no_ufo_ending | [Victory Road] Ic Inbox

_{[That's okay, if opening his mouth results in blood coming out, Heather is more than fine with him staying in clam mode for the time being.]

[What's more important than finding out what happened is getting HELP.]

[She's already whipping out her 'Gear, dialing the emergency number, and cursing the fact that they're out in the park so far away from the Goldenrod City Pokemon Center. Maybe the park rangers will be able to get here quicker...]}

--hello?

My friend is beaten up pretty bad, we're in the National Park and he's bleeding. Uh-- a mugging? I guess?

Wh-- no, it wasn't Team Rocket.

I mean-- I don't think it was Team Rocket.

Just-- stay put? Yeah, we can do that.

_{[Emergency help. Pain medicine. Yes. Explanations could wait until his skull wasn't screaming. With a hiss he shifted onto his hip and slowly swung the leg that Assumption had bashed first out before him. It looked straight but the dull throb was starting to give way to the same white hot pain as his jaw.]

[To avoid sending any air over his screaming tooth, Henry spoke up hoarsely from the very back of his throat.]}

A phk'mon.

A Pokemon?

_{[She says this, surprised and sort of alarmed, over her shoulder-- only to jerk her head quickly back to the 'Gear.]}

No-- no, I... I didn't see what happened, I'm just-- Henry, what kind of Pokemon? I gotta tell 'em so they know what to send.

_{[Someone who got run over by a Tauros was going to have very different first-aid requirements than someone with an Arbok bite to the throat.]}

_{[Aw maaaaaan. Henry's shoulders went slack, despite his tension.]}

Cubone.

_{[And he knows that one word will tell most of the story for him. He shuts his eyes again.]}

_{[The word hangs in the air, pointedly, and Heather's attention snaps back to Henry again. She just... looks at him for a moment, mouth still partially open.]

[Yeah.]

[That explains a lot.]}

... It was a Cubone.

... Tell him not to move? Okay. Yeah, we're-- yeah. Okay.

There's a Rapidash with us, so look for the melted path.

_{[He has no problem staying still. He just keeps his head down and miserably rolls the chunk of tooth between his fingers.]}

My camera...in the tree.

_{[Heather looks up and around for a moment before spotting it. She stuffs the 'Gear into her pocket and heads over, grabbing a low-hanging branch and starting to climb.]

[Meanwhile, Carousel has been slowly stepping towards Henry and reaches down to lip at his shirt. She's seen her trainer after various fights and scrapes, but never anyone who just got freaking WAILED on like this. :(]}

_{[The Sentrets that had been napping in the hole were peeking nervously out of their little bunker. It had been impossible to sleep through the ruckus and they chittered curiously to Heather when she reached their level.]

[Meanwhile, back in pain town, Henry lets out a sigh when the warmth rolling off Carousel hits him. That was better. He slowly reaches up to run a hand over her soft muzzle, not even caring that she was getting his shirt all wet. He was already wet from the snow.]}

Hey, girl...good girl...

_{[The Sentrets almost get a double-take out of Heather when she notices them-- she'd been so focused on the camera she hadn't even seen them at first.]

[Remembering EVERY SINGLE INDIVIDUAL SCRATCH she'd received from Arty all at once, she shoots them a strained grin, takes the camera, and starts to slooowly back down the tree.]}

Nice l'il raccoon things...

_{[Carousel, meanwhile, is content to stand sentry over Henry until Heather makes her way back over. He can pat her nose if he wants to, poor bastard.]}

_{[And pat her nose he does. He loves his zippy little zebra but he'll never stop admiring what a good Pokemon Carousel has become.]

[Meanwhile, up in the tree, the two Sentrets, completely unaware of Heather's past trauma, venture out onto the branch bobbing their little ears in her direction. They squeak as though asking if she'd seen what the actual hell happened down below? And if they had any peanuts because that was what the nice man with the camera usually brought them. They make no move to lash out and part Heather from her face should she reach for the camera.]}

_{[The concerned little Sentrets unfortunately don't get an answer from Heather-- on the other hand, Carousel does lift her head clear of the patting in order to whicker inquiringly at them, ears standing forward. She wants to hear ALL about it, and the human doesn't look to be in any condition to report.]

[Heather, meanwhile, makes her way back down the tree and over to Henry.]}

Okay, I got it... is there anything else?

Can you talk?

What happened?

_{[The little raccoon things hop up and down in unison when Carousel inquires. IT WAS SO LOUD. IT WAS SO SO LOUD they thought some new type of Pokemon had moved into the park!]

[Henry reaches out for the camera with his non-tooth-holding hand. He spoke with part of his cheek clenched in his jaw so not to invite cold air over his splintered tooth.]}

I saw him. It was like a switch flipping. I was just so angry.

_{[At first she almost tells him not to move, that she'll hold onto the camera... but well. If he CAN reach for it, what's the harm in letting him have it? If it gets him to lie still...]}

Did you-- did you attack him again?

Is that why the Cubone went after you?

_{[A nod, though it wasn't the furious, proud nod he would have given months ago. This went deeper than being angry at a ghost serial killer and following another ghost's orders out of sheer desperation to save the planet and his apartment. This was a part of him now--a wired-in knee-jerk reaction. Thanks, Otherworld.]}

_{[To that... she lets out a long sigh.]

[Doesn't say anything.]

[At this point, they probably both know she doesn't need to.]

[There's voices in the distance-- the park rangers must be coming.]}

_{[Several hours later...]

[Henry is laid up in a hospital cot, properly bandaged and properly doped up. For the first few hours he only slept. Finally it was time to eat and he was un-drowsy enough to sit upright and poke miserably at his Pokemon Center supplied gelatin.]}

I think I know why Prince won't have anything to do with me now...

_{[Meanwhile, Heather is nearby. She'd been ushered out for awhile to let the nurses do their work, but once Henry was as patched up as they could get him, she'd come back in.]

[At the sound of his voice, she tears her eyes away from the Fire Fanciers magazine she'd been flipping through without feeling.]}

... You do, huh.

Yeah...

_{[He rubs his swollen jaw and heaves a sigh.]}

He was there when I first encountered Walter. He tried to break up the fight. Walter's Cubone was crying...and I pushed him down--Prince, I mean. Sylveon is supposed to be the friendship Pokemon, isn't it? Something like that?

... Yeah.

Pretty sure that was what the 'Dex entry said.

_{[She sighs heavily, running a hand through her hair. She's already talked with Envy, out in the lobby right after being pushed out of Henry's room. And she's already talked with Walter-- a few hours before, when the sun wasn't up yet.]}

... Henry, why did you tell Walter that I said he was brainwashing my Pokemon and didn't want to see him?

I haven't been a very good friend lately.

_{[He gives up on his jello. Normally he loves the stuff but today he's just not feeling it. The painkillers have upset his stomach. Heather's next question actually gets him to look up.]}

Huh?

_{[Henry looks legitimately baffled for a beat and you can nearly hear the spools of footage turning as he's trying to rewind the events of the previous day.]}

Oh...I probably said something like that. I wasn't even thinking, things just sort of. Came out. Anything I thought would hurt him I guess. I was seeing red.

_{[She nods... but won't meet his eyes. She's looking across the room at a little poster of a cheerful Audino with a stethoscope reminding kids to get plenty of exercise to keep their hearts healthy.]}

Okay.

... I've been there, I get it. I really, really do.

The kind of shit that comes out of my mouth when I'm mad is-- well, you know how it is. I'm a bitch.

... But I only speak for myself.

I don't make shit up and say it came from someone else.

_{[She doesn't sound angry. But is she disappointed? You fucking bet she's disappointed.]}

_{[Henry flops back down onto his pillow and stares at the ceiling. He kind of wishes Assumption was pummeling him again instead of Heather talking to him.]}

I'm sorry. I don't plan on doing that again. I just...want you all to be safe. I've been waiting so long to do my job...Heather, what else am I good for?

Henry, you're good for plenty.

You think I can carry out the role that the Order picked out for me in this world? I'm more than that. I'm more than what some creepy cultists decided.

And so are you.

You have to trust us, Henry.

We can take care of each other.

You don't have to go all Lone Avenger to keep us safe. You live with a bunch of literal monsters, for cryin' out loud.

_{[He rocks his head to the side so that he can see Heather again. She has a point...and if anyone showed up who had really hurt any of his monster friends? Henry the Human would be right on the front lines. Honestly, he had a pretty sweet deal here.]}

Wisdom received.

_{[Heather hasn't really smiled once in the past twelve hours or so, but the corners of her mouth crinkle upwards a little.]

[That's her brother!]}

Good.

See?

You can fulfill your role plenty.

_{[She leans back into her chair a little, running her fingers through her hair with a yawn. It's been a LONG sleepless, snackless night.]}

... Now eat your fuckin' oatmeal or I'm gonna.

[Victory Road] Ic Inbox

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject