oh my god maxie who invited you

[oceansbane]

[Those who are familiar with the island may remember a beach on the southern side, one that overlooks the Hoenn region; usually it was quiet, sometimes there were people, sometimes it was fairly quiet even with the people, and sometimes the people would come back to this place to try to sort out what they'd lost.

Now seems to be one of the latter times; there's someone crouching down near one of the rocky outcroppings, fingers of his left hand buried in the sand for support. The ocean's rolling in this evening, soaking the long edges of his coat, asymmetrical red-and-black standing out against the starkness of the rocks and the darkness of the waves.

The first thing that he'd noticed about this place is, perhaps stupidly, that his coat has been fixed.

One of his sleeves had been torn off back home, the jagged edges flying loose and frayed at his side if he moved too quickly; not much else seems to have changed, as far as he can tell. He's still hungry as hell and his hair is a mess, and he's twitching quite a bit as he tries to get his bearings.

He's been here before.

Oh, not recently, he doesn't think; the last thing he remembers is Hoenn, the car and the electrical field and something that was probably a crash - admittedly, he doesn't really remember the crash, but there was a sudden stop and impact and then he'd awakened here so he's just going to venture a guess and assume, for a moment, that he's died. It would make this make so much more sense (how?) somehow, and it's a thought he doesn't mind. After all, if he's dead then his rival is dead, because surely life wouldn't kill him in a freak accident and let his rival default to a win, and if his rival is dead then really, they're still even.

Something like that.

But he can't shake the idea that he's been here before, that this beach holds significance to him outside of the view, but for now the memories are hazy, dreamlike (he's had battles on this outcropping, two-on-two and the place below it used to be full of quicksand and he'd won both times but hadn't killed his opponent, and he's battled here one other time but it wasn't so much a battle as it was a start to something and he'd won then too and he had killed his opponent and he'd received what he thinks is the Red Orb but that's ridiculous, isn't it?) and when he tries to force them it just scrambles them a bit, and what's more important is that he's feeling weirdly cut off.

He can't feel Groudon's presence anymore, and it unsettles him.

But he remembers being unable to feel it for a long time, despite the fact that he'd felt it and then there'd been the crash with no time inbetween back in Hoenn; it was...here, that he'd been unable to feel it, despite there being no logical timeframe in which he could have been here...

He's shaking a bit by the end of it because, inexplicably, he's laughing quietly to himself, and he's standing up and brushing the sand off his legs and thinking nonsensically that at least he can see out of his left eye this time (why? that's never been a concern before, his vision is good).]

Quite the piece of work, this place.

[He doesn't seem displeased with that notion; he rakes a hand back through his hair, mussing it a bit as he flicks the front locks of it back out of his eyes.

He'll worry about whatever dreams he's had about this place later, surely.]

It'll be just fine, I think.

Comments

[oceansbane]

[...have a skeptical look at the frog there, you.]

Not with that, you won't.

[torrential]

[WOW RUDE MAXIE Froakie puffs up his chest and looks insulted.]

...Yeah, you're probably right.

[WHAT, BOSS HOW COULD YOU]

I've got no idea what it evolves into, if anything. That's why I'm training it, to see if it'll turn into anything useful.

[oceansbane]

Well, with that sort of mindset, here's hoping it evolves at all.

[torrential]

Yeah, I don't have high hopes for it...

[UGH RUDE BOSS Froakie's just going to go play in the sand over here and ignore you jerks okay!!]

So I take it you went home. Anything happen back there?

[oceansbane]

...I don't remember. I don't think so.

[He shifts a bit at the question, folding his arms low across his body.]

That battle I'm waiting on still hasn't happened. With my rival.

[torrential]

Oh yeah? Well, maybe he'll show up here again and you guys can duke it out.

[...Why does he get the feeling that that's a very bad idea?]

[oceansbane]

I think the ceasefire is still in place, Archie.

Unfortunately, granted, but it is what it is.

[torrential]

Oh yeah. Well, I'm sure you guys'll return home eventually and you'll settle this matter.

[oceansbane]

Don't you look pleased.

[torrential]

What do you expect? You could end up dead.

[Not that he thinks Maxie will lose but... hey, it's a possibility, right?]

[oceansbane]

Oh, believe me, I won't.

[He laughs a bit at that, the sound soft and tight, leaving slight tremors in its wake as it courses through him.]

Don't get me wrong, Archie, I've never denied the possibility. But if I'm defeated, then I'll be getting what I deserve.

You know how this goes.

[torrential]

Yeah, but that doesn't mean I want to see you die.

[oceansbane]

You won't be there to see it.

Technically.

[torrential]

[............sigh]

I didn't mean it literally!

[oceansbane]

Fortunately for you.

You still wouldn't last five minutes, where I'm from.

[torrential]

Well then it's good I'm not going back to your version of Hoenn, isn't it?

[r u d e, Maxie]

[oceansbane]

Don't give me that. It's a statement of fact, not an insult.

It's just not a flattering fact.

[torrential]

[Eyeroll... But at least that gets him to calm down.]

Yeah, yeah.

[He's willing to let the topic drop for the time being.]

It's good to see you again.

[oceansbane]

Is it really...?

[He manages to suppress the laugh, though just barely; it doesn't stop him from twitching again.]

You really are soft.

[torrential]

Hey, what would I do without you here? I'd be bored!

[That doesn't mean he's soft, jeez.]

[oceansbane]

I don't recall being here for your entertainment.

Make it worth my while and we'll see.

[torrential]

[Archie laughs at that, relaxing again.]

Don't worry about that.

[oceansbane]

[Maxie just offers a soft noise at that, light and noncommittal; he doesn't seem inclined to say much, turning his head to look at the landmass just visible across the water, before he returns his attention to Archie again.]

Once I've gotten my bearings, I'm going to want to fight.

[It's a bit stiff, awkward. This isn't something he does; it would be completely unheard of, where he's from. Battling is for turf wars, sometimes for defense, often for taking what others have and for ensuring that you have what others want. It's not casual, it's not something one does for fun - there's the badge challenge, yes, but that's not what people Maxie knows use their Pokémon for. It's not what Maxie uses his Pokémon for.

But he's reasonably sure this is all right, because this Archie is soft and he doesn't know what he's doing and it'll probably be an easy victory again and he'd meant what he'd said. Once he's gotten his bearings, he's going to want to fight.]

...Battle with me later.

[torrential]

[Archie's grin widens.]

I'd like that.

[That much is certainly true. He loves a challenge and Maxie is possibly the most challenging person he's ever battled. Maxie is innovative and every battle with him provides new tactics for Archie to learn and use. He may never be able to defeat this version of Maxie, but he learns something from every fight and he genuinely enjoys battling this one.]

It shouldn't be too hard to find me when you're ready. I'm usually training by the beach.

[oceansbane]

...be somewhere you'll be willing to battle. If you want to fight near the ocean then so be it.

[His gaze darts off toward Hoenn again; this is so awkward.]

I find the terrain to be a challenge.