STRIP ME TO THE BONE

ShadowXForce: Independent, mutuals only, highly selective, and headcanon heavy blog for Volo from Pokemon written by Noise (he/him or they/them). 21+ only. Activity is sporadic and very slow. Replies are done at random.

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[ 𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐍 ] ― sender and receive watch as something burns ( candles / a building / a campfire / etc )// (weird man who looks a lot like Some Dude you know walks up out of nowhere and watches ur campfire burn because mmm fire, perhaps? if this doesnt work tho np and just lmk!! im 100% available to plot or just do funny unprompted stuff whenever)

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Volo is no stranger to camping--or sleeping outside for that matter, even if, in more recent years, he's begun to prefer the comfort of a bed over the aching back he has whenever he sleeps on the ground. But there's still a part of him that finds being surrounded by the stars looming above on a clear night and the mystical sense of wonder that comes with seeing a forest slowly descend into silence for the night. So, occasionally, despite his countless connections, he chooses to set up camp in the woods instead of finding the nearest town to rest in. It's not always convenient to travel the few extra miles either, and that also happened to be the case tonight. And, truthfully, he preferred being alone. Pokemon centers were loud and crowded while hotels had an almost suffocating air about them he could only tolerate on the best of days. By nature, he was a loner. He find comfort in the company of the wind and dirt--it's what he knows; what he's always known--wandering for so many years without having, truly, a place to call his own.

So, with ease, he finishes pitching his tent for the night--a nice, roomy one that's firmly secured into the ground, before he turns back to Togekiss. "All finished here, have you managed to get a fire going-" he straightens out his back, and turns around to face his partner only to, well, come face-to-face with an eerily familiar visage that wasn't quite the one from his memory, but close enough to make his skin crawl as a shiver runs down his spine.

Noticing Volo's gave on herself and the...guest, Togekiss is quick to let out a desperate cry for her partner--one that echoes the confusion that had been tangled up in Volo's own voice as he had trailed off. Well, she had gotten the fire going at least, he supposes, but a fire is currently the least of his worries. Now he's met his fair share of odd people (one could even call him just a bit eccentric at times), but this is a first. With a sigh, he steps over the twigs and leaves littering the ground, hands on his hips. With the bright, orange glow of the fire illuminating the man's face, Volo can't help but think that resemble he taken note of is even more striking up close than it had been at a distance, but that's pushed to the very back of his mind for the time being. "Ah, hello there," he waves at him, a polite, but very clearly forced and painfully fake smile upon his lips. "Is there something you need?" His voice sounds equally as strained and unnatural. "And who exactly are you? And what exactly are you doing here?"

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A trickle of blood slowly cascades down his throat where teeth had pierced through his glassy skin, leaving a bright, crimson stain in its wake that stands out rather drastically against his fair features. Volo can feel the awkward and lingering warmth where it had rolled over his collarbones, and dyed the hem of his white collar with a splotch of red. The fabric sticks to his slick chest, and he lifts a hand to tug down the collar of his apron ever so slightly to avoid it rubbing against the newfound wound. But there's little change in his demeanor as a whole. His breathing is even, and his expression remains the same--that carefully constructed smile that is so well-practiced and fake that it's both eerie and unsettlingly in its own way. There's always something off about Volo--as if he doesn't belong.

Volo waves his hand dismissively to signal it's not a bother as he observes the other before allowing his gaze to wander to the collection of injured Pokemon he's managed to gather. While most of them appear rather frightened, they don't seem to harbor any doubts towards this trainer or himself--more so it seems that something spooked them. Even the uninjured Pokemon in the area were trembling with fear, and sticking close to one another. Ah, he can't say he's surprised. A quick glance around the forest reveals gashes in trees, torn branches, and trampled bushes. Whatever had come through here had certainly done so with ill-intent.

It's just as the rumors he's heard from his clients claim--some strange creatures seems to tear through an area, stripping it of precious resources, tearing the foliage to shreds, and ruthlessly attacking any Pokemon it comes across. Wild or otherwise. My it makes him wonder just what kind of Pokemon would purposefully cause so much destruction. For a moment, his hand lifts to press his index finger against his chin in thought as he mulls over what information he actually has. Regardless of its reasoning, there's little doubt it's something powerful. And oh the prospect of such a being excites him. It might pale in comparison to the all might Arceus's strength, but it only takes a pebble to set off a ripple.

"Of course, of course, I would be happy to help." While he might not be able to take this chance to line his pockets (a shame really, but his interests lie elsewhere for the time being--though that doesn't mean he won't try again when the chance arises, he has to make a living somehow; travel is hardly cheap these days), he's not one to overlook the chance to gather knowledge. "What a terrible fate these poor Pokemon have been forced to endure, it's rather noble of you to assist them like this. The townspeople were quite worried when I passed through, perhaps knowing that you're treating the injured will put their minds at ease."

There's still a part of him that's distrustful of wild Pokemon despite how much their relationship with humans has changed over the years, but he doesn't hesitate to quietly and carefully step over the trampled bushes to join the other. Shrugging his shoulders, he slowly rolls his impressive bag off of his back as he kneels down on the grass--still damp from the morning dew. There are few that would claim Volo a generous person, and his reasons now are selfish at best, but it's also evident he has experience working with wild Pokemon. Surviving amongst them for so many years, though not enjoyable, has given him more than adequate knowledge of the creatures, and how to handle them.

He waves Togekiss over with a flippant flick of his wrist, and she eagerly complies. Her desire to help the wounded Pokemon is genuine, at the very least. And she coos softly in an attempt to ease the trembling of a group of Starly, gingerly inching closer to nuzzle them with her own beak. The gesture elicits a faint smile from Volo before his expressions returns to the friendly, but terrible vain grin that usually paints his lips. With the smaller Pokemon having calmed down, and taken to hiding beneath Togekiss's wings, he reaches out gently to take one of them into his hands, setting it down softly on his lap as he examines its injured leg.

"I've heard these attacks are becoming more frequent," he mumbles as he runs his fingers along the Starly's back to distract it from the slight sting he knows spraying the wound with potion will cause. His voice, too, serves as a slight distraction for the curious Pokemon as it slowly begins to regain some of the confidence it had lost thanks to Volo's attention. "How frightening! I do pray that whatever is causing so much destruction can be dealt with swiftly." He finishes bandaging the now clean wound, and sets the Starly back down to rejoin its friends before coaxing another one out from the small nest of them that's formed beneath his partner's wings.