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"Yes, I make it obvious, don't I?" Kaida chuckled under her breath, despite how obvious it was, she wouldn't have been surprised if he concluded "social awkwardness" instead. [break][break]

Lars talked of the necessity of sometimes living in the wilds, and Kaida nodded, grunting her agreement. "It's quiet out there. It's just familiar to me." Her own want to be in the wilds was a more personal reason, a portion of an untamed heart surrounded by beings she knew wanted to live where they had grown up. What was she supposed to do, keep them crammed in Pokeballs or a PC? She took the food gratefully, taking Lars' invitation to eat with gusto. Hunched over with only the sound of silverware clunking against the plate and the sounds of eating, Kaida was already half-way done by the time Lars found his way back. [break][break]

"I'm not going anywhere." Kaida mumbled around her food. Before, it was because she would always be after her next job, now it would be to try and avoid too many important eyes, "We usually live near Slateport. There's a shrine I like sleeping near." It felt familiar for some reason, "Never had a reason to have a home like this...they live free where I can find them, and I guess I'll use this to travel a little with Muspel here." She nodded at the young Charizard, munching on her food and tilting her head as she heard her name mentioned, "If you need a job done, or something happens, I'll come as soon as I can."

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Kaida jerked as Lars suddenly spoke up, looking up as if the idea of seating on the couch hadn't been on her mind. "I'm just...participating, I can't eat with them but I can be with them?" Nonetheless, she raised back up and onto the offered couch. She inwardly cringed, she'd been all over the place and changing clothing hadn't exactly been a priority, she hoped she didn't dirty the couch, what a thank you that would be...and a costly one. [break][break]

"I haven't eaten in a home that often." She offered the information easily enough and, smelling the food nearby, was more than a little regretful that she likely wouldn't be doing this too often. "It's a little strange."



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"Thank you." Kaida managed to hold up the bag of Pokefood, noting to herself that the bag smelled like canned food, a sort of processed scent. That was fine though. Food was food. "Muspel. We will be flying afterwards, do not gorge." The Charizard groaned but nodded in understanding as she doled out usual portions to her Pokemon. They could all last a while without too much, but the more, the better. The Charizard got the final portion. Usually she would eat two bags of the stuff, but today she would make do with what was left in the bag. [break][break]

"Scrambled!" She called back, excitement clouding her cheeks red even if her face stayed steadily calm. Then, suddenly, she sat, straight down. If Lars even offered a cursory glance to her, he'd see the woman seated on the floor, head drooping like all the seriousness, and the seriousness she had been holding herself to, was simply exhausting her.



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Kaida left the two Charizards to their play, turning her back on them as Muspel became a blur of orange movement, streaking up the hill and stopping, waiting, eager. If they raced, she could train in flying. As long as the gravestones and general area was undamaged, Kaida couldn't find a reason to even try and control her Pokemon. [break][break]

At Illeana's greeting, Hema butted her head forward, seeking some sort of affection from the clearly empathetic woman, "She likes you, I think." Kaida's face pulled back in a grin, a rare expression from her. Illeana didn't feel dangerous, or even a trickster, none of Kaida's instincts were going off. She couldn't be afraid for no reason. [break][break]

Cue a reason. Kaida whirled and started pacing, disguising her anxiety as excitement. Head Scientist. Did that count as someone to avoid? Only as long as she gave her no reason to tell of her location, maybe. Gods above, I am not built for trickery. If only whatever had saved her gave her the natural instinct and cleverness all humans seemed born with. Whatever. She still had her instincts, and Illeana still felt safe. "That's very good...I wasn't awake for the end of the incident...even if the tree died, it's good to have information. I'd like to know if there was something like this somewhere else." She shook her head at Illeana's own self-deprecating comments, "If you waited, the tree would be dead." That was the only conclusion Kaida would ever make, the enemy was already there, "If anyone was useless, it was I...because I made it worse." The roots were down where the enemy was, and with one Sludge Wave, she had likely poisoned the tree, "It's just the truth, it was me, I'll have to be faster...think more next time." [break][break]

She finally stopped pacing, animalistic snarl that almost resembled a smile on her face, there was one last way she could have helped, like Kaida, "You probably let someone else not die. Even just a little help..." It pained her to speak kindly for her next words, but it wasn't like everyone hated the man, "I saw Fernando there...hmph, if he was alone, the enemy might have killed him. Better to think like that, a herd adds protection, even if it's prey that doesn't know, or even like each other." And who knows if he would come back like me?

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Kaida pats Muspel on her side, a sort of release for the great drake. Go ahead and play. Instantly, she lunges forward, bobbing her head and chittering a friendly sound. Much like a dog bowing, the message became clearer as she hopped in place, play was both asked for and welcomed. [break][break]

"We were injured, not like you though," Not a lie, and Kaida leaned away as if her left out information might somehow show up on her face. "Hema changed afterwards, I'm not sure why." She indicated to her now off-color Seviper, who studied Illeana in a way only a snake could, "Say hello, I partnered with her, Hema." a little chirp came from the Seviper. "How about your-..." Kaida suddenly cut herself off, Illeana was in Mt. Pyre, the Pokemon graveyard...there had to be something better to talk about than the well-being of a team she rapidly figured out must have not survived, at least one.[break][break]

The tree also died. [break][break]

Quite suddenly, she reversed, leaning back forward. Stupid. You don't have a way with words. Selfish. To use an ally like this, apologies, but she did have to know what was with the tree, "What did you come to Littleroot for anyway? I...was just there to protect it, I didn't think about it much...did you get anything out of it?" She still wasn't quite sure what Illeana was, but she was certain she was a little more important than her, at least within the League.

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Kaida didn't like to think fate was deciding their actions, but then, what else could this be? A string pulling them together whenever some whimsical mind pleased? [break][break]

Her team whirled towards a snarling, a situation that defused nearly instantly as the two Charizards wagged like overgrown puppies. "Illeana?" Perhaps it was insensitive, but she hasn't thought about what happened to the other woman ever since she vanished during the incident at Littleroot. It just seemed natural to assume she escaped, psychic Pokemon were masters at that kind of thing. With...everything, it had been too much to ask to even think about an ally of hers. [break][break]

In any case, it wasn't quite clear whether a fond rumble was coming from Kaida or her Pokemon, all approaching like a singular entity. "Well...I'm-I'm doing well, you lived!" It wasn't a lie, her life hadn't really dropped in quality, and she was simply happy her former partner had survived so far. [break][break]

Ormr and Hema leaned forward, tongues flicking curiously as a scent of pain or blood still came from the woman, and Kaida drooped as if they had spoken to her, "But you were hurt." She remembered the woman had taken an attack and clearly it still lingered, unlike her.

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The next Pokemon that charged forward, Kaida thought maybe they had hurt the Croagunk's friend, roared in a sort of fury, raising a fist to ram into Glima. [break][break]

Even resting, a simple move was not difficult to launch for Muspel. In one instant, she launched an Air Slash...and that was the end of it. "Glima. Get back here. We're leaving soon." Kaida warned half-heartily.

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"Muspel?...Muspel!" An already dangerously bumpy ride suddenly plummeted downwards, the young Charizard had plenty of endurance, being easily capable of flying across the region, but her control was still tenuous. They weren't even here for any particular reason, simply keeping up some movement near enough to civilization, so Kaida fearfully looked about, wondering if she was diving from some threat. Even as they slammed onto the ground, and Kaida leapt off, she was still on the edge of fear. "Muspel, what is it!?" [break][break]

A low, sheepish rumble came from the Charizard, and she relaxed disappointingly. They had landed someplace near the bottom of Mt. Pyre, and the draconian lizard was looking towards the peak. Even with wings, she had never escaped the joy of walking. A long breath left Kaida, her hand cradling her head as it drooped. "We'll...just call it training." Her tolerance of the insubordination only increased at the beast's sharp-toothed grin, "Don't go far from me. Be careful." [break][break]

This was a place where the dead rested, how ironic, but it would do good for them. A good place for respect. Two Pokeballs released Ormr safety around her neck and Hema to slither beside her. A simple defensive measure. She didn't know much that would attack a frolicking Charizard, but the steel-eyed Ekans and strange colored Seviper were a countermeasure to anything too reckless. [break][break]

"Lead the way, my Muspel."

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Oh dear. [break][break]

Another Croagunk squared up to Glima, croaking dangerously as his own hands shone a poisonous light. Glima didn't back down, hopping in place with her trademark Swagger. At this point, Muspel rumbled in concern as the two darted towards each other. Kaida shook her head, let Glima have this. [break][break]

Confused and taunted, the other Croagunk swung wildly, no doubt hurting his arms whenever he missed. Poison Jab barely hurt it, but Glima was building on the damage...and then he managed a Headbutt right into Glima's face, and Kaida knew it was over as she reared back a Revenge. [break][break]

On contact, he tumbled away and disappeared into vegetation, a victorious yell from Glima as she realized she won. Kaida and Muspel clapped because, honestly? Good job.

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Plans never went the correct way, now did it? [break][break]

A little monkey dropped from a vine, hanging in front of her face and...it was a different color. Kaida blinked as it presented its fists forward, expectingly, smiling as she raised her own hand. Before she could even decide what to do with her own fist, it bumped it's fist to hers, an adorably friendly gesture. "Hmm, you like people, don't you? Do you, want to go out?" [break][break]

The little Chimchar exploded in glee, like it was just waiting for the question. Among its screeches, Kaida shrugged and took out her last Safari Ball for the little one. Fine then, her own needs didn't need to outdo the little one's ambitions. As it vanished into the Ball, she wondered who would take the little one, she would need to make sure they were good for it.

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Kaida wasn't sure what else they could do to the car, in all honesty. Maybe they could melt it down, reduce it to nothing but Grimer feed? [break][break]

Kaida felt her balance lurch as sound stumbled in and out, leaving her stumbling for footing, Jotun too. Only Bragi and Ormr were fine, Bragi being accustomed to such moves, and Ormr heard in a different manner. He also couldn't stumble much and found he could still aim. As if to make sure they couldn't say they didn't wreck the car, he spat out another Acid Spray. The car was a ruin, a poor relic of brutality. [break][break]

|ZYObBMo

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