Desert Refuge

"Huh. Not the strangest thing I'd heard of this week. It's like the berries from Wakanda. Anyway, if I can't understand him, is there a way I can learn Pokemon-ese? May as well if I can't find a way back home."

sanctufairy:

Unfortunately -- or maybe not -- Mikhail might eventually walk away from this conversation thinking Wakanda was a real place.

"Yes and no. It's not a language in the sense you may be used to. There's no dictionary or anything, but..." Mikhail pauses, "Most humans I've met have learned to understand very well through practice alone. And besides, a lot of our communication is nonverbal."

A certain Delphox stands outside the doors to the Aether Foundation, one hand holding a bouquet of flowers and the other adjusting a tasteful black bowtie around his neck. From what he's heard, someone should already be watching and listening to his every move even out here.

In the air, a strange glow consisting of lightning like crackles, glowing red, green and blue, starts to slowly spark up and grow, as a whirlwind gathers. A fogbank starts to condense, as if from nowhere, in the surrounding area as the lightning builds up more and more and swirls around the epicenter of the disturbance, the air seeming to almost pixelate as something happens, some stranger coming through.

Startled, a strange being, resembling a white-furred bipedal cat with big ears and a long tail, hides behind some rocks, observing the stranger from safety, studying him or her-it looked like a her-and mulling things over.

"Excuse me, but did you just come in from... the Analog-World?" The cat-like person asks, slowly approaching the stranger with cautious steps. This person strangely almost looked like a Digimon, but being from the other side, that casted some doubts on that assumption...

sanctufairy:

One moment, Mikhail was getting ready for a day of keeping watch and other duties at the Bastion... and the next, he's enveloped by some kind of blinding light that seems to overwhelm all his other senses - even his sense of time. To say he's disoriented when he comes to is an understatement, and it's a miracle he merely stumbles before regaining his balance.

"Ugh... my head..."

Thankfully, the pounding pain that has his ears ringing vanishes almost as quickly as it started. He blinks, straightens himself, and begins to look around. It doesn't take him long to notice the stranger, ears perking up at the sound of their voice. They're no species of Pokémon he recognizes, but that wouldn't be the first time, and they seem friendly enough.

Do you have a boyfriend?

Josie visibly relaxes at the comfort, shoulders returning to a relaxed posture and hands ceasing their anxious fidgeting to instead rest at her sides. At Mikhail’s question, though, Josie grins.

“Yeah! Was for like three years,” then her smile fades to a regular smile, “truth be told, I didn’t care for it much. I mean, I was fucking proud to be able to boast about my skill. But the fame that comes with it makes it impossible to do anything without the media wanting their say.”

sanctufairy:

The Delphox gives a thoughtful nod. “Fame isn’t everything it’s chalked up to be. My par-- trainer and I,” he quickly corrects himself, “had quite the reputation back in the day, too. People had impossibly high expectations.”

A sigh. “I know someone has to hold that honor, but I can’t imagine anyone doing so for more than a few years.”

Just then, the Gardevoir atop the ‘stage’ begins to speak... well, sort of. Her mouth doesn’t move, but a soft, feminine voice resonates through the mind of everyone present.

“Good morning, everyone. I hope you all slept well.”

When the second Pokémon appeared, Colette smiled and bowed slightly at him. "Hello, friendo. I take it you know Mik here?" She then turned to Mikhail. "You're telling me a guy gets that big from just eating berries?"

sanctufairy:

The Samurott returned the gesture, betraying a certain bodily stiffness in the process, before letting out another chuff and nodding to answer Colette's question.