Vigor and Velocity

“Oh, forgive me...!” she spoke, before rising back onto her feet dusting off her... rather foreign-looking, snow-themed dress. This woman, she appeared to be a Jynx... primarily Jynx at least. She had curious white mask-like markings and periwinkle-like skin for such a breed,  Given her dress’s snowflake theme, it gave off vibes of Cryogonal, or Froslass...? She had a peculiar hairstyle; curtained at both sides but mostly over her right, and a broad ponytail that’s somehow split at the top. Moreover, she had faintly blue-tinted glasses and blue lip coloring.

“Oh gosh,” Ambrosia called out as she glanced at the icy girl, “Didn’t hurt yourself, didja luv?”

Meanwhile, Onyedi just kept his glance at the other girl, unwavering. “... And you are...?”

It was at that moment that a small snowflake-like... Pokemon? Was THIS a Cryogonal? Whatever the case may be, it was quick to rush to her side via floating, hanging quite closely. It seems to be attached to her.

“You must be new here in Corpus Caprine. Forgive me, I was just making my way back to my apartment,” she explained as she leaned forward and bowed, seemingly emphasizing her apology. “I was in a rush due to overtime from my profession, I hope you understand.

“So you ARE a citizen then,” Onyedi questioned while merely raising a brow, “Am I wrong?”

Ambrosia glanced up at Onyedi with a pout. “Don’tchu think you could’ve accepted her apology first and given your name before asking for help, luv?”

Meanwhile Xiulan merely smirked and held hand over her mouth. “It’s no trouble, really. You would be correct, I do live here, but I haven’t lived here for very long. I moved here for my job. Why do you ask?”

“We’re in need of a room to rent for the night. Do you know of any inns or hotels?”

“Oh! Absolutely!” She chimed, all while the Cryogonal seemed to be enthralled by these strangers, particularly  the Conkeldurr. The Frosjynx pointed down a block where such housing businesses could be seen. “Follow this path and you shall find your way to shelter, I assure you!” Xiulan reassures with a cute clasp of her hands. “Anything else?”

“No, that will do. You have my gratitude,” he replied. The icy Pokemon seemed to be at peace with that answer, as she began to wave off the strangers.

“Hope you and your shoulder-riding friend get a good rest! You look really tired, you want to make sure you’re well-slept for when the sun smiles on you!”

“Hrm?” Onyedi was a bit confused on that last bit, as Ambrosia was walking on her own earlier. He looked to the right, and sure enough, she was there.

“... Must you do this so often?”

“Not really, but I have to save my strength! You know how easily this Adamant crystal burns energy?” she chimed, twitching her ears.

“Hrm... well, next to me you weigh very little, I didn’t even feel you hop on. No harm done I suppose...”

And with that, the girl giggled and waved to the both of them one more time before she made her way down, beckoning to her baby Cryogonal to follow her. Onyedi and Ambrosia returned her polite gesture in their own ways as they met all the hospitable facilities...

...

Closed.

Closed.

Booked reservations.

Booked reservations.

Closed.

‘Under investigation, do not cross.’

Closed.

“Nnnngh...” Onyedi growled, balling his mechanized hand into a tight aggravated fist. “Just our luck...”

“Aw rubbish, that’s no good,” remarked Ambrosia as she fit an awkward smile and rubbed the back of her head. The two fighting types leaned against a wall, disappointed in their own ways over how their day’s been going. Lots of walking, danger, fighting, with little rest and food in between. It hasn’t been  their day, to say the least. “Well, let’s not give up! Certainly there’s one out there that can take us in!”

“Hrm... problem is we don’t know this area... it’s a grand city, yes, but how many corners must we turn to be greeted with denial?” Onyedi pinched his forehead, exasperated and under stress. Ambrosia merely patted his arm and tried to cheer him up.

“Why don’t we take a moment to rest here then? Catch our breaths at least? A brief break will get us back up and kickin’ soon, then we can try again!”

“... Very well...” Onyedi complied, he was in no mood to argue, plus it was a sound strategy for the time being. The muscled man overlapped his arms and leaned his back into the inn’s outer wall, while the bright yellow jackal spun in place for a bit before plopping down on the sidewalk, arms in her lap and legs crossed at the ankles, swaying cutely side to side.

And then it started to rain.

“...”

“...”

“... why don’t we rest under the entrance canopy?”

“I come from a small tropical settlement in a land overseas from Ghalidor. Humid, and dangerously steeped in through the the feral wilderness of the jungle, yet ripe with colorful plant life and gifted with various fruit from Mother Earth. It’s also blessed with a sparkling blue ocean miles from it where we not only used it for trade, but for fishing. It’s name? Chibuogu.”

“It means ‘God is my strength,’ and is NOT a settlement for the faint of heart. while it appears beautiful, the only wild sustenance one can attain from there are strictly fruit and meat. Most plants there are irritable to the skin at the least, and a threat to life at worst, with very few viable as medicines. Moreover, the more feral Pokemon that lurk within the trees and brush will not hesitate to take advantage of lost adventurers and intruders, should you not be tested by my people upon reaching our home. With how often we are surrounded by danger, we almost never take kindly to strangers. Only trusted trading partners would be allowed to pass without trial.”

“You might not guess this as such from a glance, but I believe in a specific virtue, stemmed deep into the my people’s way of life.

In a small, isolated settlement where the population is miniscule, access to only the most basic of medicines, and being primarily left to the elements to fend against, one must rely on self-improvement, instinct, and skill to remain on top of whatever life brings to you. Might… strength… that is a golden goal amongst my people, achieved only by coming on top of conflict and trials. We take pride in our accomplishments and having our home remain the way it is so long with what little we have, but it is not all we believe in.

For those who lack it, when we’re already struggling to maintain a healthy living with a small populace, we see only misfortune if we simply do away with the weak. We realize there’s potential in more than merely muscle…

We needed teachers. Doctors. Leaders. Fathers, mothers, to keep society together, as well as our warriors and guards. Feed the hungry, so they have the energy to grow strong. Teach the dull, so they know of consequences and develop their skills. Lead the lost, so they may find the courage to lead their own lives again.”

“… And that moment before I… ugh… ‘agreed’ to becoming partners…”

“… was such a scenario that would go against what I was taught from my homeland. She clearly has potential, but she is a lost soul such as I. I suppose you could say I–”

“Felt sorry for me??”

“GAH!”

“ … how long have you been on my shoulder?

“Long enough to hear just about everything~! D’aw, so ya really do care, don’tcha? You aren’t so bad after all, Onyedi!”

“Don’t let that way of thinking cloud your already jumpy judgment. I still have my own job to do, and you just happened to be someone that could use direction as much as I could. In any case, this matter is over.” Onyedi walks off after setting Ambrosia down again for the umpteenth time, letting out a huffed growl. Meanwhile, the Lucario could only snicker at the Conkeldurr.

“I’ve gone through several in my life,” he responded firmly. “One of the elders of my home village, the one that taught me and my people the essentials and advanced methods of combat, was nothing less of strict. A woman whose will of steel that even pure might would be halted by, and would snap back harder at those that couldn’t live up to her expectations. And yet, she knew what she was talking about; those who stayed rose to the top as honorary warriors, while the others walked away, forced to cleanse off their warrior markings out of shame.”

“Then there were the commanders of Ghalidor’s force when I moved away from my old home, to serve as a fighter for their fleet. It was what I came to expect… strict. Precise. Demanding. Grueling, and with an unforgiving schedule of energy management… but I had weathered worse, and it only made me stronger. But now…”

The Conkeldurr let out an almost primal growl of irritation, clenching his unarmored hand into a very compact fist, the massive knuckles popping.

“ … I currently serve under one spirit woman. A ruling figure whose underground domain I had the misfortune of wandering into when merely trying to find the shortest route to the next proper settlement through a network of mountains out in the arid areas…” The meaty pugilist’s fists trembled from frustration, “… this soul had a grudgingly convincing means to have me serve her. She’s not keen on unwelcome visitors, even accidental ones, but was willing to let me go in exchange to serve as a body guard and surveyor of the upper lands for her. She says sending her undead compatriots would cause an upset, yet no one would so much as suspect NOR dare challenge me if I took their place.”

A shake of his head followed before he spit to the side, the frustration of his situation displayed clearly on that dark, narrowed, monstrous glare.

“This woman even offered me proper payment in gold for my trouble once she deems my tasks complete… As much as it boils my blood to be tangled up in such a mess, the offer was tempting. This heir knew how to draw her cards. As for her name…?

“It was some time after I wound up on this land, as a result of sailing gone wrong. New territory, , no clue of where to go. Naturally I did my best to ask strangers where the next civilization would be to seek aid. I explored through forests, caves, underground mazes, became entangled in… unsavory mishaps, but still found my clues of where to go next.” The Conkeldurr grit his teeth when he hesitated on that note of ‘unsavory mishaps,’ as if that was putting it as lightly as possible to the point he felt like it couldn’t be done justice. A deep exhale left his nostrils before continuing.

“Once I set back out through the lands, I scaled a mountain range as a shortcut to proper civilzation, and as I went over the ranges… naturally, I fought through dangers. Dragons, massive insects, whatever perils lurked on those heights… I fought through. It was not long before I had  to weather a trial of Haxorus, which ruled this range. As I went in for the charge… that was when… something surprising occurred.”

“She…” Onyedi glanced over at Ambrosia, who just smiled, hopped a bit in place and waved before turning back to Kelviks,” … literally glowed, flashed into view between me and the dragon. It was a pillar of light, like a beam from the heavens, if but for a second… leaving a confused girl. Needless to say, it only made the scenario far more chaotic.” The Conkeldurr growled and clenched his fist from the frustration, as this was when it only became worse for the metal-armed brawler.

“Thankfully… she was a quick one. She stayed out of the way and even somewhat contributed to the fight, if hesitant due to her own confusion, allowing me to triumph over the reigning creatures of the mountains. Of course… I wasn’t leaving alone, much to my dismay.”

Ambrosia merely looked on with a cute shuffling pose and lowering her ears, forcing an awkward laugh.

“Ambrosia would… NOT… STOP… BOTHERING ME… TO TAKE HER WITH ME.” This was when Onyedi began to scowl, as Ambrosia could barely contain her guilty giggling. “She tailed me to the bottom of the mountains and through the trees, whining and even trying to stop in front of me to tag along since I ‘looked like I knew where I was and where I was going.’ She needed to know more about where she was, claiming she went through a faulty ‘Time Slip’ where she was from. Yes, ‘Time Slip…’ don’t let sink in too far.” The painted Conkeldurr just rolled his eyes as he continued the story.

“It was then I realized she was in a similar scenario as I… a stranger to this land, but in her case, it seemed to stretch beyond time… SOMEHOW. Either way, as pitiful as it was to hear, I had my own problems to solve, and it didn’t make it any less ridiculous. Thus I grew fed up with her insistent pleas. It reached the point where I grabbed her by the face and threw her through the trees…”

“ … only for her to ‘flash’ not only back to me, but clinging to me.”

“It’s called ‘Blinking,’ luv!”

“Whatever,” dismissed the fighter before resuming. “I figured  this was no more than a trick, so I repeated the process… but only to see her do this once more…” Onyedi grumbled, tightening both of his fists… “… and that was when I lost it. I wanted to strike her, my anger could barely be contained.”

“I swung. I chopped. I swatted. I swept, but that was when her powers revealed themselves even further as she was avoiding my attempts to hit her. She was not only quick…”

He paused, as if recalling something… extraordinary. Supernatural.

“ … But lightning quick.”

“It was like having spirits dance around you in a panic, as if they were in danger…” before rearing over and glancing back at Ambrosia, “… or being like a FLY, but WORSE.”

“Heyyyy, I was just preserving myself! What did you expect me to do?”

“Hrmph,” grunted the giant before facing Kelviks. “Needless to say, I still attempted to catch her, still tried to swat at her, punch her, even when she was on my person… I came close, but ultimately, it ended up in a less-than-satisfactory conclusion…”

“ …. as well as conceding for the time being. I grew fed up playing her game of ‘Catch Me If You Can,’ and agreed to tag her along as an escort to the next town, at the very least.”

The yellow Lucario looked like she was fighting so hard not to laugh, paws up to her muzzle. “It was q-quite an eventful day for the two of us!”

“Eventful… is putting it lightly,” Onyedi added, shaking his head  as he scoffed. “I didn’t need to waste more time on frivolous things. I still have my own agenda to attend to as well, you know this.”

“Mm-hm! Yep, hear ya loud and clear, mate! I’ll follow ya for as long as deemed necessary, promise!”

The Conkeldurr shook his head. He wasn’t sure if that will be the case, who knows if she’ll stick to her word? Onyedi was hoping she might find someone else to tag after once this is all over. He can’t see themselves staying partners for long... or at least, not at the moment. In any case, he rolled his eyes before looking at the steel Golisopod once more.