.[break][break]

Acidic words worm their way into their mind, and settle there. Take up residency.[break][break]

'you, my little duck, do not have it.'[break][break]

What if they don’t? What if–[break][break]

Shoving at him feels good. “Shut up!”[break][break]

With Astlik freed, Medb trills and joins the other dragapult in slashing out at Alexei as Fern stumbles back, breath ragged as they finally chance a glance back to where Jayden lays.

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Fern was admittedly curious about Alexandria. A few trips to the Border hardly divulged much about the rocket beast, which he supposed was a plus for her, but less so for him. The last he’d seen of her, she’d been chasing her own shadow and snapping at jayden cross which was…mm, maybe not great, but she showed a strong sense of autonomy. In his opinion, this was good, even if the short-lived spat had left his partner ruffled and irritated with her.[break][break]



So from the onset, perhaps she was already in better standing with Fern than he was with her. “You know, you could always just ask me questions instead of eyeing me like I might lunge at you any moment,” he remarks after an extended silence. Ahead of them, his mimikyu sneaks through the shadowy corners of the deep sea–alert for any sign of opposition. Which could prove to be a beneficial setback against the league if they successfully stole the fake stone being carted.

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With the froslass abandoned to assist with the infestation, she surges forward–weakened but not deterred from leveling another attack at the frozen dragalge. She knows the intention that Fern called her out with, the need to not back off of the attack. With sweeping arms, the froslass pulls from the drip of stalactites above to send a piercing ICICLE CRASH down on the inert dragon.[break][break]

“Feisty! Excellent!” At least for the sake of a spirited battle. Fern looks up at the cavern ceiling as fissures split stone and light the closed space with blustery heat of flame.[break][break]

As the meteors drop, though, they realize it’s time to recalculate the duration of their stay. One clips Medb on the flank, sending the pair spinning out through the dense air. They cling to her neck as they flip upside down in the twist–hanging on to avoid the drop. [break][break]

Their world twists and turns in a blur before they’re eventually righted again. Fern whirls, trying to ensure they keep their eyes on the other. Medb dizzily fires a beam of energy, the DRAGON PULSE poorly aimed at the other dragalge attempting to rinse away the infestation[break][break]

It’s not nearly so bad as the fate that meets their froslass. As it watches vectis for a reaction or sudden movement, one of the stray meteors shadows her. Weakened from the other dragalge’s dragon pulse, she’s not quick enough to dodge as the lump of burning rock crashes down and crushes the icy ghost underneath.

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“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.

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They seem to strike a nerve and the reaction cracks like lightning across Alexei’s face. Fern smirks as a flush of pride sweeps through them–short lived as it is. “You don’t decide what I’m capable of.”[break][break]

Maybe it’s their saving grace that they never know to leave well enough alone. Audacious enough to refuse to back down. Maybe it’s their downfall instead.[break][break]

Blue eyes follow the slinking movement of his steps, a harsh laugh meeting the taunts Alexei shoves at them. “What do you know of love? Nothing, obviously.”[break][break]

'too bad he's not capable of love. we burned it out of him.'[break][break]

They pause. He doesn’t know anything. Distrust flares up in their chest as Alexei spews all of the things that Fern wants to hear the least back at them. Their own insecurities and fears parroted at them in a voice they can’t stand.[break][break]

Jayden didn’t say it back. But that doesn’t mean anything, it doesn’t.[break][break]

Right?[break][break]

Right?[break][break]

Their gaze snaps to Jayden’s dragapult, to the binds that pull her tight. “Brigid! The bindings–quick!” they hiss at their goodra. She surges forward, lashing out at the vining ties that wrap around Astlik with a BREAKING SWIPE.[break][break]

Then Fern turns back toward Alexei. Both of their hands lift to push the older Volkov back, square on the chest. “You’re wrong!”

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Fern pumped a fist in the air when Marza relented. "Ha! No way, you just didn't stand a chance against my obvious bowling skills." It was mostly harmless goading given the fact that Marza was so very cranky that he'd managed to best her. At least it wasn't a fist fight or an arm wrestling match. In those cases, he would've been toast.[break][break]

He collected the earnings of their bet with greedy fingers, before pocketing it all as his pokemon returned to collect their own rewards. Fern rolled his eyes at his friend, then tossed the goodra and typhlosion a couple treats. "Oh, okay sure. Whatever you say, Marzy." But he wouldn't hold her to that. Maybe.[break][break]

"Onward and upward!" Fern chirped as he stepped toward the rift to head through, then turned back to Marza with a cheeky wink. "No more fumbles~"

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It all sets up the perfect distraction.

With the leaguer and his Pokémon distracted by the potential disaster, there’s no chance to interfere with their escape route. Fern wheezes, head still spinning from whatever it was the little punk had done to them.[break][break]

After the chaos she had unleashed, Nim returns to Fern’s side where he manages to swap her for their gengar. The spectral Pokémon hovers around them, keeping watch with an unnerving grin.[break][break]

Perhaps John Sullivan would recognize this particular Pokémon from the group scrap at the edges of the Border—the one who had gone after his own Pokémon with a ferocious FOCUS BLAST.[break][break]

Now she waited in silence for the command that Fern still struggles to give. They won’t be swept up and coddled, no. They refuse to go out weakly. So despite the continuing pain that lances through them, they force themself to stand and give the young man a mocking salute before snapping their fingers.[break][break]

“Thank you for your commendable service~ Really, such an honor,” they call out in a falsely earnest tone. Only to drop backward into the opening their gengar creates through PHANTOM FORCE, and then wink out of sight.[break][break]

They’ll catch their breath elsewhere, thanks.

[attr="class","bottom"]John Sullivan [break]



clash 3/3![break]

SPOILER: Click to show

+ thread participation (50mp) + ic post x6 (60mp) + use of poison barbs (10mp) + use terastralization (10mp) + knock out an opponent’s Pokémon (10mp) + complete a mission (100mp) + tie a mission (250mp) = 490mp

[break]

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“Am not, I’m legit.” They flexed for good measure. It was pretty pitiful, in all honesty. But they had enough bluster to sail right over that. Besides, Fern was also enjoying the battle—slipping into the rush of it the longer things carried on. And he could respect Marza’s brutality and competence in a fight, if only because it often proved to cover his flashier habits in battle.[break][break]

As Brigid tore through a feisty espeon with another BREAKING SWIPE, Nim unleashed a fury of ROLLOUTS in a string of rangers, one by one. They clap their hands together as the group falls like a succession of dominoes. “Better keep up, Marza darling!” Fern calls back over their shoulder to the beast, their smile smug.

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“He’s not dead.”[break][break]

Fern continues to look directly at Alexei. They can’t look back. They can’t fall for it. It has to be a trap.[break][break]

They step closer to the supposed apparition until they’re toe to toe with him. “It sounds like to me…” they drawl, chin tipping up further as their head tilts and gaze turns flinty, “is that you’re a jealous little brat.”[break][break]

As Fern speaks, their voice takes on a babyish tone. Mocking and snide. “And you can’t stand the fact that you didn’t get your daddy’s undivided attention.”[break][break]

Their sneer is sharp and undaunted.[break][break]

“Did that just burn you so bad?”

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“Mmmm, no I’ll pass. My generosity’s worn off.”[break][break]

Alarmed by the sudden bang! Fern’s typhlosion darts to the side. They also backstep a few times, but it does little to pull them out of view.[break][break]

The shot came unexpectedly, too quick to duck away from. An attack that makes it mark with dead aim, pain flares from the center of their chest and then curls through them like a sudden, crippling chill. With a yelp, they drop to a knee–hand clawing at their chest as heavy dread thrums through them. “The hell was that?” Asked through gritted teeth.[break][break]

What they should do now is call one of their other pokemon forward for a little vanishing trick. But the unexpected debilitation clouds their quick thinking. Wild eyes rove the area, and land on some townies that emerged from their home to see the cause of their shattered windows.[break][break]

“Rollout!” When they manage to point from where they kneel on the ground, it’s not at the wigglytuff, or even their primary opponent. It’s directed toward the civs, instead.[break][break]

Before she draws back to her trainer’s side, the typhlosion follows the order without hesitation and turns the sudden rolling attack to barrel straight toward the couple.

[attr="class","bottom"]John Sullivan [break]



clash 3/3![break]

SPOILER: Click to show

+ thread participation (50mp) + ic post x5 (50mp) + use of poison barbs (10mp) + use terastralization (10mp) = 120mp

[break]