#firephoenixfox

VAL: Hey! Thank you for the ask - I'm always excited to bring less central characters back. VAL: The last Arbok ask implied its plans changed as a result, though, and I wanted to clear something up. VAL: These responses will never be canon, but the information revealed always will be. VAL: The last Arbok ask didn't really happen, but it did independently change its plans for the reasons given. VAL: Just something to keep in mind! These "portals" are a framing device, nothing more.

Arbok notices the portal quickly. It looks around it, suspicious, and hushes its voice.

ARBOK: Greetingsss, sssussspiciousss flatterer.

It carefully picks up the croissant and flips it up in the air. It smacks the pastry hard with its tail, and it goes flying.

ARBOK: Here'sss my first sssecret finding: trust no one. Certainly not the godsss. ARBOK: Here'sss my sssecond: No one but the godsss can make portalsss like thisss one. Catching my drift? ARBOK: And one lassst ssspicy sssecret: Poissson typesss are not immune to poissson, merely resssissstant. ARBOK: I'm not ssstupid anymore, Hoopa. Watch your back. ARBOK: Unlessss you're here to ssshare some anssswersss of your own?

The moment you submit the message, a massive fist comes flying towards your face. You throw yourself to the ground. You feel a little silly, picking yourself up, for dodging out of the way of a computer screen. Then you remember tossing a croissant through it and it doesn't seem quite so silly anymore.

BLASTOISE: Huh? BLASTOISE: Oh, hey! Sorry about that, miss! BLASTOISE: Just doing some workouts.

You keep a comment about dropping the comma to yourself. If this terminal is like the last one, it probably doesn't support multiple inputs anyway.

BLASTOISE: Hm... I'll answer the easiest one first: five. BLASTOISE: You'd think that's nothing, but it's a lot! BLASTOISE: Just one is enough to clear spikes, which is mostly what it's for. BLASTOISE: Gotta keep spikes off when sparring with another team.

He flexes, you think. The gesture isn't really noticeable from this angle.

BLASTOISE: Speaking of, that's what I've been up to lately. BLASTOISE: I joined a guild team when I evolved, but we're not really there for the chores. BLASTOISE: Sorry, for the missions and the "helping the weak and needy." BLASTOISE: But nah, you know how it is. We're here for the food and the fighting. BLASTOISE: What more could a dungeon mon want?

He grins with pride and validation. The last two questions are good ones.

BLASTOISE: You've done your research, huh? Yeah, Scald and Roar are both TM moves for me. BLASTOISE: Expensive stuff. We take on the best-paying missions, and it pays off! BLASTOISE: I haven't met a Manaphy yet, no, but I've got something better: BLASTOISE: I've met a Phione. And not just one, but two. BLASTOISE: They were there to deliver a letter, to me!

Blastoise blushes and turns away.