“You think I don’t know that or something?”

June’s eyes rolled into the back of her head. She was not some kid blind to the circumstances. “I literally got attacked by Rocket earlier. Wasn’t fun. But this… isn’t fun either.”

Honestly? She’d rather get attacked than come down into these tunnels. Every time they submerged into the ground, she pressed her hands hard into her upper legs. By now, both body parts ached terribly. Tunnels were the worst. What if both entrances blew out? What if the whole thing collapsed right on top of them?

She’d rather be evaporated in five seconds of agony than slowly suffocate underneath a mountain of rubble. But she’d also rather have that happen than tell this geezer she had a fear of tight, enclosed spaces. “Don’t you think–”

Before her sentence got out, the dog growled and hopped off the cart. Furthermore, the sounds of people in the distance caught her attention. A trap, eh? Stupid Rocket. It made sense from a tactical standpoint, but still.

“What kind of trap you think we’re dealing with?” She whispered as quietly as possible. Not like they could avoid it, regardless of what it was. They’d have to disarm it. How, though…

A flash of light revealed a newcomer to the party: a Passimian. It emerged right next to her, and she put a hand on its head immediately. “No loud noises, Buddy. Got movement ahead. Be ready.”

It stared at her with a blank expression. Eyes as wide as they could go. Whatever. He didn’t need to be smart, he needed to be strong. As soon as Nikita signaled some attack or best course of action, they’d act on it. Just needed that signal…

---

Nikita Sokolov  

10 (Post) + 50 (Participation(I forgor to include it in the last post)) = 70 total MP

Of course June made Shred grab the rocks. She was getting paid aggressively below average to deliver the stuff in the first place. To actually grab them? Forget it. At that point, Howard could make the trip himself.

But it did feel a little wrong to watch him sweep up a massive pile of them into his arms and turn back. Did Howard not give clear instructions? Unfortunately, that was one thing she knew him to not fuck up. No way in hell he’d leave something like that up to their interpretation.

But did she care was the important question. As she watched the clearly hurt man close the distance, covered in blood, sweat, and goop, the answer to that was a resounding ‘no’. Howard could sort through the rocks himself. Surely the ones he desired were in that pile somewhere.

“Here, toss them in,” she held open her backpack. As soon as the last crumb of stone fell into the sack, she threw it back on her back. Finally. Only took them… too long.

“Climb on,” She jerked a thumb back to her Talonflame, “Let’s throw this shit into his stupid face. Almost excited to see the look right before it gets covered in a fuck ton of pebbles.”

So, the two rode off of the tower. One much worse for wear, one massively underpaid, and both equally pissed off at Howard. What a wonderful thing to bond over. Maybe they could form a club around such a concept. They could call it… the name would come to June. In time.

---

Shred

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)

Good news! By the time their ragtag group had reached the pits, June elected to take the fall on the back of her Talonflame. The pair still hovered around the others, in case of a swift fall and even swifter rescue. However, that soon proved to be unnecessary. A wild pack of Heatran made that very clear.

Bad news? She was one of the first to be targeted for their attacks. It was pure luck that saved their ass-- the use of Flamethrower meant that Matchstick could absorb most of the warmth of their initial barrage. Most.

But the good news? She could use this as an excuse to not keep going down into the caves! Fuck you claustrophobia!

"I'll try to bait the attacks, you guys either clear out or make sure I don't fry to a crisp up here," The delivery girl called out. As long as she left for dead, or attacked, or both, then odds were good that she'd make it out of this alive.

---

FIRE RESISTS FIRE, that's all I got.

However, they can't attack on account of them being prone to fucking dying. Evasive maneuvers!

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 

“Almost there, Matchstick, just a little longer,” June called out to her Talonflame. This had been their third delivery, but the cargo hadn’t gotten lighter in any of their supply runs.

But it was ‘vital’ that they move it as fast as possible. Item lists blurred together at this point, despite it being only the third delivery, but it had a lot of important stuff: first aid, foodstuffs, the works. Wars weren’t fought with broken bones or on empty stomachs, and proper supply lines were a luxury, it seemed.

At least the pay was fucking massive. Better be, anyway.

“What about you… what was your name again? Holding on?” she called over the wind that rushed around her. Even if the prospect of combat had been established in her mind, the concept of ‘teammates’ still felt weird—more respect than paying customers, but still less than friends. Acquaintance sounded off. Ally? That sounded war vibe-y. Fit the atmosphere, or whatever.

A sudden shift rocked the world and got her heart to skip a beat. Arceus above, even the altitude they rode at was awkward. Her contact had advised they avoid open skies so that they didn’t get expressly targeted by anti-air armaments. ‘Hug the ground as close as you can without barreling into the environment’. That was a great idea in theory.

Yet based on the way her bird suddenly twisted, they must’ve barely avoided smashing their crates against some obstacle. “You sure this is the best route? We’re one wrong move away from losing all the cargo at this height!”

---

Kazimir Wynter
MP Gained: 10(Post) + 50 (Participation)

Arceus above, this was boring.

June could only watch the scenery pass by as they rode to the next camp. Heavy boxes full of supplies weighed down the cart, enough to make the trip unfeasible by air (unless they wanted a pack of Corviknight to be the highlight of one particular Tinkaton’s day). Damn things caused problems even on a freshly emerged island like this one.

Whatever. Her Talonflame needed the rest, so there was little else to do but… ride. So, they did. At this point, she wasn’t sure time was real. It felt like they had been on this trip for hours. Her phone slid from her pocket and she looked at the clock.

It had been thirty minutes since they started. “Ughhhhhhh.”

Was it bad she wanted Team Rocket to emerge from their surroundings? If only to spice things up a little. How did people tolerate this? The temptation to slip in her headphones rose again. But that wasn’t allowed.

Stupid rules. Stupid cart. Could’ve been there by now if they just split it up between four different people.

“How much longer ‘til we get there?” June asked her companion. That marked the seventh time she asked that. “And how many more stupid tunnels do we have to go through? No way they’re faster than anything else.”

---

Nikita Sokolov
10 MP (Post)

Shred must’ve gained weight on their journey to the first floor. It’s the only explanation for why June progressively gets tired. By the time they reached the entrance-slash-exit and ran into the Turtonator, the delivery girl wondered if she was interrupting Arceus’ attempts to kill this man dead.

But before she could give the large dragon permission to murder her companion, it instead patted his head and shuffled to the side. “Well, that’s not what I expected. Thought you were done for, straight up.”

Arceus above, today was seriously not worth it. Howard was forbidden from doing this shit again. “Man, fuck Howard. Like to see his ass trekking through this stupid tower. Have to watch someone get attacked by several Pokémon. Drag your fat ass down several floors– no offense.”

Several more curses followed under her breath. As Gible grabbed onto the poke ball with abstract glee, she pulled Shred out the last few feet. Finally, the outside!

THUD. She dropped her companion for the second time and released her ride. A relatively massive Talonflame emerged. “Alright, Matchstick. Take us to the top, we’re done fucking around.”

But wait, what about–

WHOOOOOOOOOOO--

June mounted the bird, which grabbed Shred with one talon and the Gible with the other. Even with the additional burden of weight, each floor of the tower blurred together into a slurry of stone and windows carved from the stone. It took ages for them to get a fraction of the way up from the inside, but within a minute of a potentially terrifying trip, they flew up and above the top of the tower.

But to land safely, something had to give. The Gible bounced on the hard stone, not phased in the slightest as it tried to bite down on the poke ball. Did people bounce the same way? SPLAT.

Afraid not. June hopped down and scanned their surroundings. Sure were a lot of rocks, and even a few Pokémon. A pack of Flygon camped off to the side. She didn’t give them the opportunity to try and grind Shred to a paste, as a poke ball flew at the pack and smacked one on the back. The rest caught wind and flew off before they could be captured either. “You go get the rocks, I’ll make sure nothing tries to kill you on the way.”

-1 Poke ball, catch attempt on the Flygon.

---

Shred

RESURFACED TREASURE SIGN-UPS

OOC NAME: Rysa

CHARACTER: june sleigh  

FACTION: LEAGUE

PARTICIPATING IN DE FACTION RACE?: Y [break]

REPRESENTATIVE POKEMON:  

NOTES/COMMENTS: YOU WILL WIN YOU WILL HIT IT BIG GAMBLE MORE HIGH ROLLER 

Was this guy fucking serious?

"Are you fucking serious?" June asked the man.

Not because of the actual distance. Rather, the way they could get up there. Not with stairs, but with one of the half dozen flying-types she carried on her at all times. Like the one she rode to the damn tower in the first place.

"Ok, change of--"

Arceus above, this man had suffered enough! Probably. Maybe? Guess Shred could've been a real bastard in his spare time, and needed to be punished in front of others to add to the karmic justice. Or Arceus was a right bastard. 

Anyway, not important. Shred flew from her grip and landed on the floor, attacked once again by a Gligar. "Gible, help him out!"

The creature stared at the flailing, miserable man and then back to the rock it held. June could see it: that machine upstairs turned, gears brought to life for the first time ever. A newly built machine ready to do a lot of work for a long time. Help... him...

Gible pulled a stubby arm back and tried to throw the rock at the Gligar. It hit the ground well under half the distance, then barely bounced the rest of the way. June's shoulders slumped. God could curse this man to three wild Pokémon attacks in the span of five minutes, but couldn't grant even its tiniest child a crumb of motor skills.

Though, on second thought, Shred might've not had that either. Maybe it was a 'get it while it lasts' sort of thing.

And just as she thought to go and step in herself, another Pokémon stepped in the ring. A rambunctious Drakloak, with a tiny Dreepy on its head. She only knew it existed because it ran right into and through her. 

It was a terrifyingly cold feeling. The one you'd get moments before you went numb from hypothermia. Not a feeling she enjoyed, but the Drakloak thought hysterical. That awful emotion was soon replaced with a red-hot anger. "Oh, don't you act so fucking funny on me, asshole!"

Another Poke ball, another sphere that rocked on the ground. As that figured itself out, she walked over to Howard and tried to pull him up by his collar. "Alright, fuck this. We're going back to the first floor, we're riding Matchstick all the way to the top, and we're not going up a single damn floor. Got it, Mr. Insurance Liability?"

It wasn't Shred's fault that he managed to get on the nerves of literally every single wild Pokémon, but she was not about to get caught up in it. Even if she had to drag him down several flights of stairs and subject him to numerous vertical Gs as they swiftly rose the tower.

-1 Poke Ball: Catch Attempt on the Drakloak

---

Shred

"Hey, back off... her? Her!"

June attempts to scoop up the beach ball of a Pokémon after Shred tries to touch it. It goes just as well, and she lets go almost immediately. "Ah, fuck. Ouch!"

She inhaled sharply and examines the damage. Yea, that'll sting for a while. "Listen, you're just jealous because-- HOLY SHIT!"

As soon as the delivery girl directed her attention back to Shred, he had shouted his own expletives and proceeded to get absolutely obliterated by a monstrous Druddigon. Seriously, how had neither of them noticed? And the timing of it, too. Literally could not be a more perfect moment to have that happen.

Wait, she should try to help out! But how, how? No way in hell June dived in and tried to wrestle the Druddigon with him. She looked around the area, trying to see what would be worthwhile. Rocks, boulders, a Swellow that circled above the area...

"Wait, Gible! You're mine now! Go, use Tackle or some shit on that Druddigon!"

The good news? Gible was not the equivalent of a houseplant. It slowly twisted its nonexistent neck up to June and stared at her with that same blank expression. Bad news? That was as far as the stimuli went in terms of urgency. A thick globule of drool slowly made its way down the bottom corner of its mouth, the same that coated the piece of rubble stuck in its hands.

Good thing Shred managed to get that whole situation figured out on its own. "Well. Sorry about that. I did the best I could. Let's... get you to a hospital as soon as we finish this stupid thing, alright? We can send Howard the bill, if it'll make you feel better."

She pulled Shred off the ground this time and lugged him to the next flight of stairs, the Swellow still circling above. She ignored its caws and the nearly overbearing stench of blood, but did like the cute shuffle the Gible did as it followed its new trainer. One day, it'd evolve beyond eating rocks and drooling all over. Not today.

"So... any idea where Howard told you to get the stupid rocks? What floor? Also, what blood type are you? Might need a transfusion."

Despite Shred's injuries, she absolutely needed to get this job done. Otherwise, Howard wouldn't pay her and she'd have to strangle him. And she wasn't about to strangle Shred over who got to strangle Howard.

---

Shred

"Sounds... interesting," June pushed through her teeth. Arceus above, she really was like these two clowns. Almost down to the slapstick comedy routine that played out on the stairs. Not that it wasn't funny (after the fact, the entirety of that 'fight' had been comedy gold), but it left something to be desired. A lot, actually.

And right before she mentioned that at least SHE was being paid for this, the first poke dollar appeared. 'Shred' seemed pleased, but only grew more excited when he discovered it was not a lone unit of currency but a trail. Speak of slapstick comedy, where was the giant red 'X' on the ground that this guy would stand under, only to get an anvil to the head?

June only vaguely paid attention and followed the man as he cleaned the leftover 'debris' off the ground. Lost in her own head, and picked up right where Shred had left off. Where were these dumb rocks? She hadn't the faintest clue on where the hell to look, since Howard hadn't mentioned that part to her. And this Howard clone seemed preoccupied with--

Holy shit.

"Holy shit."

Who the fucked cared about some stupid rocks?! This was WAY cooler than any stupid old rocks could ever hope to be! June ran right past Shred, and right to--

No, right past the Gholdengo, which soon vanished inside a poke ball. If the delivery girl didn't care about the literal statue of money, then what could possibly get her attention? Nothing was better than a literal golden statue that shed money like Shred shed social awkwardness. Wait. What was that ball-shaped thing right behind the golden statue?

"Look, Shred, look! A Gible!" June pointed right at the creature and looked back to her companion, mouth agape. This... was a reference right? To those videos with the stupid thumbnails of the stupid looking people. She wasn't unironically popping off about a fucking Gible, right? One that sat in the corner, oblivious to the world around it. It was gnawing on a bit of the Sky Tower, a crumb from the main course. It didn't even react to the stimuli of Shred, nor June. Just one look into its big wet eyes told its story:

This creature had yet to conjure up a single sentient thought. It could feel nothing, as that would require the brain capacity to think. More like a plant than a Pokémon. Yet, June seemed enamored with the creature as she tugged out another poke ball and lobbed it. "I don't remember what you caught, but this thing is, like, ten times cooler!"

This was not a law of magnets situation. This was a law of dissolving things situation. And similar solutions dissolved into each other.

-1 Poke Ball. Catch attempt on the Gible

---

Shred

First this guy ignores Junes offer for help up, then he charges down a whole ass Goodra, and then he starts to get his shit kicked in. He claimed his name wasn't Sheldon, but this seemed like an aggressively Sheldon thing to do. Did Howard really ask this guy to do something vaguely important? Like did attract like. Did that mean June was like this too? 

She shuddered. Arceus above, please don't let her become like this man or Howard.

The god answered, but perhaps in a strange way. A strange flap, flap, flap sounded off further up the stairs. All the way from the next floor up. June looked skyward, only to see a progressively growing mass of black steel. A flying knight on the charge!

FLAP FLAP FLAP--

"FUCK," June quickly dove sideways, out of the Pokémon warpath. Howard and the Goodra didn't need to do anything, as they already wrestled on the ground. How the hell did a Corviknight get into the tower, and why was it on the offensive?

Even worse, she could hear the sound of its wing beats slowly grow closer yet again. Was it seriously coming back for round two?! One of them couldn't even win their own fight, let alone a two-versus-one! Maybe the two wild Pokémon would let her join their team. Sheldon would stand no chance against the three of them...

June slowly rose from the ground and shoved a hand into her backpack. A water bottle was traded for a poke ball. No, she told Sheldon she'd help him find the stupid rocks. Not only that, but business prospectives started formulating in her mind. Those things could carry quite a load. If she could catch this one, her delivery service could allow for massive packages! She could charge people so much fucking money for heavy packages, like the Hoenn Postal Service did!

So, when the Corviknight re-emerged from the bottom of the stair well, June stood firm. She chucked the ball as hard as she could, right into it's armored face. It had no time to dodge the red-and-white ball. It disappeared into the ball, around the same time that her companion managed to figure out that he could do the exact same with his own pokemon. Momentum carried it all the way up the stairs, directly onto the step June occupied herself. 

Their poke balls shook in unison...

-1 Poke Ball, catch attempt on Corviknight

---

Shred